I feel like crap.

Today stinks.
I have a cold and a sore throat, it hurts to swallow and to talk. Both of my kids were sick for most of last week, and I think they decided to share with me. On top of that, we had parent/teacher confrences on Friday of last week, and talking to 75 parents didn't really help me much. I can't even plan on being out tomorrow or Wednesday, because I had to miss Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last week for various meetings and a field trip with my kindergarten son (as a junior high teacher, this was a real eye-opener, by the way. I may post on this later.)

I just hope I feel better by Thursday, when I have to cook for 15 people.

Nothing to do with teaching

Blogosphere, meet Daisy. Daisy, meet the Blogosphere.
She's not very smart, but she's a good dog. I rescued her from my campus about 7 years ago, and she's been our companion ever since. She loves our kids- after all, their spills have fed her well over the last few years- and they like having her around. All she asks of us is regular meals and occasional attention, and in exchange she gives us unconditional love.
What more could we ask for?

follow-up

First of all: I LOVE the freakin' blogosphere! Teacher/Bloggers are the greatest human beings ever created/evolved/sprung from alien pods!
The other day I posted my frustration with the amount of management my classes needed. To recap, I mentioned it was more like I was a firefighter than a teacher, putting out flare-ups all period instead of teaching. It was especially frustrating becuse I started that day full of energy, ready to teach.
Today's post is mainly to thank the kind commentors, Fred, Polski3, and Lady Strathconn, for their support and kind words.
I have two sections of honors world history (7th grade), and they are just as noisy-if not more!- as the regular ed classes; the difference is they actually do their work in spite of the noise. I don't really mind the noise, so much, as long as they can be quiet when I need them to be. I like a lively classroom, when kids are engaged and active. I love answering their questions, even if they aren't necessairly on-topic; that's what teaching is to me.
The day I posted about was a particulary frustrating one, but the next few were ok. I'm not so depressed any more, thanks to the support of my friends and colleagues in cyberspace. This week will present its own challenges, and I apprecitate knowing that if I post about it, I'll have your support again.
Thanks to everyone!
J

eewwww

They sucked it out of me today.

I started the day full of energy and excitement. I was going to TEACH today!

I could have, too, if it wasn't for all the blankety-blank classroom management I had to do. I'm a friggin' fire fighter, not a teacher for cryin' out loud.

Man, I'm depressed.

How could you go wrong?

It's the Carnival!

It's of!

It's Education!

What more could you possibly ask?

Vote No on Everything!

Ms. Cornelius over at "A Shrewdness of Apes" has commented on California's Prop 74. In a nutshell, this proposed law would increase the amount of time needed for a California public school teacher to get "permanent" status from 2 to 5 years, and would make it easier to terminate a teacher's employment.
As I commented there, I'm for teacher quality; I don't like it when other people make my chosen profession look bad through their incompetence. Teachers, like doctors, lawyers, police officers, hell, even gardners and pizza cooks, need to be accountable and held to a certain standard of performance and professionalism. That said, Prop 74, if it should pass, isn't going to help. Principals will be no more willing to let people go if they have 5 years in which to do it than if they have 2. Firing people isn't fun (I know, I've had to do it), and it's too easy to let the classroom door close and forget there's a problem. Or you give them the benefit of the doubt, or dump them on someone else who's going to be just as reluctant to fire them.
I also commented, in response to a comment by Polski3, about my general distrust of this particular election. Governor Schwarzeneggar has found himself unable to work with the state legislature through traditional methods (ie: Compromise), and is thus trying to get the public to do his legislating for him. He's using his celebrity to push through his pet agenda, at voter expense... remember: this is a SPECIAL election, not one that is normally scheduled, and is therefore an extra expense.
So, here's my advice, and I'm going to thank the Orange County, California Republican party for this (it's the exact opposite of the way they're asking me to vote in a "voter guide" I received today): Vote NO on Props 73, 74, 75, 75, 77, 78 and vote YES on 79 and 80. I'm calling it my "Screw Arnold!" ticket.

An aside: Funny story- I'm (no surprise here) a registered Democrat. Have been for many years. So imagine my surprise last year when I received a letter from the chairman of the Republican National Committee asking for a) my help in getting W re-elected, and b) money. I was tempted to fill out the survey they'd enclosed, and maybe effect some change, but then I realized that wouldn't work, so I just threw the letter away and celebrated the fact they'd wasted a few cents on postage that couldn't be used in the campaign. A month or so later, I got another letter. This one I had to respond to! I thanked Ed (I think that was the Chairman's name) for his interest in my opinions, but told him (kindly) that he was wasting his Limbaugh-loving time. Politics. Ain't it funny?