Blame Me, I'm a Teacher!

Please excuse me if I rant and rave.

Please excuse me for being a teacher.

Please excuse me for "being overpaid" and "hardly working"

Please excuse me for being the reason this country is in so much debt

Please excuse me for being money-hungry, selfish, lazy, and nothing more than a babysitter

NOT. 

If you cannot tell, I am quickly growing tired of the blame-the-teacher attitude that seems to have taken over our country in recent years.

A quick FYI for you teacher-haters:

1. Me, overpaid?  Hardly.  You think once I'm a veteran teacher with a Masters degree I will be earning the same as someone with the same degree/experience in the private sector?  Hardly.
2. GOOD teachers are some of the hardest workers I know.  Most of us don't work 7:00-3:00 days.  No, no, no...that is just SCHOOL hours.  We're with students before school, after school, doing prep work at home for hours during weeknights and hours during the weekend. Of course there are a few teachers who work the system and take off early and don't do any outside work.  But would YOU want to be judged by the few bad eggs in YOUR line of work?  Didn't think so.
3. You think I'm a babysitter?  Fine, pay me like one.  I'm going to be real here: working as a 1st year part-time teacher I bring home $400 a paycheck.  If I was paid only $3 per hour to "babysit" each of my students I would be making OVER $850 every paycheck!!!!  Yes, Please!

And while we're at it: I dislike the fact that teachers have to be fearful of losing their jobs based on how well students perform on tests and in school.  Should teachers be held somewhat accountable?  YES.  It is our job to teach.  But should others be held responsible as well?  Indeed.


For starters, if we are going to have an accountability system it needs to start in  ELEMENTARY schools.  Too many high school kids come in with 5th/6th grade reading/writing levels making teachers play catch-up for far too long.

And what about parents?  What has happened to their responsibility in all of this?  If every parent made sure their kids were fed and clothed properly, checked on their kid's homework, and offered support to schools - SO much more could get done.


Also, lets be honest.  There are just some kids out there who no matter how hard teachers and parents work just.don't.care. about these tests; and will put no effort in to study and prepare.


I will not deny some things need to change in Education.

There should be a (reformed) accountability system.  And I do believe the tenure system has created some teachers who get lazy.  I am more than OK with this system being reformed so that incompetent tenured teachers can be more easily fired.

But to blame teachers for state/national debt?  To call us lazy and overpaid?  WE educate your kids!  WE teach them life lessons!  WE inspire them to learn!

By the way: the only 5 states in the U.S. who do NOT have collective bargaining (S. Carolina, N. Carolina, Virginia  Georgia, and Texas) were ranked nation-wide as follows in 2010 ACT/SAT scores: 49th, 38th, 34th, 48th, and 45th.

Wisconsin: 3rd.

Youth of America

A few of my favorite quotes from my students in World History today:

"Why don't we just frickin nuke Iraq and take their oil!"

"What I don't understand is, since 9/11, why haven't we just already killed everyone in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan?"  When I  tried to explain it was not the countries that attacked us but rather a terrorist organization: "Still!  It would make things easier!"

"We should just bomb them in secret and not let the world know"

"Yeah but... after Japan was bombed people went crazy.  Like literally crazy.  Like people are still in mental hospitals today.  For real."

"Wait, we bombed Japan?"

"Why is everyone always sayin the U.S. gets involved in other countries business?  Maybe THEY should keep THEIR nose out of OUR business!"

"Hey Ms. C, who was that one black person who got those black kids to make an army?  They had guns?"

I LOVE being a teacher.  Never a dull moment.  And yes, I corrected these outrageously incorrect statements

Mr. Romance

Kyle really knows how to bring the romance.  Last night, at our Valentine's Day dinner date, the conversation turned to how little money I have right now, and how very poor I am (truly, $28 in my bank account right now).

Whitney: "I am so poor.  I seriously think I might have to start stripping"

Kyle:  "And the good news about that is, you don't even have to be good looking to be a stripper"

Whitney: [blank stare]

Kyle: "Oh...that didn't come out right did it?"

Sigh, he melts my heart

My Celebrity Crush

Not Brad Pitt.  Not Johnny Depp.  No, not even Robert Pattinson.

My celebrity crush is....

Conan O'Brien.  That's right.  This guy.

Why do I love Conan?

He is the ONLY person on television (except Michael Scott) who consistently and frequently makes me laugh out loud.  Even when I'm by myself.

I'm so googly eyed over him.  I want to meet him, shake his hand, hug him, and then marry him (sorry Kyle).

I find pretty much everything Conan does and/or says to be hilarious.  And if you haven't see his new TBS show...you need to.  I think Conan's at his best these days.  Pure perfection.

Just check out this clip from last nights show.  Lingerie Puppy Bowl?  When have I ever laughed so hard I ask you?!?  When?!

"Check out the rack on that puppy!"

SNOW DAY x2!!!!

Tuesday Night - blowing now, yikes!

TWO SNOW DAYS!  YIPPEE!  Odd, that I'm writing about my snow days as I'm back at work (clearly not working too hard).

Ah the joy of a SNOW DAY.  Although, some of the fun was taken out of it in my opinion because both snow days were called off the day before.  There is no better memory then waking up as a kid only to learn you had a SNOW DAY!  Or during the U of I Valentine's Day Blizzard, heading to class with Kelli and learning you got a SNOW DAY then preceding to wake up your entire dorm floor with the news.

Still, it was Fantastic.  Wednesday and Thursday off.  What luck!  And while I was a little jealous that my dad got a third (!) SNOW DAY today, I am a little happy to be back.

I mean really, I hadn't left my house since Monday (Tuesday was my off day).  I was getting all kinds of antsy.  And it's only ONE day back. 

I was also very productive on my SNOW DAYS, I got caught up on grading and even ahead on planning.

Speaking of planning lessons, it's always the irony of teaching that the lessons you put the most thought and consideration into planning, are the ones that fail the most.  For example, in my World History class on Monday I had (what I thought) could be a boring lesson planned.  But it turned out fantastic!  We had such a lively great discussion.  The kids were totally into it.

On the other had...my Monday U.S. History lesson.  I put so much effort into it, and thought it was amazing.  It was over the 1950's American Dream, a woman's ideal role, family life... all of these (in my opinion) fun things.  I had tons of pictures in my PowerPoint, Stereotypical women jokes (really!), and we even watched an episode of "Leave it to Beaver".  Fun right?

Not according to these kids.  Granted it was a Monday- first period.  But they were SO not engaged.  Totally catching flies with their mouths.  FAIL! 

Painful, truly painful.  Ah well, next time I'll get em. 

How about some more SNOW DAY pics?

Dad standing next to a snow drift.  He's so happy

This poor tree was buried!

Opened the garage door, only to find a mini-mountain of snow

Half a tree