I am the 'unofficial' assistant coach of my youngest's volleyball team. The real coach is a young pre-med, high school and college volleyball player, and is also a new first-time coach. I come to some practices and all the games, and have learned to fill in the scorebook. Mainly I am just supportive (and I can't help but reflect on how little involvement my students' parents have in their extracurricular life). Tonight was grueling, though. 8pm game, which started late. The girls won both games, and finished about 9:10.
Of course, this is past my youngest's normal schoolnight bedtime. Again, I reflect on the hours I hear some of my sleepy students keep. Going to bed at 1am, watching Adult Swim (my students are 12 years old), having little or no rules or guidelines at home for behavior. Also, I am knackered, having been up at 5:20am, on the road on the bicycle at 6:15. Then on my feet for the day, including lunch, and a humid ride home.
To me, this is normal parenting. It is tough, it is sometimes less than convenient, but it is necessary and it is rewarding.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Almost a month later
Yep, been letting this blog slide a little bit. Nothing major going on, but generally things are looking up. Not in the economic sense, as Memphis City Schools seems to feel teachers shouldn't get a negotiated raise, nor our "step-increase" (basically a cost of living increase of approximately $1000 per year, each year), mainly because the budget has become a political football. And let's not start in on Memphis politics.
School is well under way, and for a change I am enjoying it. I have sufficient time to get things done, create (both prior to classes and on the fly) lessons that help the kids, including the ones on our team who are in the most need. Some of these "inclusion" students are super-willing to work hard, and they do. Others have psychological issues (that is code for kids who have ADHD or more serious issues, and are ignored or have their wild behavior condoned by parents) that prevent them from engaging in meaningful learning. Still, I see it as a challenge, and I am rising to meet it. A big bulletin board where students who get 100% on a test or quiz have their name posted on a shark. If they get another, the shark moves up the food chain. EVERYBODY wants to be on that board, and they really pay attention when we review after a quiz, especially those kids who only miss one question. This is a new thing.
Also, I am taking my lunch, such as it is (basically a protein bar), in the cafeteria to help with the staffing issue (basically, there is no staff to monitor the cafeteria). This shows me to be a team player, plus the kids get to see more of me, and I can joke with them, or help them out by getting them a napkin or a spork, or some honey mustard. Such a little thing, but it is making a larger impact on feeling accepted by the students. And thanks to some recent self-reflection, I am not bothered if they don't accept me - I just keep doing what I know works, and they will catch on.
With the oldest a senior (!!!) in high school, she is driving the family car daily now. Which means I am back on the bicycle just about full time now. I think the odometer just rolled over 1100 miles...it is just part of the routine now and most teachers and students don't even comment after seeing me coming or going daily for a month. A subtle message of health, conservation, and even thrift.
New habits include watching some random NetFlix movies on the computer as the mood strikes me, plus the usual assortment of series we have rolling in via USPS (finishing Season 2 of Torchwood, then into Season 4 of Supernatural). I don't think we have ordered ANY movies from NetFlix, just series, but that is fine. Also doing a bunch of reading, mostly from the public library, something I have always done, being frugal before it was fashionable/necessary.
School is well under way, and for a change I am enjoying it. I have sufficient time to get things done, create (both prior to classes and on the fly) lessons that help the kids, including the ones on our team who are in the most need. Some of these "inclusion" students are super-willing to work hard, and they do. Others have psychological issues (that is code for kids who have ADHD or more serious issues, and are ignored or have their wild behavior condoned by parents) that prevent them from engaging in meaningful learning. Still, I see it as a challenge, and I am rising to meet it. A big bulletin board where students who get 100% on a test or quiz have their name posted on a shark. If they get another, the shark moves up the food chain. EVERYBODY wants to be on that board, and they really pay attention when we review after a quiz, especially those kids who only miss one question. This is a new thing.
Also, I am taking my lunch, such as it is (basically a protein bar), in the cafeteria to help with the staffing issue (basically, there is no staff to monitor the cafeteria). This shows me to be a team player, plus the kids get to see more of me, and I can joke with them, or help them out by getting them a napkin or a spork, or some honey mustard. Such a little thing, but it is making a larger impact on feeling accepted by the students. And thanks to some recent self-reflection, I am not bothered if they don't accept me - I just keep doing what I know works, and they will catch on.
With the oldest a senior (!!!) in high school, she is driving the family car daily now. Which means I am back on the bicycle just about full time now. I think the odometer just rolled over 1100 miles...it is just part of the routine now and most teachers and students don't even comment after seeing me coming or going daily for a month. A subtle message of health, conservation, and even thrift.
New habits include watching some random NetFlix movies on the computer as the mood strikes me, plus the usual assortment of series we have rolling in via USPS (finishing Season 2 of Torchwood, then into Season 4 of Supernatural). I don't think we have ordered ANY movies from NetFlix, just series, but that is fine. Also doing a bunch of reading, mostly from the public library, something I have always done, being frugal before it was fashionable/necessary.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Remember Me?
Yeah, it has been two weeks now since school started, and it is not as bad as I usually expect it to be. That first week was lots of chaos, overcrowding (as yet again they used my homeroom as a temporary placement before "leveling") which has subsided a little bit.
My classes are still pretty crowded. 29 in my homeroom, about 25 in each inclusion class (meaning we have learning disabled or special needs kids embedded in the class), and 34 in my honors class. That last one is the problem, as it includes too many smart-alecks. Already been on the phone with a mother of one of them (who culminated his ass-hat-ness by holding up the quiz on Friday and asking me why I said there were three pages when he only sees two - meaning two sheets. Hell, the pages were even numbered!!!), and she seemed indifferent until I told her we would boot him out of Honors if his behavior didn't improve. That got her attention!
This year I am seeing things more as a challenge that I can meet, instead of a burden to bear and endure. Some of it is last year's success rate, which lets me know I am doing the right things, and this year I have vowed to do more of them. On the discipline side, I am going by the book - strict, following the discipline ladder established by the administration. I don't argue with kids, just tell them the problem and give them a chance to fix it. If they don't, they get consequences - again without getting into a debate or discussion over "why" - something I could get drawn into in the past.
On the social side, I take my lunch in the cafeteria to help out with the understaffing situation which leaves little supervision. This lets me chat up students, or have them call to me to show off - but in a non-classroom situation. It makes me a little more approachable, and helps show others around that I am putting in my time in a less than desirable situation.
I know I won't make an immediate difference, but this year I know I will make a difference somewhere, at some time, with some student. That is enough for me, even if I don't know it this year.
My classes are still pretty crowded. 29 in my homeroom, about 25 in each inclusion class (meaning we have learning disabled or special needs kids embedded in the class), and 34 in my honors class. That last one is the problem, as it includes too many smart-alecks. Already been on the phone with a mother of one of them (who culminated his ass-hat-ness by holding up the quiz on Friday and asking me why I said there were three pages when he only sees two - meaning two sheets. Hell, the pages were even numbered!!!), and she seemed indifferent until I told her we would boot him out of Honors if his behavior didn't improve. That got her attention!
This year I am seeing things more as a challenge that I can meet, instead of a burden to bear and endure. Some of it is last year's success rate, which lets me know I am doing the right things, and this year I have vowed to do more of them. On the discipline side, I am going by the book - strict, following the discipline ladder established by the administration. I don't argue with kids, just tell them the problem and give them a chance to fix it. If they don't, they get consequences - again without getting into a debate or discussion over "why" - something I could get drawn into in the past.
On the social side, I take my lunch in the cafeteria to help out with the understaffing situation which leaves little supervision. This lets me chat up students, or have them call to me to show off - but in a non-classroom situation. It makes me a little more approachable, and helps show others around that I am putting in my time in a less than desirable situation.
I know I won't make an immediate difference, but this year I know I will make a difference somewhere, at some time, with some student. That is enough for me, even if I don't know it this year.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Back to School
Teachers reported yesterday. The day was mainly a review of our TCAP (state tests) scores and discussion of upcoming challenges. The nice upshot was, my team from last year (split up this year) was named team of the year for having high test scores, low office referrals and doing the job everybody is supposed to be doing. The 7th grade math teachers were recognized for having overall high scores, and my students had a 98% passing rate.
Today was registration. Bleh. 8am - 3pm, then back for 6pm - 8pm. I had three families show up, all at noon. Then one lady at 8:10pm (yes, after it was supposed to be finished). Some of my students pre-registered, so I have 11 of 24 with completed paperwork. Mind you, some of these people don't actually register or bring their kids to school until Labor Day, a month after school starts.
Just tired, but trying to stay optimistic.
Today was registration. Bleh. 8am - 3pm, then back for 6pm - 8pm. I had three families show up, all at noon. Then one lady at 8:10pm (yes, after it was supposed to be finished). Some of my students pre-registered, so I have 11 of 24 with completed paperwork. Mind you, some of these people don't actually register or bring their kids to school until Labor Day, a month after school starts.
Just tired, but trying to stay optimistic.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Australia - Air Travel
Needless to say, it is a long way there, and a long way back. Going, you lose a day, thanks to the International Dateline - but even so it is easier to adjust.
I left Memphis on a Tuesday morning. Checked my bag, which is an accomplishment since I can't remember the last time I checked a bag. Since it had a bunch of snorkeling gear (fins, wetsuit, mask, gloves, boots, etc.) I wouldn't need it, but it bulked a good bit, leaving lots of extra space for outerwear and little things. I didn't know if the bag would go all the way to Perth, and I eventually found out it wouldn't.
Memphis to Dallas/Ft. Worth was uneventful. One of those nice little jumps that is barely longer than takeoff and landing. Dallas to Los Angeles was in the same concourse, which for Dallas is saying a lot. There are at least four, some that can be walked, others that require a shuttle rail. This flight was the warmup for the big jump. About 4 hours, with the first of several time changes. Again, uneventful, but a pretty full flight. Kept myself occupied with a big puzzle book - you know, sudoku, word search, crosswords, acrostics...all that stuff. Once we arrived at Los Angeles the fun started.
For some reason the jetway didn't reach the plane, or maybe it lost power. In any case it took an hour for them to exhaust all options and wheel those old-fashioned metal steps to the plane. Then the nearly full plane took what seemed like forever to disembark. Once inside the terminal I had a decision to make. I needed food, but I also had to change terminals, to the International terminal. My long walk through the domestic gates showed me all the typical, and overpriced, options you expect in an airport. Still, I had six hours to kill, so I decided to walk to the international terminal, which was about 50 yards beyond the exit from where I was.
The International Terminal at LAX has a food court, upstairs, overlooking not much to speak of. McDonalds (which I didn't know, but I wouldn't see again until I returned to the states), Starbucks, and a few no-name food court type places. Got a tray of food, and realized there were not enough tables, so sat across from an Asian girl who probably didn't speak English, which was no problem since we ignored each other. I figured there would be plenty of things, like shops, etc. in the terminal itself, so I went through security (second time of the day) and found that most of the terminal was under renovation. My gate was at the extreme far end of the terminal as well, and the only thing nearby was a little snack/coffee shop. No gift shops, no bookstores, nothing but a very long bare corridor. I got to watch it become night outside, two other international flights departed. Finally hours and hours later more people started arriving for the Sydney flight. Turns out the darn thing was packed full. And even better (sarcasm), I had been booked into a middle seat from checking in at Memphis.
Middle seat, bare bottom economy. Guy on my right, in the window seat, was kind of talkative, but also informed the two of us between him and the aisle that he had two Benadryl and would sleep the whole way. My biological clock was telling me it was past midnight, but I have this odd rhythm that keeps me from sleeping when I travel or arrive in a new city. I stayed awake, watching Paul Blart, Mall Cop until the meal service. One nice feature was the on-demand video, which includes current movies, some older movies, art house stuff, international, TV shows, etc. Even an in-flight map and status of the flight. I stayed awake until about 3am body clock time, then dozed. We got a little snack sack in case we got hungry during the "night", plus a travel kit of socks, eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste. Sleeping sucked. I couldn't move either direction, and even with a pillow and a blanket couldn't make myself comfortable. Woke up at my "normal" Memphis body-time of 6am, and then proceeded to watch Taken, Quantum of Solace, Juno, and during breakfast Benjamin Button.
14 hours of flying, everybody is itching to get off the plane. But wait, we are being diverted to Brisbane, since the Sydney airport is fogged in, and we don't have enough fuel to circle. So we fly an hour north, land and fuel up (pity the people who were supposed to go to Brisbane via Sydney) then go back an hour. Saw very little of the Syndey airport. Had to walk through a department store called Duty Free (a little joke, but it was like the first floor of any department store, with all the perfume, except it had liquor too). Cleared customs, then had to claim my luggage. My first time with the bag, and I watched it go past 3 times before I recognized it. Then I drag it to quarantine, where I gave up the fruit/nut mix the airline gave me, as you can't bring in any produce, even if the airline gave it to you. Then drag my bag through multiple corridors to reach the domestic check in for my bag, where the lady was very nice and directed me to the shuttle bus to the domestic terminal. See the symmetry?
Short bus ride, then another security checkpoint. Full flight again, since the airport had been closed for fog. Instead of leaving at 8 something, it was a 10 something departure, but the first plane out. So I arrived in Perth around 2:30pm, instead of a few hours earlier, which plays a role in the next portion of the saga: Ground Transportation!
Or maybe I will cover the return flights first, not really sure.
I left Memphis on a Tuesday morning. Checked my bag, which is an accomplishment since I can't remember the last time I checked a bag. Since it had a bunch of snorkeling gear (fins, wetsuit, mask, gloves, boots, etc.) I wouldn't need it, but it bulked a good bit, leaving lots of extra space for outerwear and little things. I didn't know if the bag would go all the way to Perth, and I eventually found out it wouldn't.
Memphis to Dallas/Ft. Worth was uneventful. One of those nice little jumps that is barely longer than takeoff and landing. Dallas to Los Angeles was in the same concourse, which for Dallas is saying a lot. There are at least four, some that can be walked, others that require a shuttle rail. This flight was the warmup for the big jump. About 4 hours, with the first of several time changes. Again, uneventful, but a pretty full flight. Kept myself occupied with a big puzzle book - you know, sudoku, word search, crosswords, acrostics...all that stuff. Once we arrived at Los Angeles the fun started.
For some reason the jetway didn't reach the plane, or maybe it lost power. In any case it took an hour for them to exhaust all options and wheel those old-fashioned metal steps to the plane. Then the nearly full plane took what seemed like forever to disembark. Once inside the terminal I had a decision to make. I needed food, but I also had to change terminals, to the International terminal. My long walk through the domestic gates showed me all the typical, and overpriced, options you expect in an airport. Still, I had six hours to kill, so I decided to walk to the international terminal, which was about 50 yards beyond the exit from where I was.
The International Terminal at LAX has a food court, upstairs, overlooking not much to speak of. McDonalds (which I didn't know, but I wouldn't see again until I returned to the states), Starbucks, and a few no-name food court type places. Got a tray of food, and realized there were not enough tables, so sat across from an Asian girl who probably didn't speak English, which was no problem since we ignored each other. I figured there would be plenty of things, like shops, etc. in the terminal itself, so I went through security (second time of the day) and found that most of the terminal was under renovation. My gate was at the extreme far end of the terminal as well, and the only thing nearby was a little snack/coffee shop. No gift shops, no bookstores, nothing but a very long bare corridor. I got to watch it become night outside, two other international flights departed. Finally hours and hours later more people started arriving for the Sydney flight. Turns out the darn thing was packed full. And even better (sarcasm), I had been booked into a middle seat from checking in at Memphis.
Middle seat, bare bottom economy. Guy on my right, in the window seat, was kind of talkative, but also informed the two of us between him and the aisle that he had two Benadryl and would sleep the whole way. My biological clock was telling me it was past midnight, but I have this odd rhythm that keeps me from sleeping when I travel or arrive in a new city. I stayed awake, watching Paul Blart, Mall Cop until the meal service. One nice feature was the on-demand video, which includes current movies, some older movies, art house stuff, international, TV shows, etc. Even an in-flight map and status of the flight. I stayed awake until about 3am body clock time, then dozed. We got a little snack sack in case we got hungry during the "night", plus a travel kit of socks, eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste. Sleeping sucked. I couldn't move either direction, and even with a pillow and a blanket couldn't make myself comfortable. Woke up at my "normal" Memphis body-time of 6am, and then proceeded to watch Taken, Quantum of Solace, Juno, and during breakfast Benjamin Button.
14 hours of flying, everybody is itching to get off the plane. But wait, we are being diverted to Brisbane, since the Sydney airport is fogged in, and we don't have enough fuel to circle. So we fly an hour north, land and fuel up (pity the people who were supposed to go to Brisbane via Sydney) then go back an hour. Saw very little of the Syndey airport. Had to walk through a department store called Duty Free (a little joke, but it was like the first floor of any department store, with all the perfume, except it had liquor too). Cleared customs, then had to claim my luggage. My first time with the bag, and I watched it go past 3 times before I recognized it. Then I drag it to quarantine, where I gave up the fruit/nut mix the airline gave me, as you can't bring in any produce, even if the airline gave it to you. Then drag my bag through multiple corridors to reach the domestic check in for my bag, where the lady was very nice and directed me to the shuttle bus to the domestic terminal. See the symmetry?
Short bus ride, then another security checkpoint. Full flight again, since the airport had been closed for fog. Instead of leaving at 8 something, it was a 10 something departure, but the first plane out. So I arrived in Perth around 2:30pm, instead of a few hours earlier, which plays a role in the next portion of the saga: Ground Transportation!
Or maybe I will cover the return flights first, not really sure.
I live in "Crazy City"
I wish I could make some of this stuff up. Really. To an outsider it probably seems 10x more ridiculous than it does to those of us who are suffering to live here. Which truly begs the question of why anybody stays here.
The mayor. Well, he isn't smoking crack and stalking women like Marion Barry of Washington DC. He isn't perjuring himself about using city supplied phones and computers to conduct an affair with a staffer, like whats-his-name from Detroit.
However, he is under constant FBI investigation for shady real estate deals, appoints unqualified staffers (former bodyguards, usually) to positions created for them to justify $100,000 salaries, many of whom become embroiled in scandal. The latest fun takes the cake. Within weeks of his unprecedented 5th term election, he announced he was resigning to take the then-vacant job of School Superintendent, a job he held until he resigned following a sex-for-promotion scandal. Problem was, he didn't want to interview, just have the job given to him. So, he withdrew his resignation. While I was in Australia, he resigned AGAIN, this time to run for a congressional seat. The person who was to replace him began assembling a team to run the city during the time between the resignation and the special election. Meanwhile, mayor's cronies lined up to resign and collect fat pensions. Then mayor decides he doesn't like the guy who will be interim mayor, and he doesn't like the number, or caliber, of people lining up to run in the special election. So he withdraws his resignation again - this time, informally, saying he will "retire" at the end of the month.
The man has an overblown ego, and a need to be in the spotlight. He also doesn't want to work for the betterment of the city, but would rather have a city that is predominately poor and black, those being the key demographics who will vote for him. He has told people who don't like how he runs the city to "leave," and many have.
Don't get me started on all the alleged changes to the City Schools format and curriculum for the new year, or the continued drama of who will be funding the schools and to what degree. It is all a big mystery.
Over the next few days/weeks, expect to see some new posts here with the prefix "Australia." I will expound on my experiences, differences in the US and Australia, and just cool stuff that I want to share.
The mayor. Well, he isn't smoking crack and stalking women like Marion Barry of Washington DC. He isn't perjuring himself about using city supplied phones and computers to conduct an affair with a staffer, like whats-his-name from Detroit.
However, he is under constant FBI investigation for shady real estate deals, appoints unqualified staffers (former bodyguards, usually) to positions created for them to justify $100,000 salaries, many of whom become embroiled in scandal. The latest fun takes the cake. Within weeks of his unprecedented 5th term election, he announced he was resigning to take the then-vacant job of School Superintendent, a job he held until he resigned following a sex-for-promotion scandal. Problem was, he didn't want to interview, just have the job given to him. So, he withdrew his resignation. While I was in Australia, he resigned AGAIN, this time to run for a congressional seat. The person who was to replace him began assembling a team to run the city during the time between the resignation and the special election. Meanwhile, mayor's cronies lined up to resign and collect fat pensions. Then mayor decides he doesn't like the guy who will be interim mayor, and he doesn't like the number, or caliber, of people lining up to run in the special election. So he withdraws his resignation again - this time, informally, saying he will "retire" at the end of the month.
The man has an overblown ego, and a need to be in the spotlight. He also doesn't want to work for the betterment of the city, but would rather have a city that is predominately poor and black, those being the key demographics who will vote for him. He has told people who don't like how he runs the city to "leave," and many have.
Don't get me started on all the alleged changes to the City Schools format and curriculum for the new year, or the continued drama of who will be funding the schools and to what degree. It is all a big mystery.
Over the next few days/weeks, expect to see some new posts here with the prefix "Australia." I will expound on my experiences, differences in the US and Australia, and just cool stuff that I want to share.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Back in the USA
Slowly getting re-acclimated to the time change (I am feeling 12 hours off, which is not a good thing), the weather (much hotter and more humid) and the noise (there were not audible cars where I was, nor the wealth of bird/insect/amphibian noises at night like here). If you are a FaceBook friend, I have posted about 50 pictures there so far. Soon I will build a webpage of just about everything I can think of. 24 days is a lot of text, plus a lot of pictures.
The trip was overall amazing. Words really don't convey the kind of experience I had, not just in meeting people, experiencing a different culture and lifestyle, living pretty rough far from "civilization", or even traveling so far.
Over the course of the trip I saw kangaroos, emus, various cockatoos, sea snakes, green and loggerhead turtles, dolphins (more than I care to have seen), tiger sharks, whale sharks, dugongs, eagles, coral reefs, humpback whales and probably other things that seemed "normal" that I forget aren't typical in the US. In Australia 95% of the roadkill is kangaroo, so seeing a squirrel in the road last night was odd.
The landscape I saw in Western Australia (the biggest and least populated of the Australian states) was mostly flat, covered in scrub brush, rarely with hills or taller trees. Some was cultivated for wheat, olives, or pastureland for cows, sheep or goats. In some areas the road stretches flat without a curve from horizon to horizon. "Cities" like Exmouth, Denham, Kalbarri tend to be a couple of streets with most of the businesses, easily walked. Everywhere you can buy a meat pie, usually several flavors, for a few dollars - kept hot in a little oven-like thing. Most places along the coast have fish and chips, and the better ones let you choose what kind of fish - from whiting to shark to snapper to cod - and is relatively inexpensive. Kids are apalled by the idea of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - they prefer Vegimite (which I loved from the first taste, which nobody could believe) and cheese. In fact peanut butter is not the ubiquitous spread like in the US.
Overwhelmingly the people were friendly, outgoing and helpful. I got to do just about everything I set out to do, including snorkeling with the whale sharks, plus unexpected sights on the bus ride back to Perth. I would love to see more of the country the next trip, but would also like to re-visit a lot of the places I experienced.
The trip was overall amazing. Words really don't convey the kind of experience I had, not just in meeting people, experiencing a different culture and lifestyle, living pretty rough far from "civilization", or even traveling so far.
Over the course of the trip I saw kangaroos, emus, various cockatoos, sea snakes, green and loggerhead turtles, dolphins (more than I care to have seen), tiger sharks, whale sharks, dugongs, eagles, coral reefs, humpback whales and probably other things that seemed "normal" that I forget aren't typical in the US. In Australia 95% of the roadkill is kangaroo, so seeing a squirrel in the road last night was odd.
The landscape I saw in Western Australia (the biggest and least populated of the Australian states) was mostly flat, covered in scrub brush, rarely with hills or taller trees. Some was cultivated for wheat, olives, or pastureland for cows, sheep or goats. In some areas the road stretches flat without a curve from horizon to horizon. "Cities" like Exmouth, Denham, Kalbarri tend to be a couple of streets with most of the businesses, easily walked. Everywhere you can buy a meat pie, usually several flavors, for a few dollars - kept hot in a little oven-like thing. Most places along the coast have fish and chips, and the better ones let you choose what kind of fish - from whiting to shark to snapper to cod - and is relatively inexpensive. Kids are apalled by the idea of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - they prefer Vegimite (which I loved from the first taste, which nobody could believe) and cheese. In fact peanut butter is not the ubiquitous spread like in the US.
Overwhelmingly the people were friendly, outgoing and helpful. I got to do just about everything I set out to do, including snorkeling with the whale sharks, plus unexpected sights on the bus ride back to Perth. I would love to see more of the country the next trip, but would also like to re-visit a lot of the places I experienced.
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