The Call Window

I've noticed a trend when it comes to getting called to work in the mornings.

There is a window of opportunity (well, I think of it more as a danger zone) when the sub caller calls.  (The district hasn't gotten one of those computerized systems in place.  It's a small district, so I have no idea if they ever will.)  It starts when the sub caller starts for the day.  It goes until about ten minutes after I can comfortably get up, dressed, and to the school on time (the later calls make for nerve-wracking mornings).

The danger zone lasts about a half hour.  I can get calls later (when the sub caller gets called late), but if I haven't been called in that half hour, I'm most likely not working that day.

Some mornings I can sleep through this time.  Other mornings I can not.

There are some lovely mornings when I wake up, look at the clock, and see the window of opportunity is long past.  While I'm disappointed, I don't have the panic of wondering if the phone will ring.

More often than not, if I'm awake during that half hour, I won't get called.

Yesterday, I was deep asleep in the middle of a dream when the phone woke me.  It was a little later than I would have liked, but it was work, and I was glad of that.

This morning, I woke ten minutes before the window.  I knew I wasn't going to get called, but of course, I couldn't go back to sleep.  I stared at my phone for the half hour, the ten minutes before, and about twenty minutes after.  Nothing.

I suppose I should have turned on the TV or something.  As it was, I was trying to fall back asleep, and I managed to do so once the danger zone was fully past.  But I was on pins and needles, waiting.  I knew I wouldn't get called (as I was awake), but there was a chance.

(It isn't a perfect system.  I only know I'd sleep through the whole window because I have done so in the past.  And there were one or two times when I got called when I was awake.  But these are the exceptions.)

It's one of the occupational hazards.  You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but I'm not.  But I'm working on it.  It's getting easier to sleep through that window of opportunity.  And once I can do that, I'm convinced that I'll get more calls.

Getting Blamed for Beyond My Control

I was running a bit late today, and I got to class just after the warning bell rang.  Luckily, everything was set up.  They were continuing to read Black Boy by Richard Wright, and they were to follow along as a CD played. 

The CD was already in the boom box.  The lesson plan said it was cued up to the proper spot (later I found that he had just burned the chapters to a CD).  The class came in, I took roll and gave my usual intro, and then we started in on chapter 7. 

Things went smoothly for about two pages.  Then the CD started to skip.  The first time was no big deal, but after about five times of the CD catching on one or two words, the class was starting to lose it. 

"Did you get that at the swap meet?" a boy in front asked. 

Why they would think I brought in a boom box, I have no idea. 

I explained that what I had is what was left by their teacher.  I asked how he usually played the novel.  They told me he played it from his laptop. 

I explained that the teacher would not leave his laptop for the sub.  I would have thought that this would have been obvious.  Then again, sophomores can be a little dense sometimes. 

Another student told me I should clean off the CD.  I didn't think that would help, but I did it anyway, knowing full well that I'd have to fast forward through the already heard 14 minutes.  It took as long as I knew it would. 

Did that fix the problem?  Of course not.  It skipped several more times.  Then, miraculously, it stopped. 

I've had technical issues like this before.  But this is the first time I've had this much trouble from the class when they happened.  Usually, the classes roll with it. 

These are things I consider when writing my note for the day.  I don't appreciate getting blamed for technical difficulties. 

What I've Been Knitting

I promised weeks ago to take a picture to show off that purse that I was working on.  But with all the rainy and overcast days, it was hard to get a good picture.  (I need to invest in a light box or something.)  But the sun is out today.  So, here it is...

I got the lining just about right, and I like how the button fits in with the whole...

However, I don't like it.  It's not the purse, exactly.  I enjoyed knitting it.  I like how it looks.  I just don't like how it feels.  It isn't quite right.  So, I think I'm going to give it away.  Would anyone like it?

I got a nook for Christmas.  It needed a cover to protect it, so I made it one...

It turned out way better than I expected.  I love it.  I love the feel of it.  I love the way it looks.  I can't explain it.

It goes like that sometimes.  I knit things that I think I'll like, and I don't.  Then things I don't think all that much about turn out to be things that I love.

So, at the moment I'm working on a sweater for me.  I expect this will take a while.  At the moment, I like it.  I'm sure by the time I finish it, the weather will warm up.  But, I will get to look forward to wearing it about next winter.

Not Even Trying

Today's lesson plan consisted of one sentence stating that there was a student teacher who was going to do all the work.  Easy day for me.

Fourth period was algebra 1 for English language learners.  It was a small class.  Most of them were fluent enough in English that understanding wasn't much of an issue.  Well, understanding what the student teacher was saying was not an issue.  Understanding the math...

They were working on graphing inequalities.  They were given an activity.  They had to figure out which point of the given five was the point where the treasure was buried.  They were given three inequalities as hints as to which point was the correct point.  Presumably, the inequalities only overlapped with the point that was where the treasure was buried.

They were supposed to treat the activity as a quiz.  I walked around the room to try to help shush them and to assist those that needed a little extra help.

One boy raised his hand.  He was clueless as to what to do.  This was even after the student teacher had explained what steps should be taken to solve the activity.

So, I looked at the first inequality.  x > 2.  I asked him how he would go about graphing that.  He had no idea.

Usually, in situations like this, I can ask the right questions to get the student to the point where he remembers that he learned how to do this.  I got nowhere with this boy.  When I asked him what the teacher had explained about graphing, he admitted that he didn't pay attention in class.

After practically doing the first problem for him (which he then didn't write down), I walked away.  I wasn't going to do the thing for him, and he wasn't helping me out any.

I noticed that most of the class was in a similar situation.  After 15 minutes, the student teacher called for their papers.  No one in class had even gotten close to finishing.  Practically no one had written anything on the papers.

(This wasn't the student teacher's fault.  I saw him teach all day, and he was doing all the right things.  Fifth period went a little better.  Most of the students just refused to do anything.)

I should have been paying more attention to names and faces.  It'll help me later when these kids end up at the continuation high school.

Linky

I'm just checking in to provide a link to a post I wrote for the California Crafters Club of Etsy blog.  I hope you'll check it out.

And if you're feeling generous, I would appreciate it if you would like my shop on Facebook.  I'd like to get up to 25 "likes".  At which point, I think I'll do a contest of some sort.  Any ideas or thoughts?

Unearned Compliment

"You're a really good sub.  You should sub more often."

A student said that to me during 5th period.  It troubled me.  A lot.

Today I covered Earth Science.  They had some bookwork to do.  I stood at the front of the room and watched them.  I wasn't doing much as there wasn't much to do.  They talked, but they also appeared to do some work.

I wasn't looking forward to the Earth Science classes.  The students who end up in these classes aren't very academically motivated.  (The students who passed middle school science went directly into biology.)  So, I was pleasantly surprised when they actually got out materials and got to work.

I noticed a couple of them had empty desks.  I went over, and I looked meaningfully at one boy.  Without my having to say a word, he got out a book, paper, and pencil.  (This is a very good thing.  Some students will just look at me and say, "What?" when I appear in front of them, unaware that they should be doing anything.)

But still, I wasn't doing anything that merited a compliment.

I thanked the boy for the kind words.  I didn't know what else to do.  And I continued to watch the class.  They didn't get up to too much mischief.  They appeared to finish the assignment.

I get the feeling that I missed something.  I wonder what it was.

The Scarf Project

It was at about this time last year that I came up with a plan.  Since I always seemed to get to my Christmas knitting so late in the year, I thought it time that I started earlier.  Way earlier.  January.

I decided to knit everyone a scarf.  The first pattern I found was the dragon scarf.  Then I got sidetracked.  I made myself an alligator scarf.  (I had to include myself in the project, right?)  And then it was my niece's birthday (and I ended up knitting her present twice).

By the summer, it was time to get serious.  I managed to get a couple scarves done.  I blogged about one.  This one was for my niece.

Then this one ended up going to my dad.

Then I figured that I'd better get my nephew's birthday present done (he was inconveniently born on December 26th).  It turned out very nice.

For my newest nephew, I figured that a scarf wouldn't be the best option.  So, he got a soft toy instead.

It was fall before I got to the end of my project.  I had two more scarves to knit.  And then on November 13th, I was done.  All I had to do was wrap everything and wait for the big day.

It was the strangest December.  I wasn't panicking.  I wasn't busily trying to finish a bunch of projects in time for the holiday.  December 23rd was a peaceful day (this is unusual for me).

Also, I didn't get sick.  (Well, I had one migraine, but that was closer to New Year's than Christmas.)  It was lovely.  This is how the holiday season should always be.

So, now it's time to plan for Christmas 2011.  Actually, it's totally time to start.  But first I must decide what it is that I'm going to knit for everybody.  Hats?  Gloves?  Socks?  I'm going to have to think about this.