WifeMomTeacher: January 2008

Sometimes things rock your world

A family member has been arrested. He and his wife. They were arrested for what a certain TV show calls 'particularly heinous crimes' against their own children. My great nephew is the major witness against his parents.
I want it all to go away. I don't want to think of the man a young scared boy became in jail, yet I believe my great nephew. I believe the charges are probably true.
I am in charge of my nephew's financing, therefore I must take control and go the jail and talk about giving up the apartment and storage of goods. I can't bring myself to do that yet.
None of this makes sense. None of this is good.

I am so glad that my sister is not alive to see what has happened.

The Artist Vision (Artist is three years old)

WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MAGPIE DREW?

I am more than a public employee

It is contract time and I am so tired of people bashing teachers. The district, which expects the best from my colleagues and I, plants subtle messages about how the teacher's salary and insurance are the most expensive line item in the budget. The local newspaper runs with that, and usually publishes all of our contractual salary. Outrage appears in the editorials! How dare we teachers make so much money and want an INCREASE for the next 3 years! Not to mention, we aren't doing our job because the schools are still not performing well on the NCLB driven state exams. Teachers need merit pay, increases only if our students perform well.

BULL

Before you use that line, get rid of your child's Xbox, Ipod, MP3 player, TV/DVD combo in their room, computer complete with Myspace and Facebook and AIM, their cell phone AND THEN, sit with them while they do their homework. If the student is having trouble, write on the paper a note asking the teacher to review that concept. Sit and read with and to your child. Show them the beauty of the written word. Don't accept the skewing of the language. U is not an acceptable alternative for you.

As for my salary, well, I am 46 years old, I have taught for 20 years, I have a BA and an MA, and I still haven't broken $50,000 a year. How much does your CPA make?

Hillary Cried and other thoughts

Incoherent ramblings on the political race.

Hillary cried. Oddly enough it made me appreciate her a little. When tired and frustrated, when passionately involved in a project, I cry. She is human, not a machine. Nice to know.

New Hampshire. The races are wide open. As well they should be with the conventions MONTHS away. Maybe it means that the candidates aren't listening to our needs.

Obama. He has a really intelligent wife. I remember saying that in 1991. About Bill Clinton.

Republicans.

For different reasons, they all scare me.