Good News

This year for the first time teachers will get a growth score that rates how their students did on the state test compared to others students from across the state. They compare each student's score from last year to this year. They used some crazy impossible to understand formula to figure this all out. They decide how much each student should improve and then figure out if they did or not.

Each teacher earns one of four growth ratings (Highly Effective, Effective, Developing, Ineffective) and a growth score from 0-20 points.From stated ed's website "approximately 7% of teachers earned Highly Effective, or student growth was "well above the State average for similar students"; 77% of teachers earned Effective, or student growth "equal to the average for similar students"; 10% earned Developing or "below average growth for similar students"; and 6% earned Ineffective or "well-below average growth for similar students."

 My district has high needs and low resources. This means many of my students are on free lunch. My students also have a lot of challenges at home etc. Teaching them math when their life is unstable is very hard. I love my job and I love the challenge of helping them move forward. I put in many many hours. I tutor kids after school.

I busted my butt all year. When I heard that teachers were getting rated this year, I thought that I better get a good score or I will lose it. This year my students improved from 68% passing on last year's test to 84% this year but who knew if that was good enough or not.

Today I got my score. I did really well. I got 18 which is highly effective. I shed some tears of joy bc I worked so hard. Then my principal told me that only two teachers in our building got this rating. At first I was shocked but then I went home and saw online that it was only 7% of all the teachers in the state, so 2 is actually great for our school.

My first reaction was that I did not want anyone to know. I got thinking that others are going to ask me about my score and what do I say? I started to think about all the negative things that could happen. I guess I got a flashback to high school when you got an award  and someone would call you a nerd. My principal said the scores were private and he was not allowed to tell anyone. Later on parents will be able to request your score and then they could post it on FB if they wanted to.

When I got home and saw only 7% across the state got this rating, my attitude changed. I thought that maybe they should recognize us. Each year there is an award assembly for the whole district. They give out pins etc. Would I really be ok with it? I don't know.

I do think that State ed should have a special dinner and invite all the teachers and give us a certificate. I worked really hard. I want something nice to frame. I don't know if I will be able to get this rating next year so I want to enjoy it now.

I am so exited about this. It was perfect timing to have something nice happen. I could really use this.

Inspired to Sew Again

Today I get to start a new sewing project. I am so excited bc I have not felt like sewing in a long time. Last summer I made a bunch of dresses to send to Africa but I have not sewn anything this summer.

A few months ago we got rid of two really heavy old wood doors on tracks in my closet. The closest is large but you could not access the whole thing with those stupid doors. After we removed them I decided that I was done with doors and I wanted to do curtains instead. I measured the closet and my  window so I could find fabric to match or coordinate.

Well it turns out that I would need about 6 yards of fabric. I went to the fabric store and the good stuff is about 10 dollars a yard. I thought about going to walmart but I knew I would regret it. Then I thought about sheets. If I got a queen or King it would fit but I couldn't find anything with a pattern on it that I liked.  I gave up the search for awhile.

Then yesterday I started to search again. Eureka! I found something at a college site. The sheets are extra long so I get more fabric. The sheets have a  white background with a black, purple, and aqua pattern. I got one of the print and one aqua to coordinate. The aqua is really a light blue.

Then it came in the mail  today. I am so happy. They look nice with my pale yellow walls. I love colors. The print is going in my closet with some aqua trim. The aqua is going on the windows with some print for a top trim. I opened up the package and started to pin the sheets up on the rods. Now I have to measure, cut, sew, etc.

It will probably take me a week or two bc I will want to make it perfect. I am happy to have something fun to focus on. I love creating stuff.  Here is  what the pattern looks like.
 

Update on the coworker drama

The next day after she returned the markers, she walked into my room and stood next to me. She spoke to me in a normal tone. She was very nice to me and said that our boss wanted us to fill out a paper on one of our students together. She asked me to meet in her room last period. I agreed. The whole thing was way too nice. Then it hit me that maybe she was setting me up to ambush me in her room. I decided that I would give her the chance to be nice. I also decided that if she started anything I would walk away.

I went to her room and we filled out this form together. The whole thing was pleasant and you would think that we were bffs. After we were done there was an awkward silence. So I just said thanks and left. After that I thought that maybe she was turning over a new leaf.

At the end of the day I saw and email from her. She basically accused me of reading her body language wrong. Now wait, she did not say anything like I am sorry that you felt that way...... I did not mean that.....maybe you misread me....No, she said she had witnesses in her room (her niece) and that I had a similar incident in the fall with another coworker etc. She said that she was only trying to remind me to get this done on time and that I was the one who was confrontational.

Really??? Whatever. I know what she did. Coming into someone's room and standing by the door making demands is not nice. I know that she is only trying to cover her butt.  I am not going to take her crap anymore. I am not replying to that email. She had her chance to respond and it is over.

I am just going to call her out every time she is hostile towards me. I am not the only one in the school that she is mean to. I know of at least 5 others.

 It has taken me a while to realize that it is her problem and not mine. It feels so good to finally stand up to her.
 

No Thanks

My work situation has greatly improved since the start of the school year when I had a melt down. I am relieved that the drama storm has died down. I now am able to get along with all of those who were involved.

Now that I feel more comfortable with that, I have more mental energy to focus on another situation. My school has it set up so that teachers who share the same kids have rooms near each other and meet to discuss their students etc.

Well my teacher is not very nice to me. We have worked together for about 5 years and this is the third time that she has decided to stop talking to me. When she speaks to me we actually work well together. It is a weird situation. I try to just do my job in peace and not let it get to me. She has not spoken to me all year except when we are in front of the boss, she wants something from me, she wants to complain about a parent or student, or someone complained about her and she wants me to help her out.

I have kept it professional. I have not done anything mean, or said anything mean. In fact, the few times she has spoken to me I have always spoken back.

Well lately she has upped the hostility level and yesterday I had enough. Last week she gave me forms to be filled out by the end of May. Yesterday, she came into my room and started to harass me about filling them out out a week early. She demanded that she get them by the next day etc. I reminded her of the deadline and told her that she would get them on time, but she kept arguing with me about it. After she left, I was shaking and I had to hold back the tears. I went down the hall and confided in some nice teachers. They told me that I am allowing her to get away with it.

I drafted a letter and had another teacher read it. I kept it to the point. I kept the emotion out of it. I summarized what she did and explained how I felt when she spoke to me. At the end, I requested that she speak to me in a respectful tone. I mentioned that I wanted to solve this conflict peacefully and move on.

OMG I could not believe I sent that. I also made sure to CC someone important so she knew I meant business. I am going to document her behavior from now on. Maybe she will get the hint if I start sending her emails.....

I waited for her reply. Nothing..................

Then my boss stops by the next day and gives me a large box of markers and asked me to share them with her. I took out half and left the box on her desk with a note explaining that they came from the boss and this is her share.

After lunch, I came back and saw the box on my desk with a post it that said "No thanks" I had to include the photo bc I cannot believe it,

So I just scored some more free markers and I think she is going to leave me alone for now.

I am laughing right now looking at that note. Does she think that she punished me by not accepting the markers from our boss???

I emailed a copy of the photo to my work account just in case she tries to say that I did not give her the markers. 

Snow Day

In my region we have had barely any snow this year. We had a small storm near Halloween and that was it. Since then we have only had a few dustings that just melt the next day. Yesterday morning the kids told me that it would snow.  Kids have a snow radar. All of a sudden they noticed it had started and yelled out "its snowing" then they tried to flock to the window. I  have to close the shades in order to get their attention back. They get so excited when it snows.

Today is the first snow day of this school year. This is one of the perks of being a teacher. Yippee  I am so excited. It is still snowing and the forecast says it will continue all day. Being that I am the one home, I am responsible for clearing the driveway and making sure to remove snow from any bushes that are slumped over, but that is a small price to pay.

In other news:
TPT: I have had a lot of sales from Teachers Pay Teachers. Thank you to all my loyal customers. I love making stuff for my class, but when I can sell it to others it makes me happy. I am just honored that someone liked my stuff. Making some extra money is great too.

Family: I was so upset that I emailed my dad and said that this was out of control. He spoke to my Aunts. One of them got on FB and wrote a whole page. She is awesome.She mentioned how we should treat each other and that we have to come to an agreement peacefully or we are going to cancel it. I spoke to some of my cousins. It became clear that this is a battle of those with kids against those without. We spoke to them about what they really wanted. They said they wanted to put the kids to bed at night and then have time for adults. OK so now that the real issue is out, we started to look for places to make them happy. We are getting very close to an agreement. We are thinking about renting a house so the kids could sleep while we would have the living room. FX that we can find a place that is affordable.

Leap into TpT Leap Year Sale on February 29th

Teachers Pay Teachers is having a leap year sale. On February 29th,  use the promo code L2P9Y to get an extra 10% off on top of the many sales that teachers are having. The promo code will only work on Wednesday Feb 29th.


My sale will run from February 28th to March 1. If you buy from me during that time, you will see my items have a 10% discount listed on the price tag.


If you buy on Wed and use the promo code L2P9Y, you get an extra 10% off the reduced price when you check out.



Check out my store.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Simone

Thanks,
Simone