Well, I have just graded tests for 3 classes and YAY! Although I think some of my students are going to be even happier. I'm only somewhat surprised. Of course, we're getting into word problems next....
amusing, and then not thing:
I was nice and put up posters some students made for solving the one and two step equations. Only one student did I see actually looking up that way and when she got to the multi-step equations, she asked me where the posters where those were. i won't tell you her grade. I didn't want to calculate it....
Let's hope the success continues....
there was something else... oh yeah!
I'm finally going to have health insurance again tomorrow!!!! How sad that I am excited for that. It'll be nice to start receiving minor prescription benefits again and be able to see the doctor or not fear an ER trip (may one never happen...) I just like having the security because of the heart stuff, which will be fully covered as there weren't any pre-existing condition exclusions that I could find. and I haven't been to a doctor for it in over a year. But, that isn't because it's fully gone away... I have learned a few things about it from my own observations though. Such as, there is a definite stress connection. I have had bouts with unknown triggers, but I have had a few moments that were definitely stress related--physical and emotional. I've also noticed that things get bad when I'm ill. So, if I dare to visit the doctor again, at least I can tell him something...
well, and so ends what has so far been a pretty good three days. I hope the week continues to go well....
After discovering that we wouldn't be able to make it until my first paycheck until September without charging a whole lot to the credit card, I went and asked about receiving a paycheck for August--since, I had like worked since August 9 technically....
Well, they weren't too promising in the business office at first because payroll had already been done. But, they did call me back yesterday and say they could advance me something from my next paycheck (or two). And I gratefully said "please". Yes, one of the many frustrating elements of being a first year teacher in Texas is that if you work one of the early starting schools who don't make adjustments for the fiscal year starting in September, you work for free for a month. But, we now have something to work with until the great first payday.
Things are still appearing to go relatively well. A lot baffles me from my students sometimes...but hey, it's their choice on whether or not they care enough to ask for help and try. In terms of math mistakes they make, I can understand most of them and what they are thinking so as to correct it. Some mistakes.....I just don't get. The hardest part of this job for me is to "bring myself down to their level" of thinking. Gratefully, a student was switched out of my second/sixth period class to first/fifth. Meaning controlling that second period class might be a hair more easier--not because the class is smaller, because one of the extremely talkative and distracting students was moved out.
The principals keep putting their heads in the door here and there too. Except they never check in on second/sixth period....At any rate, it makes me grateful even if sometimes they happen to look in when students are being rather talkative in my fourth or eighth period classes. Yesterday it was actually rather amusing. We had just finished going over a problem and many students had exclaimed "I'm getting it" so there was quite a bit of murmuring going on when the principal stuck his head and in and I was saying "Come back to me my childrens" We try to have fun where we can in my classes. Eighth period yesterday I started off with four absent and another three or four ended up leaving early.
So that's a bit of amusement and going-ons this week for me.
It has been a somewhat crazy week here in Longview with people coming and going and classes to teach while everyone talks about starting classes again on the 30th....while I go to classes everyday. and will continue to do so until May 26---after all LU peeps finish up somewhere around the first weekend of May. No, I'm not bitter or envious. Okay. maybe a little.
Anyways. Our living room sports a new cozy look with furniture rearranged and the tv and dvds now neatly organized around the used entertainment center. now we just have to keep on unloading the boxes...... If a certain someone would just be a bit more productive during the week with his boxes..... :-p
School is going fairly well. I have a pretty good set of students...although I do have one battle class I'm dealing with right now. But I shall be victorious...if minus a few hairs by the end. The Math/Sci Team are rambunctious but bright and eager to go to state again this year. I have had some entertaining moments....including listening to some teachers rehash episodes of Designing Women....
Tonight was a fun night with the Toad family--Toad and Mollie, Mom Toad & Danny. we were treated to a good dinner at Posados and then decided to watch Sin City here at home. I thought the movie good--not great, but good.
Anyways. that's life kinda right now. Just thought I'd let the world know that my students have gotten to me yet.
We've had our first overnight guests this weekend. They came from Ohio to bring us our loveseat recliner couch. Yay! Something that seats more than one! We've been chilling playing cards, watching movies, and having food. I get great enjoyment out of seeing one of them continually scarf down the meals :-)
And they have been a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE help setting some more things up around the apartment---we now have cinder block and board book shelves!!!! and a sort of mantle over our little fireplace. It's looking nice.
Teaching seems to be going well so far. The kids haven't been giving me problems yet. *prays for continued goodness* There are so many I'd like to reach with a little bit of God's love because of various issues which I cannot share. But they're already dear to my heart. And the math and overhead marker hands have begun :-) And I can't forget to mention that I nearly lost some homework papers as they flew out of my arms on my way in the apartment this afternoon. I recovered all thankfully...and had no run ins with cars driving by.
Umm. I don't think anything else interesting has happened. Oh, there was a sweet storm yesterday. I'll have to see if the pictures do it any justice. So we are about to be off to pick up Jared from the airport.
179 to go
I survived. It was actually a pretty good day. The only bad thing was the wonderful sinus headache and congestion I was fighting during my last class. I seem to have a pretty good set of kids. Not that there won't be problems, but they generally seem nice. We'll see what I'm saying in a couple of weeks :-p
I'll have to bring my camera to the classroom sometime soon and take a few pictures of my very basic decorating. I've gotten a few compliments from some other teachers--not that it looks like anything more than your average high school classroom. My Math/Sci Team is a rambunctious group--I think they'll be fun to work with although I'll have to stay on top of them to keep them working hard to get ready for competition. They went to San Antonio last year for State and fully expect to go again this year.
well, I have one more class to meet as we are on the A-B block scheduling. Two of my classes meet everyday since they need extra help. and i have two regular classes--each which meet every other day.
Well, nothing interesting happened other than your general first-day stuff. More later. Thanks for the prayers :-)
For the Litterskis (from St Mike's, who feed us and such)
--Pete's niece died in a boating accident this last Sunday. Pray for her family and all.
For Mrs. Saunders, one of the teachers I student taught with last year at the junior high
--her husband was recently diagnosed with cancer and the doctors have given him six months. They had both just retired over the summer.
they will come?
So these last two days have seen me busy figuring out what I need to get more my classroom as cheaply as possible and putting up many things on the walls and typing cheerful classroom rules and putting together various documents. Wow. It doesn't all seem real yet. Thankfully, there are four other teachers who teach the exact same subjects I do so they've already done a lot of the work and we can share the load for putting together activities and warm-ups and lessons and such. At current count, I think I have somewhere around 70 students total.
--moments you might find interesting:
I went to Wal-Mart looking for items I couldn't find at the dollar store and could not find a meter stick. not even a yard stick. (hmm, i just realized i should have checked hardware.....) anyways. off we go to Office Depot. they have yardsticks. not a meter stick. I need something with centimeters! Well, third's time's the charm and I found a nice stainless steel one at a craft store today for $7. *sigh* American versis metric system.....*shakes head sadly* What's really sad is that our incoming students...actually, across the state, each 8th grade group keeps doing badly on the measurement and geometry TAKS questions....after grading some of those tests last year with really basic measuring items.....*shakes head again*
this afternoon was "Team-building" time with the other ninth grade teachers. It was kinda fun. Many moments to laugh at. not exactly the types of activities many of my friends would enjoy though....we many times had to get in a line or a circle or a semicircle or right angle in some sort of order without talking or making hand motions..... for height, all the guys in the group were in the tall half. I was the only female in the tall half and I was 4th tallest out of 30 people. *sigh*
I have been reading in every spare moment I can get. I think it probably took me a total of 6 hours or so to read the sixth book in Harry's series. cruel cruel Rowling. Has provided for a bit of interesting conversation with the hubby as to the why's and guesses at what's going to happen next. I also have read The Godfather, A Man Called Peter, *racks memory for other titles* I started a Mark Twain collected writings book including "Letters from the Earth" (they're like Screwtape Letters, only a little more twisted)
--umm. I made a rather tasty meal with shrimp and noodles and tomatoes and stuff and beer
---watched Coach Carter the other night. That was a really good movie and it wasn't your conventional happy feel good sports movie. It was good with some good lessons and motivational and all that, but it didn't have the cliche' moments in many sports movies.
---The Drs. Watson brought us back tea cups from China and remarked how they found their house rather spotless. (They couldn't tell we had a party the evening hours before they got back.... :-p)
---hmm. that's all I can think of right now. I'd blog some of the laughable moments from school. but well, not all of them are bloggable. Let's just say I've picked up some interesting information because some of my fellow teachers have no shame :-) If you are dying to know, ask me about potatoes some time. Let's just say it's somewhat related to that long ago item about planting potatoes while facing west. ..... most of you really probably don't want to know.
Psalms 29:2 (KJV)
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
As we were reading responsively in church this morning, this particular verse caught my attention. "Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness"
I started to think....do I worship the Lord in the state of a beautiful holiness? I know that the Lord God has made me holy by the blood of Christ, although I sure miss the mark for living a holy life. What does this mean, "in the beauty of holiness" or "in holy array" (NASB)? What does holiness really mean and how do I give God the glory he is due?
somewhat along the same lines, I'm reminded of another thought I continually have regarding worship--"Worthy are you Lord" Of course he is Worthy, but are we Worthy to give him that honor? By what standard are we judging the Lord worthy? He makes us worthy to give him glory.
Again, just some thoughts to develop. I always appreciate comments.
I shall be teaching on the first day of classes. Poor them. Poor me. I have a lot to get ready yet.
So Monday we had a last blast at the Watson's grilling hamburgers for a party of 10 people and than we watched a movie on the "big screen." It was lots of fun and the food was good and the company even better. Alas, the pictures are all blurred so I shan't put any up. Although there is one exceptionally good one of Charlie and Aidan that I might put up.
Last night, or rather, yesterday, I made pot roast. Josh kept making repeated comments on how good it was all through dinner. It wasn't too bad. a bit drier than I would have liked, but we didn't need any knives to cut it :-D. I like my crock pot. Speaking of which, there are some leftovers calling our names for lunch....
It's been nice to sleep in a bit more this week. I've been spending time cleaning up the apartment. (It's far more presentable now although we have a ways to go yet with the unpacking.) I've also tranferred some stuff over to my classroom, such as math books and excess pens and pencils and stuff like that. I even put a few wedding pictures into pretty frames. Now I need to go find some wall hangars so as to put them up neatly.
Hmm, we have yet to send those wedding photo c.d.s off to our parents....I should do that this week also. For now, I shall head off to be a bit more productive around the apartment.