Didn't I tell you that this week would dddrraaaagggg by? Well, it is. Yesterday was fun--after testing, we took the kids outside on the school track and stayed out there for two hours. That was super nice--bright sunshine, nice weather, the kids enjoyed it. We walked around the track (well, some of them ran) and someone bought a two-seater bicycle and me and one of the other young teachers rode it around the track, and then one of my students wanted to ride it with me, so we took another turn around the track. It was fun.
In other news, the plants my life and earth science classes planted are starting to sprout. I was worried--I'm not the best person for growing stuff. And the kids have been subjecting them to rather creative watering, LOL. Anyway, it was heartening to see the tiny sprouts today--yay us!
In recent news, I read a lot of mental floss (great magazine, great website) and came across an article (http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/50525) that talks about a guy who is making cheese from his wife's breastmilk and asks the reader to submit their opinion on that. I thought it was rather gross myself, but found myself (and others like me) quickly labeled as close-minded or squemish. In fact, most people say they thinking drinking human milk makes more sense than drinking cow or goat milk. I remain unconvinced. After all, as another commenter put it, "I eat cow meat, but not human meat." I dunno... read the blog and decide for yourself.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Bah humbug?
So... it's Phase One of LEAP testing here at my school, and since I'm not assigned to moniter testing today, I'm stuck in my classroom teaching all week. I'm one of the few teachers who I think are actually doing real work this week, out of necessity, not necessarily out of choice. I'm even giving tests this week, which makes me about as popular as Hitler right now.
Well, what can you do? They were so far behind when I got here that I'm not sure sitting out a week would be good for them. Especially the week before the holidays: as any teacher knows, holidays have a way of erasing what little retention high schoolers have. That, and the fact that there's only one TV here for the entire high school to share (to my knowledge, anyway). Odds are, if I wanted to show a flick one day, somebody else would be using it. The TV sat largely unused for the last several weeks, but right around the time I find something fun for us to watch, suddenly everyone and their mother needs it. LOL. Such is the life of a teacher in a very small school.
Did I mention I was planning a trip to Chicago this summer? Well, it's still on. I'm planning on going with my friend, Mamie, and possibly my cousin Tiff in late May, after school lets out. I would like to be back in Louisiana in time for summer term at SLU, I need to pick up one more math class to have a math ceretification (since the odds of me passing this danged Chemistry Praxis are slim--I HATE CHEMISTRY). Anyway, I would rather have a math cert anyway. Math and Biology are cool, Physics is tolerable, Chemistry is stupid. At least, that's my take on it.
Anyway, back to the Windy City--when I get there, the first thing I'm going to do is scout out a marketplace and buy some food so I don't have to eat out every night--that's where the expense is. Walking tours, subways or the L for longer trips, an occasional taxi or bus if I can't get around it--I'll save my money for museam admissions, entrance fees to attractions, souveniors and the occasional treat-myself-out-to-something-fancy. That's the way to travel. I think I mastered to art of frugal (yet fun) tourism last year on my road trip to the Grand Canyon--Maddie and I packed all of our own food, and ate MRE's every single night, except when we were crashing at my cousin Helen's house in Santa Fe (two nights). We allowed ourselves one fast food stop, and two resturant stops on the entire trip. We left with $800 between us and came back with $300, and that's counting gas, admissions prices, lodging fees, everything. Are we great or what?
Anyway, enough about that. I am tired and not looking forward to this week, which is sure to last FOREVER since it's the week before the holidays. At least I have Friday off--my doctor cancelled on me last week and I had to reschedule for this week. YAY!
Heather-who-is-grumpy-this-morning.
Well, what can you do? They were so far behind when I got here that I'm not sure sitting out a week would be good for them. Especially the week before the holidays: as any teacher knows, holidays have a way of erasing what little retention high schoolers have. That, and the fact that there's only one TV here for the entire high school to share (to my knowledge, anyway). Odds are, if I wanted to show a flick one day, somebody else would be using it. The TV sat largely unused for the last several weeks, but right around the time I find something fun for us to watch, suddenly everyone and their mother needs it. LOL. Such is the life of a teacher in a very small school.
Did I mention I was planning a trip to Chicago this summer? Well, it's still on. I'm planning on going with my friend, Mamie, and possibly my cousin Tiff in late May, after school lets out. I would like to be back in Louisiana in time for summer term at SLU, I need to pick up one more math class to have a math ceretification (since the odds of me passing this danged Chemistry Praxis are slim--I HATE CHEMISTRY). Anyway, I would rather have a math cert anyway. Math and Biology are cool, Physics is tolerable, Chemistry is stupid. At least, that's my take on it.
Anyway, back to the Windy City--when I get there, the first thing I'm going to do is scout out a marketplace and buy some food so I don't have to eat out every night--that's where the expense is. Walking tours, subways or the L for longer trips, an occasional taxi or bus if I can't get around it--I'll save my money for museam admissions, entrance fees to attractions, souveniors and the occasional treat-myself-out-to-something-fancy. That's the way to travel. I think I mastered to art of frugal (yet fun) tourism last year on my road trip to the Grand Canyon--Maddie and I packed all of our own food, and ate MRE's every single night, except when we were crashing at my cousin Helen's house in Santa Fe (two nights). We allowed ourselves one fast food stop, and two resturant stops on the entire trip. We left with $800 between us and came back with $300, and that's counting gas, admissions prices, lodging fees, everything. Are we great or what?
Anyway, enough about that. I am tired and not looking forward to this week, which is sure to last FOREVER since it's the week before the holidays. At least I have Friday off--my doctor cancelled on me last week and I had to reschedule for this week. YAY!
Heather-who-is-grumpy-this-morning.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
For the Weekend...
Some more pictures that I took last week, just to keep the blog updated over the weekend... myself washing off my feet in the bayou (picture one); the mud footprint I made after overwhelming nostaglia--we used to do that all the time when I was kid (picture two); a thistle that my mother found particulary beautiful (picture three); and more of those yellow flowers that I love so much (picture four).
There you go. :)
~Heather
~Heather
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday Cont.
Looks like it's going to be an easy day. In my physical science class, we went over our equations in preparation for next week's quiz, and then my one student in third hour didn't show, so I got a free prep period... and probably, my one student in sixth hour will not come either (he rarely does on Fridays) so that's another free period... seventh hour is shortened on Fridays so our residential kids can catch their buses home, and fifth hour has notes to finish from yesterday, and fourth hour is watching a movie that ties in with the lesson. So... easy day.
I work at a small school. Did I mention that? The low classload is nice somedays, but somedays I wish I was in a regular class with 30 kids. That way, I'll have some of their attention all of the time. In a one kid class, if the kid is bored or not in a cooperative mood, it makes teaching very, very hard.
We just had a fire drill, so I helped the music teacher get her kids out. One of the little ones kept asking me if I had a watch on, and every time I would answer "No," he would say "Why not?" That conversation went on for awhile. He's a cutie.
I work at a small school. Did I mention that? The low classload is nice somedays, but somedays I wish I was in a regular class with 30 kids. That way, I'll have some of their attention all of the time. In a one kid class, if the kid is bored or not in a cooperative mood, it makes teaching very, very hard.
We just had a fire drill, so I helped the music teacher get her kids out. One of the little ones kept asking me if I had a watch on, and every time I would answer "No," he would say "Why not?" That conversation went on for awhile. He's a cutie.
It's FRIDAY...
I love Fridays. :)
End of the week. For me, it means I get two days of NOT waking up at 5:30 (or earlier) every morning. Two whole days of NOT eating a proper breakfast when I hate to eat after I've just awoken. And best of all, one whole day relatively free of scrambling around to get lessons for my kiddies.
I do like teaching (I think I mentioned that before). If I didn't, I certainly wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing now--teaching six different subjects a day. For those of you not in the education field, that means six different lesson preps, six different sets of notes and activities, six different sets of tests to grade... SIX. Count'em. And while I'm at it, let me just say that the average teacher in the average public school only teaches about 3-4 subjects at one time. Leave it to me to be an overachiever, right?
Six subjects is hard, especially as a first year teacher. Especially coming in half way through the school year (I got this job in January). Basically, that means I don't have any notes saved up from previous years, no cute activity ideas--it's just me and the teacher's edition of my textbooks, slogging through, coming up with whatever will give me something to do for the very next day. And whatever google can supply for activity ideas. Suffice to say, I don't have a lot of free time, so I use the weekend to catch up on my rest and do some thing UN-work related, at least until Sunday, when I have to do everything for Monday... you get the picture.
But hey, I'm doing it. Right? And if I can teach here, I can teach anywhere. That's what I tell myself.
Speaking of doing things that nobody else really wants to do, my dad is teaching me how to drive stick-shift. My official reason for learning is that I may want to buy a standard for my next car (they're cheaper), and it would help to know how to drive one before I got one. But the real reason is, I must confess, my competitive nature. I refuse to have something that I cannot do, that I have not at least attempted. There are lots of things I cannot do, or that I cannot do well, and I know this because I have tried to do them. But I hate to assume (or have people assume for me) that I cannot do something when I haven't ever taken a crack at it. After all, I am a firm believer that one CAN do just about anything if they try hard enough.
And I want to learn stick shift so I can say "I can drive stick!" even if none of my friends see the need to learn in this day and age. Plus, learning new skills is good for you--it fights senility and Altzheimers and all that fun stuff.
And also, because there's something cool about a stick shift. In the words of a Bruce Springsteen song "Well Billy bought a Chevy '40 Coupe Deluxe/ Chrome wheels, stick shift, give her gas, pop the clutch..."
Thank you Bets. :)
~Heather
End of the week. For me, it means I get two days of NOT waking up at 5:30 (or earlier) every morning. Two whole days of NOT eating a proper breakfast when I hate to eat after I've just awoken. And best of all, one whole day relatively free of scrambling around to get lessons for my kiddies.
I do like teaching (I think I mentioned that before). If I didn't, I certainly wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing now--teaching six different subjects a day. For those of you not in the education field, that means six different lesson preps, six different sets of notes and activities, six different sets of tests to grade... SIX. Count'em. And while I'm at it, let me just say that the average teacher in the average public school only teaches about 3-4 subjects at one time. Leave it to me to be an overachiever, right?
Six subjects is hard, especially as a first year teacher. Especially coming in half way through the school year (I got this job in January). Basically, that means I don't have any notes saved up from previous years, no cute activity ideas--it's just me and the teacher's edition of my textbooks, slogging through, coming up with whatever will give me something to do for the very next day. And whatever google can supply for activity ideas. Suffice to say, I don't have a lot of free time, so I use the weekend to catch up on my rest and do some thing UN-work related, at least until Sunday, when I have to do everything for Monday... you get the picture.
But hey, I'm doing it. Right? And if I can teach here, I can teach anywhere. That's what I tell myself.
Speaking of doing things that nobody else really wants to do, my dad is teaching me how to drive stick-shift. My official reason for learning is that I may want to buy a standard for my next car (they're cheaper), and it would help to know how to drive one before I got one. But the real reason is, I must confess, my competitive nature. I refuse to have something that I cannot do, that I have not at least attempted. There are lots of things I cannot do, or that I cannot do well, and I know this because I have tried to do them. But I hate to assume (or have people assume for me) that I cannot do something when I haven't ever taken a crack at it. After all, I am a firm believer that one CAN do just about anything if they try hard enough.
And I want to learn stick shift so I can say "I can drive stick!" even if none of my friends see the need to learn in this day and age. Plus, learning new skills is good for you--it fights senility and Altzheimers and all that fun stuff.
And also, because there's something cool about a stick shift. In the words of a Bruce Springsteen song "Well Billy bought a Chevy '40 Coupe Deluxe/ Chrome wheels, stick shift, give her gas, pop the clutch..."
Thank you Bets. :)
~Heather
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Oh, BTW...
Here are two really good pictures I took on Sunday. I am by no means a photographer, but it was so pretty over the weekend that even I was inspired. My mother and I went for a walk on a quest for "beautiful and interesting things," and found several of both. Here are two of my favorite pics, and if you like those, I'll add more later.
Just the Facts
So I just sat here for five minutes trying to think of a new and creative name to call my blog. I couldn't do it, so I fell back on "Musings," which is almost cute if you consider that my blog name is "dannicalliope" and Calliope was the head muse. At least I think she was. It's been awhile since I took epic lit and classic or not, I've never been overwhelmed with the desire to read the Iliad, the Odessey, or the Aeneid again. Such torture should only be inflicted once in a life time.
Anyway, because this is the first post, let me get started by giving you a little back ground info on myself. My name is Heather. I go by Dannicalliope because it's a combination of my middle name and a really cool Greek muse name--I made the combo back in college (yes, while I was forced to read all the epic literature) and it stuck, mostly because I don't have enough energy to come up with something new, and because it beats the heck out of "polychrmtcbttfly" which was my high school invention, which nobody ever got (too cyptic, I guess, and then most people don't know what 'polychromatic' means anymore). I am pretty young, fresh out of college and working my first real job--as a science teacher. Yay! Go me. That's what I went to college for, and I like science, and I like teaching. I've always said it was the perfect career for me--I get undivided (well, sort of) attention all day long, and I'm paid to talk about my favorite subject. What could be better? Sure, there's the headache of grading stuff and keeping track with the copious amounts of paperwork involved in the education field, but all in all, it's a great job. At least, so says the fresh-out-of-college-still-wet-behind-the-ears me.
Anyway...A little more interesting stuff--I like to travel and try to go some where new every year. When I was growing up we never went ANYWHERE except Texas, which is where my aunt lived. And once my dad took a job in Arkansas, and we moved there for awhile. Maybe like, two times, we went to Mississippi to see some kin folks. Anyway, point is, we mostly stayed in our little home state of Louisiana--which was fine for me. I never really wanted to go anywhere, until I went to college and decided, on the spur the moment (literally--thanks to my good friend Bets!) to take a study abroad trip to Austria. And that's when the travel bug bit. Since then, I have made it my business to get out of the state every summer and go somewhere new (or at least, revist someplace I haven't been in awhile). Last year, my college buddy Madison and I took a 9 day road trip to the Grand Canyon (super fun) and this year, another college buddy Mamie and I will make our way to the Windy City. Only this time, I want to fly. Road trips are great, but I want to spend most of my time in Chicago, and not getting there.And... what else? I can't think of anything, and at any rate, my kids will probably be coming in soon. I had some extra time on my prep period (can you believe that?) which is the only reason why I even started this today.
Until next time...
Rather uncreatively yours,
~Heather
Anyway, because this is the first post, let me get started by giving you a little back ground info on myself. My name is Heather. I go by Dannicalliope because it's a combination of my middle name and a really cool Greek muse name--I made the combo back in college (yes, while I was forced to read all the epic literature) and it stuck, mostly because I don't have enough energy to come up with something new, and because it beats the heck out of "polychrmtcbttfly" which was my high school invention, which nobody ever got (too cyptic, I guess, and then most people don't know what 'polychromatic' means anymore). I am pretty young, fresh out of college and working my first real job--as a science teacher. Yay! Go me. That's what I went to college for, and I like science, and I like teaching. I've always said it was the perfect career for me--I get undivided (well, sort of) attention all day long, and I'm paid to talk about my favorite subject. What could be better? Sure, there's the headache of grading stuff and keeping track with the copious amounts of paperwork involved in the education field, but all in all, it's a great job. At least, so says the fresh-out-of-college-still-wet-behind-the-ears me.
Anyway...A little more interesting stuff--I like to travel and try to go some where new every year. When I was growing up we never went ANYWHERE except Texas, which is where my aunt lived. And once my dad took a job in Arkansas, and we moved there for awhile. Maybe like, two times, we went to Mississippi to see some kin folks. Anyway, point is, we mostly stayed in our little home state of Louisiana--which was fine for me. I never really wanted to go anywhere, until I went to college and decided, on the spur the moment (literally--thanks to my good friend Bets!) to take a study abroad trip to Austria. And that's when the travel bug bit. Since then, I have made it my business to get out of the state every summer and go somewhere new (or at least, revist someplace I haven't been in awhile). Last year, my college buddy Madison and I took a 9 day road trip to the Grand Canyon (super fun) and this year, another college buddy Mamie and I will make our way to the Windy City. Only this time, I want to fly. Road trips are great, but I want to spend most of my time in Chicago, and not getting there.And... what else? I can't think of anything, and at any rate, my kids will probably be coming in soon. I had some extra time on my prep period (can you believe that?) which is the only reason why I even started this today.
Until next time...
Rather uncreatively yours,
~Heather
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