Meandering Thoughts of MomTo3Kidz: Teaching

A tough day to be a teacher

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:52:22 GMT

Yesterday during my direct class I got a call from my friend Karen. She had just heard from Harley's sister that one of our students was killed in a car crash right down the road from her house, but all she knew was that it was a student coming to school from the vocational school in our county. My mind raced through my classlist as I tried to think what students I have at that school. I felt sick to my stomach as I pictured their faces. For some reason the first person I thought of is one of my students with CP - Aaron. "Please God, don't let it be him. Don't let it be anyone I know. Maybe there has been some sort of mix up and no one died."

A few minutes later the principal announced that we needed to turn on our televisions. I knew the dreaded announcement was coming. Three students were in that crash. Two injured and one dead. I did know the student who died. Martin had been in two or three of my classes since I started teaching three years ago. In fact, we just spoke in the hallway earlier in the week. He and Aaron have been friends for years. I sobbed at the announcement and tears streamed down my face. I left the room for a minute to calm myself and then went on with business as usual.

My students were so sweet. One boy who swears that he hates my class because I am so mean, came up and gave me a hug. A girl made a note that said something like, "We love Mrs. B." and then she put all of the students' names on it. Even the student who drives me crazy with his non-stop talking was subdued after the announcement.

My friend Terri and I sat in our office after school and cried and talked. She had been his teacher of record for four years. We had such hopes for Martin's future. We were so pleased that he was going to make it through high school despite his disability, a less than perfect home life, and some bad choices along the way. Martin was going to graduate on June 8th.

No School Today

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:38:11 GMT

We had a thunder storm last evening. A thunder storm in Indiana on January 29th, and the high temperature of the day was 50 degrees. Then the temperature started dropping - down a whopping 31 degrees in three hours. When I woke up this morning the temperature was 0 and the wind chill factor was - -20. Craig's truck doors were frozen shut. He had to yank and pull and jerk to get one open. The kids' schools closed, my school closed, and Marilyn's school closed. Am I happy about my unexpected day off? NO! My school year will now be extended into June. I think the students will still get out in May, but the teachers have to come in one day in June. If we have another day off, we will have two days in June, and so on. This is why my bad weather chant is, "Two hour delay HEY, two hour delay!"

Pajama Day and othe stuff

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 11:33:55 GMT

It is Spirit Week at my high school. Yesterday was "crazy hair day." My hair is usually standing up on top, so I wore it totally flat. One student was astute enough to realize that my new style coincided with crazy hair day. Today is "pajama day." I am wearing Craig's black and red, plaid pajama bottoms, which I wear to bed when I am feeling especially cold, and a long-sleeved black t-shirt. I searched high and low for my tennis shoes and couldn't find them, so I have black oxford shoes on to complete my dorky outfit. Tomorrow is "twin day." Two of my friends and I will probably make it "triplet day" and wear the same clothing combination. Friday we are supposed to wear school colors, so that means I can wear jeans. In case you didn't already know it, teachers love to wear jeans to school. We dream up excuses to wear jeans to school and hope that our principal doesn't notice (or doesn't care) that we are breaking the dress code. Anyhow, if we participate in Spirit Week, it is pretty much a given that jeans are allowed. Yay!

Yesterday Victoria brought home the dreaded science board. Crap. I swear her teacher told me that she was giving her students time in class to work on them. Oh noooo- they held an open school thingy where parents could bring their kids in to complete their boards and use the school's supplies. Like I wanted to share markers, rulers, paper, and scissors with bunches of other stressed parents and hyper kids. We stayed home and Victoria finished her board last night. Now all I have to do is pretend to be a judge and ask her a bunch of questions, so she is ready for the interview portion of the science fair. Call that turkey DONE!

How to lose your teaching job in one year

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 16:11:54 GMT

Remember me writing about the English teacher who showed a video of a comedian talking about body piercings? I just heard the rumor that she will not have her contract renewed. I was in her English 10 class for one semester, so I got to observe her performance. How do you lose a teaching job after one year?

1. Clothing- Wear clothes suitable for a destitute old lady or one of the Beverly Hillbillies. Make sure you put a sweater over it that is big enough for a Sumo Wrestler. Kids will be sneaking pictures of you with their cell phones and sending the photos to their parents and friends during class with text messages that say, "What a loser."

2. Classroom Management - Cry in front of the students because they are rude, disrespectful bratts, who openly hate you, and will tell you to your face during class. You just handed them complete control of the class.

3. Special Education Modifications and Accommodations - Ignore them. Ignore them even when three different special education teachers come and sit with you to explain who the students are, what the modifications are, and how they are done. Ignore them even when you are told that it is against the law not to provide the services. Finally pay attention after a parent goes ballistic and brings the administration into the picture.

4. Parent/Teacher Conferences - When the ballistic parent and the administration meet with you about the modifications, blubber uncontrollably about how overwhelmed you are. Make it nearly impossible for anyone to carry on a conversation because of your sobbing.

5. Homework and Projects - When the 10th grade English standard is to write a 5 paragraph essay, assign a 3 - 5 page research paper in APA format. Tell the kids they must write the paper on censorship even though they have other ideas about interesting topics. I have to say that I think that the kids should start writing research papers in 10th grade, however, it needs to be a scaffolded process, with the research papers being smaller and gradually increasing the requirements. I wouldn't begin with a huge paper that is worth 500 points.

6. Grading - Assign so much work to your three classes that you cannot possibly grade it all in a timely manner. Get two weeks behind in entering grades in the electronic gradebook, so that special education teachers and parents cannot track student performance.

7. Student/Teacher Relationships - Try to act like a buddy and discuss video games with the class. Show a video of a nasty comedian and laugh. Act like a child and tell the class to "shut up" whenever they get too chatty during transitions. Yeah, that will get a lot of respect.

8. Parent/Teacher Communication - Ignore the incessent e-mails from the parent who got your butt in trouble in the first place. Announce to the class that you "just don't have time" to respond to parent e-mails because you have way too much work to do.

9. Instruction - give detailed oral instruction on the steps of writing a research paper in front of the classroom. Write some stuff on the board, but don't tell the students that they must be taking notes on the material. Expect them to take the initiative, and when they whine that they don't know what to do say, "I told you yesterday..."

I think that about covers it. Remember my instructions in case you ever want to lose a teaching job in one year. Apparently it takes more than a brilliant mind to be a teacher (and believe me this woman is a brainiac.)

Work is good

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:34:42 GMT

This semester I am teaching a new class called Basic Skills Development. Two of the teachers I work with developed it. The goal of the class is to teach our students some basic skills for school and for life after school. The class is divided up into math computation, problem solving (real life issues), reading, speaking and listening, and writing and note-taking. Some of the life skills that will be incorporated into the lessons include telephone etiquette, making appointments, comparing and choosing a cell phone plan, filling out job applications, basic first aid, the importance of taking medications properly, and local agency information (such as food pantries, child protective services, the health department...)

Already this week I have had the kids give a short speech. I want them to get accustomed to talking in front of people, not about research topics, but about things they are familiar with. What they don't realize is that in a few weeks they will have some guests watching them speak. I need some less familiar people to come in and change the dynamics a bit. Maybe my parents will visit, or a staff member from the office who isn't normally in the classroom at all...

Next week I am walking with my class to the junior high to get their reading levels tested. The sad thing about high school is that we don't have any standardized reading tests, so we have no idea what our students are capable of reading and comprehending. Luckily the junior high is on our campus and their staff has agreed to set up the computers for testing. I will be able to share the results with their teachers of record. The information should help us determine what materials to use in our direct classes, and help the general education teachers who have them in elective classes. Believe me, I intend to make the student read, even if I have to visit the public library to find books at their reading levels.

Teaching this class and Econ might be the very thing I need to keep me teaching at the high school level. If I could take some computer classes, I might even be willing to teach direct digital communication tools. I just want to teach useful subjects. I have difficulty believing that learning history is going to improve their lives outside of school.

So for right now, I am a happy camper at work. However, don't expect this attitude to continue - I have to start using the computer program from HELL to write IEP's very soon. Ugh! I will be crying and gnashing my teeth by then.

I visited Harley today

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:51:39 GMT

Today my friend Karen and I went to visit Harley during our lunch break. It was my fourth visit since his accident in July. I have to say that I am impressed with his progress since I saw him in November. He was totally alert, friendly, smiling, talkative...His hair has almost completely covered the giant scars on his skull. His eyes are bright and sparkley again. His G-tube comes out today, since he can now eat normal food. He was being demanding and ornery with his sister who takes care of him.

On the downside, Harley cannot move his left arm or leg. He cannot walk. He has to wear diapers. He mumbles his words, so it is often difficult to understand what he is saying. He is terribly thin. Eating is hard work and he gets lazy. Karen and I teased him that he needs to pig out and put some weight on his bones, and he said, "I don't want to get fat." Next time we visit we are taking him a chocolate shake and do our part to encourage weight gain.

The best part of our visit (at least to me) was when he told us how lucky he is to be alive. He said that he thanks God for it and for all the people who prayed for him. I told him that I do a whole lot of praying for him and he looked in my eyes and said," Thanks for praying for me. I really appreciate it." The old Harley would not have mentioned God. The new Harley loves God and has beautiful manners. I loved the old Harley and I am going to enjoy getting to know the new Harley.

Two hour delay HEY!

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:40:54 GMT

Yesterday my school district released students at 1:00. It wasn't a planned early release. Apparently the small town water treatment plant could not handle all of the water caused by 19 inches of snow melting and 2.5 inches of rain. Rumor has it that the water in the "pools" at the plant overflowed and turds were floating down the street. The schools run a huge amount of water through the sewer system, so we closed early to help the water go down. Whatever. Teachers were required to stay. BOOO!

Last night I got the call that we have a two hour delay. I guess the sewage system still needs help. Fine by me. I can go in a little late and not feel guilty, plus get work done without interruption. Andrew is very happy because his school closed for the day due to flooded roads on two sides of the school. Why the school was built in such a low area, right next to a river, I will never understand. Victoria is whining because her school is open and running on a normal schedule. This is the same girl who was dying for school to start. I think she just wants to stay home and play Gameboy Advance - like I would let her do that all day.

The fun part of the two hour delay was calling Marilyn to rub it in. Her school system almost never closes or has delays. I can never resist calling to say, "Na, na, na, na, naaa, na. I have a two hour delaaay, and you don't!" I am a rotten friend.

On to other news. Today I am going to the doctor. I have been coughing for 9 weeks straight. Sometimes I cough so hard that I about throw up. I don't have a cold, or a fever, and my phlegm is clear. Being an ex-smoker, I am feeling slightly concerned. I was thinking asthma, allergies, or emphesyma, but then Craig watched a commercial about LAM and just had to tell me about it. Now that is one scary disease. Hopefully my doctor will know just what to do to get this cough to go away. I cannot wait for school to end today, so I can get to the doctor.

The job hunt

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 11:29:53 GMT

When I got home from work yesterday I had two messages waiting for me. One was from the agency that needs help in group homes and for individuals. They have a training session during my spring break, so I could actually fit it in. The starting pay is $8.00 an hour. The problem is that spring break isn't until April and I need to start working right away. They want me to call them at the beginning of March to schedule an interview. The other place is the agency that provides in-home care for the elderly. When I returned the call, the woman was in a job interview, so I left a message. If the two places are agreeable to me working only weekends during the school year, I might have a solution. I start working with the elderly, then if the pay stinks or I don't like it, I go to the other agency in April. Now wouldn't it be wild if I heard from another place today?

I try not to think of the injustice of it all. It took me 9 years to get through college and $30,000 in student loans. By the time I have taxes, health insurance, dental insurance, union dues, and the required amount of retirment taken from my check, I bring home a whopping $432.00 a week. The cost of our health insurance keeps going up, along with our deductibles. I might have to quit the teacher's union to make up some of the difference. I have to work a second job to make ends meet. Our country is so strange. We value athletes and entertainers so much more than educators.

Too many subs

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:42:03 GMT

My poor students. They are about "subbed out." All of the special education teachers have had meetings and personal days that require time off of work. Today we have a corporation wide special education meeting, so there will be a sub for third and fourth block. Tomorrow I have to go to court with Bio-mom and the special education math teacher will be gone, so there will be a sub for second and fourth block. Monday all the special education teachers are meeting to work on our new internet IEP program so there will be a sub for all four blocks. Some of my kids are in the same room for all four blocks.

I know kids like routine. I think our darlings with cognitive disabilities really count on it. For some reason, none of my subs actually follow the lesson plan I leave. I try to be detailed and specific. It doesn't work. They do crazy things like taking the movie off my shelf that is clearly marked "For emergency sub plan only!" and show it to the kids as a reward for good behavior. I would have happily smacked that sub upside his head, because I went out and purchases that movie specifically for the emergency plan. If some disaster happens and cannot get into school to write plans, they had a movie to watch that most of them had not seen. That jerk of a sub just had to improvise and decided not to read the note I left on the movie.

On several occasions the kids complained that the sub gave them the answers to the worksheets they were doing. Oh horrors. Now I leave specific instructions that say, "When the students need help, give them the first letter of the answer, or show them what page the answer is on. Do not give them the answers." LOL. I guess that the students felt that the sub insulted their intelligence by just telling them what to write. I am sure that the subs who know what a direct class is have very low expectations. They think they are being "helpful". The kids don't think so.

Several of the students in my direct class have emotional problems. They are the ones who complain the most bitterly about subs. What is funny is that they don't agree on who is a good sub and who isn't. Last week I had a 22 year old male sub. I didn't get to talk to him, but he was very cute. I thought the girls would love him. Oh no, the boys in my class thought he was cool, and the girls thought he was an unorganized dork. The girls loved the super anal, very upbeat mother (who I went to college with) and the boys thought she was way too bossy. They all agreed that they hated "the yeller." One of the other special education teachers came into my room while she was teaching and reported that she was way too militant for our kids. Instead of encouraging cooperation, the kids were rebelling against her controlling attitude. She really did yell. Needless to say, we asked that she never work with our direct classes again.

So now I have a sub three days in a row, and the final exam (which I have not written) is next Friday. I think I had better start working on some plans that include a lot of review - games, crosswords, stations, board work. Nothing like flying by the seat of my pants! When did I become a procrastinator?

The Secret Santa Dilemma

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:33:08 GMT

Every year my school has a Secret Santa gift exchange. In the past I didn't participate, since Craig was always unemployed by this time. This year I signed up. I got our shop teacher's name in the drawing. He is a very nice, fun, man, but I don't have a clue what to get him. Hand lotion, candles, and gift cards just won't cut it for a man. I have to put a gift a day for 5 days in his mailbox. I think I figured out 3 of the days. One day he gets a poem with snowman poop (marshmallows), another day I will give him flavored coffee (one time in desperation I got a cup of coffee from him and it was chocolate), and on the last day I will give him a goofy tie. He likes Bob the Builder and ties with tools or wood on them. I am bidding on a tie on E-bay, and hope I can win it today so that I get it before December 22. Maybe I can find an ornament of a construction worker, or repair man. I guess that I could put some sort of food in his box for the 5th day. Maybe he would like some cookies with his coffee. Geesh, women are so much easier to buy for. I still haven't figured out a gift for my own husband!

Harley Speaks

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:26:12 GMT

Today I got the great news that Harley spoke last night, for the first time. I was overjoyed. I quickly made arrangements to leave school in the middle of the day so I could visit him. Harley is as skinny as he was the last time I saw him, but he is out of the neck brace, the staples are out of his skull, he moves both arms and hands, has both eyes open, and talks. He didn't remember my name and he didn't initiate conversation. While I was there his mom called from work. She wanted all of the ladies at work to hear him speak, so he said, "hell-o," very slowly. His voice is monotone and he has long pauses between words. When his sister told him that the physical therapist wasn't coming today he said, "Good." He answered my questions with yes and no, and did tell me that when he gets to eat real food, he wants crab legs. I stayed around 20 minutes.

Another special education teacher visited just as I was leaving. She was only there for 5 minutes when Harley said, "I'm tired." I guess everyone was making him talk today and he was plain tuckered out. My friend and I had totally different reactions to the visit. I could barely keep a smile off of my face because I saw progress. She felt sad at the loss of the Harley we knew and loved. I hope to make it back for another visit in to weeks. Maybe his speech will be even better then.

Just call me the Nutty Teacher

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 01:48:04 GMT

Thursday I went over the study guide for the World History midterm. After all of the students knew they had the correct answers, we played a game. I guess I kind of combined game shows. I divided the class into two teams. Each question was worth 100 points. I would ask a question from the test and give the teams time to write the answers down on a white board. Then I would say, "Teams, show me your answers!" That wasn't exciting enough so I made every third question a Jeopardy question. They could wager as many points as they wanted. At one point one of the teams decided to risk 1000 out of 1400 points. Man were they stressed after they wrote down their wager. Belinda was writing the answers down (and she cannot read or spell) but she is one of my strongest students. She started getting worried that she wouldn't know the answer. Her face got red. She started dancing around with nervous energy. One of her team members walked away and said, "Oh man, I cannot stand this. It makes me stressed!" I tried to pick out one of the hardest questions. They weren't allowed to use their notes. Belinda's team (Team Peek-A-Boo) got the answer correct. Belinda was jumping for joy. I was cracking up. It wasn't like the prize was anything big. The winning team members each got 5 bonus points added to their total grade. You would have thought they were playing for cold, hard cash. For the last question, the teams had to wager half of their points. Both of the teams were sweating it on that one. I started making fun of them, telling them that I would love to see them on on a real game show. I said that they would be very entertaining on "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" Team Peek-A-Boo was victorious and their cheers were loud. Yep, I am a nut. I loved watching my students getting so wrapped up in the competition.

Earlier this week two of my students went running down the hallway toward class and I yelled at them to stop. It was Terri and Sam. Sam is very hyperactive and was jumping around celebrating his "victory"when he got into the classroom. Terri threw down the challenge, "I can beat you in a running race any time!" I said that running races needed to take place OUTSIDE - not in school. Sam wanted to go outside and prove his superiority right then and there. He kept pestering me to go outside to race. I told him that we could go outside some day after a test, but we had work to do. He immediately mentioned Friday as the day we were to take our midterm. I was silly enough to agree, thinking that the kids would forget about the whole thing. Wrong! Every day Sam mentioned the big race on Friday.

As soon as the midterm exam was complete we took a bathroom break and headed outside. The temperature was in the 50's, the wind was blowing and it was cloudy. I was wearing a denim jumper, and sandals and a thin fall jacket. I was freezing. Instead of one race, we had several. I finally told Sam and Terri that I came outside for them to race so they had better get to it. Sam smeared Terri in the race. She wasn't even a challenge. As soon as they finished, it started sprinkling. Thank goodness we managed to get inside before it rained hard. I was mumbling to myself that I must have been crazy to take them outside and freeze my buns off so that they could run. A few students heard me and said, "Mrs. B, you are so cool!" Huh, imagine that. I am strange, mean, and cool all wrapped into one. I guess it just depends on what day you ask my students what they think of me.

Even teachers can be stupid...

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:17:44 GMT

Today I went into an English class and thought I must hallucinating when I saw what video the teacher was showing. It was a comedian talking about piercings. It wouldn't have been so strange if the guy had been talking about eyebrows or noses. But nooo- he was talking about piercings in much more delicate areas, on both men and women. There were some cusswords, but the f-bomb was bleeped out. It was embarassing. I looked at the teacher and couldn't believe that she was standing there laughing. I am not a prude. I don't mind that kind of humor in a comedy club with adults. Watching this type of an act with a class full of 16 year olds? Not my style. Not appropriate. I beat a hasty retreat.

This school district is v-e-r-y conservative. So straight-laced that the parents kept the drama department from performing Grease a few years ago because it promotes smoking and drinking. I am sure that a few students in that classroom will go home and tell their parents about the video they got to watch today. Some of those homes may be Christian homes. Parents don't feel too kindly toward teachers "corrupting" their children. All hell could break loose.

I thought about what to say or do. Should I say something to the teacher or to the administration? I wavered between the childish thought, "I don't want to be a nark" and "If my dad were still principal, what would I do?" I went to talk to my two closest teacher friends and then decided to talk to an administrator. He has been majorly stressed. He looks it and acts like it too. When I told him about the movie with as few details as possible, he gave me a fake smile and said, "Great! Thanks Kathleen." No questions. No other comments. Ok then... at least I know he was warned about the possibility of parent phone calls. What he does with the information is his business. At least no one can say that I approved the movie.

Oh and by the way, the reason she said that she showed the movie is so kids could write down 10 stereotypes that the comedian uses in the act. The real reason? The kids have hated her since the beginning of the school year, and I think she wants them to like her. Some people are sooo stupid.

I have to vent

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:04:00 GMT

and this time it is not about my husband. It is about the paraprofessionals at work. We have four 90 minute blocks and five paras and one para is assigned to cover the resource room each block. The expectation is that the aides work with each student who comes to the room to do assignments. What do I see each time I walk into the resource room? The para is sitting one one side of the room doing a crossword, reading the news online, doing work for an online college class. The students are sitting there working, or sleeping, or playing games online. What the heck?

If the students don't need assistance, then they can do their work in the regular study hall. If they need help a para should be sitting or standing right next to a student, ready to jump over to help another student as needed. The resource room used to be utilized a great deal by students who get tests read. Since the teachers are now hopping from class to class and can change their schedules to go read tests, the resource room shouldn't have as much traffic for test reading. Since I cannot rely on aides to provide the support the students need, I have been going in there a little bit each period to assist students with English, World History and US History.

Every day I go in to help a student with her English 10 assignments on Cyrano de Bergerac. We discuss each act and go through her study guide questions. I sit IN the resource room and do this in hopes that the aides are absorbing some of what they see and hear.

A couple times a week I go in there to check on a student who is taking Current Issues. She has to write a paper every week, about an assigned current issue. She couldn't write her way out of a paper bag. If she hasn't done anything on the paper, I make suggestions about what specific things should be included in the paper and have her write them down. If she has printed out information, I highlight the important points. If she is done writing when I come in, I edit her paper and tell her about anything that needs to be added. I cannot stay with her from the beginning to the end of the assignment. I won't do all of her work for her. I do offer her some much needed support.

One of my students has cerebral palsy, and has had a siezure disorder which is now controlled. His reading is absolutely terrible. When I went in to the resource room to help him with a project, one of the aides whispered to me, "He just wants you to do his work for him." Whatever. Does she have a clue how hard it is to scan information on the internet when your reading level is way below normal? Does she have a clue how difficult it is to type one handed, without much coordination in the hand that does work? I don't know, but I can imagine. Today I asked one of the aides to sit down and type whatever he told her. When I came back, she wasn't.

If the paras don't have the ambition or desire to work with kids, and just want to get paid for sitting on their rears, they need to find new jobs! Grrr.

Harley Comes Home Today

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:49:32 GMT

Well the physical body of the Harley I once knew comes back to his parents' home today. The time spent in rehab was unproductive and very expensive. The rundown on his present condition is that he tracks movement with one eye, is able to move both arms, doesn't walk, doesn't talk, eat, or pee on his own. My former student breathes, slobbers, and waves his arms.

God, I hope he doesn't think, or dream. This morning I woke up and before I even opened my eyes I was worrying about that. What if he dreams of his former life and all of its beauty and joy? What if he aches to ride his motorcycle, kiss a girl, laugh with friends, and sit at the dinner table with his family? What if he recounts the things he screwed up in life and regrets that he cannot set things right? And if his soul and spirit are trapped in that body, what if he just wants to die, so that he can be free?

Man our kids are deprived...

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:13:47 GMT

Tonight is the homecoming football game. Each class participated in a hall decorating contest. Seniors won that hands down. Throughout the week we had spirit days: Monday was jersey day, Tuesday was hat day, Wednesday was wear your class color day and teachers wore plaid, Thursday was "Wear 'em Out Day" where we wore the opposing team's colors (strange but true), and today was our school color day. Wednesday night was the Powder Puff football game and the Seniors won that too.

I don't remember having spirit days when I was in school. I am sure I would remember since I was in the pep club. In pep club we wore black pants, black shirts, black and gold vests and white gloves. We sat in organized rows and did cheers with hand motions. All of the schools had pep clubs and it was cool to be louder than the other team's cheer section. We had male lifters on the cheer squad. Now I see that the cheer squads are much bigger and the girls lift each other. My school doesn't have a formal pep club, although the kids still sit in the student section. Some even yell and clap and join in on a cheer or two.

This afternoon we had a pep rally. I was really shocked to find that the kids had no clue what a pep rally is. None. Many students asked me what it was and what we would be doing. Huh?! When I was in school we had several pep rallies every year - for basketball and football. Poor, deprived children. I wonder if they noticed the incredulous look on my face as they asked me questions about it...

And I didn't want to be a social worker...

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:48:33 GMT

A girl in my class always has a tragic story about her life. Belinda tells one almost every day, with a poker face and a calm, flat voice. She starts off in the morning telling Terri, then on to Karen during second block, to Rachel during third block, and finally to me during fourth block. I never know if I should believe her or not. If she showed some kind of emotion, maybe I would take her more seriously.

This week as my class was doing an assignment Belinda walked up to my desk and started talking softly to me about her dad living in their garage. I know that her mom lives with her boyfriend and now her ex-husband lives in the garage? Earlier in the week she said that her uncle died on his daughter's wedding day - by suicide. She told two other teachers that her mom caught her dad dressed in women's clothing. One day she said she was late to school because she got up in the morning and found her mom on the floor in the fetal position drunk and sobbing hysterically. Can all of this be true? One of the teachers took the bull by the horns and decided to find out.

Belinda, her mom, and her grandparents came to parent/teacher conferences. The grandma spoke to me, and listened to my comments on Belinda's behavior and performance in class. The mom looked, well, like I expected her to, after all of the stories I have heard. She looked like a woman who has had a hard life and maybe too much to drink. She stared at me but didn't speak or return my smile. When they got to Belinda's special education teacher, she pulled Belinda's mom aside and spoke to her privately about the things her daughter has been telling us. Mom says it is all true. Belinda, her mom, her special education teacher, and a counselor or social worker are meeting this week. I hope some things will change to make Belinda's life less stressful and more stable. I wish there was something I could do to help her. I wish I would have listened and believed what she was telling me.

One of my pregnant students dropped out of school - the day after she told me about the pregnancy. She has moved in with her boyfriend. What a life-altering decision made by a child who isn't very bright, but very sweet. I pray that things work out for her and that she will be content with the life she has chosen.

One of my students didn't return to school this year. Bess attended Jump Start, but never arrived at school. Her friends tell me that she quit school and moved in with a 30 year old man. He is a convicted rapist, fresh out of prison. They were planning their wedding after only knowing each other a couple of weeks. Every time I think about it, I want to throw up. Bess' mom is just as cognitively impaired as she is. The child just doesn't know any better and she doesn't have anyone to guide her.

Hard to believe I chose teaching over being a psychologist or a social worker...

The Long, Long, Day

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:35:01 GMT

Two days of testing down and one to go. None of my kids melted down, but in our department head's group a kid lost it and just started scribbling wildly all over the table he was working at. This is a high school student. I am certainly glad he expressed his frustration by "coloring" and not by throwing chairs.

Today is a rough day for teachers. We have ISTEP testing all morning, and then block 3 and 4 meet, and THEN parent/teacher conferences are from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. I stay at school, eat dinner with my parents (or go eat with some friends), and then go to conferences. It is just too much driving to go home and then return to work. So my work day starts at 7:40 (when I get to work), and ends at 9:00pm. Thank goodness I have a 40 minute lunch and that two hour break before conferences. Tomorrow is an early release day. Yippee!

ISTEP begins today

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:30:01 GMT

Students dread it. Teachers dread it just as much. ISTEP hell begins today. Since I helped divide the special education students into groups, I gave myself 15 students on my caseload who are freshman. We don't know each other at all and I want to change that. Hopefully I can get aquainted with my students during breaks in testing.

Today we test all day long. Tomorrow we test for 1/2 of the day. Thursday we test for 1/2 of the day. IF my students need extra time - they get it. There is the possibility of double time. Talk about boring! I am dragging a plastic tub full of my school work to my assigned testing room, along with my laptop. Maybe I will get all of my grading caught up and make plans for the next chapter of World History. I might even get to read for pleasure. I hope none of my students have a meltdown. The frustration and despair of testing has been known to cause that in some kids...

Monday's news

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:15:06 GMT

Today I found out that two of my students are pregnant. Both are mildly cognitively impaired. Yikes. I haven't spoken to them about their plans yet, but I will. S seemed thrilled with the news and J is in a tough situation with no support system. So far she hasn't had any medical care. Apparently lack of food is an issue so the special education teachers are gathering food for her and sending a few items home with her each day. She rides the bus home and will carry the food in her bookbag. One of the teachers contacted the welfare department to see what she might qualify for. Next we will work on transportation to the office. Somehow we will get her some assistance.

Someone is sponsoring a fund raiser for Harley's medical bills this Saturday. They are selling BBQ chicken in a parking lot in a busy area of town. I am sure the medical insurance will be at its limit soon, if it isn't already. I might just send some money and by-pass the chicken vendors. It seems it would be better to send $5.00 than to buy chicken for $4.75.

Harley's mom is coming into the school Friday before she leaves for Indy. She wants to pick up cards and letters from students and teachers to put in his room. I am going to try to remember to take my digital camera to school tomorrow to take a picture of my class and send the picture with a note.

That is the breaking news from my work life. Hope everyone had a happy Monday.

I think I can write about it now...

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:58:17 GMT

I have had a few days to process my visit with Harley, so I think I can write without becoming a blubbering idiot.

When he was awake Harley only opened one eye. His long hair has been shaved off and is currently about 1/2 inch long. He has staples around his head where he had surgery to remove the top of his skull to reduce the pressure on his brain, and another surgery to put a plate in. When I visited he had a damp washcloth covering his forehead. For the first time since I have known Harley, I saw his eyebrows. Those boogers are very thick. Maybe that is why he kept his hair down over his eyes.

He has this huge neck brace on that goes from his chin down to his chest and is on firmly enough to make his lips pooch out. Spit bubbles were forming on the right side of his mouth. He has a trache in that is connected to this clear tube that looks exactly like the tube on my sweeper, except it is clear and has vapor sticking to the sides. He is breathing on his own.

Both arms have braces on them from the elbow down to the fingers. The braces keep his hands from curling up. He keeps his left arm at a very unnatural angle and it has a lump just above the elbow that looks like his arm is broken there. He kept bending his right arm at the elbow and "waving."

Harley had new, white socks on his feet, which were cushioned by a pillow. He never moved his legs or even his toes while I was there. I kept watching, hoping for some sign that he isn't paralyzed. I don't know how badly the vertebrae in his neck were damaged or how that damage might affect his legs.

He is fed through at g-tube every four hours. There isn't an ounce of fat on him. In fact, he looks like skin and bones. There isn't even any outward evidence of muscle. I think that was the most disturbing thing about his appearance. He is hooked up to an IV for fluids and antibiotic and he is catheterized. Tubes don't really bother me. I had a ton of them when I was in the hospital.

Terri and I chatted away and watched hopefully for any evidence that he understood what we were saying. His open eye didn't move to look at us and his hand kept going up and down. He didn't make a single sound except when he coughed, which was slightly alarming, because I thought he was going to choke. When he stopped moving his arm and his eye closed, we figured he was ready to sleep so we said our goodbyes.

No one was with Harley and that bothered me. I kept hoping that someone in his family would show up. I know when I had my surgery I was desperately lonely. After my surgery my mom stayed with me for hours, and even though I slept most of the time, I felt comforted to find she was there when I woke up for very short periods of time. The rest of my week in the hospital I was alone most of the time and I hated it. I thought about what I would do if Harley was my son. I think I would ask friends and family to take shifts during the day and evening to just sit with him. I would also make a guest book for people to sign when they visited, so I would know when he had company. I don't think I could handle leaving him alone.

So now Harley has been transferred to Indianapolis for intensive therapy. I am going to try and get his address so that I can send cards and short notes. If he has to be there for a long time, I might even visit him.

Hey, I made it. Didn't even get misty-eyed while writing this.

I am not the scheduling Guru...

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:41:03 GMT

Today the Special Education teachers met with our principal to group our ISTEP/GQE students. We are still waiting for our new vice-principal to start working at our school, so he can take over some of this stuff. Anyhoo, our fearless leader said it would take 45 minutes to complete. We knew better. Our dedicated group looked at the entire list of students taking the ISTEP and found many kids who were placed in General Education groups. We realized that some of our students were not on the list at all. Just when we thought we had the job done, I remembered a very special population of students - Special Education students who also are not English proficient. The IEP is more important than the ENL label. I discovered another 7 students who needed to be in our groups. Finally after two hours and 25 minutes we had checked and rechecked our lists, and grouped the students according to grade level and ability level. The whole process gave me one giant headache. NOTE to self: Never get the crazy idea to become a guidance counselor.

Could I be making a difference?

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:44:08 GMT

I have a student in my class who is a mystery to everyone. His parents don't show for his IEP meetings. They don't answer the phone. Previous teachers have even attempted to go to his home to speak to his parents. No one answered the door. Gary is extremely quiet. If teachers ask him a question related to school work, he looks down, grins and shakes his head. He sometimes writes on his worksheets, but won't turn them in. He doesn't seem to have any friends and his IEP says he has a cognitive disability, but he seems more emotionally disabled to me.

Last year a long term substitute took his refusal to talk as insubordination and kept pushing the issue. He shut down, became a statue, refused to leave the classroom and finally an administrator got his dad (miracle of all miracles) to come to the school and get Gary out of the class. No one knows why the dad actually answered his phone that day, but the teachers and administration were relieved. Gary's behavior was wierd and slightly frightening.

On the first day of school I gave my class a survey where I asked for personal information about family and hobbies and pets. One of the questions was, "One thing that very few people know about me is..." Gary wrote, "that I can be smart." For some reason I believe him. I have this wierd intuition that Gary is much more intelligent than he lets on. A few days later he sat and did nothing instead of working on an assignment. I went by his desk and said, "Why aren't you doing your work? I think you are smart. Now show me." He wrote a few answers down, and they were all correct. He didn't finish and he didn't turn in the assignment, but he "showed me."

Friday after class I was very suprised when Gary came up to me after everyone had left and politely asked if I would help him with his locker. I followed him through the packed hallways to his locker. He told me his combination and it took me three attempts to get it open. Gary stood quietly and watched me work on it, and then thanked me. I wondered to myself if this was some kind of test. He knew his combination. If he asks me again, I am going to stand and watch him to make sure he turns the dial the right direction.

Yesterday Gary was sleeping instead of working on his test. I tapped him lightly and asked him to please do his test. He did the matching part of the test completely right and skipped the short answer. Then he set to work and made his flash cards without me asking him to , and brought them to me to check. Amazing. When class ended he fumbled with is books after everyone left. I asked him if he was going to miss his bus. He explained that he has never missed the bus, no matter how slow he goes. Before he walked out of the room he said, "Bye." I think he has spoken to me more than he has spoken to any teacher in the high school.

I wonder if a miracle could happen. Could Gary come out of his shell by the end of the semester?

Latest on Harley

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:30:27 GMT

Yesterday our guidance counsellor told our staff about Harley's accident and current condition. The pressure on his brain is up and down. The lowest has been 8 and the highest 56. He is out of the medically induced coma, but still in a coma. He responds to pain, but not voices. His family set up a website on My Space to give updates and get notes and comments from friends and family. Supposedly there are pictures posted. I am going to get the web address today so I can look at it at home.

Today is going to be a rough day. Students are probably going to be talking about Harley, and I am sure there will be lots of rumors. His name is on my classlist for 4th block. It breaks my heart that he won't be there. I haven't even cried about him yet, and NOW the tears are welling up in my eyes and my nose is running. The first student day is not a good time to be emotional. Yes, I took my chill pill, but I don't know if it is going to help when I get to 4th block.

My second day and my kids' first

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:56:45 GMT

Yesterday was a nightmare:

The driveway was being paved at school so I had to lug all my stuff from the elementary school across the street.
The meetings were long, boring and a total waste of time.
The special education staff was told that we wouldn't have any of our aides available third block because they are required to do lunch duty. Hello? Resource room? Serving our special education students according the the legally binding document called an IEP?
I was trying to make a schedule for my aide and myself without our department head's list of students and required services. She is the only one who didn't fill out our chart last year. Why?
I couldn't make the schedule because one or more of the aides will be required to cover band/choir study hall.
THIS IS THE WORST THING - The school doesn't have a textbook or any other type of curriculum for Direct World History. Nada. Zilch. I was at United Art and Education last night spending $45 that I don't have on workbooks that I will have to illegally copy to give my students something to do until I can choose and order and recieve textbooks with a 4th grade reading level.
I am sure that there is more to comlain about, but on to happier topics!

Andrew and Victoria started school today! Yippee! They both hopped out of bed without prompting and got ready without any nagging. Victoria was so excited that she couldn't be still for anything. Andrew didn't say anything about being excited but he must have been, to be up and ready totally on his own. It was the kind of morning that dreams are made of - at least to moms of school-age children. ;-)

Even stranger...

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:20:43 GMT

Even stranger than the fact that I was thinking about Harley just hours before I learned of his accident, is the conversation I had with him in the spring. A 7th grade student in our local school district (not the one I work in) was severely injured riding his 4-wheeler without a helmet. His parents made the decision to pull the plug on life support and he died shortly after. I took his obituary to work with me and talked to my class about it. I didn't know the boy, but Andrew is friendly with his older brother and I know his aunt. I was really struck by the tragedy.

Harley sat in the front row, directly in front of me. I knew of his love for motorcycles and ATV's, so I made a plea to my class to PLEASE wear helmets at all time. I told Harley that I didn't want to hear that he was injured or killed over the summer because he didn't wear a helmet. He said, "Don't worry, I always wear a helmet... Well, except for yesterday I didn't, because I left my helmet at my friend's house and I didn't feel like going to get it." I made my plea again - to just be on the safe side he needed to wear his helmet because you never know when an accident is going to happen. If they weren't "accidents" they would be "on purpose."

I haven't heard the details, but what do you want to bet that Harley wasn't wearing his helmet?

(And how could I have known to deliver this word of caution to him?)

Please pray for my student

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:11:22 GMT

This morning I was thinking about some of my favorite students. I thought of one particular boy who I have had in three classes since I started teaching. He told me in the spring that he started the semester hating my class and hating me, but ended up being suprised that my class wasn't so bad and he actually liked me. High praise from a kid who does as little as humanly possible in school, and rarely initiates conversation with teachers. I was thinking how much I looked forward to seeing him in my direct World History class.

Just a few hours after thinking about him I got a call from one of my teacher friends, telling me that Harley is in critical condition after an ATV accident, and is on life support. The family is considering pulling the plug. The doctors have suggested that they could try putting him in a coma to see if the swelling in his brain will go down. I don't know what hospital he is in. I was shopping in WalMart when I got the call. All I kept thinking over and over was Jesus, Jesus, Lord Jesus, Healer Jesus, My Jesus, Please Jesus... I couldn't even think of words to pray. So when you read this please pray for Harley and his family.

Counting The Days

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 13:12:38 GMT

Ten days left before I have to be back at school. For the first time, I am dreading it. When I was a kid, I loved the beginning of school. As a college student, I was secretly excited to start working my brain. The past two years I felt a mixture of sadness that summer was ending and anticipation of a new school year. This year I loved my summer break and I don't want it to end. Combine that with all of the changes at school this year, and it is hard to be excited:

First of all one of our vice-principals became the principal at the middle school. He was in charge of the special education department. It was good, because he actually knew something about special ed. Who knows who we will have now?
Secondly, our special education co-op has changed the IEP program. I just learned the old one two years ago and just felt confident with using it this past year. Now I have to go to training on August 10th and have my brains scrambled while trying to understand our new "online" program. I wonder how we write IEP's when our internet is down?
At the end of the last school year, everyone was assigned new aides. I had been blessed with a wonderful aide for the past two years. She is super organized, not a whiner, likes the kids, and I like her. My friend Terri has her this year. I have a brand new aide - who isn't really an aide at all. He is the new girls' basketball coach. From what I understand he is a social studies teacher, but we don't have a job opening for him. He also has a law degree. His wife has been appointed as judge of the district court in our area, so he is moving with her. I am worried that this guy is going to be older and smarter than me. I actually have to teach direct World History this year and I know nothing about it. How is he going to feel about being the aide for a new teacher who gets teacher pay for a subject she knows nothing about?
I teach World History this year. When I decided to be a special education teacher I wanted to help kids read, write and do basic math. I didn't sign up to teach social studies. English is more my subject area than any other. The administration has decided to assign each special education teacher a subject area: Math, Science, Social Studies, English, and Everything Else. Last year I taught Government/Econ and liked it. This year I teach World History. Next year I will teach US History. My students are mildly mentally handicapped and have terrible reading skills, don't work independently, and make the subject area seem worthless. They need life skills more than they need to know the history of the world. How can I mix life skills into the curriculum? I really need to go back to the school and get my book so I can start studying. I don't have a single lesson plan prepared.
We are embarking upon a new model of service. Since everyone has been assigned a subject area, we all serve kids in our subject area. Instead of team teaching in our traditional sense, we travel from class to class and "check in on our kids." I will go to all of the Social Studies classes. Terry has been assigned Science and my friend Karen has Everything Else (whatever that may be). Our aides have to cover the resource room and help us cover the classes too. Oh and we are in charge of making our schedules. My poor, pitiful left brain is going to be smoking when I try to figure this out. It is going to be very painful. Just thinking about scheduling has my stomach in knots.

I am sure there is more but my brain is fried just thinking about what I have already blogged. It is time to get my day started and try to enjoy the time I have left. TTFN!

Bang My Head

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:20:48 GMT

Yesterday I knocked myself out trying to explain and demonstrate the steps and the importance of preplanning for an essay. I took the students to the beginning and carefully explained each step - with notes. Then we walked through the steps as a class. After that they hand wrote a 5 paragraph essay. I hope that they would realize how much smoother the essay went when they planned what to write, instead of just writing without knowing what to focus on. Today I turned them loose with a new writing prompt. I didn't have them use their notes. I DID tell them to be sure and plan before writing.

Some of the students finished their essays in 15 minutes. I went to them and looked at their work. NO pre-planning. The essays were very short - like two and three sentences per paragraph. Ok, I am going to say it - shit, shit, shit. The kids don't CARE. They don't want to put forth any effort. All of my planning and instruction is worthless when they won't even USE what I shared with them. I went to an English teacher and told her what happened. She told me that the very same thing happens to her all the time. She assured me that it wasn't my fault - that the kids are making a choice. I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall here. OUCH!

Just another reason why the ISTEP is so wrong!

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:14:49 GMT

Today was the first day of ISTEP Remediation. I am teaching the English portion for 11th and 12th grade. I am teaching the students HOW to write a five paragraph essay - from brainstorming through editing. Today I used a prompt from the ISTEP remediation plans at the Department of Education website.

The prompt tells the student to write a persuasive essay for a contest, that encourages people to visit the public library and take advantage of all of the services there. The prompt mentions the bookmobile and rooms for groups and organizations to meet. Problem? Here is what I heard the students mumbling or whining about: "I've never even been IN the public library." "What the hell is a bookmobile?" "Why would anyone enter a writing contest?" "What is this word?" organization

OK, how can students write an effective essay on a subject they know nothing about? Most of these kids don't come from families with stay-at-home moms who made it a habit to visit the library once a week. They were never REQUIRED to read books at home. So, we brainstormed together. I told them about videos and DVD's, CD's, and books on tape for the vision impaired. I mentioned the wonderful childrens' programs that provide activities like reading, board games, and art projects. We discussed what they could use the computers in the library for: e-mail, printing tableture for guitar, checking My Space, doing research for a school assignment. I reminded them how useful a librarian can be in helping them find the sources they need. I explained microfilm that holds newspaper articles from 50 years ago (or more.) I described a bookmobile to them. I tried to give them the background information they would need to respond to the prompt. I wonder how many other prompts have been on a topic that my students know nothing about? How can I prepare them for that?

Two Hour Delay - HEY!

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:37:03 GMT

This morning the local news kept mentioning heavy fog. I looked out and there isn't a speck of fog here. Darn! Then to my suprise the telephone rang. Could it be a teacher's dream come true? YES! A two hour delay for my school district and no delay for my kids! I am going in at my normal time to get some Special Ed paperwork done. Yippee! I might not have any schoolwork tonight. Now THAT will be unusual. :-)

UPDATE: I think my darling husband made it through Easter without a tantrum. I was with him until noon on Sunday and then again from 4:30 - 6:30 and he was pleasant the whole time. I am becoming hopeful about his mood swings despite my cautious nature. I really hate it when I think Craig has made a positive change, and then he proves me wrong... Sometimes I think I would be better off being a pessimist - less of a roller coaster ride.

School Stuff

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:31:14 GMT

Our school is a sauna! They won't turn on the air conditioning until AFTER Spring Break and the temperature outside has been close to 80 for three days straight. The kids are cranky and whiney. Heck, I feel cranky and whiney. I don't know how any teaching or learning got done in the days before schools had air conditioning. I almost fell asleep during World History today and three students did fall asleep during my Government class. I kept getting a whiff of body odor and wondered if it was me?! Yikes.

I had my evaluation with the principal today. It went well. I was evaluated at "meets expectations" in all areas, except professional conduct, which I got "exemplary." I told my principal that I expect to get better as I gain experience. I was hired for the next school year "without reservations." We had a nice talk about the challenges and joys of my second year of teaching.

Last week I was notified that I was hired to teach Jump Start. It is a one week program of redmediation for Indiana's standardized test. In July I will be working my brains to a frenzy instead of relaxing. I have no idea what summer school is like, or what I will be teaching. I am praying it is Language Arts. I sure cannot help with high school Math. I don't even know what I am being paid, but I know I need the money! Now if I could figure out another way to earn decent money during the summer that won't interfere with our big trip to Cedar Point in Ohio. Oh and I have to have plenty of time to float on our pontoon boat of course.

Government is a whole lot harder to teach than Econ - mostly because it is so stinking boooring. The other challenge is that with mildly cognitively impaired studnets, I cannot expect them to do anything independently. I have to read everything to them AND then sometimes the vocabulary is hard for them to comprehend. I do a lot of paraphrasing. This week I am struggling along, but next week (my break) I am going to have to do some creative brainstorming. Oh Joy!

Talking about IQ's

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 11:01:32 GMT

It just occurred to me a few weeks ago that the general public knows very little about IQ scores. I was sitting in a conference with a school psychologist who was giving test results to a parent and a student. The child's IQ measured 79. I looked at his scores from elementary school and middle school and his IQ was 79. That meant that the results were consistent with previous testing.

The psychologist was being so kind and gentle and rather vague as she explained what the scores meant. The parent seemed like she was on the verge of figuring out that her son is not very smart, but she was clinging to the hope that she was wrong. The problem? Tom says he wants to go to college. I was screaming inside. An IQ score between 50 - 70 is considered mildly mentally handicapped. Some measures say that 75 is mildly mentally handicapped. People who have scores within that range are expected to be able to acquire academic skills at the 6th grade level. This student achievement scores indicated that he was performing even lower than he was capable in math application, reading comprehension, and writing. Is he college material? No way.

The parent pointed out his excellent grades as evidence that his performance is good enough to get him into college. I calmly explained that Tom has recieved a great deal of support in academics. Everything has been read aloud. He has not been required to read novels to himself, and in most classes the worksheets are word for word from the textbook and the students work in pairs to fill them out. The work doesn't require reading comprehension. He has also had modified tests.

I asked the parent how Tom did on his SAT's. She said that she didn't understand the scores. I encouraged her to meet with the school counselor who would have a better idea of the scores that colleges expect on the SAT. His high school transcripts and the SAT scores are very important for college admission. I guess I won't have to worry about his parents throwing away money on college because even if he earns a waiver for the GQE, his SAT scores will ruin him. I worry about him when he figures out that he is not smart enough to go to college. What is going to happen to his self-esteem?

Here is a quick rundown of the categories of IQ scores from the lowest up.

Severely mentally handicapped 20 - 35

Moderately mentally handicapped 35 - 50

Mildly mentally handicapped 50 - 70 (the adult scale I looked at had the top number of 75)

Smack dab in the middle average IQ is 100 ( a college professor once told our class that most successful college students have an IQ of 115 or above)

Gifted (brainiac) 130 and up

________________________________________________________________________________

Update: Before I left work today I listened to my messages. One was Tom's dad, incredulous that Tom got rejection letters from both colleges. In fact they said that they wouldn't accept him unless he went to a junior college for two years. He wanted to know if the schools realize that he has a learning disability, because both schools have student services for students with disabilities, and they should accept his son, not reject him.

I called back and left a message for him stating that I am not the expert on college admission practices, but I do know that we do not send psychological test scores to the college. The testing is done to help the school determine that the student does indeed have a learning disability. The student takes the scores to someone in student services and discusses accomodations. Last I knew colleges used SAT scores and high school transcripts to determine admission. I then told him to call the school guidance counselor with his questions because she knows far more than I do about college acceptance and SAT scores.

Oh how I wanted to tell him the truth. He should know that his son is 4 measley points from being mildly mentally handicapped. He should know that Tom's reading, writing and math application performance scores are what we would expect from someone with an even lower IQ - hence his classification as a student with a learning disability. Tom is tall and strong. He has a good work ethic, or all of the support we gave him in school wouldn't have helped in general education classes. He would do great in an apprenticeship involving physical labor - maybe laying bricks, installing flooring, roofing, or landscaping. (I know there is a long list of possibilities.) He just won't be successful in training that involves a great deal of reading or writing, or requires higher level thinking. I hope they figure that out. Maybe the guidance counselor will get enough guts to tell the truth. She has been there for many years and the administration would probably accept her honesty.

What I got done...

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:55:28 GMT

I took some time out for myself this weekend. I went to Barnes and Nobles and started reading a book that I couldn't afford to buy, so I couldn't finish it; and I went out to lunch with 5 other teachers after church today. It was nice, but once again I didn't get any housework done. The place is a pit. However, I am pleased to say that I got my 80 question final exam written, and made a study guide for the final. I also started a Jeopardy Power Point to help review for the final exam. It is by no means a complete review, but it will be something different from the games we have played in the past 8 weeks. I think that I will make the completion of the study guide part of their final exam grade, or give my students bonus points for completion. I designed a worksheet for a grocery shopping activity for tomorrowas as well as a crossword puzzle. Now I am sick of school work. I think I might just lay down and watch television in between loads of laundry.

Incomprehensible

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:29:04 GMT

Today I had an IEP confernce for a new student. He was living with his dad in a nearby state with his dad and sister. His dad took off and left his two kids at home. My student is 18 and his sister is 19. He left them long enough that they ran out of food, the utilities were turned off and the two of them were trying to survive without letting anyone know what was going on. I guess it had happened before and their dad returned so they were just waiting for him to return this time. I chatted with the mom while we waited for her son to arrive at the conference. I asked how it was going since Travis had not lived with her for a long time and he had a lot of new things to adjust to. That is when I found out that she had not even SEEN her son for two years before he came to live with her. She said that she had some things going on in her life and she wasn't able to get there to see them. I have no idea why she let her ex husband have the children in the first place, but not seeing your own children? It boggles my mind and totally freaks me out.

I wonder if there is anything in this world that could keep me from seeing my children for two years... If I was poor I would work two jobs, maybe three to get enough money to get to my kids. The only thing I can think of would be prison. If I was serving a prison term, that would keep me from making a trip to see my kids, but then I cannot imagine what I would do that would get me in prison in the first place. As I contemplated Travis' situation I thought of Victoria and bio-mom. Bio-mom calls every single day. She says that she loves Victoria and wants to be with her more than anything in the world - yet she chooses to live an hour and a half away, and sees her every 6 weeks or so. We have income based housing. We have two mental health facilities. She can get welfare here. Sure she lives in a small town that is very nice, but why is that more important than being near her daughter and participating in her life?

NO, I definitely don't want bio-mom to live here. I don't want to deal with her every day or see her at school functions. Personally I would like it if she move much farther away. If she didn't see Victoria for two years it would be fine by me. However, I cannot understand her choices. I cannot understand anyone who abandons their children. It is incomprehensible.