Miscommunication....

Somehow, today FRIDAY did not realize that I had already had MONDAY this week.... Quick recap of my day before noon....1st period:  One of my exuberant students was messing around my desk waving her hands and suddenly she knocked over my cup of water I always have on my desk... .I caught the escaping water mere micro inches away from my keyboard...  Then, while still in 1st period, I snagged my skirt on a jagged part of one of the desk in the back of the room... Thank heaven it was in the back of my room next to my desk because the hole happened to be in the MIDDLE OF THE BACK of my skirt!  I was quite good at easing into my chair without any student knowing what was going on.  Then, I got out my sewing kit and after turning my skirt around, I proceeded to repair the gap while still teaching... (Gosh, I am so talented.)  Anyhow, the hole was such a big, jagged one that the repair job made it appear as if I had a "crack attack" --if you know what I mean... I could not turn the skirt around and wear it backwards even after the repair because it was right smack dab in the middle of my skirt and would have drawn undo attention to its location.  Believe me, 8th graders notice EVERYTHING about what a teacher is wearing.  I knew that if I could just make it through 1st and 2nd period and teach while sitting down, I would be okay...
But NOOOOOOOO---THAT WAS NOT IN THE PLAN OF MR. MURPHY OF MURPHY'S LAW FAME...  Half way through 2nd period- WE HAD A FIRE DRILL !!!  So, not only did just my students get to see my "wounded" skirt---so did the entire 8th grade classes on the front hall !!!   We were outside for 20 minutes, so there was no way I could hide my "boo boo!" 
    I did manage to race home and change my skirt during my lunch time...  Once, I got back to the school, I thought "What else can go wrong today??""     How about the fact that it started to pour down rain just 10 minutes before the end of school..   This fact caused us to go on a "Rainy Day dismissal schedule which means that teachers have to stay in their room with their late bus riders until that bus arrives and the kids are called.  School gets out at 3:15 and my last student on rainy day dismissal leaves at 3:50!!!  
     Once I left school, then the mad dash to the bank to cash my check, and to the businesses that are begging for my money ---all before they close at 5:00!  
     Can I just tell you how grateful I am that tomorrow is Saturday and maybe Mr. Murphy will not find me if I stay hidden in the pool or in my bed !!!???

Last time... :-(

Tonight was the Honor's Night for Eighth Street.  Although our team didn't have any Superior Honor students this year, it is still neat to see our "little ones" dressed in Church dress and shirts and ties... Makes them look so grown up and makes me realize that in just 18 days, these will be officially 9th graders ! 
I have been feeling really down about the things I felt I just didn't get to do with my students this year because of all the "regimentation" and cookie cutter teaching I had to do this year.  However, one of the administrators stopped in during my 6th period class today.  This is the class with  my worst behaved and most obnoxious students and I had just reached my wit's end and my bag of tricks to get their attention has been totally depleted.  So, I called in the Big Guns to have a talk with them..  He said...   If Ms. Tucker gives me more than 3 discipline referrals a year...that is soooo unusual... It is because she refuses to give up on your guys.  A referral is a sign to me that she maxed out her patience with a student.  In the past four years, she has only given me a total of 7 referrals.... until these past two weeks.    That's how I KNOW SHE IS SERIOUS. Then he said something to them I totally did not expect.  He said  " Ms. Tucker is our most decorated teacher we have at 8th Street... Wal Mart thinks so, the rest of the faculty thinks so, the community of parents and former students think so and so do the Veterans of this county.   How DARE YOU disrespect someone every one else respects and honors.. . You will never have another teacher like her---ever---!   You are leaving this school in 18 days but so is she... Is this class gonna be the one that has the label of "the only class that  Ms. Tucker couldn't teach because wouldn't let her!?  SHAME ON YOU!
 His words just blew me away!  Apparently, they did my students also... I looked around and several of them were crying.... and none of them breathed a word after he left....   
When I was cleaning up the room after class was over, I found a couple of apology letters tucked in my keyboard......   Thank goodness we are given the gift of a new day every morning we wake up!  My spirit was renewed by this experience and I really needed that....    Thanks, Coach Torell......

Where has the time flown...

I was looking at my blog tonight and realized how long it has been since I truly wrote something meaningful, enlightening or of worth to my millions (?) of fans......
So.... as I sit here eating my bowl of homemade Oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar and butter... here goes...

First let me say that the past month at school has been emotionally and physically draining... I have come home or shall I say--STAGGERED home with barely enough energy to change my mind...
For several reasons, this has been the WORST year I have ever had as a teacher.  The kids have been difficult, unbelievably rude and lazy, the teaching has been regimented to the point that there is no time or room left for putting any of my "original" teaching style or strategies, the administration have been MAJOR ----holes and seem willing to bring down the faculty more than build us up and support and there has been a feeling of isolation since the first week of school because every other teacher (at least on my hallway) feels the same way.
That said, for those of you who don't know it, I tendered my resignation last month and it was accepted by the Board of Education this past month.   Sooooo, what this means is that as of May 25th, I am not longer employed by Tift County School Board.
However.... I have felt for most of the past year it was time for me to move on from Tifton and move ????? and do ????  Because my children live in Central Florida, I have been looking hard at that area.  I actually have several options of where to live and where to work.  My best friend Kathe, will become an empty nest single parent this summer and she lives in Titusville---a very affordable and tempting place to live... Only 45 minutes away from Orlando and the kids, but soooo much less expensive...  Or, I could rent something with the kids.... or rent something by myself ....or....?????     It just all depends on the job I get...
I have an application online with the Florida Virtual Schools, which means I could live anywhere in Florida and still work... I also have several places I am investigating around the Orlando area.  These are private or charter schools.  I also want to place applications with some of the many community colleges in the area.  I also have put in an application with Disney to be a seasonal worker, which means that once I get hired and finish my training , I can choose when I want to work---weekends, holidays, school breaks, etc.   I have even looked into teaching abroad somewhere.  
As you can see, many things are still uncertain... One thing is certain however---by the time school starts again, I will not be in Tifton teaching...
People have asked me where I am going and I have told them   "I'm going on Faith."  
I have done everything in the Tift County Schools that a teacher can do as far as accomplishments and recognition for hard work. And I am truly grateful for those experiences.    I just feel I need to move on to something different...

To all the little ones in our lives....

While trying to de-stress from the madness that is CRCT week, I came across this video.... ENJOY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0SI83NlYp8&feature=related