Last month I complained about how suddenly now that school is out, the course work in my grad classes asks me to use students to practice some strategies. I've been able to muddle my way through and have been lucky enough that my children have been home when I needed them so I don't have to practice on the neighbor kids, as the syllabus in one of my courses suggested I try.
I'm in the weeds this week, though.
I'm suppose to give an informal reading inventory (IRI) to a student of any age and my kids are at their grandma's until Sunday.
I have a close friend and colleague who has a son, but he's only 4, and he can't read.
Another friend has school-aged children, but I asked her for help on finding students to practice on for summer school (she was the coordinator for the program) and she said offered up any of the poor kids for me to practice on and then added, "I just used to fudge those kinds of assignments." Thanks for making me feel dorky for actually trying to do an assignment. She's also a stepmom, so her kids are in and out about as much as mine this summer, too.
I decided to call parents of my daughter's close friend to see if I could use their daughter, but the phone is out of service. This does not surprise me because they have been constantly slammed with hardship for the last 7 months (loss of jobs and new baby with multiple medical problems), and they are probably at that point where a phone is a luxury. They are living in a big apartment complex, but I don't know which apartment, so I can't pop over there. Now that I know their phone's disconnected, I'm worried about them, too.
Gee thinking about how their day must be going makes my little problem sounds lame.
It's my problem, nonetheless. I wonder if I could use my husband as a guinea pig...
Oh! And another stress about this assignment is this whole IRI. So never return to this blog if you like because I'm such a bad teacher that I don't give IRIs. Not exactly, anyway. I do use a few different assessments from the reading programs our school uses, but I don't think they are as complete as this inventory I need to do. So, the truth is, I'm not positive what this IRI looks like. Honestly, I think there are a lot of secondary teachers who don't know either.
The assignment demands that I administer one and write up what happened and what I recommend for instruction for the student. It doesn't come with the resources to give this test, though. It says that I can ask teachers at my school or find one online. This is bullshit. I've spent my whole teacher life trying to find resources online. I can do it, but do you know what would be useful in this program where I'm trying to be a better teacher--and paying a bunch of money to a private university while doing it? Give me the resource. If it's so important, why not give me the one to use. If I find one on the Internet, how will I know if it's a good one? You know, in my own classroom, sometimes I give my students the websites when I am more concerned with them learning the information than I am researching the information. It saves everyone time and confusion about what they should be finding. I'm way past middle school level, but I personally think it's a great strategy in this information-overloaded world.
I'm super irritated at this, but on the other hand, I think I have a guardian angel looking over me. When I bought the textbook for this class through Amazon, I noticed that in the "People who-bought-this-book-also-bought-this-book" section there was a book on reading inventories. It wasn't required for my class, but it must have been required in someone's class at some other university. It looked like a great comprehensive tool for me to assess reading levels from K-12. I don't worry so much about my accelerated middle schoolers, but I struggle with resources for my remedial high school students. Not a lot of reading resources past the primary levels, you know. So thank you, guardian angel, for directing me to this 500-page resource I thought I might use someday. Come to find out, it's sooner than later!
But with whom do I use it?
Sigh.
I'm I too old for imaginary friends?
July 29, 2009
July 28, 2009
Back to Nesting Woes
My silence might indicate that things are pretty dull around here, but actually, since we came back from vacation, my sweetie has been on a mission to buy a house. Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one I know who doesn’t own her own home, and I regret not buying one when I first started teaching. I didn’t think I could afford it, but in retrospect, I probably could have gotten a nice little home for myself for $40,000, which would have a been a good start on equity to get into another house along the line. Things might have been tight, but after moving to Las Vegas we found out what tight meant when our wage didn’t change much, but our housing costs increased $600 a month.
I’m not entirely convinced that owning and selling a small home in rural Nevada would have helped me buy one in Las Vegas, as we moved here during the housing boom. Now that the housing market has crashed, people like us can now get in on bank-owned house deals for $100,000 less than homes were going for just a few years ago. Apparently, the market is great for middle-classers like us who can finally afford homes without making any deals with the devil. Sweet!
I’m not sure if these house prices are a deal or not, as when I first moved to Nevada in 13 years ago, Las Vegas had notoriously low housing (and living) costs, and a lot of teachers I knew moved south to teach here. By the time I moved here, housing prices were ridiculously high, so it’s hard to tell what is realistic for this area. I just know what’s realistic for me, and until now, renting nice apartments and homes has been a much better deal. I've had no regrets about our living arrangements in the last five years, but I am more than happy to move on to a space of my own!
Of course, finding a home that is suitable for us is complicated. It’s not that there aren’t plenty of homes to choose from; it’s that there are so many factors to consider. I went through this a few years ago when we were trying to find a larger home to rent.
I’m not entirely convinced that owning and selling a small home in rural Nevada would have helped me buy one in Las Vegas, as we moved here during the housing boom. Now that the housing market has crashed, people like us can now get in on bank-owned house deals for $100,000 less than homes were going for just a few years ago. Apparently, the market is great for middle-classers like us who can finally afford homes without making any deals with the devil. Sweet!
I’m not sure if these house prices are a deal or not, as when I first moved to Nevada in 13 years ago, Las Vegas had notoriously low housing (and living) costs, and a lot of teachers I knew moved south to teach here. By the time I moved here, housing prices were ridiculously high, so it’s hard to tell what is realistic for this area. I just know what’s realistic for me, and until now, renting nice apartments and homes has been a much better deal. I've had no regrets about our living arrangements in the last five years, but I am more than happy to move on to a space of my own!
Of course, finding a home that is suitable for us is complicated. It’s not that there aren’t plenty of homes to choose from; it’s that there are so many factors to consider. I went through this a few years ago when we were trying to find a larger home to rent.
- Schools.Finding a 9-month school is no longer important to me. It would be nice, but it narrows things a lot. Plus, schools can be rezoned and have changes in schedules because of enrollment--in those neighborhoods and across the district. One of our kids is only in elementary school for one more year, and the other for 3 more years.
- More on Schools. I'm trying to decide how important meeting AYP is for a school. In many of the areas where we'd like to live, the schools have not met AYP. Sometimes by one factor, and sometimes up to five factors. Our school doesn't always meet AYP, but that doesn't mean that teachers aren't bustin' their buns teaching students.
- Commuting distance is a consideration. My sweetie doesn't care about his commute, but it would be nice if mine were close to where we live so I could pick up the kids from school. Last year, they spent a lot of time in the after school program because I'm overloaded with work and grad school, but it doesn't always have to be that way.
- Time to trust our kids? Most elementary schools I know of do not have bus service (there are a lot of elementary schools!), so picking up our kids is necessary, but if we chose a house within walking distance where they did not have to cross a busy street (like where we live now), we would consider letting our kids be latch-key kids, which would save us a TON of money each month. (Think car or student loan payment amount!) This idea about starting to leave our kids home alone a little bit has been a child-rearing conversation this summer.
- Older or newer? Older homes have such character, but some that we have looked at will require some work in the next few years, such as new windows and bathrooms. We don't mind that idea, but if a new home doesn't require all of that, then why would we want an older home? I have been concerned about the quality of some of the newer homes that were built in the housing boom, too.
- Yard space. We do not plan on a grass yard, except perhaps astro turf, but we would like at least a good-sized patio. Older homes have space, but new homes are so close to each other that you can stand between two houses and touch both. Claustrophobia!
- Space inside. We are at odds about the allocation of space. I don't mind smaller bedrooms, and I don't need a giant master bedroom (walk-in closets, yes!) which all the newer houses have, but I do want large living spaces. My sweetie would like the bedrooms to be larger so our kids have lots of personal space. I think this is a good idea, too, but not to sacrifice common living spaces, where I spend all of my waking time.
- A functional kitchen. I haven't seen any kitchen that are amazing, but none of them have been bad by any means. I do not want a galley kitchen. I have tolerated some bad kitchens over the years, so I can put up with a lot, but I do not think I should have to. (Did I ever tell you about the house that had the washer next to the sink and the dryer next to the fridge? That was bizarre!)
- Vibes. This plays an important part, but I can't explain how. Let me zip that requirement to the broker: "House must have a good vibe." Crazy, I know. But in the end, when there are a lot of houses that would pretty well meet our needs, it comes down to vibe.
July 25, 2009
Have You Heard the Cicadas?
The first time I heard the song of the cicadas, I was so moved I wrote a poem about it.
I still feel the same about those crazy insects.
I still feel the same about those crazy insects.
July 24, 2009
Teacher Planning in the Summer: My Compromise
I met up with one of my friends at the mall few days ago. During lunch she told me that she was freaking out because she does not know what she's doing next year. I know she's freaking out. She's been freaking out since before school ended because she's moving from 7th grade English to 8th grade English. I don't blame her because there is a major shift of focus between the two grades at our school, but I also know that along with the other 8th grade English teacher, the three of us can totally rock 8th grade together. (Plus, she's an awesome, competent teacher!)
We need to do some work, though. This work needs to be done before school starts. I can do a lot to alleviate her fears, but she's also bringing new ideas to the table, as is the other 8th grade teacher, who is also a dynamic teacher at her 3rd year (I believe this is a pivotal year for most teachers), so I'm prepared to change things up, too. And that takes time. Lots of it.
So, have I spent the summer working? Nope! In June, I had opportunities for paid professional development, where colleagues at my school conducted sessions of things we wanted and needed to know. It wasn't too intense...about 24 hours over the course of 3 weeks. There were some ideas I should have taken to develop further, but I was on the downhill slide and I knew during July, I planned to to nothing school-related.
Doing nothing school-related for an entire month? Some of you might think that was an amazing feat, while others would consider that a mighty short summer. For me, it's a compromise of how much time I feel I should be planning, and the reality of how much time I will actually spend. Rather than beating myself up for not spending time, I set up time when I wouldn't even fool myself into thinking I might work: July.
I surrendered so completely to July that I hardly even remembered my job. That meant that wherever I went, I DIDN'T think of ways that whatever I encountered could be used in my classroom. This is huge. Very different from my earlier days of teaching.
(Okay, so I've hit some school supply sales, but it's not just for the classroom, it's for my own children, and I can't pass up super-cheap. Money is a different issue.)
On August 1, it's time to transition into planning mode. And by saying transition, I know that I won't be able to hit it full force. I'll procrastinate. I'll suddenly find things around the house I need to do. There are plenty of movies I still haven't seen. It won't be 40 hours of work.
So, as my friend is stressing out, anxious to get to work, I told her I would be happy to sit down and plan and seriously knock around ideas on August 1. I'm not just happy to do it, I'm looking forward to it, but not until August 1. I'd be lying if I said we didn't talk a little shop, but it was surface talk--and most of it concerned whether the clothes we were trying on would be comfortable and fashionable in the classroom. Pretty serious stuff there!
One more week to go. I'm dreading having to go back, but I'm so thoroughly relaxed from leaving my profession in my book bag behind the couch for a month that I think it will be even a bit refreshing to work again.
We need to do some work, though. This work needs to be done before school starts. I can do a lot to alleviate her fears, but she's also bringing new ideas to the table, as is the other 8th grade teacher, who is also a dynamic teacher at her 3rd year (I believe this is a pivotal year for most teachers), so I'm prepared to change things up, too. And that takes time. Lots of it.
So, have I spent the summer working? Nope! In June, I had opportunities for paid professional development, where colleagues at my school conducted sessions of things we wanted and needed to know. It wasn't too intense...about 24 hours over the course of 3 weeks. There were some ideas I should have taken to develop further, but I was on the downhill slide and I knew during July, I planned to to nothing school-related.
Doing nothing school-related for an entire month? Some of you might think that was an amazing feat, while others would consider that a mighty short summer. For me, it's a compromise of how much time I feel I should be planning, and the reality of how much time I will actually spend. Rather than beating myself up for not spending time, I set up time when I wouldn't even fool myself into thinking I might work: July.
I surrendered so completely to July that I hardly even remembered my job. That meant that wherever I went, I DIDN'T think of ways that whatever I encountered could be used in my classroom. This is huge. Very different from my earlier days of teaching.
(Okay, so I've hit some school supply sales, but it's not just for the classroom, it's for my own children, and I can't pass up super-cheap. Money is a different issue.)
On August 1, it's time to transition into planning mode. And by saying transition, I know that I won't be able to hit it full force. I'll procrastinate. I'll suddenly find things around the house I need to do. There are plenty of movies I still haven't seen. It won't be 40 hours of work.
So, as my friend is stressing out, anxious to get to work, I told her I would be happy to sit down and plan and seriously knock around ideas on August 1. I'm not just happy to do it, I'm looking forward to it, but not until August 1. I'd be lying if I said we didn't talk a little shop, but it was surface talk--and most of it concerned whether the clothes we were trying on would be comfortable and fashionable in the classroom. Pretty serious stuff there!
One more week to go. I'm dreading having to go back, but I'm so thoroughly relaxed from leaving my profession in my book bag behind the couch for a month that I think it will be even a bit refreshing to work again.
July 17, 2009
Air for Brains
You know those kids who sit in your class and don't seem to have a thought in their pretty little heads?
That's how I feel this summer.
Relaxed? Blissed out? Disconnected?
Whatever it is...that's me.
That's how I feel this summer.
Relaxed? Blissed out? Disconnected?
Whatever it is...that's me.
June 30, 2009
Get Unplugged
Hittin' the road this week.
Leaving my computer at home.
Yes, I am taking an online class, but I have to let it go until the last minute this week. Where would I connect?
The first leg of my trip takes me to some dear old-timers who have little use for computers. (Cable television is a different story.) Although...their daughter, my best friend, is a connected chick. She's on her one-month administrator vacation, though. She's probably looking forward to peace.
The second leg of my trip will take me to rural northwest for a family reunion. I talked to my aunt, who is also going to the reunion, this evening:
"I'm excited to see you! Now, remember, there's no cell phone service up there. So, when you get to town, go by grandma's house. If I'm not there, I'll leave a note telling you where we are."
Leaving notes? Wow! Old school!
Will there be a hand-drawn map? I mean, I won't have Googlemaps or Mapquest!
The last time I visited my grandma's house, over 5 years ago, I thought I had cell service. Kind of. I mean, I do have Verizon! But...I was already planning on being disconnected.
The last leg of the trip will take us closer to civilization--and connection--but we'll be on the road.
For those of you who don't know about the West, there are lots of places where "being on the road" means you might not see people for hours. No people = possibly no cell phone. Of course, Nevada is the worst, but I've wandered many western roads--even freeways--that went on forever with towns. Now, last year, I found myself lost in Tennessee a few times, but there was a town every 10 miles. A few years ago, I thought I was alone in Virginia, but beyond those tree were entire communities-or so I was told.
Anyway, on with the rambling...we'll make our last stop in Utah, where we'll invade my parents' home for several days. I KNOW they are connected, but I'll be logging on just long enough to get my coursework done. Remember, at mom and dad's we do a lot of porch-sittin'.
So, a little cleanse. Getting unplugged. Getting in touch with places where I don't have to be in touch with others.
Leaving my computer at home.
Yes, I am taking an online class, but I have to let it go until the last minute this week. Where would I connect?
The first leg of my trip takes me to some dear old-timers who have little use for computers. (Cable television is a different story.) Although...their daughter, my best friend, is a connected chick. She's on her one-month administrator vacation, though. She's probably looking forward to peace.
The second leg of my trip will take me to rural northwest for a family reunion. I talked to my aunt, who is also going to the reunion, this evening:
"I'm excited to see you! Now, remember, there's no cell phone service up there. So, when you get to town, go by grandma's house. If I'm not there, I'll leave a note telling you where we are."
Leaving notes? Wow! Old school!
Will there be a hand-drawn map? I mean, I won't have Googlemaps or Mapquest!
The last time I visited my grandma's house, over 5 years ago, I thought I had cell service. Kind of. I mean, I do have Verizon! But...I was already planning on being disconnected.
The last leg of the trip will take us closer to civilization--and connection--but we'll be on the road.
For those of you who don't know about the West, there are lots of places where "being on the road" means you might not see people for hours. No people = possibly no cell phone. Of course, Nevada is the worst, but I've wandered many western roads--even freeways--that went on forever with towns. Now, last year, I found myself lost in Tennessee a few times, but there was a town every 10 miles. A few years ago, I thought I was alone in Virginia, but beyond those tree were entire communities-or so I was told.
Anyway, on with the rambling...we'll make our last stop in Utah, where we'll invade my parents' home for several days. I KNOW they are connected, but I'll be logging on just long enough to get my coursework done. Remember, at mom and dad's we do a lot of porch-sittin'.
So, a little cleanse. Getting unplugged. Getting in touch with places where I don't have to be in touch with others.
June 29, 2009
HappyChyck Murphy's Struggle with School
I've made it halfway through my master's program. Wahoo!
I just keep logging into the online classes, plugging along. Two weekly discussion questions. Read some text, sometimes in the book, sometimes from articles. Write a reflection journal at the end of the week on what I've learned. (It takes about 20 minutes.) There's an assignment due each week, and twice a quarter, that assignment is done with a collaborative group.
When one class finishes, every eight weeks, another one pops up. I don't choose my courses, and I figured out by the third classes when I was taking the course to plan my research project that the courses aren't following the order I was told they would follow. Whatever, though. Just follow the syllabus, hang out in the online database system, and use my prior knowledge, and I'm breezin' through.
Yeah, whatever until summer starts and the assignments ask me to interact with students to help me try diagnose reading problems and try out some strategies on them. The course that starts next week is called "Developmental and Corrective Reading Processes." The syllabus was just posted, and of course, it's necessary for me use students in my course assignments. I was afraid of that. Look at the course title! Sounds like a hands-on course for sure! For the last nine months, when I had 170 of my own students to practice on, and 1200 other students that my colleagues would have gladly offered up for me to use (and help), I had ONE (1) assignment where I needed to use practical skills with a live student--and that was during last week of school.
Why me?
How fortunate I am to have my own children to practice on! For the course I just finished, I did call up on them twice, but they aren't as readily available as one might think, as they spend half the summer (a few weeks at a time) with their maternal grandparents in California. They are helpful, though. In their minds, the more they help me with my assignments, the faster I can finish and pay them more attention. Poor kids!
The first assignment of my new class suggests that I use a child from my classroom, a Sunday school class, or from the neighborhood. So nice of them to offer back-up suggestions just in case I take this course during the summer when I don't an active classroom at my fingertips. The point of the assignment is that I use a child I don't know very well. Ugh. Well, my kids have just spent 3 weeks with their grandma. Boy, have they changed a lot!
Seriously, though. It's too bad that I'm not taking these practical classes while school is in session. Working with my own elementary age children can help me be a better mom to them, but I will NEVER teach elementary school. I mean it, too. I am licensed to teach 7th grade and up. I'm not getting my degree in reading to be a specialist or consultant. I chose this degree to help me strengthen my weakest area of instruction. (When I'm ready to move on from my current position, I will not be looking to work low-level students, either.) Being able to use these new skills would be more relevant to me if I could try them on the field in which I am most used to playing: my classroom and school.
Okay that's the feel-good teacher thought.
Here's the underlying reason I just need to do whatever I need to do:
Moving over on the pay scale is my major motivating factor in getting my degree. I feel like I just need to endure so I can move on to things that are more interesting to me professionally and personally. Especially personally...Next summer, with more $$ in my pocket, I think I'll be able to find more fun things to do than diagnosing reading problems in the neighborhood's children.
I just keep logging into the online classes, plugging along. Two weekly discussion questions. Read some text, sometimes in the book, sometimes from articles. Write a reflection journal at the end of the week on what I've learned. (It takes about 20 minutes.) There's an assignment due each week, and twice a quarter, that assignment is done with a collaborative group.
When one class finishes, every eight weeks, another one pops up. I don't choose my courses, and I figured out by the third classes when I was taking the course to plan my research project that the courses aren't following the order I was told they would follow. Whatever, though. Just follow the syllabus, hang out in the online database system, and use my prior knowledge, and I'm breezin' through.
Yeah, whatever until summer starts and the assignments ask me to interact with students to help me try diagnose reading problems and try out some strategies on them. The course that starts next week is called "Developmental and Corrective Reading Processes." The syllabus was just posted, and of course, it's necessary for me use students in my course assignments. I was afraid of that. Look at the course title! Sounds like a hands-on course for sure! For the last nine months, when I had 170 of my own students to practice on, and 1200 other students that my colleagues would have gladly offered up for me to use (and help), I had ONE (1) assignment where I needed to use practical skills with a live student--and that was during last week of school.
Why me?
How fortunate I am to have my own children to practice on! For the course I just finished, I did call up on them twice, but they aren't as readily available as one might think, as they spend half the summer (a few weeks at a time) with their maternal grandparents in California. They are helpful, though. In their minds, the more they help me with my assignments, the faster I can finish and pay them more attention. Poor kids!
The first assignment of my new class suggests that I use a child from my classroom, a Sunday school class, or from the neighborhood. So nice of them to offer back-up suggestions just in case I take this course during the summer when I don't an active classroom at my fingertips. The point of the assignment is that I use a child I don't know very well. Ugh. Well, my kids have just spent 3 weeks with their grandma. Boy, have they changed a lot!
Seriously, though. It's too bad that I'm not taking these practical classes while school is in session. Working with my own elementary age children can help me be a better mom to them, but I will NEVER teach elementary school. I mean it, too. I am licensed to teach 7th grade and up. I'm not getting my degree in reading to be a specialist or consultant. I chose this degree to help me strengthen my weakest area of instruction. (When I'm ready to move on from my current position, I will not be looking to work low-level students, either.) Being able to use these new skills would be more relevant to me if I could try them on the field in which I am most used to playing: my classroom and school.
Okay that's the feel-good teacher thought.
Here's the underlying reason I just need to do whatever I need to do:
Moving over on the pay scale is my major motivating factor in getting my degree. I feel like I just need to endure so I can move on to things that are more interesting to me professionally and personally. Especially personally...Next summer, with more $$ in my pocket, I think I'll be able to find more fun things to do than diagnosing reading problems in the neighborhood's children.
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