Tee Hee

Okay maybe it's from hanging around teenagers too much. Or maybe it's because those lit up lawn deers that have moving heads just freak me out (I always avert my head because they're creepy). BUT. The other day (daytime) we're driving out of our neighborhood, and I happened to glance towards a neighbor's lawn, and someone had positioned one of the deer on top of the other in a compromising position. ... By the time we had finished our chores both were gone and not to be seen again. What a hoot.

Are there some silly people moving the deer around at night? Now I'm on the lookout. Maybe it's a Twilight Zone episode where they get up to all sorts of peculiar antics when the humans are not looking.

Manners, part 2

A friend and I were chatting at work today, waiting for our last faculty get-together of the calendar year, and he mentioned that his wife worked at an international school in town. What a cool idea. Kids from all over, who are ELL, are at this one school. He said the P.E. teacher has about 50 kids per class (ach!), but then said that the teacher stated he'd take 50 more just like them because they are all so well-mannered and respectful and for the most part, do what they're told. ... You sort of don't want them to get "americanized" in a bad way.

How sad is it that I knew just what he was talking about. The students in my class that have been here for only a short while are so polite and sweet and hard working. I also have American students that are that way, but for the most part, the majority have nothing on their "foreign" counterparts in terms of manners. What happened? What part of our culture (or parts) are the cause of this? And more importantly, how can we (who?) effectively reverse this trend.

Last Days

Yippee! The finals are done. The grades are turned in. We just go in tomorrow to do proof sheets and meet as a faculty. ... Am I motivated to put in some time to be pre-prepared for the first week back? Are you kidding me? That goes against a 40 year grain of last minute-itis. Okay, okay, I LOOKED over some things, and I WILL bring some stuff home.

BUT. We're going to away for a 10 days to visit with my in-laws. So maybe I can squeeze in some work somewhere. In between the book reading and sudoku puzzles and napping and movies and sleeping and yoga and resting and such (who's tired?).

My kids' precalculus finals grades were stinky ... the bulk of them. Too depressing. They were pretty straightforward finals, too. My one saving thought is that the students that WOULD have earned the great grades already had great grades and exempted the final. Yesssssss, that's it. It's not that they didn't study or anything. Right? Right?

Wacky Mind

I had the funniest dream the other night. It was "funny" because I woke up so angry and still furious over the events of the dream that I had to calm down. Now what was this horrific thing that happened to me in my dream? I was at Costco without my husband (who has that card in his name ... whose last name is different than mine), and I was buying vitamins, and the cashier was treating me like a criminal because she did not believe I was a member. She kept questioning me and questioning me and asking for proof before she'd even sell me the vitamins.
Hmph. I woke up in a huff.

I'm not even that enamored with Costco. I mean I like it, but I can take it or leave it, so what possessed my mind to have such a dream? What strange things go on in our subconscious that say, hey, tonight this is what you'll dream about. Do YOU make up the dreams or is something else at work, ... how does everything piece together?

Manners, Pass it On

I was shopping at a crowded grocery store this weekend. Usually when I go out in public (maybe like most people), I am in my own shopping bubble thinking of aisles and things to get and what my chores are and such ... people are just, there, sometimes in the way, sometimes amusing. If I walk in front of someone while they're staring/deciding about something in an aisle, I'll say excuse me, but other than that, sometimes I can get into the, "you're in my way" mode ... not rudely, I don't think, but, people are dehumanized, just another obstacle.

In two different incidents, at this grocery store this weekend, and on the road yesterday, I had a refreshing wake up call. At the store, I was tooling along with my cart in the main thoroughfare, and a teenager was coming my way. Then we got into the will-I-go-left-or-right and what-will-you-do mode, while still wheeling away. We both made our decision and didn't run into each other, and he passes me by and says, "excuse me". We kept going. That caused me to pause mentally and smile and want to be a more in-the-present type more often and remember my outward manners.

Then on the road yesterday, there's a pesky off ramp onto a 2nd freeway that is always a merging nighmare. I merge in sometimes, and most times I take the previous exit onto the feeder road and then get back on, so that I don't have to merge. If I do merge, I make sure to do the hand wave to the person behind me as a thank you. I don't turn around, and it's with half my brain on the task, but, a wave nonetheless. When people merge in front of me, sometimes I get the wave, and sometimes I don't. Yesterday, a car merges in front of me, and it was full of college-age boys, and it was still light outside. The passenger in the back, turns around and waves their thanks and makes eye contact with me. .... Then goofy me starts thinking, I'm not worthy of the thanks, I was not even paying attention, and the space opened up because I was slow (not that I would have been all jerky and NOT let them in, but more that I would have been elsewhere in my mind and not paying THAT much attention).

So now (and hopefully it will last, and I can make others aware, and we can spread a wave of manners around), I want to be more focused and outwardly polite in public situations. ... And a big thanks to the parents of these boys who taught them manners.

Self Editing

My first class of the day is filled with streetwise students. I'm always on them about "dropping the f bomb" and their "potty mouths".

On Friday, we were discussing upcoming finals and were reviewing various topics. I wanted them to stay on task, and was *jokingly* warning them not to bug me or we wouldn't get much done. In my mind I'm thinking "don't piss me off, ..." but I didn't want to say "piss", so I edited and said, " don't p. me off". ... Hmmmm, they all ewwwwed and said that that just sounded wrong.

WooHoo from Texas

Well. I had an okay drive home yesterday, but apparently the world froze over last night, and what started out as a 2 hour delay for our school has turned into a cancellation. We have these humongo "flyovers" on our freeways that are basically skating rinks now. ...

I keep checking the district website to make sure they don't update the message with, "oops, just kidding, get your butt to school". (I guess it's from the same character trait that makes me check my alarm clock settings every night at least 4 times or so: did I turn it on? is it on a.m. and not p.m.? is it the right time? did I accidently turn it off while checking the other times?) ... Who's the crazy lady?

Well, I was used to this school stuff in NJ, but Texas? Yippee. (except now I'm thinking, when are we going to make up the day? will my students spend the extra time studying for finals (hah)? )

Okay, off to check the website ONE more time ... no, really.

English Practice in Math Class

Every day one of my math students is the first to enter class, and we exchange greetings and gentle ribbing. Today I greeted him (in earnestness) with, "hello, young man." He responded with, "hello, ancient person." After I gave him a mildly shocked and slightly amused look, he said, "what? I'm just practicing my antonyms." I had to laugh.

Listening

There's a teacher at work that has a particular teaching story about something that happened in class. It's a good story ... on the first hearing. I don't know why it is, but I seem to be in at least 7 group situations where this person repeats the story ... sometimes to me alone (twice), sometimes when I'm just in the room (3 times), sometimes when I'm part of the group (2 times), etc. I'm beginning to dislike the story. I'm beginning to dissect how it's told and if the pauses are the same and if the punchline is the same. Oh my.

On a positive note. I'm so enjoying listening to books on CD, AND our local library is closing for a year for renovations, that I've decided to join "audiobooks", which is sort of like Netflix for books on CD. I'm excited that my first book is arriving soon (especially since I'm almost done with my current one).

Weekend Fun

This weekend I went to a 2-day "glass fusing" introduction class. This is where you get to play with pretty colors of glass and cut them and mush them around and let them cook to see what comes out. We made tiles and picture frames and pendants and plates. ... Pretty fun, but tiring to be creative and stressed out about "exact cuts" and guilty because you know you should be grading. ... I'm really interested in the jewelry/glass class, then I can make tons of earrings and such.

I'm also glad my husband and I are piling on the procrastination about doing Christmas shopping. I just popped in to Barnes & Noble this afternoon to stock up on my FAVORITE tea (hot cinnamon sunset), ... okay, and to look to see if there were any "killer sudoku" books around (no!). And I must say, have I become a crank pot? A people-hater? Because the whole time there were a TON of people milling about doing their thing and I couldn't wait to get out of there away from the crowd. ... I'm thinking we'll do our usual last-minute thing on a weekday and not have to deal with crowds (I hope).

Catch 22

I was so sleepy today, so I decided to have 2 cups of caffeinated tea at work instead of the 1 caf and 1 decaf I usually have so that I could be more alert. ... But then again, I was so sleepy today, that I accidentally bumped the table that was holding my 2nd cup of 20 oz. tea, and it fell to the floor and created a big milky pool of lost opportunity. .... Or maybe it's not "Catch 22", and it's just SOMEone being klutzy.

I Love Teaching

Today was one of those days where I re-realize or (confirm) that I love teaching. I wish everyone to have a job where they are mostly excited about what they do.

In all my classes, we (they!) were reviewing for quizzes that are on Friday (or "tuizzes" as they may be). I love to have enough time to individually talk with students who are having trouble and to figure out exactly where their misconceptions or lack of understanding is/are and help them figure it out. I can say one thing and think I'm being perfectly clear, and in their minds they're processing it in a totally different way and I'm not clear to them.

For example, we're working with special right triangles and polar coordinates in precalculus. One key thing to remember about 30-60-90 triangles is that the smaller side goes across from the smaller angle, largest side across from the largest angle... So I'm working with this one student who is having problems, and we come across "sides" of "length" 3 and -3*squareroot(3). I ask him which side is bigger so that he can properly place it across from the 60 ... 3*squareroot(3) is bigger, so I'm waiting for him to see this, and he says that the largest side is 3. I finally had this ray of understanding enough to ask him why he said that, and he said that since 3 is positive, it's bigger than the negative number. Hmmm. He was correct in his thinking, but not correct in how to approach the problem.

But it was so nice to see where he went wrong and to easily fix it instead of both of us getting frustrated and thinking we're clear and not really understanding the other. ....

Another nice thing (and totally random which makes this such a fun job) ... one student calls me over (to a seating group of 3 boys and a girl) and says, "SOMEone in this group wants to know what type of shampoo you use." Oh my.

Kissy Kissy

A few weeks ago, between classes, I observed a couple practically pressed through each other doing a tongue swap hug neck kissy kissy act. Now, we allow no PDAs at our school, and besides, who wants to see this stuff? So I jokingly, loudly, said, "ew, get a room. no one wants to see that." ... I must have gone on for about 5 - 10 seconds. They broke apart, but the girl quietly said, "you don't have to shout." ... hmph.

Then I see them at the same time the next day doing the same thing. ... Again with the comments. This time the girl gives me a dirty look. ... I don't see them again for a while. Either I'm not in the halls or they've moved on. ... Apparently not.

Yesterday, one of my girl students walks in to the beginning of class and says that, ew, she was watching this couple practically having sex in the halls, and she said that she must have been shocked because she stopped and stared with a shocked/disgusted look on her face. ... I guess the girl must have noticed her, because they broke apart.

So I'm glad it's not an "old person's" thing. As we were having this discussion, a couple of other kids chimed in that they didn't want to see that. Whew. ... But then I came home and told my husband about it, and he said that in high school, as a boy, his first thought was not, "I don't want to see that", but "I want to be that". TMI. La la la la la. I can't hear you.

First Day Back

Whew. I'm guessing the kiddies were relieved to be back on Monday after 5 long days away from school. Finally! Homework and sitting on our butts all day. Yay. ... I did hear tales of kids that had to work over break, and one student regaled us with his Circuit City job where people were fighting over some computer they had in the store. ... I've never done that get-up-super-early thing to go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. I guess I'm glad because seeing people duke it out and pull hair would just dishearten me.

I brought doughnuts for my advisory period. Sheesh, one kid got others who didn't want theirs to donate them to him. He had three. Blach. I ate 1/2 of one later, and ew, you then have greasy doughnut breath for hours after. Now I'm not virtuous or anything on the sweets front, but I guess doughnuts are not my "poison" of choice.

Thanksgiving

We decided to go camping over Thanksgiving. Translation: I wanted to take a trip somewhere since this is basically the only vacation during the school year that doesn't have relatives written all over it, and he didn't want to fight the airport crowds. We compromised on driving to some beautiful Texas hill country locations and hiking and camping. ... City Folk go camping. I think we're a wee bit old or sissified to be able to sleep on camprests in 37 degree temperature. Brrr. We did have fun cooking smores, though, and we had fun cooking on the Coleman stove (borrowed), and we had fun on our 3 hour hike through beautiful red and yellow and orange trees.

So now we're home and back to the pre-work weekend of laundry and schoolwork and procrastination. .... hmmmmm, maybe there's a matinee I can go to.

Clothing Vignettes

Hats are not allowed at our school, so in an ideal world, no students come to school with hats, and if they do, they politely and compliantly take them off when a teacher points it out to them.

I've had various degrees of success with this. What's working for me now is, "A hat in school? Let me see your hair, I bet you have great hair ..." and then I make sure to whistle at their mane when they take off their hat. This works most of the time.

Well yesterday, I was doing a duty in the main hallway, and a teacher was basically screaming at a student at first meeting about his hat. Really screechy like. Blach. The kid, you could see was a good natured kid, and he'd just come in from outside where it was cold. Basically the second sentence out of her mouth was about reporting him to the SRO (security officer). I mean, it's no wonder the kids are highly suspicious of adult interactions.

During my first period, a big football player type of kid comes in wearing a pink, striped shirt. A friend walks up to him (a girl) and hugs him and says it's a great shirt. He smiles sheepishly and said he had to wear it because his girlfriend bought it for him.

Funny

On Monday my last period class of the day was a wee bit chatty. Persistently chatty, I guess, because I kept (half jokingly) taking deep breaths in an obvious fashion. They know I take yoga because I yammer about it, and they know that part of the reason is to provide "calm".

Well, apparently, it didn't seem to be working because one of the students pipes up, "you should ask for a refund". (bunch of comics, they are.)

visitors

Some friends from another state are visiting this weekend. The husband is more my husband's friend ... well I guess originally, and we only know his wife through him. We've seen them maybe once or twice in the last 3 years. Well, what a treat, here I was all thinking, oh, visitors, we have to clean the house and be "on" and such. But. We are having the best time just talking and laughing. You know how it is when you're with people that you just click with ... you like the same things and have had some of the same experiences and find the same things funny. What a great way to spend 2 days off.

And as an extra bonus, I heard the coolest puzzle on NPR's "Click & Clack". Oooooh, all mathie and such. The essence of it is: You are in a corridor with 20,000 hanging lights all with pull cords and all "pulled" off. Someone walks down the hall and pulls every other cord. Then someone walks down the hall and pulls every 3rd cord. Then someone walks down the hall and pulls every 4th cord. ... all the way to .... someone ... bla bla bla ... every 20,000th cord. Is there a way to predict after all this which lights are turned on and which are turned off?

Equation Dexterity

I'm liking how I'm introducing integrals in calculus. I figured we'd concentrate on 1 to 2 functions and work them in all sorts of ways to build up to an understanding of what's so cool about the (first?) fundamental theorem of calculus. So we approximated area, we brainstormed ways to make it more accurate, we found lower and upper bounds to exact area under the curve, and I then built up how to use limits and summation to get the exact area.

Sheesh, these things always take longer than you think they will. In my mind (hah!) I figured they could finish up simplifying this one equation in class and then I'd assign the 2nd problem for homework. Hah. Hah. What took most of them all period was to simplify an equation of this form (note that it's not a matter of calculus right now, it's basic algebra .... or so ... FOILing, distributing, adding fractions, simplifying):

[1/2 (3i/n - 2)(3i/n - 2) + 1](3/n).

Okay, ick (sort of), but doable ..... (apparently doable in 40 minutes and not the 5 or so minutes I envisioned in my fantasy teaching mind).

Slacking

I was being SO good at the beginning of the school year. Getting up at 5:30, either going on the treadmill or lifting weights ... and then ... . The treadmill died and had to get fixed, and it did, but by then it was too late. My morning exercise consisted of mildly rapid finger or wrist movements on the computer while I was surfing. Okay, sure, I did some sun salutations and maybe a head stand or 2, but not the still-sweating-after-the-shower treadmill workout.

But I'm a changed woman. Today I get back on the saddle, so to speak. Okay, I'm on the computer now, but I still have 4 minutes. I'm going. I'm going.