Valentine's Day Treats

Today, my baby brother turns 18. Lord help us.

We are off school for the second Wednesday in a row, thanks to winter weather. There is nothing quite like waking up to the sound of freezing rain hitting the windows (by the way, being from the southwest where that never happens, it is way cool!) and realizing you can go back to bed. We also got out of school early yesterday because of the snow starting - which was good, because I was supposed to go on a field trip yesterday but cancelled it because of the weather and we were just playing a game in class all period. Tony and I went to lunch and enjoyed the glory of the slacker days of Winter. Last Wednesday I spent the entire day off sewing curtains for our house. We had NO curtains up at all, so our most recent energy bill was $400. I bought some fleece and now our house is cozy. The heater is set at 62, but the house is 66 and it's actually bearable to sit downstairs because the draft is gone. Who knew curtains were functional as well as beautiful? As Jeremy put it, "I'd rather be warm than look outside." I guess we'll look forward to seeing the outside world when spring comes.

Last week was prett...interesting...at school. On Tuesday the Baltimore Sun published an article wherein the principal of Talent Development High School, who we are supposed to move in with next year, said he will quit if we come. He made himself sound ignorant, but more offensively he made our kids look really bad, and it really upset them and us. Here is the link to the article if you are interested:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.talent06feb06,1,6719466.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Last weekend we had a big TFA event - a Math/Science/Engineering weekend - here in Baltimore. I hosted two girls from Trinity College in Connecticut. They came to school with me, and it was definitely a good experience for me and for them. Two really excellent things happened that day. First, my 6th period didn't learn at all. Not because they didn't understand the material, but because they got me so off track that we never started the material. My Catalyst (like morning drill..question to answer at the beginning of class thing) was "What are you going to do for Spring Break?" This was because I couldn't decide what to ask, and one of the kids in first period recommended something random like that. Well, in 6th period I said I might go to New Mexico...which led to the inevitable "You're from MEXICO?? Really? Do you speak Spanish? Do they eat those chiquitos there?" So we started talking about New Mexico, which led to a discussion of stereotypes. One of the girls said "those latino guys are perverts, always talking to young girls." One of the other kids said that was just a stereotype, but she said, "No, I know a lot who have!" So I took the teachable moment and talked about the fact that stereotypes form because they are at least partially true, and asked them to think of some stereotypes about them that they fulfill. This led to them talking about being stereotyped based on what school they go to, like by the principal from Talent Development. One of the kids asked what exactly he said, so I filled them in, and we started talking about what part of that was true, but more importantly the REASONS that we "don't look like much of a school" or that our kids are loud. Latia got really mad and said "I went to middle school with most of those kids. They're not smart!" which I expanded to say that the reasons they were successful had nothing to do with THEM but more to do with their environment. We talked about the exchange the kids there make - they wear ugly uniforms in exchange for better resources, for instance. Then the kids started talking about our school culture - the way that our principal talks to them sometimes, but more importantly the REASONS for all of this, and it was a great discussion. They were using accountable talk, respecting everyone's opinion, and making me really proud. The two girls from Trinity came in with Tony at the end, and I guiltily opened the door and said "we're not learning," but they said that seeing my kids engage in that type of discussion was really inspiring. The second great thing that happened was I took 5 of my kids out to lunch with us, and they sat there and bragged on me. They talked about how I show I really care, and about how no one cuts my class because I make it interesting and challenging. Toure said the most flattering thing, which was "Most of the day I can get by without really thinking, but Ms. McCants always makes me think. She'll say I'm wrong and make me think about it until I figure out the right answer." I left feeling like the best teacher on the planet. What wonderful children I have! On Saturday, when we did the debriefing thing, I was the last one to talk to the prospectives before they left - and I actually got a little choked up talking about me kids. I hope they'll come and teach!

I am SO pissed at the post office. I’m not sure if I wrote about all the shit they pulled around Thanksgiving, so I’ll rehash it now. First, I got a “final notice” for a package that I never got a FIRST notice for. So I had to go in late to the TFA office so I could go pick it up because it was a package from Snapfish and they were going to send it back if I didn’t get it that day. I told the guy I’d never gotten a slip for it and he said, “Yeah, that seems to happen to a lot of people.” Then, my mom sent me a package overnight to get here by my Birthday and also for Thanksgiving. It did NOT get here overnight, it got here in 2 days, and they left me a package slip. So I called them and told them to hold the package. The next day I went to pick it up and they didn’t have it – it was out on the truck. I asked them to call me when it got back and I called to complain. She told me that unless a specific request was made to have packages removed from the truck, they wouldn’t remove them. I thought that maybe me calling in and requesting that they hold the package would be enough, but apparently not. I only got the package because the woman at the post office took some pity on me and let me pick it up after hours when my postal carrier finally got back – an hour late. So today, I’m sitting here at the dining room table when the mail gets stuffed through the slot. I went and picked it up, and there was a package slip in it – no one ever rang the bell or knocked or anything! It was for Jeremy, so I told him and he ran out and caught her. She said, “oh, it’s on the truck.” So she comes back a few minutes later with not only Jeremy’s package, but a package for me as well! Apparently she wasn’t going to bother letting me know about this package - another order I'd placed and been waiting for. I’d bet I would have gotten a package slip in 2 weeks with a final freaking notice. Join me in boycotting US Postal whenever possible!

So that's about it for me. Right now I'm wishing that snow days like this could go on forever, while battling the guilt that I'm not such a great teacher because I'm not lamenting the instructional time lost. Oh well. I think I'll go play my Nintendo DS.