The Cost of Beauty

Today, I had my hair re-colored and trimmed. It is now back to the color at my wedding. However, I feel inordinately guilty! For the cost of my vanity, I could have purchased the new screen door that we desperately need.

For the cost of my beauty I could have:
1. Had my car maintenanced twice over
2. Purchased two complete outfits.
3. Bought 10 new books.
4. Filled my gas tank three time over.
5. Taken Tojo to get his shots --twice
6. Replaced the water filter in the refrigerator about three times over.
7. Painted the upstairs bathroom and two bedrooms.
8. Paid to finally have my wedding dress dry clean and boxed up. (yes still haven't done that)
9. Gone out to eat on Fridays with Danielle six times over.
10. Made Carter over in 6 complete new outfits.

This is depressing. What's even more sad, is now I have to wait until my next paycheck to purchase the items that we really, truly need --- like the books.... :-)

I have issues. My issues are rooted in the fact that I only get paid once a month - 10 months out of the year. Once I have received said paycheck, after a two and half month hiatus, I apparently decided to blow it on a worthy cause. "Desperate Teachers in Need of nice Clothing or Hair." AKA the DTNCH.

Politics...

I have always felt that the one place politics should take a back seat is in the world of education. It has been my opinion that people who work in the education field should be working for the children and nothing else. It's why I love my ELL job. As I walk out of my class each day, I know that I have imparted knowledge on a group of children who value and appreciate what I have taught them. As a teacher, I teach children, that's the key word children, how to speak and read English, regardless of their status in this country, because I am a teacher.

I went into teaching to teach, not to voice my opinions on who to teach. I knew going in that in order to remain an effective teacher to this particular group, I would need to be evaluated on my effectiveness. It was the only effective policy that came out of NCLB, garanteeing teacher effectiveness through maditory evaluation. I am ok with this, because I am a teacher. Even in my brief stint in the corporate world, jobs are easily dismissed if you do not meet your goals in an evaluation. Hence, the point of an evaluation - to evaluate the job and decide if the job has been fulfill.

Therefore, It boggles my mind that my county that I so very much enjoy working with would endeavor to get rid of a superintendent not base an evaluation of his work in the county, but based on the political ramblings of a small minority group of people in the county. We are a county that strives for excellence in education, and strive to live bove the line (don't ask). To believe that a county strives to uphold the illusion of fairness and justice by issuing a character education plan of "living above the line," and then fails misablely to actually set the example is laughable.

Thanks, Sumner County.

Taylor was a good girl

In an ode to one of my favorite singer/songwriter and new last name I choose to name my inaugural blog after a Jack Johnson song. When ever I listen to Jack Johnson's music I feel like I am on the beach. So with the beginning of the new school year, you will find me listening to his music with much more frequency than I had been through out the school year, purely for the relaxation of it.

Its actually rather ironic that I do like to listen to his music at all. Most people will attest to the fact that I really don't like the beach or the pool. I refuse to tan, I hate the hot, and I'm not a person to sit still for long pierods of time. Now don't get me wrong I love listening to the beach and I love sitting out on the beach at night. However, I can only sit at the pool for about an hour. That's it.

I recently figured out why I am such a freak of nature AND that I am not the only one who suffers with this disorder. In my group therapy, aka my old Saturday Issue and Trends class, I found out that it has to do with my personality. My assertive personality hates wasting time. My personality can only function when we have a clear purpose with objectives and goals, and apparently my personality sees no purpose to spending all day on a beach or sitting by the pool ....doing nothing...all...day... long.

There are not that many of us out there, especially in the teaching field. This I think most of all is why I get so very frustrated teaching younger students. For those who know me, you know that I've recently had to pick up an elementary school in my schedule. I am now teaching ELL to a K-2 group. You see my personality just doesn't function if you need to me be, as my father would put it, "all touchy-feely." I don't see the point. Which is why I make a perfect High School teacher. I don't care what your feelings are. Just do it- you know- like the nike commericals.

Anyway, the point is it has been very hard for me to re-aline my teacher format, if you will, to that of someone who has to "care" about the individuals feels inorder to get them to work. Expecially after having on her first day a kindergartener cry on her.

NOW, give me some credit! It wasn't totally my fault. The student in question has some MAJOR home issues and cries for their mainstream teacher as well... "Not MY fault"-I protested to my mom later that night. I just have to remember to be good girl, in the infamous words of Jack Johnson and remember that not every students appreciates my candid view on life.

Au Revoir!