Education Anonymous?

As I scrolled through and deleted a lot of the past Observation and Sub job posts, I was noting (and trying to figure out) all the initials, acronyms, and cryptic abbreviations I used to preserve all elements of anonymity. The students, of course, the teachers/admin, school names... I think in some cases I pretended to work in Des Moines just to cover my tracks. That may have been a tad unnecessary.

Back when Gore invented computers, user names and online personas were part internet fun and part internet safety; we all tried to create cool email addresses with the word "hot" in them somewhere, and were worried our photos would be used to ruin our reputation if we ever ran for public office. People would freak at the mention of posting a picture of my children or of talking about my job -- what if the boss read your blog?!? Well, for starters I had a boss with her priorities straight: if my sales figures were up, what did she care what I typed late at night that no one would ever read anyway? And I wouldn't post proprietary material or personal attacks without expecting to be fired. If you're the kind of person to bash your company, boss, or co-workers online, you are undoubtedly a lousy employee anyway; good riddance when they can yer grumpy, back-stabbing ass.

I began posting online with hiding as much as I could; for my first blog I was "6footOneandaTonofFun" from somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere and my profile picture was a mango, yet even then I thought I was giving out way too much information and everybody on the www knew EXACTLY WHO and WHERE I was. I also combed my hair and wore a nice shirt since I knew they could all see me, but that's really a whole 'nother story...

So my point, before I became obviously lost on that tangent, was how much do we need to take the bold black marker to, how much should we NOT reveal online -- legally, personally, and/or respectfully? Do school districts or principals have guidelines, and an administrative assistant to monitor compliance, regarding online activity?

Oh, and I probably shouldn't say "ass"...

01.24.09

Okay, time to make some changes -- a break in the Sub schedule and on to, boldly!, bravely!, the the unpaid world of Student Teaching!

Just one week before I'm supposed to start... somwhere? Don't know yet. Don't even know which district, just that it will be in a lower grade for 6 (?) weeks and then a 4-6th grade until the end of the school year (hoefully both assignments at the same school!)...

I am nervous. Expecting to fall flat on my face. Unsure of knowing enough: fractions, science, ELLs... What if I have a mean master teacher?

I am confident. I'm smart, clever, able to think on my feet. I've been responsible for 3 boys, 30 football players, and 3000 employees. I LOVE fractions!

The Countdown Begins...

Didn't get as much subbing under my belt as I hoped/would have liked-- the boys are in year-round schools, so they had a nice long 4 weeks off (until tomorrow, ha ha!) and between those nudnicks and homework and the holidays in general, I find myself with only 2 weeks to go before my student teaching begins!

Don't know the school/grade/district yet, should find out soon... ?