Which Month is March?

We're taking the test in my 7th hour class, and everything is quiet and I am grading the banking test papers from the earlier classes.  I was just interrupted by my friend from yesterday, who called out, Which month is March?

One of the questions involves writing two checks, and the scenario takes place in March.  However, he didn't remember the number.

Perhaps we 'through the baby out with the bathwater' when we stopped making students memorize anything.

Tests Today!

Today, I am giving tests in all five of my classes.  Easy day, but boring.  However, that means that I have five sets of tests to grade.  One set has essay questions, the other four have business math problems (checking account) problems that I have to grade by hand.  I had hoped to stagger them through the week, but we had wierd schedules with the Prairie State tests on Wednesday and Thursday.  Oh well.

Yesterday, I did something that I don't like to do.  I referred a kid to the dean's office for discipline.  He had been disrupting class with chirping sounds (a sophomore!) for several days, and I assigned him a detention with me.  He didn't come in.  (I forgot, Mr. Miller, I'm sorry!)  So the dean assigned him a Saturday detention.  When he came back to class, he was angry, and punished by not talking! 

I kept him after class, because what I really wanted to was talk with him--the referral route usually doesn't do more than get their attention.  So we had a quick chat.  The young man seems to want to do well, but just can't.  I think there are some ADHD issues that have not been diagnosed.  But anyway, after young Johnny saying that he wanted to do better, I told him that he could, but he had to be the one to do it.  And I ended with, "remember you are in high school now, it is time to put the diapers away, and wear the big boy pants!"

Late Work

Tonight I did one of my least favorite things.  I graded makeup and late work.  Such a pain. 

But it is done.  I have updated the student's records on-line.  It is 9 p.m., and I am tired. 

Long day tomorrow.

Early Dismissal Day

Today was our early dismissal day.  The students were dismissed at 12:45, and the teachers had meetings or worked on committee projects.

My students asked me what we did without them here.  I explained that we had meetings.  One of them called out, "I'll bet the teachers all run down the hallways yelling."  Another suggested that we eat pizza and drink beer. 

Yes, I have a lot of sophomores!

By the way, I was lucky.  I didn't have any meetings, so I cleaned out files.  LOTS of paper went into the recycling bin.  But one thing didn't .  At the bottom of a file drawer I found a fluid duplicator master, or ditto master, for an assignment I used in 1978.  I checked the typing, which I did myself, and there was only one error, which I had corrected.  Damn, I was good.  What happened?!

Twenty-five!

Today, one of my colleagues came up tome in the halllway and asked if I knew how many days were left. 

I told him that I didn't know how many there were.  I really haven't been interested in paying too close attention.

Well, this individual, who our students know as 'Monopoly Man,' because he looks like this namesake, told me that he knew--there are only 25 days of school after today.

Wow!

Lost!?!

A couple of weeks ago, I received my paperwork from the Illinois Teacher's Retirement System for my pension.  I was supposed to send the paperwork to my adminstration to have them complete the report documenting my years of employement and my remaining sick days.

I sent them to the administrative assistant of our business manager.  As I was placing these documents in the interoffice mail envelope, I thought, "I hope these papers don't get lost in the mail between here and 'across the street.'

Well, a few days ago, I received an emaill from our business manager, complaining that he had not received my paperwork.  Sigh.  It looks like they have lost my paperwork!  Though I remembered putting the documents in the interoffice mail, they didn't make it a few hundred feet across the street.  Sigh.

So, at the advice of our business manager, I called the Illinois Teacher's Retirement System, and asked that they send replacement paperwork.

I was told by my adminsitration to have the documents sent directly to our business manager.  But when I asked the TRS person to send them to the business manager, he said, "I don't think we should do that.  I will send them directly to you.  We suggest that you take them directly to your business manager, and make sure he has them in his hand.

If I did my job as bad as our administration, I would have been fired a long time ago.

And the media says that the problem is with the teachers! . . .

Today Is Tuesday!

Today I was reviewing with my students our schedule for the week.  We have special/weird schedule for Wednesday and Thursday because of the state assessment tests.

So I told my class, "For Wednesday, you need to complete . . ."  One of my students then interupted me, and asked," Do you mean tomorrow or Wednesday?"

I then explained that tomorrow was Wednesday, and that from today's perspective both terms meant the same thing.

My student then told me that he didn't want me to refer to the days of the week because he couldn't understand them, he only wanted me to refer to due dates as 'tomorrow' or 'the day after tomorrow.'

And I thought that he was one of the smarter ones!

IPhone

This morning, just before my first hour class started, one of my students asked if she could go to the library to print out her homework.  It seems that her printer at home was not working.

I told her not to worry about it, and suggested that she just email it to me when she got home.  Her response was, "I can just do it now."

She took out her IPhone, and after just a few clicks, I had the assignment! 

Wow.  I am so amazed at the wonderful technology that we have today.  When I started, we had fluid duplicators and IBM Selectric typewriters--and that was state of the art!

I am going to really miss seeing all the changes that will take place in the classroom over the next 30 years!

A Boy and His Dog

I have a very interesting young man in class this year.  He is a sophomore, an athlete, and a great student.

He is very concerned about me.  Several times, he has asked me if I have any pets.  When I explain that I don't, that my schedule is too erratic to be fair to an animal, he frowns and his brow wrinkles.

He keeps telling me that I need to get a dog.  He explains that everyone needs a pet, especially a dog.

It would be great to have a pet.  It has been years since I have had one.  Maybe when I retire.  But then again, I hope my schedule becomes even more erratic!

Mr. Miller is my favorite teacher!

My sophomore jokester came to class today and confronted me.  You talked to Miss K and told her about my joke!  I didn't really do it!

We had a little confab about expectations, and the "sharp stick of truth and/or reality." 

By the end of the conversation, he said, "you are my favorite teacher, after Miss K."

Funny how boys don't hold grudges!

Mr. Miller hates me!

This morning, I had a visit from a colleague. She said, "You have Paul in class, right?" "Of course, I said, he's in my second hour class."

"Yesterday, he told me that you hate him, and he doesn't know why," she inquired.

At this point, I began to laugh. Paul is a great individual, with lots of promise. However, he is a sophomore whose brain isn't quite attached to his mouth! He is also my racist jokester whose mom I called.

I told my colleage about a favorite quote by Dan Rather: The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth."

She said, you know, Paul quoted you saying that.  I guess I am making an impression.

He will be a fine individual when he grows up.  Too bad I won't be at school to see it.  I hope we cross paths in a few years.

Sophomoric Sophomore

My sophomoric sophomore sat quietly in class, with his hands folded. Amazing what a well-placed phone call can do!

No news on my replacement. Not that it matters to me, but they better get someone who will take good care of my students, or I'll kick his ass!

My Replacement

Word on the street is that they are going to tell me who my replacement is tomorrow. We'll see if they are up to the challenge of taking several sections of overactive freshman boys with a generous measure of sophomoric sophomores and getting them excited about business and economics!

False Alarm

During my last class, with 30 seconds to go, the fire alarm went off.

We have to go stand on the front lawn of the school, the fire department and ambulances come. No fire. False alarm. Just an over active sensor.

It was fun, however, watching the administrators, walkee talkee in hand, running around like they knew what to do!

Bigot 2

I called mom today. We'll see.

Bigot

One of my sophomores has decided that telling racist jokes is funny. He wanted to tell the class a Jewish joke yesterday. (At least he asked for permission--which was denied.)

Then he wanted to argue about his rights--free speech or something like that--which I wouldn't accept. He then went on to demand the right to tell jokes about a whole list of other groups.

Ugh.

We had a little talk. I think we have an understanding now.

You would think it would be different in 2010. Or is it just because he is a sophomore? I love the etymology of that word!

Income Tax

I finally got my income taxes done. I'm getting money back from both the state and the federal government. I should have done this a long time ago. Oh, well.

Visitor

I had a visitor in my class today. He was a business teacher from a small, private, religious school in our area. (I didn't realize that they had business there, but anyway.) They are a K-12 school, in the high school, they have about 17 students in each grade. (Wow! We have 700 in a grade.)

My students were taking a test today--ironic--it was a test over 1040 forms. So there wasn't much for him to see. However, we did talk about his classes and mine. He taught accounting, marketing, and all the computer classes. He was also a coach and in charge of all the technology for the school. (Another wow!) He has taught there for eight years, and was eager for information to help in his classes.

The most interesting observations he made were concerning how good our students are and how smoothly things went in our school. That was interesting to me, because I often think we are just organized chaos. However, the stereotype is that public schools are a jungle, and one needs to fear for his or her life just going near one. Fortunately, kids are kids, but most kids are really good kids.

I hope he has as much enthusiasm when he has worked as long as I have. I also hope that he can get a job in the public schools so that he can feed his family.

Glee

I couldn't decide whether to watch the program "Glee" on TV or finish my income taxes. After a few seconds, I decided on Glee.

If you don't follow this program, it is about a group of misfit students at William McKinley High School located somewhere in Ohio. They are all members of the school's glee club. Surrounding this storyline is all of the teen-age angst, jealous boyfriends/girlfriends, toxic relationships, inept administrators, and wacky teachers you could imagine.

This was a good episode. The glee club advisor and the cheerleading coach continue to compete. A complex web of jealousies between the students, both inside and outside of the glee club continues to develop. Plus wonderful songs--all with 'hello' in the titles. (Except for one with 'hell' in the title.)

As much of a charicature as this is, I could see real individuals that I have crossed paths with in school. Crazy colleagues, mixed up students, wonderfully talented indivuals, regular kids---and definitely inept administrators.

Taxes tomorrow!

Cousins

I received an interesting email today. From a distant cousin in Colorado that I didn't know that I had. (Someone a better 'stalker' than me?!) He wanted to know some information about relatives back in the old country.

Told him that I hadn't had time to do this kind of research while I was still working, but that I would be retiring soon.

After I said that, I thought, "this sounds like something old people would do!" Maybe I'm not quite as interested now--sure would rather hang out with the young people!

Dream

I had a dream that I was starting college. I was moving into the dorm. It was a nice, contemporary, apartment-style dorm. Everyone was nice and friendly. I felt like everything was going to go well.

Then I realized that I was 58 years old, and that I wouldn't fit in, and was concerned that everyone was being too polite to tell me!

Lydia

A dear friend of mine passed away on Easter Sunday. I went to her memorial service yesterday. Lydia had just reached her 89th birthday, and had lived an amazing life. She had raised two amazing children, worked in a number of interesting positions, volunteered for numerous organizations, waws involved in politics, and traveled the world. She often commented that if she didn't keep moving she would rust!

At her memorial her son commented that she got the foundation for her business and vounteer work while in high school. Lydia was in the class of 1939 of Roosevelt High School in Chicago. She completed what was called then a commercial course. She studied accounting, management, typing, shorthand, and more.

These are the kinds of things that I teach in high school (ok, no one teaches shorthand anymore). Today we call it "Career and Technical Education." The names have changed, but the goals have not--to give students practical skills that they can use for college and/or careers. Lydia used and built on her skills from high school, and contributed mightily to many businesses and organizations. I hope I can instill in my students a small measure of what she gained from her high school experience. I also hope that I can encourage (is 'inspire' bragging too much?) to make the world around themselves a better place.

Lydia never asked for a thank you, she just did what she knew was right. Accolades did come, but she was always modest about them. She always had a smile, and always knew someone you just had to meet.

I should be as lucky as Lydia--to have 89 years on this planet, and to impact so many in so many ways.

Frustrating Colleague

I have made a real effort to keep doing my job this year. I have seen other folks who have been burned out, angry, frustrated, or just plain tired, who in their last year or so just don't do anything. I think that I have been doing a good job for the kids.

However, one of my colleagues, is doing the opposite. He has just been floating through. Not working with the kids. Not answering phone calls. Just giving the rest of us a bad name.

He just needs a kick in the butt. But where is his boss? I wonder where management is sometimes!

Freshmen

I have taught freshmen for a long time. When I first started teaching, I liked working with the older kids better--I enjoyed the more mature discussions.

Later in my career, I realized that I liked working with the younger kids more. Not because they had great things to say, but because they made so much progress. This year, I have four classes that are largely freshmen--specifically, mostly freshmen boys. In August when we start, they are just bundles of energy. They make me crazy. They make me tear my hair. But I know that they need a push, they need a "poke with the sharp stick of reality" as one of my colleagues describes it.

Today we were working on income tax forms. To me a boring, boring topic. We were finishing the 1040EZ and beginning the 1040A. We reviewed yesterday's homework problem, I discussed dependants. We had some interesting questions, like, "how come Mormons can't list more than one wife as dependants?" However, in watching the formerly goofy freshmen working on their practice problems, and start their homework problem, I realized that I have done my job. I have civilized this group of young people, and am getting them ready to move on to bigger and better things.

I just feel sorry for the freshman girls who have to put up with all these boys!

More Taxing Lessons

Today, I continued teaching about income taxes, but kicked it up a notch. Yesterday, I showed them the basic 1040EZ for persons who were the dependant of someone else. Today I showed them how to handle individuals who were not able to be the dependant of someone else, but added the new "Making Work Pay" tax credit. It is such an easy calculation on the back of the EZ form, but the explanation is sooo obtuse.

Tomorrow, we begin the 1040A . . .

Also, for the past few days, I have had an observer in my most challenging class. Fortunately, my little darlings have behaved. The observer is a grad student at a local college, who thinks he wants to be a business teacher. He takes some notes and doesn't say too much. It's kinda funny to see someone who is just starting out as I am winding down my career.

I wonder what he is thinking about what he sees in our classes. I remember observing the old timers when I was just starting out. Though we didn't have to do nearly as much observing as current students need to do. Of course, when I was observing I was observing teachers who had started teaching as early as the forties. Education, of course, was a different world then. So much rote memorization then, and no technology. Even when I started in 1977, I couldn't even imagine what technology we would eventually have. Our building didn't have a single computer, we even sent out the attendance information by courier at the end of each day. We thought we were so sophisticated having IBM Selectric typewriters! What a modern age it was!

Income Taxes

Today I began a short unit on how to fill out income tax forms. Today, I taught the 1040EZ form. It is, of course, very simple. The kind of form that a young person would use for their taxes while working at a high school or college job.

Unfortunately, they made some changes to the forms. Damn. I thought that I would be able to get through without learning anything new. Oh, well. The good teacher that I am, I prepared new lessons.

Ironic thing--I hate doing income taxes myself, and can barely get my own done on time!

40

I haven't been obsessing on how many days I have, but people have bugging me with questions. It is a rare day that I am not asked, "So how many more do you have?"

Today was the first day of the last grading period, which actually made me wonder how many there actually were. So, I checked. Forty more days, after today. Forty more school days. Forty more wakeups!

So, to celebrate, I am working on grades for last quarter. And eating chocolate Easter candy. And listening to Billie Holiday . . .

Done!

I just finished the last one! Whew! Done with that big stack of essays. Most were done quite well. Our students tend to write well--we have excellent teachers in our English department. The good papers are the easy ones to grade, the others, well, are harder to sort out, and more difficult to comment on.

Now it is off to the gym, then the grocery store, then the dry cleaners. I had planned to get this all done before dinner--and knowing that I was accountable to you, I had to do it!

After dinner, I have a little more to do--four makeup tests, and one set of test papers from just before break. They however, will be easy.

Of course, there is only one 'fly in the ointment." When I went through the essays, I was four short. That means tomorrow, I will have four students hat--and paper--in hand, begging me to accept them!

Oh, well. . .

17

I am up to 17 papers. I feel like a high school student trying to avoid work. The papers are done well, not that bad to read, but I just don't want to do it. I guess I should get off the computer, and start on the other 39!

Monday

Well, I'm awake. Had breakfast. I've made my list. Grading papers is on the list--before picking up the dry cleaning and doing the grocery shopping.

We'll see how I do. (I guess I have some accountability if all of my blog buddies know my intentions!)

Easter Sunday

What a beautiful Easter Sunday morning! The hopefulness of the holiday was reinforced by the hopefulness that Spring weather is finally here! Even the rain later in the day didn't dampen my spirits.

We spent some time downtown Chicago this week--a nice walk on the lake front, a good meal with friends, some good music, some interesting theater--so great to be away from the regular routine for a while.

I still have one more day of Spring Break--they gave us Easter Monday off this year.

Still haven't read any of those papers. I am planning a marathon on Monday. Then I can be done with Third Quarter grades. . .