August 30, 2011
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1 And so this is Tuesday.
2 I knew I'd enjoy yesterday. I spent lots of time preparing lessons, and really enjoyed the day.
3 My schedule got a little interrupted when the safety people told me that they would be coming into my classes to talk to the students, but I adjusted pretty well. It threw my schedule for the week off a bit, but it was pretty doable.
4 After school I decided to post some of the adjustments for the week up on School Loop. For example, two classes today will also have the safety people coming in. I didn't know this until after school yesterday, but another teacher bailed on them, so they asked if the could come in today even though it was late notice.
5 I said, "No prob," and so two classes will not be doing what my other classes are.
6 The issue wasn't really me adjusting my planning, but of me getting the word out to my students that their work is still due. Almost more importantly, I needed to get word to those two classes that they didn't need to bring books to class.
7 School books nowadays are about three-times thicker than when I went to school. Part of the reason is that they try to jam grammar AND literature all into one book. They used to have separate books. Long story, won't bore you with it. The books are just really heavy these days. And schools are reluctant to issue lockers because of the vandalism that is automatic when lockers are around. Huge expense. So the students have two choices: get a roller/backpack, or prepare to look like Quasimodo in the next year or two.
8 So after school yesterday I went on School Loop to let those classes know that they wouldn't have to bring books.
9 <basketball buzzer>
10 Sorry. School Loop began "buffering" yesterday afternoon. They don't really have a little circle that spins, but make no mistake. Access was slow to not-existent.
11 My first real encounter with School Loop had me sitting around after school waiting...and waiting. I finally gave up and went home. I looked at our webmail site, and several teachers had the same thing happen. A few went home and decided to ride it out.
12 At 5 p.m. it still did that, and various checks afterwards finally had me throwing up my arms. Thank goodness all my papers were graded and in, but even THAT became a concern. I'm working on keeping a hard copy of my grades, but my student aide hasn't gotten it all done yet. So I'm at the mercy of School Loop right now.
13 I eventually made dinner and retired early. I'll try to inform my students that some don't need to bring books early this morning, but they have already gotten comfortable with relying on School Loop. They will wonder why I didn't inform them. I may have some irate parents. And yes, I imagine I could have fought off sleep last night, but I got home pretty exhausted. Some days are like that, the same as anyone's day.
14 The real issue is that I'm using School Loop as an experiment, and nothing else. If I decide that it has mechanical issues, or that it could completely crash at major moments, I might ease myself out of it. I can't imagine losing all the data I have put in there. It would be like someone stealing my gradebook, which actually happened to me one year. I had to have conferences with every student, and to go through folders in order to re-do literally months of work.
15 I like School Loop so far. But yesterday that new flight hit a little turbulence. If you've flown, you get the analogy. "We apologize; we just hit a little turbulence, and everthing should be fine in a moment."
16 So yeah, we hit a little turbulence yesterday.
17 I'm okay, but I do have a tremendous amount of data loaded into one area, and I don't want that happening right before grades are due. I also have to see how I'm going to adjust all my classes to the safety visits.
18 Normally that would all be as easy as pie. But when your data base decides it doesnt want to work, in innate fear of trusting anything beyond your pencil and gradebook might not work out. Sorry.
19 So School Loop is officially an experiment for me. I'm willing to open myself to it, and to provide such an excellent service for students and parents. But if it even begins to mess with my planning and classes, I'm afraid I'm going to have to skydive.
20 Moving on, Part the First: On the good end, that thing going down, coupled with my mini-boycott of the Giants made for a rather early doze. While a card-carrying insomniac for years, I still believe that a good night's sleep is THE key to remaining alert, alive, and positive.
21 I have learned that my perpetual insomnia can be offset by logging in over seven hours of sleep each night. I had a talk one time with a colleague who also keeps odd hours, and she used to say that five hours was the absolute minimum. She always said that if she woke up and had gotten a minimum of five hours sleep, she'd say to herself, "Got my five!"
22 I have lengthened that to seven. If I could get eight or nine, so much the better. I had around four hours before I began writing this, was then awakened by Phoebe, the Dog, who knows exactly when you are in your deepest REM'S, shakes her body so that you get conditioned to a pre-bark, and then busts out this high-pitched bark that let's you know you'd better get up and let her out, or she'll need to know the reason why.
23 That's the only reason I got this written; my intention was to sleep through the entire night and get this off fresh and early. I would then go in ready to fight the good fight.
24 Pheebs shook, barked, and kept me honest last night. So once again I found myself tacking away in the middle of the night. After that I went on School Loop and adjusted my announcements. I did it. It has come to that.
25 Ah, vell. A part of me likes it because I stay on top of my stuff this way. It isn't that difficult, and doesn't take too much more of my time.
26 It worked. I finished this up, adjusted the stuff, and proceeded to conk out pretty swiftly.
27 I quite expected to hear a second shaking within a half-hour, followed by a high-pitched bark, and then a bit of an attitude that goes somewhat like this: "You weren't THINKING of going to sleep now, were you?"
29 Well...actually...yeah.
30 Whew. Didn't happen.
31 Yeah. Amen.
32 Got my five. Actually, got my six, and now I'm feeling tan, rested and ready!
33 Have a GREAT Tuesday. TTYL.
34 Peace.
~H~
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