Distracted...

Eighth Classroom...

After a long painful summer of no luck…

I finally made it as a teacher…

Kind of…

Their usual teacher just popped out her 3rd kid…

Hey, more power to ya…

I was a long-term substitute for 5th grad math…

But I have a BA in Literature…

And an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language…

What the heck do I know about 5th grade math?!

Surprisingly it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be…

The morning kids were wonderful…

Low energy, just like me…

The afternoon kids were naughty…

And so, so hyper…

But I loved their individual personalities…

And their general mischievousness…

So adorable…<3

Oops!

Background check needed before certification can go through…

Guess what I forgot to do during winter break?

Yup.

So my K-6 general education certification is pending until the background check I had done last week is cleared.

This, sadly, has cost me a couple of job opportunities…

But hey, as long as parents continue to act worse than their children in my state, I should be in a position in no time!  Seriously.  ‘I can’t stand to see my kid in my mask’ is just code for ‘I’m tired of hearing my kid whine about masks and I don’t want to wear one myself so here I am protesting my family’s right to get terminally ill.

The fact that America ever made it to become a first-world country much less a world power is still a mystery to me…

I love my country but I hate the spineless, cowardly, selfish, greedy people who run it.

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

Physical Therapy...

Uneven ceiling

Wall colors strange holes in beds

Stretch, ow, strengthen, ow

Happy Christmas!

It is Christmas time

One day I will be people-less

Cats will be my love…

Oh Dear...

“Give me your phone number!”

It does not seem to matter to her that she is six and I am…not.

Yes, I started my teaching journey rather late…

Secretarial work just wasn’t cutting it anymore…

Again, it didn’t matter to her that I am several years older…

I am the ‘fun’ teacher…the ‘nice’ teacher…the ‘pretty’ teacher.

What I lack in classroom management (since this is my first year), I make up for in enthusiasm, kindness, creativity, subject knowledge, and yes…fun.

This was not fun…

I had to leave a note with her ‘every day teacher’ that little girl insisted that I give her my cell phone number.

I did not, for the record…

I am weird and admittedly a little immature, not predatory!

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…

Hug...?

Hug hug hug hug hug

You’re my favorite teacher

No, no please don’t leave!

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…

Second Classroom...

My second classroom…

I taught Japanese studies.

I was twelve-years-old.

I had a whole classroom full of peers that hated me.

I was the ‘weird’ kid who was friends with all the teachers.

Many of my peers left my speech on Japan wanting to visit the country.

It was nerve wracking but wonderful.