Are You Going to a Quinceñera?

Last Thursday, I wore a skirt to work for the first time. Since I have tattoos on my ankles, I shy away from capris, guachos, and skirts since it is school policy to not show tattoos. However, I felt real macha that day, not to mention, I got a pair of free panty hose in the mail and that was the day I was going to see Dolores Huerta and the Guerrilla Girls, so I risked the balls of my feet and wore my boots with a skirt.

The kids were shocked. Some of them walked in and were like, “Ms. you’re taller today.” Others walked in and just stared. One mentioned to his neighbor that I looked nice which he immediately reported to me and the rest of the class. During the last period of the day, there was a lone student who inquired, “Ms. are you going to a quinceñera today?”

It was amazing to see Dolores Huerta. I was giddy with anticipation the entire day. I couldn’t believe that after two cancellations, I was finally going to see her. Sadly, I didn’t get to be there for the entire session because the Guerrilla Girls would be taking the stage across campus at 7:30. My sis, ex roomie, and I all agreed that we should have ditched the Guerrilla Girls and stayed at the Dolores Huerta event. In retrospect, even though I didn’t get to hear her entire lecture, I’m just glad to have seen her.

A similar thing happened when Rigoberta Menchú was giving a lecture. I had to miss it because I had to be in a math class that I would be dropping later that week. However, that weekend, I attended LASA in Dallas selling books for the press. I went up to the room to get something and when I came out of the elevator, right in front of me, all alone, was Menchú. We looked at each other and smiled, and then a group of people consumed her with questions and requests as I walked off the elevator. Even though there wasn’t an exchange of words, it was cool to see her like that.

I am rather excited because this week, my students and I will embark on a literary journey. We will be reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963. Being that it is Black History month, I think that this book is very appropriate. I would love to have them read Y No Se Lo Trago La Tierra or something of the like, but I’m taking baby steps at la escuelita. I’m going to be doing an in depth study with them about the context of this novel. Luckily, I found this neat magazine on Civil Rights at the library and it has a ton of information on 1963. I’ve even downloaded some of the songs that were cool at the time to play for them. I hope they enjoy it.

Day off

Today was one of those teacher waiver days. That just means that if there’s some kind of training we need, this would be the day to do it. The thing about these days is that the trainings only really take 30-40 minutes and we’re left to our own demise the rest of the day. The only stipulation is that we have to stay on campus. Well, we were fortunate enough to have to day off. I’ve done nothing that useful.

I did my homework and graded a big pile of papers. I also managed to read a couple more chapters of Inkheart. I would love nothing more that to stay in and read. Or put a chair on the balcony and read the rest of the afternoon, but I have that class to attend tonight. If all goes well, we should be out by no later than 7:30.

I really don’t have much else to say. I hate having so many bitchy posts. For now, I'm off to do more reading until I have to get to class.

What's Going on in Houston:

(Please excuse the breaks)

Kicking around Houston 1836Soccer team sends the wrong message to Latinos
By RAÚL A. RAMOS

By naming the team Houston 1836, the newly arrived Major League Soccer franchise has chosen to identify with a year that may divide the city rather than unite it. While the team intends to highlight Houston's founding along the banks of Buffalo Bayou, the year also commemorates the defeat of the Mexican Army by a largely Anglo Texan militia at the Battle of San Jacinto. Whether by ignorance or design, choosing 1836 has the potential to alienate Houstonians of Mexican origin, a group that is surely a large part of the team's fan base.
The year 1836 was, no doubt, a significant year in history. As a 19th-century historian, I welcome the attention the team name brings to what I feel is a misunderstood era. But choosing 1836 sends the wrong message at the wrong time. Texans of Mexican decent constantly struggle to identify with a place that was created out of Mexican defeat.
Houston stands perched to take its place among the economic centers of the Americas, thanks in great part to its sizable Latino population. This is not the time to exclude us.
This team name comes at a time of increased awareness of how mascots and names can stereotype or offend Americans. Last year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association scrutinized the use of Native Americans in team names such as the Florida State Seminoles and the Carthage College Redmen (now Red Men). Team names such as the Atlanta Braves and Washington Redskins sound anachronistic to modern ears. Not long ago the Washington Bullets changed their name to Wizards for similar reasons.
Thus it came as a surprise to me, and many of my students and colleagues, to hear 1836. Some thought it was a joke when I mentioned it. Surely the team must have anticipated this response if they knew anything about Texas history.
Lately I have noticed college students taking a more cynical or media savvy approach to explaining these marketing terms. One student in my class thought the name was a ploy to get attention for the team and that the real name would could later. But all of them saw the contradiction inherent in naming the team 1836 while expecting Latino fans to attend games.
Team officials state that 1836 was primarily chosen to represent the city's founding. A team name doesn't have the luxury of explaining itself. The link to Texas secession from Mexico during the Texas Revolution is inescapable.
The team logo compounds the connection by depicting Sam Houston on horseback, leading the charge against Mexican troops. What other conclusion can we draw?
While the year represents Texas independence, it also raises the complicated and sometimes shameful history that came along with it. Initially seen as economic boosters, Anglo American immigrants brought slavery and failed to keep contracts made with state officials. For Mexicans, Texas secession started the process of American conquest culminating in the invasion of Mexico in 1846 and the loss of almost half its territory. Few would disagree that Texas independence was an important chapter in the imperial story of American Manifest Destiny.
Houston has undergone many transformations and reinventions since 1836. Digging the Ship Channel, the Galveston hurricane of 1900, discovering oil and sending a man to the moon all took place since then and all changed the face of the city. Naming the team 1836 smacks of nostalgia for a time when Mexican people were absent or at least knew their place.
Another student in class generously noted that perhaps the team took for granted Latino fans and wanted to increase Anglo interest with this team name. Perhaps soccer is already too identified with Latin America and Europe Perhaps this is retribution for the vocal support the Mexican national team receives when it comes to town.
A more sinister reading suggests the team wants Latino aficionados, but only on their terms. Those terms are leaving your heritage, identity and family at the door.
The team has started its relationship with the Latino community off on the wrong foot. Short of changing the name, the team needs to make extra efforts to appear open to Latino Houstonians.
Only then, and by removing Sam Houston from the logo, will the team come to symbolize the promise of a global capital.

Ramos is assistant professor, Department of History, University of Houston.

I told the people I sit with at lunch about this and the racist from across the hall said, "I don't know what the big deal is."

May I Have Your Attention Please?

As I started talking about Poe’s eerie stories today, I noticed that, for the first time since all this TAKS crap started, something strange happened: all the kids were paying attention. Although they were to fill out a TAKS like questionnaire after reading Poe’s biography, the kids were really interested in it.

I told them about the Simpson’s episode that was very similar to The Tell Tale Heart. They wanted to know if they could find a copy of The Black Cat of The Pit and the Pendulum at the library, and it was dead silent when I read Annabel Lee.

It felt good to get them so excited about literature. Maybe the same thing will happen when we read the autobiography of Emily Dickenson.

This is how I feel sometimes:

me vs The System

The Ire in Me

I’ve started my college classes again. This semester I’m taking Adolescent Psychology. Our first class was last week, yes, on MLK day, but the prof didn’t show. Anyway, today, she had us create a Venn Diagram comparing & contrasting what adolescents are like to what we were like at their age. After about thirty minutes, we came together as a large group and shared. We sounded like a bunch of grumpy old people.

Then I got to thinking about the things we were saying, and I got really angry. Mostly because it all came back to my issue of the month: teaching to this test. It was good that the prof validated our feelings or I would have really gone off the top. I would have begun to write furiously upon my brand new notebook.

Here are the two things that upset me the most:

Kids are not allowed to choose any book they want to read. Instead, they have to read books that are in the Accelerated Reader program. When they get done with the book, they have to take a test to prove they read the book and then they acquire points for these books. We have to give them two grades from this, one is based on the amount of points, the other is based on the percentage of their tests. So in my class, they need to have 10 points every six weeks. So if they read a book worth 36 points, that’s 100. But if they made 75 percent on the tests, then that’s the other grade. It pisses me off to no end because to be honest, I don’t give a damn what they read as long as they read.

The other thing that was making me upset was the fact that everything that we teach has to be backed up by a TEK, the objectives tested on TAKS. The problem with this is that we cover all of them every six weeks, so in actuality, we’re teaching the same thing over and over, with the exception of writing of course.

I really hope they get enough people into the education system so that we fight back all this teaching to the test junk. In the end, yes, our kids will be great at taking a standardized test, but they won’t be able to think.

One of the Smartest Songs I've heard in a While

I'm sure Gustavo is already onto this one.

Mojado
by Ricardo Arjona featuring Intocable

Empaco un par de camisas, un sombrero,
su vocación de aventurero,
6 consejos, 7 fotos, mil recuerdos.

Empaco sus ganas de quedarse,
su condición de transformarse
en el hombre que soñó
y no ha logrado.

Dijo adiós con una mueca disfrazada de sonrisa.
Y le suplico a su Dios crucificado en la repisa
el resguardo de los suyos.
Y perforo la frontera como pudo.

Si la luna suave se desliza
por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno.
Porque el mojado precisa
comprobar con visas que no es de neptuno.

El mojado tiene ganas de secarse.
El mojado esta mojado por las lágrimas que bota la nostalgia.
El mojado, el indocumentado
carga el bulto que el legal
no cargaría ni obligado.

El suplicio de un papel lo ha convertido en fugitivo.
Y no es de aquí porque su nombre no aparece en los archivos, ni es de allá porque se fue.
Si la luna suave se desliza por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno.
Porque el mojado precisa comprobar con visas que no es de neptuno.

Mojado,
Sabe a mentira tu verdad,
sabe a tristeza la ansiedad
de ver un freeway y soñar con la vereda que conduce hasta tu casa.

Mojado,
Mojado de tanto llorar
sabiendo que en algún lugarte espera un beso haciendo pausadesde el día en que te marchaste.

Si la luna suave se desliza por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno.
Porque el mojado precisa comprobar con visas que no es de neptuno.
Si la visa universal se extiende el día en que nacemosy caduca en la muerte.
Porque te persiguen mojado,
si el cónsul de los cielos
ya te dio permiso.

What's up?

Part of the TAKS drilling strategies is this contest we call the “Writing Roundup.” Basically, the kids do a selection off the seventh grade Writing TAKS from previous years. They fill in their answers on a scantron and we compare percentages.

On the bulletin board in the hallway, there is a race track with cars and pictures of the 6th grade ELA teachers. Positions are changed every Wednesday and Friday, the day after the kids do the “Writing Roundup” in class. Every other teacher has been in first place, except mine. This week, my car has finally ended up in a ditch, and really, I don’t know if we’ll be able to get it out.

Of course, I question myself as a teacher. Everyone tells me not to worry about. I was only three points behind, which is really nothing, but I still worry. Are these kids regurgitating answers to me or do they really know what they’re talking about? We practice our grammar almost every day on our bell work/quick start, and yet they fail to see the simplest things like the misspelling of schedule.

But then, when I ask them what we talked about the day before and no one in the class can tell me, I wonder if it’s really me. I guess the fact that the TAKS is only ten weeks away is pretty nerve wrecking in itself. I hate to have to teach to this damn test, a test that contains so many errors that leaves teachers and students befuddled when they go over the answers, a test that the entire Texas education system revolves around, a test whose results can eventually decide whether or not a teacher is worth keeping on board.

Fortuna

One of my favorite things about Asian food is the fortune cookies. No matter where I go or who picks my cookie, my fortune is always something that can be applied to my life. My most recent read:

Someone looks up to you. Don’t let them down.

Today was one of those difficult days. The kids didn’t really want to work. In every class, someone did something that provoked a lecture. I think I handled it better that I have before. When I delivered my lectures it was much more coherent and got to the point: I’m here because I care.

The apathy that some of these students have is incredible. It’s difficult to gauge where it developed. Although I’m a disappointed, it only gives me more ganas because in the end, someone is looking up to me and I really can’t let them down. And of course, comments like the on Ktrion left do wonders for a gal.

Saludos

El Paso was good. It was really nice to hug some of my family members and not have it be one of those courtesy hugs. Of course, there were a couple of people that I didn’t want to see, but for the most part, I stayed away from them.

My nieces are all growed up. They’re beautiful and all that good stuff that proud aunts always say. My nephews are darling. Ricky Ticky, the kid who stole my heart years ago, is still the most awesome. Richard, his older bro, is a damn good guitar player. It’s funny because he plays all sorts of old school rock songs. On one trip, it so happened there was a Heart cd in the cd player. So Baracuda comes on the radio and Ricky, having learned all these songs from his brother, says in the daintiest voice ever, “Baracuda!”

It was sort of disheartening to leave. I hadn’t felt that in a long time. I’d love to go back, but I can’t for another couple of years. Sometimes I wonder what I’ll be going back to. I mean, I live in a pretty awesome city where I have a ton of things at the tip of my fingers, but being here, I miss out on small moments. I guess I have a lot to think about.

School started today. It wasn’t too bad. The worst part was that my feet were killing me. It must be the shoes. I can’t seem to find some sensible shoes.

Yesterday, I had one of those Nelson Ha-Ha! Moments. I was making some copies and there were a couple of other teachers in there, among them was M., a fellow Latina, and the Racist. As it turns out, we’re all going to this out of town training in the same group. Unbeknownst to me, people were already claiming their roomies. M. tuned me into the whole thing by asking if I’d room with her and of course, I said yes. I like her, not only because she’s a Latina, but because I think we have the same kind of temperament. She’s really laid back and takes it all as it comes. Anyway, the Racist pipes in and says, “Well, I’m going then too.”

And M., who has not a single mean bone in her entire body, says, “Oh, well, maybe we can all room together.” But that ain’t gonna happen. I know its mean, but I’m sort of stuck for the moment so I rejoice in moments like this.

In New Years News, the only resolution I have officially made is to write more. I intend on spending and extra half hour after school to write. Well, I’m off to finish my seating charts. The kids got moved around the different classes so in some ways, some issues have been amended but other have popped up. All in all, I’m hopeful about this semester.

Tagged

SEVEN via Ktrion

Seven things I plan to do before I kick the can:

1. Buy an I Book

2. Get a Ph.D.

3. Get an M.F.A. in Creative Writing

4. Write and successfully publish a book

5. Buy a casita

6. Visit every continent at least once

7. Not live pay check to pay check

Seven things I can do:

1. Make Thanksgiving dinner

2. Write a decent story

3. Bake

4. Create interesting lessons

5. Listen

6. Duplicate some of my mom’s recipes

7. Tune up a car

Seven things I can't do:

1. Run

2. Get out of a ticket

3. Avoid procrastinating

4. Drive in silence

5. Go to Grad school (at least right now)

6. Leave El Paso without crying

7. Avoid getting nervous when speaking in front of my peers

Seven things that attract me to another person:

1. Friendship

2. Humor

3. Lack of Machi-machismo

4. Intelligence

5. Someone who’s taller than me

6. A non-Republican

7. Someone who can be my partner

Seven things I say most often:

1. Eso me encanta

2. Eso no me encanta

3. Ah que la chingada

4. You are not a CHRISTIAN! (The word Christian is replaced with other words sometimes)

5. Bandit!

6. Quiet!

7. Stop running!

Seven people to do this little blogger game:

1. Cindylu

2. Daily Texican

3. EMC

4. Cracked Chancla

5. Mariposa

6.Gustavo

7.Vanessa

Despues les cuento como me fue en El Chuco. For now, I gotta get ready to go celebrate el año nuevo. I hope 2006 brings us all many great things. ¡Salud!

If anything,This Online Driver’s Ed Class Is Allowing Me to Use Driving As a Metaphor

Sometimes, people cut you off without knowing it. They do it because they’re in a hurry. Maybe they’re having an emergency and need to be somewhere. Perhaps their kid fell off a tree and shattered her radius or ulna. Sometimes, people cut you off because you’re getting on their nerves. You’re following the two second rule and they don’t realize that the car in front of you is going just as slow because they’re one of those people that don’t speed. Or maybe while you went over the last hill, they didn’t notice the sea of brake lights up ahead and think you’re being a jerk because they’re tailgating you. Other times, they’re just plain jerks. In any case, these are the kind of people you need to keep away from.

The First Time I was Charlie

You are Franklin!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


Thanks to Ktrion for the link

It Feels Good to Type or I Don't Really Have a Title & This Entry is Very Random

Friday afternoon, I walked out of SJ Intermediate with a bag full of books, a box full of plants, and a heart full of joy.

I was surprised by the amount of gifts I received from my students. There was the used stuffed Dalmatian that appeared on my desk when I went to go talk to my mentor. It was later discovered who it was from when one of my early morning pupils found the notebook paper stuck to the dog’s side. Then there was the brown box of treasure that a student candidly delivered to me seconds before she had to be down the hall in her Social Studies hall. Actually, it was a box with Ferrero Rocher chocolates, but the way she presented it to me felt like she was giving me a tiny treasure. There was the Frosty cup filled with caramel Kisses and a tiny dog I shall name Herman. Also, there was the kid who delivered the perfect gift for a Language Arts teacher: a book. Then there was the kid in homeroom who presented me with my very own perfumed powder stick. She made me open it in front of her and wear some. Then of course, there were all the stockings the kids decorated for me in Math class. Finally, there was the candy cane a homemade card from the kid that always says, “This class is so boring.” I hope she knows that this totally goes against her, “I really hate your class” attitude and just proves my, “this is really hard and I really need your help” theory I have about her.

This upcoming Friday, I’m heading to El Chuco via I-10 West. I’ve charged up the Gameboy and have the Tetris ready for the long, long drive. I haven’t seen some of my family members in about a year. There’s so much family drama going on right now, but I need to see the kiddos and the mom. Besides, it’ll be interesting to see how the city has changed or stayed the same.

Bookstores

Yesterday, I visited a brand new Borders Bookstore. I never walk into those stores intending to buy anything, and I very rarely buy anything. Most of my books come from the Half Price bookstore because well, I’m on a budget. Anyway, I always scour the bookshelves in the young adult, fiction, biography/memoir, culture & gender studies, and magazine section. Yesterday while poking around in the gender studies section, I was appalled to find Desert Blood on the bookshelf that said “Lesbians.” Yes, the book does talk about a lesbian relationship and the author happens to be a lesbian herself, but so what? Why don’t they put the David Sedaris books on a “Gay” bookshelf? It’s not like that’s the first thing the Library of Congress categorized it as, it’s actually number six on the list. It’s just so interesting that that’s what these big chain bookstores decide to focus on. I took the book and placed it in the fiction section and told the lady that was working in the section about their mistake. I doubt it’ll be there the next time I go back.

In other news, I was ecstatic a couple months ago to see an Arte Público Press title on one of the tables at Barnes and Noble. Also, recently, I found out that the same book is actually in the Accelerated Reader program the kids use.

Finally, a couple days ago, I got the news that the anthology I was asked to submit to was accepted at my ex-employer. I’m guess that means that my stories were accepted by them because they were part of the initial manuscript. At least I think they were, it remains to be seen if my stories will remain in the manuscript.

How Dare You!

The day of my PDAS, I designed a lesson that would allow the kiddos to get their little paws on the keyboards. Since I only have three functioning student computers and four groups of kids, I figured it’d be okay to let one group use my computer. I tend to share a lot of my things with the kids, so really it’s no problem. I’m the kind of teacher that will let them rummage through my desk looking for a pencil.

Anyway, by the time the group of all boys got done with their research, the only computer left was mine. So I herded them over to my desk and told them to get to work.

Next to my computer, I have a picture of Dan the Man and I in a red dollar-find picture frame from Target. The handsome young man, as my sis called him when she visited my class, picked up the picture frame and said, “Ms. who is this?”

There was a lot of talking and somehow it came out that the guy in the picture was my fiancé. When he heard that he was appalled. He walked over to me with the picture and said, “Ms. is that true? Is he your fiancé?”

When I said yes, he said, “Why? I can’t believe you didn’t tell us!”

I smiled at him and told him to get back to work. Nearing the end of class, he came up to my desk and said, “Ms. Why didn’t you tell us? When is your marriage? Are you going to invite me?”

Rewind a day. During homeroom, I told the kids that I’d be gone fourth period and gave them that whole spiel about being on their best behavior for my sub and blah, blah, blah. One kid shouts out with a scowl on his face, “Why can’t you be here? Why don’t you take care of your stuff some other time?”

“I’m going over to neighbor teacher’s class.”

“Why can’t she take care of her own class and leave you alone?”

Their reactions make me laugh. You know, the kind of laugh that makes you throw back your head and show all those cavities to the world. It feels good to hear them say things like that. It also encourages me to try harder because they have expectations of me too.

Mi PDAS es mañana

For those of you who teach, you know what I’m talking about right? For those of you that don’t, it’s that observation for which your teacher told you she’d give you candy and name her first born after you if you were the most darling kid ever when the principal or assistant principal was in the room.

As I was in my room planning for tomorrow, I could hardly sit still. I want things to be perfect.

I’m not necessarily worried about my students. They’re actually the least of my worries. They know exactly how to behave. I’m just worried we won’t have time for all the activities we have planned. I’m doing it first period, so at least I’ll get it out of the way really early. I’m sure tomorrow morning, once that 8:15 am bell rings, I’ll be in do or die mode.

Two Day in the Making

It’s weird being off for an entire week. Friday when I left work, I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to enjoy my week off. Now that it’s Monday, I sort of wish I had something to do. Of course, I could grade papers or clean the apartment, but what fun is that?

Anyway, we didn’t end up getting Alex, the hairless feline. Instead, we got Bandit who looks a lot like the little cat from Pinocchio. We picked him up on Wednesday night and he didn’t allow us to pet him until Saturday night. It seems that he reverts every morning and only wants to be petted at night. At least we’ve made some progress.

***

That was written yesterday. I managed to do some cleaning yesterday, but the place still isn’t up to snuff according to me. I still haven’t graded papers. I tried to this morning, but then MTV has that damn Real World marathon. Plus, I have to fit in some Ellen time. I LOVE Ellen, so I can’t go the entire week without at least having watched her show once.

I’m sure I’ll get on the ball a little later. That’s how it happened yesterday. One thing I do not like is that I’ve been waking up later and later everyday. That’s not good because when it comes time to go back to work, waking up will be a pain in the butt. I have something to do tomorrow so I’ll attempt the waking up at 6:00 AM.

I’ve been aching to sit and write, but every time that I do, I don’t know what to write about. That’s why I haven’t updated in so long. I know the cure for it is to put away all the damn laundry, create a new play list, grab a nice pen, a notebook, open up a word document, and lay down on my bed and get to work. I’m tempted to load up the old MP3 player and head out to Barnes and Noble and take up some space.

Part of me feels that all these changes in my life have really affected me. I’ve gone through significant change and well, it takes a little time for me to deal and move on.

I’ve been sitting here for a while listening to some tunes, playing collapse and thinking. I’m not exactly sure that I’m happy. I mean, my students bring me great joy. They’re awesome, but it’s such a pain in the ass to comply with all these state regulations. I’m fully capable of complying, but do they make me happy? Then there’s the other part of me that wants to go to grad school and have the kind of job that doesn’t force me to be at my workplace no later than 7:50 AM or 9:00 AM because I can stay later to make up the time or get the job done.

I guess the thing I miss the most are Chai Lattes from Diedrich’s and leaving the E. Cullen Performance hall just as the sun started to set during this time of year. The air was crisp and there was just enough light for sunglasses. I miss the ten minute drive to Montrose to poke around Cactus Music and Videos or the Half Price Bookstore.

But I really miss producing readable pieces, but I know the solution to that. So I’m off to clear the clothes off the floor, take the garbage out, and come up with a new play list that will hopefully help inspire me.

Buenas noticias

I know I haven’t written in a while. Things have been a little busy. Lesson plans were due, the upcoming field trip, and well, I’ve been having a lot of fun in the classroom.

Last week was a great week. Sometime during mid-week, my first period class’ enrollment dropped from 20 to 17. I was left with all the kids that want to be there. They are the ones that ask for time to read. The dynamics are awesome. The give me hope for the rest of the day.

Last week was also when we began teacher rotations. Basically, that means that I go teach someone else’s class for half of our block period. It was really cool. By next Thursday, I’ll have officially taught all the regular ed. sixth graders. After the first rotation, I returned to my first and second period class and the first thing out of my kids' mouths was, “How were they?”

“They were okay,” I replied, “I still like you guys better.”

It’s funny how they become so possessive. If you’re out for a day, when you come back, you’re always faced with, “Where were you Ms?”

Friday, after the final bell rang for the day, I had two of my morning kiddos stop by and say goodbye. I know I’m on some kind of high and I’ll probably come crashing down next week because the kids will be so excited about the field trip, but it’s still nice. I was talking to another new teacher the other day and she was telling me about how her kids put on cooking shows. They had to present them. During the presentations, one of them said her special guest was Bow-Wow. And the teacher was thinking, "What the heck? What are they gonna do for that?" So the kid presenting with the girl started rapping and another kept the beat by tapping his pencil on the desk. It’s moments like that that make it all worth it.

In other news, Tuesday night, I finally got the call I’d been waiting for. It was about 10:30 pm and I was passed out. Somewhere between my snoring and the television, I heard my phone ring. I managed to see "Jorge" flashing on the screen and push the talk button. On the other end of the line I heard a familiar voice saying, “Ya.”

“Ya?”

“Ya.”

“Ya. She had the baby?”

“Yeah, they took her out about half an hour ago.”

I don’t know what else I said, but I vividly remember my brother saying, “Esta bien greñuda y gordilla.”

I laid in bed for about five minutes wanting to get up and jump with joy. I wanted to run out of the house in my pj’s and drive straight to El Paso to see her. I really can’t wait to meet her. According to my mom, she smiles a lot. I guess we already have something in common because I’ll be doing that for her a lot too.

And so it seems that all the important phone calls come when I’m sleeping because today after my training, Dan the Man demanded I take my cranky ass to bed and take a nap. As I was dreaming about having a fit worthy of an Oscar in The Limited (why there? I have no idea), the vibration of my cell phone could be heard against my dresser. I let it ring because I was trying to wake up. It was my sister. When I called her back, she told me that there was a hairless cat at the Pet’s Mart near her house.

I’ve wanted a pet for a while, specifically a cat but well someone’s allergies are in the way. He’s mostly allergic to long hair cats, but still. Last week, I almost brought one home. She was cute as heck. So anyway, we’re going to check out the hairless cat today. He’s four years old. He’s had a rough life, but that hasn’t phased him one bit, he still loved being around people. In fact, he loves people so much that he hurts himself when he’s not around them.

Small Victories

Thursday morning, an excited M. ran up to me as soon as the bell had rung for the day to begin. “Ms! Ms! Here, it’s from S.” she said as she handed me a folded piece of notebook paper.

Since about the first couple weeks of school, S. and I have been writing notes to each other. I ask her about stuff we can’t really talk about in class like how she got the black eye and she’ll tell my why she was gone for three days consecutive days. “Are you gonna write her back? ‘Cause I can give it to her,” said M.

I was about to reply to M. but saw S. coming up the stairs. She was supposed to be going to ISC and but I guess she didn’t think M. would get the note to me. She told me she couldn’t do her test because the music they play in there wouldn’t allow her to concentrate and that she didn’t understand the vocabulary assignment. I told her I’d go out to see her during my conference time, but that she had to hurry up and get to ISC so she wouldn’t get in more trouble.

Later that day, as promised, I went to ISC and I explained her vocabulary assignment. Via e-mail, I got in touch with the ISC warden and asked her if it’d be possible to get her out of there during my conference periods to come work on the test in my class. She said it was fine with her, but I had to have permission from the AP. Around 5th period, I finally go the okay.

She came and worked in my class 6th period Thursday and 3rd period Friday. I told her I couldn’t pull her out Friday afternoon because I had a meeting that I couldn’t miss. She was halfway through the test, so I told her to just bubble in the answers and that we’d go with that. When she was getting ready to go back, I gave her a card, her report card and some other homeroom stuff. In the card, I told her I was very proud of her for asking for help instead of simply not doing the work.

That afternoon, I went to check my box before my meeting and I found her test packet. I quickly looked to see if she’d bubbled in her answers and I saw that she had bubbled in up to #42, the last question on the test. I looked through the test and saw she had finished it.

S. is one of those kids that can easily slip through the cracks. I know I haven’t let her in my class. I hope the others do the same for her. I don’t consider this a small victory, but in the context of the other 63 students I have, it is.

Día de los Muertos, not celebrated, but my deceased are not forgotten

I so wanted to do a lesson on el Día de los Muertos at la escuelita, but I didn’t because I thought about it too late and in any case, my kiddos are stuck taking the Pre-TAKS exam. I have two kids going on day three of this thing. It just about killed me today. I was dying to do the awesome La Llorona compare and contrast lesson I had planned. Also, my ATCP facilitator didn’t get to see much on my observation except me handing out piles of books to kids and keeping them quiet so that the others could finish their exams.

This is the second year I’ve done squat on el Día de los Muertos. Two years ago, the same year my jefito passed on, the Modern and Classical Languages Dept. at UH got together and set up this awesome altar for the dead. I was flying out to El Chuco for the Halloween festivities, but the day of, I was helping them set it up. The end product was awesome. I have dreams of doing that in my classroom. Next year I will, for sure.

I believe I’m on the verge of catching a cold. Or actually, I think I’m on the verge of a cold taking over. Oh whatever. My throat feels funny and my head hurts. I’ve started the Vitamin C and Zinc regime and I’m hoping it doesn’t really hit until the weekend. I hate, and I mean hate, being out of my class. My mentor tells me that a sign of a good teacher.

Not much else is going on. I went to the Randall’s near my house today and it was creepy. Apparently, their high prices have finally caught up to them, so they’re closing a bunch in the area and the one I went to is one of them. It was odd seeing shelves so empty. I did score groceries for 30% off.

Oh, you know that kid that got a ticket for disrupting my class? He’s moving schools. He’s been gone for the last two weeks and it’s been so . . . nice. And this other kid I have, his best friend, he threatened to slap a teacher. Everyone was coming up to me and asking if I was the one he threatened to slap. The funny thing is that this kid doesn’t have beef with me. Even though I’ve sent him to the office a couple times, we’re cool.

Finally, yesterday, Dr. Full of Herself gave me and my partner our grade on the presentation we had to do over a chapter in the text and here’s what she said, “Mmm, a perfect score. Good job. You know, I haven’t given a perfect score in so long that I had no idea what to comment on.”

Heh. I guess it’s good cuz we got all the points for that presentation. Anyway, I’ll write more later. Hopefully, tomorrow I get to do the La Llorona activity so I can tell you all about it. Ciao.