Latest Posts by rengerain - Page 2

Here we go Again...

Oh no, another

Praxis test to take

I must prove my worth.

Ninth Classroom...

I bounced from school-to-school for a while before landing…

I was placed in a pull-out position where I would work with English Language Learners…

They were new to the country and new to the school…

A lot of the students were true beginners unable to associate phoneme to letter…

It was a lot of work, considering I only see them twice a week for half an hour at most…

Hybrid classes…come to school two days…go virtual three…

Except they don’t show up and do no work…

Fortunately, I’m not a ‘real’ teacher yet…

They only get some additional language support from me…completely homework free.

Of if they needed to talk…I was always willing to listen.

The Pandemic is hard on all of us…

Forget your standards and your deadlines…

Let children be children…

Swearing...

Sub psychotic rage

Blood pouring from sacred place

The pain of betrayal.

Eighth Classroom...

After a long painful summer of no luck…

I finally made it as a teacher…

Kind of…

Their usual teacher just popped out her 3rd kid…

Hey, more power to ya…

I was a long-term substitute for 5th grad math…

But I have a BA in Literature…

And an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language…

What the heck do I know about 5th grade math?!

Surprisingly it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be…

The morning kids were wonderful…

Low energy, just like me…

The afternoon kids were naughty…

And so, so hyper…

But I loved their individual personalities…

And their general mischievousness…

So adorable…<3

What am I watching?!

Watching a movie

It is so very trippy

Appropriate drugs

Seventh Classroom…

It was mostly in the library at first…

A pull out situation for English Language Learners…

Three and a half weeks were spent on ACCESS testing…

Two weeks were spent in the classroom…

Then BOOM: Pandemic…

There was no reason for me to stay at the Grad House so I left…

Well, I picked up UDairy Ice Cream and Ramen from Kumamoto in Newark, DE…

THEN I left…

So really, my seventh classroom was mostly on Zoom…

I did not end up doing the edTPA…

But I have a lesson, materials, and assessments set up to do so…

Praxis Haiku

Evil Praxis test

Consuming all of my time

I want to sleep now

Sixth Classroom...

Three weeks just sitting in a library watching ELLs take the ACCESS test…

Oh great, Corona.

I’m banned from the school and go home.

Now, the school shuts down and the children seldom show.

I sit in my bedroom talking to the walls on Zoom.

YouTube stories…picture books and animations on environmental and wildlife conservation…

Stories lead to class discussions and simple assignments.

The edTPA is not going to happen.

Thankfully I don’t need it for institutional backing once I finally graduate.

Virtual classrooms where students are constantly interrupted by poor internet or having to watch younger siblings.

These kids are learning nothing yet being passed onto the next grade.

It’s such a disservice…

Physical Therapy...

Uneven ceiling

Wall colors strange holes in beds

Stretch, ow, strengthen, ow

Fifth Classroom...

I was in a library at night.

It was just me and thirty-five adults and the occasional handful of kids.

China, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Haiti, and more…

Different cultures, different educational backgrounds, different English language speaking abilities…

These were my students.

I taught them English, having to provide my students with different activities and materials in order to best work with their level of competence.

I taught them American culture not for the sake of seamless integration into America but so they would better understand the strange customs of their new home.

If they failed to secure a babysitter then I assigned a book report.

Advanced students helped lower students read and write a brief summary.

I supplied children with toys, drawing tools, and entertainment while we waited.

I did this for two years before going to grad school for TESOL…

White Cherry Blossoms...

White petals flutter

Warm sun, gentle breeze, sunny

Spring has come at last

Forth Classroom…

I was at a community college, panicking over my BA in English.

So I went for an associate’s in medical secretary.

I helped my friend learn her medical terminology, abbreviations, grammar, and anatomy.

I helped another friend learn about computers as we had to take Windows, Excel, and Access.

All three of us struggled comically over transcription.

The Puerto Rican said that the “Puerto Rican” doctor on the recording didn’t sound right.

The Caucasian said, “Where the heck do you find the ‘send’ key?!”

I felt like the smartest person in the room for the first time in my life.

Adventures in Spec Ed...

No, they’re my shinies!

Meow, meow nuzzle cat.

Yum tater tots, yum.

Third Classroom...

My third classroom…

I taught Shakespeare.

I was fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen-years-old.

My classroom was chaotic and stunk of school lunches.

Once again, the ‘weird’ kid was the center of attention.

Seriously though, how hard is it to read the footnotes?

They hold the keys to the wonders of the world!

Irish Yums!

Golden chocolates.

Foil wrapped Leprechaun coins.

Mouth melting goodness.

Breaking News!

There is a young boy at my school.  I have no idea what he has been through for the past several months.  All I know is that his grandfather now has custody of a two-year-old, a four-year-old, and a six-year-old (my student).  These kids haven’t been in school since it shut down back in March of 2020.  Grandpa owns his own company…a small one-person kind of company.  He can’t afford to feed and clothe these kids. Mercifully this little guy has a decent coat and sneakers.

My school provided a backpack.

His other teacher provided school supplies.

I bought him masks and hand sanitizer.  His teacher showed me a picture of him with a messy faced grin as he ate his breakfast. One of the masks I got him hung just under his chin.  It was dark blue with stars and rocket ships.  I’m so happy I could put a smile on this boy’s face!

Now if only I could get him to like reading…

Second Classroom...

My second classroom…

I taught Japanese studies.

I was twelve-years-old.

I had a whole classroom full of peers that hated me.

I was the ‘weird’ kid who was friends with all the teachers.

Many of my peers left my speech on Japan wanting to visit the country.

It was nerve wracking but wonderful.

Tree Genocide...

Shadows forest love.

Verdant protection from light.

Stop killing them please.

I was so cute as a kid...

My very first day of teaching…

I taught paleontology.

I was six-years-old.

I had five students.

They were my Cabbage Patch Kids.

Chocolate

Chocolate is love.

A filling is optional.

Peanut butter though.

BREAKING NEWS:

Normally I drive just fine but every once and a while I do something stupid, like going too fast during a rainstorm.  This was such a time.  I hit a wet patch and ended up in the grass due to a lovely combination of water, stones, and stupidity (going too fast).  I crashed into a brick column.

I am not someone who has much faith in humanity.

After all, the people directly behind me and in front of me didn’t bat an eye when I acted like a moron and said “hello” to the sign.

Well, my faith was restored today thanks to these fine people:

First a woman stopped.

Then two men (complete strangers) in separate trucks.

Then a couple stopped.  They both got out of their SUV to check on me.

Then a man stopped.

Then another man.

Then another woman.

Then a couple of guys in a big truck.  I missed the name of the company on the side.

Then an older gentleman.

That’s a total of 11 people in about an hour’s time.

Fortunately I was not injured…just slightly embarrassed and not going into work.

Now, this blog is brand new and not even Cheezbot is following me.  I just wanted to share this and acknowledge the kindness of others.  Thank you to those eleven strangers who came to check on me!  I greatly appreciated your concern! <3

Welcome one and all <3

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

TEACHER SATURDAYS