This couple was enjoying dinner with their two children..... please notice the children!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
I still feel horrible... I am waiting to hear back on my test results to figure out what the urinary tract infection actually is.... meanwhile, I think I now have the stomach flu or something like that... I don't even feel good enough to drink my coffee :(
The link below this post is to the really cool site called Adopt-a-Classroom... basically random strangers wanting to contribute to low income classrooms are able to log into the site and deposit money into a classroom bank. For instance, I randomly received $75 this morning that I was able to use toward a new pencil sharpener, pencils, and folders. Pretty sweet! I like it because then, whenever I need something I can just use that "bank" and then not have to fork out even more money on classroom necessities. If you want to pass it on to anyone, please do!
I am really stressed! I don't even know why. I have been teaching after school tutorials for the past couple of weeks. Basically, it is extended day for the kids needing remediation... it can be taxing to have to stay here until 5, but after today I will only have to do it one more time. I also have been teaching Saturday school from 8-12... this Saturday we're bringing in a bigger group as a last ditch effort to prepare the kids for the state reading and math test next Tuesday and Wednesday.
I found out there are a couple of young Whitman alums living in Houston, including one that is an astronaut. I look forward to hopefully getting together with them in the near future.
I don't really 100% know what to do about the living situation for next year. Mr. Jackson really wants me to live with him and he's a really chill and very nice guy. But, we will both be teaching 4th grade next year at Gallegos... and he's not one to leave work at school... I know that work will follow me home every day... but perhaps that's a good thing? After all, I am here to devote myself entirely and unselfishly to the service of eliminating the education gap in our urban schools and bettering the lives of my students. Any thoughts? Would you live with a co-worker?
Who reads this? Random thought, but seriously, I wonder who reads this? While rereading past entries I get a little frustrated and disappointed with how I write and my inability to articulate certain feelings, stories, and events. I was never very proud of my writing.
I had my summative conference yesterday with my principal which is the end of the year conference where we meet to discuss my final appraisal and all that jazz... I received exceeds expectations, the highest ranking, on all areas... I was pleased with that. She had some wonderful things to say such as that she absolutely loves my classroom environment (it was video taped last week for HISD media purposes) and my demeanor with my students. She likes the scholarly environment I have created. I need to work on not being so random with curriculum and being more aligned with the state specific objectives. I also need to work on planning more effectively and looking more at the big picture... I do a pretty good job at winging it and just figuring out what my kids need and attacking it... things seem to fall in place. But, I can't really explain my methods so therefore I need to be more careful and diligent in what I am doing.
Hmmm... what else to say... more pink eye in my classroom, i have kids that are growing too fast and can't buy new school uniform clothing... they're beginning to smell and some of them need me to go to Goodwill for them although of course that's against school policy!
Ok, I have ranted enough... love you all.
The link below this post is to the really cool site called Adopt-a-Classroom... basically random strangers wanting to contribute to low income classrooms are able to log into the site and deposit money into a classroom bank. For instance, I randomly received $75 this morning that I was able to use toward a new pencil sharpener, pencils, and folders. Pretty sweet! I like it because then, whenever I need something I can just use that "bank" and then not have to fork out even more money on classroom necessities. If you want to pass it on to anyone, please do!
I am really stressed! I don't even know why. I have been teaching after school tutorials for the past couple of weeks. Basically, it is extended day for the kids needing remediation... it can be taxing to have to stay here until 5, but after today I will only have to do it one more time. I also have been teaching Saturday school from 8-12... this Saturday we're bringing in a bigger group as a last ditch effort to prepare the kids for the state reading and math test next Tuesday and Wednesday.
I found out there are a couple of young Whitman alums living in Houston, including one that is an astronaut. I look forward to hopefully getting together with them in the near future.
I don't really 100% know what to do about the living situation for next year. Mr. Jackson really wants me to live with him and he's a really chill and very nice guy. But, we will both be teaching 4th grade next year at Gallegos... and he's not one to leave work at school... I know that work will follow me home every day... but perhaps that's a good thing? After all, I am here to devote myself entirely and unselfishly to the service of eliminating the education gap in our urban schools and bettering the lives of my students. Any thoughts? Would you live with a co-worker?
Who reads this? Random thought, but seriously, I wonder who reads this? While rereading past entries I get a little frustrated and disappointed with how I write and my inability to articulate certain feelings, stories, and events. I was never very proud of my writing.
I had my summative conference yesterday with my principal which is the end of the year conference where we meet to discuss my final appraisal and all that jazz... I received exceeds expectations, the highest ranking, on all areas... I was pleased with that. She had some wonderful things to say such as that she absolutely loves my classroom environment (it was video taped last week for HISD media purposes) and my demeanor with my students. She likes the scholarly environment I have created. I need to work on not being so random with curriculum and being more aligned with the state specific objectives. I also need to work on planning more effectively and looking more at the big picture... I do a pretty good job at winging it and just figuring out what my kids need and attacking it... things seem to fall in place. But, I can't really explain my methods so therefore I need to be more careful and diligent in what I am doing.
Hmmm... what else to say... more pink eye in my classroom, i have kids that are growing too fast and can't buy new school uniform clothing... they're beginning to smell and some of them need me to go to Goodwill for them although of course that's against school policy!
Ok, I have ranted enough... love you all.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A scare with God by my side
I went to the doctor on Monday due to an embarrassing issue.... painful urinating. The doctor did not know what was really going on, his guess was kidney stones and a urinary tract infection... so he prescribed two different antibiotics, zithromax and cipro... he gave me a single dose of both until all my test results come back identifying what the problem actually is. I was very reluctant to take the antibiotics, meanwhile, my friend Jake convinced me to drive all the way out to Spring, TX (an hour + drive due to traffic) to watch a movie with him and our friend Jessica. So, a little pissed off having to make the journey all the way out there in the midst of the 6:00 rush hour and missing my spinning class to do so, I drove out there and took my antibiotics once I got there. Well, Jake is a paramedic and about 5 minutes after taking the antibiotics my eyes started burning and I turned cranberry red and my eyes became incredibly blurry and nearly swollen shut while my throat tightened to where I could feel only the slightest amount of air go in and my heart began racing uncontrollably. Jake rushed me to the hospital, only 3 minutes away. I don't remember a whole lot of being in the hospital just that they gave me several IV's and a couple of different breathing treatments and said the word "tracheotomy" if my throat didn't relax so that I could breath. Thankfully all ended up being ok and I was around friends who could take care of me. I convinced the doctor to not make me stay in the observation room and that in fact, I would be staying only a few minutes away from the hospital if I indeed needed to return. I was released and slept very well that night and ended up taking yesterday off of work. I was perhaps most upset to miss work as the students have 4 more instructional days until our last round of state tests-- reading and math. I am back today, although feeling incredibly lethargic and not on my "a" game, I am here. My students are progressing so well, at least progressing in the way they need to in order to pass the state test.
My book shipment came in last week from the donations of many of you guys. I wish you could have all seen their faces light up as the books came in box after box. They were so eager and excited. My principal gave me an additional $1,000 to spend on books! She also is giving me a Smart Board and a new US pulldown map, yes! A smart Board, which Lisa, you know all about and I know about them because of you, is like a large computer monitor that is about 60x60 inches, has wheels so you can roll it around and you can write on it with special colored pens. I am thrilled.
29 days of school left, kind of crazy. I got my car back from the body shop after they fixed the last of the many things that were not fixed from the accident in November...my car got a new hood, grill, headlights, etc. It looks pretty, but I need to get rid of it sometime soon.
Last Saturday I volunteered at the MS 150, the largest bike tour in the country. I volunteered at the first overnight site and had a blast. My assignment was to pour wine and beer in the VIP tent. A pretty fun job leading to many bottles of free wine.
I am posting pictures of various things--books coming in, hanging out in Old Spring, Texas.
soon to come... a blog on my first Texas festival--Crawfish Fest 2008 where for the first time ever, I realized, yes, I am indeed in Texas and yes, Texans have a stereotype for a reason.
Friday, April 4, 2008
The humidity begins...
As many of you are still frozen from the freezing Northwest temperatures... i am melting in the hooooot Houston heat. It has been in the mid 80's for the past week or so and very humid. But, I really will not complain... as I was, during swim practice last night, in a sense of euphoria as I watched the sunset from the outdoor pool and felt the warm, balmy air as I swam. Last night I swam my first workout in quite some time and it felt amazing. It was nice being in the water and a good break from running and spinning. However, I am really sore today! I went to Chilis last night with a good friend and ate a salad only to discover that I ingested over 1300 calories and 40 grams of fat, from a salad! Salads do not mean "healthy" at least not down here in fat land.
I am really happy at school right now. I was given a group of 15 of the lowest 4th grade readers... they're making fast progress and are getting excited to read and excited to succeed... I was really afraid of how I would do with them after having my Gifted and Talented kids this past year, but they're doing really well and are making gains everyday. I am excited to continue to push them and see where they can end up. I discovered that one of the boys I was given on Monday cannot read at all and has been ignored this past year, maybe longer... he's 11, almost 12 and knows 22% of the second grade high frequency words (100 word list that all second graders must know in Texas in order to be, theoretically, passed on to the next grade level)... this is so sad. My principal gave me permission to basically adopt him as my little buddy for the remainder of the year, so I can teach him to read. He had a stroke in December and has a speech impediment and does not have friends... however, since this past Monday he has really began opening up to me and talking, a lot. This boy joins me while I work with the second graders that I am working with. I am teaching a small group of failing second graders how to read and comprehend texts to recall information, summarize, draw conclusions, etc as well as their high frequency words... My 4th grade boy has been joining me with the second graders as my "helper" but really, he needs to develop these same skills.... My gifted kids continue to do really well... we're preparing for the state Reading test which is kind of fun. I am giving them a variety of passages to read dealing with social studies and science. By doing this, I am able to have really cool conversations with them about the topics we're reading about. The other day we read and discussed the Cherokees reaction to European Settlers and the Trail of Tears, Reservations, etc Yesterday we talked about JFK and the Civil Rights and Peace Corps for an hour... it was so fun. They ask such brilliant questions and are really intrigued... I know this because they go home and bring back things they found in the newspaper, online, or the public library, all on their own! They're amazing!
I am coaching at the Houston Racquet Club and loving it. It's great to be coaching again and getting paid to do it! I am glad I quit Starbucks and so happy to be at the Racquet Club (the nicest club ever, and I get to use all the facilities for free :) ) My swimmers are in 2nd-6th grade and are a bunch of fun. VERY spoiled and not used to someone telling them no, but a good group nonetheless.
I ended up deferring the Clinton internship until next summer. I was selected to be Bill Clinton's intern in the Boston office working on his Global Aid's Initiative project as well as Global Climate Change (clintonfoundation.org). By deferring the internship, I will be able to take the mandatory course I have to take this summer here in Houston as well as just coach and teach private lessons and enjoy a fairly lazy summer. I want to camp, go boating, and have a good time. But, I was told I can accept the internship next summer which could lead to a job immediately following my TFA two years... not a bad idea.
I am thrilled that my book project got funded, I can't wait for the books to come in and see the kids fight over who gets to read what first. Thank you to all those that donated your money, I REALLY appreciate it and am so thankful that there are people like you in the world to help me out as I teach in Houston. Also, a huge thank you to Jake for donating some pretty marvelous pencils that the kids are thrilled to write with, Mom for her donation of pencils and love, Pettersen family for a large donation of OUTSTANDING books that kids will not put down, and the Canby Kiwanis for all their work in putting a box of books together for my classroom library---you guys are all amazing!
I began playing with my friend Michael in a sand volleyball league... I should use the word playing loosely, because, well, I am starting from scratch and don't have much experience other than Intramural volleyball in college (Erin, remember those days?! haha). It's really fun... we play on an outdoor sand court in a complex with 15 or so volleyball courts, there are a ton of people out playing in a fun atmosphere. I will be looking forward to Wednesday nights now!
Man, I have a lot to say! I think I am going to possibly live with Mr. Jackson next year (David), he teaches 4th grade at Gallegos and we'll be teaching partners next years. He's a very cool, laid back guy who I greatly admire. He is from the Woodlands, TX and went to Emory University in Atlanta. I think we'd live really well together... he lives in a nice apartment in the medical center in a good part of town. I can't handle living where I am living anymore with the people I am living with, I can't do it anymore!
This week i have been dealing with kids with pink eye, chicken pox, shingles, and head lice... they're so gross! Someone asked why the kids come to school and don't stay at home, well, a lot of my kids don't have parents and live with various relatives or friends, for those that do, most are from single parent households and work 2, some even 3 jobs supporting their kids... Taking a day off work for them is the worst thing ever and would throw them into financial turmoil... school is the best option for a lot of these kids even if it means sitting in the nurses office all day. I seriously teach in the destitute ghetto... i woke up this morning to my school's neighborhood on the news for two shootings a block away from school and another story about a robbery!
Ok, I am done writing a novel, thanks for reading if you got this far!
I am really happy at school right now. I was given a group of 15 of the lowest 4th grade readers... they're making fast progress and are getting excited to read and excited to succeed... I was really afraid of how I would do with them after having my Gifted and Talented kids this past year, but they're doing really well and are making gains everyday. I am excited to continue to push them and see where they can end up. I discovered that one of the boys I was given on Monday cannot read at all and has been ignored this past year, maybe longer... he's 11, almost 12 and knows 22% of the second grade high frequency words (100 word list that all second graders must know in Texas in order to be, theoretically, passed on to the next grade level)... this is so sad. My principal gave me permission to basically adopt him as my little buddy for the remainder of the year, so I can teach him to read. He had a stroke in December and has a speech impediment and does not have friends... however, since this past Monday he has really began opening up to me and talking, a lot. This boy joins me while I work with the second graders that I am working with. I am teaching a small group of failing second graders how to read and comprehend texts to recall information, summarize, draw conclusions, etc as well as their high frequency words... My 4th grade boy has been joining me with the second graders as my "helper" but really, he needs to develop these same skills.... My gifted kids continue to do really well... we're preparing for the state Reading test which is kind of fun. I am giving them a variety of passages to read dealing with social studies and science. By doing this, I am able to have really cool conversations with them about the topics we're reading about. The other day we read and discussed the Cherokees reaction to European Settlers and the Trail of Tears, Reservations, etc Yesterday we talked about JFK and the Civil Rights and Peace Corps for an hour... it was so fun. They ask such brilliant questions and are really intrigued... I know this because they go home and bring back things they found in the newspaper, online, or the public library, all on their own! They're amazing!
I am coaching at the Houston Racquet Club and loving it. It's great to be coaching again and getting paid to do it! I am glad I quit Starbucks and so happy to be at the Racquet Club (the nicest club ever, and I get to use all the facilities for free :) ) My swimmers are in 2nd-6th grade and are a bunch of fun. VERY spoiled and not used to someone telling them no, but a good group nonetheless.
I ended up deferring the Clinton internship until next summer. I was selected to be Bill Clinton's intern in the Boston office working on his Global Aid's Initiative project as well as Global Climate Change (clintonfoundation.org). By deferring the internship, I will be able to take the mandatory course I have to take this summer here in Houston as well as just coach and teach private lessons and enjoy a fairly lazy summer. I want to camp, go boating, and have a good time. But, I was told I can accept the internship next summer which could lead to a job immediately following my TFA two years... not a bad idea.
I am thrilled that my book project got funded, I can't wait for the books to come in and see the kids fight over who gets to read what first. Thank you to all those that donated your money, I REALLY appreciate it and am so thankful that there are people like you in the world to help me out as I teach in Houston. Also, a huge thank you to Jake for donating some pretty marvelous pencils that the kids are thrilled to write with, Mom for her donation of pencils and love, Pettersen family for a large donation of OUTSTANDING books that kids will not put down, and the Canby Kiwanis for all their work in putting a box of books together for my classroom library---you guys are all amazing!
I began playing with my friend Michael in a sand volleyball league... I should use the word playing loosely, because, well, I am starting from scratch and don't have much experience other than Intramural volleyball in college (Erin, remember those days?! haha). It's really fun... we play on an outdoor sand court in a complex with 15 or so volleyball courts, there are a ton of people out playing in a fun atmosphere. I will be looking forward to Wednesday nights now!
Man, I have a lot to say! I think I am going to possibly live with Mr. Jackson next year (David), he teaches 4th grade at Gallegos and we'll be teaching partners next years. He's a very cool, laid back guy who I greatly admire. He is from the Woodlands, TX and went to Emory University in Atlanta. I think we'd live really well together... he lives in a nice apartment in the medical center in a good part of town. I can't handle living where I am living anymore with the people I am living with, I can't do it anymore!
This week i have been dealing with kids with pink eye, chicken pox, shingles, and head lice... they're so gross! Someone asked why the kids come to school and don't stay at home, well, a lot of my kids don't have parents and live with various relatives or friends, for those that do, most are from single parent households and work 2, some even 3 jobs supporting their kids... Taking a day off work for them is the worst thing ever and would throw them into financial turmoil... school is the best option for a lot of these kids even if it means sitting in the nurses office all day. I seriously teach in the destitute ghetto... i woke up this morning to my school's neighborhood on the news for two shootings a block away from school and another story about a robbery!
Ok, I am done writing a novel, thanks for reading if you got this far!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Funded
Yes! Thank you sooooo much guys, my book grant has just received all the funding it needs! You guys are amazing and my kids are really excited! They will come just in time to teach 4th grade next year! Wahoo!
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