For All You Teachers Out There

Workin' in an Elementary School
(Sung to the tune "Walking in a Winter Wonderland")

Children scream, they're not listenin'
When they go, we'll not miss 'em (Of course, we KNOW that's not COMPLETELY true, but it goes w/ the beat!)
In all of this pain, we try to stay sane,
Workin' in an elementary school. (Behavior doesn't change much for older students, either!!)

Christmas comes, they're excited,
Though our nerves they've ignited,
They're off of the wall, they run in the hall,
Workin' in an elementary school.

In the lunchroom we can hear them yellin'
And we know that they are really "wound"
Someone hits, the other says, "I'm telling",
And that is when our heads begin to pound!

Pretty soon, we'll be restin',
'Cause our nerves, they've been testin',
We're happy, it's clear, it comes once a year,
Christmas in an elementary school.

BULLFEATHERS!

After my local news, I left INSIDE EDITION on the TV. In a segment entitled "What People Earn", they mentioned that "your local teacher earns an average of $66,000 per year."

BULL! There is NO SCHOOL IN TEXAS where teachers average that much! Not even close! Not even with a doctorate degree! I have over 30 years in teaching and a master's degree, and I "topped out" at year 28. (Of course our school superintendent is making over $120K.)

I'm sorry, but "news" like this chaps my derriere.

Depression Doesn't Begin To Explain It :~(

For the past year and a half I have been anxiously awaiting retirement. This year is my 31st year teaching. I am 54.

According to my calculations, I would be able to retire at the end of the 2009-2010 school year, and be able to devote full time to my writing. My house would be paid off by then, and my reduced retirement check would pretty much equal what I'm taking home now minus my house payment.

I received the news today that the Texas legislature has changed the rules. I must wait another 4.5 years before I can retire with full benefits.

Oh, yes, I can retire next year with partial benefits, but after 30 plus years teaching, I'm not going to settle for less than 40%.

FOUR AND A HALF MORE YEARS.

I'm not just upset. I'm devastated.

For the Love of Reading - Why Use Books as Punishment?

Grrr. Time to let out some steam.

I have a very difficult time trying to make certain teachers understand one basic principle: If you use reading as a punishment, then don't complain when the child's reading scores are low!

Have you ever heard this?
"If you don't behave, I'm going to put you over in that corner with a book!"
"You just lost recess, buster! When we go outside, take a book with you so you'll have something to do."
"No, sir. You're going to In School Suspension. Take your library book with you."

There are other similar quotes, but you get the picture. I cringe every time I hear an adult threaten a child with reading a book if they don't do "such and such". Heck, I would LOVE it if I could get out of some of my more boring classes, and instead be sentenced to a day of reading!

Why do teachers AND PARENTS use reading as a form of punishment, when we're trying to RAISE our reading test scores? Does anyone else see the double standard in this?

Why I Love Kids...One More Time!

From My Kindergarten Dictionary

chocklick

Hooked On Phonics

My five-year old students are learning to read. Friday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said, "Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"

I took a deep breath, then asked..."What did you call it?"

"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"

And so it does... " A f r i c a n Elephant "

Hooked on phonics! Ain't it wonderful?

My New Year's Resolution

Yes, I know I'm a bit late, but KEEPING this resolution won't begin until Monday when I go back to school.

I don't make a whole list of things I need to do. For one thing, I'm getting to the age where, if I don't write it down, I forget it. And even if I DO write it down, I forget where I put the list. *sigh*

Anyway, here's my New Year's Resolution:

Less Stress

Now, now. I can hear you laughing all the way down here in Podunk, Texas. Go ahead, but here's the thing. I have high blood pressure, and I've already survived one small stroke (in 2000). I'm on blood pressure med, but that doesn't mean my job isn't going to be less easy to deal with.

I love my babies that I teach (as of today, that's 19, with no assistant). But sometimes Administration and all the lah-dee-dah that comes down from the Crystal Palace gets to be a bit too much. And that's not mentioning some "other factors" which are best not singled out here.

I am 1 1/2 years away from Retirement. I'm also at the point where I am going to pick and choose my battles. If someone is having a tirade, let 'em. I'm walking away. If some diva administrator who has never taught, or has never taught Kindergarten, tries to tell me how to teach, I'll bobblehead them, then go do it the way that works best for my kids. (By the way, my two principals are WONDERFUL to work with!)

I refuse to "let them get to me". I will not be someone's doormat. And I will not let someone denegrade me any longer. Just because I teach Kinder does NOT mean I'm the low man on the totem pole. (Just as teaching high school does NOT mean you're a better teacher.) Teachers choose which grade level best suits them and their style of teaching, just like doctors choose which field of medicine they would like to study. One is not "demoted" to elementary school, or "promoted" to secondary.

Whew. Got a bit windy there for a moment. Sorry. But there you have it, take it or leave it. :)

Oh, and by the way, there hasn't been "3 months off for the summer" since the 1970s (I began teaching in '76, in case you're wondering.) Education has changed in ways you can not imagine.

Now...let's see how long I can keep this resolution. :D