Trip to NYC

My trip to NYC was fun! My colleagues Matt, Ken, and Wendy and I took 25 teenagers to NYC to the Model UN Conference.

Here's the scoop -

Wednesday - We left school around 7:45 am on a chartered bus. The bus had a DVD player so the kids watched one of the Harry Potter films and part of Pride and Prejudice. First let me say that there were 21 girls and 4 males on this trip! So, the chick flicks went over very well with the females on the bus. Wendy and I chatted the entire ride down to NYC so we didn't even watch the movies. We stayed at The Hilton . After the kids got settled in their rooms, we left for the Opening ceremonies. The opening ceremonies were at the United Nations that evening. The security to get in was very tight! One of our students (a exchange student from Turkmenistan) was searched by security. I felt really bad for him because when you look at him, his skin tones are Middle Eastern. The kids got to sit in the General Assembly where all the ambassadors from all over the world sit to discuss world problems. The guest speaker discussed how the kids can make a difference in the world by participating in events like Model UN. Bed checks were at 12:30 am! Can I just say how old I am that I can't even stay awake that late anymore? We had two kids that decided it was OK to walk down to Times Square and walk around at 1:00 am! They broke curfew so they were "grounded" for the rest of the trip.

Thursday - the students were in committee meetings all day. We had to check on them to see if they had any questions or concerns. The adults then could do whatever we wanted. Ken and I headed to Times Square to walk around and check out the heart of the city. We ate lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. The food was amazing! In the late afternoon, Wendy and I walked around Central Park and shared a pretzel. I did sit on some of the committee meetings - some of the topics were more interesting than others. For example, the League of Arab Nations meeting was discussing the impact of oil and the world economy. They also were trying to figure out a way to conserve oil. The World Bank meeting was rather boring.

Friday - the students were in meetings all day again. Wendy and I decided to check out MoMA (Museum of Modern Art). They had a great exhibit on Edvard Munch (think the Screamer painting). Afterwards, we walked down to Rockefeller Center for a quick lunch at this organic restaurant. We did a group dinner at this place. They had great pizza! After dinner, a bunch of the girls and I ran to the Carnegie Deli for cheesecake - oh my goodness - the cheesecake was huge and amazing! Yummy! I really couldn't finish it all. I'm so happy that I could "work off" that cheesecake later on in the evening. There was a dance on Friday night for the students. Matt, Wendy, and I "busted a move" on the dance floor with the kids. I think they got a nice chuckle out of their teachers dancing! Curfew this night was 1:00 am! I'm getting way too old for staying up so late!

Saturday - We were able to sleep in a bit because our bus wasn't picking us up until noon. Wendy and I did a nice buffet all you could breakfast at the hotel. We had been doing on the go breakfast the past few days and thought it would be nice to just sit and relax and enjoy our breakfast. The bus arrived at noon to pick us up at the hotel. It took us almost five hours to get home - we ran into a bit of traffic.

Overall, it was a fun experience! I would definitely do it again. The kids for the most part were pretty well behaved. I didn't really know a lot of the kids but by the end of the trip, I got to know most of them. It's such a great learning experience to get to know your students outside of the classroom.

Fun time in NYC!

Hi!

Sorry I didn't blog before I left for my trip - I tried to post something before I left but blogger was having technical difficulties and wouldn't allow me to post anything!

Had a fun time - I just got back from a five hour bus ride so I post more on Sunday. Very tired! Being on call 24/7 for four days can be exhausting for a gal!

Check back on Sunday and I'll have some pictures for ya's!

Happy B-Day Carla!

Happy Birthday to Carla!

I used to teach with Carla at Timberlane - we used to team-teach World Studies together.

We became great friends and I truly value and appreciate her friendship!

Thanks Carla Lou for always being there for me! Enjoy your day - you deserve it!

Love Ya! :-)

Take me out to the ball game . . . .

It's official!

Softball season starts today!

If I don't post a lot on my blog or email you right away it's because I will be living, sleeping, and eating softball from now until May 24th.

I will try and take pictures of some of my games this year and post them on the blog.

Let the games begin . . . . . . . . . . .

To Do List

Things to do today, Sunday, March 19, 2006:

*Return videos (PG-13 folks - keep your mind out of the gutter!)

*Super Wal-Mart - need a light bulb for my bedroom - I've been in the dark for three days. (Again, keep it clean folks!)

*Pack for New York City -leave for Model UN Conference in three days!

*Get organized for softball season (Starting on Monday, my life goes from busy to chaotic!)

*Rest??????

As you can see, I'm a list person. I make lists all day long at school. What needs to be accomplished in my day is very important in teaching. I need to watch my pacing of the curriculum so I can get everything taught that needs to get taught by the end of the school year.

Will I complete my list by the end of the day?????

Da Vinci Code Movie Released?

There has been a lot of hoopla around the releasing of the new movie, The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown, the author of the book, is being accused of copying the work of two authors.

So, because of the trial, the movie can not be released until the court case is settled.

I was in Paris when they (Ron Howard and his crew) were filming the movie last summer. I'm so excited to see the film adoptation of the book. I loved the book so I'm curious to see how Ron Howard depicts this story.

The trial officially ends on Monday so hopefully we will have some closure soon and the movie will be released!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my Irish friends out there!

Enjoy some green beer and some cornbeef and cabbage!

Busy Day - Busy Life!

My goodness! No time! No time to blog. No time to relax. No time to breathe! :-)

Today, I had a faculty meeting after school, a parent meeting after that, School Council meeting at 5:30, and then I went to the Faculty-Student Basketball game to support my colleagues at 6:30 pm. I got home around 8:00 pm. Long day!

This week has been so busy between meetings, working at my part-time job, and more meetings. I really would love to clone myself so I could be in two places at the same time. I'm sure other folks out there feel the same way.

On Monday of next week, I start coaching softball. I coach freshman softball. Now, I still have to work at my part-time job on top of coaching. Here is my schedule for next week:
Monday - Softball practice 3-5
Tuesday - Work 3-5, Softball practice 5:15-7:15.
Wednesday thru Saturday - I'm chaperoning a Model UN trip to New York City for my school. Now, it will be fun. No doubt! However, you still have to babysit a group of 25 teenagers in NYC! From what I understand from the advisors, it's a very exhausting trip. Long days! I'm still very excited about chaperoning. I haven't been to NYC since the summer of 2002 so it should be a fun trip!

So, that's a summary of my crazy busy life.

How many more days until summer vacation????? :-)

The Cutest Baby Ever!

Meet Jeffrey! Traci and Mark's little guy! Isn't he just the cutest baby?

And, he's a good baby too! They totally lucked out!

They are very blessed to have such a wonderful little guy!

How true!

This came from my friend Cheryl and her son Corey:

Corey's teacher sent home a paper with the following quotation from E.C. McKennzie:
"School teachers are not appreciated by parents until it rains all day Saturday".

Need I say more? :-)

Blaming the Student

Saw this article and it gave me food for thought -

Happy reading folks!

The Game of Education

Teaching the youth of America can be a challenge. Most teenagers that I teach are very happy and very adjusted kids. Some of them even want to learn some great history! A few of them have some "issues" that they must deal with on a daily basis. No Child Left Behind, the Massachusetts Frameworks, and my district tells me that I am responsible for teaching the content and skills to my 9th graders on a daily basis.

What do I do when a student doesn't want to be in school or learn? I know. It's the age old question that teachers have been asking themselves for generations. A teacher can only do what a teacher can do.

I have a few students this year that are quite a challenge. No matter what I do or say, they just don't want to do well in school. They continue to shut down and not want to deal with their schooling at any level. It's frustrating. It's sad. It's hard to watch a teenager set themselves up to fail. Now granted, these students have other "issues" going on in their lives that have nothing to do with school or learning. When I call or email the parents, the response is: "You deal with them; they are YOUR problem!" Look folks, if you didn't want the responsibility of children, why did you bring them into the world? Sometimes I feel like I'm more of a parent to these kids then the actual parents!

It's like you are banging your head against a wall trying to help a kid out that doesn't want to be helped or cared about. I guess that's the problem. Maybe I care too much?

I see so much potential in these kids. I've realized that I can believe in them all I want but if they don't believe in themselves, how far will they get in life?

I truly love my job and I love the kids that I work with on a daily basis. I just wish that I could save them all and I can't!

This game of back and forth blame between students and parents and teachers is getting old. Let's throw out the blame and let's start working on the priority here: the kid!

Just call me tired!

I'm so tired that even my hair follicles are tired.

Is this normal?

Is it Friday yet?

OK. Yes, I've had a pretty easy few weeks. Yes, I had most of last week off for jury duty. Yes, I had the week before that off from school. BUT, I need a vacation!

My stress level has increased tremendously the past few days. Of course, I have grades due on Friday. That may be the reason why I'm so stressed out. I start coaching freshman softball on the 20th and it really has me stressed out. I'm wondering how I can manage teaching, working a second job, and coaching all at the same time. I can't quit the second job - I really need the money right now. The bills never go away - trust me - I tried to wish them away and it doesn't work!

Can I stop being a responsible adult yet?????

Enough venting!

My students are the ones that really keep me laughing! They say the silliest things in class. As shitty as the pay is in teaching, my students really make it worth coming to work.

My principal came into my A3 class today to do an informal observation. I was a little freaked at first because he never mentioned that he was coming in. Luckily, my plans for the block were pretty straight forward. I'm still in the French Revolution and we are currently storming the Bastille. As I have mentioned in previous posts, this is my third year and it is a vital year - meaning that I receive professional status or what was formally known as tenure. I really enjoy teaching at Newburyport High School but I keep waiting for the bottom to fall. Again, my negative thinking.

Ughy!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Lea!

Happy Birthday Lea!!!

This is a picture of Lea and her Mom from when I was out in IL back over the holidays.

Lea- You have been such a wonderful friend to me over the years. It seems like only yesterday we started working at Taco Bell together and hanging out and partying. Way too many good times to mention (and the fact that I really have to keep this blog PG-13 for all the crap we used to get into together). We've been through so much together. I'm so grateful to have you in my life.

Thank you for your friendship and the laughs!

Love Ya Fishy! :-)

My Civil Duty is Officially Over!

It's official! I've finished jury duty.

The trial was in Lawrence, MA at the Superior Court House. The case dealt with fraud. And, yes - we, the jury, found the guy guilty!

It was a VERY LONG week! I was sworn to not discuss the case - even with my Mom. :-)

The whole trial process was very educational and interesting. I can definitely see why lawyers get paid so much money! I learned a great deal and was able to take back some of the experience and share it with my students.

Since I was on Feb break last week and had jury duty until Thursday, my first official day back to school was today. It felt strange being back to school. I missed the kids so much! I'm really behind in my curriculum now since I was out all those days.

Next Monday, I have to kick it up and try and get caught up with my content.

Softball season starts on Monday, March 20th. My life will get crazy busy again once softball season starts.

The joy of being a teacher . . . . . .

Jury Duty Calls!

OK ladies and gentleman -

I'm going to be out of commission for a while. I was chosen today for jury duty. The judge said to plan on being in court until at least Thursday!

I had to go into school tonight and prepare three days of sub plans. I hate being out of school. Mostly because it means more work for me. And, I've been on a role and hate the idea of not connecting with the students this entire time.

I know. I'm providing my civil duty. Which I'm happy about and glad that I can be a good citizen. However, the courts don't understand that I'm in the middle of the French Revolution!

Viva la resistance! :-)

Vacation - Day 7

Summary of the past few days.

Saw the play Into the Woods at UNH on Friday. The kids did an amazing job! Not only was Darryl in the play but another Timberlane student from the class of 2003 was in it - Christine Dulong! What a nice surprise to see both of my former babies of the class of 2003!

On Saturday - I did nothing! Absolutely nothing! We had a snow storm here and we got around 5 inches of snow. I sat on the couch and watch my Desperate Housewives DVD's.

Today, I'm picking up Carla in Boston at the airport. She went out to California for a few days to visit a friend of hers. Carla lives in Maine so I'll pick her up and head north. The rest of the day will probably be spent being in denial that I have to go back to school and today is my official last day of vacation until April.

Actually, I have jury duty on Monday. I called on Friday and my panel number got called! I don't know whether to be happy or cry! I have to be at the Lawrence Courthouse by 8:30 am on Monday. I'll bring a good book to read to keep me busy.

Guilty! Not Guilty!

Vacation - Day 6

I come home the other day and these wonderful gifts were waiting for me!

I've been in this strange and odd funky mood lately. My friend Cheryl from IL sent these wonderful gifts to me to cheer me up! Can I just say how much they cheered me up? Whenever you think that no one out there gives a rats ass about ya, you get a surprise like this in your life!

Cheryl - thanks to you and your boys for my wonderful gifts! The bear is adorable! It's one of those Build-A-Bears holding a sunshine. The flowers are gorgeous! They brightened my day!

How blessed am I to have such a wonderful friend in my life?

Love Ya Kiddo!

Vacation - Day 5

Yesterday was semi-productive. Worked at the doggie place in the afternoon. Some of my students came into the store to "harass" me (In a good way).

Came home and ate some dinner. Balanced my checkbook which always takes me forever to do. I hate math! Watched Disc 2 of the Desperate Housewives DVD's.

I received some wonderful gifts from my friend Cheryl in IL. She sent me this adorable bear holding a sun that says, "Cheer Up!" He's so cute! And, I received a beautiful arrangement of flowers and some balloons. It was such a nice surprise and yes, it did cheer me up!

You all know that I've been in this funky mood late and she ordered these things to cheer me up! How blessed am I to have Cheryl as a friend and in my life? I'll post some pictures of my lovely gifts in my next blog post.

The plan of attack for today:
*Have to go to school this morning to prepare "possible sub plans." I may or may not have jury duty on Monday and I have to leave some sub plans just in case. I have to call a number today after 3:00 pm to see if I have jury duty. Either way, I have to call the secretary that calls in the subs, to let her know if I need someone on Monday.
*I'm working from 1:00-5:00 pm today at the doggie place.
*I'm meeting my friend Annette in Epping, NH at 6:00 pm and we are then driving up to UNH to see her son Darryl in a play. Annette and I have been friends since my Timberlane days. Her son was in the class that I advised so I'm looking forward to seeing him and his Mom.

Pretty busy Friday overall!

PS Got my federal tax refund (gotta love that automatic deposit option!). :-)