This one should be short and sweet. With tomorrow starting off a new week I just want to encourage anyone reading this to slow down a little bit and take the time.
Take the time to notice the people that walk past you. Take the time to recognize when a friend is in need. Take the time to congratulate a job well done. Take the time to appreciate the people who have touched your life. Take the time to acknowledge the impact you could have on others. Life is fast, don't let it pass you by.
Two things happened this week that brought this to mind. The first was a student survey I had to administer. I browsed over some of the questions and was surprised to find about eight of them that read, "At this school there is at least one teacher... who really cares about me, who notices when I'm absent, who has told me that I did a good job, who believes I can succeed..." It was a huge wake up call that I need to be doing a better job expressing those things to my students. I do really care about them. Do they all know that? Do the people in your life know how much you care?
The second incident was with a student at the end of class. I asked if she was ok. She wanted to know why I asked and I said that she looked like she wasn't feeling well. She smiled, explained her symptoms, and then mentioned that I always know when something's wrong with her. I asked if it was a bad thing to which she replied, "No, it's just that no one else ever notices, but you always do." Please don't be fooled. I'm not a perfect person. For every kid I notice, I'm sure there are five that I pass right by. This situation was a quiet reminder to work towards improvement.
How encouraging to know that one simple comment to acknowledge someone can impact the outcome of their day! Let's promise to notice those around us. Let's not go through the motions of our days, getting so wrapped up in our agendas that we forget the lives around us. How simple it is to notice, yet how special it is to be noticed.
Have a great week!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Gross
After two weeks I broke down and ordered cable. Last night was my first viewing. I found a show on Discovery called, "Nasty by Nature" and my goodness it was gross. It showed disgusting characteristics of all kinds of animals and then explained the purpose behind their behavior. It was pretty amazing to see how nature handles problems but a very different perspective on cool. Let me share...
The Hagfish. (This one doesn't seem so gross, maybe because it's in the ocean. Thought it would be a good starting place.) It looks like a primitive eel but it's actually a fish. It has no eyes, no jaws and feeds off corpses of whatever falls to the ocean floor. It has small white holes lining the sides of its body where, when being pursued by a predator, it can secrete a protein that reacts with the water to create a gooey slime. The predator gets a mouthful of slime and the hagfish slithers away. The slime is so thick and so gooey that predators can actually suffocate from it. Incredible line of defense! **
The Botfly. This fly captures a mosquito to lay her eggs. When the mosquito is released it carries on with business and bites its prey (horse, cow, pig, dog... human). As the mosquito lands, body heat resonating from the mammal causes the botfly egg to hatch and the larva then transfers to its new host. It burrows down under the skin into the soft tissue (where the "meat" isn't so tough) and begins eating. From the surface you can only see a small hole at first; the breathing hole for the larva. As time goes on and the larva gets bigger, a bump begins to form on the skin surface. The way it was described sounds kind of like a mosquito bite, except quite painful. Eventually, if the larva isn't removed, it will mature to the point that it crawls out on its own. By then, it drops off the body and is ready to proceed to the next step of metamorphosis. Pretty gross. Google it.
The Turkey Vulture. We all know what a vulture is so I'll spare the details on that. The difference with this one is that it lives out in the desert where temperatures range from 30 degrees-130 degrees and it doesn't have the ability to sweat. In order to regulate its body temperature on a hot day, it defecates on itself. The feces is a white runny liquid that pours down the sides of its legs. When the wind comes it cools the body temperature of the bird down by 20 degrees! Incredibly disgusting but pretty ingenious. I guess when you consider what they're eating, the fact that they "poop themselves" isn't quite as gross.
Nature is quite inventive.
**My field of study is interesting for a lot of reasons but one of them is for the potential of discovery. There are a lot of animals in the ocean that are still quite mysterious to us. Many researchers study these organisms to determine potential uses for the products they naturally create. The hagfish is one of them. They are currently being studied for the slime they produce. I mentioned earlier that it's made of protein. Not surprising. Many of the structures we make naturally are comprised of protein as well. Anyway, on a commercial level there is thought about marketing the hagfish slime as an alternative to egg whites. Imagine a breakfast of toast and hagfish slime. :) The slime though, in addition to being made of protein, can withstand pressure up to 200% before breaking. It is comparable to spider silk and being explored for the possibility of replacing other synthetic fibers in things such as bullet proof vests.
If that interests you, look into transgenic organisms and the possibility of harvesting this slime in animals that are easier for us to handle. For example, scientists have extracted the gene from spiders that enable them to spin silk and transferred the gene into goats. You end up with a goat able to produce spider silk- not by spinning webs though. Scientists extract the silk from the goat's milk. Not only is it easier to obtain, but they can produce more of it. It's still a fairly new field. More on that another day...
The Hagfish. (This one doesn't seem so gross, maybe because it's in the ocean. Thought it would be a good starting place.) It looks like a primitive eel but it's actually a fish. It has no eyes, no jaws and feeds off corpses of whatever falls to the ocean floor. It has small white holes lining the sides of its body where, when being pursued by a predator, it can secrete a protein that reacts with the water to create a gooey slime. The predator gets a mouthful of slime and the hagfish slithers away. The slime is so thick and so gooey that predators can actually suffocate from it. Incredible line of defense! **
The Botfly. This fly captures a mosquito to lay her eggs. When the mosquito is released it carries on with business and bites its prey (horse, cow, pig, dog... human). As the mosquito lands, body heat resonating from the mammal causes the botfly egg to hatch and the larva then transfers to its new host. It burrows down under the skin into the soft tissue (where the "meat" isn't so tough) and begins eating. From the surface you can only see a small hole at first; the breathing hole for the larva. As time goes on and the larva gets bigger, a bump begins to form on the skin surface. The way it was described sounds kind of like a mosquito bite, except quite painful. Eventually, if the larva isn't removed, it will mature to the point that it crawls out on its own. By then, it drops off the body and is ready to proceed to the next step of metamorphosis. Pretty gross. Google it.
The Turkey Vulture. We all know what a vulture is so I'll spare the details on that. The difference with this one is that it lives out in the desert where temperatures range from 30 degrees-130 degrees and it doesn't have the ability to sweat. In order to regulate its body temperature on a hot day, it defecates on itself. The feces is a white runny liquid that pours down the sides of its legs. When the wind comes it cools the body temperature of the bird down by 20 degrees! Incredibly disgusting but pretty ingenious. I guess when you consider what they're eating, the fact that they "poop themselves" isn't quite as gross.
Nature is quite inventive.
**My field of study is interesting for a lot of reasons but one of them is for the potential of discovery. There are a lot of animals in the ocean that are still quite mysterious to us. Many researchers study these organisms to determine potential uses for the products they naturally create. The hagfish is one of them. They are currently being studied for the slime they produce. I mentioned earlier that it's made of protein. Not surprising. Many of the structures we make naturally are comprised of protein as well. Anyway, on a commercial level there is thought about marketing the hagfish slime as an alternative to egg whites. Imagine a breakfast of toast and hagfish slime. :) The slime though, in addition to being made of protein, can withstand pressure up to 200% before breaking. It is comparable to spider silk and being explored for the possibility of replacing other synthetic fibers in things such as bullet proof vests.
If that interests you, look into transgenic organisms and the possibility of harvesting this slime in animals that are easier for us to handle. For example, scientists have extracted the gene from spiders that enable them to spin silk and transferred the gene into goats. You end up with a goat able to produce spider silk- not by spinning webs though. Scientists extract the silk from the goat's milk. Not only is it easier to obtain, but they can produce more of it. It's still a fairly new field. More on that another day...
Saturday, February 13, 2010
One Tiger, Many Stripes
This blog has been misnamed. It should be Week to Week Living. It was brought to my attention that I haven't posted for a while. Have I been getting in my 10K words a day? I assure you I have. :) Work days consist of more words than that, I'm almost certain. The first couple of days back this week were a bit challenging. Though my body returned to work, my voice remained on vacation. Frustration is inevitable when you're standing in front of 40 teenagers and they can't hear your instructions. But, I've been blessed with compassionate students and they tried extra hard to sit in complete silence while those in the front conveyed my messages. Several of them even wished me better health throughout the day. I could have found myself in a room completely out of control without the means to gain any. Instead it was as if they were trying to take care of me. High fives to all of their parents for raising such great kids.
This was week two of swim season. We've had 24 kids out at practice consistently. There are almost 60 names on my roster of students who have told me they want to join. Where are the rest of them? I have a handful who are still finishing out their club sessions, two handfuls who are still finishing their winter sports seasons, and inevitably a handful of slackers. We're up to about 10 students who are out there and have never competed before. They can get themselves across the pool but not by any stroke recognized in the sport. The other head coach has taken them on. He's amazing with them and all of them have made huge improvements since last week. We have new kids almost every day that see us out there and come ask if they can join the team. It's very exciting. For the first time in my life I am seeing the stereotype of who participates in aquatics sports disappear. "One tiger, many stripes."
While he's working with the newbies I'm working with the rest of them. I was nervous about coaching the varsity kids before season began because I wasn't sure if I'd have enough to teach them to make a difference. If I had to sit down and write out what I know about swimming, the list probably wouldn't be very long. However, when I'm on the deck and watching them complete the sets I never seem to run out of things to say. I can point out things to every one of them. It's not that I'm being critical; we're focusing a lot on technique right now and trying to correct minor imperfections in order to shave off time in their races. I can't wait for the meets to start so that I can keep track of their times and see how things go. Two of my water polo boys are competing tomorrow at JOs (Junior Olympics). I should be there to watch them, but it's down in Bakersfield and I'm not quite sold on the idea of driving all the way down there for a 30 second race. Anyway, there's a lot of excitement ahead for the season.
I did have a minor fit on the pool deck earlier this week, but it was only in front of the coaches. Do you remember when you were little and wanted to do something, you'd ask whichever parent was more likely to say yes? And then often times they would tell you to go ask the other parent? My athletes know that game all too well. The problem is that the other head coach and I have different view points. When he was in high school, polo and swimming were his only concerns so he was 100% dedicated to it. I was more concerned with being a student and just did athletics for the fun of it. I loved it, but I wasn't looking to make a career out of it. I was committed to the team, but there were days when AP reviews and club activities and probably 100 other things also had to squeeze into my schedule. I understand that missing the first hour of practice to make up a test is an acceptable excuse. I want my athletes to be 4.0 students. The other coach wants their grades to be good, but he wants them at practice. So, I'm the easy going one and he's the strict one. I want to allow certain things but he often times has already told them no and so I have to be consistent as to not undermine his authority with them. My fit was this: "I'm not ready to be a parent." Can't say I know for certain, but I'm pretty sure that coaching is a lot like parenting. In my classroom I make the rules and that's that. On the pool deck I have to compromise on the rules and work every day at being consistent. He is already a parent so it's not a big deal to him. But me? Oh man this is a hard lesson to learn! That's the part of the job I don't like.
The good news is every day I am getting better at collaborating with other adults, being fair in the way I treat students, being clear in my expectations, consistent in my follow through, and my goodness I'm becoming incredibly patient. My job isn't just to teach young adults the knowledge and skills they need to know to move forward. My job is teaching me the knowledge and skills I need to know to move forward. That's pretty incredible. :)
This was week two of swim season. We've had 24 kids out at practice consistently. There are almost 60 names on my roster of students who have told me they want to join. Where are the rest of them? I have a handful who are still finishing out their club sessions, two handfuls who are still finishing their winter sports seasons, and inevitably a handful of slackers. We're up to about 10 students who are out there and have never competed before. They can get themselves across the pool but not by any stroke recognized in the sport. The other head coach has taken them on. He's amazing with them and all of them have made huge improvements since last week. We have new kids almost every day that see us out there and come ask if they can join the team. It's very exciting. For the first time in my life I am seeing the stereotype of who participates in aquatics sports disappear. "One tiger, many stripes."
While he's working with the newbies I'm working with the rest of them. I was nervous about coaching the varsity kids before season began because I wasn't sure if I'd have enough to teach them to make a difference. If I had to sit down and write out what I know about swimming, the list probably wouldn't be very long. However, when I'm on the deck and watching them complete the sets I never seem to run out of things to say. I can point out things to every one of them. It's not that I'm being critical; we're focusing a lot on technique right now and trying to correct minor imperfections in order to shave off time in their races. I can't wait for the meets to start so that I can keep track of their times and see how things go. Two of my water polo boys are competing tomorrow at JOs (Junior Olympics). I should be there to watch them, but it's down in Bakersfield and I'm not quite sold on the idea of driving all the way down there for a 30 second race. Anyway, there's a lot of excitement ahead for the season.
I did have a minor fit on the pool deck earlier this week, but it was only in front of the coaches. Do you remember when you were little and wanted to do something, you'd ask whichever parent was more likely to say yes? And then often times they would tell you to go ask the other parent? My athletes know that game all too well. The problem is that the other head coach and I have different view points. When he was in high school, polo and swimming were his only concerns so he was 100% dedicated to it. I was more concerned with being a student and just did athletics for the fun of it. I loved it, but I wasn't looking to make a career out of it. I was committed to the team, but there were days when AP reviews and club activities and probably 100 other things also had to squeeze into my schedule. I understand that missing the first hour of practice to make up a test is an acceptable excuse. I want my athletes to be 4.0 students. The other coach wants their grades to be good, but he wants them at practice. So, I'm the easy going one and he's the strict one. I want to allow certain things but he often times has already told them no and so I have to be consistent as to not undermine his authority with them. My fit was this: "I'm not ready to be a parent." Can't say I know for certain, but I'm pretty sure that coaching is a lot like parenting. In my classroom I make the rules and that's that. On the pool deck I have to compromise on the rules and work every day at being consistent. He is already a parent so it's not a big deal to him. But me? Oh man this is a hard lesson to learn! That's the part of the job I don't like.
The good news is every day I am getting better at collaborating with other adults, being fair in the way I treat students, being clear in my expectations, consistent in my follow through, and my goodness I'm becoming incredibly patient. My job isn't just to teach young adults the knowledge and skills they need to know to move forward. My job is teaching me the knowledge and skills I need to know to move forward. That's pretty incredible. :)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Naivety or Optimism?
I came here to talk politics but I got a little bit sidetracked.
Naivety- a noun coming from French etymology- the act of being naive
Naive- marked by unaffected simplicity (I like that one.)
- deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment (Ok that's me sometimes.)
- not previously subjected to experimentation or a particular experimental
situation (That sounds about right.)
My point here is that naivety isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes I choose it because, like the first definition states, it's the simple route.
Anyway the intended purpose of this entry has to do, like I said, with politics. I want to talk about Meg Whitman for a moment. Usually I don't engage in political discussion. I choose naivety because I prefer to avoid arguments. Politics, my friends, seems to harbor arguments and negativity around every corner. However, as a functioning adult in our society I accept a certain responsibility of knowing what is going on and voicing my right to my opinion (ahem...voting). So for this entry, I am setting aside naivety and focusing on optimism. Not that they can't coexist, but in politics? Optimism isn't usually a term paralleled with the government.
Back to point. In my two days of health arrest, with my local-channels-only tv (I broke on the first day and ordered cable but it isn't coming until next weekend.)I have seen quite a few commercials on Meg Whitman. Might I say first of all, it is no secret that our state is in dire straights. We need a change, and although it's been said before, we need one fast. We cannot continue to live at the pace we are, in the direction we're going, and hope to continue on as the Golden State. We're far from it. So where does optimism fit into this dark picture? While I'll admit I'm not finished researching, so far I am impressed with the points that Meg makes. Her three areas of focus: create more jobs, decrease government spending, fix the educational system. Her focus has piqued my interest.
Create more jobs. Can you believe that we have the highest number of people living off welfare? Okay, so we have a higher population, but even when you compare by percentage we're still considerably higher than the rest. What happened to us that we moved from the Land of Opportunity, to the Land of Free Handouts? Nothing is free, it all comes at some cost. I know that I have a right to be upset about this as a working citizen who watches her pay check slip away each month. I know that a lot of you would probably agree with me on that. I wonder what people on welfare would have to say about this. What is their perspective? How many of them would prefer to be working, contributing members of society if they could? I would like to choose optimism here and assume that a lot of them would take a job if they had one. What is it then that is stopping them? Why do so many of them continue to live off welfare rather than take the steps to make a better life for themselves? I realize there is not one answer here and the solution is much much more difficult than my simple mind can understand, but something needs to be done. If Meg Whitman thinks she has the solution, then more power to her.
One of the things she mentions is to decrease the amount of time individuals are allowed to stay on welfare. Currently the system is set at five years but Meg admits, no one is enforcing that time limit. She not only wants to enforce it, but she wants to decrease it to two. Do you think two years of free help is long enough to get you back on your feet? I think it could be if we change the attitude. At the end of that time she wants to give individuals a choice between getting a job or getting their GED. Solution! So many people on the welfare system lack the proper education to qualify them for the work force. Let's help them get what they need to get on their feet. It sounds like a great idea to me. Someone who has seen this before, or who has more insight into government "ideas" please give some feedback on this approach. Educate us on the pros and cons.
Decrease government spending. I think that's a great idea but it seems to me that it's indirectly proportionate to the other two focus points. How can you create enough change, statewide, to get people off welfare without first investing a whole lot of money into changing the program? Perhaps the money necessary to educate people will be less than the money currently being spent on those extra three years they're allowed to live off the system? Does that mean college tuition might stop increasing then? Just throwing it out there, I'm really not sure. And how can you cut government jobs while improving the educational system? Public schools are government, teachers are government employees. Is she going to cut us? How is that going to improve education? More on that in a minute. One of her points in decreasing government spending is to take more of an interest in what is going on. She plans to veto more things and to personally oversee what is happening. She is a business woman and she plans to run our state like a business. There are a lot of booming businesses out there. I like the idea. Businesses don't run like charities. They work towards profit and cut the slackers. Maybe that's what we need.
Improve education. In my current place of employment I haven't seen the panic and despair that I know a lot of teachers are dealing with. I've been extremely fortunate to land a job in a district that has planned for bad times and to be in a branch of teaching that most people aren't interested in, thus keeping my job open. However, it brings great concern when I hear neighboring districts who plan to increase furlow days or release more than 100 employees next year. It makes sense when looking at the immediate budget that if the money isn't there, you have to decrease size. Standard business. But in the business world, if your company scales back due to budget, your output scales back too. How in the world does that make sense for public schools? I'm sorry ma'am, we cannot enroll your child in kindergarten this year because we had to cut back. Yes I know he's already 6 because he didn't get in last year either. Classes are already at maximum capacity, you should have applied sooner. Try back next year. Yeah right! And we circle right back to the welfare problem. So tell me, how are we going to cut back on teachers when we generally see an increase in number of students each year? I have 36 students in each period right now (down from 40-42 at the beginning of the year- students are allowed to move around from school to school at any time in my district). I have desks for 32 and even if there were more desks available I don't have any more floor space to put them. Please tell me what they would do with my 180 students if they decided to cut my position. I'm not complaining by any means. I love my students, I love my job, and we've figured out how to work out the details. I just don't understand the solution that people who aren't in the trenches of education come up with. Meg Whitman wants to address this. I'm happy to hear that someone is willing to face it directly rather than sweep it under the rug.
One of the suggestions she makes is to rate schools from A-F. We give our students letter grades every day. Why not give our schools a grade too? Schools that earn an "F" for three years in a row would automatically switch to being a charter school. Okay this one has caught my attention. My district superintendent in trying to open a charter school right now and there's been a lot of hype from the teacher's association about it. Is it coincidence that he launched his idea about one week before Meg Whitman's commercials went public on the idea? Seems kind of funny to me. Anyway, the major complaint I've heard about charter schools is that teachers can quit at any time, but they can be fired at any time too. That worries me for the sake of the student. A classroom with a revolving door of teachers all year long is not a classroom learning much. Surely there is more to this story than what I currently understand. Anyone else have an opinion on the matter? One benefit I can see with that detail is the ability to release dead beat teachers. I hate the tenure rule. I know it provides security and I know the union has gone to bat for teachers in the past in a positive way, but for the most part I see the union and tenure as a hindrance to our field. If I do my job correctly and I work for my students instead of for summer vacations, I shouldn't have to worry about being fired and I shouldn't need a union to support me. My work should speak for itself. How many of us have had horrible teachers who needed to retire or who just weren't qualified to teach, but the school was stuck with them because they were tenured? It's ridiculous. Charter schools, from what I understand, would have more flexibility to deal with that. I think that's a good thing.
I could probably go on talking but it's time to get ready for church. If you've read down to this point, my hope is that you now have a mouth full to say in response. Please post your opinions! I would love to discuss this matter further.
Have a great day!
Naivety- a noun coming from French etymology- the act of being naive
Naive- marked by unaffected simplicity (I like that one.)
- deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment (Ok that's me sometimes.)
- not previously subjected to experimentation or a particular experimental
situation (That sounds about right.)
My point here is that naivety isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes I choose it because, like the first definition states, it's the simple route.
Anyway the intended purpose of this entry has to do, like I said, with politics. I want to talk about Meg Whitman for a moment. Usually I don't engage in political discussion. I choose naivety because I prefer to avoid arguments. Politics, my friends, seems to harbor arguments and negativity around every corner. However, as a functioning adult in our society I accept a certain responsibility of knowing what is going on and voicing my right to my opinion (ahem...voting). So for this entry, I am setting aside naivety and focusing on optimism. Not that they can't coexist, but in politics? Optimism isn't usually a term paralleled with the government.
Back to point. In my two days of health arrest, with my local-channels-only tv (I broke on the first day and ordered cable but it isn't coming until next weekend.)I have seen quite a few commercials on Meg Whitman. Might I say first of all, it is no secret that our state is in dire straights. We need a change, and although it's been said before, we need one fast. We cannot continue to live at the pace we are, in the direction we're going, and hope to continue on as the Golden State. We're far from it. So where does optimism fit into this dark picture? While I'll admit I'm not finished researching, so far I am impressed with the points that Meg makes. Her three areas of focus: create more jobs, decrease government spending, fix the educational system. Her focus has piqued my interest.
Create more jobs. Can you believe that we have the highest number of people living off welfare? Okay, so we have a higher population, but even when you compare by percentage we're still considerably higher than the rest. What happened to us that we moved from the Land of Opportunity, to the Land of Free Handouts? Nothing is free, it all comes at some cost. I know that I have a right to be upset about this as a working citizen who watches her pay check slip away each month. I know that a lot of you would probably agree with me on that. I wonder what people on welfare would have to say about this. What is their perspective? How many of them would prefer to be working, contributing members of society if they could? I would like to choose optimism here and assume that a lot of them would take a job if they had one. What is it then that is stopping them? Why do so many of them continue to live off welfare rather than take the steps to make a better life for themselves? I realize there is not one answer here and the solution is much much more difficult than my simple mind can understand, but something needs to be done. If Meg Whitman thinks she has the solution, then more power to her.
One of the things she mentions is to decrease the amount of time individuals are allowed to stay on welfare. Currently the system is set at five years but Meg admits, no one is enforcing that time limit. She not only wants to enforce it, but she wants to decrease it to two. Do you think two years of free help is long enough to get you back on your feet? I think it could be if we change the attitude. At the end of that time she wants to give individuals a choice between getting a job or getting their GED. Solution! So many people on the welfare system lack the proper education to qualify them for the work force. Let's help them get what they need to get on their feet. It sounds like a great idea to me. Someone who has seen this before, or who has more insight into government "ideas" please give some feedback on this approach. Educate us on the pros and cons.
Decrease government spending. I think that's a great idea but it seems to me that it's indirectly proportionate to the other two focus points. How can you create enough change, statewide, to get people off welfare without first investing a whole lot of money into changing the program? Perhaps the money necessary to educate people will be less than the money currently being spent on those extra three years they're allowed to live off the system? Does that mean college tuition might stop increasing then? Just throwing it out there, I'm really not sure. And how can you cut government jobs while improving the educational system? Public schools are government, teachers are government employees. Is she going to cut us? How is that going to improve education? More on that in a minute. One of her points in decreasing government spending is to take more of an interest in what is going on. She plans to veto more things and to personally oversee what is happening. She is a business woman and she plans to run our state like a business. There are a lot of booming businesses out there. I like the idea. Businesses don't run like charities. They work towards profit and cut the slackers. Maybe that's what we need.
Improve education. In my current place of employment I haven't seen the panic and despair that I know a lot of teachers are dealing with. I've been extremely fortunate to land a job in a district that has planned for bad times and to be in a branch of teaching that most people aren't interested in, thus keeping my job open. However, it brings great concern when I hear neighboring districts who plan to increase furlow days or release more than 100 employees next year. It makes sense when looking at the immediate budget that if the money isn't there, you have to decrease size. Standard business. But in the business world, if your company scales back due to budget, your output scales back too. How in the world does that make sense for public schools? I'm sorry ma'am, we cannot enroll your child in kindergarten this year because we had to cut back. Yes I know he's already 6 because he didn't get in last year either. Classes are already at maximum capacity, you should have applied sooner. Try back next year. Yeah right! And we circle right back to the welfare problem. So tell me, how are we going to cut back on teachers when we generally see an increase in number of students each year? I have 36 students in each period right now (down from 40-42 at the beginning of the year- students are allowed to move around from school to school at any time in my district). I have desks for 32 and even if there were more desks available I don't have any more floor space to put them. Please tell me what they would do with my 180 students if they decided to cut my position. I'm not complaining by any means. I love my students, I love my job, and we've figured out how to work out the details. I just don't understand the solution that people who aren't in the trenches of education come up with. Meg Whitman wants to address this. I'm happy to hear that someone is willing to face it directly rather than sweep it under the rug.
One of the suggestions she makes is to rate schools from A-F. We give our students letter grades every day. Why not give our schools a grade too? Schools that earn an "F" for three years in a row would automatically switch to being a charter school. Okay this one has caught my attention. My district superintendent in trying to open a charter school right now and there's been a lot of hype from the teacher's association about it. Is it coincidence that he launched his idea about one week before Meg Whitman's commercials went public on the idea? Seems kind of funny to me. Anyway, the major complaint I've heard about charter schools is that teachers can quit at any time, but they can be fired at any time too. That worries me for the sake of the student. A classroom with a revolving door of teachers all year long is not a classroom learning much. Surely there is more to this story than what I currently understand. Anyone else have an opinion on the matter? One benefit I can see with that detail is the ability to release dead beat teachers. I hate the tenure rule. I know it provides security and I know the union has gone to bat for teachers in the past in a positive way, but for the most part I see the union and tenure as a hindrance to our field. If I do my job correctly and I work for my students instead of for summer vacations, I shouldn't have to worry about being fired and I shouldn't need a union to support me. My work should speak for itself. How many of us have had horrible teachers who needed to retire or who just weren't qualified to teach, but the school was stuck with them because they were tenured? It's ridiculous. Charter schools, from what I understand, would have more flexibility to deal with that. I think that's a good thing.
I could probably go on talking but it's time to get ready for church. If you've read down to this point, my hope is that you now have a mouth full to say in response. Please post your opinions! I would love to discuss this matter further.
Have a great day!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Furniture to Come
I've already posted today but I'm going stir crazy quarantined at home. I hate being stuck on the couch, especially knowing that there are all kinds of fun things going on this weekend that I won't be attending. It's tough to sit here doing nothing while my body wages war. (That's the imagery I use with my students to discuss the immune system. Haha.)
On a more productive note, I've had lots of thinking time to figure out the layout of my apartment. It's going to take some will power but I want to buy things little by little so that I can budget for it, but also so that I buy things that I really like and that match with my theme. For my first time I am completely in charge of the decorating and outcome. What a responsibility! I have my vision and now I get to work towards my goal to get there. It's so exciting!
I went furniture shopping earlier this week. I love the pieces I picked out and cannot wait for them to arrive!!! It will be up to two more weeks before then so for now I'm practicing patience. My dad and youngest sister went with me, which is the only reason I did it in the first place. Otherwise, my plan was to make do with the random pieces I'd been given. It just doesn't seem practical to spend a bunch of money on new things if you already have something that will suffice. My family disagrees, which is lucky for me because I'm really looking forward to my new furniture! To my surprise it wasn't all that difficult to pick out what I wanted. I didn't have an idea of what I did want, but I knew what I didn't want. One by one I unselected everything in the store until I found the items that I liked best. Soon I will have a new sectional couch, a side table (not the corner ones that go by the couch but a decorative one that goes against the wall- I don't know what they're called), and a kitchen table. I have to admit, of all the pieces I am looking forward to my kitchen table the most.
Call me old fashioned but I have two household rules that I don't think I will ever change my outlook on. The first is that TVs don't belong in the bedroom. Let me just say, I'm not judging anyone. I've had a TV in my room for most of my life and so does just about everyone that I know. However, since I live by myself now I don't see the need for a TV in my room. Anyway, the second rule and the one that I stand firmly behind is that dinner should be eaten at the kitchen table. Again not judging, I don't always do this myself either. That said though, it should be no surprise that I am most excited to get a kitchen table. It is the centerpiece of the home; where family comes together and all of life's problems seem a little less overwhelming. I've decided that my dining room is going to be my starting focus. The warmth cultivated there will resonate through the rest of my apartment and everything will flow. It sounds silly, I know, but just wait until you see it and you'll understand. :)
On a more productive note, I've had lots of thinking time to figure out the layout of my apartment. It's going to take some will power but I want to buy things little by little so that I can budget for it, but also so that I buy things that I really like and that match with my theme. For my first time I am completely in charge of the decorating and outcome. What a responsibility! I have my vision and now I get to work towards my goal to get there. It's so exciting!
I went furniture shopping earlier this week. I love the pieces I picked out and cannot wait for them to arrive!!! It will be up to two more weeks before then so for now I'm practicing patience. My dad and youngest sister went with me, which is the only reason I did it in the first place. Otherwise, my plan was to make do with the random pieces I'd been given. It just doesn't seem practical to spend a bunch of money on new things if you already have something that will suffice. My family disagrees, which is lucky for me because I'm really looking forward to my new furniture! To my surprise it wasn't all that difficult to pick out what I wanted. I didn't have an idea of what I did want, but I knew what I didn't want. One by one I unselected everything in the store until I found the items that I liked best. Soon I will have a new sectional couch, a side table (not the corner ones that go by the couch but a decorative one that goes against the wall- I don't know what they're called), and a kitchen table. I have to admit, of all the pieces I am looking forward to my kitchen table the most.
Call me old fashioned but I have two household rules that I don't think I will ever change my outlook on. The first is that TVs don't belong in the bedroom. Let me just say, I'm not judging anyone. I've had a TV in my room for most of my life and so does just about everyone that I know. However, since I live by myself now I don't see the need for a TV in my room. Anyway, the second rule and the one that I stand firmly behind is that dinner should be eaten at the kitchen table. Again not judging, I don't always do this myself either. That said though, it should be no surprise that I am most excited to get a kitchen table. It is the centerpiece of the home; where family comes together and all of life's problems seem a little less overwhelming. I've decided that my dining room is going to be my starting focus. The warmth cultivated there will resonate through the rest of my apartment and everything will flow. It sounds silly, I know, but just wait until you see it and you'll understand. :)
Finding a Balance
This week was a busy one. It's not surprising that I've been home on the couch with the stomach flu for the past 36 hours. Typical. I don't slow down so my body just sweeps me off my feet for a while. Happens every so often. A huge damper on the social events I had planned for the weekend. Happy birthday Chad! Even so, it doesn't mask my excitement about things going on at work.
I'm starting this blog for probably the same reason anyone else does. I have a lot to say and I'm looking for somewhere to say it. Usually I like to keep my personal life somewhat private, but writing things out isn't the same as telling them. There are no limits. So read on if you wish, or not. Completely up to you. It's the process of the act that I'm seeking.
Finding a Balance is the title today. There was a lot that came about this week; many new and exciting opportunities with my job, and my head is spinning with ideas. The problem: my mental eagerness (thoughts, ideas, and intentions) often out compete my physical and emotional strength. Hence the flu. No panic attacks or breakdowns though. I am getting stronger!
Where to start? Let's take the emotional side first. I just finished teaching a 9 day unit on cancer. I started piecing my thoughts together on the new unit back in November. I just felt that it was an important topic to address since cancer is the Black Plague of today. Where else would my students learn the cellular aspect of the disease and be equipped with the knowledge to understand it better, if not in Biology class? I figured almost every one of them probably knows someone who has dealt with the illness, and those who haven't at least know what it is. I had no idea back then what was in store for me this semester. To make a long story short, from start to finish I had four different students approach me privately to explain that one of their parents is currently battling cancer. Leukemia, liver cancer, brain tumor, lymphoma. How horrible that my 15 year old students have to experience such pain with people so close to them at such a crucial age of development. As if there aren't enough social pressures to keep their minds occupied from day to day. My heart breaks for them. It was by His grace that we all made it through that unit, but I'm determined now more than ever to improve the efficiency of the unit and continue teaching it from year to year.
Last week I received an email out of the blue inviting me to a Cancer Seminar next month. The one in California is being held at Santa Clara University. The organization sponsoring it received a grant to teach two different classes on the subject to high school instructors who want to incorporate it into their classrooms. Is it a coincidence that something so perfectly correlated to what I was doing at that exact time came my way? I think not. Since the program is grant funded, there is no cost to me other than traveling expenses. I signed up, told them my story, and was accepted. I'm really looking forward to it.
I received another email last week from one of our counselors about another seminar for GATE teachers. For those of you unaware, GATE stands for gifted and talented education. That is the level of the Biology course I teach. My academic challenge with them is keeping the high level achievers moving quickly enough through material to remain engaged. It's a daily battle. Anyway, this seminar teaches teachers how to do that and all kinds of tricks to improve curriculum. It sounds like a great course, but it's through UC Irvine and the cost of units I could earn from it are 4 times more expensive than what I have paid for units so far through USD, FPU, CSUF, and LMU. Besides that, it would also require quite a few extra hours of follow up work to earn just one unit. Although it's definitely not all about the unit gain, I can't quite justify joining when I have so many other things going on. Finding a Balance.
Third email this past week came from a representative at Fresno State. She said I've been identified by one of my administrators as a good candidate for their Masters in Leadership and Administration program. They're only accepting 18 candidates into the program. Since the university pairs up with my school district to foster better teachers and leaders, my cost for earning that particular masters degree would only be $2,500. That's incredible! The problem is that the program runs for 12 months from start to finish. It's 34 units with 15 class hours per unit plus field work. This year I'm coaching two sports, teaching two different classes, a member of the AVID site team, the adviser for Aquatics Club, and in my first year of BTSA course work. Next year will be similar. I fully intend to earn my masters degree and this program seems like a doorway that has opened right in front of me, but I just can't manage it at this time. I'm hoping to apply for the 2011-2012 class. Two years from now I could have my masters degree! The ideas make my head spin.
The final thing I have to say is about my administrators' plans for me next school year. The district is pushing to enroll more students in AP courses. I have mixed feelings about that, but at the end of the day what the district wants, the district gets. The best response is to go along with them and make it work to the best of my ability. So I've been approached four times now from an administrator about teaching an AP class next year. I haven't made the commitment yet, in fact up until this week I was pretty set on not doing it. Then I was told that my name keeps coming up in their conversations and that they've been told by my colleagues and by students that I should teach it. That was very rewarding to hear. I mentioned that I have some concerns about it and want to sit down with them to talk details. I still have one more year of BTSA and I love teaching both of my current classes. I don't want to give up either one of them, but I don't know if I could take on three different classes next year. Anyway, that's the latest dilemma. My administration has said that they will pay for all the training necessary to become AP certified. I guess they really want me to do it. It would be a great opportunity and it is a goal I had for myself since I first decided to pursue teaching. The perfectionist side of me just isn't sure yet that I'm qualified enough to do a good job. I have more thinking to do on that...
Well I suppose this is long enough. If you've made it this far, you must be quite a friend to listen so long. I'm going back to bed now. Pray that my stomach stops doing cartwheels. Have a fantastic day!
I'm starting this blog for probably the same reason anyone else does. I have a lot to say and I'm looking for somewhere to say it. Usually I like to keep my personal life somewhat private, but writing things out isn't the same as telling them. There are no limits. So read on if you wish, or not. Completely up to you. It's the process of the act that I'm seeking.
Finding a Balance is the title today. There was a lot that came about this week; many new and exciting opportunities with my job, and my head is spinning with ideas. The problem: my mental eagerness (thoughts, ideas, and intentions) often out compete my physical and emotional strength. Hence the flu. No panic attacks or breakdowns though. I am getting stronger!
Where to start? Let's take the emotional side first. I just finished teaching a 9 day unit on cancer. I started piecing my thoughts together on the new unit back in November. I just felt that it was an important topic to address since cancer is the Black Plague of today. Where else would my students learn the cellular aspect of the disease and be equipped with the knowledge to understand it better, if not in Biology class? I figured almost every one of them probably knows someone who has dealt with the illness, and those who haven't at least know what it is. I had no idea back then what was in store for me this semester. To make a long story short, from start to finish I had four different students approach me privately to explain that one of their parents is currently battling cancer. Leukemia, liver cancer, brain tumor, lymphoma. How horrible that my 15 year old students have to experience such pain with people so close to them at such a crucial age of development. As if there aren't enough social pressures to keep their minds occupied from day to day. My heart breaks for them. It was by His grace that we all made it through that unit, but I'm determined now more than ever to improve the efficiency of the unit and continue teaching it from year to year.
Last week I received an email out of the blue inviting me to a Cancer Seminar next month. The one in California is being held at Santa Clara University. The organization sponsoring it received a grant to teach two different classes on the subject to high school instructors who want to incorporate it into their classrooms. Is it a coincidence that something so perfectly correlated to what I was doing at that exact time came my way? I think not. Since the program is grant funded, there is no cost to me other than traveling expenses. I signed up, told them my story, and was accepted. I'm really looking forward to it.
I received another email last week from one of our counselors about another seminar for GATE teachers. For those of you unaware, GATE stands for gifted and talented education. That is the level of the Biology course I teach. My academic challenge with them is keeping the high level achievers moving quickly enough through material to remain engaged. It's a daily battle. Anyway, this seminar teaches teachers how to do that and all kinds of tricks to improve curriculum. It sounds like a great course, but it's through UC Irvine and the cost of units I could earn from it are 4 times more expensive than what I have paid for units so far through USD, FPU, CSUF, and LMU. Besides that, it would also require quite a few extra hours of follow up work to earn just one unit. Although it's definitely not all about the unit gain, I can't quite justify joining when I have so many other things going on. Finding a Balance.
Third email this past week came from a representative at Fresno State. She said I've been identified by one of my administrators as a good candidate for their Masters in Leadership and Administration program. They're only accepting 18 candidates into the program. Since the university pairs up with my school district to foster better teachers and leaders, my cost for earning that particular masters degree would only be $2,500. That's incredible! The problem is that the program runs for 12 months from start to finish. It's 34 units with 15 class hours per unit plus field work. This year I'm coaching two sports, teaching two different classes, a member of the AVID site team, the adviser for Aquatics Club, and in my first year of BTSA course work. Next year will be similar. I fully intend to earn my masters degree and this program seems like a doorway that has opened right in front of me, but I just can't manage it at this time. I'm hoping to apply for the 2011-2012 class. Two years from now I could have my masters degree! The ideas make my head spin.
The final thing I have to say is about my administrators' plans for me next school year. The district is pushing to enroll more students in AP courses. I have mixed feelings about that, but at the end of the day what the district wants, the district gets. The best response is to go along with them and make it work to the best of my ability. So I've been approached four times now from an administrator about teaching an AP class next year. I haven't made the commitment yet, in fact up until this week I was pretty set on not doing it. Then I was told that my name keeps coming up in their conversations and that they've been told by my colleagues and by students that I should teach it. That was very rewarding to hear. I mentioned that I have some concerns about it and want to sit down with them to talk details. I still have one more year of BTSA and I love teaching both of my current classes. I don't want to give up either one of them, but I don't know if I could take on three different classes next year. Anyway, that's the latest dilemma. My administration has said that they will pay for all the training necessary to become AP certified. I guess they really want me to do it. It would be a great opportunity and it is a goal I had for myself since I first decided to pursue teaching. The perfectionist side of me just isn't sure yet that I'm qualified enough to do a good job. I have more thinking to do on that...
Well I suppose this is long enough. If you've made it this far, you must be quite a friend to listen so long. I'm going back to bed now. Pray that my stomach stops doing cartwheels. Have a fantastic day!
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