A room full of fabulous desserts at school, Teacher Appreciation Day! I managed to work a few berries and a small piece of gourmet dark chocolate into my Southbeach Diet plan. I am still thinking about all those beautiful desserts I left behind though, free at that. But do I really want to trade my 11 lbs weight loss the past 3 weeks for that beautiful piece of chocolate cake, pie, cookies, mousse, cheescake, candy and so on? Maybe! Wait a minute, the doctor just called and said my cholesterol is now perfect. Okay, no, no, no sweets today. The joy of being nearly 70!
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Desserts for Teachers
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 4:49pm ·
A room full of fabulous desserts at school, Teacher Appreciation Day! I managed to work a few berries and a small piece of gourmet dark chocolate into my Southbeach Diet plan. I am still thinking about all those beautiful desserts I left behind though, free at that. But do I really want to trade my 11 lbs weight loss the past 3 weeks for that beautiful piece of chocolate cake, pie, cookies, mousse, cheescake, candy and so on? Maybe! Wait a minute, the doctor just called and said my cholesterol is now perfect. Okay, no, no, no sweets today. The joy of being nearly 70!
A room full of fabulous desserts at school, Teacher Appreciation Day! I managed to work a few berries and a small piece of gourmet dark chocolate into my Southbeach Diet plan. I am still thinking about all those beautiful desserts I left behind though, free at that. But do I really want to trade my 11 lbs weight loss the past 3 weeks for that beautiful piece of chocolate cake, pie, cookies, mousse, cheescake, candy and so on? Maybe! Wait a minute, the doctor just called and said my cholesterol is now perfect. Okay, no, no, no sweets today. The joy of being nearly 70!
Substituting for 2012-2013
Sunday, July 29, 2012 at 9:37pm
Way to go Atlanta Public Schools . . . let's see now. I don't have enough earnings as a substitute for 2011-2012 school year for your requirement of $5000 for a 50 day minimum of $100 a day. Actually I'd have a little more earnings had you not docked my pay when I was late or couldn't sign in on time because the clock wouldn't take my i.d. Also I was never paid for the extended day? I often had carpool or bus duty when I wasn't even supposed to be there. I guess I'll have to count up the days I worked and add another 30 minutes to each day I worked. If you had paid me for the extended day, I would have had more for your requirement. If you hadn't lowered the pay for certified teachers by $75 a day, I would have had even more.
Way to go Atlanta Public Schools . . . let's see now. I don't have enough earnings as a substitute for 2011-2012 school year for your requirement of $5000 for a 50 day minimum of $100 a day. Actually I'd have a little more earnings had you not docked my pay when I was late or couldn't sign in on time because the clock wouldn't take my i.d. Also I was never paid for the extended day? I often had carpool or bus duty when I wasn't even supposed to be there. I guess I'll have to count up the days I worked and add another 30 minutes to each day I worked. If you had paid me for the extended day, I would have had more for your requirement. If you hadn't lowered the pay for certified teachers by $75 a day, I would have had even more.
I hope this works for you APS as I know many a time I got last minute calls from staff, including principals, desperately trying to find a qualified substitute teacher or any sub at all. Sometimes I'd get a dozen calls in one morning. This will be one less teacher on your roster. Btw, do I still have to pay my school taxes which are more than I earned substituting, especially now that I can't work for APS. School starts next week for teachers; you gave me one days notice. That's right, I just opened Saturday's mail. I can think of at least a half dozen retired teachers, some of the best, who would be substituting except for your rules. That's just from one school. It seems like you have other worries besides making substitutes work 50 days a school year, like having classes with no substitute at all.
Exactly. I know so many retired teachers that are in this same position. That's right. It's unbelievable. I can teach the Spanish, the music, as well as I'm certified in primary and middle grades. My schedule last year wasn't as compatible with substituting all the time, but I did get at least 43 days instead of 50. This is the address of the oped editor at AJC. tsabulis@ajc.com. I sent him a copy of this post. We should all write him about this. I am so sorry you can't sub for her as you would be perfect having just taught with her last school year. So so sad for the kids. Remember, this was at one of the best schools. Can you imagine schools where no one wants to go?
Exactly. I know so many retired teachers that are in this same position. That's right. It's unbelievable. I can teach the Spanish, the music, as well as I'm certified in primary and middle grades. My schedule last year wasn't as compatible with substituting all the time, but I did get at least 43 days instead of 50. This is the address of the oped editor at AJC. tsabulis@ajc.com. I sent him a copy of this post. We should all write him about this. I am so sorry you can't sub for her as you would be perfect having just taught with her last school year. So so sad for the kids. Remember, this was at one of the best schools. Can you imagine schools where no one wants to go?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Some Days Are like This . . . especially at Camp
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 6:39pm
I left keys in trunk of car today at camp where anyone could have stolen my car. I noticed keys when I put things in trunk at end of day. A stolen car would have put me over the edge.
1:00--Power went out so no crepes for 4th period in Fun Foods. We eat the fruit for the crepes, make smoothies from the one carton of yogurt and gallon of milk. We drink plain milk as well. We eat leftover pretzels and cream cheese from Monday, leftover nacho chips from Thursday when we had Mexican food, and more milk, more fruit-- mango, strawberries, and peach. We added a bit of cool whip. I was trying to use perishable food before it ruined. Even though they'd just eaten lunch, they had a party and ate everything.
2:00--Accidental fire drill so we all evacuated into the heat for 5th period acting. We return to class. One actor is absent so one child is both Wilbur and Fern.
3:00--6th period acting two actors are out and another one leaves after ten minutes for gymnastics. Juliet's brother is also Romeo because Romeo is absent. Three girls want to be Juliet even though two of them have been absent, and one is leaving for gymnastics.at 3:10. They want to end play with Romeo and Juliet going to heaven and the girl who is Romeo's mother and the medic also wants to be Pegasus and ride my white horse that looks like Pegasus to see them in heaven. Fortunately it us time to go, and I told her she could work on a final scene tonight.
4:00--Kids go home, not a minute too soon. After carpool I pack up to go home, and I notice I don't hear the hum of the fridge in the kitchen/chemistry lab. That's right, When the power came on at 2:00, the sockets for refrigerator didn't come on; and the electricians had now gone for the day. So I load up everything in fridge that we didn't eat (cheese, tortillas, extra fruit) to bring back home till we need it next week if it stays cold in my portable coolers long enough to get home.
So like I said after a chaotic rehearsal of "Romeo and Juliet" and plan changes in other classes of the afternoon, I must say I felt totally blessed and protected from all evil and confusion everywhere when I saw those keys hanging out of the trunk of my Acura today. No one had stolen my car from the parking lot of the junior high, and my car was in perfect order with nothing missing.
I guess if my car wasn't stolen today, I really have no worries about camp, power, or the children's plays. So what if "Charlotte's Web" takes place in a condo. Who knows, maybe somewhere people do die if they break a fingernail as Romeo and Juliet do in their play. Children's imaginations are simply unbelievable. I sit there in amazement. I could not have written a better line myself--"please don't make Wilbur move from the condo. He ls just living his life as a pig and pigs squeal."
I left keys in trunk of car today at camp where anyone could have stolen my car. I noticed keys when I put things in trunk at end of day. A stolen car would have put me over the edge.
1:00--Power went out so no crepes for 4th period in Fun Foods. We eat the fruit for the crepes, make smoothies from the one carton of yogurt and gallon of milk. We drink plain milk as well. We eat leftover pretzels and cream cheese from Monday, leftover nacho chips from Thursday when we had Mexican food, and more milk, more fruit-- mango, strawberries, and peach. We added a bit of cool whip. I was trying to use perishable food before it ruined. Even though they'd just eaten lunch, they had a party and ate everything.
2:00--Accidental fire drill so we all evacuated into the heat for 5th period acting. We return to class. One actor is absent so one child is both Wilbur and Fern.
3:00--6th period acting two actors are out and another one leaves after ten minutes for gymnastics. Juliet's brother is also Romeo because Romeo is absent. Three girls want to be Juliet even though two of them have been absent, and one is leaving for gymnastics.at 3:10. They want to end play with Romeo and Juliet going to heaven and the girl who is Romeo's mother and the medic also wants to be Pegasus and ride my white horse that looks like Pegasus to see them in heaven. Fortunately it us time to go, and I told her she could work on a final scene tonight.
4:00--Kids go home, not a minute too soon. After carpool I pack up to go home, and I notice I don't hear the hum of the fridge in the kitchen/chemistry lab. That's right, When the power came on at 2:00, the sockets for refrigerator didn't come on; and the electricians had now gone for the day. So I load up everything in fridge that we didn't eat (cheese, tortillas, extra fruit) to bring back home till we need it next week if it stays cold in my portable coolers long enough to get home.
So like I said after a chaotic rehearsal of "Romeo and Juliet" and plan changes in other classes of the afternoon, I must say I felt totally blessed and protected from all evil and confusion everywhere when I saw those keys hanging out of the trunk of my Acura today. No one had stolen my car from the parking lot of the junior high, and my car was in perfect order with nothing missing.
I guess if my car wasn't stolen today, I really have no worries about camp, power, or the children's plays. So what if "Charlotte's Web" takes place in a condo. Who knows, maybe somewhere people do die if they break a fingernail as Romeo and Juliet do in their play. Children's imaginations are simply unbelievable. I sit there in amazement. I could not have written a better line myself--"please don't make Wilbur move from the condo. He ls just living his life as a pig and pigs squeal."
Friday, April 17, 2009
Some Years Are Like That
There are years like that. I had one of those in 1967-68, the year I was pregnant with David and taught in a country school about an hour's drive from Athens. We were out there with the chicken coops in Talmo, part of Jackson County Schools. I shared a room with another teacher. Not team teaching, no, I mean we shared a room with a plywood petition between us. It didn't start off so bad.
The teacaher had been there forever, and to my young eyes she seemed to be 90 years old. They were building on to the school so we had to keep windows closed because of noise and dust, but we had no a/c. It was only an average size room, and each of us had our own group of 30 kids. We were barely civil by the time I left. I learned to be in different places than where she was. The hardest though was she would play the piano for the kids to sing while I was trying to teach my reading groups. She had a piano in her room and we had no public school music. I think she was related to everyone in the county, and I was a young pregnant wife of a graduate student teaching for the 3rd year, but the first time in 1st grade.
I don't think I ever even considered considering her as a friend. She would not have been a Facebook friend if we had had Facebook back then. Fortunately, I was too nauseated much of the time to care what she did. I was just getting through the day with one kid who was repeating first grade for the 3rd time, another kid whose dad was in prison and his mom in a mental hospital, a couple who literally lived in chicken coups, and a few others from the upper class whose parents owned the local meatpacking company or were school administrators. Any time I'd feel sorry for myself, a kid would remind me to be grateful when they shared in show and tell about finding some new toys and dishes at the garbage dump.
The teacaher had been there forever, and to my young eyes she seemed to be 90 years old. They were building on to the school so we had to keep windows closed because of noise and dust, but we had no a/c. It was only an average size room, and each of us had our own group of 30 kids. We were barely civil by the time I left. I learned to be in different places than where she was. The hardest though was she would play the piano for the kids to sing while I was trying to teach my reading groups. She had a piano in her room and we had no public school music. I think she was related to everyone in the county, and I was a young pregnant wife of a graduate student teaching for the 3rd year, but the first time in 1st grade.
I don't think I ever even considered considering her as a friend. She would not have been a Facebook friend if we had had Facebook back then. Fortunately, I was too nauseated much of the time to care what she did. I was just getting through the day with one kid who was repeating first grade for the 3rd time, another kid whose dad was in prison and his mom in a mental hospital, a couple who literally lived in chicken coups, and a few others from the upper class whose parents owned the local meatpacking company or were school administrators. Any time I'd feel sorry for myself, a kid would remind me to be grateful when they shared in show and tell about finding some new toys and dishes at the garbage dump.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
On the Road
We will soon be on the road to Savannah, maybe even a similar route that Sherman took during the Civil War. Hopefully, there will be no battles; and this trip will proceed without incident. I’m a teacher, after all, not a soldier; and we will be traveling in our bus for the final shoot of the film. The entire crew is moving to Savannah for five days.
We are now waiting in the parking lot for someone who is late. It could have been me as I didn’t want to get up this morning, and I kept setting the snooze button. I was mostly packed except for the laptop and a few clothes. I brought my coffee with me to drink in the car and my yogurt and pear to eat after I got here. I had no traffic and almost no red lights, so I was here in twenty minutes. “Here” is at the parking lot on Mountain Industrial where the stage is. We leave our cars and ride the bus shuttle.
I must say I am glad I wasn’t the one who was late as I really believe in punctuality. Two people kept all of us waiting for 45 minutes. I was 5 minutes late arriving at 10:05 AM so I guess I can’t complain too much. Even with the monsoon rain, I had no delays. If I had had any delays, I too would have just arrived.
One thing I’ve already decided, I’m getting an i-phone and letting my landline go. This would be great if I could immediately go to the internet. The guy in front of me on the bus has and i-phone so he has everything he needs for the trip. I had to pack up this bulky laptop and cords. Of course, I may not have another film out of town for a year so it isn’t like I’m ever very far away from my study.
I’m reminded of Jack Kerouac’s "On the Road". I seriously doubt this is going to be the poetic experience his trip was. We’re going straight to Savannah, then to the hotel which is in the harbor. Hopefully it won’t rain for five days as I brought my bating suit. (That, by the way, was the purchase of the day. I had to have a new suit that at least was sort of flattering and camouflaged my stomach until I can lose back down to 120 pounds. Of course, it’s black, and a Jantzen. What else would I buy? Maybe I can now start swimming with my silver sneaker membership anywhere they have a pool. (That's right, I'm now 66 years old.
I’m afraid the battery power for my laptop may not last much longer, for sure not the entire trip. My earlier plans were to sleep the entire way. The seats are not so amenable to sleeping; besides, I’m cold. I forgot to bring a blanket and a pillow. I do have a whole seat to myself, however. In fact, most of us do. There are probably ten people on the bus. Some of the folks left yesterday in vans, some are driving, and the actors all flew. By the time you go to the airport, get to the gate, load, fly, unload, get your luggage, then drive to the hotel, it probably takes longer to fly than it does to drive. You still have to be at the airport a couple of hours before the flight. Even at the airport, you may have to wait on a plane, especially in the kind of weather we are having today.
Oh no, I can hear just a little bit of someone’s music, just enough to sound like an alarm system or whining dog in the neighborhood. At least, for the moment no one is twittering outloud with a megaphone. I think I will close for now, the beginning of my very own rendition of “on the road.” This one is "Rozanne’s on the road" or "Teacher on the road."
We are now waiting in the parking lot for someone who is late. It could have been me as I didn’t want to get up this morning, and I kept setting the snooze button. I was mostly packed except for the laptop and a few clothes. I brought my coffee with me to drink in the car and my yogurt and pear to eat after I got here. I had no traffic and almost no red lights, so I was here in twenty minutes. “Here” is at the parking lot on Mountain Industrial where the stage is. We leave our cars and ride the bus shuttle.
I must say I am glad I wasn’t the one who was late as I really believe in punctuality. Two people kept all of us waiting for 45 minutes. I was 5 minutes late arriving at 10:05 AM so I guess I can’t complain too much. Even with the monsoon rain, I had no delays. If I had had any delays, I too would have just arrived.
One thing I’ve already decided, I’m getting an i-phone and letting my landline go. This would be great if I could immediately go to the internet. The guy in front of me on the bus has and i-phone so he has everything he needs for the trip. I had to pack up this bulky laptop and cords. Of course, I may not have another film out of town for a year so it isn’t like I’m ever very far away from my study.
I’m reminded of Jack Kerouac’s "On the Road". I seriously doubt this is going to be the poetic experience his trip was. We’re going straight to Savannah, then to the hotel which is in the harbor. Hopefully it won’t rain for five days as I brought my bating suit. (That, by the way, was the purchase of the day. I had to have a new suit that at least was sort of flattering and camouflaged my stomach until I can lose back down to 120 pounds. Of course, it’s black, and a Jantzen. What else would I buy? Maybe I can now start swimming with my silver sneaker membership anywhere they have a pool. (That's right, I'm now 66 years old.
I’m afraid the battery power for my laptop may not last much longer, for sure not the entire trip. My earlier plans were to sleep the entire way. The seats are not so amenable to sleeping; besides, I’m cold. I forgot to bring a blanket and a pillow. I do have a whole seat to myself, however. In fact, most of us do. There are probably ten people on the bus. Some of the folks left yesterday in vans, some are driving, and the actors all flew. By the time you go to the airport, get to the gate, load, fly, unload, get your luggage, then drive to the hotel, it probably takes longer to fly than it does to drive. You still have to be at the airport a couple of hours before the flight. Even at the airport, you may have to wait on a plane, especially in the kind of weather we are having today.
Oh no, I can hear just a little bit of someone’s music, just enough to sound like an alarm system or whining dog in the neighborhood. At least, for the moment no one is twittering outloud with a megaphone. I think I will close for now, the beginning of my very own rendition of “on the road.” This one is "Rozanne’s on the road" or "Teacher on the road."
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Set tutor
When I decided to become a teacher some many years ago, I had never heard of a set tutor. It never crossed my mind that I would teach anywhere but in an elementary school. However, over the past 23 years that has changed and I have been a set tutor on numerous films. I know what I do, but most of the folks on the set don't know what I do. Some think I teach the child his or her lines. Some I know probably wonder why I hang out on set as one production assistant put it one time. Many a day, I also wonder what I am doing on a movie set.
I am about education, about teaching the child his lessons when he is out of school for a film. The assignments the child brings are just the part of the iceberg you see. I rarely have ever had the teacher's manuals, other teachers to consult in the school, or even answers to any of the assignments. Generally, I have to create my own lesson plans, do my own research on the topic, work out the problems myself to correct the child's work. It helps considerably if I at least know a little more about the topic than the child. It's hard to be up on all the information of all the topics all the time. I too have to study the assignments.
This topic will be continued at a later date as I'm much to tired to talk about being a set tutor after being a set tutor all day with a nine year old boy.
I am about education, about teaching the child his lessons when he is out of school for a film. The assignments the child brings are just the part of the iceberg you see. I rarely have ever had the teacher's manuals, other teachers to consult in the school, or even answers to any of the assignments. Generally, I have to create my own lesson plans, do my own research on the topic, work out the problems myself to correct the child's work. It helps considerably if I at least know a little more about the topic than the child. It's hard to be up on all the information of all the topics all the time. I too have to study the assignments.
This topic will be continued at a later date as I'm much to tired to talk about being a set tutor after being a set tutor all day with a nine year old boy.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Teachers Like to be the Boss
Unfortunately, I had written this entire piece, and I made the mistake of not writing it first in Word and then copying it or at least saving it frequently as a draft. I don't guess I'll do that again. So now I will have to try to write this again from memory. I guess that is one way of revising an article. I did notice I moved back and forth from teachers like to be the boss to why I have performance anxiety. Maybe I had two stories at once. I know somehow I can retrieve the lost document, but I don't remember how. This is one good reason a first draft should be written in pencil in a legal pad.
3/17/2009
I should be able to begin again since what I was writing is something I've been living with all my life. I personally like to be the boss. I'm only talking about one teacher, and that is me. I was this way as a child. We would play school, and I would always be the teacher. As I've grown older, I realize I do better in a teaching setting, whether it is in a classroom or on a filmset, when I have the freedom to teach as I know best. I certainly can follow guidelines or lesson plans; however, when a parent, supervisor, or anyone else starts telling me that I should spend more time on one subject or another or to work on only what's assigned, I begin to get very anxious. I become more involved in watching what I do than what I actually do. I begin to suffer from performance anxiety and become very self centered. I forget my primary purpose which is to teach the child or children.
When I'm allowed more respect to do what I do best with the education and experience I have, then I function better; and I think I'm a better teacher. Perhaps this is one reason I'm not teaching full-time. These days there are so many reports to write, numerous supervisors observing you, parents with various demands for their children. It's more like teaching by committee. Even on a filmset when I'm the only teacher, there are numerous variables that affect my teaching. Parents may prefer only the bare essentials of education to get by the law or they may only want me to complete certain assignments. Most of teaching is more than what is in the book or the worksheet. However, the worksheet and test is the part that shows. It's like the part of the iceberg above water, whereas I may research several concepts online, teacher's manual or from my own library. I'm not one of those people who has a photographic memory that everything I've ever learned is right there when I need it in my mind. I have to study also for each assignment.
I have found that I particularly enjoy summer camp. I teach a couple of different kinds of classes with about six classes a day. There are no textbooks or requirements. I basically come up with the lesson plan and adjust each one to the class I'm teaching. Sometimes I feel like a farmer. When I'm teaching my cooking class, I may change the plan for the day if suddenly strawberries are on sale or a child brings in a particular recipe. With the acting class, much depends on where the kids go with a topic. They choose their play, often creating it in class, and I am more of a guide than giving them worksheets and tests and grades. I guess the "test and grade" would be the performance. Interestingly, I think they learn as much in the summer camp classes as if I gave them a textbook on the subjects, with all the objectives, rubrics, reports that a teacher does in a regular classroom.
It's sort of the same concept that Randy Pausch used with his classes at MIT where the students were playing games, but meanwhile they were learning ALICE. He mentioned this technique in his last lecture. Not that I pretend to be a famous computer scientist, but the same as natural food is usually healthier than what comes out of a can, teaching naturally as a part of a child's curiosity, input, and creativity often will accomplish more than any amount of standarized testing, parent conferences, report cards, homework worksheets. Maybe this concept only works at summer camp and MIT. However, maybe someday a graduate student will perform a study for his/her dissertation on the various modes of teaching.
For today, I will close. This is not the same piece I wrote earlier. Perhaps as I continue, the rest of the piece will come to me.
3/17/2009
I should be able to begin again since what I was writing is something I've been living with all my life. I personally like to be the boss. I'm only talking about one teacher, and that is me. I was this way as a child. We would play school, and I would always be the teacher. As I've grown older, I realize I do better in a teaching setting, whether it is in a classroom or on a filmset, when I have the freedom to teach as I know best. I certainly can follow guidelines or lesson plans; however, when a parent, supervisor, or anyone else starts telling me that I should spend more time on one subject or another or to work on only what's assigned, I begin to get very anxious. I become more involved in watching what I do than what I actually do. I begin to suffer from performance anxiety and become very self centered. I forget my primary purpose which is to teach the child or children.
When I'm allowed more respect to do what I do best with the education and experience I have, then I function better; and I think I'm a better teacher. Perhaps this is one reason I'm not teaching full-time. These days there are so many reports to write, numerous supervisors observing you, parents with various demands for their children. It's more like teaching by committee. Even on a filmset when I'm the only teacher, there are numerous variables that affect my teaching. Parents may prefer only the bare essentials of education to get by the law or they may only want me to complete certain assignments. Most of teaching is more than what is in the book or the worksheet. However, the worksheet and test is the part that shows. It's like the part of the iceberg above water, whereas I may research several concepts online, teacher's manual or from my own library. I'm not one of those people who has a photographic memory that everything I've ever learned is right there when I need it in my mind. I have to study also for each assignment.
I have found that I particularly enjoy summer camp. I teach a couple of different kinds of classes with about six classes a day. There are no textbooks or requirements. I basically come up with the lesson plan and adjust each one to the class I'm teaching. Sometimes I feel like a farmer. When I'm teaching my cooking class, I may change the plan for the day if suddenly strawberries are on sale or a child brings in a particular recipe. With the acting class, much depends on where the kids go with a topic. They choose their play, often creating it in class, and I am more of a guide than giving them worksheets and tests and grades. I guess the "test and grade" would be the performance. Interestingly, I think they learn as much in the summer camp classes as if I gave them a textbook on the subjects, with all the objectives, rubrics, reports that a teacher does in a regular classroom.
It's sort of the same concept that Randy Pausch used with his classes at MIT where the students were playing games, but meanwhile they were learning ALICE. He mentioned this technique in his last lecture. Not that I pretend to be a famous computer scientist, but the same as natural food is usually healthier than what comes out of a can, teaching naturally as a part of a child's curiosity, input, and creativity often will accomplish more than any amount of standarized testing, parent conferences, report cards, homework worksheets. Maybe this concept only works at summer camp and MIT. However, maybe someday a graduate student will perform a study for his/her dissertation on the various modes of teaching.
For today, I will close. This is not the same piece I wrote earlier. Perhaps as I continue, the rest of the piece will come to me.
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