Showing posts with label overburden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label overburden. Show all posts

Monday, April 21, 2008

Another Dream


I dreamt that the school was having a blood drive and teachers were instructed to collect at least six bags of blood from the students in their period 2 class. We were given collecting carts with all the proper paraphernalia, including tubes, bags and needles. Teacher's were supposed to "volunteer" the students. As I started to collect the blood I realized that I had no idea how to inject the needle and hook up the bag. I called for help. I got scolded and told to figure it out. I got told that I was not a team player. Luckily, I then woke up.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Bet You Didn't Think They Could Get Worse


I have met with parents whose children were cutting their math class. I was told by some parents that some math teachers never bothered to contact them when their child was absent. Ladies and gentlemen, please make a phone call and make sure you speak to the parents of students who cut your class. It is unfair that we do not speak to parents when a student is cutting our class. It is not fair for a student to fail a math class only because s/he does not attend, either. Remember, you can not teach to the empty seat a student sits in. You can only teach the student in that seat.

The PTA will print a new letter and I will ask parents to contact you if their child is failing math and they have not heard from you. You might be better off to be pro-active and contact parents first.
Wow! So now I am responsible for making sure every parent knows every time their child is absent. Let's see. Thirty four kids in a class, five classes a day (actually six for me with the college now class in the morning) and no free periods except for lunch and prep. No available phones. No place to sit. Many parents cannot be reached during the school day. This sounds really like something I am really going to do! There is one teacher in my department who is outstanding when it comes to calling parents. They are always coming in to talk to him. He has not eaten lunch in weeks and many of the kids are still having problems.

Don't get me wrong. I contact parents all the time. Chronic cutting is not the teacher's responsibility. We have an attendance teacher in the school. We fill out scan sheets every day with daily attendance. It's not the teachers fault that the attendance teacher and the attendance office can't do it all. We can't do it all either. Besides, a kid that has chronically cut math and suddenly decides to return to class will be incapable of catching up since all new math depends on previous knowledge. Years ago, my AP told me I was too nice to the kids so they all came to my class. He said that was the reason I sometimes had discipline problems. Now he is telling me to get them all come to class.

I would like to insure that when math teachers retire, we are not in a "hole". Therefore, if you are interested in teaching a first period. College Now Course, please see me as soon as possible. We have to make sure you are approved by the college involved.

This last paragraph was meant for me. Instead of asking me about my plans, he makes a stupid announcement to everyone. If he would only have asked, I would have told him that I plan on continuing College Now after I retire and that when I am ready to give it up, I will give the school plenty of notice. I've already had this conversation with the College Now Liaison. I thought about telling him how obnoxious and insulting his memo was but then I figured, why bother? He hasn't gotten anything in the past and I am sure he will get nothing in the future. I'd rather bitch about him this was and get everything out of my system. By Monday, he will have a new agenda anyways.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Off To A Great Start


The first week of school has come and gone and although Klein and Bloomberg claim that everything is going great, things are not good. As usual, kids are sitting in the wrong classes. A kid who never passed math A has been sitting in my math B class all week. When she told me, I sent her to guidance. Of course the secretary would not let her in the door. She just took the form and told the girl that her guidance counselor would look into the problem. I'm sure it will be at least a week until the class is straightened out. Another one of my kids was placed in the new integrated algebra class. He should have been in math B. He couldn't get anywhere near guidance. Luckily, we ran into each other in the hall so I was able to walk him into his counselor and I got her to make the change immediately. I did ask her to put him in my class because he is a kind of space cadet who needs a little extra care. Of course she didn't. She claimed she couldn't move his science lab. It took me about 30 seconds to get someone in the program office to make the change the best way for the kid. A hard working, bright girl was not given pre-calculus because the math chairman decided her grades were not high enough (she has a 94 average and every math grade, except for MB 31 was in the mid to high nineties. MB 31 was her only 85. This girl is in the science research program and plans to study some science in college. She needs the math.

Klein--sit in your office and make your claims about the caliber of NYC public school education. Don't provide more counselors to improve programming. Don't provide more advanced math classes so all that want to take the classes are able to. Don't worry about the BC calculus class with 41 kids in a trailer built to hold 30. Don't worry about the air conditioners that don't work , the ceilings that leak, the kids sitting on the floor because there are not enough chairs, or the bathrooms still under construction. NYC schools had a great start. Keep up the good work Klein.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Honesty


Back to bitching!!! I've got to keep that colleague who is recovering and not in school informed about all the fun he is missing.

Friday we had workshops. I got lucky enough to go to one on technology, and the new computers and screens that are hooked up in about two rooms in every department. I got "chosen" for this workshop because I am computer savvy. The AP running it began by asking the people in the room why we did not use technology. One person mentioned accessibility. The guy refuted this and pointed to the newly installed equipment. I then told him "Training. We need lots of training and it should be on school time." He got kind of nasty and said "That is what your prep periods are for. Prep does not mean double lunch. Besides, you can always come in early or stay late." He lost me with that comment. I left at the end but went back to speak to him about his rudeness. Of course, he was not around. I will speak to him next week. He doesn't know me. He doesn't know that my lunch is always used as a prep when I am not tutoring. He asked why we don't use technology. I told him. I guess he could not deal with an honest answer.