Halloween!

I'm excited for Halloween! There weren't to many costumes at school sadly enough. My kids may be too old for this but these costumes are so freaking awesome.

This first one is so Seattle. These kids must have parents that work for Starbucks or they are just super obsessed. If that showed up at my door, I would crack up so bad.

If you don't know the kids below, look up "Mythbusters" on the Discovery Channel. They must be science nerdy but that's totally worth extra credit points in my class.

In other news, we had 'professional development' today after school. Really, it was teacher going out to hangs with one another. I didn't make it this time but maybe next time I will try to make friends outside of school. I didn't want to set the precedent of going to the 1st of the year or else people would wonder if I stopped going.

Ahh, TGIF. I never understood that until now.

not alone

I'm so glad I am not alone. This weekend felt like I was alone in all sorts of things like,

• Managing my students bathroom breaks
• Grading mountains of lab notebooks.
• Dressing like I actually have this job
• Trying to find the clothing to dress for this job
• Reviewing things that kids say "yes we learned that" for a full quarter
• Realizing that I still have to go over it because, no, they don't know it
• Planning lessons that have no umph, but need to be done

Thank goodness. Somehow I manage to chat with a sister, a climbing friend, and a new teacher friend that made me realize, yes, I need to review that much and no one would think lesser of me because of it. Yes, managing kids may be the hardest part especially if they are special needs in a mainstream classroom. Yes, everyone may be on the eternal search for that perfect pair of shoes that you can stand in all day but are not just Chaco sandals. It should be all ok if I'm ok with it. 

Just like this guy. Except maybe he's
never texted and poopyed at the same
time before.

Anyway, I will have to attribute the regression of my students to the summer break. I'm sure that everyone can think back to the first few days back from summer break when you are trying to write but your hand just doesn't seem to remember how. That happened every single summer. I would never hand write in the summer and my hand would just be awkward at it. See, my students are just awkward at being students right now. I'll just train them right :)

so long...

...no up date.

Nothing exciting. I'm in a slump.

This should help.

Fight Fight Fight!

2 girls got into a heated argument today before class started. It was the scariest thing ever. They kept getting closer to each other, puffing out their chests, and using louder cussing. There was a lot of pointing and stepping back and forth. The factors that made it scary:

1. They were way bigger than me.
2. A crowd formed and blocked the doorway. I couldn't get kids in or out. Other teachers couldn't get in or out.
3. I had no idea what they were yelling so I could not deescalate.

By the time I got to the girls, I could do nothing. It was past the point of deescalation. I just needed security to get them out of there. Thank god for the security and administration stepping in. It was either going to be me or one of the girls getting hurt.

That was an awful experience. My adrenaline was going and I felt all shaky trying to get calm and start class. Everyone wanted to know and I had no idea expect that it was over. Thank goodness one of the girls has been switched so they are not in the same class anymore.

That was the first ever real fight I've been around. What would you do?!

In a related thought, could this be you?

Sometimes, that is true. Sorry.

Maybe that is why there are cat-fights at school. It's just too boring.

Homer knows best

Isn't it funny that TRYING and to TRY have very different connotations?

When I say, "I TRY very hard to teach well." it means...
    To make an effort to do or accomplish (something); attempt:

When I say, "It was a TRYING day in class." it is defined as...
    Causing strain, hardship, or distress.

Maybe I need to stop trying so hard and start to try better.

Confused yet?

Ouch

I just started to grade the first test of the year. Ouch. I must've really missed the mark on this one or all my kids just hear Wah Wah Waah WaWah Wah.

I wish I could just ask them to read their responses out loud before they turn in a test. There are definitely some short answer responses that don't make sense in any context.

Now who can I blame...

                ...oh, that would be me.

Quickie

That's my convincing look.

1. My kids say that I look like Mulan. The boy version.

2. I made a friend with a Vietnamese custodian last week. 

3. Instead of searching high and low for someone to help me, I actually helped another teacher post grades today.

4. A student said, "Yay, class is fun today!" Ouch. That means class is boring every other day.

5. Student A made a deal with student B that he would give student B money if student B punched student C in the face. Student B did. They got suspended. Was it really that hard to see the consequences of that one?

6. My students were 5 years old when 9/11 happened. They were having an honest conversation trying to figure out why 9/11 was important. To quote a student, "I think some building fell down."

I have a picture like this

Googling

Quick! Google yourself. What do you think other people can find out about you? I had a training on adult sexual misconduct on Friday and they told us to look ourselves up. Honestly, anything you find on yourself, your students can find out about. I just did and found out that you can't find anything incriminating about me online. YAY! Except for, maybe this blog. Googling myself really only links me to things on my resume anyway. 

Either I'm really boring or have A LOT to hide because of all the secrecy.

Yes, it is like an iceberg. Now lets keep it that way.

Movie night!

No no, not for my kids. I watched the movie, Julie & Julia, last night. Instead of sleeping at 9 full hours, I slept 6 hours and felt all gushy and cooking inspired. Aside from Julie having a crappy job and being in her late 20s without any direction in life, I'm very jealous she had so much time to cook and make new meals. My weekly lunch menu is 1 giant pot of pasta (typically from costco) that I eat all through the week for lunch. Yum, it's like undergrad again.

I think this is the reality for every young working adult. If you're cooking for 1, why cook every night, right? It's funny how the minute you add a second person, you're so willing to make a new dish every night. Thank goodness for this motivation or I'd might at well be on the carb only diet.

Open House

Here I am sitting and waiting for parents to come to open house. All the ones I've been to in the past, parents get in, see all the teachers, then get out. This if the first time where a jazz band and break dancers performed. Then dinner was provided even in between 3rd and 4th period. Fried chicken and pizza! 

It's great to feed the community but don't people just want to meet you and then leave? I figure, every parent is coming from work so why make the day longer? I am tired and it is late. Good thing it is a non-student day tomorrow. I can work in peace and quite. Yay for catching up!

Once a Week

I'm not sure how often other 1st year teachers have this feeling but for me it is about once a week. That feeling that you are constantly fighting a losing battle with your kids to help them out but also to push them forward. This just leaves me exhausted and really very sad. Uh, just a frustrating day, battling the odds when I should be smarter and create more systems of accountability for my kids rather than attribute it to "they can't help it." They can and they will...if I show them how!

If I move closer to school next year, I'll need to have an unconditional love machine. Like this one from the Seattle Animal Shelter!

Real Boogers

Yeah! You know you are getting healthier when you get your first real booger again. Seriously, being sick and getting over it is all about blowing your nose and getting rid of slimy green stuff from your body. When you get that first solid nugget, that's when you know the worse is over.

Everyone at school was very nice about me feeling sick but I am definitely getting a flu shot this year. After having the swine flu last year, I am taking no chances. Luckily, I have sick days now which are things that grown ups get to use when they don't feel well. It feels damn good to say, "hmm, I don't feel well, I'll just call a sub and stay home to rest." Wonderful. Now how will we ever make that system work for sick students? I don't know but I'm sure my student friends and family are jealous.

If you were a parent, what would YOU want to do for open house? I only have 10 minutes to make an impact AND not lose my head for being at school for 10+ hours.

I wish I had been there.

So I was sick on Thursday and left some lesson plans for the sub. I was hoping to come back Friday and have a note taking day with my kids. WRONG! The sub let my kids have study hall ALL DAY so they did not do the lab. Luckily, my kids were rock stars and got it done Friday. I just don't know where I'll get the time back.

In response to my sista on the east side (not Bellevue but Virginia) I hella wear leggings to school all the time. I love it because they are not dress pants and by toes can be free. What's the point of being a science teacher if I can't wear hella weird clothes?