I made it to tenure!! Thank you,Lord! 

I'm exhausted and I am told the MRI shows a deteriorated vertebrae in my neck(old injury) and it's pinching the nerves. 

Yuk. So, not good.

Just wanted to put forth what I know so far. 

Back to work tomorrow.  Gearing up for ELL testing.  It's a yearly thing and federally mandated. Another log on the fire that needs to be tended...

Working towards tenure

In January 2013, I hope to achieve tenure as a licensed secondary education teacher for the State of Hawai'i. 

Strangely, the closer the date looms, the worse my health becomes. 

Have to wait six weeks for an MRI because, I have such horrible claustrophobia, I need sedation.

Will post occasionally about this turn of events.  Also, interesting to note that 'the nearer your destination, the more you slip-slide away.'

Why is it so hard to keep kids from hurting themselves and each other?

When is 'horseplay' OK? When is too much rough housing too much?

As a teacher, I find it puzzling that NO ONE observes what is happening with our kids on the lower campus. Once in a while, a security guard is camped at the bottom of the campus. However, most times there are no adults and it is CHAOS!

Mom and Dad, did you know that your children go bonkers when they think no one is looking? Did you know that they push each other down the hill, put each other in headlocks and try to steal each others' money? I see it all day, every day. And when I step in, I am seen as the mean teacher by both students and other faculty members. Luckily, I don't care what they think.

I am also a mother of four children of my own. I KNOW the sound of over excited laughter, I know the meaning of high pitched screams that have gone from 'fun' to...uh-oh, someone's going to get hurt.

I know we're all overworked and underpaid. I know that public school students need more and more and more instruction time. However, please.....I repeat please...tell your children to chill out and treat each other with some humanity and respect. I promise you, it will pay off at home and as your children mature into, hopefully, responsible adults.

And isn't that what teachers and parents are being asked to do? Help create a responsible group of new citizens?

Just asking...

I have a full time job

I am now a full time ELL teacher at a school not far from my lair.

I love my students and think they are the best kids ever!

The meetings after school every Wednesday....them I don't love as much.

However, I am still a L.O.S.T. I used to be a member of the Legion of Substitute Teachers. Now I am a member of the Legion of Super Teachers. So, while I am still L.O.S.T., I am no longer a SUBSTITUTE.

Si vede? (you see?)

Women In Pain Petition

Women In Pain Petition

The Last Long Term Job this year

I had a long-term sub job at a local elementary school not too far from my LOST (Legion of Substitute Teacher's) lair.

Great kids! Ended up having about a half dozen who would stay after school and write on the white boards, record names of students who didn't clean up under their desks, and generally avoid going to A+.

The only trick the kids used time and again was the: I've got an 'owie' the size of a pixel on the tip of my thumb, so can I go to the health room? It got old quick, but I had a hard time refusing to send them. However, mentioning that they had a health card that was four pages long tended to make them quit asking quite as often. (Surprise! LOST's tend to figure things out pretty fast, since we're the brunt of 80% of students' trickery)

I got the distinct impression that there was a problem with misplaced loyalty amongst the permanent staff at the school. 'Mrs. A. did it this way.' Or, 'You don't understand our culture at this school.' (I've only been in the islands since 1974 and I'm married to a part-Hawaiian man, but, yeah,I don't understand how it works yet) :-{

However, it was an excellent learning experience and I did make a good acquaintance at this job. Having a steady paycheck for two months was a good thing, too. So, it was a positive experience overall.

My cat has 'issues'

It's official. My red cat, Punono, is bulemic. He eats his food. He eats Poki'i's food. He eats the dog's food. Then he regurgitates. It's sad to see a cat with an eating disorder. What have I done?