Why It Was Due Last Tuesday

I feel a little bad about that stack of process journals that still have not been graded after a week.

A little bad is about it, and as I lamented to my colleagues yesterday during lunch--a lunch where I was doing work--they assured me that it was okay.

These particular journals were submitted late. Granted, they were submitted only one day late, as that is the maximum I will accept, and late work gets graded last, but a week is a long time.

I'm sure there will soon be e-mails, "Why is this showing as missing? Johnny turned it in!" and then what do I have to say except my stack of excuses?

--All of the students who turned it in on time received it back the very same day. I just had to read it and give a completion grade for their reflections.
--During class for the remainder of last week, I spent my time going from student to student giving them feedback on their writing while they read their novels.
--We were in the library one day last week, and although, I could have done some grading I did not want to lug their journals around campus, and more importantly, I have decided that this year, when we have library days, I plan to read with the students, so I can be a good model.
--My preps were taken up with STUFF. I can't remember exactly, but at least half the time was taken up with collaborative planning, and the rest included running around talking to people about pressing issues and getting materials ready for upcoming lessons.
--Although my contracted time technically ends with the bell, I did stay after every night until 4:00 pm. Two of those nights were for clubs I co-advise. the other day was more of the STUFF I was doing during my prep.
--It's mostly futile for me to take work home on weekdays because I have my own children to deal with at home. Last week I spent time bustin' my own middle schooler's chops for having a couple of missing assignments in her classes.
--In the evenings, I teach two classes, so doing any kind of homework for the teacher just does not happen. Sure, sometimes, I take it, but my students are needy, and they have their own assignments that need to be graded.
--On the weekend, I did five hours of grading and two hours of planning. Do some simple math about how much of a weekend I get. Again, I did not want to lug those process journals around. I already had a bin of work to carry out on Friday night, and taking those journals would have meant two trips to my car. Call me lazy, but it's just not worth it the hassle of exertion of the 100 degree heat, the long walk and obstacles of locked doors whe trying to get back onto the building for the second trip at 4:00 pm on a Friday.
--It's to bad that I have been out of my classroom for two days this week, but I am afforded sick days for doctor appointments. I have 130 days accrued. Obviously, it's not like I make it a habit to be gone. The other day is for school business. I was invited by the principal. I think it's excused, don't you?

So many excuses for myself. I know they aren't good enough. But you see, I am a busy teacher who is plagued with too much work. Sometimes I plan things for a reason. You know, like due dates.

Mantra for First Day Back for Teachers

I will keep a positive attitude.
I will be a professional at all times.
I will open myself up to learn new things.
I will open myself up to learn old things differently.
Still keeping positive attitude.
I will use my bits of free time wisely.
I will try to have faith that change is a good thing.
I will grin and bear it when it starts to get deep.
I will try to be the HappyChyck I always want to be.

I'm Sorry I Asked

The final question on the 8th grade final exam is actually an essay where students brainstorm the units or activities they liked and disliked. Afterward, they select one thing that should be changed or aborted next year. It is up to them to persuade me to change or modify the activity or unit. It can be so powerful to get feedback from students, but this is the second year in a row where I wish I hadn't even asked.

I'll think I'll post some of them here in a few days, but I'd say 85% of the reflections were simply whiny. It's too hard. It was boring. Everyone did a bad job on it. It was stupid. It's really too bad that some of my students couldn't be more articulate because my colleagues and I do take the feedback into consideration when we plan for next year. Instead, at this point, I have a poor opinion of my students' poor opinion of me and my class.

Next year, I definitely need to help my students develop their persuasive skills so they don't sound like lazy, bratty teenagers when somebody asked for their critical opinions.

Textbooks in? Check!

The deadline to collect textbook was today, and by some miracle, I collected every single one of my books without having to write a fine slip.

A few years back, in a fit of anger, I assigned homework to students who did not return their books on the day I collected them. In a lot of ways I don't even agree with my behavior. Punish students with homework? Eh, well. Sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do.

I told the students, "There are so many things we did not learn this year, and it is evident that you are still willing to learn because you are keeping your textbooks. Here are some exercises that will help you. This is not busy work. These are weaknesses from your writing that I've noticed could use some attention."

The truth is that few of the students did the homework, but they did bring their books in. That was the objective! I didn't grade or penalize the lack of homework. It wouldn't have affected their grades anyway. Shhh! Don't tell them that.

As I was leaving today, one of the near-retirees was in the office picking up fine slips to fill out. I proudly told him that I had collected all of my textbooks and how I used homework as leverage. It worked like a charm! He patted me on the back and said, "You keep telling yourself that."

Burst my bubble.

Vacation is My Kryptonite

I put in my typical 12-hour day, and I'm exhausted. Actually, had I remembered to do a few things during the break, my day would not have been so long. Well, home for 3o minutes, and I'm ready for bed. How quickly I forget how to get through each day.

How long did my rose-colored glasses stay on? Er, I'm still trying to have some hope, but about 15 minutes into my first class, that is at 7:20 a.m., after having to remind two girls to stop talking--two girls who had previously been assigned new seats but found their way back to each other--I wanted to go back home. I get so tired of the stupid shenanigans. Just SHUT UP!

I don't think I'll need as much energy to get through tomorrow.

I hope.

Reality Comes

Yesterday was a rough day, as teachers were called down to the the office to be told their positions have been cut. One colleague was no shock, as she was hired in the middle of the year when a little extra money was found for her position. The shocking moment of the day was hearing that we lost a foreign language position, leaving two teachers to provide foreign language to 500 students who are required to take it it the IBMYP program.The low man on the totem pole has been at our school 5 1/2 years.

I've heard that we lost 11 positions. I don't know which ones for sure, but that's 11 teachers with uncertain futures and 55 classrooms full of students left to be absorbed by those of us still standing.

I don't even want to go to work today with the mood so heavy and situation nothing but hopeless.

To make matters more depressing in my mind, the proposed cuts on the table now include a 5% pay cut and a 20% increase I what I pay for health insurance. From estimates I've seen on what that means is that I need to cut $300-400 from my family's budget.

My poor kids are really getting the shaft at school and at home.