Tag Archives: students

Reflections on the beginning of another school year

Today was Day #4 in the new school year. I’m teaching freshmen again.

Last year, I threatened to retire if I had to teach freshmen this year. I’m just too blasted old and do not have the energy and I reasoned that they need a younger teacher who is more creative and has more energy … Because of a change in my financial status, I could not follow through on my threat. 

So, here I am with these young students who are eager to experience all that high school can offer them. Of course, analyzing literature and writing essays and research papers in MLA format are not top priority.

To my delight and surprise, I have been visited by students from last year’s classes. Lots of hugs. Lots of comments that they want back in my class. Now, I’m not naive; I understand that I’m what’s familiar and their sophomore teachers are the unknown. But it makes me feel good.

I had some behavior problems on Monday & Tuesday and made calls to MOM! The behavior improved.

I am thankful that my students have focused on writing their essays the past four days. Many of them turned in the summer reading project …. and the others are either reading … or thinking about reading and might get around to finding a book this weekend … maybe.

Maybe this year …… maybe this year will be a little bit better. Maybe this year, I will be able to teach. Maybe this year ………………..

A Story in a Picture

Sometimes a picture might tell a story. Perhaps this one tells a little about life in Shanghai. Perhaps it tells a larger story.

The two men in the foreground: I wonder what they are thinking.  One appears to be anxiously looking for something. A taxi maybe? The other, casually crouching on the curb. Is he waiting for a ride? Just passing the time?

Look closely inside the gate.  A young couple (perhaps students because they are both wearing backpacks) pass by rows of doors that lead into the lives inside the apartments.  Laundry hangs from the windows and across the narrow street. Most of the apartments have window air-conditioning units. It looks as if this was once a modern and upscale apartment complex.

More people are deeper inside, heading toward us. There must be another entrance into the complex because there are a few cars, and of course, the ubiquitous bike, both motorized and foot-powered, and it doesn’t look as if a car would fit through this iron gate.

I frequently go about my life, concerned about only that which directly affects me. I don’t consider that there are countless numbers of people all over the world who have their daily problems, concerns, joys, and loves. I believe that it is important to stop and think for a moment that we all share the same desires, not just for food, shelter, and clothing, but for companionship, safety, and peace. Sometimes, if we are lucky, we find a way to fulfill these desires, and, if we are very fortunate, we might find a little love along the way.

LIFE

Gray Golden Mood

It’s raining, a wonderful and rare event here in Phoenix, and the sky is gray, reflecting my mood.  It’s been a difficult work week. There are two weeks left of school; we are in the midst of testing (my content area requires a minimum of five days of testing), and my freshmen are not responding well — lots of misbehavior which is wearing me down.

I need to grade papers this evening, but before I do, I must get into a more positive frame of mind. I always feel better after playing with images and blogging. I like the mood of these shots of water in the golden afternoon sunlight….kind of soft, mellow, and peaceful, soothing my troubled spirit.

What do evaluations, cactus, and rocks have in common?

Today was my 2nd observation of the year & I can honestly say that I am satisfied. I did the absolutely best that I can, which is a good feeling. For a change, I’m not kicking myself for forgetting this or that. I pulled out every teaching strategy that could possibly fit with the lesson, and my students were 100% engaged the entire period (I was so proud of them).

I had not realized how much I enjoy getting out with my camera and posting my new images until lately when I’ve been too busy with work. Saturday, I went into the city park (no, not a pond with ducks, or trees and grass, but a small mountain with rocks and cactus). I must have been distracted, or maybe I’m a little tired of rocks and am longing for green grass, but I just didn’t connect with my subject (i.e., rock).

The setting sun adds dimension to these saguaro, sentinels of the Arizona desert.

The Arizona state flower is the saguaro cactus flower, but they won’t bloom for a few months. (They seem to like the ridiculously scorching temperatures.) The state tree is the Palo Verde, which is not in bloom yet. In fact, right now it looks like a bunch of green twigs on a smooth green trunk and just does not make a good picture (I tried). This mesquite tree was vibrant from the glow of the setting sun; however, by the time I’d parked and changed lenses, the angle of the sun had changed and the impact was gone.  However, I did capture some of the remaining light on the trunk.

The smooth trunk of a mesquite tree.

The mesquite survives in the desert because of its small leaves that take little water and thrive in the blistering summer sun.

New mesquite leaves

Teaching Experiment

I’m trying something new with my students…a blog. I’m not sure how this will play out. The idea is simple, but I’ve learned that a simple idea can turn into something complex, complicated, and convoluted quite quickly. (How much alliteration can I slip in here?)

The plan is that my students will respond to prompts that I post on the blog as they read books, articles, poems, and epics.

Our new blog is entitled We Read, Think, and Write (http://ireadthinkwrite.wordpress.com/).

I’ll let you know how this works.

Live Life :: Love Life

A fellow blogger (http://nickexposed.com) asked his readers to respond to this statement … Live Life :: Love Life

Sometimes, like today, I forget to love … life.

My afternoon 9th grade students were particularly noisy, inattentive, and quarrelsome today. I wanted to escape. I wanted to simply throw the book down, walk out of the room, and never return. This afternoon, I did not love life … nor did I love my students.

I think that, at such times, it’s critical that I remember this simple maxim. The paradox is that it is simple yet profound, sometimes difficult.

As soon as I get away from the city, as soon as I get a breath of air, as soon as I catch a glimpse of the riot of color in a sunrise or the explosion of a sunset, as soon as I cuddle with my granddaughter, as soon as I pick up my camera, I live life and LOVE life.

The challenge is to live life :: love life while my students are being difficult. And I vow to rise to the challenge.