It is raining really hard here right now. I love it when the weather gets all dramatic. I don't even say to it, "Save your drama for your mama" like I say to my students when they get all tumultuous.

I was observed today by someone who is apparently important for some reason or another in my district. I was never officially introduced to her or anything; she just showed up in my room with a clipboard, looking official. I just went about my business and did a few things and then when the kids were settled into some task or another she came to talk to me.

She first asked, very quietly and after clearing her throat several times, "Tell me...these kids are...um...special education, yes?" And here I thought I had been doing a good job. Not that there is anything wrong with special ed, but my kids aren't and if she got the impression that they were, I was going to feel a little bad. I told her no and considered for a fraction of a second asking her if she was special ed.

But then she told me she had thought that they were in special ed because the class size was so small (it is small, of course, because all of my repeaters have moved on to high school). She also said that she had observed my class with another teacher and their behavior was "insane and unbelievable" and because they were so quiet for me, she assumed I must be their special ed teacher. So that felt good. Besides, my kids are "special" in so many ways...they just don't get extra free tutoring.

I managed to throw my back out by slipping on an icy mat in front of my classroom. The plus side is that I got muscle-relaxers and I didn't have to pay for them! The down side is the incredible pain. Oh well.

It is the weekend again!  ¶ 7:40 PM

  The cute child who made the endearing comment that I documented below was just suspended for calling a teacher a "dirty ho" and hurling a desk at her. Oh, the ups and downs of teaching middle school!  ¶ 8:11 AM

  From the Mouths of Babes File:

The way I know I am a good English teacher:

"Miss, I think you be a good English teacher 'cause when I came in here, I wasn't knowin' nuthin. And now? I know all kinna crazy junk! Dang!" --Di Miquez, age 13.
  ¶ 6:50 AM

  Oh, to be working at a public school in the South! Will the surprises ever stop?
Today, I opened my school email box to find a forward from a co-worker. This is not unusual...I get several emails a day reminding me that my friends are just angels with wings and giving me the opportunity to show my devotion by sending at least ten other people the same reminder. I opened up the attachment with the expectation of an angel message.

What I got, however, stopped me in my tracks. It was a long email that some man is sending around the internet about how he wrote a letter of disgust to CBS about the fact that one of the characters mothers on "The Practice" had come out as gay. Apparently, the character on the show has some problems with this. I guess in the show, the character eventually comes to terms with his mother's confession and loves her anyway.

This is just too much for the man writing the email. He goes on and on about how the media is trying to convince us that gay is okay and how that is an abomination before God, blah blah blah.

I'm not shocked by such a thing. Of course not. But I do feel a little bit gay-bashed to have to get this kind of thing in my very own work email. I was even more upset when I realized that the person who had sent it to me was the first person that I came out to here at school. I guess she isn't really okay with me.

Yesterday, I talked to Teach for America about being transfered back to San Francisco, where I was originally accepted to teach before being hoodwinked into come to Rocky Mount. They sounded pretty positive about it. Today's email makes me want to go even more.  ¶ 8:53 AM

  I've learned so much, I say!

Today I am going to be observed today by my Teach for America folks. I was observed at the beginning of the year, too. It is always nice to look back to last semester and think about how much has changed.

When she came last time, I was in the middle of having a nervous breakdown, I think. I don't recall being very nervous, but that is only because the Universe has seen fit to provide me with a pretty misguided sense of confidence (or perhaps apathy?). I generally feel like I will do fine in most things (or I just don't care very much?).

But, looking back, I remember that I put my students in groups of four to work on a very vague assignment. And they sat there and chatted while I went from group to group admonishing them. And they didn't finish the assignment...or even know what we were studying by the end. Not so great, in hindsight.

But I know that now I am much more clear in my directions and I know that my students know exactly what they are studying. And I know better than to let those little angels get near each other when I want them to learn.

So it is good that I feel like I have improved. I am feeling a little hyper today...which is never good because the students pick up on that energy like magnets to metal shavings. I'm going to try to calm myself. This is what happens when I get more than 8 hours of sleep.

Last night I was so bored that I played Monopoly with myself while watching that "Fat Obnoxious Fiance" show. It was a new low for me. Not to mention the fact that I lost against myself. Don't ask how. Just trust that it happened.  ¶ 8:30 AM

  How do you manage to watch the whole half-time show of the Superbowl and miss Janet Jackson's boobie?

I watched the dumb Superbowl but I totally missed the "wardrobe malfunction". I don't know how I managed to do that. I am extremely disappointed...not because I have any particular interest in Miss Jackson's parts, but because things like that are the only reason I watch the Superbowl to begin with. Oh, well.

The Superbowl party at Owen and Charles' was a hoot. Lots of fun. The drive back to Rocky Mount at 4:30am was a little less fun, but I got here fine.

Being a tired teacher is not a good thing. One of my students inquired today, "What's the matter with you? You never be this mean to us." I don't think I was actually being mean. But I refused to entertain questions that were unrelated to the topics at hand and I wouldn't stop this argument about one kid breaking another kids pencil. In this world, that's mean. But normally I would help with stuff like that. I just don't have the patience today.






  ¶ 2:56 PM