The Wrong Seasoning! (My Teacher Hates Me!)

When I go to Costco, I usually get this seasoning, McCormick’s Taco Seasoning. It takes my cooking to the next level. It’s sooooo good. I usually love my own food. Lately, not so much. The flavor has been slightly off. I knew something was off,  yet I couldn’t pinpoint it. I was cooking with the same amount of love and dedication, but something just wasn’t right.

I kept looking @ the seasoning. It looked the same, but something was off. That’s when I noticed it. I hadn’t bought my usual seasoning, I’d bought this seasoning, McCormick’s Chili Seasoning Mix. They look so similar. I just picked up the Chili seasoning instead of the Taco seasoning in Costco without looking. They only look slightly different but the taste difference is huge.

Looking at them, it is not hard to confuse them. The same can be said for having the wrong teacher in school. If you look @ any teacher, you cannot tell just by looking @ them if they are any good or not; whether it’s a “seasoned” teacher or a new teacher.

It’s sad to say, but teachers are people too. That can manifest as immaturity on the teacher’s part. If a teacher doesn’t like a student, the teacher can make the student’s life a living hell. The teacher-student relationship is a very fragile one, indeed. Many parents don’t listen to their children when they have complaints about their teacher. Big mistake. So, the next time your child complains about a personality conflict or says their teacher doesn’t like them, sit up & pay attention! Take it seriously. Very seriously!

If you have the wrong seasoning, something’s going to be slightly off. Once something has been seasoned with the wrong seasoning, it takes a lot to make the “dish” right. To make it right, you have to do double time. Not only do you have to try to undo the previous seasoning, but you have to re-season it the right way. I agree that it’s nearly an impossible job.

Here are some articles for your enrichment on the subject: Personality conflict [1], [2], [3], & [4]

Should I Hold My Child Back???

Should I hold my child back? That’s a question a friend of mine posed to me. It was a very valid question since her child is a struggling reader. I wanted to give her a quick & easy answer. However, there really are no quick & easy answers regarding retention. I really had to think about what I was going to tell her because holding your child back is not a decision to be taken lightly. Before deciding to hold your child back, here are a couple of things to think about:

• Retention is always a last resort. ALWAYS!
• Will this benefit the child?
• Will they “catch up” if they are retained?
• Does your child need to be considered/evaluated for Special Education services?
• Holding a child back can be very traumatic to them. It can destroy their self-esteem.

If a child is to be retained, Kindergarten or first grade is the best time to do so. Here are a couple of articles to read regarding your decision to hold or NOT hold your child back.

Pros & Cons of Repeating a Grade

The Risks of Repeating a Grade

California Department of Education (CDE) website regarding CA’s retention & promotion policy

CDE’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

National Association of School Psychologist’s (NASP) Position paper on retention

I hope this helps out!

YESSSSSSS!!!

Just as “Stand” got me through many hard times. This song got me through many more. This song perfectly captures my experience these past few months. Watch it & you’ll know what I mean. Enough said.

HERE’S TO 2010!

The Quickening vs. Awakening

I am experiencing an awakening of sorts. I don’t know exactly what’s going on. What I do know is that I’m changing. In what capacity, I don’t know. Let me begin by telling you about what happened to me a couple of years ago when I first started teaching. I was so overwhelmed. By the time I finally got the chance to sit down & process the information in the summer, I was on information overload. With all of that information, came the realization that I needed to do something with all of it. I had to assimilate it all before I went crazy. It wasn’t easy, but I did eventually manage to do just that. It was something akin to The Quickening.

Now, I’m experiencing a new sensation. I’d call it an awakening or The Great Awakening, if you will. I’m awakening to the possibilities of life. There are sooooo many. Now that I been delivered from my great battle with depression, I can see. I feel like singing…I can see clearly now the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. That is the perfect song for me right now because being in the fog, called depression, feels the exact opposite of the lyrics to that song. Unless you have battled depression, you cannot possibly begin to understand how it feels. It saps you of your energy, robs you of your hopes & dreams, and much, much more. In the beginning, I resorted to escapism. I’d watch a lot of t.v., retail therapy (shopping), or whatever else provided a break from reality. Towards the end, at my worse, when everything seemed hopeless, I wanted to commit suicide. I very nearly gave up.

However, I have had enough of talking about that. All of the negativity, hopelessness, & suicidal thoughts are water under a very tired bridge. I had to get tired of being tired. Once I got tired, I did something about it. First and foremost, I prayed. I also started exercising. Lastly, I researched different cures, both natural & traditional. I became very determined to beat “this thing.”

My whole point is that I have awakened to the possibilities of life. When I experienced the effects of the Quickening, I was inundated with information. Having information & knowing what to do with it are two different things. Information is no good until it’s put to use. Think about it!

HERE’S TO 2010!

A Break!

I’ve been through much in the past couple months. I was in a very dark place. I was battling very serious depression. I tried to stay consistent in writing this blog, but I had to take a break to clear my head. I could not see my way out. I felt like a prisoner in my head. So out of control. That is such a terrible feeling. I don’t know what I could have done differently to avoid going through what I just went through. All I know is that I’m back to being me. I am so happy about that. I have to say that I will never, ever, ever go back to that dark place I just came from! Never. I like me just the way I am. Thank you very much.

HERE’S TO 2010!

Those Who Can…

THOSE WHO CAN…DO. THOSE WHO CAN’T…TEACH! I have heard that saying for most of my life. I’m sick of hearing it. I also find it to be patently untrue. That being said. I am having trouble finding a job. It is not because I don’t have any skills. It’s because I have very specific skills. I have been finely honing my skills for the last nine years while working in the Education field. Just like an other job that is very specific. It is the same with teaching. Most teachers are highly educated. What other job do you know of where the person has at least 6 years of higher education who sings songs, plays in paint, disciplines, counsels, inspires (Very Important), makes a “C” feel like the best thing in the world, breaks up fights, helps a child read, put together a Black History/Cinco de Mayo/Valentine’s Day/Christmas/Graduation program, puts together some pipe cleaners, tissue paper, some glitter and some glue & totally make a Mother’s Day one of the best Mother’s Days in the world. Yet,  serves in one of the noblest professions in the world AND is paid peanuts.

So, I’d like to make a list of what teaching is not.

Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day ~ March 23

Ben & Jerry is offering a free sample of ANY of their ice cream stores. Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield first scooped up free ice cream all day back in 1979 as a way to thank the community for supporting them in their first year. Now it’s an annual tradition at many of their scoop shops around the world. It’s your chance to try any of their flavors for free!

At Least I Know Now!

I am bummed out that I didn’t know that I needed to click a simple little box to apply for jobs on Edjoin.org. At the end of the application this is a disclaimer that incomplete applications will not be considered. I do not know how I didn’t see this, but I didn’t. Now I know why no one has been calling back.

Oh well. At least now I know.

HERE’S TO 2010!

Big Universe.com

I wish I would have known about this 2 years ago. I’d been trying to get my students to learn to read. Drawing was no problem for them as they were very creative. However, writing was a very big problem.

Well, I found this one website where you can create & publish your own book. My students would have loved this.  Maybe your students will also. Check it out!

http://www.biguniverse.com

HERE’S TO 2010!

REVIEW COMING SOON!

I was in a funk for a couple of months. I had good intentions, but did not follow through on a lot of things. One person, in particular, that I will make amends for and post my promised review for is Mr. Don Johnston via Valerie Chernek. I have an overdue review to post. I will post it within the week.

HERE’S TO 2010!

As Long As You Got A Good Book!

As the title states, as long as you got a good book, time passes by faster. I always have a book in my purse. It’s a good thing I carry extra-large purses (A habit left over from carrying diaper bags.). Today, as I was getting new brakes, I simply pulled out my book, the third in The Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch. I really liked the series. I will be posting a review later on.

HERE’S TO 2010!

I’m Excited!

I’m excited about this new job that I will soon be interviewing for. It’s a charter school with a great mission statement. They actually believe in heading off the learning curve before it happens. I really want this job. Pray for me that I get this one!

HERE’S TO 2010!

About That Post…

Yeah, about that post a couple days ago. I DO NOT apologize for it. That was how I was feeling. I do, however, apologize for the language. I was so distraught. I can honestly say that it was THE lowest emotional & spiritual point of my life. I have never felt the way I felt that day. I have always believed in God. Although lately it has been in an agnostic kind of way. I still believed in a higher power. That was not the case the other day. The other day I simply refused to believe that there could be a higher power even. I mean seriously, with all the stuff I’ve been going through as well as what I see in the world. I didn’t want to continue.

So, what has changed since then? I don’t know. One thing that I’ve experienced in my lifetime is the belief that God does not put more on you than you can bear. Again, the other day, I did not find that to be the case. I have said that I am at a breaking point before but did not break. I was broken. There is simply no other way to put it. I was spiritually & emotionally broken. It was written all over my face & body. My shoulders were slumped. I had nothing left to give. I couldn’t even smile. I didn’t want to smile.

But, let me get back to what I was saying. What has changed? I gave up & completely & totally broke. Why is that? Is that a requirement of committing to God? Do you have to be broken? I wish I had the answer to myself, dear reader. I’d write a book about it if I did. That’s all I have to say.

HERE’S TO 2010!

Shortest Resolve In History…

I was so gung-ho last night. I decided that I needed to change my negative way of thinking. I was so inspired by my nephew who just moved back home last night. He’s so positive that some of it rubbed off on me. Well, that optimism lasted for less than a day. Why you ask?

Well, God just isn’t on my side.

• I can’t buy a job to save my life,
• I’m behind on so much stuff,
• I hate life. Sometimes I curse the day when I wake up,
• I just got a fucking ticket for not stopping at a stop sign. You sure can tell the state of California needs money.
• I’ve decided that I do not believe in God the way I used to. I’ve decided he’s not in the habit of helping me out for the past couple years. So, I don’t choose to believe in him anymore.

My power of positive thinking lasted for less than 24 hours. I think I like my negative way of thinking. It obviously works for me. As a man thinketh, so is he!