Vegetable Music: "In the Key of Carrot" *

Our music teacher, the oboe player, showed this video which led me to watch all the other videos -- rubber glove, potato, etc...

You are amazing Linsey Pollack, and I hope I can get the big video board working Monday to show 'em your stuff!

Which in turn led to other people playing vegetables as musical instruments. And why was I surprised there is a Vegetable Orchestra?

I'm thinking this would be cool for studying sound waves, when we'd also make those cool popsicle stick & rubber band harmonicas.

*not my line. sounds like something Bugs would say...

Reporting From the Front Line...

Shhhh... I'm surrounded. My first post from the classroom, live as learning occurs at this very moment ! At least, I hope so.

Actually, they're taking a test. I finally got the printer hooked up to this beat up old Mac I liberated from my former school (since I'm not in the system as a real official teacher yet I can't use class laptop or Promethean Board. ug. grrrr.) and I'm looking up material for topic sentences, research papers, etc.


This has been a useful site for essay stuff. So has this one.
And this one has samples for letter writing.  Purdue U's OWL never disappoints; I know it's college level and slightly over the head of 5th graders, but I don't want to shy away from higher level material. They've probably had similarly simple/corny letters for several years now. Or am risking losing them?

Uh-oh, gotta go. The natives are restless...

Should I Unpack?

I do feel like a temporary lodger -- don't bother filling up the dresser drawers, just live out of the suitcase.  I, and everyone else, know I am low, low, loooooow man on The List and will be the first casualty come staff reductions. Pink slips are a way of life here in California Education and I will actually consider it a promotion when I get one; last year I had to tell every concerned parent that "No, I did not get a pink slip, I'm just a lowly sub working a full teacher's position for sub pay and no benefits."  Well, that's what I would have said if they stayed around to listen, but the sympathy dried up instantly after "did not get--" and the concerned parents quickly moved to on to the Real Teachers who were suffering greatly in their martyrdom. 

Anyway, the teacher that vacated this classroom left a bunch of stuff, most of it covered in thick layers of dust.  I was hesitant to touch anything, or move the furniture around, especially after the Principal popped in and mentioned he hadn't moved any of his predecessor's stuff for a year... But then I figured a few things:

1. I'm going to be here until July, so I might as well look at my own kids, books, and pencil holders...
2. I can't find a darn thing I'm looking for anyway, so might as well shove it all in the closets...
3. It's all about the students, not about worrying about stepping on other teachers' toes...
4. Whadda they gonna do, fire me?!?*

So yeah, I'm moving the desks and shelves and changing the wall stuff and marking my territory. Not literally, of course.



*not as funny as I thought it was going to be ten minutes ago. I don't want to get fired. I don't like pink. I love this school. Maybe I can just hide in there all summer and simply be there in September. Squatter's rights and all...

So Far, So Good?

Well, I haven't made anyone cry yet.  I was always told the "Don't smile until Christmas" axiom but seeing as I started in January I waffled on which was the appropriate Holiday Target -- St. Patrick's? Cinco de Mayo? -- and then inadvertently grinned in front of several students. Caught. Damn.

And I have not been scolded/questioned/brow beaten by any parents yet.  In fact, I have not met a single parent from my class's students.  Maybe they're as shy as their children are, 'cause no one has come up to the door and said hello.  Do they even know what I look like?  Do they even know their kids have a new teacher?  I was so hoping for a welcome basket full of lumpia...

No rebukes either from Administration or Veteran Colleagues, yet.  A lot of the things I thought I was probably not doing right turns out eh, that'll work, that's just fine, keep doing what you think is working and needs to be done.  Which leads me to believe either they have complete confidence in my education, training, and experience, or...

Oh my God I could be painting the children purple in here, people!! No, that would leave visible evidence -- I could be teaching them Communism, Fascism, Environmentalism! Endless debates on the Hall of Fame merits of Fred McGriff! Plagiarized power points on the sexual appetites of polar bears, retired autoworkers, or country music stars! We could be watching "Sanford & Son" in there and no one would ever poke a head in the door to find out!  No wonder our kids are all screwed up, no one cares what or how the teachers teach 'em!!!

Unless of course, they know I'm doing a good job. Because of the hidden cameras...