Empty

As I type this, I am sitting in an empty classroom. Except for the boxes of course.

It's been a much harder day than I anticipated. None of the ridiculous tears that I normally share with all, or the overwhelming amount of emotions; this time it's different. It's a feeling that I don't like, but realize I will probably feel many more times. I will probably not see or really talk to these kids again.

There's not a, "I'll see you guys next year." And yes, I know I will move on. And I am sure they already have, but I miss them- like miss them, miss them.

My sophomores have been exceptional this year. Overall they are probably my favorite class. Last years class will always be my first class, and this one (overall) probably my favorite.

Some of this probably comes from my nerves of switching schools. And the fear that the next class won't live up. Which isn't fair- but I'm human.

And the tears are coming.... so adios!

Marathon Training: Week 2

Week one was fairly easy- except for the 8 mile yesterday. I thought I was going to fall over. Not quite sure why because 6 miles was "easy" last week. Maybe I underestimated the extra two.

This weeks training includes:

Monday- Cross
Tuesday- 3
Wednesday- I will be in a car all day... so no running for me.
Thursday- Hopefully I will have time for 5 (We will be in Tulsa for a wedding, so the wedding festivities will have started :) )
Friday-3
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- Will be driving, so rest again
Monday- 9

Not quite "on schedule" but we will get it done!

Something Blue

This is the sequel to Something Borrowed. At the beginning, I struggled to enjoy the books because the main character was someone I extremely disliked in the first novel- which I believe is what the author was going for. However, I quickly learned to like her and thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's about heartache, friendship, love, and being the best person you can be.

I really like this author because she creates interesting, well developed characters. She also created endings that are not as predictable as other chic lit authors. I highly recommend her. Her books are good for summer time reading! :)

Humbled

This is my new toy. And boy do I love it.

You know what I love even more? My students bought it for me. Not all of them- 6 of them. It was my going away/ birthday present.

This was my reaction:

I was seriously shocked. Like had no idea what they were up to.

The also bought me this:

 and this:

I'm not quite sure why they did, but I have never been so humbled by something. Ever. It was the first true surprise I have had in years- maybe ever. I have never felt so undeserving. I still feel that way, but I'm loving my nook.

Something Borrowed

Loved this book! It is well written, funny, and not as predictable as many "chick lit" books.

It's about a girl realizing that life's too short to follow all the rules. About learning to stand up for herself. And about being okay with who she is.

It's also the first book I read on my new Nook. But that's another post.

Rewind

4 Nalgenes is too much. I only have a few chances to escape my children for bathroom breaks.

I will reset my goal to 2 nalgenes, at least for now.

Marathon Training: Week 1

Monday: Cross Training
Tuesday: 3 Miles
Wednesday: 5 Miles
Thursday: Strength
Friday: 3 Miles
Saturday: Off
Sunday: 8 Miles

Nutrition Goals: 4 Nalgenes of water daily, no more than 1 fun size candy bar a day :)
                        

The Plans

Well, it's official. Almost official to be completely honest. We are here for another year. Not a bad thing- just not what we had planned.

Chris is accepting a job at Purdue as a tech (which is what we thought he would do...we just thought we would have to move). So that's awesome. And I just accepted a job at a new high school- which was not planned, but is such a blessing. Better school, better pay- but I will miss the posse and my students. Overall, it's obvious God had a plan. I just think about the changes and worries of the past year and see that God was working on our hearts in preparation of this decision. It's humbling.

The new school is a rival of the one I am at now, so that's going to be weird for a bit. But oh well. I will get over it. And I like the colors. Blue makes my eyes stand-out- because that's important when looking for a job. ;)

So, with that news, I am feeling excited yet uncomfortable. This, as I have said before, was not the plan. It doesn't matter, but it just isn't what I prepared myself for. I like plans and I like to know them in advance. But God's working on that.

I feel like I am putting life on hold. I am ready to settle, to buy a house, to talk about babies, to get comfortable somewhere. I feel like I am waiting for life to start- which is kind of depressing. It's something I struggle with for a bit and then get excited about and then struggle again. Today, I am struggling. Tomorrow I will probably love the uncertainty.

On that note, I do love it here. And I absolutely love our life here. So much that I don't want to move, which is why it's hard. I am not good with goodbye, and I am ready to be somewhere that I won't have the attitude of  "Wewillbemovingsoon,sodon'tgettoocomfortable."

When this song played on the radio this morning I knew God was speaking to me. And I am listening, because he's been awesome so far. Waiting for life to begin or not attitude- I am blessed.

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting

I will serve You

While I'm waiting

I will worship

While I'm waiting

I will not faint

I'll be running the race

Even while I wait

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it's not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

-John Waller



My New Classroom Quote

A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.

-Henry David Thoreau

Hate List

I haven't been "wowed" by a book in a while, until yesterday. A friend recommended this novel, which was recommended to her by her students.

It. Is. Awesome.

It not only entertained me from page one, it made me think, it made me laugh, and it made me cry. It made me rethink my classroom set-up, my interaction with students, my interaction with teachers, and quite honestly opened my eyes to a world of bullying that I know goes on between my students, but I choose to ignore on many occasions.

It's a book everyone needs to read.

Water for Elephants

I finally finished! Woohoo. It only took a few months.

Unfortunately, it was not one of my favorite books. It was hard to get into and seemed to end abruptly. I think I set very high standards since it was so popular. It was very well written book with excellent character development. Overall it was a good book, just not my favorite. I would definitely recommend it. 

I'm Not One to be Political

but this article is awesome:


The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries

By DAVE EGGERS and NÍNIVE CLEMENTS CALEGARI

Published: April 30, 2011

Op-Ed Contributor: A New Measure for Classroom Quality (May 1, 2011) WHEN we don’t get the results we want in our military endeavors, we don’t blame the soldiers. We don’t say, “It’s these lazy soldiers and their bloated benefits plans! That’s why we haven’t done better in Afghanistan!” No, if the results aren’t there, we blame the planners. We blame the generals, the secretary of defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff. No one contemplates blaming the men and women fighting every day in the trenches for little pay and scant recognition.
And yet in education we do just that. When we don’t like the way our students score on international standardized tests, we blame the teachers. When we don’t like the way particular schools perform, we blame the teachers and restrict their resources.
Compare this with our approach to our military: when results on the ground are not what we hoped, we think of ways to better support soldiers. We try to give them better tools, better weapons, better protection, better training. And when recruiting is down, we offer incentives.
We have a rare chance now, with many teachers near retirement, to prove we’re serious about education. The first step is to make the teaching profession more attractive to college graduates. This will take some doing.
At the moment, the average teacher’s pay is on par with that of a toll taker or bartender. Teachers make 14 percent less than professionals in other occupations that require similar levels of education. In real terms, teachers’ salaries have declined for 30 years. The average starting salary is $39,000; the average ending salary — after 25 years in the profession — is $67,000. This prices teachers out of home ownership in 32 metropolitan areas, and makes raising a family on one salary near impossible.
So how do teachers cope? Sixty-two percent work outside the classroom to make ends meet. For Erik Benner, an award-winning history teacher in Keller, Tex., money has been a constant struggle. He has two children, and for 15 years has been unable to support them on his salary. Every weekday, he goes directly from Trinity Springs Middle School to drive a forklift at Floor and Décor. He works until 11 every night, then gets up and starts all over again. Does this look like “A Plan,” either on the state or federal level?

We’ve been working with public school teachers for 10 years; every spring, we see many of the best teachers leave the profession. They’re mowed down by the long hours, low pay, the lack of support and respect.

Imagine a novice teacher, thrown into an urban school, told to teach five classes a day, with up to 40 students each. At the year’s end, if test scores haven’t risen enough, he or she is called a bad teacher. For college graduates who have other options, this kind of pressure, for such low pay, doesn’t make much sense. So every year 20 percent of teachers in urban districts quit. Nationwide, 46 percent of teachers quit before their fifth year. The turnover costs the United States $7.34 billion yearly. The effect within schools — especially those in urban communities where turnover is highest — is devastating.

But we can reverse course. In the next 10 years, over half of the nation’s nearly 3.2 million public school teachers will become eligible for retirement. Who will replace them? How do we attract and keep the best minds in the profession?

People talk about accountability, measurements, tenure, test scores and pay for performance. These questions are worthy of debate, but are secondary to recruiting and training teachers and treating them fairly. There is no silver bullet that will fix every last school in America, but until we solve the problem of teacher turnover, we don’t have a chance.

Can we do better? Can we generate “A Plan”? Of course.

The consulting firm McKinsey recently examined how we might attract and retain a talented teaching force. The study compared the treatment of teachers here and in the three countries that perform best on standardized tests: Finland, Singapore and South Korea.

Turns out these countries have an entirely different approach to the profession. First, the governments in these countries recruit top graduates to the profession. (We don’t.) In Finland and Singapore they pay for training. (We don’t.) In terms of purchasing power, South Korea pays teachers on average 250 percent of what we do.

And most of all, they trust their teachers. They are rightly seen as the solution, not the problem, and when improvement is needed, the school receives support and development, not punishment. Accordingly, turnover in these countries is startlingly low: In South Korea, it’s 1 percent per year. In Finland, it’s 2 percent. In Singapore, 3 percent.

McKinsey polled 900 top-tier American college students and found that 68 percent would consider teaching if salaries started at $65,000 and rose to a minimum of $150,000. Could we do this? If we’re committed to “winning the future,” we should. If any administration is capable of tackling this, it’s the current one. President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan understand the centrality of teachers and have said that improving our education system begins and ends with great teachers. But world-class education costs money.

For those who say, “How do we pay for this?” — well, how are we paying for three concurrent wars? How did we pay for the interstate highway system? Or the bailout of the savings and loans in 1989 and that of the investment banks in 2008? How did we pay for the equally ambitious project of sending Americans to the moon? We had the vision and we had the will and we found a way.

Dave Eggers and Nínive Clements Calegari are founders of the 826 National tutoring centers and producers of the documentary “American Teacher.”

A version of this op-ed appeared in print on May 1, 2011, on page WK12 of the New York edition with the headline: The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries.

13.1, 26.2, 13.1

I have gone off the deep end.

In September, I will be running the Indianapolis Women's Half Marathon.

In October, I will be running the Twin Cities MARATHON. Yep, you heard right.

In November, I will be running the Monumental Half Marathon in Indianapolis.


The halfs don't scare me. It's the full that has me freaking out.

More to come later.

IMM

Signed up for the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in Indy in November!

This is the same race we did last November. Can't wait to do it again!

Holy Moly

Student: Mrs. Middaugh, we need help.
Me: Ok, what’s the question?

Student: This essay prompt is really stumping us. We can’t figure it out.

Me: Ok, what specifically are you struggling with?

Student: The end. You know, where it says, “explain how these relations are important to the work of literature?”

Me: You are going to have to be more specific as to what is confusing you.

Student: The literature part. It’s really stumping me. What’s literature?


And we have the state end of course next week. Which will effect my pay soon enough. OMG.

Side note: Just so you don’t think I am a horrible teacher. I promise I use the word literature all the time.

I need to go shopping.

Seriously.

I haven't been in ages.
Okay, maybe weeks.

I want a dress. No, I need a new dress.
I need a new purse. All of  mine are old.
I need a new billfold to hold the money I need to spend.

Yep. That's all.