GOTCHA!

Feb. 19: I've always feared that an evaluator would appear in one of my journalism/yearbook classes. And it happened today.

I've explained in earlier blogs why the journalism classes are a disaster. They're electives, so the students don't care squat about their grades, and therefore don't feel particularly compelled to do the work. As one colleague said today, "If we can't get the students in credit courses to do the work, what makes anyone think we can get the students in electives to do anything?"

In addition, I've got two oversized classes, about 40 students too many for accomplishing the goal of creating a yearbook. From the beginning, I've tried to fill the classes with journalistic assignments. The students have interviewed teachers and other students, taken photos around the building, made dozens of posters, designed mock yearbook pages on paper, written columns, letters, how-to papers, personality profiles, and more. However, we're now in our sixth month of the class, which has met for 90 minutes every other day, the little bit of steam they had in the beginning is clearly spent, and I just don't know what else to teach them! I could hand out 5 assignments per class, to fill up the time, but they wouldn't do them.

Gotcha! She walked into the classroom at 2:10, tablet in hand. I was at my desk, which is considered the ultimate taboo. "No teaching from behind the desk!" is the theme song of the school. (In regular classes, I stand for five hours straight, from 7:30 till 12:30 without getting off my feet.) The page designers were making the yearbook pages at the two computers, which is what they were supposed to be doing. The rest of the students were sitting in their chairs (well, thank God for that, anyway!) doing mostly nothing, half-heartedly diddling with the writing assignment I'd given them. I'd found some articles on school systems that are paying cash to students as incentive to study and make good grades, especially on tests. I asked them to do a T-chart listing the pro's and con's mentioned in the article and then write a 250-word letter to the Governor stating whether our school system should initiate such a program. The evaluator took notes for 20 minutes: I'm expecting something like this: "Students not engaged." "Instructor at the desk." "One student with head down."

I was venting to a colleague after the class ended. She said that a teacher's behavior has to be off the wall before she or he will not be renewed. She recalled a colleague at one of the middle schools who had a little alcoholic problem, and came to school drunk. When the administration caught on, they escorted her out of the school one day. However, five weeks later, she was hired by a different school. Then there is the occasional but very rare sexual harrassment firing. During my first year as a high school teacher, I asked a veteran teacher whether I should be worried that my contract would be renewed. She looked at me as though I was insane and said, "Honey---we can't even get rid of the bad ones."

When I told L. on the phone this afternoon, he suggested I use this as an opportunity to call the administration's attention to what a bad situation the class is by writing (nicely of course) the specific problems with the course. I've already expressed them to my department chair, in writing, but nothing has happened. I called Human Resources today to see when the Transfer Applications are being accepted, and she said either on the 21st, or the 25th.

L. has been sickish all week, with a combination stomach ailments and the flu.
Yesterday, I started coughing; coughed all day. My sister told me to take some zinc, which could ward off colds or flu before they took hold, so I ran to the store and bought some. When I went to bed last night, I was suddenly overcome by chills. My teeth chattered and my body shook. I covered up with two quilts and shivered and trembled. I felt like an ice cube. Took another Advil, and finally fell into a feverish sleep. L. said I should call in sick, but surprisingly, by 5:30, I felt better. So I went in. It's not that I think of myself as inexpendable, but this year, they're having a dickens of a time finding enough subs for all the teachers who are dropping like flies from the workload and the stress. I told you earlier about what happened to Ms. S., who called in sick, and whose sub was late. The students trashed her room, even cutting the wires to her computer, among other things.

American Idol is on tonight, as P. keeps reminding me every 10 minutes. He's obsessed with the show. When it's not on, he sits at the computer replaying the auditions or clips from the show. On Saturday, I bought tickets for all three of us to see Elton John in concert at the Civic Center next month. Then P. suddenly remembered that the concert is on a Wednesday night, so he can't go because he would miss American Idol. I'm trying to figure out how we we can record Idol. I haven't figured out yet how to set up the big screen for taping.

My nose is dripping and I'm cold again. I need to find a quilt and wrap up while I grade senior research papers.