Teachers Have Plenty of Free Time

School has started. I realized I'm a busy bee. In fact, on the first day of school they listed all of my duties. Not exactly sure when I'm expected to teach. Honestly, I really have less pressure on me than most teachers. I don't teach a core class so I don't affect our school performance score and other NCLB things. I do, however, make the school look good, so that is where my pressure lies.

These are my duties at school:

• Web Site Coordinator
  
• Awards Day Coordinator
  
• Graphic Design Coordinator
  
• Public Relations Coordinator (which includes submitting stories to the local news media and our own cable access channel, plus designing and editing the parent newsletter
  
• Marquee Operator
  
• Assistant Boys Basketball Coach
  

This doesn't include just being a teacher. I don't get off at 2:30. I don't really get holidays (basketball plays every holiday except Labor Day and Easter). And because I'm a professional, don't think I take the entire summer off.

I don't really get paid a lot either. That doesn't matter. I do it because the kids at my school deserve for me to do a lot of the stuff I do. Until I get kids of my own, it will be that way. The only problem is if I do all that stuff, when do I have time to find someone to have kids with?

The Start is Near

School starts in a week. I’m not sure if I’m looking forward to it or not.

I am, unexpectedly, enjoying preparing for this year. My classes are coming together. I’m getting the Digital Graphics class ready. I’ve updated the schools webpage.

My desire to coach basketball is diminishing. I really want to be a good teacher. I want to concentrate on teaching this year, but the struggle of finding time for both my class and basketball will continue. To most, it would seem not like a struggle. The class work would come first. However, basketball just eats time. Think about it: waiting for kids to be picked up after practice, practicing on weekend’s b/c you have to share the gym with everyone else, and the worst time eater – bus rides. When you are riding 40 minutes to play somewhere during winter, you can’t really grade papers. Actually, I have very few papers to grade because of what I teach. I have to be in my classroom to grade due the fact I teach digital graphics. Printing is expensive and the waste of paper is not something my liberal leanings can abide. Plus, part of me wants to return to school to earn my degree in Educational Leadership (educationese at its worst…it’s an Administration Degree). Basketball obstructs that desire because we play on so many different nights of the week.

Summer Slowdown

I would write more but July is the slow month for me. I don't have much to report. I did write all my lesson plans for Computer Literacy. I'm almost done with my Desktop Publishing class. I just got a book in that should help be do my digital graphics class the way i want to. The problem with that last class is that I have to realize anything I teach will be more than most high school students will get since it isn't taught at most schools.

A Tale of Two Trainings

I went to two trainings in the last two weeks. One was good; one made me die a little inside.

In my last post, I talked about how I was going to a computer training. I made a couple of predictions of how it would go. I was right. We spent 20 minutes on turning the computer on and off. We spent another 20 on how to make a favorite in IE. Now, if this training was filled with people like my mom, I wouldn't have complained. I would have offered to help. But this training was filled with people that have no excuse for they should be some sort of expert at using a computer. It makes me sick to think of how little their students know because of them. Again, there is no excuse. I have a friend who teaches social studies even though her major was English. She always complains that she is not good at Social Studies because it's not her major. Now, I'm not going to argue that she could teach English better because that is what she feels more comfortable. No, she's a teacher. Which means we can safely assume she can read and process information. Since the textbooks are written in English I'm doubly sure she can do this. But think about it, she's using her lack of training as an excuse for not doing a good job. Give me a break! If you are a teacher, shouldn't you be able to teach anything? And if the subject matter is difficult, shouldn't you be able to teach yourself? Ah...

Well, the second training I went to was on Senior Projects. We are a Senior Project High school. I came away actually inspired from this confrence. I realized that for all the faults my school has when we stack up again schools from all over the nation, we do pretty well. We just need to have more faculty involvement for Senior Project I feel. That will come.

All Cert Up and Feeling Bored

I get to go to an education training this week. Pinch me quick! I’m stoked. High-fiv…nah, I hate that crap. I hate how people who have never met my kids or taught in the same geographical region as I do try to tell me how to teach. It’s all bullshit. Sorry for the profanity, dear reader(s), but sometime I like to call a spade a spade. This one will probably be worse. It’s computer training for the IC3 certification.

Don’t get me wrong, it will be nice to have another certification. I also think this class will be good for most teachers that attend. Not me. I’m already an A+ Certified Computer Technician, which IC3 lists as a more advanced certification. Hopefully, I will learn just one thing. The last two computer trainings I went to I had the same wish. Maybe, this one will come through to me.

I know I seem cocky, but should I be cocky about what I teach. While we might not be advanced experts like college professors, teachers should be a low level expert on their subject matter. I know, and you probably do to too, too many teachers who can teach but have no clue what it is they are teaching. They can give you methods galore, but not facts, figures or theories. It’s like have a large vocabulary with nothing important to say. I do hope most of the teachers who attend this training are of my mindset, so maybe they can teach us some more advanced topics beyond copying and pasting (which is one of the benchmarks for the IC3).

The other thing that I’m worried about is that teachers are the worst students. You usually have three groups. First is the quiet group. I like this group. Second is my group. This is the group that will be good but bored but also can’t hide their utter contempt for the third group. The ones that have no idea of what they are doing and worse don’t know how to articulate that to the trainer. Then when they think they know something they try to go ahead, make a mistake and have no clue how to get back to where the rest of the class is.

Also, I don’t have time for this. I just installed the Adobe CS3 master collection. Now, if they would have sent me to that training for certification, well, I would be so happy.

Helping Out

Our school does core exams which are basically district made midterms and finals. One of my friends was in charge of the World Geography exam while another was in charge of the civics exam. Well, today they found out the way they were doing it was not the way they were supposed to do it. So, instead of doing my work, because they are electives, I'm pitching in and helping rewrite the World Geography exam. The thing i hate most about teaching is your bosses are former teachers. I know it's my profession, but sometimes they irk the crap out of me.

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Now playing: Spoon - The Ghost of You Lingers
via FoxyTunes

Taken for Granted

Yesterday, I was starting to get overwhelmed. I know what you are thinking, it’s the summer and you are feeling overwhelmed? I thought teachers don’t do anything over the summer? A good teacher will be as busy in the summer than in the school year. It’s time to review, evaluate, and adjust.

In my case, it’s more difficult. I have 5 different preps and four of my lessons became obsolete. Partially, because we are getting new, professional level software; partially, because I’ve learned more about my subjects. As stated in a previous post, I was never taught what I am teaching. So I have to learn it all. I’m not complaining; in fact, I love learning this stuff. It’s just the amount that I have to learn at the level I want to learn it. I could easily have my kids learn FrontPage or Publisher and have them create websites and desktop publishing products from them. However, anyone can do those things using those products. Plus, those products don’t allow you total control which is a problem to someone who actually knows what they are doing. They are great programs for the home user. I want my kids to think of computer commercial art as a possible career.

Well, I decided to take yesterday off. I bought a book on The Replacements, my favorite band of all time. After basketball, a friend and I went to eat and then went watch Ironman. Both good choices.

Today, I woke up to some good news. My marketing class is eligible for a grant of $5000 dollars. I received the grant but I had some trouble with it. If you have ever written a grant, you know you have to allocate all the money and spend it as you said you would. Well, I had it done down to almost the penny. Then it happened. Everything I purchased was on sale. If this were my money, I would be ecstatic. But I ended up saving over 1000 dollars. To make matters worse, I was doing this will limited amount of time. Last year’s grant was due June 1; this year it was due April 15. I figured this out the week before Easter vacation. I was able to get everything in time for my final report. I then received an email saying I could spend it on paper. This is a great thing for my class. But when I went shopping, you got it; I got most of the stuff half priced. So, I spent more. My car actually got lower from all the paper. Today, I get an email from the grant committee. They actually said of all the grant proposals mine was the best and they want to use it as an example of how to write a proposal. HA! Smoke and mirrors, my friend, smoke and mirrors.

Making the Grade

This year we are creating a media department at my school. We will combine TV Production, Yearbook/Newspaper, and my classes into its own mini-department. Synergy is the key phrase. My class can make graphics for TV Productions who can use scripts from newspaper who can post their pictures on the website. We are knocking walls down, building doors, and creating publicity. The only problem is the Yearbook/Newspaper teacher is going on sabbatical. They are replacing her with someone who is shaky at best. She has trouble relating to kids, which is the key to our industry. You can fake your knowledge and your teaching methods until you make them, but you cannot make a kid think you care about him if you don’t. And if you don’t, he will not learn from you.

Well, the teacher that is leaving was also the PR person for the school. She graciously (and without checking for permission) recommended me for the PR work. This includes programming the marquee on the highway and writing press releases. Since most press releases go on the website, it is a natural thing for me to do it. I can do press releases from home. I can’t do the marquee from home. I have basketball twice a week in the summer so that’s not a problem. The problem is when I show up in the summer time. Because our normal computer people are busiest in the summer cleaning, fixing, and installing computers, I get hit up on all kinds of computer questions. Even when I get the chance to visit two of my favorite teachers on campus, I have to leave because someone has something silly like an active desktop feature showing. I really was having fun listening to the two of them.

One of my other jobs as mentioned here is that of basketball coach. I’ll make a confession here. I’m not very good at it in the way that I’ll never be a head coach. I don’t have the creative aspect needed. I can’t draw up new plays or watch a play on TV an adapt it. I can teach it very well, I can make adjustments, and I can motivate players. I think this makes me a good assistant coach. One of my jobs as an assistant coach is making sure players are eligible. We only lost two this semester. One was a foregone conclusion, but he can make it up in summer school. The other, well if would have gotten an A in PE, he would be eligible. He didn’t dress all the time. That lowers your grade. He has a chance to start, but if he doesn’t go to summer school it’s all a waste of time.

The other problem I had was our superstar player. He has quite a few colleges offer him already, including Tulane. His grades are good enough for us, but to get into college they are weak. Athletes get a sliding scale to enter into college. The higher the GPA, the lower the ACT needs to be. He’s a good kid. He made the paper one time for being the athlete of the week. I showed it to my mom and told her that is the closest to a grandchild she is getting for some time. I’m not sure a 6’5” young black man was what she was expecting, but after meeting him she understands why. He’s the kind of kid that sports should get scholarships for. Well, the problem is math. He is weak in it. Also, when I would ask his teachers how he was doing, they would say fine and no worries. Well, D’s are worrisome. And just as a disclaimer, I rarely have ever asked for grades and the one time I did it was for a kid who wasn’t a superstar. I just didn’t want the kid to take the class over for the third time. And it wasn’t much help that was needed. I felt I had to say that in full disclosure. I’ve never asked for this kid. I’ve asked if he needed help, so we could send him to tutoring which our school offers 3 times a week. My head coach is good about it and works practice around it when we need to. But I digress. This player needs to improve on one of those d’s. If he doesn’t, it will take an astronomically high ACT score to get the grade. I talked to my player, as did our secretary (who knows more about NCAA Clearinghouse Standards than our guidance counselors do) and the head coach. This morning, at 7, his dad called and I explained again. Hopefully, he realizes that 300+ dollars this summer will save him money in the future to pay for higher education.

I Sold Your Guitar for Crack

No, I didn’t sell your anything for crack. It’s just one of the things I heard today trying to get ready for my classes in the fall.

My computer lit class is coming along nicely. I’ve gotten three units done so far. Computer Lit is a challenging course to teach because most students are computer literate. I’ve decided to make the class more about how to buy a computer and then a survey of using computers for multimedia purposes. I’ve almost done the purchasing section.

I was able to go the gym today. I joined a gym that is in walking distance from my apartment. So, today I walked. After the workout, I decided to go do my job. I took my digital cameras and played tourist. I first went to City Park and walked the section around the Museum of Art. I think I got some good pictures, but I don’t have a card reader right now. I then went down to the Quarter. I find New Orleans on a weekday late in the afternoon right after it rained is one of most magical places. It was gorgeous. I also think I got some good pictures, especially one that got the street sign “Royal” with Jesus in the background. And I got to hear the title of my blog from a local.

My goal with all these pictures is twofold. First of all, I want a stock photography folder for my class to use. This will be for my Web Design, Desktop Publishing, and Digital Graphics class. This way I can eliminate “Google ganking.” This is the practice of taking photos from Google Images or such and using them in making your own design. Now Fair Use protects somewhat, but let’s face it everyone does it. My goal is to teach kids not to. They almost all have digital cameras (or phones that have cameras) and they should start their own photo collection. The second reason is personal. I want to decorate my apartment, and instead of buying art or photographs, I need to do it. Besides it will only allow me to improve my skills.

I can’t wait to hang up my picture of One Eyed Jacks in the bathroom.

I Promise I Will Keep this Blog Semi Up To Date

I’ve tried blogs before. I always lose interest. I’m determined not to here. I think the main reason why I lost interest was the fact that I created blogs about stuff that I find interesting but don’t have the time to do well. Well, the reason why I don’t have time to do well is that I work all the time. Well, why not do one on my job – teaching. I won’t make it just about teaching, that would be as boring as, well, a lesson on Puritan Literature. I will broaden it out to other things especially the ones that teaching affects. I will not mention student’s names (and will only try to talk about them in a positive light). I will do the same for students. In other words, I will protect the innocent. At least I will protect them from me.

Well, what do I teach? Nothing I went to school for. I teach Digital Graphics, Web Design, Computer Literacy, Desktop Publishing, and Principles of Marketing to name a few. Since I’ve been at my school (which is the surrounding parishes of New Orleans – no I won’t mention the name of it either), I’ve taught Freshmen Experience, World Geography, American History, Free Enterprise, Civics, Business Computer Applications, plus the above classes. I’m also certified in English. My degree is in History with a minor in English. I went back for my alternative certification. I taught English I, Civics, World Geography, and 8th grade reading at once school, 6th and 7th grade Social Studies at a school in New Orleans and then ended up where I’m at now due to Katrina. I became business certified basically to keep teaching at the school I’m at now. I also coach basketball.

This summer is a busy time for me. Because I teach the classes I teach, I’m often a servant of the software. Now, I don’t teach Desktop Publishing and Web Design just by the software. I teach color theory, photography, typography, and design theory. The school system I work for has bought us Adobe CS3. I have a passing knowledge of Photoshop, but I have never used Illustrator or InDesign. It’s important for me to learn these programs well since they are the industry standards. This is where rant number one will start.

I have way too many teaching friends that cry and moan (I’ll try to keep this free of adult language) about the classes they teach and they really don’t know the subject matter well enough to teach it. Well, freaking learn it well enough. You are a professional. Read some books, search the internet (but watch where you search), talk to other teachers, but learn it. Your students probably don’t know much about the subject before they are subjected to your teaching. Again, be a professional and learn it.

The reason why I bring it up, is that I have self learned the subjects I taught. I graduated from college in ’95 from a small university. I didn’t even think these were viable programs of study when I was in school. I’ve busted my butt trying to be good at what I do. This summer hopefully you will see exactly just that – me busting my tail to become better at what I do.

The other thing I will talk about this summer is my struggle to lose weight. This is where basketball comes to play. Teachers can leave work at 2:30, but coaches stay a lot longer especially when you have to share a gym with others. Late nights, cause you to want to not eat right and not work out. Then I feel guilty for telling my kids to get in shape when I’m obviously not.

Hopefully, I can make this blog entertaining and a good read. I won’t mention names not to keep my identity a secret, but more to keep a level of professionalism that sometimes I sorely lack when I just rant and vent to my friends.