Blog Entries from teacherayala

  1. Miscarriage

    Well, friends at writing forum, I guess there's no better place to describe mixed feelings than right here. As you already know, if you read my earlier blog, I was somewhat shocked to discover an unexpected pregnancy. What I might not have expressed is that it occurred at the worst time ever. Finances weren't right, living situation wasn't right, and it was right smack after my first year at a new job and only a few credits into my Master's degree. There were definitely times that I...
  2. So it's my birthday...

    Yep. I'm now 31 years old. A great whopping 31. It doesn't feel nearly as tragic as 30, but it's nowhere near as exciting as birthdays when I was in my 20's. Now it's more like: "Happy birthday!" (a well-wisher) "Meh!" (says me) This is combined with the knowledge, discovered a few days ago that I am also pregnant. Most likely I'm about 3 weeks pregnant. Totally wasn't planned, and in terms of family planning has some rather horrible timing. But then again, maybe the timing will be...
  3. interrogations...

    Came across an interesting book written by a Rochester, NY cop who was writing about techniques for interrogations. Super interesting, particularly the parts about when to give Miranda rights, what forms are used to keep track of suspects and events upon arrest, etc. I need to read further, but I'm hoping it will really influence my crime fiction in some helpful ways. Anyone else have an interesting resource that really helped them with realistic dialogue and police information for...
  4. Mentoring Teachers

    So right now I'm working in a small bilingual school, trying to help some of their teachers improve classroom management and work in a multi-level classroom. By multi-level, I mean that the classroom age-wise is, let's say, 7th grade. But the students themselves range from a couple of kids who don't speak or understand hardly any English to a couple of students who are reading at or above grade level. I don't know if any of you can fathom how difficult it would be to orchestrate a...
  5. Back after a long hiatus

    Whew! The school year is finally over! So what do I do? Well, I have to now conduct a Summer reading program using an online bulletin board called canvas. If you've never used it before, it's INCREDIBLE!! You can create entire courses using it, post links, materials and rubrics and also have a gradebook, etc. Initial setup is entirely free! The kids are reading their choice of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Girl with a Pearl Earring, or House of Sand and Fog. Most of them...
  6. The Rules

    The first rule is...there are no rules! See, here's the thing. I'm a teacher. I live by rules on a daily basis. Sometimes I'm a bit uncomfortable when I'm out of my routine. I love creativity, and I love creating new things, but when I feel that rules are involved, I feel compelled to abide by them. I think this is why I didn't explore further my creative writing in coursework at college. I was used to academic writing about literature. I was good at it. Dang good at it. And I was...
  7. Talking with Marie Antoinette

    I had a biography of Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser sitting on my sofa. I had just finished reading it. My daughter picks it up and opens it, pretending to read. "ABC," she says. "Yes, ABC's," I say. "One day I'll teach you to read." "Yucky," she says, pointing to Marie Antoinette on the front cover. My daughter's nose is all scrunched up. "Her dress is pretty," I tell her, pointing at the green-blue silk dress she's wearing. "No pretty," my daughter protests. "Yucky."...
  8. Sexual Innuendo?

    Imagine reading the following dialogue from Julius Caesar in a 10th grade English class, and you probably will have a pretty good indicator of my day today. Brutus. Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful. Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile, And touch thy instrument a strain or two? Lucius. Ay, my lord, an't please you. Brutus. It does, my boy: I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing. Lucius. It is my duty, sir. Brutus. I should not urge thy duty past thy...
  9. Free Movie Tickets!

    Sorry--not for you, my dear reader! For me! We had a teacher appreciation lunch yesterday, and they sent us each home with 2 free movie passes to the theatre that my husband and I usually go to! I, of course, want to see Water for Elephants (no spoilers, please!), but I have a feel I'm going to get stuck watching Fast Five. Don't really mind, though, because at least I'll get to go on a date with hubby that's pretty much pre-paid! :-) I'm also hoping to be able to score a decent...
  10. Oh, the Joys of Parenting!

    Let me preface this by saying that I am aware that there are joys to parenting. Tonight it just doesn't happen to be raining down the joy. I've had very little sleep for about 5 days now. My daughter has an ongoing cough that keeps her awake in the night. Worse than that is the fact that my husband and I have not made the wisest of decisions lately about how to handle her unwillingness to go to bed to begin with. We've been placating her with a couple of ounces of milk in the night, which...
  11. Motherhood

    I am continually amazed at the level of responsibility and time it takes to parent a child well. I'm faced with it at my job, where I can visibly see results of excellent parenting. Some parents of my students are just amazing people! I am also seeing it at home, when I'm tired and overwhelmed by the job of parenting my (1) little girl. My sister has three children, and I'm stunned by her ability to parent all of them. Mother's Day came and went, and I ended up in the emergency room with...
  12. Ode to Coffee

    This is perhaps a little too creepy, but I'm posting it anyway. Ode to Coffee Liquid immortality! Brew beyond this world! How I hope to taste your latent powers, Feel the shock of energy ignite. Running through my veins, Lightning sparks of focus rise. Drug of deep addiction, How I long for morning’s high! Some eschew your benefits, Some may seek a truer path. I will wallow in your graces. I will loyally return. Hell itself cannot prevent me! Heaven less can shake...
  13. Teacher Reviews

    At my new school, they have a new system for reviewing teachers that is quite involved, and rather intimidating. Apparently this is the first year in which they have done this, and the goal is to measure effectiveness of teachers and reward them accordingly since the salary scale only addresses education level and years served. Yeah, I get it. Just 'cause a teacher has a degree doesn't necessarily make them any good in the classroom. However, I sometimes feel such a heavy weight of...
  14. Taming the Beast

    So I have gotten back on my feet and turned in my partly-completed synopsis for critique. Waiting for all of the red ink. I know it will still have its problems, but I'm hoping that it's better than the last one. <crossing fingers> Planning on finishing V for Vendetta while the baby is asleep. Also--good news!--I've been doing very well on my research for the short story. (All this work for something that may or may not be publishable!!) I have made a really good contact in the U.S....
  15. Crappy Day

    I should have known it would be a crappy day when my coffeemaker broke. Definitely doesn't bode well. Things seemed as though they would go along better when I played with my little girl during the day and we watched the movie Bolt together. Then we decided to take our daughter to see the latest Winnie-the-Pooh movie. First of all, the mall we went to usually has very wealthy clientele, those who usually look down at you for not wearing designer brands and go in and out of Louis...
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