School

It's been a while since I posted anything work related, so I thought I'd start by reminding that I teach Grade Four and most of my students are English language learners. Yesterday one of my students told me that for the first time in his life he actually likes a book and is enjoying reading. I was so excited for him I almost did a happy dance on the spot, however, since he would consider that 'way un-cool,' I instead grunted a 'cool' response. This magical book is 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' which, I must say, is not one of my favorites, but, which was deemed enough of a masterpiece that it has a movie made of it. It is a rather humorous and backwards story in which the protagonist is a thieving fox, and the antagonists are the farmers who try to protect their chickens. The author does a masterful job of making the farmers appear stupid and unlovable, and does a reasonably good job of making the fox seem like able. The primary success in the eyes of my particular nine year old book critic is that the book is funny, a tad irreverent, and is short. The pictures are a plus too. If anyone has suggestions of similar books I would love to hear them.
On a completely separate note, scholastic book orders came in. We have now switched over to Scholastic International, and the groaning can still be heard in hallways and break rooms. It's quite silly really, as are most things we complain about. The disappointing part is that by switching to the international version of Scholastic, it is now more difficult for teachers to get books for their classroom. This is not to say we don't still get books, we simply can't order them with the students as we used to and receive them at the same time. It is disappointing, but the real problem is that it is change. Teachers are notoriously against change. I remember having teachers who had taught the EXACT SAME lesson plans for twenty years without alteration. While most of the teachers I work with are not quite that extreme (in fact, in many ways they are quite flexible) any of these little annoyances and changes allows the group to bond as a whole over shared frustrations. Group think really is a rather remarkable thing.
Segueing again, it never ceases to amazing me how often attire comes up during a school year. Some teachers like to dress like they are off to interview every day. I admire these people, but don't own enough suits or pretty skirts and sweaters to risk ruining them at school (sitting on the floor, making bubbles with food coloring, painting, playing soccer, or climbing the furniture to staple the next poster on the wall...). Some teachers dress like they are off to the club, short skirts, tight pants, low necks, and or no sleeves. This group I don't understand at all. Sure, you want to feel pretty, but inevitably at least one of your students is going to know the color of your underwear and/or bra by the end of the day... Some teachers choose function over fashion (I admit, I am one of 'them'). While these teachers may not impress you with their snazzy suits or sexy skirts, they can easily transition from floor to desk, desk to ladder, and ladder to playground without any indecent exposure or fear of damage to expensive clothing items. The down side to this group is that they may not always appear quite as professional as they perhaps should. The final group is the ... beach bum group? The teachers who wear torn khakis, shorts, faded button ups, and slightly ripped polos.These individuals take relaxed professional to a new extreme. The 'sexy' and 'beach bum' groups seem so attached to their clothing choices that several staff meetings a year are not enough to convince them of the necessity of modest and professional dress. As a result, we got to talk about it again this week. Hurray!
Overall, I am still so impressed with my students, my co-workers, and the school in general. There are days that make me laugh (a great many of them) and a few days when I want to cry, but teaching children is such rewarding work (clothing and book orders aside) and I do truly feel lucky to be able to do what I do.
That's all for now. We will see if I can be a little more regular with these updates.