Teaching is an art, and it's meaningful and rewarding and enjoyable most of the time. Supervising study hall doesn't fall into the category of "most of the time".
And you may think that a person that makes my kind of salary would be thankful for monitoring a study hall, right. You might think it's just an extra period of the day to accomplish stuff like grading paper, making lesson plans, etc... You would be wrong, well not totally wrong but still wrong. Study hall supervision seeing students not be students, and that's very frustrating.
In my classroom, I provide what I hope are activities and learning experiences that will help students grow academically and mature. I'm not suggesting each lesson plan is worthy of a distinguished honor, but most students aren't following to sleep or complaining as if it's a trip to the dentist. Study hall, though, for most students is 90% social time and mental break and 10% productive work. And for many students, 10% is a stretch. And for many of those many students, I have them in English III. And for the really special kids, I have them in English III, and they are failing, and they still only socialize. UGH!
You might say that I should get tougher - maybe allow no talking and constantly circulate the room and demand students be completely quiet and working on coursework or at least reading a book. You might say I should prohibit students from sleeping or any other non-productive behavior. I don't think it's my job to MAKE students work. And even if I tried, it would be a foolhardy effort. Kids that don't want to work are going to work very hard at not working.
The addition of chromebooks hasn't helped. Chromebooks are wonderful tools, but they are also windows to video games and movie clips and many other avenues of attention that are not school related. Again, is it my job to monitor all chromebook usage? It's not possible.
Generally speaking, I take attendance to make sure the natives are accounted for. They aren't bad kids; in fact, they are very good kids. Unfortunately, they are satisfied for less than their potential performance. Getting C's is okay...for some students, getting D's are okay. And for others, avoiding all work is okay and failing the class is no big deal.
I'd much rather prefer to teach another class and have more official work to complete versus monitoring a study hall. YUCK! I hope next year I am able to teach something else - perhaps Public Speaking first semester and second semester. That would be a much better situation.
Friday, March 29, 2019
Sunday, March 24, 2019
When Things Don't Turn Out Like They Should
For parents, we recognize that we aren't going to be perfect, but we believe that eventually, we will successfully assist our children in growing into adults. They will find successful jobs, find successful spouses, have families and hopefully be close to us. We can then watch them and help them with their own families.
For parents, then, it's supposed to end up like the storybook basketball season. Right now the NCAA basketball tournaments are underway, and it's an exciting time of the year. We see the joy and triumph of a last-second game-winning shot and all that goes with it. The fans are screaming and jumping up-and-down; the players are hugging each other and smiling, and they feel all amazingly wonderful and happy. Their work, it seems, has paid off.
But not every game ends like that does it? Sometimes, the shot bounces away. Sometimes, the best player gets injured or ill. Sometimes, the player fouls out. Sometimes, the game just doesn't go very well. And at the end of that? There are hugs and tears and disappointment and the kick in the gut that comes with loss.
Recently, my oldest son has moved away. For several years now, he's struggled with life in general - tough relationships, lack of employment beyond entry-level wages, substance overuse and abuse. The son I know and remember had a wonderful heart, and he was smart and creative. He was handsome and athletic, even though his interest wasn't in athletics. He loved music, and he had a great voice. In junior high, I wasn't quite sure what mark he would make on the world, but he enjoyed reading and earned good grades and teachers had positive comments about him.
High school arrived, and without an interest in what often times are typical positive avenues for kids in our area - things like sports, drama, choir/band, FFA, academics - he started to fade from family and turned to friends and activities that weren't what most parents want for their children. His Dad divorced his mom, and he eventually moved in with Dad to finish his high school education. He did finish, but it was a struggle when it didn't have to be. The work wasn't the problem, the level in interest in other things was more important; plus the group of friends he liked and associated with didn't place academics and their futures as a priority. They weren't awful kids; they weren't evil. Their interest, though, was fun and music and partying and video games.
My son tried to start a band, and he even has played a little here an there over the years. He recorded videos, and he showed he had talented. The life of rock stars with making music and partying all the time appealed to him...it was music; it was partying; and it was fun. It wasn't anything like his Dad - the guy that was a teacher, had two graduate degrees, and had a career. It wasn't anything like his Dad who loved sports, and enjoyed music but wasn't into longboarding with a few beers and some music and maybe some weed and just enjoying the freedom of a blue sky and sunny day.
His Dad always tried very hard to advise him - that partying and music and fun were all well in good, but there was a time and place for those things that also needed to include some type of meaningful training and employment - including a job that had a decent salary, hours, and some insurance and other benefits. My son, though, while good-hearted and talented didn't see a need for a career and house and family. He just needed some simple job to earn a little money to buy enough for a simple place and enough partying supplies to enjoy life.
He's gone now. I understand that here...home...there is nothing for him anymore. His family doesn't trust him. He has no car. He has no money. He has no insurance. He cannot find a job. He was recently evicted from his last residence. And the relationship he's in is wonderful one day and toxic the next - a constant rollercoaster of happiness and violence. In his mind, he thinks he needs to go somewhere new, make something of himself, prove himself, and return someday even if it's just for a visit and show he made it. He thinks he's exhausted all his "bail outs" from his family and friends, and I'm sure a part of him feels guilty because of the relationships and bridges that he's had a hand in wrecking.
The substance use, overuse, and abuse are things he won't be able to move away from. He believes he has mental health issues - problems with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression. And he's now under some prescribed medications which he believes are now helping him level out his emotions. To my most recent knowledge, though, he still smokes and vapes, and drinks alcohol, and smokes weeds and possibly is still using other drugs. I've tried to tell him that those chemicals can't possibly help any legitimate mental health issues he may genuinely need to battle.
I don't know where he is. I don't know who he's with. Intermittent messenger messages provide bits and pieces of his situation. He tells me he's okay. He tells me not to worry. He tells me he will be back sometime after he's gotten his life together. This isn't the first time that moving away to get a new start was the answer to his struggles, and he discovered that place too had booze, drugs, and chemicals there. He's a few years older from that attempt; he had moved in with a girl. He and the girl fell on hard times, moved back here...started to dig out. The girl he was with tired of the partying and the ups and downs of their lives and ended the relationship.
And now he's with another girl in another relationship somewhere in Colorado. They have nothing - maybe her SUV and some clothes and whatever they could pack. The girl has two daughters, and my last contact indicated they were all heading to Colorado to visit the girl's mom. I hear he's applying for jobs at nearby hotels.
He didn't even say goodbye when he left. He didn't even say he was leaving. I stopped by last Wednesday at where I thought he was staying with a buddy, and was told he wasn't home. The next day my daughter said he had heard from him that he and his girlfriend were heading west to Colorado to visit her mom. I knew when I heard that, he wasn't just visiting. I don't know how it happened. I thought he and the girl had broken up - again for the umpteenth time. And lo and behold now I find out she and he packed up an SUV and left.
I'm hurting. I feel loss - very similar to the death of close family member or friend. My gut aches; my chest hurts; I often wake during the night and can't return to sleep. I'm sure my ex-wife blames me for this. I'm sure it was my fault that while my son was growing up I was too busy teaching, coaching, going to grad school. Maybe she's right or at least partially right. Maybe I should have done something differently; I find myself going over the years in my mind and trying to figure out the moment I should have stopped something or started something or done something differently. You know how sometimes you hear how one event or one conversation or one thing different changed the course of someone's life? I wonder what I missed...what I could have done differently.
I've tried to become more knowledgable about substance use, overuse, and abuse. I know most everything I've heard and read suggests that he's an adult now, and he must decide how or if he wants his life to change. I've heard and read how I'm not supposed to attempt to blame myself for his situation, but that's hard.
I love him. I miss him. I miss the son I once knew; I miss the son I know is inside under all the layers of other stuff. I miss the son I know still exists - talented, good-hearted, musical, smart. I miss having the storybook father-son ending that other dads get to experience. I try to stay strong...to have faith in him...to accept the bits and pieces of information I sometimes receive from him or about him and try to be encouraging. I pray for him. I fear a bad ending while longing for a good ending.
In the end, we parents know there are all kinds of different paths to success. I hope his current path leads to success and happiness and joy and finding the person I know he is.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Volunteering Is Great...Sandbagging Is A Tough Way To Do It
The Mighty Mississippi is flooding parts of Andalusia, which is part of our school district. There was a post on social media during the week that called for volunteer help from the village, and being on spring break offered some available time to help out. This was my first experiencing sandbagging, and I quickly learned that it is not easy.
We started Friday morning, and I showed up in my overalls and my gloves with my shovel and asked for guidance. It didn't take long to figure out the basics of the task, so I found myself jumping in the "fun". What I learned later is that someone figured out a better system than previous years, which was to use big PVC tubes within a crate to more easily fill the bags. The first step then was to cover the six PVC tubes with sandbags, which consisted of opening the sandbag and sliding it over the tube. After all six tubes were covered, we then flipped the crate to expose the openings for the sand. With that second step completed, the third step was to use the shovels lift the sand from the pile into the tubes. Once filled step four consisted of the crate lifted up off of the bags. Step five was to carry the filled bags (usually about half filled) to folks who were tying the bags (step 6). After some time bending over to tie the bags, someone decided to put the filled bags on tables to save the backs of the individuals tying the bags.
I pause here because I later found out that a tight tie on the bags was very helpful, so while tying the bags may have been the least physical step, a tight tie was important later on in handling the bags.
The final step - step 7 - was to load the completed sandbag either onto a pallet or on to a trailer or truck that would then transport the bags to various parts of the village where they would be needed.
I filled sandbags like that from about 8:30 to 12:30 on Friday, and my back and legs suffered the rest of the day. I was really tired, so watching NCAA tournament basketball in my recliner was welcomed. Plus, Friday featured temps in the 30's, so I needed a hot, long shower to try to get the chill out of me.
I wasn't sure I was going to make it back for Saturday, but I pulled my sore legs and back out of the house and went back for more. I should mention now that partnering up with someone to fill the bags really went much quicker and more effective than trying to accomplish the task myself. So Saturday, I met a different partner, and we proceeded to once again fill as many sandbags as possible. He left around 10 a.m., and there was a call to head to the sewer plant outside of the village to build a sandbag wall. Having never participated in building a sandbag wall, I volunteered for that job; it was a break from the back-breaking work of filling sandbags.
While I don't think building a sandbag wall is rocket science, my guess is that having some experience helps, and there didn't seem to be much experience on the crew I was working with. Like anything else, we muddled along until we finally figured out a rhythm and a method of building the wall. The process was to lay down plastic, building the wall of sandbags up in a pyramid shape, and then cover the wall with the plastic. I don't know if our wall was built well enough or not. I guess I will find out. The method seemed to be similar to stacking hay bales. The sandbags were laid in layers and criscrossed with each layer. If the river does get high enough, I hope the work we did holds up.
I stayed with this crew through the most difficult phase of the project, but eventually, more crew members existed than were needed, so I went back to the garage to build more sandbags. I think I stayed maybe another ninety minutes before my body had enough. I quietly tapped out and exited a little before 2 p.m. The process of filling the sandbags actually went a little quicker when I returned from the sewer plant. A one-person end loader was brought in which eliminated the need to shovel the sand into the tubes, so that part of the process was more effective and less challenging on the back.
It's Sunday now. No sandbagging for me today. I'm sticking to the recliner and tournament basketball!
We started Friday morning, and I showed up in my overalls and my gloves with my shovel and asked for guidance. It didn't take long to figure out the basics of the task, so I found myself jumping in the "fun". What I learned later is that someone figured out a better system than previous years, which was to use big PVC tubes within a crate to more easily fill the bags. The first step then was to cover the six PVC tubes with sandbags, which consisted of opening the sandbag and sliding it over the tube. After all six tubes were covered, we then flipped the crate to expose the openings for the sand. With that second step completed, the third step was to use the shovels lift the sand from the pile into the tubes. Once filled step four consisted of the crate lifted up off of the bags. Step five was to carry the filled bags (usually about half filled) to folks who were tying the bags (step 6). After some time bending over to tie the bags, someone decided to put the filled bags on tables to save the backs of the individuals tying the bags.
I pause here because I later found out that a tight tie on the bags was very helpful, so while tying the bags may have been the least physical step, a tight tie was important later on in handling the bags.
The final step - step 7 - was to load the completed sandbag either onto a pallet or on to a trailer or truck that would then transport the bags to various parts of the village where they would be needed.
I filled sandbags like that from about 8:30 to 12:30 on Friday, and my back and legs suffered the rest of the day. I was really tired, so watching NCAA tournament basketball in my recliner was welcomed. Plus, Friday featured temps in the 30's, so I needed a hot, long shower to try to get the chill out of me.
I wasn't sure I was going to make it back for Saturday, but I pulled my sore legs and back out of the house and went back for more. I should mention now that partnering up with someone to fill the bags really went much quicker and more effective than trying to accomplish the task myself. So Saturday, I met a different partner, and we proceeded to once again fill as many sandbags as possible. He left around 10 a.m., and there was a call to head to the sewer plant outside of the village to build a sandbag wall. Having never participated in building a sandbag wall, I volunteered for that job; it was a break from the back-breaking work of filling sandbags.
While I don't think building a sandbag wall is rocket science, my guess is that having some experience helps, and there didn't seem to be much experience on the crew I was working with. Like anything else, we muddled along until we finally figured out a rhythm and a method of building the wall. The process was to lay down plastic, building the wall of sandbags up in a pyramid shape, and then cover the wall with the plastic. I don't know if our wall was built well enough or not. I guess I will find out. The method seemed to be similar to stacking hay bales. The sandbags were laid in layers and criscrossed with each layer. If the river does get high enough, I hope the work we did holds up.
I stayed with this crew through the most difficult phase of the project, but eventually, more crew members existed than were needed, so I went back to the garage to build more sandbags. I think I stayed maybe another ninety minutes before my body had enough. I quietly tapped out and exited a little before 2 p.m. The process of filling the sandbags actually went a little quicker when I returned from the sewer plant. A one-person end loader was brought in which eliminated the need to shovel the sand into the tubes, so that part of the process was more effective and less challenging on the back.
It's Sunday now. No sandbagging for me today. I'm sticking to the recliner and tournament basketball!
Any "Supremacy" Is Fearful, Ignorant, And Dangerous
Two days ago a slaughter of people occurred in New Zealand, and it was committed by a person who felt like he was supreme to others. And whether he feared the others he slaughtered or whether he was ignorant about the people he slaughtered, what he represents is very, very dangerous. When one type of people or one type of religion or one socioeconomic class or one country somehow believe that it is supreme to others, we are all in trouble.
While not as horrific and terrifying as the incident in New Zealand, I'm in my third Sunday of sitting out of church service. The leaders in the international church organization of which my local church associates itself with decided that members of the LGBT community were not as important as other people. Whether it was fear or ignorance, the stance is dangerous, and in my mind, it's especially dangerous when the Bible is used to justify the "supremeness" of the United Methodist Church over other people.
None of us are supreme to others. Period. We are all different; we all have different aspects about us; we all have different views about topics. And I believe the vast majority of people on this planet get that. Unfortunately, there are some people in this world that for some unknown reason are not able to grasp that. For some reason, they are fearful of others or they are ignorant about others like they should not be, and somehow those few people latch on to a message that fuels their fear and ignorance. And if those few are fearful enough and ignorant enough and the message that is fueling them is powerful enough, then those people have an increased risk of acting out.
We need more leaders in our communities, our states, our country, and our world that understand that the messages they provide to their constituents need to reach beyond fear and beyond ignorance, so fewer people are dangerous and less danger exists in our world. Our leaders messages MATTER. Words matter; advertisements matter; promotional materials matter; words that express our opinions matter, and they matter even more to folks that are fearful and ignorant of others than them. Those words matter to folks who for some reason believe they are supreme to others.
We need more leaders in our communities, our states, our country, and our world that understand that the messages they provide to their constituents need to reach beyond fear and beyond ignorance, so fewer people are dangerous and less danger exists in our world. Our leaders messages MATTER. Words matter; advertisements matter; promotional materials matter; words that express our opinions matter, and they matter even more to folks that are fearful and ignorant of others than them. Those words matter to folks who for some reason believe they are supreme to others.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Trying Something To Lose Some Weight
Below is a record of something I'm trying to get some control on my waistline. I'm just too heavy. So I learned about intermittent fasting from a basketball official I worked with back in February. Honestly, it sounded to good to be true. And I'm normally the pessimistic person in the fold who follows the old saying "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I've tried a variety of approaches in my day, and several years ago participated in Weight Watchers and really did well with it. I counted points; I went to meetings; I weighed in once a week; and I lost a lot of weight - like over 50 lbs. Life changed, my schedule no longer fit the meetings schedule, and online progress wasn't enough for me to stay motivated and regimented.
And I've tried other "stuff". I've tried meal replacement shakes; I've tried to eat healthier because seriously we all do indeed know how to eat healthy or not eat healthy. And I've heard about all of the other "plans". But here's the problem...these news and best plans all require the purchase of their products - food, shakes, drinks, powders, etc. And the "too good to be true" person tends to believe those plans are more interested in selling their products than really helping a person lose weight and be healthier.
So an alternative eating strategy that costs NOTHING that may benefit me was attractive.
Intermittent fasting basically is eating NOTHING for an extended period of time. The link to the information I have found most helpful is included above my recent chart records. The spokesman goes by the name of Edward V.
BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER....I'm a little hesitant in even sharing this because I don't know the qualifications of Edward V. I've attempted to contact him just to find out if he's some kind of credentialed expert, but I haven't received a response yet. And he does sell "stuff" and he does have sponsors that sell "stuff", including meal plans. In his videos so far, though, I've never heard him require any money for continued information or support.
And now....if you look below, you will see about a month of records. Admittedly I know that none of us should weigh each other each day. Seeing the ups and downs of weight loss can be frustrating, so most weight loss strategies suggest weighing in once a week. On the other hand, I wanted to allow myself to see how different days seem to affect me.
As you will see, I started out on the 16:8 plan. The first week was a challenge, and I worked hard to drink a lot of fluids to try to help me get through my mental difficulty of feeling hungry. The first week, I also got some help because I was still officiating basketball, which gives me exercise without really thinking of it as exercise. AN IMPORTANT POINT that I wanted to factor in was that I would not limit myself to amount or type of foods I ate during my "feeding window". I figured that it would be easier for me to stick to fasting if I didn't limit myself to what I could eat during feeding.
And as you also will see, I did have days of some exercise, no exercise, and a lot of exercise. Plus there were a few days for whatever reason that I just didn't weigh myself to get the data.
THE RESULTS - I know what you are saying..."But Jay, you have been doing this for a month, and you haven't lost much weight at all." I hear you, but some things I think are positive.
- When I'm fasting, I'm not grabbing unhealthy food to "snack on."
- Feeling hungry now feels better than feeling full. I know that may be all in my head, but feeling hungry seems to make me feel lighter, and I don't like the "heaviness feeling" when it seems like I'm full.
- While I know that I must be slowing down my metabolism, I haven't gained weight from my last basketball game until now. That's a big deal for me. Usually between basketball officiating season and softball umpiring season, I gain weight.
- I'm no longer eating anything past 8 p.m. Previously, I was notorious for working a basketball game, arriving home after 9 p.m. and eating a meal...maybe some chips...and maybe a desert - thinking that I had worked hard and it was okay to reward myself, OR being so tired, I didn't care how much I ate or what I ate. (Now when softball starts, this might be more challenging that I will need to contend with.)
- I'm not eating breakfast. Now I know that breakfast is suppose to be the most important meal of the day, but my breakfast usually consisted of bacon, eggs, and toast with butter on it. I'm going to be very curious what my blood work tells me as a result of this change in eating habits. Admittedly, I can choose to have breakfast for supper, but at least I know I'm not having bacon and eggs at least three days a week like was typical for me previously.
- While I initially started this with my feeding window from noon to 8 p.m., while I've been on Spring Break, I've started experimenting with 4-8 p.m. as a feeding window - switching myself to a 20:4 schedule. I still feel hungry, but I've been trying to stay particularly active from noon-4 p.m. to help myself. (Yesterday I cleaned out the garage and got my umpiring gear loaded in my car, so I stayed busy.)
- I have not experienced feeling "overly tired" while on my fasting window, so I haven't perceived anything different in my overall energy level.
- I feel mentally stronger (and I know this sounds weird) with my "self talk" telling myself I can have that snack or food if I want it, but I just have to wait for my feeding window to do self. In this way, I don't feel like I'm restricting what I can eat. I realize this might be all in my own brain, but that's okay.
THINGS THAT IM CURIOUS ABOUT
- How are "internal body things" doing? I wonder how I'm doing with blood pressure and cholesterol and BMI.
- I wonder when I start back up with softball if I'll see a more noticeable weight loss.
- I wonder if/when I will start to be more interested in being more selective with what I eat during the feeding window. For example, would I eat more nutritious foods and limit unhealthy snacks if I decided to pay more attention - maybe even record - the food I do eat during the feeding window.
- I wonder when I go to try those Dockers on Monday when we go back to school if my waistline will feel noticeably skinnier.
- My "markerboard" routine below involves a very brief workout with some exercises with dumb bells. So I'm doing just a little strength training, and I'm not sure how that is factoring in.
So that's my journey so far. One thing I know for sure. I haven't spent one dime on this approach to trying to drop a few pounds.
https://www.youtube.com/user/EVMysterious/about
Sunday, March 10, 2019
The Frustration of Finding Out To Late That I Was Reading a Series
Spring Break 2019 hasn't officially started yet, but one challenge I posed to the students was to read a book over Spring Break. At the time I was about halfway through a book - a book I really was pessimistic about but gave a try because it was a Lincoln Award winner. I ended up really enjoying the book, though.
This book was a bit of a cross between Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, so it was much different from anything I had read for quite awhile. The writing style of the author, though, was very good at allowing me to visualize the story, so I seemed to reach back into my childhood days watching my very own Disney movie.
The plot was exciting and suspenseful, and because I can't just enjoy a book, of course I was attempting to forecast and analyze how the author was going to bring it all together in the end. Was it going to end happily? Was there going to be a plot twist? How were all the elements in the book going to come together? Most importantly, would the evil main character who really was a misunderstood "good guy" win over his inner battle of demons or receive the justice everyone in the story felt he deserved.
And...the ending is....wait for the next book to come out...WHAT? This book is a series! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I was duped! Well, to be honest I wasn't duped. I just assumed incorrectly. I think because this was the first book by this new author that I didn't anticipate this story turning into a series. My bad.
I really "don't do series." I prefer to see an author tell a story...not drag the story out in order to sell more books. I do confess that I did read the Harry Potter series, but even those books disappointed me more and more with each additional book in the series. In the Harry Potter example, the darkness just reached too dark of a level for me compared to the first book.
So I went downstairs to finish this book yesterday - sitting in my recliner in my exercise/tanning bed (which I don't use ever) man cave to be able to quietly finish this story. I literally screamed out loud (the previously mentioned NOOOOOOOOO!), and it was so loud I startled my wife into thinking something really was wrong in the basement.
And here's the thing...I won't read the next book in the series. And when if I have to report what I thought of the book, I will make sure that's one of the things I shared. Perhaps I should admit at this point that I don't really mind a Harry Potter type series that has a beginning and an ending with each book in the series. I really get frustrated, though, with an intentional open ending that requires an additional book. In fact, this particular book was even more of an example, because the author added a little "trailer" to the next book at the end of this book.
I repeat. I won't read the next book. In fact, I may not read this author again. You know, now that I think about it, perhaps the Lincoln Award winner also helped assist my ignorance that this might be the beginning of the series. Okay...I will put partial blame on the Lincoln Award folk.
This book was a bit of a cross between Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, so it was much different from anything I had read for quite awhile. The writing style of the author, though, was very good at allowing me to visualize the story, so I seemed to reach back into my childhood days watching my very own Disney movie.
The plot was exciting and suspenseful, and because I can't just enjoy a book, of course I was attempting to forecast and analyze how the author was going to bring it all together in the end. Was it going to end happily? Was there going to be a plot twist? How were all the elements in the book going to come together? Most importantly, would the evil main character who really was a misunderstood "good guy" win over his inner battle of demons or receive the justice everyone in the story felt he deserved.
And...the ending is....wait for the next book to come out...WHAT? This book is a series! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I was duped! Well, to be honest I wasn't duped. I just assumed incorrectly. I think because this was the first book by this new author that I didn't anticipate this story turning into a series. My bad.
I really "don't do series." I prefer to see an author tell a story...not drag the story out in order to sell more books. I do confess that I did read the Harry Potter series, but even those books disappointed me more and more with each additional book in the series. In the Harry Potter example, the darkness just reached too dark of a level for me compared to the first book.
So I went downstairs to finish this book yesterday - sitting in my recliner in my exercise/tanning bed (which I don't use ever) man cave to be able to quietly finish this story. I literally screamed out loud (the previously mentioned NOOOOOOOOO!), and it was so loud I startled my wife into thinking something really was wrong in the basement.
And here's the thing...I won't read the next book in the series. And when if I have to report what I thought of the book, I will make sure that's one of the things I shared. Perhaps I should admit at this point that I don't really mind a Harry Potter type series that has a beginning and an ending with each book in the series. I really get frustrated, though, with an intentional open ending that requires an additional book. In fact, this particular book was even more of an example, because the author added a little "trailer" to the next book at the end of this book.
I repeat. I won't read the next book. In fact, I may not read this author again. You know, now that I think about it, perhaps the Lincoln Award winner also helped assist my ignorance that this might be the beginning of the series. Okay...I will put partial blame on the Lincoln Award folk.
Saturday, March 9, 2019
The Apparent Writing Blind Spot
This week I collected essays from my students, and once again I find myself baffled at times. I felt like I had done everything I possibly could. I provided students with specific directions that they could refer to as needed, and I discussed these specific directions with the students in class - giving them an opportunity to ask questions. I also "stalked" their efforts and offered suggestions to their introductions hoping to redirect mistakes that I observed, or I commented that I was concerned because they weren't making much (if any) progress toward completing the assignment. In addition, I made myself available in class for at least three class days of at least thirty minutes to assist students with questions or confirmations. I even offered to display a student example for all students to see and learn from. Those attempts seem like they should be enough of an effort on my part as the teacher to result in essays that accurately addressed the essay prompt, right?
I've decided that "blind spots" exist in student minds. Despite all those attempts to assist students in digging into the prompt and accurately addressing the prompt, it appears that those attempts fall into their blind spots - just like we all experience blind spots when we drive. Apparently all of those attempts just don't enter into the students' visual field.
Where I thought I was pretty clear with the prompt when I requested students
I've decided that "blind spots" exist in student minds. Despite all those attempts to assist students in digging into the prompt and accurately addressing the prompt, it appears that those attempts fall into their blind spots - just like we all experience blind spots when we drive. Apparently all of those attempts just don't enter into the students' visual field.
Where I thought I was pretty clear with the prompt when I requested students
- analyze how a film director used film making strategies to better persuade or influence his audience that Indigenous Americans face difficulties on reservations most other people do not.
Students with these blind spots instead
- summarize important or meaningful events that occurred in the film that seem to be difficulties Indigenous Americans face on reservations.
My next task is attempting to figure out how to work with students to eliminate these blind spots. At the moment, the only thing I can think of is using my stalking in a different manner. Rather than commenting on the essay itself, perhaps I have to request a on-on-one conference to help the student writer avoid the blindspot. Should I have to do that? Up until this point, one of my strategies to help writers was to offer revision opportunities. In fact, I informed students I would allow them to revise their essays as many times as they would like until they earned a score they were comfortable with.
While I do get a handful of students take advantage of this opportunity, most students would rather take the score they receive than make additional revision attempts. Perhaps they are angry with their score, or they just are too lazy, or some other reason exists. Whatever the reason, the vast majority of students will not work to revise their work for a better score.
I'll keep thinking about this, but I don't believe my job is to be "mother hen". I think as educators we need to offer opportunities for students to improve performance, but I don't think we should force students to improve. In fact, my experience has been when I force students to revise their work, I get even more frustrated. Most students just don't give the effort needed, so underperforming work is just submitted once again.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
When You Having Nothing Good To Say, Say Nothing At All
It's true. I haven't posted anything for awhile. Why you ask? Well, I'm disgruntled, and I have generally held to the theory of keeping quiet on the ole blog if I could get myself in trouble with my thoughts. Upon request of a loyal follower, though, I have emerged once again.
- The school district I work for has frustrated me. The plan for an extended school day to make up for all the snow days we have experienced leaves me disappointed in the leadership. Our plan at the high school is to add five minutes to each class period to each school day after Spring Break. The plan really doesn't accomplish much of anything in making up for lost instructional time. It does give the school district a "win" over the teachers' association - who had declined adding more days to the calendar because there wasn't a fair way to complete that. Perhaps, too, the district accomplished a "feel good" public relations moment in its ability to publicly state that all the time lost during snow days will be made up. If those were the goals of this plan, I suppose those objectives were accomplished. Honestly, though, my initial frustration was over the hypocrisy of the first public letter that went out to the community, which emphasized a "value of instructional time" within the district. Let me tell you, on a monthly, weekly, and often times daily basis, our students are excused for a variety of reasons that have nothing to do with classroom instructional time, and I've never seen the district attempt to gain that time back. I routinely have students gone on "family vacations" during the school year, and that doesn't seem to be a problem. In addition, I've lost nine days of instructional time because the English Department has been forced to complete MAP testing, which up to this point has been a waste of time. Also, we routinely have teacher development days and professional development half days that have yet to EVER discuss student performance data towards school improvement. Finally, the district didn't have a problem reducing junior high language arts instruction in half five years ago due to budget cuts - what's the plan to get that time back? I voiced all of these thoughts to our superintendent and school board members. The superintendent courteously and respectfully listened to my concerns, and one board member was kind enough to respond to my email message to him. Perhaps I at least subliminally felt better voicing my frustrations at least.
- The basketball officiating post-season has concluded for me. It was a great run, and I was pleased and blessed to receive seven post-season assignments. It's always bittersweet in the post-season because the selection process is somewhat confusing. Some officials are selected over other officials that are more qualified, and it just doesn't make sense. The IHSA has a process in place to help select the most qualified to work post-season, but years of experience seems to trump other factors. Don't get me wrong, experience is an important qualification, but there are a lot of more experienced officials that just simply aren't as effective as others that don't get selected.
- I've started a new eating plan, which I'm now getting use to, but so far hasn't really produced results that I'm hoping for. I'm going to stick with it, though, and see how it goes. The official name is "intermittent fasting", which I think is more of mind over matter. I know fasting has to slow down metabolism, and I'm charting my progress. To no surprise, simply not eating for 16 hours doesn't really do much to help me lose weight unless I incorporate exercise and stretching and some strength training into my day. Exercise is easy to accomplish when I'm officiating - not as easy when I'm between seasons.
- The weather we are having in my area continues to amaze me. Monday morning, March 4 is suppose to feel morning wind chill temperatures of -20 to -30. By that date, my first softball game to umpire is ten days away. Ya, right.
- While my basketball officiating season is over, "March Madness" is in full swing. The time off from officiating and umpiring during this break gives me the opportunity to watch a lot of basketball. And between that and political parties going after each other relentlessly, there is a lot of stuff on the tube. I find myself switching back-and-forth between channels during breaks of the game to see the "breaking news" on CNN, MSNBC, and FOX NEWS.
- Okay...got to go. Brooklyn is here, and getting to play with a one-year old is a priority!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)