Sunday, August 27, 2006
Summer School Successes....
4th grade was a complete success this summer. I worked with 18 students, 9 of which failed both the reading and math tests in the spring. About 5 hours a day Monday through Thursday we worked our butts off to get all those students passing the end-of-summer tests and move to 5th grade. All my students passed both tests (except one who didn't make that damn math test). On the last day of school we had quite the relaxing day- hanging with those kids was a riot.
4th grade was a complete success this summer. I worked with 18 students, 9 of which failed both the reading and math tests in the spring. About 5 hours a day Monday through Thursday we worked our butts off to get all those students passing the end-of-summer tests and move to 5th grade. All my students passed both tests (except one who didn't make that damn math test). On the last day of school we had quite the relaxing day- hanging with those kids was a riot.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
I feel like I live with my parents again....we have new neighbors and they are quite talkative and nosy. today i was cornered coming home from the store and they asked if we smoked. i lied. why? i have no idea. i have smoked for 20 years and of all the times in my life i lie about it, i do it now. random. so now i am trying to convince T to go over and tell them i am heavily medicated and straighten the whole thing out. i feel like i am living back with my folks where lying was a regular activity (although i never lied about smoking).
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
I am Frustrated...
Today there is a heat advisory throughout the city with temperatures hitting over 100 degrees. In addition to the heat, the humidity is so intense there is an ozone alert with "feels like" temps hitting 110 degrees and up. The city informed the students attending summer school that today was an optional day to attend. Therefore, if a student's folks decided it is in the best interest of the child to stay home, that child would not be penalized for staying home.
I arrived to summer school this morning around 7:30am to find no power. No power in the building = no air conditioning. Administration turned students away at the door and called those parents whose children walk to school to be picked up. Although it was optional attendance for students, teachers were mandated to work normal school hours. All the teachers in the building (6 of us) agreed to remain in the building to work on student portfolios and prepare for the end-of-summer school tests starting Monday. Being the anal retentive organized freak/geek I am, I set up shop in the classroom with papers of my 18 students spread over 4 tables. I have a system of course...
One student showed up alone and the school couldn't reach the parents. Per safety codes/evacuation procedures, we were to stay with this child until the parents were reached. So, at 8:45am (school starts at 8:30am), we were all told we needed to leave the building and go to another school site until the child was picked up. We were to walk to this school site about 25 blocks away and wait for this child to be picked up. All the teachers still agreed to remain at the school to wait for this child's parent, but we were told to leave. Makes no sense. Why couldn't we have waited another couple hours at our school site for this child's parent? I asked what we were supposed to bring with us to this other school and I was told to bring all my students' work. How the hell do I bring texts, workbooks, notebooks, and all student work 25 blocks in 100+ degree weather? Therefore, I wasted a sick day and came home.
The guilt I feel is enormous. I spent all evening last night preparing student portfolios and creating spreadsheets to easily show progress over the last 5 weeks. My guilt comes from the feeling I am letting my students down. These poor fourth graders who, because they failed the state tests, are forced to come to summer school for 6 weeks and then re-take the tests before moving to the next grade level. Even though I am entitled to 2 sick days throughout summer school, I have remained committed to show up every day and work my ass off to get these kids through. I know I shouldn't feel guilty- I bring work home every night and see the progress the students have made. However, I still feel like a lazy ass.
I guess with the day off, I will stay indoors and start planning for next year. That work will take the guilt off my shoulders (at least for a little while).
Today there is a heat advisory throughout the city with temperatures hitting over 100 degrees. In addition to the heat, the humidity is so intense there is an ozone alert with "feels like" temps hitting 110 degrees and up. The city informed the students attending summer school that today was an optional day to attend. Therefore, if a student's folks decided it is in the best interest of the child to stay home, that child would not be penalized for staying home.
I arrived to summer school this morning around 7:30am to find no power. No power in the building = no air conditioning. Administration turned students away at the door and called those parents whose children walk to school to be picked up. Although it was optional attendance for students, teachers were mandated to work normal school hours. All the teachers in the building (6 of us) agreed to remain in the building to work on student portfolios and prepare for the end-of-summer school tests starting Monday. Being the anal retentive organized freak/geek I am, I set up shop in the classroom with papers of my 18 students spread over 4 tables. I have a system of course...
One student showed up alone and the school couldn't reach the parents. Per safety codes/evacuation procedures, we were to stay with this child until the parents were reached. So, at 8:45am (school starts at 8:30am), we were all told we needed to leave the building and go to another school site until the child was picked up. We were to walk to this school site about 25 blocks away and wait for this child to be picked up. All the teachers still agreed to remain at the school to wait for this child's parent, but we were told to leave. Makes no sense. Why couldn't we have waited another couple hours at our school site for this child's parent? I asked what we were supposed to bring with us to this other school and I was told to bring all my students' work. How the hell do I bring texts, workbooks, notebooks, and all student work 25 blocks in 100+ degree weather? Therefore, I wasted a sick day and came home.
The guilt I feel is enormous. I spent all evening last night preparing student portfolios and creating spreadsheets to easily show progress over the last 5 weeks. My guilt comes from the feeling I am letting my students down. These poor fourth graders who, because they failed the state tests, are forced to come to summer school for 6 weeks and then re-take the tests before moving to the next grade level. Even though I am entitled to 2 sick days throughout summer school, I have remained committed to show up every day and work my ass off to get these kids through. I know I shouldn't feel guilty- I bring work home every night and see the progress the students have made. However, I still feel like a lazy ass.
I guess with the day off, I will stay indoors and start planning for next year. That work will take the guilt off my shoulders (at least for a little while).
