Designated Doodler

I teach high school English and I also tutor elementary and middle school students. No matter what the age group, I see a common and alarming trend among children. They can't focus! These kids, our kids, are being affected by two pervasive things: instant gratification and constant stimulation. They get what they want, when they want. So when they come to school, they expect to run the show, which just isn't how it works - at school or in life. They talk back to teachers, question why they have to do assignments, argue about their grades, turn in assignments late and detest having to focus. It's no wonder that teachers are jumping ship right and left. Believe it or not, there once was a day when kids were respectful, did not question their assignments or grades, did not badger their teachers to grade faster, did not bring weapons to school or start fights, did not wage an electronics war or refuse to work. As teachers we receive absurd amounts of training on be...

I am drowning in work. Drowning doesn't even begin to cover it. You can ask any teacher, their first year teaching is undoubtedly the worst. The upside is that this isn't my first year teaching. I was a long term sub before finding my spot at my school, so I have a year's worth of experience in coming up with assignments, handling grades, communicating with parents, grading essays, going to meetings, etc. But since I am "real" now thanks to Geppetto, there is a whole slew of new things to trudge through. Teacher inservice week(s) was perhaps the longest experience of my life. I got to go to new teacher training for three days and then do in-service. That's long off the list of things to do, but it wasn't exactly a blast. Now for the things that remain… I need 50 hours of professional development THIS YEAR because of my alternative certification program (regular teachers need 25 or 75 in three years). I also get three in class visitors that review...

As the collegiate year kicks off for millions of students, excitement fills the air. But this exciting new adventure isn't everyone's idea of fun. For many students, especially college freshman, the year is fraught with tension, anxiety and uncertainty. Many young people have to deal with things in college that they've never had to deal with before. For example, as an only child, I never had to share a room with another human being until college. Luckily, my roommate went to bed around the same time I did and we got along. But that isn't always the case. Things you may have to deal with include: 1) Being really broke 2) Being homesick 3) Hating the food 4) Adjusting to the level of college work you have to do 5) Making friends 6) Traveling home 7) Dealing with tough roommates/suite-mates 8) Discovering the horror of communal bathrooms and Ramen noodles for three meals a day Anyway…the point is…there's a lot that you may not like about college and i...

1. You know that terrified feeling you get when you start your first day at a new job? Yeah, well that's what subbing is like...every single day is your first day (unless it's a long term sub job). 2. Let's pray that the teacher has their kids seated alphabetically, it will make my life soooo much easier. 3. Nobody talks to you at lunch because you're just a temporary fixture. 4. It is inevitable that you will walk into a classroom where the teacher has no plans for you whatsoever. 5. The kids will test you...every minute...of every hour...of every day. This includes them switching names on you, switching seats, trying to sneak out of class, trying to get in verbal battles with you and doing anything and everything except for their classwork. 6. There will be a point when you ask yourself...why did I take this assignment? 7. You will be up at 5am looking for jobs for the day if none were posted the day before, and you really want/need ...

As with most things in my life, my first teaching experience was trial by fire. It's funny because one of my fellow English teachers came up to me the other day and said, "man, I have so much respect for you. You stepped into this awful situation and took over. It's never easy walking into a storm like that." Later I sat at my desk and laughed to myself. I knew that things had been exceptionally tough, but this was all I knew, this was the only reality I had experienced. And I think everyone knew what a tough position I was in. Another English teacher at the school said, "please don't think this is what teaching is like. It is so much better than what you're dealing with. Don't give up on teaching, you're so good." I hadn't intended on giving up on teaching, but apparently my situation would cause any sane person to. At the beginning of the semester, I took a week-long sub position that turned into a semester-long position. ...

(Photo: Michael Schennum, The Arizona Republic) I was hot stuff in high school. I had a raspberry red RAZR flip phone that I could use to call my mom if I needed to. Did I know what texting was? Of course not, and neither did my classmates. We were in ninth grade, and back then, if you got caught with your cell phone, it got taken up. One day my mom was trying to call me while I was at lunch, but she miscalculated my schedule and called me during the last three minutes of English. My horrendously evil English teacher proceeded to take my phone and give it to the front office. It was a Friday, right before spring break, and to get it back, my mom would have to come down to the school and pay $15. Luckily I have the best mom ever, and I wouldn't have to go through spring break without my phone. These days, I actually work at the school I went to 9th grade at, and things have changed drastically - not just at that school, but throughout the district. Now, 6th grade and up...