My how school has changed, my aide and I often talk about writing things down to put in a book when we retire, we laugh about alot of them and then shake our heads and wonder where we are headed in education about some of the other things we encounter. I am aging and this year I notice things that bother me that I used to be able to tolerate. High School students that don't know how to walk down a hall, talk using an inside voice and use such a limited vocabulary that it makes you want to carry around a bar of soap are driving me crazy. Yesterday I emailed my Principal about the "breaks" teachers are giving their students becuase we have gone to block scheduling so students "need a break" because they can't sit in a classroom for 95 Minutes with out a drink or using the restroom, hmmmm........ really? Do you suppose they get up and get a drink or go to the bathroom every 45 minutes when they are playing video games or on the compter, watching TV? I don't think so. It would be ok if they walked down the hall quietly and went about their buisness but they can't seem to do that, grade schoolers do a better job. The Principle's response. NO more breaks. Thank you Mr. Johnson. (I wasn't the only one complaining.) I also emailed the volleyball coach that I would appreciate it if she could encourage her girls to enter the restroom as young ladies and not loud, crude, hooligans when they have to change their clothes for volleyball. Her response, the whole team is going to run for an hour instead of practice. Agiain the many will pay for the behavior of the few but the coach said they are a team and will learn to work as a team. Thank you Ms. Chisholm, anyway Mrs. Hendricks was the old mean lady yesterday, going about ruining the fun in school. HAHAHAHAH!!!!! Makes my day. :)

September 11,2009
Every time I have written the date today it has made we think of 9/11 eight years ago. I first heard the news as I was sitting at this very desk, I remember thinking this could not be true, how could this happen in America, the news kept coming, I shed tears as did those around me, It took our country a long time to recover, I am sure the families of those whose lives were taken that day still feel the pain today. I am thankful for the good things that have happened in my life over the last eight years. Labor day weekend reminded me of another tragedy 10 years ago. That one was personal. At the time I thought my life was over. Didn't know what I was going to do or where to go next. God directed my paths as he promises and now I have the most wonderful life, one I only dreamed of having. God can take the tragedies that happen and create something wonderful. He is God and can do anything, I am so glad he loves me so much and brought healing and blessings. I know there are people from 9/11 who can say the same thing, those who put their trust in Him. Remember there is no testimony without the test. It is great to know we can face the test knowing there is victory on the other side of it.

Why is my blog called school daze? I work in a high school. I become dazed many times a week by what I see and hear at my school. I am all for education, I do not believe you will be able to support your self or others without an education. What I am "dazed" about is the lack of appreciation or importance placed on the free education that is available in this great country of ours. As an attendance clerk you would not believe the excuses I hear or reasons given for students to leave or miss school. Students are pulled out of school to babysit younger siblings, nieces and nephews, the sick dog. Chase down the dog that escaped from the fenced in yard, to help pack the house to move, (this one can take up to a week) to clean up messes from floods etc...... to sit home and wait for the cable, phone, man or anything being delivered. I could go on and on. I find this all deplorable. I know parents have to work, I understand this as I was a single mom for a while. My solution was to get a job in the school system. That worked well for me, That is the negative side of my job, the positive side is that I meet teachers, parents and students who do appreciate a free education and work very hard to accomplish that. I do love my job sometimes it just leaves me feeling dazed.