Thursday, March 25, 2010
Rain
Reality is making the decision to accept one's own death, but realizing there is no money to pay for one's own funeral.
Monday, March 1, 2010
I Finally Did It
By the time I left home this morning at ten minutes to seven, the sun was up, the sky was streaked with some blue ripples, and it was, sincerely, a balmy 34 degrees. I pleasantly let my coat swagger open.
I usually listen to the news during my fifteen minute commute. Today ~ no more news, no more snow. Instead, I switched to our local, talk radio, talk show god.
Last week, or before the last big snow, our local talk show man was discussing Amy Bishop, the Huntsville, Alabama professor who (allegedly) shot three of her colleagues. The talk turned gruesome to me. "If she was so bad, why didn't they get rid of her?" and "Didn't people know what kind of a person she was?"
Well, doesn't anyone know why "they" didn't get rid of her? My blogger reader, don't you know? Read below to find the answer.
I was going to call in to the show, but I did not get the number quick enough.
Today's topic when I tuned in was similar, at least to me. The topic was the unilateral firings of all of the teachers of the Central Falls High School in Providence, Rhode Island. Our talk show man did explain that the teachers were given the choice to stay longer hours to work with the students. However, money became an issue, and so the new Superintendent opted to fire all of the teachers.
Callers began to discuss the poor quality of teachers today.
All it took was for me to hear that phrase one time, "poor quality of teachers."
I did call in, and upon retrospection, I did make a fool of myself, but in a good way. I'll tell you why.
I wanted to stick up for the teachers. I asked about the Administrators. My "man" told me not to worry, they were all getting fired too. I said "Good," and he said, "So you are sticking up for the teachers?" I said "Yes." I added about how hard I work, saying, "I am a teacher, and I work four jobs, and I work from seven in the morning until eleven-eleven thirty at night." At that point, my man said, "Thanks for calling," and hung up.
Oye.
I am glad I called in to the show this morning. Something broke, and I need to start a discussion about this teaching thing.
I am foolish, because the problem of misunderstanding is too widespread. Does the public think teachers do nothing? Are the problems of the education system, and the problems of society, the teachers' faults? You mean you don't think that the health of American society is related to education? Also, do teachers think they are supposed to do nothing? Do teachers think they are supposed to show up, and stop at 3:30?
Two hours ago, as reported by the Associated press, Obama "called for "accountability" if a school continually fails its students without improvement" (Henry, 2010). The President says "accountability." I am so sorry, but I am hearing the words "social responsibility," written by Ralph Ellison. If you haven't read Ellison's Invisible Man, please go sit down with the nearest copy. I'll wait.
While you are reading, I'll explain.
What my man on the talk show does not know, and I guess I expected him to known, is that there is a backstory. I expected my man to have that "innocent until proven guilty" philosophy about teachers, the idea that teachers are teachers because there are values there. There are old-fashioned ideals of America there: working hard, building oneself up, going toward the American dream. Teachers are, or were, supposed to facilitate that. Teachers are or were supposed to be, servants. In very ancient history, teachers were philosophers, and were respected for having knowledge. Today, my question, "Don't people know how hard teachers work?" has been answered.
No, absolutely not.
I expect people who know me, to know that I am a teacher.
What that means to me is that my life revolves around four jobs.
Those four jobs represent 21 credits, or seven classes this semester, which is soon to be twenty-seven credits, or 23 classes; last semester, 31 credits, or ten classes. My four jobs mean 155 students, in two physical states, PA and NJ, and online, across the United States.
Why do I have four jobs?
I have a master's degree, and I am not eligible to work in a public high school.
I have been on hundreds of job interviews over the last decade. I am tired of being asked, "Are you married?" "Are you pregnant?" I am tired of being told at interviews that at the college teaching level, I have no discipline problems, I have a captive audience, and I do nothing.
What I actually do is plan to be vivacious in class. I put the students first. Even though I taught the same class last semester, I am revising my curriculum, right now. The best way to teach is with current ideas, happenings, and news that gets student attention. I mark papers. I mark thousands of papers a year, in minute detail, with a red pen, when I can get it, with something called "a lot of feedback." And, I let the students revise again. I stay awake marking papers until I can't see anymore. While marking papers, I am watching the news for something new to bring in to class.
Why? Why this work ethic? Because I was taught to do the right thing. To do work to the best of my ability.
For some reason, everyone who discusses teachers has to comment on what they get paid. Just now, I added my end-of-year statements from last year. Technically, I still have five jobs, because I am still on a sub list. So, the grand total of my five jobs last year, was....
...$36, 428.
I am on a sub list still, because last year, enrollment was down in the spring at the university level. There was no work.
Am I independently wealthy? No. I have loads of bills. And, I am permanently partially disabled.
You see, I was taught to work hard, and now I have to work perfectly all of the time. If I do not work, continue to be interesting and helpful to my class, accomplish objectives, and be held accountable, then there is no hope for work, when there is enrollment. Now, there is enrollment, so I have all of my jobs.
About accountability, I have a great many reviews, from ALL of my jobs over the years. "Best teacher ever," "Great rapport with students" "You are the reason I am going on with my education" is the theme of all of those signed, stamped, and saved documents in my portfolio.
Does this explain anything about who I am? Am I the last teacher in America? Can someone tell me?
I have just about given up, however, on getting one full-time teaching job in a public high school.
I have to finish this later. My husband just called. I have to go to the hospital; he is driving himself there with chest pains. Both of us work so hard.
Signing out now,
E. B. B.
I usually listen to the news during my fifteen minute commute. Today ~ no more news, no more snow. Instead, I switched to our local, talk radio, talk show god.
Last week, or before the last big snow, our local talk show man was discussing Amy Bishop, the Huntsville, Alabama professor who (allegedly) shot three of her colleagues. The talk turned gruesome to me. "If she was so bad, why didn't they get rid of her?" and "Didn't people know what kind of a person she was?"
Well, doesn't anyone know why "they" didn't get rid of her? My blogger reader, don't you know? Read below to find the answer.
I was going to call in to the show, but I did not get the number quick enough.
Today's topic when I tuned in was similar, at least to me. The topic was the unilateral firings of all of the teachers of the Central Falls High School in Providence, Rhode Island. Our talk show man did explain that the teachers were given the choice to stay longer hours to work with the students. However, money became an issue, and so the new Superintendent opted to fire all of the teachers.
Callers began to discuss the poor quality of teachers today.
All it took was for me to hear that phrase one time, "poor quality of teachers."
I did call in, and upon retrospection, I did make a fool of myself, but in a good way. I'll tell you why.
I wanted to stick up for the teachers. I asked about the Administrators. My "man" told me not to worry, they were all getting fired too. I said "Good," and he said, "So you are sticking up for the teachers?" I said "Yes." I added about how hard I work, saying, "I am a teacher, and I work four jobs, and I work from seven in the morning until eleven-eleven thirty at night." At that point, my man said, "Thanks for calling," and hung up.
Oye.
I am glad I called in to the show this morning. Something broke, and I need to start a discussion about this teaching thing.
I am foolish, because the problem of misunderstanding is too widespread. Does the public think teachers do nothing? Are the problems of the education system, and the problems of society, the teachers' faults? You mean you don't think that the health of American society is related to education? Also, do teachers think they are supposed to do nothing? Do teachers think they are supposed to show up, and stop at 3:30?
Two hours ago, as reported by the Associated press, Obama "called for "accountability" if a school continually fails its students without improvement" (Henry, 2010). The President says "accountability." I am so sorry, but I am hearing the words "social responsibility," written by Ralph Ellison. If you haven't read Ellison's Invisible Man, please go sit down with the nearest copy. I'll wait.
While you are reading, I'll explain.
What my man on the talk show does not know, and I guess I expected him to known, is that there is a backstory. I expected my man to have that "innocent until proven guilty" philosophy about teachers, the idea that teachers are teachers because there are values there. There are old-fashioned ideals of America there: working hard, building oneself up, going toward the American dream. Teachers are, or were, supposed to facilitate that. Teachers are or were supposed to be, servants. In very ancient history, teachers were philosophers, and were respected for having knowledge. Today, my question, "Don't people know how hard teachers work?" has been answered.
No, absolutely not.
I expect people who know me, to know that I am a teacher.
What that means to me is that my life revolves around four jobs.
Those four jobs represent 21 credits, or seven classes this semester, which is soon to be twenty-seven credits, or 23 classes; last semester, 31 credits, or ten classes. My four jobs mean 155 students, in two physical states, PA and NJ, and online, across the United States.
Why do I have four jobs?
I have a master's degree, and I am not eligible to work in a public high school.
I have been on hundreds of job interviews over the last decade. I am tired of being asked, "Are you married?" "Are you pregnant?" I am tired of being told at interviews that at the college teaching level, I have no discipline problems, I have a captive audience, and I do nothing.
What I actually do is plan to be vivacious in class. I put the students first. Even though I taught the same class last semester, I am revising my curriculum, right now. The best way to teach is with current ideas, happenings, and news that gets student attention. I mark papers. I mark thousands of papers a year, in minute detail, with a red pen, when I can get it, with something called "a lot of feedback." And, I let the students revise again. I stay awake marking papers until I can't see anymore. While marking papers, I am watching the news for something new to bring in to class.
Why? Why this work ethic? Because I was taught to do the right thing. To do work to the best of my ability.
For some reason, everyone who discusses teachers has to comment on what they get paid. Just now, I added my end-of-year statements from last year. Technically, I still have five jobs, because I am still on a sub list. So, the grand total of my five jobs last year, was....
...$36, 428.
I am on a sub list still, because last year, enrollment was down in the spring at the university level. There was no work.
Am I independently wealthy? No. I have loads of bills. And, I am permanently partially disabled.
You see, I was taught to work hard, and now I have to work perfectly all of the time. If I do not work, continue to be interesting and helpful to my class, accomplish objectives, and be held accountable, then there is no hope for work, when there is enrollment. Now, there is enrollment, so I have all of my jobs.
About accountability, I have a great many reviews, from ALL of my jobs over the years. "Best teacher ever," "Great rapport with students" "You are the reason I am going on with my education" is the theme of all of those signed, stamped, and saved documents in my portfolio.
Does this explain anything about who I am? Am I the last teacher in America? Can someone tell me?
I have just about given up, however, on getting one full-time teaching job in a public high school.
I have to finish this later. My husband just called. I have to go to the hospital; he is driving himself there with chest pains. Both of us work so hard.
Signing out now,
E. B. B.
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