Pressure relieved… for now

Feeling better about things today.  I feel I actually taught today.
I also scared my students.  One of my second period students emailed me during third period to tell me she was having trouble in my class.  This is Day Three of the school year.
Another student told me, when I saw her in the hall after [...]

Under Pressure

Day Two.
The school year should not start on a Monday.  It’s way too long a week for the kids, and the teachers.
There are three more days left in the week, and I have very little clue about my lessons for the week.  I need a weekend to do that.  I barely got my classroom ready [...]

On Classrooms and First-Day Outfits

My classroom is finally ready for kids to walk in.  I wish I had a couple more things to put on the walls, but it looks pretty good as it is.  At least I have enough desks for all the kids who’ll be walking in – I had to scavenge the halls looking for discarded [...]

On The Benefits of Pack-Ratting

Remember that copy of The First Days of School I was planning on perusing, to find insight and inspiration?  Well, after searching high and low at home and at school, I discovered it, along with Teaching with Love and Logic, are both missing.
Looking at the evidence, I have concluded I probably took both of these [...]

On Teachers Packing Heat

A friend of mine sent me this story from yesterday’s Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
A district in north Texas is allowing its teachers to carry guns this school year – “To deter and protect against school shootings.”
This district has 110 students TOTAL.  The entire district is 110 students.  The elementary school where I used to teach has [...]

On Apperance, Assumptions and Perceptions

This is tax-free weekend for us, so all the kids can flock to the malls and get their back-to-school clothes shopping done.  Me, I’ve treated myself to a new haircut, a new hairdryer (I haven’t had one for years), new makeup, new clothes, and probably a new desk chair (that’s on the list for tomorrow).
I [...]

On New (School) Year’s Resolutions

I love and loathe this time of year.
The new school year starts in a week or so.  You see, one of the great things about teaching, is that we get to make New Year’s Resolutions twice a year – in January, with the rest of the mere mortals, and in August.
To help us in this [...]

“What I did with my summer vacation”

Well, what a pushy blog.  They made the first post for me?  Sheesh.  Now I have to actually write something here, to replace their dorky, “Hi!  This is a blog entry” blog entry.
And here I was, planning to leave the blog sitting and waiting until I was good and ready to introduce myself.
So… about me.  [...]