Huerter0

My husband moved out on me and our infant son a month and a half ago after almost 4 years of marriage. I'd held out hope even when he'd take off or not communicate for a week at a time, but last week, he refused to put off his vacation plans (with professional networking prospects)or take off work when my father had a stroke. He wouldn't come with me or take care of the baby past the time he was set to leave on his trip. He didn't call my father or check in to see if he was ok, though my dad has supported him like a son financially, legally (for immigration), and morally for the past 5 years. Of course it could have been awkward given the present situation, but if he can't set that aside in a time of crisis or set his own wants aside in an emergency, is there anything to bother fighting for? We thought we'd get back together later, but I don't know if this is a sign of things to come or a symptom of a selfish phase that will pass.

I am in the process of creating a wiki of ideas for using Spanish language pop songs in the Spanish classroom. For class purposes, I have long typed up lyrics, put the song title, album it comes from, artist name and origin, as well as a googled picture of the artist and a clipart of the country of origin. I would like to include these on my wiki, but I'm not sure if this would be in violation of copyright law.

I have a very vague notion of how much more lenient copyright laws are with regard to educational purposes, and I would in no way profit (financially) from this wiki (I hope the networking will prove valuable, though). Also, I see this as a sort of ad for these songs and artists, convincing more people to use their music.

So can I get away with uploading lyrics to my site http://academiapop.wikispaces.com/?

At the moment, the plan is to name our son, who is due in November, Paolo Luis. But wait, there's a story behind it!

I was with some friends at the beach, including a guy named Luis. He saw another friend of his, Pablo, and stopped to talk to him, thus halting our mini entourage. Pedro, who was with Pablo, then stopped to talk to us girls who were with Luis. The rest, as they say, is history (Pedro's my husband now).

I don't much like the way Pablo sounds, or Paul, but I do rather like the Italian form. Here, it'd sound like POW-lo; with his Mexican family, more like Pa-OH-lo.

Is the pronunciation too much? Is it too lame to have a kid with pretty much NO Italian in him with such a name?

We have a set of Bantam Classic editions in my school media center, but local parents might be scandalized by the doodled nudity included in this edition. I'm looking for something inexpensive, and so far the Enriched Classics (http://www.amazon.com/Candide-Enriched-Classics-Vo... version looks good, but I'm afraid it has the same "naughty" pictures.

My 10th grade honors English students have been researching different world cultures and must present their information in children's book form, in a way that children will understand. 20% of the grade is style, but that includes appealing to the young audience with storyline AND wording as well as the illustrations.

Many are concerned because they are not artists. I have told them they may recombine images from online, magazines, etc. so the images are their own, but some have asked if they could have others draw pictures for them. I'm considering it, as long as the students also provide a rough sketch of what they want their friends to draw to show the ideas were theirs (plus they have to give credit to the illustrator).

The point is really the research and the writing, and the pictures have more to do with the "publishing" and presentation aspect. So is it fair for them to farm out the illustrating?

See the assignment here: http://wetheteachers.com/files/7221158035571.d

I scheduled my first appointment the day after getting a positive HPT, and I have about 2, 2.5 weeks until I should be at 8 weeks, when the doctor's office scheduled my appointment. I expect the blood tests and the pap smear type checks and all that, but what I really want to know is will they be checking for the heartbeat this early--or maybe even doing an ultrasound? I ask because my mom (a first-time granny) wants to be there if she'll be able to see or hear her first grandchild.

I have tried a variety of starters in class, and I have not been happy with any of them.

In English, I have tried various forms of journals (quote responses, tailored to the day's work, current events response), grammar exercises (workbooks, corrections, you name it), and a hybrid where students (supposedly) revised the same paragraph over the course of the week.

In Spanish I, I have had students make charts breaking down meaning & form of cognates, translate simple pop songs, conjugate sets of regular verbs, and answer questions about weather maps.

I want something to get them in thinking mode and settle them the heck down. They always seem to think starter time is chatting time and then wonder why they don't don't have the starters done when it's time to turn in.

I'm thinking trivia or brain teasers, but what would be a good source for these that would keep them BUSY FOR 5-10 MINUTES while I take attendance and maybe check work, that would CALM THEM DOWN?

At least one person in my department is going to have to give up his/her classroom to become a floating/roving teacher without a room of his/her own. There are 3 people with less experience than I have, including one so new she's not here yet and 2 who've already roved. The other 3 have 10-40 years more experience than I have.

Plus my room's a mess.

I teach both Spanish and English and use my walls extensively for stimulation in both subjects. I'm a notorious slob and would either be broken by floating or helped.

I'm thinking it's me or the guy with only a year less experience than me that's going to get booted, so should I just go ahead and volunteer to help the newbies and get brownie points?

Robert MacKenzie suggests Friday Folders in his "Setting Limits in the Classroom." I think the book is mainly for elementary teachers, but I think I'd like to try it in my HS Spanish classes.

Students receive all homework assignments for the week in their folders on Mon. and must turn them in on Fri. Those who don't miss out on the Friday fun & have homework over the weekend. Also, parents are to review & sign folders each week, maybe commenting.

I can't just have free days like elem. classes, but my kids do enjoy cultural discussion and review games, so maybe they wouldn't be allowed to participate in those if their folders were incomplete.

I like this policy because it gives quick kids a chance to zoom ahead and slow kids a chance to catch up while getting parents involved. I'm just afraid it'll get tossed in the bag like any other assignment--perhaps getting lost even quicker.

Would Friday folders would have the intended effect with high school kids as well as elem. kids?

Last year, I gave my Spanish I students a chance to take a pre-final with as many notes as they could find that were at least 50% in their own writing. I scored the things & gave them back to review before the actual final the next week, with a day to go over the most common errors I saw.

Also, this test had 50% of exactly the same questions as the final.

This year, however, we are crunched for time. The final exam testing time was extended, but this means that we have 2 fewer days for review. This means also a day less to get the pre-final graded AND to review major mistakes.

I have 3 days to work with before finals begin, but my Spanish I exams will be on Wed. and Thurs. of the next week.

My main question then breaks down into the following:

1 Do I let them use notes on pre-final? On the final?

2 Do I need to give back the pre-final before exams begin?

3 Do I GIVE a pre-final?

My final IS cumulative; I want them to be able to speak w/o notes, but they may need help recalling.

I'm going to a conference for four days, including this coming Thursday and Friday. I teach an honors English course and two Spanish I courses. English will be finishing reading the play Medea, and Spanish will be learning to conjugate -ar ending verbs.

My inclination is to have English finish reading the play and leave a writing prompt or two and to leave a 20-page worksheet packet for Spanish in which they review every concept we've covered so far, including the -ar conjugation.

I hear movies are not the best choice.

Suggestions?

PS, our school runs on 90-minute blocks.

I've heard that the teacher's lounge is just a place for gossip and that good teachers should avoid it. In my experience, it seems like a good place to interact with co-workers and bounce ideas off them, perhaps occasionally letting off steam. Plus I think some of what might be considered "gossip" could help us adjust our teaching to our students' needs.

What do you think?

Midterms are coming up, but I have a few conflicts, so I'd like some advice on when I should schedule the exam for my Spanish I students.

To be considered:

1. The grading period ends next Friday.

2. My grades must be turned in

3. These same classes have a separate project due the next week.

3. Thursday and Friday were the only days I could in the media center to work on this project.

4. They have their last quiz of the grading period on Tuesday.

5. I'm planning to give them Wednesday to re-take a quiz or test of their choice to improve their grade and also to review.

These are 90 minute classes, by the way.

And "never" is not an option.

My 3rd period Spanish I class does as well as I would expect on their Spanish quizzes, but only 5 out of 30 passed in my 4th period. This is not the first time 4th has fallen behind 3rd, and I can think of at least 3 possible, somewhat legitimate explanations:

1. 3rd period is 10 minutes longer than 4th every day--100 minutes instead of 90

2. More natural ability in 3rd than 4th

3. Several athletes have to leave early from 4th regularly for matches, and other interruptions like fire drills

I let 4th do a mini-make-up quiz to gain back points on the first quiz to compensate for the time imbalance, but I don't think I can keep doing that, since those conditions will always exist.

Their grades are horrible. Even the top scorers didn't break the 90's--and they could get up to 10 points extra credit. Do I give them another quiz? "Extra" credit? Or let it be a lesson to them?

In an effort to incorporate "non-printed texts," I would like to incorporate a "world" movie in my English II Honors high school class (10th grade). I'm thinking Hotel Rwanda, as Asia and Europe are already represented with selected readings (Nectar in a Sieve, Night, Medea, Oedipus, & Cyrano--their selections).

Other possibilities: Osama, Il Postino, The Gods Must Be Crazy, and Mar Adentro.

It turns out both Monsoon Wedding, LIke Water for Chocolate, and The Motorcycle Diaries are rated R, and there's NO way I could get away with that.

I've also had Whale Rider and Rabbit-Proof Fence from Australia recommended, though I'm not familiar.

I want to choose ONE to focus on that will open their minds AND appeal to these bright youngsters. Tell me which you think would be best or suggest another (as long as it's G, PG, or PG-13).

I would like to call some time before progress reports go out in another week or two, give the folks at home a heads up, and, as they say, call with good news first, or call before the kids are in too deep, at least.

Most parents indicated on syllabus slips that they're available evenings, but did not indicate a preferred day, except for one who said weekends.

I know one source that suggests calling on a Friday is a good way to show you mean business, but I'm also torn because Frank McCourt says in Teacher Man that calling parents violates trust with students.

So should I set aside time a few days during the week or a chunk this weekend?

In an effort to incorporate "non-printed texts," I would like to incorporate a "world" movie in my English II Honors high school class (10th grade). I'm thinking Hotel Rwanda, as Asia and Europe are already represented with selected readings (Nectar in a Sieve, Night, Medea, Oedipus, & Cyrano--their selections).

Other possibilities: Osama, Il Postino, The Gods Must Be Crazy, and Mar Adentro.

It turns out both Monsoon Wedding, LIke Water for Chocolate, and The Motorcycle Diaries are rated R, and there's NO way I could get away with that.

I've also had Whale Rider and Rabbit-Proof Fence from Australia recommended, though I'm not familiar.

I want to choose ONE to focus on that will open their minds AND appeal to these bright youngsters. Tell me which you think would be best or suggest another (as long as it's G, PG, or PG-13).

I went out on a limb this semester and had my students preview several pre-selected books to discuss and vote on what to read for their English II Honors course (10th grade, 1 semester, block schedule).

Night and Medea were clear winners, with Nectar in a Sieve not far behind. The next two were almost tied. I originally only planned to have them choose 4, but now I'm torn, since I know there are some who are pretty enthused by the other 2, Cyrano de Bergerac and Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom.

The first 3 selections are pretty short, and Cyrano's not that long either, but Mandela's autobiography is upwards of 450 pages.

My inclination is to try to do all of them, but I'm not sure if that will be the most productive approach, as time spent on each will be crunched.

Should I have them do it all, disappoint the Cyrano group, or disappoint the Mandela group?

I teach the same class, Spanish I, 3rd and 4th period, but while 4th period is 90 minutes, somehow 3rd has been stretched an extra 10-15 minutes (blame shortened lunch and the dumb kids with firecrackers last year who are to blame for that).

I want to keep the classes on the same schedule, but it seems like I cover so much more stuff in 3rd and 4th seems behind.

How can I fill that extra 10-15 minutes without putting 4th at a disadvantage and without seeming to reward 3rd with something fun that 4th doesn't get to do?

My acne is an almost no-fail predictor of when my period's coming: I get those really huge zits you can't pop if you try one week before starting. Last month, I was 2 days late, but so were the zits--that's how accurate they've been.

This month, however, they're a week early.

I've heard that hormones affect sebaceous glands and that water retention might lead to smaller pores, and I suspect given the types of zits and the fact that cleansers and medicines have no effect that time of month on those suckers, that it's more likely the smaller pore theory than extra oil.

I went off the patch 4 months ago. Is it probably just my cycle getting back to its regular loopiness, or is there reason to believe, given the way hormones fluctuate after conception, that this could mean more?

PS I KNOW I could go to the doctor. I want to hear others' experience and informed opinions before I take that step.