A Survivor's Journey, Part 1

So I always feel a little weird about self-identifying as a breast cancer survivor. I mean, technically speaking, I am: I had breast cancer, and I didn't die! Sure, there was more to it than that, but not a whole lot. I haven't blogged about it much - if at all - because for me, it was about as far from an Epic Adventure as you could get!

But I guess with it being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all, I want to describe my experience with breast cancer, mostly because it is very different from the HUGE ORDEAL that comes to mind when people imagine that disease.

It was about midway through the fall of my third year of college; I was 20. I went to FSU, and while I wasn't a total party hound, I generally put off doing homework until 1 or 2 AM, while sitting around in my T-shirt and sweats, until I couldn't keep my eyes open.

I've never been the neatest or most organized person in the world, so when I started noticing stains on the front of my shirts in the morning, I figured it was a bad combination of poor coordination, late nights, and caffeinated beverages. So I cut way back on the Cokes and going to bed earlier. The problem was, I didn't start noticing any changes. Maybe the stains hadn't come out? I began to suspect that there was more to this.

Then one afternoon I came back from... I don't know, the gym or something, and I didn't have a class so I lay down for a nap completely dressed. When I got up, I noticed that somehow I had spilled coffee on the INSIDE of my sports bra. ???! So, yeah, something definitely wrong with me, and I had no idea at all what it might be.

More than a little creeped out by this, I dragged myself to the campus health center to meet with The Girl Doctor. I suffered through the indignity that is the Annual Exam (which I really think was the low point of the whole experience) without saying a THING about my strange symptoms, and I might've run out of there without mentioning them, except I remembered that the symptoms were the reason for that whole rotten ordeal in the FIRST place. So when The Girl Doctor asked if there was anything else that I needed, I said, "Well..."

I told her what I had seen, she had me lean back on the table again (at least I didn't have to put my feet in the stirrups - ugh!!) and she started poking at my boob! AND IT LEAKED! "Does that hurt?" No, it didn't hurt, but OMGWTF?!!!

It SO didn't help that she noticed that one particular area seemed to be... ah... more affected, let's say. "Wow, it's really comin' out, isn't it?"

Squirt.

Squirt.

Squirrrrt.

Oh GOD. That is my BOOB, not some overly large and fleshy pimple! I was mortified.

Anyway, it finally went from gush to tinkle to nothing at all, and she'd taken a sample to send away for testing. I was so glad to just get out of there. Seriously. I felt like I was escaping when I stepped out the door. Thank God that's over.

Only it wasn't.

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Comment from "No"

Well that was unexpected.

Pointless - but definitely unexpected.

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Brief Updates and a Pondering

Things have been slightly crazy. We're actually trying to finish up Issue 2, and I keep reminding myself that I wasn't intending to have this issue go out, since Issue 1 was late; I was going to punt Issue 2 to mid-October (after fall break). But it looks pretty good and I think we can do it.

I put the rest behind the cut because I didn't want to return to the blog with fists full of snark. Frustrations are lurking there - consider yourself warned!

Books

Read several good books lately - Naked Economics and Little Brother and The Poison Apples among them, a week or so ago. I've just recently finished Leaving Fishers and Sometimes the Magic Works, all from the public library. And I re-read Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast, from my own collection. There were others, but I don't particularly remember them... Oh, a good bit ago I read A Curse as Dark as Gold, from the school library. That was unexpectedly good.

Frustration mingled with petty vindictiveness

Our brilliant administration had decided that students should not be in charge of counting votes for senior superlatives and took that out of our hands (yey!) and said they'd do it (uh-oh). Predictably, the votes were NOT counted by the day the photographer had been scheduled to come by. Seniors are mad. I am happily letting them know they should talk to the admins.

And finally: Teh Suck.

This past week I had several kerfuffles, but the worst was that Tattletale bounced in at the start of Photo Retake Day and announced that Goth Girl had a razorblade stashed in one of her books and I should check it in class. I managed to thank her without rolling my eyes and told her to go let an appropriate authority figure know. Didn't even SEE Goth Girl that day as I had a sub so that I could stay in the auditorium with the photographer and try to figure out how to get the ninnies who never pay attention to ANYTHING to come by and get their photos made. And only those ninnies - not the ones whose photos we already have and just want to get out of class.

GR.

Anyway, so thought nothing about it until I was called to an AP's office and asked why I didn't report this. *facepalm* Had it not been photo day with several Issues already (we had advertised gym & photo dude set up in auditorium - ended up not being a big deal cuz nobody pays attention ANYWAY, plus we had a bunch of students who'd had their photos taken the first time but there was a camera issue and as a result the images somehow didn't get stored), MAYBE I would've called it in right away, as I got told I should've.

I was really upset about this at the time. I'm still troubled by it. I honestly think I'm a pretty good teacher. And I don't tend to have too much trouble with classroom management. But this concerns me - I'm not a good i-dotter-T-crosser. Never have been. However, it's something that I need to be good at, and I don't know how to get better at it.

Pondering for today: What supplies could you not live without?

I'm pretty frugal when it comes to supplies. Right now I'm annoyed that our start-of-year supply order got messed up and I didn't get the tape I wanted. I have my "backup roll" in the dispenser, but it's not nearly as nice, despite the fact that the backup is Scotch tape and the other is an off-brand. :P

Obviously, as we have a computerized grading program that stores our data on a network, I use my computer and internet connection fairly frequently.

I'm also an email junkie - I'd much rather communicate by email than just about any other way. It provides evidence of what was said, unlike face-to-face or telephone conversations, you have the ability to check and revise before sending, you can keep lots of messages in the same place without worrying about clutter, they're accessible from any computer with internet access, and the search feature lets you find specific messages easily, even when you're like me and you keep darn near EVERYTHING.

I feel awkward if I don't have writing tools with me. I'm not incredibly picky, though I prefer to avoid markers and crayons. ;)

And I'm incredibly stingy with my whiteboard markers. There's another class in my room during my planning period, and I'm sorry, but it ticks me off when my whiteboard markers disappear. I try not to let it bother me, because I realize that I'd be worse about it than any other teacher ever has been to me, but... gah!

I love our Journalism printer - a HP Color Laserjet 2600n. Everything looks so smooth and crisp and clear!

We also use the Canon digital point-and-shoot a lot. There's also a Nikon SLR, but it's going to be a WHILE before my staff is dedicated enough for me to decide it's worth my while to teach them how to use it. I will NOT let them use it for cutesy myspace-style candids. :P

And of course, there's my Regular Three: my keys, my wallet, and my cell phone. These are what I check my pockets for (if I remember) in the morning. Even so, if I realize that I'm not sure where something is, it's NBD. The Hunk and I drive to work together (his school is maaaybe a mile and a half away from mine, so he drops me off) and I can ask to have a janitor open the door to my room. If I don't have my wallet, I can't buy lunch, but missing one meal? again, NBD. And the cell phone - pf. If it's important, they'll leave voicemail. So long as the Hunk has his phone, I can use the school phone to call him. (It works the other way 'round, too.

What about you? What supplies are essential? important? useful?

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I don't have ENOUGH time...

but clearly, the fellas over at EepyBird have more than they need! Hm. I wonder if they're snitching some of mine!!

Okay, so hopefully, you've already seen this:



But wait! THERE'S MORE...

The Sticky Note experiment from Eepybird on Vimeo.

But for me, alas, it's time to get back to work.

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Why I Haven't Posted

So we are a little more than halfway through the first half of the course (since we're on semester blocks). This week, the English department went to training for America's Choice. So there were lots of teachers gone, and we had no control over who our subs would be. Woot.

We are in theory supposed to incorporate the America's Choice practices into the courses we're currently teaching (for those of us with 9th/10th classes). Never mind that the course is 30% over. I am all with the WTFery, but if I can, I'm gonna try to weasel out of Julius Caesar, which I really don't wanna suffer through. (Sorry, Doc.)

And of course we don't get planning time at the seminar. This is AFTER I stayed at school until 9:20 on Tuesday re-checking the newspaper and uploading it before Open House, then staying to make sure that my sub plans for Wednesday were clear.

Anyway, so I was gone Wednesday and Thursday - at least during the school day (ends at 2:55). I got to the school for Journalism Club at 4:15ish. Get the students started on their work. (Make posters to advertise that we'll be selling the paper at lunch on Friday.) Go check my mailbox.

There is a note from the sub.

Boy o boy. My 2nd block class isn't as unruly as my 4th block was last year - but I have a lot of the same yahoos! And will a full class (31), when they get even a little talkative, the noise level skyrockets. Then of course they have to talk louder to hear themselves over each other, and... UGH.

They did not get their work done. They did not sit quietly. They goofed around & did whatever.

SO. I spent Wednesday evening on the phone. Calling, calling, calling parents. Ms. Clix was NOT a happy cookie. Thursday morning I called the school & reminded the secretary to please call me if she heard about any issues with that class - I would call back & she could patch me through to the classroom & I'd speak with them as close to "in person" as I could get.

Thursday afternoon when I went by for Journalism Club the secretary mentioned that she'd also asked the principal to stop in and speak with the class. Go Ms. Secretary! YAY! Needless to say, with the parent calls AND the visit from the principal, things went MUCH better that day!

Plus, the papers were in - and I hesitate a little, cuz I've seen y'all's - but they looked good! I was really, REALLY pleased with the photo quality and the writing. The topics were a little dry, which is something they always struggle with, but overall, I was really happy.

It made me even happier when we SOLD OUT of the issue! *gleedance* At the end of the last lunch period, one of my Gremlins came tearing into the room with the news that WE SOLD OUT! I was a little skeptical, but then my editor came in and showed the empty box... plus the money was there! WOOT! I think it's more money than we've EVER made on newspaper sales.

However, I do make a habit of pulling copies - each advertiser gets ten, plus I keep some extras in case we forget to give copies to the library or administrators. And - don't laugh - I always give a copy to my parents. ;p

So, if you'd like some copies, email me at uncomfortableadventures at yahoo, and include the name & address to which I should send them. I'd LOVE to trade - I'm always looking for new ideas & examples!

All in all, the week went well, but it was VERY full. I don't know that I'll get much R&R this weekend - I think it's going to be spent attempting to catch up with my grading...

BTW, anyone know what happened to the Carnival!? I finally had a chance to read it this afternoon after school and it was gone!!

Images thanks to http://www.vipdisco.co.uk/yourevent.htm and http://mixedink.com/blog/category/newspapers/

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Whine, whine, whine

My students have been complaining about the amount of homework I give. Each day they get a 20-line writing assignment - usually just a reflection - that ties in to what we're studying.

It's only 20 lines, though... and then I look at my poor neglected blog. Not that I don't have reason: grading, lesson planning, Dragon*Con, the Damn Book...

Aw heck.

So, I figure, to help keep me writing, even if it's not important, I'll answer the prompts as well.

Today's prompt: Which format do you prefer - movies or TV? Why? Explain, with examples.

I prefer movies, because I have more control over what I'm getting. We're signed up with Blockbuster online, so I can list the movies I want them to send me, and they only send from that list. Since we only have one or two DVDs at a time, it doesn't become a default activity for us.

Movies are also less likely to get repetitive. With a few exceptions (*cough* Police Academy *cough*), you don't have to worry about a good movie degenerating into predictability and cliche. Because a TV series can continue for season after season after season, there's a lot of financial pressure for a popular series to keep cranking out episodes long after the initial story arc has been resolved. It's very difficult to keep things fresh.

Here's hoping I can find time at least to touch on all the things I love - including my wonderful Epic Adventures!

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Auto Erotica

Before you start to panic, this is NOT a post you need to worry about being NSFW (unless you've got images turned off in your browser, which could cause folks to jump to some incorrect - though intriguing - conclusions).

This is the Tesla Roadster, and I want one. Dear God, I want one. Not that it remotely replaces the Ferrari Enzo as my car smack of choice, but isn't it just incredibly yummy?

First of all, it is named for Nikola Tesla, who is just about the coolest scientist EVAR. Pretty much everybody knows about Thomas Edison, who gave us incandescent light and the phonograph. But the AC that powers your house is from Tesla (Edison favored DC, which we use in battery-powered devices).

And let's be completely honest: the guy made mad science sexy, yo. Just look at that faint hint of a smile, and the sparkle of knowledge in his eyes.

Second, it is completely electric, which means NO GAS. It's also a good candidate for conversion to solar. In fact, Tesla Motors already offers a solar panel for the Roadster that purportedly generates up to 50 miles of battery-free travel per day. However, it does not sound like the solar panel can be used to charge the battery. That will be the final major step for solar travel; after that it's just working out the kinks.

Not those kind of kinks! Tsk. Really.

But alas! the Roadster sells for around $100k, so I will not be getting one anytime SOON. Even so, I think it is safe to say that while our next car may not be a solar vehicle, the one after that almost certainly will be.

Image thanks to http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/03/tesla_roadster_goes_into_production.html

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Calling Parents

So last night I called parents for EVERY STUDENT who has anything below a B (with the one exception of the student for whom I have a parent conference today - I figured it'd be redundant). I also called some in the 87-89 range who could pull up ton an A.

A number of them are flunking because we've had one end-of-unit project so far (a wee one, but it was still a test grade), and they didn't turn it in. Well, test grades in our department count for 50% of the final average. Thus, if you have a 0 for your average, you take the rest of your grades, average them out (half quizzes, half "daily work" aka classwork and homework) and then subtract 50 points. So, yeah. Not turning in test work? Not good.

It took about an hour, maybe an hour and fifteen minutes total to do ALL my calling. And you know what? It wasn't so bad.

1) First, and most importantly, I state that the purpose of the call is to let the parents know that I am handing out student reports tomorrow, so the students will know exactly what grade they have and how they've done on each assignment. The parents can ask the students about this, and the students should be able to give them the report if asked. While I don't quite agree with the "sandwich" method of parent contact (start with a compliment, put the negative in the middle, and finish with a compliment), the idea behind it is solid: always begin with something nonconfrontational.

2) I don't lie or brush aside the truth, but I skirt the line pretty closely! I don't think you have to be harsh. Parents know that when they hear "Well," followed by a pregnant pause and then, "he's reeeally not doing so great right now," the news is BAD. I go very quickly through the source of the trouble (usually uncompleted work and/or failure to use time effectively in class) and then move on.

3) Here's where I really disagree with the sandwich method: I don't finish with a compliment. Rather, I close the call by explaining what the student can do to fix things, and describing what I'd like to see as a result. And, of course, as student success is always good, I'm still ending with something positive - plus I'm letting the parents envision their child being successful if the action plan I've explained is followed! I really think this is the lynchpin, because it creates a "team" effect: this is what we all want, and we're going to work together to achieve it.

When I finish my calling, I always feel relieved because it is OVER, but also because I know that I've strengthened the relationship I have with the parents, and I've given them a way to help their child be successful.

Your parent calls can be painless too!

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Remediate Me

Yet another post with no picture, alas. This has to be quick, because I only have a few minutes before the students begin to invade!

So. According to the research that I've read and can't recall where I read it, social promotion (with or without remediation) doesn't work. (My response: "Well duh!") Students who are sent to the next level of a course without having mastered the material from the previous level have greater difficulty at the higher level and are likely to fall even further behind. Again: Duh.

However, apparently, retention is even worse. Students who are retained do not benefit from the additional YEAR of instruction, and fall behind even their NEW classmates.

Okay, so, what now?

I think the problem is with remediation - sort of the same way we have issues with tracking. Tracks should be flexible, with students moving in and out on a fairly regular basis. Students who've been really sick and out for weeks could drop to a remedial track for a short period and receive more intense instruction until they have caught up to their peer group, for example, and then moved back into the regular class. Sort of like that. However, what ends up happening is that students placed in a lower track simply stay there.

I guess I see the issue as limited supply. There will always be some teachers that are better than others. So who should get the best teachers? Who "needs" them the most? The students who are struggling more - or the excellent students, who need a "greater challenge?" Or the ones stuck in the middle?

Anyway, the POINT of this was to ask if anyone knows of any GOOD remediation strategies - ones that won't simply perpetuate the cycle.

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Blih.

HOW do people do it? Seriously. I mean, we don't have kids. And I STILL have difficulty juggling everything. It's like - I can keep up with Journalism, or with English, but not with both. If I try to keep up with both classes, I can manage lesson plans or grading, but not both.

And don't get me started on the house. I can keep the laundry washed, or I can get it put away...

But not both.

---

I'm already thinking about changing my Expectations poster for next year. Right now, they say:

1. Work Hard
2. Be Kind
3. Follow Directions

I'm thinking of changing that to

1. Work Effectively
2. Be Kind Always (because I don't think Be Kind No Matter What will fit in the space I have for the poster!)
3. Follow Directions

Whaddaya think?

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Best. News. EVER.

Well, for today, anyway.

So I stayed until almost 7 last night, getting sub plans together, because today I was scheduled to go to court as a witness. I got subpoena...ed? and everything. Last week. It was nerve-wracking.

Anyway, I called and got the same sub I'd had when I was out of class to organize & manage photo day. But I didn't know which forms to fill out or anything, or what the protocol was. I asked the secretary, who didn't know, but decided we would treat it kind of like jury duty.

Important note to new teachers - all teachers, really: Befriend the secretaries. They can save your bacon. (Or cook it.)

So at nine, I get a call from the DA's office, and they tell me I don't have to come in and testify. HUGE sigh of relief. I think what I was really scared of was somehow being used against this kid. Admittedly, he did something colossally stupid, but still! It wasn't a dangerous situation, there was no damage to property, nobody got hurt - nothing. And there was zero malice. It was just a booboo. (A big one.)

The assistant DA who called me said she didn't know anything for certain, but it's likely that there'll just be some sort of supervision and everything else will go back to normal. No restrictions on what he can do or where he can go, he'll be at school just like everyone else... WHEW.

I called the school back and talked to the secretary again. Should I get out of my jammies and come in? She talked to the AP, who said that if I felt I needed to come in, I could. I said I didn't think so - I knew I had a capable sub, and I knew I had left effective plans. But I also said that if there were any problems, they could call and I'd come right in.

She said "all right then - have a good day."

BOY WILL I EVER! WOW!

I get a FREE DAY. An unexpected free day! Isn't it lovely? I mean, it's not a big deal, and I'm not actually going to change into jeans, just in case I do get called back in. But - wow!

So I get to go to the library without feeling rushed. I can get caught up on our laundry, dishes, and grading. (Well, the grading is mine, I guess, not ours... though the Hunk is so wonderful that he inputs grades as I mark the next set of assignments!)

How incredibly wonderful! *^.^*

Image thanks to http://www.criticalgamers.com/archives/board-games/top_10_games_of_2007_the_dice.php

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TALT: ABBA!

It is accepted, almost without question, that people who have any taste whatsoever do not like ABBA.

Perhaps I can redeem my dork status by coming forward to say that THE REST OF THE WORLD IS WRONG!

ABBA is like no other group in the world, ever - not even including groups that modeled themselves after the Swedish quartet. Their songs were fun and gentle and sassy and good, in every sense of the word. Most of them have a strong dance beat that makes you want to get up and boogie around the room. They did all sorts of fun stuff with instrumentation, such as having Benny and Bjorn SING the beat in "Take a Chance on Me." (You remember: 'take a chance, take a chance, take-a take-a chance-chance!')

But all of that took a supporting role to what was truly their strength: vocals, particularly vocal harmony. They often switch between simple melody, either solo or doubled, and then jumping to a complex, layered harmony on the chorus (like in "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "SOS").

While the group is best known for their disco-style songs, such as "Dancing Queen" (their only US #1 on the main Billboard chart), their music spans a wide range, from folksy ("Fernando") to '50s bubblegum ("I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and "Honey, Honey") to rock-n-roll ("Waterloo").

ABBA split in 1982, but according to MSNBC, they still sell nearly 3 million records each year. They were reportedly offered $1 billion back in 2000 for a reunion tour, but turned the offer down.

I've loved their music for as long as I can remember. In fairness, I may be somewhat biased: I grew up listening and singing along (my dad is a big ABBA fan), and because I could switch between parts, it never got old. I can now pick out parts after hearing a melody once or twice, possibly as a result of learning about harmony from ABBA. Singing is fun, but it's more fun when you're singing WITH people, especially people who love the songs as much as you do.

So getting a chance to see Mamma Mia! in New York with my family was truly a treat. The story about a girl's search for her father as she prepares for her wedding is paper-thin - I think one reviewer described it as a shishkebab stick with as many ABBA songs skewered on as possible!

However, that didn't matter. It's actually... kind of like porn. The weak plot and the caricature passing for "character development" didn't matter in the least. Fans went to see the songs they loved in performance, not to experience a literary phenomenon. As a result, the musical has been quite successful - nine years, now, I think. It had already been running for some time when I went to see it, but it hadn't lost any of its appeal: as I looked around the audience during "Waterloo" (performed after the story actually ends) I saw few people not singing along. When we came out of the theater, my dad had this HUGE grin on his face. I think we all did.

And, of course, you know I went to see the movie version. However, I knew that my parents would be passing through, so I waited to see it until last weekend so that we could go together.

Only once have I ever felt more of a connection to the rest of the audience during a movie (not counting special presentations, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show), and that was at the re-release of Star Wars on opening night. As soon as the first notes of John Williams' theme began to play, cheers and applause erupted throughout the theater. This was a little different - there was less cheering and more singing.

As with The Producers, I felt the musical should've been translated a little less directly - there were moments that just felt like they should've been on stage and were a bit too over-the-top for screen. The entire cast did a great job, but a special wow goes to Christine Baranski - I swear, the role was made for her, even in the stage version. Plus she's always wonderful. The music seemed to be a bit of a stretch for the men - they just seemed to be pushing to get those upper notes. Amanda Seyfried was great (who knew that Lilly Kane could sing?) as Sophie. And the "Greek chorus" was, I think, one of my favorite parts. As before, I left the theater with a smile.

Sweet, sugary fun? Definitely. But I challenge you to sing along with one of ABBA's hits and try not to smile.


Images thanks to http://www.worldofkitsch.com/music/abba.html, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-566967/Meryl-Mia-How-Streeps-gushing-fan-letter-won-dream-role-new-film.html, http://www.applause-tickets.com/blog/labels/new%20york%20restaurants.html

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Photo Day

Such a long, LONG day. As a result, here is all I have the energy to say: go check out the Carnival of Education.

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Suck.

So I'm only to chapter three in Marzano's Art and Science of Teaching, and already I'm frustrated and depressed. Coming up with this kind of stuff takes TIME, time that I just don't HAVE now that I'm in the thick of things. I mean, I have ideas, but putting together directions for practice and formative assessments - just ordering it up and typing it up and emailing it to myself so that I can print it out at school and photocopy it IF the photocopier is working before I have to go to AM duty... AUGH! Again!

Oh, another thing? He talks about "automaticity" as the highest step of procedural knowledge (which is a fancy way for saying 'skill') but see, yes, I can edit and revise almost automatically - but IMO that makes it even HARDER to teach the steps of the process, because I've been doing it for so long that I can hardly remember what order they go in or even what they ARE. AUGH! AGAIN!

They told me it was supposed to get better after a few years, but ... gah! I just keep learning more about what I'm NOT DOING. And it sounds so good... it's like walking past a patisserie when you're famished and you left your wallet in the car. It's just not FAIR.

So tomorrow we're going to discuss learning goals for the King Arthur unit while looking at the Georgia Performance Standards and considering the essential questions for the unit.

Wish me luck.

Image thanks to http://www.ideallives.com/

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Journalism nonsense

Okay, I feel like all I ever do around here (at least lately) is ask for help. But I'm gonna do it again! Those of you who teach journalism courses, especially newspaper production, I want to know:


HOW DO YOU DO IT?

Specifically, how do you get your first issue out in any sort of timely fashion? We're WELL into the second week of school, and my stinkin' class has a revolving door, I swear. Plus it makes getting student input on our articles difficult - since the schedules are changing from day to day, it's difficult to track anyone down, particularly because the office staff doesn't want to print a copy of the student schedule book for us until things are SOMEWHAT in order.

And now - half of my class is completely new and missed all the introductory stuff that I started in on last week. And half of my staff has been through it. I mean, I can send the older-noobs out on assignment and teach the SUPER-new noobs. It's just annoying.

I've also got like a WEEK'S turnaround time on printing. I feel like our stories will not EVER POSSIBLY be timely.

Images thanks to http://printisdeadblog.com/ and http://rattler-radio.blogspot.com/

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Check this, please?

I'm about to hand this out to my students. I made it up, so all mistakes are mine, but anything that sounds good is thanks to lots of books and blogs that I'm sure I've inadvertently stolen from! Please let me know if I've left anything out, included anything that doesn't fit, or in general put things in a confusing way.

Domains of Writing – Keep this in your binder!

Technical pieces focus on structure. The purpose is to follow a specific format. Any type of writing may also be technical; most technical writing is also expository.

Analytical writing is philosophical and is designed to explore a particular idea, providing information that supports and/or destabilizes it. The purpose is to encourage the reader to continue to think about the idea even after finishing the work.

Creative pieces also explore an idea, but focus on looking at it and describing it in a new way. The purpose is to entertain and enlighten the reader.

Expository documents try to explain a specific event or idea clearly and precisely. The purpose is to inform the reader.

Persuasive writing attempts to hoodwink or bludgeon the reader into agreeing with the writer’s point of view. In some cases, persuasive writing will appear to fit another domain. The purpose is to get the reader to agree.

ANY suggestions are welcome. I'm always a little nervous about doing stuff like this!

Image thanks to http://www.aotearoaeditorial.com/webauction-0.2/index.php?-action=list&-table=products&product_categories=6

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Streeeetch!

Whew! What a day. I woke up at 5, and then again at 6:30 and couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up and started grading and entering. Twelve and a half hours later, I'm finally done.

Not including a break to help my parents load their van and head out, and another for a lovely three-hour nap, I've been grading ALL. FRIKKIN. DAY.

On the up side of things, I'm completely caught up except for a memorization quiz that The Hunk promised he'd check for me, so Imonna let him! Then I'll have to enter those grades, and that'll be all.

We just made the unfinished bedroom into a habitable space and I'm going to be using that as my office, so I think now I'm going to get my stuff together and set that space up. Then this evening I'll try to plan out next week in Journalism and the King Arthur unit for English II. I have some ideas for where I'm going with that, but I need to look over those ideas again while I've also got my hands on the materials I currently have. I hope I can make it work the way I'm thinking.

Melissa, I swear I've got a TALT in the back of my head - two, actually, now, after last night, but I'm keeping them both under wraps! I hope to type one of 'em up this evening.

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Woohoo!

So last night I found out how to make several hours of grading a good bit more enjoyable.

While it was lovely to have company and sympathy from The Hunk, I think the two Long Island Iced Teas may have had more to do with it.

Woohoo!


Image thanks to http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/just_good_stuff/index.html

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Zonked!

I can't believe it's almost 8 PM. And today was a GOOD day! It is a darn good thing that I finished up the meme yesterday morning, because yesterday and today have been hectic as anything.

I haven't had a full planning period either day - yesterday I had a meeting with the Lifetouch rep and today I spent most of the period sorting and alphabetizing the zillion forms that the students in my homeroom turned in. Yesterday afternoon I had Journalism club until 5:30, and then I grabbed pizza and came home. Sat down and ate pizza while re-entering grades and begging the computer to save my work this time. Graded more papers while soaking in the tub. And then cut-and-paste a diagnostic test in bed... although I did have to get up to take the snibbles to the trash can.

Then today... I had to get in early to photocopy the test. As the papers came out, I counted them out and then stapled them - I'm SO glad the copier did the collating! It still took me a good 20-30 minutes. And then I had to be in the room as the students came down the hall to homerooms so that I could hand out yearbooks and get the Journalism students to pick up the yearbook sales slips and distribute them all to other homerooms and make SURE you tell them that photo day is ONE WEEK from today, it's next Wednesday and they darn well better get their picture taken only don't put it in those words, please.

It was like that ALL DAY. All yesterday and all today. I've got eight assignments to grade and enter, plus I need to rearrange my unit plans because my library time for our research project is two weeks, but it starts in the middle of one week and ends in the middle of the week two weeks later! grh!

It's just been nuts. Fortunately tomorrow is Thursday and I think I MIGHT get to use my planning period to actually, yanno, PLAN. Or at least enter grades.

Oh, and of course, today is Carnival Day! Maybe not the highlight of my week (that somewhat dubious honor probably goes to our Seventh Sea game), but definitely something I look forward to. This week's carnival has a wonderful smattering of posts with new perspectives and thought provoking and making me smile. All good.

Image thanks to http://www.tomanfuso.com/Jun06.html

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Five Things...

Education Policymakers
Need To Know

This meme comes originally from Nancy Flanagan via the Science Goddess, and I'm very honored to be tagged, though I'm not sure it's fair of her to ask me to do extra thinking when we've only just gotten back to school!

Okay, so I started this the DAY I got it, and have barely touched it since. School is nuts! I'm giving myself 20 minutes to finish this and then I'm posting it no matter how dumb I sound.

5. Not all students need to go on to college; those who do not would probably not need most of the specific academic skills they practice in college preparatory courses, except that many of us who went through a four-year ordeal had a "liberal education" foisted on us (that's another soapbox, though). There SHOULD be separate curriculums that help to prepare students either for college, technical/vocational school, or the workforce. But they need to be introduced later, perhaps junior year, with sophomore students having the opportunity to sit in on classes during the spring. They should also be more intense. Vocational/workforce prep classes should not have the reputation of being the "easy" choice, and college prep classes need to PREPARE the students for college.

4. It is incredibly difficult to be a truly great teacher. Somewhere in Losing My Faculties, Brendan Halpin says something like "it is unbelievably easy to be a poor teacher, but it is unbelievably hard to be a good teacher." (Work with me - my dad's got the book at the moment!) Yes, we are professionals, but we are not miracle workers! Even doctors cannot keep their patients healthy when those patients ignore the doctor's advice (neglect exercise, smoke, eat too much junk food and not enough fruitsinveggies, etc.) or take the wrong medication.(Tangent: Do youuu have leftover prescription medicines in your cabinet?) Schools are not hospitals. We will always be dealing with outpatients - and stubborn ones, at that!

3. I have never seen the movie or read the book, but Erin Gruwell's story creeps me out! Do you really want some obsessively driven maniac instructing your kids? I wouldn't. Teachers have lives - or they should! As much as I love teaching, I would hate to be married to Rafe Esquith. (Plus the Hunk is way cuter.) Requiring - or even merely encouraging - teachers to be martyrs without a balanced life creates a poor model for students to follow.

2. In Shelley's response, she mentions a weak reader who is upset because of being transferred out of chorus and into another reading class. However, unless you're just going "la la la," singing involves reading! I have learned songs in French, German, Italian, Russian, Slovak, Latin, Swahili, and Spanish before I formally studied any of those languages, and my experiences with the languages I did get a chance to study were richer as a result. Plus, the intonation of the song really helps you understand words and phrases in ways you just don't get from memorizing definitions. We need to find a way to connect what students need to do with what they love to do.

1. LISTEN TO US! I'm not much of a fan of anecdotal evidence. I think that research, when done properly, is much more reliable (although it should be used as a guide, not a rule - there are always exceptions and complications). But listening to someone allows you to hear not only the text, but the subtext. A teacher who says "that won't work in my classroom!" may actually be concerned about a perceived loss of status as she fumbles through trying to learn a new skill, or that there won't be enough administrative support, or that there's been so much program turnover that the only way to provide stability for the students is to resist all of it - or any of a number of other alternatives. Or a combination!

More importantly, listening is an incredibly effective (and COST-effective!) way of showing people that they matter. And I know very few people who don't care about that.

Image thanks to http://www.homeroomteacher.com/suppliesforschool.html

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