From the Garden

I finally got to go back to the continuation high school. (And now I'm sort of shadow banned, but that's a whole different blog post.) 

Wednesday. English. 

As it was Wednesday, it was gardening day. Unlike the last time I pulled this gig, this time we actually could work in the garden. 

There was a "garden ranger" who ran the class. She did a short lecture on natural versus chemically derived ingredients, had them make some tea, and had them do some planting and pruning. 

(At various points she videoed the kiddos. Apparently, there's a program to bring gardening into schools. Here's their Instagram. And here's one of the videos she shot that day.) 

Fourth period. She had brought in some mint plants, and the earlier periods had found a spot to plant them and weeded the area. Fourth period got to plant them. She had them lay out the plants in a sort of grid. 

Seth took his shovel, and he stuck it where he wanted it. He jumped on the shovel, pounding it into the ground. He methodically did this three more times, and very quickly created a hole large enough to put the mint plant in. Clearly he had done this sort of thing before.

Seth explained that his grandmother had an award winning garden. It looked like he had assisted her. 

After they had planted about half the plants, Seth invited me to plant one.

Well, didn't want to, really. So, I gave some excuses. My hand hurt. I didn't have the strength. Etcetera. 

Seth? Yeah, he called me out on that. Shot down my arguments. And fair, really. 

I'm usually the one making the kiddos do things they don't want to. This period I had two students who were unwilling to "get dirty" (there are sinks; they can wash their hands after), and I was urging them to work. So, I'm not doing it? I knew I had to. 

So, I did. Slowly. And badly. But I managed to dig a hole with Seth's guidance. And he put the mint in the ground. 

I got a bit of sun that day. And many of the kiddos did kind of enjoy it. It looks like it's a great program.

Not Gardeners

I was very surprised by a late call on the penultimate day of school. I had just enough time to get ready and get there, plus the cushion of the teacher having a first period prep. 

Wednesday. The continuation high school. English. 

It was a fairly quiet day. Their graduation ceremony had taken place the night before (in the middle of a surprise rainstorm with thunder and lightning). But this time of year is a bit quiet for them anyway. 

When a student gets enough credits to graduate, they stop attending school. (They are done. There's no reason for them to show up.) The deadline to participate in the graduation ceremony had been the previous week. So, the only students left were the juniors and the few sophomores that had recently started at the school. (They have to be sixteen to attend.) 

The lesson plan said they were to work in the garden. 

So, I took roll, and then we headed to said garden. Only, no person to run the garden was there. 

There is someone in charge of the garden. She instructs the kiddos on what to do. 

I called the office to find out where she was. They didn't know either. I heard that she had been on campus that morning, but she dropped some stuff off, and then she left. 

Uh...

The class was quite content to not be in the garden. (Only fourth period was disappointed to not have garden duty.) I instructed them to complete any missing work they might have. (If they haven't graduated, there is work they can be doing.) But end of year. No one was really in the mood to do anything. 

I'd've been more upset at this, but the day had already gone sideways. If I run into any of these kiddos later as they scramble to finish credits in time for one deadline or another, I'll point out the time they wasted on a day like this one. But likely, it won't come up. 

And that was my last working day of the school year. (There was a very, very late call on the last day of school, but I woke up with a migraine, and there was no way of getting to the school on time if I had taken it.) 

Next week I officially go on summer schedule, starting off with my stats for this school year. Happy summer. 

Unexpected Familiar Face

I finally got back to the continuation high school last Monday. 

It used to be that the sub caller would put me over there, as she knew I was fine with working there. But ever since we went to the computerized scheduling app, finding and catching those days has been harder. And with the long term I started the year with, I just haven't seen the school since about February. 

February? Let me go back into my posts. I'm sure I wrote about the last time I was there...

Nope. The last blog post I have from the continuation high school is from August 2023. According to my year end stats, I only spent three days there last school year. Ouch. No wonder they barely remembered me.

(Not true. They remember me. The staff, anyway. The students were more like, "You subbed at [insert home school's name here]".)

I was in the English class. They were either working on their district essays (the district has them write essays every quarter to measure how well they can write) or reading (We Were the Lucky Ones) and answering questions. And, it went pretty much how I expect the classes to go. That is, many did little to nothing while a few got done what they needed to do.

Fifth period, as I was walking the room taking attendance, the students did their usual, "Don't you sub at...?" bit. 

Then one boy said I had been his math teacher last year. 

That's when I placed him. I mean, I recognize the kiddos when I see them as knowing I've seen them before, but where had I seen them? Yeah, it's not always there. But this boy? Yeah, I remembered him from last year's long term in Mr. J's math class.

And... I did not expect him to be there. There were a couple students who I would not be shocked to see there as they did little to nothing in class. This boy? As far as I recall, he was doing fine in math. He had a passing grade. He did the assignments. 

Deep sigh. At least he doesn't have to make up his math credits. Clearly, he did need English credits. 

But that's why the continuation high school exists. It's for students to come back from whatever setback led to the possibility of them not graduating. 

Protecting my Cardi

Wednesday I was back at the continuation high school, this time for the English class. 

They were working on a poetry unit. (They were also doing a blackout poem, like the class I posted about yesterday. It's funny how certain things recur over different classes and even at different schools.) Most of them were working on a haiku. 

They were to paint a picture and then write out the haiku on it. Many of them were still working on the paintings. So, paints were out. And paint got everywhere...

It's been chilly here in SoCal. I've been getting some wear out of my sweaters. 

At first I was hesitant to wear my seven (and a half) year cardi. I've been paranoid. What if I snag it or something happens and I damage it? 

But, every time I've worn it, I get a little less worried. I don't generally damage my clothes. And it's nice to get some wear out of the cardi I worked on for so long.

I didn't know I'd be dodging paint, so I wore the cardi. 

I didn't think about it too much until I went to straighten up the paints, and I got white paint on my hand.

My hand. Just my hand. I kept well away from the paint after that. 

I shuddered in horror when a student found she had gotten paint splatter on her jacket. (She went to the restroom and tried to clean it off.) 

Somehow I lucked out. My cardi is intact. And paint-free.

Sixth period. This was the orientation group. The school gets a new batch of students about every month. The new students have a time where they all take the same classes to get used to the new school. 

There were a few familiar faces. 

One of them was Marta. 

I... uh... can't say I was surprised to see her there. Nope. Not surprised at all.