Breaking News!
Breaking News!
There is a young boy at my school. I have no idea what he has been through for the past several months. All I know is that his grandfather now has custody of a two-year-old, a four-year-old, and a six-year-old (my student). These kids haven’t been in school since it shut down back in March of 2020. Grandpa owns his own company…a small one-person kind of company. He can’t afford to feed and clothe these kids. Mercifully this little guy has a decent coat and sneakers.
My school provided a backpack.
His other teacher provided school supplies.
I bought him masks and hand sanitizer. His teacher showed me a picture of him with a messy faced grin as he ate his breakfast. One of the masks I got him hung just under his chin. It was dark blue with stars and rocket ships. I’m so happy I could put a smile on this boy’s face!
Now if only I could get him to like reading…
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Welcome one and all <3
WRITING WEDNESDAYS
TEACHER SATURDAYS
Depression Battle...
Depression falling.
After so many weeks of pain…
I feel at peace now.
Fifth Classroom...
I was in a library at night.
It was just me and thirty-five adults and the occasional handful of kids.
China, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Haiti, and more…
Different cultures, different educational backgrounds, different English language speaking abilities…
These were my students.
I taught them English, having to provide my students with different activities and materials in order to best work with their level of competence.
I taught them American culture not for the sake of seamless integration into America but so they would better understand the strange customs of their new home.
If they failed to secure a babysitter then I assigned a book report.
Advanced students helped lower students read and write a brief summary.
I supplied children with toys, drawing tools, and entertainment while we waited.
I did this for two years before going to grad school for TESOL…
Looking up...
Breakthrough finally
Happiness can be real now
I have a new job.
Depression...
It’s hard to keep your head above the water when you’re drowning in your own tears... Take that, former me who wrote horrible Goth poetry!
Background Check...
I passed both Praxises
Yet I am so forgetful…
My brain has a fog.
Talk to Them...
“I hate it here. School is too hard. The playground is different from the one in Pennsylvania. I don’t like Delaware. I don’t like living with my grandpa. I want to live with my mom and dad but they have to fix the house so we can go back. My brother and sister and I moved down here. My baby-baby sister is with mom and dad. I want to go home.”
This ramble is brought to you by a displaced boy in first grade.
Sometimes you just have to listen and not just shove a lesson down their throat.
Not long after this, I sat with him again. We worked on his reading, which is something he hates. He still hated Delaware. He still missed his mom and dad. But he was more willing to participate and work with me. He didn’t act up or whine.
Sometimes a chat can make a world of difference.
Even if the effects only lasts two weeks before he goes back to Pennsylvania…
Okay, I am Mad…
As a teacher, my discipline is lacking…
So long as the students respect each other and do their work I’m fine with some of their shenanigans.
But
I
Do
Not
Tolerate
Bullying
Unfortunately, I failed one of my students…figuratively, not literally…
She has an IEP…
She struggles in math…
Theory says that I should pair her with a more capable student…
Theory neglects to say that I should make sure that the ‘capable’ student will HELP her instead of insulting her intelligence to her face.
She has been a no-show at summer school for a full week…
Gee, I wonder why…
The only time this was brought to my attention was when my ‘capable’ student insulted her intelligence in front of the whole class…
She hasn’t been back since, and no, she’s not on vacation.
Now, I am a new teacher so if there’s a ‘sixth sense’ that one develops after years of practice I have yet to develop it.
I am also VERY hard on myself.
I feel as though I have neglected to protect and empower her…
I can only hope that things improve for her as she repeats 3rd grade next year…
I’m so sorry sweetheart…
BREAKING NEWS:
Normally I drive just fine but every once and a while I do something stupid, like going too fast during a rainstorm. This was such a time. I hit a wet patch and ended up in the grass due to a lovely combination of water, stones, and stupidity (going too fast). I crashed into a brick column.
I am not someone who has much faith in humanity.
After all, the people directly behind me and in front of me didn’t bat an eye when I acted like a moron and said “hello” to the sign.
Well, my faith was restored today thanks to these fine people:
First a woman stopped.
Then two men (complete strangers) in separate trucks.
Then a couple stopped. They both got out of their SUV to check on me.
Then a man stopped.
Then another man.
Then another woman.
Then a couple of guys in a big truck. I missed the name of the company on the side.
Then an older gentleman.
That’s a total of 11 people in about an hour’s time.
Fortunately I was not injured…just slightly embarrassed and not going into work.
Now, this blog is brand new and not even Cheezbot is following me. I just wanted to share this and acknowledge the kindness of others. Thank you to those eleven strangers who came to check on me! I greatly appreciated your concern! <3
Late Post...
So sorry…
I missed my post deadline…
I was in a lot of pain yesterday.
Anyway, I really must look up how to run Tumblr automatically.
But for now, I still have a praxis to study for…
And it’s making me so anxious that I am making myself ill…
It always happens…
My stomach is killing me and I can’t eat or drink certain things without making it worse.
Like dairy, anything spicy, caffeine, sugar, citrus, etc.
Half of my normal eating habits are now off limits.
And I get to endure a full week of this since the test is next Saturday…
Joy…
