another update

I can't seem to keep up with blogging! Here's another update of what I've been up to lately:

1. I tried to move in my mother, but that didn't work at all. I was on vacation, so I thought I'd try taking care of her. Unfortunately, she was up at 11:00 p.m., midnight, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. The realization that she needed round-the-clock care was difficult to accept, but she is now in a nursing home for a month to get some extra physical therapy.

2. My brother, Eddie, has been awesome by going to see her twice daily, making sure she walks, and cracking jokes to make her laugh until she cries!

3. My job is fantastic! My students have such a positive attitude after the Christmas break, and they're working much more diligently than at the beginning of the year.

4. I began two women's Bible studies: one at a local mission and one at my church on Sunday mornings. Both are doing well, and I'm looking forward to what God has planned for us.

5. I am a chicken as far as dating is concerned. A friend has offered to set up some blind dates, but I'm not entirely comfortable with that. The one person I would love to spend time with doesn't find me attractive that way, and I've had some creepy dudes that have actually made me more cautious than ever. Single is better than the marriage I had, so I can't complain.

I hope all is well with you in this new year. May God bless you and yours!

job offer

I was just invited to be the music director and piano accompanist for a production of Bye Bye, Birdie. That's $500 for each position!

Too bad I had to decline.

I'm taking two graduate courses this year, and I'm also teaching a junior/senior summer school class in June and July.

I did, however, explain to her that there is a chance I may not have to go back to school at all. If the LPDC accepts my 70+ contact hours and converts them to CEU's, then I won't have to take graduate classes this summer in order to become certified to teach. That would make my life a whole lot easier! (If you haven't been following this funky drama in my life, a glitch caused the 4 graduate classes that I've already taken in the last five years not to count. I'm still a bit miffed about it.)

So, if you are a praying guy or gal, please pray for me. If God shows me favor, I'll be making money instead of losing it! :o)

up and about

Hi! I've been gone for a while due to a little surgery, but I'm home again. I thank God for blessing me with friends and family who are so willing to help! I had several visitors when I was in the hospital, and one already stopped by this evening to give me a care package: some chocolate for a treat and ginger ale to settle my tummy. :o)

I think the meds I got in the hospital were WAY better than my prescriptions. I hurt pretty badly tonight, but I'm sure I'll get better soon.

For the first time I had the opportunity to read a note from my substitute teacher, and my kids are giving her a rough time. Perhaps she is simply too nice. I gave her some pointers and offered to help her in any way I could. She'll be "me" until March 4th, so I hope the first two days of class haven't discouraged her too badly.

I will never, ever take walking for granted. I shuffled through the halls at the hospital as often as I could, even the day after surgery, and I'm shuffling here at home too. I miss my job terribly already, and I'm looking forward to seeing my students again.

Until then, I must learn to relax and fill my days with some scripture reading and prayer before tackling the grading that must be done.

Do you have any prayer requests? I'd love to pray for/with you! God bless!

content

Today started off pretty badly.

I average grades weekly so that my students have an idea of how well (or how poorly) they're doing. This morning, though, was depressing: 72 folks are failing or close to failing my class.

Hmph.

However, I can honestly say that I am doing all that I can to help them succeed. The ones who want to meet success are doing so, and I must focus my attention on them when I feel discouraged by the others.

Overall, I am quite content with my life. I enjoy my church family, I love not only my biological children but also the kids in my classroom, and my friends bless me every day.

Life is good!

bizarre moments

I am so grateful for my teaching job! I enjoy teaching, and I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my time during the day.

However, sometimes parents are bizarre. I had a parent call and fuss at me because his child had so many check marks on his paper. When I asked him what he meant, he said, "Quit picking on my son! What's with all of that writing? Why do you have to write so much on his papers?"

Wow.

In my world, that's called "grading."

A couple of hours after that phone call, it was time to see his son in class. Unfortunately, he had a book bag, which is against school policy. When I told him to put it away and get a tardy pass back to class, he decided to leave school property and skip my class. When I called home to let Dad know that his son was truant, he said, "Yeah, I know. He's here with me. He's allowed."

Really?

Wow again.

There are certain folks in politics who want to pay me based on the performance of my students. I'd like to see how they'd handle my class load if they were in my shoes. And what would that do to our special education departments? I know a woman who runs a business with her MH kids, and she does a phenomenal job with them. They can't read, but she uses pictures with the words underneath to try and get them familiar with letters anyway. She is amazing! Does she deserve less on her paycheck because her kids won't ever pass a proficiency test?

Sometimes student success is simply their responsibility, and parents should be encouraging them to set high goals for themselves. I'm doing what I can, but I wish folks who make the rules would try a little harder to understand and empathize.

"on the warpath"

That's what we used to say when our teachers were mad at us.

I suppose that could be said of me today.

Although I love my students dearly, they get on my last nerve...and then stomp on it.

I have stripped them of all possible bonus points for the second quarter due to lack of work and sickeningly low grades. I have also restricted access to passes, even to the bathroom and the nurse.

The majority of them had A averages. What happened? They chose not to prepare for a major exam, and 80% of them failed it. They also have a MAJOR reading project due tomorrow, and I'm afraid they're going to bomb that too...even though they've had more than two months to prepare for it.

I am determined to see these grades improve, whether or not they like me anymore.

Hmph.

Good mornin'!

So....

I have played "Mama" to quite a few of my colleagues this week, and it's nice to know that they trust me.

It's even nicer to know that, even in the midst of my own chaos, I have a calming effect on others. (Trust me...it has NOT always been that way!)

I almost jumped into "Momma mode" with a total stranger last night.

She was yelling at the cashier for NO REASON. I kid you not. I think she needed some meds or something. Everybody heard every word she said, and she threatened to try to get the cashier in trouble by calling the manager and store owner.

Have I told you that I hate bullies? It is such a struggle not to intervene, even when I don't know the individuals.

As I turned to watch this chick put on a show (in front of her own two children, who no doubt are learning this behavior), I began to tire of her verbal abuse and was about to do something about it when my son grabbed my purse and said, "No, Mom."

Well, all I was going to do is ask her if I could have a word with her in private. Then I would deal with her exactly as I do any irate, frustrated kid: get down to the nitty gritty of what's causing the unacceptable behavior. Hurting people hurt people, and I have a hunch she was in emotional pain.

How cool would it have been to talk to her and , quite possibly, end up bringing her to Bible study next Monday?

Alas, my son was mortified, and the more I listened to this lady, the more she seemed a bit crazy. But prayer changes things, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, she left before I made up my mind what to do. If my son hadn't been with me, it would have been a no-brainer. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, though. Besides, what if God was speaking to his heart and trying to prevent me from getting into a tango with a serial killer? You never know.

Pray for her, ok?

Let me leave you on a happy note: Of 165 kids, 163 are passing (and 69 are A's)! Woo hoo!!!!!!

I'm determined; just once I'd like to see everyone pass. I won't lie though; if they earn an F, well....

Teaching

Man, oh man....I needed a hug today.

I needed a hug so badly that I asked for one.

And got several. :o)

Teachers of the world....UNITE for a great big 'ol bear hug!!!!!

Wouldn't that be cool? We should all ban together at the end of every school day and simply encourage one another and hug...no complaining allowed.

Whaddya think about that?

My friend, P., was so frustrated today that, although he saw me walking down the hall with my supper in a plastic container at 4:45 p.m., he stopped me to chat for 45 minutes. He just needed to vent for a while and find a bit of empathy in a colleague. Hopefully, I helped him just a bit. If not, then at least he got a hug.

Have you hugged a friend today?

There's something powerful and soothing about human touch. I need it, and so do my students and my own children.

Don't you?

Unfortunately, because we live in such an incredibly litigious society, I don't dare hug my students anymore. It's just too dangerous, and our board has already believed heresay over an eye witness account in the case of one of my friends.

I can't afford to put myself in that kind of situation.

I wonder why students think we're out to get them. They seem to believe that their teachers, including me, can't wait to fail as many as possible. Why do they think that? Does it really seem plausible that someone would go to college, earn a degree, and go through the stress of teaching (especially teenagers whose hormones are raging constantly) solely in order to fail kids?

That's so silly.

Let's pray:

God, thanks for allowing all of us to have jobs that allow us to interact with your children. Each and every one of us, whether we're stay at home Moms or business owners, has an opportunity to brighten someone's day, and we ask that you help us to do just that!

Jesus, please touch P.'s heart. He's so frustrated, but I know that you can give him peace, even during a trying time in his life. Let him know how to effectively teach his classes. None of them are stupid, and all of them can achieve. Bless his classroom with an atmosphere that is tranquil and conducive to learning.

Give all of our students a desire to achieve more than they ever thought possible! Help all of us to remember that kids have bad days too. Lord, I pray that you are with us always. What else can I do to be pleasing in your sight? Just let me know, and I'm there! In Jesus' name, amen.

reality

Well, I had a rather brutal moment yesterday: one of my students said, "Hey, Ms. S., my godfather told me all about you! He said he had you years ago and that he thinks your tests are cool!"

Ummm...the compliment is nice. Sometimes I embed a puzzle within the answers of my tests so that kids can figure out the pattern, even if they can't remember one or two details.

...but his godfather had me?

Geez.

Now that I think about it, though, my own son is a sophomore, so it's perfectly natural to think that I'm now teaching children who could very well be the offspring of my former students.

In fact, my first set of kids was only five years younger than me at the time...

...which means they are now 33 years old.

Wow.