| | I knew it had been awhile, but really, that long? I am sorry. This has just been a long few months recently, and everytime I thought about updating, I just didn't have the energy or the time. I won't touch on everything, but here are the highlights. The end of the school year is fast approaching (as in next Friday is the last day for teachers, and Thursday is the last day for kids). My seniors took their exams this week and had graduation rehearsal this morning. I am truly sorry to see many of them go as individuals, but as a class, they have been ready for "the real world" for awhile now. This has truly been one of the more challenging years I've had. I talked with a colleague about it today, and we both agreed that we just aren't the nimble, perpetually happy people we used to be. We are bitter and crotchety, just like those teachers we used to talk about - behind their backs, of course. We have become, in a way, what we used to complain about. Have we gone over completely to the "dark side?" Of course not (my heart still beats with blood and compassion, not dust and hatred), but stuff that used to roll off our backs now rankles us in a way we never thought possible. We don't like every kid we teach. We don't hide our feelings like we used to. We are human, not robots, who consistently treat every student exactly the same no matter what the student has said or done in our class. As I said above, I genuinely will miss most of my students (as individuals outside of the classroom setting), but there are so many that I just can no longer tolerate as students. And if we feel this way now, in the middle of our careers (15 years), how will we feel in another 15 or 20, if we end up going the now "norm" of 35 years? I shudder to think what I will become. Some how, some way, we have to find the answer. Or we run the risk of becoming what we once despised. Okay, enough philosophical BS. Summer school is not summer school this year. I can't remember if I talked about this yet, but there is no lead teacher position for summer school this year (a position I have held for the last 6 years). At least...not yet. The district (wait, no, not really the district per se). A certain individual who made it his/her dream to create a utilitarian military state (where only the strong survive) has gutted the program. Each class needs a minimum of 21 students enrolled before the class will be offered. That means that classes like Modern World History, US Government, English 12, and others, who have never had 21 kids enrolled, will not be offered. Or at least won't be offered as a single class. (Yes, once again, we dump everything upon the teachers, who will be forced to teach more than one subject in the same classroom at the same time.) And if 40 kids enroll in English 9? Well, by the formula, that's only one class, so 10 will be shut out. Oh, didn't I mention the cap, by contract (for regular school year teachers), is 30? Sorry. But we have never wanted 30 in any class at summer school. We usually try to stick around 20 for repeat classes. These are the kids who couldn't survive the regular classroom experience, for whatever reason. What in the world makes this person think the students and teachers can handle/survive a full class of failures (note I said classes, not individuals)? And the poor teachers who have to teach these classes! Alas, what becomes of their sanity? (Note: none of the 6 English teachers we had last year have applied to teach this year - a glaring condemnation about the district's current plan.) We are about to find out...maybe. I am the senior (with the most continuous years of service) English teacher on staff for this summer (12 years and counting). I have asked for English 12, but will probably, in all reality, be an English 11 and 12 teacher this summer. Who thinks 30 repeat English students won't be a "challenge?" Gah! And the savings for the district for making these changes? A paltry $5000 (per the districts own published numbers for making summer school "self sufficient"). (And that's not even mentioning the increase to $175 for in-district students per class, up from $150.) Yep, I'm bitter. Sure, there are ways to make summer school more efficient, and I'd be happy to show the powers that be what I think they can do to be more fiscally responsible. But I wasn't asked to do that. Instead, they have decided to set up the students and teachers for failure. As of now, I am teaching "English" for summer school. But I have also been told that if numbers warrant it, I will be the lead teacher. Pray for me, my friends. I'll make the best of it either way. But I do fear the reality of 30 kids in a class in summer school. Oh, and all summer school enrollments must be made by June 10, a full week before most students are likely to have their final report card in hand. (I'd guess that at least 1/3 of our enrollment for the last 6 years came from kids who registered the first, second (or even third) day of summer school.) What the hell does the district think will happen to our state report card if that many students are shut out of the programs? Enough. I should know within the next two weeks if I will be teaching English, or if I will be the "lead teacher" once again. The school levy failed in May. There is no Student Council next year. We held elections, but it was a bitter-sweet election at best. We elected a President and Vice-president of the Student Body (Jon Arthur and A.J. Sturm - my choices and hard workers), but as of now that means nothing. If you live in the SWCS district, please consider voting for the levy in August. Sure, I will lose around $4000 just on SC, but these kids deserve a chance to be leaders of the school - they are that cool and competent. If you want more info about the levy, please contact me, and I'll give you as much info as I can. Forget my pay, help these kids be as great as I know they can be. Please. Confession time: maybe the reason I'm feeling so bitter right now is that I'm sick. I have the same damn thing I had last year at this same time. You remember - I was congested, stopped up and hacking like a champ last May. I made a visit to Urgent Care. That's right, the "stuff" that kept me sick for close to 2 months last year is back. My conclusion? It must be a new allergy. I can't explain it any other way. Last year, I thought it was because I was overextended and exhausted from doing too much at the end of the year, an already stressful time. This year, I honestly can't say the same. So, here are my drug induced thoughts - Claritin-D is a hell of a drug. Sure, you have to give over your life story to the pharmacist to buy it, but it is worth it. My nose hasn't dripped all week. I've not been sleeping at 100%, but that's a small price to pay. And Mucinex makes a nice one-two punch. I'm hoping to self-medicate myself to health within the next two weeks. The only thing I've heard about as being bad the last few weeks is "tree pollen." And no, the irony is not lost on me. (I'm known as "Tree" and I'm allergic to tree pollen . Sigh.) We have entered a period of "nothing" on T.V. Lost ended on a high note (Jacob! Maybe Esau? Great stuff! One of my favorites on current broadcast programming.) The Office ended on a predictable note, but I still enjoyed the journey. And 30 Rock was as random as ever. I can't really talk about any new music, as the last month has been all about older stuff that I just can't get away from...Jimmy Eat World's Futures, and anything by The Honorary Title. I hear the new Straylight Run songs are available , but I have yet to sample... Book club is reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson for June. Intriguing so far. I have the next picks. I'll let you know what I finally decide on, and what the group chooses. I did start Drood by Simmons, but I haven't have the time to get very far into it. (I will finish it this summer, one way or another, so wait patiently for my review.) That's about it it. One last thing: thank you to the Hirth family for hosting the Student Council picnic this year. Mrs. Hirth was so kind and helpful, and Chris, the grill-master, was indispensable. I really appreciate them opening their home and pool to our motley crew. Thank you! Take care of yourselves and one another. Until next time.... |
