Accident

One of my student/basketball girls from last year got in a car accident this summer. She fell asleep on her way home from Utah and rolled her car. She ended up 150 yards from the freeway down in a ravine. Search and rescue had to come and get her out and she was life-flighted to Utah to the trauma center there. I was in Hawaii at the time and felt so helpless I almost couldn't handle it. Hate to admit it, but she is by far my most favorite student I have ever had and maybe ever will have. I was in shock. I found out that she broke her back in 5 places, broke almost every single one of her ribs, damaged her spline almost beyond repair, and broke her neck in 2 places. Everything about this accident should have left her either dead or paralyzed. Amazingly, she is neither. She had 2 major surgeries and is already walking around doing great. She has 2 metal rods up her back with screws everywhere. She said her x-rays look like there's a ladder running up her back. When search and rescue was cutting her out they accidentally sliced her open about 5 times on her side. She is going to have more scars than anyone ever should.

She came to see me yesterday after school and she looks AMAZING. She still is wearing her brace that looks horribly uncomfortable and still is in a lot of pain but overall, I couldn't believe how good she looked. It was so nice to see her. I think the thing that made me most happy was she just looked happy. She has had to deal with quite a lot in her personal life and it always seemed like it was wearing on her but yesterday it was like she was so comfortable with her life and just content. It made me so happy to see that she has come out of this horrible accident with such a good attitude and doesn't complain about it. I mean sure some days she's told me she's tired of everything and just wants the pain to stop and for everything to be back to how it was but who wouldn't say that in this situation? I was actually a little jealous about how happy she was. Man this girl has changed my life more than she'll ever know. I'm so glad she made it and is doing so awesome.

A New Year!

Ok so I know I failed terribly at keeping this thing up to date last year. Things were just much busier than expected! Maybe I will do better this year.

Meetings start next week and then students come on the 24th. I will say that this year I am WAY less nervous than I was last year. I know what to expect, what's expected of me, and just feel like I know the ropes. First year teaching is tiring. I know this year will be tiring too but I feel more capable of handling it. The only thing I am a little nervous about is I have heard that the incoming freshman are a nightmare. That means that I have to be a strict meany for the first couple of months or things will not happen this year. People that know me outside of being a teacher sometimes think its funny when I tell them I am actually really strict. Mostly I get that reaction from people at church and things who don't know me other than what they saw this last year. I think that they see the goofy immature side of me more often because by the time I get home from work everyday I am so tired of being composed and the serious one in charge I just can't handle it anymore and I let loose! It is pretty fun though.

Well, I hope this year is amazing and even better than last year. And, hopefully I do a little better about keeping this thing updated!

3rd Tri

We just started our 3rd trimester on Monday. I CANNOT believe that we are this far in the year already. This year is flying by so so fast. I think that 2nd trimester went pretty well. I made it through the craziness of coaching and still survived and taught my students a lot of math. When we started reviewing for the final they could not believe how much they had learned. It made them and me feel pretty good about how things had gone. I think that 6 of my students failed but honestly, probably only one of them failed because he couldn't understand the math very well. The rest failed because they were lazy so I don't feel so bad about them. I can only get them to do so much and then they have to take some responsibility.

On the note of failing... I have on Algebra 2 student that failed. This came as no surprise to me. He had been failing for at least a month. The final comes around and he failed it, BAD. He ended up with a 52% in the class I think. So, the 1st day of the new trimester during one of my classes here he comes with his mom. They ask if I have a minute to talk to them, during class. Ok, first of all, don't interrupt my class. Set up a time when I can talk to you and I will be more understanding. Secondly, you are a senior in high school! Take some responsibility for yourself, don't bring your mommy with you to have her bail you out. This kid is a nice enough kid. I don't mind him as a person. As a student... so not fun. He is one that told me this DURING a TEST because I wouldn't help him do a problem "That's why students don't learn it because teachers aren't willing to help!" Where does he get off telling me that he isn't doing well because I won't tell help him do his test problem?? I would have been more than willing to help him anytime leading up to the test even that morning but once the test starts, its too late. That is HIS fault, not mine. So, I guess to make a long headache of a story short. I basically told him and his mom that there wasn't anything that he or I could do at this point and that it was too late. And, I don't even really feel bad about it.

On the last stretch of the year.... Bring it on.

Not Dead

Ok, so I know that it seems like this blog has died but it has not! I refuse to let it!!! I guess that basketball made me more busy than I even realized and I didn't have time for anything other than school and ball. Not even time for this blog! But, basketball is over so now I might have time to function and do the things that I want to do. 2nd trimester ends in 2 1/2 weeks. I cannot believe that we are already that far into the year. Looking back, I think that this trimester has gone a lot better than last trimester did. I feel like I am more organized and just a better teacher in general. I act more like I want to act when I am in class and I feel like I am finally letting the kids get to know the real me a little more which I think helps things a lot. I am sure that I have a lot of good stories that I should have put on here but right now, I don't have the energy or the brain power to write them. I will slowly start to add some of the stuff that has been happening. Mostly this post is just to say that there will be more posts to come!

2 minute post

I only have 2 minutes until my prep is over. I must say... I don't think that I have ever been as busy as I am right now in my entire life. Even when I was going to school full time and working 2 jobs I feel like I had more free time. I think that it is mostly because I feel like basketball consumes my life. And, I'm not upset that it does. I love coaching and I love everything that it has brought to my life. I can't imagine not knowing all of the girls that play. I get so upset when I see them upset.

Teaching is going well. I am getting more organized and on top of things. Nothing too exciting to report...

pointless

i hear what is going on in other classes and sometimes i wonder why in the world teachers assign the work that they do. some of it just seems entirely pointless to me. maybe that is because i don't see what is going on in the rest of class and i don't see how it all connects but still... it seems like a waste of time. i wonder if people outside of my class think that sometimes. i sure hope not. i try to only have my students do assignments that will actually help them. maybe i will ask a student that i trust will be honest with me what they think.

back to school, back to school...

Thanksgiving break is over.... and I am sad. It was really hard to wake up and come to work today. All of the students seem extra tired (and so do I!). It seems that when they don't have school they sleep WAY less than normal. One girl told me she thought that she slept only 8 hours the whole break (ok, I know she was exaggerating but still, I'm sure she didn't sleep much) It has been a struggle today so far getting them to listen and do their work. Hopefully they get back into the swing of things.

My new books got here today. Well, part of them did. I am excited! This trimester looks like its going to be a good one.