Now I can breathe....

I got the packing removed from my nose today. After waiting about an hour at the ENT clinic (which stands for Ear, Nose and Throat for those interested). Funny how whenever you make a doctor's appt. you rarely ever see them at the time you schedule for. My appointment was for 9:30 am, I got in to see them at about 10:30 for something that took all of about 2 minutes. I mean, seriously, it really only took 2 minutes tops to remove the packing. Then more waiting to get a phone number of a plastic surgeon I will never have to see because my nose looks fine as it is. Ugh, doctors. Thank god I have health insurance!

I was near Atlantic Avenue and Court and figured I should go into Trader Joe's. Never been there before but heard great things (mostly because of the Simpler Times beer, wicked cheap). It dawned on me how different supermarkets are based on socioeconomic location. Where I live, near Parkside and Flatbush, the population is mostly Hispanic/African American, I, being Caucasian am in the minority. The supermarkets there, Pioneer and Associated have most of the basic staples of food but the variety is less, there is only so much you can get. They have no lean meats, at all. At Trader Joe's, they had 80%, 90% and 96% (I got the 96% and made myself some healthy burgers for lunch). What amazes me though is a particular item that Pioneer carries as well: Morningstar.

For those who don't know Morningstar is a company which makes veggie burgers and other foods. They are great for breakfast or a quick snack, not a true substitute for real burgers. At the Pioneer, they are 4.99 a box, at Trader Joe's, they were 2.99. Milk was even cheaper at Trader Joe's. Now, here's what I found a problem with: Why is it more expensive for a product in a high minority neighborhood as opposed to a high caucasian neighborhood. It could be demand, sure, but is there something else at play? And why is it Trader Joe's can offer more variety? Is it because they are bigger? I've been to Walmart's where they didn't have much variety, and while Target has Morningstar products, they have very few of them. Which is shocking because out of all the veggie substitutes, Morningstar has food that actually tastes like food (as opposed to cardboard).

It's caused me to maybe have my economic kids do their own personal study of the markets in their neighborhoods and do a cost/variety comparison with markets in markedly different neighborhoods. See, and people think taking a day off does nothing for teachers.

Oh My Nose!

So I broke my nose last night at rugby practice. Real not typical either. We were warming up playing "touch" rugby and my mate dove for the score, and as he fell his foot slammed into mine, moving it into a position that looks more like a Cro-Magnon's nose than a modern humans. Spent five hours in the E.R. (thank god we don't have national healthcare where it might have meant spending an ungodly hour there), and came home. Doctor said I should take 3 days off work and while I wanted to come in, I realize that me going in to teach, with a bandage on my face is just basically saying to the kids "Don't take me seriously." Not that I am Mr. Hardbutt anyway, but still.

Most teachers would love this I bet, but not me. I actually like being in school, feeling like I am making a difference in someone's life (even if I don't always see it). I love my classes and students and we were going to be starting a project where I hoped their potential would be reached. It will have to wait till Monday, when i get these sponges removed from my nose.

So, I am left with finding things to do each day. Maybe I can get ahead, and I will, probably. What's most annoying is the dripping from my nose. I can't decide whether to just tape some gauze to it or leave it, the feeling of gauze against my face feels so unnatural.

Anyway, yesterday teachers in the lunch area were talking of this job. It does suck the life out of you, as much as I do love it. Maybe it's not a lifetime thing and I should think of something else. Anyone who is not a teacher is always quick to point out the buzz words: "Summers off!" "Work 8-3pm!" etc. They don't know and they never will because you say "Well go be a teacher" they never will. Instead they'd rather us work longer days and years.

I don't have a problem with year round school. As long as we get paid for it. You can't extend our year but make us work for the same amount of money. Doesn't make any sense. If Obama really wants to push this through, then starting salaries should be much higher, maybe in the 60's-70's range. Allow us to be paid like year round professionals. Hell, allow us to be treated like professionals anyways. Most often were not and just made as cannon fodder for the media, whom Bloomberg has his mitts tied right around it. Though sometimes you see an article in the Post calling him out. Makes the Times look bad when the Post is doing the legwork, doesn't it?

I got 99 Problems...but Bloomberg isn't one

I know I haven't updated this in many months. What can I say? I hate working over the summer. Also, I just haven't found time to write, what with this teaching thing at all, doesn't really leave much time to us, as it is. Then the weekends come and the last thing I want to do is write on the internet or maybe I do, but don't remember I have a blog.

I recently started playing rap music in class. No reason really, except that the kids like it. I did this last year and they seemed to like me taking one of their ipods and plugging it into the speakers. I know my principal might not approve of this method, (esp. since the students are reminded about the Chancellor's policy on electronics). Really, if they didn't want the students to have electronics, they'd collect them at the door. But that's another thing entirely.

Maybe I see it as me connecting with the kids. It's their classroom too, we're all in this together, and yeah, I don't play music everyday, but most days, I don't see an issue with it. If anything, many of the low performers have been given a reason to pay attention. And when teaching history, that is important. Especially when topics seem to be very similar to what was previously taught.

I wish I could have thrown a weight at the tv at the gym today. Another Bloomberg ad. Blah Blah Thompson, Blah Blah Board of Ed. Maybe it's me because I'm not from NYC, but Department of Ed and Board of Ed sound pretty much like the same thing. Other teachers do say the Board of Ed was bad, but if it was worse than this, then it must have been really bad. Because this current system just plain and simply sucks. Graduation rates falsified, kids not achieving, just being passed along. I really wish the voters could live a life as a teacher to see what really goes on. I really wish Thompson's people would have teachers helping him.

I know full well what my life is. Everyday I hear it, pass more kids, pass more kids. It's all about numbers and we all know this now. It's not about the kids. It should be, but it's never about the kids. It's about making people in suits look good. It's about making Obama look good. He who knows nothing of public education, he who talked about change but hasn't changed a damn thing. I'm rambling, I know, probably means I'm not a good blogger.

Life is short

It's been awhile since I've written. I haven't had much of a reason to write. Or maybe I'm just busy. Well, we all know that isn't the case. Afterall, NYC teachers don't work, at all. Or maybe just teachers as a whole. Everyone knows we have the easiest job in the world, and that it will only be a short time till we get the whole summer off. Then we can gloat about how we don't have to work, and continue with stealing money from the "hard working" people in private industry.

Do note my heavy use of sarcasm.

One thing that bugs me is that if people really want to reform education, why don't we all just sit down and hammer out a solution? Granted, the problems are ten fold, there is no one reason why things are so bad, nor are there one or two solutions. It is a larger problem, and to go on would be repeating what everyone else has said, so I will be brief. Society itself is the big major issue that everyone understands but figures nothing can be done about it. Come on, it's staring you in the face.

It isn't bad teachers. If kids were raised right, Bozo the clown could be teaching the class and kids would still excel. It's true, intrinsic motivation, I think we call it. When a student has a motivation to succeed without any help, or candy. Or paying people more to the job more. Can I talk a little about how insulting merit pay? Do people do a better job if they are paid more? I don't think so. You pay them more to reward them for the good work they have done. But they aren't going to necessarily work harder. They might work longer, well, actually, no they won't. They worked longer to get the pay raise. And soon they can work shorter. If I don't make any sense, feel free to stop me and ask what they heck I am talking about.

We could blame the parents, but that's so obvious, I won't bother. We could blame the mayor, but again, that's obvious, and no one is listening anyway, not the Post, Daily, not even the NY Times (Though they did have a good article on Dictator Academy a few weeks ago. And really, is it any surprise that the majority of the people who graduate from this place are hated by the schools they run?).

I blame society instead. For making kids so dependent on electronics. In the 80s, we all had video games, and that was a distraction, surely. But there were restrictions. If I was failing, the video games were taken away. Which was easy, since they were in the basement. Think of why kids say they need the cellphone. What if their parents call them for an emergency? Now, this will most likely never happen, and we all know the reason is b.s. and they really want to text their friend in the next class. Being someone who loathes texting, doesn't get it and probably never will, I throw it in their face with their class grade. Scoreboard.

Society does make people more dependent. Think of mass media. Mass media dictates what Americans should and should not like. If every radio station decided to play Metallica and Killswitch Engage, I guarantee you'd see much more kids with those shirts in school. There's a reason why music styles run in cycles. Mass media elected our president. If the papers decided they liked Hillary more, she'd be our president, most likely. Which would be better for teachers, lord knows Obama's plan is a nightmare scenario that might actually make NCLB look like a stroke of genius.

In other words, what am I saying? We are all puppets. None of us really thinks for ourselves, since we only think what we are told to think, and really we are all slaves. There's another idea, Institutional Slavery, which was coined at my work for what these kids are basically put through, which I will explore another time when it is not almost midnight.

Norm's Notes: Bill Maher Reveals His Ignorance...Again

I would have written my own blog, but this...this just basically says anything I could have wanted to say.

Norm's Notes: Bill Maher Reveals His Ignorance...Again

Welcome to NYC

I got my first real greeting to NYC, even though I have lived in the area the past year or so. See, sunday, I drove my car down from Albany, considering I might need it if I am going to be playing rugby up in White Plains this year. Now, when I was in Albany, I noticed the inspection expired. Crap. Tried to get it taken care of up there, but no deal. So, I brought it down, hoping no one would notice. Monday came and no ticket, I did think about bringing it up somewhere, but I'm not from here, and don't want to get ripped off.

Today, I come home planning to drop it off somewhere, and lo and behold, and orange ticket flapping at me. Sixty Five Bucks! Arghh!! It's like, the 3rd freaking day of March! Cut me some slack yo! Oh well, the city has to make their money somehow. Of course, I just tried to pay the ticket and the server is down. So, now I have to stare at this thing for another day.

While back home, a friend of mine had some drinks and a conversation. He works for National Grid and told me how he's racked up so much overtime this year, that he's probably made about 90,000 this year. Not bad for a guy with a two year degree. And here I have a master's and can't even come close, plus I live in a more expensive city. Kind of makes you wonder about all the hoo ha politicians make about forcing our kids to go to college. In reality, it is pointless.

Look, if you want to go to college, no one is stopping you, and I think college is great...if you take advantage of it. I point to year one of my college career where I took advantage...of the things you shouldn't take advantage of in college. Lesson learned, did two years at community and got my act together. Sad thing is, I knew plenty of people who were on the seven year plan at community. Maybe college isn't for everyone. Shocking, I know. Yet, why do we lie to kids and say everyone should go?

One thing he mentioned was how, in the old days, kids who knew they weren't going to college would take BOCES in high school, learn a trade, and then either apprentice or go to a special institute for that. Nowadays though, lots of schools don't have BOCES. Instead, what they do, is have those programs at community college, where you do the work there, pay the college, then do your technical training somewhere else. Same thing, more money. Basically a two year degree is the same as the high school diploma years ago. And I thought we were about raising standards!

I love teaching, don't get me wrong, but no one wants to teach people who don't want to be there. How do I make history intriguing for the kid who just wants to work on cars, but isn't given the opportunity? Why don't we have more opportunities for these kids? We have special computer courses for them, why not let them take apart a car, or wire a house or something? Fifty years in the future, we will still need mechanics, electricians, and plumbers. You can make a nice chunk of change doing all of those jobs. They may not be "academic", but if we really do care about "preparing students for the real world", then maybe we should have programs like that. I know, I know, all children can learn. They can, but some won't, regardless of what you do. If you constantly force some kids to sit somewhere they don't want to be, learn something they don't want to learn, eventually, they will just get sick of it all and drop out. Whereas, if we had more programs, maybe the drop out rate would decrease a bit. But what do I know, I'm just a 2nd year teacher, and my opinion doesn't matter.

After, I'm no Bill Gates. Who, if I remember (correct me if I'm wrong), dropped out of college.

Why do I call it Teaching is not a calling?

First of all, don't get the wrong impression. I LOVE teaching. I LOVE having a job where for the most part, I have the power to decide what I am doing day in and day out. Besides the start time of course, and the occasional A.P. "snapshot." Those things aside, I really do love my job. Even if last year, my first year, was Hell on Earth, I do love my job. Ok, I didn't capitalize it there. So be it.

There was a point last year where I went down stairs to drop off some copies. Our riso wasn't working, so I went along with a fellow older teacher. This teacher is regarded as one of the best teachers in our department. He is either loved by students, or hated, but respected all the same. For whatever reason, he was on a rant, either because the copies were taking too long or because it was almost first period and he went on about how "teaching was not a calling. It's a job like anything else. I have a family and I am not putting them behind the kids at this school."

Now...if you were a first year teacher, you might take that the wrong way. Afterall, isn't that what they told us in Graduate School? Imagine flowery designs and heavenly backdrops, "Teaching is a Calling." Ah, yes, I remember those, who doesn't. Tra La La...Yes, yes, we are doing God's work...

It does take a special person to teach, but I'm sure it takes a special person to be a Social Worker too. Or a cop. Or a priest. Or an auto mechanic. Or a clown. Don't know if I'd say it is a calling. I don't remember the angel Gabriel coming to my bedside and telling me how I was "chosen" among the lucky few to work with the youth of this generation, the "future" if you want to use that. Maybe I missed that memo.

Why do people call it a calling? We get paid, and despite how people complain, I think we get paid fairly well. We don't get paid enough, sure, but everyone says that. The guy who picks up the trash certainly doesn't think he is being paid enough, and his job isn't that much different..(pause for laughter). We do get a lot of time off, though it is incorrect to say we get summers off. 8 weeks is more like it, yes it is more than most people, but hey, don't like it? Be a teacher then. That usually shuts them up.

It is almost as if administrators expect you to sacrifice your personal life for this. Which is fine for someone like me who has pretty much no life outside my job. But what about those who are raising a family? Should they tell their son that they will be missing their little league game or their daughter that they will be missing her recital, because they have to spend time at their "calling?" I don't think that's fair.

So, when I hear of schools that force teachers to work till 8pm for no ungodly reason, I feel that one, I am glad I am not in a charter school, and two, there are problems with that. If teachers want to stay that late, more power to them, but forcing people to stay late? Without pay? That's wrong. Even with pay it's wrong. Leisure time is something Americans are slowly losing day by day.

I take every opportunity to point out that teaching is not a calling. It is a job I love. A career I love. I get excited when I think of the cool things I am going to do in class, and how my students will react to them. But it's not a calling. If that rhetoric works for you, have at it. But I won't.

Vacation

I should probably be excited for this break. Though it seems to come so soon after the last one. I barely had a few weeks with my new batch of students and now I am on break. Slightly...odd. Most people were excited for the break though. I can't say I wasn't...who wouldn't be excited at the prospect of having a week off?

My modem wasn't working yesterday. Not sure why, but it just wouldn't work. Luckily, someone else in my area did not secure their net, so I can piggyback off them for a little bit. I have Optimum coming on Wednesday, at least that is what they said. The guy on the phone seemed nice enough...for a support tech anyways.

Probably won't think of education for a good week or so, which is cool. More of a day to day person anyways. I mean, I have an idea in the back of my mind for the future, yet, I usually go to day to day with my lessons.

I have to say, I am getting the hang of this teaching thing, being a 2nd year and all. Not sure where my idealism is exactly. I have the mix of understanding that it isn't what they make of it in grad school, and yet, I use lots of new ideas in the classroom. One girl asked if I had "Paranoid" on my ipod Friday. I said yeah, so we were listening to Black Sabbath while they were working on their projects. I like the fact that I can play music in my classroom, even if it is a History Class. Makes the environment so much better for everyone really.

My colleague is one of those people who is all about Obama. Literally and figuratively. I like Obama, but I'm still skeptical. I hate when politicos talk about "firing bad teachers." This bugged me when I popped into my colleague's room on Friday. He was teaching essay writing, which was cool, had a great format, but a kid was putting on the board a topic about school, and a problem was "bad teachers." I guess this re-awakened this problem for me.

I get that there are teachers who maybe aren't very good, or maybe they've lost their way, or maybe...maybe they just need some help. But I don't feel like saying someone is a bad teacher. Hell, I don't know, maybe they were great at one time and just got tired. Besides, what is and is not bad? If the kids learn, and are involved in the learning process, then the teacher can't be all that bad can they?

There are obviously lots of other reasons, which i don't feel like burning in my first post. So, I won't. I just hope I have a job come September. As in, I hope I don't get layed off. That would suck. Considering I am really enjoying my job this year.