Wednesday, September 26, 2007

I suffer from a disease I like to call: I'm always tired.

Teaching is hard.Wow. It's fun, but it's hard. And exhausting. And sometimes, the only thing that I want to do is sleep. So I do.

That is my story. I wish that I had something more interesting to say. But I don't.

I'm also kind of hungry right now, so I think I'm going to go eat some ice cream. Because, clearly, that is the healthy thing to eat when one is hungry.

Hugs!
Jess

Sunday, September 23, 2007

I'm Still Alive!

Hey! I may not update, but I'm still alive!

Number of people I'm in love with: 3
Number of students in love with me: 7
Number of men I'm in love with who are also in love with me: 0

Not bad statistics, all things considering.

(:

Better post later. Maybe.

Monday, September 17, 2007

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Yes. . .this post had to be removed. . .sorry.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Now I Understand

why people like to teach. But only sometimes. Because, even though I'm teaching the same material to class after class, it really doesn't ever get boring. You're always on your toes, trying to keep a step ahead of the students. Plus, I'm teaching Spanish, which we all KNOW isn't my best subject, so I have to work just to make sure that I'm more competent than my students.

It's INCREDIBLY difficult. There are disciplinary problems here that I would never have even IMAGINED back in the suburbs. Also, there's no money, and it's really hard to accept sometimes. I have one class in which there aren't enough chairs for all of my students, and six of them have to stand in the back, or sit on the radiator. ALl in all the Spanish department has 100 books, while we have almost 400 students. We can't ever ask students to bring materials to class, because they can't afford them. And TVs for the classrooms? Don't make me laugh.

Also, it's tragic how undereducated some of my students are. Some of them can barely spell--remember that I teach high school and middle school. At least I'm teaching introductory Spanish, so they shouldn't HAVE to be overly literate.

My largest class, of 34 students, has 8 students who are completely literate, while the rest know nothing about spanish. So, in effect, it is now two classes going on at once, both begging for my attention at all time.

And there's one young lady who doesn't speak any English. This, of course, is not overly difficult for her in my class, but we don't have an ESL program, and it's killing me to imagine this poor girl in class every day without the ability to understand what her teachers are saying.

At the same time, it's always engaging, and so many of the kids are so wonderful. It's amazing how quickly you can fall in love with these little mini-people--and this is coming from me, who has always claimed to dislike kids.

I think I"m getting the hang of it now, though. Maybe. I guess that I'll find out next week, when regular schedule's kick in and I have to do content classes every day of every week. But for now, I'm golden, for now, I'm doing all right. For now.

J

Monday, September 3, 2007

My Friends Suck

Why do my friends suck? Because those with blogs never update. I ask you this, oh faithful reader (if you exist) why have a blog if it is never updated? Update, my lovelies, update so that I may know that you live on!

Got my computer back. Let's see, how can I sum up these past few weeks. . .in a quickchat!

*Fell in love three times
1) With my A.P.
2) With the firefighter across the street
3)With Beef, a HUGEASS bulldog.
*Finished 3 novels (Reading Lolita in Tehran, Gilead, Call It Sleep)
*Saw Nanny Diaries (not worth it)
*Discovered that every episode of the 90s cartoon of the X-Men is on youtube and have been obsessively watching them (hear that, Lyds?)
*Fell in love one more time, with CJ from Top Chef
*Attended lots of professional development

And tomorrow is my first day of teaching. To say that I'm terrified would be an understatment. Actually, I"m not terrified yet, but I'm anticipating that I will be terrified. I'll be kind of disappointed if I'm not, since everyone else around here is having panic attacks. I don't want to be left out!

Urm. . .that's about it. My new goal is to read every Pulitzer Prize Winning book ever written. So far I think I"ve finished 8. So. . .I have a lot to go.

Also, HBO rocks.

Signing out, chickadees!

J

Sunday, September 2, 2007

September Is Here

Number one: My computer is back!

Number two: Updated more Witch Story

Number Three: Better, more significant and meaningful blog entry to come

Meanwhile: Enjoy this song I wrote for "Circular Tracks: The Musical"

Chorus:
September is here
leaves brightly falling
breeze quickly blowing
autumn’s enthralling
teacher’s cajoling
September’s here!

Jessamyn:
It’s time to grab a rifle
take to woods and take to strife
time to grab some gun and powder
time to take away a life
it’s time to wander through the forests
time to prove now my own worth
it’s time to live
it’s time to die
it’s time to give
it’s time to cry
that september is here!

Meghan:
And it is time to hit the books
time to take on all that learning
it is time to pound my brain
time to get those juices churning
time to prove now my own worth
it’s time to read
it’s time to write
it’s time to lead
time for delight
September is here!

Chorus:
September is here
leaves brightly falling
breeze quickly blowing
autumn’s enthralling
teacher’s cajoling
September’s here!

Jessamyn
They say I’m a girl

Meghan
They speak the truth

Jessamyn
They say that I’m weak

Meghan
Now that’s uncouth

Jessamyn
They say that I cannot stand
on my two feet
they say I can’t succeed

Meghan
they push you down
I pull you up
they say you can’t

Jessamyn
Well I say I can

Meghan
And I say you can

Jessamyn
And I say I can

Both
Let’s say we can
In September we can

Jessamyn Meghan
How I love the blood red leaves

Meghan
How I love the faded pages
How I love the covers and greaves

Jessamyn
How I love the beasts out of cages

Both
How I love to break away
from a family that’s insane
In September I can

Chorus
September is here
leaves brightly falling
breeze quickly blowing
autumn’s enthralling
teacher’s cajoling
September’s here!
Jessamyn
September is here Take to the woods
Leaves brightly falling Become a man
Breeze quickly blowing Meghan
Autumn's enthralling Heading back to school
Teacher's cajoling Become a woman
September is here!

Gavin
Time to find a wife

Chorus
September is here!

Gavin
Time to take her life

Chorus
September is here!

Gavin
Time to have it all

Chorus
September is here!

Gavin
Time to watch her fall

Chorus
September is here!

All
September is here!
Leaves brightly falling
breeze quickly blowing
autumn's enthralling
teachers' cajolling
September is here!



is hereleaves brightly fallingbreeze quickly blowingautumn’s enthrallingteacher’s cajolingSeptember’s here!