Can we slow down the rotation a bit?

I need more time in my day! Seriously, if I could get just a few more hours in a day, it would make all the difference in the world. Even better, if we could add one more day to the weekend, my universe would be much more peaceful. My house is never as clean as it should be, I don't cook often enough, I definitely don't get enough sleep, and I'm always behind on grading. This whole "working mother" gig is getting tough!

THIS is why I teach

Teaching is often said to be a thankless job. In my 7 years of teaching, I've found that on many, many occasions, that is the truth. I can't count the number of times, especially over the past year or two, that I've questioned my career choice. Why didn't I listen to Dad and go to law school?? I won't go into the various BS that I encounter on a regular basis, as this post will then turn into a novel.



I had a couple of moments today, though, that make it all worthwhile. As I was lecturing today, one of my girls piped up and said, "History is easy. Mrs. Summers, you're such a great teacher. You make it so easy to understand. I get it when you teach it." I fumbled out a "thank you" and continued, all the while inside glowing. Then in another class, as class was starting, a boy out of the blue said "Mrs. Summers, you're a good teacher." I looked at him sideways, not sure if he was being a smart ass or genuine. I jokingly asked him what he wanted, and he said "Nothing, I'm serious. I don't say things that I don't mean." I have no idea what prompted this, but I quietly thanked him and moved on.



I am not the best teacher in the world. I could put more preparation into my lessons and try to do more things to address multiple learning styles. I could aim to make my classroom more learner-centered and try to engage the kids more. I feel like I do a sufficient job, but sometimes I lose motivation. Moments like the ones today, though, are exactly what I need. I don't need "merit" pay. A simply "job well done" from a kid goes a lot farther than extra money. That's what lawmakers don't understand. Throwing bonuses at teachers doesn't work to improve teaching, because we didn't get into the profession for the money in the first place. I don't know how to solve all of the problems that are plaguing our educational system. I do know that supporting teachers should be a top priority. Perhaps if we get the support we need to improve our teaching, we might get more moments like the ones I had today. Because for teachers who really want to be in the classroom, those moments are what make all the difference in the world.

oven fires and income tax

So our oven caught on fire last night (in case you missed it on facebook or the message board). I was attempting to bake some chocolate muffins, and as the oven was preheating, I wandered past and noticed a glow coming from the oven. Did I bump the oven light by mistake? As I flicked the light switch on and off, lo and behold, the glow was still seeping out. I opened the door, and there was a very bright glow, sparks, and a small flame coming off of the bottom heating element. Eeek! I turned off the oven and called for Matt, trying to keep my voice calm so as to not alarm CJ, who happens to be terrified of fire. We tried the fire extinguisher to no avail. We tried baking powder with no luck. Finally Matt turned on the overhead fan and it went out on its own, but not before melting the heating element into two pieces. So now we're on the search for a new range. UGH! There are much more fun things that I can think of to spend $500 on!

We went today to get our income taxes done. Maya girl was a typical toddler the whole time. Who can blame her? Hell, I wanted to start throwing a tantrum, it was taking so long! Good news? We're getting back twice what we expected! We are totally stoked. Unfortunately the money's already been "spent." We'll lock our house taxes for next year away in a savings account (damn it, why didn't we escrow?), buy our new range, and fix the leak in our roof. None of that is very fun! Oh, well, I guess we have to pretend to be responsible adults. :-(

Ooh, I can add pictures!

I'm pretty stoked. Let me try this...

Snow day! (disclaimer: liberal rant)

After a record 12 inches of snow, all school districts in our area closed for the day. It was lovely! What has not been so lovely has been hearing and reading all of the smart ass comments from global warming skeptics. If people would educate themselves just a little, they would realize that global warming isn't going to make winter weather go away. It causes climate CHANGE. In this case, crazy El Nino warm air brought moisture over the southern U.S. while arctic air dipped down deeper than usual. Moisture + cold air = snow. More severe weather events, even winter weather events, go hand-in-hand with global warming. Top climate scientists have said that. This news is not new. I also don't understand why global warming has to be a political issue. I've been hearing the comments from Fox "News," Republican congress people, and conservative friends on Facebook. Why is it the right that denies it? Is it the whole science vs. religion thing? I know plenty of religious people who look at the scientific evidence and can see that climate change is real. Is the oil lobby really that powerful that it reaches even non-politicians, like people on Facebook? If I have to choose between believing Exxon and believing NOAA scientists, my money is with NOAA.

Rant done! :-)