Leading horses to water cuz it's so damn hot

The temperature, which I thought was dropping for the season, hit 89 degrees in my classroom today, and the humidity was pretty stifling as well. I don't remember the heat bothering me so much in the past, but I was feeling so crappy today that I went home early, right after my last class at 2:30. It's not just the heat, I don't think, but also the deadness of the air. It feels musty, nasty, and hot, and it's making me ill.

After class, I attended my first of two re-certification courses that I must take this year before my certification expires in July of 2009. According to state law, I must take two Reading courses, or six credits, every five years to maintain my certification. Unfortunately, none of the courses I took in the Towson MAT Secondary Education program counted (I don't think, at least... no one at the certification office bothered to return my numerous emails). This is my 8th year of teaching, but, luckily, the fact that North Avenue initially lost my Michigan test scores meant I had to re-submit them five years ago when the budget crisis meant my job was on the line. This, in turn, meant that my paperwork was all re-submitted to the state, and I was given a brand new 5-year teacher certificate. It has worked out serendipitiously, but sure did scare the hell out of me at the time.

The class was much different than I expected. From friends, I had heard that the classes generally are under 10 people, and the professors are chill and relaxed. I've heard some really bad things about the course, as well, about professors who come an hour late every class period, about classes where you don't learn one thing. Beggars can't be choosers, though, and one of the solid things our union does is partake a deal with Coppin State University to take these classes for $50/each. Because I've got to do it anyway, I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, and, after the first day, I think my positive attitude paid off. Despite the fact that the class is around 40 people, I think the professor is pretty nice, and the Reading Strategies handout she gave us today was actually pretty interesting. I hope I learn something. I'm already a little bitter that I have the take the classes at all, and that things like my Performance-based Reading Shakespeare course this summer doesn't count, so I'm hoping I get something from it.

The big problem was the setting. It was at the Professional Development Building on Northern Parkway, a building I had not set foot in since the horrible pre-service training I attended there a little more than seven years ago. I thought I remembered the building air-conditioned, but, alas, it wasn't. So, I taught all day in a 90-degree classroom, then sat in a sweltering 1st floor room - with no windows - with forty adults, sweaty from working all day, in a room with two fans that blew around hot air. When I got up after the two hours, my back and chair were soaked with sweat. The professor says she's requesting an air-conditioned room next week, but one wonders why were were placed in that hellhole room to begin with. The classroom - like my own classroom - was noticeably warmer than the outdoor temperature, as well as the hallway temperature.

I don't remember the heat affecting me so much in the past. Perhaps it is a function of age, or perhaps it's because I'm trying too hard to wear ties to school every day. Whatever it is, I'm getting more and more upset about the simple physical conditions of my job. I don't think kids should be forced to learn in 90-100 degree humidity, and don't particularly feel that I should be forced to teach in it. I can't wait for the autumn to really come.

Hopefully this will be my last entry whining about the heat. You knew this entry would be whiny, though, from yesterday's entry about being wore down to start the week. I could have chosen any number of topics to whine about, though... it was one of those days. These are not limited to the following: the honeymoon period ending, with students texting in class and me actually hearing myself give the "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force him to drink" speech, something I've never actually given until today. Some of these kids need to take a big swig, though. Indeed. At least Fences was fun, and a lot of the kids seem into it.

Starting the week wore down

Tomorrow, I will begin reading Fences with my 9th graders, and pretend I'm not the most tired human being in the world. I might be in bed by 8:30 tonight. And, no, I didn't have a particularly crazy weekend. In fact, not at all. The biggest excitement was going to The Charles to watch Hamlet, and then turning right back around because it was sold out and nothing else was playing at the right time.

Just wore down. Think I'm getting sick. Hopefully a lot of sleep will do me good. Tomorrow, I begin the first of two Coppin State Reading courses for certification renewal, so it's a longer day than usual.

"We need to... help bad teachers find another line of work!"

Did anyone else notice that McCain's line about bad teachers finding other lines of work got one of the biggest rounds of applause from the audience tonight at the RNC?

I really think that those on the right wing of the political spectrum have an active disdain for teachers, that they think we work from 9 to 3 every day, that there's nothing else to it except figuring out how to spend those three months we get off a year.

I'm not blaming McCain for this - I actually liked the line about getting rid the bad teachers, although it leads to opening cans of worms that generally scare the hell out of me. I mean, I pretty much know who the bad teachers are at my school, or have been, and would love it if they weren't my colleagues anymore. But who determines that? Test scores? Busy administrators with unknown or questionable motives? I haven't heard a good system yet.

But it was the applause that most struck me - a wild, frenzied cheer for teachers to lose their jobs. I just keep trying to imagine if the line was about another profession, like firefighters, or police officers, or soldiers, if the applause would have been anywhere near the same. I mean, obviously you can't have bad soldiers on the ground, right - they endanger the lives of people and the safety of the nation. But any politician would be slammed for attacking them, or attacking police officers, or some other professions. And immediately thereafter McCain brings up the word "accountability," which is a euphemistic buzzword for standardized tests.

No Child Left Behind is a good-intentioned but deeply flawed policy. It's not just flawed because it's unfunded, although that is a major reason; the dumping of so much limited resources into creating, distributing, and scoring standardized tests is one reason, I'm sure, that I have few resources in my classroom (not enough textbooks to send home, technology only if I buy it myself, etc). It's also flawed because it encourages states to make their tests as rudimentary as possible in order to produce Adequate Yearly Progress, because it discourages creative thinking, and because focuses too much attention on the short list of tested courses (English 2, Biology, Government, and Algebra). But I've never quite heard it framed like McCain did tonight; heck, the climax of that portion of the speech was about getting rid of bad teachers. And, gosh, the crowd sure did love it!

Some people in this country really hate teachers.

As it is, though, I'm glad McCain is pouncing on the issue of education. It's been mostly ignored for the entire campaign, and Obama didn't mention it in his brilliant acceptance speech. I criticize No Child Left Behind up and down, but at least it entered education into the national discussion in ways it wasn't before or after. When McCain said that "education is the civil rights issue of this century," it was hard for me not to get goosebumps, because I totally agree with him. Hell, Jonathan Kozol would agree with him.

Of course, my answer for that is to create an amendment to the Constitution guaranteeing equal public education for all, not on more testing "accountability." (And, make no mistake, I have nothing against accountability; I just don't think a standardized test is the end-all and be-all, or anywhere near it.) McCain also favors vouchers, which I oppose, and even campaigned against during my days as a rabble rousing college student in Michigan (but, because I teach at a magnet school, I have some dissonance about this, and think about a lot).

I'm glad that McCain is talking about education, though. I disagree with most of his views about it, but if this issue enters the national conversation again, we might see some change. Writing this, I'm thinking to myself, "Geez, well, last time this happened, yes, people talked about it, but it brought us No Child Left Behind." But I guess I have great faith in an Obama Presidency on the issue of education, and welcome a focus on it in the election.

Early heat dismissal

All teachers and staff received this email today from central office, today at 11:43:

Schools are closing half day today for students due to excessive heat and humidity (exact time varies by school according to the bell schedule). Transportation, food services, and the media have already been notified. Staff are expected to work the full day.

However, WBALTV.com, the website we were clicking over and over again to check on rumors of closing, had reported said decision much sooner than that, at around 11:10am. And they had reported that schools were closing at noon.

Of course, the rumors spread through the building like wildfire. My class of 9th graders meets from 11:35-12:25, and the plan today was the drill, a discussion of Friday's quiz, and then to take a writing benchmark for the last 35-40 minutes of class. I knew I had to bench the benchmark. Then, rumors were swirling about the early departure, so I confirmed it and gave the students 60 seconds to phone home for a ride. Then, I did my miniature 20-minute lesson, and waited for the dismissal.

No one really knew what was going on, and I looked down the hall, and all the teachers were standing by their doors, just sort of waiting. The hall monitors didn't know. The department head didn't know. Later, we learned (after we checked the email, which was much after we had seen the report on the WBALTV website) that the schools were on a staggered release schedule, and ours was one of the last. We were dismissed at 12:25, and not before my 8/9th period class had reported from lunch, meaning there were about 60 kids (two classes) in my room. They had cleared the cafeteria because they didn't want to dismiss from there, and made them go to their next period's class, even though there were still classes in there. Weird stuff.

It was a chaotic twenty minutes, but I enjoyed just talking with the kids around the room. I made them get out their flash cards to study after I realized the noon dismissal wouldn't happen, but the kids were kind of gone by then.

I'm very thankful for the dismissal. I was already starting to feel pretty horrible again. I'm pretty sure I have a heat rash on my forehead from constantly wiping myself with a sweat towel, and yesterday's lightheadedness downright scared me. I didn't mind having to stay; we actually did our monthly faculty meeting in the time slot in the afternoon, and we did it in the air-conditioned auditorium. Pleasant all around.

I guess the heat is going down tomorrow. Thank goodness.

Boiling at Back to School Night

One thing I've added to my teaching arsenal this year is a... sweat towel.

Seriously. I now bring a sweat towel into work so that I don't drip on kids when I'm standing over them. It can get real hot up there.

Today, though, might have been the worst day ever. The temperature in my classroom hit 96, and that's not even factoring in the humidity. I also wore a fairly nice dress shirt today, because it was Back to School night, so that made me even hotter. I was pretty miserable all day, feeling light-headed at times and just uncomfortable at others. Water was at a premium and it wasn't particularly cold when it was available.

As soon as my 10th period left, I stripped down to an undershirt and put my head down on my desk. I still had several hours to go - I left the school at around 8 o'clock - and knew that I needed to keep my shirt as fresh as possible for the parents. I also had to run across the city to the Baltimore Teachers' Union to register for my silly re-certification classes in the interim.

I did make it back in time, and had an okay time talking to the parents. I wasn't lying when I told them it was one of my favorite days of the year; I really like interacting with parents. I'm already becoming attached to a few students, and seeing from where they come - quickly and informally - adds to the narrative I write about them in my head. I also was very truthful with some of the cheesy things that I said, things like, "The students at this school inspire me every day," a line that I heard coming out of my mouth about five times tonight to the five different groups of parents I talked to, but, nonetheless, was true. Another little gem of fortune cookie filler was, "My expectations are very high, but my hopes are even higher." Yes, I actually said this, without a touch of irony. Ha! I'm the cheesiest teacher in the world.

A couple things that struck me:

1. Did a mother really let her son text throughout my entire ten-minute presentation? Really?

2. I'm so glad I don't teach elementary. Little siblings running around through much of the night... ugh.

I felt worse and worse as the heat remained and the day wore out. At the end of it all, a colleague came up to me and said, "Oh my god, (Epiph), I have never, ever seen you so red." That was my hint to get out of there. I came home, stripped, took a cold shower, drank about a gallon of ice water, and am starting to feel normalized. Tomorrow, it's supposed to go up to 94. I'm wearing a loose, moisture-free polo golf shirt. Hopefully, the day is a little easier to get through.

Hey, not so fast...

The three day weekend ended with a start today, as I just returned home well after 8:30pm, after attending a meeting that I thought was a SIT meeting but instead was something else entirely.

Tomorrow is Back to School night, so it will be another late night. I'm doing my best to make it to the gym every morning before school - so far I haven't missed a morning since August 6th (during summer bridge) - so with my alarm clock going off a little before 5am, it makes it a nice 15 or 16 hour day.

With the 9th grade, it was one of those lessons that would have worked perfectly in a 60-minute class, but felt a little rushed at 50-minute. My design was probably a little top heavy, and I needed more time with the assessment portion of the lesson - that means I'll need to spend more time than intended going over their homework tomorrow. It was one of those assignments that I ended up having only five minutes to explain and could have used ten or fifteen, and would have liked to have them get a good start on it at the end of class. Every single class period, I seemed to work out the timing just a moment quicker, but something else happened to throw me off - a phone call from the office, a lack of understanding with the drill, etc. Usually I can make it work great by the 4th time, but, today, I ended up at the same frenzied pace for nearly every period.

Today's basic lesson:

I. Grammar lesson - 5 minutes (will be less most classes, but it's the first week of Daily Grammar Practice)

II. Introduction to literary concepts of Imagery (the five types), Figurative Language (the most prominent three types), and Parallelism (I wasn't going to do this, but the piece we used - Cisneros' vignette about little girl's grandfather dying and her comforting her dad about it - features it prominently) - 10 minutes

III. "Find these things in the passage independently" - 5 minutes

IV. Discuss - 10 minutes

V. Take notes on writing an "Observation/Effect" thesis statement, construct one for passage - 10 minutes

VI. Pass out homework, go over it, start doing it - 5 minutes

That's only 45 minutes, giving me about 5 minutes to play around with... but every class seemed to soak up more minutes in one area or another. I have to be a little less regimented tomorrow. There was so damn much stuff I tried to cover, and it might have been too much.

The tone of tomorrow's lesson needs to be more reflective, and less about getting through the material and instead focused on the actual understanding of the material.

Wu Tang bringing the ruckus to 6/7th period

One of the things in the new school year that is really leaving me bemused is the different personalities my 9th grade classes are taking on. I teach four of them, and 1st, 2nd, and 10th periods are all the same so far: quiet, to the point of nearly having to pull teeth to get them to raise their hands. However, period 6/7 is a completely different story: the kids are chatty and the class is loud. I even had to threaten detention on Friday, a day I really didn't want to host detention after school. I haven't treated this class any differently than the others. My standards are strict and consistent. Yet, this class has been pushing my limits all week. Strange.

It probably has a lot to do with the young man who said his name was "Wu Tang" during Summer Bridge. He's brimming with personality and humor and he's always talking (often to himself). I like him a lot, and I can tell that he's testing me every moment of every class period. He will do or say something and look to me for approval or disapproval. Unfortunately for me, he makes me laugh sometimes, so occasionally I fail the test. I think he wants to do well, though, and I'll use his earnestness to my advantage throughout the school year. He also wants to play baseball in the spring, so that should help as well.

Wu Tang is not the only reason the class' personality is totally different than the others. There's also the kid up front who alternates between sleeping and chatting incessantly with the girl next to him. And the bouncy little girl who asked to change seats on the first day because she couldn't see the board, but now I think it was so she could sit next to her friends. Lots of personalities. And just at the perfect time for the blood sugar from lunch to start kicking in. I'll either crash and burn with this class or be envigorated by their energy every day. Probably a little of both.