What a weekend....

This weekend I spent a day up in Cibolo, TX with a small group of friends. It was suppose to be a larger group, but several weren't able to attend. It was my first time away for non-business purposes. I enjoyed myself, but I did miss Ker.

The trip started off very interesting. On the way over to M's house I was pulled over by the Highway Patrol - thankfully I received a warning. After reaching M's house we headed out in her vehicle, stopping at Burger King to grab a bite to eat and for her to pick up a pack pf lung killers. While walking into the store, which shares space with a gas station, I hear a very loud thwack, turned, looked, and ducked. (you never know if someone is shooting you know.) What I heard and then saw turns out to be some idiot in a white durnago driving off with the gas pump still in his gas tank. he ripped the hose right out of the pump. He gets out of of his truck, pulls the nozzle out of his gas tank, walks it back to the pump, hans it up, and drives off.

I stand there amazed and laughing. Laughing that I most likely looked like an idiot ducking and amazed some fireball didn't erupt. We laughed about it during the drive up and when we retold the story to the friends we met in Cibilo.

Ok I went.... but I didn't like it

The week has started off with a bang... or should I say I migraine. I have had a migraine for 2 days now which is very unusual for me. I am assuming it is the stress of everything. I am hoping to be able to let it go now if not in the next couple of days.

I met with the parent. Much earlier than expected. She wasn't suppose to come in until 4 and showed up at 815 while I was with another parent. I received a phone call that she was in the counselors office and to come on up. I finished with the good set of parents and headed to the counselor not knowing what I was fully walking into.

Nothing has changed. She is still mad at me... and I am not backing down which I think is pissing her off more. The child is staying in my class, even though I honestly am not so sure she belongs in there, and the parent is going to go to my assistant principal to further complain. I have informed my assistant principal of the issue and she is behind me. Yes behind me. I have to admit it felt awesome to hear her say she wouldn't indulge the parent any more and tell her there are very few options for her. The student can stay in the class, move to my other class, or she can remove her from the AP class and place her in a regular classroom. The parent has already stated she wouldn't move her, but maybe with the assistant principal limiting her she may listen.

On the home front things are good, but we are financially strapped. VERY strapped right now. We are awaiting the arrival financial aid and the tax return to take care of some things we have fallen behind in and get us the the even mark again.

That is somewhat stressful, but K and I are really talking more now and handling things together more than I think we ever have. It has been awesome! We are dealing with things together. Saying its nice isn't defining it well enough. I love it! Love ya babe ;)

Another week about to begin. Ready, set, don't make me go....

Another week is about to begin for me. I was very fortunate to have the holiday off so it will only be a four day week, but I am really, really not looking forward to this week. Why? PARENTS!
Ok one in particular right now, but I just know there are others lying in wait. They are going to be super pissed about their student's grade and how insensitive I seem to be.

After Friday, I am going to try to get a little bitchier. I was told several times that I was way to nice with that parent. That I really should have gotten bitchier with her after I spent 40 minutes on the phone telling her the same thing over and over and over again. We just kept going in circles.

There are several students who I realy do like personally but am showing them the door tomorrow morning. I will be sending them to their counselor to find their way out of the AP class. They just can't handle it. They are in a college level course and I cannot be holding their hands the way they seem to need. They cannot keep up with the pace of instruction.

I have come up with a way to try to cut down on the number of students who are missing assignments, but it is only going to work if they follow through with it and I do the same. It is going to be tough in the beginning, remember to check these folders.... but I think if I use them than there will be less issues about them having received the assignment.

Only 4 work days until the weekend.

What a week

The semester is over and grades are due.... how is it that kids seem to think that now is the time to get the assgnments in? Why is it that I should let them turn in assignments that were due, oh Dec 2? How do I get a parent to understand that their child just doesn't get it... that the child is struggling so badly in the class that they need to go to a lower level. Even after spending 40 minutes on the phone with her she still believes its merely a lack of communications. That her child is the only one in my class not getting the assignments. That her not having the internet at home is not an excuse to getting the work done since since does have access at school.

I am so sick of arguing about grades and time... give me till Friday I know I will have it done. How is it that two days will be enough when it was do last Tues 5 weeks after I gave you the assignment? Its not fair? Whats not fair? That I will have to grade all of these papers within a few hours to get the grades put into the program or that you actually have to be responsible? Doesn't that just suck? You're going to have to go home and tell mom or dad that you blew off classwork and now you're going to fail the class.

I am tired of parents who complain that it is fully and completely the teacher's fault. Really? All my fault? Damn... I didn't realize this kid was part of my gene pool, if I had I would have dealt with the issue right here in class and we never would have had to bother you. Yes your child never lies to you and I am teaching because it pays so damn well. Did your kid give you the letters I have sent home? No? Oh wow, maybe I should have sent it certified return receipt, wait - I don't have the budget for that and your child would never not give you a letter or progress report from one of their teachers.

Can you tell its been a tough week? What gave it away?

This weekend I have some things to do at home, update my webpage, grade a few papers, but I am NOT going to let work run me this weekend. I want to enjoy being a person - me, not Mizzzz, the teacher.

By the way.... its not the teacher's fault. Stop blaming us. Are we perfect - hell no. We are humans, but you have teenagers and they sure aren't either. Maybe if you would assume what we the teacher said was the truth your kid would be less likely to assume they can say whatever they like and get away with it. They may be your child, but use some common sense too. Your kid isn't going to be the only one in the room to not get an assignment.

Take responsibility for making your child responsible.... what is so hard about that?

Happy New Year

It has been longer that I thought since I last wrote here.

Things are going really good here. I am currently on vacation, at least until Monday. One of the great things about teaching... holidays and summer vacations.

Several things have happened here at home since I last wrote.

The oldest is out of the house - he is off at college. Go AGGIES!
K has finished her student teaching, graduated from college, and has been accepted to graduate school. Sounds strange, but I wanted her to go to graduate school before workign full-time. There were several reasons why:

1) She doesn't want to just teach. She wants to be a reading specialist and that takes a masters degree.
2) We are currently use to operating on just one paycheck, so why not continue on to grad school now?
3) At the half year mark most of the jobs available wouldn't be ones she wants or would be happy doing. AND they don't pay her the same.

L has been accepted to college. GO AGGIES!
We never doubted she would be accepted, but it was a relief to get the actual confirmation.

I have been partially promoted. I know that sounds nuts to some, but I am now a part-time assistant principal. This means I still teach, but have administrative duties as well.
I am enjoying my classes, for the most part. Have had some interesting things happen the first half of the year. Six weeks into the school year the powers above switched out my classes, literally. I was teaching 3 classes of Advance Placement and 3 classes of regular geography. They collapsed my 3 AP classes into 2 and gave me 4 classes of world history.

It has taken some getting use to - but I think I finally have a handle on it. I also have a better handle on my AP classes (I think.) They are challenging. Trying to keep ahead of them is tough. They ask questions that I don't know the answer to and finding assignments/projects for them to do that are challenging for them yet get the information they need out to them is tough.

I have been reaching out to other AP teachers. Trading information, getting projects ideas, and essay ideas. The kids really need to be prepared to write the essays. Thats one of my biggest fears, not preparing them.

I have been sent to some trainings and hope to go to some more. It helps get some perspective and I get to meet people I can connect with. To get more info and support from.


Kt is about to turn 12 and C is about to turn 8. they have grown so fast. At least thats how it feels.

We are looking into moving further north, where we will be more accepted. Its tough here, outside our house sometimes. We love our house - the land - the peace, but we have to work and our kids have to go to school and they should be hassled by others because of my marriage.

Vacation coming soon to a summer near me

I have been working most of the summer so far. Trying to make some extra money to help us pay off a few bills we have. We have both been working on raising our credit scores in order to put us in a better position to buy another house once we move. Something we are thinking about doing in the next year.

Why move? I wish I could say something frivalous like: we have the itch to move. We want the experience for our children. We want to be closer to family. Something like that. However, reality is we love our house. We are the only family to ever live in it. We built the house we wanted. We love the nice plot of land that it sits on. What we don't like it the attitude of the area we live in. As a couple we are nonexistent here. K can only get health insurance through the university she is a student at right now because I am not allowed to put her on mine, even though we are married. We want to go somewhere where we are more acceptable as a couple.

So I am working a little in the summer to make some extra cash to pay a few things off. We picked up a few low limit credit cards to improve our scores, joined a credit monitoring system, and a credit forum to learn how to battle the scores. Its starting to work.

My vacation starts after the 18th. that is the last day of summer work for me. Well paid work LOL. I know after that I will be doing a few things around the house and yard.

Teachers return to work on the 14th of August. I have the option of returning a couple of days early to make some more money and get some extra training. Going back to work early makes me look good and gives us some extra money - but it is cutting my free days by about 3.

Yesterday was my birthday. It was nice. I got to spend it with the family here at home. They got me some nice presents and K made an awesome dinner and cake. She surprised me at work with some presents she picked up from the education store here. She brought them to me at lunch. It was cool. I never get to be surprised at work for my birthday because of it being in the middle of summer, so this was new.

I have been taking the extra time I have at work to prep for the fall. There are definite down times when my tutoring students don't show that I am putting to good use. I have prepared almost the few 9 weeks of bell ringers for the fall. They are short assignments the students will do the first 8 minutes they are in class. Gets them into a routine, settles them down, and gives me a chance to take roll without students not doing anything. Students not engaged in learning will engage themselves in misbehavior. Problems I do not want to deal with.

I am trying to get myself organized for the year. If all works well I will only have 2 different subjects this year. That is downsizing some from last year's three. It gives me a chance to prepare. Hell know where I am going to be and what I am teaching gives me a chance to prepare.

We are heading to SA to drop off the older two at their Dad's house. They have to finish their summer incarceration - I mean visit. This is the last year he will have all three of them. The oldest is up their now, being paid to do little to nothing more that gofer. Go-fer this and go-fer that. Does some of their grocery shopping even. Dad throws money at him. We won't do it.

K and I have one issue - and its the oldest. i wish we could figure out a way to work it out. I thought it had been better and I guess I was wrong. I had been trying to keep my mouth shut, stay out of the way and conversations when he is around. Just let her handle it. Its what she wants. However, I guess I am still too vocal. Not sure what the hell I am suppose to do.

Life continues....

A couple months have passed since I last wrote, which surprises me. I had thought I would have time to write more, but things got busy around the house and at work as the school year came to a close.

Let me hit some highlights.

1) Built a deck, boardwalk, and set a pool in the backyard. The pool is using a salt water filter. Very cool, no chemicals and really clean.
2) Mother-in-law came for a visit and no one died. (LOL)
3) We now have 2 high school graduates in the house. Well the technically live there but neither are there very often.
4) I finished my first year of teaching 9th graders without casualties.
5) I also received my continuing contract. This means I am no longer on probationary status at all and am harder to fire. LOL
6) I sold my motorcycle. I loved having it, but I felt it was in the best interest of everyone if I sold it.
7) I no longer have my truck, we have a brand new mini-van.
8) Our middle child broke his arm.

Ok details. The truck and motorcycle were like my butch toys. I enjoyed having them both. However, the truck decided to begin to die. Turns out an extremely important computer piece which turns out to VERY expensive began to die. $2000 part expensive, not including labor. So on the advice of my mechanic, who is very good and trustworthy, we made plans to get rid of the truck. In the process of this I knew we were going to need a down payment. The only funds we can easily get ahold of is proceeds from the sale of my motorcycle. I knew this. I didn't say anything to K until after I posted the ad for the bike.

I sold it with 24 hours and 24 hours later we had the mini-van. I feel good about what I did. Do I miss it? Yes. I won't even try to lie. But I did it for the right reasons.

Currently I am teaching summer school. We are determined to get rid of some debt while raising are credit scores. Teaching summer school is one way for me to make decent summer money. We are fortunate that I work in a district that pays year round, so I am getting a paycheck during the summer months. The extra money will help us get things started in the right direction. We have preliminary plans to move next year, after our now senior graduates and K is finished with her degree. We really want to go someplace where we aren't feeling as if we are held down because of who we are.

Where we are now we aren't able to be us. I can't get her health insurance, we have a hard time co-owning anything. We are far from equal. I can be fired for who I am if it would come to that. I have already suffered repercussions from it. I have bounced back, but the emotional and career scars are still there.

We have many changes in front of us. the cast has been removed from N's arm, but now there is concern that N has developed juvenile diabetes. Our eldest is getting ready to head off to college - 5 hours away. We are ready for it, but at the same time there are challenges we will need to meet because he will be gone. Will L be able to deal with the responsibility of being the eldest in the house? OMG - she is learning to drive! She almost killed a twice yesterday. First - not yielding to a semi-truck that was exiting the highway until I yelled brake NOW and second when she tried to swing left to turn right and almost swung into a very large RV. I did let her drive 40 minutes though. I took the "we are alive she needs to learn from this" road. I hope I can continue to do so and that my vehicles survive. I need them.

K and I are doing great. We have been married almost a full year now. It is hard to believ it has been a year. I feel like we just returned from the trip most days. I don't feel like the year went by slow enough. Like we missed days or something. I want this year back in many ways. I look forward to what lies ahead.