Checking in quickly before another crazy school day, but at least it is FRIDAY! 
School is more time-consuming than ever. Most of the teachers who have been there for years and years and years are walking around feeling like first year teachers with all of the new paperwork. The lesson plans that we have to provide for the first observation - the ones who have done theirs already are saying it takes about four hours! Of course, we know that all of these codes (R2.1.4, L2.1.3) and all of these elaborate plans are going to bring drastic increases in reading levels and drastic decreases in behavior issues and glowing reviews for test scores that will be published in the newspaper.
Or not.
Our assistant principal said yesterday after joining us in our team meeting (the third of the week, as it now is taking us three planning times to finish our group plans with all the details) that there are about a thousand administrators ready to walk out because of all the pressure.
It's a pretty depressing situation. We've had a few teachers in tears. Not me, so far.
Open House was last night, too, so after exhausting, overwhelming days, we got to stay until 8:15. I was glad to get to talk to some parents. All of them seemed very happy with the year so far. One mom said her little girl said, "We work all the time!" I laughed and told her she was right. There is rarely a down moment. We have some pretty big 'whips' going, unfortunately. I think we're doing a decent job of making kids hate school.
But, even in the midst of the junk, there are some fun and exciting things going on. One of my little boys who can barely read and who spends a lot of time sucking his thumb did a very nice job taking notes, with some guidance, on common nouns and proper nouns yesterday. After we made just a few changes, I put his paper out in the hall on the diplay wall. I have not really been able to put up anything of his yet, because most of what he has done has been a mess, but this was nice. He happily accompanied me to the wall to hang it up. I have to tell you, I wanted to give him a hug, but I don't hug at school. In our district, it is discouraged. A pat on the shoulder and a smile made him happy enough.
As our assistant principal was leaving our team meeting yesterday, I showed her his paper and told her to mention it to him when she saw him. She said he was a frequent flyer in the office last year. This year, he has not been in the office from the classroom at all, but he is having troubles on the bus and at the bus stop for fighting. There is very little going on at home except just existing. He is one you can just pinpoint to be a drop-out someday, and you wish you could stop it from happening.
Also, we are doing something fun for our head custodian - a wee little bit of a man who does three hours' worth of work in one. He will do anything for anybody any time. He is older, but he and his wife adopted the twin girls of one of his nieces when she could not take care of them. He has a crown full of stars in heaven, I assure you. Anyway, he never takes a day off unless he has to, but they are making him use vacation time next week. Our principal is rounding up a vacation fund to send them to somewhere like Gatlinburg or to Chattanooga to go to the aquarium or to the Memphis Zoo or somewhere. I have put together some travel bags for the two little girls to add to that money. I got Minnie Mouse pajamas, Disney baby dolls (Ariel and Belle), coloring books and crayons, sticker books, Nemo fruit snacks, apple juice boxes, animal crackers, and goldfish. It is all tucked nicely away in a huge Disney Princess bag.
The administrators are calling him in this afternoon to give him the gifts. The whole staff is excited about being able to do something for this humble and wonderful man. 
We look for the bright moments in what has become a very depressing situation in our school district, and those are two of my bright moments this week. Trent works at a place where he sees Metro teachers, as well, and he said they are all moaning about the new stuff and all of the hours it is taking.
To tell you how bad it has been, I felt Disney trip tired last night when I went to bed, and I slept until my alarm went off this morning at 4:00!
My alarm rarely goes off. Very rarely.
I am going to Alabama tomorrow morning to see my big girl play soccer. That will sure bring me some happiness!
On Sunday, Jill told Brooklynn about her October trip. She is excited, and now that she has processed how it is all going to go down, she is 'tormenting' Bella with the information.
Bella is not cool with the fact that she is not going to Dizhy Wuhld this time, so we keep telling her she is going on Santa Claus day.
Santa Claus in the morning - Dizhy Wuhld in the evening.
Not a bad day.
I will try to put up more trip pictures tonight, if I live through today. Have a Fantastic Friday, friends!
School is more time-consuming than ever. Most of the teachers who have been there for years and years and years are walking around feeling like first year teachers with all of the new paperwork. The lesson plans that we have to provide for the first observation - the ones who have done theirs already are saying it takes about four hours! Of course, we know that all of these codes (R2.1.4, L2.1.3) and all of these elaborate plans are going to bring drastic increases in reading levels and drastic decreases in behavior issues and glowing reviews for test scores that will be published in the newspaper.Or not.
Our assistant principal said yesterday after joining us in our team meeting (the third of the week, as it now is taking us three planning times to finish our group plans with all the details) that there are about a thousand administrators ready to walk out because of all the pressure.
It's a pretty depressing situation. We've had a few teachers in tears. Not me, so far.
Open House was last night, too, so after exhausting, overwhelming days, we got to stay until 8:15. I was glad to get to talk to some parents. All of them seemed very happy with the year so far. One mom said her little girl said, "We work all the time!" I laughed and told her she was right. There is rarely a down moment. We have some pretty big 'whips' going, unfortunately. I think we're doing a decent job of making kids hate school.
But, even in the midst of the junk, there are some fun and exciting things going on. One of my little boys who can barely read and who spends a lot of time sucking his thumb did a very nice job taking notes, with some guidance, on common nouns and proper nouns yesterday. After we made just a few changes, I put his paper out in the hall on the diplay wall. I have not really been able to put up anything of his yet, because most of what he has done has been a mess, but this was nice. He happily accompanied me to the wall to hang it up. I have to tell you, I wanted to give him a hug, but I don't hug at school. In our district, it is discouraged. A pat on the shoulder and a smile made him happy enough.
As our assistant principal was leaving our team meeting yesterday, I showed her his paper and told her to mention it to him when she saw him. She said he was a frequent flyer in the office last year. This year, he has not been in the office from the classroom at all, but he is having troubles on the bus and at the bus stop for fighting. There is very little going on at home except just existing. He is one you can just pinpoint to be a drop-out someday, and you wish you could stop it from happening.Also, we are doing something fun for our head custodian - a wee little bit of a man who does three hours' worth of work in one. He will do anything for anybody any time. He is older, but he and his wife adopted the twin girls of one of his nieces when she could not take care of them. He has a crown full of stars in heaven, I assure you. Anyway, he never takes a day off unless he has to, but they are making him use vacation time next week. Our principal is rounding up a vacation fund to send them to somewhere like Gatlinburg or to Chattanooga to go to the aquarium or to the Memphis Zoo or somewhere. I have put together some travel bags for the two little girls to add to that money. I got Minnie Mouse pajamas, Disney baby dolls (Ariel and Belle), coloring books and crayons, sticker books, Nemo fruit snacks, apple juice boxes, animal crackers, and goldfish. It is all tucked nicely away in a huge Disney Princess bag.
The administrators are calling him in this afternoon to give him the gifts. The whole staff is excited about being able to do something for this humble and wonderful man. We look for the bright moments in what has become a very depressing situation in our school district, and those are two of my bright moments this week. Trent works at a place where he sees Metro teachers, as well, and he said they are all moaning about the new stuff and all of the hours it is taking.
To tell you how bad it has been, I felt Disney trip tired last night when I went to bed, and I slept until my alarm went off this morning at 4:00!
My alarm rarely goes off. Very rarely.I am going to Alabama tomorrow morning to see my big girl play soccer. That will sure bring me some happiness!
On Sunday, Jill told Brooklynn about her October trip. She is excited, and now that she has processed how it is all going to go down, she is 'tormenting' Bella with the information.
Bella is not cool with the fact that she is not going to Dizhy Wuhld this time, so we keep telling her she is going on Santa Claus day.
Santa Claus in the morning - Dizhy Wuhld in the evening.
Not a bad day.
I will try to put up more trip pictures tonight, if I live through today. Have a Fantastic Friday, friends!
Speaking of... you really need a ticker Memom. It would make your DIS time even brighter to see the time ticking away!
I hope it gets better and it's good to find those little bright spots! That little boy is so lucky to have you as a teacher. I hope someday, when he graduates, he thinks of you!
Now that I finally, as of yesterday afternoon, have the reading level I will be teaching, I can start my four hour paperwork on the lesson I will teach for my observation. 
, we will continue to send her to private school. Our schools here are so bad that if I could not longer afford private education, I would home school her. It's very sad, and makes me wonder how we got to this place? It wasn't that long ago that I went to those same schools and they were great back then. What's happened? 
..for all my teacher friends! 
