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 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.