More training...

Another week of training has been added to my summer schedule. In July, after we move, after the two youngest are at the father's home for their visit, I will be heading to Austin for a week to get some training for my new subject next year. I have finally been given APUS History. I have my dream classes next year. I will be teaching US History and APUS History.

What this means, however, is that I will be doing a lot of reading over the summer and lesson planning. I need to recharge my US History knowledge. I have to take it out, dust it off, and hope I can remember everything I feel like I have forgotten. :)

K is happy about this latest schedule though. What this means is she gets to go to Austin with me for a week and the only thing we have to pay for is her food. My hotel and transportation costs are covered by the district. She loves going to Austin. We seem to be able to relax up there. We can just be ourselves up there without having to worry about someone paying any attention to us.

I can hardly believe my school year is winding down. This time next week I will be done for this year. I fly out to Ohio Wed. morning. June will be busy. July will have its busy time as well. I have a feeling my summer is going to go by MUCH faster than I want. I must take time out for myself this summer as well. Re-energize for the new school year. There are several new changes coming at us in the next 3 - 4 months. I must be energized enough to face them.

It's been a while

I hadn't realized its been just about three months since I posted last.... time flies, sometimes.

Second semester is now in its last nine weeks, thankfully. Vacation is a mere 38 work days away. Teaching freshmen has not gotten easier with the passing of the school year. Those of you out there who told me it would LIED! It does not.

My observation/evaluation is fast approaching. For those of you who do not go through this, it is an hour of show and tell. Show them I can teach and then they tell me if I get to keep my job. Fun huh?

Work, is well work. I have good days, no, make that good classes. I can't really pinpoint a full good day. At least not recently. Wait - the weekends. ;) My classes go up and down. Each class has its own emotional make-up and I have to change what I am doing, saying, and the way I interact with them as the classes change. Like bungy PMS.

With the end of the year approaching I am again in the position in which I must decide if I want to really try to get a position in administration. Again there are pros and cons. There are also pros and cons about staying in the classroom. I already have a clue about what I will be teaching next year. Drum roll....... FRESHMEN!! More freshmen. I am not happy teaching them this year, what the hell makes anyone think I will be happy teaching them next year. Oh yeah, I get more time to plan - something I haven't had time to do in the past 2 years. For the past two years I have been told all of 2 days prior to beginning to teach, what I will be teaching. That, btw, is not enough time. Those of you who think teaching is like cutting cookies you are wrong. We aren't just handed curriculum or given premade awesome lectures and activities and sent to our wonderfully put together classrooms. We, the teachers, work our asses off to make it look as it as it looks. However, do not be fooled, it IS NOT easy!!

Lets get this started

I had been posting to a journal on AOL and decided I wanted more.
Where do I start? I am the mother of five - two biologically and three from my wife. Yes I said wife. We have been married just shy of three months now. Being married to another woman is a sobering experience in many ways. We as a couple do not have the same protections or rights as a couple of opposite sexed partners. We find many brick walls that neither of us encounter when we were married to men. Yes, we were married to men. Another shocking answer to some.
I am a teacher. No I am not scouting - I teach my content area, nothing more, nothing less. I am like any other teacher, I just happen to go home to five children and a wife.

I have many opinions of the education field, many of which I cannot verbally announce for I would like to keep my job. I do my best to make positive changes whenever possible. There are too many children falling through the cracks and too many excuses for not doing what makes sense.

Tonight I am preparing, emotionally, for the next work week. I have been plaed into a new high school and have been informed I will be teaching 4 different subjects. No I do not get paid per subject. Two of the subjects I have never taught before, however I am certified to teach them. Not having taught them before I am quite nervous about taking them on. (One of them is an Advanced Placement Class) I do think I can handle it, however, I do not think it will be easy.

I am new to the blogging world, but feel the outlet may help me and others see things in a different light.