happy new school year

obviously i have been out of touch. obviously. i hate when people say, "i have been busy," because even when you're busy you can find time for the people and things you enjoy. thus, the more legitimate excuse i will give you all is i feel totally let down by my job search. let me catch you up to speed:
i have been working over the past year to build a fantastic resume and gain some experience. i had high hopes of landing a position as a secondary science teacher starting this year. the only catch is that i am only alternatively licensed. using my bachelors as collateral i was told i could teach for a year on a statement of eligibility, and earn my initial license in that year of teaching. unfortunately, no one told me the entire u.s. economy would be in the toilet whilst i was in hot pursuit of my first teaching position. this makes making finding a jobs nearly impossible even as a fully licensed teacher. i scratched and begged (metaphorically of course) all summer. i went on exactly 4 interviews and was offered exactly 0 positions. in fact 2 of the 4 principals i interviewed with did not even feel obligated to dignify my interview with a call or email. now if that is not discouraging, i'm not sure what is... with 3 days before school was to start, i applied for a posting as a high school physical science teacher. i buffed my resume and (more or less) tricked 2 AWESOME references into writing me A+ reference letters. i practiced my interviewing skills with a middle school principal who was my high school softball coach. she helped me out, nursed my confidence back to health, and gave me some awesome pointers. i studied for that interview like i studied for my developmental biology final. i was pumped when i NAILED the first interview and immediately meshed with the science staff. i was invited back for a second interview with the prinicipal, an instyle reading, peep-toe pumps wearing, fashionista with a love for kids, science, and education. i was totally in right? in all seriousness, i was confident after my initial interview and more excited than i ever had been before. honestly, i was perfect for the position. i have a great science background, i WANT to work in a high school, i have awesome spanish skills, and i have a lot of experience teaching and working with limited english students. that was more or less the exact job description. there was just one problem... my competition was a handsome, well dressed (we're talking chalk striped marc jacobs, with expensive shoes), bachelor of science in biological science holding, spanish speaking, teach for america graduate. i believe the key in this whole situation (sorry equal opportunity) was that he is of the male persuasion. unfortunately, the position was offered to mr. chalk stripe. it was a heartbreaking blow, that i am still recovering from. i have often wanted to log on and blog about the whole situation, but it honestly was an emotionally draining experience. once school started the already exiguous job postings became all but extinct. i have resigned myself to spending another year working as a sub/ part time teacher. this time around though, i have decided to be a bit more proactive. i enrolled in the post baccalaureate teacher licensing program at metro. though being in school as a student is the absolute last thing i want to be doing, it is a means to the end which is the ultimate goal after all. while going to school i will still be subbing when i can. i also am still working at the math and reading center, though i have been promoted to "assistant administrator." i am in charge of lesson planning and the logistics behind making the standard curriculum work for our students. i do still work with some of our advanced math students. i am also still working with the after school program, though i have been "promoted" here as well. i am now a lead teacher, as well as the science enrichment teacher. if you didn't think that was enough, i have a private tutoring client i work with two nights a week, and i have been coaching a 10 year old softball team. whew... i guess i am busy after all.

that's where things stand. i have been extremely bummed about missing out on a full time teaching position for the year, but things are looking up. i love working with the students i have now, and perhaps going back to school will be good for me. who knows, i may learn something? at least i have more raw fodder for my blog. in the end, the experience is priceless, and not just the kind of experience i get to highlight on my resume. stay tuned...

developments

hi team! i apologize from being absent for so long. i do that from time to time. things get crazy with life and love and my beloved blog becomes the first thing i neglect. i hope all of you teachers had a wonderful, successful, and enjoyable school year. there have been very few developments in my situation, and the job search is at a stand still. i have decided to go back to school instead of trying to work towards an initial license through the alternative program. unfortunately this means another year of school, subbing, and student teaching before i have a classroom of my own. on the bright side, this is a surefire path instead of the dark, murky water that is the alternative licensure program...
when i have things figured out, i promise to give a longer post about where i am at and where my little blog stands!

enjoy your summers everyone! don't give up on me. i promise to get back into the swing of things at some point!

daycare

it is funny how my most loved job as mad scientist lauren at structured after school, has slowly turned into daycare. don't get me wrong, i love those kids and i still enjoy my job. it's just that what started as a legitimate science teacher position has now become babysitter extraordinaire.
i am still traveling twice a week to the parker school and the the englewood school. trucking it all the way to westminster and back once a week ended up being more than my sanity could handle though. i was so sad to leave that group of students, but teaching for an hour and a half did not seem to outweigh the horrendous 2.5 hour (round trip) drive i was taking to get there and back.
though it ended up being less legit than i intentionally thought, i am still gaining some valuable knowledge about the world of teaching. i get to develop and implement my own lesson plans which has been great practice. of course with and group of kids i am always working on the best way to manage the classroom and handle discipline. maybe most important though, i have learned quite a bit about what it means to be a good boss (and as a result what it means to be a terrible boss). uh yeah... mr. after-school is a terrible person in charge. that is another story for another day though.
during holidays and breaks from school (such as spring break this week), we run an all day program so parents do not need to fret about finding a week of daycare. being that we are an after school program it only makes sense to offer an all day deal when there is no school. yesterday i was trusted to close up after all of the students had been picked up and lock down the school when i left. this of course means i was required to wait there at the school until all of those kids' parents got off from work... i forgot how hard it is to keep the attention of 25 school aged kids for more than 30 minutes. it was tough. during the course of the afternoon i had to learn to play the wii, fix a flooding toilet, hack into the school's wireless internet, sooth bruised knees, spend 25 minutes looking for a lost shoe, "pretend" to break my arm so i could be "admitted" to the "clinic", and clean up the gymnasium twice after the sports closet was raided. i was exhausted.
by about 5pm there were only 6 kids left and the pretend clinic was apparently old news. instead we started a game of baseball (my cup of tea!!) what began as a fun little game of america's favorite pastime, turned into one big scheme to be the best "cheater". foul balls were no longer being counted as strikes, pretty much anything hit into the air (even if it was caught) was being counted as a home run, if you did not make it to third base on any given hit (no matter what) you were out, and best of all was you had to carry the bat around the bases with you. if someone wrestled the bat out of your hands before you reached third, yup you guessed it, you're out.
i will never cease to be amazed by the imagination and free spirited nature of kids. when do we loose the ability to imagine our way through a day of boring daycare? it is tragic really that we have to grow up... i miss playing clinic and making up my own rules to a game of baseball :)

disparity

i have been meaning to post on a few observations i made at really new middle school from my two day stint there a few weeks ago. i was particularly excited to sub at really new middle because it is yet another possibility for a full time position next year in the district. besides it is always fun spending the day in a brand new school, open only one year, to check out the awesome facilities and new technologies. traveling between city schools and the new rich suburban schools has been quite the commentary on the disparity in schools across the state. it is absolutely astounding the types of resources these new schools have compared to an inner city school just 30 miles away.
i was talking with a good family friend, who is a 4th grade teacher in a lower income district here in colorado (one of the three districts in which i sub). she has been following my progress, requesting monthly reports on the job prospects for next year, as well as the status of my sanity, after a year of subbing. we had a long conversation about this disparity and the three different districts i am subbing in. of these three districts, i have listed them in a hierarchy based on the socioeconomic area they are located in and the level of unrest seen from the students (which i am finding tend to correlate). the big city district (encompassing most of our urban population in denver) is, for the most part really, rough. most schools in this district are located in lower income areas and the atmosphere is, well, distinctly austere and, in parts, quite scary. split lunch middle is located in this district, but most of my other experiences here have been bleak and discouraging. you are dealing with high risk students, poverty, violence, cultural diversity, language barriers, rampant drug use, and blatant disrespect. though these scenarios are seen in smaller doses in more affluent suburban areas, it does not compare to the city schools. the second district in which i sub from time to time, encompasses a suburban area outside of the city with a large hispanic and african american population that is, for the most part, lower income. i have a few friends who currently work in this district, and i have heard terrible heartbreaking stories of poverty and (unfortunately) abuse. teachers in this district deal with high gang activity and the sad truth behind loosing students due to the illegal status of their parents. it seems it is never surprising to have ten to fifteen students come and go throughout the school year. the further east you travel within this district's boundaries, the more promising the schools become. yet most schools suffer from low funding and nonexistent supplies. lastly, i sub in "the district," which is the school district from which i personally graduated, as well as the district whose boundaries i am currently living within. though this school district sees many problems that plague other urban schools across the united states (drug use, some poverty, violence, at risk youth, etc.), the situation and resources in these schools are 100% more positive than the other two districts. schools have sufficient funding for supplies, repairs, etc, and moral always seems high (which can be a huge boost for students and faculty alike). the students ALWAYS seem more adaptable, excited, amiable, attentive, etc. simply stated the atmosphere in this district's schools is a thousand times more adept to foster a positive learning environment than the other two districts. as a teacher you can pick up on those vibes within the first five minutes of stepping foot through the front doors.
my teacher friend was asking me about some of the schools i have been to, and which schools i would most enjoy teaching at next year. after rattling off a few of the more positive environments and well equipped schools, she surprisingly asked me, "so the inner city is not appealing to you?"
i thought long and hard on this posed question. of course this whole issue is a touchy subject. i'm sure i'll receive some slack for pinning the hispanic population in the lower income district, but unfortunately that seems to be the reality. touchy subject aside, i had to really process the situation before i answered her. i realized that it comes down to the fact that i am just not sure i'm cut out for a life in an inner city or lower-income school. that may be selfish to say, but it is the truth. i have an enormous amount of respect for teachers who can keep their cool and teach in the inner city for their whole lives. i believe, though, it takes a certain type of person to be successful in this situation. not to totally trash my teaching capabilities. i think you are lying to yourself if you think all teachers can be successful in an urban school. teachers not cut out for the inner city are not lesser teachers. in fact i'm sure many suburban and private school teachers are most outstanding, and i hope to be among your rank one day. i believe it takes an extremely strong and driven person to be successful in an urban school. you must be willing to accept defeat as well as happiness from small accomplishments. idealistic fresh faced teachers tend to get their overly optimistic goals and lesson plans regurgitated all over their shoes. it's a slap in the face... this generally ends in heartache, discouragement, and eventually an end to their teaching careers. don't get me wrong. i'm not saying all teachers should not have high goals and set formidable expectations. no one can be successful without clear goals... when it comes down to it though, teaching in an urban setting is more about being a strong influence, a role model, and a confidant than it is about gpa, college entrance exams, and teaching ap physics. of course there is crossover in this little example. suburban teachers need to be role models and confidants to their students as well as urban teachers should strive to open doors for students to get to college and succeed in ap classes. teaching in a more affluent school though, offers a more homogeneous student population, much more parental support, and a more stable student population. of course this scenario comes with a whole slew of "upper class problems" (as i like to call them). popping prescription pills, mommy and daddy's money burning holes in designer jean pockets, and problems extending from extreme pressures to succeed (to name a few). in these types of schools though, it is easier for a teacher to focus on "taking it to the next level" and pushing his or her students to the next degree of success. not to get all scholarly, but it sort of comes down to maslow's hierarchy of needs in a sense. being an educator i hate saying this, but teaching in an urban setting is sometimes less about teaching and more about fulfilling those hierarchical needs.
when it comes down to it, and i weigh out these sticky thoughts of mine, i find that despite my ideology and zeal to see students succeed and help kids who are suffering and need my help the most, i am simply not cut out to be an urban teacher. i think my expertise and drive is better suited for a high achieving high school. i can one day be in an advanced or ap classroom pushing students and help them actualize their complete and full potential!! i find myself drawn to "the district" in particular because it is in fact the school district where i received my education. some may say that i should take this education and give back to students who are not as lucky as i was, and who are not necessarily receiving the top notched education that i received simply because of where they live. i get it. that is quite the warm fuzzy, and i know it would be fulfilling to devote my life to helping lower income students find strength in themselves and find success at school. in the same breath though, i feel obligated to give back to my community in the same way. this community and this school district raised me and helped me succeed in life. for me the fulfillment will come from giving back to the district that gave me an education as well as the drive and strength i am so thankful for.
kudos to those of you teaching in inner city schools. i commend you all. i think what i am trying to get at though, is that all teachers, even those teaching at expensive private schools, should be receiving the same kudos. just because they have not devoted their lives to fixing the problems in urban schools and given every last ounce of blood, sweat, and tears to help inner city kids succeed, does not make them any less of a teacher. some of us are going to be more successful in a high achieving school, others teaching advanced placement classes to college bound seniors, and still many teachers' skills and devotion are most needed in urban settings. each of us has a niche where our teaching philosophy and skill will be most influential. in the end (test scores, socioeconomic status, and other problems aside), no matter which school you've dedicated your heart and soul, the lives you touch and the students you inspire are just as paramount as the those at the next school over.


*i hope this little diatribe did not offend anyone. i welcome your comments and thoughts!!

snow days

it seems we coloradoans have forgotten how life carries on during a blizzard. in our own defense, this winter has been incredibly dry. we have had practically no snow in the metro area (the mountains are another story). february and march tend to be the snowiest months, but we have been completely spoiled with 70 degree weather and gorgeous sunshine. coloradoans have pulled out the hiking boots and shorts and declared it time for summer. throughout december and january, we kept thinking, "ok, we cannot get used to this... we're going to have a huge blizzard." as more and more time passed though, sans blizzard, we were welcoming spring with open arms. ooops.
though not the worst snow i have ever experienced (not even in the top five), wednesday night and all day thursday, saw a hefty snowfall and crazy blizzard like conditions. i was awoken early thursday morning by the musical tones of my cell phone. it was ms. new middle secretary.
"hi lauren, just wanted to let you know school is canceled today, so the subbing assignment has been canceled. check the news tomorrow to see if school is delayed."
i stumbled up the stairs in disbelief expecting a foot of snow out on my deck excited about the prospect of a snow day (as an adult!!!). i was shocked to find nothing more than a dusting, and the sky producing little more than a blustery little flurry. aka the kind of storm we coloradoans yawn at. we're not in texas ya'll (haha). i flipped on the news thinking someone was playing some sort of prank on me. maybe school was simply delayed. you know storm schedule... that happens a lot here. nope. the news confirmed what ms. secretary had told me, school was canceled. school all across the state was canceled as well, not simply this particular district. confused i decided to just roll with it and crawl back into my warm bed and catch up on some zzzs.
turns out the weatherman and superintendent were correct in the assumption that the dusting i saw in the morning was going to get worse. much worse. it snowed all day. the freezing temperatures and crazy wind made driving impossible and produced wicked blizzard conditions.
i was stoked about my first teacher snow day! as a child we used to PRAY for snow days. during any given school year, we usually had at least one snow day and a few delayed start days. it is one of those little things that makes living in colorado such a blast! you don't see too may snow days down in florida do ya? unfortunately the blizzard conditions made it impossible to enjoy the fresh snow. kids were cooped up inside unable to construct the first real snowman of the season or do some serious sledding. plus i had already forgotten how much i despise shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. especially in a storm such as thursday's. you shovel 5 inches at noon, and by 5pm there is another 3 inches to clear. needless to say, my snow day was not as sweet as i remember snow days being as a child.
friday, i was more than ready to get back to work. i was looking forward to working at least one day of my two day assignment at new middle school (which has slowly become my favorite place to sub!) throughout the night we had received about 3 more inches bringing us to about 9 inches in total. i turned on the tube and flipped to the news just in case there was a late start in effect. i was SHOCKED to see that the entire city was practically closed. it took nearly two commerical cycles to scroll through the entire list of businesses and schools that were closed. low and behold, "the district" was closed for a second day in a row. i snuggled back in bed and slept until the sun woke me up. yes, the sun. bright and shining like nothing had happened. by 10 am the snow had melted considerably and the only driving hazard was back splash from the quick melt off. i'll admit, i was embarrassed for our state. we're supposed to be bad asses when it comes to this whole blizzard thing. i can remember driving to school in 5 inches of snow, no delay and no snow day. it seems that the abnormally warm winter we have experienced this year has caused us to forget how to behave in weather like this.
there is this commercial here in colorado, i believe for health insurance, and it has a great little intro. there is this guy plowing through feet of snow in the mountains in his suv before flashing to him shredding it up on the slopes. the tag line goes something like this, "here in colorado you will brave two feet of snow for a day of skiing..." the picture flashes to the same gentleman looking out the window to his front yard before rolling over in bed and pulling the covers up over his head, "but you can't get to work when there is only 4 inches." touche...

i came to the conclusion that the superintendent and the teachers decided to spend the day skiing instead of working. it was the last day before spring break after all. it was a FABULOUS day to hit the slopes. the sun was shining and it was 40 degrees. another reason why i love this state. blizzard one day, sunshine the next. p.s. the major roads were dry by noon. oh well, at least the kids got to spend the day sledding. besides, you can't call it colorado without at least one snow day!

happy spring break :)

fingerboards?

ok my friends... i have some gripping to do. i realize that throughout the years i will do my fair share of confiscation. cell phones, video games, make-up, the usual suspects that are absolutely annoying to me and distracting to the rest of the class. we see them everyday, and alas, we taketh away. i am wondering though, if there are any other teachers or subs out there having problems with the annoyingly loud pieces of plastic affectionately called fingerboards. i first came into contact with these stupid little finger skateboards at split lunch middle school. now though it seems that i see them everywhere. i guess the gist is to "ride" around on these little boards and do "tricks" flipping the board around with you fingers... [prolonged pause] uh, not only is this whole concept completely asinine to me, but the flipping around, clattering plastic on the floor, and sound effects issued from the finger boarder are insanely vexatious. the other day at really new middle there were two boys playing with fingerboards and i lost it. "uh no. i don't do finger skateboards."
there are many things in the adolescent world that make little to no sense to me. terrible, bloody alien video games. what happened to mario and donkey kong? those rolling shoes... if i was president i would burn them all. and now miniature skateboards that you roll around with you fingers. seriously, what is next? apparently i have a new pet peeve.
i got to thinking about my generation and what would have been as aggravating to my teachers as "fingerboards" are going to be to me. at first, nothing came to mind. we were perfect i guess. then i remembered the era and craze of slap bracelets. that epidemic ended with bracelets being banned from school partly because people were getting hurt, and partially because teachers could not stand them.
as i was reminiscing about all of my favorite slap bracelets, a momentary wave of horror and embarrassment came over me. who remembers pogs? oh yes, those absurd little cardboard disks that completely consumed my forth grade year. how exactly teachers survived pog mania is beyond me. come to think of it, pogs were banned from school as well.
if history really does repeat itself (like people always say), it is possible that, someday soon, fingerboards will be a thing of the past. then i really can rain down the wrath when i see those stupid little pieces of plastic. here is hoping...

pack the boots

hey ya'll. i have been quite busy this week with fun science stuff. my kids were in complete awe and disbelief by the fun fly stick. i had them speechless in fact, which is a rare occurrence. thank you steve! unfortunately they destroyed the tinsel flying shapes and interest has now been reduced to nearly zippo. i was hoping to get three lessons out of my new toy, but i think that was premature and somewhat naive of me. my box of steve spangler goodies is slowly being depleted though... looks like it is about time for another shopping spree.
this week i have been at another new middle school in the district. i have few observations and anecdotes about my two days at "really new middle school", but i am too exhausted to elaborate right now. plus my dog will be absolutely furious with me if we don't make it to the dog park in the morning. thus, check back over the weekend.

i did want to give a little shout out to my new "travel blog" before i check out. i am going to be doing a lot of traveling and sightseeing this summer and i have decided to start a little journal about my adventures. most of my travels will be in and around colorado, mostly hiking trails, jeeping adventures, and city life in denver. i am by no means an expert, but if you want some local lingo or are thinking about visiting our fine state in the future, read up! check it out if you are at all interested in colorado, hiking, or adventure travel. it's called pack the boots. enjoy :)