La Pascua

Easter Sunday.
Nothing much going on today..... gym, things around the house, working at TBG later.

Tomorrow- dentist, see Mom.
Tuesday & Wed- weather improving. Plan to get into yard.
Thursday & Friday- school stuff.
Saturday & Sunday- house work.

Pretty much it.

Spring Break..... and Snow

First day of break and under a winter storm warning. We had a nice few days; snow started very late last night- snowing all day thus far. Warning calls for up to 10 inches. Probably would have been a snow day (haha).

No plans for Easter- working TBG dinner shift.
As for the week- nothing much. Dentist on Monday. Lots of things to do, but not organized yet.



Semana Santa this week. Dario de Sevilla has a live feed. Lots of memories.
Presented yesterday in all classes. Students seem to enjoy.

Board approved Spain trip.
Money and application due to me on the 3rd. I hope to have 20, but who knows.
Invitation to go with NETC on trip this summer to Spain- but $3900. A bit steep.

Lazy day today... going to organize week and just putz around.

Early Spring

Warmer weather the past few days; snow almost gone, really only the banks remain. Took a walk around the yard- so much to do. Clean-up during break for sure. Daffodils just starting to pop up on the east side.

With the weather, mood changes as well.
A more-positive outlook, if anything, but it is not consistent.
The slap of what is not done/ being done is not so hard, perhaps ignorance.

Spring break begins on the 21st (Friday).
Busy week at school:
Spanish II- quiz Monday, new material T & W, Semana Santa presentation on Thursday. And study guide for Quarterly exam (pre-quiz on Monday upon return?)
Spanish I- new material Monday, review on Tuesday, quiz on Wednesday, presentation on Thursday. And study guide.
In addition:
Administrative meeting on Monday about student. She loved the class, then she hated it and definitely lets me know. Enough is enough. This is the student who I "adjusted" grades so she could attend the cheer leading competition. Not sure how I am going to handle it. I will bring in everything I have and just go from there.
Board meeting on Wednesday for Spain trip. Lots of hoops to jump though. Have one student so far; 19 to go. My opinion of NETC is slipping a bit- Carol, the representative, is not

Also, Kathy told me that I will be asked to stay (keep job). FEA received "non-renewal" notices last week- my name not on the list. Kathy spoke with FEA president. Official announcement should be next week- at least I've been told. Of course, I prodded for the info.

I revert back to the previous post about the pros and cons of this job and district... just the big three:

+
age and level of students (advanced-placed)
subject (I enjoy teaching Spanish)
freedoms (not constricted; safe)
-
salary (not enough)
insurance (not BCBS or even close)
distance (travel cost- $250/month)

Arguments:

+
A few years in the same position would look good on a resume.
Opportunity to build-up and keep-up personal level of Spanish (continual review).
Small district without the bigger-district issues (although has it's own) and allows for taking students abroad- Free travel!!

-
The salary is a big issue- no extra money.
Insurance does not include my doctors, nor is there dental.
Distance: 10,000 miles on the car in 5 months; expenditure for gas; can not get personal schedule aligned with work schedule.

Not that I don't waste time at the speed of sound (procrastination) and fail to stick to personal goals. If I did what I say I am going to do.... well, life would be different.

Cycle and cycle and cycle and cycle........ on-off-on-off-on-off

Nearly 40 and not in control.
Need to find my motivation.

Really, I need to get it together.

ISATs Over

Not too bad- I was not assigned a group; rather, alternate to relieve others. Thursday and Friday I transcribed for the ESL class. Students seem to walk away with little worry. "Passing" the ISAT (or the Explore) is a requirement for 8th grad graduation in Freeport OR a respectable GPA. I wonder how many are really held back- politics probably gets in the way.
In Spanish- passed out review guide to work on and showed Flushed Away (in Spanish with English subtitles).

Meeting for Spain trip this past Wednesday- lots of headache and hassle, really. Could have been a lot smoother, if I had known exactly what to do. Instead, I had to resubmit my application to the district because I did not submit to the principal first.

As far as I know, my board meeting is 02 April, but it could be kicked up to 19 March. Enrollment applications due to my by 03 April.

I am worried that I will not get 20 participants, a requirement for our "custom" tour. If not, there is another tour that follows the same route- just not what I really want to do. Perhaps I should have done something cheaper first. Costa Rica has popped up in a number of conversations- a tour here is cheaper, but so hot during the summer. Maybe 2010.

Dinner before hand at Fiesta Cancun with Martha and Cheryl. Meeting attended by 14 students and their parents. Did a PowerPoint presentation; Cheryl was there to answer questions.

We shall see.

Otherwise....
Feeling fat, really fat. Three pairs of pants.
Need to perk up and get my ass to the gym. I do not know what the hesitation is- well, it is the schedule conflict. Not enough time to go in the AM; tired in the PM. Weekends packed with things to do- but lazy, really.

No word on observation or job for next year. Hopefully soon. Again, conflicts on what exactly to do.

Not smoking- I think this is day 12. Goldstein will not renew the anti-anxiety meds until I see him (pharmacist told me). I take them when I need them.

Hands

On the one hand:
I like teaching Spanish in the district and at the level I am at.

I am planning student trip to Spain (Summer 2009): selected tour & company, promotional materials and meetings, and inviting other schools to join us.

I am accepting responsibility to align new textbook into one plan for Spanish I.

I am telling everyone (at school) I want to keep my position.

Keeping the position for another year would look good on resume.

I like having freedoms I know I will not have in other districts-
and not having the behavior issues of more-local schools.

I could easily take over the department (eventually).

I do not want to spend the summer looking for a job.

but.........................

On the other hand:

I will have to keep job at TBG or find other second job.

I will have to reinvent my personal schedule- and get used to it.
It MUST work (issues now).

Salary is a bit low- right above the line of "not enough, but livable."
There is nothing extra after bills, food, and other essentials.
Can I really afford to do this for another year?
Money is better local; even better in Chicago 'burbs.

Foreign Language department is chaotic with back-stabbing and hidden agendas.

The district insurance less-than desirable.
No dental; Goldstein does not accept.
I am paying full-price for Chantix.

I am not moving to Freeport.
Rockford is "country" enough for me.
Plus, I do not know if I could deal with small-town mentalities.
And then the area demographics (split) and the resulting district politics.

I have posted resume & applied for positions for next year-
areas near Mom, so can stay with her during the week.
40K +/- for early teaching positions would help out a lot.


Spoken with David about our relationship- "the" conversation, rather statements about how things have changed; separate lives, but will not leave him; what should be done with the house.
But this is also another conflict.
(I want to go to Spain this summer.)

If offered position next year- Do I accept it when presented, state that I will consider, or ask for accommodation?

• I would like first hour free (later arrival- so I can go to gym).
• I would like credit for 1/2 year at Rockford.
  
• Room adjustments: another board, with a few other things, and limiting class size to fit room comfortably.
• OR a bigger room.
  
• Pay for Spanish Club (which may become International Club).
• More say in who stays in my class (students who carry a D or F at end of first semester might not be ready for foreign language; and those with continual behavior issues) and who can continue to the next level or repeat level (should be policy in all subjects).

Really, who knows.
Some of these things could be adjustable- but it is more the gesture I am looking for.

Otherwise:

Back to not smoking- day 6 now.
Still no gym- Today, 03/01 was to be another 'start' day, but window passed. Will go tomorrow.
Long list of things to do- some done already, but still some left to do.
Some things to do cost money, which I do not have right now. (Nothing put into savings this check neither.)

ISATs next week, so I will have some free time (really 1/2 days, if they do not need me as an alternative). Class schedule is a bit strange, but OK- I am not planning anything more than review.

Observation went well- just waiting to meet to see results.