Teacher Check In 8/4/22

So, yesterday went well. My kids are (as expected) low in math- like 6/7 grade level and they're juniors/seniors. The secretary said the day went better than she expected it to. Apparently she had low expectations. LOL. I knew 4 of the kids in my classes. My chemistry class has 10 kids, my integrated 1 math class has 9 kids (only 1 girl), and my electives class has like 12. Electives I just supervise and help since they're online. Lots of cell phones and earbuds out that I had to remind to be put away. Monday starts consequences for having them out. There's only one other teacher besides me. We share less than 30 kids in the whole school! My schedule is really nice 8:25-1:35 with a 20 minute break between periods 1 and 2 and lunch of 35 minutes between periods 2 and 3. I have prep after school so I don't get a prep period during the day but I can grade during my break and lunch so I don't have as much to deal with after school. I really think I'm going to like this change from middle school. I'm willingly going back on Monday. LOL

Awww team building. This year my principal wanted each team to do a carpool karaoke video on our way to convocation. All fine and dandy except I don’t really have a team. At first I was just going to sit it out, but then decided to ask the 4th grade team if I could crash their party. I ended up editing the videos together for my principal and it was pretty obvious most teams were not to into this team building activity!

I would be completely out on a ropes course. I’m way too old and out of shape for that!

Don't give teachers HOMEWORK before school even starts!!! 

I strongly dislike team building activities. We have very little turn over with our staff. We had 3 people leave this past year. Two moved with family and one was part time and went to another school full time. She was ELL and there just wasn’t a need for more hours. She was the only teacher and the others were a library aid and head custodian.

We do stupid activities with our assigned table group. Things like make a coat of arms. I haven’t missed this and am sad we’re back in person and able to be table groups. It’ll be interesting to see how it’s handled this year. I am still recovering from my knee replacement so I’ll milk that if I have to. I’d be okay with my department, we got really close last year being a group of 3 when we needed 5. I don’t like to get cozy with a lot of the staff. I have those that I really like and am okay doing this stuff with but it’s a small number and they’re never in my group.

On a good note, our Sped Director approved 2 additional days for me and one of my coworkers to go in and do para schedules and get IEPs for staff ready. Not looking forward to going back but it will be worth it. Plus, the extra 2 days of pay won’t hurt.

Bet it's a drum circle. 

We once went through restorative circles training. I swear I’ve never seen more coworkers cry than during that training. I’m a sympathetic crier too, so everyone was making me cry! No fun!

Your knee is still kind of stiff sometimes, especially after you sit for awhile, so you need to stand and take a little walk every once in awhile. And if that "once in awhile" happens to coincide with table groups, well... that's not your fault! You must follow doctor's orders and exercise that knee!

Our kindergarten and first grade teachers have done it and I believe 2nd and 3rd are doing it this year. It sounds like a nightmare.

Oh and I love how “Texas mandated” but didn’t provide funding to pay teachers for their time. Our district was basically, y’all have to do this and you don’t get paid for it. Typical!

Unfunded Texas Education Legislation is the way of the land! It’s one of the many reasons no Texas educators should be voting red!

I don't hate team building if it is fun. Last year, the specialists (I am one), were tasked to come up with activities for the staff to participate in. There was an art project, a cookie frosting station, my group created a putt putt golf course in the STS room. I can't remember the other activities since I didn't participate. It was all indoors and the staff loved it. I hate ice breaker, get-to-know-you, etc. activities. This is my 26th year in education. I have been through so many different versions of team building and icebreakers.

Years ago when I was at an elementary school, we did the ropes course. They had the high ropes and the low ropes. As a staff we did one activity together and the you could opt in or out of everything else. I am terrified of heights but did it anyway...
I'd love to do it again.

Last couple of years, we've done a scavenger type hunt in out building. We get put into teams and the teams have to stay together. It is a lot of fun for most people, but some hate it and some can't run. We try to have other things for the non runners to do (like throw the flour filled socks at people or be the medics).

Those type if team building things, I like. I hate the come up with a team name and flag and other sitting crap

Yikes!  Good luck avoiding ‘Rona.

2,300 at my district’s convocation. They had to rent a mega church the next town over. Very few had masks on. I sure hope we don’t get another wave because we have no paras right not and definitely no subs!

Oh, you got sucked back in, too? I swear schools are like the hotel California.

They’ve budgeted to pay me a max of 30 hours per week so I’ll find out from my principal tomorrow what portions I don’t need to attend. 😏