Fitting In

today was a small victory in my two week teaching life at this new school.

my students played a game with out anyone getting in trouble.  this would not have happened in Philly.

sophomores Zach and Ben teased me after class about my big fish/small fish analogy.  then i later heard them discussing it in the hallway.  these are two boys who, on my first day as their teacher, gave me the "Who The Hell Are You" look and put in their earphones as soon as i started talking.   they take them out now when i raise my eyebrow.  and they participate.

also on my first day with the sophomores, Cecelia got mad that i wouldn't let her talk to Tangi during the assignment.  she sat in the back of the room repeating over and over:  "i hate her." today Cecelia asked for my help.

the second day of teaching said sophomore class, i felt sick before school and i had to stop writing on the board in class because my hands were shaking.  i laughed inside at that today as i distinctly noticed the return of my confident and strict tone and saw positive responses in the students.  phew.

i handed out an essay assignment and no one grumbled.  it even has to be typed.    

Matthew, who three days ago whined about not watching any movies, exhaled in excitement when i told him the next book we're reading. you know that, "hoooooooa!"

Bryan was new to our school last week.  his English transfer grade was an F.  when he turned in a half-completed assignment, i gave it back with a "No way, man.  You finish that thing or it's unacceptable."  he has done extra on every assignment since and still waves at me in the hallway.

these may seem like small things, and they are.  but any teacher out there will understand each one's significance.

Janitorial Assistance

the toothless janitor in my building comes in every afternoon around 2:35 to empty the trash and remind me to recycle.

today, he gave me some ideas of jokes i could use on my students.

1.

there was a woman taking a bath in milk.  the man came in and asked if it was pasteurized.  she said, "nope, it is just up to my waist."

2. (placing two pennies in my palm)

"do ya see two snakes there?"

"no."

"ya sure?"

"sure."

"look again.  there're two copper heads."

3.  (this time taking the pennies back)

"there are two uses for these: 

a) a penny for your thoughts

b) talk is cheap

thanks, sir.  where did you say is the recycling bin?

"I'd buy a $1,000 worth of spicy chicken."

my Sophomore English class is reading Steinbeck's The Pearl.  i didn't like the book back when i read it in 8th grade, so i was annoyed when i found out that the class was already a chapter in when i joined the staff.  however, my mind has been opened.  i now really like the story and love teaching it.  my students seem to feel likewise.

today we did an assignment (to connect the story to their lives) about purchasing power and values.  Kino, the main character, comes upon a potential fortune with his discovery of a valuable pearl.  he tells his neighbors and family that with the money he will pay for him and his wife to be married in a church, he will educate his son, buy new clothes for the family, and then get a new harpoon and rifle for himself.  his desires here show that he values family, independence, societal recognition, the release from ignorance, among other things. 

my students listed a few things they would do with $200,00, and what their choices reveal about what they value most.

if I had a sudden $200,000 i'd get rid of student loans and buy a plot of land.  where would I buy the land?  Denver, probably.  then i'd make plans to build small little houses on it that everyone i love could live in.  these houses would be sort of far apart, so that no one would kill each other.  we'd have a garden in the middle.  lots of flowers.  and, why not?  how 'bout some Easter egg chickens. 

this shows i value being debt-free, living in a place i love, being able to help fam and friends, comfort, beauty, and cute eggs.  and, the fact that i did an assignment about money shows that i value people thinking about how they use theirs.

Babies

I just overheard in my last class that one of my 15 year-old students is pregnant. She told a group of girls that she was sitting with, and they all looked at her in sympathy. One said, "Well, your baby will be pretty!..." and another, "Man I am not going there until I am 26!" This comment made me sad for the little doe-eyed girl sitting there with an expressionless face. She suddenly seems a lot tinier to me than she did before.

She has not yet told her parents. She is afraid to.

I tried to find a way conveniently pull her away from the group to chat, but to no avail. After class a herd of students needed help.

I am dying to talk to her, though I am afraid I don't know how. Unsolicited help doesn't always go over well with teens, and I don't have a relationship with her yet that would merit my barge. I don't have her class again until Thursday, and what if she needs someone now? Almost everything I think of to do seems a bit too overwhelming. Maybe I can sneak her out of another class tomorrow--but then say what? I could always write her a note and vicariously talk to her, but that almost seems insincere.

I wish I had snagged her today! No matter how uncertain I am about talking to her, I know that doing nothing because I don't know what to do would be the bigger mistake. It's my job, right? Is it presumptuous of me to assume she even needs or wants anything?

Even if so, I can't help it.  I'll find a way to talk to her tomorrow.

She is a sweet little girl that needs help.  

I hope I'm not belittling her.

Cute Cute Cute

this is my cousin Selena's new baby, Lily. pretty girl!

i love this, the dog licking her toes.

Savannah

this is my two-year old kindred spirit. we both love babies and flowers, and

are quite vocal about getting what we want.

Nail Tech

my little sister is apprenticing to be a nail technician. the can't-live-without manicure girl. let me tell you, she is talented. you should see my toes.

nails might run in the family, as one of my favorite chores is cutting fingernails. not sure why, it just is.

Jonah and Ryanne recently let me tackle their's.

Thanks but...

i've started my new job at a high school in Salt Lake. i'm teaching Sophomore English and Skills for Success, a class to support students who are struggling in school.
i'm really excited about this position, because i've been wanting to try out high school (over middle school) to see how it's different.

this is how it's different:

friday the students were divided up into 4 groups, 2 making a list on a poster about the reasons why people use certain drugs, and the other 2 describing the consequences of such use. Tyler was the scribe for his group, listing why some people choose to smoke marijuana. when i called for all lists to be posted on the board, his was the last to go up. his last bullet for why people smoke marijuana was "F%$* that Sh@#&."

this was of course written bigger than any thing else on the paper, so it was easily detected. i took it off the board and put it back on his desk. "I like that you're so against marijuana use. Please make this classroom appropriate." without a grumble he drew some pictures over it and it was ready to go up. looked pretty good, actually.

he also had on the reasons poster: "Because you know you're going to get some from your girl." to which a teacher can only reply: "Oh yeah, because a guy is so HOT when he is high!"

so, here we go.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring,
if you like.
Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

--Carol Ann Duffy

i found this poem while teaching poetry last year. it is one of my favorites.

check out Mary Ann's Valentine surprise. it sort of makes me want a husband.

Ronaldinho

i saw this jersey hung up in a random hotdog store in LA a few weekends ago. these are usually on the backs of Brasilians.

different world

there are some things that never cross a single girl's mind.

a potty chart is one of those things i've never thought about exisiting. this is the chart of cute little Ellie, my friend Angie's little girl.


i think the first catergory is especially amusing. when i told her this, my friend responded that i won't think it is so funny when i actually have to remember to teach such an imperative step.

i learned with my seventh graders, and myself, that stickers can be amazingly motivating.