Life of a Substitute Teacher

when the world changes

2006-07-13T22:33:00.000-05:00

I don't know what to think. A year ago today, I was looking forward to my student teaching at CHS, looking forward to graduating from college, and looking forward to starting a high school band director job. My grandmother and I would talk daily about teaching. My hardest decision was if my MM would be in conducting, educatio, or composition. I knew where I was and where I was going. That was a year ago.

Since then, my mentor is in Germany, my other mentor is now at another university. I haven't found a job, and am in fact about ready to give up and go back to school if I don't find anything soon. I have the name of a contact person who can help get me in touch with the right people if I want to pursue studies in the med school prerequisite classes (you don't have to be a pre-med major to go to med school, just have a high enough GPA in ten classes, a good MCAT score, and a bachelor's degree). Oh, and try as I might, I can no longer pick up the phone and call my grandmother whenever I want to as she passed on last month.

My life has changed completely. When I entered college, when I graduated college, I knew where I was going. But now, I no longer do. What happened?

For starters, I didn't plan right. I knew what I wanted educationally, but not professionally, and quite frankly, I still don't. I know I love teaching music, conducting, composing, and performing, but I also know that this is just the start of where I want to be professionally. I also know that, try as I might, I am getting no where in this job search. I've sent out over 50 resumes, and have only had one interview for a job I really didn't want as it went against everything I stood for in music education.

Second, I let the need to fulfill a goal get in the way of the need to change that goal to something else. Had I realized all this four years ago, I could have easily taken those ten classes in place of the second major I was pursuing.

Third/Final,life is changing so much, and it's gone so far away from what I originally planned for it to be; I guess you can never set the future in stone though. I guess taking an unexpected turn can be good, but at the same time, it is hard to abandon dreams that I still wish to fulfill. What do I really want to do? Teach music, conduct, compose, be able to treat/diagnose musicians with problems related to their professions. How do I do that though? I would need a DMA as well as an MD. I'd be in debt forever.

Reservations about No Reservations

2006-06-19T22:53:00.000-05:00

I have to stop watching travel shows. I do not have the money yet to go to the places I see depicted on the Travel Channel, such as, oh, Indonesia. I want to go there, experience it, and part of me wants to indulge in the culture. I've already fallen in love with the region, long before I really saw anything about it ever. I bought a bamboo windchime in college at an import store, made in Indonesia. Fell in love with it. Are you asking about the Noah Bell? That's from India. Both are places I now want to go to, even for a summer. So tonight, while watching Anthony Bourdain on television in a little cabin on a lake, the cameraman showed a set of windchimes. The same windchimes I am holding in my hand right now (or will be when I'm done typing this sentence).

But alas, I cannot go there yet. I know I've always been a person to ask someone else, "Why are you making excuses?" but this is an instance where I need to do so. I do not have the money to go there yet. So, why am I instead downloading music from Indonesia and India on iTunes? Because right now it's the closest I'll get to those countries.

~~~~~

Okay, I knew those hooks in my ceiling from a lamp when I was a kid would come in handy - one is holding the Indonesian bamboo windchimes while the other is holding the Noah Bell. I just have to be careful how I move in this room while writing and composing as any small movement will start a cacophony of bells. Beautiful.

~~~~~

If you are wondering where Indonesia is, it is a chain of islands north-west of Australia, between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is in the same neck of the woods as Borneo (remember Survivor?) and Papua New Guiana (Going Tribal on Travel Channel).

~~~~~

So why am I so enamored with the music of Indonesia? Other than I have fallen in love with it? There is so much of it, so many varieties of cultures. Search for the term "Music of Indonesia" in iTunes and you will get back 150 results, with even more results if you click on individual albums, all catalogued and published by The Smithsonian Institute. I don't know where to begin on downloads, and am afraid that I will miss something. I know that I can come back to it at any point, but I want it all now. I love it.

My heart is at home, but my spirit wanders the world!

2006-06-12T22:22:00.000-05:00

Just got done watching Anothony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel, and I have to say that I am once again struck by the beauty and simplicity of a foreign culture (is the word "foreign" easier to spell in another language? What about "language?"). He had a travel guide this time from his office in New York, and she was my age about, so he ended up doing a lot of the things she wanted to do: party, play in arcades, karaoke (he didn't sing though - or at least they didn't show it). They showed a kimchi factory. Beautiful. That mixed with some crab and some raman noodles, and add some onion and celery too, and you have a meal. Love the stuff, but don't think I'll be making it anytime soon - I don't trust my cooking that much (and I've seen my relatives try sauer kraut - same method/basic principle, slightly different culture/ingredients).

Kimchi Recipe (if you dare!) from http://www.davidtinney.net/korean-kimchi-recipe.html. There are many varieties, and if in doubt, just go to your nearest oriental grocer.

Kimchi Recipe:
2 Chinese cabbages
5-10 spring onions
Sea salt or other non-iodized salt, at least 100 g
4 heaped tablespoons (about 20 g) Korean chili powder
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoonfuls sugar, any kind
Tablespoonful kim chi sauce
Small piece of ginger (5 g), crushed, or teaspoonful powdered ginger
Half an onion (optional)

Method:

Rinse the cabbages, then quarter them lengthwise, discard the stems, and then chop the cabbages laterally, which should leave you with the largest pieces measuring perhaps 5 cm on a side. Don't get too carried away while doing this.

Now that we have lots of little bits of cabbage, it's time to salt them. Place the cabbage in a clean plastic bag or equivalent and sprinkle salt over each layer. The best kind of salt is sea salt, although non-iodized table salt will do. This will create a brine solution with the cabbage juice.
To ensure the cabbage is properly salted, sprinkle salt onto your wet hands, then rub it into the cabbage pieces. Press the leaves in your hand to squeeze as much water out of them as possible. Once finished, tie up the bag and set it aside for 5-6 hours. Check it after three hours to ensure that everything is all right, stirring the mixture if necessary.

Take the cabbage out of the salt solution and rinse it if necessary. It should be a lot softer than it was. Again, remove surplus water. Place cabbage in a sealable plastic box. Add the spring onions, chopped into small pieces. Crush the garlic and ginger in a press and mix in. You may also add half an onion, finely diced, if you wish.

It is also recommended to add kim chi sauce. This is the only ingredient that you can't always buy at a non-Korean supermarket. There are several different kinds, many of which contain fish or other seafood such as oysters. You only need one tablespoonful.

Add the chili powder. It is possible to use other kinds of chili powder; if you use hot chili powder, you should reduce the amount. Add two tablespoonfuls of sugar.

Mash the chili powder into the leaves as you did in much the same way with the salt. If the color doesn't seem dark enough, add more chili powder. It's a good idea to wear gloves while doing this.

Put the containers aside for three days.

Finally the kimchi is ready. It should be soft in consistency, but not too mushy, with a little crunchiness left in the larger pieces. You can eat it as is, or use it in your favorite Korean recipes and it makes a great stir fry, too.

Writing Blog

2006-05-31T15:15:00.000-05:00

For all those interested, I've created a writing blog to post drafts of things I've written or I am writing. In some cases, these are just exercises or ramblings, in other cases they are chapters part of larger works. Some are non-fiction, some are fiction, some are even fan-fic (only so I can write something quickly to practice).

Please feel free to read through it (and comment on the writing!):

http://arizonamyrie3.blogspot.com/

How did I go in this direction?

2006-05-31T01:32:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've updated, and my hands are already tired from typing the last several days, and scribbling with a pencil when I've been away from my computer. Still teaching at DMS - won't change that part of my life if I can help it. I love it there. Showed our guitar instructor Finale today, and he's hooked.

Finished subbing a long time ago, and found myself with extra time on my hands. So, I wrote several outlines for small stories that will probably never go anywhere. Then, I started editing a story about a necklace - it's more interesting if you know more, maybe I'll post part of it here. Then, I thought of additional characters for that short story, and what was once a ten page story is now thirty pages and three chapters long. I've outlined the general plot of where I want to go with the story, and I just want to keep working. I love boredom! Now, it's one-thirty in the morning and I know I should get sleep, but my mind keeps weaving the story on me. I love it. I know I need to sleep, but thankfully, my family knows that when the creative bug hits, it keeps me awake all night long (I lose the rhythm once I stop - I guess I'll lose it when I go back).

It's the same feeling I felt from composing, only less work and instant gratification when I go back and read the work I've done. Need to stop though or I will lose the feeling in my hands from too much typing!

culture shock

2006-04-28T23:33:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been awhile since an actual post, and the long-term sub position has come and gone. In the meantime, I've become addicted to Travel Channel and the Documentary Channel on sattelite - more specifically shows that force you to become part of another culture, even if momentarily. Like, I found a clip of Anthony Bourdain on Travel Channel where he is in Indonesia and is obviously about to snark on something, when, there is suddenly the Islamic call to prayer from a nearby Mosque. All of a sudden, another Mosque starts with its call, and soon, AB is telling us how he is hearing five separate calls at once. I love the sound of the call to prayer - it reminds me of Saturdays in college when I would go to the import stores and linger with the other students there listening to NPR and talking politics, culture, and anything else intellectual. I joined the Comparative Religions group that way. Whenever I hear the call to prayer on TV or anywhere else (where else would I hear it in my life in this country right now?) I can smell the incense and feel the quiet reverence for another culture - one that is not my own and will never be as I am an American.

I went on iTunes just now and searched the term "Call to Prayer" and had country, rock, and even jazz music come up. I have some world music on there, from Iran and India, yet I know that none of it comes close to what I want to hear - the actual call itself.

Listening to the thirty-second snippets online of what "Americans" (I use the term as a stereotype for this sentence) assume to be a "call to prayer" brings me into perspective on what our culture is, but I cannot define it with mere words. Everything on there that I listened to originated with a musician in the US. Nothing showed the reverence and mystery of another culture at all (with a small exception to Wynton Marsalis whose clip I almost bought).

Hearing the call to prayer seems to remind me, beyond the Saturdays in college, of the fact that I am not right now part of something bigger. I feel isolated in our capitalist culture at the moment, isolated from free mystery and free piety. I feel isolated from freedom from propoganda and advertisement. We're never really free from any of that in this world, but still, I want to know what it would be like to wake up early in the morning to have to take care of my family while my husband tended the fields. I want to know what other peoples' lives are like in foreign (eg: not USA) cultures. Watching these "adventure" shows gives me a glimpse.

Another thing - the travel shows in general. Most of the shows that I've seen show an American as a tourist, looking for that little treasure to take back to show their neighbors in the rural or suburban US. That little snow globe in the mouse trap or something (another AB ad here). So much of our middle class US culture is about getting those treasures to show off to our peers. But, what if it was different? What if we traveled for the sake of learning about another culture? True, go to England on a US tour-group tour and you see the culture. But, you eat at McDonalds, sleep at a Hilton, and watch CBS and CNN on TV (oh, and travel on a Greyhound bus). Travel is different. You give control of your life over to the people that live where you are visiting. You trust them to take you in and keep you safe. They trust you to follow their lead. And it is all good. I want that. I want the adventure of meeting a stranger who will guide me into their culture. Show me what it is like to be an outsider to the US looking in and see what I've been missing all these years. Give me a life lesson that I will be humbled by and learn from.

We're all part of something bigger. Right now it's 11:47 in my time zone. Everyone else in my family has gone to sleep except for me - this probably includes my cousins in other time zones as well (except those in Las Vegas). The "world" around me is assuming that it is night and everyone is going to bed. However, a mile from here, the night shift workers are less than one hour into their shift. A country away from here, it is thirty degrees warmer/cooler (depending which direction you travel). Across the globe, a woman is preparing rice for a noon meal for her children. Somewhere else, a young boy looks up at the sky while tending to a field. Somewhere else, an elderly man holds the hand of his dying wife with his children looking on. This is life at its most basic levels of survival, and I want to take part in that.

There is a give and take in life however. Would I give up my nice comfortable bed? Not easily. Change my diet to suddenly eat red meat again? I'd rather go to India and blend in with the Hindi. Eat a raw seal? I already eat raw tuna. I call that sushi! I eat wasabi too. It's my preferable condiment, along with soy sauce. At the end of the day, even if it's the worst day of my life, would I give up the creature comforts I've grown accustomed to in the US? Maybe not, but I wouldn't know until I've tried.

I'm ready to try something new. I've been ready since I knew that I finished college. For so long I've lived by the ideals I and my relatives have created for me, and never really got the chance to see who I really am. Now, I'm discovering a new side to me. I'm discovering that adventure really does exist outside of movies - you just have to allow yourself to give control of your life momentarily over to someone completely different from you. Allow yourself to immerse into something new. That's an adventure.

Now to find that call to prayer...

Testing, Testing, One, Two...

2006-04-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, so this is just a cheesy post so I can try to do something else somewhere else. Hopefully my lack of knowledge of this will work!

for the TWoP Pixel Challenge #224 - Celebrity Cooking Challenge - two of the snarkiest shows on television!

Jury Duty Update

2006-03-28T00:05:00.000-06:00

It's the last week in March of 2006 and I have yet to recieve a jury summons. I am in the clear!

Spring Break

2006-03-27T23:53:00.000-06:00

I've officially past the half-way point in my placements at WMS and I am in love with this profession. The students have been wonderful, despite losing my voice a couple of times, and it has truly been a good learning experience so far. The baby meanwhile came a week early and I ended up subbing for two teachers at the same time for an entire week! I at first thought it meant extra money, but it now turns out that the district doesn't pay extra to subs for subbing in-house for another teacher. Oh well. I can't complain though because my principal has found a way for me to keep the higher pay rate when I start the second post.

Saturday was the Solo and Ensemble at CHS and all of my private students from DMS are going to state! I'm thrilled. I spent the day working in the office verifying scores and entering them into the computer. I would have helped pick up ratings sheets, however, a recent injury has me on crutches. I'd much rather be in pain and active than be laid up ill or injured.

Awesome news from Saturday though - I got home that night and there was a big manilla envelope from the Wisconsin DPI with my name on it. Guess what was in it? My brand new shiny teaching license!!! Getting that in the mail has officially made me more relaxed about finding and applying for jobs because I officially have that piece of paper in my hands now that says that I am legally able to teach in a classroom. It's just that extra step towards my career.

So, it's a Monday night and nearly midnight besides. Why am I posting so late? It's Spring Break where I'm subbing, and I'm enjoying this break in the schedule and lesson planning (Shoot! I didn't do my lesson plans on Friday before I left!!! That's what I forgot to do!!!) although it means a week to play catch up in other areas of my life, including e-mail friends I haven't seen in ages, which is my next task...

I shouldn't have had all that coffee...

proving I waste way too much time in the morning...

2006-02-27T06:30:00.000-06:00

Put an X by the movies you've seen. If you get more than 70, you're a true movie junkie.

Here are my results:

(x)Pirates of the Caribbean
(x)Boondock Saints
(x)The Mexican
(x)Fight Club
( )Starsky and Hutch
(x)Neverending Story
(x)Blazing Saddles
( )Garden State
(x)The Princess Bride
(x)Young Frankenstien
( )AnchorMan
(x)Napoleon Dynamite
( )Saw
(x)White Noise
(x)White Oleander
(x)Anger Management
total here: 12

( )50 First Dates
( )Jason
( )Scream
( )Scream 2
( )Scream 3
(x)Scary Movie
( )Scary Movie 2
( )Scary Movie 3
(x)American Pie
( )American Pie 2
( )American Wedding
(x)Harry Potter
(x)Harry Potter 2
(x)Harry Potter 3
( )Harry Potter 4
( )Resident Evil I
( )Resident Evil 2
(x)The Wedding Singer
( )Little Black Book
total here: 6

(x)The Village
( )Donnie Darko
(x)Lilo & Stitch
(x)Finding Nemo
(x)Finding Neverland
( )13 Ghosts
(x)Signs
( )The Grinch
(x)Texas Chainsaw Masscare
( )White Chicks
(x)Butterfly Effect
(x)Thirteen going on 30
( ) I,Robot
( )Dodgeball
( )Universal Soldier
( )A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( )Along Came A Spider
(x)Deep impact
total here: 9

(x)KingPin
(x)Never Been Kissed
(x)Meet The Parents
( )Meet the Fockers
( )Eight Crazy Nights
(x)A Cinderella Story
( )The Terminal
( )The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( )Passport to Paris
(x)Dumb & Dumber
(x)Final Destination
(x)Final Destination 2
( ) Halloween
( )The Ring
( )The Ring 2
(x)Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
(x)Practical Magic
(x)Chicago
( )Ghost Ship
( )From Hell
( )Hellboy
(x)Secret Window
( )I Am Sam
( )The Whole Nine Yards
( )The Whole Ten Yards
( )The Day After Tomorrow
( )Child's Play
( )Bride Of Chucky
(x)Ten Things I Hate About You
( )Just Married
( )Gothika
(x)Nightmare on Elm Street
(x)Sixteen Candles
( )Bad Boys
( )Bad Boys 2
( )Joy Ride
( )Seven
( )Oceans Eleven
( )Oceans Twelve
( )Identity
total here: 14

( )Lone Star
( )Predator I
( )Predator II
(x)Independence day
( )Cujo
( )Bronx Tale
( )Darkness Falls
( )Christine
(x)ET
( )Children of the Corn
( )My Boss' Daughter
( )Maid in Manhattan
( )Frailty
( )Best Bet
(x)How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x)She's All That
(x)Calendar Girls
( )Sideways
(x)Mars Attacks
total here: 6

(x)Event Horizon
( )Ever After
(x)Forrest Gump
( )Big Trouble in Little China
( )X-men 1
( )X-men 2
( )Catch Me If You Can
(x)The Others
(x)Freaky Friday
( )Reign of Fire
( )The Hot Chick
( )Swimfan
( )Miracle
( )Old School
( )Ray
(x)The Notebook
(x)K-Pax
total here: 6

(x)Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(x)Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(x)Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
( )A Walk to Remember
( )Boogeyman
( )Hitch
(x)The Fifth Element
(x)Star Wars episode I: The Phantom Menace
( )Star Wars episode II: Attack of The Clones
( )Star Wars episode III: Revenge of The Sith
(x)Star Wars episode IV: A New Hope
(x)Star Wars episode V: Empire Strikes Back
(x)Star Wars episode VI: Return of The Jedi
( )Troop Beverly Hills
( )Swimming with Sharks
(x)Air Force One
( )For Richer or Poorer
( )Trainspotting
( )People Under the Stairs
( )Blue Velvet
(x)Sound of Music
(x)Parent Trap
( )The Burbs
(x)The Terminator
( )Empire Records
( )SLC Punk
(x)Meet Joe Black
( )Wild Girls
( )A Clockwork Orange
( )The Order
(x)Spiderman
(x)Spiderman 2
(x)Amelie
total here: 16

( )Mean Girls
(x)Shrek
( )Shrek 2
( )The Incredibles
( )Collateral
(x)The Fast & The Furious
(x)2 Fast 2 Furious
( )Sky Captain Of The World Of Tomorrow
( )Closer
total here: 3

(x)Titanic
( )Saved!
(x)Bowling for Columbine
(x)Farenheit 9/11
(x)The Sixth Sense
(x)Artificial Intelligence (AI)
(x)Love Actually
( )Shutter
(x)Ella Enchanted
(x)Princess Diaries
( )Princess Diaries 2
( )Constantine
(x)Million Dollar Baby
( )Envy
( )Eurotrip
( )Malibu's Most Wanted
(x)Big Daddy
( )Black Sheep
(x)The Breakfast Club
(x)West Side Story
total here: 12

(x)A Christmas Story
(x)Spanglish
(x)Pulp Fiction
( )Sleepover
( )The Evil Dead
( )Killer Klowns From Outer Space
( )The Seed of Chucky
( )Vanilla Sky
(x)Nightmare Before Christmas
(x)Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
(x)Interview With The Vampire
(x)The Crow
( )Purple Rain
( )Reservoir Dogs
(x)Wayne's World
total here: 8

(x)Wayne's World 2
( )21 Grams
( )Blow
(x)Edward Scissorhands
( )Clerks
(x)Beauty and the Beast
( )Guess Who
( )Monster in-law
( )Elf
(x)Stuart Little
(x)Stuart Little 2
( )Mall Rats
( )Chasing Amy
(x)Dogma
(x)Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
total here: 7

(x)Beetlejuice
(x)The Last Samurai
( )The Amityville Horror
(x)The Aviator
(x)Romeo and Juliet
( )Barbershop
( )Beauty Shop
(x)Legally Blonde
(x)Legally Blonde 2
( )The Forgotten
( )Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
( )The Grudge
Total here: 6

Total : 105

Not nearly as much as the person who e-mailed this to me, plus, having just graduated from college and having been unemployed for a month needs to count for about thirty to forty of the list.

That Feeling...

2006-02-19T15:30:00.000-06:00

The first time I observed at CHS, I had that feeling, the feeling that told me that being in the building was good for me somehow. Then, SCT approved me to student teach. And now, he's officially announced his retirement.

SCT is actually retiring and several parents and students have made me promise to apply for his job.

Wow!

Can't Sleep --- Impending Snow Day

2006-02-16T01:54:00.000-06:00

According to a news article by Barbara Walters on ABC, here are the top five germiest jobs:

5.) Doctor
4.) Radio DJ (??)
3.) Banker
2.) Accountant
1.) Teacher

-----------------------------------

With that said, I began my new job today at the middle school, and I was nervous until my first rehearsal, which for me was my best middle school rehearsal ever. I was still a little wordy, but better. My conducting was clean (SCT if you're reading this, notice that). The teachers there (three total!!!) have worked out a system of communication that allow the students to know when they are ready to start and when they demand attention, and it really works. We didn't have these at CHS/CMS and I could tell a big difference.

Today was the second of two get to know you days, with Friday being my first day as a sub at the school. Good news is I get paid for today and even had full privileges as a teacher in the building. I even get my own keys and my own e-mail address!!! And my own desk!!! Still share an office though.

Thus begins the first of two band placements at this school. If only getting a full time job for fall was this easy!

-----------------------------------

Meanwhile, the city I am in is projected to recieve 10 to 12 inches of snow in the next twenty-four hours. At the end of the day today as the teachers were getting ready to leave, the secretary came on and told the staff to have their emergency phone trees ready and the ringers on their phones on. One of the other teachers looked at me and said "Well, we're closed tomorrow," and started clearing off her desk for me.

A snow day always excites me, even if I don't have to work, because I know my students are excited for this.

Weather Channel predicts only 6 to 10 inches, so maybe the central line of the storm has moved south. It did say though that the snow would not let up until 10 am Friday morning. Yay!!!

We're finally getting snow in Wisconsin!!!

Blizzard update

2006-02-16T20:53:00.000-06:00

Only four school districts in our general area were open today, and all four closed early.

It's still snowing, and temperatures are now plummeting. We'll still probably have school tomorrow at WMS, but it might be a delay. Just a gut instinct.

Blizzard

2006-02-16T17:03:00.000-06:00

The blizzard warning we are in until midnight was cute up until I saw my father using both his and MY computer to play Civilization on (almost freezing mine as I was still logged on at the same time and using several applications). This was after he decided to dump spoiled food down the toilet as he hasn't repaired the disposal. Now, my room smells like a combination of spoiled food and guy-b.o. but it's the only place in the house that's quiet.

Over 100 schools were closed today, including area four-year universities that never close.

I'm stuck here.

For a long time.

Or at least until the police department says we can drive on city streets again.

2006-02-16T02:18:00.000-06:00

All of our area news networks have their "School Closings" pages and systems ready!!!

Civil Service Strikes Again

2006-02-03T10:44:00.000-06:00

It is the dawn of a new day (well, somewhere), and I now get to face the reality of the letter I recieved yesterday: jury duty. Well, I had anticipated this at some point in the last year since I recieved a letter in early February 2005 to fill out the official questionaire for the county, however, just my luck that I'd get called at some point.

Last year I managed to write a letter to the judges asking to be removed from the list until I finished college. Well, I've graduated and now that I'm just starting a part-time subbing job, I get called to civil service.

I'm glad that I'm getting the chance to serve, but, why can't I get called in June. Or July. I'd even volunteer for this during the summer months.

Just not at the start of a new job!!!

Unschooling Continued - Direct Response to CNN Article

2006-02-02T15:19:00.000-06:00

Setup: There is an article at CNN about Unschooling, a new trend that is sweeping the world of home-schooling, which is already a controversial topic in the world of education. I suggest you read this article before you read any further below.

This is my direct response to the article itself, and the comments made within it. Quotes from the article are in bold/italic typeset. My responses are in a normal typeset.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't want to sound pompous, but I think I am learning a little bit more, because I can just do everything at my own pace," said Naliah Ellis, a 10-year old from Marietta, Georgia, who has been unschooled for most of her life.

While she is correct to say that she is able to learn things at her own pace, there is no real way to assess how well she is learning what she is learning about. Without a curriculum, there is no way to create a system to measure what the child is learning about or what he/she may need to improve upon. Testing in our schools, home schooling included, is done to see how effectively a student has learned a subject and a teacher has taught that same subject.

Another aspect of this statement is that as a ten year old, she has not yet needed to make the right of passage from elementary school to middle school, a passage that many student need help with. True, eliminating schooling in general will make sure that she cannot fail at middle school, it will also make sure that she cannot succeed in that type of setting. There are published studies available from the US Department of Education concerning bridging this gap. There is a problem at this age in switching analysis of reading from analyzing fiction to analyzing non-fiction. This is one of the main problems with the middle school system at this point in time that qualified teachers across the nation are addressing.

Naliah's day starts about 11 am., her typical wake-up time.

While some studies have shown that childrens' and adolescents' body clocks differ from the schedules kept by a majority of schools, learning to adapt to the corporate work-day is extremely important for success in life after school.

She studies Chinese, reading, writing, piano, and martial arts.

While I agree that these are all important subjects, there are three mainlined areas of the standard curriculum missing: science, math, and social studies. While studying Chinese could include the social issues surrounding people living in China, it often is assumed to mean, "studying Chinese language." Math and science are two key areas that our country needs to catch up on, and while it is possible that she has been assessed as being highly gifted in these two areas, more than likey she is not.

Educational psychology also dictates that a student, if given the opportunity, will only work hard at subjects they are good at, therefore improving confidence in those subjects and decreasing skills in the subjects that are a challenge. If Naliah is indeed creating her own curriculum, then she is not really able to learn about math and science.

She works on what she wants, when she wants.

While this may be okay from an outside observer's perspective, and for a part of her day, there lies a problem in that part of the job of an educator is to teach the child how to fit into our society and culture. A good part of our culture is dicated by routines and schedules. You get up at a certain time to go to work, take your break at a certain time, leave at a certain time. If you need to go somewhere, that is scheduled into your day as well. Occurances like jury duty are scheduled ahead of time as well. We need to learn to live with a schedule as a majority of our culture does.

She'll even watch some TV - science documentaries are a favorite...

While I am not against TV nor am I against Naliah watching documentaries, the fact that she is watching these shows that she is starved for knowledge. The act of watching the documentary is providing her with the curriculum that she is being denied by her unschooling. There is an obvious interest in this subject area that cannot be explored further in her current educational setting. If she does wish to explore this further, she must ask someone she knows to explain it, and at this point I would hope her mother would be able to or least take her to the library to do so.

...until her day comes to an end at 2 a.m.

Why on earth would a ten year old be allowed to be up at this time? What could possibly be this important that she could do other than watch the drunkards going home from the bars? Music cannot be practiced at this time of day due to noise ordinances and the common decency of allowing people to sleep, unless they live in the country. Reading is okay at this time, and studying school subjects as well. But, how often are we adults faced with finding something to do at this time of day?

Another point against this is the fact that our bodies were designed by nature to follow the flow of the sun. The lack of light signals our bodies to become tired and we sleep, the introduction of light reversely wakes us up. Stormy days are evidence to this fact; we are more tired on days with less light than those with more. Seasonal Adjustment Disorder is another example of this problem. Nothing good can really come from allowing a child to stay up until two in the morning.

[Holt] believed parents should not duplicate school in their homes.

This is a statement that I agree with. Parents really shouldn't duplicate schools in their homes unless they themselves live in a school. Unless a parent is fully trained in education, and qualified enough to teach all the subjects that they will teach, then they should not turn their dining rooms into a classroom. Part of the No Child Left Behind Act stipulates that a teacher, including all special education teachers, is certified to teach all subjects that they teach. This is also part of the fair and equal education laws that dictates that a child be able to recieve an education that is fair and equal to the education of every other child within a jurisdiction, whether that be local or federal. By duplicating a school within the home, the parents are going against federal and state laws that protect their child's education.

There are no mandatory books, no curriculum, no tests and no grades. Naliah's parents are in touch with the local school district and she takes the district's required tests.

Generally, these "required tests" are the same tests mandated by No Child Left Behind and are basic proficiency exams. It is good that the local school system is weighing in on Naliah's education, becuase otherwise, she would not be recieving any.

The addition of tests and measurements however is in direct contradition to the idea of a lack of curriculum. There has to be some guidelines set up that Naliah has to work towards, otherwise she would be unable to pass these required tests.

But proponents of the public education system suggest these children may be missing a key part of the educational experience. "There is nothing like the texture of kids having contact with each other, making friends and relating to different adults in a school setting." said David Tokofsky, a longtime educator and member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education.

This is one of the main arguments used against home-schooling. Indeed, there is nothing like the experiences gained in school, however, there are still alternative arguments to this.

One argument is the fact that parents already pay school taxes, and their money is going to support this school that their children are not using. It's throwing away money. Another argument comes in the fact that parents are voting for elected officials in the school board to represent their voices for the common good of the educational system. These parents, between voting and paying taxes, are still contributing to the public education system without participating in it. Their loss? Somewhat. At least in Wisconsin, these same parents are still able to send their children to school "a la carte": they can pick and choose what classes their children will attend and teach the rest at home; taking the best and leaving the rest. Children learning within these settings then need to adapt to two separate mindsets: the idea of following the schedule at school, and the lack of one at home.

Naliah, who would be in 4th grade if she attended a regular school, seems to enjoy the "unschooled" lifestyle, even if she's a bit confused when asked what exactly she is learning. "I actually don't know what I'm learning," Naliah said. "I think I'm just having a good time."

While enjoying the act of learning is important to the actual learning process, Naliah still needs to be able to identify what she knows. She would probably say she knows how to play piano, and she knows how to read. She knows she can speak some Chinese, and she can earn a belt in her martial arts. However, without tests of form beyond those required by a school system, a child cannot fully grasp what they have learned and how far they have grown.

--------------------------------------------------------------

My Conclusion:

Overall, there are more scientific studies to prove that this does not work as compared to those that prove otherwise. I am appalled that there are actually people out there who think that it is allowable for a child to do this to herself. Unless Naliah is the exception, and I highly doubt that she is, then she and her parents are causing her more harm than good. This cannot lead her to a successful adulthood that is an integral part of our society and culture. There are multiple aims of schools in our country, one is to educate, and another is to prepare the child for their life as a contributing member of our society. Unschooling can do neither.

As an individual responding to this article, and not an educator, I feel the need to express my opinion that there is also a high risk that the child could easily become lazy. She is missing the experiences of school that lead to good memories from youth. She is missing out on sports and music classes. She is missing out on learning opinions beyond what her parents are influencing her to think. She is missing out on a life beyond just her family, a life that will shape who she will become, if she is allowed to succeed in the world.

Unschooling - The Art of Denying Education

2006-02-02T15:11:00.000-06:00

Just online again reading the news, and here's an interesting tidbit that I don't know how I feel about. A new educational trend is sweeping the home-schooling portion of our population: unschooling.

Unschooling is a form of homeschooling that has no curriculum and the child sets his/her pace and what he/she will learn about for the day. There is an article at CNN about it, and it will be on Anderson Cooper 360 tonight as well at 9 pm central time. The article discusses the pros of this type of schooling, which is very flexible for the child. However, it doesn't really delve into the cons of this teaching style.

For starters, we are educating our children in a middle class setting that teaches our children to eventually live in a middle class society that values structure and rules. If you are not teaching a child to follow a socially-set structure, he/she will have a harder time adapting later in life. Another con of the system is that the lack of curriculum will hinder learning in areas that does not interest the child. If a child never studies math, he/she will never learn how to deal with numbers, money, or taxes. There are also problems with the child learning how to behave in social settings and problems with socialization.

The article mentions how this child in particular only studies certain subjects: Chinese language, reading, writing, martial arts, and playing piano. While some of the activities she is learning about can cause development in other areas of the brain related to math and science, there is no real effort to pursue these subjects other than watching documentaries on television.

As a public educator, though young, I cannot see how this type of learning situation would benefit a majority of students in our country. While this could work for students who are highly gifted and cannot fit into our school socially, it does not work for the average or below average child.

Public education opens minds to the possibilities of other subjects that could be of interest to children. I have never met a child who has not discovered something new at school that they would have discovered on their own through unschooling. Home schooling is one thing, unschooling is completely different and with the exception of the rarest of cases, should not be used as a model for good educational practices.

Technology Withdrawal

2006-02-02T11:32:00.000-06:00

It's official, my generation is addicted to technology. From Anderson Cooper's blog:

"Ok, so I know I should blog earlier in the day, but I just got back from Washington, D.C., and due to my lack of organization, my BlackBerry wasn't charged, so I've been away from a computer all day. Needless to say, I arrived back in New York suffering from technology withdrawal. My hands were shaking, but now that they are dancing on the keyboard, the tremors have stopped."

And he's not the only one, just look at any college campus.

As Time Goes By

2006-02-02T11:08:00.000-06:00

Time spent in unemployment seems to move faster than time spent at work. It seems like ages ago that I had been hired as the long-term sub, and now I am just waiting; waiting for the call that says, "We need you here." Waiting for something to happen. Waiting until the day the new music education jobs are posted on our state government's website.

I have found new hobbies during my time off. My graduation present of a new camera has already come into great use; it is 5 megapixels and has 3x optical zoom - just what I've needed all along to enter amateur competitions. My other hobby is an offshoot of one I had been active in through college - writing. I suppose that writing a blog had never been enough for me, and now I've turned to writing fiction stories. I had been writing music throughout college and still do, however, writing in the English language shows results faster.

I've been following the news as well, reading the 9/11 Commission Report (the Executive Summary Pres. Bush read is easier and shorter to read; both are available online though), watching movies, and taking time for family.

One interesting tidbit I found in the Anderson Cooper 360 Blog was an entry by chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour about listening to rock music in Iran. Here is an excerpt:

"One day, I head underground to listen to...a ROCK BAND!!!! The next day, I head to the mosque to hear the young hardliners wax passionate about the Islamic revolution that happened in 1979, as if it were yesterday, praising the new conservative government for taking them back to those values.Many of these kids just want to play their music. They are not political, yet they have to play their music in secret."

It always amazes me how music transcends worlds; revolutions are often formed and defined by them, memories are made stonger in our minds. There is always music.

what specialty should I pursue?

2006-01-22T18:31:00.000-06:00

I know I've talked a lot about the possibility of going into performing arts medicine at one point or another, and I'm resolved to the fact that the idea will always be in the back of my mind (PAMA rocks). Now, I know that if I do make the switch, it is definately something that would work for me.

From the University of Virginia Health System's Medical Specialty Aptitude Test:

Rank - Specialty, Score:
1 - Physical Med and Rehabilitation, 48
2 - Occupational Medicine, 47
3 - Rheumatology, 46
4 - Nephrology, 46
5 - Endocrinology, 45
6 - Infectious Disease, 45
7 - Hematology, 45
8 - Pathology, 45
9 - Nuclear Medicine, 44
10 - Neurology, 44

What I find amazing is that the test did not actually ask about specifics of a medical career, but rather character traits of your personality such as how detail oriented you were or how quickly you liked to see results of something. What I find more interesting is that the only show I watch on TV is House, MD, and he's an infectious disease specialist and nephrologist who happens to enjoy playing piano.

Very intersting.

time for a name change

2006-01-21T09:42:00.000-06:00

Well, I looked at the date of my last post, and realized it was time to take a moment and update. I officially ended my career as a "student teacher" Wednesday at 3:16 pm, and it was an interesting way to end the day. We were having third hour jazz band, and half of the band and a few other random students came into the office, blocked the door, and said en masse, "You're not leaving." That in turn left me standing there with my bags and coat looking at them blocking my exit. I then had to negotiate for ten minutes as to why it was okay for me to leave finally saying, "I gave you all of my contact info - it will be easy for you to keep track of me!" That was apparantly enough to convince them that it was okay to let me go to DMS.

Overall, the semester went well and I really enjoyed all of it. As compared to other student teachers, I think that I had a much better time than a lot of them. True, there were moments where I was bored stiff, but I think placement in a larger program would keep me from that problem.

So, I titled this entry, "time for a name change," with a specific purpose - to state why the title will be what it will be (revealed at the bottom of this entry). About a week ago, I got an e-mail from the music department chair at the university I had been attending (don't think that I'm going to slip on this anonymity thing either!!!) stating that an area middle school was looking for a long-term sub in band. I responded to the e-mail, made contact, and within eight hours was offered an interview. More specifically, offered an interview without the teachers or administrator seeing my resume or other official documents I would send in. I scheduled the interview, and went to that Thursday morning - the first morning I was done with student teaching (in other words, to the students that are reading this - I did not party).

Long story short, I got a job, albeit a temporary and part-time one, the first day after I finished my placement - within twenty-four hours. I am now a substitute teacher for this area school district, and as of March, will be a long-term sub for band. They liked how I presented myself in the interview and with my resume (still at four pages) and my portfolio. They thought I was well-qualified. I think this was a big confidence booster to me.

The interview was interesting and nothing like other interviews I have had in the past. It was more like several music teachers meeting for the first time who all knew of each other through other music teacher; it was like that becuase that was exactly what it was.

I'm excited!!!

As of that statement, the name of this blog will now change to "Life of a Substitute Teacher."

three days left

2006-01-15T18:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I looked at the calendar and realized that the end is almost near - the end of my student teaching that is. I have three days left at CHS, and by finally writing this post, I am admitting that I will miss it greatly. I have developed a greater love of the profession over the last several months than I ever envisioned I would have. I also will miss my students greatly. There are several students whom I worry about, and hope they will succeed, but I cannot say. I will give them my e-mail address so that I can keep tabs on them to make sure that they have a support network behind them.

My duties at the school have waned as well. I am teaching a few lessons here and there now, with SCT taking over more of the responsibilities again. Now that I think about it, I've been teaching almost all of the lessons since early October, and I can see why - not having anything to do is hard.

Oh, good news!!! I have an interview for a long-term sub position at an area middle school this Thursday morning. I have been at the school a couple of times in the past few years, and I know at least two of the music teachers there. The teacher that I would be subbing for will be on maternity leave for six weeks. The position, if I am hired, will be part time, and I would be able to pursue other interests on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and half of Fridays. Two other people know about the position and may have applied, but I am not sure if either of them did.

Overall, the next few days will be incredibly bittersweet. On one hand, I am looking forward to finally being done and not having another teacher watch and critique my every move. On the other, I have forms close bonds with colleagues and students, and I will miss them greatly. It is hard to teach a lesson and know that I will not be able to hear/see that student's next lesson to see the improvement over the course of that one week. It is hard to know that I will not be accessible to these students who have come to me for help and someone trusting to listen to them. I am seriously going to miss them, and the few times I will see them this semester will still be hard, but I am looking forward to them.

no school today

2006-01-02T08:49:00.000-06:00

So, there I was, driving on the highway to school and wondering why I saw almost no cars and no school busses. I passed the point where I usually see a bus, but noticed I was running five minutes late, so I figured that's why I didn't see any. Then, I began to wonder some more, so I took out my cell phone and discovered I had four new voice messages from last night. The first one, from 5:13 this morning was a call to tell me that the administration closed the district for today's postal/bank holiday. The other three were from my mom who already had today off for the same reason they cancelled classes today. So, I now have the chance to burn those CDs for some of my students today.

Happy New Year 2006!

2006-01-01T20:37:00.000-06:00

Well, it is officially the new year, and I have fourteen days left of student teaching, fifteen if you include the night that I'll come back for pep band. I've been looking online for jobs, and right now, there's not much as it is the middle of the school year. However, I have once again been tempted by the US Peace Corps webpage; according to their webpage, I'm actually very well qualified to join and probably teach overseas. That would be very cool.

I'm also in the middle of working on my application for my Wisconsin teaching license. Well, more like finding the application as we were given full instructions at the university but not the application itself. This is odd as they told us that they could notarize the application that day if we brought it to them.

We go back to school tomorrow morning, bright and early despite it being a postal/bank holiday. I'm pretty sure it's a day 1, but I'll find out when we get there. Of course, the last week we were in session, Monday was a day 1 as well. I get the feeling that I'll be searching around for that answer for awhile.

Well, off to do a few more chores for the night.