A "Fast"

I am going to try to stop buying items online so I can save money and most importantly save time. I see online shopping as a legitimate means to purchase goods that I would not otherwise be able to buy since I do not drive anywhere other than school. At the same time, the amount of time I use to browse could actually be used for other tasks at hand. Also, I purchase a number of items that I do not really need. We'll see how this goes.
For now, I will post what I've bought as a way to keep me accountable. It will be a shopping ledger so to speak though my online credit card statement certainly serves that purpose too.

Another Week

-This past week was interesting. I am trying to teach differently, in a way where I am less involved and not spoiling the students. I've spoiled the freshmen a great deal and now that I am making them do groupwork and am holding them accountable to the work that they do in their groups, they're acting up and are saying that I am not doing my job. Well, actually not all of them, but one particular class and most of the class is composed of students who do not want to work and are passive learners. As a new teacher in a school, one wants to avoid any confrontations with parents and the administration. I've had some close calls where these spoiled children go to the guidance department to complain that I am not doing my job. Of course, these students are the ones who never hand in their homework, do not pay attention in class and do not care about school in general.

-I think I made a student cry this past Friday. It all started when I asked that student to move to a different seat to act as a "buffer" near someone who is extremely talkative. I've noticed that when studious children sit next to the talkative ones, the talkative ones are more focused and act out less. With that in mind, I did just that. And it wasn't the first time I asked this student to move. Then again, I've asked other students to move too. On this occasion, she was very adamant that she did not want to move and that I always ask her to move. I was quite taken aback by her tone and attitude and reprimanded her quietly while other students were doing work. She came after school and wanted to apologize for how she behaved and then she asked why I always asked her to move. When I explained to her my reasons and that I thought she was a wonderful student, she started to cry and then explained to me why she did not want to move. I realize that I cannot let her sit in the back since she can't see the board since she refuses to wear glasses. I am assuming she was taunted at some point in her life about her glasses. There is something else amiss since she was very emotional about the seat issue and was sobbing. I am still wondering what it could be. I certainly do want to change the seating arrangement still. . .

-High school students can be such overt charmers, particularly when it comes to the end of the marking period and grades are due. Most of these charmers of course are the male students! I wonder where they learn such behavior.

Seriously?

Yes, another time to bitch and rant.
I plan for every lesson, but when I get observed, I get even more OCD. Sometimes lesson planning can be fun and other times it's a painful, hair-pulling, wrenching process. Right now I am going through that for a lesson that I am not even sure what kind of content I want to cover. There are certain criteria that I've been told to look out for, but at this point, I might have to discard some of it just to keep my sanity. This is on top of the regular workload which I don't want to think about. I am already thinking about the end of this month, just to mark it as the end. I won't have break until President's Day in February and that's only two days, but two days certainly make a difference.

So glad for the snow day today. I have become an expert at doing nothing for many hours. The internet is a necessity but it is also the bane of my existence. Now I am starting to do work at 4:46 PM. Essays to read and grade. Lessons to plan. Projects to plan. Parent emails to send. The fun never ends.

Snow Day?

This is horrible, but I am hoping for a snow day this week. Last Friday most schools in the area were closed or had half days except for three or four schools (one of which is where I teach!). While I hate snow, sometimes having a day off is necessary.