Somewhere during the past year I was also working as a student teacher at a private school in Brooklyn. This was during my vacations from my job as a K-8 librarian/teacher in the Bronx. Anyway, this school is the setting of a novel by a young writer that was published during the fall. I mentioned to one of my co-workers at this private school that I'd received an e-mail from the writer after I'd written a post about realizing that the school was indeed the school in the book. Well, my co-worker divulged how much of the book was actually based on fact. She was the basis for a character in the novel, but she took it all very graciously. As a writer I understand why you would choose to write a novel instead of an actual memoir, even though much of what you're writing has a basis in fact. Still, it is funny to actually find out that writers really do it. And are caught doing it.
Then again it is really annoying when someone thinks that you're basing a character on them when you aren't. That is the case with my sister. She thinks that a character in my story is supposed to be her, but it isn't. I think the main reason she objects to this character is because the character wets the bed, but I didn't write it based on her personality. At least not consciously! Anyway, the form might seem similar, but the content is actually much different. I'm certainly nothing like the older sibling in the story, and I think it is odd that she might think that I am anything like the older sibling. Oh, well.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Summer!
Whew. My second day of summer vacation. Trying to get into the swings of things. I hope today will be the last day I sleep more than 10 hours. During the school year I almost always slept more than 10 hours on the weekend just because I needed to.
In a short recap, that photograph I posted of a mural of a famous horror movie character pretty much sums up my experience this past school year. To say that this was the worst year of my professional career would be a huge understatement. That said, I made it through. I graduated from library school, and as of yesterday, I am officially a certified school library media specialist. I now have two teaching licenses, and two Masters degrees. And, perhaps as a reward for re-entering the city teaching force this past year even though I hadn't yet finished my degree, I will have a job in September, and I will still get full pension benefits if I manage to make it 25 years in the system. All the newbies will be working under a new tier and will not get the same pension benefits. When the economy tanked people began to cry foul about the benefits that city and state employees received. It did feel as though people begrudged us the right to a living. Like, how dare teachers make any money! Right, how dare we. So the natural solution was the sell-out new workers. I am relieved that I got into the system when the getting in was good. Right now there is a hiring freeze and most of my library school classmates can't even apply for school library jobs because only current employees are being considered. This is because there are a large number of teachers already in excess and being paid to be subs at their regular pay. They need to fill the vacancies.
Anyway, on the last day of school my co-worker said, "This moment is the best moment. After this it's all just one big countdown to the first day." Then we proceeded to get extremely drunk. I took many incriminating photographs. The 3rd grade teacher biting the dance teacher in the face. The kindergarten teacher and the social worker dancing with drinks in their hands. The special ed teacher posing like a porn star. Etc. They all begged me not to post pictures to Facebook. I have not. I will not.
In a short recap, that photograph I posted of a mural of a famous horror movie character pretty much sums up my experience this past school year. To say that this was the worst year of my professional career would be a huge understatement. That said, I made it through. I graduated from library school, and as of yesterday, I am officially a certified school library media specialist. I now have two teaching licenses, and two Masters degrees. And, perhaps as a reward for re-entering the city teaching force this past year even though I hadn't yet finished my degree, I will have a job in September, and I will still get full pension benefits if I manage to make it 25 years in the system. All the newbies will be working under a new tier and will not get the same pension benefits. When the economy tanked people began to cry foul about the benefits that city and state employees received. It did feel as though people begrudged us the right to a living. Like, how dare teachers make any money! Right, how dare we. So the natural solution was the sell-out new workers. I am relieved that I got into the system when the getting in was good. Right now there is a hiring freeze and most of my library school classmates can't even apply for school library jobs because only current employees are being considered. This is because there are a large number of teachers already in excess and being paid to be subs at their regular pay. They need to fill the vacancies.
Anyway, on the last day of school my co-worker said, "This moment is the best moment. After this it's all just one big countdown to the first day." Then we proceeded to get extremely drunk. I took many incriminating photographs. The 3rd grade teacher biting the dance teacher in the face. The kindergarten teacher and the social worker dancing with drinks in their hands. The special ed teacher posing like a porn star. Etc. They all begged me not to post pictures to Facebook. I have not. I will not.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Worst Idea Ever, But it Felt So Good
My boss was out today so it was much more relaxed than usual. So...when my special ed class was especially bonkers I promised a kid that if he'd just calm down I'd play the Ramone's Blitzkrieg Bop. He knows the song from Guitar Hero, or some other video game. Anyway, after I got them to act out the Three Billy Goats Gruff I played the song. Oh. My. GOD. They started moshing! I have never had a worse idea in my entire life. They jumped around, rammed into each other, and had the time of their life! I got so nervous I yelled, "you can dance, but stop banging into each other! Or else I am turning off this song!" Then the song ended, but they were still totally keyed up, and when their teacher came in they were still chanting, "Hey, ho, let's go!" so she yelled at them, "This is a library!" I gave her a sheepish look and they cheered, "We had so much fun!" So, I let my kids mosh in the library, and they had fun, but I have to set ground rules before I play anymore rock songs for my students because they'll get hurt if I don't, and I can't have that. Plus, I need to cover my ass.
Maybe I can somehow figure out how to use the Ramones as a classroom management tool.
Maybe I can somehow figure out how to use the Ramones as a classroom management tool.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Three Borough Days
The last two days have been three borough days. Yesterday I woke up in Manhattan, went to work in the Bronx, took the subway for 1.5 hours to Brooklyn, and then went back to Manhattan. I'll be finishing up my Masters in Information and Library Science in May and in order to earn my certification as a library media specialist I have to do a student teaching internship outside of the school that I work at. I chose to do the school I worked at last Spring because they have a different vacation schedule from the public schools so I can knock out most of my hours when I am on vacation in February and April. The only kink is that the venue also has two days off for Presidents Day so I have to make up those hours by going to the school on Fridays (along with taking two personal days after the big state math test). So all of that accounts for my 3 borough days. I spend so much of my life underground and I never even think about it. I have a friend who thinks about it because she's not from here and I am always puzzled at her fears because it's really not something I stop to consider. I guess I figure that I can get killed anywhere whether it be in a subway tunnel or walking down a sidewalk. No use fretting over it too much.
That said, I had a bad day at work but having kindergarten toward the end made it possible for me to leave my job without a dark cloud over my head. Those stupid skateboard toys I posted about a few weeks ago have come back to haunt me. A kid went through my drawer. I caught him sitting at my desk "sharpening a pencil". When I grilled him about not getting my permission to sharpen said pencil, and for having the gall to sit at my desk, I noticed that things from my drawer were scattered on the floor. I imagine that he wanted to get caught because he did a terrible job of covering up his rifling through my drawer. Two students confirmed that he did indeed go through my drawer and a co-worker had also seen him and was going to tell me later. So we both confronted him and told him that there would be a consequence for violating my space. So he denies, denies, denies and then....goes nuts. He kicks two cushions, tears through the library, kicks chairs over, punches a girl, tries to throw a chair at her, and then finally sits down when we call security and usher all the kids out of the room for their own safety. This was a 7th grade class and they were shaken up by the whole thing. I hadn't yelled at the kid, I had only asked him why he'd gone through my stuff, but he must have been scared and angry and then lost it. Well, we all had to write statements, and my friend doesn't feel safe around this kid. I'm not sure how I really feel. I don't think he'd hit me, but who knows. I shouldn't have to worry about someone at my job hitting me. Anyway...this incident, coupled with other incidents, and the atmosphere at my current workplace have all made it clear to me that I need to find someplace else to work.
So, once again, please cross fingers and wish me luck finding a better school to work at. Someplace I can run a quality library program at, and a place I don't dread going to every morning. I feel like it's the least I can ask after I've put up with so much bullshit in my relatively short teaching career.
But! I had a very nice time with kindergarten. Being with them in all their eagerness to learn, and their fresh eyes, reminds you of the good in people. I wanted to take a few of them home with me.
That said, I had a bad day at work but having kindergarten toward the end made it possible for me to leave my job without a dark cloud over my head. Those stupid skateboard toys I posted about a few weeks ago have come back to haunt me. A kid went through my drawer. I caught him sitting at my desk "sharpening a pencil". When I grilled him about not getting my permission to sharpen said pencil, and for having the gall to sit at my desk, I noticed that things from my drawer were scattered on the floor. I imagine that he wanted to get caught because he did a terrible job of covering up his rifling through my drawer. Two students confirmed that he did indeed go through my drawer and a co-worker had also seen him and was going to tell me later. So we both confronted him and told him that there would be a consequence for violating my space. So he denies, denies, denies and then....goes nuts. He kicks two cushions, tears through the library, kicks chairs over, punches a girl, tries to throw a chair at her, and then finally sits down when we call security and usher all the kids out of the room for their own safety. This was a 7th grade class and they were shaken up by the whole thing. I hadn't yelled at the kid, I had only asked him why he'd gone through my stuff, but he must have been scared and angry and then lost it. Well, we all had to write statements, and my friend doesn't feel safe around this kid. I'm not sure how I really feel. I don't think he'd hit me, but who knows. I shouldn't have to worry about someone at my job hitting me. Anyway...this incident, coupled with other incidents, and the atmosphere at my current workplace have all made it clear to me that I need to find someplace else to work.
So, once again, please cross fingers and wish me luck finding a better school to work at. Someplace I can run a quality library program at, and a place I don't dread going to every morning. I feel like it's the least I can ask after I've put up with so much bullshit in my relatively short teaching career.
But! I had a very nice time with kindergarten. Being with them in all their eagerness to learn, and their fresh eyes, reminds you of the good in people. I wanted to take a few of them home with me.
Friday, January 30, 2009
School Systems, Too Big to Fail
Well, I wish that's what people thought about education and the people who work in the field, but I know that that's not true. I'm getting nervous about the potentiality of teacher layoffs. The rule is, last ones in, first ones out. I guess if the worst came to worse and I can't get a better library job, I can keep the one I have, or if something happens to that job, I could go back to teaching English. There is always some crappy school that needs an English teacher. I don't know if I could survive that though. I would probably consider corporate library work before teaching English again. It's times like these that I am glad I was practical and went for two teaching licenses rather than going through an MFA program. I mean, I can still write and not get published without an unemployable degree. Either way, with out without an MFA, I'm still overeducated and underpaid. Well, I can't complain about my pay, but it also irritates the hell out of me that the Mayor wants union workers to ante up to fix the budget. Why do our benefits and retirements go on the chopping block when times get tough? When I see editorials talking about how municipal worker's benefits are inflated I really have to scratch my head. Don't you want healthy people working for your cities and states?
As it is, I buy my own paper for my work printing and copying needs. And now that my library copier needs a new drum kit, and I haven't been able to locate it on the school system's purchasing system, I actually bought my own at-home-copier for my class needs. My friend says that she can keep my supplied with paper, so if the box I bought, and the one my dad gifted me with run out, I can hit her up for paper. She runs an after school program and so far her budget it still flush. I will still try to get my school to buy the copier part but it took more than 3 months to get them to buy the printer part I needed so I will probably get it around May.
I had a really rough day at work and I forgot to say goodbye to a kid I really like. He's moving to Chicago and I'll miss him even though he could be irritating as all get out. My friend also reminded me that no matter how tough this school year is, it's never going to be as bad as my last year as an English teacher. I'm pretty sure that none of my current students are going to be arrested for manslaughter. It's amazing that I can manage to forget about that one once in a while. I also think that I finally have enough distance from the whole thing to write about it in a way that satisfies me on an artistic level. Sometime soon I will begin to revisit my manuscript and try to make it better. I think it has potential. Maybe someone will even want to publish it one day...
I should make bumper stickers that say: Don't cut money for schools unless you want stupids running our country in 15 years.
Ah, well. At least it's Friday.
As it is, I buy my own paper for my work printing and copying needs. And now that my library copier needs a new drum kit, and I haven't been able to locate it on the school system's purchasing system, I actually bought my own at-home-copier for my class needs. My friend says that she can keep my supplied with paper, so if the box I bought, and the one my dad gifted me with run out, I can hit her up for paper. She runs an after school program and so far her budget it still flush. I will still try to get my school to buy the copier part but it took more than 3 months to get them to buy the printer part I needed so I will probably get it around May.
I had a really rough day at work and I forgot to say goodbye to a kid I really like. He's moving to Chicago and I'll miss him even though he could be irritating as all get out. My friend also reminded me that no matter how tough this school year is, it's never going to be as bad as my last year as an English teacher. I'm pretty sure that none of my current students are going to be arrested for manslaughter. It's amazing that I can manage to forget about that one once in a while. I also think that I finally have enough distance from the whole thing to write about it in a way that satisfies me on an artistic level. Sometime soon I will begin to revisit my manuscript and try to make it better. I think it has potential. Maybe someone will even want to publish it one day...
I should make bumper stickers that say: Don't cut money for schools unless you want stupids running our country in 15 years.
Ah, well. At least it's Friday.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Mic Check
These are the bane of my existence. When I manage to catch someone in the act I tell them that they can get it back when their mom comes to pick up their little skateboard.
Oh, and I feel sort of bad about all the Updike jokes I've made in the past. His prolificness can no longer irk me. Though, I wonder if the New Yorker has a backlog of Updike pieces to haunt me.
When this school year is over I will feel like a writer again, and I will write more. Here and fiction-wise. This is a hard year. Just cross your fingers that I can land somewhere better. I need some luck!
Oh, and I feel sort of bad about all the Updike jokes I've made in the past. His prolificness can no longer irk me. Though, I wonder if the New Yorker has a backlog of Updike pieces to haunt me.
When this school year is over I will feel like a writer again, and I will write more. Here and fiction-wise. This is a hard year. Just cross your fingers that I can land somewhere better. I need some luck!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Glad Someone Said It
This review perfectly expresses how I feel about Ms. Vowell. I cringed when I saw her acknowledgments page when J. brought the book home because she seemed to have thrown in a hell of a lot of celebrities. Great, you're friends with them, but did they really all give you help with Puritan history? Something makes me doubt that. My thinking is, just because you have famous friends that doesn't mean you need to tell everybody about them. So, in the end, it's not a big deal, it's merely annoying. Which I think is the point of the article. I'm just glad someone other than myself said it. The whole thing sort of makes me feel like I'm not crazy, and I have something to defend myself with when I feel like grumbling when my husband fawns too much over her.
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