Yesterday I subbed at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie.  It was a pretty good experience.  I was actually subbing at my certification level (all of my subbing to this point has been at the elementary level), and I was actually in a language arts classroom again.  It was amazing ( Read more... )

I had a dream the other night that I was babysitting... the Obama girls ( Read more... )

Many moons ago, I worked with a program at Oregon State University where I TAed a class specifically for incoming football freshmen.  It was a a pretty good gig, what with the free banquet meals, field trips, and the pay check.  It was a sociology course, despite the fact that the only sociology experience I have is Sociology 204.  What they needed ( Read more... )

I've been trying to find something funny/witty/amusing to put here, but I have very little that fits the bill right now.  Hmm.  I've tried mining my childhood, only to discover that my childhood was happy, but boring.  I'm sorry, but I just can't write about the time I played with Barbies, because that was, like, every day, and nauseatingly dull to ( Read more... )

As I was reflecting (moping) on my teaching career, a couple of memories came to mind that made me think of all the different experiences I had, completely separate from The Bad Stuff.  So here is a list of things (and explanations) of things teachers should encounter to make themselves"well-rounded." 

1. A Fight. Last year, I taught art for the third ( Read more... )

It's been a year since the student paper I advised published that article that caused all the trouble.  It's been a year since I saw a student newspaper come together for the first time and really be all that I had imagined when I started the class.

It's hard not to be sad about it, and it's hard not to wish I could go back and try things ( Read more... )

Think back to when you were in high school:  Did your school have a rival?  Did you gear up for the Big Game?  Did you cheer wildly and fanatically when your team won?

Sadly, when I was in high school, we never won.

I went to Aloha High School, home of the Warriors.

( Read more... )

I don't really have much to say, so I'll just embarrass my sister by repeating a tidbit from our conversation last night ( Read more... )

I arrived home from a short (far too short) visit to Utah to find a jury summons for Douglas County.  Sigh.  I've just changed my voter registration, so the summons must have come before the change went through.

I was actually a little sad to have to excuse myself from jury duty, and I wrote them a little note on the form before I sent it away, "I ( Read more... )

First, I must mention that the cat is currently running in circles chasing a moth.  It's kind of hilarious.  That is all.

Second, I subbed Thursday.  It was a 3/4 split class, which means half third graders and half fourth graders.  Y'all, I am certified for middle and high school.  The one time I went to an elementary classroom, I returned with the ( Read more... )