Educators with PRIDE Unite

[Chancie]

I seriously feel like my year is starting more smoothly because of all my physical exercise.

I definitely have had several waking up at 2:30 am mornings, and one or two have I slept at all nights, but

I feel like it's just going better for me, and for poor Pete, who doesn't have many chores during the summer.

I think some of you know that the refrigerator is like a black hole to her, though she did not appreciate it that I said that she thinks fairies make our food.

I'm weeks behind on my grading but at least I haven't even considered taking a mental health day.

[spritzerJ]

Tired and hopeful.

I haven't taught all the math lessons I need to this week. Literacy is going way better than it is for everyone else. Writing is going well and looks like it could be fun.

I've done 1/2 my reading assessments, all 3 of the writing samples (for each kiddo) and beginning of year math assessment. We are doing well.

My class has quite a few behavioral challenges. I decided to use tokens to help. Thank goddess I did. What they won't do for a plastic counting chip and some free time. A much much better day.

Next week I will master math lessons. It is 2nd grade. It can't be that hard. ha ha. I am not a fan of the "everyday math" curriculum. But I do need to use it.

With behaviors under control we may get an instructional pace established. Feeling like a rock star with throbbing feet.

[sis]

Its the middle of my day; Parent Orientation at 4 p.m. today; 3 days off for Mid-Autumn Festival (think, moon cakes!); 6 days on; 1 day off; 2 days on; and, finally, 7 days off (National Holiday: October 1-7)!

Inbetween I will be working on:

Howloween Cards (Penpal thread),
Preparing monthly reports (61 of them!),
Attending a government dinner for ex-pats (invitation only to celebrate the National Holiday)
Beginning Mandarin classes (nie hao, xie xie are the extent of my skills at the moment!).

Kind of a crazy work schedule but so worth it for the seven days off! Hope everyone is doing well this week!

Deb

[Martina]

So the entitled annoying demanding TFA intern?

She still is that. And she WAS raised privileged, so she has those assumptions and expectations in her bone marrow.

BUT at 19, her father had a catastrophic health problem, and her family lost pretty much everything, including their house. Her mother has become his 24/7 caretaker, and the TFA intern and her sister now pay their parents' rent.

It's true that she has all these other annoying qualities of a TFA intern, but wow. Just wow.

It was a lesson for me that there is ALWAYS more to the story than how people present. In fact, this woman is what she appears to be. But she is more, much more. She is courageous and strong. And a good daughter. She is disciplined. She had to work all the way through college. No big deal, but still. She did it. My view of her has so changed. Such a lesson.

It's also a lesson about how vulnerable the middle class has become, how easily people can lose everything. She was still able to finish college. But she did have to give up her goal of going to law school. And she did it AFTER she spent a year after college studying for the LSATs while working a semi-shitty job. After much consideration, she decided that the job market was too soft for lawyers to risk being out there with a gigantic debt load. Not when she has obligations. She watched her good friend, who she had studied for the LSATs with, go off to law school. This is not the same harsh reality that our students face everyday, but this girl started out with more privilege than I had as a youngster but has had fewer options than I did -- because of long-term economic changes.

God, life is tough for all of us. I do so need to recall that.

Seriously, being middle class is not what it used to be. When a privileged, healthy, well-educated, disciplined young person can not enter the halls of power because she is not privileged ENOUGH, think of how hard it is for the working class to get ahead. And the idea of the law profession as a whole being peopled only by the very elite or very lucky . . . that is scary.

So as a result of my guilt, I have given this girl a lot of time. Re some Special Ed stuff, I have seen the scales fall from her eyes. Re other things, she's still overwhelmed and won't get it till she gets it. That's typical. But she's all grateful and thinks I am wonderful. Little does she know how I was reacting to her at first. Gawd.

My boss still thinks she is a useless waste of space (an opinion arrived at independently of mine, thank the gods). But, fortunately, my boss will not be evaluating the interns this year. The other principal will be.

[lusciouskiwi]

So I've gingerly started job hunting. Hate job hunting! Mind you, does anyone actually enjoy it?

Sent off about four feelers today (although I have to actually sit down and update my CV), including contacting an ex student of mine (adult) from Saudi to see if he has any contacts.

I'll let you know if I get any interesting nibbles.

If only I had a teaching license or at least my Master's completed.

[Scots_On_The_Rocks]

Figured I would drop an intro here. Been working in education for near 15 years as a "school bus bouncer" (okay, the real title is far less fun to say...Bus Supervisor I). And I specifically work with Special Needs (Read: Sp-Ed, EBD, deaf, HOH and blind students). I think this year has by far been the toughest due to my school district beginning the year with a $2mil deficit as well as cuts to Title 4 and other federal funding. Sadly, the students are the ones who suffer as result...but I am sure I am "preaching to the choir" about that.

Anyhow, wanted to join the ranks here and wish my fellow educators a smooth year.

[girllikeu2]

I hate my new job. My boss is insane (no seriously, I am willing to bet my annual salary she is or could be clinically diagnosed) My class is pretty OK but I am so afraid of my boss and her illegal antics that my medical issues are cropping up. It isn't pretty. I am in the process of considering a career change. It sucks.