School's out, teacher let the fools out!

No more pencils, no more books, no more STUDENT'S dirty looks! What a group I had this year, eiy yie yie! I can honestly say if I never see some of that bunch again, it will be too soon. Fun party last night...too tired to sleep! Nice feeling to sleep in. ADK party this afternoon, piano lesson (may have to re-schedule), picking up new car in Ann Arbor and going to Amanda's 2 baseball games. Nice video chat with Andrew & Matt last night. They get so silly! Brian landed safely in L.A. at 2:09 our time. His plane from Philly was delayed over 3 hours. All day to go 5 hours sucks, but he is safe! Congratulations Matthew Sandoval on your middle school graduation. Have fun with your family. I cleaned out 2 filing cabinets of old 4th grade files and old materials we don't use any more. I think I filled 10 boxes to re-cycle. I didn't get my bulletin boards done for fall (who knows where I will be anyway!) or my books sorted (paperbacks). Administrative whisper-leaks have hinted that the splits will be done away with. We don't have enough for a 2nd 5th or 6th so where will I go? Not going to worry about it. I don't know what they would do with 33 extra kids. Parents would not be keen on them being shipped to another school and all the other schools are full. Our district is crying poor again so there is no way they would pay a full-time teacher to have 23 in a class, which is how many 6th I will have next year. Since I usually keep my kids for 2 years, it is better for the kids, my only wish is to have a full-time para-pro to "work" with one group when I am actively teaching the other. I was hoping for someone (the title math teacher from another building) to take my 5th grade math kids next year for math. She worked with this 9 in 4th grade all year, which is why I took them, with hopes that she would be able to keep them. Now the powers that be say title money can't be used for teaching...go figure! We have enough "stuff" STOP. Give us help to actually WORK with kids that need the extra help. My class have a half-time teacher, and in any district that is not enough. I don't care how smart they are (they aren't), how independent they are (they're not) and how well-behaved they are (forget it), a split is not the best. I have done it for 5 years now. Most teachers who do it last a year or 2. I had a chance to bid on a full 6th grade but wanted to stay in the building I am in. Lots of retirees this year, 4 in our building alone. We will miss everyone but, hopefully move forward. I just wish the administration would listen to what we need instead of what they think we need. Our children are so behind in English skills and then compound the problem with inner-city, not much money or exposure to the outside world, old-world ways and thinking and customs, it does not make for high MEAP scores. But we have stuff. This year we started new science kits (no training) new Social Studies books (no training for all the crap that came with), 2nd year in Lucy Caulkins writing, new Mathematics (Everyday Math) for the early grades (I am 2nd year 5th grade and 4th year in Connected Math in 6th grade), training for neo-boards (grrrrrrr), pulled out for School Improvement, restorative practice (useless bull-shit that was not followed through on anything, no detentions or in-school suspensions...they kids were worse than ever with no consequences) and more money wasted on whatever bandwagon program sounds fabulous!!!!

Ok, it is what it is....I'm off to enjoy my day and have vented enough for the week!