Trapped by technology

I have a smart board type thing.  The name (smart board, mimeo, promethian...) does not matter.

What does matter is last week it died.  IT cleaned the filter, replaced the bulb and it still does not work.

The people before me put the thing into the dry wipe board.  Why the blank wall on the side is beyond me.  So now I have no way to write demonstrations to my students.  Plan B is I taped bulletin board paper to the wall and used that to write on.

Thursday a bank of lights in my room dies, along with the lights in office, supply room and alcove between my classroom and another.  It had a back up projector on the blank wall so it died to.  Friday by fourth period they managed to fix it.

But this week I talked to my husband.  There is a now a shower wall board, dry wipe board on the blank wall.  I dare anybody in authority to complain.  "look the maintaince people are busy with care of the bathrooms, fixing the roof in the art room and other stuff.  I've been asking for a dry wipe there for a year.  Be grateful my husband does not bill you for time and materials."

My eighth period students were impressed by my fixing of the problem and offered to help with the installation.

"national walk in day"

Some struggling students came in for help Friday morning.  I offered to print up their grades, but a colleague was using the copier for a long term run.  I told them they could come by after my conference to pick it up.
They laughed as said they may not be in.
"really?"  teacher spidey sense is tiggling.
"Mrs. W, if everybody walks out, they can't write everybody up can they?"
"do you think Mr. Jefferson (principal) won't do that?  He was willing to send all the girls who were going to wear tights home.  Do not bluff him, he will not blink."

Later that morning, through the intercom came the principal's voice,  "I have an announcement for the students. I have been told it's national walk out day.  That is exactly what we are going to do.  At three fifteen we are all going to walk out.  Until then any student who leaves can celebrate national walk in day Monday after Thanksgiving.  You can walk in with your parents."

RTFM

When I did computer tech support, we used many codes for summarizing what the problem was.

PEBKC  problem exist between keyboard and chair, this means the customer did not know what to do or keep making the same mistake when told other wise.  It was my job to help and as long as the client followed my phone instructions we were okay.  "now, unplug and replug the computer." 

"it looks plugged in"

*sigh* "humor me please, sometimes they look plugged in, just check."

RTFM  read the flipping manual, for my clients the instructions were there.  Granted like I point out how do you do instrutions.

For my student FTFR, Follow the flipping rubric.  For lab write ups, it is the same "yes you have to write a summary, it is on the rubric posted on the walls and on the clipboards at every station.  Eleven weeks into the year and I still have students who do not follow it.  Then ask me why they lost points.

choices

I am a veteran and have several relatives who are also.

Every now and then students talk to me about joining the military.  I have no bone to pick with them one way or another.  For many this is the only way to get out of the small rural town.  Money for college is not easily seen.  I asked her the question I ask any student who talks about joining the military.

"could you kill a person in cold blood?"

Our current enemies are not nice, or noble. They are scary, violent and evil people.  They do not respect the Geneva Convention.  Prisoners are not treated with the Red Cross in mind.

She binked.  (of course)  "no"

"Then maybe you do not need to join."

"But would I have to fight, I want to be a nurse."

Scary world 101 coming.

"you are assigned to Afghanistan.  Your unit is overrun by the Taliban.  There are wounded you are responsible for and you are the only thing between them and certain bloody, horrible death.  What do you do?"

She's thinking.  She likes the idea of travel and perked up at the thought of doing the medic, nurse, physicians assistant route.

finding awesomeness

My colleague  who teaches choir was relating his day.  Instead of hitting the snooze he unplugged his clock.  He awoke at about 10 minutes before the first bell.  He charged into his middle school class and one of his 6th grade students was at the podium putting the class through warm ups.

I am so looking forward to teaching this child.

triage

I have proof insanity runs in our family.

My daughter is teaching under the same non traditonal program I went through.

Though she is teaching english.  In fact she is the English department at a small rural school.

"so are you trying to save them all or is it Triage?"

"its Triage mom, there are students who will learn, even without me; there are those that mess up; then there are those that are borderline.  Those are the ones I focus on."

We spend a lot of time and effort on those that will not succeed at the loss of those who with just a little nudge will excel. Not that I will give up on any student.  I have one coming around the bend, though his buddy moved and I have no idea where he went.

for the first time

I am doing something I have never done in ten years as a teacher.

I am joining the union.

Our state insurance board has mismanaged the money, nothing criminal just inept; and we are facing a fifty percent increase in our insurance premiums.

I live in a right to work state.  Then I talked to many people and found out how many things I take from granted are because of the union.

So much for my tea party membership.