Misc. Tidbits
Yes, I am still alive. I think I'm slowly starting to turn the bend here what with getting things straight. Unfortunately, the CU kids just aren't as good as listening to me as the Tech students were. I'm not sure exactly why, but I think it's to do with this simple fact: CU kids believe they are smart and know a lot. Tech students feel they do not know anything. Hence, the Tech students wrote down my words as if they were gold. Very few CU kids do that. Oh well. They'll learn!
I just handed in my "packet" to the faculty member who is writing up my evaluation and such. The evaluation day that he had with me seemed to go well, although I guess I can't really tell until much later on. I know it didn't go poorly, so at least for now there is no firing. One of the other lecturers said you'd have to get caught screwing a donkey to get fired mid-term, and even then, if you can prove that the donkey was going to somehow assist with CU being a top 20 school, you could get away with it...haha!
I DO like my kids a lot at CU. We are having some good discussions, and they are getting used to my sharp tongue/learning how to take me. I need to figure out Blackboard sometime soon though. I think if I post things up there in black and white that they'll get fewer instructions WRONG. Of course, on the other hand, it almost feels like I'm enabling them by doing it that way! They need to learn how to hear words spoken and absorb them. But maybe I'm just old-fashioned that way....
****
So, my daughter continues the fine tradition I had at her age: all her closest friends are now officially guys. When I was her age, though, we played Star Wars all the time. I was stuck being Princess Leia since I was the only chick. We had a Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, R2D2, C3PO, and Chewbacca. Nobody wanted to be Darth Vader, so we pretended he was there to fight against. Ahhh, young geeks! So sweet. Anyway, she primarily plays with three guys. Not coincidentally, these three guys are the smartest guys in the 3rd grade. They seem to enjoy her company and are good to her. What more can I ask?
One of those three boys is, of course, Andrew. Andrew continues to score point after point on the "Mommy Approves" scale. Apparently, he feels that since Ariana likes sweets and cookies so much, whatever his mother gives him in his lunch should be half hers. Ariana tells me that she will turn around to talk to another friend at the lunchtable and BOOM! She turns back and there's a chocolate chip cookie! Plus, Andrew very solemnly asked her a while back if she was "sure it's ok with your mom that you're my girlfriend." Bonus gold star for Andrew!
****
Also on the Ariana is a sweetheart scale...
I lose my patience with my daughter's writing and reading struggles. Now, mind you, I say "struggles" and what I mean is that she actually has to work at it to be good at it. Math and science and history and everything else are so natural they are like her oxygen. She's truly a member of my family that way. She missed out on my reading and writing talents, but that doesn't mean she's bad at it at all. She reads three grades above her level. I mean really...obviously she's good.
Still, when I was her age, I started writing stories for the heck of it. I found one of them last year, a story I wrote for my mom for mother's day when I was eight, and boy was it funny. First of all, my spelling was awful. But second of all, the story was an actual story with flow and plot and humor to it. Nobody had to show me what to do. I just read so much that I figured it out on my own. So....even though I teach college kids how to write all the time...I have no idea how to approach it on a basic level for my daughter.
She had to write an essay and I tried to "help" her. Please notice the quotes. See, I just kept losing my patience. Why wasn't she getting what I was saying to her? When she complained that she had no idea what she could do in an introductory paragraph for this essay, I fired off 12 things immediately. She burst into tears and said that was too much information at once...she didn't get it. Instead of slowing down, I grumbled and grumped. Some teacher I am.
Anyway, eventually I calmed down and so did she. The end product was fantastic for an eight-year-old. I was proud of her. But I felt sooo badly that I couldn't be the Nice Mom Who Never Lost Her Patience while I was helping her. As I tucked her into bed, I apologized. She nodded and said it was ok. Then a few minutes later, just as I was about to turn out the light, I bit my lower lip in frustration as I realized that I still felt guilty for grumping at her when she needed my help earlier. I apologized again. Her response:
With a soft sigh and a smile, Ariana replied, "Oh Mommy, this is the second time you said you were sorry. I forgave you the first time. You don't need to keep doing it."
I love my kids.
I just handed in my "packet" to the faculty member who is writing up my evaluation and such. The evaluation day that he had with me seemed to go well, although I guess I can't really tell until much later on. I know it didn't go poorly, so at least for now there is no firing. One of the other lecturers said you'd have to get caught screwing a donkey to get fired mid-term, and even then, if you can prove that the donkey was going to somehow assist with CU being a top 20 school, you could get away with it...haha!
I DO like my kids a lot at CU. We are having some good discussions, and they are getting used to my sharp tongue/learning how to take me. I need to figure out Blackboard sometime soon though. I think if I post things up there in black and white that they'll get fewer instructions WRONG. Of course, on the other hand, it almost feels like I'm enabling them by doing it that way! They need to learn how to hear words spoken and absorb them. But maybe I'm just old-fashioned that way....
****
So, my daughter continues the fine tradition I had at her age: all her closest friends are now officially guys. When I was her age, though, we played Star Wars all the time. I was stuck being Princess Leia since I was the only chick. We had a Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, R2D2, C3PO, and Chewbacca. Nobody wanted to be Darth Vader, so we pretended he was there to fight against. Ahhh, young geeks! So sweet. Anyway, she primarily plays with three guys. Not coincidentally, these three guys are the smartest guys in the 3rd grade. They seem to enjoy her company and are good to her. What more can I ask?
One of those three boys is, of course, Andrew. Andrew continues to score point after point on the "Mommy Approves" scale. Apparently, he feels that since Ariana likes sweets and cookies so much, whatever his mother gives him in his lunch should be half hers. Ariana tells me that she will turn around to talk to another friend at the lunchtable and BOOM! She turns back and there's a chocolate chip cookie! Plus, Andrew very solemnly asked her a while back if she was "sure it's ok with your mom that you're my girlfriend." Bonus gold star for Andrew!
****
Also on the Ariana is a sweetheart scale...
I lose my patience with my daughter's writing and reading struggles. Now, mind you, I say "struggles" and what I mean is that she actually has to work at it to be good at it. Math and science and history and everything else are so natural they are like her oxygen. She's truly a member of my family that way. She missed out on my reading and writing talents, but that doesn't mean she's bad at it at all. She reads three grades above her level. I mean really...obviously she's good.
Still, when I was her age, I started writing stories for the heck of it. I found one of them last year, a story I wrote for my mom for mother's day when I was eight, and boy was it funny. First of all, my spelling was awful. But second of all, the story was an actual story with flow and plot and humor to it. Nobody had to show me what to do. I just read so much that I figured it out on my own. So....even though I teach college kids how to write all the time...I have no idea how to approach it on a basic level for my daughter.
She had to write an essay and I tried to "help" her. Please notice the quotes. See, I just kept losing my patience. Why wasn't she getting what I was saying to her? When she complained that she had no idea what she could do in an introductory paragraph for this essay, I fired off 12 things immediately. She burst into tears and said that was too much information at once...she didn't get it. Instead of slowing down, I grumbled and grumped. Some teacher I am.
Anyway, eventually I calmed down and so did she. The end product was fantastic for an eight-year-old. I was proud of her. But I felt sooo badly that I couldn't be the Nice Mom Who Never Lost Her Patience while I was helping her. As I tucked her into bed, I apologized. She nodded and said it was ok. Then a few minutes later, just as I was about to turn out the light, I bit my lower lip in frustration as I realized that I still felt guilty for grumping at her when she needed my help earlier. I apologized again. Her response:
With a soft sigh and a smile, Ariana replied, "Oh Mommy, this is the second time you said you were sorry. I forgave you the first time. You don't need to keep doing it."
I love my kids.
posted by Kira | 6:19 PM
10 Comments:
Is blackboard some kind of new software? I was fond of using the slate kind, although after awhile I had to buy my own chalk.
Whether kin or no, people develop differently. Ari probably won't struggle with written communication in future years.
And I've learned enough about the frustration level in teaching people close to me, that I won't try to do it again. If my kid wants to learn how to play piano, I send her to another piano teacher. After all, family often has difficulty adjusting to your professional hat.
It's too bad you didn't know me as a child. Darth Vader was my first hero, and I would have proudly been him. I loved his hands-on style of management. Can anyone say "force choke"? I'd love to use that one at work.
I will be more than happy to help with Blackboard if we can find a time that we both are free. Just let me know.
CU students are VERY different. They have their good & bad points.
Helping your own kids with writing is a big challenge. I struggle too. =o)
I thought of Ari the other day when Ethan told me that his girlfriend broke up with him because he wasn't able to save her a seat next to him during lunch. I thought, Ari would NEVER do that to Ethan. She'd understand.
CONGRATS on getting married!! I'm so very very very very happy for the 4 of you. I really truly am.
That was so dang cute! We should all be so forgiving.
Ari is great :D
And I approve of her new boyfriend...Although, wait until he realizes he needs to get the approval of TWO dads...Nightmare I am sure :)
I am glad that the CU students and you are doing well love of my life. I know they will love you just as much and CU will reward you for it instead of getting rid of you like Tech did *growls*
Amanda--hahaha! Yes, I suppose I can raise them as long as you pay for them ;)
X.dell--yes, Blackboard is the software that allows the teacher to post things and have online discussions and all sorts of stuff with the class. I know it'll be useful when I learn it. I just hate learning new things, is all ;)
Grant--since you're my age, that would have worked out great. We could have used you as Darth Vader. I KNOW you would have been a natural.
Angie--yes, they have their good and bad points. I DO have fewer students who can't write and need tons of help...my job is easier in that way. It's just the following of directions or lack thereof that is getting to me!
April--yes, Ariana is understanding that way. It's ok...Ethan gets her in the end anyway. Remember: cheese hat wedding!
Juanita--yes! It was a great lesson for me. I just hope she remembers it when she hits the teen years is all ;)
Alex--Ariana told me just today that if you get to meet Andrew, she's tying you to a chair just in case (like that father's day card she got for you). He's a great guy, though.
All my girl's friends are guys too!
You lost your patience with your kids? I NEVER do that!!!
(please note: the above should be read with heavy sarcasm)
Just be sure to wipe off all the chalk on your monitor.
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