Another Reason for Not Having Performance Pay

I've heard this comment over and over and over again from my geometry students.

It is mostly accurate, but not 100% so. They did pass one test. They managed to squeak out a 65 on the integrated math regents or the math A regents which means they know roughly 35% of the material.

And now they are talking about tying our paychecks to student test performance.

"CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!"

No One Wanted To Believe This

This story mades me sick.

I just sent a letter to the newspaper and Obama expressing my thoughts.

Weingarten is really selling us out!

Some Can't Go It Alone

All I can say is that even if you are toilet trained, you still need help wiping your butt for a few years.

More comments needed, but not here.

(event in question was with a fellow UFT member)

Little Things Make Me Happen

I just figured out how to set myself up as a follower of some of the blogs I read regularly.

You would not believe how happy this has made me!

All Kids Need Help--Not Just The Ones With IEPs

I didn't think the IEP post would cause so much outrage. Thank you teachers for all your support.

I just checked. It is only November and I have already written 25 individual letters of recommendation for my students. I'm only counting the letters, each letter has at least 3 or 4 applications attached so the amount of work involved is incredible. There have also been countless forms filled out for the college office. That number will increase once scholarship applications begin.

Before I write a letter of recommendation, I read over the student's resume and personal statement. I also question them as to their goals and interests and try to find the one or two things that will make the subject of the recommendation stand out from all the others.

As I was writing this post an e-mail came from Macaulay Honors Program. They are collecting all their recommendations online this year. So that is another thing I must do. Since I have no computer access at work, those are done at home.

As for brighter kids not needing attention, think again. Would you be happy if your honor child came home from school saying the teacher had no time to help him with a problem? Or, how about, forget that scholarship, Johnny needs me more and I don't have time to fill out your recommendation. Bright kids are just as time consuming, albeit in a different form.

So, all you parents out there with kids with special needs--I feel for you but I feel for these other kids too. They are just as entitled to help and special treatment as everyone else. Too bad there is no federal law protecting them. Don't judge me without having a clue as to what I do! And, as for telling me what I would do if your child was in my class, SORRY, THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

The Human Touch

Technology is being pushed as the answer to all that ails the school system. Smart boards will bridge the gap between the knowledge that is being taught and that which is being absorbed by the child. Tablets will make everything clear. ARIS will provide all the data necessary to figure out why Johnny cannnot learn.

Technology does nothing to give kids what they really need--the human touch. Kids need to know that the person teaching them cares about their success. These kids need to know that we are proud of their successes and want to help erase their failures. They need the human touch, something that no amount of technology will ever add to the classroom.

IEPs

IEPS, the things special education teachers spend hour upon hour working on.

IEPs, Individual Education Plans--at least 12 of my geometry students have them.

IEPs, things I have never looked at and have no plans to look at.

IEPs, things I have no time to look at.

IEPs, time that could be better spent helping the students.

Office Space

It is early in the morning.

Mr. Y needs a quiet spot to relax, have his coffee and prepare for his day at work.

Mr. Y is working in the only peaceful spot around--his car.

Imagine Bloomberg, or Klein or Weingarten or a school administrator having to start their day like this? Pathetic, isn't it?

And now I just heard a rumor that Suit will be getting $700 a day to mentor new Principals. On top of that, it is rumored that he will get at least a $20,000 bonus for the report card grade our school got by his dubious methods. Last year he got all new furniture in his office. The DOE claims they have no money but just spent $80,000,000 on ARIS computer system to track students [and teachers.]

So, the teacher sits in the car, the school aide earns $.43 more an hour and the rich keep getting richer. What a city we live in.

So Who Needs Lunch Anyways?

Mathematicamama sent me a site that contains the exit exams for Geometry in Virginia. The problems looked great--exactly the type I would like to use in my class, but I did not want to print 24 pages on my home computer so I saved the e-mail and went to the library to print the exam.

Our library has a total of four computers for staff use. After all the school has almost 5000 kids, 4 staff computers should be plenty, right! I was thrilled to see that two were available. Of course when I sat down to work, I had to restart the computer. We now have individual log in codes and the dunces in my school don't understand the difference between logging out and turning off. I can't believe I have to ask the librarians to put up a sign telling teachers how to log off.

So, I finally restarted the computer, logged on to my e-mail and got the site up and running. I hit print, and waited for my beautiful questions to appear. Nothing happenned. I checked. There was paper and toner in the machine. The librarian couldn't find the problem and promised to call for help, which was no help for me. I already wasted 20 minutes of my lunch period and quite frankly after teaching four periods in a row, I was not in the mood for that nonsense.

I'm not exactly a shrinking violet so I ran down to APO office and started bitching about wasting time and the crappy conditions we are forced to work in. She felt bad and let me use her computer which was good but I couldn't get back my wasted time.

I guess the school feels we teachers must lose some weight. We don't need lunch. But, I am fed up (and not because I am getting too much to eat.) They want us to use all this new technology but having a working computer and printer is too much to ask for.

New Jobs For ATRs

Where can a person earning less than $20,000 a year do the exact same job as someone earning $100,000 a year? Impossible, you say! Not if you are an school aide in a NYC public school and your job is cafeteria duty and you are assigned to sit right next to an ATR who is also assigned to that same job because our wonderful union gave away seniority transfers and the rights of teachers to teach. (This does not happen at my school but it does at a high school near where I live. I know, I had lunch today with the school aide.

I heard a rumor that the ATRs salary will now come out of the school budget. No one is sure of how the school will pay their salaries.

This Dilbert cartoon gave me an idea. The schools can fire all the custodians, security guards and cafeteria workers and put the ATRs to work doing these jobs. They are already doing school aide jobs. They are making a lot more money than any of these other workers. Let them get their hands dirty and earn their pay.

From One Of My Geometry Kids

I e-mailed this boy his test grade and the picture I took of him at Haagen Daz (including his face) and got this in reply:

woah ms are you serious!!! wow i never ever got that hight grade in mathbefore!!! wow YOUR THE BEST TEACHER EVER!!! thanks

Am I really ready to give this stuff up? Do I really want to retire? I'm so confused. One minute it is yes and then an e-mail like this. I think I need professional help.

Forty Three Cents

That is the longevity raise given to a NYC school aide after fifteen years on the job.

No other comments needed!

Please Sign

Stop Klein form becoming Secretary of Education

A Positive Post For A Change

My husband and son say all I ever do is bitch, bitch bitch. Whether it is on this blog or in a letter to the editor, I bitch. They claim I never say anything positive about my school. Well, sit back, that is about to change right here.

One of the most important things a student can do before choosing a college is to go visit it. My own kids put one foot on some campuses and knew the school was not for them. How they knew, I don't know, but they knew.

Many of my students are inner city kids with no way to visit schools outside the city. Our new college advisor is arranging school tours for these kids. Next week they are going to Stonybrook. Monday they went to Cornell and Binghamton. I used to hate missing a day of instruction but in my old age I realize there is more to life than math (I know, that is hard to believe) and I encourage participation on these trips. But, I still hate to miss a day of work.

I had an epiphany today. Why not give them the work to do on the bus? It has to take at least 4 hours to get to Cornell. There are plenty of smart kids on the trip. Why waste the time listening to I-pods and chatting with friends when they could be doing math?

I quickly ran off extra copies of the day's lesson and ran it down to the lobby, where the kids were meeting. At first, I was greeted with not as much enthusiasm as I expected. But, when I explained that I was worried about them being bored on the bus and that after all, I was the only teacher worried about this. They should be thanking me instead of complaining. Grudgingly, they accepted the assignment and those without pens scrounged around for them. I did get a few thanks out of some. I hope they really meant it.

Next week I will be more prepared for the trip. I'll remind them a day in advance to pack writing equipment along with their cell phones and I-pods.

I love these kids. I love how my school is helping them get ready for their future.

Rant

Now that it is known that I write a blog (most people still don't know how to find it, thank goodness) I am being hit with all kinds of things to write about. It seems I am not the only person who likes to bitch and rant. This message is to all of you out there who want their stories told:

This is my blog. It is my place to rant and rave, not yours. You are too timid to open your mouth and speak the truth. You refused to put your name on a petition to end the music or stop the brain teasers because you did not want to make waves. You picked up the paper off the floor. You went to the end term party because you were afraid of repercussions if you did not show up. Don't expect me to speak for you.

I will not use this blog to bring anyone down. You might not be getting along with an administrator and that administrator might be wrong but deal with it on your own. Your trailer was trashed but you did nothing. You did not complain about the lack of security outside. I don't care if your C-6 partner is not showing up to do his or her share of the work. That is your problem, not mine.

You would not stand with me in the past. I took heat for what I believed in. Now, S**T OR GET OFF THE POT. Write your own blog. Write your own letters. Open your mouth and speak up for yourself.

Again, MY BLOG, MY ISSUES!

I Have Hope

I saw a sample of what the new geometry regents will look like.

I have hope.

I think I can get most of them to pass.

It will take a lot of work and a lot of revision in what I teach, but I BELIEVE I can do it!

MY KIDS WILL PASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Dream Job

My school ran a fund raiser at a local ice cream store this weekend. No one could believe that I actually volunteered to work there as I haven't volunteered for anything in years. Those people don't know the real me. Years ago, I did lots extra curricular activity at school. I performed at our Faculty Frolics, even lip syncing a solo on stage. (I have zero talent, but that did not stop me.) We made tons of money for the school and had a blast doing it. I put on a cheerleader's uniform and cheered on the sidelines at the student-faculty basketball game. I went on long trips to Washington DC. I came in early and stayed late and did everything and anything the school was involved in. I loved my job. My husband even got involved and participated in many activities.


I tried doing the same types of things in this school. In the beginning, I participated in our International Festival. Only here, it was not fun. The people in charge were rigid and got angry at our two left feet and our lack of talent. I went to basketball games but found many times I was the only faculty member present. I attended every concert and play. Eventually, I stopped going. And then Suit became principal. He tried to run the school as if it was one big summer camp and he knocked out the little wind that was left in my sails. Not attending school functions was, in my mind, a good act of defiance. There was no way I could be found insubordinate because I did not go to a school party.


I've often thought about what I would have done if I did not become a teacher . My first career choice would have been driving an 18 wheeler with huge smoke stacks across country. That career will have to wait until I retire, but I already checked out the nearest tractor trailer school and I plan on following up on this dream soon.

My second choice is working in an ice cream shop. (I knew this would not pay the bills so I never followed through here.) I've loved ice cream for as long as I can remember and when the school announced the chance to scoop, I jumped. I looked forward to this night for weeks. Well,the big night has come and gone and it was as wonderful as I dreamt it would be. Holding that scoop and digging into those big tubs of that creamy stuff was heavenly. I scooped cups and cones and pints. I served students and adults and my own family. I even managed to wait until my shift was over to serve myself.

Students enjoying ice cream after their team practice.
One of my geometry kids enjoying a pint of vanilla--my favorite subject. I wish I could show the expression on this kid's face as he ate away. He was in heaven. This kid was giving me a hard time in the beginning but we are bonding now and he is doing great. Too bad I didn't know about his love of ice cream. I would have had something to share with him earlier in the year.

My had scooping chocolate-chocolate chip. For me, a dream come true. (My husband knows I am a cheap date!)

And here I am in all my glory. Maybe I should just hand in my retirement papers and open up my own ice cream shop.

I told my students that if I am not in on Monday it will because I have found a new career. Unfortunately, Haagen Daz is not hiring at the moment but I think I did a pretty good job and hope they will consider me should a position open up.

I'd Rather Drive A Truck

"You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself", words sung by Ricky Nelson after he got booed off the stage in Madison Square Garden many years ago for singing new songs instead of his old ones.

We're not singing, but we still can't please everyone. Some higher ups, the mayor, the chancellor, the principals, assistant principals, etc, will never be pleased with what we, the classroom teacher do. If we jumped the fire, they would claim the flame was too low. If we flew through hoops, they would want to know why they were not higher above the ground.

Years ago, in my youth, I worried about pleasing these people. When someone in power walked in my room, I broke out in hives. Now, I've reduced the feeling to butterflies which quickly disappear as soon as they leave. Old age brings wisdom, the wisdom to know that no matter what I do, some people will never be satisfied. I have come to terms with this. My goal is to help my students the best way I can. I can't help them all and but I will never ever do some of the new fangled stuff being shoved down the teachers' throats. I'm lucky. I've been left alone to keep the POd show going because, for the most part, it works. I'm lucky, I have tenure, age and years and untouchable, as long as I do my job.

A friend from another school is not so lucky. His AP hates him. No matter what he does, no matter how hard he works, no matter how good his results are, it is not enough. My friend is miserable. His stomach is in knots all the time. Try as I might, I can't convince him to relax. He is a 20 year veteran teacher who just has a few years to go. He will never make his AP happy.

I sent him a recording of Garden Party. I hope he gets the message.

As for me, I'd rather drive the truck.

Henry and the Tablet

May years ago, when kids still had reading and remedial math, I met Henry. Henry was close to illiterate and his one dream in life was to become a porno star. He talked about this ambition relentlessly and it was quite difficult to keep him on task. Henry was a very good looking kid,and, to this day, I wonder if his dream came true.

Henry was not a bad kid and when an assignment interested him, he gave it his all.

One day Henry's English teacher, Ms. Innocent, asked the class to write a short story. She left the subject open as she wanted the students to be creative. Henry was creative all right. Henry wove a tale about a woman who was forced to wait home for the cable repair man. When he arrived, she seduced him and the words that followed steamed up poor Ms. Innocent's glasses. The story was complete with lots of illustrations.

Now, imagine that same assignment being given and Henry writing on a tablet that is hooked up to the computer. Imagine this happening in a room full of teenagers. The images of this are enough to make me never assign writing a short story again.

At staff development we learned how to use a tablet. When it was my turn to try it out, I wrote a math problem finding the ratio of the actual number of hours spent doing staff development to the number of hours it felt like we were doing staff development. This was not something I thought I should share with anyone but the few around me. Sure enough, I looked up and my little problem was on the big screen for all to see. Now, I am an adult, knew what I wrote was not nice and erased it quickly. I have a feeling the Henry's out there would do no such thing. This little exercise reminded me of Henry and of all the "dangers" technology hold for us.

Suit Free Staff Development

You need the map so you will know where to find me after a staff development day!

I was planning on posting this on the private blog but then realized, there is nothing I have to say there that I can't say here. The day wasn't as bad as I am making it out to be. Principal Hula did something I have never seen before--HE TALKED TO US, NOT AT US! No one yelled at us. No one told us what a crappy job we were doing and how we needed to do more.

The day began the usual staff development way--bagels and coffee in the cafeteria. There weren't enough benches down and Hula physically set up extra benches. Suit would have bellowed for someone else to do the dirty work.

Hula told us his background. For those who have been asking, our school lucked out. HE IS NOT FROM THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY! He's a real guy who cares about kids and helping teachers help them succeed. He talked to Joe about problems he was having because I asked him to (Jimmy was really pissed about my doing this) and he volunteered to talk to Jimmy to try to help him also. I'm giving him Jimmy's real name tomorrow because Jimmy told me today he only answers to people higher than a teacher. I know he would prefer Obama, but since Obama is busy he will have to settle for Hula.

Having a principal that is a human being is a new experience for me, something I hope I can adjust to. He told us our school report card grade, which was excellent. I worry that in order to keep the grade he will give up some of his humanity. We also heard from the AP of guidance, a woman I have liked and respected once I got to know and overcame my cynicism. Then our CC spoke. He didn't say much but did make a few jokes about Suit and his self appointed Principal Emeritus status.

Next, we had short department meetings. Nothing much to report here. Then, on to E-Chalk. E-chalk is great but time consuming. Too bad the regular classroom teacher does not have access to a computer. Heck, some of us are lucky to have access to chalk. I know, I get mine from my after school job at the college. I couldn't remember my DOE e-mail address. I only use it to do my grades and have it bookmarked at home.

From E-Chalk we went to Smart Board. Smart board will not, in my opinion, make smart kids. It is just another gimmick that might or might not work. I don't see how it is worth the time it takes to set it and get running. And, it is not that easy to learn to use. I know I am not politically correct in saying this but, DUMB IS DUMB and some kids are just incapable of learning the stuff we are being forced to teach them. No smart board, or tablet (the next workshop) is going to change that. The best technique I have found is to photo copy exams and mail them home. I make no comments. The grades say it all. The kids hate this and do tend to work harder because of this.

Our last workshop was in helping ELL kids. The woman who ran it is great. (She is not an administrator.) She is knowledgeable and bright and loves her job. She helps without preaching. She probably would have been an administrator if she did not oppose Suit at times.

The shock of the day came when Mr. AP said something nice about me. He even said he will miss me when I retire. I'm glad I was sitting down when he said this.

My biggest complaints of the day: There was still no time to talk to members of my department to see what others are up to. There was no time to share. There is still no easy access to all this technology.

Joe

There was Joe Six Pack.



And there was Joe the Plumber.



And now, there is Joe the VP!!!!!!

Change!!!!

I was never so happy with a presidential election in my life.

Real Staff Development Needed

(Similar posting on Packemin HS--If you read that, skip this. I was just a little more specific over there.)

It is getting harder and harder to write on this blog knowing it is being read by so many people and by people in authority. I don't want to write anything that will incriminate or reflect on anyone. Even psuedonyms can be figured out. I'm going to try not to mention things that make me sound like I am blowing my own horn. And, mostly, I am not going to act like a know it all and give advice to people who don't need or want my advice. All of this is the reason the original posting was on Packemin. Schoolgal thought the ideas in that post ought to be shared. I hope I made this one generic enough without pushing any agenda. That is the reason I am waiting until staff development day starts to post this.

Special education students are now being required to take the same courses their mainstream cohorts are taking. The special education teachers lack the training and education needed to teach these subjects. Their training has predominantly been in teaching to the needs of kids with special problems. This is not fair to the children or the teachers.

Resource room teachers need help so they can help their students. No one can teach every single subject and it is not fair to ask these hard working individuals to try. They need help.

One resource room teacher offered to buy me a beer and I could teach him the math while we sipped away. As much as I love him (and beer), I hate to mix the two. I hate to taint my bar experience with work.

Sympathy for the Obama Family

No matter what our politics, the entire country should send our prayers to Barack Obama and his family on the passing of his grandmother.

It is a shame that she did not make it a few more days to see her beloved grandson become the next President of the United States.

A Poor Substitute But What Can I Do?

Since I can't post what I would really like to post, I thought I would share some more pictures.

I know, it's boring. But, what is a teacher to do?

I love these old houses, in Sea Cliff, NY.

Fall

I should be writing tomorrow's lessons.

I should be working on a test for Friday.

I should be marking homeworks.

Instead I am editing and posting some of the pictures I took while walking in the park today. All this beauty in my own back yard. I love this time of year.

I'm Voting Republican

Thanks to Schoolgal!

Sunny Days Ahead

It feels like a dark cloud has been lifted from over my head. No Suit around is one of the best thing that has happened in years. Now Suit never even so much as put a letter in my file but his presence was enough to to take away my sun.


This Halloween was the first Halloween I have actually enjoyed at school in years. Since Suit was such a "party animal" I rebelled by rejecting the holiday and everything it stood for. Not today. I even got in costume. Here I am.

Since I am always covered with chalk, I decided to wear black and go as a chalk board. The kids got a kick out of it and even added their own touches.

I had a great time photographing my students in their costumes. Luckily, I just finished as the new principal walked by and he saw me pushing them into class. I wish I did not have to cut the faces off of every picture. They were so cute.

Butterfly girl
The girl in pink had a great Pebbles Flintstones wig. The nurse looked more like a stripper.

Alcatraz escapee

The makeup on this kid was great. She made a mean Charlie Chaplain.

Pirate
Aloha--I told her to show her outfit to Principal Hula.

This is another one with great make-up. She would have drove Mickey Mouse wild.

Too sexy to be a real nurse. I had to tell this one to zip it up.

Lady vampire

She said she was Juno (from the movie) but I renamed her Bristol Palin. She did not like the name.

This kid was a tellie tubie. Too bad I had to cut out his face.

Dorothy even had the ruby slippers.

The highlight of the day was this boy. He came in period 1, yelled "hi Ms. POd", danced around and left. He returned later in the day, posse in hand, with a boom box playing eerie music. While his buddies discounted my overhead and turned on the music, he danced around the room. The whole thing only lasted about 1 minute but I nearly peed laughing so hard. I heard the mask got confiscated later on in the day but he did get lots of use out of it first.

Days like these remind me of how much I love my job. Yesterday I was 99% positive that the end of my career was imminent. Today, I'm not so sure. I will really miss these kids when I go.

I Will Derive!

I drive my AP calculus kids crazy with insane problems that require them to do that dirty stuff,THINK.

I found this video and sent it out. It was a great stress reliever and now when they get stumped on a problem they yell out I WILL DERIVE!