Still Job Hunting

The school year has begun and I don't have a classroom of students staring up at me. I didn't put on a skirt and sensible heels this morning, pack a Lean Cuisine and a fork in a brand-new insulated lunch sack. I did not spend the last week putting up "Welcome to Mrs. Dugan's Room" bulletin boards, labeling desks, and sharpening pencils. I did not take a deep breath in anticipation of a bright new school year.

Well, that last one I sorta did ... Emily and Matthew started back today. But that has nothing to do with my "Still Job Hunting" title.

I have some plans (which include substituting around the area for the meantime), but I'm really still hoping to find a school that wants me up in front of a classroom of kids.

--End--

Green Ideas

Taken directly from my recent issue of NEA Today, tips for teachers to started their classrooms off on a "green" foot:

• Don't use plastic water bottles, or buy cases of bottled water. Use a stainless steel or glass bottle, and a water filter.
• Turn off some classroom lights on sunny days.
• Skip Dixie cups, etc. and ask friends/families to donate old coffee cups, mismatched metal utensils for classroom parties and celebrations.
• Save memos, start-of-school paperwork, etc and use as scrap paper throughout the year, instead of Post-It notes.
• Turn off your computers before you go home.

Just thought I'd share.

--End--

Update on School Stuff

Well, the measure has passed the first school board vote. Article here. For those keeping score at home, I am absolutely one of the six teachers in jeopardy if we merged the districts, as mentioned on page two.

So far it looks as though I keep my job in the plan for next year. After that, it's absolutely completely up in the air.

--End--

Stress at Work

There's been so much stress at work this whole year. Every job I had before becoming a teacher I would wake up fairly regularly and lie there thinking, "This could be a sick day...why not?" Teaching hasn't been like that. I've generally felt fulfilled and needed. This year, however, has been one continuing wave of stress after another. At the start of the school year we had to all write formal curriculum guides in our grade/subject areas. I personally and all on my own had to write two of them ... one for grades K-5, and one for grades 6-8. These amount to two separate 80+ page documents outlining what I intend to teach and how it will ensure I cover all of the NJCCCS (New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards -- the state Dept of Ed requirements for what must be taught in each and every subject area). No one else does anything with technology, so I was on my own here.

After that, the school was "QSAC-ed." (Quality Single Accountability Continuum ... the field of education, being a government-run entity, just ADORES acronyms) This process happens to every single school in NJ on a three-year cycle. This was our year. It meant that representatives from the state came and inspected our school -- the physical structure of it (safety issues, making sure we don't use extension cords, that the room numbers are clearly labeled, etc), the teaching (classrooms were observed in action, and teachers were interviewed regarding "best practices" and other topics), the administration (our principal and head teacher were basically given the third degree on a million different topics), and the curriculum (remember those guides we wrote...yeah, they actually checked a few of them randomly to make sure we were doing what they said we'd be doing, and that we're meeting the Standards). It was several days of stress and anxiousness.

And now, the clincher ... we're going through a bunch of drama about whether or not (and if so, how so) Stow Creek and Greenwich Township schools will "share services" or merge in some fashion. (Article here.) The students are upset and agitated, the teachers feel as though we've had no input or say in what's going to happen to us, and that all our jobs are in jeopardy, the administrators are overwhelmed. Supposedly, the two administrators (principals and superintendents in one, in effect) of both schools have been meeting for months now and had submitted three plans to the two Boards of Ed. The Boards allegedly rejected all three of those plans and came up with the plan outlined in the article. I'm generally an upbeat, positive person (you may have noticed), but I can't help but think that this plan 1) does not delay the state and/or county taking action to merge the schools in some more drastic fashion in another year or three anyway, 2) does not put the welfare of the students first, and 3) pretty much only ensures that all 18 Board of Ed members for both schools keep their positions of "power." I think everything should be left alone and Greenwich (which next year will have fewer than 60 students in nine grades K-8) will just have to keep muddling through somehow.

Each county is being appointed an Executive County Superintendent who will have the power to do whatever they want to the schools in their counties (budgetary decisions, whether or not schools may add staff, all sorts of things). These execs will be specifically charged with consolidating small schools into large schools. Apparently the ideal size for a school district (K-12, all students) is roughly 5,000. If all the schools which send up to Cumberland Regional and the high school were all merged into one school district, we'd still have only about 3,700 students. So, we're obviously going to have HUGE targets painted on us for action. But ... for whatever reason, Cumberland County hasn't had their exec appointed yet. So, we don't have someone doing that yet. So, the two Boards of Ed decided that taking this action will "maintain local control" and give the state the impression that we're trying to fix the problem, buying us more time to be who we are the way we are. (in my opnion, this is utter bullshit ... they'll do what they want to us even after we take whatever action we take)

At issue is something called the Administrative Cap. Each school district is only permitted to spend so many dollars per student on Administrative costs (this includes principal, superintendent, custodial, and secretarial salaries; office supplies, utilities, etc ... everything not directly spent on student instruction (teacher salaries, books, etc)). Greenwich is required to have their administrator in the classroom 40% of her week, so that 40% of her salary can come out of the "instructional" budget rather than the "administrative" budget. This causes no end of difficulties, as you can imagine. Stow Creek is close to, but not yet having problems with our cap. So, the thought is by "sharing services" (the don't want to actually merge the school districts ... in my opinion this is because then we'd only need one school board) we'd come in under the cap and the state would ignore us for awhile.

*sigh*

I don't make tenure until next fall. I'm one of the newest teachers in both schools. Those facts don't bode well for me. However, I do already teach at both schools and they don't really have anyone else who could teach technology. But, there's no requirement that there actually be a technology teacher. They could decide that the classroom teachers can get enough tech stuff into the kids' brains without having a specifically designated teacher to do it.

Hence...the stress.

Have I rambled on enough for one morning? Yes. Is it past time I got off my duff and got ready for work? Yes. Is this even remotely something that interests anyone outside the two schools? Probably not.

--End--

Here Come de Fuzz

Only just got over to the second of my two teaching jobs. And I'm told the State Police are on their way over.

Wha?

Apparently, the school nurse found a wax-paper/cellophane type bag/packet containing a suspicious white powder. It was just lying on the ground under the window of the girls' bathroom. So, now there has to be some sort of investigation.

*sigh*

The hope is that it was inadvertently left last night by a local citizen. School Board polls were open here in the building until 9pm yesterday.

I know what pot smells (and looks) like, but I'm not sure I'd know cocaine from baking powder if given the chance. I just Googled some images and have discovered that crack looks kind of light maple sugar chunks. Cocaine looks like clumpy baking soda. And, heroin looks like, well, dirt.

I have no idea if the students have picked up on the scuttlebutt or not. Guess I'll find out when my prep period ends and the 7th (and later 8th) graders arrive. If there are any students aware, it'd be them.

--End--

ARG!

I apologize for another very brief, lacking insight into anything in particular sort of post.

I'm experiencing a certain amount of frustration at one of my jobs. To the point where I actually broke down and cried.*

I can't go into details, nor do I even really want to. But, I'm really looking forward to the brief spring break I'l be taking in Texas.

--End--

* In private. And thankfully, allergy season has begun here, so my sniffly nose and red eyes will not be unusual.

Local News

Just heard this story on NPR's Morning Edition. I drive right by this preschool every morning. It's the district between the one we live in and the ones I work in.

--End--

Teacher Insight

Billy, when you grow up, you're either going to be governor or get in a lot of trouble. It all depends on whether you learn when to talk and when to keep quiet.

--Sixth-grade teacher Kathleen Schaer to Bill Clinton, as recounted in My Life

--End--

Potential Changes

Prayers requested for some potential changes (for the good) at my job. Things are uncertain right now. Mr principal and I had a very promising conversation yesterday, and I'm hoping things come to fruition.

Thanks!
--End--

Website Live

The Stow Creek School website that I created (using Google tools and some of my own minor html) is now published and live. Woo! The school's been "working on" having a website for years now. It feels good to help finally make it a reality. It's nothing fancy, but it's a nice web presence.

--End--

Shift Happens

We had a Back to School Night for Millville's Gifted and Talented (GT) program last night. Part of the presentation included this brief video. I found it fascinating. In the scope of the GT scene, it seemed particularly relevant.

How do we prepare our students for a world we can't even imagine? I've been reading a bit on the Accelerating Change idea. The principle that not only is the world changing rapidly, but that those changes are occuring at an increasingly rapid pace.

I mean, take a look .... granted, from an evolutionary standpoint ....

Anyway, enjoy the video and take some time to just think about the incomprehensibly different-from-now world our own children will take for granted soon enough.

--End--

'Bout Time I Actually Write Something

Get a drink and settle in ... I haven't written for awhile, so it's a long 'un.


My job is odd.

I don't mean that in the "my boss is nuts" sort of way (That was back at Kröme Communications in Pittsburgh. Bob was the young, hyper, anal, blame the worker for faults, but take all the credit for victories, having an affair with the blonde sales rep temper-tantrum guy. And Alan was the Colonel Sanders goatee dyed black, drives a Porsche, picky but obtuse about expressing what he wants, kooky old guy.). And, I don't mean that in the "my actual job description is interesting and unusual" sort of way.

No, this is more a "somewhat undefined with tenuous objectives and limited funds working with a bizarre existing setup I can't really do anything about" sort of way.

Let me explain ...

I work two jobs at the same school. I'm a half-day reading teacher and I'm a one-day (7-hr) technology teacher.

The school is small ... about 120 students K-8, one classroom of each grade. The classes vary in size from 10 to 20 students.

For the reading job, I pull out two groups of third graders and one group of second graders. We go through the school's reading curriculum together. They're my students, as far as reading goes. But, I don't have a classroom, I don't plan lessons (I just do whatever's next in the book). I meet with each group about 30-40 minutes per day. It's relatively brainless as the text is very scripted, but by having different groups I actually get a moment here and there to take a breath or a pee-break.

Then, on the technology side, I work with each class of students (weekly with grades 3-8, as needed for K-2) to teach them keyboarding, computer terminology, MS Office type stuff. Basically working to meet the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards for Technology Literacy. This is the first time there's been any formal technology instruction at this school. So I spent my first week designing and writing a curriculum guide for myself to use.

This week I actually started teaching the students, but not in our computer lab, such as it is (more on that in a minute). Just vocab and terminology stuff in their classrooms. Got mostly questions on whether we'll have Internet access (answer: yes, the school has a T1 line, just set-up this past summer...the whole surrounding area is dial-up for miles), and whether we'll be playing games (answer: no) or using Myspace (answer: definitely not).

Now, for the computer lab situation. The school has 6 reasonably up-to-date (three years old) in the library/resource room/Basic Skills Instruction room, along with a flatbed scanner and inkjet printer. I've purchased USB extension cables so the few tech-oriented teachers in the building can plug in their flash drives without physically climbing over the monitors (and knocking several important cables loose) in the process. These run XP. The classrooms each have a few dinosaur computers running 98 (eek!) or ME (EEK!). Most rooms also have an inkjet printer. These machines are all working on a wireless network and are broadband capable (though we have it turned off everywhere but the main office and the library, as there's not content filtering yet). Finally, the 5th grade classroom has 12 dummy boxes running off a Linux server in the cafeteria's pantry. Yeah, I know. So the largest lab in the building is in a classroom, whose students have to swap rooms with whichever class I'm bringing in to work on the computers. That poor teacher. I feel like such an interloper.

The Linux network doesn't talk to the Windows network. At all. The Internet runs separately to each network at the moment. The filtering problem is taking a long time to be solved due to the two separate networks running.

So, why don't we just get everything going nicely? Well ... the Three Bs are my problem. Ben is a parent and is also related to a couple of the teachers. He hosts the school's website and e-mail, but neither are live yet. Bud set up and handles the Windows network (not sure if we pay him for that, or if he's another volunteer). And Barry. Barry convinced the principal a few years back that a Linux network was the best thing for schools being 1) cheap-as-free, and 2) relatively unaffected by viruses, trojans, etc. (and he's probably right) He provided as essentially no cost the boxes, monitors and server we're currently running, so that he could have the chance to monkey around with a Linux network whenever he wanted to. We're committed to a certain number of years in exchange for his "generosity" (read: you get what you pay for)

They're all good at what they do and not bad to work with. When they're available. They all have other jobs and handle stuff for the school "when they can."

And finally, the School Board. We could have the whole school running seamlessly on Linux for very little cost, using smaller dummy boxes than we currently have (mid-sized towers), flat screen monitors. Little space, little cost, little security worries. Albeit with the slight weirdness that is Linux. But. They don't really "get it." They're not computer-saavy to say the least. And the concept of "free" and "open source" is considerably too out-there-touchy-feely-New-Agey to them. They want their kids to know Windows and Office and to learn the familiar world of Microsoft. Which is fine with me. I'm good either way. But ... if the Board prefers Windows, and that's where they're going to agree to spend time and money. Well, then ... we need to do it.

I'm working with the principal toward a mobile laptop lab. There is absolutely no space in the building for a dedicated computer lab. I want 20 laptops for students, plus one for me, an LCD projector, a sweet laptop storage cart with built-in power strips, a wirelessly networked printer on the cart, and either eBeam or Mimio interactive whiteboard units. She's going to talk to Dell and see what kind of NJ Dept of Ed deals they have going at the moment (there's always something). She has about $30,000 since she's saved a bundle somehow on busing, and also on my salary (I had been a grant position last year, and this year they fit me into the budget, so they have the whole grant to spend.).

So. My job is odd. It has the potential to be cool, and it's neat to be in on the ground-level of a program. But, sometimes I wish I had a few more years working with these people and this system before I'd be in a position to make suggestions of this magnitude. I guess I'm still a bit shell-shocked by my horrendous principal at my first teaching job. Not used to having my opinion requested and my input seriously considered. It's a bit heady and I'm constantly aware of trying not to step on anyone's toes or overstep my bounds.

Thanks for listening.

--End--

It's a Good Thing, Right?

Well, since I didn't get a call today, it seems I didn't get the last teaching job I had a shot at. I sent out about 15 resumes, got 3 interviews, 1 second interview. But, apparently, no job out of it.

I'm actually kind of pleased about it. More than I thought I'd be. I really like where I am, and who I'm currently working with. I even like that it's part-time. My principal is fair and decent and has gone out of her way for me (getting my formerly grant-based-therefore-ephemeral position into the actual budget and even expanding it by 175%). It's just not the same kind of money as full-time, obviously. Want to do more to help us get ahead.

Likely there will be another round of job openings in early August (the ads have dwindled away to nothing over the past couple of weeks). So, it's not a sure thing, yet.

But I'm actually relieved. I was really not looking forward to making the decision between a decent-paying part-time job with colleagues and administration I like at a school I know to a crummy-paying but full-time job at an unknown school with unknown people (plus the new school is beginning a "looping" program this year ... the 1st grade teachers will move up through 3rd or 4th grade with their cohort of students then loop back down to 1st grade for a new batch ... neat idea, but means learning a whole new curriculum each year until the loop repeats). So, it seems it's out of my hands for the time being.

--End--

Heading into Summer

Well, it's that time of year. My students are restless, my kids are filthy from playing outside until they collapse into bed, Joe's at commencement tonight, and I'm interviewing (again) for a new job next year (again).

This makes the third summer in a row I've been interviewing for a new teaching position. Looong, painful story I'm not going into now. I've interviewed for positions in other fields before, but never before having academic interviews have I come across the search for this annoyingly ambiguous combination of required technical ability and weird attempts to decide if they like my personality.

I mean, I have the degree, the certificate, teaching experience, recommendations, excellent test scores (mine and my students'). So this all basically comes down to whether or not they like me as a person. Joe tells me not to take it personally ... but I mean, come on! What could be more personal than this? It's like a popularity contest. Either they think I'll fit in with their teaching staff and students, or they don't. Do they want vivacious or subdued? Innovative or conventional? Firm or flexible?

I've had three interviews in a week. If I've impressed anyone, there should be some call-back and/or offer phone calls next week. I've sent out about 15 resumes in the past month.

We'll see.

--End--

Drives Me Nuts!

Emily's teacher (not for the first time) erroneously marked something wrong on Emily's work, when it was actually correct. In fact, she mismarked the same type of mistake twice on the same homework paper.

Em has to write sentences for all her spelling words every week. She had to use the word "taller" and wrote the sentence "Megan is taller than me." When I went over her homework with her, I explained the whole implied "am" in that sort of sentence. As in, "Megan is taller than I am." So, she erased and corrected it.

Well her teacher (who is brand-new and has mismarked things previously this year) red-penned her "I" and replaced it with "me." She did the same thing with another sentence down the page.

Grrrr..... So, I took out my nice blue pen and corrected the teacher's grammar and am sending the paper back to school for her. No nasty note or anything (I'm reserving my irritation for here).

I know I'm being a defensive Mother Bear here, but it just slays me when primary grade teachers use incorrect grammar, spelling, etc. in front of their students.

--End--

Day One

Today was the first day of my new job. It went pretty well, I think. I am the reading teacher for 8 first graders and 12 second graders at a small elementary school in rural New Jersey (not an oxymoron). I meet with the lower of the two second-grade groups, then the first-grade (high level) group, then the higher-level second-grade group.

Pros
It's a foot in the door at a new school district.
The kids seem pretty well-behaved.
I have some autonomy with my reading groups.
The hours are good.

Cons
One of the teachers I have to work with seems a bit tetchy.
The reading program is scripted, so there's really not a lot of me in my teaching.
Half-day work isn't going to further our life goals much, if at all.

All in all, I think it's going to be good. One thing is certain, I need to pick up the pace with my first two groups. Familiarity will breed comfort and efficiency. So, it should be flowing smoothly along in a week or so. Then the principal will give me some more to do in my remaining time.

In other news, one of my best friends nearly set Bacon School (where I used to teach) on fire. The sun was refracting just so through a glass fishbowl on her desk. She melted half a tape dispenser before she discovered the problem. It was one of those "Do you smell something funny?" "Yeah, like maybe something burning." sorts of things. The plastic was smoking and smoldering pretty badly when she found it. Good thing it had been blocking the nearby box of tissues from the solar death ray. Of course, if it'd happened on a Friday afternoon or when she was otherwise in a hurry to get out of the building ... my guess is they'd all be having a few days off while they dealt with the water and smoke damage.

--End--

Not Sure What to Title This One

Had a rough day at school today, but I'm not sure how to really categorize it. I mean ... no one got seriously hurt. Nothing was broken. And, at least a modicum of learning occured. But, I had a raging headache at the end of the day, and I felt crummy for not getting the relationship between pennies and nickels through to these kids.

They just don't get it.

And they insist on counting out tally marks one-by-one.

I'm sure it didn't help that we did arts and crafts for the first hour and a half of the day. And my aide wasn't there to help keep things in line. And, Tyrell decided to be a crazy lunatic for awhile.

I mean, what sort of kid comes into class flapping his arms like wings?
"Go back out and try coming into the class the right way, Tyrell."

Reenters skipping.
"Go back out and try it again, Tyrell."

Reenters walking backward.
"Go back out and try it again, Tyrell."

Reenters stomping, smile gone from his face.
(I decide to let it slide a bit, since he seems to be actually heading for his desk and starting his day with some semblance of normalcy.)

Then at Morning Meeting, he's all elbows and knees and sly comments.
"Go back to your seat and think about how you should behave at Morning Meeting."
"I can't."
"What? Why not?"
"Because I tied my shoes together."

You've got to be kidding me. I point. He goes. Big show of "tripping" and "stumbling."

I move his name to red on the behavior chart.
"Yay! I'm on red! Finally! Look, everyone...red! Whooo!"

I point out the door to the Bench Outside the Principal's Office. My room is blissfully quite and cooperative for a full hour. :)

But after lunch they were crazy. And loud.

I'm sure Crazy Hat Day had something to do with it. It's awfully hard to take anyone seriously when she has a cake on her head. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6568758415&category=35842)

Or maybe they were really able to focus on lessons and ignore the hat. Maybe.

A pirate in my classroom

My substitute teacher is a bit off-beat. I haven't seen him this year, but last year he wore his hair in a mohawk and occasionally dressed like a pirate. Apparently, he does some sort of piratical reenactment or somesuch now and then. He even taught the kids a pirate song, which they sang for me today. Cracked me up ... picture fifteen 6-year olds belting out "What do you do with a scurvy pirate? What do you do with a scruvy pirate? What do you do with a scurvy pirate earl-eye in the morning!"

Off to Brownies now with Emily. And then, you know what? I may just spend the next hour at home on the couch reading a book. See if I don't.

--End--