tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150089882011-12-14T21:57:29.670-05:00Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.comBlogger1131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1139840780902719612006-02-13T09:11:00.000-05:002006-02-13T09:28:05.603-05:00

Teacherhood - add this word to the dictionary please - I never heard that word before but I think it describes well the way I feel about teaching. A special mental state that combines teaching with feelings of motherhood.Not the way I think about teaching, but the way I feel. I feel part mom, part teacher. When I'm in class lecturing on a new topic, writing things down on the blackboard,

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1138843213715904562006-02-01T20:05:00.000-05:002006-02-01T20:20:15.010-05:00

It's weird... I'm almost in control of the situation, and that makes me feel good - and worried that something big is going to land on my head and knock me right out.Let's see - any kind of browsing through my posts paint the picture of someone who is suddenly wearing teacher shoes - and the clerk screwed up badly because they are NOT running shoes (which would really help!). I have been feeling

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1138533399272403892006-01-29T06:08:00.000-05:002006-01-29T06:29:09.186-05:00

This title does not refer to a bunch of great ideas I've had all day, but rather to the migraine that started on Tuesday at school, then played hide-and-seek with the meds I was taking until it finally won on Friday around 1AM - I had taken all the meds I was allowed to take for a one-week period so I had to rely on regular OTC drugs - which is basically the equivalent of simply praying for it to

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1138239484527896352006-01-25T20:28:00.000-05:002006-01-27T12:34:37.340-05:00

Well, so far in these 98 school days, I've improvised classes, quickly read a chapter to then explain it in all its details (read time: 10 minutes, class time: 90 minutes), I decided to introduce Project Management as something they need to learn and even have each class working on a monster project of building a city and in a couple of weeks, these kids will be dissecting hearts, eyes and frogs,

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1138037451892194812006-01-23T12:09:00.000-05:002006-01-23T12:30:51.976-05:00

Well, it's been ages since I last posted. I'm not sure what happened - potential guesses include: A) I am becoming more of a real teacher (and thus have less time for blogging)B) I am still baffled by everything I need to do and can't schedule my blogging timeC) I'm running out of steam as the ship has reached the half-way mark and has not sunk!D) All of the aboveE) None of the aboveI'll let you

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1136941131902178412006-01-10T19:55:00.000-05:002006-01-10T19:58:51.933-05:00

It was back to school for me today. Yesterday actually, but I stayed home and did some grading all day. Back in the actual classroom today, feeling somewhat under the weather. My eyes are watery and itchy, my nose needs constant attention and I feel lousy. All the signs of another cold, probably an unwrapped gift from someone during the last holiday parties...And so this blog will be short so

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1136597881705866862006-01-06T20:03:00.000-05:002006-01-06T20:38:01.770-05:00

Where did the time go? I thought I would have time to do all sorts of planning and thinking, and all the grading that had to be done... and here we are. Friday night - school starts on Monday and I have not tackled the research project grading yet...We had a party - well, OK, let's call it a "get-together" because the term "party" would imply lots of booze and loud music, and someone

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1136047585495823672005-12-31T11:24:00.000-05:002005-12-31T11:46:25.513-05:00

This has been quite the holidays. We are so pooped, the fact that this is supposed to be "vacation time" has never even occurred to us... With Christine getting up before 5AM NO MATTER WHAT TIME SHE GOES TO BED, it makes it an even more tiring string of parties and dinners, too much food, and not enough exercise...In case you think I exaggerate about Christine's NON-EXISTENT need for sleep, let

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1136046237921084052005-12-31T11:23:00.000-05:002005-12-31T11:23:57.936-05:00

... but they did happen last week. I guess I just stayed away from the blogosphere too long to detail them in any way...

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1135128743651487692005-12-20T20:21:00.000-05:002005-12-20T20:32:23.666-05:00

I'm swamped... not only lots of grading - which I can't do in the evening because I'm too tired - but we have all the gift wrapping to do which is no small feat in this place... Perhaps if I went easier on the shopping, we wouldn't have this problem...I was both shocked and totally pleased today when some students brought me Christmas gifts. Of course, secretly, I was hoping to get some gifts,

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1134992836175019912005-12-19T06:14:00.000-05:002005-12-19T06:48:58.120-05:00

I was just as excited as the MY kids, and as all my students I'm sure, when the snowstorm on Friday was big enough for all the schools to close before they even opened. I got the call at 6AM - I was basically waiting by the phone (thanks to my lovely Christine, I had been monitoring the whiteout since 5AM!!!).Being home with all 3 kids means absolutely no school-related work being done of course

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1134669103874712482005-12-15T12:42:00.000-05:002005-12-15T12:51:43.920-05:00

There are many differences between a teaching job and a "normal" job - one thing I have noticed as we're entering the holiday season is that I have no time to think about or look forward to Christmas. I used to be able to get some shopping done at lunch time, think of meals and make lists of presents to get while sipping my coffee in the morning. This year, it seems time is just zooming by, and

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1134521961418048572005-12-13T19:51:00.000-05:002005-12-13T19:59:21.433-05:00

Well, not quite the Swiss alps, but let's pretend...The mountains around me are really piles and piles of tests to correct. I am responding to the need of the students to have more marks in one semester - the chapters are broken down into smaller, more "study-friendly" pieces, and they have a chance do well in "easy" quizzes. This unfortunately has a terrible downside for me: a lot of grading..

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1134089979118604972005-12-08T19:58:00.000-05:002005-12-08T20:11:11.346-05:00

I'm looking forward to Christmas break. The first part of the school year, ie until now, is apparently the worse part. It's an uphill battle getting the girls in gear, getting their brain juices flowing in the right direction, getting them used to our routine. Then, it's an easy roll down the hill until June.Unfortunately, I can't see that happening in my case. In my vast (75 days) of

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1134005337170205412005-12-07T20:17:00.000-05:002005-12-07T20:28:57.283-05:00

And today's anecdote has nothing to do with school!!!My 9-yr old son has a new girlfriend. It's all we've been hearing about lately. She called him today after dinner so he retreated to his room to have a "private" conversation. He came downstairs a few minutes later and asked Christine if she wanted to speak to her. Christine is only 3 years old, but she's very very talkative and she wants to

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1133915456124997592005-12-06T19:12:00.000-05:002005-12-06T19:30:56.140-05:00

16 years ago today, my best friend Anne-Marie Edward was savagely gunned down in an engineering faculty in Montreal. A crazy gunman who was pissed off at the fact that women could now become engineers (among other things). He was successful in killing 14 bright, beautiful young women before ending his own life. He wanted to send a message to all women about this. I heard his message loud and

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1133792206616739602005-12-05T08:58:00.000-05:002005-12-05T09:24:12.790-05:00

I'm working from home as I do every Monday. And I went to work out at Curves this morning as I do every Monday. And today was the day I had to get weighed and measured. This is a VOLUNTARY thing - no one was holding a dumbell and threatning to drop it on my head, no one was trying to whip me with the measuring tape if I did not comply. It is simply a service offered monthly for those who want

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1133554689185768242005-12-02T15:11:00.000-05:002005-12-02T15:18:09.196-05:00

Just got back from school - I will now attempt to clean (vacuum, wash floors, bathrooms, etc) the place we call "home" which looks more like a jungle right now. I really need to hide the scissors from my two little paper-cutting queens... they are transforming cutting paper strips into an olympic sport. Someone give them a medal already and have them retire from this messy sport!!!! My head

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1133378968280836342005-11-30T14:07:00.000-05:002005-11-30T14:29:51.856-05:00

Since discovering that I could put the girls to work correcting quizzes in class (see how I discovered this trick of trade here), I have not thought much about those who may try to cheat during the actual correction. I ask that they use a green pen, sign their name on their classmate's copy (so I know who did the correcting) and I of course go through them myself (most of the time just to take

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1133312771566799552005-11-29T19:44:00.000-05:002005-11-29T20:23:37.590-05:00

I was a little concerned about the technology class I had to teach today (3 times to 3 different groups) because I am stepping out of my comfort zone and into a studied-a-long-time-ago-mumbo-jumbo unfamiliar zone. Case in point, I had to explain the intricacies of magnetism and electromagnetism.I have never had much (well, let's be honest, ANY!) interest in electricity and its related topics. I

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1133104441184243192005-11-27T09:56:00.000-05:002005-11-27T21:37:43.553-05:00

My hubby has undertaken finishing the basement (as described here). This is all great and dandy, and I knew I would be pretty much watching from the sidelines while he (and his brother) went ahead and did their thing.I've had to put up with being alone with the three kids every week-end (the kids are great, but spending 12 hours with the exclusive purpose of entertaining, feeding, wiping their

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1133103305871787652005-11-27T09:52:00.000-05:002005-11-27T09:55:05.883-05:00

What more is there to say???I have a ton of things to do by Tuesday morning - including really really understanding electromagnetism so that I can not only explain it very well, but also answer all the quirky questions students are so good at coming up with...

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1132876779445076322005-11-24T18:41:00.000-05:002005-11-24T18:59:39.460-05:00

Today was a busy day - and I was off to a bit of a disappointing start since I purposely left extra extra early to get a jump on some grading at school, and had to battle the elements (it was snowing and drivers were extra cautious...) such that I got to school with less than 30 minutes to spare and didn't get any grading done...The day was a very sad one as we were told that one of our fellow

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1132709548422898742005-11-22T20:24:00.000-05:002005-11-22T20:53:28.540-05:00

I was soooo excited 2 weeks ago when someone put the following notice in the teachers' lounge: "November 22nd: all 9th graders are going to see a play so classes end at 12:30PM. They will be back at around 4PM".I dashed to the bathroom for a private little victory dance - anticipating to have the afternoon off (remember that this is the day I teach non-stop for 7 periods). I marked my agenda,

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1132596332089949212005-11-21T13:02:00.000-05:002005-11-22T20:53:43.286-05:00

Quick post because typing is actually a pain. My CTS has been acting up again.CTS is of course Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and it's not the most pleasant ailment to have when you're a teacher. I would have to admit that it's probably even more scary if you're a brainsurgeon, or a dentist. And scariest if you're the PATIENT of aforementioned surgeon or dentist...CTS has proven to be quite the

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1132276629818663482005-11-17T20:03:00.000-05:002005-11-17T20:17:09.830-05:00

Today should have been a nice day. I had 2 classes (my two star classes) presenting their projects. As expected, these were all ready on time, no in-fighting over so-and-so not pulling their weight, and frankly, 2 commercials that blew me away. Of course, these aren't something that one would see during SuperBowl, but for 9th graders with NO previous videotaping and editing experience, I was

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1132188820291545302005-11-16T19:37:00.000-05:002005-11-16T19:55:41.086-05:00

The girls have been working on a tobacco project - some were assigned the making of a scientific posters while other had to shoot a commercial (anti-tobacco of course). Well, one class (you'll never guess which one) had several technical fiascos - in one case, they didn't even bother to switch what they filmed onto anything - they had the camera plugged to the TV to show their commercial.

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1132105651885239262005-11-15T20:21:00.000-05:002005-11-15T20:47:31.896-05:00

What a day.... not only because it was 7 teaching periods in a row, with NO LUNCH BREAK because I was supervising a girl taking a test she missed last week, but because life as a teacher is a roller-coaster ride, and honestly, after 58 days, the Gravol doesn't seem to cut it anymore...I'm still trying to reach out to that "challenging" class (see here , here and here) but I am starting to run out

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1132014577242685902005-11-14T19:28:00.000-05:002005-11-14T19:37:11.320-05:00

Enough Steve Miller already... for those of you old enough to know this song...As expected, we can all laugh (or cry!) at the fact that I only got 7 out of 10 things done today. Here's the breakdown: 1) go to Curves for workout - DONE2) go through student surveys - 3 out of 4 classes DONE3) watch video on magnetism and make notes - type the notes NOPE4) type up some biology notes to hand out

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1131975935539920742005-11-14T08:42:00.000-05:002005-11-14T08:45:58.016-05:00

Well, for those of you keeping a mathematical eye on things, day 56 is missing because I didn't post about it - it was a ped day.Today is day 57, and I thought I'd list out things I'd like to get done today and check in later so that we can all laugh at how illusive it is to make lists like these...So here we go - and it starts well since one of the things is done already!!!1) go to Curves for

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1131917536159087872005-11-13T16:20:00.000-05:002005-11-14T11:08:26.113-05:00

... tonite is best tv night, and yet I feel like simply going to bed now and waking up tomorrow. Screw dinner. Screw the kids' baths. Screw The Housewives (not literally of course). Sheer exhaustion from running after the twins all day yesterday and today. Exhaustion from trying to keep the mess they create as they move around to a minimum. I can't imagine what the lives of those with

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1131660657075982242005-11-10T16:31:00.000-05:002005-11-10T17:10:57.086-05:00

It seems I am falling behind - keeping up with posting every day is not easy these days... Today and tomorrow are ped days - non-working ones - but of course I spent a good part of the day correcting. A pathetic corrections officer - not the type that keeps an eye on dangerous prisoners, but rather the type who should have a red pen permanently inserted into her right hand... that and a

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1131531295616360252005-11-09T04:54:00.000-05:002005-11-09T05:14:55.636-05:00

Yesterday was a thoroughly exhausting day. After teaching for the full 7 periods (and I mean lecturing the whole time since we needed to get through some material before they can do any kind of exercise on their own...), I went into a 4-hour meeting they call "class council".I knew what was going to happen, but I didn't realize how this would actually feel like and affect me in the end.So all

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1131411247178883332005-11-07T19:37:00.000-05:002005-11-07T19:56:31.246-05:00

I'm sitting here with, to my left, about 4 hours left of correction and grading for the last biology test they wrote Friday. And downstairs, in the basement, are my lovely hubby and his brother, drilling away at the concrete floor. We had this house built 7 years ago - the basement was the next project to be tackled (until other stuff got in the way.Things finally got "out of hand" enough to

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1131324492070978122005-11-06T19:35:00.000-05:002005-11-06T19:48:12.083-05:00

Day 51 was only 2 days ago - but now I see the value in posting every day rather than taking a little break from blogging and trying to remember memorable events that happened more than 48 hours ago...Since it was a test day, it was a rather easy one - of course hell follows shortly after when I have 100+ tests to correct. I decided to make this one an easy one - I still need to calculate this

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1131066596630166442005-11-03T20:09:00.000-05:002005-11-03T20:09:56.643-05:00

My brain is mush - I had great post ideas during the day, and now it seems these ideas have escaped the maze that is my brain (or more likely these ideas are lost somewhere between the codeine receptor and the sleep deprivation center).One of my girls is simply not sleeping anymore, and I've been battling another migraine since I stepped out of school today. And guess who's winning? Sleep

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130975975125006392005-11-02T19:30:00.000-05:002005-11-02T19:44:31.800-05:00

I stopped by Tim Hortons this morning, Canada's favorite donut shop, to pick up a big box of Tim Bits (donut holes). One of my classes performed particularly well yesterday in the project management activity and I wanted to reward them quickly (before they did something to undo my happiness). This class is usually very participative, so much so that I have trouble getting through the material

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130891652142047912005-11-01T19:06:00.000-05:002005-11-01T19:34:12.180-05:00

Today was one of those days - you know, one that ends with you being exhausted with no particular reason. Or was there a reason?Since we turned the clocks back an hour, Christine my early bird is an even earlier bird. She was up at 4:30AM this morning. I don't think this even qualifies as "crack of dawn" - perhaps I should send her out to live on a farm where early risers are much more

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130813385652698712005-10-31T21:45:00.000-05:002005-10-31T21:53:50.696-05:00

Today was my day at home to prepare for the upcoming week. I did pretty good, even got some planning done, got the upcoming biology test ready for the Xerox machine, and lined up some work for the technology classes tomorrow.But most importantly, I took a WHOLE HOUR to myself and went to visit the new Curves gym that opened last week. It's very very close by (walkable from my place) and has

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130693216856010952005-10-30T13:30:00.000-05:002005-10-30T13:40:02.693-05:00

When I got up this morning,I caught the dreaded hairdo in the mirror, I had a couple cups of coffee and sat down to re-read yesterday's hair post. I wrote that post late in the evening, tired and feeling the effects of the wine I had with dinner. One shouldn't post in those conditions, not only because typos are published without even so much as a blink, but also because coherence becomes an

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130641923406178342005-10-29T23:11:00.000-04:002005-10-29T23:12:10.876-04:00

I am SOOOOO mad. Sooo pissed off. I know it will grow back, but still...Three weeks ago, I had about 5 inches cut off - going from middle of my back to shoulder length, and although I liked it, it was too much of a hassle in the morning. My hair needs to be courted heavily with the hairdryer to curl the right way. Three weeks ago, I had my eye on a nice shoulder length layered cut, but I let

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130580688409464012005-10-29T05:53:00.000-04:002005-10-29T22:39:47.916-04:00

Siamese twins are born into a world that challenges every common fiber of their bodies. Separation is the only viable long term solution.What about those with special bonds within their very person, bonds invisible to the eye? What about those who feel their heart and their brain have united - allowing a symbiosis of two very different yet vital organs? How can separation be achieved for these

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130548088642855042005-10-28T21:00:00.000-04:002005-10-28T21:08:08.653-04:00

I am still somewhat paranoid that the students will find this blog. This is probably worsened right now by the fact that I've been awake since 2:30AM and it's now 9:00PM... My body is approaching the breaking point - but until I get there I am working on some more correction and entering the grades in the system. Monday is the last day of the semester - everything has to be final by next

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130489504808940922005-10-28T04:27:00.000-04:002005-10-28T04:53:37.646-04:00

I've never been one to sleep in late, but this is just a little bit too insane, even for ME. It was 11:30PM before I headed up to bed at which point I was completely wired.Pissed off may better described my mental state - because many many of the girls were too lazy to open up their notes and simply copy the explanations to some of the questions in their technology lab report. As a result, many

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130462474890853402005-10-27T21:40:00.000-04:002005-10-27T21:41:45.093-04:00

This post will be short. I am running a correction marathon - the first semester is over on Monday and I need to get all the marks in really soon...I brought in some little chocolate pumpkins today for my 8th graders since I won't see them until AFTER Halloween. They attacked the poor little things in a manner reminiscent of many frightening dinosaur scenes from Jurassic Park.Now I know exactly

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130463523298081802005-10-27T21:37:00.000-04:002005-10-27T21:42:57.940-04:00

I slapped him around hard enough, he finally caved and worked on a new look for my blog. Let me know what you think! (and I mean by that what you think of the LOOK, not your feelings about spousal abuse).

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130370199775222002005-10-26T19:35:00.000-04:002005-10-26T19:43:19.783-04:00

Everyone knows that Gloria Gaynor classic... I can't get it out of my head. It happens to be exactly how I feel.Yesterday was somewhat of a hellish day - after 7 teaching periods (which is all day with only a lunch break), I sat down in the teacher's lounge and attacked piles of correction non stop from 3:30PM until 7:20PM, and then I headed down for the both dreaded and anticipated evening

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130176355204556502005-10-24T13:44:00.000-04:002005-10-24T13:52:35.210-04:00

I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow. It will be nice to meet some parents (if THEY decide to come and see me) and since I am now at the point where I can match each student with her name, my brain should also be able to activate my jaw muscles in such a way that something nice and meaningful comes out when I meet the person who had a little too much to drink 14 years ago and let loose, and

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1130088387144197462005-10-23T19:20:00.000-04:002005-10-23T19:21:01.826-04:00

Husbands can be very useful. For one, they are great at taking the garbage to the curb (this sometimes happens even without a reminder that it's garbage day), they are glad to escape the craziness inside the house to go mow the lawn or wash the cars (but don't try to corner them with a mop for anything INDOORS because the heart rate goes up, the pupils start dilating and sweat pours down the

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129940929209266012005-10-21T20:28:00.000-04:002005-10-21T21:13:42.916-04:00

Well, that light at the end of the tunnel was there today, but for one of my classes, it was quite dim...After it was suggested to me to stop the INSANITY of correcting everything on my own and to put the students to work once in a while (or at least after every quiz), I realized that this seemingly simple task of students being guided closely to go over answers and either put an "X" or a

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129852914061673612005-10-20T20:01:00.000-04:002005-10-20T20:31:26.243-04:00

I have very little interaction with my co-workers. Nature of the job (some would say "nature of the beast!) is such that between running from one class to another, there is little time for chit-chat and socializing with the other teachers. However, on Thursdays, I teach only 6 out of the 7 periods and my free time is right in the middle of the day - thus giving me a whole period to get ahead (

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129754256230776172005-10-19T16:37:00.000-04:002005-10-19T17:02:29.320-04:00

I have the seating arrangements for two of my classes - and it's up to me to figure out how to move people around so that they stop chatting and pay a little more attention to what's happening. Of course, when a class is volatile and chatty, it's usually the doing of 4 or 5 kids, who in turn ruin it for everyone else... I happen to have a pretty keen sense of observation, I've noticed who rubs

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129681286689150342005-10-18T20:15:00.000-04:002005-10-18T20:21:26.696-04:00

I decided to go ahead, bite the bullet and allow that difficult group of girls to also participate in the technology year-long project. I'm doing so for a couple of reasons, the main one being that I am too lazy to actually come up with something else to occupy them while my 3 other groups will be spending lots of time in the shop/lab building the various pieces of their city. Another reason is

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129595021715382702005-10-17T20:15:00.000-04:002005-10-17T20:23:41.723-04:00

I just want to set the record straight regarding my addiction.First of all, watching Primetime TV is NOT a real addiction. This can easily be proven, and here is my scientific method for doing so.First of all, I googled "Top 10 addictions", and after skipping the non-related first entry (which is a Top 10 Music list), as well as a self-coaching list of actions to take (The Top 10 Ways To Help

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129576362150285752005-10-17T15:10:00.000-04:002005-10-17T15:15:46.470-04:00

3:00AM - some kind of noise comes out of the girls' bedroom. I immediately poke hubby. He's so comatosed, it takes a good 4-5 jabs in the ribs and a kick in the lower leg area (I was hoping to hit the shin as that seems to be quite effective) until he FINALLY gets up to rescue his fallen, and now crying, daughter. Of course, had he been a little swifter, had he reacted the first time I hit him,

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129197860629624672005-10-16T20:03:00.000-04:002005-10-16T20:20:18.870-04:00

I haven't blogged in 4 days. Not that there wasn't anything to say... or write... it's just that many things have kept me away from my computer. For starters, on Thursday (day 35), I had classes all day long, and then stayed at my desk (in the teacher's lounge of course) correcting and organizing things until 7PM. It was the FIRST night I came home WITHOUT my schoolbag - this meant that I

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129158372338212912005-10-12T19:05:00.000-04:002005-10-12T20:01:18.500-04:00

What a day. First off, it's my shortest day - only 4 teaching periods (in a row of course). For the first time, I feel like I connected with the class of aliens (that one group of girls who don't know their arse from their elbow, and who have nothing, NOTHING to say when I ask questions despite the constant chatter/whisper that runs in the background while I lecture). We had a discussion about

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1129077724695797412005-10-11T20:30:00.000-04:002005-10-11T20:44:45.173-04:00

Warning: this post is NOT for the faint of heart.It's a well known fact that people who work in offices are exposed to the constant threat of paper cuts. Many have unfortunately fallen victim to the sharp edge of a piece of paper as they were trying to pass on to someone else work that was assigned to them. Of course email has been a great factor in reducing the incidence of paper cuts, and this

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1128992043417270992005-10-10T20:53:00.000-04:002005-10-10T21:12:04.316-04:00

Parent-teacher night is coming up on the 25th for the 9th graders. I have NO idea what to expect on this fateful occasion, mostly because the ones I have been to in a parent capacity are the second week of class, and all parents are in their child's classroom and the teacher does a 20 minute speech and leaves nothing much unsaid - there isn't that much going on in grade school, and parents whose

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1128902774141464552005-10-09T20:05:00.000-04:002005-10-09T20:18:51.703-04:00

I'm not referring to a test mark here, but I'm thinking of the new Coke Zero which I tasted last night. I have always been a fan of Coke (as opposed to Pepsi). A long time ago, when it became apparent I had somewhat of an addiction to the black stuff (well, I was drinking about 2L of it every day or so) I decided to switch to Diet Coke to avoid the empty calories. The phenylalanine (contained

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1128767518516290632005-10-08T06:01:00.000-04:002005-10-08T14:47:41.680-04:00

I'm at war with piles of tests and reports to be corrected. I am attacking the piles as quickly as possible and have devised a new technique (well, new to ME - probably a regular strategy of all REAL teachers out there...). I have the girls work on something on their own during class, something that takes up all or at least most of the period, and I sit there supervising them - WHILE I ATTACK

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1128642578125795902005-10-06T19:44:00.000-04:002005-10-06T19:49:38.133-04:00

Well, I had a good post yesterday but Blogger went into maintenance as I posted and it was LOST. How dare they LOSE my post, just like that... One thing I mentioned yesterday is that I made it to this site, which is basically a teacher bashing or praising site depending on the teacher. And the good news on my part is that I have the “smiley face with shades” rating – just like this: of course

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1128468589100802672005-10-04T19:22:00.000-04:002005-10-04T19:29:49.106-04:00

Why is it that the girls (all four classes) wrote tests today and I am so tired...Why is it that the first biology test was too easy, and this one was too hard? How do you design the RIGHT test such that the correction is not too painful and long, with just the right dose of poking their knowledge?Why is it that coming home with 102 biology tests to correct, 48 biology lab reports and 48

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1128360727595395462005-10-03T14:00:00.000-04:002005-10-03T18:31:20.443-04:00

"Teaching" and "being a teacher" are two different things.It's been 28 days now, and I don't quite feel like a teacher yet. I wonder if I ever will. I feel like I stepped into a very well known character (Mrs Teacher) but my acting skills are not the ones all the other teachers seem to have. I won't be happy standing in front of these girls and lecturing in the traditional fashion for much

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1128130953724156522005-09-30T20:59:00.000-04:002005-09-30T21:45:01.586-04:00

My old life (at work) revolved around organizing, planning, defining, and scheduling every little thing about entire projects, from beginning to end, and including team members' bathroom breaks. Contingency plans, risk analysis, budget considerations, looming deadlines. Everything about project management excites me. And I miss it dearly.Teaching also requires some planning, but because I'm

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1128039925080233582005-09-29T20:19:00.000-04:002005-09-30T21:43:51.026-04:00

It’s only been 26 days – which means another 154 days to go. If this were Survivor, I’d almost be done. But this is no reality show. This is my life, and no one is here to vote me out and send me home. I’m forced to be part of the jury that will sit there for another 154 days, testing and judging these girls, imparting them with knowledge, putting on a show to make the human body look

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127964581617540042005-09-28T23:01:00.000-04:002005-09-28T23:29:41.623-04:00

I often learn from watching (some may argue it's "spying") other teachers. I like to look at how they prepare their courses, what they bring in class, how easily they either get worked up or dismiss student behaviors... That's how I came about today's lecture plan:* First, finish up the material ASAP* Then, have them complete everything related to that chapter in the biology workbook for the

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127865150908031632005-09-27T19:38:00.000-04:002005-09-27T19:54:05.596-04:00

I am feeling tired - 7 teaching periods in a row is a killer - good thing this happens only on Tuesdays. Why is it that I used to be able to work a 10-hour day without blinking, while entertaining the troops for 7 x 45 minutes drains me of 98% of my energy, the remaining 2% being used up completely by the kids when I get home... Good thing I didn't worry about the lemon experiment - it went just

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127779123963067742005-09-26T19:57:00.000-04:002005-09-26T19:58:43.970-04:00

Tomorrow is the day I am taking the girls to the technology lab so that we can discover the marvels of electricity together. Not only do I hate labs to begin with (see this), I also happen not to be too fond of electricity. I am NOT an electrical engineer. I am no MacGyver - you won't see me knitting spider webs into a bulletproof vest, which earlier today, would have seemed a more pleasant

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127744599996435022005-09-26T13:45:00.000-04:002005-09-26T13:47:09.823-04:00

There is a lot more thought that needs to be put into designing a test than first meets the eye...I'm preparing the second biology test - and there is so much material to include (all of the digestive system) that it becomes a real puzzle to extricate the important stuff from all the "learn by heart" stuff, combining the two such that the test is not too hard, not too easy, not too short, not too

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127691492361092582005-09-25T19:24:00.000-04:002005-09-25T19:38:12.366-04:00

I watch too much TV. But I was raised to always aim to be ABOVE AVERAGE - so I should be proud to watch more TV than the average North American.That being said, I just can't wait to post this and go sit in front of the boob tube tonight and catch up on the stuff I can't watch most weeknights because I'm caught up in my "homework" - or too pooped to do anything but go to bed super early. Jusy

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127519960762493552005-09-23T18:54:00.000-04:002005-09-23T22:11:34.816-04:00

Teaching and blogging, in my case anyways, is more about learning than it is about teaching or blogging. Here are 10 things I learned this week (in random order, which is exactly the way my brain thinks and accesses information...): 1) Frustration is an emotion I need to manage better - no point in letting my blood pressure rise because a certain group of girls are pressing all the right buttons

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127431167059360662005-09-22T20:18:00.000-04:002005-09-22T20:36:18.183-04:00

A funny thing about me is that I hate labs, lab work, and everything involved with lab experiments. I hated it when I was in grade 9 biology, some 22 years ago.I hated the 16-hours per week I spent in labs while completing my Biochemistry degree.I hated all the labs and workshops of various kinds we were subjected to when I was an engineering student. And now, as a teacher, I have to GO TO THE

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127324833288106372005-09-21T13:45:00.000-04:002005-09-21T13:47:13.293-04:00

FRUSTRATION... that's the only word that can describe today. Only 4 teaching periods, bright sunshine, not too hot, not too cold, and yet, frustration is the only feeling that lingers...So there's that darn group of girls who seem to have landed from another planet - they're completely different from the other 77 girls I have. They are the same age, same gender, same biological functioning as

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127264053248931982005-09-20T20:14:00.000-04:002005-09-20T20:54:13.256-04:00

I was approached by one of the nuns at school about whether I can welcome 25 Mexican girls in either a biology or technology class in the 3rd week of October. The 9th graders I'm teaching are into their 3rd year of Spanish, so most can hold a basic conversation and make themselves understood. At first, I said "Sure, no problem" - not realizing that these lovely Mexican girls, who are here via a

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1127136865879257392005-09-19T08:55:00.000-04:002005-09-19T11:07:16.340-04:00

Three months ago, I had no idea what a blog was. Then I noticed my dear hubby laughing out loud whenever he read a certain "blog". "A blog? What is THAT?"Being married to a computer/software/techno geek has great advantages (like never having to work the electronics around the house - and being the first we know to have a home-made version of a TiVo which feeds my TV addiction so much better

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126926166861042152005-09-16T22:00:00.000-04:002005-09-16T23:04:54.816-04:00

It's been proven (how, I have no clue) that sleeping on something (and I mean by that a thought, a question, a problem) often allows the solution to surface the next morning.As I head to bed, I am hoping sleep will bring the answer to a question a student threw my way today:"Why did you become a biology teacher?"It's been bothering me all day, because there are several possible answers. I guess

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126824571988727182005-09-15T19:30:00.000-04:002005-09-15T19:37:22.246-04:00

In the lunch room today, as everyone was gulping down their lunch (because leisurely lunches are unthinkable unless all your work is done, and in a teacher's case that only happens when the schoolyear is over...), I was the center of attention, with questions pouring in from all sides about my "old life". By "old life", I mean of course my past jobs in the industry/corporate world. It seems to

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126737919194743172005-09-14T18:30:00.000-04:002005-09-14T18:45:19.200-04:00

Why is it that the ones we love THE most (yes, that would be our kids, our children, our little "miracles"), why is it that these little creatures are THE BEST at getting right under our skin and oozing poison-ivy. If it sounds like I am losing my mind, perhaps it's because I am!!!Why is it that kids think they can win stupid useless battles with their parents? Why is it that parents feel

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126719872688190142005-09-14T13:45:00.000-04:002005-09-14T13:44:32.693-04:00

As I was making my way into school this morning in traffic, I needed to change lanes to catch the exit ramp to my right. So I put my blinker on well ahead of time, checked many times the distance between my van and the two cars I wanted to squeeze in between, and when my brain figured the timing was optimal, my arms worked the steering wheel and the change was done. Changing lanes in Montreal

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126608954034154632005-09-13T06:51:00.000-04:002005-09-13T06:55:54.040-04:00

Nowhere in my contract is there a mention that the most likely hazard was catching colds when it was still hot enough to swim outside. And yet, here I am, totally congested, with mucous pouring down the back of my throat and thus keeping the nausea factor on the forefront. My kids are not even sick. What is going on????So I am off to school with lots to do before the first bell, and then I have

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126438608897022842005-09-11T07:40:00.000-04:002005-09-11T07:40:15.160-04:00

With over 100 biology tests to correct, Saturday night was far from the relaxing, fun, cozy-up in front of the TV evening. So around 8PM, when the girls were tighly tucked in bed (did I ever mention their door is locked so that they can't get out? Whoever invented that doorknob thingamajig is a genius!!!).Soon enough, hubby was hovering around, reading some of the answers and trying to contain

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126291950756669512005-09-09T14:45:00.000-04:002005-09-09T14:53:45.663-04:00

I'm home - I have a million things to do, the first of which is getting my post done for the day.So far, I've promised myself not to draw any conclusion with this adventure, not to compare my old job with what I am doing now, but one of the teachers has been asking lots of questions - she's never done anything but teach so she is curious about the "corporate world". Having to explain what I used

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126216409164991642005-09-09T05:50:00.000-04:002005-09-09T06:09:57.146-04:00

I'm writing this post after sleeping for almost 11 hours. I went to bed before the kids. At 6:45PM last night, I asked my lovely hubby to take care of the kids because I needed a little nap before The O.C. Well, next thing I know it's 11PM and I am a complete zombie. And the next thing after that, it's 5:33AM, and Christine (who went to bed later than I did, and is 33 years younger than me) is

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126134085503825872005-09-07T18:58:00.000-04:002005-09-07T19:03:12.420-04:00

I wish this software would start ringing and flashing when a blogger writes a NEVERENDING post. As I re-read yesterday's post, I was wondering if anyone fell off their chair while reading it - not because I documented a particularly astounding discovery, but because my migraine-drug-induced keyboard diarrhea was somewhat overwhelming after a while. Bla-bla-bla- somebody stop me!!!To

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1126052233211741282005-09-06T20:21:00.000-04:002005-09-06T20:21:09.050-04:00

Started the day with a mild headache - took hubby's car instead of my van, I had no sunglasses (they are in the van) so the sun aggravated the whole thing. Once at school, I had the adrenaline to keep me going - Tuesdays are the roughest day with 7 teaching periods in a row. Non-stop teaching. I used to love being on the receiving end - but being the one who is up there DOING the teaching is a

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125920320061267332005-09-04T10:00:00.000-04:002005-09-05T08:00:13.276-04:00

Well, Saturday night, 9PM, the kids are finally in bed, the main floor has gone from major mess to "you can walk around in the dark without tripping over anything dangerous" and I still have a little bit of energy despite Christine being up since 4:30AM some 16.5 hours ago. She gives a whole new meaning to the "early bird" - and I envy my friends whose kids get up between 8:00 and 9:00AM without

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125690324466521612005-09-02T15:32:00.000-04:002005-09-02T15:46:20.340-04:00

Today went well at school. First test was written, and I have it with me, ready to correct it over the week-end. I can't concentrate on school stuff right now because I am haunted by the pictures and video clips from what is happening in New Orleans. I don't understand that this is happening in the United States. The greatest power on Earth. These people are stranded, dehydrated, hungry,

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125620337748651452005-09-01T20:00:00.000-04:002005-09-01T20:20:51.216-04:00

Well, so far all is well in teacher world. Tomorrow is Friday and one of my classes has their first technology test so I get to sit there and watch them sweat it out. I suppose I'll be thinking of my (well, THEIR!)upcoming biology test questions and even getting some of MY work done while they are writing away. It's not easy to write test questions. My last school years were in engineering

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125513610374721142005-08-31T14:30:00.000-04:002005-08-31T19:43:55.756-04:00

Classroom dynamics is a huge part of teaching. You can be the best in your field, you can be really good at conveying information, you can even be teaching a cool subject, if the students are sunken low in their seat with no interest in participating to what's happening in the HERE AND NOW, it makes it difficult to feel good about teaching them anything. Teaching supposes the party that is on

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125451756476847772005-08-30T21:30:00.000-04:002005-08-30T21:29:16.483-04:00

So I'm trying to wrap up the Technology class today, we have about 10 minutes left - this is the 7th period I've been teaching today and I am tired. The blackboard is filled with their ideas of technology, and technical tools. From the internet to the hammer, everything is up there, there is hardly any black left on this board, a cloud of chalk surrounds me, and the temperature is about 90F

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125342772249654542005-08-29T15:11:00.000-04:002005-08-29T15:35:59.046-04:00

Well, my son starts grade 4 tomorrow morning. Let's not get carried away - the first 2 days are only half days. But as I now know, the teachers still work ALL day. And sometimes night...Tonight is the dreaded "Back to school night" which is invariable, year after year, the night right before school starts up. Why, why, why do we always do it this way? When he walked home on June 23rd, over 2

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125338070222887752005-08-29T13:23:00.000-04:002005-08-29T13:57:29.610-04:00

Well, since our work week is spread over 4 (intense) days, we have the benefit of having a day off, and in my case, it's Mondays. This means that I will be having long week-ends all year, it also means that once I get my act together (ie get the planning done during the OTHER days of the week) I will have a real day off. Today has been quite productive: - Get the girls to daycare - CHECK- Get

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125193616693581892005-08-27T21:46:00.000-04:002005-08-27T21:57:08.410-04:00

I can't stop thinking about school. Not in a bad way, just in a "what else can I come up with" way. Like cool learning activities for biology. Right now we're talking about nutrition - and that makes it all the more interesting and easy for me, the Diet Queen, but soon we'll be moving onto other topics and I want to make sure to keep this stuff interesting. So far, nothing wrong with

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125082355058794402005-08-26T14:45:00.000-04:002005-08-26T14:52:35.063-04:00

Short post today - once again, Mr Migraine is playing squash in my head, and is beating the pants off Mr Fiorinal w/Codeine. I need my pillow, I need quiet, I need darkness, I need to get away from this computer! I got away from the students at 1:00 when my school day ended, after 5 hours of lecture (straight!!!). The day started at 3:51AM when Mr Migraine knocked on the temple door, got in and

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1125020896551681332005-08-25T21:45:00.000-04:002005-08-25T21:48:16.556-04:00

6 hours of lecture today. My feet hurt and my hands are already drying up because of the chalk. I have to say that I actually enjoyed the day. I am a little surprised at the pace required to teach these kids - I keep thinking that it will take only minutes to go over certain topics, but then it ends up taking a lot longer. It was the first day for the kids in elementary school (this school goes

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1124926084159895902005-08-24T18:57:00.000-04:002005-08-24T19:28:04.163-04:00

So today was an easy Day 2 since I spent about 30 minutes only with three groups of students. I did roll call, handed out the biology course outline and talked about myself a little - three things I can do very well. My strategy is to get them to like me. Somehow. I was amazed at the level of detail you need to feed the students. If you mention that a binder will make their lives easier,

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1124846259555564002005-08-23T20:27:00.000-04:002005-08-23T21:17:39.560-04:00

Well, today was an easy day to survive since it was a day with NO kids. I always thought ped days were simply days off - but teachers actually have to show up and "work" on those days. I've worked in some cool places since I graduated from Engineering school 10 years ago. I've always been in the business-corporate-let's-make-some-money-to-survive world and suddenly, I find myself listening to

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1124726459409598832005-08-22T11:59:00.000-04:002005-08-22T12:00:59.416-04:00

The day after tomorrow - and I am not referring to a movie here (wouldn't that be nice and easy?) - I am referring to the fact that the day after tomorrow is my first day TEACHING. I go in tomorrow for meetings all day (also known as a PED day - didn't we all think teachers were simply off on those days???? well, I am here to tell you that these are WORKING days, with the slight advantage of not

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15008988.post-1124542583855808632005-08-20T08:45:00.000-04:002005-08-20T09:00:08.116-04:00

Conversation between the girls and I while driving last night (we were listening to Kids' music CDs):Christine: Put Caillou in now!So I pull it out and was holding on to it for a few seconds.Christine: Let me hold it for you.Me: No - only adults can handle the CDs - or else something might break and we'll never be able to listen to these 5 hours per day and that would be tragic.Caroline: Only

Lolitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10060420859175449403noreply@blogger.com0