it's been a rough december. there's so much uncertainty about where we'll be next year. it makes working so urgent. there's so much i want my students to know.
last week, we had to address some character issues with one of my classes. it was very hard and personally disappointing for me on several levels. sometimes i wish older kids were more like kindergartners, young enough for you to take their little faces in your hands, shrink down to their level and say, "i love you and i know you're better than this so stopit!"
on the other hand, i was invited to our teacher/student sleepover with the tenth grade girls. love those kids. they wish i was sixteen, and i kind of wish it too when i hang out with them. amazing, beautiful, precious. i can take their sweet faces in my hands and tell them i love them. they don't mind.
this week was finals. i cried over some of the essays i read from my logic students. one girl wrote, "sometimes all i wish is that i can fit it." it's so easy to block out what i see on a daily basis and focus on my job more than i focus on loving these students. it's moments like these that remind me that my work is for something bigger than the correct use of commas.
and then we have days like today. finals ended yesterday and we wanted to give the kids a day dedicated solely to the celebration of christmas and a successful semester. we had our advent convocation, followed by three hours and twenty minutes of wii tournaments, christmas movies, card games, and a dance off. (this is just one of the benefits of attending/teaching at a high school with 80 students). it was fantastically fun.
what was more amazing was how affected i was by the gifts. having moved from grammar school to upper school, i really expected the teacher gifts to take a downward spiral this year. (not that i really care at all. my kids are my gift. and that's super cheesy, so you know that if i'm willing to post it, it must be true). anyway, in fifth grade i received gifts because i had 26 students who bought gifts for two teachers. in upper school, however, i only spend an hour or two with each kid. combined with their incessant need to be cool, the faltering economy, and the fact that they have eight teachers instead of two, i expected a couple of christmas cards and a bottle of lotion at best.
WRONG!
i have two boxes of fudge, turtle brownies, peanut butter balls, various assortments of cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered peanut butter, peppermint bark, hershey kisses, cinnamon roasted pecans, four bottle of lotion, two bottles of soap, ornaments, a really pretty christmas candy dish, a starbucks card, a jason's deli card, and a three foot long box (no joke) of cadbury chocolate fingers. (courtesy of drury, who i am sure gained immense amusement not only from the size of the box, but also from the thoughts of his teacher eating fingers.) i think there's even more stuff i'm forgetting, but trust me, it took four trips to the car to load up.
the best thing was that the kids don't change much from fifth to tenth grade. they approach you a little shyly and hand you the gift. some of them run away immediately (boys) and some of them stare at you in anticipation. for the latter, you open the gift and gush. i gush even when they're not there, simply because i like them all so much and am so pleased to know they like me back. now i know some of their moms went to wal-mart, bought eight identical ornaments with eight identical bags, lined them up, dropped them in, filled out eight labels and gave them to their child with stern instructions for their delivery. i'm not stupid. but not everyone did that.
and sometimes, i get notes like this:
Dear Mrs. Wortham.
Thank you for being a great teacher. Your literature and history classes are always fun. I hope you have a merry Christmas.
Your student,
Student D
i know it's standard, but it's amazing to me, and i'll keep it for always.
sigh. love those kids.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Love, actually, is all around.
And sometimes love is tough.
I love my job. I can't say it enough. I feel incredibly blessed and honored to spend my working days reading my favorite pieces of literature and then forcing other people to talk to me about them. It's a sweet life.
Along with that, however, comes an aspect of the job that many people fail to remember, understand, or appreciate. It's the part that makes me say no when kids ask:
Can we just abbreviate Alabama with AL?
Do we have to write in cursive?
Can't we just have Free Speech Friday today? (On Fridays, the kids get five to ten minutes as a group to tell me what's going on in their lives, etc.)
Why do I say no? Do I fail to understand that it's much easier to write AL than Alabama? What's wrong with a little free time? Do I think Satan writes in print? No, but I do understand that laziness has to be squelched out of the hearts of these precious, sweet children. The part of my job many people don't like is the occupation of character building.
To be honest, I hate it too. I don't like policing their conversations for gossip and inappropriate language. I don't like carefully checking their work for thoroughness. And I hate having to ask a student to read out loud so I can stare down the miscreant who has chosen to talk to his or her neighbor instead of listening to me read. I'd rather just be their friend.
But I have come to understand that because I love these wonderful creatures, because I know that they are insanely smart and beautiful and gifted and lovely, I cannot allow them to waste their potential or slack off on their responsibilities just because I want to be well-liked. That would be awfully selfish of me. They have to understand that their intelligence is a gift, their beauty a liability, their gifts an investment, and their loveliness, a choice. I have to expect the best in them.
I tell them all I love them every day. And that is no stretch. I can't wait to share them with the world, for them to take the reigns of adult responsibilities and scatter their talents among mankind. My seventh graders are translating The Aeneid from Latin to English. My ninth graders are analyzing Julius Caesar as they read the biography from which Shakespeare created the play. These children have been given the opportunity to be great, and great will they be.
I can't wait. Love them so much!
I love my job. I can't say it enough. I feel incredibly blessed and honored to spend my working days reading my favorite pieces of literature and then forcing other people to talk to me about them. It's a sweet life.
Along with that, however, comes an aspect of the job that many people fail to remember, understand, or appreciate. It's the part that makes me say no when kids ask:
Can we just abbreviate Alabama with AL?
Do we have to write in cursive?
Can't we just have Free Speech Friday today? (On Fridays, the kids get five to ten minutes as a group to tell me what's going on in their lives, etc.)
Why do I say no? Do I fail to understand that it's much easier to write AL than Alabama? What's wrong with a little free time? Do I think Satan writes in print? No, but I do understand that laziness has to be squelched out of the hearts of these precious, sweet children. The part of my job many people don't like is the occupation of character building.
To be honest, I hate it too. I don't like policing their conversations for gossip and inappropriate language. I don't like carefully checking their work for thoroughness. And I hate having to ask a student to read out loud so I can stare down the miscreant who has chosen to talk to his or her neighbor instead of listening to me read. I'd rather just be their friend.
But I have come to understand that because I love these wonderful creatures, because I know that they are insanely smart and beautiful and gifted and lovely, I cannot allow them to waste their potential or slack off on their responsibilities just because I want to be well-liked. That would be awfully selfish of me. They have to understand that their intelligence is a gift, their beauty a liability, their gifts an investment, and their loveliness, a choice. I have to expect the best in them.
I tell them all I love them every day. And that is no stretch. I can't wait to share them with the world, for them to take the reigns of adult responsibilities and scatter their talents among mankind. My seventh graders are translating The Aeneid from Latin to English. My ninth graders are analyzing Julius Caesar as they read the biography from which Shakespeare created the play. These children have been given the opportunity to be great, and great will they be.
I can't wait. Love them so much!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Someone in 08!
I love election days. Ben and I honestly celebrate them like it's Christmas. We always make brownies or popcorn for the big debates and voting days. Today's been a bit of an exception since Ben won't be home until 8:30ish, but we are still psyched about the returns and will be watching them with excitement.
So the question weighing on everyone's mind is who we support. Let's get our stats straight first. Benjamin is a future dentist. Out of the eight people in his family, five are either working in healthcare or are training to work in healthcare as doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. Benjamin's degree is in International Relations, so he knows a few things about politics. My family owns a terribly successful smalll business. I primarily teach lit, but I did minor in political science and have taught (and am currently teaching) a few history classes. Needless to say, we followed the elections pretty closely since they were so relevant to our families.
In the beginning, we loved one of the candidates. We went to rallies, we bought tshirts, and we fought, pleaded and argued with those who opposed him. Then the candidate started changing his tune about some important issues. Simultaneously, the opposing candidate made some decisions that I thought were sings of terrible judgment. Those decisions resulted in a massive amount of publicity for said candidate, but also cost him my respect. Plunged into an unhappy time of disgust and general disenchantment, I began strategizing to vote with the aim of damage control. As the current Congress is largely comprised of Democrats, I attempted to reign in the government and, with much anxiety and reluctance, voted McCain.
In this election and in the last one I have wished that this country was just a democracy rather than a democracy within a republic. I disagreed vehemently with both candidates on many issues, and in the end the candidate who won my vote did so only because I feel he will be least powerful in his office. How pathetic. How I wish the ballot had a list of issues for which I could cast my vote rather than a list of men.
All and all, however, it was an exciting day. I was able to discuss the electoral college system with my seventh grade history students. They believe they should be allowed to vote, and after listening to some of their ideas, I must agree with them. I believe some of them are more informed than the majority of adult voters. I was also able to congratulate my ninth and tenth graders, as this is the last election through which they must sit out. Some were excited, some were surprised, and some didn't care, but I personally can't wait for them to cast their ballots. How exciting!
I love this country.
So the question weighing on everyone's mind is who we support. Let's get our stats straight first. Benjamin is a future dentist. Out of the eight people in his family, five are either working in healthcare or are training to work in healthcare as doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. Benjamin's degree is in International Relations, so he knows a few things about politics. My family owns a terribly successful smalll business. I primarily teach lit, but I did minor in political science and have taught (and am currently teaching) a few history classes. Needless to say, we followed the elections pretty closely since they were so relevant to our families.
In the beginning, we loved one of the candidates. We went to rallies, we bought tshirts, and we fought, pleaded and argued with those who opposed him. Then the candidate started changing his tune about some important issues. Simultaneously, the opposing candidate made some decisions that I thought were sings of terrible judgment. Those decisions resulted in a massive amount of publicity for said candidate, but also cost him my respect. Plunged into an unhappy time of disgust and general disenchantment, I began strategizing to vote with the aim of damage control. As the current Congress is largely comprised of Democrats, I attempted to reign in the government and, with much anxiety and reluctance, voted McCain.
In this election and in the last one I have wished that this country was just a democracy rather than a democracy within a republic. I disagreed vehemently with both candidates on many issues, and in the end the candidate who won my vote did so only because I feel he will be least powerful in his office. How pathetic. How I wish the ballot had a list of issues for which I could cast my vote rather than a list of men.
All and all, however, it was an exciting day. I was able to discuss the electoral college system with my seventh grade history students. They believe they should be allowed to vote, and after listening to some of their ideas, I must agree with them. I believe some of them are more informed than the majority of adult voters. I was also able to congratulate my ninth and tenth graders, as this is the last election through which they must sit out. Some were excited, some were surprised, and some didn't care, but I personally can't wait for them to cast their ballots. How exciting!
I love this country.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Firsts.
Salut,
Welcome to the inaugural blog. For the record, I hate that word. B-l-o-o-o-g. It makes me a little nauseous. But the idea is a good one, and the primary purpose is to keep up with the people who care. I used to think that blogs were narcissistic since the authors obviously assume people want to know about the minute details of their lives. However, I have come to realize that some people genuinely care about what's going on with Ben and me, which is pretty flattering. In the interest of democracy, I'm giving the people what they want.
For those of you arriving late in the game, here's what's going on with the Worthams:
1. We got married August 30. There was cake and mirth. We went to Destin, Disney World, and then back to work.
2. Speaking of work, our jobs are pretty much our defining mechanism at this point in our mid-twenties. Ben works as an independent cell phone rep. He is really excited about his job. Ben loves things, especially electronic things. We are waiting to hear back from the dental schools he applied to so we can find out where we will be living next year.
As for me, I'm teaching at an incredible school. This is my second year there. Last year I taught fifth grade, a job that I was surprised to be offered. I was shocked when I realized how much I loved it. I had fantastic students who I still miss every day. They are precious people who I love very much. This year, I'm teaching seventh grade history and lit, ninth grade lit, and journalism. I am also responsible for the Logic School theater club and the Logic School SGA. (I teach at a classical school. Our Logic School is composed of seventh and eighth grade students. Google "classical education" and you'll see why I am in heaven at this beloved institution.) I absolutely adore my job and can't imagine working anywhere else. My students are dear to me and make every day fabulous. I work with some of the most intelligent, articulate, and attractive people I've ever known. I teach literature that I love, literature that most schools would deem too difficult for students of the age I teach, and I love watching the kids eat it up. I teach kids who would be placed in gifted education and kids who would be labeled with learning disabilities in public school. Our basic rule of thumb is to teach to the top third and watch the bottom two-thirds rise to the occassion. It works.
I could go on and on about my job, but I won't, because there are other things to talk about .
3. Ben and I love our apartment and each other. We miss our families, near and far, and we adore our friends who we can never see enough. We're mostly just hanging out waiting for letters that determine our future to come through the mail.
Next post: Wedding photo site link!
-Mrs. W
Welcome to the inaugural blog. For the record, I hate that word. B-l-o-o-o-g. It makes me a little nauseous. But the idea is a good one, and the primary purpose is to keep up with the people who care. I used to think that blogs were narcissistic since the authors obviously assume people want to know about the minute details of their lives. However, I have come to realize that some people genuinely care about what's going on with Ben and me, which is pretty flattering. In the interest of democracy, I'm giving the people what they want.
For those of you arriving late in the game, here's what's going on with the Worthams:
1. We got married August 30. There was cake and mirth. We went to Destin, Disney World, and then back to work.
2. Speaking of work, our jobs are pretty much our defining mechanism at this point in our mid-twenties. Ben works as an independent cell phone rep. He is really excited about his job. Ben loves things, especially electronic things. We are waiting to hear back from the dental schools he applied to so we can find out where we will be living next year.
As for me, I'm teaching at an incredible school. This is my second year there. Last year I taught fifth grade, a job that I was surprised to be offered. I was shocked when I realized how much I loved it. I had fantastic students who I still miss every day. They are precious people who I love very much. This year, I'm teaching seventh grade history and lit, ninth grade lit, and journalism. I am also responsible for the Logic School theater club and the Logic School SGA. (I teach at a classical school. Our Logic School is composed of seventh and eighth grade students. Google "classical education" and you'll see why I am in heaven at this beloved institution.) I absolutely adore my job and can't imagine working anywhere else. My students are dear to me and make every day fabulous. I work with some of the most intelligent, articulate, and attractive people I've ever known. I teach literature that I love, literature that most schools would deem too difficult for students of the age I teach, and I love watching the kids eat it up. I teach kids who would be placed in gifted education and kids who would be labeled with learning disabilities in public school. Our basic rule of thumb is to teach to the top third and watch the bottom two-thirds rise to the occassion. It works.
I could go on and on about my job, but I won't, because there are other things to talk about .
3. Ben and I love our apartment and each other. We miss our families, near and far, and we adore our friends who we can never see enough. We're mostly just hanging out waiting for letters that determine our future to come through the mail.
Next post: Wedding photo site link!
-Mrs. W
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
