School

I haven't really been doing a good job of chronicling my school stories...So here's one. The assignment was to "define steepness" and tell me whether or not a ball rolling down a hill would go faster down a steeper hill...or a less steep hill.

Here is one of my sweet babies responses (spelling and grammar untouched).

"Well...from my knowledge if I was to tell What steepness means then I Would say its like a hill, With aWhole bunch of rock. in it Which makes it look cricket (crooked) or jacked up. So I Would say its like a jacked up area full of rocks. And if I Was to choose or answer a Question that says "Would a ball roll faster down a steeper hill then My ansWer Would be yes. And of cource if you roll a ball down its going to be faster because it has rocks Which makes the ball-bouncing everyWhere so it Wouldn't stop and keep on going fast - So that's What I think steppness means and that Would be the Way I describe it."

**WHY DOES HE CAPITALIZE ALL HIS W's"

My other favorite:

"I think a ball would go way much faster down a steep hill. A steep hill goes downer, or has deeper hill. While the ball rolls down it catches more speed so then yes I believe a ball would roll faster down a hill."

HOW DID I GET TO THIS PLACE...Way much faster...downer...??? Really?

I feel compelled to share...

There have been moments in my life that felt like hell.
There have been time periods in my life when the over arching emotion I felt was fear or sadness.
But honestly...they are small.

I was talking to a friend the other day and he was "aww the things you've had to overcome..." - and not in a bad way and I wasn't at all offended. It fit perfectly well into the conversation we were having. And so, I began to mull it over in my mind. He's not the first person to have said it...and lately when I've heard it, it's gnawed on me. SO - I thought about it. And, over all...while there are certainly things I'd change. I am happy...and have felt loved and supported on my journey.

It makes me wonder what little trivial things I've blown out of proportion.

When I began this post I thought I was going to list the terrible...but now I see I am not. Instead I want to talk about Catherine (not her real name).

Catherine was in 4th period and was called down to the office. She came back and asked me to step outside to speak with her. I did.
She began by telling me that someone had called DCS on her family. She said her sister told someone at school she'd been raped last night and she needed to go back down to the office because her mother was there. Then she cried.

I don't teach elementary school because I'm about as sympathetic as a rock. Not for lack of empathy, but because it's just awkward...but I wanted to cry with this child.

In the moment I could know her uncertainty and the fear she surely feels. Maybe there's more to the story than I could ever know.

All I know is that she is living a type of hell I've never known. So many of my students are living a type of hell I've never known.

I told someone the other day my life is great. I'm happy and content. And today I am affirmed. My life is SO GREAT!

Join me in praying for Catherine today...

Absent.

So I haven't posted in a while.

Why?

1. School has started.
2. Cheerleading has started.
3. Life is busy.
4. Cheerleading has started.
5. Football season has started.
6. Cheerleading has started.
7. My graduate classes have started.
8. Cheerleading has started.
9. Not much exciting has happened.
10. Cheerleading has started.

So you get the idea. Cheerleading takes over my life in the fall. Since the girls don't try out until the 2nd or 3rd week in August and the Fresh/Soph football season starts the last week of August of the 1st week of September I can't ever cancel practice...unless I have a meeting...which still means I work late.

That coupled with the fact that I don't have internet at my house = not many posts.

If anyone knows a wireless internet provider...that doesn't require me to get cable...and is cheap...please let me know. I've been unsuccessful thus far.

SO...

Let's talk about the fun stuff...

This weekend for example....

Friday night Stephen's parents took us to see Chihuly @ Cheekwood. If you live in Nashville. GO! It was so cool....and if you get a chance to be sneaky and touch the glass....DO IT! :)

Saturday was GEORGE and REBA! It was such a good show.
Le'Ann Womack opened up and was WONDERFUL.
Reba came out and was AMAZING!!!! She looks good to have been around forever, and she sounded amazing.
GEORGE was B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. - His tight wranglers....starched shirt...black cowboy hat...velvet voice...and don't even get me STARTED on all the video they played of him doing the cowboy thing and riding horses....He's just a beautiful man....and if I were 30 years older.....

Sunday -

also. SO. FUN.

I did the Nashville Challenge with some girls from work. If you don't know about it check out www.challengenation.org and make plans to do it next year. It was a 3 hour scavenger hunt around the city. My teams one goal was to beat the other teachers...and we failed...BUT - We came in 18th out of roughly 65 other teams (i think)...and our time was about 88 minutes.

Some of the things we did...

• Took a picture on the Shelby Street bridge mimicking the batman building
• Took our picture out Ft. Nashboro
• Begged a man in a Vince Young jersey to throw a football to us.
• Begged a band to let us get on stage and act like rock stars
• Built a pyramid on the capital lawn
• Took pictures on top of the ruins of the capital columns
• Scoured town for a building built in 1895 (that would make the building HALF as old as Nashville if anyone is wondering)
• Took a photo with the picture of the part of the Aycock statue that resembles a rose...(p.s. NO PART of the aycock statue resembles a rose in my opinion).
• Successfully located someone with a drivers license from a state that begins with the letter "N"
• Sat on some map of TN and took a picture with Springfield (the city)
• Did a Charlie's Angle pose with a cop (and we found a friend!)

Some other things we did that were NOT on the list:

• Yelled at a woman in the lobby of the Hilton
• Asked every single customer in Hooters if they had a license from an N state.
• Asked every single person on the street if they were from Nashville
• Asked a woman in a skirt to squat as "low as she possibly could" to take our picture (she didn't...and we're glad)
• Chased a car down the road because it had a New York license plate
• Ran around the city
• Had lots and lots of fun with some really fun coworkers

Overall...It was a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

I just have some thoughts...

My heart hurts for my kids this morning.

One of our students was shot and killed yesterday afternoon. Literally less than an hour after leaving school. 3 hours prior he had sat in one of my friends classes. I don't know the student...

but I do.

I know him in the faces of everyone of my students who are living the same life.

I received the e-mail about the shooting last night around 11. I was sad about it - but I was tired and selfish and thinking about my own stuff. It wasn't until this morning, when I saw one of my students run into the bathroom and collapse on the floor in sobs that my heart was really heavy.

Or when I saw a line of students who would normally be running up and down the hallway, flashing gang signs, causing a ruckus and generally being loud and obnoxious...but today they were standing quietly in a line.

Or when I saw this huge black kid...who looked to be about 17...the victims age...hugging a teacher and trying to cover his face and the tears streaming down it.

Even right now there is a child sitting in my room crying. We have counseling services set up in the library but she doesn't want to go.

My kids are KIDS. They shouldn't know pain like this. I know kids die. But it shouldn't be the way this student died...the news said:

The 17-year-old Antioch High School student was wounded and then dumped on Hobson Pike just across the county line in Davidson County, Ashe said.

Dumped is the word that stands out in my mind.

I don't know if it is gang related, but a different news source said that two groups of people were meeting...my guess is it was gang.

But yet - in spite of this...it won't be enough to rid my kids of the gang life they are so deeply entangled with...as FRESHMAN.

If things don't change it won't be long before this story becomes the story of one of my students. As tough as they are...and as hard as they want to be - they are kids. Kids who have been let down by society. Kids who have not been given a fair shot. Kids who end up dead on the side of the road because they didn't have the support they needed.

As incredulous as it seems, my prayer is that through his death, at least one child will choose a better life for him/herself.

My first class...

So my first class EVER is leaving. I am in the last 30 minutes with them. I'm not REMOTELY sad. I mean seriously. Not even a little.

Does that make me a terrible person?

I'm done...

AND SO ARE MY KIDS.

Sorry for the absence. 1 - I don't have a computer right now...and probably won't for a while.
2 - I've been busy 3 - S left for Colorado FOREVER (or 11 weeks...but that's almost forever right?) 4 - My kids at school have been CRAZY...They are so done w/ school...Not really, but they think they are. Which is worse.

INSANELY WORSE.

And, I swear they are just getting stupider. If anyone ever finds this blog I am going to get fired.

I need to double block my facebook...and make sure I never put my blog address on there. Except I probably will when I go to Bolivia.

Anyways.

Here is an example of how my kids have LOST THEIR MINDS. I swear...sometimes I think they are kindergartners in 9th grade bodies.

Me: Class- this is a test. Do not talk. This is a test. This is the test I gave you study guides for last week. Class this is a test.
Student: Ms. Singleton...you already gave me this.
Me: No I gave you the STUDY GUIDE for it
Student: No, I have a thing that looks just like it but w/out the multiple choice.
Me: I know that was the study guide this is the test.
Student: So when is the test.
Me: RIGHT NOW.
Student: You mean I have to take a test right now?

Does anyone even read this anymore? If there is anyone out there...comment so I don't think I'm talking to myself. I'll be more faithful when I'm in Bo-Town. I swear!

Not a full deck of cards...

NONE of my kids are playing with a full deck...

Baby girl walked in and says "Man...Ms. S, it's so cold outside today."

I said..."Hmm. No it's not. It was this morning, but I just went out and it's almost warm outside."

She says: "Oh yeah, it was cold outside on Sunday."

WHAT? It's Wednesday?

How did I get here teaching these people...

I'm on a roll...

Yesterday I was going through some old papers from a kid who was in the MAC (Making a Change) program. I send down a worksheet on Data Analysis and Probability.



Example Question:



"What is the probability you will flip a coin and it will land on heads?"



Example Answer:



"1/2...Because only one side of the coin is heads and there are two sides."



The above is what an answer should look like...This is what I got from baby girl...

• Q: If the probability of having a boyfriend or girlfriend in high school is .52, what is the probability of not having a b/f or g/f?


• A: There will not be a probability

• Q: There are 75 colored pencils in my desk drawer. 2/5 of the pencils are purple. How many colored pencils are not purple?


• A: There are not 4

• Q: A card is drawn from a standard deck of cards. Find the probability of drawing a heart?


• A: That's if your first card become a heart.

• Q: A card is drawn from a standard deck of cards, replaced, and a second card is drawn. What is the probability the first card drawn will be a king, and the second will be a spade?


• A: Because that was your first choice in spades was the last.

• Q: A die is rolled and a card is drawn from a standard deck of cards. What is the probability of rolling an even number and drawing a red card?


• A: That person gett's to keep the card. (WTH...Did she even READ the problem?)

MY FAVORITE

• Q: A die is rolled and a card is drawn from a standard deck of 52 cards. Find the probability of rolling an even number and drawing a red card.


• A: You lose your game.

With the end of course looming...I shouldn't think this is funny...but it is. Period.

CRAZY

The post is not about the picture...

Although I should post about the picture...and the two other ones like it that tell the story.

I can't remember if this picture is staged or not...I think it might be...But this is pretty much what happened when Cassie tried to cook dinner for me and Rachel one time...

Okay.

Moving on.

I have this dress. It is navy and white stripes. Think sailor dress for a little girl. Make it a dress for a grown up girl...and that's what I'm wearing.

Last time I wore this dress to church my sweet sweet four year old friend Anna Kay said "I like your zebra dress" She's 4. And I think her comment makes her pretty smart. It is very dark navy, so it might appear black...contrasting with white. Just what she's been taught.

But today, my high school student came in and said..."Ms. S, your dress looks like a prison uniform" and another kid says "no way, it looks like a zebra," kid one wavers "yeah, it looks like that too...I just can't decide."

WHAT? Nautical...Not prison (although...I'll go with that one) but ZEBRA. This kid is not AK. AK is 4. This kid is at least 14. Geeze Louise.

Then another kid comes up to me (he is 14) and gives me a lecture about how I was old...and old people should never show their legs in public so at the very least I should be wearing leggings.

WTH? I'm old?????

Have I mentioned my kids are crazy.

I guess I need to go give them tickets (we now have a raffle for the millions of dollars of candy I bought yesterday. I sold out. I'm giving into bribery. It makes my life so much easier.

UPDATE:
A firefighter was in the building and walked past me and told the principal to tell me he had hott teachers and he liked my stripes...I told the Mr. C to tell him he could fight my fire fighter boyfriend. BUT, @ least someone appreciates my dress.

In other news Stephen and I are going to Huntsville on Thursday...you should all pray my driving for several hours doesn't completely scare him off! :)

I SUCK

I considered editing this. I don't think suck is very lady like. But I say it...so why not write it. AND, let's be honest...it's how I feel.

I. SUCK. AT. MY. JOB.

@ least I like the people I work with.

Update of sorts...

So I feel like I should update from the vent.

It was a misunderstanding. I did not put a post-it on the referral reminding her that this student was in 4th period (the referral states it, but she wanted something that would stand out). Everything is taken care of. I wrote up my first non-dress code referral since the last post yesterday. And God love my amazing AP because she brought me the referral so I could list previous interventions so that she could follow through. He got one day OSS. Now, I'm thinking I may have preferred 2 days ISS, but as a good educator (Ha!) I shouldn't want my kids to miss more days of school than absolutely necessary.

S0 - all is well in the world.

And the kid who got written up yesterday...well, he called me by my first name...and I was already hot and bothered. SO - I'm betting no one does that for a while.


On a completely unrelated note, I apparently have a boyfriend now. Another post will come soon analyzing what this means...because I don't know! :)

Angry!

I'm just mad...

And I probably shouldn't use this space to vent...but it's my space. SO, if you don't want to listen to my vent...here's your warning...GO find a happy blog. May I suggest The Pioneer Woman or Darby? I'm sure they will have a happy post today.

I just feel cheated...I need to go talk to my AP about it...but right now I'm just too upset.
We talked at Bible study last night about what part of our body we have the most trouble surrendering to the Lord...Mine is my mouth. And my mouth wants to spout off a lot of unproductive things right now. I'm trying. I'm biting my tongue.

Anyways...About two weeks ago I had HAD it with my 4th period. had it. They were out of control...I was frustrated. Just not a good combination. So I went to my principal with a behavior contract.

The rules were simple:

Be respectful to the teacher (me) at all times...
Be respectful to other classmates...
Raise your hands before speaking...
Be active participators in class...
Refrain from using all electronic devices...
Come to class prepared...

NOT HARD TO FOLLOW.

The consequences where as follows...

1. A verbal warning
2. A write off to be turned in the next day
3. A referral to the office.


Now...I went to my AP...told her this...and said "Can I do this? Will you support me in this?"

Her response? Better than I could have expected...She said "Not only will I support you, but if it gets to 3. I'll suspend anyone." The 1st time - 1 day; The 2nd time -2 days; The 3rd time 3 days; then after that 5 days EVERY TIME. "

So - I of course act like this is the case. When the gets are on the second consequence...I say "I don't want anyone to get suspended...please don't get to 3...because I will send you out."

Twice it has gotten to 3. It probably should have more than 3 times. But I've been trying to save it for the kids who are really bad. BUT...Today I got back the referral on "bob." "Bob" only got 2 days ISS. I AM SO MAD. I still haven't gotten the referral back on "Adam" but I'm SO MAD.

I really want to bust in my AP's office, slam the referral on the desk and say "WHAT THE HELL?????" Way to NOT follow through AND make me look like an idiot!

Thanks to you my no longer favorite person on earth!

Funny Things...

#1. When I got dressed this morning my thought process was "this will have to do because everything I want to wear is in my car b/c it needs to go to the dry cleaners, wrinkled, or dirty."

All I've heard today is..."WoW! Why are you so dressed up?" or "You look nice today" or "Uh-Oh what did you do this weekend." or my personal favorite..."You must have a date this week." - I do thank you very much!

Moral of the story...wear the ugly grey sweater more often (seriously, I hate this cardigan I have on).

#2. I went through an insane amount of trouble to find out the blog address of my friend who is keeping it a secret. AN INSANE amount of trouble. Anyways...I found it out. Then felt incredibly guilty for knowing. SO, I haven't checked. I decided I would check one more time and If she'd started posting...I'd never look again. Delete the site from my history so she could have her own personal space to write. It's been 3 AND 1/2 WEEKS...and NOTHING. All that trouble I went through and all that guilt I felt for stealing the address...AND NOTHING!!!! RIDICULOUS! *If you're reading...sorry I hijacked your blog. I swear I'm not going back to it. So you could post.

#3. When it rains it pours. There's been a boy drought...now there's two. I'm double dipping...is that bad? Only for one more date though. I've just about made up my mind. Unless I can have two valentines day dates...but since I'm thinking about it...I probably won't have any.

#4. When I start dating them there is always a holiday or birthday coming up. Or like this one and the last on...A BIRTHDAY AND A HOLIDAY!!!! What's that about.

Ridiculous.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

I'll post snow pictures soon. I haven't done pictures lately.

Tears...

As we speak, he is sitting out side of Ms. Funny's (How I will refer to my amazing assistant principal..for anonymity's sake) office.

He looked REAL nervous.

Which he definitely should be.

She's about to bust him.

5 days suspension.

I know this...He doesn't

"Insane (the kid), I'm sure it will be okay, you just need to make better choices."

She's gonna make him cry.

Direct quote from Ms. Funny "If they make you cry, I'm gonna make them cry!"


THAT is why I love my job!

Job!

Have I mentioned I LOVE LOVE LOVE the people I work with.

LOVE.

Just so everyone knows. :) Thanks sweet people I work with!

New Year's Resolutions...

To join E-Harmony? (If your last name starts with a "G", ignore that)

I didn't make New Year's Resolutions. I am so very very far from perfect, but I really like the way my life is going right now. Sure I could stand to eat better, excercise more, read more regularly, but a resolution isn't really going to make those things happen. So. I think this is a really cool place.

Contentment most of the time.

However, in light of the New Year, and my being unprepared the first few days of school, I had my kids write Resolutions. Here's what I got...

The blue is their resolutions. The purple is my commentary.

• My New Years resolution is to never let anybody get the best of me! No matter what they do or say, I'm going to always keep a smile on my face! I also won't fall for any stupid boy that don't have nothing going for them! :) (That's my cheerleader...not that she's kept these so far...but she's thinking good things).
• To Love ever body like a friend. And be an my grown man.
• To work on my attitude, keep up good grades, good behavior. My attitude will be positive. I will do what I'm suppose to do when I'm asked to. I will be good in class. No backtalking when a teacher accuses me of talking. (Bless her heart, she cussed me out and walked out of my classroom today...New Year's Resolution DOWN THE DRAIN).
• To do all my work in Ms. Singleton's class (YES...My favorite)
• Ha! I can't think of mine, cause I can't remember becuase I'm too sleepy. I think I don't have any. But I have one someone gave my idea. Try to sleep more. I will accomplish this by not caring about anything and sleeping until Febuary, so I can do my filming. Sleep is awesome. (I have no words for this one).
• This one makes me cry. My resolution for this year is to be better than 2009. Ima try to do good in school. Stop the gang life. Stop doin drugs. Because I know the gang life and drugs aint taking me nowhere. Its jourt making me a failure in life. I'm really trying hard to stop all the bad stuff I have done. I finally realized that I want to be successful in life. And I hope 2010 I can be a better person. What do you say to that. I'm proud of him.
• I will do all of my work and turn it in on time & try my hardest. (He's slept EVERYDAY in my class since writing this).
• Note: This kid used to look like a sheepdog. My new years resolution is to let people see my eyes. It will be easy. All I have to do is cut my bangs before they get too long. Sometimes people won't be able to see them, but that shouldn't last too long, cause I'll cut it as soon as I can. I'm sure his mom is thankful. I know I am
• My other favorite. Not disrupting your class, not talking and persuading people to not talk to me. and to Focus on my school work. not throwing things or talking out of turn.
• Live...I don't know how to do that one just yet. WHAT??
• I don't have one. That's my boy!

My personal Favorite

• To do what I never did, to get what I never had. The life is good but you must know it. Try, Try, Try and Never, Never, Never give up.

Let it Snow...Let it Snow...Let it Snow

I have season 2 of Lost in the DVD player....
My bed is nice and warm and cozy...
with clean sheets...
I have stuff to make hott chocolate and apple cider...
I have enought milk to last a couple of days...
I have just a little bit of studying to do so that the day isn't entirely unproductive...
I have a great book to read, just to switch things up...
I have mac & cheese, soup, and pudding (you know comfort food)...
and the basketball game has been called off...

NOW ALL I NEED IS METRO TO COME THROUGH FOR ME!

LET IT SNOW - LET IT SNOW - LET IT SNOW!

Thing about school...

Things about school that make me shake my head/scream/laugh/cry etc.

1. - I have one student who refuses to work if I give him a calculator (number) affiliated with the wrong gang. I go to great lengths to ensure he only gets nuetral numbers. He's in ISS today. I took a test and a nuetral numbered calculator to him. He refused to use it because apparantly now he'll only use numbers directly affiliated with his gang.

2. - same kid is running a huge operation of selling stolen ipods, cameras, cell phones etc. If it weren't totally illegal, wrong and immoral, I'd jump on it. There selling some good stuff cheap. But it's hot. So I'm not buying. Anyways. I'm the one who busted them. Problem is, while we all know he nad this other guy are doing it, we can't prove it because their (insert terrible adjectives) parents are supporting their story. He tried AGAIN today to sell me stolen merchandise. Did I mention I'm the reason the cops are on their backs right now.

3. I had a dream last night that I had to take the SAT and that my test score was going to determine whether or not I had a job. Then I dreamed that I didn't score high enough, so they made me the pencil sharpener so I could keep working here.

4. Some kids NEVER get in trouble. Even after I turn them in 5 times before 9 o'clock in the morning.

5. My cheerleaders are little...ANGELS...Or the opposite. Whatever you want to call it. And that is the nicest way I can describe them. Yesterday they lied to me MULTIPLE times and kept lying even after I caught them in it. I let them have it. I was so mad. So...After that, They are walking upstairs with me to sit in my room...and they have the audacity to ask for candy. -

Similarly I had campus security come remove a child from my room. the next period he was back in asking for candy. WHAT IN THE WORLD!

In love...

TG: "Mrs. Singleton,"
ME; "Yes?"
TG: "Are you in love?"
Me w/ a very confused look: "No...??"
TG: "Yeah you are, you listen to slow songs all the time."

ATTENTION WORLD...I'm in love.

Apparently.

Happy

Maybe I'm posting a lot because I'm happy. :)

Just in a good place.

Here's the shake. (I don't know what that means?)

Anyways...

I love my school. I really want my kids scores to be better than anyone else's on the benchmark exams that we are taking, so that my administration will fight for me at the end of the year.
I know I'm not good. I know this is a long shot. But I don't think it is entirely impossible.

I realize that most people work themselves to death because they love their kids. And I do love my kids. But not enough to work myself to death. I LOVE MY SCHOOL ENOUGH TO WORK MYSELF TO DEATH! I LOVE MY SCHOOL! I love my school! There are just no two ways about it.

Mainly I love my administrator (who for the rest of the world on this blog will here after be known as Mrs. B. - I contemplating being her friend on facebook...I would be creeped out if I found someones blog and found out I'd been referenced...Not that she wouldn't know. I digress).

SPOILED. That's the only word I've got. Absolutely SPOILED. She's wonderful. Even if I am still at this school next year, but I'm in another house (meaning she's not my supervising principal), I'll probably cry.

Anyways. The intent of this post was to say I feel really supported today. I wrote this kid up the other day, for what I thought wasn't enough to write a referral, and he got MAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FEEL SO VALIDATED!

That's all I wanted to say.

I feel validated today.