I Need to Get Back on Track

I think the title says it all.  Lately, I've been very frustrated that my finances are a messy shambles.  I've been getting very tired of living paycheck to paycheck, having no clue where my money goes, or how much I spend in any given day, week, or month.  Scrounging around for loose change to tie me over until next payday was really hitting the bottom of the barrel.  Today, I finally paid my cell phone bill, so now I have access to the Internet on my cell and tablet.  AT&T has been a real "pill" about their bills.  They shut off my service with the bill only 15 days late.

On the left is a photo of book similar to one I bought at Staples today.  Starting tomorrow, my goal is to record ANY and ALL expenses made on a daily basis (anything from bills paid, to buying a daily newspaper.  I need to know where my money is going.  How is it a single guy with my car, family,  addictions, or other expenses, can't seem to keep money in the bank.  I'm getting older now, I need to keep better track of how much money I spend and where my money goes.  Right now, my goal is to carry this booklet around (the way I do with my calendar booklet).  Hopefully, if I keep track of all of my expenses for 4 or 5 months, I should begin the Year 2013 being able to create a realistic budget, and a better understanding of my finances.  I do know one of the things I'm going to have to stop doing is spending hundreds of dollars on school supplies and resource books.  Every school year, I start off spending 1 ~ 2 thousand dollars on classroom materials and supplies.  I'm not doing that this coming school year....I can't afford to.

Exercise has been another inconsistency.  Although, I've been running from time to time, I haven't been consistent with it.  Strange that my body has adjusted to the hourly runs so quickly, but hasn't shown real results. 

I just finished reading "Daemon" by Daniel Suarez for a book club I joined recently.   The book was okay.  It turns out the 617 page book was only the first part of a two part book.  Even though it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, I have no interest to read the other half of the book.

I could go on, but it is past midnight.  I need to get up early so that I can do my morning run.     

Short blog entry.  Today I was feeling the effects of a two hour ride.  I was sore!  I didn't get on my stationary bike today.  I'm going to the museum tomorrow, so I didn't want to push myself.  I slept most of the day.  I went to see my foster father this evening.  Nothing to write about.

Oh, slowly the realization that school resumes soon here in NYC.  As if I didn't need a reminder.  While on the Metro-North train, a girl about 7 or 8 years old gets on the train with two adult women (one with a baby carriage [with baby]).  As they are walking down the aisle, the girl is taking each of the train tickets from the chairs as she is passing.  The tickets are placed on the chairs as proof that the person sitting there has paid.  So what does the woman walking behind the girl say?  "Noo, noo. Don't do that (smiling)".  The girl keeps taking the tickets, and they keep on walking.  No one seemed upset, but in my mind, I was.  I wasn't sure if it was the idea that the girl thought it was cute to take someone that didn't belong to her, or if I was upset that the adult walking behind the girl didn't feel the need to correct the behavior.  Well, moving on.

I started a new book.  Stephen King's Pet Semetary.  I only read Mr. King's introduction and the first 3 pages, so I don't know if I will get into it.  Tomorrow I'm going to the museum, I read a bit more on the train ride to the museum and see if I can enjoy it.  Awhile back, I wanted to buy the Stephen King book "The Dome", but I told myself that I wouldn't buy it until I read another King book cover to cover, just to be sure I would be able to read that book.  We'll see if the sematary holds my interest.

Wt. 219.8lbs.

Salem's Lot

Well, today was a bust. I wanted to clean my apartment so that I can unpack the exercise bike and resume my (modified) liquid diet. Unfortunately, I didn't do much today. I finished reading the last one-third of the Stephen King book "Salem's Lot". It was long, it gave a lot of details that bored me. It also took a very long time to get started. The strange thing is that the book wasn't in any way shape or form scary. It was interesting, and it did hold my attention. However, a part of me wonders if I would have finished reading the book if I wasn't on vacation. Instead of a roller coaster ride that "The Da Vinci Code" seemed to me. Although the "Lot" book was written nicely. I got the impression of it being more of a slow drag that started and stopped along the way. Now (before I invest in "Under the Dome"), I want to read "Misery". I'll read that book when school resumes. I want to see if I can get through it when I don't have a lot of free time on my hands. That's another book that is suppose to be scary, and the movie definitely leaves that impression.

Anyway,now that I've finished the book, I'm going to watch the 1979 movie on YouTube. There was also a 2004 movie, but my online search has told me that main parts have been changed.

My next summer read will be the novelization of the DC comic series "Infinite Crisis".

Post Date - Monday, August 9, 2010 6:00PM

Doctor's Visit

Today it was time for my yearly medical check-up. I tried to schedule it during the summer. I also try to schedule it for as early as possible since I can't eat anything the morning of the check-up. I had my appointment for 10AM, and by 12noon, I was finished. Results:

* The results of the groin complaint yielded nothing. The test showed no damaged or any warning signs. My doctor suggested that it must have been a pulled muscle.

* I'm being put back on water pills to try lowering my blood pressure. It was also suggested that I start taking one aspirin per day to lower my BP. I'm still on the border. My BP was about 122/80.

* I gained about 5lbs. since my last visit (3 weeks ago). I was doing okay with the liquid diet, but after my doctor said to modify my liquid diet, I quit the liquid diet, but I've been lazy about resuming. Each week, I've been "going to start soon".

After the medical checkup, I went to visit my foster father. After the visit, I decided to go for a bus ride downtown. Since my air-conditioner isn't hooked up(it has been sitting in my closet unused for the past 3 years), and I didn't feel like sitting under a fan. I decided to take a ride on the city bus. Since I got on the bus near the beginning of the route, I was able to get a good seat. The air-condition was at a good temperature(not too cold). From about 125th street to 23rd street(the bus went out of service for some reason), it took about an hour due to traffic. But since my goal was just to sit in the air-conditioning, I didn't mind the pace. I was reading Stephen King's "Salem's Lot".

Salem's Lot.
Now, I'm about half-way through the book. The writing seems nice. I like the way he describes the characters and the settings. He gives a lot of details to help the reader create mental pictures. So why is this book so boring? At the halfway mark, the idea of vampires is only now just being suggested. Only suggested! There has been about 3 or 4 "disappearances" in the story, but nothing tied to vampires. Also, there are waay too many characters for someone like me to keep track off. I can handle a story with 5 or 6 characters in a single location. But, I don't have the mental capacity to keep track of an entire town, an entire cast of characters (past and present). King switches from present to past and back again, without any clues. It's after reading two or three pages that I have to stop and guess if this is past or present. Every time a character appears, I spend too much time guess (and searching previous pages) to find out who is this character. It's not a bad book. I just don't think it is for me. Strange though, it still seems to be holding my interest. I think reading this book during the summer was a good idea. I probably would have stopped reading it if I was doing my regular commuter reading.**

** I did take a sneak peak at a couple of clips from the 1979 movie on YouTube. I love YouTube!!! I resisted reading the summary on Wikipedia. I have a bad habit of jumping to the back of a book and reading the last chapter, or reading the summary on Wikipedia. And of course, losing interest after I know how it ends. I now know who the boy is traveling with the main character (mentioned briefly at the beginning of the book, then not mentioned [directly] again...at least not to the halfway point). I also know how the "love story" aspect will probably end. It is strange that a horror book that (to me) isn't scary; it is somewhat boring(to me), it seems way over my head in terms of readability, and knowing key parts of the story (from YouTube), hasn't caused me to want to stop reading the book. Strange.

It is also strange that I still want to read King's "Under the Dome". I've already decided to use my Christmas Club money to buy myself an upgraded cell phone with a touch screen. I'm also thinking about getting an E-Reader. I've had a Christmas Club account for the past couple of years, but each year the funds are automatically rolled over into my regular account and just seems to disappear. This year (October 1st), I either go Christmas shopping for myself early, or I withdraw the funds so it doesn't disappear. For those of you who might be wondering, why is he thinking of himself for Christmas presents? Because, I've always been more of a giver on Christmas, and my "returns" are usually much, much less than the amount I've spent on others. The exchange doesn't bother me too much (it is the season for giving). However, now that I'm getting older, I think it is time that I added myself to my own Christmas List. Last year, I spend about $300 on gifts. Last year, I don't remember, but I think I received $60(cash) and a cover for a weekly (or monthly) planner I didn't have. I did eventually buy a planner for the cover, but I haven't used it once. The year before, I think I got $100 (cash) and a thermo-shirt. This year, I want I gift that I will like, use, and remember.

Oh, and I need to put that exercise bike together. Yep, it is still sitting by the door (unopened).

Post Date - Friday, August 6, 2010 3:08PM

A Movie and Bookstore

Today, I joined a social networking group event to see "Salt". I enjoyed both the movie and the company of the group members who attended. I thought the plot, pacing, and acting were all done very nicely. The ending of the movie does leave open the possibility of a sequel, a series, or a character franchise. After the movie, three of us went to a nearby restaurant "Chipotle Mexican Grill". I thought the restaurant was a nice selection, it was able to accommodate the vegans and the non-vegans (like myself). After lunch, each person went their separate way.

I went to Barnes & Nobles. Although I have a stack of unread books at home, I still decided to buy something. As I was brousing the sci-fi/fantasy section, I continued into the horror section. Normally, I'm really not a horror fan. However, for some strange reason, I want to read Stephen King's latest book, "Under the Dome". I read a couple of chapters just to see if the book would hold my attention. Much to my surprise, the chapters I read did hold my attention -- Yes, I know the book has 1088 pages. A part of me was worried that I would lose interest in the book and not finish reading it. Also, a part of me didn't want to carry around that heavy book. In a moment of strength (I rarely have to resist an impulse buy), I decided to hold off on buying the book. I decided to buy another (smaller) King book with the idea that if I could finished the smaller Stephen King book, then I would buy the much larger "Dome" book. After lingering in the King section for awhile, I narrowed down the selection between "Misery" and "Salem's Lot". I settled on "Salem's Lot". I also purchased "Infinite Crisis - A Novel" by Greg Cox. They took a 5 or 6 issue comic book series about Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and made a novel out of it(404 pages). Interesting.

Post Date - Sunday, July 25, 2010 12:44AM

Staff Development

Here in NYC, we had faculty staff development day. There were no students in attendance. Other than being a bit on the boring side, it was a nice day. The workshops could have been.... a bit more useful. Here in NYC, we have a new data collection system that will allow students academic performance to be tracked. I actually kind of like the idea.

Dismissal time was 3PM. I had wanted to be out of the building at exactly 3PM like most of the other teachers, but since staff development finished about 2:55PM, I knew I wasn't going to be able to catch my train, so I made some photo copies and left the building about 4:00PM.

Lately, I've been feeling a bit too tired. Yes, a part of the reason is the 3 or 4 hour sleep habits. But even with getting to bed about 10:30PM and 11:00PM a couple of times, had me feeling tired the following morning. Yes, I know I need to get a good night's sleep for more than just a couple of times. I also need to start exercising. With that thought in mind, I got off the train a stop earlier, so that that I could make a quick stop at the store, but more importantly to walk the rest of the way home. I told myself that starting today, I would do at least 30 minutes of exercising even if it was walking home from an earlier extra stop on the train. Hopefully, I will be able to stick with this "exercising" thought for more than a couple of days. What about boxing? A week has already past in the month, and I have a plan to travel next month (more details to follow soon), next month will also be a no-go. Lately, I have been trying to "modify" my eating habits and choices. I've lost about ten pounds just from changing my eating habits. Now, if I can just be consistant with exercising, I should be able to lose a few more pounds. It would be nice if I could lose some of my jelly belly before I start my traveling in July.

Oh, a quick reading update. I've been reading the Barnes & Noble edition of the H.G. Wells two-story collection. I finished "The Time Machine", and now I'm reading "The Invisible Man".

Time Machine? It was okay. Every other page seem to have a footnote. It was like reading for a college class. Too much effort was put into explaining the author's intent. The story itself was a bit... eh(with a shoulder shrug). I like the premise, but the plot tended to drag on. There was no real character development other than the main character. Everyone and everything in the story was designed to just be there for the main character to respond to (or about). I like the 60's movie better. Attached is an image I got from Wikipedia.

Tomorrow, 3rd grade classes have a trip to the museum, but the weather report says lots of rain. Hopefully, the rain will hold off until later in the afternoon.


Post Date - Thursday, June 4, 2009 11:25PM

Next on my reading list

I finished reading Star Trek - Titan. I liked it. I enjoyed the feeling of continuity. It's was nice having the feeling of the characters growing and developing past the series. I started reading the next book in the series "Red King", but this morning I remembered the H.G. Wells book I brought from Barnes & Nobles a few weeks ago. Before jumping into the continuation of Riker's maiden voyage as captain, I should try again at reading a classic. Remember, I tried to read Kafka, but I just couldn't go beyond Metamorphosis. If I can't get through the H.G. Wells book (The Time Machine and The Invisible Man), then I will fall back to Star Trek - Titan "Red King".

At work, I had my formal observation. Here in NYC, teachers have to be formally observed for at least one lesson at least once a school year. The lesson seemed to go okay minus the couple of students who decided to be a bit difficult. Luckily their "performance" was only brief.

Anything else. Well, I did find something interesting. I have yet to join a gym, but I have cut back on eating school lunches. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was losing weight without doing much of anything. Currently, I am about 216.2lbs. A few weeks ago, I was 228lbs. I'm going to see if I can lose another 5lbs by next Friday. I will try to join the boxing gym for the month of June.


Post Date - Saturday, May 23, 2009 2:55PM

Before Dishonor

Rather than add this book review with the previous blog entry, I decided to separate it.
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I finished reading The Star Trek:The Next Generation book, "Before Dishonor". I didn't like the cover, and that should have been a warning. I only got the book because I read online that the book series was trying to do a "continuation" from the TV series. Having been a fan of the TV series, I wanted to read the book.

So, what were some of my reasons for not liking the book:

* starting with the cover. Seven of Nine rarely had her hair down and the expression on the face doesn't fit with the character that was portrayed on the TV show. I'm not sure what the author was going for, but I missed the point.
* Also, a major, I mean "major" character gets killed off as if that character was one of the original Star Trek series minor characters. Remember how in the original show, whenever a minor character went on an away mission, inevitably that character was killed off just to drive the plot forward.
* I also didn't like the borg attack sequences (for lack of a better terminology). Basically, the borg having been cut off from the rest of the collective had to adapt to survive. However, thay were beaten so badly (according to the book), that they had to evolve. Now they can defeat an armada of starships in seconds. They can also "eat" -- yes "eat" planets in seconds. They could also fly in and out of the sun...well, I think you get the idea.
* The primary plot point is that the borg have been beaten by the federation to the point of extinction and will do anything to end the threat of the federation. So being completing unstoppable, and coming within seconds of "eating" planet earth(and dealing an extremely crippling blow to their "enemy"), the borg decide to stop for what I thought was a rather stupid reason. If you're unstoppable, and you have your enemy on his knees. Why stop and wait for...."someone" who can neither stop you nor really add anything of significance.

I did like the feeling that I was reading a continuation of the ST:TNG series, I thought the story was a bit over the top.


Post Date - Sunday, April 12, 2009 12:39AM

Dragon Strike

Quick entry (I hope). I just finished reading E.E. Knight's Dragon Strike (Book Four [of five] of the Age of Fire). It was nice. I'm looking forward to reading the final book. The only problem I had with the book was my poor memory of the other three books. Names were being thrown around that I barely remembered. Luckily, the book was fairly easy to follow for those who have not read the other books in the series. For the Paolini book "Brisinger", I will probably have to reread the previous two before I read the third. I also don't remember much about those books as well. Or at the very least, I should read an online synopsis to refresh my memory.

So, on the home front, is there any changes worth blogging about. No. Not really. I slept Saturday away. Today I decided to get up and out a bit early (for me) before the rain. I visited my foster father and made a quick stop at Staples store. I wanted to make copies of a mini test I want to give my students. I could have done the copies in school, but (as I will mention in more details below) I wanted to get out of the building early (for me). When I returned home on the express train, I met one of the school aids from my school on the train. It turns out she won some kind of lottery and was able to get an apartment (subsidized by the government) in one of the new luxury loft-style near the waterfront apartment. It is a very nice place with a 24 hour gym and concierge. Wow, she is lucky. And would you believe she wants to move back to NYC. I'm getting sidetracked.

Back to blogging about nothing new. There is one thing I'm really proud of (that probably wouldn't make much sense to most of my reading audience). This past week, I believe for the first time ever -- again, with my memory, I can't be sure. I think last week was the first time I've ever managed to leave the school building for the entire week before 5PM. The whole week! By Friday, it started to sink in the strangeness of being in the building so late (again with nothing much to show for it). There were three or four things I thought about doing, but I told myself that if I didn't get out of the building, I would be in there until 8 or even 9PM. So, I threw what I could into my granny cart and was out of the building before 5PM. Fridays have for a very long time been my late day to set up for the next week, but last Friday, I just said the heck with it.

The real test will be the coming week. I think I will need to keep the "early (for me) departure" routine for a couple more weeks before it can truly sink in. Besides, I want to rejoin the gym next week. What's different this time?

The month of April starts in the middle of the week as oppose to starting on Monday. The last two months with the Monday start, I also had to deal with the monthly faculty meeting which occurs on the first Monday of the month after 3PM. The last couple of "new starts" were ended before they started with the exhaustion and the faculty meetings. Now, I'm hoping that I will be able to start on the first of the month with the first being in the middle of the week. I hope. So how did I deal with arrive home about 5:30PM every day last week. It was so strange that I only continued the odd sleep pattern I've recently developed. I get home with Chinese takeout for dinner. And soon after eating, I would be sleep on the couch only to wake up 1 or 2AM, to begin thinking about planning or emails to parents about their child.

I better go. I just went back and added another 23 minutes to this "short" blog entry. Hopefully, this coming week will be the beginning of a new me.


Post Date - Sunday, March 29, 2009 6:33PM

Snow Day

Woo Hoo!!!

Here in NYC, our schools were closed. Again, Woo Hoo!!!

I woke up this morning stressed and annoyed that I was not prepared to go to work, so you can imagine how excited I was when I got out of the shower (hoping I wouldn't miss my train) and heard that NYC schools were closed. Once I checked a couple of TV news reports, I was happy.

So, why wasn't I prepared. This weekend like most others, I sleep or read it away. On Saturday, I slept until about 11AM. I went to the post office to pick up my Amazon.com order, that being a bit of a hike (about an hour walk one way) got me home about 5PM. I spent the rest of the day reading the Watchmen Graphic Novel. When I saw the trailers for the movie, I became interested in reading the book. Once I started reading the book, I really started to enjoy it. Sunday was more of the same, Watchmen and sleeping.

Well, I better go. I've been given a very, lucky break. I really can't afford to waste it.

Oh, I did a Google search to find the attached photo of "Snow Day".
Post Date - Monday, March 2, 2009 7:42AM

Stone of Tears

Not much to write. Another weekend recovering from the past work week. I spent most of Saturday in bed. I spent most of the day reading the second book in the Terry Goodkind series "Sword of Truth". I'm now about halfway through the book 2 "Stone of Tears". So far I'm enjoying the book. A few bits are a bit creepy, but I suppose that is the adult edge to the story. I think I like the adult edge more than the "kid on a quest" of books like the Percy and the Olympians series. I think I'll get the next book in the Terry Goodkind series "Blood of the Fold", then I will start buying the sets of the series. I think the sets for the series are sold about 3 per set. There are 9 or 10 books in the series. However, the next book on my commuter reading list will be either E.E. Knight's "Dragon Strike", or "ST:TNG - Resistance". After the heavy read (for me) of the adult edge to Sword of Truth, I want a small break from the series. I know I will read some (or all) of the Sword of Truth books, but a brief break from 800 or 900 page books will be good.

Post Date - Sunday, February 8, 2009 11:51AM

Random Thoughts

More Random Thoughts

* Thanksgiving
Okay. Since it was the day after schools closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, I did what I usually did, I slept most of the day away. I went to my foster father's place. He was asleep, and other than the conversation taking place while I was eating about which "faggots" in the neighborhood were dead or dying of the AIDS, my Thanksgiving dinner was okay. I avoided saying anything. After dinner, I stayed in the kitchen reading the newspaper and playing Tetris on my cell phone.

* I finished reading Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials(933 pages). When the "Golden Compass" movie came out, I thought those protesting the movie were just religious fanatics who had nothing to be angry about. But having read the "Materials" trilogy, I can now see why they were angry. I'm not a religious person, but if I was, I would be highly offended at the book. Since I'm not religious, I took the book as a fantasy read. But still,...

The images and ideas really, I mean really didn't put the church in a positive light. In the story God, was a senile old man, who met a somewhat gruesome end. One character decided to take it upon himself to kill god. Angels were weak easily longing for "human contact". I could go one, but I think you get the idea.

If you are going to take the story as a strict fantasy with no personal offense of the "religious angle", then you might like the story. However, the ending wasn't very good. I like happy endings. Although, the ending was pleasant, it wasn't happy. It was a kind of "for the good of the universe, you must make a sacrifice" -- not the payoff I was looking for.

* Thanksgiving Holiday
I had 3 days to be productive, but here it is Sunday evening and I am wasting time on the computer with nothing to show for a four day rest. Now you see why I haven't been blogging for a while now. Nothing to blog about. Sleep and stress, the cycle continues....


Completion Date - Sunday, November 30, 2008 4:28PM
Post Date - Sunday, March 15, 2009 1:48PM

My Fall Reading List

Friday, July 25th

Below is a response to a question I answered about reading. When I finished, I realized this would be a good entry for my blog.

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I really wasn't a reader until I started reading the Harry Potter series. Now, I am a bit of a commuter reader. I like reading science fiction books. I'm currently reading Star Trek's Deep Space Nine (DS9) - "Twist of Faith". When I finished that I will jump into the adult bound edition of the Golden Compass. I like buying the adult bound editions because all parts of the series (or the trilogy) are combined into one volume. I like stories to have a beginning, a middle and an end. I don't like stories that are series. Last year, I read the adult edition of the Chronicles of Narnia. This fall, there are a couple of books that will be coming out that interest me:

1. Brisingr Book 3 of the Eragon series.
2. Inkdeath Book 3 of the Inkspell series.
3. Dragon Strike Book 4 of the Age of Fire series.
4. Deathly Hallows Book 7 of the Harry Potter series.*
* I bought this book months ago, but since it is the last in the series, I was so excited that I read the synopsis online before I got the book, so knowing the main parts of the book, has pushed it down lower on my reading list.


Post Date - Sunday, August 17, 2008 11:28PM
Completion Date - Friday, July 25, 2008

Today was actually a relatively nice day (minimally) stress free day. Strange. I was in bed about 3:30AM, but I was up at 5:30AM. However, I did move a bit slow. I I even almost managed to catch my early train. I was ready to leave and out the front door at about 6:25AM with one minute to catch the MN train, but with the ice on the ground, I didn't want to risk running for the train, so I caught my regular MN train.

School? Everyone (students)seemed to have been mostly on their best behavior(relatively speaking). I was assigned a temporary visitor for a few days. A kid suspended from another school was (temporary) reassigned to my school. I got lucky this time around, Ms. Across the Hall had one a couple of weeks ago. Just my luck, the boy turns out to be best friends with one of my new(permanent) arrivals (also from the same school). Probably not a school I would want to work in, around, or near.

My plan was to be out of school by 4:30PM to do the shopping that I did not do on Sunday, but you know me. I get distracted and before you know it, time has flown by. I gave an in-class reading assessment, I wanted to grade the papers quickly because I knew that if I didn't do it soon, then I wouldn't do it at all. I was a bit shocked to see that my students actually did worse than on previous reading tests. I bought a skills workbook from the teacher's store in Brooklyn that contained about 15 (short)practice reading tests. I've been giving one each month to use as an over-time assessment. With the old reading program (which I hated), there was a period of time where the students were given time to read independently (that was a good part of the program). Now, with the new program and the slow learning curve (for the teachers) with all the "points, parts, and procedures", the students are not reading like they should. Actually, that really isn't the program's fault.

I probably should delete that last part.

Never mind. Losing a 90 block of accountability in terms of reading and writing, teachers have to find time to assess our students reading and writing. Long story short --Yes I know, too late. I am sitting here at my computer getting ready to make up a reading log for in-class reading. I had to make a reading log for homework assignments because assigning "child must read for 15 minutes" each night was a waste of time. I now have parents sign off each night as proof of reading at home(about 2/3 do). I now have to do the same for in class. I have students that have books, and they do carry the books around, but from the computerized testing program we use, I can check and see that many are not actually reading. I also need to assign reading response exercises. I've been too dependant on the computerized program, but from the practice test I just gave, I can see that my students are not really reading for content, they are just reading for completion. One of the down sides to the computerized program --and one thing that is unintentionally being encouraged. The goal is to read as many books as possible. Financial rewards are offered for classes with the most books read(as long as the studdents pass the multiple choice computer test with 90% accuracy). There is even a kind of "racers" chart in the lobby where each class is represented as a runner with their position noting percentage of class reading goal completed. Goals were made by Admin, but we have not been told our goals yet. My class is currently at about 50%. Although the program "recommends" (and I do follow the recommendation) that students should only chose books within their individual reading range. I don't allow my students to take books that are below their individual reading range. Other teachers allow their students to choose any book, and the students chose easy books. A couple of teachers have told me that they allow their students to choose books below their individual reading range, or I've been told by (another teacher) that it is okay for students to choose books below their individual reading range. My students have even complained kids from other classes are choosing easy books. And of course a couple of my students blame me for our position on the racer's chart.

Sorry, I am way, way off track. I was planning to just type a few sentences about my evening shopping, but I got sidetrack. And I have not even started my reading log.

Quick wrap-up. I was out of the building at about 5:40PM. I went to the bank ATM. I was planning to go to Target in the Bronx, but with about 10 minutes before the MN arrived, I settled on going to the new Rite Aid about a block away. I like Target, but it is often too crowded. All I really needed was dental floss. However, too many times, I've been caught in Target waiting on line for a few items, and I end up missing my MN train.

I arrived home about 6:50PM. I ate a Healthy Choice Meal for dinner. My plan of a quick assignment check, and a quick reading log is now shot to h*ll. I wanted to print out some differentiated worksheets about adjectives for my students, but I am out of black ink. I also got sidetracked before this blog entry clearing up my flash drive. I got so used to dumping files on it, that nothing was organized. I was also a bit surprised that some of my files were not school related. I have several flash drives, the one I carry around school should only have school files on it. I really like things neat and orderly, even though it doesn't seem like it. If I'm lucky, I will be able to use this coming vacation to get organized. I know a lot of my stress comes from not being as organized as I want to be.

Hopefully, I'll be in bed by 3:30AM. And hopefully, I'll have another relatively stress free day. One can only hope.


Post Date - Tuesday, December 18, 2007 2:32AM