Sorry for no communication. The month of March roared in and out like a lion for me! I'm still not caught up on all of the stuff I'm supposed to get done, but I'm gradually learning to live with this perpetual feeling of futility!
1. Job: I'm not sure where and what I'm going to be teaching next year. In January, we were informed that it might be possible that one of the reading teachers in our building would be moved to a lower elementary building. One of the other teachers pounded her fist on the desk and basically said she wasn't moving and they couldn't make her move. The other one slapped me on the back and said, "It's been nice working with you." My response was, "I need a job." I hate to tell the other two, the boss can tell you where you're going and even if you're tenured, there's not a whole lot you can do about it. As a result, things have been a little tense. Our assistant superintendent has met with me and asked me what I'd be willing to teach. I told her I've gone as high in the grades as I need to go. If I've learned anything from teaching 7th grade PSR it's that I do not have the gift for teaching junior high students. There may be the possibility of me teaching a 1st grade at-risk classroom. Everyone thinks I'm insane, but I figure 15 at risk students with a teacher's aid is nothing compared to the 100 at-risk 5th and 6th graders I deal with every day right now. Up here, at-risk would pretty much be my entire class in Matthews. At least in 1st grade I doubt any of them would be stealing their parent's car to go to their gang initiation. (Yep, that happened with one of my 4th graders when I was teaching in Matthews.) So, in my opinion, at-risk is a relative term.
2. School: Why do technology classes have to be written in a language that at first appears to be English, but is really a foreign language? Why do the professors who teach the technology classes think their class is the only class that is worth anything and assign copious amounts of homework and readings that leave you with very little time to devote to another class or things like laundry and bathing? Why do male, Chinese professors have to be butt-heads to American females? Why do deans do nothing when a professor's completely unprofessional behavior is pointed out to them by the teaching assistants and students? Translation, I'm slogging my way through my latest technology class and asking no questions of the professor since I don't enjoy ridicule he dishes out to any woman in my class who asks a question he feels is, "OBVIOUSLY CLEARLY STATED IN THE ASSIGNED READINGS, if you'd bother to read them." Guess what, we've read them and the information is still as clear as mud. I'm just waiting to vent on the class evaluation. Maybe someone in an office at the University will pick up that this guy is a major tool.
3. Good News: My best friend, Sebrina, will be moving back to Missouri in a few short months. Her husband, Joe, has been hired to work in a TB lab in Mt. Vernon, MO. She's applied for a position at SMS (I think they call it Missouri State now), but hasn't heard back. As of right now, they are planning to pack up the entire contents of their house, load the truck on April 9th, and set out for MO on April 10th. Joe starts work on the 16th and Sebrina flies back to finish out the school year in North Carolina . At the end of the year, she'll drive out and join him in their new home in Springfield. WHOO HOO! It will be great to have her back in the state, especially only about 3 hours away. It's a lot better than the 10-14 hour drive to North Carolina! Send good thoughts and prayers their way that she'll get the job at the University and everything with their move will go well and that they'll both be safe during all the trips.
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