JDog's Journal

[Deep Blue]

I think my tinnitus is cuz of my Ménière's disease, not sure about everyone else.  Usually it's only in 1 ear or the other, not both at same time

[Jdog]

Interesting.  Mine is both ears, all the time. 

[Three Roses]

Mine is both ears, all the time.

Maybe it's at least partly due to the fact that we were never taught that we were worth taking care of. I went to concerts without ear protection, I listened to music as loud as I could, with headphones and without; just didn't take self-care seriously and thought it was honestly kind of wimpy. Of course I feel differently about it now.

❕*TW FOR PA;*❕
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My ears were a favorite target of my F's, got my ears slapped open handed a lot. For me I think that's at least one reason my ears ring now.

[Jdog]

Ok, it's Monday and I've had several nightmares involving school, politics, and who knows what.  I awoke fearful and am giving myself extra time for coffee and online newspaper reading.  Starting to feel better.  Hey, here's some good news:  I'm listening to NPR and it was just reported that Romania was unable to pass a law banning same sex marriage.  Not enough people showed up at the poles.  Hey, whatever it takes.....my sisters and brothers have more freedom as a result!

I will be scooting along on my one-legged scooter wearing my boot today.  That should get plenty of unwanted attention.  But healing is healing.  I have to write a rubric for grading student journals, which means that my free time after work will be taken up with grading for a few days beginning at the end of the week and into next week.  I'm not taking the heavy hstuff info home.   My coteachers can help some, so instead of having 175 to grade I may have 120 or so.  At 3 minutes per, that is 6 hours.  2 hours at a time, that will take 3 late afternoons.  Baby steps......

[Deep Blue]

Oh Jdog,
If I had a dollar for every time I calculated how much time it would take to grade papers, I probably wouldn't need to teach ha ha. 

Do you like having a coteacher?

I was with you and didn't sleep last night.  I didn't sleep because my son's fever and then he threw up all in his bed. 

Maybe baby scoots instead of baby steps?     We had 3 teachers on scooters last year.  One had a broken ankle, one torn Achilles and I forget what happened with the other one.

Get well soon 

[Jdog]

Baby scoots!  Love it!  I took a fall from my scooter in my classroom due to trying to reach inside a cabinet and the dang wheels went out from under me.  My coteacher ordered me to SIT DOWN.  I love her.  We have different talents and are friends outside the classroom.  She is a new teacher so there's the fun of sharing strategies with a newer teacher.  And she is a SPED teacher, so I learn about how to modify lessons to everyone's benefit. 

Sorry the little guy was so sick. 

[Deep Blue]

Jdog,
I think your coteacher sounds like my cup of tea.  Anyone that gets you to take care of yourself is alright in my book 👌   

I am a bit nerdy and love writing new lessons.  Ha ha, I like working on modifying them to meet the needs of all students too.  I guess am an oddball there but we all have our various strengths as well.

Sending you a good Tuesday hug 

[Jdog]

Hugs to you both, BH and DB.  Yes, having someone who wants me to take better care of me is a delight to have around.  You both brighten my day as well and I like reading your writings so much!

DB, we are nerds of a feather!  BH, I hope my spirit is as indominatable as you suppose it to be!  Love you both!

[Jdog]

Haha, thanks BH.   I love word play and engage in it as often as possible.

[Jdog]

I now know what it's like to be on the other side of a liberal-conservative issue.  Last night, I spoke up at our school board meeting in favor of continuing the contract between our district and the police department to allow our School Resource Officers (SROs) to maintain a presence at our high schools.  We are a rather large district, with 43,000 students.  In my 24 years of teaching, I have had numerous occassions to refer a student to one of the officers so that he or she could safely handle a student suspected of being inebriated or in some other bad situation.  I know that there have been several cases in which a student has come to school with a weapon.  All of these things have been handled in such a way to allow the school day to continue smoothly. 

And yet, there is the idea that because some cops are biased against various ethnicities, all are bad.  That somehow, kids are so afraid of someone in a uniform that they skip school.  In fact, our officers help with truancy sweeps.  I have never heard of one of my students feeling afraid of our SRO.  The SROs are hand selected by our head of security specifically because they care about kids.  They undergo extensive sensitivity training around issues to do with mental health, LGBTQ, and at risk students of all types. 

There were 14 of us who spoke up about either continuing or cancelling the contract with SROs.  I told my truth - as a 24 year teaching veteran, 13 years at the same school, 10 years a mentor to the LGBTQI group, I feel much safer officer on campus.  I can't imagine going to work in an urban high school that has no trained officer to help diffuse tricky situations.  SROs don't recommend suspension, don't advise administrators in any way in regards to punishment.  I am a liberal, through and through.  And I know that some kids are more at risk for heading to juvenile hall and jail as adults.  But I cannot blame our kindly school officer for this.  I understand that a major risk factor for kids ending in incarceration is not being able to read at grade level.  This precipitates acting out behavior.  I feel that the statistics which make it seem that SROs cause so-called school to prison pipeline are conflating various factors.  Not saying that somewhere there isn't a bad SRO.  But I now that all of my staff members and likely the entire community surrounding the school is glad  we have a uniformed officer at the ready.

This is a long post.  I am tired.  But I am not a knee-jerk liberal, or someone who wants to believe every set of statistics, no matter how many times they are quoted.  I guess it's a call to action for me.  I can go back to some of the organizations with which I affiliate and have some difficult conversations around race and class and gender and how they intersect in the real world, which is sometimes dangerous. 

[Deep Blue]

Jdog,
That's so great that you did that.  I have no doubt that you spoke your mind clearly and that people heard you. 

I agree with you very much.  We have a new SRO this year and I desperately miss the one we had the last 4 years.  He was wonderful, sensitive and really did well with students.  He was so good that he has moved up.  He was given a special promotion and is working with the whole city to make schools safer.

Our new one isn't my favorite.  I've only had 1 encounter with him and he dismissed me as a "female teacher."

The good SROs make such a positive difference

[Jdog]

Thanks, loyal friends. 

Deep Blue- it pains me that an SRO ( or anyone) would dismiss you as a "female teacher".  What the hey?  Is he from the Stone Age?  And yes, the good ones make such a difference!

BeHea1thy-

Thanks for the kudos.  I think that the board will decide in November.

I had a chance to thank the school board member from my school's area for the outstanding job she did speaking out on behalf of the SROs.  She and our Superintendent were in front of the high school today because we had our annual Homecoming Parade.  I actually didn't want to talk with the Superintendent since there is a lot of controversy over how he is handling our budget crisis....but I sucked it up and made nice to him.  He makes more money than our state governor but refuses to take a pay cut even though we are deeply in debt.  Sigh. 

[Deep Blue]

Wow! What a jerk face!

That was probably smart to be nice to him.  Anyone in that position who refuses to take a pay cut sounds like a sociopath.  I would steer clear of him because no doubt he probably holds grudges too. 

Have a safe weekend 

[sanmagic7]

jdog, it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job of letting your voice be heard for very important issues.  yeah, having to 'play nice' with someone you don't respect just sucks, but there are times when it's the lesser of 2 evils.  advocacy for what's right can take some weird turns at times.  well done on navigating those waters.  love and hugs to you, sweetie.

[Jdog]

I agree.  Thank you, San.  I'm feeling glad to be able to use my voice for good, but it's also triggering me in the fact that even contemplating violence at school makes me feel unsafe.  It's all kind of related to abandonment and being unprotected when I needed it most.  Sigh.  Rising out of the ashes may be grand but the feathers still get a bit burned...