Four school years ago, two girls came to my classroom. I did not have these girls in class and they did not know me at all. However, they needed a Class Sponsor and someone had said to ask the new teacher. They came in sweet and shy. I don't remember if I spent any time thinking about it, but really, how do you say no to kids?! Besides, I knew this was the kind of thing I'd enjoy, and it meant someone wanted me to stick around for at least three more years!! Seriously, that went through my mind!! I was a brand new teacher after all!!
Over four years, one of those two girls and four others were my steady, consistent, and wonderful Class Officers. They made my job easy! We designed and sold t-shirts, played Powder Puff Football, then organized Powder Puff Football, sold Candy Canes and carnations, always with PROM in our minds. Prom is the end-all, be-all of the Class Officers' tasks. It is what all that fundraising goes to! We were kind of lucky because Prom 2013 had major issues for myriad reasons so we were bound to do better! And we did! Prom ROCKED! Interesting that I didn't blog about it. It was great, but it exhausted me!!
Now, we are on the eve of the Graduation of the Class of 2014. They are my babies! They were Freshmen my first year teaching high school. I had about 140 of them in Algebra 1. Their Sophomore year, I moved up to Geometry and had many of them again plus several more of them. The next year , as Juniors, I taught still more of them in a review course for the State test. I am proud to report that they have now all passed that test (the ones I've had anyway, and are still in school)! Two of these seniors, I had THREE years (which actually doesn't say much for my teaching ability). One, Afton, I taught two years, visited with almost every day last year and this year she is my teacher's aid. I have never known Azle High School without these Seniors!!
Today, on their last real day of school (tomorrow they just go to practice), they had the chance to do a "senior walk". The Principal comes over the PA and after giving them instructions for tomorrow, tells them that the school is theirs, enjoy. For about 20 minutes, they get to roam the halls, visit teachers and each other, and basically say goodbye. So many came to see me to get hugs, say goodbye, and say thank you. Many of them told me I was their favorite or best math teacher. This is always an emotional and poignant event. Today, I cried. And laughed. And cried.
I knew the senior walk was coming today so I decorated our hallway with ribbons and graduation decor. They loved it! What an easy and cheap way to show my love!! We are already planning to do it every year :) But for me, it was truly the ones who came to see me who I haven't seen around, barely remember, etc. who wanted to make sure they hugged me - those are special moments! I'm crying now, remembering!!
And so tomorrow night, they turn their tassels and celebrate the end of the beginning. Or the beginning of the end... I can't wait to see what they do next. There will definitely be successes out of this class. And I am SO proud to be able to say that I was their Class Sponsor! They will forever be the most special class of my career. I have never once regretted saying YES!!
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Walking Fatigue
I love to hike. With Slugger, I have learned to walk. I still really have no desire to run. Though I think it'd be cool to run a marathon some day. Yes, I know.
Slugger and I have walked and walked our neighborhood. We have flat routes, short routes, hilly routes, horse routes, etc. We get in the car and go walk in the park or along the Trinity River. We go hike at state parks or the Nature Center. We both love being outside in the beautiful creation that God blessed us with. Slugger sniffs everywhere, tries to eat whatever he can, chases birds and squirrels and noises in the bushes. Now that it's warming up in Texas, we come home and cool off with the hose or sprinkler, when we've gone so far or so long that we're just that hot.
But lately, we're just not feeling it. Oh, Slugger still loves to go for walks, and I still love being outside. But it's like we've lost our walking mojo. There's my body's rebellion - feet, knees, back, shoulder - you know, I'm old and falling apart. Plus, in the past couple months, we've dealt with idiots yelling at us, ticks, armadillos, more ticks, dogs attacking through fences, more ticks. I think about going for a walk, and I wonder what'll happen this time...
Just yesterday we were having a nice walk when a dog decides to leave his yard and follow us. Not a problem except he kept following us! Slugger wasn't too sure what to do about this and occasionally let out a growl. I attempted to just keep walking thinking that the dog would give up. Nope. This was apparently more fun than he'd had in a long time. He was a pretty, big, white, fluffy thing, with burrs in his tail and a need for a bath. I won't go into how nice the house was that he fled from. We got to the bottom of the hill/street and I decided to attempt to take him home again so we turned around instead of making our loop. When we got to his house, he really didn't seem to care and kept following us! Slugger wanted water, but the other dog kept nosing in. This was quite frustrating for me cuz I always want Slugs to know he can have water. I went back to the house and knocked on the door but no one answered. I finally gave up and kept walking up the hill. He stopped to sniff something, and we got far enough away we weren't interesting anymore. He finally loped back home as we continued around the corner. The rest of our walk was less interesting. We ended up going about 3 miles. Not bad as this is our hilliest route.
Anyway, add in the heat and needing to either get up early or stay up late, walking has become more of a chore than a treat. For me. I think Slugs would go anytime! Though he really doesn't like the heat. Over 85 and he wimps out at about a mile. I'm working on his weight and conditioning him, but he definitely slows down, wants more water, etc.
What's the moral of the story? Beats me! We'll keep walking. But I'm really looking forward to getting to CA in June for a change of scenery!! And temperature :)
Slugger and I have walked and walked our neighborhood. We have flat routes, short routes, hilly routes, horse routes, etc. We get in the car and go walk in the park or along the Trinity River. We go hike at state parks or the Nature Center. We both love being outside in the beautiful creation that God blessed us with. Slugger sniffs everywhere, tries to eat whatever he can, chases birds and squirrels and noises in the bushes. Now that it's warming up in Texas, we come home and cool off with the hose or sprinkler, when we've gone so far or so long that we're just that hot.
But lately, we're just not feeling it. Oh, Slugger still loves to go for walks, and I still love being outside. But it's like we've lost our walking mojo. There's my body's rebellion - feet, knees, back, shoulder - you know, I'm old and falling apart. Plus, in the past couple months, we've dealt with idiots yelling at us, ticks, armadillos, more ticks, dogs attacking through fences, more ticks. I think about going for a walk, and I wonder what'll happen this time...
Just yesterday we were having a nice walk when a dog decides to leave his yard and follow us. Not a problem except he kept following us! Slugger wasn't too sure what to do about this and occasionally let out a growl. I attempted to just keep walking thinking that the dog would give up. Nope. This was apparently more fun than he'd had in a long time. He was a pretty, big, white, fluffy thing, with burrs in his tail and a need for a bath. I won't go into how nice the house was that he fled from. We got to the bottom of the hill/street and I decided to attempt to take him home again so we turned around instead of making our loop. When we got to his house, he really didn't seem to care and kept following us! Slugger wanted water, but the other dog kept nosing in. This was quite frustrating for me cuz I always want Slugs to know he can have water. I went back to the house and knocked on the door but no one answered. I finally gave up and kept walking up the hill. He stopped to sniff something, and we got far enough away we weren't interesting anymore. He finally loped back home as we continued around the corner. The rest of our walk was less interesting. We ended up going about 3 miles. Not bad as this is our hilliest route.
Anyway, add in the heat and needing to either get up early or stay up late, walking has become more of a chore than a treat. For me. I think Slugs would go anytime! Though he really doesn't like the heat. Over 85 and he wimps out at about a mile. I'm working on his weight and conditioning him, but he definitely slows down, wants more water, etc.
What's the moral of the story? Beats me! We'll keep walking. But I'm really looking forward to getting to CA in June for a change of scenery!! And temperature :)
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Thoughts on 5/7/14
I have lots of things running through my head today so I thought I'd share a few :) They run quite a gamut of subject matters!
1. I am almost of the impression that we DO need standardized state tests... I know, I'm nuts, but hear me out! I don't know that there is a better way to ensure that every teacher teaches what they're supposed to teach! I am currently teaching two subjects - one tested, one not (for the first time this year). In the tested subject we are very careful to make sure we know what could be on the test and make sure they know these things while also always keeping in mind what they'll need to know for future math classes. In my non-test subject, some teachers have decided to just skip an entire unit because they feel it's not important for other math classes, and they'd rather review for students to be prepared for day one next year. The problem is that if they haven't retained it through this year, they won't retain it over the summer!!! Or so few of them will, it will still have to be reviewed in week one next year. SO... point is: these teachers are not being held at all accountable to what they are supposed to be teaching according to state standards. And students are missing out. And for some reason it's really eating at me.
2. It's Teacher Appreciation Week. I got a BOGO burrito from Chipotle last night. Fruit and cupcakes from the principal today. Lunch from PTO tomorrow. Chipotle wins. They so don't have to do something that awesome! All in all, I say: Yay. I feel appreciated. (where's that sarcasm font when you need it?!)
3. I've been conducting monthly sessions for other teachers on ways to use the iPad in the classroom. In return, our principal has offered to buy us (there are 4 teachers who lead these) something techy for our classrooms... like $500 worth!! I can't decide!! What I really want may not happen but actually might cost him nothing but a cable!! I'm trying to come up with something I thought I'd never be able to have so didn't even dream of it...
4. I'm so done with Charter! Charges I wasn't expecting; headache getting cables installed; cables still not buried in my yard (and my neighbor's!!)... I'm using the internet right now though so I guess once it's all done, life will be good!!
5. I give Slugger a tick repellent once a month. It also supposedly repels mosquitos and other bugs. I found 1 tick two weeks ago and THREE this morning!! I think it's a bad tick season so perhaps the drugs just aren't strong enough and I am lucky there aren't more. I hope. I can't decide if I should call the vet or not. To ask about the meds - he's fine and dandy. Staring at me begging for my dinner as I type!
6. I can't think of anything else so now I'm just rambling :) I'm sure there's more!! OH! So I bought patio furniture last month with my mortgage payment that I didn't have to make. I know it wasn't very financially responsible but now I can stop dreaming of and shopping for patio furniture! Anyway, the chairs were together when I bought it so they went right outside. I admit it then took me a few weeks to get around to putting together the sofa. I'll blame the weather. And prom. Actually I think it was the day after prom I finally did it. BUT I was missing screws!!! I got it all together and to the part of securing the part you sit on, and I was SIX screws short!! There was an e-mail address though so I e-mailed. A week later I finally got a reply with lots of oriental looking translation markings that said they would send me more. I was thinking it'd take weeks coming from Asia! Nope, they came today from CA :) So my first thought was yay I can finish tomorrow (I took the day off - see #5 about Charter cables still needing to be buried). It's supposed to rain all day!!!
7. Speaking of it raining tomorrow, Slugs and I are hiking anyway!! As long as it's not a storm watch or something. The NWS prediction says it'll be afternoon before it's an actual storm here :)
8. This is now so long no one will ever read it!!
1. I am almost of the impression that we DO need standardized state tests... I know, I'm nuts, but hear me out! I don't know that there is a better way to ensure that every teacher teaches what they're supposed to teach! I am currently teaching two subjects - one tested, one not (for the first time this year). In the tested subject we are very careful to make sure we know what could be on the test and make sure they know these things while also always keeping in mind what they'll need to know for future math classes. In my non-test subject, some teachers have decided to just skip an entire unit because they feel it's not important for other math classes, and they'd rather review for students to be prepared for day one next year. The problem is that if they haven't retained it through this year, they won't retain it over the summer!!! Or so few of them will, it will still have to be reviewed in week one next year. SO... point is: these teachers are not being held at all accountable to what they are supposed to be teaching according to state standards. And students are missing out. And for some reason it's really eating at me.
2. It's Teacher Appreciation Week. I got a BOGO burrito from Chipotle last night. Fruit and cupcakes from the principal today. Lunch from PTO tomorrow. Chipotle wins. They so don't have to do something that awesome! All in all, I say: Yay. I feel appreciated. (where's that sarcasm font when you need it?!)
3. I've been conducting monthly sessions for other teachers on ways to use the iPad in the classroom. In return, our principal has offered to buy us (there are 4 teachers who lead these) something techy for our classrooms... like $500 worth!! I can't decide!! What I really want may not happen but actually might cost him nothing but a cable!! I'm trying to come up with something I thought I'd never be able to have so didn't even dream of it...
4. I'm so done with Charter! Charges I wasn't expecting; headache getting cables installed; cables still not buried in my yard (and my neighbor's!!)... I'm using the internet right now though so I guess once it's all done, life will be good!!
5. I give Slugger a tick repellent once a month. It also supposedly repels mosquitos and other bugs. I found 1 tick two weeks ago and THREE this morning!! I think it's a bad tick season so perhaps the drugs just aren't strong enough and I am lucky there aren't more. I hope. I can't decide if I should call the vet or not. To ask about the meds - he's fine and dandy. Staring at me begging for my dinner as I type!
6. I can't think of anything else so now I'm just rambling :) I'm sure there's more!! OH! So I bought patio furniture last month with my mortgage payment that I didn't have to make. I know it wasn't very financially responsible but now I can stop dreaming of and shopping for patio furniture! Anyway, the chairs were together when I bought it so they went right outside. I admit it then took me a few weeks to get around to putting together the sofa. I'll blame the weather. And prom. Actually I think it was the day after prom I finally did it. BUT I was missing screws!!! I got it all together and to the part of securing the part you sit on, and I was SIX screws short!! There was an e-mail address though so I e-mailed. A week later I finally got a reply with lots of oriental looking translation markings that said they would send me more. I was thinking it'd take weeks coming from Asia! Nope, they came today from CA :) So my first thought was yay I can finish tomorrow (I took the day off - see #5 about Charter cables still needing to be buried). It's supposed to rain all day!!!
7. Speaking of it raining tomorrow, Slugs and I are hiking anyway!! As long as it's not a storm watch or something. The NWS prediction says it'll be afternoon before it's an actual storm here :)
8. This is now so long no one will ever read it!!
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