One of the hallmarks of having an anxiety disorder is constant irrational fear. Fear of things and situations that are often ordinary and non-threatening. It doesn't make any sense to the person experiencing the panic any more than it does to onlookers. Anxiety and fear are in and of themselves natural and healthy in order for us to avoid dangerous situations. I have a fear of flying - not in the we're going to crash sort of way, but in the what-if-they-lose-my-luggage sort of way. I'm not kidding - perish in a plane crash? Sure, as long as I have my luggage. I don't know what it is with parting with my suitcase that makes me feel this way. The only theory I've come up with over the years of therapy is that it is a control thing. Everything in the suitcase would be replaceable wherever that plane flew me to (if there were room on my credit card!) but that still doesn't matter to me. I would rather buy my suitcase it's own plane ticket than check it in baggage claim. Hence why we're likely driving to Florida this summer.
On Friday when the lives of 26 innocent people were taken by a man with 3 loaded guns, many parents hugged their children tighter and prayed for the families who lost their loved ones in such a malicious way. Anticipating and possibly escalating fear, our local newspaper ran an article about how our two school boards are working to keep students safe by ensuring all doors are locked throughout the day and having a video entry system where the secretary has to buzz visitors in.
The reality is...the man blew the door open with his gun. No lock or buzz entry system is going to withstand bullets. This disturbing act of violence is not limited to schools either. Terrible things happen all over every single day. There are no guarantees in life. When I would pose my frantic 'what if this happens?!?!?!' scenarios to my therapist, she would say, "You could also get in a car accident at any time but you still get in your car and drive it anyway." And she's right.
Knowing what it is like to live in constant fear, I can say that it is no way to truly live. It is not healthy or productive. It does not foster trust or confidence in children. It interferes with healthy relationships. So if I could offer one unsolicited piece of advice to those feeling like our society has hit an all-time low and that maybe home schooling would be a better option given the incredible number of violent incidents in our schools, it would be this: the probability of something like Friday happening is very small. The number of days that go by without a mass murder of children far outnumbers the horrific days where it does. Without minimizing what happened, it is important not to overgeneralize. Know that, yes this could happen. Unbelievable that it could, but hold on to the high probability that it won't.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
I read this blog post today http://anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.ca/2012/12/thinking-unthinkable.html and it was one of the most riveting pieces I have read in a long time. Having taught a behaviour class, I experienced first hand what these parents struggle with in order to get help. I've gone to the psychiatrist appointments with them, the ambulance rides to the emergency room, the endless mounds of paperwork and red tape to get through in order to get their child help. I have been assaulted and had my life threatened on a daily basis. I have written about it before and I do not doubt I will write about it again - our mental health care system is failing our children.
I don't know why that man decided to do what he did. I can only infer that he was severely ill in some capacity. There will be huge debates about the American right to bear arms, violent video games, technology, and media. It is my opinion that the root of the issue is mental illness, which is rampant in our youth today. It infuriates me that they are not receiving the help they need. Parents call our local go-to agency for services and their name is put on a wait list for months if not years. Only severe cases get immediate attention, which is clearly happening to the family in the above article yet they are still fighting to be heard. I don't know if anything could have prevented Friday's tragedy, but I will continue to hope and fight for the earliest of interventions for my students: past, present, and future. I will advocate for their families when their families cannot. This at least makes me feel like I am doing something. It is good to hug your child a little tighter and to appreciate what you have...but actively doing something to help another child only makes your child's future that much brighter. And hopefully safer.
Here are some good places to start.
http://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca
http://www.hincksdellcrest.org/ABC/Welcome
http://www.mendthemind.ca
http://www.pathstonementalhealth.ca
http://www.kidshelpphone.ca
Monday, 17 December 2012
Friday, 7 December 2012
There was an old man...
When I drop Brennan off at school in the morning, the parking lot of the church is always busy with volunteers and people accessing the soup kitchen for breakfast. I've always felt guilty paying for Brennan's education when there are people needing a free meal. I feel guilty for a lot of things that I have no control over - kids with negligent parents, wives with abusive husbands, victims of random acts of violence. Today was different though...
A man walked passed us with no shoes or socks on. Just bare feet. He walked toward the dumpsters, which in and of itself is not uncommon as many men tend to head back there for reasons I do not know. Except today, this old man stopped in between the garbage and paper recycling dumpsters. I thought maybe he was going to go to the bathroom and kept about my business talking to one of the teachers on our way toward the school. Then we heard a slam. The man hadn't urinated as I wrongfully assumed - he climbed up the side of the paper dumpster and went inside. The teacher and I looked at each other with the 'did he just...?" look. Some jingling of the chains and sure enough he was inside. I told her that I had just put a box in there last week after bringing in our food donation to the school - did I drop it on him?! I had no idea anyone was in there.
After school I asked a different teacher if the man in the dumpster was ok and if I could bring him some socks. I was told by a person that works for the church that the man went in there because that's where his bed was. Not to worry, it was taken care of. I don't know what that means.
I thought about this old man all day. I'm going to bring some socks to the church on Monday just in case he comes back. Until then, I'm going to try to figure out how this situation even exists in a developed country like Canada.
A man walked passed us with no shoes or socks on. Just bare feet. He walked toward the dumpsters, which in and of itself is not uncommon as many men tend to head back there for reasons I do not know. Except today, this old man stopped in between the garbage and paper recycling dumpsters. I thought maybe he was going to go to the bathroom and kept about my business talking to one of the teachers on our way toward the school. Then we heard a slam. The man hadn't urinated as I wrongfully assumed - he climbed up the side of the paper dumpster and went inside. The teacher and I looked at each other with the 'did he just...?" look. Some jingling of the chains and sure enough he was inside. I told her that I had just put a box in there last week after bringing in our food donation to the school - did I drop it on him?! I had no idea anyone was in there.
After school I asked a different teacher if the man in the dumpster was ok and if I could bring him some socks. I was told by a person that works for the church that the man went in there because that's where his bed was. Not to worry, it was taken care of. I don't know what that means.
I thought about this old man all day. I'm going to bring some socks to the church on Monday just in case he comes back. Until then, I'm going to try to figure out how this situation even exists in a developed country like Canada.
Sunday, 2 December 2012
The Bottom
Sigh.
I feel like I'm almost at my personal bottom from overworking, overeating, underexercising (alright if I'm going to be honest, not exercising. At all.), overspending. overworrying, and under all the other stuff like quality family time, quality me time, quality cleaning my freaking house time. My all or nothing personality is rather unbalanced, heavier on the work department. I don't remember the last time I did a proper grocery store run or cooked an actual plate full of food that resembled a meal. Steve does everything around the house - he's a SuperDad.
I'm not sure why I always feel the need to justify the hours I put in. I don't know if it's a societal pressure where I feel that because I am a woman and a Mom, I am supposed to put all things womanly and motherly before the rest. It could be the fear of being judged for my priorities being in the "wrong place". Does anyone else ever feel that way? Who gets to decide what priorities are the right ones?
I think at this point I've started to shut down, physically and emotionally. Winter is never a good time for me, with the long, dark days. November and February tend to be the worst. I know what to do though. It's simple really. I don't think I'm quite at my true bottom yet because if I was, I'd be ready to finally do something about it. And so I will keep scraping along until I'm truly fed up and then I will pounce like a tiger on my sugar donut filled lazy ass and get back to the gym. It will be onward and upward from there because going to the gym breaks the cycle of a poor lifestyle for me. See...simple.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To add to this self-created case of the blahs, there's the political side of what's going on with our union and the government and that really stresses me out. It makes me want to bury my head in the sand because as much as I try to understand everything that is going on, the legal side of it completely leaves me lost. And I can't stop reading the comments from the newspaper (which I know I shouldn't do) but they infuriate me and I want to set the record straight because the lack of respect for teachers, for what I pour my heart and soul into every single day, infuriates and disgusts me.
How did it get to a point where teachers were collectively seen as lazy, greedy, whiners? Does this come from jealousy of the perks of the job or ignorance to the reality of the job? Anyone who has ever had me as a teacher knows I am not lazy and that I give an incredible amount of my time and money to my kids and our classroom. I whine, yes, but I've always been a whiner. This whiner, she gets stuff done though, and it's for the better of the kids. I feel I deserve respect for what I do.
And fighting for respect exhausts me even more because the judgement is too much some days. I actually read a comment that insulted a teacher because silent reading was in their lesson plan, and so the man suggested a Grade 12 students could clearly replace teachers if this was what was being 'taught' in class. It's these kind of comments that make me too tired to even try. Where does one even start to correct this type of ignorance?
Sigh.
Yawn.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Tea vs. Latte
One of my favourite bloggers posted this today:
http://www.kellehampton.com/2012/11/tea-with-milk-and-honey.html
It's like she read my mind (minus the new baby part!), she knew I needed another reminder to take it down a notch and take time to listen to the leaves crunch under my feet. Except I'm not in the tea mode yet, I'm still flying in latte mode. Run run run as fast as she can...
I'm hoping things will slow down in a couple of weeks, after parent-teacher interviews and after my evaluation. Actually I had hoped things would slow down after progress reports and after Brennan's birthday and after Halloween and after...well this list goes back a while now.
I am learning to say no to other people but I am my own worst enemy and often cannot say no to myself when it comes to my work. I have some issues to iron out with time management and priorities. Admitting you have a problem is the first step right?
Connecting to the busy-as-a-beaver lifestyle, I am feeling a bit frustrated and overwhelmed with the way Christmas feels these days. Starting music and decorations as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Halloween just adds pressure and takes away the fun that the weeks before this holiday have the potential to bring. Although I'm not a religious person, what used to be a precious family time where thought was put into gift giving, now just seems like a big marketing game of one-upmanship. I know I have the power to change those thoughts, but when being bombarded for 2 months straight, it's kind of difficult to ignore. I feel pressure to finish shopping early and outdo whatever it was that I did last year. Do you find this too?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In happier news, Brennan's conversations continue to crack me up. He now says, "cool" and "awesome" when he is shown something new. He sings the "Bonjour mes amies" song while clapping every day. When he was being silly tonight, my Aunt told him he was being crazy and he replied, "No, I not crazy. I just a boy." He squished my finger in Tick Tock Croc's mouth a bit too hard so he kissed it better and asked if I wanted a 'banbaid'. He told Steve that a girl in his class named Myla was his best friend.
This was our conversation on the way home from school:
"Did you colour at school today?"
"No"
"Did you read a book?"
"I made you a card."
"Really?"
"It's a secret."
"A secret card?"
"Ya, I not sposed to tell you. Insert a few phrases I didn't understand. I don't want it a secret. I want to bring it home my picture card."
http://www.kellehampton.com/2012/11/tea-with-milk-and-honey.html
It's like she read my mind (minus the new baby part!), she knew I needed another reminder to take it down a notch and take time to listen to the leaves crunch under my feet. Except I'm not in the tea mode yet, I'm still flying in latte mode. Run run run as fast as she can...
I'm hoping things will slow down in a couple of weeks, after parent-teacher interviews and after my evaluation. Actually I had hoped things would slow down after progress reports and after Brennan's birthday and after Halloween and after...well this list goes back a while now.
I am learning to say no to other people but I am my own worst enemy and often cannot say no to myself when it comes to my work. I have some issues to iron out with time management and priorities. Admitting you have a problem is the first step right?
Connecting to the busy-as-a-beaver lifestyle, I am feeling a bit frustrated and overwhelmed with the way Christmas feels these days. Starting music and decorations as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Halloween just adds pressure and takes away the fun that the weeks before this holiday have the potential to bring. Although I'm not a religious person, what used to be a precious family time where thought was put into gift giving, now just seems like a big marketing game of one-upmanship. I know I have the power to change those thoughts, but when being bombarded for 2 months straight, it's kind of difficult to ignore. I feel pressure to finish shopping early and outdo whatever it was that I did last year. Do you find this too?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In happier news, Brennan's conversations continue to crack me up. He now says, "cool" and "awesome" when he is shown something new. He sings the "Bonjour mes amies" song while clapping every day. When he was being silly tonight, my Aunt told him he was being crazy and he replied, "No, I not crazy. I just a boy." He squished my finger in Tick Tock Croc's mouth a bit too hard so he kissed it better and asked if I wanted a 'banbaid'. He told Steve that a girl in his class named Myla was his best friend.
This was our conversation on the way home from school:
"Did you colour at school today?"
"No"
"Did you read a book?"
"I made you a card."
"Really?"
"It's a secret."
"A secret card?"
"Ya, I not sposed to tell you. Insert a few phrases I didn't understand. I don't want it a secret. I want to bring it home my picture card."
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Fall
Fall is my favourite season. It means the return of football, gorgeous leaf colours, apple cider, and the best decorations this side of Christmas.
With Fall also comes the overwhelming task of going back to school. I've been swamped at work as most teachers are this time of year, especially after reorganizing the third week into the year and becoming a split grade with 7 more kids than I started with. The assessments are incredibly time consuming, both in and out of the classroom and just when you think you can breathe, Progress Reports are due. Steve and I don't see each other very much because when he's actually home, I need to get work done and am often at school (with other teachers) just trying to stay afloat. He is very supportive but like anyone who isn't a teacher, he doesn't really understand why I have so much work to do. Just give them all As he says :-)
This year has been really fun as I have left Special Ed and returned to a "regular" classroom. It's been rejuvenating to be able to express my creativity in ways I had not been able to tap in to over the past 5 years. My class is pretty amazing and they are teaching me a lot as we go. I get to apply what I have learned in special ed to make learning easier for kids that have previously struggled. I am fortunate that they are buying into my unconventional ways of running a classroom, and for most kids it's working! That kind of positive reinforcement is so motivating and it was definitely what I needed.
Brennan also started school this year. He's going to a Montessori School and he LOVES it! We had a rough go for a few days but he's on track and no longer crying when I leave. He adores his teacher and even tried to call her today on his toy phone! He came home yesterday with a handprint turkey and his caption was: Thank you to Mummy because I want cookies. I want to play with toys and my Mummy gives me hugs and kisses. Daddy is at work... That is one piece of art I will be keeping for sure!
With Thanksgiving this weekend, I will leave you with a top 10 of things I am thankful for.
1. My wonderful family and friends
2. The roof over our heads. The heat from our vents. The amenities that we often take for granted.
3. The job that pays for the heat, benefits, a pension
4. Hot stone massages
5. Our health
6. Modern Family: reruns, new episodes, the calendar, it's all hilarious
7. Living in Canada
8. The Baby Talk Mommies that provide amazing children for Brennan to grow up with, sanity for me, and friendships that are irreplaceable.
9. Stretchy pants without buttons and zippers...you know the could-be-maternity-type pants. Love love love them.
10. Wine. Lots of wine.
Happy Thanksgiving!
With Fall also comes the overwhelming task of going back to school. I've been swamped at work as most teachers are this time of year, especially after reorganizing the third week into the year and becoming a split grade with 7 more kids than I started with. The assessments are incredibly time consuming, both in and out of the classroom and just when you think you can breathe, Progress Reports are due. Steve and I don't see each other very much because when he's actually home, I need to get work done and am often at school (with other teachers) just trying to stay afloat. He is very supportive but like anyone who isn't a teacher, he doesn't really understand why I have so much work to do. Just give them all As he says :-)
This year has been really fun as I have left Special Ed and returned to a "regular" classroom. It's been rejuvenating to be able to express my creativity in ways I had not been able to tap in to over the past 5 years. My class is pretty amazing and they are teaching me a lot as we go. I get to apply what I have learned in special ed to make learning easier for kids that have previously struggled. I am fortunate that they are buying into my unconventional ways of running a classroom, and for most kids it's working! That kind of positive reinforcement is so motivating and it was definitely what I needed.
Brennan also started school this year. He's going to a Montessori School and he LOVES it! We had a rough go for a few days but he's on track and no longer crying when I leave. He adores his teacher and even tried to call her today on his toy phone! He came home yesterday with a handprint turkey and his caption was: Thank you to Mummy because I want cookies. I want to play with toys and my Mummy gives me hugs and kisses. Daddy is at work... That is one piece of art I will be keeping for sure!
With Thanksgiving this weekend, I will leave you with a top 10 of things I am thankful for.
1. My wonderful family and friends
2. The roof over our heads. The heat from our vents. The amenities that we often take for granted.
3. The job that pays for the heat, benefits, a pension
4. Hot stone massages
5. Our health
6. Modern Family: reruns, new episodes, the calendar, it's all hilarious
7. Living in Canada
8. The Baby Talk Mommies that provide amazing children for Brennan to grow up with, sanity for me, and friendships that are irreplaceable.
9. Stretchy pants without buttons and zippers...you know the could-be-maternity-type pants. Love love love them.
10. Wine. Lots of wine.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Je Suis Fatigue
I'm teaching regular ed this year in an amazing Grade 5 class with 20 students who I can reach and teach at their level because the class size is superb. Next week however it will become a 4/5 split with 27 students because the school registration (not my grade or even my division) was down 30 children on the first day of school. Now all classes in my school are going to splits except for Grade 1 and Grade 8.
The government is "Putting Students First" though in case you haven't heard.
A teacher has to move schools 2 weeks into the year into a split grade that is new to him, while another one has to work .25 time at a different school and .75 in ours. We have to get to know our new students and catch up on their assessments and get-to-know-you activities in the following week which will put us behind approximately 2 weeks (while the kids we've had do what?). Now if that isn't "Putting Students First", I don't know what is.
Split grade teachers (and Special Ed teachers) do not get paid any more than a straight grade teacher and we don't get any more prep time even though we have to teach 2 curriculums and administer and grade 2 sets of assessments, and 2 sets of report card comments. At the same time. Who accepts a second workload under these conditions?
Keep on putting those students first McGuinty.
Such a shame that children are being used as pawns in a media game that only tells one side of the story, forgetting to point out to those incapable of reading between the political lines here, the real situation - the actual issue: doing away with unions and collective bargaining. Anyone realize how much this is going to cost tax payers in legal fees when the government is taken to court by the unions? Think about that one.
The general consensus appears to be that teachers do not want to strike (who does that help? We have kids too.). Teachers are accepting of a pay freeze and acknowledge that we make a good salary. What teachers are not okay with is having our contract legislated by a democratic government who believes in the collective bargaining process.
I may have to brush up on my inferring skills. How again is this putting students first?
This %&*# exhausts me. The media disappoints me. This process is insulting. The negative energy created by Bill Wolf In Disguise does not put students first.
Select members of the public will say how selfish teachers are if we end up 'working to rule', how WE'RE not putting students first. To those people I would ask if they've ever heard the saying that sometimes in order to take care of others you have to first take care of yourself?
Or don't let anyone bully you?
Or stand up for what you believe in?
I am just too tired though. Because I've been working my ass off teaching my students and slaving away at night and on weekends because I put students first.
The government is "Putting Students First" though in case you haven't heard.
A teacher has to move schools 2 weeks into the year into a split grade that is new to him, while another one has to work .25 time at a different school and .75 in ours. We have to get to know our new students and catch up on their assessments and get-to-know-you activities in the following week which will put us behind approximately 2 weeks (while the kids we've had do what?). Now if that isn't "Putting Students First", I don't know what is.
Split grade teachers (and Special Ed teachers) do not get paid any more than a straight grade teacher and we don't get any more prep time even though we have to teach 2 curriculums and administer and grade 2 sets of assessments, and 2 sets of report card comments. At the same time. Who accepts a second workload under these conditions?
Keep on putting those students first McGuinty.
Such a shame that children are being used as pawns in a media game that only tells one side of the story, forgetting to point out to those incapable of reading between the political lines here, the real situation - the actual issue: doing away with unions and collective bargaining. Anyone realize how much this is going to cost tax payers in legal fees when the government is taken to court by the unions? Think about that one.
The general consensus appears to be that teachers do not want to strike (who does that help? We have kids too.). Teachers are accepting of a pay freeze and acknowledge that we make a good salary. What teachers are not okay with is having our contract legislated by a democratic government who believes in the collective bargaining process.
I may have to brush up on my inferring skills. How again is this putting students first?
This %&*# exhausts me. The media disappoints me. This process is insulting. The negative energy created by Bill Wolf In Disguise does not put students first.
Select members of the public will say how selfish teachers are if we end up 'working to rule', how WE'RE not putting students first. To those people I would ask if they've ever heard the saying that sometimes in order to take care of others you have to first take care of yourself?
Or don't let anyone bully you?
Or stand up for what you believe in?
I am just too tired though. Because I've been working my ass off teaching my students and slaving away at night and on weekends because I put students first.
http://cherrywoodgrade5.blogspot.ca/2012/09/its-most-wonderful-time-of-year.htmlhttp://cherrywoodgrade5.blogspot.ca/2012/09/its-most-wonderful-time-of-year.html
Monday, 3 September 2012
A Summer Review
This post has been brewing for a while but I hadn't uploaded the pictures or sat down to write it and on this beautiful sunny morning while Steve is golfing and Brennan is playing Handy Manny puzzles on the iPad, I'm going to do it. Because although tomorrow isn't officially Fall, it is to me, so before I start gushing about mums and fall leaves, here's some of what we did this summer:
Steve and I coached Brennan's soccer team on the weekends in July.
We rented a cottage in Haliburtan with Steve's family for a week in August.
Steve booked a romantic getaway for us for 2 days last week. We went to a stunning bed and breakfast (Irish Mountain) in Meaford. It was the most relaxed I've been in over 3 years!
Brennan was very helpful around the yard. Steve bought him a mini wheelbarrow that he filled with the weeds I incessantly picked in our backyard thanks to the field behind our house.
I took Brennan on different day trips and for playdates at parks. He had a blast. It was really neat to see the difference in him from last year. He remembers so much now and was talking about our adventures weeks after and would ask me, "You remember when we went to see the lions Mommy? You remember that?" He would get excited about what we'd be doing because he understood what was going on.
I did take a couple of days to do 'Mommy' things. I strolled around Niagara-on-the-Lake and on one rainy day I stayed in bed all day. It was fantastic.
I spent a great deal of time in my new classroom. I'm moving back to regular ed this year, into a Grade 5 class. It's been 5 years since I've been in this world. I feel like I did when I had my first LTO 8 years ago...this strange combination of excitement and nervousness.
I cleaned the room and painted the boards, unpacked my millions of boxes and then got down to some serious decorating/organizing business.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Steve and I coached Brennan's soccer team on the weekends in July.
 |
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| He was quite proud of his medal |
 |
 |
| Brennan and his cousin Grayce learned to fish |
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| The 3 Amigos |
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| Brennan became obsessed with fire and marshmallows |
Steve booked a romantic getaway for us for 2 days last week. We went to a stunning bed and breakfast (Irish Mountain) in Meaford. It was the most relaxed I've been in over 3 years!
 |
| Hiking |
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| Georgian Bay |
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| Steve sailing |
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| We went to the coolest winery called Coffin Ridge |
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| The view from our room |
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| Sunrise |
Brennan was very helpful around the yard. Steve bought him a mini wheelbarrow that he filled with the weeds I incessantly picked in our backyard thanks to the field behind our house.
I took Brennan on different day trips and for playdates at parks. He had a blast. It was really neat to see the difference in him from last year. He remembers so much now and was talking about our adventures weeks after and would ask me, "You remember when we went to see the lions Mommy? You remember that?" He would get excited about what we'd be doing because he understood what was going on.
I did take a couple of days to do 'Mommy' things. I strolled around Niagara-on-the-Lake and on one rainy day I stayed in bed all day. It was fantastic.
I spent a great deal of time in my new classroom. I'm moving back to regular ed this year, into a Grade 5 class. It's been 5 years since I've been in this world. I feel like I did when I had my first LTO 8 years ago...this strange combination of excitement and nervousness.
I cleaned the room and painted the boards, unpacked my millions of boxes and then got down to some serious decorating/organizing business.
 |
| This bad boy took me a whole afternoon to measure in order to make sure all the words would fit properly |
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| My class library |
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| Books are all organized by author or genre and labeled to promote independence (and my sanity) when returning them |
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| Kids supplies and manipulatives |
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| Learning goals and criteria boards |
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| Our Math board being used for the how-do-you-learn unit we'll be doing. All pictures were created by a colleague (Colin Strickland)...I cannot take credit for their fantasticness. |
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| The desks until we get into our Tribes |
Before heading off to do mountains of laundry, I did want to say thank you to those who read, commented, and shared my last post. More people read about the volcano in 3 days than a whole year's worth of blog writing!! I didn't realize it would go as far as it did, since it's usually just a handful of friends on Facebook who read what I write. I'm not usually too exciting ;)
To answer the biggest question: Why aren't you sending it as an editorial to newspapers? My answer is simple: I write for me. I did not have the intent of it spreading the way it did...I sure would have done more research and added more detail if I were looking to speak on behalf of others. I am also not interested in the back and forth banter that would come of it in the opinion section, because that is what sells papers. It would just add fuel to the fire.
Thank you again for supporting me, but more importantly for supporting teachers in general. And to those of you who got the real message...what the government is starting to do to unions and the collective bargaining process...great inferring!
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