For those of you who are regular readers of my blog, I commented recently re: feeling unusually fatigued. On last Thursday, I began anew to take my daily iron supplement. Well, after one week, I am feeling much better. In fact, I felt better almost immediately following the first pill.

So, I will be taking the iron supplement until further notice. Given how I had been feeling, I gather that the anemia has not rectified itself.

I was waiting for Huckabee to say something stupid re: Obama. And, from a man of God, no less.

Today my last block Spanish 2 class stole my joy. After three really successful and really enjoyable classes (today was a special schedule for Grandparents’ Day), I lost my cool with the class in question.

I am convinced that there is really something wrong with this current generation of high school students - both cognitively and emotionally. Additionally, many don’t really give a flying hamburger re: their education, and yet, they somehow go on to college. I worked my butt off for seven years - three in middle school, four in high school - and many of my students by comparison do a mere fraction of what I did. I know, I know; I’m not my students, and my students are not me. That said, is it really so hard for these kids - and, we’re talking middle/upper middle class kids, predominately European American - to do to the basics, which is attend class, participate, complete homework, and study for tests and quizzes and pull a decent grade? Is it? I mention the demographics because it isn’t always students of color performing below the achievement gap. In the case of my particular school, the African American and Latino students seem to be doing far better in comparison.

My mother said it isn’t good for me to let the students see me get upset; it could be held against me, despite the fact that their lack of responsibility and accountability is their fault. As far as she is concerned, in light of the situation, getting upset doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t make the students work harder. Moreover, getting upset makes me more frustrated with the situation and more aggravated with myself. I work hard to be a good teacher, and, it’s situations like these which really challenge my commitment and dedication.

Two weeks and counting.

I don’t make them too often, but occasionally I will create a crossword puzzle for my students. It’s a fun way to practice and review the vocabulary, and, they seem to like them as a change of pace.

To make original crossword puzzles, I purchased Crossword Forge about two years ago. Crossword Forge is an authoring program for creating original crossword and wordsearch puzzles. The thing I like about Crossword Forge is that I can write the crossword puzzle clues in Spanish, which gets the students to decipher the word via the context clues. So, not only do they have to determine the word in question, the context clues themselves use current lesson vocabulary, as well as recycled words, verbs and expressions from previous lessons.

Crossword Forge is expensive. When I purchased it two years ago, it was approximately $60.00. There are other crossword authoring programs, but given my needs and preferences, I opted for Crossword Forge on the recommendation of a foreign language teacher.

Here is the link if you are interested, or know of a language teacher who would benefit from something different in the classroom.

I’ve written about this topic before. However, I am compelled to write it about it again, given events occuring at present at my place of employ.

Every spring, an annual rite of passage occurs for the 8th graders: The major presentation project. Long story short: The students get ample support, in my honest opinion, too much. So much, in fact, that I think that we teachers end up being more concerned about controlling the process in an effort to produce a favorable outcome than they are. Which leads me to the following: When I am more concerned in this way, it is time for me to take a step back, and re-align my own priorities.

The desire to control the process for a favorable outcome emerges from the fact that we don’t want to see students fail. The truth is, some will fail, most will deliver satisfactory, perfectly acceptable presentations, and, a select few will receive top honors. After all, the project, in theory, is supposed to promote independent learning and thinking. Too bad this is not what actually happens for many of the students.

I have heard several comments in as many days that have left me saying in the spirit of Arsenio Hall, “Things that make you go hmmm.”

First up: During an interview for a prospective Spanish teacher, I asked the candidate re: her experiences while living and teaching in Ghana. In response to my knowledge re: Ghana, the candidate asked me, “Are you from Ghana?” I answered her question politely: “I am from the U.S. I was born and raised here.” Given that this individual is a White European from Scandanavia, perhaps her only contact with people who look like me are Africans from Africa. So, I understood the context of her question. Moreover, while I am indirectly descended from Africa, for the record, my peeps hail from South Carolina - from way back. So, no; I am not from Ghana.

Next up: During lunch on Thursday, a colleague remarked re: the beauty of a performance theatre where her daughter’s dance group competed recently. The performance theater underwent a multi-million dollar renovation as part of the revitalization effort for the city in question. Then it came: “Well, on my way there, I took the wrong exit, and ended up in the city!” I guess you had to be there, as they say. However, the comment was pure stereotype: White woman and her fear of the big, bad city. Her tone and words said it all. Now, I really like this individual, and, her comments turned me off a bit: Urban area=bad, bad bad. In other words, her “fear” is irrational.

Last: Twice a year, the students, faculty and some staff at BWYA Independent School engage in community service. As part of the ritual, a spokesperson from each advisory group- the students, faculty and staff perform the work as advisor groups - stands before the school community and relates where the group went, and what they did. This particular student spokesperson on behalf of her advisory group mentioned the organization, which is a Spanish name, and, beyond saying that the organization, “serves Hispanics, mostly”, had nothing more to say. At this point, the student sitting next to me, who is African American like me, and I look at each other and had the same sour taste in our mouths, brought on by the comment. A student sitting next to him, who is White, also experienced the sourness of the comment in his mouth. Now, the student spokesperson in question could have been nervous. However, an adult - her advisor - sanctioned her remarks, which leaves a lot to be said re: the advisor.

Like I said, things that make you go hmmm.

Pissed Off Teacher’s recent comment re: my whereabouts left a smile on my face and a nice, warm and fuzzy feeling all over. I read her comment last evening from my laptop as I lay in bed. However, I was so tired that I couldn’t find the energy to post anything. So, I made it my mission to post the next day, which is now evening.

She’s right; I have been M.I.A. Life, both at school and personally, has been mad busy. Between helping to care for my dad, deal with classes and students, and, feeling so mad tired, my writing here on the blog has been kicked to the curb. However, I am striving to be more diligent.

I did, however, take time out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on yesterday afternoon by going to a local Mexican restaurant. It is a small, family owned operation - three young Mexican men. I ordered cheese enchiladas with mole sauce, accompanied by rice and beans. I then ordered flan for dessert. The best flan I’ve eaten, and I’ve eaten lots of flan over the years.

Someone I knew several years ago told me that the connections one has to people online are neither genuine nor real. Given Pissed Off Teacher’s concern for me, I say he’s very mistaken.

Thank you, Pissed Off Teacher, for having my back.

I’ve been feeling so exhausted lately that some mornings all I want to do is crawl back into bed. Which has greatly impacted my early morning workout. My mother asked me why I am so tired. I told her that I did not know. Then, I remembered that I am anemic - seriously anemic, according to my primary care physician. I’ve not been taking my iron supplements. For the past two months I have felt much better, and I believed I could do without them. But, I think the situation has now caught up with me.

It’s time to re-schedule the appointment for the annual physical. I say, re-schedule, because my annual was slated for November. However, life happens, as they say. I also thought that I could perhaps wait until the spring, or, even when school has ended for the summer, to go. But, given the way I am feeling, perhaps that isn’t a good idea after all.

I have a question: Why is it that kids with ADHD have such difficulty keeping their hands to themselves? Case in point. No, three cases in point.

Case #1: Yesterday in class, there was student playing with a candy wrapper. Now, it is one thing to tinker. But, here was this student, folding and crinkling the wrapper - audibly and in full view of me and other students. I had had enough; I took away the wrapper and threw it in the trash.

Case#2: Yesterday, in the same class, another student was sqeezing on his water to the point that it made that crinkling sound that I despise. Again, I had had enough and asked the student to put the bottle to the side.

Case #3: About a year or two ago, a student sat in my class, and during a presentation, proceeded to rip the clear plastic covering from his notebook - you guessed it - audibly and in full view of me and the other students. Boy; you’re good! Anyway, I asked the student why he would do something like that during class, during a lesson? He said he didn’t know. I took the notebook away from him. Since he found no other use for it other than to rip it apart, I figured he really didn’t need it - at least, not for my class.

Is there a connection between ADHD and self-awareness? It’s as if they are so focused with whatever it is with which they are tinkering that they seem to lose all consciousness of the world around them. I know that kids with ADHD can be taught to self-regulate. So, why don’t the parents know? Or, is it just too much effort to teach kids with ADHD these skills?

To me, ADHD is not an excuse for not developing the skills for managing oneself.

I think I was destined to be a middle school teacher.

My days begin so wonderfully with my eighth grade Spanish 1’s. They are so cooperative and productive, and I enjoy teaching in their presence.

The Spanish 2’s are, as they say, something else. Especially my Day One last block class, which met today.

Spring Fever has sprung. But, it is far from over - the school year, I mean. And, today we were reviewing for the upcoming chapter test. Not fun, but, it isn’t supposed to be. Well, I guess I was not entertaining enough for one particular student. His body language spoke proverbial volumes w/r/t his attitude: He didn’t want to be there, and found it hard to engage. I asked the student to leave. He said, “Is that really what you want me to do?” I said yes. I added that it seemed like he was finding it hard to be there, so, perhaps he needed to spend time with the Dean of Students. With that, the class was able to move forward more smoothly and productively. Granted, the class is comprised of students representing a wide array of abilitites. That said, they were most productive, and did not have the spector of the student in question looming and draining their intellectual and emotional energy.

Later on in conversation with the Dean of Students, the student in question told him that I had kicked him out of class for no reason. Well, let’s correct this. First, I did not kick him out; I politely asked him to leave. Second, I explained to him the reason he was asked to leave.

For the record, the aforementioned student has serious impulsivity issues. When he’s not being hopelessly impulsive with his mouth, he’s acting like he’s in 23-hour solitary confinement. Either way, he’s difficult, and the parents are in denial. Classic textbook ADHD.

Anyhoo…