You may be a racist...

Since the democrats and Obama's supporters have been charging that the people who oppose Barak Obama are racist, I thought it might be handy for people to see if they really are a racist, when it comes to this year's election. If you have no sense of humor you should probably go elsewhere...

25 Reasons You May be a Racist [Peter Kirsanow]

The tendency of Obama supporters to see racist impulses behind every criticism of their candidate has evolved into absurdity. Now even the first black president feels compelled to declare he's not a racist. By this measure, nearly every American is at risk of being branded a racist at some point in the campaign. To assess whether you're at risk just consult the list below ( apologies to Jeff Foxworthy ):

1.If you think Obama's the most liberal member of the senate you...may be a racist.

2.If you object to Obama raising your payroll, capital gains and estate taxes you...may be a racist.

3.If you'd prefer a president have at least some foreign policy experience you...may be a racist.

4. If you're in favor of drilling for oil and building nuclear power plants you...may be a racist.

5. If you think "Vero Possemus" is Latin for "Massive Ego" you... may be a racist.

6. If you wonder why Obama was hanging around William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn you...may be a racist.

7. If your pastor is nothing like Rev. Wright or Father Pfleger you... may be a racist.

8.If you don't want the majority of justices on the Supreme Court to be like Stephen Breyer you...may be a racist.

9. If you're not impressed with Obama's 100% NARAL rating you...may be a racist.

10. If you're not sure whether Obama opposed or supported FISA reauthorization you...may be a racist.

11. If you don't think America is a "downright mean" country you...may be a racist.

12. If you think Obama should've visited wounded troops at Ramstein and Landstuhl you...may be a racist.

13. If you think the surge is working and that's a good thing you...may be a racist.

14. If you oppose racial preferences in employment, school admissions and contracting you...may be a racist.

15. If you think "we are the change we've been waiting for" is a line from a Monty Python skit you...may be a racist.

16. If you prefer that a president have a smidgen of executive experience you...may be a racist.

17. If you're appalled that Obama voted against treating infants born after an abortion attempt the same medically as other infants born alive you...may be a racist.

18. If you were proud of your country even before Obama's candidacy you...may be a racist.

20. If you don't think American troops are just "air raiding villages" you...may be a racist.

21. If your grandmother isn't a "typical white person" you...may be a racist.

22. If you don't think rural, working class people are bitter and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them" you...may be a racist.

23. If you're not sure invading Pakistan is a particularly good idea—what with their nuclear weapons and all— you...may be a racist.

24. If you don't want the president to meet without precondition with the leaders of state sponsors of terror you...may be a racist.

25. If you don't care how Hollywood or the European elite think you should vote you...may be a racist.

This campaign has, to paraphrase Moynihan, defined racism down.

50 Books... Update 3

I'm back from vacation (I'll post on it later) and aside from the fun of camp, I got to do some serious reading in and have an update on the 50 book challenge.

When I started the challenge I had read these books

Old Man and the Sea
My Grandfather's Son
Sharks over China
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Screwtape Letters
Catcher in the Rye

Then, I was able to finish four more by the 25th of July.

The Coldest Winter
Mere Christianity
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Black Arrow (Finished 7/25)

While on vacation I finished the following books

Dragonquest (Dragonriders of Pern book 1)
Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern book 2)
The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern book 3)
The Great Gatsby

I'm reading
The Reagan Dairies
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Grapes of Wrath

So I've finished 14 books out of the 50. I should finish The Grapes of Wrath this week I hope...

Vacation

I am going to be out of town for a week to visit my family in Michigan. As you can see it's the opposite of the desert I call home. A week of swimming, saunas, food, fishing and more is what awaits me and my family.

Hope you have a great week as well...

50 Book Update (with update)

Recently I joined the 50 book challenge at Shelfari and wanted to give everyone an update on my progress. When I made the original post I had read the following books:

Old Man and the Sea
My Grandfather's Son
Sharks over China
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Screwtape Letters
Catcher in the Rye

Since then I've finished these books:

The Coldest Winter
Mere Christianity
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Black Arrow (Finished 7/25)

And I'm reading the following books (yes books, as in more than one)

The Reagan Dairies
The Picture of Dorian Grey

I am going to take these books on vacation next week:

The Grapes of Wrath
The Dragonriders of Pern Trilogy
The Great Gatsby

I may take the Reagan Dairies and The Picture of Dorian Grey as well. The Black Arrow is a library book so I will leave that here. If you have also taken up the challenge let me know how you're doing.

18 steps

No it's not some newfangled treatment for addictions. It was the number of steps from the storeroom to the floor. I know I counted them this morning as I made trip after trip after trip loading up carts with shoes to send to California. And I went up and down those 18 stairs 50 times if I did it once. And that's 48 times to many if you ask me. The last thing I needed was to see just how out of shape I was and boy did I find out! The good part about this is that the normal two day assignment has turned into a 4 day assignment and we really need the extra money.

And I'm one day closer to August 11...

They want to do what?

Let's see, the economy is not doing well, gas is over $4.00 a gallon and millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet. I know! Let's increase the gas tax by another 10¢ a gallon! Now I realize that I'm not a economic guru, but last I checked, when the economy is struggling the last thing you should do is to further erode the purchasing power of your citizens. I've also discovered another fact that seems to escape the democrats in Congress. When you don't have enough money coming in, you need to cut expenses first. Of course since they're playing with someone else's money it's easy to see why simply increasing taxes is the better option. I think they're betting on Obama becoming president because McCain is not big on tax increases.

This is the best example of how the GOP views this vs. how the democrats do.

"Congress should first reduce spending on pet projects, known as earmarks, argued Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. "I'm not going to let the Senate spend all this money when nobody is looking, especially when we refuse to stop wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on earmarks."

Oberstar, D-Minn., said his committee is working on the next long-term highway bill. He estimated it will take between $450 billion and $500 billion over six years to address safety and congestion issues with highways, bridges and transit systems.

"We'll put all things on the table," Oberstar said, but the gas tax "is the cornerstone. Nothing else will work without the underpinning of the higher user fee gas tax."

Nothing else will work? Senator, with all due respect... Are you high? Try wasting less of my money in other areas and see what happens. All you're going to do is to increase the drag on our economy and lengthen this downturn.

This is why the system was built for gridlock ladies and gentleman...

H/T Bald Headed Geek

Truth is a moving target, or is it? (updated)

Over at American Power, Dr. Douglass posted an essay discussing giving animals the same status as humans, thereby making all animals equal, which is a direct shot at the Judeo-Christian view in which we are at the top of the heap and the animals to one degree or another are below us. In addition, there is an essay by Dennis Prager that is worth looking at. In this article Dennis discusses the difference between the Judeo-Christian ethics and the secular, postmodern ethics.

The main difference between the two systems are this. People who subscribe to the Judeo-Christian view, have held that certain things are right or wrong, that's why we tend to hold things like the 10 Commandments in such high esteem. Secularists see everything as shades of gray, what is good for you is good for you and all that nonsense.

These two world views are polar opposites of each other and at some point one or the other will be tossed aside. Make no mistake about it, the secularists are hell bent on removing the Judeo-Christian morals from our culture and replacing it with moral relativism. Where instead of concrete ideas of what is right and wrong, you're constantly shifting until it feels right for you. Needless to say this is bad for society, we need set rules of behavior, where people know that there are certain things you just don't do. Of course many of these are moral things like fidelity, modesty, honesty, and not having sex just because, which is why the secularists don't like them.

So is truth really a moving target after all?

Update #1:

I was thinking about this thread when I made this post to start with. It starts out with the usual indignation about the cover on the New Yorker and then when the cartoon of the McCain's comes out (thanks Dr. D) I posted it since at least one person said they'd be just as offended if one were published. Funny thing, since one is a magazine cover and the other 'just' a comic, they're not the same, at least according to people there. That would be moral relativism in action for you.

When Good Things Happen To Good People

I've been mulling this post over in my head for the last few days and since my car won't start right now I might as well get my thoughts down before I forget what it was I was going to share. There are two fellow teachers whose blogs I follow that finally got some good news after months (if not years) of frustration and setbacks.

California Teacher Guy: He just found a job at a school in Northern California. He's been bouncing around schools as a special education teacher for the past few years. Last year he taught at the Jewel of the Desert School and was a victim of cutbacks in the district. In addition, his blog is a must read for me and you could certainly do worse than to add him for your blog rolls.

Over at I am a teacher, Mr. G. finally found a classroom to call his own in Eastern Washington. He's been looking for steady work for way to long and at one point was ready to throw in the towel. In addition he is a huge Wizard of Oz fan and has a separate blog just for that book. His blog is also one I read on a regular basis, especially now that it's good news instead of more disappointment.

It was nice to see two of the good guys get a well deserved break. When you get a chance head over there and congratulate them.

Now I just need to get my car started and probably replace my battery. The desert heat is just murder on car batteries, and it has been about 3 years since the last time the battery bit the dust. Good thing my wife took the van this morning.

Update... The car has a new battery and is now running fine. The people at Wal-Mart even waived the $9.00 core charge. Needless to say I was very thankful.

The Lie Clock

Got this in my email and thought it was worth passing along.

The Lie Clock

A man died and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him.

He asked, 'What are all those clocks?'
St. Peter answered, 'Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie-Clock.Every time you lie the hands on your clock will move.'

'Oh,' said the man, 'whose clock is that?'

'That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie.'

'Incredible,' said the man. 'And whose clock is that one?'

St. Peter responded, 'That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abe told only two lies in his entire life.'

'Where's Senator Obama's clock?' asked the man.

'Obama's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan.'

It's all my fault!

Over at Betsy's Page, she mentioned that in California the governator wants 8th graders to master algebra. Now while this is a noble sentiment, the reality is far different. I hit the comment link to see what the discussion was like and I ran into this gem by "Walt Vega"

"At what age do kids learn Algebra in Japan, China, Germany, France, Spain, Australia? American kids are stupid, thanks to American Teachers. Great job"

Now, I don't know about you, but that looked like an outright attack on all teachers, and I took a certain amount of umbrage at that statement, and responded thusly...

"Walt, with all due respect. Kiss my ass. You obviously have never been in a classroom as a teacher and have no clue what you're talking about. You know how many parents supply phone numbers that don't work? How many don't care? How many would rather buy booze and drugs instead of shoes and pencils for their kids? And yet it's my fault as a teacher? Hear that ringing? It's reality calling, you might want to answer."

Now, I admit I should not have told him to KMA but I was pretty pissed that he would blame all teachers for the problems that public education face in 2008. Plus I figured that Walt was a post and run troll who likes to flame and run. Well, Walt to his credit responded to my first comment...

" Vegas,
As much as you would enjoy me kissing your ass I wouldn't dream of depriving your mom from using her mouth there and elsewhere on your body.
Personalizing it by attacking me is a sure sign you're a loser. You can't keep it substantive. Try to address the original issue. Show us what a smarty you are.
The better teachers know the horrendous state of "teaching" in the USA. It's inarguable.
Equally inarguable is the inverse relationship nationally between "teacher" salaries and student performance. It's grotesque. It's shameful.
Blame? Go ahead. Makes you look all the more foolish. It's people like you and the NEA/UFT that vote in the democrats who promulgate laws and programs to coddle teenage criminality, to promote illegal aliens sucking dry resources from schools and towns, and that lower standards of every conceivable kind.
Keep it up, genius."

Now, aside from the incestuous implications that I won't go into, it's clear that Walt has no clue about my personal feelings about teacher's unions or the reality that teachers face in the classroom everyday. This time I didn't reply right away until my temper had cooled down a bit...

"A. I hate the NEA with a passion. They have done more to hurt education that all the loser parents put together. I love the idea of voucher programs, school choice and charter schools. If it will truly help the kids learn, I'm all for it. As for illegals? Put the marines on the border.

B. You missed my point. So I'll lay it out again just for you. If you want kids to succeed, then you need parents who care. To often, the parents don't care and that attitude rubs off on the kids. When the parents care about their kid's education then the foundation for success gets laid.

C. I don't lower standards, sorry you have the wrong teacher.

D. Maybe you should get the facts straight before you attack me. You made it personal when you blamed all teachers without exception. If you're so smart you go teach and get back to me.

Jorg, you really do need those pedagogy classes. There is a huge amount of knowledge that you need just in the science of teaching. Lesson planning, classroom management, record keeping etc., are all vital to becoming a good teacher. Many states have an ARL (alternative route to license) so that people with a BS+ can start teaching right away and go to school to get the teaching part."

Now, I was pretty sure that I had made a point about crappy parents getting some of the blame, but I guess I was not obvious enough for Walt...

" You never made a point. There was nothing to miss.

A good carpenter never blames his tools. Deflecting your failure as a teacher to the parent must feel comforting, but it's bullshit and shows what a numskull you are. What's your next excuse; no parking?

If you want to get paid as a teacher, you should only receive a check if you've done your job. Whining not included. You don't teach. You collect (my) government money for arriving at your job site.

The immigrants were not famous for "caring" about education for the their children. School robbed them of income they needed just to survive.

Or are you referring to Negro kids (more specifically, their parent(s))?"

Now at this point it was fairly obvious to me that Walt's views are set in stone and that all teachers are racist pigs feeding at the public trough. He straight out says that teachers have no excuses at all for not properly teaching their students. Now I was not about to let the whole racist charge go without an answer so I responded with this...

"Exactly how much time have you spent as a teacher again? Tell you what Walt, since you're obviously so much more qualified to teach than either Betsy or myself, why don't you come to our schools and show us how it should be done.

And the school I last taught at was 55% hispanic, and I've seen this parental problem across racial lines, so your tactic of calling me a racist won't wash either.

I don't blame all parents for the trouble our schools face, I do blame the ones who couldn't care less about their kid's education and why that's my fault I still don't understand.

I do know this, that the more involved the parents are, the better the odds that the students will be successful and the inverse is also true.

If you wish to continue to blame teacher's for all the ills in public education go right ahead, it shows your lack of knowledge and your continual personal attacks show your lack of class."

Now I am going to let Walt know that I've posted this here so this conversation can continue if he wishes. I don't want to drag down Betsy's blog with this debate.

Death of a forum and more

One of my favorite web sites, Substitute Teachers United ceased operations this week. The founder simply ran out of energy and money to keep the site up. It's a pity this happened and I wish the founder well in her future projects, even if she does support Obama! I also finished another book in the 50 book challenge, "The Coldest Winter" and I added the link to my list to the right under the 'educational' section, so that way you can see how close I get to 50 books by the end of the year. I did change the order a bit, because I started reading "The Picture of Dorian Gray" along with "The Reagan Dairies" and "The Count of Monte Cristo".



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Now playing: Rhapsody In Blue - Disney
via FoxyTunes

RIP Tony Snow

What a shocking way to start the morning. I flip on my computer to see if the thunderstorms last night started any fires locally and the headline on my home page says it all. Tony Snow was a class act and he was by far my favorite on air talent at Fox News before he became press secretary for President Bush. When his cancer returned I was hopeful that he would beat it, unlike many on the left who though that is was cosmic karma coming back to haunt Tony, which is typical of liberals these days.

You can read more about him here, here, and here.

Tony, you were a class act and will be missed. 53 is way to young.

Animusic

No, I'm not going to wax poetic about the DVDs again, but I had an interesting experience when I showed them to the music classes I was subbing for today. Friday through next Wednesday I'm subbing for a music teacher in an elementary school. Now normally I don't to elementary schools but I need the money and the cool thing about subbing for the specialists is that you don't see the same rug rats all day. Anyways I pop in the DVD and the 5th graders are less than impressed with the opening video Starship Groove.

I went on with the lesson and showed them different videos from both the DVDs but it was not until they saw Drum Machine that they got interested.



Now all the other classes loved, loved them. They not only enjoyed the videos, they really enjoyed the music as well. The two big hits were Pogo Sticks and Future Retro. The really cool thing is that they saw stuff I missed even though I've watched the DVDs numerous times.

Sometimes you learn as much from the students as they learn from you. Besides I'd rather watch those DVDs than Disney Sing a long videos any day of the week!

50 Book Challenge

I'm borrowing this from shelfari, you know that bookshelf thingy on the right side of my blog? Here is the challenge for all of you. I want you to read 50 books in 12 months. I saw it today and decided to join. Here are the books I've read so far.

Old Man and the Sea
My Grandfather's Son
Sharks over China
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Screwtape Letters
Catcher in the Rye

I'm still reading the ones I mentioned below. If you are a shelfari member and want to participate you can do so here. The widget is free and easy to use as well.

CS Lewis and more

While on vacation last week I was able to get some reading done as well as visit, drink a beer or two, etc...

Aside from Old Man and The Sea and Dr. Jeckyll & Mr Hyde, my father in law let me borrow two books from CS Lewis, and no it wasn't any of the Narnia books! (Been there, read them!) Instead he let me borrow Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. They are both wonderful reads and The Screwtape letters has stayed with me because it was so powerful.

Mere Christianity was a series of radio addresses that Lewis gave during WWII explaining Christianity and why it was the true road to eternal life. It explains much about Christianity in plain (Queens) English stripping away much of the doctrinal divides and other nonsense. I'm about 95% finished with the book and wish I had read it before the Screwtape Letters

The Screwtape letters is a series of letters written from one demon (Screwtape) to his 'nephew' regarding his nephew's attempt at turning a young man over to their side. It gives a chilling look at how the other side operates in their ongoing quest to capture souls for the Devil and there were (way too) many times I saw I had fallen into the trap that Screwtape was discussing with his young charge.

If your only experience with CS Lewis happens to involve Aslan the lion, then I recommend you pick up these two books. They are well worth the effort. Once I finish off Mere Christianity and The Coldest Winter, I'll start The Count of Monte Cristo and maybe The Great Gatsby.

July 4th

I wanted to wish everyone a happy July 4th. I'm on vacation this week visiting family in Northern California. I got to go to my favorite pizza place (Jake's Pizza in Saratoga), visit the tech museum in San Jose (if you get the chance you gotta go there) and spent some time with my dad who I've not seen in two years.

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday and remember that freedom isn't free.

Suggestions?

It was fascinating to see what gets people to respond to blog posts and what makes the crickets chirp. My post on going to the bookstore generated a good response from my readers, and the last one from Lady Wore Black (who has a blog of her own worth reading!) asked for suggestions in regards to new books and authors to explore. So, after I list a couple of my own, I'd really appreciate it if you would add in your own suggestions.

Here are my suggestions to the lady in black

Educating Esme

Flight of the White Horse

Trumpet

Please?

The writing process

One of the biggest mistake that people make is they think that you just start writing and bingo! Instant masterpiece... I wish it worked that way but the reality is far different for writers. Writing is a process, sometimes a long frustrating one, but a process either way. Here are the basic steps that you need to take for quality writing.

1. Pre-writing. This is where you figure out what you are going to write about and begin to plan out your paper or essay.
   
2. Writing your initial draft. Self explanatory...
3. Revision. This is where the real work begins. Here you start to make changes to your paper. You smooth out transitions, strengthen ideas and generally turn your draft into something to be proud of. I've never written a paper that could not be improved with a revision or 5.
   
4. Editing. This is where you get rid of all the misspelled words and grammar errors.
5. Publication. Hopefully you get high marks for your effort.

Now you may have seen variations on this theme but the foundations never change. To write effectively you have to do more than sit at the computer and abuse the keyboard. You have to have a plan and follow through on that plan.

Right now I'm working (or I should be!) on my final paper. I'm almost finished with step 1, the pre-write and by tomorrow I'll be working on my draft and revising it. I will have it finished by Friday so I can turn it in and enjoy my vacation.

The moral of the story is this... Don't be afraid to make changes to your paper/essay/blog/proposal/speech. It can always be improved.

Bookstore

Since there were no subbing jobs today, I took my daughter to the bookstore and then to the library. I had gotten a $25 gift certificate and we had to return some books so it was a two for one bargain so to speak. I like this bookstore because it has a great selection of books from classics to fiction etc...

So here is what I bought with my $25.00

1. The Count of Monte Cristo (I'm embarrassed to admit I have not read it yet)
2. The Grapes of Wrath (have not read it in 20 years)
3. The Great Gatsby (have not read it in 20 years)
4. The Picture of Dorian Gray (I'm embarrassed to admit I have not read it yet)
5. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (I'm embarrassed to admit I have not read it yet)
6. The Old Man and The Sea (I'm embarrassed to admit I have not read it yet)
7. The Dragonriders of Pern (have not read it in 15 years)
   

And I got a book on the Korean War at the library for good measure. I'd list the books my daughter bought and borrowed but your eyes would glaze over and you'd fall asleep in your Cheerios! It does pain me to admit that I had not read so many of those books, especially considering the fact that I'm going to teach English.

It was a well spent morning!



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Now playing: Never Far Behind - Aly & A.J.
via FoxyTunes

My Grandfather's Son

I'm about 2/3 of the way through Justice Thomas' autobiography. It's a great read and it's made me hold him in even higher esteem than I already did. I learned about his poor upbringing and the bigotry that he faced all the way through college and beyond as well as his journey from an "Angry Black Man" to the conservative he is today. If you have not yet read this book, you really should pick it up because you won't be sorry.

I also had the pleasure of getting back into the classroom again on Monday. I subbed for an art teacher at an elementary school and I could not believe how much I had missed being in the classroom. It made it harder to go to my other 2 day a week temp job working at a very very very upscale clothing store on the strip. ($155 for a polo shirt?) But it helps pay the bills and the people there are very nice so it could be worse. I'm also nearing the end of my summer school class which is nice because I could use the break right now in a big way.




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Now playing: Black Dove - Tori Amos
via FoxyTunes

Father's Day

First, I'd like to wish every dad out there a wonderful father's day, especially my dad and my father in law, both of whom read my blog. I'd also like to wish my grandfather a happy father's day, he's going to be 89 this October and still doing fine.

My father's day actually started yesterday with dinner because my daughter is going to Colorado for a week tonight so we had ribs, twice baked potatoes and salad last night. I got some nice gifts as well, including a gift card, a gift certificate to a used book store and the CDs for Animusic 1 & 2.

I also want to note the passing of Tim Russert, who died way to young at 58 of a heart attack. He was a class act and will be missed greatly. They just don't make them like Tim anymore!

Remember to call your dads today!

Pipe Dreams

One of the big writing projects I hope to do at that Agassi school is to have my students compare and contrast two animations from Animusic. This is one of the few times they'll get to compare apples to apples. And the animations themselves are just plain cool. Thanks to the wonders of youtube, you can see them both here. Let me know which one you like better and why...

Here is the original pipe dreams...


And here is pipe dreams 2...

Reality

Such a lovely word isn't? At least until we have to deal with it. I'm in that mode right now. School ended last Wednesday and tomorrow I need to start working or else things are going to get really tight around here. Our original plans to work for Xerox over the summer fell through. I won't be eligible to work for them until the end of August. And with the economy struggling, getting temp work is not going to be as easy as it used to be.

On the bright side. I got to meet and have a few frosty ones with Dr. Douglas who was visiting from Southern California for the weekend. We got to talk about politics and even played a little roulette. He even insisted that I keep my winnings (he staked me), which is enough to help with the house payment. It was really cool to meet a blogger who I hold in such high esteem and he was as real in person as he is on his blog. One other note, California Teacher Guy stopped by my blog and left a nice comment on it. His job at the jewel school just ended and he is looking for a new school to make a difference in. His blog is one that I check on a regular basis, because it's just than darn good! Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers. He is one of the difference makers in the education world and we need more like him.

Since the school year has ended, my blog is going to become more of a politics blog until I start my internship in August. And no, I'm not a liberal by any stretch of the imagination so don't start thinking that I'm gonna support Obama for president.

One other thing to all the teachers and professors out there. If someone asks you what you make, refer them to this video.



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Now playing: Shut Up - Black Eyed Peas
via FoxyTunes

Getting Even and the end of the year...

That's what I did to 6th period today. No, they didn't get an extra hard version of the final. Most of them bombed it even with the notes they took last week. I'm talking about the semester grades and the citizenship grades. Yea, I enjoyed that part of the day. I gave out 9 'N's for 'needs improvement' and 7 'U's for 'unsatisfactory'. And for every 'U' I put the same code in for the comments, just to make sure the parents get the idea that their kid was a meatball in my class.
In addition, even though I told them at least 60000000000 times not to leave any questions blank because you lost both points, at least 8 of them did just that. And guess what happened to their grades? Yep, they went down the toilet.

The moral of the story is that the teacher gets the last laugh, and when you spend an entire semester being a meatball, it comes back to bite you in the end.

Now 5th period was the opposite. They busted their butts and did a good job on the final. Most of them passed the semester and I personally congratulated a couple of them because they really worked hard to get into the 9th grade and I was very very proud of them. Needless to say this was my last day at that school and it was very hard to leave. I made some good friends and I know that most of the kids are better at math now than they were in February when I got there. Knowing that I made a huge difference to some of my students made it easier to leave.

That flew by.

So my time at the school ends tomorrow. It seems like yesterday it was late February and I was just taking over for their regular teacher who had to go out early on maternity leave. And now it's June and the students will either become 9th graders or go to summer school etc., and I'll have to find a regular job until August when my internship starts.

I'm really gonna miss the school, the students and the staff.

Cool New Forum

Nun, from nunoftheabove, has decided to start a forum for conservative teachers. I was flattered when she contacted me about my interest and asked me if I was interested in joining. Needless to say I agreed quickly and she was able to go live with the site a few days ago. If you're in education and you're a conservative or you like good discussions please head on over and sign up. Obviously, letting others know about the site would be helpful as well.

The site is called "Conservative Class" and has several discussion areas open right now with more planned.

Skillet

End of the line...

Well, the time for teaching is done. Next week it's three days of finals and then I bid the school year a fond farewell. I really enjoyed this assignment and I will miss the school, the staff and even 6th period. Friday was an eventful day for the kids because of a couple of events that happened that day.

The first thing was the 8th grade dance. Now not just any 8th grader could go, you had to be graduating and you could not have gotten into serious trouble in the last few weeks. Needless to say, there were some excited and disappointed 8th graders that 6th period when the tickets were handed out. This was followed by the second event of the day. An 8th grade assembly during 6th period. The students got to see some of their fellow 8th graders perform (they did quite well) and a video presentation was put together including lots of photos and some messages from the teachers. Yours truly was asked to give a short message and I had totally forgotten about it until the video started and I saw some of the other teachers give their speeches. I didn't think that I would get much of a reaction because I am pretty hard on my kids and don't let them goof off etc.

Imagine my shock when the gym erupted the second I appeared on the screen. I'm embarrassed to admit that I got the second loudest cheer of all the teachers who appeared in the video. Only one of the science teachers got a better reception, and boy does she deserve it. She is an awesome teacher who tutors the kids after school and just loves what she does. She was thinking about leaving the school this year but the principal talked her out of it, and the cheer she received enforced the fact that she is an incredible teacher who is right where she belongs.

Speaking of belonging, I found out this morning while shopping at Target that I got the internship at the Agassi school. I am very excited about the prospect of teaching my chosen subject for an entire year at the same school. When I decided to teach, I really wanted to teach at risk kids, and these kids really qualify for at risk. That school is in the worst part of Las Vegas. I already have a couple of projects in mind for them and I'm hoping to have my brother in law come in and talk to my students about working in Radio and what it takes to get into the business. (He's a reporter for KGO radio in San Francisco) Of course he does not know this... yet! But I'm hoping that he would be willing to come down, if for no other reason than to see his niece and nephew.

Three days and then school's out for the summer. Except for the kids who have to take summer school... heh!

Home Stretch

It's down to just a few days and then school is out for the summer. I am of two minds about this fact. On one hand I'm thrilled that I have some time away from students and their assorted challenges. On the other hand it means I have to get a real job because subs only get paid when they work. Of course it also means that I can concentrate on my American Lit I class that I'm taking right now. But it also means that barring some summer substituting gigs I won't be able to teach until the fall. On the other hand it means I'll have time to draw again.

I guess I'm a bit conflicted on the end of the school year thing.


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Now playing: Let It Out - ZOEgirl
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Good news for a change

No, 6th period didn't change their ways, it's too late for that, but we can always hope can't we? The good news is about a student of mine who trusted me enough to talk to me and then follow through with my advice.

JS came to me Tuesday after school with tears in her eyes and the look on her face that said "HELP ME" louder than any words could. After getting her calmed down I was able to pull (as in pulling teeth) out what was behind those tears. It turns out that on top of the usual 8th grade drama, she was failing her geography class and her teacher was on her case about it and to boot she had to do a report on a specific country that she had not started yet that was due Friday. To say she was overwhelmed was a bit of an understatement. So I asked her to give me her assignment packet so I could look at it to maybe give her a bit of direction. Once I had an idea of what the teacher was looking for I asked her if she had a computer or internet access, which she didn't. (This school is not in a good part of town so I was not too surprised)

So I went to the CIA world fact book website and printed out the information for her to use so she could finish her big project. In addition, I let her come during my prep period to work on this project on Wednesday and Thursday because they were just watching movies in her choir class. And I told the Special Education Coordinator what was going on (she has an IEP) and she allowed JS to come see her 3rd period today so she could finish her project before 6th period.

She bounced into my classroom this afternoon to tell me that not only did she get a 79% on her project, but that she would now pass her geography class.

And THAT is why I became a teacher.



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Now playing: A Little More - Skillet
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Talking during a quiz

I knew it was bound to happen at some point. And I would have bet money that it would be 6th period who did it. And I would have won that bet too. Yesterday after warning my favorite period numerous times to be quiet, they walked into a quiz today and it was not an easy one either. And even though I told the class (numerous times) that if you talk you're gone, two young ladies decided that the rule did not apply to them. Imagine their surprise when I tossed them both. I was going to just toss the one I caught talking when the other one said it was her fault, so she got tossed too. Then this same lady came back two minutes later saying she got tossed from the room I sent her too, so I then sent her to the dean's office (for the second time in three days!) where she got three days of in-house suspension. The other girl got detention and a zero on her quiz for her talking. I'll be willing to bet they get at least one more quiz next week because they are incapable of staying quiet and on-task.



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Failsafe

That is the form that students have their fates decided. The 8th grade students who are either not passing or in danger of not passing have to get them filled out to see what they will be doing next year.

1. They'll be in 9th grade next year with their classmates.
2. They'll be in summer school making up the classes they failed, then going on to 9th grade.
3. They'll get to enjoy middle school for a 4th or 5th year. Yes, I did say 5th year.

I would say that 1/3 of my students had this form for me to fill out and I am happy to say that the majority (80%+) passed at least one of the two quarters and assuming they pass English will be 9th graders next year. The rest will either be taking summer school or repeating 8th grade. I took no pleasure in failing students but they didn't do enough work to pass. I took plenty of pleasure with the kids who had a 45% last quarter and a 77% this quarter. Think about that, their math grade improved 32% simply because they started turning in work.

My favorite class...

Sigh, I love 6th period. Well if I tell myself that enough maybe I'll believe it. They still don't want to stay quiet, but at least I know who has the flipping laser pointer. That will be taken care of tomorrow morning. I've been trying to find out who has that since I got to the school. Today I got my confirmation about who has it and tomorrow I have the deans take care of it since they may have to search her for it and only they can search students for contraband in the district. Tomorrow is removal day since nobody wanted to stay quiet and just work. It's too bad since some of them will probably be coming back for another year at middle school but if they don't want to do the work then they deserve to get held back...



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Now playing: If We Are The Body - Casting Crowns
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Reaching my limit

I think I am reaching my limit with some of my students. I am starting to snap at them when they don't deserve it and even when they do I've been blowing out of proportion. I can see why teachers look forward to summer so much. You invest so much of yourself in them and in getting them ready for the next grade that it takes a total toll on you. And I'm not just talking a physical toll, it takes an emotional and spiritual toll as well, and it takes time to restore your mind body and soul for the next school year.

That being said, I did do the right thing today by removing a student from my class who decided that he needed to be the center of attention, again. You know the type if you're a teacher or around kids. He makes a production out of EVERYTHING! It takes 15 seconds to get a pencil, getting paper out of his binder is at least 90 seconds and there is a soundtrack for everything just to make sure all eyes are on him. Now I've talked to him more than once about this, in fact I reminded him of the conversation from Monday which he says we never had. Needless to say he was very shocked when I sent him next door for the last 40 minutes of the period and everyone else got the hint and we actually got to have a real class today. Tomorrow if he repeats this behavior he's off to the dean.

In addition I am prepping like crazy for the final I have not written yet, and needs to be approved by the administration. And the district decided that finals need to cover 3 days and not two days. In a way it makes sense because May 30 is locker clean out day and they are not allowed backpacks or any sort of large bag the last three days of class. Should be interesting!

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Now playing: Deep Forest - Schon, Neal
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Thanks for nothing

I would like to thank the democratic party for the following things...

First I'd like to thank them for gas that costs $3.67/gallon and 551/2¢ of that is taxes. I'd like to thank them for not allowing us to expand our oil production and refining capacities for the last 25 years. I'd also like to thank them for dashing my dreams of buying a Chrysler 300, because I can't afford the gas for it. Instead I'll end up buying some car that sips gas and defines gutless.

I'd like to thank them for stabbing Vietnam in the back and for consistently trying to do the same thing to the Iraqi people since 2003. I'd like to thank them for offering up such lousy candidates for president that I could vote for the GOP without even researching the candidates. I'd like to thank them for destroying everything good in their party since the 1960's.

I'd like to thank them for destroying our public schools, the nuclear family and their continual efforts to destroy the Christian faith. I'd like to thank them for their continual support of our enemies, illegal immigrants, and for taking the side of the criminals and not law enforcement.

Thanks for everything and thanks for nothing. Is it any wonder I'll be voting for McCain this year?

Disrespect

Something that 8th graders have down cold. I had a student of mine who didn't like the score that he got on an assignment. Now that's great that he cared enough to look at his grade and realize that something was wrong, I like it when students care. The way he decided to handle it was totally out of line. Instead of waiting until I would have the students work on their assignments during the last part of the class, he decides that this absolutely cannot wait and he interrupts me while I am trying to explain a new concept to the class. I explained to him that now was not the right time and that I would look at his assignment later during the class and told him quite firmly to sit down, which he did but not in his assigned seat. I then restart the lecture and not 60 seconds go by when he gets up, goes all the way around the back of the room to my desk where he then starts talking to my aide about this same assignment.

You can guess my reaction. I stopped the entire class and read him the riot act, I told him how rude and disrespectful he was by demanding that his problem be taken care of now. That his actions were disrespectful both to me and to everyone else in class, and that if he ever pulled a stunt like that again, I'd send him to the dean's office so fast his head would spin. I then told him to sit in his seat and not get out of it until the bell rang.

Well he was OK for the rest of the class, and yesterday I pulled him aside and explained in detail why I was so upset with his behaivor and told him when I started grading papers his would be first in line, which it was. He was better today except for the fact he did not want to sit in his assigned seat, I had to tell him three times to sit where I placed him. If he does that today I will give him two days of detention to make my point.

We'll see, I think he'll get the point, he's a smart kid who would get all A's if he would stay quiet.


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Now playing: Big Moon - Schon, Neal
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Over! Kinda...

Well,
My spring semester at Nevada State College ended today. I think I got an A, a B and a C, but I'm not sure. I'll find out on Wednesday since my adviser is also my professor. I've taken two classes with him and he's a good professor. That meeting also determines if I can do that internship I applied for. If I can take a class and do my student teaching at the same time, I'm all set. Otherwise I'm screwed. Simple as that.

It's kinda odd not having homework to do, although I am WAY behind on my grading for my math class. I was running late to my portfolio presentation and forgot to pick up some work to take home. Oh well, I'll do it tomorrow instead. It'll give me something to do instead of homework and I'll finish putting up the posters from a couple of weeks ago. I have about half of them up, but I still have a pile to do and a few really nice ones that I'll put in the hallway.

We'll see how the week goes...

Tagged

I've been tagged by the famous HappyChyck...

Here are the rules:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.


1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was working for a t-shirt company as the graphic designer. I would set up the designs for screen printing and embroidery. My daughter was not yet 2 at the time.

2) What are five things on your to-do list for today?
I need to get my son down for a nap
I need to change my eye appointment for tomorrow
I need to work on my final project
I need to cook dinner for my son and I (pizz-ah!)
You'll have to live with 4 things...

3) What snacks do I enjoy?
100000 bars
pretzels
string cheese

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire
Buy my grandfather's camp in Upper Michigan
Finish school
Get a Chrysler 300 & a '68 VW Bus
Help out my family & church
Invest a bunch of it

5) Three Bad Habits
Too much sarcasm
Lazy
I'm a slob

6) 5 places I have lived...
Just 5?
Boulder, Colorado
Saratoga, California
Chico, California
Fremont, CA
Las Vegas, NV (current)

7) 5 Jobs I have had
Just 5?
Graphic Artist
Lighting Technician
Account Associate for T-Shirt wholesaler
Account Associate for Xerox
Substitute Teacher (current)

7) Six suckers, er people I want to know more about...
Karlana, a great friend and twice the teacher I'll ever be...
Megan my niece who I still love even though she went to USC.
The Educated Shoprat, who has a great blog covering a wide range of topics.
Thomas, who runs the Thomas Chronicles, a great blog that makes you think.
The Pondering Penguin, who knew penguins were capable of such deep thought?
The CA Teacher Guy, the jewel school will be the poorer for his absence.

That was fast!

Wow,
Just one more project to do and my semester at Nevada State is finished. In fact the semester ends on May 7th if you can believe that. The nice thing is that after Monday I can concentrate on teaching until at least Memorial Day when the person I am filling in for is supposed to come back. But she may not because her baby (and boy is he CUTE) is having some health issues. Either way for a few weeks I simply get to teach.

Speaking of teaching I'm trying for a paid internship at the Andre Agassi (yes him) school. Andre built this private school in the heart of North Las Vegas to give kids in the poorest part of town a shot at a good education. They got a grant to give teaching students a paid ($18000) internship which includes paying for student teaching. Now just because I dropped off my application does not mean much because there is one class (literary theory) I need to take that I can't get until the Spring of 2009, which is supposed to be the semester I student teach. The issue is that the rule at Nevada State says that you can only take student teaching, and no other classes. Now I did try to see if UNLV has the class I need but they have it at times I can't take it, (middle of day) and the head of the English Department says no independent studies will be available at all. So my Wednesday meeting with my advisor will be very interesting to say the least.

Finally, I do have one good story to tell about my week. I was Dr. Detention for the 8th graders on Wednesday and I decided that they could use some culture. So I found my daughter's soundtrack to the musical 'Cats' and brought that to school with me. When the students arrived for their time with me I popped the CD in and turned it up. I wish WISH I had a camera to record their reactions. First it was confusion because it didn't register in their minds what they were hearing. Then it was a dawning realization that I had put on show tunes. Then a combination of misery and disgust as they were forced to stare at the white board for thirty minutes and listen to the music. After thirty minutes I told them they better start doing their homework, and no I didn't turn the music off, in fact I turned it up a bit, just to get the point across. The high point was when disc 1 ended and the music stopped, the students breathed an audible sigh of relief that the torture was over... Then I popped in disc 2, yes it's a 2 disc set. Talk about crushing their spirits, it was truly a thing of feline beauty.

Presidential Quotes

One of the things I've noticed around the blogosphere is that bloggers are quote happy right now and that made me remember an assignment I did during my long term assignment in the fall. I posted it on Buckhorn Road in the comments section and thought I'd simply post it here for all to see and (hopefully) use in their own classrooms. I tried to pick presidents throughout our history and narrowed the list down to what is on the assignment. The students really responded to this assignment and I read some great responses to the quotes. There was one in particular that the students liked more than the rest but I'll let you guess which one it was.

Pick Two Quotes and give a 5-7 sentence response to each quote. I want to know why you like it and what it means to you. Be descriptive in your writing. “I like it because I agree with it” is not going to be acceptable for this assignment. Put your responses (1 for each quote) on a separate piece of paper and staple it to this sheet. Each response will be worth 15 points so there is a total value of 30 points for this assignment. It will be due when you return to class.

George Washington: "Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder."

Thomas Jefferson: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

James Madison: "The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted."

James Monroe: "National honor is the national property of the highest value."

John Quincy Adams: "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

Martin Van Buren: "It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't."

Abraham Lincoln: "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong."

Theodore Roosevelt: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."

John F. Kennedy: "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived, and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic."

Lyndon B. Johnson: "You ain't learnin' nothin' when you're talkin'."

Gerald Ford: "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

Ronald Reagan: "America is too great for small dreams."

George W. Bush: "We will bring the terrorists to justice; or we will bring justice to the terrorists. Either way, justice will be done."

My own favorites are from Reagan and Lincoln, short and to the point.

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Now playing: Forsaken - Skillet
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Worksheets

Worksheets are the stepchild of education in many ways. They're trite, dull, lack authenticity, and are pretty much looked down upon in education school. They're also very handy and don't deserve the reputation they have. Plus they may be the one thing to settle a rowdy class down enough to actually teach them.

The reason I'm bringing this up is a conversation that's been going on over at A to Z Teacher Stuff regarding an out of control class that a teacher inherited. There were several good suggestions but the one that stood out was the suggestion that they students get worksheets to keep them busy the entire hour until they get under control. Apparently there is a comfort factor for students with worksheets that gets forgotten by teachers and so-called experts alike. Student gets worksheet, student does worksheet, it's almost pavlonian once you hit middle school. I think that sometimes we spend so much time trying to reach their zone of proximity and trying to make lessons more authentic that we forget that sometimes the simple approach works the best.

Let's see how 6th period likes nothing but worksheets for a while. That and detention slips may get them back into line. Nothing else has worked so far and I did find six algebra worksheets over the weekend that should do the trick.



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Now playing: Here With Me - MercyMe
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Bring your child to work day

So today was "Bring your child to work day" in the valley and so my daughter got to accompany me to school for the day. She was so excited that she got up early(!) because she thought I may have left without her.

We got to school in plenty of time and she got a tour of the campus and a picture taken next to the cobra monument that is in the quad area. Because I had pushed the chapter quiz back a day she also got to help pass out and collect the homework and even participated in the math battles against other classes. She ended up doing pretty good considering she was going against 7th and 8th graders. She even beat a couple of them. They were a bit embarrassed to have been beaten by a fifth grader to say the least. She even took the multiplication quiz that we do as an opener (she got 49/50 right) and her high score allowed me to tease the kids who got more than one wrong on that quiz as well. (Insert the 'are you smarter than a 5th grader' jokes here)

Everything was fine and dandy until 6th period rolled around. Now even though I had warned them numerous times to sit down and be good when my daughter was there, they were their typical chatty selves. Even though I told them if they acted up I'd make their lives miserable they didn't listen. Even though only half the class was there today they were still a pain in the grade book if you catch my drift. Oh, and I got to hand out two detentions today as well. One in 6th and one in 1st (why can't kids get to school on time?).

So after the quiz tomorrow I get to make 6th period's life miserable. Worksheet city and if they let out a peep, they either get detention or a referral. Good thing I have a bunch made up already...

Yea and 10 out of 25 students are failing in 6th period right now too...



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Now playing: Piano Concerto No. 2, Allegro, Opus 102 - Disney
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Bullying

I hate it with a passion. There are few things lower than a bully in a school environment and I tend to stomp on throats when I find out it's going on. Today it once again reared it's ugly head. Right before 5th period started one of my favorite students came rushing (with tears streaming) in asking to be switched out of my math class. My obvious question was why? It turns out that one of her classmates (who was literally just reinstated today) threatened to beat her up in the very near future. Oh, and they're both in the same math class...

So I send her to her 5th period class after she flat refuses to go to the dean's office to report it and then call the dean's office myself to tell them what's going on and I tell one of the hall monitors as well just to make sure that everyone knows what's going on.

Now I do know that everyone involved was talked to including some witnesses, but until I see the attendance list I won't know if miss bully will be coming to class. My question is how do I handle her if she shows up? I will go talk to the dean's office in the morning to see what they suggest but my natural inclination is to verbally rip her effing throat out for threatening another student.

There is some good news to report though. My current assignment got extended until Memorial Day so I'm set for the next month.



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Now playing: Electric Head, Pt. 2 [Sexational After Dark Mix] - White Zombie
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Ugh, Mondays

OK, so I was hopeful that Monday would continue on the good track that Friday ended on and that my classes would get into the swing of things without too much trouble.

Oh, really?

I ended up filling out 9 detention forms for 3 classes. That's just the ones that I filled out and handed to the students, that does not count the additional three or four that I have pinned to the wall ready for use the rest of the week. Nor does it count the ones I plan on filling out tomorrow because I ran out of time today. I could literally send 12 kids to detention without blinking an eye.

All because they can't stop flapping their gums. You would think with just 5 weeks or so left in the year they would pay a bit more attention so they don't end up repeating 8th grade or taking summer school but I guess summer school is more fun than swimming all day...

Silly me...



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Now playing: The Unforgiven - Apocalyptica
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The Pope

The Pope left the USA today after a six day visit. I did not know what to expect of him when he was elected although the bits that I did hear over the last few years gave me hope for the Catholic faith and their new leader. He was supposed to be an interim Pope, a stepping stone for the next one if you will. That's what the experts thought. Boy were they wrong.

He is a great man, a truly great man. Every time I heard him speak I got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. The look in his eyes every time he was introduced and stunned by the roar of the crowd told me what a humble man he is. And the topper was that he not only addressed the child abuse scandal several times in his sermons. But he also read the riot act to the Bishops and Cardinals and basically told them that this had better not happen again, especially the cover ups and the transferring of problem priests from one parish to the next. The crowning moment was when he met privately met with some of the victims of this terrible scandal to apologize and pray with and for them. The Catholic Church should rejoice and thank God almighty this selection.

To bad some people like that moron Bill Mahr couldn't resist taking shots at him and the Church. I won't dignify that dope by repeating what he said, just turn him off when he comes on the air.

Finally, understand that I am not Catholic anymore. I belong to one of the Vineyard churches here in the valley. However I still follow what the Pope says and does, and in this case it fills my heart with joy.

I hope and pray that I could somehow make that kind of a difference in the classroom when I finally finish school and begin my career in earnest because then I would know that during my brief time on Earth that I made it a better place to live.



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Now playing: Meant To Live - Switchfoot
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Poster Day

First of all let me say that I am feeling much better. Not 100% but pretty close. Lucky for me it was just a 24 hour thing. Chances are I ate something that bit back if you catch my drift. I would even wish that on 6th period and that's saying something!

Today was poster day and it went better than expected. I wish I had brought more glitter glue because the kids went nuts with it. I also wish I had brought a few more markers, but other than that it was a huge success because everyone got something out of it. The kids got to have some fun and they learned something even if they don't realize it.

I got an easy day and my room looks way cool with the posters. The reaction from the students later in the day when they walked in was priceless. Now the room has some character.

Of course 6th period didn't get to do posters, they had to work, which they did little of. So I filled out some detention forms for Monday.

Sick

I hate being sick. I really do. Last night I went to bed and I was fine. I woke up this morning and felt like I walked into a Pepto-Bismol commercial. Needless to say school was more like survival than actual teaching but I managed to gut (pun intended) my way through it. The nice thing is that tomorrow is an easy day. The kids get to make math posters so I don't really have to teach, just make sure they don't thrash the room.

And so far the lesson of the multiplication tables has stuck with 6th period but one of my biggest talkers was not in class so we'll see.

It also looks like my assignment will be extended until late May. The teacher I am covering for needs more time with her son who needs more surgeries (poor guy) to correct some issues, so if you're of a mind for prayer keep them in mind. Trust me God will know who you're talking about.

Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow and be back to normal on Monday.



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Now playing: Prayer Of Saint Francis - Sarah McLachlan
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55 Minutes of Hell

That's what 6th period received today. They got the distinct pleasure of doing their multiplication tables for 55 minutes along with four quizzes that will count for a grade. I made them repeat the 6's three times and then the 9's twice because they were not doing them the way I wanted them to. The very best part was that when they got to the 9s and finished them their spirits began to lift, right until I rewound the overhead back to the 2s and made them start over again from the beginning, and the coup de grace was when I told them that they were not going to be doing posters on Friday because they were doing this instead.

Now I did this for two reasons. The first was because they needed to know that I don't make empty threats, and the second reason is that as a class they are failing and really need to work on their basic math skills. I made the quizzes count because I told them that I would never give them work just to keep them busy, plus I wanted them to take the quizzes seriously, and there's nothing like an impending F for an 8th grader who wants to go to 9th grade to motivate them.

OK, I have to admit I enjoyed making them miserable for a day. I really enjoyed it, but I'm just shallow that way. We'll see if the lesson sticks with the kids who were there today. I had several kids absent who now get to make up the four quizzes. Plus tomorrow I'll just start handing out detentions the second someone gets out of line.

It's Drill Sargent mode until I leave which is the 25th of the month unless the regular teacher decides not to come back.



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Now playing: Labor Day - Black Eyed Peas
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Out of control

That's what 6th period is rapidly heading for if things don't change and quickly. Friday was not good, and Monday for them is going to be worse. First thing I'm going to do on Tuesday (Monday is a staff development day) is start writing out detentions for about 7 students in that class and then start to hand them out the second they get out of line which should take about 12 seconds. In addition, I asked the registrar for contact information since I don't have access to the software that has it so I can start calling parents and ask them why their child can't behave in my class. I'm also going to start using the referral forms that I have started on with several students to see if that does not get the message across. It's so frustrating because every time they get on the right track someone is there to make sure the class descends into near chaos. I really don't want to go into Drill Sargent mode but I don't seem to have a choice.

Oh, and Tuesday the get to spend the entire period working on multiplication tables since they can't seem to take it seriously for two minutes, I'm hoping that 55 minutes of them will do the trick. Plus they really need the practice. Speaking of practice, they won't be doing the poster project that the other classes will be doing next Friday since I'm going to spend an extra day drilling them on their multiplication tables. Too bad for them but maybe next time they'll take me seriously when I tell them to get busy or else...

But then again, probably not.



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Now playing: Your Love Is Extravagant - Casting Crowns
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Hmmmm

Class has been odd this week, although I think that rearranging seats in 1st period and in 6th (again) is helping out. So is the absence of a few students who tend to make life hard to myself and the other students. The one thing that really set me off yesterday was that first period didn't stand up at all for the pledge. Since when is that OK in my room? You can probably guess how I handled that situation. Needless to say today they all stood up at once when it came on the TV.

I also think that not using the overhead projector seems to be helping as well since they can't sleep with the lights on. I've also been getting my observation hours done. I'm well on my way for secondary and done with special ed. Now I have to do my ELL ones. I do think that the students have realized I make them work because they've started to ask when their regular teacher is coming back (April 28) and a few kids are looking forward to that date. What I didn't tell them is that she may not come back at all this year (Insert evil laugh) so they may be stuck with me until June. I can't wait for the interim tests to be done with so I can get back to the regular schedule of teaching math.

Speaking of observation, being in an English room has really sparked my enthusiasm for my chosen subject again. I am going to ask him if I can teach a lesson, especially since Wednesdays are specifically for writing and that is one thing I really enjoy teaching. Speaking of teaching (wow what a cool segue) I'm closing in on my teaching degree. My main sticking point is that one class is not offered in the fall when I need to take it and my adviser's suggestion was to take it at UNLV. I am going to take a friends advice and push for an independent study instead. Otherwise I'm screwed for a full semester and I can't do my student teaching until fall of 2009 which screws me for the internship I really want to get. No pressure or anything...



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Frustrated

Somethings not right in my classroom and I can't help but feel that it's me. For some reason I've lost my connection with my students. They're not responding like they used to. In the space of a few days they've totally lost interest in learning. I plan on switching back to the white board from the overhead projector but I don't know if that's going to make a difference. I'm also going to change up the seating again which may snap them out of this funk. I really need to do something or lots of students are going to spend 4 years in middle school instead of 3.

Posters?

No, not all of you who comment (and thanks btw!), I mean posters for my classroom which is pretty bare. I've been contemplating having the students make posters dealing with math to put up in my room. There is some upside to this, it'll be a welcome change for the students, and it would add some personality to the room, but I have serious reservations about this.

1. 6th period. I seriously doubt that they'd be able to handle this assignment. Too many kids that would rather talk and disrupt my class.

2. It cuts into valuable class time. This kids are so behind it's not funny, every day is needed just to get my students to even be close to caught up.

3. Would they actually learn anything? Or would this just be a wasted day?

Any ideas?

I hate my students

You read that right. As of 2:11 I despise my students, all of them. Let me give you a quick rundown of what my day was like.

Period 1 alternated between a comatose drool and hyper chatter.

Period 2 didn't give a crap and even had one kid cheat on a multiplication quiz.

Period 4 didn't care about anything except gossiping.

Period 5 was almost awake.

Period 6 was the icing on the cake. One moron took twenty minutes to get a workbook from their locker. Moron #2 cheated on a quiz. Since when does 19 wrong become 14 wrong? And moron #3 bracketed his name with swastikas. So I had two referrals and one detention to fill out. Plus I have to change the seating for periods 1,2 and 6 (yet again). Fill in every stereotype of 8th graders you have and that's what I had to deal with today. Monday I'll love my students again, right now I want to backhand them. Good thing I live across town from them...

My last post was March 11?

Wow, I can't believe it's been that long since I've posted anything. It's not like I've not had anything to blog about, I've been to flipping busy to post here for all 5 of you to read. So in a nutshell here is what's been going on...

1. 6th period is still 6th period. One kid came in late, put his name on the tardy list and then erased it thinking I would not notice. He got suspended for three days. I changed the seating for the third time since the end of February and it's getting better but still not where I want it to be.

2. The semester is almost over at Nevada State College and I'm working hard to get all my observation hours in as well as the projects etc... And I'm trying to get registered next week for both summer and fall. It looks like I have 6 more classes before I graduate. It's gonna get crazy.

3. I had a student in 4th period ask to get her book from her locker and never come back. She got written up for that one. Hopefully a suspension will follow. (She has quite the file in the Dean's Office) Why students think sub=id10t I'll never know, but by now they should know that I don't play around.

4. I was informed on Tuesday that there are school wide intern tests on percentages, proportions and ratios next week. So instead of going into decimals, we're skipping ahead three chapters (that's how far behind my students are) to study those concepts and then going back to decimals. Should be LOADS of fun.

5. Today was wacky, even for middle school kids. My comatose class (1st period) was chatty, my chatty 4th period class was a bunch of zombies (didn't go over well with me) and 6th period was almost an actual class instead of controlled chaos. Go figure.

6. 1st and 2nd period are now a section behind everyone else. They just don't get the concept I'm trying to teach them so tomorrow we'll give it a go for a second time. Still not sure how to approach it tomorrow, hopefully inspiration will strike on the way to school tomorrow morning.

7. My family has way to many flipping birthdays in March. As in 7. I dearly love my little sister but I really wish my niece (who is a total cutie-pie) could have waited until APRIL to give birth.



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When students get 'it'

I got a very welcome surprise from 4th period today, they got 'it'. 'It' in this case was the importance of checking your answers for accuracy in math. It's the one thing that assured me of getting an A in my college algebra class since I'm pretty good with the formulas and not so good with the arithmetic. I had noticed that many of my students were having the same issue so today I had put up the 'board work' and made them check their answers for accuracy, and because I had noticed that some students were trying to check but not sure exactly how to go about checking their solutions (I guess that I had not modeled it enough) I modeled one more example on the board for them to see the fast and easy way to check an answer.

x+3=42 (subtract 3 from both sides and you get your answer) x=39
To check it you substitute the answer for x so it looks like this 39+3=42. Then you add 39 and 3, which gives you this 42=42. If the numbers match then it's all good. If they don't then you probably made a silly little math error.

Now I had some success with all five classes, but it was fourth period that really had it figured out. Page after page filled with checked answers to the six problems on the board. Now not every student checked every answer or did it correctly but at least 75% of them did at least three of the six correctly and many more had tried to do all six and simply did not finish checking their work.

This more than made up for the last 10 minutes of class when all they did was talk and not work on their homework, so much so that I made them put their heads on their desks and wait for the bell to ring.

Now you probably figured that I'd be complaining about 6th period again and are upset that I have nothing to rant about. All I can say is that I have six kids coming for detention on Thursday and five of them are from 6th period. What part of 'keep talking and you get detention' do people not understand?

Sheesh...



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6th Period

Update #1: Now they've gone and done it. I handed out three detentions today and then discovered that someone stole the jump drive that was attached to the computer. I have my suspicions and reported the theft to the dean's office, but my chances of seeing it again are slim to none and slim is leaving town on the next bus...

I dislike this class very much. They're rude, chatty and don't work. They're also in for a very rude surprise. After the spit-wad incident a couple of days ago I've been following procedures for discipline. I've talked to the punks er students in question and in several cases I've pre filled out detention forms and referrals. I've also written down when I've talked to students and what they did to deserve some 'special' one on one time and the date that conversation(s) took place.

Tomorrow I am going to find out exactly how the whole detention system works so I don't make any mistakes when I fill my class up with my future inmates er students, or if I send the little hoodlums er students to another room for detention.

In addition I've changed the seating arrangement and highlighted the chatty students on my seating chart so I don't make any mistakes. Lucky for me I have about 6 empty desks to put kids into solitary confinement er separate them so they can concentrate on their work. And given the fact that the class average is about 52% and more than half of them are failing, they really need to buckle down and start learning.

I don't care if they like me or not. But I care very much that they don't respect me as a teacher. And that is going to change weather they like it or not because I am not going to let 6 jackasses ruin it for the rest of my students.