Early Christmas Present

Last Friday afternoon marked the beginning of my Christmas vacation.

While the school day itself was uneventful for the most part, I wanted to share a portion of an article in our school's "newspaper." It's author, Andy, is one of my favorite students because he is one of the few that actually gets it.

He wrote:

Are your teachers heroes? Yes, they are heroes, but they are put in the back of our minds. They don't sit on golden thrones like our athletes do, but instead are at times teased, complained about and made fun of because they push us to make us better than we are ... In this season of giving, and maybe beyond, if we're all that we should be, perhaps the most important gift that we can offer is a simple "thank you" to those who don't set themselves up in the glare of celebrity, but instead serve humanity and make the best of this world. If you have a moment during our winter break, make the world a little brighter. Look around and find someone to thank.

No. Thank you Andy.

For giving me hope that my hard work doesn't not go unrecognized by the students that I'm trying reach ...

White Lights

Weeks ago, I took to decorating the house for the Christmas season. While most of my decorating was "by the books" and pretty much the same as it has been for the past couple of years, I decided to change things up a little bit (throw caution to the wind!) and wind some white mini-lights around the railing to our second floor ...

Although it was completely unorthodox ... Usually, I use the colored mini-lights ... I was quite satisfied with the finished product:



It looked peaceful.

Angelic, even.

Certainly a decoration that is completely in tune with the holiday spirit and all that it entails.

To my dear husband, however, it is merely bright ...

"Did you have to use the white lights?" He complained upon seeing them in all their glowing glory. "They're going to cause a glare on the TV! There's no way I'm going to turn those on in the evening!"

Well, since that first day of decorating, my pretty white lights have only been on when I've turned them on ... Until last night when I spied him reading with the peaceful lights twinkling by his side.

Someone must be getting into the "Christmas Spirit."

Semantics

After progress reports go out, a teacher can pretty much expect to get attitude from angry students. This can come by way of reduced conversation between classes, refusal to answer questions and/or participate in class, or (my absolute favorite) verbal confrontation.

One of my morning classes is blessed by the presence of (we'll call him) Jason*. A sophomore boy with a huge ego, Jason feels that he is an absolute gift to the class and never fails to make that assertion known ... He harasses younger students by "taking" their seats and gives them a hard time when they ask for them back. He dictates who should answer in-class questions by giving answers to select students and telling them to "Raise your hand!". He eggs students on, especially the girls, by making rude comments and/or gestures. Ultimately, though, he likes to engage in power struggles with me ...

I guess you might say that a teacher, like myself, is Lex Luthor to his Superman (or something like that). So, it's too bad that I'm especially gifted at avoiding that sort of thing ...

All while coming out victorious!

Just this week, at the end of class, Jason started muttering (loud enough for me to hear, mind you) that he was "incorrectly accused" of cheating on an assignment and his mother was all over him for it.

After listening to him complain for a good five minutes as he garnered the rest of the class' attention, I simply replied that I don't merely accuse students of cheating. Cheating in my classroom a serious offense, so, if I see a student cheating they have to deal with the consequences. I then explained that, in the particular instance of which Jason was speaking, I had asked the students to take out a piece of paper and list some of the concepts that they had learned the previous day ... This assignment did not require anything but that single piece of paper, and Jason had decided to pull out his notes as well.

"But that's not cheating!" He exclaimed.

"Using notes when you have been asked to put them away, isn't cheating?" I asked.

"No," he replied, but offered no alternate explanation.

"Okay ... Maybe cheating is too harsh of a word," I offered. "I'll have to think of something else to call it ... Inappropriate use of notes, maybe? Not following directions?"

Upset that he hadn't ruffled my feathers, he let the topic drop until class ended ... But I'm pretty sure that won't be the last I've heard about it (or situations like it).

When students (like Jason) feel that they are above those in positions of authority, there really is no winning. Their minds are set and focused on one particular fact: They are right and you are wrong. Cheating or not cheating, to them, is a slippery slope of shaky definitions.

It's all the same until they are caught.

*For any new readers, names will always be changed to keep these sneaky kids off of my back! :)

One Minute

A day in the life of a teacher:

• Getting ready for school in the morning: 45 minutes
• Traveling to the school: 7 minutes
• Actual teaching time: 200 minutes
• Struggling with students for their attention during that "teaching time": 40 minutes
• Eating lunch: 30 minutes
• Conversing with students during study hall: 20 minutes
• Planning lessons: 50 minutes
• Writing demerits for behavior infractions: 15 minutes
• Helping a struggling student at the end of the day: 30 minutes
• Watching the light finally go off for said student as she finally "got it" and feeling completely validated that, just maybe, I'm doing something right: 1 minute

It's those small moments, those little unexpected minutes, that truly make this job worth doing.

Yeah, despite the chaos leading up to Christmas Break, today was a good day.

High School Lessons #4

Lesson #4: Teaching makes you impervious to insults

There are many things about teenagers that, although fairly obvious, jump out at you after spending much of your day with them. The main thing that I've noticed this year is that these kids are completely mercurial. Hot one minute, cold the next, my students never fail to surprise me with their reactions to in-class situations or the logic behind their actions and behaviors.

For example, my students strongly believe that, if they are upset about something in my classroom (be it the way I am running things, an assignment, or a test), it will upset me, as well.

Imagine, if you will, the following being said in a whiny voice:

"This test is stupid!"

"I've never seen a test more pointless than this one!"

"You are such a hater!"

"I like [insert other teacher's name here] so much better than you!"

"This is the most boring class I've ever been in!"

Yeah, yeah ... Keep the insults coming ...

The test probably is stupid and pointless (When, after Ohio Graduation Tests are over, are any of these kids going to need to know the three types of rocks?). I most certainly do hate your bad behavior. That other teacher can "borrow" you from my classroom anytime! Classes where no one participates are boring for me, too ...

It's just so amusing that they don't realize the ineffectiveness of their approach. Maybe, last year as a new teacher, I would have spent a moment or two thinking about their complaints. I might have stressed over whether or not I, or my class, was well liked. That's not to say that I don't care about these things now, I just see how fleeting these teenage feelings are ... A student that is "mad at me" one afternoon, will be smiling and waving to me the next morning.

Besides, I'm not looking to be liked ... I'm looking to be respected.

Flowers and Chocolate

As much as I complain about my high school students and their lack of motivation, attention, effort, and respect, there are a handful that, while they do not have an excess of those qualities, make up for it with kindness and creativity.

Every day, students are trying to give me things.

• Pieces of art from art class
• Holiday decorations (like paper pilgrims for Thanksgiving or potato turkeys)
• Origami flowers
• Quick doodles or drawings on notebook paper (or my white boards)
• High fives
• Hugs ...

The list could go on and on.

Many days, I feel like a new parent, graciously accepting all of the paper creations from my "kids" and assuring them that I'll proudly display them on my desk or at home.

"Really?" They ask, disbelieving. "You'll really hang it on your refrigerator?"

Of course I will ... Why not?

It's funny to me how, sometimes, it really is the simple things that make the most difference. Maybe these kids aren't learning science during each and every lesson. Maybe they are bored and they wish that they were anywhere but in my classroom ... But that least they know that I care. At least those few gift-givers can go home and tell their parents, or friends, or maybe just their diary, that someone made them feel like they were important, that whatever they had to give was valuable.

It may not be a traditional gift of flowers or chocolate, but it's something ... And I see that. I only hope that, as the year progresses, these"gifts" remain and new ones (such as those in-class attributes) follow.

Internal Struggle

The longer I have this blog, the more I want to just let it all out there ... Tell detailed stories about my day, tales of long ago (college, high school, childhood!), post pictures that show more than just the back of my head or the side of my face.

Yet, my better judgement causes me to err on the side of caution.

Although I'm still getting used to the profession, I've come to understand that I am a teacher and anything that I post on the world-wide-web has a very real possibility of reaching the fragile young minds (ha!) of my students. It's not like I have any risque stories or skeletons to keep hidden (I will swear up and down that I am the most boring, well behaved, law abiding person on this planet), and while I wouldn't say anything on here and I wouldn't say offline, I feel that I have a real responsibility to keep up the facade ...

At least for now.

Despite the real need for me to be committed to that decision (to remain somewhat anonymous, although I'm sure I've left enough "clues" to be found out), it bothers me that this blog will always be missing something if that's precisely what I do.

As I've spent more time on other blogs, I've come to find that there is an honesty that comes with being open and truly "putting yourself out there." I realize that, as long as a part of me is hidden in the shadows, this blog will never attain that sort of honesty. It will always be incomplete.

I've chosen to write in this forum not only because a friend pressured me to do so, but because (I feel) I actually have something to say ... Whether it's simple blabber about my day, a photograph I've taken, or a commentary on the world of teaching as I know it, I post for more reason than to just eat up some of my time. Maybe selfishly, I believe that others could read what I write and be moved in some way. At the very least, whomever stumbles here might be entertained on some level.

I know this isn't award-worthy stuff, but it's me.

It just sort of stinks that as this blog progresses, and as I find my voice, I have to hold back in some respects ... Anonymity isn't easy!

It's a good thing I'm not a superhero.

Downtime

Since I'm not bringing as much work home with me anymore (read: none), I find myself sitting and putzing around on the computer for hours on end. It definitely doesn't help that my husband is off at his college classes two nights a week, and then, on the other nights, he's holed up in our bedroom listening to movie scores and studying ...

Left to my own devices, I've found a new passion for photography. I've always liked taking pictures ... But now, I find myself editing and altering them using the pitiful software on my computer.

For example, what do you get when you put your cat in a choke hold and snap a photo using your other arm?

This:


It's certainly not much in comparison with some of the photos I see on Flickr and other blogs that I frequent, but it's a start.

And it gives me something to do.

Hopefully, I'll have something better to photograph than the side of my face and my uncooperative cats one day...

Improvisation

When I went back to school to become a teacher, I learned a lot about classroom management, adolescent development, and pedagogy.

But there were some things that were suspiciously kept silent.

For instance, they never tell you that ...

• Students will hate you one day and want to hug you the next.
• Baking soda and vinegar reactions are always exciting.
• Students (in high school!) are always putting things in their mouths.
• Big, bulky test tube racks make nice bathroom passes and deter some students from using the restroom during class time ... They don't want to look stupid carrying that dumb thing around!
• The floor of your classroom will end up looking like a garbage can by the end of the day.
• Drama is lurking around every corner.
• Shirts miraculously untuck themselves.
• Comfortable shoes are essential to maintaining a good mood (cooperative behavior from your students doesn't hurt, either).
• When a student asks to "borrow a pen or a pencil" they really mean that they are going to keep it.
• Students always ask for extra credit ... But very rarely complete it when it is given.
• Seat charts are made to be changed again, and again, and again, and again ... And again!
• Correct use of the English language (both verbal and written) is a rarity.
• A stapler can be used to close a student's shirt (so as to keep her from exposing her "feminine charms" to the entire world).

Is it Christmas Break yet?!