Creepy Kid

I had to throw one of my students out because his behavior was out of control. I suspended him from class three times. I also gave him "chances" by letting him wait outside until he calmed down. This kid has serious problems with anger.

The thing he did that was the weirdest and most disturbing before I kicked him out was that he found out what my address and phone number were and then asked me what they were in front of the whole class. He wanted to to throw me off.

I called a parent meeting because of all the other things he was doing--singing out of tune on purpose, making up his own melodies at innappropriate times, annoying his classmates by singing while he played piano when he wasn't supposed to. I knew he was trouble on the first day he had my class. He called another girl a bitch coming up from the sewer or something like that. Like I said, serious problems.

After a parent meeting, him spitting on my car and additional antics, I finally got a schedule change. Usually by the time I have to have a parent meeting, the kid should be pulled out of the class.

For some odd reason he showed up at my door.
Kid: Hi Miss D.
D: Hello.
Kid: I just came by to say hi.
D: Whatever for?
Kid: Nothing in particular. I just wanted to say hi.

I watched him leave. I have run into as I walk through the office. I don't even look at him. There's something bizarre about that kid. I told the counselor and the union rep that he dropped by my class. He's not supposed to do that. If he stops by again, I'm calling security.

Preventing Shoulder Injuries--A Robot For Conductors

I can totally use one of these ASIMO robots. I don't know if my students will respond all that well to it, but it's worth a shot. It turns out that I have a torn rotator cuff from all my conducting and playing piano. I had an MRI just last week. Next week the doctor will let me know if he thinks I should have surgery.

All I know is that I feel like I have sacrificed alot for this job. I wish I had kept looking instead of taking the first job offer I got. If I hadn't had to practice piano so much for teaching my piano classes, maybe I wouldn't be in such bad shape.

What Honda doesn't realize is that orchestras know how to compensate for bad conductors. They've been doing it for hundreds of years! The real test is whether or not a bunch of teenaged kids can follow it, not a bunch of professional musicians.

In any case, where do I get one?


read the original CNN article | digg story

Annual Day of the Teacher!

The district where I work declared a day The Day of the Teacher. Every year that day rolls around, they will celebrate teachers. Isn't that wonderful??

Whatever. I'm getting so cynical already. So, one day out of the year--and late in the year at that--they will stop everything, bring a cake to the teacher's lounge and someone who works on the board will come by and shake everyone's hand. They will make some stupid letter that the board signed, make multiple color copies on resume quality paper, fold them, put them in envelopes and drop it off in your box.

Thank you for the meaningless crap. What a waste of time and money. No, I'm not bitter about how things have gone this year. No not at all. I rolled my eyes as I walked out of the teacher's lounge. Who are they kidding? When I got back to my office, I ate the cake and tore the letter into tiny shreds. The cake was delicious.

It's Not Me, It's YOU!

Have you ever got involved in a relationship and once you were commited it just wasn't working? I'm in just such a situation now and, well, it's not working. Only it isn't a romantic relationship, it's a job!

I know where I have gone wrong, but I have to shift the blame alot to them. I walked into the situation naively thinking things would all work out in the end. I had no books, no accompanist, no list of performances, no list of expectations, no list of prior repertoire, didn't have the same kids because most quit choir as soon as the other teacher said he was leaving, and there wasn't anyone holding my hand to make sure everything went OK.

How messed up is it? Well, I never would have gone into it if the job description had been accurate--and I told them this in my letter of recommendation. Well, apparently they haven't and won't learn anything anytime soon. They really think I'm the problem. But the problem I have is that they asked me to teach a class that I wasn't expecting to teach--piano. Why didn't they SAY they were looking for a choir and piano teacher?

Well, wouldn't you know it, this time around the flyer says the same thing, choral music teacher. Some people never learn--but I've learned something. It's not always my fault, and that's important to know. Sometimes you can walk into a sick system that isn't going to get better anytime soon. They want to think I'm the problem, well let them.

I have to admit, it was really discouraging to find the job posting flyer in my box today. Soon everyone will know. It will leak to the kids and that will be it. Some might be happy about me moving on. Some are going to be devastated. Sure, they were bad, but maybe they were so bad because they thought I woud always be there, kind of like they do with their parents.

Part of me wants to storm into the office and ask them if they are crazy. But the other part of me is making sure I take all my stuff with me and making sure I hide all the piano books so the next person does just as much freaking out as I did, tearing through all the filing cabinets looking for all the stuff, just like I did. It's not so much doing that to the person, but doing that to the district. I will also be sure to let them leave lots of messages for me. I'm really horrible at calling people back, Lord knows! Oopsy! I swear it's all there in the office. I didn't take a thing. ;)

I Like Your Bell Bottoms

Yesterday during choir, some of the girls started laughing hysterically.
MissD: What's so funny?
Gina: It's just that...it's just that...hahahaha
Izzy: It's that your bell bottoms are so big that they cover your whole foot! haha
Gina: Are you gonna go disco? haha
MissD: What? I wore these jeans for your guys! You always tell me that I should wear jeans.
Izzy: Yeah, but not BELL BOTTOMS, Miss D!
MissD: I'm not gonna wear no skinny jeans.
Gina: You don't have to wear skinny jeans but at LEAST straight leg, not BELL BOTTOMS. I mean ding dong, time for church! hahaha
MissD: I like them. I don't care. Do you think I'm going to be really upset?
Mary: Wow, MissD, you're alot stronger than I am. I would be crying by now.
MissD: I guess I'll be crying in my bell bottoms--not! I like them. Now lets get over it and sing.

-------------------------------

The next morning as I went about my business preparing for my day, one of my piano students came up to me and said something.
Lissa: Miss D, I like your bell bottoms.
MissD: Oh you heard about that? I started laughing. I'm surprised they even talked about it, but I do have her sister in my class.
Lissa: Yes. I like them. I thought the were cute on you.
MissD: Well, thanks, you awfully sweet. I didn't really care what they thought. I like my flares. Skinny jeans look really bad--even if you're really skinny. They did even way back when they were in when I was a kid. Makes your thighs look huuuge. But thanks, you were sweet to say something.

Even though I didn't care on most levels, it was still sweet that a kid cared enough to come up to me and show that she cared about my feelings. I mean, after all, anything goes with jeans these days. If you can buy it, it must be in. Besides I kind of got those flares to go over the boot I've been wearing for my sprained ankle.

The Smell of the Whiteboard

I wonder if someday schools will be sued over whiteboard use? It's not so much the whiteboards, but the Dry Erase pens. The latest thing in education is directed instruction. All that means is that you have to make sure that the kids are actively engaged at all times and you are constantly checking their work through each of them having a small whiteboard and using it to show you answers. There is just one flaw in the system.

My first day using whiteboards for the students I had a room full of kids with dry erase pens. They really smell. But not only do they smell, after an hour, I honestly couldn't hardly breath. I had two students with asthma who asked to wait outside, meaning that they couldn't participate in the lesson. I was suffering with them, but felt I had to continue the lesson I had planned. It would have been one thing if students wrote their answers and closed the pens. But everyone started drawing, swapping colors, writing cute messages to me and their friends, all the while with the pens open, infesting the air with chemicals.

I can see the future lawsuits from children who swear they got lung cancer as a child--not from smoking cigarettes, weed, second hand smoke or breathing smog--but from hours of breathing the chemicals from dry erase pens for the sake of direct instruction.

We could go back to small chalkboards or slates as they were using in the pioneer days before mass produced paper. There's just one problem. I'm allergic to chalk.

Most Injured Teacher of the Year

I have now racked up 5 industrial accidents. Crazy huh? I have people scratching their heads over this.I was going to watch my JV softball girls play since I have so many in choir and then a foul ball got hit out of bound right in front of me, so I went down into a ditch to get the all thinking I would be nice. I like sports. Wouldn't you know it, when I went into the ditch to get the ball, I sprained my ankle. The Asst. Principal who is in charge of the industrial accidents at the high school said I should have spoken to him so I could get the paper work. I had to go see the Vice Principal in his office during my prep period.

MissD: Wow, in high school, I never got in trouble. I got Saturday school only once and I was terrified. I'm sitting here and I feel like I'm in trouble.
VPrin: That's funny. No, you certainly aren't in trouble.
MissD: Well, do I win an award for most injured employee?
VPrin: Well, I don't think I have ever had anyone be injured as much as you have been. So, what were you wearing? Dress shoes or tennis shoes?
MissD: Um...dressy shoes. I would actually say dressy casual. And black pants--capri pants actually. I looked really cute.
VPrin: And your shirt?
MissD: Oh yes, it was a cotton peasant shirt--DKNY. Are you going to write that on the form?
VPrin: Um, I'll put that in parenthesis. He seemed amused though.
MissD: I'm glad you're sort of laughing.
VPrin: Why didn't you come talk to me at the softball game?
MissD: Well, when I sprained my ankle right before the concert in December, I got chewed out by the superintendent and he said it looked like I was walking just fine, but I had a concert to do. I did the whole concert standing on one leg. And I feel bad that I've gotten hurt so much at work. I thought also they would count it as a recurrence since my file is still open with the the prior injury.

VPrin: Well, you got hurt and I feel bad that you were hurt. Next time tell me right away.

He was actually sympathetic. And be careful. No getting balls in ditches anymore.

MissD: I guess I forget that I'm not 17 anymore.

And while I thought he was a sympathetic soul who was on my side, he then changed his tone.

VPrin:  I thought about it, and I'm denying your claim.  You weren't technically working because it was after school.
MissD:  Yes, but don't you encourage teachers to support students in their activities?  I was trying to make a bridge to my students and show them that I care.
VPrin:  It was after school hours and you weren't required to be there.

There's something wrong with this.  Oh, well.  Back to the boot.  Pretty sure that's what they'll have me do.

Yellow Scavenger Hunt

One of the side effects of the accident is that I currently drive a yellow rental car that gets alot of comments.

#1 Wow, Miss D, that is really YELLOW.
#2 I don't think I've seen anything more yellow.

MissD: It's my taxi. I have to find some way to afford to still be a teacher, so now I run a taxi service. Rides home for 2 bucks. Any takers?

#3 How about you drive us to go shopping??
MissD: In the banana?

One my students stumbled upon the fact that I hadn't locked my car, hopped into it and had one of her friends take a picture with her in the car.
#4 Miss D, my favorite teacher, can we borrow your car to go to 7-11??
#5 MissD, where's your other car?
MissD: Remember that Stoopid Lady who hit me? Well, they decided it was her fault. My car is in the shop and they gave me this one while mine is being fixed.
---------------------

So, in honor of my yellow rental car, I decided to host a yellow scavenger hunt for one of my choirs. I thought I might get one of the large yellow trash cans from Sassy. I didn't. One girl wore a yellow shirt, another had yellow in her bag. Other than that, most of them didn't put much thought into it--yellow in a candy cane, 2 gift cards, a bottle cap. It was fun to take pictures of all the entries by my car. I gave them all chocolate for participating.

What can I say? I had my own yellow scavenger hunt at the store. I bought a banana, a bell pepper and lemon and took a picture of all of them lined up on my rental car. I have to find ways to amuse myself otherwise life would be miserable.

One of the girls wrote Chamber Choir loves Miss D on the whiteboard. I was really touched. Having a different approach to choir has made a 100% difference in how well they sing.

Hemming and Hawing

Another teacher asked me today about next year. I didn't know what to say. I told him I had a change of plans on a project becasue I wanted to be sure that the music was properly catalogued:
CoolTchr:Yeah, you want to make sure that you have a kid who's interested in making sure your music is organized.
MissD: Yeah, and these kids aren't reallu that interested, so I'm renting them out as TAs to anyone who has a need.
CoolTchr: I can definitely use one of them to help me with cleaning up lab equipment.
MissD: Sweet, I don't want their idle hands to become the devil's playthings.
CoolTchr: You can always have another kid do that next year. You ARE coming back next year.
MissD: Next year...um...
CoolTchr: Aren't you?
MissD: Well...I don't want to say either way right now...
CoolTchr: You didn't get a pink slip, did you?
MissD: Pink slip...um...well... I was almost mute with all the stuff in my head.
CoolTchr: It looks like it's complicated.
MissD: Yes, that's the best word for it. Complicated. I didn't want to get into all the details.
CoolTchr: That's OK. I can understand you wanting to plead the Fifth right now.
MissD: Yeah, I plead the Fifth.

Team Building for Choir

In school they taught us about conducting. They taught us notes, rhythms, music theory, music history, how to practice, how to perform. They told us how to teach those academic things because that's all you need. Not true. They did not teach us how to lead kids.

This week I learned that kids need to feel like they are a part of something special, that they belong, that they are important and that what they say matters. Both of my choirs weren't really working well together or doing what I asked, so I decided to take a "fun break." But it wasn't just about fun, it was about engaging in activities that focused on them rather than threatening, disciplining, lecturing and cajoling them into singing better. They didn't feel good, they were mad at me, and at each other.

I coaxed them into playing games, even though they fought me. We played a game with yarn where we said things about ourselves and threw it to someone who also had that in common.
Miss D, what's that yarn for anyways? We aren't two!
What does this have to do with singing? This is so dumb.
I'm not sitting in the circle because I don't want to play.
Soon they were all laughing and going along with it because it was fun.
I have a texting problem.
I have three cats.
I was on swim team.
I have 3 brothers.
I have a pink cell phone.
I'm black!!
Soon we could see a visual representation of all the things that connected us.

When on of the girls suggested we play follow the leader, I went with it. It was the most fun we had all year. We walked through the campus, shushing each other, walking over obstacles, laughing together. My chamber choir did community juggling and wanted to play tag, so I let them.

Sometimes I worried I could be reported. Let's just say that the endless story (where each person adds a sentence to another and the story gets really bizarre) got a little bit nasty and sexual. I worried that the kids might report me or some adminstrator might walk in. I scratched some things out of their stories as they got me. I also made sure they collected them all. To a certain extent they don't get that it's innapporpriate because they talk about sex with their friends, in sex education and see things in movies. I started to use a rating system with them. We have to keep this rated PG.

I know that next week their singing will be better without the practice because they feel better. Even Sassy respectfully reminded me that he wouldn't be in class for a field trip. I said We'll try to have a good time without out. You were really funny yesterday shoving all the balls in your pockets.

They all got why we had done these crazy activities when I explained it to them at the end of the week. I also told them that we needed to incorporate time to have fun together in class. I told them I wished I had thought of doing these kids of things at the beginning of the school year. It would have made all the difference in the world for how my year has gone. At least I have an expanded bag of tricks for next year.

Team Building Articles from Suite 101:

Crowd Breaker Games
Groups and Classroom Games
Classroom Games and Ice Breakers
Youth Ministry Ice Breaker Games
Youth Minstry Games

That Family Feeling (1st day back)

My school went through the WASC accreditation visit while I was out sick. The committee went on and on about the welcome they received and the family feeling of the campus. After all I have been through lately, the only family feeling I have is of being a foster child who is about to go to another home. It made me sick to my stomach. While everyone else was happy and congratulating each other, I felt ready to throw up. I left without speaking to anyone. I just don't have the energy to deal with this any more.

I know that's mean. Congrats to them. I didn't understand the process or my role in it because I was so caught up in my own world of trying to survive a year of going between two campuses and all the other crazy stuff I have endured. I could only think of the people I liked and had worked on forming relationships with that I won't be around to develop. I understand now why teachers might be a little distant with first year teachers. They never know who will be back next year.

I also thought about the students who were so sweet about me coming back.
Miss D, the committee came and we had to sing. No accompanist, no director.
Miss D, we were really worried about you.
Miss D, where have you been?
Miss D, you owe us donuts.

(WASC stands for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Until this year I didn't know that they also dealt with high schools. But not all high schools have a WASC accreditation)

Traffic School

One of the things I have to do on my sick day is complete and 8 hour traffic school course. I was very naughty and on the first day of school made a left turn into the school because I was running so late. Bad idea. There was a sign posted.

One of the problems I am having with the online traffic school is that I read REALLY fast. I am a writer, after all. I have always read really fast. In fact I read so fast that people don't believe it. I read whole memos at a glance when I hand them to people. I have read the MOST INTERESTING documents. When I was temping for a medical manufacturer of breast implants, I read everything that they asked us to photocopy. They were none the wiser that I was doing this on their dime. They complimented me on my fast work.

Apparently my fast mouth is legendary.
Principal: Tell me you did not tell the police officer to put the ticket in your box because you had to get to class.
MissD: Ummm. OK. I didn't tell him that.
Principal: Look, she's turning red. Now I KNOW you said that.

Yep, got me. It was the first day of school. I was totally freaked out and the traffic was way worse than I expected.

It's ok, it's giving me a chance to catch up on listening to all the wonderful things on YouTube. I'm addicted to Royal Crown Revue right now. Check them out!! Royal Crown Revue in The Mask with Jim Carrey. Hey Pachuco! You can also visit their cool website with videos and a music player. www.rcr.com

Last Sick Day

I'm taking horse sized pills and still coughing a little lung butter. This the first time I have ever taken so many days off since I was in high school myself. I missed a whole week because of a stomach flu. My friends thought I was ditching because I had a little bit of a reputation for that. Well, I should also count 2 other bouts with bronchitis and 1 bout of tonsilitis. In any case, it's rare.

I do want to go back and face the music, so to speak. I was going to use the time my accompanist was away for team building activities and teaching them how to get on and off the risers again. I'm thinking of offering to replace their gum if they throw it out.

I still felt pretty gross yesterday. Today I MIGHT have been able to handle school, but figured it was best to give me and my horse pills one more day. Dang, when I was a student teacher I saw other teachers going skiing and having fun on their "sick" days.

The Meeting With The Principal

Thursday was not my lucky day.

I was called in for my review and it was not good. It was bad. It was awful.

I could see the handwriting on the wall when someone from the district office was there for our meeting. I didn't really know what to do at that point.

As we went through my review, I could see all the marks that said needs improvement or unsatisfactory. I don't think I've ever had such a bad review in my life, except for the first one. At least now there were a few marks the said meets or exceeds expectations. I started looking at the next page.

Principal: I'm still on the first page.
MissD: I'm sorry. I was just wondering, if we could skip to the end like a book. Sometimes you want to know what's coming.
Principal: There's a process I have to go through.

With me, because I am the choir teacher, there are things on my review that are rather unexpected. They mentioned low enrollment in the choral program, kids asking for schedule changes, the last choir concert not going very well. Honestly, after the things I have been through, I sort of knew there wouldn't be any chance of recovering. I should have quit. I thought I could overcome. My mistake.

I ended up in tears. There has been so much to overcome. Things that were unexpected, things that weren't made clear, secret expectations I could in no way meet. The guy who left the position spent 10 years building up his program. It was based largely on his personality. How could anyone measure up?

Part of the reason for my sick day was because I am very sick, but the other part is that I have to gather myself up somehow to face my students for the next few months knowing I won't be back.

I would have preferred an impersonal pink slip.

Another Sick Day

I wasn't feeling well at all on Thursday, but felt like I had to go to school because of meetings. Yes, the meeting with the principal.

I was barely hanging on by a thread. My students got really concerned.
Gina: Miss D, are you OK?
MissD: Not really. I feel like I can't breathe.
Gina: Do you have a fever?
Instantly, her high school hand was on my forehead.
Gina: No, you don't have a fever.
Izzy: Miss D, you should sit down.
Gina: Look, you're even wearing a pretty color today.
MissD: Yes, I did it for you. You guys always give me such a bad time about wearing black.

I felt gross. But they were so sweet. It touched my heart.

I wouldn't have made it without my accompanist today. She came a little bit later than class started because we were on a different schedule today.

I took Friday off and now Monday I won't be going in. I've seriously had a cough for a month now. I was so happy until the car accident and then it seems like that triggered everything falling apart.