Friday, November 21, 2014

You know I love my country boys

MAJOR PROPS TO TY HERNDON AND BILLY GILMAN. Both are beyond hot!!!




He should. His voice is incredible. And he's gay. And that's what Nashville needs.



And my favorite Ty Herndon song.



Cheryl Wright also deserves big props. She has been ousted from the country community and going a more alternative country route. She has a coming out bio story on Netflix.








Now we just need Kenny to come out!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Today Show vs. GMA

So I'm a morning news junkie. We know that. Often, when Mike is gone I'm up at 4am watching the KTLA Morning News as it comes on, flipping over to Alysha and Garth on ABC7 because the weather and traffic gal just make my morning.

I didn't watch the Today Show until high school. Matt and Katie. I enjoyed them. Al was whatever. Meredith was great too. I would always flip back and forth between that and GMA. I liked Charlie and Diane, then Diane and Robin.

After Meredith left I was solely an ABC watcher. George Stephanopolous, Robin Roberts, Josh Elliott, and Sam Champion had such great chemistry together, and were fun to watch. After Josh left it became hard to watch. Bringing Michael Strahan on? That was jumping the shark. He is tough to watch. He doesn't fit into my morning. He's not a news guy. I can somewhat stand Lara. I still watch GMA or CBS. CBS does real news, and I like that.

GMA continues to drive me crazy. Amy Robach has zero personality and Ginger Zee has her moments. I was hoping that Juju Chang or Bil Weir would be on in mornings. I remember when Bil Weir used to be in LA. Loved watching him, he's a looker, and great sense of humor. GMA I feel needs someone with a little more personality in there to read the news in the mornings.

Savannah Guthrie is imposible to watch. I was hoping after all these rumors that have come up over the past few days about the radical changes at the Today Show were true. Willie Geist would be gone. He's tough to watch. Here's the changes I would make

7-9am - Matt and Tamron Hall, Natalie Morales reading the news
9-10 - Natalie Morales and Josh Elliott, or Josh would be great reading the news on the 7-9am
10-11 - Hoda and Kathie, you can't separate them, they remind me it is ok to drink wine before noon.


Thursday, November 6, 2014

Revolutionary Idea

Tie welfare checks parents receive to their child's performance in school.

Parents receive welfare checks on many condition - one is that their children go to school.

I work in one of the most impoverished counties in the nation - let me tell you - I hear what the kids say - I see it on a daily basis inside my class and outside in the community, tie those checks to welfare benefits, and those kids would be busting those arses. That would create a more educated workforce in the future and better citizens.

Obviously I could never run for office.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Rave reviews

Had my formal observation - it was amazing - best review ever.

The principal only had complements. Nothing I could improve upon. He said my lessons were amazing. He was impressed with how I handled the kids. He said my room environment was welcoming and my classroom management was excellent. I'm not the best teacher. Lord no, but I do a pretty kick ass job, and work hard.

So at the observation meeting the principal mentioned all of that stuff above and more. He asked what my career path was. I told him I have thought about admin, but am not sure I want to do it given the hours etc. I said I know it would make me more marketable. He said I'm an asset wherever I go, my organization is superior. He said I'm one of those rare people who has organization, can teach, manage, and lead. He said I would make an excellent administrator. He said no pressure. He's not pressuring me, but said it would be a great path for me. He is also willing to send me to a couple of really neat conferences coming up that I'm excited to attend and sent him the information about.

So... he asked me what I was interested in. I said admin. I am going to email him back, or chat him when I see him at school and tell him I am really interested in curriculum, because I am. I love planning a lesson and seeing it executed. I am interested in technology. I am putting several of my unit plans I have created on teacherspayteachers. I have material that can easily be adapted for all learning modalities, adapted for the class format (blended, traditional, and independent). I like thinking of a product and all the activities the kids can do to reach that. I would also like to do something with technology.

I think I want my admin degree. It is about $12,000-20,000, depending on where I go. It would take 2 years. I don't want to drop that amount of money. I'm trying to save for a car, a rental house, and have some vacation dinero on the side. I don't want to go in debt to get a degree. I am already all the way over on the salary scale and only get a raise for each additional year.

I could take more certification tests to make myself more marketable and able to teach more subjects - I know at the school I'm at a business certification would be the best thing. Business at other schools - not so much. There is an overabundance of PE, history, and math at my school. Other schools - PE is usually in demand, and of corse math and other subjects are.

One thing I think about is many administrators will be retiring - there is going to be a shortage - maybe much like the teacher shortage years ago. So do I wait and put it off, and maybe a district will pay for me to do it? Do I just keep taking certification tests? Do I more or less stay where I'm at in the classroom?