With the end of the 2005-06 school year, I emerged a much happier person than at the end of the previous year. I credit much of this to my love, roommate and fiancee Vickie. Her presence in my life had saved me finally from the cruel world of dating and utter loneliness.With that, I was ready to tackle the next year, not knowing what the end of it would bring.
2006-07
For the first time in 3 years, I had what could be considered a dream class. Most if not all were quite eager to begin the year, and they could tell that I was eager as well. Of course I was eager! I was a man about to get married and take a few days off over then next few weekends to attend 2 weddings: my mom's and my friend Scott's.
We got new science kits that fall, which made for better science lessons and activities. I also moved away from Judy Blume books and read some Roald Dahl books to them. The class was not perfect, I had those few characters that, well, balance a class. I liked that balance. I also had a repeat student form the first grade days. The feeling of full circle was pretty nice.
I also met 2 new coworkers who were pretty nice: Matt and Robyn, both coming from the same school. We did lunch together at several staff developments.
Before I knew it, the end of October had arrived. The staff threw some sort of half-hearted wedding shower after school. I don't know what it is that makes people feel they need to do something. However, I must also admit that events from 2 years previous still stung....and, sad to say, still do to this day. Luckily, track break was also starting and we could focus on the wedding. Apart from some interesting hitches, we were married on November 11. We couldn't afford a honeymoon, so we took a road trip for a couple of days. Right before track break ended, we joined my mom and her new husband in Big Bear for Thanksgiving.
For the first time in forever, I was not with my parents for Christmas. I had a new bride and it was time to spend the special day with her at home. We already had her cat Mitzy and we added a new one to our home during Christmas, an orange feisty number named Layla.
Back to school, things were going pretty well. Parent conferences were in January for a change. Soon into Spring (meaning late February) we got the news that the new school building was about to enter construction. What that meant for a lot of us was that we were moving into portables before year's end. The move occurred shortly before the final track break. It was actually not so bad this time as everything, particularly the AC, worked just fine. We glided through the rest of the year in slightly more cramped quarters, but our good relationship made it work well.
This was short, I know. I guess it is easier to discuss the bad times than the good times in more detail. What it comes down to is, this particular year was one of my favorites, next to my recent 4 years of teaching 2nd grade. With that I will flow right into...
2007-08
This year started with a summer thunderstorm, which is actually a good way to start a year, particularly in Vegas. Of course, we were starting in the portables, as the new building was still heavily under construction.
What really comes to mind this year is a girl who was in the middle of a nasty custody suit. Eventually the dad came escorted by the assistant principal Kevin to get her. We never saw her again.
The class itself was good. This year I had 2 boys from 4 years ago. Another standout fact was that as the year progressed, my class dwindled in number. By the end I had less than 20 kids.
On a personal note, Vickie and I were trying to see if we were healthy enough to have a baby via in vitro. On that journey, we discovered she had a benign brain tumor. It was zapped using a heavy yet concentrated gamma ray in January.
Of course, this was the final year for the old outdoor school. 51 years of service was about to come to an end.
Some other disturbing things were happening as well. Some of the old guard whom old principal Linda had been promoted to being Kristie's underlings. In other words, the old spy network was in place under a new boss. Well, Kristie was made principal 3 years previously, but no waves had been made yet. Now that she was comfy in her position, she was getting a power trip.
In the summer of 2008, the new building was opened and we had to get things packed in a hurry to transfer belongings to our new rooms. We got to spend the last few weeks in our new rooms and it was a good feel. Strange, though. Being in an entirely indoor environment was nice, but it felt very generic. I was about to find out just what hell could be like.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Saturday, February 6, 2016
14 Years of Good Morning...Class Dismissed, part 4
All I can say about the end of the previous year is WHEW!! I previously mentioned that I've gone through a few deaths and rebirths in my teaching career. 2005 was definitely one of those rebirths. I ran to San Diego for a much-needed battery recharge in August on the final day of school. I was relieved, broken, and afraid; relieved to be done with that horrible year, broken because so much had been lost in me, and afraid because the next year might bring more of the same.
In San Diego, my mom got me a book called "The Reluctant Disciplinarian". It read it, nodding and understanding immediately what my problem had been. In first grade, I had never encountered a situation in which tough yet loving discipline had been necessary. In 5th grade it had been vital and I didn't have those skills.
In the dating world, things had cooled...and I was not nearly as frustrated by that as I once had been. Thanks to a special lady friend in the spring, a lot of old stresses went away. Yes, I still had disastrous dates, but it didn't affect me psyche-wise. In fact, the disasters helped to make a big decision soon.
2005-2006
The year commenced with a brief revisit to the previous hellish year in terms of a meeting to discuss an incident. I just shrugged it off, knowing that was the past. I couldn't control it, but I sure as hell could learn from it!
With that, I got my new room ready. Yes, I was back in a real building. What was even better was Dorothy the 4th grade teacher and I had a system for covering each other for bathroom breaks or emergency copying. Everything just felt new again, but in a more harmonious fashion. Plans for discipline and reading groups got more solid, and I felt more prepared than before. I got my new group and was pleased with the turnout. There were still a few with rough edges, but I felt better prepared to take them as they were. With a new student recognition program, we were a pretty happy family for a long while. It was not by any means perfect, but my soul was more harmonious with real life.
On the dating front, I had met a new person who, like others, had hangups. After a 2nd date, we parted ways and I made a decision to drop the dating for a while. Looking back at that decision today, I believe it set up a later marvelous event!
Back to the year, I had the usual status of an occasional student coming and one leaving, it happens every year. Other than that, we had good harmony in pretty much all subject areas. Another boon to the year was 2 new specialists. Erica was our new art teacher and Christy S was the new music teacher. They both brought a positive new vibe.
For Halloween I dressed as the Riddler with Erica's design help. On Nevada Day Eve I went out drinking with some friends. I have rarely gotten plastered, it is just not my thing. In this case, however, it was an opportunity to cleanse the remainder of the bad spirits from the previous year.
Then came track break. I spent the first part of it spending a few nights at a friend's house so she'd feel safe while her sister was away. That was odd to say the least, sleeping on a couch while a cat occasionally kneaded me. Then I went to Arizona to see my grandma and then to San Diego for a short bit. I was still in such good spirits in December that I even bought a little artificial tree for the classroom.
However, by Christmastime, I was feeling different. The school stuff was fine, but the loneliness and celibacy were getting stale and I decided to re-enter the dating world again. I hope it would be different. After New Year on 2006, I got into it again....only to discover that nothing had changed. I don't think I'd expected it to, just wishful thinking. One or 2 more 1-night stands and a short-term relationship in January brought nothing. However, one ad caught my eye, and after waiting out the end of the mentioned relationship, I decided I wanted meet this girl. Her name was Vickie.
We had quite the long date (that's another story, though) and my heart was just pounding with joy at the end of it, anxious to see her again. Before I return to the classroom, I need to note that I've never professed love for anyone on a second date previously...and that was my final 2nd date in life!
Back to the classroom, the year progressed well with the exception of one day when there was a lockdown at our school from 12:30-5:30. We stayed as comfy as we could, but it was still stressful.
As Spring rolled in and out, Vickie and I deepened our relationship, and I saw some old negative things happening in class. However, it was a minority, not majority, of the class population, just a couple of boys who thought they were the bomb. It also went to show that returning from summer track break for the last few weeks while older siblings were on summer vacation makes some fifth graders downright rebellious. Even at my best that was impossible to stop. However, by year's end, I felt pretty good.
On the last day, Vickie and I had a nice dinner at the Top of the World at the Stratosphere and then went to Mesquite for the night. A year earlier, I was a defeated teacher, this year I'd overcome all of that and was at a good place. The next year would continue that good feeling, although at the end it was a bit different.
In San Diego, my mom got me a book called "The Reluctant Disciplinarian". It read it, nodding and understanding immediately what my problem had been. In first grade, I had never encountered a situation in which tough yet loving discipline had been necessary. In 5th grade it had been vital and I didn't have those skills.
In the dating world, things had cooled...and I was not nearly as frustrated by that as I once had been. Thanks to a special lady friend in the spring, a lot of old stresses went away. Yes, I still had disastrous dates, but it didn't affect me psyche-wise. In fact, the disasters helped to make a big decision soon.
2005-2006
The year commenced with a brief revisit to the previous hellish year in terms of a meeting to discuss an incident. I just shrugged it off, knowing that was the past. I couldn't control it, but I sure as hell could learn from it!
With that, I got my new room ready. Yes, I was back in a real building. What was even better was Dorothy the 4th grade teacher and I had a system for covering each other for bathroom breaks or emergency copying. Everything just felt new again, but in a more harmonious fashion. Plans for discipline and reading groups got more solid, and I felt more prepared than before. I got my new group and was pleased with the turnout. There were still a few with rough edges, but I felt better prepared to take them as they were. With a new student recognition program, we were a pretty happy family for a long while. It was not by any means perfect, but my soul was more harmonious with real life.
On the dating front, I had met a new person who, like others, had hangups. After a 2nd date, we parted ways and I made a decision to drop the dating for a while. Looking back at that decision today, I believe it set up a later marvelous event!
Back to the year, I had the usual status of an occasional student coming and one leaving, it happens every year. Other than that, we had good harmony in pretty much all subject areas. Another boon to the year was 2 new specialists. Erica was our new art teacher and Christy S was the new music teacher. They both brought a positive new vibe.
For Halloween I dressed as the Riddler with Erica's design help. On Nevada Day Eve I went out drinking with some friends. I have rarely gotten plastered, it is just not my thing. In this case, however, it was an opportunity to cleanse the remainder of the bad spirits from the previous year.
Then came track break. I spent the first part of it spending a few nights at a friend's house so she'd feel safe while her sister was away. That was odd to say the least, sleeping on a couch while a cat occasionally kneaded me. Then I went to Arizona to see my grandma and then to San Diego for a short bit. I was still in such good spirits in December that I even bought a little artificial tree for the classroom.
However, by Christmastime, I was feeling different. The school stuff was fine, but the loneliness and celibacy were getting stale and I decided to re-enter the dating world again. I hope it would be different. After New Year on 2006, I got into it again....only to discover that nothing had changed. I don't think I'd expected it to, just wishful thinking. One or 2 more 1-night stands and a short-term relationship in January brought nothing. However, one ad caught my eye, and after waiting out the end of the mentioned relationship, I decided I wanted meet this girl. Her name was Vickie.
We had quite the long date (that's another story, though) and my heart was just pounding with joy at the end of it, anxious to see her again. Before I return to the classroom, I need to note that I've never professed love for anyone on a second date previously...and that was my final 2nd date in life!
Back to the classroom, the year progressed well with the exception of one day when there was a lockdown at our school from 12:30-5:30. We stayed as comfy as we could, but it was still stressful.
As Spring rolled in and out, Vickie and I deepened our relationship, and I saw some old negative things happening in class. However, it was a minority, not majority, of the class population, just a couple of boys who thought they were the bomb. It also went to show that returning from summer track break for the last few weeks while older siblings were on summer vacation makes some fifth graders downright rebellious. Even at my best that was impossible to stop. However, by year's end, I felt pretty good.
On the last day, Vickie and I had a nice dinner at the Top of the World at the Stratosphere and then went to Mesquite for the night. A year earlier, I was a defeated teacher, this year I'd overcome all of that and was at a good place. The next year would continue that good feeling, although at the end it was a bit different.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
14 Years of Good Morning...Class Dismissed, part 3
So far I've had 2 ok years. They weren't great by any means, as I was still learning to become, what I thought was, a good teacher. The year that was to follow made those first 2 years paradise. This is one of two years I have had hesitation in writing about, although this one was 11 years ago, I have have had time to put perspective on it.
2004-2005
This was my year to begin teaching 5th grade. I was moved from my broom closet in 1st grade row to a portable on the blacktop. I was excited at first, trying something new. We were adopting a new math program called Saxon, a hell lasting 4 years.
A few other issues emerged to cause problems before they began. First, it took a whole to get the AC installed on the portable, making it next to impossible to prep the room without sweating bullets. Also, I now felt distanced from the people I'd come to think of as friends. As I'd come to understand later, some friendships are built to last, many more are situational. On top of all that, my personal life was really sucking big time. Following my breakup with Gigi and a short-lived reunion with Treasa in the spring, I was having one disastrous date after another and getting quite discouraged...and this frustration was going to interfere big-time with my professional life.
A few teachers had left including Christy. It all blended into an entirely new feel, and it was disconcerting.
I had what many would consider a rough group. They were into gangsta rap and wrestling for the most part. I was also used to teaching younger kids, and the transition was a 12-month trial by fire, putting it mildly. Personality clashes and my own insecurities regarding these bigger, tougher kids led to many a day ending with my face red and body shaking after dismissal. 11 years later, I realize that if I'd had patience, flexibility, and a huge sense of humor, the year would have been a LOT smoother. However the dating hell had eroded much of that.
2 months of hell went by, although things eased a little bit by September's end, but just enough to keep me from having a nervous breakdown. I was also getting pressure form administration to get my act together, along with hearing some undertones of talking behind my back among teachers. My own fifth grade team wasn't the most sympathetic, either.
The first track break was most welcome, although that was also a big toll on my psyche in terms of relationships. In short, I had asked someone to come stay with me and maybe make it permanent. This was where my emotional state lay, a wreck waiting to happen...and it did. The situation unraveled within a week and I took her home to Texas. This boy needed some psychotherapy and fast! After a couple of sessions and a little trip to San Diego, I was feeling better and trying some new things with my class. For the time being, things were more tranquil.
However, temporary solutions not well thought-out and planned eventually crack, and by spring it was getting bad again. What did not help was the AC failing and us having a hot room for a while, like 2 months. The class was quite aware that my management sucked and took advantage at any given moment. My emotional state had evened out a bit. The dating still sucked, but with one person I had found a nice, if temporary source of sexual sustenance without the stress of first date bullshit.
That and therapy helped to create a wall between me and the class for the remainder of the year.
In class, it was just getting worse. The boys were turning out the lights to have a wrestling match in the dark, and kids were stealing my stuff. One or two of the boys were getting confrontational with me. By the time the final 4 weeks in July and August came, I was in survival mode. Admin was pissed at me for letting the kids do whatever, and the rumor undertones that it was my last year were really hitting my ears. Teachers with rooms near my portable were mad at me for the things my kids were doing...and rightly so. I really had thrown in the towel on that year.
During the last week, the boss made sure I wasn't alone with the kids to prevent a lawsuit from parents. Now, a lot of teachers would resent that. Not me! I was glad to have the backup and relief. I was a man in heaven on the last day. Really. I went home, grabbed a bag of clothes and headed to San Diego. It was a cloudy, humid day and there was a sudden rainfall leaving town. It was like a pressure leaving my body atr last. I laughed and cried for miles.
I learned a lot about myself that year...and about others I worked with. For myself, I learned that I needed healthy outlets outside of dating so that I could work without the emotional overhead. As for the others, I learned who the true friends were (very few) and who the fair-weather twerps were. Such knowledge is useful in any workplace, I just wished it had not taken so long to discover. The next year had its rough edges, but was nowhere near this one.
2004-2005
This was my year to begin teaching 5th grade. I was moved from my broom closet in 1st grade row to a portable on the blacktop. I was excited at first, trying something new. We were adopting a new math program called Saxon, a hell lasting 4 years.
A few other issues emerged to cause problems before they began. First, it took a whole to get the AC installed on the portable, making it next to impossible to prep the room without sweating bullets. Also, I now felt distanced from the people I'd come to think of as friends. As I'd come to understand later, some friendships are built to last, many more are situational. On top of all that, my personal life was really sucking big time. Following my breakup with Gigi and a short-lived reunion with Treasa in the spring, I was having one disastrous date after another and getting quite discouraged...and this frustration was going to interfere big-time with my professional life.
A few teachers had left including Christy. It all blended into an entirely new feel, and it was disconcerting.
I had what many would consider a rough group. They were into gangsta rap and wrestling for the most part. I was also used to teaching younger kids, and the transition was a 12-month trial by fire, putting it mildly. Personality clashes and my own insecurities regarding these bigger, tougher kids led to many a day ending with my face red and body shaking after dismissal. 11 years later, I realize that if I'd had patience, flexibility, and a huge sense of humor, the year would have been a LOT smoother. However the dating hell had eroded much of that.
2 months of hell went by, although things eased a little bit by September's end, but just enough to keep me from having a nervous breakdown. I was also getting pressure form administration to get my act together, along with hearing some undertones of talking behind my back among teachers. My own fifth grade team wasn't the most sympathetic, either.
The first track break was most welcome, although that was also a big toll on my psyche in terms of relationships. In short, I had asked someone to come stay with me and maybe make it permanent. This was where my emotional state lay, a wreck waiting to happen...and it did. The situation unraveled within a week and I took her home to Texas. This boy needed some psychotherapy and fast! After a couple of sessions and a little trip to San Diego, I was feeling better and trying some new things with my class. For the time being, things were more tranquil.
However, temporary solutions not well thought-out and planned eventually crack, and by spring it was getting bad again. What did not help was the AC failing and us having a hot room for a while, like 2 months. The class was quite aware that my management sucked and took advantage at any given moment. My emotional state had evened out a bit. The dating still sucked, but with one person I had found a nice, if temporary source of sexual sustenance without the stress of first date bullshit.
That and therapy helped to create a wall between me and the class for the remainder of the year.
In class, it was just getting worse. The boys were turning out the lights to have a wrestling match in the dark, and kids were stealing my stuff. One or two of the boys were getting confrontational with me. By the time the final 4 weeks in July and August came, I was in survival mode. Admin was pissed at me for letting the kids do whatever, and the rumor undertones that it was my last year were really hitting my ears. Teachers with rooms near my portable were mad at me for the things my kids were doing...and rightly so. I really had thrown in the towel on that year.
During the last week, the boss made sure I wasn't alone with the kids to prevent a lawsuit from parents. Now, a lot of teachers would resent that. Not me! I was glad to have the backup and relief. I was a man in heaven on the last day. Really. I went home, grabbed a bag of clothes and headed to San Diego. It was a cloudy, humid day and there was a sudden rainfall leaving town. It was like a pressure leaving my body atr last. I laughed and cried for miles.
I learned a lot about myself that year...and about others I worked with. For myself, I learned that I needed healthy outlets outside of dating so that I could work without the emotional overhead. As for the others, I learned who the true friends were (very few) and who the fair-weather twerps were. Such knowledge is useful in any workplace, I just wished it had not taken so long to discover. The next year had its rough edges, but was nowhere near this one.
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