Hey-o and welcome in to my writing.
This is a safe place, a place to make mistakes, and a place where you can speak your mind.
#gag
Hush. This a safe place for me to get things off my chest. I’ve been accused of being “too honest” which, to me, is comical because I don’t talk a whole lot and hate drama. However, people have been “offended” or “taken aback” about things I’ve written. While it surprised me, I’m to the point where I really could care less. The great thing about the Internet, you can click away something that offends you. I’m amazed at the number of keyboard warriors out there who get offended by things when they could just click away. Hell, I’m guilty of it too, making snarky comments when I should just click “delete”.
#youareabadman
Yes, yes, yes.
Anyway, a few random things in the slice of this life:
- Rain. We’ve gotten 3 inches of rain over the last few days. The last measurable rain was at the beginning of August, so the ground is just soaking it up! It’s going to split all my remaining tomatoes on the vine, but it’s worth it.
- School. Trying to teach and not knowing the language your kids are speaking is HARD! I wish I’d paid attention in Spanish class because I’m clueless. The funny thing, when I ask how to say something, I get three different variations of the same thing. They giggle and tease me when I attempt, but know I’m trying, and that’s the main thing. I got a smile from one of my newcomers (a new student from another country with no English) when I said good morning and asked him how he was doing.
- Health. I’m trying but not being hugely successful. I need to find a “betting site” for weight loss. I do better when there’s a challenge thrown down. I’d wager money on myself for sure because when push comes to shove, I’ll always come out on top. That a little arrogant, but sometimes you need a little attitude when it comes to taking care of yourself.
- Getting paid twice a month: Why is this a big deal? Because I feel RICH right now. This is only my second pay check, but I feel like I’ve got a ton of money left over already! If I can pay myself, then the bills, I think this will be such a great thing! True, our school is a little smaller than most, but why can’t these options be at least explored for all educators? It would make budgeting so much easier!
- Last year: I’m feel like last year was a lot harder on me than I give myself credit for. I’m sleeping better, I feel like I’m reaching students (although I feel like I’m not reaching my ELL students because I’m clueless with Spanish). I ate A LOT of stuff last year and it shows in my overall health. Just cleaning up my diet will be a good thing for me. With my wife in the car, I cannot stop and get a piece of breakfast pizza and Diet Coke. Not a bad thing at all. Plus, I’m saving money too! 🙂
And finally, I feel like my writing has taken a turn for the better. I’m starting to feel like writing again. I feel like that rhythm is returning. True, it’s still drivel and I’ve got my 25 readers now, but it just feels good to struggle through a post. During the last school year, I’d have just simply said “nope” and done something else. Now, I’m powering through.
#hellyes
So, what’s new with you? 🙂


September 26, 2023 at 9:42 pm
You are on the right track with your ELL students… by trying to communicate in Spanish you are saying a lot! I wouldn’t recommend using it too much, but when you really need to get a message across, use the speak feature in Google translate. (Type in English, then when the Spanish appears, click the speaker icon.)
Also, I always enjoy a slice of “random” because most times something interesting/important shows up.
September 27, 2023 at 7:33 am
I’ve been using my Google Translate from time to time, so it does help. I find it funny when I ask my Spanish speakers how to say a word or phrase, I get three or four different ways to say it! 🙂
September 27, 2023 at 5:00 am
I’m particularly interested in what you have to say about the new school. Sounds like a big change with the potential to be good for you and for the students. Keep writing!
September 27, 2023 at 7:32 am
My new school is SO much different from where I was at, simply because of the students. 2/3 of the student are a “minority” of some sort, the majority being Hispanic and Guatemalan. It’s requiring me to rethink so many things about teaching, which is never a bad thing, but is tough to do on the fly. You don’t know what you don’t know certainly applies here!
September 27, 2023 at 2:17 pm
#hellyes! Good for you–writing, speaking the truth, making us smile, getting healthy, learning Spanish, and more! It’s nice having you back!
September 28, 2023 at 8:33 am
Well, I don’t know about speaking the truth, but it feels good to “feel good”, even though it comes in waves. I don’t feel like I’m enough for these students, but it’s a different feeling than before. This is based solely on my own ignorance, not that I saw so many kids that I wasn’t about to reach out to all of them.