What's My Deal?!

Assorted ramblings from a Christian wife, mother and public school teacher.

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Location: Iowa

I am a Christian, I am a wife and mother and am a public middle school teacher of math and gifted education. My Blog, "What's My Deal?" is just day to day ramblings. My other Blog, "All About the Fish" is more like a personal webpage about my Christian experiences.

Friday, March 31, 2006

Old Dog, New Trick


Okay, Here's My Deal...

I just learned how to add pictures to here. I thought I would give it a try. I thought I would post a penguin picture. This is one that I found that I call the nerd penguin. He's cute. Reminds me of some of my fellow math nerd friends.

That is the only way to keep the gray matter sharp is to keep learning new things...so that is what I do as often as possible. Also, puzzles and brain teasers and the like are helpful as well.

I am jonesing for something SWEET and there isn't any thing too sweet in the house. If I didn't already have my PJ's on I would go out and get something. But I am too lazy to do that tonight. There have been times, though when I have done just that to get something I wanted.

There isn't too much to go on about. I am tired of harping about school and how

  • incredibly crappy
  • abundantly depressing
  • terribly upsetting
  • absolutely unbearable
  • intolerably sucks-the-life-out-of-you

it is there!!!!!!!! Yeah, that gets old after a while, huh? I won't mention it tonight.

So, I guess before I go, I will ask a question that I first heard from George Carlin that really makes you think..."Why do we drive on Parkways and park on driveways?"

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Sybil's Brother: Heinz 57

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I know that it is wrong, but some of us at school have this running joke about a students. No, that is not a typo...I meant to type "a students", I know that doesn't make sense, but it will.

The 6th grade behavior disorders teacher in my building has six students listed on her roster, but we joke that there are really 14. One of the boys possibly has multiple personalities...the teacher claims to have experienced at least 9 including the black man (the boy is white) the black woman, the 3 year old, the CIA agent, and the 9 year old.

So, anyway, it started out at lunch. We ask the teacher how "they" are today and now we always always refer to him as they or them or the Bobs (not his real name).

The other day, she had an apple that she could not eat as she was full and asked if any of us wanted it...I suggested that she take it to the boy, but to be sure to cut it into enough pieces so "they all" could have some. We about peed our collective pants!!!!!!

Now, administration has decided to hire a one-on-one associate for him...we asked the teacher if they shouldn't hire a nine-on-one and pay her nine times what another associate would make!!!!

He is being mainstreamed out into a social studies class and that teacher said, "I don't have enough desks for them."

The teacher said that there are some days he wears his glasses and some not...we said, "Maybe only some of them need glasses." and also, "Maybe some of them got contacts."

Yes, it is wrong. But, let's face it, we need some thing to laugh about in my building and this is just too easy to not use for our amusement.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Exception to "NO EXCEPTIONS"

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Read down a few of posts about the new hallway policy my school has...the post is called "Something's Got to Give"...I'll wait, take your time.

You're done? You are a fast reader! Well, there has been made an exception to that policy aparently. Monday, there were students outside the OFFICE ...in the hallway...working on posting the winning teams on the huge NCAA tournament bracketts we have on the wall. By all means, let's be up to date on that greatly significant event!! That is important enough for students to be in the hallway (even though we have a "no students in the hallway for any reason no exceptions policy") unsupervised and climbing a huge ladder to post the game results. But remove a students for disciplinary reasons to the hallway?!?! Now that is completely unacceptable.

No, there's no double standard for adminstration and teachers.

Their Own Medicine

Okay, Here's My Deal...

The shoe is on the other foot...or rather, the shoes are on the other feet. Usually it is the administration in my school district that does things with teachers and says, it is for "the good of the district" regardless of how much sense it does not make or how inconvenient it is for the teachers. Well, now they are feeling the need for a spoonful of sugar to get the taste of their own medicine out of their mouths after choking on it.

There is a huge shake-up of principals for next year. I think ONE, maybe two out of seven is/are going to stay where they are and the rest are being involuntarily transferred to different schools for, you guessed it, "the good of the district" and teachers are loving it!!

Well, not the teachers at the school my ASSistant principal is being forced to move to...they are hating life. We are dancing in the streets. I almost peed my pants when I heard the news, I was so excited!!!!!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Bobbing For Trout

Okay, Here's My Deal...

My husband and I were channel flipping last night and came across a show called "Country Fried Videos" on CMT. It is like the redneck version of "America's Funniest Videos". Anyway, they showed a clip of people bobbing for trout...real live people plunging their heads into a fish tank to bob, or catch in their mouths, trout!! I about peed my pants!!!!! Now, my best friend from college is nicknamed Trout (short for her last name) and I just HAD to e-mail her and ask if she had been bobbed.

On other fronts...I sent my resume to two other public districts Friday and to one private boarding school for troubled teens...I have not yet heard from the other district I applied in, but the end date for applications was this week, so I hope this week I will hear something.

Meanwhile, I had a good session with my counselor on Thursday...some things I thought were work related...turns out were rooted deeper in my past. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit was I able to see the connection and understand why besides work was I feeling so crappy.

Well, better go...I have to stomp out ignorance again tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

The Camel's Back: Broken and Battered

Okay, Here's My Deal...

The old cliche, "The straw that broke the camel's back." pales in comparison to what I feel like what is happening at my school. If you aren't quite up to speed, I am the camel...not to be confused with the walrus.

(If you do not know that there was a song called "I am the Walrus" by the Beatles, then you probably didin't get that reference and you've made me feel even older than I do.)

Not only am I the camel, my colleagues are in my herd and we want to stampede over the shepherds that are busting our collective humps.

Yesterday, all my troubles WERE NOT so far away (again, there is a Beatles reference...I don't know what's my deal with that...sorry) and it ranked up there with one of my worst days in the 15 years I have been teaching. Why? Because you can count on probably one hand the number of teachers, no, include assosciates as well, on ONE HAND that are able to muster up a smile to even greet each other. There are 32 certified teachers...4 are taking early retirement, I am activley seeking a new job, one new teacher has stated they don't want to come back, a second year teacher does not want to come back and at least 3 others have placed bids on other jobs within the district. That is 10/32 or 31.25% of the staff that I am aware of that wants to get the heck out of here. How crazy is that?!?!

Monday, March 13, 2006

Something's Got to Give...

Okay, Here's My Deal...

Something with my work situation has got to change soon or I will just go insane. Every day something...literally EVERY day, I am not exagerating...just gets heaped onto the pile to make me miserable. Today, we got yet another blistering e-mail memo from the ASSistant Principal. Her deal?!?!?!?! Under absolutely no circumstances are teachers to send kids to the hallway. We have already been told by both she and the Princi-not-my-pal that we are NOT to send kids to the office for disciplinary reasons...call first and if they are not busy, they will come down as soon as possible. So, we can't send them to the office and we can't sit them in the hallway. The memo stated that if we called the office and neither administrator was available, then the secretaries would direct us to send kids to the in school suspension room. Sounds like a solid plan, right?

WRONG. The room is about 7 feet by 10 feet. Ther are only 5 desks in there. So, what if there are already 5 kids serving a suspension and the office can't take a kid? Now where do they go? They don't...we keep them. And, it gets better...the associate they have in that room is being INVOLUNTARILY reassigned to work in another place in the building and no one has yet to be hired to take her place...so, with no one in the suspension room, we still won't be able to send them there.

I am hoping that I hear from the other district that I applied in sometime this week. And, if I don't get the job...I will apply somewhere else. I just can't be here any longer. Too many things are ethically, morally and plain old wrong and I can't deal with it anymore. And, I am not one to give up.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

CH-CH-CH-Changes...

Okay, Here's My Deal...

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Actually, that was my son's deal...he wanted to be on my lap and I let him blog his thoughts while he sat there. He had a blast!! I am not quite sure whatthe interpretation would be, so I am going to let it stand on its own merit.

It has been a long time since I updated here. Things have been brewing and I need to share. After 15 years of teaching in the same district, I have decided to apply for a job in a neighboring town. Why? Because, quite simply, my district has gone from being pretty decent to just su**ing ={ More specifically, my building has had the lowest morale I have ever seen this year and there is no sign it will get better.

So, time for a change of scenery...a breath of fresh air...a new kind of job...at least I hope so. I won't know until at least the 13th of this month if I am even being considered as a candidate--that is the last day people can apply.

If I would happen to get the job, I would be giving up one of my passions...for a bit anyway...gifted education. But, keeping the other, math. And, starting something different...working more directly with parents and guardians.

The job would be at an alternative middle/high school site. The majority of my day would be working with high school students who for whatever reason do not or cannot attend a "regular" school setting. There are already two teachers there, but neither have a strong math background. I would be assisting the students as needed while they work on a computerized mathematics program at their own learning level and pace. The bonus here is NO PAPERS TO GRADE!! The rest of my day is described in the posting for the job as "advising 7-12 grade at-risk students on their attendence habits." I spoke with an adminstrator that I know from the district and she told me it would entail tings like direct advising with the students, some parent meetings if necessary and possible home visits. I may also be asked to go and bring a student to school if they miss the bus and have no other way to get to school or have to go home and have no way to get there...basically anything that has to do with attendence. She said that quite honestly, when they wrote the description for the job they knew it may be a difficult position to fill...finding someone who would be willing to work with at-risk kids AND be qualified to teach high school level math.
Other perks
  • this is a brand new building
  • the pay scale is higher
  • insurance is cheaper and better in coverage
  • free Y membership with contract
  • retirement benefits are better
  • I would not have to move as it is just down the road a few miles
  • people who have left this district to go there (and there have been many) say they are much happier and that they would NEVER come back here to teach

Anyway, that is what is going on here. It has been weird to dust off and revamp my resume and update letters of recommendation and order college transcripts and everything that goes with applying for a new job.

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