bmiz’s blog

New Beginnings

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:15:54 -0700

I used to believe life was a straight and easy shot. You grow up go to school, go to college, and graduate. Along the way you seem to just figure out what you were meant to do. So, you go out into the world find a job and live that way through the rest of your days.

Let me tell you something, that is a big load of donkey doo. Here I am over two years removed from receiving my Bachelor's degree and there are still many questions I have left unanswered. What am I going to do for a career? Where am I going to live? Will I ever be able to afford the things that I've dreamed of? Will I be able to support my family? More importantly, will I ever have a family? In other words, where is my life going.

Despite all of these questions, I find that I am about as happy as can be right now. It's been about 4 months since I decided to leave teaching, and to be honest, I think it was one of the best decisions of my life. I've started on a new career path, I am dating one of the most wonderful women in the entire world, and I get to spend time with my family. Don't get me wrong, teaching isn't the worst thing known to man, but it just wasn't for me at this time of my life. I wish all of my fellow teacher friends all of the success in the world. And I do miss them and their friendship very much.

As far as the new beginnings business goes, many things have started anew in my life.
1. If people didn't already know, I moved back to Birmingham about 3 weeks ago. I have moved into my gradfather's house so that I may help him go about his daily activities. I am hoping that he will return from his rehabilitation any day now.
2. I have decided to pursue a career in the culinary arts. As of October 6, I will be a student at Culinard in Birmingham. Assuming, of course, that I find enough money to pay for it. I am extremely excited and I really hope this turns out to be my final career change.
3. I recently started a job at Veranda on Highland(A fine dining establishment downtown). It is very nice and I'm trying to learn as much as I can before school starts. I am also trying to find a second job, considering the massive loans I am taking out right now for school.
4. Lastly, I have a fantastic new woman in my life. We started dating on July 4th, and nothing can make me happier than to be with her. Everything in my life is a little bit more enjoyable with her and she always seems to make the tough times seem easy. She takes care of me and lets me take care of her. I'm not saying we never disagree, God would strike me down if I attempted it, but we are never above a good comprimise. Every time we separate, I can't wait until I get to see her beautiful face again.

Well, this was longer than I expected. Anyway, that's all for now. God bless everyone!

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Cooking up some humble pie

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:50:50 -0700

So, as most people who will read this know, teaching can be quite the stressful profession. You come home almost every day and feel like tearing your hair out and taking a nap at the same time(Sometimes I tear my hair out in my dreams to cut down on time...and pain). As I was warned, everyone needs to have a stress reliever. I figured I would just coach, play some sports, travel, and play the occasional video game. These were okay at times, but don't really help with the physical exhaustion factor. And the coaching thing only stresses me out more on some days. My stress reliever has come in an unusual place. It has come in the form of cooking.
I have embarked on something that is enjoyable to me, has a purposed, and is able to be performed in the comfort of my own home. I'm not talking about the plain old boil the macaroni, drain, then add the cheese variety of cooking either. I go to the grocery store, buy fresh ingredients, and take time creating a wonderful meal that I pour all of my frustration into. It started out just being me and one of my roommates eating this huge 3 or 4 course meal. As it went along, word spread about how tasty and interesting my meals were. Now, it seems as though every time I prepare a meal, there are at least 5 or 6 of us here to enjoy it together.
This also quenches my need for a challenge; of sorts. Sometimes I'll go to the store not having any idea what I'm going to make. Since I'm relatively new to the cooking thing, I would have no idea how to prepare whatever ever it is I finally decide on. I have to use past experience and some guessing in determining what ingredients to get. Other times I would just take a look at whatever we have in the house(which is never very much) and try to throw something unique and satisfying together.
I really wish that doing all of this wasn't so expensive, as I would be able to do this so much more often. I know this was kind of boring, but I have have found that I thoroughly enjoy cooking as a hobby and would love to try and do it for a large group one day. And I know this article has nothing to do with being humble, I just like the title. Until next time...

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Jedermann wünschen zur Polka?

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:57:16 -0700

As long as I have lived in Jackson, I don't believe I've found a quaint place to call a great "find". There are, however, many great events to attend throughout the year. Some that I have enjoyed include the state fair, the rodeo, and the Greek festival. Others that I hear are incredible are the St. Patrick's Day parade, the Irish festival, and the rodeo. I decided to write about another one, which I attended sometime last semester. The great German festival of Gluckstadt.
This was a great event filled with all that you would expect. Plenty of brats, beer, and fun. They had many classic German vehicles to inspect and enjoy. Including a few bugs, an old VW double decker van, and some motorcycles. What would a German Festival be without an Oom Pah band? There was a fun little band there to perform all of your my favorite polka and traditional German folk music(gotta love it). There was also plenty of opportunities to get out and do the duck dance. Sounds too thrilling doesn't it.
The food was probably my favorite part of the entire thing. The brats were unique and absolutely delicious. There were shish kabobs, hot pretzels, and more homemade sauerkraut than you could fit into an olympic size pool. Not to mention, they also had some great German beers for people to enjoy.
All in all it was a great time for someone of any age. The dancing, authentic music, and great food all made this worth my time. It wasn't as big as I would have hoped, but I could definitely have fun there for about an hour or so. For those of you in Jackson, I would recommend checking out the Irish and Greek festivals when they arrive. They are held in that area right next to Smith-Wills Stadium and last a couple of days. They were probably a little more enjoyable because of a larger crowd and a bigger variety of activities.

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A Compromising Position

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 10:20:01 -0800

    I've recently found myself falling into a black hole of disappointment that many teachers face. I used to stand up in front of my classes expecting nothing but the best from my students. I believed that if I could really teach a subject, then what's keeping the children from learning it? So I would make sure I took up cell phones and mp3 players, wake up the "sleepyheads", and gain the attention of those who didn't want to give it to me. Now, months later I just cannot figure out where these firm principles have gone.
    At first I would make a simple concession. I would see one of my smarter, more well-behaved students on the phone and simply allow it to happen. What could go wrong? They would do well anyway, right? Then I would make another compromise. I would think, "This student is nothing but trouble. He's not that smart and he doesn't even care if he learns anything or not. The more he is out of my hair, the better. Whether this means he's skipping, in ISS, sleeping, or whatever." Then I would allow something else to happen, then another compromise would be made on my part. Recently, my classroom got so out of control, I just stopped teaching, literally. I told them if they weren't going to pay attention, then I wasn't going to bother. I gave them a worksheet and told them they had to learn how to do it on their own and it was due for a correctness grade the next day. Even the ones that wanted help and came to me on an individual basis got the shaft.
    What good am I doing now? How is ignoring my students and their cry for help good for anybody? I'm not sure why, but I felt perfectly okay with making these compromises. That should not happen in our profession. I have become so lethargic towards my teaching and my studies. I truly wish that I could turn this around and I really am trying, but how can I do so? It is just so much easier to just say, "They don't want to learn, so why try so hard and waste my energy?" Right now, there are tiny glimpses of hope in a very, very small amount of students that are keeping me going. Maybe I can revitalize my belief in these kids soon, and show them the ray of light that I really need to be to them. I only want the best for them and myself. I'm just wondering if that solution involves me.

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Superintendent for a Day

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:28:56 -0800

First, I want to preface this by saying that this couldn't be an easy job. I know most teachers find it hard enough to manage 20-30 students at a time, much less an entire district's worth of students and faculty.
So, what I would change is the all of the coddling of our students. They keep on coasting through thinking that they understand the material or what they do is good enough when it's nowhere close. In my district(or at least my school) the Language Arts teachers where told by the literacy coach that after every test, they have to re-teach and re-test. And what makes this so bad is that the kids always know they are going to get a second chance.
Now, recently the district constructed a semester exam for all math subjects. There were 60 multiple choice questions given over a 2-day period. When they see the results from the test, it will show that about 95% of students passed. Most students are going to come away thinking, "Wow, I really know this stuff. I guess I can keep on barely listening and only doing half of my homework. I mean as long as I can pass the test, that's all that matters, right?" Little do they know that in no way do their final exam grades reflect how they did on the test. What I'm about to write is extremely confidential and isn't supposed to be shared outside of district personnel. First the district took the raw scores from each student and "normed" them. Basically they added 25 points to everyone's test score. Then we were supposed to take this score and multiply it by .10. We then added that number to their second term average and the resulting number is their new semester exam grade.
Ex.: One of my students have a 67 term 2 average and originally scored an 18% on the final semester exam. So,
18 + 25 = 43; 43 x .10 = 4.3; 4.3 + 67 = 71.3
This student will now be on the verge of passing and will like be given whatever points he needs for a 70. He failed my class, he failed a comprehensive exam with an 18%, but yet he will be moved on up all to make the school and district appear more successful.
This is just one of many examples of the district finding ways to give out free passes. They say that there should be more rigor and students should start thinking on a higher level nowadays. Yet, when the students fail at accomplishing these(and other easier tasks), the higher ups just say, "Don't worry about it. Go ahead to high school, we're sure you'll pick up on it eventually."
I believe that if you flunk, you flunk. And you need to either go to summer school and catch up, or repeat the next year. No excuses, no matter what level you are at.
Some people may say that this is easy for me to say. I don't have to go back and repeat anything. Maybe if I were to fail at something, I would ask for a little leniency and be told not to worry about it. And I'm not gonna lie, if someone wanted to let me move on, I'd probably accept it, but I'm not gonna ask for a hand out. Just today, I was told that I had failed a class and cannot graduate on time because of this. If I wanted to graduate at all, I would have to repeat the course. Did I like hearing this news? Of course I didn't, but I didn't argue it. I know I didn't meet the requirements, and now I have to pay the consequences.
But yeah, I believe students, or anyone for that matter, should have to earn their right to move on to the next level. That's all for now. Peace out...

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First days of School

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:52:00 -0700

Well, let's walk through the days leading up to school first. So, I am lucky because of the fact my mom has been teaching math for the past 28 years or so. I thought this would prepare me a little but more than it did. Both of my parents came to Jackson and helped me to get my room "ready." I felt so good about it; my room looked great and my assistant principals were even complimenting me on it. I then found my way over to another MTCer's room down the building a ways. I looked around and thought how bare his wall looked and how unprepared he must be. Then we started talking about what each of us has gotten done. This is when I realized that I had done nearly nothing that truly mattered. While he had his syllabus, letter home, information sheets, and all that jazz done, I had not started on them. I applaud his efforts and all things he has done.
Now I finally realized what needed to be done, and how little time I had left to do it. Only a day and a half left. I thought that this would still be enough time, as long as I could stay at school and get ready as long as I wanted too. Little did I know that they close the school down to everyone at a certain time each day(namely whenever the principal is ready to leave). So I tried my hardest, but was still not ready for the upcoming days.
Now, my first day started off well enough. I have first block off(time to run copies). My first class of the school year went about as good as it could have for me. This kids were relatively well behaved and nice. I didn't have too much trouble keeping them calm and getting through the procedures. Third block got a little bit more disruptive. They were a little bit too loud and obnoxious. They did, however, get calm and quiet when I asked them to. Lunch went about as good as it could have for the first day. The food itself was not very delectable, consisted of small portions, and cost the teachers $1.25 more than the students(we got the same amount as them though. Weird, huh?) Fourth block came along and about ruined my day; correction, DID ruin my day. At no point in time would they ever shut up. I threatened them, punished a couple of them to make examples, and slightly raised my voice. Nothing worked. I couldn't figure out anything else I could do(at least nothing I could think of off the top of my head).
Today went a lot better. The classes were still acting about the same, but with slight improvements. My 2nd block class was still my best, with 3rd block a little worse, and 4th block the worst. I think thank getting to actually teaching math really helped. They know they need to pay attention to pass now and it deters the talking quite a bit. There are some trouble makes and others who are just a little too talkative. I will hopefully find a way to get these kids under control and have complete power over my classes. That's all for now, I hope everyone is doing much better than I am right now. Good luck on tomorrow and I can't wait to see you all on Saturday.

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First days of School

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:51:58 -0700

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Moving up in the world...

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:40:39 -0700

The key word in this title is "moving." I finally get to take all of my stuff out of my car and put it in an actual building. I don't think I've been more excited this whole last year. Lunch breaks can now be used to actually eat lunch instead of apartment hunting. I can stop searching for clothes to wear in random piles and stacks. I can buy food, watch tv, and feel "at home."
Through all my searchings, I lucked into the nicest cheap place I could imagine. I got in contact with an old friend from college who owns his own house. One of his roommates just bought a house of their own and moved out this past month. I will be living with two guys that I have known for a few years now. All of us will be busy and hard at work. One is a medical student and two of us are students with full-time jobs.
I wish I had a camera to take pictures and show everyone like Ms. M did. It is a house on a corner lot, so the yard is huge. There are hardwood floors, three bedrooms, and a huge living room. It also has a small dining area with a nice kitchen and a washer and dryer in the back. The back yard is completely fenced in with a screened in back porch. I only have to supply my bedroom furniture. They already have couches, a recliner, kitchen table and chairs, a lawn mower, etc.
All that stuff is great, but here's the best parts. 1.) He owns a 52" LCD, HDTV with satellite.
     2.) The rent is less than $450/month
     3.) All utilities are paid for. That means he pays for the water, electricity, satellite, and internet.
     4.) No security deposit, leasing contracts, or renter's insurance needed.

All in all, I am pretty darned excited about this living arrangement. I'll hopefully have pictures up soon.

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ready?

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 21:47:55 -0700

Am I ready to teach? Can I handle the pressure that's going to be put on me in the coming days, weeks, and months? I just drove to Jackson from Oxford, and so I had a lot of time to think. I don't know if it's a good thing or bad thing, but I don't actually feel nervous about the teaching aspect of things. I'm actually ready to dive into teaching. The thought of teaching these kids is really getting me excited. I am nervous about other things though.

I have yet to find a place to live and I start orientation tomorrow. This is probably what's stressing me out the most right now. It's really frustrating not knowing where I'm going to be sleeping over the next week or two. Luckily, I have some really great MTC comrades who are letting me crash at their place for the next few days. This has given me a little confidence knowing that I can count on my classmates to be there when I need them. I like that we can lean on each other if need be.

The other thing I'm worried about is the organizational side of teaching. I really want to get organized and I have so many "great" ideas ready to go for my class and my room. It's just that I never really get everything done that I want to. This happens either because I forget, or I procrastinate too much. I'm really going to make more of a conscious effort to get things ready this time.

Now on to the good stuff. I really feel confident on the actual teaching side of things. I get really pumped up every time I think about getting in front of a classroom full of students. It's also comforting to know that Mr. Williams will be teaching at the same school as myself. I've been observing him teach these past two and a half weeks, and I know that he's a really good teacher. If I ever need anything, he'll be there for me to pick his brain. He should also know that I'm there for him. We both know that our principal is going to be the bomb-diggity as well. We have heard nothing but great things about him all summer long.

All in all, once I find a place to live and get settled in I think that things will be great. I can't wait to decorate my room and get to know all of my fellow teachers. Thank you to all who have prepared me to get ready for teaching this summer. I don't think there is a group of teachers more prepared than us at MTC. Good night to all and I can't wait to see you all again in 3 weeks.

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Better, not best

nobody@vox.com(bmiz) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 09:11:03 -0700

Well, I can definitely say there was an improvement from the last time I did this. I instructed, gave individual practice, group practice, and was patient.

The students were struggling to understand the concept. I stuck with it though and kept my cool. By the end of the period they were getting the hang of it. If I only had another period to teach, I really think I could get them to truly understand the concepts.

The activity actually engaged the students. I should've given more detailed instructions, and it should've been done sooner. They actually looked like they were enjoying learning. I still should've been a little bit more enthusiastic. I will hopefully add on to this blog later. Thank you and have a good day.

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