Hiccups

I get the hiccups ALL THE TIME. Really. And they're terrible. And usually loud. Luckily, they tend to go away quickly, but they usually come back.

Why post about this on my blog? Well, because I often get them at school. Never while I'm standing up and teaching, because the excessive talking seems to scare them away. But at the beginning and end of class? Yes. And during tests and quizzes. Definitely.

That's the worst. Having hiccups and having your students just sit and giggle at you. Or if you have a good sense of humor, it's entertaining and something you laugh about later.

But still. Hiccups. Seriously?!

Christmas Break

Oh the joys of Christmas Break! I believe the teachers enjoy it just as much as (if not more than) the students!

We had exams Monday - Wednesday of last week, which were easy days for me. I had three classes taking exams on Monday but only one each of the other days. Unfortunately, I caught a cold right in the midst of that. Nothing like sitting in your room feeling miserable while you grade tests all day. Ugh.

But like I said, easy days. We went out to lunch the final day too, which was nice, and one of my teacher friends came over to work on a craft project/Christmas present and being the sick, I fell asleep while we were watching a movie!

But... None of this is why I decided to write a post tonight. It's time to tell another odd anecdote about my life as a young teacher in the small town in which I grew up...

I STILL have the cold I had during finals. Still. And so I decided to sleep in today. I woke up rather late and then decided to stay in bed and watch Netflix. At about 11 or 11:30, my doorbell rang. I got up to answer it. In my pajamas. My pink pajama pants with Christmas lights on them. And a dark green shirt from my uncle's pub. It was some high school kid offering to shovel my driveway! It was great, because I haven't yet bought a shovel for my new house, but seriously, I answered the door in my PJs! And my OLD glasses that are ugly and don't fit my face! (I left my good glasses at my parents' house after spending the night there Christmas Eve, oops!)

Anyway, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and enjoy the time you have off! As for me, I'll be enjoying one very long date with my couch and Netflix until January 2nd!

14 Hour School Day

You just have to love a 14 hour workday! (Yes, I did say FOURTEEN!!)

Especially when it involves...
-being responsible for the mathematical education of about 90 kids
-advanced students who refuse to actually try reading their textbook
-keeping track of 20+ study hall students who always want to spend that 50 minutes somewhere other than your classroom, where they're supposed to be
-having to confiscate a cell phone from one of these students
(I totally snuck up on him by taking off my heels and tiptoeing up to him... hilarious!)
-having all 25 students in your class working at the boards at the same time and shouting your name from 3 different sides of the room wanting help/attention
-students who don't understand when it's appropriate to (not) talk
-make-up tests
-phone tag
-unloading about $400 worth of pop from the back of a pickup truck
-tutoring at night school
-broken power strip/safety issues
-selling pop at a wrestling match
-trying to find the motivation to grade papers (I found a little...)
-running over to the middle school in the middle of things to watch my little brother's basketball game
-running back to the high school to sell MORE pop
-printing and running off at test at 7:30 pm because you forgot to do it earlier
-restocking the pop coolers
and then...
-walking home in the dark
-counting fundraiser money $$$
-staying up way too late because you've just finally gotten the chance to relax at 9:30 pm
-showering in the basement due to a drain backup in your nice bathroom

Okay, but all sarcasm aside, there were some really fantastic things about my day:
-The two kids who sit right in front of my desk first thing in the morning are both really sweet, nice kids who always make me laugh about something. (This is part of the reason I haven't changed their seats that period... oops, guess I'm being selfish! Also, it's much easier to check off their homework this way.)
-The morning announcements on the TV did not make that awful squealing noise that they've been making for the last few weeks.
-The aforementioned cell phone confiscation... SO funny!
-Walking tacos for lunch and mom joining us!
-Getting the power strip/safety issue taken care of promptly!
-One of the night school teachers playing Mumford & Sons!
-The pop delivery was something of a class advising miracle... long story there too...
-Having enough water/pop/gatorade and quarters to get through the wrestling match!
-Talking to really great students who work concessions.
-Seeing my parents and grandparents at the basketball game.
-Seeing my little brother win his basketball game.
-My student who sparked my memory and made me realize that I forgot to copy the test.
-Making her and the others working happy by giving them their favorite flavor of Dum-Dums.
-Good conversations with the roommate. (You should read her blog.)
-My roommate made cookies!
-Realizing that throwing my towel and robe into the dryer before I shower is obviously the best idea I've ever had.

Oh, and I also discovered the most hilarious blog ever while trolling Facebook tonight! (Did I really just say "trolling"? Oh no, the teenagers are getting to me. Next thing you know, I'll be calling people "salty"... apparently this is what you say when someone is in a bad mood/has a bad attitude... or something like that. That was my take anyway, urbandictionary.com says it's being angry or upset.)

Anyway, it's VERY sarcastic, so if you're easily offended by sarcasm, just don't bother, but everyone else, seriously go read it now, you'll die of laughter! (Well, almost... I really don't want anyone to die due to my blog post!)

This started as a Facebook status (the original list), but it just kept getting longer and longer and longer,  so I decided that I should update my poor little blog. I should stop neglecting it! (Seriously. I just read my blog post to make sure it sounded okay before clicking "Publish" and I realized that I could have talked about so many things these last few days!)

*Sigh*

It's been a tough couple of days. One of my coworkers had her baby this weekend (exciting!) but that means I am now teaching her calculus class. (We can't let just anyone teach calculus!) So, needless to say, the last few days have been crazy. I know how to do calculus... I'm good at it and I even think it's fun (I know, you think I'm nuts)! But it's not easy to give up my class once a day to someone else. So far he (the sub/my ex) hasn't had a chance to teach them anything new, since we had a test today and all this craziness just started yesterday, but it's still weird. I don't like leaving them. I like the calculus class a lot, but I don't know them yet, so we'll see how things go.

I do have a funny anecdote about the first day though! (Yep, that's anecdotes are kind of my thing.)
As I checked the homework the first day, I walked around and looked at the students, and as I got to each one I said, "name?" and then marked their 5/5 on the correct spot. Well, one of the calculus students is the son of another one of our math teachers. So when I got to him, I said "Oh, so you're [insert his name here]..." The kid next to him blurts out, "It's never good when the teachers say it like that!" (You have to imagine the tone of voice.)

Anyway, I gave a test in Algebra I yesterday, a test in Geometry today, and an Algebra II quiz today. And yesterday I didn't finish grading because I was buried under the weight of the calculus and everything else going on. I had started one class yesterday, so I finished those during night school tonight, then brought home the whole pile of the rest of my papers (it's huge!)... I finished the other class of Algebra I but I think the rest are going to have to wait.

I am, however, caught up and even a little ahead with the calculus! I'm really enjoying it, even though its' a lot of work. I like the challenge.

Oh, and I was observed both of the periods I taught Algebra I today, if there wasn't enough going on already! One period by my vice principal and the other by my mentor.