A few observations from the past week's adventures

No big events really happened this week, so instead I'll just give you a few anecdotes:

• Monday, I was an elementary librarian. That was a lot of fun. If I had it to do over again, maybe I'd get my librarian credentials. (Heck, maybe I can do it in the distant future anyway, after I get my master's degree and some coaching credentials.)
  
• Tuesday, junior high math. Despite the one class of very squirrelly students, it was a good day. Of course, I always consider it a good day when I can actually work in the field I taught last year, and want to teach again.
  
• Wednesday I was at the local alternative school -- and when I say local, I mean local, as it was just a short walk away. To my surprise, an old colleague of mine from Seattle is teaching there now as well, so we got to catch up a bit. And now, I'm subbing for him tomorrow. Besides being close, the school is, naturally, small, as are the classes, and the kids are pretty neat, too. Despite the fact that all I had to do was show videos (a topic I will probably go on about before too long), it was a fun day.
  
• Thursday, I was supposed to be at one school that I hadn't been to since they remodeled, and I was looking forward to seeing what the new place looked like. But as I was going out the door, the system called me and offered me another job. HUH? I turned it down and jumped online to see what was up, and sure enough, the job I'd originally signed up for was gone. I'm not sure if the teacher didn't need the job and cancelled the absence (with nobody telling me), or if a glitch in the system cancelled that job when I was trying to cancel another one (my dentist had to postpone an appointment). At any rate, I was disappointed, but I did get to work with a nice third-fourth grade split class instead that day instead. They did get a touch of spring fever in the afternoon, however, and weren't as good for me then as they were in the morning. And with the early spring we're having around here this year -- more of a lack of winter, really -- I have a feeling there will be many classes like this in the coming months. Thank goodness this didn't happen last year in Marysville! The strike-extended calendar was bad enough without adding gorgeous weather on top of it...
  
• Friday, I was at a high school teaching English -- or, to be more accureate, giving quizzes on Beowulf and The Great Gatsby (not at the same time, fortunately). During first period, a lockdown drill was announced, so I dutifully locked my door and closed my shades like one is supposed to. Sure enough, word got around school later, there was a drug-sniffing dog patrolling the hallways during that period. Unlike what happened to me the week before, however, he didn't check out classrooms, just lockers. I have no idea what, if anything, was found.
  

And that's about it! Nothing lined up this week past tomorrow, but something is bound to turn up. It usually does.

Things that go "woof" in the class

Not a terribly eventful week. I subbed for a physics/astronomy teacher at the nearby high school on Monday, a physics/math at another high school on Tuesday, then Spanish at that same school for the rest of the week. This week saw the power of videos if you have an unexpected absence, as I did little more than show videos on Monday (scrounged up by another science teacher), Wednesday, and Thursday. Dull for me, once I saw each one the first time, but at least it allowed me to get a lot of reading done...

There was some excitement Thursday morning, however. It was announced that the school was on a modified lockdown, and no students were allowed to leave class. As it turned out, this was so that a drug-sniffing dog could go around to random rooms and, well, sniff around. And guess what? My Spanish class was randomly (?) chosen. So I got to stop the video and wait out in the breezeway with my class for fifteen or twenty minutes, making sure they weren't using cell phones or the like to contact buddies about what was going on. Kind of exciting, until the novelty wore off. (One student, kidding around, asked if I had anything to worry about, and I mentioned that I had brought coke to school that day...a Coca-Cola in my lunch, of course.) Nobody was taken away once we came back in, so as far as I know my class was clean.

Turns out, however, that that was not the case in the whole school. The next day, I was talking with one of the other Spanish teachers about it, and she told me that there was a lot of resistance among the staff about the dog, as it would disrupt class (understandable, but no worse than a fire drill), and there was no need, as this was a clean-cut, suburban school with good kids and no drug problem. Well, it turned out that that was not entirely the case, as a handful of students were indeed found in possession of drugs or paraphanalia, and even a weapon. A few were expelled that day, and several others were going to be questioned later. Obvioously, this was a wake-up call for both the students and staff.

Nothing lined up this week so far except a junior high math class on Tuesday, but I'm sure something will turn up. It usually does.

Taking a well-deserved week off

This week, I've had something I never had all of last year in Marysville: a BREAK! Both districts I work in have a mid-winter break this week, and it's been wonderful. Granted, I haven't gotten a whole lot of rest, as Sylvan is still going on, and during the day I've had errands and other stuff to do (that I normally can't get done when there's teaching to be done), but at least I've had a bit of a breather. And I'm making the most of it while I can, as I don't get another break of any sort until spring break in the middle of April.

One very important job I took care of this week was to take my paperwork in and submit it to get a new continuing certificate. This is the certificate that will let me apply for full-time jobs, and not just substitute. Fortunately, all of my fears and the warnings of others proved to be baseless. I did not have to start all over again from scratch with a residency certificate, so I can carry on as if nothing happened last fall (and I wish it hadn't...)

Last week's teaching was a strange one for recognition. I had a couple of students in one junior high's language arts classes recognize me, but they weren't sure from where. It took me a moment to realize that I'd taught them at Sylvan a couple of summers ago. I had another of my Sylvan students in an elementary PE class, and as she was one of the first to walk in, she said, "Hi, Eric," and so most of the rest of that class started calling me Eric as well. I think I managed to convince them to call me Mr. G. for the rest of the class, but they weren't totally happy with it. Oh, well, I only had them for thirty minutes anyway. The second strangest recognition of the week, however, came later that night. I was supporting Laura at a meeting of her team for the 3-Day walk for cancer (find out more about that here, and please feel free to give her large, generous, and frequent donations, if you can), as I'd done the walk a few years ago myself and thought I could lend a hand and advice. Well, the son of our host came downstairs, looked at me quizzically, and said, "Eric?" Understand, I've been doing this long enough now that kids recognize me all the time, but usually as Mr. G. It took me a while to remember that he was a regular Sylvan student (but not one that I usually teach, which is why it took a few moments). It took Laura and the rest of her team by surprise. Small world, huh?

The strangest recognition of the week? I was teaching junior high math one day, and during roll call, one student stopped everything cold and went on very excitedly after recognizing me. I taught her class one day a few years earlier, when she was in elementary school. Now, how many of you remember someone you worked with for one day three years earlier? But the scary part is, I remembered her as well! I have a really hard time remembering people, and students I've worked with for months I can have a hard time remembering just a week later. And of course I can't remember the thousands of students I've ever worked with as a substitute. But her I remembered. That day way back in elementary school, she talked with a bad New York accent and tried to get me to believe that she was from the Bronx. It all sort of fell apart when I asked her what neighborhood she'd lived in, and she had no idea, but she kept it going all day anyway. So, flash forward nearly three years, and we still remembered each other. I guess I made a big impact on her.

There was also one ugly incident, which probably shows that there are still some scars left over from the strike. It was in one of the junior high language arts classes I mentioned earlier (and not the same school as my friend from the Bronx, I might add). The classes were working on debates, and their topic was whether or not student-athletes should maintain a minimum C average. It's an interesting topic, and a lot of good points can be made for both sides. Anyway, in one class, the issue of pro athletes needing backup skills came up, as they can't play forever, and someone mentioned sports strikes, such as the one that has now cancelled this year's NHL season. I mentioned that I had been on strike last year in Marysville, and told them the few bits of information that I cared to bring up. They wanted to know more, and kept asking for more details, and I finally had to say, "I don't want to talk about it any more." I mentioned this a couple of times, but they kept going. I finally had a small flare-up of anger, slammed the papers I had in my hand onto the overhead projector, shouted, "I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT ANY MORE!" and huffed off to the back of the room to calm down and collect myself. Fortunately, that's as far as it went, and I was able to calm myself down very quickly. The kids were quiet for a bit, and I apologized for my behavior, and that I didn't mean to take it out on them. They really were a good bunch, and I regretted it as soon as it happened. To their credit, they never brought it up again, and I was able to go on and finish up in a pretty good mood. But it all goes to show just how badly things in Marysville affected me last year, I'm afraid. I thought I was fine with it all, but the problems I've had getting certified this year, the long days of both subbing and Sylvan, the lack of money, and everything else seems to be taking its toll. Well, at least I have this break, and once I get my new certificate (I hope), I can work to truly put all that away by getting a real teaching job again.

I see that I've come full circle, which means I should probably wrap up now. So, I'll write again when I have something to say and time to do it, okay?

This week's adventures in teaching

Well, a new week, a new set of challenges. Nothing much to say again, I'm just still tired from fighting off this cold. It's been a very low grade one that hasn't really done much, but it has been persistent. I was hoping to get a lot of rest this weekend, but no, there's too much other stuff to do...

So, Monday, I assisted in an elementary PE class with three teachers, and two teachers teaching at a time (and two classes coming in at a time). I say "assisted" because when I was there, the other teacher would take the lead, and all I had to do was assist. Not bad -- which I really needed, because when I wasn't out in the gym, I was in the office snoozing! (The cold and going to the Emerald City ComicCon the day before really did me in.) So I took Tuesday off to rest, even though we can't really afford it. The rest helped, but not as much as I would have hoped. Wednesday, I was out at one junior high I really like, where I thought I was going to teach math. But it was set up so that various teachers could go to meetings all day, and I actually ended up with language arts and social studies for the first two classes, and math the rest of the day -- and no prep period, which didn't help my exhaustion (but at least I get paid extra for the extra time I put in). Thursday I taught in an alternate program at one of the high schools. This was the first time I saw an English class reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Of course, this being an English class, many of the students thought it was boring. Friday, I was back teaching elemetnary PE at another school, but this time I was on my own. The older students were doing some physical fitness testing, which worked well with this bunch, as they were familiar with everything.

Okay, that's about it. Anything you want to know? Anyone want to hear about how things are going at Sylvan as well? Anyone reading this? Anyone? Hello? Use the comments to tell me what you want to hear!

Just a short note to confirm that I'm still alive

Not much to report this past week. I had jobs in elementary PE, elementary library, junior high Spanish (two days -- good thing I took Spanish in high school and college, and can still sound like I know what I'm saying in a classroom), and junior high science. The junior high jobs were mostly showing videos, which is not why I got into teaching...

Anyway, I've been tired and stressed out all week, and now I've come down with a cold. And still two more weeks of full-time subbing and part-time Sylvan before I can get a break during mid-winter break. I just wish folks who get upset at me for not doing things I should can understand that it's not deliberate, just a case of exhaustion and lack of time and energy.

Good news, however, is that my final transcript arrived. So if I don't get a day off before then, I can go down to apply for my new continuing certificate during mid-winter break.

This week's adventures in teaching

Not a lot to tell this week. I actually got to teach the same students all week, for a junior high math teacher who just wasn't feeling well. Nice kids, but (veteran teachers, this will come as absolutely no surprise to you!) some of the classes were a little more lively than others. I did have one student in one of those classes, however, who told me she was trying to do a good job for me and not be her usual inattentive slacker. She also let me explain to her all about finding a linear equation with only two points, or a point and a slope. I'm not sure if she totally got it -- it is a tough subject to get your head wrapped around, especially if you're just not into math -- but at least she was putting in the effort, which I gathered isn't what she usually does. I had a few other such success stories this week, but none quite like that. All in all, it was quite a week, and it was certainly a contrast to the grief I had to deal with last year in Marysville.

Of course, that was all counterbalanced by an ugly incident at Sylvan. One of my students is, shall we say, not the best at applying himself. But I seem to have reached him in some ways, and we at least get along, and he seems willing to learn. But this week, I'm not so sure if that's a good thing. I bring my own mechanical pencils, as they're more versatile for what I do than the ordinary wooden ones the students use (hey, I have to use it for four to five hours each night, they only need them for one). After having him for one hour, I looked around and couldn't find it. This student was at another table, so I called out to him to see if he had seen it, or even had it. Yup, he had it. He'd taken it for a joke. Okay, it wasn't funny, but at least he acknowledged it and got it out to return it. I told him I'd come over to get it, but he decided to throw it to me instead. He turned out to be a pretty good shot, as the point hit me right on the nose! Yup, it drew blood -- not a lot, but certainly enough to get me angry! The thing that really gets me goat, however, is that this kid is in high school, and should know better than to steal sharp, pointy objects, and then throw them at people.

He didn't show up for his second session this week. I like to think he was scared of what I would say. I do know that our director wants to have a few words with him, too. Yeah, I plan to speak to him next time I see him -- but one thing I plan to tell him is that he should try out for the javelin throw on his school's track team! He's a natural!

Happy birthday to me!

Laura wasn't the only one having a birthday this past week -- so did I (it was on Friday)! And I got two very nice presents this past week: My permanent substitute teaching certificate, and the grades from my last class. The former means that no matter what happens in the future, unless I do something so horrid that the state needs to revoke my certificate, I will always be able to substitute. (And if I do something so horrid that the state decides to revoke my certificate, I probably shouldn't be in the classroom, or possibly even a member of a free society.) The latter means that, once I get my transcript, which should be soon, I can go down to the local ESD and see about getting my continuing certificate again. (Oh, and much to my surprise, I got an A.) At any rate, I'm nearing the end of the mess that that @#$% strike in Marysville was at least partially responsible for causing.

On my birthday itself, I had a little adventure. It was partly planned, but it still turned out to be a nice surprise when Laura and I were able to go to work together that day. I was substituting in a third grade class at the same school Laura and her colleagues were putting on a math game day. See, Laura works at a math store (take a look at their website here), and every once in a while, a local PTA will buy a bunch of math games from them, and the store staff comes in and shows everyone how they're played. But wait, there's more! The kids then bring in the parents that night, and the store sells some more games to go home, with the school getting a cut of the sales. Teachers also have the chance to set up a wish list of games they want for the class, and parents can help out that way as well. It's a lot of fun, and I've helped out in the evenings a few times before, but this was my first time being there as a teacher, during the day. Not only that, Laura and I got to go to work together, too, which was nice. It did make for a long day, as I stuck around after I was done teaching for the day, and I was pretty tired by the time we got home (and into the next day; after getting home from Sylvan early Saturday afternoon, I immediately crashed into bed for about three hours of badly needed extra sleep). My duties that night mainly consisted of hauling boxes out of the van and into the area set up as a store, setting the store up, being security, keeping things arranged and nicely visible, and taking things back out to the van once things started wrapping up. Biggest complaint? My nice teacher shoes are not good for one's feet when hauling boxes all evening (at Sylvan, at least, I'm sitting down most of the night). Next time this happens, I'll see about bringing a change of shoes.

So far as teaching these past two weeks, nothing too spectaculaar, although I'm finally getting some math jobs again. I actually had a pretty good time out at one of the high schools, where I got to explain some aspects of advanced algebra that I still rememeber how to do, and the kids actually appreciated that I was explaining it. I also had a day of elementary PE, which is always a nice break, lots of fun and energy going around, and I can dress down quite a bit. So far, only one job lined up for this coming week, and there may not be as many, as it's finals week at the high schools in both districts I work in -- and Thursday is the last day of the semester, and Friday is a day off for students in both districts. Maybe I'll have my transcript by then and can go down to the ESD and apply for my new certificate that day, that would be perfect.

Okay, I'm done blathering now. Hey, feel free to leave some comments, let me know I'm not typing these words for nobody!

Happy birthday, Laura!

This post is for that one special, most important person in my life, my wife Laura. I may not be able to give you much right now, dear, but before long I hope to do much better in supoprting us and getting our lives back on track.

Favorite new thing I saw on a student's T-shirt today

Top Ten Reasons to Procrastinate

1. 
   

An interesting experience today...

I've got just a quick moment here to tell you all about something out of the ordinary that happened today. I was subbing in a math class at one of the high schools when an announcement was made that, should there be some sort of evacuation, students would probably want to take a coat or something to keep them warm, as it was very cold out, hovering around the freezing mark. Huh? Sure enough, there was a fire alarm. So we trooped out onto the football field in the cold. Yup, it was cold. When we got back to class, I mentioned that it was so cold, I froze my asymptote.

Well, math geeks will get it, anyway. Fortunately, this class got it.

And for those reading this from other parts of the country, wondering why we wimped out over temperatures only in the low 30s F (or around 0 C), let's just say that it usually doesn't get that cold around here.

This week in teaching

Wow, I can't believe how much better I feel this week, now that I've gotten a week of teaching under my belt. I didn't realize just how frustrated I felt over my enforced sabbatical until I got back to work. I haven't felt this good for a long time, despite now going back to working long days between the sub jobs and evenings at Sylvan. Eventually, I'd like to cut out Saturdays at Sylvan, and the rest of the week down to three hours a night instead of four, but so far so good, and with a little planning and cooperation on Laura's part, we can probalby make this work. Good thing, since I missed nearly half the school year already, and we need the money, too.

Interesting start to the week. I got a last-minute assignment for high school social studies, and went in to find no plans. From what I gather, this is very unusual for this teacher, as he's the department head and a very organized person. But his colleagues were a big help, and he has first period planning, so I found a decent video in the library for the Law and Justice classes, and I figured AP U. S. History could take care of itself. I was right about the history classes, as they had a big assignment due the next day anyway, and most needed time to work on it. As the teacher still wasn't feeling well, I went in the next day as well, and this time he made sure I had plans. Not that it was terribly hard: Take Law and Justice classes to computer lab to work on forthcoming paper, give history classes the essay questions on the final to start preparing for them and let them work on the assignment due Thursday. All in all, a pleasant couple of days, and a nice way to ease into the school routine again, for both the students and me.

Wednesday and Friday I was at the big alternate junior/senior high school in the district, for a history teacher. Nothing too toough, most classes involved taking them to the computer lab and letting them work on their big projects. And these were great kids, too, so I had little to do. What was very nice, however, was that Wednesday was their weekly early dismissal day, so I was home by 1:00, which gave me a chance to run some errands.

Thursday I ended up not getting a job. There were a few available, but they were too far out with no time to get there, in subject areas I really didn't want to deal with, or, in one case, ended too late for me to get to Sylvan. But not getting a job that day proved to be a boon, since it gave me the chance to take in the last of my paperwork to the Northshore office and wrap up my application there. They called yesterday and are sending the rest of the paperwork, so I should be on the sub list there as well, and those days off should be much more rare as a result. Between the two districts, I can work just about every day. And if one district has a day off, I can always go to the other one.

No sign yet of my permanent substitute certificate or the transcript with my final class on it to apply for a continuing certificate, but there's no rush yet, either. If nothing turns up in the next couple of weeks, I'll start asking around.

So, anything anyone out there wants to know about my life as a teacher? Feel free to use the comments area.

Just a quick catch-up

Well, I know my regular readers (both of them) are probably wondering what's up. Not a lot, of course. With two weeks off from regular teaching, and a week off from Sylvan, I haven't had much to say. But I already have a job for tomorrow -- high school social studies -- and several other jobs lined up throughout the month, so at least I should be able to keep busy and get some badly needed money. Now, if I could only figure out what I'm going to say in this application letter so I can also get on the sub list in the other district I'd like to work in...

Oh, yeah, I'm back in the game!

Since my temporary teaching permit came the other day, I've been trying to get back into the subbing pool with the two districts I worked in before being hired by (ugh) Marysville. The district I'd rather get most of my work in, as it's the one I live in, the one I hope to work in, and just an overall cool district to work for, is going to take some doing, as I essentially have to go through everything to open a new application, including a letter, resume, letters of reference, etc., which is going to take a while. And since the last day of school before break is this coming Friday, I don't think I'll be able to get a job there before the new year starts. But the other, neighboring district, which is also a nice place to work, said, "Sure, come on in, bring your permit, we'll have you fill out some forms, and you'll be set." So I went in this morning, and they weren't kidding! Within about half an hour, I was back in the system, I got my new substitute's handbook and an ID badge, and I was scheduled for an orientation session next month. But they need subs so bad (as do most districts, actually) that they said I could get started now. So once I got home, I called up their phone-based sub computer and entered my information, then got onto their website and snagged a job for the first day back after break! (Yes, this district has a web-based subfinder system, where you can go in and snag whatever job appeals to you. Only trouble is, you have to be quick, as others are doing the same thing...) They even had a half-day job this afternoon, and my mouse hovered over it for quite a while, but I eventually decided not to take it, as I have no work clothes ironed and ready to go (but guess what I'll be doing this afternoon?), and as I haven't had lunch yet, it would mean no food until I got home from tutoring tonight!

It's not ideal, as I'm back to work days that last twelve to fourteen hours, no benefits, and no guarantees, but at least it ought to keep our bank account from hemorrhaging, and I won't be getting so restless. The most important thing, however, is that I'm teaching again! Of course, I only have the chance to teach for two days before winter break, but it's a start. And yes, I'll be spending much of my time over break applying for the other district (and working -- tutoring only has one week off, so I still have work in the afternoons next week).

All right, then, back to work!

My permit arrived today. Essentially, this is the temporary certificate that allows me to teach now while I await the state to issue me a permanent substitute teaching certificate, which should be coming soon. So, in theory, I could go into a class and substitute tomorrow. But since I still have to go through all of the hoops of applying and getting in all of the paperwork and such, it still won't happen any time soon. Yes, I will start on the whole process later this afternoon, or tomorrow morning at the latest. But I hope I can at least get a day or two in before winter break. No matter what, it looks like I'll be able to start 2005 off on the right foot, for once.

Woo-hoo!!!

I just got a call from someone at the state professional practices office. No problem, she said, you should get your initial permit next week and your permanent substitute certificate not long after that. Sounds like a pretty straightforward case that snowballed, actually, we're glad to certify you.

And it gets better. Since this is a permanent substitute certificate, I won't ever be asked about character issues and the like again, which is what put me in this limbo in the first place. At least, I won't be asked about it again when applying for a certificate, even if my continuing ceretificate lapses again (which is not likley to happen again!). Applying for jobs, that may be a different story...

So now, I can get busy with the job of applying to substitute again. I'm not looking forward to twelve-to-fourteen hour days again, but at least I won't be hemmoraging money again, either.

And now, the waiting game starts

That's it, I'm done with that class. I managed to finish it all off the other day, printed everything out yesterday, and went down to the post office to send everything off today.

But it wasn't quite that simple, of course. First off, I had a personal problem (nothing I need to go into here) that kept me from finishing my final paper as quickly as I'd have liked the other day. But finish it I did. The big problem came yesterday, when I tried to print everything out. I had some weird printer problems that resulted in nothing printing. It took a bit of detective work and guessing, but I finally tried a new printer driver for my machine, and that seemed to do the trick. Then I noticed how faded the print was looking. Oh, shoot! One trip to get a new ink cartridge later, and I was back in business at last, and everything else printed just fine. So I put everything together and got it ready to send off... only to discover that I was missing one key piece of information for the cover sheet! Aaaaaaaargh! Oh, well, I poked around on the university's website a bit and found an e-mail address that I thought would do the trick, and called it a day, as I had to head to Sylvan. So much for getting it in the mail yesterday.

Things went much more smoothly today, fortunately. I got the information I needed and was able to get everything sent off this afternoon. Walking back from the post office, I actually felt like a great weight had been removed from my shoulders. So now, all I need is my transcript with this latest class on it (with a good grade, I hope), and I can finally apply for my new continuing certificate.

Which brings me to the other bit of good news I got today. I contacted the state Office of Professional Practices to check up on the status of my application for a substitute certificate, and lo and behold, someone actually called me back! This is the first time someone from OPP has actually contacted me in response to one of my inquiries! Anyway, she told me that they have everything they need now, and they're going to review my case early next week. So by this time next week, I may actually be a certificated teacher again! Just in time for me to apply for my continuing certificate...

The light at the end of the tunnel!

I appear to be nearly done with the final class I need to get completely recertified. I taught two lessons today to some friends (and many thanks to Seiko and Kristen for coming by), so now all I have to do is some short write-ups on those classes, and a final paper for the class overall, print everything up, and send them in. After all this time and having it hanging over my head for so long, I'm glad to finally get that out of the way.

How can I get any work done when there's so much work to be done?

So I've come to a realization over the past few months: I can't work at home. I've never been good at it, and last year I'd often bring papers home to grade, then never got to them, or at least not until Sunday night. But with papers, I could usually just stay late and get caught up at school, so that wasn't so bad. It's really become a problem, however, with these two classes I've had to take to renew my certification. I made the mistake of taking them as correspondence courses. Yup, two five-credit classes, I had a year to take them in my spare time, and I can't do them at home. Go fig.

I signed up for these courses last winter, once my situation stabilized, because I thought they'd give me the flexibility I needed with no spring vacation and a lot of Saturdays taken up. Good in theory, but when I got home each night, I didn't feel much like working on my classes when there was so much other stuff to be done around the house. Yup, I'm one of those rare guys who does his share of cooking, cleaning, laundry, and the like, and if something sits around too long, I'll get to it before too long. It also didn't help my classes that I have lots of books to read, movies to watch, and a TV to watch. In other words, it just became too easy to find something else to do, and it was usually more urgent or more fun (or both). I did eventually chip away quite a bit at my first class, but it was all one big reason why I got myself into this mess in the first place. Once I realized I wasn't going to make it, I decided to cut my losses and get out of Marysville, since I wouldn't be able to teach there past June 30 anyway (guess when my last certificate expired?).

Fortunately, Laura came up with something that helps the situation immensely. She had been wanting a laptop computer for a very long time, but when the time came to get one, my dad gave her his old one! So, Laura said I should get one instead. I was hesitant at first, but she talked me into it, and last spring I got myself a very nice Macintosh PowerBook G4. It certainly runs rings around my old iMac, and is portable as well. Laura set up a wi-fi network at our house as well, so we can get on the internet anywhere at home. For my classroom management class, I used it to play the CD-ROM while doing the work on my iMac, which made things go faster as I didn't have to swap between the CD-ROM and the word processor every few minutes, and I could check something on the CD-ROM without losing my train of thought. So once I was done with that class and it came time to start my second class (integrating language arts into teaching math, for those who are curious), I decided to do all of the work on the PowerBook, as that class didn't have a CD-ROM. Very wise choice on my part. Sure, I did some of it at home, but I ran into my usual problem of too many distractions at home. So I tried something radical -- not doing my work at home. I started carting my computer down to my folks' place in north Seattle and doing the work there instead, and it's proven to be a blessing, as I'm actually getting it done. In fact, I'm down at their place right now, typing this up as a reward to myself after completing the latest component of my class. One day, I even did some of my work at my mechanic's place while he was putting new brake pads on my car. Having laptops has also been a boon when we travel, as Laura and I were able to stay in touch during our trip to California last summer. At the Wizard of Oz convention I was at, I was even able to update my website the moment my friend and co-author, Karyl Carlson, won an award, and help out with a presentation on Oz items on eBay, all because I had my computer there and the chairman had wired up the room for wi-fi.

Coming to my parents' place to work on my class is not 100% foolproof, as I still have some distractions here at my folks' place. They have a wi-fi connection here, too, and so I take the more-occasional-than-I-should break to check e-mail or websites, or play one of the few games I have on this machine, but overall it's worked very well, and I anticipate being able to finish this class next week some time (touch wood). And I think, in the future, I'm going to avoid taking correspondence courses unless it's one at a time with no looming deadline.

It's odd that I can't do my work at home, because I usually didn't have that problem in high school or college, although I certainly had my moments of doing an entire weekend's worth of work Sunday evening. I suspect it has something to do with being a homeowner and having more responsibilities now. I've found I'm doing the same thing with reading. If I sit down to read something for fun, I find my mind wandering to tasks that need to get done around the house, and at a handy break I'll empty the dishwasher or update my website or something, and I don't get as much read. But I don't have this problem when I'm reading somewhere else.

Gee, I meant this entry to be about not being able to work at home, and instead it's become something of a love letter to my computer. Oh, well, I think I got all I wanted to out anyway (and a little more as well). It is a nice little computer, and it really has helped me a lot with both courses.

Cross those fingers!

What should be the final piece of paperwork to get my substitute certificate arrived on Saturday, and I made copies of all of them yesterday to send to Olympia. Later this morning, I'll drop the letter off at the post office, and then it's in the hands of the Office of Proffesional Practices again. I hope it's enough, I hope they don't take their time about it, and I hope they actually tell me if there's something else they need (although I'm not sure what else I could provide). Since it's Thanksgiving this week, however, I'm sure not a lot will happen until next week. That's fine with me, that will give me a few more days to finally finish this last class and submit all of the paperwork. I just hope they can grade it quick, so I can get my transcript quick, so I can apply for my continuing certificate and possibly start the whole merry-go-round all over again...

So, did you miss me?

Well, it's been a while since I was actually able to post anything here, so I thought I'd get everyone caught up with what's been going on with my teaching career. It's not been pretty, but it has been instructional.

First off, because my certificate expired at the end of June, and school went on into July, I ended up not finishing the whole school year. Yup, I missed the last three weeks or so, since I legally couldn't teach. To be honest, however, that was fine with me. I was not doing well anyway, the stress was getting to me, and I just felt it would be better for everyone involved if I just left. (I did end up having to go back for a couple of days to take care of some administrative stuff, but that was all right, I didn't mind.) And my other employer, the local Sylvan Learning Center, said, "Sure, no problem, we can use you this summer," so I was able to get some work in there to make up for the money I suddently wouldn't be getting from Marysville.

My goal was to finish up my classes over the summer and apply for my new continuing certificate. I didn't think I'd be able to get a full time job again so close to the start of the school year, but districts do hire in late September and into October, and I could always go back to subbing. (After the debacle of Marysville, subbing suddenly didn't look so bad at all!) But one thing I learned this summer was that I don't do well taking a class at home. There are too many distractions, like the TV and the internet, and even if I did get going on something, part of me would be thinking about things that needed to get done around the house, and I'd end up dealing with dirty dishes or something. This, coupled with working at Sylvan and my annual trip to the Winkie Convention in California and all of the Olympics I watched, meant I didn't get terribly far on my classes. In hindsight, I think taking two correspondence classes with the intent of finishing them both within a pretty short timeframe was a mistake -- especially during a school year when I had almost no breaks and was also working Saturdays.

So once I realized that I wasn't going to make it, I applied for a substitute certificate. I figured I'd be able to get some hours subbing in while I finished the classes and worked at Sylvan in the evenings. I applied at the start of September, thinking to take a little badly needed time off before getting to work. Well, it hasn't worked out quite that smoothly. Last spring, I had an ugly episode involving a student who wouldn't take off his hood in class. So I went over and pulled it off for him. Bad move, I know, and I regretted it the moment I did it. But in doing so, I accidentally pulled a littler harder than I intended, and choked him a little. No, I was not having a good day. So the district, quite rightly, suspended me with pay while they investigated. Then they forgot about it for a week, and didn't actually do any investigating until I called to find out what was going on! At least I got some time off... Once they looked into things, they basically gave me a slap on the wrist, and asked that I attend an anger management class and talk to a counselor. I was glad to do so, and actually got a lot out of both.

Now, fast forward to my application for my substitute certificate. It asked me if I'd ever been part of any investigation, disciplinary action, etc. Being the honest soul that I am, I said yes. Some may be thinking I should have lied, but I know that if I had, it would have come back to haunt me later. Besides, I had no way of knowing what was to come. Anyway, a few weeks after I applied, I got a note from the state asking for more details about the incident, and so I filled out the form they sent, thinking it would be the end of it. So I waited for my new certificate to arrive. And I waited. And waited. And waited...

Finally, I did what anyone else would do: I checked into what was going on. It took me some time to actually get a person down in Olympia and not a voice mail box (and I don't think anybody ever ready any of the e-mails I also sent, since I never got a reply to any of them), but after a few weeks I was told that the Office of Professional Practices was holding it up. So I attempted to call OPP, left a few more voice mails that were never answered, and tried to e-mail their address listed on the OSPI website, which it turns out is invalid, as it was bounced back to me. After a couple of weeks, I finally managed to get a real person, and was told that all they needed was some proof that I went through the anger management and counseling. Is that all? I thought, while also wondering to myself why didn't you get this stuff from the Marysville School District, and when were you ever planning on actually telling me this?

Back on the phones and e-mails again... I contacted some of the folks at the MSD central office who were involved in my disciplinary action, and finally got a response a week and a half later, and was told sure, they'd be glad to send me that information. But all I got back was a letter stating that I'd taken the anger management class. Good thing I had taken it, because it was all coming in very handy now! So I got back to them and asked about the counseling, and they gave me the number of the company that referred me. So I contacted them, and they sent me a release form so I could get my records -- only to find that they don't have my records (and, for that matter, the person I had just talked to two days earlier and had sent me the form didn't remember a thing about me -- but that, at least, I can understand, as I'm sure those poor folks must talk to dozens of people a day). At least they were able to give me the contact info for my counselor, and right now I'm just waiting for a call from him (he called last night while I was at Sylvan) to tell the whole story yet again so I can get what I hope will be the last piece of paperwork so I can finally get my substitute certificate.

The irony of all this is, once I realized it was going to take a while still, I jumped in and worked my hardest on my second class -- and I went down to my parents' place to actually get the work done, avoiding most of the distractions at home. So by the time I actually get my substitute certificate, I may just be turning around and goiong back to apply for my continuing certificate.

But the good news is thanks to the job last year, Laura and I were able to refinance our house and give ourselves a little cushion for just such an emergency, so despite my only working part time right now we're doing all right financially, although it's going to be yet another lean Christmas. And I've not only gotten most of my classes done, I've done some badly needed updates to my Wizard of Oz website and cleaned up bits of the house that badly needed it. And after fourteen straight years of teaching, I probably need the break anyway.

So what does the future hold? Hard to say, of course. I thought I'd gotten my dream job last year, but it turned out to be a nightmare. But I realize that last year was also a fluke of bad fortune, and my next job will probably be a lot better. So once I get my substitute certificate, I will jump back into the subbing pool. The Northshore district has already said they'd like to have me back. I'm also trying to finish this last class, and will apply for my continuing certificate the moment I get my transcript. Then I'm going to take a little time off from classes, just because I had to deal with so many this year -- but starting in 2006, I'll be taking them again on a more regular basis, even if I think I can't afford to, so I don't get stuck in this jam again. And once I finish my current class, it will be time to polish up my résumé and start applying for jobs. I hope I can get something full time again, but this time it will be on my terms. One of the questions I plan to ask in interviews from now on is, "Is there currently a contract between the district and the union?" If there isn't, and I'm offered a job, I may do some serious research before accepting.

Anyway, wish me luck. I can't guarantee that I'll be much of a blogger, but I hope I can at least pop in from time to time with information. So I hope you'll keep taking a look at how things shape up here.

Here's the Latest

Eric needs to finish another class before he can get his certification back (poor planning combined with the ridiculous run of no time off in Marysville did him in), so it looks like he'll be subbing for at least the beginning of the year. He's still doing a lot of work at Sylvan Learning Center, and he seems to be doing great there except for the long hours when he needs to be finishing his class.

In the meantime, I'm trying to land a library job in the Northshore School District, but am having trouble with my resume. And the application, to be honest. Wish us luck, and I'll try to update this once school starts around here.

Another Update

Eric knows for sure know that he won't be returning to MJHS, but still doesn't know if Marysville itself will have any openings. That leaves him in a serious jam. Not only does he not know if he has a job next year, but he has to work full-time until July 19th so finding a new position is not going to be easy...

The school district we actually live in, Northshore, seems to have sorted out its problems between the union and management, inspired in part by Marysville's nastiness. Eric would really like to work in Northshore. We have to hope that they are looking for math teachers.

Anyway, if you feel like giving Eric some encouragement for his remaining FOUR MORE WEEKS OF SCHOOOL, please feel free to drop in a comment. I'll make sure he reads them.

Another Update on Marysville

Yeah! The teachers have voted "yes" on the latest contract! Doesn't really help us that much, since we have no idea if Eric is returning or not, but it does mean that progress is being made. Always a good sign after a mess like that. Congrats to the teachers and students of Marysville.

I hope this works out for the best. The contract still has to be approved by the school board, but that seems pretty likely. It doesn't give the teachers anything this year, but it doesn't force them to work unpaid overtime and reduce their salaries, either, so it's an improvement on everything the district had offered before.

Update on Marysville

As you may know, the teachers in the Marysville School District still don't have a contract. And now the S-word has come up again... The Seattle Times has some details about the current negotiations. Everyone is still optimistic, but how long can they stay that way?

At least it now looks likely that Eric won't return to Marysville for next year. He's already been told the chances of him returning to the Junior High are nil, so unless the district decides to find him another spot, we'll be out of the quagmire that is Marysville on July 19th. If anyone local knows of any openings, please let us know. He's a math teacher qualified to teach at just about any level, with some computer lab experience, drama and track experience, and an active and creative mind.

Another Update

I know, you probably aren't expecting anything now. That's ok, I know a few folks still visit. This is the wife, again, letting you know what's up with Eric.

Let's see, very, very busy. He's got to take several classes for his continuing certificate by June, and since he's also teaching full-time, it's a bit of a struggle. In addition, Marysville School District just sent out notices to all first year teachers that say they won't be renewing any contracts. In other words, there's a good chance he's out of a job.

So not only does he have to earn enough credits to keep his certification, he also has to hunt for a new job while teaching full-time until July 19th. Ouch.

Needless to say, you aren't likely to see a post by Eric here anytime soon. Wish him luck, and I'll make sure he checks it out, but please don't expect much more from him.

Just an Update

Eric's wife here. Just to let you know, Eric is alive and well... just really really busy. School went through most of Christmas break, turning it into two five-day weekends instead of a proper break. Then snow cancelled school for a day, moving the final day of school out to July 19th. This Saturday is also a school day. So Eric's been avalanched under the workload, and since blogging was never really his thing in the first place, the blog is one of the last things on his mind. I thought I'd just let you all know, in case you were wondering.

And, by the way, it's his birthday today... feel free to wish him a happy day in the comments, if anyone is still reading.

Oh, dear...

My wife is at the school board meeting tonight. She called me right before it started and said she had signed up to speak. I'm suddenly a bit frightened...

Can you believe this?

Last night, the Marysville school board — the old one, three-fifths of which is on its way out in a couple of weeks, did something very foolish. They extended the contract of the superintendent. This is the same super who received a vote of no confidence a couple of years ago, who now has eight executive assistants who make over $100,000 each, who has alienated many teachers, who has ousted many popular district teachers and principals, who hired an expensive (and, to many, abrasive) PR spokesperson instead of speaking for herself, who doesn't actually live in the district, and who oversaw the longest teacher strike in Washington state history.

Why were my colleagues surprised at this move? Seeing how this board works, I wasn't surprised a bit.

Well, that retirement wasn't that long, was it?

I've had a good hard think about this blog, and I've decided that cutting it off entirely was throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I still have things to say, but I've decided that I'm not going to worry about blogging every day. I'll just post when there's something to say. And boy, this week has been busy.

First off, my job is safe! Our principal pulled some strings and called in favors, and managed to keep my position. And no, it wasn't to help me out (although I'm grateful), but so that the school could preserve its eight-periods-spread-out-over-two-days schedule, which has been extremely successful and helped the school get its Gates grant. So I won't have that hanging over my head. But we are still losing one PE teacher, an open English position won't be filled, and there will be a lot of reshuffling of schedules. (And the poor counselors are going to have to do it all by hand…)

On the grading front, I'm glad I pulled that all-afternooner last week. I'm falling a little behind again, but it's nothing too serious, as I'll be able to get caught up again this week. (I'd say this weekend, but there's too much other stuff going on that I doubt I'll find the time.) And this is proving to be a good thing, as the mid-quarter progress reports are going to be due very soon, and several of my colleagues are still behind where I am. So I would have every right to feel smug if I were that petty.

We've gotten all of that start-of-the-year stuff out of the way, so now things have fallen into a familiar pattern. (This is another reason I'm not going to try to blog every day, as most entries would be something like, "Taught math today." Real exciting, huh?) Unfortunately it also means that the initial excitement of the start of the school year is over, and a lot of students are now showing their true colors in class. Most of my students are pretty good, but I do have one class that's proving to be a bit chatty. As a result, they've fallen a bit behind once or twice, and we've had to play catch-up. (No, I'm not considering just letting them stay behind. I'm having enough trouble keeping track of two sets of plans, I'd rather not do three. Besides, I don't want them to think that their behavior results in the reward of not having to do the work.) We had a class discussion about the issue yesterday, however, and they came up with some ideas, and I expressed my concerns. It went well, and I think we can work together to keep it from becoming a big problem again. Of course, this could all go out the window if schedules get shuffled too radically.

Thursday afternoon, we voted on the new calendar for this school year. It's not perfect, as many teachers were not happy about working Saturdays (five in all, two with students — one Jewish teacher was very upset about that, not that I blame her), working two days between Christmas and New Year's Day (December 29 and 30, which I figure could be a quick two-day unit that won't affect things much, as many students will be gone anyway), and various other issues. But with so much time to make up, I don't think we could have done any better, and we're out on July 16, so we'll at least be able to salvage some summer. (I hope that when real contract negotiations begin, they consider starting the 2004-05 school year a week late, just to extend this year's summer break a little bit.) The calendar was overwhelmingly approved by voice vote. Now let's just hope that there isn't snow so bad that school has to be cancelled! We'd have to make those days up beginning July 19!

You'd think that, after having turned in all my paperwork in August, we'd have our benefits allstraightened out by now. But apparently the district didn't do anything with it during the strike (even though they paid the various providers!), so there are a lot of teachers without their cards or other information that they need. But it looks like it's going to get straightened out soon. Good thing, as I have an appointment with my doctor for a check-up Friday morning, and my dentist that afternoon. It sure would be nice to not have to pay the whole thing for once!

So long, farewell

It is with great reluctance but a sense of relief that I have decided to end this blog. This will be my final entry.

I'm ending this for a number of reasons, but the main one is that I just don't have the time. Sure, it's a nice idea, but the reality of teaching is that I don't have a lot of extra time. Even this weekend, I went to Sylvan this morning, and last night my family sprung an early Thanksgiving on us tomorrow (while my aunt is in town). This means that I now have to cram all the grading and ironing I was planning to do this weekend into this afternoon and evening. The next few weekends are already filling up, so I'm going to have little time for myself. On top of that, I'm expected to take care of dinner tonight. Something has to give, and this is one of them.

I've come to realize that blogging isn't really my thing, anyway. I'm not that interested in sharing myself with the world, and I haven't been terribly proficient at it. It's all been a case of prioritizing my time, and this blog has been pretty low on the list. But I've felt bad that I've had to ignore it, as I know there are a couple of you who read this. So I figure by ending it, that's one less thing for me to worry about, and my readers can get on with doing something else.

I'll end, however, with the saga of the last couple of days. Thursday morning, I had a student get very angry with me. What did I do? I asked her to put away her fashion magazine and get out her math. When she started yelling at me, I asked her to step out into the hall to give her and me a chance to calm down. That didn't go over well, of course, and she called me all kinds of names I won't reprint here before storming out. Needless to say my mood turned a bit sour for a while. I eventually went out to see what was up, but she was still fuming at me, so I let her stew a while longer. Eventually, one of her friends in the class went out, talked to her, and brought her back in. Yup, my first big conflict with a student of the year. However, I was in a generally good mood that day, and I didn't let it ruffle me much. Later that day, I also got my first student saying, "This is my favorite class." That certainly helped. The next day, I was in an even better mood — being Friday helped — and I even had my first "You're my favorite teacher." The student who had gotten mad yesterday was also not only in a much better mood, she was even doing math, and I had a brief, quiet talk with her to let her know that I wanted her to succeed, and would help her out as best I could.

Of course, all that good mood and good will meant that the silver cloud had a dark lining. The principal called me in later that day to let me know that I may be out of a job. Thanks (at least in part) to the strike, enrollment districtwide is way down, and every school is likley going to lose positions. One of the math positions will probably be lost at the junior high, and as the teacher with the least seniority it's me. Now, the good news is that I still have a contract with the district, and so I'll still get my salary and benefits, and will be slotted into some other spot if something opens up. But if this all happens — and it's still all in the very early stages, a lot can happen in the next few weeks — I could also wind up being at the top of the substitute list. Sure, I'll be working, but as a freaking substitute!!! I thought that was finally all behind me! I may be permanently assigned to the junior high, so at least I'll know the staff and students, but nothing's been decided yet.

It's been fun, everyone, but now I'm going to put my ten-gallon hat on my head and ride Old Paint off into the sunset. Happy trails! (If you want to keep up with what's happening with me, I'm sure my wife will give updates on her blog, as she's able to spend a lot more time online than I am.)

Catching up, and some VERY good news!

Well, I put in an all-afternooner (?!) today and got all of the papers I've been sitting on graded. That was a big weight off my shoulders. I've only entered two of the classes into Grade Machine, but I'm definitely in better shape now than I was last night! I should be able to stay on top of things now — until I get behind again, of course…

The early election returns are in, and it looks like the Marysville School District will have a whole new board, or at least close enough. All three of the incumbents are going down to inglorious defeat, so there will be a majority of new members on the board very soon. This should result in a contract at last, and a lot of damage control can start up. And there is a lot of it to take care of!

Time management questions

Any teachers out there reading this, can you help me out? I'm having a really hard time figuring out how to use my time wisely and efficiently. I have a stack of papers to grade, but it's Sunday night already, and I have no idea when I'll be able to do these. Granted, it's still early in the school year, and I'm still trying to play catch-up — I think I finally have everything I need in Grade Machine — but the conflict between work life and home life is getting to be big. Any tips any teachers out there can give me (click on the comments at the end of this entry to leave ideas) would be greatly appreciated.

If you live and vote in Marysville (or anywhere else, for that matter), don't forget that Election Day is coming up on Tuesday. If you haven't already done so by absentee ballot, be sure to vote for those candidates who you think will do the best job for the community. In Marysville, this school board election is crucial, and will very likely determine the future of the district for years to come, so vote carefully and wisely. And remember, if you don't vote, you can't really complain much about who gets elected.

Is it really insomnia if I'm not tired?

Since school began, I've been having trouble staying asleep. Oh, sure, I go to bed at 10-ish, maybe do a little light reading, then go to sleep. But my body has been waking itself up at extremely early times, often around 3:30 or 4:00. My alarm is set for 5:00, but I don't think I've had the chance to let it ring all year so far (with the exception of last Saturday, when I had to be up to get to Sylvan). This sort of thing usually only happens if I've had too much caffeine late and/or I take a nap during the day. But I haven't been doing that. Nevertheless, I've been doing just fine, getting all my work done, actually being productive during my prep time, and not hitting the couch as soon as I get home. I'm expecting to hit the wall any moment now and get a sound night's sleep, but it doesn't seem to have happened yet.

On a plus note, I think I finally got Grade Machine up and running to the point where I can just update it when I have new scores I have to enter, and not worry about updating or tweeking it as well. For those who don't know about it, Grade Machine is a terrific computer program — locally made — that can do all the functions of a grade book, withot all that tedious mucking around with actually doing the math. I learned how to use it a few years ago when I was teaching part-time at Lake Washington High School, and I'm glad Marysville uses it as well. Tonight, I use it to make some badly-needed seating charts!

Planning ahead

Based on my own experiences in getting a job, I decided to try a little exercise today. I asked my classes to put down some career they'd like to have, then what they thought they had to do to accomplish their goals — and I told them that just saying "Go to college" wasn't enough, they needed to figure out what they were going to study there. I realize this is all pretty far-out stuff for eighth graders, but I figured I'd better get them thinking about their goals and how to accomplish them now, rather than wait around for over a decade like I ended up doing. To make it more immediate, I also asked them to give a goal for the class and what they needed to do for that. I've asked them to share what they've written with their parents or other adults in their lives, have them signed, and turn them in tomorrow. It should be interesting to see what's there.

What a long, strange week it's been

I'm sorry that I haven't posted for a while. But it's been a busy weekend — I still have a lot to do, so I'll keep this short — and unlike my wife, I don't have "Blog every day" as a goal. Now that I'm at work at last, I'll be blogging when I can get to it and there's something to say. Since this is a blog about teaching, I'm also now going to limit my comments to teaching, not labor problems. Of course if there are any developments, such as school board election results or a contract settlement, I'll post them here.

Friday afternoon, looking back on the week, it seemed so surreal. Monday we voted to go back to work, which had been only four days earlier, but it seemed like four weeks. And yet the week flew by. I guess there was just so much going on that, while it felt like time was passing normally at the time, so much happened that looking back it seemed longer.

One other delightful phenomenon I've noticed this week: My evenings are so much more relaxed! When I was substituting, I had to wait by the phone and/or keep checking the web to get a job the next day — or risk not getting a job, or at least being woken up at 5:00 the next morning for a job. Now, I can do whatever I want in the evening! I can go out (if I'm not exhausted)! I can do work on my computer without worrying about interruption! I can update this blog! I can get used to this!

Getting settled in

Well, it's only the second day of school, but I already feel like I'm getting settled in. It's feeling pretty good, and going more smoothly than I'd expect. The classes are still pretty good — and yes, I know that this is still the honeymoon, things will be different within two weeks. I think my other big class (not the real chatty one) could turn out to be a great mix, they worked really well together today on a short in-class project. Of course, I'm enjoying working with all of them so far. I'm not sure how other teachers can remember the names of 120 students every year, though! The last time I was in this sort of situation, I only had two classes, so that was only about sixty to keep straight.

One other exciting thing happening this week is that I've started my first class. I still need to get in over 130 clock hours by the end of June to keep my certification going, so I figured I'd better get started. The first class I'm doing is about web-based resources for math students — and it's all online. This could be fascinating, just seeing how the students and instructor interact with each other without ever actually meeting face to face. The ESD is also offering a class on the TI-83 calculator, which is probably a must-take for me.

And finally, I'm getting to try out my new wardrobe at last! It's been lying around for almost eight weeks! These shoes are very comfortable!

Day 1 — AT LAST!

Wow, what a trip! It really hit me this morning, driving to work, that my dreams were finally coming true. I made it, I was teaching a subject that I enjoy, to students at a level I like teaching, in a great school with a terrific staff. The previous seven weeks were a pain in the neck (and no, it's not over yet, just off to the side a bit), but it's all been worth the wait!

Too bad I got off to a bad start! Today was my day to travel from room to room, so of course I left several things in my desk! Fortunately I was able to get them before class began, but it was close. It's a little odd, in that my first two classes were pretty small (fifteen and twenty students), then the next two were huge (thirty-five and almost forty). I'm not the only one in that pickle, however, and I warned all of my classes (ooh, let me say that again — my classes!) that there would likely be some shuffling around over the next few days. Further complicating matters, the English lab class which comes to me halfway through one period wasn't dismissed for a long time (there were some opening day teething problems with the bells), so I ended up getting them for only twenty minutes instead of the forty I should have had them. Nevertheless, I did accomplish the one big thing I needed to do with them — going through the course outline, of course.

Being the first day, we didn't actually get to do a lof of math, but that all changes tomorrow. Two of the classes, however (my non-labs), got some poster-sized paper with math topics written at the top and brainstormed ideas to go with those topics. First period was a bit rusty, as it was a small class, my students were tired (ooh, let me say that again — my students!), and I think they were just a bit still in shock at finally being back in school. Fourth period, however, went to town (larger class right after lunch), and came up with some good stuff, even for "Exponential Growth," which as I suspected was the real head-scratcher.

The real highlight of my day, however, came during the drive up to work. Yesterday I e-mailed Kent and Alan, a local DJ team, to play Chumbawumba's "Tubthumping" as a dedication to everyone in the Marysville School District, especially my colleagues at MJHS. They read my letter on the air (abridged, of course — in case you haven't already noticed, I can write up a storm once I get going), played the song (I cranked it up all the way), and made some really nice comments. Another teacher called in and thanked them and me for the song, as it made her feel good. Laura was able to capture the whole thing on her computer, and I gather that they kept talking about it. Laura even talked to Alan later (off air) and thanked them, and he told her that they were getting lots of positive calls from supporting teachers, and wishing my colleagues and me luck. Many of my colleagues also heard it, and congratulated me when I came in. Even the principal heard it, and she admitted that when she first figured out it was me, she was worried about what the song might be, but she heartily approved of the final result.

Okay, I'd better stop now, or I won't have anything to say tomorrow!

I am nervous and excited

Oh, man, I forgot to do an entry for yesterday! Well, not much to tell, I just puttered around the house, got back-to-school haircut #2, made sure I know what I'm doing today, and that's about it.

Today, on the other hand, ought to be exciting. I'm not sure what kind of attitude to expect from students and parents — a little of everything, I expect. I'm just going to put on my best game face and be happy that I'm finally there. Of course, I'll post a full report this evening.

It's over

After more than three hours of talk, explanation, debate, and questions, tonight the Marysville Education Association voted, 69% to 31%, to go back to work. Frankly, I thought it would be a lot closer, nor was I really sure which way it would go. (And no, I'm not going to tell you how I voted, because I'm still not sure if I voted the right way. So if I'm second guessing myself, I don't want others to do the same.)

The district, of course, will crow about this tomorrow, but they haven't really won. We still need a contract, and we're still not going to settle for what they're offering. But many teachers seemed to realize that continuing to strike wouldn't accomplish much, and would likely hurt the already delicate relations with the community.

Tomorrow, I sleep in, then start getting ready for my first day of teaching on Wednesday. And this blog can stop being about a strike and start being about what it was originally intended, a teacher.

Day 49

The judge has ruled that we need to go back to work, with classes beginning Wednesday. She has yet to say anything about what will happen if we don't.

The union president expects us to vote to stay on strike, but she may be surprised if the e-mails I'm getting are any indication. I think most teachers would be happy to go back if both sides were willing to accept binding arbitration. It's becoming clear that this strike is doing no good at all. The district just isn't paying any attention, and there really needs to be an outside force taking charge.

We meet at 6:30 tonight to get the full story, debate, and finally vote. Of course I'll let you know what happens as soon as I can.

Day 48

The folks the governor sent in to investigate things have come out with a preliminary report, and apparently they take both sides to task for not doing a lot of budging (which, I gather, is how today's negotiations went, as well, what a shock). But I also gather that the district got the worst of it. Anyway, tomorrow morning the judge rules on whether or not there will be an injunction to get us back to work, and then we'll see what happens. Right now, I think this could go in one of many, many directions, but it wouldn't surprise me if some sort of binding arbitration eventually gets involved. And I'll be honest, that may be exactly what this needs.

Day 47

Nope, no word yet, but I gather that the district is still trying their usual dig-your-heels-in-and-stall technique.

This whole mess has gotten Laura and me interested in what our own local school board is up to, so we will very likely attend the next board meeting. (Good point on their side: They actually meet!) We don't want to see our property taxes go towards the same sorts of shenanigans that are going on in Marysville. We're also thinking about making some proposals to our state legislators, although I have the suspicion that we will be far from the only ones.

Taught at Sylvan again this morning. Then went down to my in-laws to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday ("Hi, Lisa!") but fell asleep on the waterbed as soon as I walked in the door. I am having this tendancy to a good stiff nap on Saturday afternoons.

Blogroll Update

Hi, Laura here. I just updated Eric's blogroll to include a number of other educational blogs that I just discovered because of links to his page. Thank you Downes' referrer and Sitemeter! Please check out the new blogs listed: assigned seat, AssortedStuff, Hedgetoad, so you want to be a science teacher..., Ms. Frizzle, From Behind The Teacher's Desk, and EdBlogger Praxis.

Day 46

Not much to tell. They met yesterday, they're supposed to be meeting today, and there's been no word from anybody yet. Lots of people are saying the district will just stonewall in the hopes that the judge will order the teachers back to work Monday morning anyway, but I suspect she'd see right through that.

What bugs me is that a lot of people are complaining and/or assuming that the district will stonewall because they've already announced that school has been cancelled through Monday. I'm sorry, I don't see the connection. I may not get most of what the district has been doing lately, but this, at least, I understand. Let's say that an agreement is reached this weekend. Well, before everyone can go back to work, three things have to happen:

1. The judge has to deal with any final issues.
   
2. The union has to vote on and approve the contract.
   
3. The district has to notify the students and families, get the buses rolling, get ready to make all those hot lunches, and probably about a thousand other things I haven't even thought of.
   

All of those will probably get taken care of quickly, but not instantly. (I've heard reports that the bus drivers have stated they need forty-eight hours to get going.) And with negotiations going on through the weekend, I find it very unlikely that all of the above can be taken care of before Monday. Even if we were able to ratify the contract, say, tomorrow, it's been going on long enough that Monday could be used as an extra prep day. (Hey, it's been seven weeks now, one more day won't make much of a difference.) So the naysayers complaining that no possibility of school on Monday means the district won't bargain in good faith are not thinking this through, it seems to me. The district has done a pretty good job of not bargaining anyway without giving out these sorts of clues…

Day 45

The Dave Ross stuff was interesting. I never went to the park to see the crowd, but we could hear them quite a few times! Unlike many radio talk show hosts, Ross tried to give everyone equal time — and grilled them all equally, as well! The school board member who was there (wow, they do make public appearances after all!) did not do terribly well. He was uninformed about a lot of stuff that was happening in the district, often was caught without much of an answer, tried to evade many topics (Ross usually asked again, at least), and in general dropped the ball more often than he caught it, I thought. The union president did much better, but she wasn't batting a thousand (to mangle my sports metaphors a bit), either. One of the challengers running for school board got off to a poor start, but did much better after that, and came across as having a good grasp of the issues and what they meant for the district. Overall, I thought the whole exercise did a good job of presenting the issues, and the concerns the teachers had. While I doubt it changed a lot of minds — by now I'm sure everyone is either pro-district, pro-teacher, or just sick and tired of the whole thing and can we just get the kids to school, please? — at least I hope more people understand why this strike started and is still going on after so long.

For me, the big story was actually the weather. We have a big storm system moving through right now. Fortunately it didn't rain much in Marysville, but there sure was a lot of wind! It was hard to manage the sign a few times, especially at the one corner we turn. I had an extra hard time of it, as I was also handling my radio. I accidentally clonked a few of my colleagues with my sign, it was blowing around so much — and even managed to hit myself a couple of times!

Tomorrow is a rest day. We've been through a lot this week, and now it's time to refresh ourselves for whatever comes next week. When we were told this on the line, I added, "Yeah, we might actually be in our classrooms next week." Then again, I've been this optimistic more than once in the last few weeks…

Things ought to be interesting today!

Dave Ross, who hosts a radio talk show on KIRO, has been trying to get ahold of the superintendent or some school board members for some time now, with no results. So he's bringing his show to Marysville today to let anyone talk about the strike. And he's setting up shop in the gazebo in the park just a couple of blocks from my school. And his show is on from 9:00 a.m. to noon — which also happen to be the hours we're walking the picket line today. This ought to be interesting, especially if anyone from the district does eventually take part.

Then this afternoon, I'm working at our local comic shop, as the owner is feeling really sick, and I've worked there before. The timing works out perfectly, as it opens at 1:00.

Also, court-mandated marathon bargaining begins today. Let's see if we can finally see some progress.

Day 44, and there does indeed seem to be justice in the world!

I haven't heard anything official yet, but it sounds like a defeat for the school district in court today. I gather that the judge basically ripped into both sides, but especially the district, for not negotiating very much since this whole @#$%ing mess began. So she's ordered both sides to meet for the next four days (through Sunday), eight hours every day, until either there's a settlement or she makes another decision Monday morning. I'll keep adding updates as often as there's something to add or clarify, of course, but I really feel that someone gets it at last!

Day 43

I am on a real emotional roller coaster right now. My colleagues are either more fired up about this than ever before, or getting even more down, or both. I know just what they're going through, as I'm feeling the same way. Not much else to say, I guess, I'm just emotionally spent. Tomorrow there will be no picketing, but the teachers will be at the Snohomish County court house to hear what the judge has to say — and if we're ordered back to work, we'll meet on Thursday to decide if we will go back or not. (Personally, I've decided not to go to the court house, as there will very likely be enough teachers there without me. The room only holds about one hundred, and there are, what, almost seven hundred of us? Plus the parents, students, lawyers, media… I wonder if the judge will actually be able to find a place to sit?)

An interesting development: My wife reported the guy who is harassing her at work to the forums at the Everett Herald website. As a result, the Herald has shut down talk about the strike. I think things are getting just a little bit too heated now…

Tonight, the League of Women Voters is holding a candidate forum for all the Marysville races. It will be interesting to hear which school board candidates are actually there, and how they answer some of the hard questions I know they're going to get.

Last night's rally

Oh, man, what a rush! We really needed that. Last night, much of the MEA, plus some of our colleagues from around the state, gathered in Everett to talk about our experiences so far, our goals, and to reaffirm that we're doing the right thing. Many Marysville teachers talked about why they were out and would remain out, how the strike has reaffirmed their love of teaching and the relations with their colleagues, how they've seen the district plummet downhill over the last couple of years, and so forth. The real affirming talks, however, came from teachers in other districts. They came from nearby — Everett, Arlington, Granite Falls, Sultan, Edmonds, Northshore — and from far away — Seattle, Bellingham, Lake Washington, Hoquiam, Central Kitsap, Sequim, Port Angeles, even Spokane. All came to tell us to hang in there, as we're not fighting just for Marysville, but teachers all over the state. They don't want to see other districts fall into the same mess Marysville is in.

What's truly impressive, however, is that now we're having an impact outside the state. A group of teachers in Colorado sent the union money yesterday, and we've gotten noticed in that other Washington, as the state delegation to Congress is keeping track of things and seeing what they can do to help. The biggest news, however, came from representatives of the British Columbia Teacher's Federation, who came down from Canada on their Thanksgiving to show their support, and annouce a pledge of $10,000. (Okay, that's Canadian, so with the screwy exchange rate, it's a lot less, but it's still an impressive gesture.) The WEA also promised that there would be money to keep us going, so we won't have to be forced back to work for economic reasons.

Today probably will feel a bit anticlimactic, although I gather someone is coming from the NEA. Tomorrow will be the big test, as a judge is expected to make a ruling in the lawsuits seeking injunctions against us. Should the ruling go against the teachers, I do have an idea that would end up being a pretty impressive show of unity, if it can be pulled off…

Day 42

We got the gist of the current proposals from both the district and union today. They're still far apart, and the district is still trying to sell the snake oil they've been offering since this whole mess began. On the off, off, off chance any member of the Marysville School Board is reading this: Hey! Lay off the whole switch to the state salary schedule idea! There is no way you are going to convince the teachers to ratify a new contract if this is in it! And I still haven't heard a satisfactory answer as to why you want us all to switch to that one anyway… And while I'm ranting, lay off the extra time being directed from an outside source, the district or the principals or something like that. We do enough on our own time already, thank you. We don't need to add that much extra time to the school year, and certainly not this year, which will probably go into July as it is.

The district joined one of the parents' groups today in filing a cross claim on the injunction filed last week, even though the district is named as a plaintiff in that suit. Huh? What it all boils down to is, they were unable to browbeat us into accepting their offer at the table, so they're going to make a judge make us accept it, or something like that. It won't work.

Finally, some jerk found out where my wife worked, and e-mailed them making claims about her sanity and fitness to do her job. Of course, my wife has been pretty active on the AIMS message board. Hey, buddy, if I ever find out who you are, I will do whatever I can, within the limits of the law, to make your life miserable. If you've got a beef with the teachers, fine, that I can understand. But leave my family out of it. She is expressing her right to voice her opinion, just as you should be expressing yours in a more mature and grown-up way.

Day 41

The two sides met for only two hours yesterday, which probably isn't a good sign — but they're actually meeting again today, which probably is. Now that the logjam seems to have finally been broken, the most frustrating part is the waiting, to see if there will be any progress made or not. Meanwhile, the district is using their fancy automated phone-dialing system to tell everyone that school will start tomorrow, when there's absolutely no chance of that actually happening, as the teachers won't even see any sort of agreement, let alone get to vote on one, until tomorrow.

This is getting ridiculous

The district's spokesperson (who has been caught in a number of lies and is generally loathed by every teacher in the district) has been telling the press all the details about the district's latest offer, despite the fact that nothing has been decided or agreed upon yet.

The union reps have stated that they will not say anything until they can share the offer with the teachers.

The union is being blasted by the district for actually playing fair and keeping the whole negotiation process behind closed doors, as it should be.

What's wrong with this picture???

My other job

Still no word on how negotiations are going today, but just the fact that the district has finally blinked is encouraging…

Anyway, I worked at Sylvan today, for the first time in two weeks. It was actually good to be there today, maybe because I haven't taught anything for two weeks. They put us off into another room, usually used for small group instruction during the week, and I think that helped, as we didn't have to worry so much about keeping things quiet for those who were testing. It was just me and my students, but I did have to pop over to the main room once in a while to get some supplies or materials. I gather this was only the second time that room was used for regular classes, so there are obviously a few kinks to iron out. I'm still not 100% convinced that I want to keep teaching at Sylvan on Saturdays, but with our finances the way they are right now, I can't complain too loudly.

Day 40

It looks like the district is still insisting on going to the state salary schedule — next year. They're also easing off a bit, but are still insisting on more district-directed time without more pay. However, there are more talks scheduled for today, and nothing has been finalized yet. I suspect we'll get the chance to vote on something on Monday.

Update

Details are still sketchy at this point, but it appears that the district finally has moved — sort of. The current deal seems to be to extend the old contract for one year, and set up a join teacher/administration committee to look into going to the state schedule and other issues. Whether or not this issue will decide if or how to make changes will likely be the big sticking point. If it's just exploratory, the union will likely go for it. But if it's just to figure out how to do it, then that becomes a bigger problem.

Day 39

As I type this right now, last I heard the two sides were still negotiating, which is at least a tiny bit encouraging as talks didn't end twenty minutes after they began. The big news, howerver, is that State Attorney General Christine Gregoire has stepped in, and is threatening legal action to get school started again. With Governor Locke going to trade meetings in China this weekend, it's now looking like she'll be the focus of things over the next few days. (As a side note, Locke is not running for reelection — and Gregoire is running to take his place. If she forces teachers back to work, I can tell her right now that she won't get a lot of support from teachers around this state.)

Lost in all the shuffle, there is one person that I believe the governor and AG need to talk to to get the real picture of what is going on — the mediator! He has been in on this for weeks now, he is familiar with what's happening on both sides and their actual positions, and he is (or at least should be) a neutral party. Gregoire should really ask him what the real story is, because then she's likely actually get it!

I suspect there will be a few of these quick little updates throughout this weekend. Fingers crossed, everybody!

Day 38

Today we broke the record for longest teachers' strike in Washington state history. You'll forgive me if I don't do any celebrating…

The governor was no help. After meeting with some teachers today, he basically said, "Go back to work on Monday or I'm going to do something unpleasant." I can tell him that, unless something changes in tomorrow's negotiations, that's not going to work. The teachers are too angry and too determined to go back to work without a contract. The central administration has made it very clear that they don't care about teachers or students, and that going back to work will not be the end of this.

I feel sick to my guts. This is going to get extremely ugly in the next few days.

Late breaking news

This just in: Governor Locke met with the Marysville School Board (and, for some reason I can't quite fathom, the district spokesperson) today in Olympia, in an effort to get things moving, and he's meeting with union representatives tomorrow morning. Gads, I hope he can make everyone see some sense...

Day 37: We've tied the record

Today is day 37 of our strike. We tied the state record set a few years ago in Fife, and with no new talks scheduled for two more days (not that anyone expects anything to actually happen then anyway), we will break it. Thanks a lot, Marysville school board!

A few items:

• My colleague who got a ticket a few weeks ago for honking his horn in support of us as we picketed the district office? All chargers were dropped. But he has started a new group called Honk-Anon.
  
  
• The union is cautiously optimistic that they can beat the rap in next week's hearings on an injunction. This is the first time something like this has been tried by a parent group instead of the district, so we may be setting some precedents. The fact that is is a parent group, and therefore not directly involved in the situation, and that the district has not been negotiating in good faith appear to make this a difficult one to decide against us. Apparently the fact that penalties are specified only for the teachers and not the board members and superintendent, despite the fact that the district is named as a defendant, may also be a factor.
  
  
• I gather that radio talk show host John Carlson came out last week and told the school board that this strike is their fault, as they knew how the teachers felt but still didn't do anything about it. What makes this so surprising, however, is that Carlson is a conservative, who usually is not a fan of unions, teachers, or public education. So if a guy on the same radio station that plays Rush Limbaugh can see what's actually going on, why can't the board itself? It would only take three members of the board to tell the negotiators to back off and actually do their job to get us back to work.
  
  
• Teachers and parents are starting to picket in front of board members' homes and businesses. One of my colleagues picketed at dawn at one of the board member's homes, and found lots of yard signs at the neighbors supporting his opponent in next month's election. One of the neighbors also brought them donuts. At a clinic co-owned by another board member, picketers were threatened with police action if they impeded any of the patients, but since the gripe wasn't with the patients, the police never had to get involved.
  
  
• Next Monday, educators from around the state are gathering in Everett to cheer us on in a Day of Commitment — essentially, a big pep rally. Should be something to see.
  

And I guess that's about it. More tomorrow, and I hope there's some good news coming some time before long.

A well-needed Day 36 off

At the last minute, I decided not to go up today. This was mostly to support my wife, who has been suffering some severe depression lately (the stress of the strike seems to have just made it worse), but I sure felt a lot better myself once I made the decision. I'm becoming less and less convinced that our actually marching in front of our building is really doing anyone any good, especially since the people who can actually do anything to end this don't seem to be taking any sort of responsibility.

I'm hearing that some teachers marched in front of the district HQ again today — and they were being videotaped. But the truly alarming story is that some of them were deliberately run over! I hope it's not true, or at least greatly exaggerated, but I've got to wonder, what is everyone thinking? Yeah, we're all getting stressed out, but even with tying the state record for longest teachers' strike tomorrow, things have at least been pretty civil so far. If it's gotten to the point of violence, I'm not sure I can support this strike or this district any more.

Day 35, and this is looking REALLY bad

The two sides met yet again today in the hopes of finally breaking the impasse. One guess as to the result.Yup, after a little over three hours they broke off talks again. They'll meet again on FRIDAY!!!

What in the @#$%!! is going on? Besides this garbage, a group of parents filed a lawsuit to get school going again. All well and good, and they claim that they're not taking sides and suing both the district and the union — except that all I've heard is that this is to force the teachers back to work, and that it's the teachers who will have to pay $250 each a day in fines if they don't go back to work. What about the school board and superintendent? They haven't been doing their job, either, during this time. The board refuses to meet again until the strike is settled, and nobody's seen hide nor hair of the superintendent for the last month. But nothing in the suit, so far as I know, forces them back to work or fines them if they don't. At least there won't be anything happening with that until next Wednesday, so maybe someone will come to their senses in that time (but based on how things have gone until now, I wouldn't bet on it).

If the economy weren't so crappy right now and I were qualified to do something else, I would seriously consider getting out of teaching right now. This is just getting disgusting, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.

A wekend away from it all

This past weekend, I went to Anglicon, a local sci-fi/British media convention that Laura and I have attended for the last twelve years or so now. In fact, that's where Laura and I first met in person. (Laura wasn't able to make it for most of the weekend, however, as she had to work — at a LEGO convention, no less!) It was great to get away from the stress of my normal life for a few days, but of course I got lots of congratulations on my new job, and sympathy for being on strike. Sci-fi fans are a generally thoughtful and well-read lot, however, and were overwhelmingly supportive of my situation. (I just have to remember that this week, as we're expecting tensions to get even higher, and lots of abuse hurled our way.)

Back to the picket line tomorrow morning…

Day 32, and there will be many more now...

Right before we finished on the picket line today, we were told that the district cancelled school for all of next week. If we do indeed go that long, it will be the longest education work stoppage in Washington state history. (The old record was thirty-seven days, some time in the early '90s in Fife if I recall correctly.) While discouraging, I may take advantage of the time off to take some classes so I don't have to scramble so bad for my clock hours next spring.

Someone finally figured out why the district is so gung-ho to get the district onto the state schedule: There would no longer be any collective bargaining! Under the state schedule, it's the legislature that calls the shots, not the local district, so there's not a lot a union can do to influence how teachers get paid. Man, I am NOT happy about this!

Day 31

Not much to tell at all! We marched, we found out there's not much that can be done that we're not already doing, we went home. I did suggest that maybe the union needs to appear to take the first step and come down a bit, just to show everyone that our side is willing to negotiate; but it was pointed out that that's already been done, but never got out because of the gag order. It's my understanding that the official offer is currently still 11% over three years.

It was mentioned that of the three items still on the table, two of the union's proposal would not cause the district to lose money! (I don't think anyone thought of this until after yesterday's negotiations ended, so it didn't come out in the talks yet.) The salary schedule,as I think I've pointed out, would not alter how much money the district gets from the state. And if the district didn't make us work for an extra eight days, then they wouldn't have to open buildings and hire instructors to run the workshops they want us to attend. Hmm...

Day 30, and there will be more

The two sides met again today, only to be dismissed an hour later and told to come back Monday. It seems the district was supposed to come in with a new proposal, but didn't. Um, guys? This is the same proposal you've been bringing to the table since APRIL, and the union still isn't accepting it. The union has already said they'll negotiate if you give them something to negotiate with, but digging your heels in at this late date is just getting ridiculous!

In other developments, the union is finally going on the offensive, getting the word out as to why this strike is still going on. Not only are they mailing out a flyer to the community, they also bought a full page ad in the Everett Herald, and are passing the flyers out in person as well starting today or tomorrow. But the big development seems to be Ken Shram's commentary on KOMO last night (you can read the text of it here). He's been doing this sort of commentary for a long time, and can often be a bit brusque, but he generally knows what he's talking about. He basically told the district off for "negotiating" through manipulating public opinion, and that that is not how schools are supposed to work. Well, I gather it had a bit of a domino effect, because not only KOMO, but also KING and KCPQ, at least from what I hear, are covering the strike again, with a more pro-teacher slant. I did see KING up at the high school today interviewing the union president, so we'll see if the general tide might be turning.

One more item to add: Monday, the next day that negotiations are supposed to start, will be day 35 of this strike. The longest teacher strike in Washington state history was 37 days. Unless the district sees the handwriting on the wall over the weekend, I suspect we'll break that record. What a way to start my new teaching career...