A banner week, my friends!

I had my first meeting as department head. The previous week, I had contacted the APs to determine if they had anything they'd like me to address. Other than the curriculum fair (of which I am now a member of THAT committee. How the fuck?), there was nothing but the things I needed to address.

So, knowing that we're moving to the PLC model of collaboration, I started the meeting with a few minutes for sharing best practices. What was something interesting happening in everyone's classrooms? What activities were proving interesting and successful with the students? What projects were going on? Nearly half the department had something to contribute to the discussion. Wheeee!

I'd been discussing with the reading coach about getting her into different classrooms to observe what teachers are doing in their rooms - mostly to facilitate collaboration and communication within the department. Most of the teachers were receptive to that idea.

I discussed the curriculum fair, as my AP wanted me to do, and there was discussion about how the English department could benefit from a larger presence at the fair, so I think I'm going to get a few more teacher volunteers to attend. Yay!

Then the Principal had his stuff to go over - state assessment data, writing samples from the FSA, and our school-wide book study, The Fundamental Five.

I thought it went rather well! Afterwards, I had a couple of teachers thank me for a productive and focused meeting. And several told me that they liked the idea of starting with the interesting stuff in the classrooms. It gives us a chance to pat our own backs and share fun stuff with each other. The atmosphere was much more congenial, and negative attitudes were left outside the door - the first time in a long time that has happened. Further, when I went to the principal to sign up for my formal observation slot, he made a point to mention how good a job I did as the group leader, keeping everything focused and moving along, without stepping on people's toes. go me!

I've entered the 'released' phase of teaching for the year. I've been teaching students all year how to interact with the text, ask questions, define vocabulary, note interesting passages. So this week, after walking them through Nature and Self-Reliance, I let them go with Walden. I made them read and take notes first. Then after twenty minutes of reading, I had them get into groups to discuss their notes. I have discovered this: while their discussions are spot on and really deep and academic, their written responses tend to leave all that understanding out. Iknow they understand the piece, because I hear it in their conversations, and in their answers to me. I just wish that understanding would transfer through their writing. Need to work on making that happen.

Tomorrow, we have our 11th grade intervention meeting, disucssing our at risk kids and possible alternative placements. Then I have a meeting with the AP about our accreditation. I'm movin' and shakin' y'all. Watch me, watch me!

Finally, I have started writing for fun again. Not actual narrative - at this point it's the beginning of a plan, but it's narrative! And it's fannish, not original, but it's CREATIVE! God, it felt good to get back on that horse.

First day back on the grind after the holiday break - during which I was super busy! I haven't had a busy break like that in a WHILE! It was nice!

Anyway, first day back, no kids yet, just finalizing grades and having meetings with my intervention team. Whoot. We went over our at risk kids, and made some decision about some of them, but who knows if administration or guidance will do anything with them. Ugh. Why do the teams in 11th grade, if you (administration) is not going to take steps to work with the students or make alternative options available to them. We selected five (out of about 70) who just NEED to find other means of graduating. I figure that was productive. We also worked on beginning to place them for next year. Yay. Ugh.

I finalized my grades for the 2nd quarter and first semester. Got a lot of Fs. I don't know what it is. I am an engaging teacher, I know the kids are learning stuff, participating and understanding what we're reading, but when it comes to the assessments (essays, tests, homework, classwork) they just are NOT performing where or WHAT they need to.

My house is finally beginning to look like people with lives live in it. I have lots of pictures up and on the walls, my degrees are hanging, my artwork is hanging. So, it's no longer just a blank space. hahah! Need to get new furniture, as the cats have utterly DESTROYED the stuff I have now. Ripped the upholstery off the corners, sharpening their claws, and even pulled out the batting. Ugh. Maybe over the summer, I'll get something made of microfiber. They don't seem to shread that so easily or as often. AND I'll have to get them some scratching posts. I may post up some pics of the kities. They got a cat tree for christmas, and they are loving it. Perching on the highest little resting pad and looking out the window. So cute.

That's my update for this week, so whoot! Hope y'all had a great weekend, and I also hope the rest of the week goes well for you. Happy 2016!

I just looked at my last entry; the date was August 1, 2014. It's been almost a year and a half since my last post. ( So much has happened!!!Collapse )

2016 looks to be a good year, too. Lots of good movies coming out: Captain America: Civil War, Superman v. Batman: Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, The Jungle Book, Tarzan. Lots to look forward to jobwise as well, as I might be doing a Teacher Leadership Seminar from March 2016 to August of 2017 through UF Center for Teacher Quality. Not sure how long the bestie and her son will live with me, but they will be paying a small rent that will help financially.

As for this space? I usually used it for fannish things, but I am not fannish about anything anymore. I'd like to start doing small original pieces, writing for myself, but I don't know if I shall have the time to post. I'd like to, though. I liked having the outlet to express myself here. I won't make posting a resolution, but I will try to be back here more often. I am not up on the tumblr set, nor the instagram or snapchat or twitter. Those forms of 'blogging' are just too brief for me. I liked LJ for the ability to really sit down and compose stuff.

Anyway, regale me with your plans for the new year, or just catch up with what you've been doing. I've missed this space!

Victor/Victoria is the Blake Edwards film in which a woman, Victoria Grant (played by Julie Andrews), pretends to be a man, Count Victor Grazinski, pretending to be a woman in order to become famous on the night club circuit in 1930s Paris. In the course of her fraud, she meets King Marchand (played by James Garner [hubba hubba]) who is attracted to her from the second he sees her on stage. When the 'she' on stage reveals that she is actually a 'he' (I know, it's all very confusing.), Marchand is disgusted with himself, but can't shake the feelings of attraction - even when he meets the 'Count' backstage. The attraction is returned, of course, and everything is complicated. AND HILARIOUS!!!

There is a scene in the movie in which Victoria (as Count Grazinski) and King Marchand are fleeing from a bust up in a nightclub. Marchand has already discovered Count Grazinski's secret (he's really a woman), but has not revealed this. When they hide from the cop chasing them, King moves in close and says, "I don't care if you are a man." And the Count says, "I'm NOT a man." Then Kings affirms, "I STILL don't care," and they kiss. (BTW, I LOVE this scene. It's romantic, and beautifully lit, and Julie Andrews is simply stunning while Garner is quite steamy.)

Now. I wonder if King would have gone for the kiss if he had NOT known that the Count was a woman. Before he discovered the secret, he'd been battling himself over his very strong attraction for the Count. He was confounded and frustrated and really just very confused about his feelings. One reason being his business partners. He knew he'd be finished if his gangster business partners found out about these feelings, and with his moll (Leslie Ann Warren is AWESOME in this role) being a blabbermouth, there was high probability that they would. But you can see him struggling with this attraction. Then he decides to 'investigate,' because is he really attracted to a man - even though he's never had this happen before? And he discovers the secret. But...what if he hadn't? Would he have said "I don't care if you are a man," in the safety of that dark doorway?

I contend that if the movie were written in today's society, he would. He would not know she was actually a woman, but they would kiss, and she would say, "I'm not a man," and he'd say, "I still don't care."

...since I last posted.

I have been lurking like a mad lurking thing. But I have had my posting mojo stolen by the behemoth that is a Master's Degree. I'm halfway finished with that, by the way. Whoot whoot. Turned in an assignment on Saturday and received my very first C. Grrr. So pissed about that, y'all have no idea. I mean, I've made straight As since I started this damned thing, and a C is just not what I'm paying for, ya know? Unclear, nonspecific instructions have always been my downfall. It upset me so much I had a very difficult time getting to sleep last night. But I'm moving on....

I am settling in quite slowly, but nicely, in my new home. Other than the tumult of dealing with a brown and black widow infestation, things are hunky dory. No lie, y'all. I have murdered about twelve sizable widow spiders in the last three weeks alone. And that is not including the regular little house spiders that are in the walls OR the orbweavers in the trees of my yard. I need an exterminator. Will have to do something
about that before school starts.

Otherwise, it's a nice cute little house. :)

Other than settling in, I have been doing my annual rewatch of SGA. I know. I should move on and get new TV boyfriends, but I just can't seem to find the same level of fannishness for anything else. The only thing that comes close, right now, is Suits, and I actually missed most of last season. SGA seared some kind of hole, and it hasn't healed. As such, I have been reading the hell out of the stories that came out of the SGA Ten Years Fest.

The other thing I've been doing is watching movies. There was a five week string of really great movies there for a while, but it has tapered off, I think. I saw Godzilla (OMG, loved it), X-Men: Days of Future Past (OMG, I cried at the end, so lovely to see familiar faces), Maleficent (Angelina Jolie was wonderful), Edge of Tomorrow (I don't care how Tom Cruise crazy he is, Tom Cruise makes good movies), and How to Train Your Dragon 2 (OMG, this generation's Lion King, no lie. THAT GOOD). Next movie plans are The Giver (prepped to be pissed at this one, as the trailers promise NOTHING LIKE THE BOOK) and Guardians of the Galaxy (I always knew Chris Pratt was going places, ever since Everwood, just didn't think they'd be out of this world).

I think that's all I have for right now. When I get stuff cleaned up and all settled, I'll post up some piccies of my new house.

What. the HELL. WAS THAT?!?!?

Just...WHAT? (In good and bad ways.)

First: I'm finishing up my first year of grad school. It's stressful and wonderful and I'm a much more competent teacher than I ever gave myself credit for. how do I know? Because in unofficially mentoring the new teacher in my department, I have discovered that I am one of the 'go to' teachers, at least according to Administration. Three separate occasions, I have been told by my 'mentee' that our principal has recommend that she come to me with issues and doubts and ask for my help with planning and lessons and general navigating the school. During her post observation conference, he asked who she was hanging out with, which teachers she was going to for help. She mentioned me and three others. Two of the others he said to stay away from, but that he was pleased that she was using me, because I was a positive presence on the faculty. (what? I didn't know he paid that much attention to me and my professional relationships at the school.) So. I must be doing something right.

Second: I am moving in a few weeks. Finally. I have been in this tiny apartment for five and a half years now. It is cluttered with my acquisitions and books and papers and STUFF. I have outgrown the space. I would probably be moving out of here anyway, but why am I doing it now?

Third: Because I have bought a house. I was on spring break this past week and must have looked at at least thirty houses. I finally found one that DOES NOT have sink hole activity near it or even in the neighborhood. I finally found one to which I will have to do nothing!!! It is not a foreclosure, it is not run down. I will not have to paint (at least not right away); I will not have to do flooring, or any kind of repairs. I don't have to purchase appliances (the current ones are about 5-8 yrs old, so new ones will be forthcoming, but I don't have to get them RIGHT THE HELL NOW). it is move in ready, with fresh carpet in the living room and dining room and tile in the bathrooms and kitchen; it is outside the city limits, but only 6 minutes from where I work (including a two minute wait at a traffic light). It is on a cul de sac with only ONE other house, and the neighborhood has not been fully developed, so the street that intersects my cul de sac only has about 6 houses down its entire length. My lot is surrounded by woods. Yes, there is a highway that abuts my back yard, but the county is four laning it and will be putting up a wall sound barrier, AND MY LOT IS COVERED WITH TREES.

All that is to say:

I HAVE BOUGHT A HOUSE. a HOUSE. MY OWN DWELLING. And I will be moving on April 30th, 2014. Into my own house. 3 br 2 bath house. For less than 65k. I am finally an adult. And it only took 20 years.

I so rarely post anymore. I'm so god damned busy any more. WTF.

decided to post a questions tag. If you're up for it, you can do it too. I thought it was interesting and made for some god laughs and self reflection.
( TMI TAG ∙ QUESTIONS:Collapse )
50: Who should answer these questions next? whoever wants to.

I am looking for an online copy of The Eye Altering by Ursula K. Le Guin. Do any of my wonderful flisties know where I can find a link to this GORGEOUS story? Please?

Seriously? With the....and the.... Oh man. Normal people do not do this stuff....

It has rained here for the last three days. Not a steady, constant rain, but that drip drip drizzle shit that is just irritating. It's been on the edge of cold, grey, overcast, and ugly, and as a result, I've found it VERY DIFFICULT to be awake and functioning. Seriously. I'd rather be curled up in my bed, sleeping, with my warm kitty beside me, then up, listening to this pitter patter of raindrops that are like the precome before the orgasm of deluge. Come on, man! Give us some real rain or knock it the hell off!

On another note, I've found the house I want. It's $59,900, in a REALLY NICE neighborhood, and literally less than five minutes from work. I drove past it today, and the realtor was there, garage was open and full of stuff. It's beautiful, architecturally interesting - NOT a cookie cutter of all the other houses out there - and on a fairly large plot of land. What looks like three whole lots. It's even got some landscaping done, mature boxwoods edging the front of the house. I'm dying to buy this house.

Going back to work on Monday. Bored out of my mind right now, so that might be a good thing. Gonna get started right away. Yay. Then it's on for the rest of the year. So glad I have things planned out. Whew.

Saw one of my channels on YouTube do this sort of vlog, and I thought, since I don't vlog, I'd BLOG one here. Feel free to do the same if you wish. It's a letter, of sort, to me in 2014, outlining accomplishments of 2013 and goals of 2014. I thought it was nifty.

( Dear Me, 2013Collapse )

Sending my cards out this week.

These are the people whose addresses I have.
( ICollapse )

If you're not on this list (or if your address has changed), and you'd like a holiday card, comment below and I'll get one out to you. If you have a preference (secular, sacred, whatevs) I can do that too. Comments are screened for your safety.

Grade: 99.6. Damn those measely three points deducted from first assignment because I missed a section of the rubric. :(

the first course also an A.

Reading Endorsement Competency 3 - done and done. Now all I need is Competency 5 and I shall have that snazzy reading endorsement on my Teaching Certificate, and all will be well. Uh huh.

Is it wrong of me to think that Jason Momoa would have been an EXCELLENT Kahn? I mean. REALLY. Is it so wrong?!!?

Discussion post for grad class:
FYI: ELL - English Language Learners

( Behind a cut, because, hella longCollapse )

No, seriously, dude. Reading other students' entries on the discussion forum is depressing. Few of them incorporate quotations into the text correctly. In APA, use of direct quotation is actually DIScouraged, and other students are dropping quotes into their answers without setting them off inside their own text. Just plopping down someone else's thoughts without a lead in or anything. Bad in-text citations, even worse parenthetical documentation. Little to no analysis of the information they're quoting. Ugh.

I'm prepping to do my cards for this year. If you'd like a card from me, comment with your address and style preference. I have sacred, faith based cards, Christmas season cards, humorous ones, and secular season cards. I'll have the comments screened for your protection, of course.

I'm de-stressing for a bit from grad studies and reading endorsement class. *cries* I will not be making this mistake again, any time soon.

It's the middle of November, and it's finally time for a cold spell in Florida. By cold, I of course mean that temperatures are not in the 70s any more. 'Twas 59F when I left campus this afternoon. And the wind is blowing really hard. Sounds like rain, the leaves are rustling so hard.

What does this mean? Well, only that my already dry skin now looks like the dried out bottom of a salt flat - cracked and peeling up along the edges. Also, ASHY. Yes, I didn't know it was possible for a white woman to be SOOOO ashy. It's so bad, my kids can see it. They think I have psoriasis. I do not, but owie.

My mother's employer had to cancel her and others' health plans, because they do not meet the 'required coverage' of the ACA. So, I'm shopping around for her, as she does not have a computer, comparing costs of the plans available to her. She's going to end up paying DOUBLE what she was paying through her employer. In order to keep her plan in the realm of affordability per month, her deductible is going up by $1500 to about 3K, and her out of pocket expenses are going up to almost 7K. Oh, and glory of glories? She makes too much to qualify for the subsidies. Her new health insurance is going to take up just over a third of her take home pay. So, tell me again how the ACA is supposed to help WORKING Americans?

Subsidizing insurance companies and instituting mandatory minimum coverages was just plain stupid. One size does not fit all in nightshirts OR in health care. It's been a nightmare for her, she's called me a couple of times VERY upset about it - the cost is going to break her. So, yeah, this plan sucks. ON a VERY personal level.

Political model of data driven decision models:
"Interdependency of decision participants - no single individual or group typically has sufficient power to act unilaterally."

My margin notes:
"Like the IOA questioning Dr. Weir's decisions and not making their own. Too afraid of losing what little power they have."

They say learning new material is all about connecting to previous knowledge. Well. SGA is my background knowledge. bwahaha.