Hello 31 Jan 2012 8:28 PM (13 years ago)
Hello, yes, its been awhile. Been really busy....family, teaching, survival.....Not too much to really write about, other than it has been a different teaching year for many teachers in my school district....especially with much greater discipline issues to deal with.
In all my years of teaching, never, never, had a student deliberately set fire to a building at my school (a metal storage container housing not-yet used workbooks and other classroom materials). Higher class sizes (I am maxed out at 35 in three of my five core classes; have five or six open seats in the other two)....and it is a much greater challenge to get this batch of students to get started, continue to work and turn in their assignments. Administration questions teachers giving homework assignments that many students will not do (and thus lower their grade in the class).
Another teacher has voice the opinion that our school and district has become more like an "inner city school/district" and all the problems that go with such places.
But, I am still plugging along....doing the best I can in our circumstances...I won't get into the bits about MORE cuts to education heading for California schools because our elected officials cannot, will not, refuse to accept the fact that El Estado de California (del Norte) has NO MONEY, that they have spent way more than they have and that there are solutions to the problem but they will not do what several committees, think tanks, etc. have suggested needs doing to get this state back on the right track.....
SO, how if your school year going?
NEA doesn't get it....or is it us teachers? 4 Jul 2011 7:56 PM (14 years ago)
Well here it is, the Fourth of July. Independence Day for USA. I hope you all had a good 4th of July holiday.
NEA, the National Education Association, is holding their annual convention in Chicago. I read online from a couple of bloggers who are attending, that the NEA is doing two things that I really do not agree with; endorsing the re-election of President Barack Obama and raising our dues $10.00 annually for the next five years.
In my opinion, President Obama does not deserve a second term of office as President of the United States. Just sticking with my views regarding education and the Presidency, he has not done much for teachers or the students of this nation. Yes, he did get Congress to authorize bail out money to help save some teaching jobs during the 2010-11 school year (adding to the already staggering US debt!). Has he done anything regarding NCLB? Not that I'm aware of. When Senator Obama began his term as President, students were only being tested in English and Math. In far too many of our nations elementary schools, especially those with a high percentage of minority and low income students, English and Math are all those students are drilled in. Not taught, drilled, so they can hopefully do better on the TEST and demonstrate they improved when their scores are compared with the CLASS PRIOR to theirs. If so, yeah for the school, its teachers and students. If not, you teachers are not doing your job.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. How about the hundreds of thousands of our children who are being left behind in being given the opportunity to learn history, geography, science, art, music, and physical education? Far too many students do not get the amount of instruction in those subject areas that the state department of education says they should get. But it doesn't matter, because until they reach junior high school (at least here in the Great Democrat People's Republica de California), students are never tested in history, geography, science, art, music and p.e. Does this mean Polski3 says students should be annually tested in all these subjects? Maybe. Why not? Doesn't most of the literate world test their students to determine if they will be moving on to the next educational level or sent to work in the rice paddy? Anyhow, I am against NEA endorsing President Obama for a second term. Oh, so who should the NEA endorse? How about NOBODY. How about the NEA declare that they are eager to meet and work with whomever is the next President of the United States to help their members have better pay, working conditions and benefits. Because if teachers are better paid, have better working conditions (such as not having to spend time fixing classroom desks) and benefits, they will be healthier and it will be better for the students. A healthy, happy teacher is the best person for a classroom.
As for raising my dues $10.00 annually, that is a dollar a month from my paycheck. Doesn't sound like much, but I do not agree with what NEA wants to do with my ten dollars....they want to use it for political purposes. To give to candidates and "political" organizations that do not necessarily represent my values, beliefs or politics. Here on the 4th of July, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence; the British colonists of America telling King George III that we do no longer wish to be part of his empire, no longer wish to be ruled by him or suffering from a lack of political power. We fought his soldiers to gain our independence. Two of my ancestors were part of the "patriot/rebel" forces (Peter Looney; North Carolina militia in what is now Tennessee, Samuel Gray left his farm and family to join two of his brothers and a bunch of rebel men now called the "Over Mountain Men," to go fight King George's men at a place called Kings Mountain.).
CTA (Calif. Teachers Assoc.) has a form that a member can fill out annually that diverts the portion of our dues from political action to the general fund. I plan to find out if NEA has a similar opportunity for teacher members to tell NEA that NO, I don't want you to use any of my dues money for political actions. It would be nice if we could get a rebate on that portion of our dues, but they won't do that.
I've read a number of times that the teachers unions do not really represent the views, beliefs or values of their teacher members. If you are still reading this missive, let me ask you these questions: Did you vote for your representative to the annual NEA convention? Did you express your views to your representative? If your answer is no, WHY NOT? It is apathy such as this that gives the "leadership" of CTA, NEA and other teachers unions the power that they want. YOU MUST BE INVOLVED! Don't sit back in silence! This nation would never have become the United States of America if too many of our ancestors just sat back and said, "oh well, I'll just pay King George more in taxes....or its ok to have a couple of soldiers living in my house....." GET INVOLVED. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
If NEA does indeed have a dues redirect from political action, I will post that information here in this blog.
Thanks for reading my thoughts, opinions and feelings. Have a safe summer!
End of year activities..... 17 May 2011 7:04 PM (14 years ago)
If your school is like mine, grades are due about two weeks prior to the actual end of the school year. Gotta grant time for parents, students (and administrators) to whine, beg, cajole, threaten, grovel and perform other acts of embarrassment to try to get teachers to change a few grades so that (1) student F can go through the promotion ceremony/graduate or (2) YOUR class is the only one in which student F was GIVEN a failing grade, so therefore, YOU need to fix YOUR deficiencies and CHANGE student F's final grade in YOUR CLASS to a passing grade..... Of course it doesn't matter that student F was absent too often, failed to make up any missing work, failed to turn in homework and when student F did turn in classwork, it was crap.....anyhow, What to do with the kiddies after grades have been turned in?????
Well, lots of video stuff that could be seen.....I even have some old filmstrips that I could show just so they can truly say that they experiences such antiquated technology in Polski3's class.....if my old f/s projector still works. I have been told by our tech lady that when "that bulb dies, you get no replacement!"
However, what I do plan to do, may include some of the following:
Give my students a DBQ experience. I will be teaching a bit about immigration and using a DBQ activity for some of it. Students should get an idea about why people came here, who came here and when, what they contributed to US culture and economy and how immigration is still a current, important topic for today. I'll have my students create a 6+6 (six illustrations with captions about the illustration) to help show me their learning about immigration.
Then, to compliment the Immigration DBQ activity, we'll do a "Choosing Your Way through History" story. From my copy of Walch Publishing Company's, "Choosing Your Way Through America's Past, Book 3: Adventures from 1850-1900," there is a story entitled, "Tenement Folk," you are a young German immigrant preparing to leave your crowded tenement in New York in 1889....the first page tells about life in urban tenements in the later years of the 19th century, then students must decide on what to do....in this story, do you (the student) go to Pittsburgh or Chicago? I have students write down their choices, circle their choice, then explain why they made THAT decision. Then they turn to the indicated second page of their story, read it and have another decision to make. However, before they decide, they write a short summary about what happened to them because of their decision. [ note: I love this series of historical stories; they have them for all time periods of history....check on Amazon or e-bay to find used copies ---and NO, I am not the author or receiver of anything financial....they are just a great tool to help make learning history more fun and interesting. There may be some free sample stories on the publishers website] Anyhow, they continue on through their story until it ends....endings for these stories might be good or...like in the story about the Black Death, not so good. But they love it. Each story also has some activities at the end that students can do, for example, students could write a letter home telling about their experinces as a recent immigrant to the United States, or draw a diagram of a typical 12x12 tenement apartment housing up to 20 people....showing where everyone can sleep....Then, students create a 6+6 about their story.
I will also throw in a few tips on dealing with high school.
Oh, and I'll also handout a copy of the US Constitution that I got from my local Congressman for my students. I thought it might be nice if each of them left school with their own copy of the US Constitution. (My local Congressman was happy to oblige; He's a former Social Studies teacher.)
That should get us through the next couple of weeks of this school season.
What do you do with your students the last couple of weeks? Please share with us!
Creating Lasting Memories..... 11 May 2011 3:31 PM (14 years ago)
Today, as per our School Board memo, is our districts "TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY." It was celebrated at our schools by our district administrators giving 31 teachers their "final notice," ".....in accordance with Education Code Sections 44949 and 44955, you are hereby notified that you will be laid off as a certificated employee of this district for the ensuring 2011-2012 school year."
Mrs Polski3 was one such recipient of this Teacher Appreciation Day notification.
You'd think these people would have a bit more empathy or a bit of common sense or humanity, or....?
But they don't. Why do such people end up as district administrators?
Slice and Dice.....California Slashers at work..... District Office Rippers 11 Apr 2011 6:56 PM (14 years ago)
Read a couple of other teacher blogs....depressing. Sounds like the same story for teachers all throughout what is supposed to be the greatest nation on earth, supposedly blessed by God..... teachers being forced to take furlough days, paying more, much more from their take home pay for health insurance expenses, higher class sizes, fewer administrators to handle discipline, less materials to teach with, no salary raises in many years......California, Nevada, Illinois, Georgia....same story.
As for the Polski3 family, my job is safe. However, Mrs Polski had her math position "eliminated" and she has been pink-slipped. Oh, and she was notified that she is one of our county's "Outstanding Math teachers" and getting an award in the near future. But come June, she's an unemployed teacher. California will have many, many unemployed teachers in June. And unlike in some recent years, no last minute rehiring of many of them because the state got some money from the Chinese or Arabs...oops, I mean the Feds.
At my school, six of our seven Language Arts teachers were pink-slipped. Those who were pink-slipped were hired since 2005. They may be replaced by "multiple subject" teachers who have an ELA (English-Language Arts) endorsement on their credential. This could foul us up because we could have a slew of "new" teachers who haven't taught that curriculum and who are now teaching junior high only because it was "THAT" or unemployment. It could also foul us up with the Feds / NCLB folks because having such an endorsement on one's credential does not mean that teacher is a "highly qualified teacher" under the rules of NCLB. I know.....my California credential also says I can teach science, but I am not "highly qualified" under NCLB unless I get a piece of paper from a university that says "Bachelor of Science degree" or take some tests.....Is there a university that grants a BS in "General Science?" Really bleek times for our Language Arts department.....
We are supposed to lose our assistant principals too.....Our district wants lots from us teachers; furlough days, no state lottery money in our paychecks, changes in contract language about evaluation and non-voluntary transfers and class size increases. Their offer? Nothing. They offer nothing in exchange. Oh, wait, I heard that they have discussed dropping all district contributions towards teacher health insurance. Administration keeps their district paid cell phones, i-pads, gasoline allowance, fully paid health insurance and unlimited supplies. I got to order four cases of photocopy paper for next year. That's it. My stash from previous "flusher" times is dwindling.....Guess I will have to teach without making any copies.
Meanwhile, our elected idiots in Sacramento cannot get over their partisan politics to do what they need to do for this state. Convicted criminals are more important than the children. Ack, I won't go there.....
So, how is life where you are? Thanks for reading this depressing blog posting. Maybe I can get a summer job at Costco or Walmart?
I heard.....and I wonder.... 22 Mar 2011 6:32 PM (14 years ago)
According to our school custodians, many of our "young men" have problems hitting their "target" in the restroom. It is said that the product they leave behind is smellier, more pungent than it should be, because our "young men" are not drinking enough water. What do you think?
I wonder if math scores would improve if our math teachers had traditional single desks for their students instead of the double desks that they must use? Why might math scores improve? Could it be that there is less messing around and more work (learning) accomplished without the distraction of another student in such close proximity? I have also heard rumor that discipline is an issue in most of our math classes. What are your thoughts?
Professional Growth? 10 Mar 2011 6:07 PM (14 years ago)
Warning - This post will be a bit rambling.
I teach junior high school History. The subject I teach probably won't change, as I am at the tail end of my teaching career. Recently, I thought of something a bit disturbing while browsing at a bookstore with a couple of history books in my hands, "Do I need these for my teaching?"
This was a disturbing question for me. I have what I consider a nice little library of mostly history titles, mostly non-fiction. I looked at the titles, "To Kingdom Come," by Robert J. Mrazek (WWII first person accounts of a 1943 B-17 raid on Stuttgart) and Col. Robert W. Black's "Ranger Dawn: American Ranger from the Colonial Era to the Mexican War." Both are in my range of interests, one within the parameters of my current teaching assignment. But I doubt I will use or need the material for the survey history course level I teach. So why buy them?
We history teachers have been told to "stick to the standards." Yech. The California Standards for 8th grade US History are, lets just say, lacking in so many ways. We are pretty much relegated to teaching relevant vocabulary, a few names and dates, how to find such things in a very abbreviated expository text (the reading study guide that came with our big, heavy State-adopted textbook)... we're supposed to do the number the paragraphs, circle vocabulary and names followed by underlining the definition or why person Y is important....etc..etc... As long as it is standards based. NOT too interesting or exciting for most students.
So, with such a formula, is there a need to attend conferences to get new ideas? Surf the web to search out new teaching ideas? Spend one's dwindling money to buy stuff like "Dinah Zikes Big Book of U.S. History," (she is a huge proponent of "foldables")? Continue to search for ideas to make history more relevant, interesting and exciting for my students? Is there time for that, in the time allotted for class?
I have always been one to try to cram as much "interesting" stuff into my lessons as I can....I think the "little" stuff, small bits of this and that are what can help bring history alive and interesting for students with very limited exposure to this discipline. But to continue to search and spend money to add stuff to one's "toolbox" when the fact is, I probably won't be teaching this stuff ten years from now. And have been tasked with "Get them ready for the State Social Studies test" and don't worry about all the other stuff.....and use the materials we (the district) bought....
Those two books? I bought them. Used my 25% off discount for teachers (if the material is subject related to what you teach). I read for my own learning too, and my own enjoyment. Sharing it with the students is good, when you can.
But, should I change? Stop searching and just use what I have accumulated over the past 27 years? There are other things to use my time and money for.....
Anyhow, what do you think? What do you do?
Normal? Or not? 1 Feb 2011 7:08 PM (14 years ago)
These seems to be a lack of energy among many of the teachers I know, myself included. Many say they are tired. I wonder how many of us are depressed? On the bright side, I have a job, a fairly secure job. But, out here in California, the Broke State, what is going to happen next? I have already taken a big hit in my paycheck this year due to huge increase in health insurance (about $5000), and of course, the price of groceries, gas, my basic cable tv service, etc are going up, up, up.... Pressure at school because of being in like, year seven or so of being a "failing" school.
This year, many teachers at my school are being .....hammered (?), warned (?), don't know the exact adjective for it, about "how many F's YOU are GIVING." Is it our school, or district, or county (which is #1 in the USA for unemployment), that far too many of our students won't even attempt to do anything related to school outside of the school? Vocabulary, math problems, read their AR books, review, assemble packets.....for many, they do nothing academic. Its not like they are going to work after school.....
And, I've pretty much dropped all "union" stuff....no more building rep, going to any meetings, etc. Is this depressing? Am I beginning to be a burned out teacher? Anyone else out there frustrated with the way things are at their school? You know you are busting your butt trying to teach these kids in a variety of ways and trying to make it varied and interesting, but you get next to nothing from too many of them?
I don't think I am burning out, or burned out. I don't know that teachers who are burned out keep working to get new ideas and try new things to get their students to learn the state-dictated, standards based material we are being asked to teach.
Maybe someday, the powers that be who make the decisions in education will realize that until the students do their job, the parents make sure their kids are keeping up and learning in school, that nothing they try will really work.
I know the kid whose i-pod (at least I was told it was an i-pod) I confiscated this morning had better enjoy such toys now; if the rest of his life is like the effort he makes in my class (and other classes), he won't be affording any toys like that. But, on the bright side, one of his parents has to show up at the school to get that electronic toy back. Maybe, just maybe, they'll find out something about his grades. Heaven knows they don't check his planner or respond to any tele-parent messages.
Ok. Thanks for reading this post...rant? Am I depressed? Or just frustrated? Alone in it? Or part of a big group of teachers? I hope you are doing great !
Comment if you feel like it.
Its a New Year.... time to change.... 13 Jan 2011 8:05 PM (14 years ago)
Hello, yes, its been awhile. Lots to do, how about you? Polski has been busy.....family, work....you know the story. And I just haven't felt like blogging. There is enough negative crap going on without clicking into a teacher blog and seeing negative stuff, rants about all the problems teachers are experiencing, budgets being cut, layoffs, etc. I tend to be good at complaining; Mrs. Polski, knowing her husband and many members of his family, has come to believe it is inherent with the Polski family, or a least a popular hobby with us.
Anyhow....its now 2o11. One thing I am trying to focus on....no, its not a "new years resolution"....I gave up on those long ago, I am trying to focus on being more positive, less cynical, negative, gloomy, etc. I am not all that sure exactly how to do this, but trying to think about a situation for a few seconds prior to something exiting my mouth is helping. Trying to avoid the eternal pessimists at work and generally trying to be less stressed about stuff I really have no control over.....
I am even working on a teachers version of the famous "serenity prayer." I'll maybe post it if it gets to a form that seems appropriate.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Comments are welcomed!
No Mas 18 Nov 2010 6:15 PM (14 years ago)
I guess I reached some sort of breaking point. Most recently, a building rep meeting was held when the junior high schools in our district were having parent conference week. When I complained about this to our locos Madam President, her snippy and snide response was for me to "change my schedule so that I could attend the meetings!" As if I have any power to reschedule parent conference week?
Then, in a, lets call it a rules dispute, I let another teacher know that it was not a good idea to violate the school policy regarding students wandering loose on campus, being out of class without a pass. Much less interrupting other classes. The response from this teacher? A complaint to the principal that I was harassing her! F THAT!
So, I am no longer a building rep, nor political action chair for the loco. I resigned from both. I guess my help and services were not wanted anyhow; only one teacher on my campus asked me why I was resigning. And Madam President, she didn't even ask why I was resigning. What the F has she learned after attending CTA Presidents Conferences at Aslomar for the past two years????
For me, another step toward becoming an agency fee payer. This group is not worth the stress or probable administrative attention for trying to keep the admin right on our ever eroding contract.
Because its my job.....Try something different 10 Nov 2010 7:58 PM (14 years ago)
Please note: This is sort of a rant, but there is information about teaching that some of you few remaining readers might find useful in your classrooms.
I spent two hours after school today because my students are not doing what I hope and expect them to do. On Monday, they were assigned to study and fill in a chart regarding the "Causes of the American Revolution." I kinda think that's important to know prior to learning what happened during the American Revolution and its results. So, yesterday, we spent most of each class period going over what should be on their charts; the various Acts, what each entailed and WHY THE COLONISTS WERE UPSET OVER THESE PIECES OF LEGISLATURE. Then, as an assessment, they were to create a 4x or 6+6 (4x = a list with three pictures and explanation as to why the chosen laws were a problem for the American colonists, a 6+6 is almost the same thing, but no list and you have six pictures with explanations for each). Those assessments were due by the end of class today.
Anyhow, the results were bad, even for most of these students. If I had to label what I got from 95% of them, it was "Illustrated Definitions of the various Acts of Parliament...." Very, very few had any data about how the taxes made things cost more, about trade restrictions, about justice and fairness, or even that battle cry of suffering "Taxation without Representation". Its like they learned NOTHING yesterday when we went over their charts. I saw them filling them in. [ Note: A key problem with many students is that work that is done is then put into a binder, folder, backpack or .... and NEVER read or looked at again. Even if they need it for some project. ]
So, part of my two hours after school today was spent creating an activity for next Monday (we have Vets Day off, AND Friday); ten statements expressing Colonial opposition views to the various acts of Parliament for the purpose of creating revenue to pay the expenses of the French and Indian War and then to punish certain colonies for their misbehavior. We'll see if this works. The Damn pacing guide gives us little room for reteaching or much extended time to make some of this more relevant. Anyhow.....
Thanks for reading this blog. I hope you got something from it, even if it is reassurance that "MY students aren't like that," or maybe, "Damn, its not just MY students!"
Have a happy Veterans Day.
Should I stay or should I go (or GO) ? 21 Oct 2010 8:31 PM (15 years ago)
We are beginning another contentious time in our perpetual negotiations. There was a building rep meeting scheduled by our Madam President that conflicted with the Parent Conference Week for the district's two middle-level schools. Several people urged Madam President to change the date for the building rep meeting. She refused and wouldn't even consider it. "We created this calendar back in August," she said. If YOU had a problem with the date, YOU need to change YOUR schedule!" is what she almost yelled at me after I told her neither I or my building's teachers appreciated her refusal to change the date to a day when building reps from ALL THE SCHOOLS could be in attendance. It was pointed out to her that Mr. Polski3 could NOT change the district scheduled Parent Conference Week. She said nothing. She just glared at me.
Just a note about the building rep meetings; at an average meeting, maybe 2/3's of the schools have some teacher there to represent them. There are often barely enough BR's to vote on anything that needs to be approved or voted down. Usually, one of the "officers" votes as a BR. This Madam President rarely visits her schools. I think she has been to my campus once, and that was because she had to be there to accompany the state vice president who came down to try to talk to the 1/3 of the teachers at my school who have opted to be "agency fee payers," because of their disgust about the local association and the State unions stand on political issues that have no bearing on our salary, benefits or working conditions.
I could go on about how inept this bunch of union "leaders" is, but I don't have time and I don't know if blogspot has the bandwidth for it. Several people has asked me/ urged me to run for President of the local. I don't know. I waver in my thinking about trying that or becoming an agency fee payer myself. In the past ten years, no one for outside of their corrupt union clique has been elected to any local association position. When someone did garner the votes necessary, they called the election "INVALID" and did a "re-vote" which was done "properly" that time. Attempts to change this local association to make it more democratic and inclusive have led to changes in the bylaws to prevent such things as election of negotiators and security for ballot boxes (what would you think about every single ballot from one school that had the same name as a write-in candidate, written in the same hand with the same writing instrument?) I saw it myself. Oh, Madam President loves her summer week in Monterey at the Calif. Teach. Assoc. Presidents Conference and the many meetings in Palm Springs, Las Vegas and Orange County ( all close to what some believe to be good shopping and restaurants....)
What do you think? Should Polski3 run to be President of his local? Or should Polski3 save his sanity and tell the union to F-off and become an agency fee payer?
DO YOU ? 8 Oct 2010 8:27 PM (15 years ago)
Did you have anything GOOD happen to or for you this week? Please share some good news. I have none.
No, we can't consult a calendar.....! 6 Oct 2010 7:22 PM (15 years ago)
Does your school have a week of minimum days for teachers to conference with parents? Does your school have district math and writing assessments? Does your school do these two things at the same time? Mine is.
Teacher in our district Murdered 4 Oct 2010 7:30 PM (15 years ago)
Early this am, a sixth grade teacher at one of our feeder schools on her way to work in her car and was rammed by a truck driven by her husband/longtime boyfriend. He got out of the truck, went to her car, emptied his pistol at her, killing her. He then tried to kill himself but the pistol was empty, so he went back to the truck, reloaded, walked back to the vehicle with his dead wife in it and killed himself. Their ten year old son was there. Say a prayer for this poor boy.
Are you a Tired Teacher ? 24 Sep 2010 9:23 PM (15 years ago)
I've read several places on education blogs about how tired teachers are....and it is just towards the end of September! Whats going on?????
School just began; teachers should be charged up and zipping along in fifth gear. But it seems that is not the case? Did that wonderful "pep you up stuff" in coffee disappear? Are we just so beaten down by testing? Beaten down by being repeatedly told "its teachers fault those students are not learning," your school is "under-performing," you are a "program improvement" school. In the mail today, we, (Mrs. Polski and I), received a letter from one of my son's schools telling us that it was in "Program Improvement, Year 1," and that if we wished, we could talk to the school district about moving him to one of the "non-program improvement schools." Is it the lack of accountability for students and their parents?
Is it the demand to do more with less resources, more students, more student needs? Is it the frustration of ever rising cost of living and paychecks that are ever being reduced by multi-years of no COLA, more taxes, ever increasing "employee contributions" to pay for health insurance (about $5000 more from my take home pay this year! Yes, $5,000.00!).
So we are tired. Is it sucking the life out of us? This used to be the UNITED STATES, the country of power, innovation, discovery and the best life on the planet. Who is doing this to us? Any ideas?
On the other hand, how do you insulate yourself from all this negativity? I am trying.....without resorting to "recreational chemicals" or lots of liquid beverage that helps some forget for awhile....which I shouldn't do anyhow with my diabetes.....But I've never been one to stick my head in the sand....
Teachers, we need to deal with this. There are still months and months of teaching to do for our students! Any thoughts?
Just checking in.....update, early September, 2o1o 5 Sep 2010 8:37 PM (15 years ago)
No teaching tomorrow; its LABOR DAY ! Then, a L O N G stretch until Veterans Day. Today was fairly busy; got online to find some clip-art type artistic images in Native American themes for title page of next unit for 8th Grade US History. Then, shoveled and moved about 700 pounds of dirt from driveway to Mrs. Polski's new garden box in the backyard. Back inside to cool off and continue search for Grade 8 US History graphs, charts, maps and other graphic images to use with my students. You know, the Internet is really a super resource; it wasn't really around last time I taught US History back in the mid-late 1990's-early 2000's-ish years.
Spent too much of the afternoon grading student papers ("Ten Geography and History Facts about our County") Most of them used the data we explored in class using historical maps and other graphic/visual materials to find out things about the area we live. There was a bit of science stuff too, as one of the maps was a simplified geologic map of California and they had to determine what type of rocks made up a mountain range in one part of our county. I was a bit amazed at how little most knew about our local geography and history.....but I guess I should have expected that. I mean really, do parents or some adult in this day and age take their children out on a drive to see the local geographic and historical sights? Or for that matter, do the parents/other adults even know or care about the local geographic and historical things where we live? Anyhow, I digress.
Had Thai with Mrs. Polski tonight. Boys stayed home and had left over whatever they felt like from the family icebox. Then, walked a couple of laps in the air conditioned nearby mall. Then back online to look at state US History tests (why is the TAKS (Texas) US History test so much better than California's? I wonder how the new standards will change the TAKS for US History....but I am in California and there is no way in the 'cosmic-path-to-total-spirituality-and-enlightenment-peace- and-harmony-and-smoke-a-joint-to-lose-your-aches-and-pains- that is California that the History standards will change like Texas' did......).
Next week, we begin our intro to Native American cultures and civilizations. Be talking about the early hunter/gathers, early civilizations, then in small groups to create project about a specific tribe. And, for more points, each group can do a short presentation....these kids need more rhetoric practice.
Week One is almost over..... 26 Aug 2010 7:40 PM (15 years ago)
Well, its almost the end of week one. I've introduced my students to me and the course, given them a pre-test about part of the first unit, we've assembled interactive notebooks and tomorrow, their first assignments are due ( "Map of their route from home to school," and some Cornell Notes about geography vocabulary).
After I collect their assignments, its time to get into small groups to begin a small geography lab about our county. I have a set of ten questions for them to answer using a variety of historical and other maps and data that include our county. Then, for minimum points, they create a list of at least ten facts about the Geography and History of our county; for "more" points, they make their facts list and create some illustrations to go with their facts (they can find pictures online or draw them), and for the most points, do all the above and write a short report about the Geog. and Hist. of our county.
Over on Coach Brown's blog, he's listed some things "to do" this school year. I really hope he can "not take home work." THAT is a biggie for many of us teachers. As for Polski3, here is what I plan to try this school year (in no particular order):
lecture more
more student writing
use textbook more as a resource for pictures and other graphic resources, using the reading study guide and standards enrichment more for the "reading" assignments.
Do more DBQ type activities
More primary source material (much easier to do for US History than Medieval World)
Try to do more small group activities
Try to bring home less work (this from the guy starting out by collecting two assignments on a friday !)
Hope your Friday is good. Weekends are almost always good. Leave a comment, I'd like to hear from you !
Thanks for reading my blog !
Welcome Back.....rant, rant.....History idea 19 Aug 2010 5:47 PM (15 years ago)
Well, at least I have a teaching job. After being told that even though the preliminary test data says we did not (again) reach that mystical number that is expected by our Socialist National Government, who in my opinion, are in total violation of our Tenth Amendment by even being involved in Public Education....anyhow, we still "showed growth."
And then, we were told that our personal expenses for health insurance is going up, again. Not the 8-12% that was hinted at before we departed for summer break in June, but about 30-something percent ! This year, I will take home about $4000 less than I did last year.
About Ten more years of this......or retire early and live in near poverty? And the kids haven't even shown up......
But, then again, maybe, just MAYBE, the cycle will spin around to the "flush" times in education and I will get my supposed "benefits" fully paid for and have a much higher take home salary and be able to retire in comfort..... Time will tell.
On the positive side, I am creating a new "extra credit" thing for my students: Post on a classroom bulletin board, an odd picture of someplace in the USA and students get a few points extra credit for properly identifying it. I used to do this eons ago when I taught science, but few students could id most of the weird science close-ups, and other weird stuff I posted.....we'll see how it works for US History.
Back to work, back to school.... 9 Aug 2010 8:53 AM (15 years ago)
With my changed teaching assignment (from world hist. to US History), I've been doing a little reading this summer to restir those US history bits floating around in the ever evolving soup of my brain. I'm currently reading bits of "Spain in the Southwest: A Narrative History of Colonial New Mexico, Mexico, Arizona, Texas and California," by John Kessell. I've recently completed, Kenneth C. Davis' "America' Hidden History," Jeffery Lent's fictional early republic novel "The Whiskey Rebels" (centered around the early National Bank, Hamilton and the Whiskey Rebellion, bits and pieces of David Colbert (editor), "Eyewitness to America," Ray Raphael's "A People's History of the American Revolution," Seymour Morris Jr.'s "American History Revised, Volume 4 of "A History of US: The New Nation," by Joy Hakim, Larry Schweikart and Michael Allan's "A Patriots History of the United States," and various bits of HISTORY Magazine, AMERICAN HERITAGE Magazine, and stuff I find online.
Goal for Today, to type out a "Colonial Spanish North America" timeline. I like timeline activities; I generally make these a tiered activity....minimum points for students to create a simple ten event/date timeline, more possible points for creating/finding illustrations for their events/dates and to earn maximum points, creating the illustrated timeline and researching and writing a short report about any one of the events they chose for their timeline.
Back to School puzzlement: Does your school allow students to have, at school, permanent markers? We don't at my school, due to graffiti problems. However, about every back to school sale I've browsed this summer, there are lots of permanent markers for sale. If students are found to have these markers at my school, they are usually confiscated (our local police have made it be known that the graffitistas of our community are not just tagging crews from the local gangs; they have also caught sk8ers, star athletes and honor students tagging the flat spaces of this community). Guess school policy and community cleanliness cannot get in the way of commerce? The local stores that sell paint already have to keep spray paints under lock and key; are permanent markers next? Anyhow.....
I've also bought, at Staples, about 50 bottles of white glue and 20 150-sheet packages of notebook paper for about 80 cents, (Yes, a penny apiece, plus tax). YES, less than a dollar for all that. Guess those are Staples Company "loss-leaders" to get teachers into their stores to buy more 'no longer being supplied by the schools" stuff for their students.
Time to get back to work. Thank you for reading this post. I welcome your comments and suggestions for teaching 8th graders US History !
New Assignment..... 3 Aug 2010 8:35 PM (15 years ago)
Thank you, my two loyal friends, for your inquiry as to whats ahead for Polski3. To make a sort of long story short, last spring I was approached by my building administrator and asked if I would consider a change in my teaching assignment for the 2010-11 school year (and beyond?). I'd been teaching Grade 7 World History for....I don't know for sure, but probably 8-10 years. Anyhow, due to parent complaints, my building administrator asked me to consider a change in what I teach. Yes, you read correctly, "parent conplaints."
Last Spring, there was a meeting at my school for the parents of our GATE students. I do not usually attend these meetings, but that is where the complaints were voiced to my building administrator. The nature of these complaints was that several of these GATE parents were not happy/satisified, etc. with their sons/daughters Grade 8 US History classes, that their GATE sons/daughters had not been nearly as interested, challenged or believed by these parents to have learned nearly as much about US History as they did "last year in Mr. Polski3's class."
As a result of this and some other stuff happening at our peputually Federally failing school, my building administrator asked me to consider teaching US History next year. I was asked to please provide an answer by the end of May.
This led to some thinking. And more thinking. And a bit of negotiations. And of course, talking about it with Mrs. Polski3. On the positive side, I was promised, keeping in mind the limited budget, teaching materials needed for, lets just call it my style of teaching history, having GATE students (ok, this could be a negative....depending on how you look at it), and from my own perspective, sometimes it is good to teach something different and not get too comfortable or lackadasical about what you are doing. I've taught 8th US History before, and it was fun to teach. However, that was also before the big mantra about the standards. My building administrator also has noted that I am flexible and work hard to try to get my students to learn the material and that I do stuff like the interactive notebooks to try to help my students.
On the negative side, California 8th Grade History Standards are....BAD. And, teaching 8th Graders can be more...." challenging." And, while many of them complained about the size of the desk they had in 7th grade, now, after a summer of growth, they will be "larger" and in the same crappy desks. Anyhow.....
So anyhow, Polski3 is going to be teaching US History to 8th Graders. I will probably get many of my students from last year, but have also been promised that certain individuals from last year will be in the other 8th grade US History classes, in part because "they need a change."
I've done a little prep work over the summer. Ummm, I don't recall the internet being available when I last taught US History. Geeze, there's lots of stuff online. I especially like that there is SO MUCH more "primary source" stuff as compared to Medieval World History. And, I have already had to kick meself about my time limits to teach certain bits of US History; NO, I cannot spend semester one on Colonial US History. (technically, Colonial US History is part of California's Grade 5 History/Soc. St. Standards, but our students don't get history in Grade 5; and besides, I like teaching the 16 - 17 - 18th Century aspects of US History.....establishment of brewing facilities, fights with Native peoples, slaughtering other Europeans because they are the wrong type of Christians, daily life and all its yuckiness....WHATS not to like????)
So anyhow, into my hot garage to dig out stuff saved from years ago teaching US History, reading early US History (for now) to spark the brain cells, buying a few books...... And the kiddies show up in less than two weeks....
Thanks for reading this. Your ideas and super suggestions for teaching US History or History in general are more than welcome !
Posting, one, two, three....posting 13 Jul 2010 9:16 PM (15 years ago)
Howdy. Hope your summer is progressing nicely for you. I've been doing some work, as I am changing teaching assignments. I've probably been teaching Medieval World History for about a decade now, and beginning in late August, will be back to US History (and 8th graders). If any of you wish more about how and why this change is happening, please ask.
Stay cool.
A visit to....another world, another planet, apparently, another universe.... 2 Jun 2010 6:59 PM (15 years ago)
California is DOOMED. This is my conclusion after a brief lobbying visit to our pawned away, once Golden State's capital city to meet with a few of our elected representatives at the state capitol.
In short, I met with two actual state legislators and two state legislature minions. My assembly district's representative, Manuel Perez, who is in his first two-year term and therefore must often recite the Democratic Party mantra regarding needing more funding and the evil Republicans who will not bend to the Donkey' desires. Oh, Assemblyman Perez was cordial enough and his aid who was there actually asked a couple of good questions to our group. When Assemblyman Perez asked us just how we thought state spending priorities should be, I told him that I believed they should start with the State Constitutionally mandated items and any money left over be spent on legislated things. I don't recall his exact words, but they indicated the probable impossibility of doing such things and then ranted about "getting the Republicans in this building to work with us."
The second real assemblyman I met with was one who is in the spotlight right now, at least in terms of education. Not having a scheduled appointment with him, myself and one other member of our local delegation (who is actually our local teachers association president, who told me, "I want to go with you to learn how to do this stuff (meaning lobbying)." [ disclaimer: Polski3's experience in lobbying/talking to elected officials has been limited as I live in a political and geographic backwater of our nation that politicians are not interested in.....we tend to get "dumped" into legislative districts with greater population. For example, our State Senate district is, population-wise, in the coastal county to the west; that Senator gets "stuck" with us out here in the desert. Our State Assembly area includes "us" and a more heavily populated area in a county north of us. Yes, politically, we are unwanted and an embarrassment due to our high illiteracy and unemployment statistics].....Oh, anyhow, I timed our meeting attempt for about 20 minutes after a scheduled meeting. We walked into the office of Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, Democrat. Torlakson is a member of the Assembly Education committee and is running for California State Superintendent of Public Education. He has been endorsed by both teacher unions (CFT and CTA) and the classified employees union (CSEA). I found out that he'd been a teacher and coached track and field for 25 years. He agreed to meet with us for a few minutes as he was on his way to another meeting. I thought it was nice of him to spend a couple of minutes with us and listen to our brief pitch about changing the way California funds Public Education. I also gave him a short letter asking him in his position on the Assembly Education Committee and perhaps as State Superintendent of Public Education, to consider revamping the State Social Studies standards (to reduce what we are expected to teach and make it more revelent to our students; these are, survey courses and the standards ask for the teaching of too many "non" power standards), to get the folks in power to do so to integrate the History/Social Studies and Language Arts materials so that something like when students are in grade 8, they could read things in language arts related to US History, not stuff (and not that its not of value), like Diary of Ann Frank (Grade 10 H/SS standards) or "Riki Ticki Tavi" (which if stretched, might somehow fit in with grade 6 H/SS standards), and to include a real geography class somewhere (like maybe where it used to be, in Grade 9). Assemblyman Torlakson took my note and thanked me for it, saying he'd read it. ( I haven't hear anything from him yet. ) Meeting with him, as brief and "unplanned" as it was, was the lobbying highlight of the day.
We also met with minions of two other legislators, one of whom is being termed out and the other who wants that Senate seat. IMO, the meeting with the minion of the state Senator "being termed out" was a waste of time. I'd talked to her once before (State Senator Denise Ducheny-Moreno) about an educational issue and she gave me the distinct impression that she didn't want to her it or talk to me. She also used some rather course language at this meeting, which I thought to be unprofessional, especially since my two young boys were there (it was a chance encounter at my favorite coffee/book shop, sadly, now closed). The meeting with the minion of Assemblywoman Mary Salas (who wants Ducheny's Senate seat) went well enough, the young man in her office was polite, took alot of notes and expressed to us several times that Assemblywoman Salas was interested in what we had to say. However, I wouldn't vote for either her or her Democratic opponent due to the incredible, never-before-seen amount of pure crap they are flinging at each other and is cluttering up my mailbox. Seriously, just these two have destroyed a whole forest with all the crap mailings they are sending out. IMO, its pathetic.
Oh, BTW, our delegation seemed to be the buzz of this lobbying effort. The sponsoring organization was the California School Boards Association. The president of our district school board (husband of a now retired teacher), thought it would be more "powerful" in talking to the legislators if there was a diverse group, not just school board members. So, I got to go, in the part of a teacher and parent, there was a parent, our district superintendent, the board president and the current president of our local teachers association. This was such an unusual thing that the CSBA PR lady did a short write up about us. (I was not quoted). You can probably find it on the CSBA website. The legislators / or minions noted the diversity of our group also.
But, overall, I don't find much good to say. Too much fighting between Democrats and Republicans. Anyone who strays from the "party" line will be seriously delt with. Polski3 says Don't look for changes in how schools are funded, expect future cuts to Public education, higher taxes and continued dysfunction from those pathetic self-serving creatures in the State House.
Oh, two more things; there was a very interesting display about California and the Civil War featuring a number of regimental flags from Civil War era California regiments and some artifacts, including one display case of artifacts from the Battle of Gettysburg. Secondly, they is, outside the Governors office, guarded by a well dressed member of the California Highway Patrol (our "state" troopers/police), a big bronze grizzly bear statue similar to those you might find at zoos for the kids to climb on and beaming parents take a photo of their kids on the statue. Anyhow, the statue was cool. The Governator was not in, so no chance to bend his ear.
Thanks for reading this. Hope your summer is a Grand one !
Still here....Misc. reports from a not quite so "terra del firm" 21 May 2010 8:27 PM (15 years ago)
Yes, I am still here. THANK YOU for checking in here and reading my blathering. We are still shaking a bit here.....aftershocks they call them. We, at least I am, getting used to them. Mrs. Polski3 doesn't not like these smaller quakes at all. There have been lots of Richter scale level 4 quakes, and a few in the low 5's. Nothing bigger, thank you very much.
Local service clubs raised some money by having a bar-b-que last weekend. I helped out, putting in about 8 hours. Gads, I've never seen so much meat and beans. Unfortunately for the fund raising effort, there was lots left over. But that was beneficial for all the local social service agencies who could use it to help their people. Our local service clubs (mainly the Kiwanis, I think), got the meat, beans, salad, rolls, and cans of salsa donated, so all the funds raised can go to help those with damages from the big Easter Sunday Quake. These funds are necessary because as we found out, FEMA will not help out individual families who lost their home or whose home (mostly mobile homes) were damaged. And of course, California cannot even pay its usual bills, much less fork out money to help the poorest of the poor in the most illiterate and most unemployed folks county in the USA.
As for school, yeah, the year is winding down. As usual, we teachers are required to turn in grades two weeks prior to the end of our school year. I must be learning; I did not bash my head on that brick wall this year; not once have I brought up to my principal why the seventh grade teachers cannot turn in grades when we check out for the summer. No, because of the computerized system in another county, we cannot split our grade reporting. I didn't even ask if he'd asked if it was possible to do that.....my head feels better this year.
Going to our tainted State Capital this weekend for a parley with state lawmakers. I am a "teacher" representative who is supposed to tell any lawmaker or their minions who show up, about how the decline in funding is hurting our schools; providing an experienced teachers perspective about testing, funding cuts, etc. This is a California School Boards Association function; up to Sac. Sunday morning, back home Monday night. No time to visit several nice, interesting people I know in Sac. The district is paying for it and I am supposed to have my own hotel room. Damn, too bad Mrs Polski3 can't come along.
And, and I admit I was surprised by this, Monday will be the only day I have missed this school year! Been a fairly healthy year. Most years, I burn a personal day to journey over to San Diego to see a Padres day game. However, this season, IMO, they screwed up their schedule by having day games start at 3:35 (instead of 1:05 as they have done for the past several decades). To me, driving about two hours to get there, watch the game, have some dinner and drive about two hours to get home and to bed was doable with a 1:05 start. Not doable with a 3:35 start. Anyhow, no game this "spring." I might get a free ticket for being a blood donor; San Diego Blood Bank has a day in Sept. against the Cinn. Reds honoring their donors who have bled alot.....I just went over 13 gallons. Is this too much talk about community service? Well anyhow, I hope my sons see me do these things and learn that it is good to help people and your community. OK....blathering done for now.
Until next time, Thanks for reading this and I hope you can leave a comment or two.