Back to Pres. Lincoln. I know that throughout the district, decisions take time to solidify. My principal has been complaining that the teachers aren't "bouncing back" as we normally do. We're not rolling with the punches as well as we usually do. Here's my thought. How are people suppose to bounce back if we only get little bomb shells at a time? Why not just drop the big bomb, give us time to process everything (even if it's not all completely solidified) and then let us move on. If parts of the decision get changed or are improved, excellent. We've already dealt with the big bomb. The little bombs just keep bringing us down and forcing us to process. By the time we process, there's a new bomb. All I'm saying, is give people all the facts. Let them make decisions based on all the information... not on part. Afterall, we are an educated group of people. Have some faith in us.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Food for thought...
President Abraham Lincoln once said "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the facts." I was thinking about this last night as things have begun to change even more and rumors have started to spread throughout my school. I'm used to some rumors, but our school is small... we all know each other and are open with each other. Rumors are very common for us. To quickly summarize, people, including our principal, have begun to hint at big changes for us next year... and they are hinted at not being good. In fact, when one of our teachers was talking to our principal about starting to look for new jobs, his exact response was "It's going to get worse." Well, that's encouraging.
Back to Pres. Lincoln. I know that throughout the district, decisions take time to solidify. My principal has been complaining that the teachers aren't "bouncing back" as we normally do. We're not rolling with the punches as well as we usually do. Here's my thought. How are people suppose to bounce back if we only get little bomb shells at a time? Why not just drop the big bomb, give us time to process everything (even if it's not all completely solidified) and then let us move on. If parts of the decision get changed or are improved, excellent. We've already dealt with the big bomb. The little bombs just keep bringing us down and forcing us to process. By the time we process, there's a new bomb. All I'm saying, is give people all the facts. Let them make decisions based on all the information... not on part. Afterall, we are an educated group of people. Have some faith in us.
Back to Pres. Lincoln. I know that throughout the district, decisions take time to solidify. My principal has been complaining that the teachers aren't "bouncing back" as we normally do. We're not rolling with the punches as well as we usually do. Here's my thought. How are people suppose to bounce back if we only get little bomb shells at a time? Why not just drop the big bomb, give us time to process everything (even if it's not all completely solidified) and then let us move on. If parts of the decision get changed or are improved, excellent. We've already dealt with the big bomb. The little bombs just keep bringing us down and forcing us to process. By the time we process, there's a new bomb. All I'm saying, is give people all the facts. Let them make decisions based on all the information... not on part. Afterall, we are an educated group of people. Have some faith in us.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Post Break
Ah... the first week back after holiday break. It's unexplainable. You wake up in the morning, and forget that you have to go to work. Start autopilot. Get up, get in the shower, get ready for the day... it's the same routine from before break, but there's no sense of urgency. There's no solid thoughts like, "What am I doing in first period today?" or "Do I have all my grading/copies/etc ready?" Instead it's, "What time do I have leave for work?" The students are even better. About half have showed up so far this week, and I'm pretty sure the majority of them are thinking "........" or there might be the occasional "Paper... do I have paper? Pencil? Bed?" You'd think after two weeks off, we'd all be back a-rarin' to go. And yet, not the case. I don't know if it's because this year is extraordinarily challenging with all of the changes, or if its just because we're so used to sleeping in. Regardless, it's been a rough start after break. It's reasons like these that I'm a believer in year-round school. The schools wouldn't go everyday, like businesses, but breaks would be shorter and more spaced out. I have to admit, having a summer break isn't the easiest thing. Two months off (or in some areas 3) is hard to come back from... NOT that it's not deserved. I think it'd be hard for anyone to return to work after all that time off. AND, it's nice to have projects to keep you busy, but let's admit, projects are year 'round, not just in the summer. There are many times I think about wanting to clear out my basement of boxes and uselessness since my husband has moved in. And that's not really a project I want to do during the summer, when we're working on our yard or other household projects. Maybe it's simply redoing a bedroom. Not a weekend project. I strongly believe that students would retain more knowledge if breaks were slimmed down and spread throughout the year. You would still have time off to let your brain recuperate, but it wouldn't be so long that you can't even remember what you were doing before you left. And teachers would have time to rest AND extra time to plan units in advance instead of always taking work home at night or doing it on the weekends. There are many days I want to just work on plans... I remember my graduate days when I would head to a coffee shop and sit for HOURS working and researching for plans. I would love to have time throughout the year to do that, without always giving up my weekends with my spouse. Maybe that's a change for another day... but I do think it's a far more worthy change than the one currently being implemented in my district.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Defining a new year
How is a year defined? Technically a year is 365 days or 8,760 hours, or 525,600 minutes, or even 31,536,000 seconds. But that's not how people define their years. People don't sit around and count how many minutes they've spent doing x or y (at least I hope they don't do that). Eventually we'll look at how people define a year, but before that, let's look at a quick summary of the history of New Years.
For starters, according to our Gregorian Calendar (and the ancient Roman and Julian Calendars) New Years lands in January. January got its name Janus, the Roman mythical god of gates, doors, doorways, etc. He has a head with two faces: one that faces backwards and one forwards. In relation to the New Year, Janus looks back on our past year and forward to the year ahead. Considering the name of the month is based on a Roman god, it is guessed that this holiday is based in pagan traditions. The decision to have our calendar year go from January to December dates back to about 700 B. C. Another tradition indicates that January 1 was the day Jesus was circumcised, and this has since been the first day of our year.
One more point to clarify is that not all the world celebrates New Years on January 1. There are others who celebrate January 14, some that celebrate in March, April, and even June. All of these differences are based on different belief systems and calendars used.
NOW, let's ponder how a year is actually defined by people... and me.
1. People:
What has changed and what has stayed the same? I have had the joy to add some people into my life. A new sister-in-law and niece were added to our lives. What a blessing they are!! And, my other sister and brother-in-law adopted a baby boy, who got to come home on Christmas Day! He's my new godson as well. It is such a blessing to add these wonderful people into my life this year.
But, it's not all about additions. It's also about those things that stay the same. I have an amazing husband... going on our second year of marriage. We both had wonderful family that bring joy and smiles to our faces. And friends. There's no forgetting friends. We still are blessed to have old and new friends in our lives. This Christmas, one of my oldest friends (we've known each other since we were 3) asked me to be in her wedding next year. I am so excited and honored that we are still close enough for me to stand up in her wedding. There are people in our lives that will always touch my heart, and it's a wonderful feeling to know that another year has passed by and they are still there.
2. Adventures:
Travels! What have we done this year that makes it different from any other year? Well, there was the large trip to Europe that my hubby and I took for our anniversary/honeymoon. We also had trips for weddings and other gatherings. For example, we went to Arizona for a friend's wedding and then Texas for a family wedding.
Travels aren't the only kind of adventures, however. We bought a new dog, so we have two crazy animals running around the house. They are high energy and love playing with laser pointers.
3. Job/Career:
Well, I suppose looking at changes in jobs/careers is also a way to define a year. For me, this year is has included a lot of changes... not necessarily for the good. The performance based pay system has been implemented... and not to the benefit of anyone, really. (Personal opinion). Although this has caused me more stress than I want to think about on vacation, it has given me the opportunity to reflect on my current position in life. I absolutely LOVE teaching, but how good of a teacher am I when I doing things I don't believe in? When I'm forced to give tests that don't benefit the students? When I have to spend my time rushing through curriculum and not do an adequate job diving into depth with topics, how good of a teacher am I really? So, throughout this reflection, I've had a chance to think about other options. Different districts. After finishing my Masters this summer, I'll be able to teach at a community college for a change of pace, if I want. OR, I could do something completely different and work as an independent researcher, expanding my history knowledge and writing articles condensing this information. But... that decision is for another year.
How might others define a year? Maybe there was sadness? Maybe there were hardships? Maybe there were births? However you define a year, I hope you survived your year happy and the start of your new years is auspicious!
For starters, according to our Gregorian Calendar (and the ancient Roman and Julian Calendars) New Years lands in January. January got its name Janus, the Roman mythical god of gates, doors, doorways, etc. He has a head with two faces: one that faces backwards and one forwards. In relation to the New Year, Janus looks back on our past year and forward to the year ahead. Considering the name of the month is based on a Roman god, it is guessed that this holiday is based in pagan traditions. The decision to have our calendar year go from January to December dates back to about 700 B. C. Another tradition indicates that January 1 was the day Jesus was circumcised, and this has since been the first day of our year.
One more point to clarify is that not all the world celebrates New Years on January 1. There are others who celebrate January 14, some that celebrate in March, April, and even June. All of these differences are based on different belief systems and calendars used.
NOW, let's ponder how a year is actually defined by people... and me.
1. People:
What has changed and what has stayed the same? I have had the joy to add some people into my life. A new sister-in-law and niece were added to our lives. What a blessing they are!! And, my other sister and brother-in-law adopted a baby boy, who got to come home on Christmas Day! He's my new godson as well. It is such a blessing to add these wonderful people into my life this year.
But, it's not all about additions. It's also about those things that stay the same. I have an amazing husband... going on our second year of marriage. We both had wonderful family that bring joy and smiles to our faces. And friends. There's no forgetting friends. We still are blessed to have old and new friends in our lives. This Christmas, one of my oldest friends (we've known each other since we were 3) asked me to be in her wedding next year. I am so excited and honored that we are still close enough for me to stand up in her wedding. There are people in our lives that will always touch my heart, and it's a wonderful feeling to know that another year has passed by and they are still there.
2. Adventures:
Travels! What have we done this year that makes it different from any other year? Well, there was the large trip to Europe that my hubby and I took for our anniversary/honeymoon. We also had trips for weddings and other gatherings. For example, we went to Arizona for a friend's wedding and then Texas for a family wedding.
Travels aren't the only kind of adventures, however. We bought a new dog, so we have two crazy animals running around the house. They are high energy and love playing with laser pointers.
3. Job/Career:
Well, I suppose looking at changes in jobs/careers is also a way to define a year. For me, this year is has included a lot of changes... not necessarily for the good. The performance based pay system has been implemented... and not to the benefit of anyone, really. (Personal opinion). Although this has caused me more stress than I want to think about on vacation, it has given me the opportunity to reflect on my current position in life. I absolutely LOVE teaching, but how good of a teacher am I when I doing things I don't believe in? When I'm forced to give tests that don't benefit the students? When I have to spend my time rushing through curriculum and not do an adequate job diving into depth with topics, how good of a teacher am I really? So, throughout this reflection, I've had a chance to think about other options. Different districts. After finishing my Masters this summer, I'll be able to teach at a community college for a change of pace, if I want. OR, I could do something completely different and work as an independent researcher, expanding my history knowledge and writing articles condensing this information. But... that decision is for another year.
How might others define a year? Maybe there was sadness? Maybe there were hardships? Maybe there were births? However you define a year, I hope you survived your year happy and the start of your new years is auspicious!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Free Time??
Free time? What is this thing you speak of? Vacation time? No schoolwork (at least I'm pretending I have no work to do)?? How shall I spend my days?! Well, since the military sometimes likes to toy with my schedule, we can't leave to go home for Christmas until the 23rd (sad). AND, that means I am spending a week alone while not working. So... what to do... I have some ideas. There's the required packing to vacation that has to (eventually) get done. There's also the expected cleaning... which surprisingly, I've almost completed! Amazing!! And then there's the required books I have to read for my class. But, let's be honest... none of that is really fun. Instead, I've managed to spend my days watching Bones on Netflix or a variety of other movies. I also bought a Sistine Chapel puzzle from Target that is calming and challenging. Fantastic! It's a 2000 piece puzzle... my hardest yet. I do realize that as I tell this tale, I depict my clear nerdiness, but Grandma always told me to keep my brain active. Other activities so far this week? Hanging out at the Post Office (which is NO fun), baking pizza (because I don't want to cook), and playing laser pointer with the dogs (because that's the easiest way to tire them out). One other thing I learned this week so far... washing a tarp is an activity best done NOT in the washing machine. Good times! :) As fun as my week has been so far, I can't wait to head up to the beautiful winter wonderland that awaits our Christmas celebration! Snow shoeing across the lake; wearing my wolf fur hat; seeing my family! VERY exciting! I really am one of those people who enjoys my family. So, this free time that people speak of... I have decided I LOVE IT!!
"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!"
-Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers
"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!"
-Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers
Friday, December 10, 2010
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Respect - v. - to consider worthy of high regard.
It's a simple enough definition, but in today's society, this word holds a lot of power. I always hear students talk to me about how a teacher or fellow student doesn't respect them, so why should they show respect. That's a simple enough explanation. Here's the part I don't understand. How can people demand respect? Is it right for students to instantly respect teachers because we're "authority figures"? Should teachers instantly respect students because the students demand respect? I believe this idea applies all over the place.
I also believe people have overused this word repsect. They throw it around like everyone deserves respect, but I don't think that's true. I think everyone deserves to be treated kindly, and I believe that people who will earn the most respect will always treat others respectfully. BUT, people still have to earn others respect... they have to be somebody that others consider worthy of high regard. And, sad to say, I don't think everyone in this world deserves that. I wonder if there is a way to teach this idea to my students. How do I teach them the difference between being respectful and giving someone their respect.
And so, I end my random ramblings today hoping that you will ponder the difference and understand that being respectful doesn't necessarily mean that you are giving respect.
“I respect the man who knows distinctly what he wishes. The greater part of all mischief in the world arises from the fact that men do not sufficiently understand their own aims. They have undertaken to build a tower, and spend no more labor on the foundation than would be necessary to erect a hut.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
It's a simple enough definition, but in today's society, this word holds a lot of power. I always hear students talk to me about how a teacher or fellow student doesn't respect them, so why should they show respect. That's a simple enough explanation. Here's the part I don't understand. How can people demand respect? Is it right for students to instantly respect teachers because we're "authority figures"? Should teachers instantly respect students because the students demand respect? I believe this idea applies all over the place.
I also believe people have overused this word repsect. They throw it around like everyone deserves respect, but I don't think that's true. I think everyone deserves to be treated kindly, and I believe that people who will earn the most respect will always treat others respectfully. BUT, people still have to earn others respect... they have to be somebody that others consider worthy of high regard. And, sad to say, I don't think everyone in this world deserves that. I wonder if there is a way to teach this idea to my students. How do I teach them the difference between being respectful and giving someone their respect.
And so, I end my random ramblings today hoping that you will ponder the difference and understand that being respectful doesn't necessarily mean that you are giving respect.
“I respect the man who knows distinctly what he wishes. The greater part of all mischief in the world arises from the fact that men do not sufficiently understand their own aims. They have undertaken to build a tower, and spend no more labor on the foundation than would be necessary to erect a hut.”
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Friday, December 3, 2010
I forgot a quote for the week:
“The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke
“The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke
Teaching American History Grant
If there are two things that go together like oil and water, it's education and politics. As a teacher, all I see coming from politics is... BAD. Currently, politics are causing me to have district test scores determine my pay... AND district tests are not beneficial to students whatsoever. They don't determine which classes students should be put in. They don't determine student's ability or any accommodations students may need.
BUT, the government has done one thing great for education: the Teaching American History Grant. Amazing! This grant was created to ensure history educators had extra history/pedagogy classes. This way teachers were constantly on top of current pedagogy and could be constant lifelong learners WITHOUT spending an arm and a leg on tuitions.
Here is how I have been blessed with the Teaching American History grant:
I will have completed my last 8 masters credits with TAH grant classes
Last spring, I had the opportunity to present at the National Council for History Educators conference... and I have the same opportunity this year as well!!
I have gain massive amounts of state/local history and improved using local archives to teach
I've been taught how to use DBQs in all levels of classrooms
Finally, I have recently been accepted to take a 10 day trip to Boston and a week of class at George Mason University in June and July! This last course will help me complete my Masters and have 4 extra credits. I am so excited!
And I am so happy that SOMETIMES our government gets things right with education. For now, i'll stay positive and keep that in mind every time my school frustrates me.
BUT, the government has done one thing great for education: the Teaching American History Grant. Amazing! This grant was created to ensure history educators had extra history/pedagogy classes. This way teachers were constantly on top of current pedagogy and could be constant lifelong learners WITHOUT spending an arm and a leg on tuitions.
Here is how I have been blessed with the Teaching American History grant:
I will have completed my last 8 masters credits with TAH grant classes
Last spring, I had the opportunity to present at the National Council for History Educators conference... and I have the same opportunity this year as well!!
I have gain massive amounts of state/local history and improved using local archives to teach
I've been taught how to use DBQs in all levels of classrooms
Finally, I have recently been accepted to take a 10 day trip to Boston and a week of class at George Mason University in June and July! This last course will help me complete my Masters and have 4 extra credits. I am so excited!
And I am so happy that SOMETIMES our government gets things right with education. For now, i'll stay positive and keep that in mind every time my school frustrates me.
