Tuesday, August 18, 2009

A New School Year Thoughts (Ramblings)

School started August 12, 2009. I'm teaching Reading/Writing to both 4th grade classes and Sci/Soc/Hlth and English to my 4th grade while my colleague teaches math to both classes. It's working well for us and we're glad.
The school isn't air conditioned (I've been there 9 years now and been waiting for air all that time!) We're getting remodeled this winter/spring (have to move bldgs) and will come back to air next year!!!! My room is supposedly air conditioned but it's not working well and I have no windows so it's still hotter than Hades (that's an idiom, simile, and hyperbole all in one!) I'm ready for a big Indiana cool down!!!!
We send home supply lists knowing that not all of our students and their families can afford supplies. But it's really sad/frustrating to have to provide all the notebooks/folders/pencils, etc. to the kids. Their parents can buy their cigarettes but not their kids' school supplies? So who gets to foot the bill? That would be me. Yes, we get reimbursed for some of it but it's still sad and aggravating.
HOW DO YOU STRESS A BUILDING FULL OF TEACHERS OUT?? (Yeah, I know, don't end a sentence with a preposition. Sorry!) Have 6 copiers and a risograph and have only 1 or 0 of them working since the day before school started. Yep, that will stress the teachers out. I'm not kidding, 6 copiers and most days one is working but some days none are working. Seriously, how are we supposed to meet our requirements and do the paperwork required of us if we're not able to make copies????
Ahhhhh, I only have 23 kids right now and I'm LOVING IT!!! I have 31 on my list and 30-33 is usual so this 23 is AWESOME!!!! But of course, there are other grades that are at like 26 and they are complaining to me. Um, 26 isn't bad compared to my usual 33 so just stuff it and let me enjoy my 23. Yes, I know what you're going through. I've been doing it for the last 8 years!!!
I wish I had a job like some of our "big wigs". They basically get paid big bucks to critique every single aspect of our room/teaching/etc and pile more and more mandates on us. I could do that for a 6 figure salary!
I'm so sad. I wish I was one of those people who had more money than they know what to do with it. I would SO TOTALLY USE IT FOR GOOD!!! First, after doing a few things for my family, I would buy my students new clothes. We wear uniforms and it's a sad thing for some. We started wearing these 2 years ago and I know some of my 4th graders are wearing shirts from 2nd grade. One boy has two shirts that are so short his belly shows. One boy is wearing a very obviously girl style uniform shirt. Many of them have shirts/pants that are stained or have holes. Many have one shirt/pants that they wear for 5 days with no guarantee of it getting washed on the weekend. I wish I could buy them all new uniforms. :(
I have a great group of kids this year. My homeroom/morning class is awesome! My afternoon class is much more wearisome but still a good group. I'm feeling good with this year so far. Now, if I could just get copies made and all my paperwork crap done, I could start to feel like I'm not drowning!! Oh, but I get a student teacher on the 24th so that will either make more work or make it easier. Or both. We shall see!
Here's to 175 more days!!!

1 comment:

Nicolasa said...

oh wow! that sounds like quite the beginning to a school year! We don't have AC in our school because typically the heat runs longer than the AC would... but with the way the weather has changed I think we should invest in AC! Oh, and 2 of our copiers are out of commission too!