Weblog
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
-
This is it...
I find that I have less and less to say. I think I may shut down soon. So, I want you to consider this farewell. It has been a wonderful experience but I need to move on. Thank you for your wonderful friendships, advice, prayers, and comments. It has truly been wonderful. I wish you all the best in all you do, and should our paths ever cross again don't be afraid to holler, "Hey Leyva, whatcha been up to?"
Monday, 05 October 2009
-
I have nothing to contribute.
Friday, 25 September 2009
-
I'm beginning to wonder, what would I do if I decided not to teach? What career field could I follow that would keep me as active and as engaged as teaching? I don't think I have too many more years left in me.
Friday, 18 September 2009
-
It Was A Good Friday Until...
Today started of really great. My kids took their first Latin test of the year. Out of a 110 kids, I only had 5 kids fail. Imagine my elation, especially after last week's progress report grades which were not GOOD at all. We started reading the short story "The Lady, or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton. Even though I had to explain a lot of the floral high end language, they were truly digging it. All in all, a damn good day.
That is until I was leaving.
I passed our vice principal, who was talking to some parents. The mother was Mexican, the father some good old boy in cowboy boots, plaid shirt, big old rodeo belt buckle. I had seen him yesterday going knee deep in one our 7th grade teacher's butt. As I came up I saw just how animated he was waving some stapled papers in and out of the VP's face. I passed by and I heard him holler "So if it's in the curriculum you mean they have to read it?"
AT which point and time the VP stops me.
VP: Mrs. Leyva?
Yes?
VP: You teach ELA. Could you come here?
So I go over, the VP hands me the papers, I read some of it. It's a short story by Walter Dean Myer's from his 145th St. short stories.
Me: Sir, may I ask what your issue is with the material?
Dumb Ass (who from this point shall be know by the initials DA) My issue is the Ebonics in the book.
Me: (to myself: Ebonics? Really dumbass? I haven't heard that term since like 1997) Sir? Ebonics? You mean the vernacular spoken by the characters in the story?
DA: Yeah, you guys are teaching my kids this language. He's ESL, he barely speaks English and I have to read this stuff to him and then I have to go look this up online so that I can translate it myself. I don't speak this language and I don't him speaking this gangster language either.
Me: Ok, sir, first off, Ebonics is not a language. It is a systematic vernacular that is more or less a lower level slang. This not the language of gangsters, it is the language of our kids. This is how our kids communicate with each other in the streets, in the hallways. Much like texting or instant messaging, our kids have developed whole other form of communication to which we need to learn.
DA: But why is kid studying this language in school? Shouldn't the teacher give lessons on proper English instead.
Me: Sir, this story has a universal lesson or moral in it that we can all related to. That's what we teach in ELA, books with universal themes that all our students can relate to and properly converse on. I'm more than sure that Mrs. ___________________ teaches a grammar lesson with this in which the students must take the street slang and rewrite it so that it is grammatically and structurally correct.
DA: He can't relate to that!
Me: Maybe he can't, but the majority of our students can. We read all kinds of literature from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Mom: Maybe he go to different school now.
Me. Ma'am it doesn't matter where you go your son will be exposed to this vernacular and reading that is somewhat controversial. Children of all races speak some sort of slang.
To which Dumb Ass then throws his arms up in some funky gangster wanna be sign and states to ME in the worst gangster impression ever...
Me: "Well I don't want my son talking like some bro from da hood!"
I looked at this man, looked at the VP, looked at this man. I then stated to the VP, "At this time I am disengaging from this conversation because I have been highly insulted." Grabbed my bag and walked off.
DUMB ASS!
Wednesday, 09 September 2009
-
I know I've been absent...life is truly hard around here right now. If you stick around I'll list off one by one the absolutely crazy mess that is my so called life.
Let's start with work.
I dunno if I told you guess this, but DESPITE our absolutely fabulous reading scores, history scores, and right on target math scores, our school was rated "Academically Unacceptable" by the state. What happened to us was our science scores, which, overall were right on target. The problem is the state doesn't give a crap about "overall". When you break it down into subcategories (ethnicity) our black children failed therefore we failed. So we earned the rating of "AU", which we have lovingly embraced as our "Gold Status". If you don't get it, look up the periodic table (educators ARE dorks). We knew we would return to big changes BUT we thought those changes would be in the best interest of our kids. There we go thinking again.
Now, I know whose fabulous idea this was, and I must say as much as I admire her, she has truly disappointed me on this one and frankly, her argument for it, well, that dog don't hunt. We returned to school to learn we were going from 7 periods a day, to 8 periods a day, that class time had been reduced by 7 minutes, and that core teachers MUST teach an elective. Huh? So, a school that has been rated "AU" has had CORE class time reduced by 35 minutes a week...roughly over 31000 minutes of instructional time in a 179 day calendar year? WTH? Does that make sense? And the argument...we need more electives to keep kids interested in school????
Hold on...it gets better. They want us to teach these electives, but uh, we aren't/can't by curriculum or materials for it because we lost $40,000 in Title 1 money! So, good luck! Oh, yeah, but the way, here is a box of paper and that is all we are supplying you with for the next five months. The copier will cut you off at 5,000 sheets. Have a great year! Oh, also, now you MUST teach 6 of 8. Glad to have you here! Also, while we are burdening you down....we lost funding for our after school program, so now you MUST stay two days a week after hours to help babysit for $11.35 WELCOME BACK!
The issues that have arisen are too numerous to write, but, there were quite a few us ready to walk out last week, and we are now applying for grocery clerk positions rather than teach in this environment. We all feel our scores are going to drop dramatically come spring and know how feces rolls, it will land on top of us.
Now...let me just add this. We EXPECT the hubby to loose his job somewhere between oh, NOW and Christmas. I won't get into details, but, it is an event on the horizon.
We've lost $27,000 in extra income due to some unexpected things. OUCH!
My nephew, who has MS, has to have surgery next week. However, the doctor has had the family put into counseling due to the fact that he is not giving much longer (6 months) to live. He is 11.
I'm the mother of a 15 year old girl...need I say more?
All this stress has set off my depression and panic disorder so I'm off to the doctor today to get my meds upped to something stronger! I am truly scared and panicked as to what is become of this family if/when Bubba is fired because I'm not sure if I can survive the school year. My world is rotating wildly off its axis right now.
And I'm done venting.
nkleyva
-
- Name: Kristina
- Birthday: 5/28/1972
- Gender: Female
- Member Since: 6/17/2005
Weblog Archives
Don't worry - your calendar is here… to see it in action just click "Save"
above and refresh the page.
