You just never know!!

(This photo actually has little to do with the subject at hand, except that it shows me in a classroom - and I want to talk about an experience with a former student - but I don't have a picture of him or the class he was in.  You get my drift!!  Also it's an old photograph when I was much thinner - so it makes me feel like all things are possible!)

The other night a young man came to the door asking for donations for the MHS football team.  He was on the Varsity squad.  He was a nice polite young man - and I like to support the local team - so I donated.

Then tonight, as I was heading into Pavilions, I noticed what looked like another local high school football player soliciting donations outside the market.  Well, I thought, I'll just tell him I "gave at the office!" and that should take care of that.

So imagine my surprise as I got closer, and the young man said, "Mrs. Terrill!  How would you like to support the football team?"

What made this even better?  This boy was basically kicked out of Clifton and sent to the alternative school.  He couldn't follow instructions or do his work or stay out of trouble.  And he was a former student of mine.  I'd like to say I'd always known he would "make good" but that would not be true.  I had visited his home a time or two trying to figure out how to help change his behavior - maybe with some home support!  I was relieved when I no longer had to contend with him daily.  

I will say that I had always liked him - underneath that "tough guy" exterior I usually saw a young boy who was floundering - but he didn't seem to know how to take help - and after a while I got frustrated.  Bill Card once told me, "Barbara, sometimes you just have to give up on some kids and go help the ones who will take your help."  And that's what I had done.

This young man told me that he had a 2.7 gpa, was planning to get it up to a 3.0 for next year, had indeed made it out of the alternative program and back into the high school.  He seemed genuinely proud of his success - maybe that was the best part.  If he can feel good about himself, the other problems might not be so insurmountable.

Someone at the alternative program apparently succeeded where we had not been able to.  Good for them!!  I'm just "pleased as punch" to see a former student succeed like this.

And of course I donated again!

A Happy Friday!

6th period the attendance office manager came to my room with a bouquet of flowers.  She said they were for me.  I said, "I wonder who it's from?"  So Mrs. Bautista said, "Well, open the card so I know who it's from!"  The students seemed intrigued too.

I read the card out loud, "Dear Mom, Thanks for having me.  Love, Eliza"

What a sweet gesture!!  Made my day.  And Mrs. Bautista was impressed - as were my students.

You know what they say, "Say it with flowers!"

 

 

"A Social Quagmire!

While Phoebe was here, she was visiting with friends and commented that maybe her teacher friends got tired of hearing her go on about what's wrong with schools.

I said, well, I thought you were happy with your schools in Oregon.  And she said she mostly was - she was just not happy with the whole middle school concept - thinks it ought not to start until 7th grade.  I'm sure she thinks that way because Henry is in 6th grade.  (She mentioned the whole "social quagmire!!")

I recall Bonny going to middle school.  I was worried.  I myself had gone to a junior high - 7th, 8th, 9th and a three year high school, and so I thought 6th grade seemed young for leaving elementary.  Bonny was very apprehensive about going - I worried all day her first day there.  But when she breezed in that afternoon asking what was there to eat, I realized that I had been doing most of the worrying that day!!

Our kids all had different experiences in school.  Some better than others.  They appear to have survived them.  But it is a little scary these days.  

But then, I thought it was scary when I sent kids off to school.

And as a middle school teacher, I can tell you that teachers and administrators and counselors are very aware of the pitfalls - and work hard to smooth the path for everyone.

Do some fall through the cracks?  Undoubtedly.  Do we keep trying?  Definite yes.  Is there a good answer?  Probably.

We are working on it!!

Just keep supporting your child and your school and the teachers and administrators.

What brings out the worst in me!!

School started Monday. I'd been going to the campus daily for a week or so - every time I went, there seemed to be a new snag to fix. School started - and the enrollment in SPED skyrocketed - and we were inundated. My classes are at 18, 24 and 11. The 11 almost seems small!! (Traditionally my classes have been 8 to 10 or smaller.)

Those I talked to seemed to feel like I had to just buck up and carry on!! I figured I was talking to the wrong people.

Then I found the right people. They listened anyway. Said it was a problem. Said things had to change.

Our principal is new - not starting until September 12th. The VP came in today with two scenarios. One is better than the other, but both are doable.

I will let you know how it goes. Meanwhile I work on not taking my frustrations out on the kids. (My room only has 18 seats. Things get quite congested!!)

Retirement looks better every day!!

What's been going on around here!!

Lots has been going on around here - school ended with the announcement that Anna May is retiring!! We were pretty much taken by surprise - and we will certainly miss her. I'm actually not sure how I'm going to get along without her!!

Jan has been reassigned also - but is going to apply for Anna May's job - we hope she gets it - might make it possible to get along without Anna May.

Eleanor Esqueda is retiring also.

And Arabelle Aguirre is going to a school in San Jose. Traci and I are staying though!!

I bought this cunning little "alstromeria vase" as a going away gift for Jan - then loved it so much I bought two for myself!! I think I will get lots of use out of them - they seem perfect for a school teacher's desk, don't you think?

I am off to Virginia tomorrow to tend to Eliza and brood - especially little Lars - can't wait to meet him. Alice was here this weekend, school ended, we had Ward Conference, I'm getting ready to leave - I don't think it could get more hectic - so I'm going to go in and finish an apron - this one is for me, so I can granny in style!!

I may or may not get some posting done while I'm gone - we will wait and see. If I don't get any done, you will know that I am gainfully employed!!

Playing Hooky!

I didn't really "play hooky" today - I had a doctor appointment in Pasadena and had to take off a half day.

I have a great built-in sub - my former student teacher is available - so it's not even hard to leave.

It does seem strange to drive around in the middle of the day though. I did a lot of errands that were "on the way."

And had lunch at Subway - sat and ate while reading a book. Something I love to do.

Can you tell I'm ready for Spring Break next week??

Monday morning - coming around again!!

I was out of school for 2 days, taking care of Noah - or at least his meals and his laundry - and so there was a little bit of "culture shock" to go back to school today. However, like riding a bike, it all comes back pretty quickly.

It wasn't too chaotic, because I had the kids watch movies - they were related to what we have been studying, and the students have to write paragraphs about them - so at least there weren't a ton of papers strewn about the room - as there often is when a sub is there.

But the file cabinet drawer where all the IEP's are kept wouldn't close. So I transferred all the IEP's to another file drawer. And there were about 20 emails to answer. And tests to correct - in addition to a movie, the classes all had their regular Friday spelling and vocabulary tests. And I usually do the Interactive Reader in the collaborative science class I'm doing, and I had done it a week ago - but my science is really rusty - especially the physics variety - so I felt like I was standing up there speaking a foreign language. Thankfully the students are not always very awake first period, so I don't think anyone noticed. Finally, there was a new laptop for a student of mine that Beth and I had to figure out. It's not strictly a laptop, but a "notepad" computer - but not an iBook!

And Harry dropped me off because we had to take my car in for new tires.

A real Monday if you ask me!

Super Bowl Friday

I'm not sure when the tradition began, but for many years there has been a Super Bowl Friday at Clifton Middle School. It used to be a much bigger deal than it is now. For starters, the In 'n Out truck used to come, and we had a two hour lunch. Then the 8th grade boys played the faculty - and the faculty always won!! Cheerleaders, tall flags, mascot, drill team - the - pardon the pun - whole 9 yards!

Now it's just an assembly schedule - all classes are shortened to 47 minutes instead of 55 - and it's a regular lunch, and at the end of 7th period it's 2:oo instead of 3:00 - and then the teachers take their classes out to the field, the drill team marches around a bit, and the teachers play the 8th grade boys. The teachers still seem to win.

It's not my favorite day. I'm not a fan of the Super Bowl or football for that matter. And I positively hate monitoring 8th graders on the field outside. (They are supposed to stay with their class.) Especially 8th graders who'd rather run away from me to be with their friends.

Maybe the 8th graders will win this year - I'll let you know. I know you are waiting with bated breath.

I'm just waiting for it to be over for another year!!

"A rose by any other name . . ."

Much of my life seems to revolve around school. Not so odd really, since I spend 5 days a week, 8 to 10 hours a day there for about 9 months out of each year.

This is a photo from 2 1/2 years ago - I look much thinner. Probably because I was much thinner. Maybe this will inspire me! Or not.

But I can only remember the girl next to Beth, not her name. And the girl next to me doesn't even look vaguely familiar. Maybe she was not a student of mine and just got in the picture.

I see former students all the time around here. And it's always "Hi Mrs. Terrill," while I just say, "Hi!" with as much emphasis as possible so they don't notice that I'm not saying their name. And I think that maybe I should have kept a log or a journal or something so that I could review former students occasionally. (I could buy a yearbook, but they are up to $45 now!!)

Dad feels that way about all the missionaries that have come through over the many years that he has been Ward Mission Leader. We should have set up a log or chart or something with a picture and their name under it. (We have lots of pictures, but not all of them are identified!!) We get wedding invites and baby announcements and Christmas cards. Elder Thomas has a ring to it that doesn't seem to mesh with "Hi Nathan!!" It feels like they will always be missionaries.

We had Sister Keller here for three weeks and I called her Sister Keller the whole time. I felt like I was breaking a rule calling her Julie Ann! But then Julie Bourgeous Sears still calls me Sister Terrill whenever she sees me.

Funny how that works.

School Daze!!

Whether I want it to or not, school starts tomorrow morning.

A big thank you to Ella for helping me get my classroom set up and for suggesting a "Getting to Know You" game - I'll let you know how it goes!

I really just have to get through the first day, and then I'm in gear for the year!

A little rant

I could be out of touch. But I don't think so. I teach middle school, and I am around 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 year olds. We even have an occasional 15-year old. And things have truly changed. I have observed that myself. My first child started school in 1975 - and my last child graduated in 2005. That's a fairly long stint.

I have been teaching since 1996. When I started teaching, I didn't even have a cell phone. People had them - I just didn't. I don't even remember when I got one. I pretty much got Harry's old one whenever he got a new one.

Then having a cell phone started seeming to be essential. However, I'm not totally sure that they are. They are convenient. But sometimes they are too convenient. Sometimes it's nice to not be able to be contacted.

But I digress. My problem with cell phones is the number of middle school students who use and abuse them. And today, my run- in with the ubiquitous cell phone was especially problematic.

A middle school student at our school doesn't need his phone during the school day. In an emergency, the parents would have to contact the school - you can't just call your child and tell him or her to come out to the front so you can pick them up!! Now I remember times when I was truly annoyed that I had to unload a baby and go into the school to get my child for an orthodontist appointment. But schools simply can't let a child go without an adult - one whose name is on the approved list - coming in and signing them out. Think about it for a minute - the ramifications are enormous.

But parents get annoyed when they can't just do that. And some of them rant at us about it too - even after you point out the obvious.

And parents really ought not to be able to field calls from their children asking them to go pick up a pizza and bring it to the school for their lunch - maybe even to share with their friends.

But parents do that all the time. One boy bragged that every day since 4th grade his mother had brought him the fast food lunch of his choice!! (I would like to add that that same boy didn't do well in school - often didn't do homework or finish projects. So much so that he didn't get to walk across the stage at promotion. He was truly devastated by the turn of events. I ask, "Why wasn't Mom monitoring his school work as carefully as she monitored his lunch requests?")

The rule is: "Students may have cell phones at school if they have their parents' permission. Cell phones must be out of sight in the backpack and turned off during school hours." First infraction: phone can only be retrieved by the parent. Second infraction: phone is kept for 30 days. Third infraction: phone is kept until the last day of school in June.

No student is allowed to register for school without signing an affidavit that they have read and understood the rule. Parents have to sign the affidavit too.

I have confiscated a number of phones in recent days. One rang during class. One girl was texting her friend in the row ahead. One boy was just admiring his phone I guess. One boy was calling his dad to come get him. And every one of those kids was annoyed with me!

Annoyance isn't the biggest danger though. Our principal has confiscated phones and found that the person on the other end of the call was an adult male the girl didn't know except via her phone! Needless to say the unknown male immediately hung up when the principal announced herself!

Students text to cheat on tests. Students text to gossip about other kids. Students text to spread rumors. Students text to avoid doing their work. There is no good reason to do this during the school day. And you can't be selective how who can and who can't - everyone just has to follow the rules.

So imagine my chagrin when I got an irate voicemail from the mother of the girl whose phone I confiscated today! She told me I should take the time to talk to the child and find out why they had their phone out. I called her back and I thought I was being matter-0f-fact and pleasant about how I thought perhaps she didn't understand the circumstances surrounding the event. And she hung up on me.

I wrote a letter that I think is pretty matter-of-fact. But I may not send it. I talked to the VP who handled giving the phone back. He said he was very clear in explaining the situation to the mother. She told him she thought teachers should have the courtesy to ask the student why their phone was out. He told her that wasn't how the rule worked. So maybe she is not someone who would listen to reason.

I will call the young lady in though, and have a little discussion with her. She needs to understand that she may have snowed her mother, but she hasn't snowed anyone on the staff.

And I'm determined to catch her buddy she was texting - she is pretty cagey, but I'm a little cagier I think.

I'll report back!

Meanwhile - if you are the parent of a student with a cell phone, regardless of what the rules are at your school, will you assess carefully whether your child really needs to be able to call and text at will during the school day? And maybe encourage them to demonstrate cell phone courtesy and all it implies?

As with most new technology for communicating, advances often just mean new ways to be rude and inconsiderate. Just sit in any meeting or public gathering and see how often they have to ask you to turn off your phones so as not to bother others.

Thanks for listening!