Classics Review, Part Two

I just finished Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Even Ms. Austen said that it is not as interesting as Pride and Prejudice, and I agree. I did, however, enjoy reading it. It is a love story with a large cast of characters. All of these characters have romantic interactions and love triangles. In fact it could be described as one big love septagon. Toward the end there is a major plot twist, and some characters have a happy ending.

I feel that this would be a more enjoyable book if the main character were more likeable. Fanny is a young lady who comes from a poor home, but is raised by her rich aunt and uncle. She is perfectly grateful and well-mannered. She is moral, reliable and smart enough. But she has none of the wit or human flaws of an Elizabeth Bennet.

So, if you loved Pride and Prejudice, read Mansfield Park. You'll probably enjoy it, but don't expect to be blown away. If you didn't like P&P, you won't like this book. If you haven't read P&P, go read that!

I'm not sure which Classic novel to read next. If there are any that you recommend, or if there's something you've been interested in, but want me to find out if it's any good first, comment or email me your suggestions.

44¢ a pack

In an earlier post, I described our district's push on academic vocabulary this year. When the assistant superintendant visited our site to give us the mandated list, she mentioned that any materials we would need for academic vocabulary instruction would be provided for us. We were directed to submit requests to our department chairs, who would compile a list and submit that to our principal, who would compile those into one master list for our site and forward it to the assistant superintendant.

All I really wanted were some index cads. I had already purchased a few packs to get me started and envelopes for my students to keep their cards in (with my own money). I had actually expected that I would be responsible for supplying them for all my students for the whole year. I was excited to hear that the district would provide some for me. So, I calculated how many total index cards I would need and sent my request to my department chair.

Two weeks later, I hadn't heard a thing about it from anyone. I asked my department chair if she had sent the request to the principal, and she said that she had, but had heard nothing about it either.

Two weeks after that at a department meeting, we realized that none of us had yet recieved any of the requested materials, and the department chair said that she would ask the principal about it.

Two weeks after that, I was called in for a meeting with the principal regarding my yearly evaluation. Before I left, he asked if there was anything I needed. I asked if he had heard anything about our vocabulary supplies. He said that he had sent all of the requests to the assistant superintendant but had not heard back from her about it. He offered to purchase some index cards for me as he was already sending in an order to Office Depot and said they should arrive in two to three days.

Over a week has gone by since the last discussion, and still I have heard nothing and recieved nothing. Today, I sawthe principal in the workroom, so I asked if my index cards had arrived yet. He responded, "Oh, I hope I didn't give those to another teacher." He said that he would order me some more right away, and they'll probably be here in two to three days. We will see.

In the meantime, I am comletely out of index cards. I have purchased multiple packs, three times. I borrowed two packs from another teacher the last time I ran out. I could just buy enough to last me the year and request reimbursment, but Im still waiting on a check for highlighters I bought the week before school started.

I truly believe that everyone involved in this is well meaning. They want to help us be good teachers. They are just so disorganized as to be totally ineffectual in that goal.

A & Q

I have asked you to ask me anything. So here are some answers for you.



Badass Geek wants to know: I've always wondered how the classroom experience feels different when you are the one teaching, instead of the one learning. Is it different, for better or worse, than you expected?



I guess the main difference between being a student and a teacher is everyone else in the room. As a student, I was only ever responsible for myself. If I put in the effort, I learned what I needed to know and got good grades. If I didn't, I didn't. As a teacher, I am now responsible for all of my students learning: those who are trying and those who definately aren't. I need to find ways to keep my students engaged and motivated. The biggest surprise for me has probably been the total apathy of some students.



Anonymous wants to know: Do teachers really have teachers pets? Or students you are glad to have in your class?



Teachers certainly have some students that we enjoy teaching more than others. It is usually not the smartest students, but the better behaved ones. I try not to let that affect my teaching or grading style. I may let them know that I appreciate their behavior, and I certainly will discipline students who are disruptive. One thing that people may not expect is that I also really like some of my less studious pupils. Some kids are really funny, but just don't know when it is appropriate to joke around and when it's not. I try not to encourage them.


If you have any other teaching questions, comment or email me, and I will answer them here.

Q and A

A couple of other bloggers whom I follow have recently had Q&A sessions with their readers. I thought it was a great idea. No one included a trademark or patent pending in their posts, so I think I will pilfer it.

So... if you have any burning questions about me, about teaching, about my blog... comment or email it to me, and I will answer them here. If you have questions about anything else, I will ponder it, do an internet search, if necessary, and try my best to answer it for you.

In Which I am Almost Too Angry to Write

I am sooo ticked off. At the end of last year, we teachers were told by administration that we would need to create a list of 30 vocabulary words to use for the whole school throughout the year. Over the summer, as we met to work on benchmark tests, the Language Arts department decided that we would just go ahead and make a list and a calendar and share with everyone else. We even went above and beyond, and came up with over 70 words to give us a word a day with regular review periods, lasting until state testing.

Now, the administration has given us a list of 60 words that we must use. Why the heck did they tell us to make a list if they were going to dictate a list to us? Of course, I am sure that they originally did want us to make up a list, but then changed their minds. But that is rude and ridiculous. They are showing no respect for all the work we did or our knowledge of what our students need. It makes me so angry!

The Classics 101

I love to read. My total favorite genre is sci-fi, but having been an English major and now being a Language Arts teacher, I have had to read a lot of "the Classics." And you know what? I actually like them. I mean, they are classics for a reason. But I also like to read them, because it makes me feel smart. I know that everyone wants to feel smart, educated and in the know, but not everyone has the time or inclination to read books written centuries ago. And since I am a teacher, I thought I could teach you all something about the Classics.

I have just finished reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. It is loooooong! As you can probably guess, it is about a man named David Copperfield. It is actually about a baby, boy, teenager and man named David Copperfield. The story starts the day he was born and continues to describe everything that hapens to him until (by my best estimate) his late twenties. Aside from being long, it is a good read. It has a lot of drama, some action and quite a bit of humor.

It is really about the emotional growth of Copperfield, through many trials and hardships. As a youngster, he has a horrible string of bad luck, with an evil step-father, the death of his mother, and abandonment at a young age. Yet, he endures, and his basic goodness and moraltiy is formed. After that, he has some good fortune for a time, living with a kind aunt. Throughout all of this he meets the characters who later come together in unexpected ways to create situations in which Copperfield must show what he has become and stand up for what he believes in. He still is not perfect. He marries the wrong girl, not out of any wickedness, but simple inexperience. By observing others around him, he realizes his mistake, but is honest and good, so he stays with her until she dies young. This gives him a second chance. In the end, he uses what he has learned to make the right decision the second time around, and there is a happy ending.

So now, when you are a part of a conversation that turns toward David Coperfield, you will be able to follow along and perhaps chime in, without makng the mistake of saying, "Did you see the time he made theStatue of Liberty disappear?" If you have any specific questions about the book, or if you have read it and want to add to what I've said or offer a completely differing opinion, please comment. And stay tuned, coming next: Mansfield Park.

Budget Problems

You may have heard that California is having a budget crisis. It's true: our schools are broke. We do not even have enough money for such essentials as textbooks. In fact we may not get new books until 2016. No, I'm not exaggerating. The state board of education is not requiring schools to buy books between now and then.

Yet today at our weekly staff meeting, we all recieved training in a new internet educational program that the district has subscribed to. What's worse is that, as usual, no one on staff was asked if we wanted this or would be willing to use it. I had never heard of it until last week. Had anyone asked me, I would have strongly suggested that we don't waste our money on it. The program is set up with tests and games to review each of the state standards. It is made to be used online, but teachers can also print out the tests for students to do on paper. In our district, most students do not have internet connections at home, and I only have four student computers in my classroom. So, I would have to mainly use the print function and give students worksheets. But if I'm going to do that, I might as well use the materials that come with our curriculum. If students do use the program online, the teacher can view a report of results for individuals or for the class, but the interface and information layout did not seem all that helpful.

If this program is not madatory, I will not be using it. I am afraid though, that since the district paid for it, they are going to expect me to show them results. This is on top of the academic vocabulary program that they are requiring us to start this year and the graphic organizer program we implemented last year. I guess with all of these programs that they've spent thousands on we won't have any time to open those outdated textbooks anyway.