Well, unlike last year, the end of the 2010-2011 school year was busy busy busy. Not only did I make good on my promise to work the last day of school (AM assignment with Life Skills at OHS!), I actually worked every school day in June.
This summer, I am working events for a small local business, vending at fairs and whatnot, volunteering, teaching a 2-week arts-focused day camp, and being a good little housewife as my fiancee and I move into the house we just bought - I'll be in charge of unpacking and organizing our stuff, decorating, and spending his hard earned money on furniture and other feminine frippery.
What will the next school year bring? Well, hopefully a *real* teaching job. But with budget cuts all around and deep cuts in the arts, it's not looking good. If I am back and subbing next year, I have a couple of potential family leaves to cover for. Also, my main district is moving to a new substitute phone system that will put more emphasis on license area and teacher requests and less on seniority. I have also been invited by our union group to join the substitute bargaining committee, duking it out with the big boys at the district office. Whatever happens next, it's sure to be exciting!
Showing posts with label OHS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OHS. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Almost there!
My school district is out next Tuesday. Mentally, I had prepared to be "done" earlier this month, thinking "oh, jobs will be really slim in June, who hires a sub the last week of school?"
Answer: everyone, apparently. I have worked every single school day in June, and I'm booked tomorrow, Monday, and hopefully the last day of school (had a teacher ask me but it's not in the online system yet.)
Over here on the west coast it has been unseasonably cold and cloudy, which makes it feel like the school year will go on forever. But the signs of the end of school are there: packed up boxes in classrooms, test study guides, libraries and textbook rooms in disarray, hyper kids. On days like yesterday, when I had 7th graders all day at AK-8, this is a Good Thing. "Nearly done!" I think to myself, with relief. But days like today, with some of my favorite freshmen at OHS, I get a little wistful and the rays of sun are a Sad Thing. It is especially hard as a sub because while I care about them very much, the kids don't really know me and won't miss me too much. Also, since I am applying like mad to any available jobs, I may not work for the district next year and therefore probably won't see them again.
Sigh.
Answer: everyone, apparently. I have worked every single school day in June, and I'm booked tomorrow, Monday, and hopefully the last day of school (had a teacher ask me but it's not in the online system yet.)
Over here on the west coast it has been unseasonably cold and cloudy, which makes it feel like the school year will go on forever. But the signs of the end of school are there: packed up boxes in classrooms, test study guides, libraries and textbook rooms in disarray, hyper kids. On days like yesterday, when I had 7th graders all day at AK-8, this is a Good Thing. "Nearly done!" I think to myself, with relief. But days like today, with some of my favorite freshmen at OHS, I get a little wistful and the rays of sun are a Sad Thing. It is especially hard as a sub because while I care about them very much, the kids don't really know me and won't miss me too much. Also, since I am applying like mad to any available jobs, I may not work for the district next year and therefore probably won't see them again.
Sigh.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
ESL
This week I taught newcomer ESL at OHS for four days. It was really interesting and exciting and a new challenge. My day went like this:
Per 1/2 - Language arts block with all the students.
Per 3 - Prep
Per 4- ESL Math with half the students.
LUNCH
Per 5 - ESL Math with the other half of the students.
Per 6 - Duty
Per 7 - Language support with all the students. (Computer reading programs, reading time, conversation practice, HW help, etc.)
At OHS, they have the ESL kids divided into two sections - those who had school in their country of origin and those who didn't. I had the kids who didn't, which makes life even more interesting.
One thing I learned really quickly is that these students are not reflected in mass-produced ESL curriculum. One passage that we read was entitled "My English Class" and listed all the people in the narrator's class. They were from Mexico, Puerto Rico, China, Japan, and France. My kids? They were from Somalia, Chad, Kenya, Burma, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It's really hard explaining to kids who just learned the English alphabet in September (or more recently, since immigration plans don't really take into account our school year) that the "J" sound is totally different if they are reading about "Juan." Another bizarre thing was that while the curriculum did include a nice variety of foreign names, all the "American" names were old-fashioned ones like Frank, Loretta, Patty, or Margaret. Really, how often will today's generation need to stumble over "Margaret" rather than "Jessica?" Also, I totally skipped the reading lesson that wanted them to try and decipher cursive. That's just cruel.
The last period of my last day there, I gave them a little break - we watched shorts from "Shaun the Sheep" by Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit guy) and I made a little handout to answer questions using this week's vocabulary and sentence structure. Nick Park's stuff is awesome for this because there is no dialogue - all the plot is shown with action and expression. It makes everything very universal. Here's one that we watched:
Per 1/2 - Language arts block with all the students.
Per 3 - Prep
Per 4- ESL Math with half the students.
LUNCH
Per 5 - ESL Math with the other half of the students.
Per 6 - Duty
Per 7 - Language support with all the students. (Computer reading programs, reading time, conversation practice, HW help, etc.)
At OHS, they have the ESL kids divided into two sections - those who had school in their country of origin and those who didn't. I had the kids who didn't, which makes life even more interesting.
One thing I learned really quickly is that these students are not reflected in mass-produced ESL curriculum. One passage that we read was entitled "My English Class" and listed all the people in the narrator's class. They were from Mexico, Puerto Rico, China, Japan, and France. My kids? They were from Somalia, Chad, Kenya, Burma, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It's really hard explaining to kids who just learned the English alphabet in September (or more recently, since immigration plans don't really take into account our school year) that the "J" sound is totally different if they are reading about "Juan." Another bizarre thing was that while the curriculum did include a nice variety of foreign names, all the "American" names were old-fashioned ones like Frank, Loretta, Patty, or Margaret. Really, how often will today's generation need to stumble over "Margaret" rather than "Jessica?" Also, I totally skipped the reading lesson that wanted them to try and decipher cursive. That's just cruel.
The last period of my last day there, I gave them a little break - we watched shorts from "Shaun the Sheep" by Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit guy) and I made a little handout to answer questions using this week's vocabulary and sentence structure. Nick Park's stuff is awesome for this because there is no dialogue - all the plot is shown with action and expression. It makes everything very universal. Here's one that we watched:
Monday, March 28, 2011
Alas, poor mouse
Today I subbed at one of my regular gigs, freshman science at OHS. I knew already that 1) this was an unexpected absence and so there were no lesson plans, I would have to make it up and 2) I would have a first period prep to do so. I didn't even go to the classroom, just straight to the library to use the computers to print out two articles on earthquake preparedness (2 different lengths/reading levels) and then back to the office to photocopy and staple them. After chatting with some teachers I headed up to the room to get ready, with about 10-15 minutes to spare.
I noticed a white board propped against the teacher desk with "Mouse Names" at the top and several suggestions below. (Some of my favorites included "Khadafi," "Osama," and "Despereaux.") There must be a new pet, I thought, to add to the turtles and house plants already there. I saw the cage and headed over to look - and there he was, curled up asleep in his food bowl. I looked closer and he didn't move. I tapped the glass and he didn't move. Fearing the worst, I opened the cage and tapped his cold furry back.
Yup. Dead.
Quickly, I put the cage in the back storage room and locked it tight. When the kids came in I insisted their teacher had taken the mouse home and that's why the cage wasn't there. At lunch I called her cell and gave her a heads up so she can either find a matching grey mouse or break the news to them. I mean, that's why she gets the big bucks and I'm "just a sub."
I noticed a white board propped against the teacher desk with "Mouse Names" at the top and several suggestions below. (Some of my favorites included "Khadafi," "Osama," and "Despereaux.") There must be a new pet, I thought, to add to the turtles and house plants already there. I saw the cage and headed over to look - and there he was, curled up asleep in his food bowl. I looked closer and he didn't move. I tapped the glass and he didn't move. Fearing the worst, I opened the cage and tapped his cold furry back.
Yup. Dead.
Quickly, I put the cage in the back storage room and locked it tight. When the kids came in I insisted their teacher had taken the mouse home and that's why the cage wasn't there. At lunch I called her cell and gave her a heads up so she can either find a matching grey mouse or break the news to them. I mean, that's why she gets the big bucks and I'm "just a sub."
Friday, October 29, 2010
Good Things.
So, those of you who know me know that I had one particularly awful day on Tuesday and that the fallout is still ... falling. I will post about it once all the chips are down. Anyways, the rest of the week was spent at different assignments at OHS and boy was I glad!! It's like going home. And the kids are so awesome. A few examples from today:
I wore my "Queen Bee" costume and got lots of laughs and compliments. I even got one "Your Highness." And a drawing!
Not bad for a 17 year old, right?
One of the girls dressed up as Tank Girl. So rad.
One of my former students offered to organize some sort of march on the school district office to get me my job back.
A special ed kid told me that there is an eagle in his head that is controlled by the GPS and other machinery in his glasses. Only not really! Ha ha!
AND one of my former co-workers bought me a beer after work. TGIF!
I wore my "Queen Bee" costume and got lots of laughs and compliments. I even got one "Your Highness." And a drawing!
Not bad for a 17 year old, right?
One of the girls dressed up as Tank Girl. So rad.
One of my former students offered to organize some sort of march on the school district office to get me my job back.
A special ed kid told me that there is an eagle in his head that is controlled by the GPS and other machinery in his glasses. Only not really! Ha ha!
AND one of my former co-workers bought me a beer after work. TGIF!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
I'm back!
Arrgh! Internet issues!! Finally resolved.
So, since the last entry:
SHS - Photography classes! Keeping an eye on a darkroom AND classroom with 35 squirrelly 10-12th graders is a challenge to say the least. Plus distributing materials, collecting money for replacement materials, and helping kids avoid major disasters like opening their film in the light.
SHS - Back to the digital media classes while Mr. U was ill. This time, working with faces in Photoshop - creating composite photos and altering their own faces into free-choice goofiness. At the end of one period I gave them the extra credit option to write a 5-page paper on the gender implications in the habit of the boys adding tons of facial hair to their own photos (one kid even made himself into a wolf-man-type-thing) and makeup to each others' photos. No one did it, but they thought it was funny that I asked them to.
OHS - Life Skills. This is a super-special ed classroom where we were pretty much self-contained for the whole day (3rd period they went to electives), working on things like drawing, numbers (via a game of Yahtzee), doing household chores (getting ready for lunch, cleaning up after, other duties), cursive, plus we went for a walk to the neighborhood park and read out a few chapters of "Percy Jackson." I had three aides but it was still exhausting!
SHS - Language Arts - super easy day of checking in homework and then popping in a movie - the juniors were watching "Guilty By Suspicion" in relation to "The Crucible" and "The Scarlet Letter," (I got to watch the emotional Senate hearing ending three times) and the seniors were watching "Good Morning Vietnam" in relation to "When Heaven and the Earth Switched Places," a Vietnam memoir.
So, since the last entry:
SHS - Photography classes! Keeping an eye on a darkroom AND classroom with 35 squirrelly 10-12th graders is a challenge to say the least. Plus distributing materials, collecting money for replacement materials, and helping kids avoid major disasters like opening their film in the light.
SHS - Back to the digital media classes while Mr. U was ill. This time, working with faces in Photoshop - creating composite photos and altering their own faces into free-choice goofiness. At the end of one period I gave them the extra credit option to write a 5-page paper on the gender implications in the habit of the boys adding tons of facial hair to their own photos (one kid even made himself into a wolf-man-type-thing) and makeup to each others' photos. No one did it, but they thought it was funny that I asked them to.
OHS - Life Skills. This is a super-special ed classroom where we were pretty much self-contained for the whole day (3rd period they went to electives), working on things like drawing, numbers (via a game of Yahtzee), doing household chores (getting ready for lunch, cleaning up after, other duties), cursive, plus we went for a walk to the neighborhood park and read out a few chapters of "Percy Jackson." I had three aides but it was still exhausting!
SHS - Language Arts - super easy day of checking in homework and then popping in a movie - the juniors were watching "Guilty By Suspicion" in relation to "The Crucible" and "The Scarlet Letter," (I got to watch the emotional Senate hearing ending three times) and the seniors were watching "Good Morning Vietnam" in relation to "When Heaven and the Earth Switched Places," a Vietnam memoir.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Summer Activities
So, for the last week I have been working at OHS, doing a "credit retrieval" summer school of sorts. Pretty much, we take freshmen who earned around 55% in a core class and give them time, space, and tutoring to do enough assignments to get it up to a passing grade, 65% or so. I was in charge of the science group, which meant organizing lab materials, photocopying tests and packets, and of course brushing up on my own chemistry and physics skills. Very rusty.
The next project is to study for my standardized math test to add a 6-8 math endorsement to my license. I am hoping that will improve my chances at getting a full time job next year!
The next project is to study for my standardized math test to add a 6-8 math endorsement to my license. I am hoping that will improve my chances at getting a full time job next year!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Science!!
Half day today, filling in for a science teacher at OHS. I can't remember if I wrote about her classes before, but I did sub for one day about a month ago. It was block day, and I got her 3rd period freshman science followed by her 5th period, which was the same curriculum but sheltered for English language learners. Long story short, it was a "simple machines" lab where students experimented with pulleys, see-saws, etc and recorded results. 3rd period was terrible. Uninterested, uncreative, unresponsive. 5th period was amazing - students from 5 different countries working together to build an elaborate pulley system to raise a jug of water that 3rd period couldn't budge.
Anyways, today they were working on their final project, which was to use simple machines to build a wacky Rube Goldberg type device. It seemed really fun and reminded me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
Which I let some students watch online for inspiration.
Anyways, today they were working on their final project, which was to use simple machines to build a wacky Rube Goldberg type device. It seemed really fun and reminded me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
Which I let some students watch online for inspiration.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
My, how they've grown.
One of the main things that I miss about being a classroom teacher is the bonds and relationships one forms with their students, and the opportunity to see those students grow. Sure, I get to go to OHS and check in on my former charges, but I am not experiencing the growth with a fresh batch this year.
Even as a substitute, though, you can see some growth. For example, I was at AK-8 today, with the Wednesday kids that I used to see weekly in the fall. The eighth graders today came in, were relatively polite, mostly did their work in a non-messy way, noticed the time, cleaned up completely, and headed back to class! Color me speechless! Now, of course I can't take credit for more than a tiny percentage of their education, so at the end of the day I went down the hall and complimented them to their teacher. She said that's the third compliment she's gotten today - they went on a field trip and were praised by the Courthouse staff and the city bus driver who took them there. So they really are growing!
Even as a substitute, though, you can see some growth. For example, I was at AK-8 today, with the Wednesday kids that I used to see weekly in the fall. The eighth graders today came in, were relatively polite, mostly did their work in a non-messy way, noticed the time, cleaned up completely, and headed back to class! Color me speechless! Now, of course I can't take credit for more than a tiny percentage of their education, so at the end of the day I went down the hall and complimented them to their teacher. She said that's the third compliment she's gotten today - they went on a field trip and were praised by the Courthouse staff and the city bus driver who took them there. So they really are growing!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Irregular Economics
While that could be the title of my bank account, or my current career path, it was actually the title of the lesson I was left for two periods today. Now, I take pride in my ability to deliver a wide variety of high school curriculum, from Algebra to German to Ceramics to Physics labs to US History, plus all of that modified for special ed or English learners ... but seriously?!?! A powerpoint lecture on how irregular economic events cause inflation or stagnation in the GDP and unemployment figures, as evidenced by graphs of aggregate supply and aggregate demand, plus how governments get themselves into and out of this with lassaiz faire, supply-centric, or demand-centric policy ... all illustrated in historical events such as the Great Depression, the 70's recession, and Reaganomics.
No. Freaking. Way.
If I knew how all that worked, I wouldn't be where I am today, I can tell you that!
Luckily, the class has also been watching and discussing "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" so Hulu.com saved the day with the season finale that they hadn't seen yet.
I left an apologetic note to the teacher, but I don't feel that bad for not sticking to the lesson plan.
What is the craziest lesson you've ever been asked to teach?
No. Freaking. Way.
If I knew how all that worked, I wouldn't be where I am today, I can tell you that!
Luckily, the class has also been watching and discussing "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" so Hulu.com saved the day with the season finale that they hadn't seen yet.
I left an apologetic note to the teacher, but I don't feel that bad for not sticking to the lesson plan.
What is the craziest lesson you've ever been asked to teach?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Left Right Left!
I have been at OHS since Tuesday and I'm going back tomorrow, but that is not unusual. (Seriously, I had a student and a fellow teacher who both only just realized last week that I don't teach there anymore!) What is unusual is that my schedule was Science, Art, Science, and tomorrow, Art.
How fun to switch from left- to right-brain daily (if you believe the old brain theories)! The students do a double take when they see me in Science, too - "Ms. GT, I thought you were an ART teacher!"
"Well, I am, but today we are doing a physics lab together! YAY!"
If nothing else, this year has given me an opportunity to show that art people can also be Science, Math, PE, English, or History buffs too.
How fun to switch from left- to right-brain daily (if you believe the old brain theories)! The students do a double take when they see me in Science, too - "Ms. GT, I thought you were an ART teacher!"
"Well, I am, but today we are doing a physics lab together! YAY!"
If nothing else, this year has given me an opportunity to show that art people can also be Science, Math, PE, English, or History buffs too.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
One Day
Two awful movies.
1. Pay It Forward. Oh dear Lord, it's just painful to watch Spacey, Hunt, and the creepy kid in their earnest and fruitless quest for an Oscar.
2. Shark Tale. Everything that is wrong with kids' movies. Cheesy urban lingo: check. Madonna/whore female characters: check. Glossing over really bad life decisions like credit and gambling: check. Sir Mix-a-Lot: check.
Any particular hated movies for you?
1. Pay It Forward. Oh dear Lord, it's just painful to watch Spacey, Hunt, and the creepy kid in their earnest and fruitless quest for an Oscar.
2. Shark Tale. Everything that is wrong with kids' movies. Cheesy urban lingo: check. Madonna/whore female characters: check. Glossing over really bad life decisions like credit and gambling: check. Sir Mix-a-Lot: check.
Any particular hated movies for you?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Guten Morgen, Mein Kinder!
Taught German class this afternoon!!!
So fun -
A) I got to brush up on and test my German skills
B) At OHS - love those kids
C) Got to watch "Shrek" dubbed in German and a film I hadn't seen, "Advertising Rules" - German with English subtitles. It was really good and I wish I knew how it ended.
So fun -
A) I got to brush up on and test my German skills
B) At OHS - love those kids
C) Got to watch "Shrek" dubbed in German and a film I hadn't seen, "Advertising Rules" - German with English subtitles. It was really good and I wish I knew how it ended.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Miss Popular
Well, it looks like I'm booked solid for the next two weeks, including a 4-day-long gig at the ever-lovely NHS and several at my old stomping grounds OHS. Today was middle school math ... kids that really should be well-behaved (upper class neighborhood, etc) but are actually kinda loud and obnoxious. Luckily the days are getting longer so I can unwind with a trip to the bank and library, outside reading time with the newspaper and pet chickens, and now a glass of wine as I blog and listen to the neighbors playing outside. It's amazing what a few hours of light can do for your mood!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Maaarion ... The Libraaaaaaarian
Today and tomorrow I get to sub for OHS's librarian! It's an awesome gig -- there is an assistant there to tell me everything I need to know about all the technology and check-out systems (or just go ahead and run it since that's what she does usually), lots of art projects to do to make the place look nice, research to be done, and kids swinging by. On my plate for this stint: researching websites about Haitian history and culture for a reading/author event, making a poster and cardboard cut-outs for a display case commemorating Dr. Seuss's birthday, and checking the shelves to make sure everything is neat and alphabetized. Rejoice!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
More found objects
I do not remember being this smart in high school. (Found at my old high school, which has an unfair reputation for being "ghetto" and underperforming.)
Great week so far!
Wow, I have never been so glad for Christmas (oops, I mean Winter) break to be over! It ended up being a 3-week break for me because the calls stopped on Tuesday the week before break and I didn't get a gig until the day after they came back. Luckily I have a part-time retail gig that keeps me busy in the weeks before Christmas, but ... I'm a teacher, dammit! I want to hang out with kids!
Anyways, my first gig back was a three day stint in a friend's special education room back where I used to teach (OHS). Because the curriculum for these classes is so complicated (they work from a special textbook and workbook that seems like it was written in another language, there are so many routines and jargon words), the teacher and I worked out an alternate arrangement. Pretty much for the three days we would read part of an article about the British graffiti artist Banksy (image above, but your own google search is highly recommended), then work on our own stencils. It was awesome, combining special ed literacy with ART ART ART! By day three we were in an abandoned shop classroom spray painting our stencils. The kids got really creative with color combos and special effects. I really love doing these fun projects with kids and it makes me even hungrier for my own classroom!
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