Day Seventy-Four...Things are Balancing Out

So, I've been tweaking my teaching style a bit. I've decided to be a little more prepared and consistent with my students. I figured if I can't change them, I'll change me.

So, I've decided that Mondays will be new vocabulary day. Tuesdays will be vocab review, and grammar days. Wednesdays and Thursdays will be Receptive Translations, Expressive Translations and Copy Stories, and Friday will be exam day. I think that'll be the plan from now on.

Again, I think that'll be good. I'll let you know how it works out.

Day Seventy-Three...A Better Day

So, today, I decided to play 2 games with my students. Both games were focused on an aspect of ASL: fingerspelling and signer's perspective (my left, your right...kind of thing). 1st period was OK with the games. But, 5th period...OMG! They LOVED them! They loved them SO much that they took the last game and modified it to include the whole class rather than teams of 3. It was SO much fun! I felt a whole lot better today than I did yesterday.

And, I emailed my principal and informed him of the situation with the other teacher. He's going to email me tomorrow with a time we can meet. I felt VERY good about that!

So, I'm not going to spend too much time on the computer because I'm going to bed on time tonight. G'nite!

Day Seventy-Two...A Bad Day

Have you ever had the feeling that you really sucked at something, but just found out that you do? Ok, so that's the day I'm having today. I made the mistake of asking my students for some feedback on how they felt the class was going. So far, I've had 2 classes basically tell me that I suck and that we shouldn't be reading in an ASL class. We shouldn't have manual communication outside of the classroom. We shouldn't have so much to do in this class. Well, what the hell are we supposed to do, then? If I don't assign homework, they complain. If I assign homework, they complain. They complain because they don't have enough practice time. So, I give them ManCom (community contact) and they complain because "it's way too much". Fifteen minutes a day is NOT way too much! Technically, they should have more homework, but because the former teacher told me they won't do it, I don't overload them with it.

Oh, and don't get me started on the former teacher. Ok, so I knew this woman. My cousin actually had her as an ASL teacher. And, the signs she taught my cousin...some of them were wrong signs...more English than ASL. Anyway, whatever. So, I do a few days of "transition". It wasn't actually transition...I came and sat on my butt all day while the students worked on her final project. I did nothing as far as transition. No teaming, no introductions, NOTHING. So, the day comes when I'm to take over the class...half of the students didn't realize I was going to be their new teacher. Can you believe that? ARGH!

Here are some of their comments:

~ no ManCom (this was said by most of my students)
~ less hard curriculum
~ no essays
~ no book work (meaning, no reading)
~ less Deaf Culture
~ be more in control
~ give reasons for learning what we're learning
~ I really want (the former teacher) back
~ more vocabulary
~ more quizzes on vocabulary
~ less vocabulary at once
~ reading a book is fine, but don't make us do an essay on it
~ less projects
~ more projects
~ more conversation activities
~ less conversation activities
~ more interactive
~ I feel like I've learned nothing new (this, coming from someone who sleeps in my class!)
~ this class is boring (this, coming from someone who doesn't put the effort into practicing...she can't communicate with me at all!)

And, this is just from my 1st 2 classes. I still have 4 more to go!

And, also, the former teacher told me she'd leave me the curriculum for the classes...she didn't. She took it all with her and left me some mis-matched papers. So, now it's my job to figure out what she did last semester, how she did it, and move on from there. That's what I've been doing the last 2 months. The students are so bored...but, I can't move forward until I fill in the gaps the former teacher left.

AND...I found out today that some of the students are in contact with the former teacher, telling her how horrible my class is...how horrible a teacher I am. I also found out that she's telling them, and I quote, "Yeah, I heard it was pretty bad. Just stick it out so you can get the credit for graduation." The cojones on that woman...bad mouthing another teacher to her former, MY CURRENT, students! ¡Oh mi calidad... las bolas en esa mujer! ¡Ella apenas hace que desea gritar! ¿Qué clase de un profesor es usted? ¿Qué clase de una PERSONA es usted? ¿Qué el infierno usted le piensa está haciendo? ¡Usted no puede apenas ir detrás alguien parte posteriora y hablar malo sobre ellos... especialmente con sus propios estudiantes! (it sounds better when you're angry in Spanish!)

And, I started my period today, so I'm EXTRA grouchy!

Circumcised

(This is priceless!)

A teacher noticed that a little boy at the back of the class was squirming around, scratching his crotch, and not paying attention.

She went back to find out what was going on.

He was quite embarrassed and whispered that he had just recently been circumcised and he was quite itchy.

The teacher told him to go down to the principal's office. He was to telephone his mother and ask her what he should do about it.

He did and returned to his class.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the back of the room. She went back to investigate only to find him sitting at his desk with his "private part" hanging out.

"I thought I told you to call your mom!" she said.

"I did," he said, "And she told me that if I could stick it out till noon, she'd come and pick me up from school."

(wah, wah, waaaaaaaah!)

Day Seventy-One...The Third Day of Swimming

So, this week Moob and I decided we were going to get back into swimming...even with my bum foot! The Dr said it was ok to swim because it is high resistance, low impact. So, today was day three. I started out not wanting to go on Monday. Then, I didn't go on Tuesday. Then, I (reluctantly) went yesterday. I actually felt better yesterday for going. Today, it wasn't as much of a battle to go. I just met Moob at the Y and we just did it. I hope it gets easier as the days go on. I'm sure it will...as it becomes a habit, it'll be easier to 'just go' every day. And, really, that's what I need. I need it to be an every day thing. It's too easy for me to put it off a day, then another day, then another...pretty soon, I'm derailed. I really don't want to get derailed again. I'm tired of falling off the tracks and having to pick myself back up, dust myself back on and get on the train again. It sucks! So, I think I'm just going to 'do it' this time. I've already lost 4 pounds since I went to the doctor on the 23rd of February. I attribute MOST of that to having to haul around this big, dumb boot all day long!

So, I'm not going to make any 'resolutions' or 'promises' or 'grand plans'...I'm just gonna do it. I really do feel better when I take care of myself. When I do, it makes it much easier to take care of others :-D

Day Seventy...Lesson Planning Day

ARGH! I kinda wish my day ended when I walked out of the classroom. Alas, it doesn't! So, I took some time for myself yesterday, making cards with the fam. So, today, I had to do my lesson plans for next week. I started when I got up today...about 11:00 when I really got into it...and I jujst finished at 8:00 this evening. That's 9 hours of working. Of course, I had stopped to help a bit in construction, run the credit card to dad at the store, watching a movie (for my classes), and peed. But, other than that, I've pretty much been working on my lesson plans. Next week, we have the WASL...which is AWFUL! So, I had to make some less-brain-intensive work for my kids to do. We've been reading and testing the last 2 weeks, so I figured they've earned a movie.

Ok...off to bed...g'nite!

Day Sixty-Nine...Construction Day!

Today is the first day of construction! We're building 2 new rooms for 2 new roomies! It's definitely taking shape. Half the floor is in...the other half is going in after lunch. I'm very excited to see it take shape.

Moob just cooked a VERY GOOD lunch. It was breakfast burritos. Scrambled eggs, ham and cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla. Mmm...Mmm...Good!

Day Sixty-Eight...Grading is Done!

Now, I just have to enter the grades in the gradebook. YAY, me! But, I'm gonna do that tomorrow.

Reading some of my students' work has shown me some great insight into their lives. One student said his favorite memory was when his family was together and that a lot of his sadness comes from the fact that it's just him, his sister and his dad left. Never knew that. Another student said her favorite memory was going the the bahamas for a family vacation and she was shocked when she didn't see any white people. She felt kinda afraid/weirded out. She's black. Funny how she and I could have had the same reaction to different experiences.

Also, these writings gave me insight into their abilities, past education and potential. First and foremost, I believe EVERY ONE of my kids has the potential to be a great success...in and out of school. They just have to rise above their circumstances and choose to do great things. With that said, it really is a shame that most of these kids will graduate without achieving what they could really achieve. Hmmm...

Day Sixty-Seven...Greetings from Gimps-ville!

So, I found out last week that I either chipped the bone or a stress fracture in my ankle. So, I have a boot that I have to wear for 4 - 6 weeks or so. Fortunately, I can still go swimming, but I can't do the weight training circuit, nor the treadmill in the gym. Sad...well, not so sad, because I can do the upper body weight training and swimming and still get my workout in every day. And, really, this thing is so heavy that just walking with it is a workout in itself!

We're also beginning a new construction project at my house. We're adding some rooms for some family to move in. It'll be very cool! But, I can't do as much as I wanted to because of my foot. But, it'll still be fun watching it progress!

Ok, well, I have to correct papers and set up my gradebook...kthxbye!