Fashion

[lolakimono]

So my weekly school news goes like this.

Monday-

The first marking period ended on Friday, but I still had a few students who were failing because they "forgot" to do one thing.  I texted a few of them and asked if they could come to our help session on Monday, and one did.  Then I had to grade additional Q1 work to bring them back up to passing.

I was able to do a "test run" of the observation lesson for Tuesday with the principal.  It was too long, so I trimmed the fat in anticipation of Tuesday.

I asked my intern the week before to plan the second half of this week's lesson (one lesson, done on Thursday and repeated on Friday).

By about 7:00 p.m. there was NOTHING posted in our Google Drive, so I spent until 10 p.m. Monday working on the second half of the week because we have to post all work for the week on Mondays with a Sunday deadline.  I knew that as part of my observation, my principal would pop into my Google Classroom to see what students see, so I needed to have the week completed so that I could post the links to the entire week.  He did not email me to say that he couldn't do it, just flaked.

Tuesday-

My observation was after lunch.  I thought it went pretty well, but of course there is that one student who shows up like 20 minutes into a 45 minute period and then writes in the chat, "what are we doing?"

I had a dentist appointment from September to fix a filling.  I had to reschedule it once, because my principal enrolled me in a course so that I can do observations, and the class was at the same time as my after hours appointment.

I thought it was strange that they had not called/texted/emailed to confirm, so at lunchtime I called them to check.  At first they didn't see it on the schedule, and then see that someone had added it but for some reason the scheduling system didn't detect it so it never "confirmed" the appointment.  They asked if I could come in a bit early, so I had to leave our planning session to haul it there.

Tuesday evening I was still working on grades.  We are not allowed to fail students without documenting that we have contacted parents/guidance counselor/admin etc. about the progress.

We were encouraged to remove zeros, as they don't allow a student to recover the grade for the semester grade.  So I went in and manually adjusted EVERY ZERO for each student, with three comments about what they had actually earned, how it was changed to a 50%, and how there would be no further adjustments to the grade.  So some kids went from a 7% for the marking period to a 59%, for doing mostly nothing over nine weeks.

For each student who has earned a failure, we have to fill out a spreadsheet with the following information or we cannot give a failing grade on the report card:

student name

student ID

teacher name

guidance counselor

administrator

course

period

date of contact

method of contact

notes from the contact

For any student who has lower than a 70% we also have to do report card comments.

On Tuesday after hours I was working on these spreadsheets, once I was sure that no additional grades were coming in.

Wednesday-

After hours on Tuesday my principal emailed me a copy of my observation and said we would discuss it tomorrow (meaning Wed.)  

After hours on Tuesday our school improvement coach emailed us to notify that the gradesheets for our special failures academy were posted, so we needed to add them to our Google Classroom.  This means that I have to sort through a 500 page document to find ONLY my 11 students, use a special extension to create an individual report, save the report to Google Drive, set the permissions so that the students can view it, create a posting in Google Classroom only for THAT student, and then meet with them on Wed. for 90 minutes.  

Wed. a.m was our department meeting.  I am supposed to send out an agenda, but usually I don't have time.  That took up a half hour of the morning, then I had the community class that I coteach with my first year teacher, and then I was supposed to meet with my special group to discuss their Q1 grades (due Thursday) that they were encouraging us to get students to complete work and then notify the teachers so they could grade it.

One girl responded to her grade sheet, said she was going through some things but that she would try to do better in Q2.  I asked her to join the meet (she said she would come next Wed. when we don't have school).  I asked her to come TODAY, and she did.  I explained that she is going to have to go to summer school, twilight school or evening school and PAY to retake the same classes that she is failing.  Well, the light bulb went off, and between Wednesday and Friday I probably received 30 texts from her.  She got down to work and transformed the 35% she had in English and Algebra to passing, the 45% she had in Spanish to passing, and brought another grade up to a C.

Small victories.

After I finished with her, I was supposed to do 90 minutes of professional development, but I ended up spending about 7 hours (working until 10 p.m.) making gradesheets for the special group of kids, then documenting on a spreadsheet.  Then I had to do the same for my own failing students, sending them messages in GC and emailing/texting their parents.  It took me that long to also fill out the forms required to give failing grades to those who earned them.

I was supposed to have my post-observation conference at 3:00, and a few minutes before I saw that it was "canceled" and replaced with a new calendar invite at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Thursday-

I email my intern and my new department member to say that I won't be in our morning (informal) meeting from 8-8:30, when my intern and I were going to go over the lesson that I created since he didn't do his part.

About three minutes before, my principal emailed to apologize that he had somehow "double booked" the a.m. meeting and he would reschedule.  Would it work better in the afternoon or on Friday?  I emailed him my availability on Friday, and then waited for his response.  Then I had to email my team that I WOULD attend our meeting.

I had my department chair meeting, where they told us that each DC would need to "audit" our team's GC.  This means that we have to fill out a Google form for EACH LEVEL that they teach.  

The rest of Thursday was busy.

Friday-

I made "I'm thankful for you..." cards for each of my team, my assistant principal in charge of us, my coordinator, and my two teacher specialists.

I waited all day to see the last minute Outlook calendar invite pop up, but it never did, so I have no idea when I'm supposed to have my post-observation conference.

I had to email some of my team to get their spreadsheets, which I have to move into a separate drive, review, and then notify my AP that they are ready to be reviewed by him.

My older teacher, who turns 66 on Christmas, put in her retirement papers effective 1/1, so I guess we will be interviewing if we can even find someone qualified to teach.

My teacher specialist emailed her feedback from her walkthroughs on Tuesday, so everyone was in a panic about her comments.

During my last class of the day a student signed in right away, and I asked how he was doing.  He said not well, and when I followed up he said that he was going to attend his uncle's funeral during his class period of the day. I was thinking Covid, but he mentioned that he was SHOT over the weekend, an incident that was part of a MANHUNT to find his killer over the weekend.

That's pretty much it.

[LTT1]

@lolakimono @Snicks1 @jackthebear @Jtdmum @godi 

Still, the tissue turtlenecks are the closest thing to organic that I can find.

I used to send all of mine to the cleaners so have been replacing often with used from posh.

These usually appear to have only been washed at home.

And they feel good under tops.

[SoX]

Good morning, Style Sisters ...

Just grazing daylight now ... and a cool, cool morning.  

@lolakimono 

Your new choices remind me of those that I've stockpiled over the past few months ... mostly sales from JC and Isaac.

And speaking of J Crew, I picked up these during their one-day extra 60% off sale

... to match the sweater I received a while back

Couldn't resist  this blazer that I've been watching ... finally at a price I couldn't resist ...

... and, of course, something in black and ivory ...

[Bird mama]

I like the pullover (especially) from LLB @lolakimono   Pretty detail on the placket.

[Bird mama]

Pretty items @LTT1 

[I am still oxox]

Hi all not watching, just woke up and having coffee with B, hip is healing and I am more sore than in pain, walking steps and outside.

I want this to be done soon and to feel like me again

[SoX]

@lolakimono 

Whew!   I don't blame your "older" ...ahem ... teacher for putting in her walking papers ... I'd be the first to beat her out the door.

[LTT1]

@SoX
Nice choices on purchases!
Aren’t there some great sales right now?

[jackthebear]

---

@SoX wrote:

Good morning, Style Sisters ...

Just grazing daylight now ... and a cool, cool morning.  

@lolakimono 

Your new choices remind me of those that I've stockpiled over the past few months ... mostly sales from JC and Isaac.

And speaking of J Crew, I picked up these during their one-day extra 60% off sale

... to match the sweater I received a while back

Couldn't resist  this blazer that I've been watching ... finally at a price I couldn't resist ...

... and, of course, something in black and ivory ...

---

was in JCrew Factory yesterday, great sales and some cute things

[DukeBlueNan]

That's pretty much a LOT.  I am forever thankful I retired a few years ago.  But, I am grateful to you and all educators who are working so hard each day. 

Enjoy and relax during your short week.