I TOUCH

Posting from my new toy. I might be old but I still love technology.

(I cheated and got the picture from the computer.)

Life Of Riley

Everyone is up in arms about teacher contracts and how we all use the contract to avoid work.  I wonder why no one ever talks about the custodial contracts.

1.  Blackboards are only washed twice a year.
2.  Floors are also on the limited wash list.  (Not sure how many times, so I don't want to post it here.)
3.  Cleaning dust is not in the contract.
4.  Putting paper towels and soap in art rooms is not part of the contract.
5.  Painting an entire wall is not in the contract.  (They are allowed to paint up to a certain height so there are rooms with half walls covered.
6.  Cleaning the insides of radiators is not covered.

I'm sure there are other things that should be done too, that are not covered.

Why isn't anyone up in arms about getting custodians to provide these basic necessities?  Why are teachers the only ones with the a contract that provides the Life of Riley?

I Tried

I really tried not to say anything at the make up for the departmental meeting I missed on Monday.  I really tried to just sit and say nothing.

I couldn't do it.

Now I know how it feels to be the Incredible Hulk.

Highly Motivated and Cooperative

Report card grades of N's or U's require a comment.  One of my favorite ones to use, especially for kids that are not top notch students, but work hard is "Highly motivated and cooperative.  Today I was told (I'll say who told me here) to only use that code for kids who have gotten "E's"  Basically I was told that if a child was truly motivated and hard working, he would be getting 90's not 70's.  I disagreed.  I have students who are always prepared, always volunteer to go to the board and are constantly going for extra help, yet they only squeak by with 70's. 

So, I am looking for some feedback.  I asked a room full of teachers today if they thought it was acceptable to use this comment with a 70 student and all present agreed with me.  But, I would like some additional comments.  Please let me know if you think this comment should be reserved for the 90+ kids.

From Inez

This is for some of the strongest women I know.

Be the kind of woman

that when your feet hit the ground

each morning,

the devil says,

"OH SHIT, SHE'S UP!"

Feeling Good

When we are in the same room, the tension is thick enough to be cut with a knife. (continued here.)

It Shouldn't Be That Difficult

The exam was left for you in plenty of time. 

You just had to take it from your mailbox when you arrived in school that morning.

You didn't do that this time or the time before.  In fact,you told the child it was not your responsibilty, although it is a big part of your job.

You said you would try to do it in the future.

Come on, YOU WOULD TRY!!!!  It is your friggin job.  How hard is it to do?  No one is asking you to dig a ditch or perform open heart surgery.  If  you can't handle this, how can you handle being in a classroom?

I Didn't Get My Window But...

No window but the room was cleaned, even the walls are now dirt free.  There are supplies on the table and paper for the printer.  Someone was listening! 

Ownership

I know, when I own something, I take care of it.  I keep it neat and tidy and if it shows a little wear and tear, I do the best I can to fix it up, to make it presentable.

I don't feel the same way when something is not mine, I won't deliberately do something to ruin it, but I won't do any upkeep of it either.  For example, when I rent a car, I make sure I take out all the garbage before I return it.  I don't bother dusting the interior or wiping the bird crap off the windows.  The car is not mine and I don't care enough about it to keep it clean.

One of the problem with working in a big school like Packemin is that there is no feeling of ownership. Every teacher area is common area and quite honestly, I and I am sure most of us, have little desire to keep the areas clean.  Most people (there are slobs around, so I won't count them here) throw their trash in the cans and if they spill, they wipe the area, but that is the extent of their cleaning.  So, when the computers have a half inch of dust around them, no one will clean them.  When the window sills and the chalk boards are covered with months of chalk dust, that too sits, because we are only in that particular room a period or two, and then we move somewhere else, to another room with just as much dirt.

I looked at pictures of a friend's kindergarten classroom and wondered why she would spend so much time making the place look so nice and then it hit me.  This was her space.  This was the space she would be governing for the next 10 months and she wanted it to be comfortable for her and her students.  She owned the space.

As I sat and bitched about our despicable teacher's room today, another teacher said, "I'll just get a rag and clean my little area."  (Which she did not do.)  If she did, I guarantee, another teacher would have been using that spot the next time she wanted it and she would have to start over again.   The computer printer ran out of paper and she said, "I'll go get some."  I did that yesterday, and today it was empty again.  That is the end of my running for supplies. 

I want a space to call my own.  I want to "own something."  When I do, I will keep it in a presentable condition. 

Recipe For Trouble

Put a totally incompetent person in charge of a department. Let this incompetent hire personnel to do jobs they have no experience in and no training for. Be sure to give them no training and no help.  The resulting mess will be disastrous.

Putting A Damper On The Situation

A young man wanted to take an AP course, but due to budgetary restrictions, he could not get in.  Others, with higher grades beat him out for the few seats.  The child was persistent.  He wanted to do the course as an independent study and take the exam with everyone else.  The person in charge said "NO!  You were not good enough to get in the class.  What makes you think you are good enough to learn the course on your own?"  The boy persisted and explained how he planned on going about learning the material.  The person in charge said, "There is the door, use it!"  The boy hung his head and left.

I sat listening to this in disbelief.  Here is a child who wants to learn, who is motivated and ambitious and he is not only being stifled, he is being humiliated along the way.  I thought we were supposed to encourage academic pursuits, not throw buckets of ice water on them.  What is this world coming to.

South Bronx Teacher On Blogtalk Broadcast

Tuesday nights, 9:00, you will find me glued to the computer listening to South Bronx teacher on blogtalk broadcast.  I admit, I started listening because I like the way the guy thinks, but the idea of listening to a radio talk show over the Internet did not appeal to me at all.  Little by little, my addiction to this program has grown and I look forward to hearing his latest topics every week.

The next broadcast:

Leading educator Amy Modesto of the Orange County (FL) Schools will be joining us as we discuss riveting and important trends in education. RTI, bi-lingual education, special education, children with special needs, and the education system in Florida. Amy Modesto has been teaching almost 25 years combined in both New York State and Florida. The call in # as always is (917) 932-8721

Self Love

I'm the best, I'm the best, I'm the best....

What I missed by  (continued here.)

A Thought

A beautiful exterior hides this interior.

Oyster Fest

Supposedly the biggest street fair around.  Get there early, if not the traffic is unbearable.

Also, be prepared to wait on long lines to spin wheels and win prizes you care nothing about.

More pictures here.

Garrulous Mr. Gates

IF you haven't had a chance to read this, go do it now, it is fantastic

Garrulous Mr.Gates by Arthur Goldstein

Damn Shame

A good friend of mine used to blog, but the blog was discovered by the admins in his school and to protect himself, he took it down.  He wrote about the same sort of things I write about.  Lately, he has been very stressed because of the things going on in his school, particularly his department which is headed by a person with no heart and  no brain and whose only interests are self serving. 

His latest e-mail broke made me cry so I decided to share it here. 

Its damn shame that no one cares about the kids....isn't that what school it about??? providing a safe place....providing a place where responsible adults do the BEST things for kids...the best practices....follow the best policies??? I am confused...when did all this happen???

Outlet

I found my outlet.  I can be me anonymously again! 

Two Teachers

Two teachers sharing a room and a class. 

Story continued here.

Newbies Only

More admins are inviting the newbies to parties, barbecues and happy hours.  The ones that have been around for a while are being excluded.

This might be legal, but it is not very nice.

Another Way To Spend Our Prep And Lunch Periods

With all this talk about accountability lately, no one bothered to find someone to hold accountable for school cleanliness.  Blackboards are rarely washed which makes writing difficult to read.  There is chalk dust everywhere.  Overhead projectors are covered with dust.  Floor washing takes place, I believe, twice a year.  No one is responsible for cleaning common computers and the tables they sit on.  Think NYC school and filth will come to mind.

As I was ranting about the state of uncleanliness today, someone mentioned a teacher that cleans her own space.  Truthfully, if I had my own space, I would keep that clean too, but as for cleaning a common area, NO WAY! 

So far, no one has suggested doing away with janitors by letting teachers do this work, but, if things keep going the way they are, this will definitely be the wave of the future.

Giving Them What They Want

Here

Where's The Bargain?

(Picture taken in Waldbaum's, Francis Lewis Blvd and LIE)

Torture

The PSAT. the exam that measures verbal and math skills was given today.  My room was packed.  For the first time ever, all the kids had pencils and calculators.  That should have been a sign something was wrong, but I just went with my good luck.  Everything ran so smoothly too.  The kids even helped me rearrange the weird shaped room we were in to accommodate the 4 rows of 7 seats each.  Even the answer sheets were pre-bubbled  so I had nothing to do but tell the kids where to sit and then read the script instructions.

Remember I said I should have noticed something was up?  The room was full of non English speakers.  Most managed to go along with the program, but one young lady was totally baffled.  I caught her trying to work on part I while everyone else was working on part II.  I told her she had to stick to the one part we were working on and walked away.  Then came the break and when I said pencils down, she stopped for a few minutes and then while my back was turned to let kids go to the bathroom, she began working again.  I immediately stopped her and I told her what she was doing was cheating.  Since she hadn't answered a question, I let it go.  Then, while everyone was on part 3, she went to part 4.  At that time I had enough, made her stop working and called to have her removed from the room.

After she left, another student said, "Ms, she just got here.  She doesn't know any English."  I felt awful about yelling at her but I felt worse about the people that sent this young lady to take the exam.  How could anyone in their right mind expect a student who knows no English to sit for an exam like the PSAT? I know schools are judged by their numbers but increasing numbers by subjecting a child to hours to torture is just not right.

If a child does not have enough of a command of the English language to understand which parts of an exam to work on, that child should not be taking the exam period.  I'm going to find this girl and apologize.  And, I will find someone to translate the apology into a language she understands.

Breaking News

The Washington Post reports Michelle Rhee will announce Wednesday that she is resigning at the end of the month.

Nobody Does It Better

When it comes to wasting money and time and then more money, no one does it better than the New York City Department of Education.  Now, if you happen to be a McGraw Hill stockholder, or a city bureaucrat with ties to that company, I am sure you are vehemently disagreeing with me.

Today was Acuity test day for the algebra classes.  The kids got to spend a period bubbling answers to questions most not only had no clue as to how to answer, but had no clue as to what the question was asking.  The test predominantly covered material they will be taught this term.  The good kids were frustrated.  I don't like being given questions I can't answer and they felt the same.  The not so good kids just bubbled anything and used the period as an excuse to do no work.

We gave Acuity tests to the same kids in June and we never saw those results.  They performed as they did today. 

I have been told that these tests are given so teachers can determine what their students know or do not know. I know that the kids don't know how to graph or how to recognize a parabola.  That work is in this year's curriculum.  They haven't been exposed to yet.  Besides, I am the teacher.  I evaluate what my students know or do not know on a daily basis.  McGraw Hill is being paid thousands of dollars to do what teachers do daily.  The big difference is they are not doing a very good job and teachers are not making the money the execs at this big company make.

Money is tight, budgets are stretched to the limit but McGraw Hill and its stockholders are still doing well.

Where is the accountability for all this wasted time and money? 

Young Love

Carnivore meets vegetarian.

Unknown Blogger

My first guest post, written by another blogger and posted here anonymously.  I'm looking forward to having mine published as well.  I've gotten a few offers already.

Bonehead

I allow the kids listen to their I-pods while they work. I used to listen to the radio when I did homework, so I understand their music is important. I specified no phones and emphasized that if they tell anyone, the deal is off.

Bonehead took his phone out during a quiz. I told him to put it away. He could have just done that, but no, he had to be difficult. He said he needed his phone to pass the quiz. I wrote him up. He said he was going to tell the administration that I let the kids listen to music and he would get me fired. I calmly turned around and told the class that they could no longer listen to music.

Bonehead refused the one day of punishment he was given, cut school, cut class, mouthed off some more. He was suspended for 2 weeks. He sat out another 2.

When he returned he was angry that he was failing. Every time I tried to do anything with the class, he was in my face, demanding that I do things to raise his grade.

Finally, finished with the rest of the class (well, I had them working and they were not happy they couldn't listen to music), I gave him things to do (things I had sent home with him that he had thrown away) so that he could bring his grade up.

We had a long talk after this - he actually apologized for threatening me and we have gone back to listening to music.

I have no clue what the moral is.

Outlet Needed

This blog is starting to stifle me.  Too many people know my real identity so I can't write what I would like.  I contemplated starting another one, one open to the public, one where I could go back to my Suit bitching days but realized no one would be able to find it, not just the people I don't want to find it.

I propose to some of my fellow bloggers, the ones who live outside the NYC area, that we exchange posts occasionally.  If  Mr. X in Calgary is unhappy with his principal, he can post here and no one will know it is him writing about his school.  On the same token, I can let myself be free on Mrs. J's in Manchester.

Anyone interested?  E-mail me and we can start.  (I got this idea from a fellow blogger, no link because I don't want to give anything away who is very unhappy with some of the crap going on in his district.)

(Pictured above is the beautiful Millie, the golden retriever next door.  If I wasn't too lazy to own a dog, this is the kind I would want. )

Dilbert

This one appealed to me in more ways than one.

Sea Cliff Street Fair

Sea Cliff street fair--October 3, 2010  Pictures here.

Fear Or Complacency

There were not enough chairs in the room and some of the ones that  were in the room lacked comfort and did not work well with the tables there.

The area was dirty.  Everyone bitched about how their clothes got all grimy just from sitting at the table.

One of the phones did not work.

The computers in another area were out for over a week.

No one said anything.  Some told me they were afraid to say anything.  Afraid of what, I don't know, but afraid they were.  Most were just complacent.  They have come to accept these conditions.  They feel these are conditions they deserve, the best they will get.

All it took was a few e-mails from someone not afraid or complacent. The phone got fixed.  The computers were getting fixed.  New chairs are being delivered.  The room will be cleaned.   Sometimes I think teachers get what they deserve.

Kind Heart

I am a grudge holder.  Piss me off once, and you've probably made an enemy for life. 

On the other hand, do something kind for someone, especially someone I like, and you've won a place in my heart forever.

I hate bullies and meanies and people that do unkind things but the hate I feel for them is nothing compared to the love I feel for those that are good.

To the person with the heart, I know you will be reading this:  People in your position are born with hearts but those hearts are usually put into long term storage once the job has started.  You are the exception to that rule.  At this moment I can't imagine anything, short of murder, that will change the way I feel towards you.

Lucky Kid

She's one of the young ones I always bitch about but this girl has really got her act together when it comes to doing the right thing for the kids.  She happens to be the counselor of my friend, the one who wanted me to use my mouth in not such a nice way.  She gets that his problems are coming from way below the surface and is working on a plan to help him.  This one is a winner!  This kid is lucky to be on her case load.

Program Changes Still Going On

Jay was in my class the first day of school.  After two weeks, he had a program change and went into a different algebra class (same level).  Yesterday, he was back in my class. 

Thankfully Jay is bright and catches on quickly so he will have no trouble catching up.  (His previous teacheer was out 4 days so the class he was in is behind mine.)  The powers that be want merit pay.  With stuff like this going on, I can think of a person who does not deserve merit pay.

(Changes are still being made.  I got a new one student today.) 

I Did It!

I actually got something posted in the Huffington Post. 

It Will Be My Fault...

Kim comes to class late, needs the pass and does no work, that is, on the days she shows up.  Last week, I had it.  I found her mom's work number and gave her a call.  Mama Kim was very happy to hear from me and she kept me on the phone quite a while, discussing Kim's problems and what we could do to help her.

When Kim arrived in class that afternoon, I greeted her with a message from her mom.  Kim was furious.

"Do you know what my mom does?  My mom works at XXX Prison.  When you called her she was sitting at her desk with inmates.  You discussed my personal life in front of prisoners.  And, you endangered my mom.  How could she pay attention to them when she was talking to you?  If she gets killed, it will be all your fault."

I don't know what Mama Kim does in the prison but I hope she brings some of those work skills home to deal with her child.

The Gotcha Generation

You are in the middle of teaching and the back door suddenly opens.  In slinks a man with a computer.  He doesn't say a word, just sits, watches and types.

You are just starting a lesson and three students arrive late.  You admonish them, tell them to see you after class and then continue your lesson.  A man in the hall sees the time they arrived and jumps on you.  Why didn't you mark them late?  What are you going to do about it?

The man walks by your room and notices a boy sitting in the back texting.  You didn't notice.  He is immediately on your case for not only allowing this behavior to continue but for not even being aware of it.

Your time card has a note asking you to stop by the Principal's office. You wrack your brain out trying to figure out what you did wrong.

Maybe the man means no harm.   Unfortunately, these little things might mean nothing but those of us who grew up in the "gotcha" generation of teaching (as well as those still living in it) will never be able to rid themselves of the unpleasant feelings these actions cause.

Rita and Larry were feral cats, probably about 4 months old when we adopted them.  I don't know what happened to them before we took them in, but they came to us with a terrible fear of strangers.  It took years before they trusted us and little Rita still doesn't trust completely.  She always has her guard up.  They do not trust strangers at all.  Those of us who have seen and especially those who have felt the heavy arm of administrators don't forget either and that feeling of danger will always be with us.

No Win Situation

The ATR was so happy when he was assigned to Pretty Decent HS last year and got to teach 5 classes in his subject area. All seemed to go well too. The observations he received from his AP and the principal were glowing. The principal always had nice words to say to him when they passed in the hall.

Unfortunately, the principal was not the person she pretended to be. Upon arriving at Pretty Decent, the ATR ws forced to sign a form saying he agreed to be a provisional employee for the year. The UFT told him not to worry, that signing meant nothing. The UFT was wrong as usual.   Last June, the ATR was excessed.

The ATR is a fighter.  He immediately called his union rep and filed a grievance to get back in Pretty Decent HS.  Then the ATR got nervous.  If the principal did not want him, what kind of future would he have there?  He did not feel like fighting administration for the next 10 years.

A week goes by and ATR opens his e-mail to find the following DOE message:

Dear Mr. ATR,

You are asked to attend an interview for a position at XXXXXX. The interview is scheduled as follows:

DATE:
TIME:
LOCATION:
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS - Interview with Principal, Pretty Decent HS

Sincerely,


DOE Troll

The same person that told him to disappear is now in charge of interviewing him. How fair is that? And the press, Bloomberg, Klein and everyone else claim ATRs don't want to work. I almost cried when read this.

Problems

A boy told me to do something with my mouth to a certain part of his anatomy when I told him to put his phone away today.  (Why he would want someone my age to do that to him must be a story in itself.) When I asked him what he said, he replied, "You have ears, you heard what I said."   I immediately had him removed from class.  The kids in the class were appalled that he spoke to me that way. 

The dean who removed him immediately called his dad and set up an appointment for him to come to school.  Not knowing this, I also called his dad and logged the call on the computer.  His dad was noticeably upset with the boy and promised to do all he could to curtail this behavior.  It seems boy has been acting out quite a bit lately.

Problem one is boy got a 45 in the previous term's math class.  He came into this class obviously knowing nothing and I am sure part of his acting out is a defense against looking stupid as there is no way he can possibly keep up.

Problem two is boy was removed from this class for two weeks, put G-d only knows where and then mysteriously returned.  So not only was he behind to start with, those two missing weeks put him even farther behind.

Problem three is the boy's home life.  He is in the object of a nasty custody battle and while he doesn't say, both his dad and I agree this must be taking a toll on him.

Problem four is dad thinks boy has learning disabilities that haven't been addressed. He was in ISS when he was young but his mom had him decertified which dad thinks might not have been the right thing to do.

The biggest problem is not boy.  Boy's issues I can deal with.  It is what transpired while I was entering data in computer that really pissed me off.  I can deal with that one too, but I shouldn't have to.  Read all about it here.

Ed Deformers Won't Even Allow This

WE ARE FULL TIME PEOPLE!!!!!!

(Out of the mouth of babes.)

Hard Work

Hardest work I ever did. I feel sorry for these guys.
More pictures on facebook.

Hearts

Over the years I have found kids who never worry about consequences.  Trips to the deans office, calls home, nothing helps.  I realized I had a few of these kids as soon as they walked in the door day one and I confirmed this by checking transcripts and report cards from last year.

I have absolutely no desire to have a repeat performance of last year's algebra class, so I stepped up my game immediately, assigning seats and calling homes from day one.  The few phone calls got the kids who could go either way to go the way I wanted them to.  The others were still a problem.  And then, a solution hit me, go for their hearts.

Most of the kids like me so I decided to use this to my advantage.  I explained to them that I am always in trouble with Mr. AP, that there is always something I am doing that is pissing him off.  I told them their behavior reflected on me and if he walked by and saw them with a hat on, a cell phone out or not doing the work, I would get more grief from him, grief I did not need.

The kids laughed.  They called me a rebel and then the phones went away and the hats got taken off.  Notebooks came out and hands went up.  It seemed I had said the magic words.

I don't kid myself into thinking this will last, but I can hope.  I am going to keep reminding them of my troubles and hopefully keep them on my side.  I've got to play to their compassion.  It is my only hope.

IDTenT Mistake

I was so proud of myself.  I actually made a CD of the pictures I took at today's Robotic's competition all by myself.  I even figured out how to make two copies.  Unfortunately I put the wrong files on the disk.

Oh well, it did give me some extra practice. 

Standing Alone

I put up my Tony Avella lawn sign--in a neighborhood of Republicans, I stand alone.  I'm proud to show my beliefs.

Rose



These kids are no more than a statistic on a page.  When the class is filled, they are arbitrarily moved around.  No thought is given as to who should be moved, who might benefit most from a move or who the move might hurt.  They don't count.  The person in charge doesn't care.  

I know I am talking in riddles here and I wrote the real post here but moved it when I realized I could possibly be endangering the person who told me this story. It sucks not to be able to lay it on the line.  It sucks to see kids that could be helped destroyed.  Anyway, for those with access, it is posted here.

Evil Person

Mary, Bob, Bill and Sue Ellen teach in the same department. All are excellent teachers and have the ability to teach any subject their department offers.  Mary requested early session so she would be able to have time to spend with her new baby.  Bob requested early session so he would be able to get to his second job, a job he needed to pay college tuition for his son.  Bill requested late session as his child's day care center did not open until 8 and Sue Ellen requested a late session because she does not like to get up early.

In the interest of promoting morale  The AP in charge of programming this department wanted to show everyone who the boss was.  Mary and Bob were both put on late session while Bill and Sue Ellen got early programs.  They tried to switch programs but were adamantly told no when they asked.  The AP does not care about any ones personal problems.  The AP's interests are all his/her own.

In The News

Mallard Fillmore

Dilbert

Biggest Difference

The biggest difference between term 3 and term 1 Algebra students--the term 3 kids have their own writing utensils! And, on the rare occasion they don't--the kid next to them has extras.  I don't need to carry my big case of them anymore.

Too Disgusting For Words

It is hard to get worked up about bulletin boards when I am calling parents from this phone, looking and smelling this garbage, standing against the wall, holding my nose to escape the rancid smells. (The one phone in the math office is always being used.)

This picture was taken in my classroom.  Does Bloomberg or Klein's look like this?   Are the ones in Obama's daughter's schools in this condition?  Where is the Superman that will fix them and make things right for our kids.

(Above picture taken in the teachers' cafeteria.)