Mother's Day Giveaways

5 Minutes for Mom is at it again!  Hosting lots of giveaways to honor mom for Mother's Day.  Be sure to click over and see all the great things they are giving away.

Germs

I've never considered myself a true germo-phobe, but there are some things that just really gross me out.  When I get home from teaching, I will not touch food or dishes until I have washed my hands.  Same thing at lunch time while I'm at school.  I MUST wash my hands thoroughly first.

And if you've been reading my blog for a long time, you know how I feel about public bathrooms - especially port-a-potties!  If I never have to use one again in my life, I will be very happy.

Yesterday, when I was at the grocery store, I coughed a little, then I put my hand on the cart to move forward, and I got to thinking...what kind of germs are on those grocery carts?  Eeeeek!  And the funny thing is, my husband was telling me about some safety memos they had received at work in the past week or so.  One of them said that one of the most germy things you can touch is a grocery cart.  It's just strange that I was thinking that yesterday and he mentioned it today.  Telepathy going on there I think!

I would have thought that money had the most germs.   Who knows where those bills have been before?  I shudder to think of it!  What do you consider the germiest thing?

iStockphoto

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Let Me Tell You Something About...

... being a public school teacher.  We are often vilified in the media.  The general public must think that we like the state of public education right now.  Teachers know what's wrong, and we have ideas, but we don't get to make the decisions.

Let me tell you something you might not know... Teachers don't get to make the decisions about how the schools are run. That is all determined by local school boards, state legislatures, and even the Federal government due to laws such as FERPA and IDEA.  As a teacher, I get to decide HOW to run my classroom within limits that are set for us.  I get to decide how to present the curriculum within the limits that are set for us.  Teachers don't just go into the classroom and run it however they wish, at least not in Texas.

I wish parents would realize that it's the NON-Educators who make the decisions regarding the education of our children.  Believe me, if decisions about textbooks, curriculum, discipline, etc., were made by educators, our public school system would run like a charm.  Often, our hands are tied due to local, state, and federal laws and regulations.  There is only so much we can do.

Instead of blaming teachers, do something that could make a change!  Demand that your school board, state legislators, and Federal Department of Education listen to your voice.   Instead of blaming teachers, blame the parents who do not do their jobs which make it difficult, if not impossible, for us to do our jobs.  Instead of blaming teachers, consider that we chose this profession knowing that it is a thankless job because we want what's best for children.  We were trained in pedagogy, curriculum, and child development.  We are required to get continuing education in meeting the needs of our diverse student populations as well as best practices, meeting our children's emotional needs, learning styles, and so much more.  I would love to be able to make decisions that would best meet the needs of students, but, sadly, as a teacher, that is not one of my privileges.

We always hear about the "bad" teachers; the ones that cheat, the ones that commit indiscretions.  I wish the general public would try to remember that most of us are not only professional and knowledgeable, but truly want what's best for the children that you share with us.

Online Info

Have you noticed how much information Google, Facebook, and Twitter are getting about your personal life?  For example, I do a Google search for Sensa. I don't sign anything or buy anything, but lo and behold... a few days later, there is email in my SPAM folder about Sensa.  And my husband and I were talking about getting a dog.  I looked at some ads on PetFinder.  Later, there was an ad on Facebook about dogs.  I post  a status on Facebook about my cat, there are cat ads in the sidebar.  Last week, I got a "new" "used" phone on eBay.  I didn't post anything on Facebook about it, but a couple of days later, there was an ad in the sidebar about cell phones.  It's kind of freaky, don't you think?