With a state board of education so completely out of touch with what actually happens in many classrooms and a complete distrust of educators paired with a lack of faith in their competence, teaching has become a place where there is no room for error because everything is measured and judged on a severe scale. The panic instigated by the State's labels of "unsatisfactory" or "unacceptable" spreads from the top down, and a new teacher no longer has the opportunity to learn from mistakes made. All the pressures about standardize testing have created an expectation that a teacher be perfect the minute s/he walks into a classroom. Therefore, over the past school year I came to the conclusion that if anyone voiced an interest in teaching, my advice would probably come in the form of, "RUN! Run as far away from teaching as you can and NEVER look back!"
That kind of advice would never spring from the idea that I hate what I do or think that it is a dead end career. In fact, I LOVE what I do. Teaching is a huge part of how I define myself. Actually, my principal said it best when I mentioned getting out of teaching. He said, "For you? That would be blasphemy." I'm just struggling to make it to the end of a rather difficult year. All the measuring and data and practice exams and planning and comparisons and percentage points and subgroups has me at my wits' end. Ultimately, we have ended up teaching to a test in an attempt to help students pass and graduate. It is against every honest teaching bone in my body to teach to a test. I just sort of spiraled into this pit of depression and irritation when it came to education.
However, this past Saturday I attended our UIL Academic District competition because I am the Ready Writing Coach. For the first time, my team was actually set and prepared. (We even had the most adorable shirts made calling ourselves The Ink Ladies and using pink and black as our colors.) My event was first thing in the morning which meant I got to sit around and watch students all day as various events happened.
After the science competition, the six members of the team hung out at my table because two of my team members also happened to compete in science. Just observing these students was amazing! It turns out that they were genuinely interested in what they were doing. I watched and listened as they discussed concepts spanning chemistry, biology, and physics. They shared solutions to various problems and sincerely wanted to help each other understand ideas. It made my heart happy to be reminded what an excitement for learning looked like. No amount of time consuming (and often time wasting) checkpoints/benchmarks/whatever has hindered their love of learning. These students have been fired up by solid teachers (their Science Coach is pretty awesome). These students are engaging in their educations! These students are why I teach, and I cannot forget that.
Regardless of the crap I might have to trudge through in education, I am in it for the kids. My students make the day worth while when everything else seems to be spinning out of control. Because of this past Saturday, if a person showed interest in teaching my advice might be more like, "Why? For the kids? Because that is the only acceptable reason to become a teacher in the first place. Otherwise, it isn't for you."
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Spring Break Report...Spring Break Report...
Spring Break report! (clap clap)
Okay, so that sounds so much better if you say it to this rhythm:
(I absolutely love this show.)
My goal was to blog on Wednesday about the various adventures of Spring Break 2014, but I was sort of distracted by a great book (more on that later). The beginning of the week was a little shaky since my youngest suffered from strep throat. I've never had strep throat. My oldest has never had strep throat. My husband is pretty sure he's never had strep throat. Needless to say, I wasn't sure what to do about it. It turns out, one can treat strep treatment like hair lice treatment. I had to sanitize EVERYTHING that my little one might have put in or near his mouth: toys, blankets, cups, utensils. I even had to throw out his toothbrush. Then I had to keep his brother away from him because it is apparently pretty contagious. Fortunately, after 24 hours of antibiotics my little guy could be around people again. However, I was a little anxious releasing him back to daycare because I didn't want to be responsible for getting any other kids sick just in case. The part that was the craziest is that he really didn't have any symptoms of strep throat. His nose was a little runny, but I assumed it was allergy related since he definitely inherited spring allergies from me. The only reason I took him to the doctor was to make sure he wasn't getting an ear infection due to fluid and whatnot from the allergies (something else that happened to me a lot as a kid). Then BAM: strep throat! So a lot of stuff I wanted to do around the house had to be put on hold. All moms know that if you are watching a sick kid, nothing else gets done.
We have been able to visit the Arboretum since the weather has been quite accommodating this week. Both boys loved running around in their capes. Everything thinks it is cute, but really I just wanted to make sure I could find my children quickly in the crowd. The new Children's Garden is amazing but packed on nice days.
Then my husband took some time off yesterday so he and I could see The Lego Movie. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pretty convinced it wasn't really a movie for small kids. Actually, it was AWESOME (that's a joke-if you've seen the movie you'll get it). I enjoyed it very much, but my four-year-old, while getting a kick out of the action and explosions, would probably lose interest here and there. That's okay. We're probably taking him to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman on Saturday. What kid can't enjoy a talking dog? Of course, I'm going to see if it is anything like the original cartoon.
All week I have been slowly grading research papers. That has to be the most depressing part of teaching English. Grading essays is a special kind of torture. I get to see what my students still lack in terms of writing and expressing ideas, but I HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH WHAT MY STUDENTS STILL LACK IN TERMS OF WRITING AND EXPRESSING IDEAS. It also is a lesson in patience since most of the students refuse to reference or follow explicit directions on how to conduct and produce research. I even made an example and said, "If the format of your essay does not match this example, you did something wrong and need to fix it." I am trying to remain positive though. I've already thought of various ways to make it a little better for next year. That's what a good teacher does right?
Since Spring Break is falling during Lent, and since I gave up television during the week for Lent, I am actually able to accomplish a great many things around the house and for fun. I managed to get under all the living room furniture and give the floor a good scrub down. I worked on some laundry (something I'll never catch up on). I am even about to patch up some pants for my oldest and sew a button back on a pair of my husband's slacks. The best part about giving up the TV is that I am actually reading again. I LOVE to read but am so exhausted after a day of work that I usually watch 30 minutes of television before crashing for the night. However, once I have the kids in bed it turns out that I can spend and hour or so reading without getting too tired. Therefore, I started this book:
Now my nearest and dearest know about my adoration for this man and the imaginative empire he created. However, nonfiction is not my favorite of the genres for reading. So I was hesitant in case this turned out to be a dry list of accomplishments in a very thick binding. I have been pleasantly surprised. It is written in a style that is close to narrative, so I can breeze through the pages. It is incredibly hard for me to set it down. I get that I'm a HUGE fan, but this man was a genius and not just because of The Muppets. The things he wanted to do artistically outside of his puppet creations (BTW-Muppets is NOT a mash-up of marionette and puppet-I already knew that but his book confirmed it) was so ahead of his time and fascinating. I have to stop gushing now or I'll abandon this blog and go back to reading.
So that's my Spring Break Report. I can now mark "blog" off of my List.
Okay, so that sounds so much better if you say it to this rhythm:
(I absolutely love this show.)
My goal was to blog on Wednesday about the various adventures of Spring Break 2014, but I was sort of distracted by a great book (more on that later). The beginning of the week was a little shaky since my youngest suffered from strep throat. I've never had strep throat. My oldest has never had strep throat. My husband is pretty sure he's never had strep throat. Needless to say, I wasn't sure what to do about it. It turns out, one can treat strep treatment like hair lice treatment. I had to sanitize EVERYTHING that my little one might have put in or near his mouth: toys, blankets, cups, utensils. I even had to throw out his toothbrush. Then I had to keep his brother away from him because it is apparently pretty contagious. Fortunately, after 24 hours of antibiotics my little guy could be around people again. However, I was a little anxious releasing him back to daycare because I didn't want to be responsible for getting any other kids sick just in case. The part that was the craziest is that he really didn't have any symptoms of strep throat. His nose was a little runny, but I assumed it was allergy related since he definitely inherited spring allergies from me. The only reason I took him to the doctor was to make sure he wasn't getting an ear infection due to fluid and whatnot from the allergies (something else that happened to me a lot as a kid). Then BAM: strep throat! So a lot of stuff I wanted to do around the house had to be put on hold. All moms know that if you are watching a sick kid, nothing else gets done.
We have been able to visit the Arboretum since the weather has been quite accommodating this week. Both boys loved running around in their capes. Everything thinks it is cute, but really I just wanted to make sure I could find my children quickly in the crowd. The new Children's Garden is amazing but packed on nice days.
 |
| He was just too busy saving the day to be sick! |
Then my husband took some time off yesterday so he and I could see The Lego Movie. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pretty convinced it wasn't really a movie for small kids. Actually, it was AWESOME (that's a joke-if you've seen the movie you'll get it). I enjoyed it very much, but my four-year-old, while getting a kick out of the action and explosions, would probably lose interest here and there. That's okay. We're probably taking him to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman on Saturday. What kid can't enjoy a talking dog? Of course, I'm going to see if it is anything like the original cartoon.
All week I have been slowly grading research papers. That has to be the most depressing part of teaching English. Grading essays is a special kind of torture. I get to see what my students still lack in terms of writing and expressing ideas, but I HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH WHAT MY STUDENTS STILL LACK IN TERMS OF WRITING AND EXPRESSING IDEAS. It also is a lesson in patience since most of the students refuse to reference or follow explicit directions on how to conduct and produce research. I even made an example and said, "If the format of your essay does not match this example, you did something wrong and need to fix it." I am trying to remain positive though. I've already thought of various ways to make it a little better for next year. That's what a good teacher does right?
Since Spring Break is falling during Lent, and since I gave up television during the week for Lent, I am actually able to accomplish a great many things around the house and for fun. I managed to get under all the living room furniture and give the floor a good scrub down. I worked on some laundry (something I'll never catch up on). I am even about to patch up some pants for my oldest and sew a button back on a pair of my husband's slacks. The best part about giving up the TV is that I am actually reading again. I LOVE to read but am so exhausted after a day of work that I usually watch 30 minutes of television before crashing for the night. However, once I have the kids in bed it turns out that I can spend and hour or so reading without getting too tired. Therefore, I started this book:
So that's my Spring Break Report. I can now mark "blog" off of my List.
Wednesday, March 05, 2014
The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town
Today is Ash Wednesday. Being a devout Catholic, I made sure to wake my boys up early to go to the first Mass of the day and receive ashes. Since it matters to me that my children understand their faith, I reminded my oldest that getting the ashes is a great way to prepare for the Lenten season which is the 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter. Then I asked if he could tell me why we think Easter is so important. His response: "That's when the Easter Bunny brings us stuff!"
First, he's 4 years old, so I can see how a basket of cheap toys and chocolate might rate more memorable than Christ dying for our sins. Second, if you really think about it, trying to explain The Crucifixion to a small child can be tricky. The story can be very dark and sad and violent. However, I am certain I will be able to communicate the importance of Easter when all is said and done.
As for me, the first question that spews forth when people hear I'm Catholic and it is Lent: "What are you giving up?" Here's why I struggle with that question. It seems so trite. How can giving up soda or sweets compare to the sacrifices Christ made while in the desert? Then a few years ago someone mentioned that maybe I could promise to DO something extra to strengthen my faith instead. I really liked this. One year I wrote 40 letters to people who mattered to me. It was an awesome way to remember that God is Love. Then I found Lenten devotionals to study. Yet now I feel like a sacrifice might take on meaning again since it has been a while since I "gave something up" for Lent. So I've pondered and considered and here is what I decided:
Spiritually: I will do my best to follow Busted Halo's Fast-Pray-Give calendar. This will help me focus on the three aspects of the Lenten season that will best prepare me for celebrating The Resurrection. As usual, I will also use a Lenten devotional to focus each day on scripture.
Emotionally: Writing is my happiness and release. Too much time occurs between blog posts. Goal: two blogs a week focused solely on the positive aspects of life. Even if a post needs to address a less optimistic concern, I will balance it with an uplifting (or maybe comical) spin.
Sacrificially: Television sucks away a lot of time in this house mostly because it is the best babysitter for the boys while I'm getting ready in the morning or when dinner is being prepared in the evening. Giving up all television wouldn't really matter to me because 90% of what I "watch" involves channels with "junior" in their title. What I CAN do is make sure the TV is off in the evenings and limited on the weekends. My hope is that dinner time will become more meaningful. (Yes, my family leaves the TV on during dinner. A crap habit I know.) Who knows? I might actually get some reading done that has been staring at me from the dust covered books on my nightstand.
And there is my Lenten plan for 2014.
First, he's 4 years old, so I can see how a basket of cheap toys and chocolate might rate more memorable than Christ dying for our sins. Second, if you really think about it, trying to explain The Crucifixion to a small child can be tricky. The story can be very dark and sad and violent. However, I am certain I will be able to communicate the importance of Easter when all is said and done.
As for me, the first question that spews forth when people hear I'm Catholic and it is Lent: "What are you giving up?" Here's why I struggle with that question. It seems so trite. How can giving up soda or sweets compare to the sacrifices Christ made while in the desert? Then a few years ago someone mentioned that maybe I could promise to DO something extra to strengthen my faith instead. I really liked this. One year I wrote 40 letters to people who mattered to me. It was an awesome way to remember that God is Love. Then I found Lenten devotionals to study. Yet now I feel like a sacrifice might take on meaning again since it has been a while since I "gave something up" for Lent. So I've pondered and considered and here is what I decided:
Spiritually: I will do my best to follow Busted Halo's Fast-Pray-Give calendar. This will help me focus on the three aspects of the Lenten season that will best prepare me for celebrating The Resurrection. As usual, I will also use a Lenten devotional to focus each day on scripture.
Emotionally: Writing is my happiness and release. Too much time occurs between blog posts. Goal: two blogs a week focused solely on the positive aspects of life. Even if a post needs to address a less optimistic concern, I will balance it with an uplifting (or maybe comical) spin.
Sacrificially: Television sucks away a lot of time in this house mostly because it is the best babysitter for the boys while I'm getting ready in the morning or when dinner is being prepared in the evening. Giving up all television wouldn't really matter to me because 90% of what I "watch" involves channels with "junior" in their title. What I CAN do is make sure the TV is off in the evenings and limited on the weekends. My hope is that dinner time will become more meaningful. (Yes, my family leaves the TV on during dinner. A crap habit I know.) Who knows? I might actually get some reading done that has been staring at me from the dust covered books on my nightstand.
And there is my Lenten plan for 2014.
