I think Mozart may have been insane. Of course, there's no doubt he was a musical genius. But he must have spent his life walking that fine line between genius and insanity. Let me explain.
In choir right now, we just began rehearsing for our next concert, which will be Mozart's Requiem. We rehearsed the "Dies Irae" and part of "Requiem" this evening, and during the "Dies Irae" I couldn't help but marvel at how incredible that piece of music is. It's so fast, loud, and intricate, I can easily imagine Mozart furiously composing it, perhaps putting to music the demons that he heard in his head. Or, perhaps it was the music itself that was driving him to insanity; I imagine it must be incredibly bizarre and crazy for someone to have music buzzing in his head, desperately trying to get out. I couldn't imagine having music like that in my head, because I too would be desperate to write it and get it on paper; it would certainly be enough to drive anyone mad.
Whatever the state of Mozart's sanity, we can be forever grateful to him for having the genius to compose such incredible works. I'm really looking forward to learning and performing the Requiem. I even plan on watching Amadeus for some inspiration!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Turning Over a New Leaf
Ok, so I haven't written in awhile...but I've been very busy and unsure of what to write. I've made some major changes in my life recently, one of those changes being going back to school and forgoing the teaching profession. This makes my classroom blog basically null and void. Oops.
However, I've recently decided to revamp the whole thing. I'm going to make this blog about music (my true love in life), since that's what I'm going back to school for. I still do sub every once in awhile and I have a job in retail, so I'm sure there will be a few stories about that. I hope to change my picture as well as the background around here too, so look for those in the near future...that is, if there's anyone even reading this. In any case, I'll try to write more often and make my posts at least a little bit interesting!
However, I've recently decided to revamp the whole thing. I'm going to make this blog about music (my true love in life), since that's what I'm going back to school for. I still do sub every once in awhile and I have a job in retail, so I'm sure there will be a few stories about that. I hope to change my picture as well as the background around here too, so look for those in the near future...that is, if there's anyone even reading this. In any case, I'll try to write more often and make my posts at least a little bit interesting!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Parting is such sweet sorrow...
As I sit here at my desk, surveying my nearly empty classroom, I can't help but feel a sense of sadness at the passing of the school year. Sure, I'm looking forward to summer vacation - swimming, reading, doing another show, not running around from place to place like a nut - but there's something about an empty, bare classroom that makes me a little wistful.
Looking back on the semester I've spent teaching music, I realize that I've learned just as much as the students have (especially since this isn't my certification area!). I've really enjoyed teaching them about a subject that I'm truly passionate about, and I hope it has shown in my work. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone, and I wonder where the time goes. Can it really be June 3rd already? Have I really been doing this since January 3rd?
Overall, I would say that despite the hardships, this has been a fruitful year. I'll really miss my students over the summer (although I don't doubt for a second that I'll run into them), and from the way they acted today, they'll miss me too. I'm sad that I won't get to see these kids next year, because as of Friday, my job at this school is over. They'll have their regular music teacher back, and I'll (hopefully) have a job somewhere else.
Am I meant to be a teacher? Maybe, maybe not; I still don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that I am certainly wiser for having spent the past year being a teacher, and the knowledge and experience I've gained from it cannot be gained from any book, any person, or any other profession.
Looking back on the semester I've spent teaching music, I realize that I've learned just as much as the students have (especially since this isn't my certification area!). I've really enjoyed teaching them about a subject that I'm truly passionate about, and I hope it has shown in my work. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone, and I wonder where the time goes. Can it really be June 3rd already? Have I really been doing this since January 3rd?
Overall, I would say that despite the hardships, this has been a fruitful year. I'll really miss my students over the summer (although I don't doubt for a second that I'll run into them), and from the way they acted today, they'll miss me too. I'm sad that I won't get to see these kids next year, because as of Friday, my job at this school is over. They'll have their regular music teacher back, and I'll (hopefully) have a job somewhere else.
Am I meant to be a teacher? Maybe, maybe not; I still don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that I am certainly wiser for having spent the past year being a teacher, and the knowledge and experience I've gained from it cannot be gained from any book, any person, or any other profession.
Monday, April 27, 2009
No time to blog!
Wow, I seem to have been ignoring my blog. Life has been busy, and although I have plenty to write about, I lack the time to write it. Hopefully once school gets out my life will settle a bit. Look for future posts about school lunches, bad parents, school policies, and other random things that have nothing to do with education. Oh yes, and of course...
LET'S GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
And so ends another show...
Has it really been over a month since I've written in this blog? Oops! I guess I've just been so busy lately that blogging has fallen by the wayside. That's to be expected, though, considering I've been working every day, singing a lot on weekends, and rehearsing for a show four times a week.
However, now that show is over; I must admit that I'm feeling a little sad tonight, knowing that I won't get to see the cast and crew every night anymore. I don't think I've ever had as much fun doing a show as I did doing The Fantasticks. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this show, from blocking to choreography to even tech week. The cast was absolutely phenomenal to work with (here is our cast picture, minus one) and the crew did their jobs very well. Everyone was so wonderful, and I made so many new friends and met so many new people. Between the outtakes at rehearsals and the fun we had at cast parties, I don't know if I've ever laughed so hard so often. With such a small cast and crew, it's no wonder that we all got along so well and became close. I've never worked with such a small cast, but I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to do so and work with such talented people. I can't even express how blessed I feel to be involved in theater again.
So I'll be sad for a little while, and then I'll move on to the next project. Between work, grad school, and surely more shows on the way, I'm sure I'll have plenty to keep me occupied. However, I will never, ever forget this amazing show and the wonderful memories I've made here. I really hope that I have the opportunity to work with all of these people again!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
For the Love of Theater
I'm going to take this post to branch out from my usual commentary on school and teaching and instead write about one of my true loves: theater.
I'm currently playing the character Luisa in a community theater production of The Fantasticks and I must say, I'm having such an incredibly fun time. I absolutely love the music in the show and the rest of the cast is hilarious and a lot of fun to work with. I'm so glad to be involved in theater again!
I've been thinking about why I love acting, singing, and theater in general. The show is, at times, very silly, yet eight full grown adults have no complaints about - in fact, we even enjoy - partaking in the frivolity and ridiculousness that is this show. This includes but is certainly not limited to dancing, climbing out of boxes, dying, fainting, sword fights, kissing, and of course singing, all while pretending to be someone else. Why do we do this? We all have real jobs and real lives, yet we all excitedly come to rehearsals four times a week and gladly get on stage, waiting for our next direction. Well...I have a theory. It might be totally wrong, and maybe not even make sense, but I'll tell you anyway. My theory is that actors are people who never stopped wanting to play pretend. Remember when we were kids, how much fun it was to play house, tea party, cowboys and indians, etc? Essentially, that's what acting is - playing pretend on a grander scale. At some point between childhood and adulthood, we lose that desire to play pretend and move on to grown up things (and often harsh reality). Perhaps actors never lost that love of playing; perhaps our love of theater stems from that part of us that still has a little kids inside wanting to play pretend. Perhaps we are all so good at playing pretend that we want to show everyone just how good we are.
After all, how else could one get eight grown ups to go onstage and perform without pay?
I'm currently playing the character Luisa in a community theater production of The Fantasticks and I must say, I'm having such an incredibly fun time. I absolutely love the music in the show and the rest of the cast is hilarious and a lot of fun to work with. I'm so glad to be involved in theater again!
I've been thinking about why I love acting, singing, and theater in general. The show is, at times, very silly, yet eight full grown adults have no complaints about - in fact, we even enjoy - partaking in the frivolity and ridiculousness that is this show. This includes but is certainly not limited to dancing, climbing out of boxes, dying, fainting, sword fights, kissing, and of course singing, all while pretending to be someone else. Why do we do this? We all have real jobs and real lives, yet we all excitedly come to rehearsals four times a week and gladly get on stage, waiting for our next direction. Well...I have a theory. It might be totally wrong, and maybe not even make sense, but I'll tell you anyway. My theory is that actors are people who never stopped wanting to play pretend. Remember when we were kids, how much fun it was to play house, tea party, cowboys and indians, etc? Essentially, that's what acting is - playing pretend on a grander scale. At some point between childhood and adulthood, we lose that desire to play pretend and move on to grown up things (and often harsh reality). Perhaps actors never lost that love of playing; perhaps our love of theater stems from that part of us that still has a little kids inside wanting to play pretend. Perhaps we are all so good at playing pretend that we want to show everyone just how good we are.
After all, how else could one get eight grown ups to go onstage and perform without pay?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Are We Failing Our Children?
The first two days of this week, I spent my days subbing for the Learning Support teacher in one of the schools I sub at. I must say, I'm truly worried about some of the students I had. I realize that I was working with the kids with lower abilities, but really...what I saw really made me think. How do students get to 5th grade and barely know how to read? Why are they still counting on their fingers? Why can they not do 2nd and 3rd grade math problems?
I'm not sure who exactly is at fault here. Is it the parents who don't work with their children enough? Could it be the district for not catching this problems sooner? Are the teachers incompetent? Is the child him/herself just not putting in enough effort?
Regardless of the reason, it is the duty of the school and the teachers to help those children who struggle. Everyone can learn; they just learn differently. These kids can't slip through the cracks, because things will only get worse for them as they get older. I ask myself, what can I do to help? I'm only there for a day here and there; I can't make much of a difference.
However, I do what I can. I offer my help and support where ever I happen to be, for whatever it's worth. I don't want society to fail our children, and I'll do what I can to prevent it.
I guess that's why I became a teacher in the first place.
I'm not sure who exactly is at fault here. Is it the parents who don't work with their children enough? Could it be the district for not catching this problems sooner? Are the teachers incompetent? Is the child him/herself just not putting in enough effort?
Regardless of the reason, it is the duty of the school and the teachers to help those children who struggle. Everyone can learn; they just learn differently. These kids can't slip through the cracks, because things will only get worse for them as they get older. I ask myself, what can I do to help? I'm only there for a day here and there; I can't make much of a difference.
However, I do what I can. I offer my help and support where ever I happen to be, for whatever it's worth. I don't want society to fail our children, and I'll do what I can to prevent it.
I guess that's why I became a teacher in the first place.
Monday, February 16, 2009
I Wonder As I Wander
Some days when I sub, I float around between classrooms in the school. The reasons for my doing this vary. Sometimes it's to cover classes for a half hour so while the teachers are in a meeting; other times it's because I sub for one person in the morning and a different person in the afternoon. Either way, I tend to notice different things as I walk around the different floors of the school.
On this particular day, a lovely former-holiday-turned-snow-makeup-day, I noticed that elementary school lockers are just not big enough for adult sized things. At least, the lockers in this building aren't. While most elementary schools have cubbies instead of lockers, this school actually does have lockers for most of the students. However, they're very small. They might be able to fit a bookbag, coat, and lunchbox, but try doing that if you're an adult! It took me about five minutes to squeeze in my coat, lunchbox, purse, and teacher bag, thus prompting me to think that teachers should have their own grown-up sized lockers. It would make sense, right? And it would be a lot better than throwing my coat over my chair like I usually do. But I know, I know...great idea in theory, but it's not going to happen. Most schools were built a long time ago and either can't fit or can't afford teachers' lockers. However...on the new schools, they should really implement the idea.
Another thing I noticed today was the definite odor of prepubescence that was wafting about on the 5th grade floor. It's about that time in life when kids cease to be kids and begin their journey to adulthood. In other, less poetic words...they should really start wearing deodorant, because the smell will only get worse in the spring. That's right, warm weather = sweaty, stinky kids. It's simple logic, really. One can only hope that their parents will realize this too and buy the kids some deodorant. If that doesn't happen (and sometimes it won't; one often wonders where the hell some people's brains are), the next hope is that the unfortunate stinky kids will take the hint from the little Rico Suave who has been dousing himself in too much Axe since the end of 3rd grade. I don't know about the other teachers, but I certainly would rather have my eyes water a bit from inhaling cologne than have to attempt to tactfully ask a student if they could please do something about their B.O. I haven't had to do that yet, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that I'll never have to!
Tomorrow I'm in a different building, but supposed to be in for two different teachers once again. I wonder what I'll notice tomorrow...
On this particular day, a lovely former-holiday-turned-snow-makeup-day, I noticed that elementary school lockers are just not big enough for adult sized things. At least, the lockers in this building aren't. While most elementary schools have cubbies instead of lockers, this school actually does have lockers for most of the students. However, they're very small. They might be able to fit a bookbag, coat, and lunchbox, but try doing that if you're an adult! It took me about five minutes to squeeze in my coat, lunchbox, purse, and teacher bag, thus prompting me to think that teachers should have their own grown-up sized lockers. It would make sense, right? And it would be a lot better than throwing my coat over my chair like I usually do. But I know, I know...great idea in theory, but it's not going to happen. Most schools were built a long time ago and either can't fit or can't afford teachers' lockers. However...on the new schools, they should really implement the idea.
Another thing I noticed today was the definite odor of prepubescence that was wafting about on the 5th grade floor. It's about that time in life when kids cease to be kids and begin their journey to adulthood. In other, less poetic words...they should really start wearing deodorant, because the smell will only get worse in the spring. That's right, warm weather = sweaty, stinky kids. It's simple logic, really. One can only hope that their parents will realize this too and buy the kids some deodorant. If that doesn't happen (and sometimes it won't; one often wonders where the hell some people's brains are), the next hope is that the unfortunate stinky kids will take the hint from the little Rico Suave who has been dousing himself in too much Axe since the end of 3rd grade. I don't know about the other teachers, but I certainly would rather have my eyes water a bit from inhaling cologne than have to attempt to tactfully ask a student if they could please do something about their B.O. I haven't had to do that yet, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that I'll never have to!
Tomorrow I'm in a different building, but supposed to be in for two different teachers once again. I wonder what I'll notice tomorrow...
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Punishments Are No Fun
I really hate punishing students. But sometimes, it's just necessary. On TV and in the movies, many times we see teachers depicted as mean, old hags who love to punish students. However, in real life, that's just not the case!
The policy of the music teacher that I'm subbing for was that if students forgot their recorders three times, they received a detention. Well, I had a student reach three times...so I need to issue a detention. I expressed my regret about it to the principal, and she understood how bad I felt. But a policy is a policy, and I have to enforce the rule or else I won't have any cooperation from the students. I just don't like to dole out punishments.
The policy of the music teacher that I'm subbing for was that if students forgot their recorders three times, they received a detention. Well, I had a student reach three times...so I need to issue a detention. I expressed my regret about it to the principal, and she understood how bad I felt. But a policy is a policy, and I have to enforce the rule or else I won't have any cooperation from the students. I just don't like to dole out punishments.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Kids still say the darndest things
As frustrating as my job is, I can definitely say that it's rarely boring. Sure, I have random days when I sub in something like woodshop, when I sit there and basically babysit while they have a study hall. However, most days are certainly far from that.
Here are just a few quotes from recent days. I'm not using specific names, so all kids will be referred to as Boy or Girl. Kids really do say the funniest things!
Boy (while reading): "...and the audience burst into applesauce."
Me: "Why don't you take a look at that word again?"
Boy: "Oh yeah...I mean applause. Well the words look the same!"
Boy (speaking to Girl): "Hey, you just moved to my trailer park!"
Me (to Girl): "Why are you licking your hands?"
Girl: "Because my hands are dry."
Me: "Well why don't you go get some lotion?"
Girl: "I don't have any lotion."
Me: "You can get some from the nurse; go ahead, you can go right now."
Girl: "Nah, that's ok. I don't want to."
Me: "Are you sure? It would be better than licking your hands."
Girl: "Nah."
Me: "This semester we'll hopefully be studying more modern composers."
Boy: "Can we study ACDC?"
Me: "No. That's not appropriate for 6th graders."
Boy: "Ok, how about Led Zepplin then?"
Me: "Still not appropriate."
Me (to Boy): "Why haven't you finished your writing?"
Boy: "Because I can't shut my yackity yack."
I know I have more, but I can't remember them at the moment. I guess I should write them down! I'm sure that the students will continue to say funny things, so I'll post them later.
Here are just a few quotes from recent days. I'm not using specific names, so all kids will be referred to as Boy or Girl. Kids really do say the funniest things!
Boy (while reading): "...and the audience burst into applesauce."
Me: "Why don't you take a look at that word again?"
Boy: "Oh yeah...I mean applause. Well the words look the same!"
Boy (speaking to Girl): "Hey, you just moved to my trailer park!"
Me (to Girl): "Why are you licking your hands?"
Girl: "Because my hands are dry."
Me: "Well why don't you go get some lotion?"
Girl: "I don't have any lotion."
Me: "You can get some from the nurse; go ahead, you can go right now."
Girl: "Nah, that's ok. I don't want to."
Me: "Are you sure? It would be better than licking your hands."
Girl: "Nah."
Me: "This semester we'll hopefully be studying more modern composers."
Boy: "Can we study ACDC?"
Me: "No. That's not appropriate for 6th graders."
Boy: "Ok, how about Led Zepplin then?"
Me: "Still not appropriate."
Me (to Boy): "Why haven't you finished your writing?"
Boy: "Because I can't shut my yackity yack."
I know I have more, but I can't remember them at the moment. I guess I should write them down! I'm sure that the students will continue to say funny things, so I'll post them later.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Snow Day
I have to say, despite the fact that I'm an adult, there is still something exciting about a snow day. Really, I think everyone should have them! I don't go outside to play anymore (unless you count shoveling the driveway), but I still don't have to go and do work, and that's always nice. Instead, I get to spend my day doing some cleaning, going to the gym, watching Oprah, and playing the occasional video game. Sounds like a lot of fun...right?
Yes! Lol, it's definitely fun and relaxing. However, the bad thing about snow days as a substitute teacher is that I only get paid if I work, which means that even though I was supposed to work today, I don't get paid because I didn't go in. Even when they do make up the day, I might not get a call on the makeup day, which means I won't make up that money. If I was a permanent faculty member with a full time job it wouldn't be a big deal, and I'd surely welcome that snow day with open arms, glad for a chance to relax. I don't mean to complain, and yes it's nice to be off...but money is tight, and I unfortunately need to work.
So the next time you hear about a snow day and think about how lucky we are to be off, remember that some of us would almost rather be working.
Monday, January 26, 2009
A Sub's Life
I don't mind subbing, and I certainly like a day off every once in awhile, but I must say that it can get boring. I didn't get any calls today, and so far the only day I'm working is tomorrow. Sounds nice, right?
Wrong. I need the money. Sure the job is frustrating, and sure the pay is low, but ultimately, some pay is better than no pay! I'm trying to save up to be able to move out, and also to pay bills, but it's not working too well.
So I guess the point of this short post is that it's better to have a job and make money than to be at home and be bored all day!
Wrong. I need the money. Sure the job is frustrating, and sure the pay is low, but ultimately, some pay is better than no pay! I'm trying to save up to be able to move out, and also to pay bills, but it's not working too well.
So I guess the point of this short post is that it's better to have a job and make money than to be at home and be bored all day!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
One Day at a Time
In the life of a teacher, not every day is going to be a good day. Yesterday was one of those days. Ok, let me rephrase that: it was just one of those classes. I had 6th grade for the first time, and let me just say that they were little hellions. I would even say that it was one of the worst (if not THE worst) class I've had in my short teaching career. I've subbed in every grade from K-8, so I've seen a lot of students from a few different schools. But these kids were just awful!
I'm not sure exactly why they were so bad. It's not like they were throwing things or hitting each other; they just would not shut up! I raised my voice so many times and had to yell pretty loudly to be heard. I even had to give out demerits to one kid; I felt so terrible, but clearly he was used to getting punished and didn't care one bit. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I see them again. I'm grateful for the CSW break, so I won't have to see them until February. However, time flies. It will certainly be here soon enough.
I'm trying not to complain here, because I knew this job wasn't going to be easy. I just wish I wasn't so frustrated. Perhaps it will be easier with more experience, and hopefully the kids will settle down soon. I don't want to have to be mean and do something drastic, like give everyone detention!
I'm not sure exactly why they were so bad. It's not like they were throwing things or hitting each other; they just would not shut up! I raised my voice so many times and had to yell pretty loudly to be heard. I even had to give out demerits to one kid; I felt so terrible, but clearly he was used to getting punished and didn't care one bit. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I see them again. I'm grateful for the CSW break, so I won't have to see them until February. However, time flies. It will certainly be here soon enough.
I'm trying not to complain here, because I knew this job wasn't going to be easy. I just wish I wasn't so frustrated. Perhaps it will be easier with more experience, and hopefully the kids will settle down soon. I don't want to have to be mean and do something drastic, like give everyone detention!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A Teacher's Work Is Never Done
I'm convinced that it takes a special kind of person to be a teacher. I often wonder if I fit the bill.
As I sit here and write this, I glance at the clock and realize that to get the proper amount of sleep, I should've been in bed an hour ago. Was that even possible? Of course not. Why? Because I've spent the past few hours working on door decorations for a classroom that is only partially mine. You see, I'm a permanent sub as music teacher at a small Catholic school, but the job is only two days a week and the classroom is shared by the band instructor as well as the After School Care program. Next week is Catholic School's Week, and the theme is about service. I won't even need to come in next week since no one is having music class, but I thought that I should decorate at least a little bit to fit in with the rest of the school. I finally decided on something simple: the words "Catholic Schools Celebrate Service" surrounded by a few pictures from my Jamaica mission trips. One would think that such a simple idea could be thrown together in a half hour...but that was clearly not the case. Even after I'd returned from Wal Mart with the supplies, I had to trace letters onto poster board, cut out those letters, laminate them, cut them out again, choose pictures, assemble them in a Word doc, print them, laminate them, and cut them out too. All in all, that took me about three hours. After that, I figured I'd better check over my lesson plans to figure out what I'm even teaching tomorrow!
Do people in other professions put this much time into their work? Let's be honest here; as a part time permanent sub at a small Catholic school, it's fair to say that I'm not getting paid very much. I frequently take my work home with me and constantly think about what I've just taught and what I'm going to teach next. I really do put a lot of time and effort into my job, and I know I'm not the only one. I'm sure that millions of teachers across the country and the world have worried about their students; they've sacrificed sleep (and maybe sanity) to prepare lessons, get decorations together, check papers, and many other things that go along with this profession.
I often wonder if I'm cut out for this. Do I have what it takes to make it in this profession without suffering burnout like many teachers do? I guess only time will tell. For now, all I can do is work extra hard and push myself to be a better educator.
As I sit here and write this, I glance at the clock and realize that to get the proper amount of sleep, I should've been in bed an hour ago. Was that even possible? Of course not. Why? Because I've spent the past few hours working on door decorations for a classroom that is only partially mine. You see, I'm a permanent sub as music teacher at a small Catholic school, but the job is only two days a week and the classroom is shared by the band instructor as well as the After School Care program. Next week is Catholic School's Week, and the theme is about service. I won't even need to come in next week since no one is having music class, but I thought that I should decorate at least a little bit to fit in with the rest of the school. I finally decided on something simple: the words "Catholic Schools Celebrate Service" surrounded by a few pictures from my Jamaica mission trips. One would think that such a simple idea could be thrown together in a half hour...but that was clearly not the case. Even after I'd returned from Wal Mart with the supplies, I had to trace letters onto poster board, cut out those letters, laminate them, cut them out again, choose pictures, assemble them in a Word doc, print them, laminate them, and cut them out too. All in all, that took me about three hours. After that, I figured I'd better check over my lesson plans to figure out what I'm even teaching tomorrow!
Do people in other professions put this much time into their work? Let's be honest here; as a part time permanent sub at a small Catholic school, it's fair to say that I'm not getting paid very much. I frequently take my work home with me and constantly think about what I've just taught and what I'm going to teach next. I really do put a lot of time and effort into my job, and I know I'm not the only one. I'm sure that millions of teachers across the country and the world have worried about their students; they've sacrificed sleep (and maybe sanity) to prepare lessons, get decorations together, check papers, and many other things that go along with this profession.
I often wonder if I'm cut out for this. Do I have what it takes to make it in this profession without suffering burnout like many teachers do? I guess only time will tell. For now, all I can do is work extra hard and push myself to be a better educator.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Picking the Right Profession
Sometimes I wonder if I should adjust my profession a little. Perhaps I should use my psychology degree a little bit more.
In the class I subbed in today, the kids were doing some PSSA practice questions, and the last one we worked on today dealt with writing a short essay on something they had to learn how to do. Most kids wrote about learning to ride a bike, learning to walk, etc, but one student wrote about something very different. He wrote that his mom was in jail, and that someone else had to take care of them, and that she'd been in jail eight times for various things. I only skimmed the essay and didn't read it all, because I felt like that was private and that I shouldn't be reading it. However, I was concerned enough about it to leave a note for his regular teacher.
This incident brought forth to the front of my mind that continual question that I've been going over in my head for the past few months: did I pick the right thing to do in grad school? Perhaps I shouldn't go for another certification, but instead do the master's in school psychology. I really feel for kids like that, and I wish I could help them. On the other hand, what if I couldn't handle doing something like that? I'm sure it is not an easy profession. One could see that simply by judging by the program - the psychology degree is 60 credits, but the reading and language arts program that I initially applied for is only 30.
I guess I'll have to meet with my advisor and give it some more thought.
In the class I subbed in today, the kids were doing some PSSA practice questions, and the last one we worked on today dealt with writing a short essay on something they had to learn how to do. Most kids wrote about learning to ride a bike, learning to walk, etc, but one student wrote about something very different. He wrote that his mom was in jail, and that someone else had to take care of them, and that she'd been in jail eight times for various things. I only skimmed the essay and didn't read it all, because I felt like that was private and that I shouldn't be reading it. However, I was concerned enough about it to leave a note for his regular teacher.
This incident brought forth to the front of my mind that continual question that I've been going over in my head for the past few months: did I pick the right thing to do in grad school? Perhaps I shouldn't go for another certification, but instead do the master's in school psychology. I really feel for kids like that, and I wish I could help them. On the other hand, what if I couldn't handle doing something like that? I'm sure it is not an easy profession. One could see that simply by judging by the program - the psychology degree is 60 credits, but the reading and language arts program that I initially applied for is only 30.
I guess I'll have to meet with my advisor and give it some more thought.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Steeler Fans - One of a Kind?
Although I plan on having this blog be about the life of a teacher, I'd like to make my first post about the wonderful, crazy thing called Steeler Mania. Later today, as we all know, are the AFC and NFC Championship games that will determine which two teams will go head to head in the Superbowl. Being a native of the Pittsburgh area, I have to wonder - are all football fans as crazy as Steeler fans?
Let me give you an example or two. In church this morning, I would say at least one third to one half of all of the people there had some form of Steelers apparel; this includes jackets, scarves, hats, shirts, jerseys, or just black and gold clothing sans logo. Even the priest was wearing a Steelers stole! At the end of mass, we prayed the "AFC Championship Prayer" and everyone walked out of church revved up for the game. I half expected the postlude to be the Steelers fight song!
Do they do this in other cities? Do they have giant rallies for their football teams outside of the county courthouse that spill into the street and block traffic? Do they replace Christmas decorations with football decorations? Does the mayor change his name for a week just because his last name includes the name of the opposing team? Do priests and ministers shorten their homilies so that the congregation will miss as little of the game as possible? Do people pray for their football teams in any other city?
I don't know the answers to these questions, but I'm not concerned. I'm just proud to live near a city that is so vibrant and excited about its sports teams. GO STEELERS!!!!
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