school about to begin

Yes, it is that time of year again: monsoon weather in phoenix, heat still there, sun still rising early, and children about to head back to school. DVHS is where I call home for my teaching career at this stage. I do love it there. I am looking forward to another good year. I am teaching 3 classes of freshman level algebra and 3 classes of junior level algebra. My schedule is as follows:

Per 1 - Algebra 3-4
Per 2 - Algebra 1-2
Per 3 - Algebra 3-4
Per 4 - Algebra 3-4
Per 5 - Lunch
Per 6 - Algebra 1-2
Per 7 - Algebra 1-2

I can already tell you that my second hour is going to be the most challenging. LORD give me grace! Oh how at times like these I wish I was more merciful and understanding of others. Pray for Deer Valley's population, would you? Pray the LORD would reveal Himself in ways that could only be explained as that He showed up. Pray for CCC (Christian Club on Campus). Pray for CCC's leadership. Pray for Diedrich Wasserbauer and I as we sponsor CCC. Pray that it will have an impact for the Kingdom of our LORD, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory!

counting with aidan

Counting with Aidan is fun. I am quite enjoying this as a new pastime. He has his own number system that I would like all of you to accept. As he starts counting things on his own, he counts: one, three, four, nine. And that's it. Now, I was listening to him count the other day and he counted: one, three, nine, four. 1394 just happens to be the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) number for firewire connections (speedy digital transfer connection for computers, similar to the concept of USB, but in competition with it, if you're familiar with USB). That's my boy! (Especially because firewire was developed by Apple. Booya!)

summer

Yesterday was my last day of summer school.  I am now official experiencing my summer break.  It's amazing, but there are always things to fill a day.  As for summer school, I had only eight students, all passed, and we had a pretty good time of it.  I won't say that I will remember this time as fondly as I do my first summer school teaching experience, but it was still quite a bit better than the normal semester was.  I love that I had every quiz and test graded just minutes after the class was done and it was handed back to them immediately with immediate feedback, as well.  I love that I knew exactly where each student was on the worksheets.  I love that I didn't have to take anything home, and I didn't have to make them do homework, either.  I love that they had no other subjects to worry about other than this one.  I love that we only worked for four hours at most per school day.  I love that a full semester's worth of material was completed in less than four weeks time.  I love that I've been able to be home with my family more.  I really love that summer has now started and I can be here to help Amy with tons more (like potty training Aidan: next week!).  I'm sure I'll have much more to post over the next few weeks.

six posts for the price of one

Yep...this has truly been a crazy year. I am proud to say that I have now successfully made it through school year 2007-2008. Graduation was this morning, and what a day for a graduation! It was about 110 degrees F just five days ago, but today it was stormy and topped out around 70. What gorgeous weather. Enough weather talk, though, because I want to simply give an update on life...

I was not accepted for the MSTF program through ASU this summer. There were over 40 teachers who received an invitation to the fellowship, and none rejected it. Another over 100 teachers were outright rejected right away, but then I fell in a third category, a category of suspense and torturous waiting. I knew all of the other teacher's who'd applied at DVHS were either accepted or rejected, but I received no word from ASU at all. It left me hanging and wondering if I should be doing the summer school gig or if I should plan on doing the MSTF. I wrote in and got a response a couple days later. I was told I was in the third category and I would know by last Friday whether I was in or not. I did not receive any word Friday. I didn't receive any word at all that weekend. I decided to wait until Monday morning to write and email asking whether or not I was in, and there was still no word. I wrote in and received a response in a couple hours: I was not in. So, I was bummed, but what could I do? Therefore, I will be teaching summer school starting this Tuesday. I get three days off in between second semester and summer school, and I plan on using them to the fullest.

The Van Liews in Phoenix will be getting together for the couple of birthday celebrations all rolled into one this Sunday at 4pm AZ time. Charles and Allison will be in town, and I am looking forward to being with family. It has been awhile since we've all be together out here. If you've not heard, Chuck Van Liew, Charles' father, just quit his job and is in limbo right now, but at complete peace because of his faith in the LORD Jesus Christ, and will be looking for a new job. He's been in the same employ for the last 25 years or so, so this is a major change for his family. It is a good move, so no worries there, but it still would have been a huge decision, though the right one. Aren't the hard ones normally the right ones? The whole family is proud of him and wish (pray, actually) for the best.

Amy, as of yesterday, is 3cm dilated and lost the rest of her mucus plug (gross). She had her membranes stripped at the Dr. appointment. She has been having contractions every 10 min or so this evening. We are hopeful that Isaiah Cole Van Liew, our third child (in three years), will be joining us this weekend. This is perfect timing as I am off from work right now and have a three day weekend. As mentioned before, I want to use this weekend to the fullest! Amy is looking forward to being finished with pregnancy for at least a couple years here, though she's said she's still willing to have more. God gave me the perfect woman for me, I'm tellin' ya!

Kate just had a check up this afternoon. She is now 17lbs. 14oz. That's a pound and a half since the February appointment. She is a lean one still, but she is about perfect on the ten percentile curve. We are extremely happy with that report. We weren't sure if she was gaining enough, but that gives us relief and comfort. The LORD has been good to us. Kate's had her struggles in life already, but she is bouncing back well, and she's one of the happiest babies you'll meet to boot. She just had her first birthday a week ago. Aidan turned 2 a month and a half ago, so we have a 2 year old, a 1 year old, and an about to be born (year old). I don't say anything with tongue-in-cheek. And that last sentence wasn't in the least bit sarcastic. Or that one. :)

Aidan's a stud and continuously gains new vocabulary daily now. I love watching him love his sister. I love hearing them laugh together, seeing them play together. Their interaction makes me wonder about Bethany and me: did we act like that when young? I hope so. It's brought Amy and I so much joy and enjoyment that I hope that was given to my parents for their joy and enjoyment. I am in complete wonder. I am so proud to be Aidan's daddy. It is amazing to watch human development and how intelligent such a small child can be. God created some incredible beings, I must say. Too bad we screwed it all up with our stupidity in pride and now that same intelligent child is also an evil, wicked sinner (a.k.a. "sack-o-sin").

Speaking of pride, I got to counsel a student who used to be a CCC leader until midway through last semester (Fall 07). She's had issues with her self-view and has hated her body and it's affected her entire life. Now, I'm not one to go for self-esteem as being key, but a believer needs to view him/herself in the light of God's holiness as well as His grace. We need to see the sinner part, but we also need to see the beauty. The phrase I was given (thank you LORD) during our conversation that brought the first true smile to her face that I've seen in months was: "you're the most beautiful thing He's ever seen." Let me explain. When the LORD looks at us, He sees His Son covering us, and, therefore, He sees the most beautiful thing He's ever seen. True, we have our issues, but we're covered by the blood of the Lamb, people. how incredible is that? Yes, we have our responsibility to live rightly in the LORD's sight, but we have His grace, as well. "Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? May it never be!" But, on the same token, we are not to beat ourselves up and hold on to guilt for something He's already paid for and taken care of completely! How beautiful the blood! And it's all for His glory. Hey, don't forget...

You're the most beautiful thing He's ever seen!

graduation

I get to lead the seniors in their graduation processional down to their seats again this year. And with graduation being next week (a week from tomorrow), I thought this picture was appropriate to display in remembrance of the student population with which I now teach.

nerd day

Yeah, so today was nerd day during spirit week.

These are a few of my students who decided to dress up.

Yes...I got made fun of all day.

This is one of my TAs.  She even put underwear on the outside of her pants.  Weird.

This was just too cool.

picketing

The teacher's union in our district (DVUSD #97) is rallying the teachers to picket for good faith salary bargaining. We will be picketing tonight at the DVUSD Board meeting (I have CCC or I'd be there), and tomorrow morning before school, and again after school, with schools rotating days from then on out until issues are resolved. The district has hidden numbers in the budget for next year, won't reveal them to the IBN team (the bargaining counsel of classified, certified, and district administration), and tells us there is not enough money but for a 1% raise. Other districts, mind you, have a salary schedule (where there is an incremental raise per year of experience and per specified amount of post bacheloriate education) and a percentage pay increase (normally another 1-5%) on top of that. We don't have a salary schedule anymore, and we are being told there isn't enough money but to give us all 1% as an increase. The teachers complained, some voices were heard, and the district upped that to 1.5%. This is still not enough of a raise, since there's no guaranteed salary schedule increase, and it's not ethical to withhold budgeting numbers from good faith negotiations. Not only this, but the state of Arizona overwhelmingly passed a measure a few years back titled Prop 301. Those in AZ at the time of the voting should know of it. Prop 301 was a proposition to give teachers a pay increase based on some performance hoops to jump through, but it was welcomed money as far as teachers were concerned. The only problem is the money first goes to the district to be dispersed from there. The district then gets to decide on how to distribute that amount. Our district has decided to give it's teachers only about 43% of that money (that was my latest update) when other districts are divvying out closer to 85% of that money to teachers. How is this reasonable? Would the general public, who overwhelmingly voted for this money to go to teachers, be satisfied with how DVUSD #97 is mishandling (and then misrepresenting) those monies and numbers? To top this all off (I know, that's a lot already), the district just built for itself a new building at the DO (district office) which cost over a million dollars to construct. We are a top-heavy district in need of some major oversight changes. The monies meant for teachers are being used to construct buildings and hire more administration to a district that says it honors its educators. There is too much money being used in this district for things that don't touch the lives of our students or affect their educational process in any way. Don't we even exist as an educational establishment because we are here to educate the generations to come? Aren't the students why we do what we do in the first place? Sure, those becoming teachers aren't in it for the money, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be reasonably compensated for the professional duties that we perform. In a profession mostly made up of women, should we pay teachers less because, more than likely in some minds, this is the family's second income? Just because we get holidays and the summer off from school, does that mean that we work any less during those times? Is this going to be the only profession where someone must hold an outside job just to pay the bills for the family? What do you think?

my students love me

You know you have adoring students when you are losing your voice and they take the time to write you a get-well letter for you to hang on your wall and show off to all the rest of your classes.

admin response

This is from a letter that is being to be sent out to parents and an announcement that was read over the intercom by Principal Dobbs. I was glad to hear her voice on the matter, and I appreciated how she handled it in her speech, as well.

We think it is important to share the following information with you. Several rumors have circulated by text message, email, and phone regarding a possible situation to occur at Deer Valley High School on Friday, April 20.

Yesterday, it was brought to our attention that a student made inappropriate comments at school given the content of current national events. The Glendale Police Department investigated and a district threat assessment was performed. The school and Glendale Police Department completed a thorough investigation.

Deer Valley High School takes all such information seriously. Therefore, we have put in place measures to ensure your students’ safety and are practicing all of our campus security protocols. Several district administrators will be on campus in addition to an increased police presence.

We want you, as part of our school community, to be informed and understand that campus security and, in particular, your student’s safety is a primary concern. To report information on threats or dangerous situations, contact the school or district’s Safe School Hotline 623-376-3262.

Other than the Hotline, where Dobbs said for the students to talk with teachers or with herself about things they were concerned about or information they had, this was exactly what she read over the intercom. I was very pleased with her handling of it, and I told her myself. I am glad to be at Deer Valley. Boulder Creek's incident was not handled as well.

dvhs threat

Rumor has it that there was a threat spouted off by a DVHS student that April 20th (aka four twenty, the anniversary of Hitler's birthday and the Columbine shooting) would be a "great day," and not because of pot (since 4/20 is "pot smokers day"). He said this during his history class, where they were watching a documentary on what happened at Columbine. Students told me that "he was showing everywhere the Columbine shooters made mistakes" and "said that he could fix them." This threat was proactively responded to by the DVHS administration who immediately got Glendale PD involved to investigate the rumors. They found the rumors to be "unsubstantiated." The following is what Barbara Dobbs (DVHS Principal) sent to the DVHS staff:

On Wednesday morning information was forwarded to administration regarding a student who had made some inappropriate but general statements about this Friday. Some students in the class felt uncomfortable and reported the comments to both staff and parents. We immediately followed our protocal and had Glendale PD involved. As it turns out, there was no basis for concern but we wanted to be proactive rather than reactive.

Please don't initiate conversations regarding this BUT if your students talk about "a student here threatening the school on Friday", please let them know that what they heard is unfounded. That the administration and police have thoroughly investigated and found nothing.

Thanks for helpiing us (all of us!) get through this week! Keep the information coming and we will keep you posted if other issues surface.

So I have not brought it up, but students have, and I have responded in suite. This is weird to think about. I still plan on coming to school tomorrow, but I know plenty of students aren't going to risk it, and I believe their parents have the full right to keep their children home. We'll see how many come. Another strange thing is that Boulder Creek (my school last year) had a threat about yesterday, also involving a school shooting (which made the news last night). Time for Christ to return? I'm ready.

'nough time on one's hands?

You need to follow this link.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=new+york&daddr=london&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=62.876946,95.449219&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=3&ll=46.073231,-36.035156&spn=55.951835,95.449219&om=1

Scroll down until you see "Step 23," and then read it. Whomever wrote that in there must have actually been proctoring the AIMS Math test to have enough time on their hands to come up with that one. What do you think?

aims math

Waste of time, anyone? Step right this way and take the AIMS test. You have to pass it to graduate, but not really. We can stick all of your grades into this formula we've concocted just to make sure that you graduate and we don't get sued...again. Don't you fret: you don't even have to know anything too deep about algebra or geometry. Most of our questions are simply common sense. If you can use one iota of logic, you'll pass with flying colors. And if you can't, we'll still move you on. Don't worry at all: as long as you can pay attention to a movie for an hour and a half, you'll have just what you need to exceed our expectations. Yes, step right this way for a waste of a day!

motivation

How does one motivate someone else? When I normally think about this question, my response is to show the person their need to be involved in the deal and/or show them what it would be like without it. But most students in dropback scenarios have no motivation to learn, even though they've already failed the class and know that they will not move on unless they pass. These students have come face to face with the consequences of their actions (or non-action), but they still have nothing driving them to put the effort in that is necessary to complete the tasks at hand. I would love to be able to figure out how to motivate these students. They simply seem not to care and don't want to put the extra effort in. It might be that I intimidate, but if they cared enough, wouldn't they fight past that? It might be my sarcastic humor, but, again, if they cared enough, wouldn't that be something to look over? I am stuck with my personality traits that push away the "at-risk" and my drive to see students succeed.

teacher protest

The DVUSD teachers will not be receiving a raise next year. The salary ladder was disbanded a couple years ago, and raises are all dependent upon what percent the district decides to increase salaries for the next year. They decided upon 0% for this up-coming year. The teachers here at DVHS decided to not give extra help this week so as to spur the parents to call the school board to complain. I do not know how much of an impact this silent protest will have, but I'm all for it. Insurance premiums are going up next year, too, so that means I will actually be paid less next year than this. Doesn't make sense that someone with more experience would receive less money, does it? How is the education of these students being treated if the district is not willing to pay it's teachers? What do you think?

midterms

Something that students don't get about the DVUSD math midterms is that they are written by people who understand how students make mistakes. The writers of the exams work out the problems, showing the mistakes that students normally make, and then they put the incorrect answer that the students will get if they mess up, and they make that one of the choices. Students then walk out of the classroom after taking the midterm, feeling good about themselves and their incredible knowledge because all of the answers they got were there on the test, just to find out, when they check on Monday, that they failed it miserably. So far I have graded two of my drop-back classes' midterms, and both classes averaged an F (52% and 58.4%). I expect that my 7th hour will fall somewhere in between those two averages (since that's about normal for them on other quizzes and tests). Are the midterms written well? I believe so. Would I change them to help the students do better? No. If the students cannot do the correct work, then their grade should reflect that. The test is not too difficult, that is, if the students knew how to do their work correctly. Does it bother me that they score so poorly? Sure it does, but is that because I want to look good or because I want them to succeed? And even if it is for them to succeed, why do I want them to succeed? Even "good things" can be sinful because in them I am feeding an identity which is in something other than Christ: and that's sin. I'd still like them to do better.

python boy...umm man

"Pythonboy" is Daniel Pruitt. We had an hour long conversation today as the GOB met on the phone across the country. The Group Of Brothers disbanded after Hector Cruz got married back in the days of GMTC. Chad Kitchens, Daniel, and I were still holding strong, but then I got married, too. Chad got married this last year, and that still leaves Daniel unpaired. And he's secure with where the Lord has him. So, we're trying to bring in a new era of the GOB, where marriage does not matter. Dan is in the Chaplain platoon at basic training in South Carolina (where I was born, by the way). I didn't know this, but Chaplains are actually considered officers. Daniel has a Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) from the seminary that he attended the last couple of years - I only have my bachelors (I've been married 4 years, though!). The Lord has decisively taken us different routes in life, but He uses different parts of the Body to do different tasks and to reach different people. I'd never be able to reach those soldiers in Iraq, and Dan wouldn't be able to reach the high school students I teach at DVHS in Glendale, AZ. The phone conversation was a great time to reacquaint ourselves with the other brother. I've missed Dan, but it is good to know that the Lord is working strongly in his life and is/will be using him to further the Kingdom and to glorify His name alone. "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name!"

sarcasm

Okay. So I probably didn't take my principal's talk as seriously as I should have. I was pulled in for another meeting, this time with my Dept Chair, to talk about the same thing. I guess some anonymous parent(s) called and said that I was being sarcastic toward their student(s). They wouldn't even leave their name. Facing my accuser is a right, isn't it? Should admin just take the word of any anonymous person who calls and claims that a teacher is not doing what they want them to? Should not it be a requirement that parents contact the teacher that there might be an issue with? I'd love to be able to hear the complain, treat it seriously, apologize for specifics, and then work to make it right. I don't bear any grudge here, but I would like the chance to better myself, though I don't think I can totally change my personality and how I joke around with students. I would say that 95%, if not more, of my students are playing right back, and yet still learning what they need. I was informed that 95% in my class was not good enough: I need to create a safe environment for every single student...and I agree. I will see how this next week goes, as I try to monitor what I say, how I say it, and keep the environment the way I believe the Lord would want it: open and vulnerable to each other, as well as free from hurtful comments, even if they're not meant that way. We'll see what the Lord does in and through me in the coming days, months, and years in teaching. He's got something great for my life...and I'm looking forward to being able to show off His character as He works in me. To God be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

teaching math

I had one of the classes that I thought I'd get this semester taken from me the morning of the first day back from Christmas break. I had no idea that they'd changed my schedule until that morning. Instead of having an AIMS Prep (which already replaced an Algebra 1/2 class I had last semester), 2 dropback Algebra 1's, and 2 regular Algebra 1/2's, one of those Algebra 1/2's was dispersed to the other Algebra teachers and I got a third Algebra 1 dropback class. I know I am the second lowest on the totem poll, but it sure seems like I'm taking the brunt of changes. It will take me another five years before I'll have some sort of seniority around DV, since there are a lot of veteran teachers here, and they deserve their seniority because they've earned it. So, I am not complaining that I am being treated unfairly, I am just stating that I don't like change. Maybe the Lord is trying to strengthen me through a trial of change. Truthfully, I am surprised how tired I am just five days of school back into teaching. I need to rely. The Lord is good. Yahweh-Mehsah :: The LORD my Refuge.

separation

Now, you might not think this is normal of a follower of Christ, but I believe in the separation of church and state. It is absolutely wrong for a government to force all the people into the same religion and to, therefore, control that religion. It is also wrong for a religion to control the government, therefore forcing the country, with differing peoples, to do only that which the leaders of that religion desire. Both of those scenarios are what the founding fathers were referring to, since they had seen and been apart of countries where either scenario was in full swing. We fought to get away from that, to have religious freedom, and we shouldn't head back to it. But the issue in today's society is not either of these scenarios. I am being told that I cannot be referred to as a "sponsor" of the dvccc, Deer Valley Christian Club on Campus, but can only take a "supervisory" role. This is now the district's policy to not allow a sponsor but just a supervisor who does not participate within the religious club. Should I not be allowed to interject or answer questions from students just because someone has a Bible open? Freedom of religion would allow for any religious club to be held on campus, and I believe this should be so. And if the teacher that "sponsors" that club should want to help lead and guide discussion, I am completely behind that, as well. Sure, keep a sense or propriety, but allow the freedom of speech to come through, as well. *Lord, I don't know what it is that You are doing here, but I am trusting You to do Your will and Yours alone. May whatever happens through this situation bring You glory alone. May my heart, in the middle of this, back up actions of grace and love so that Your character will be shown off and hearts brought into Your kingdom. Your strength alone can accomplish this. You alone are worthy of all praise.*

ell

ELL students are students who are English Language Learners, meaning it is not their first language and are not proficient enough in English to succeed without accommodations. I was informed of one student that I had at the beginning of the year that was ELL. If the student has a D or F at the end of each quarter, then I have to turn in a form that shows all of the accommodations that I've made to aid that student. Today, in my staff mailbox, I find a list that has four total students on it, one that I knew needed some more help (no surprise there), one who I can understand being partially ELL (but ready to exit), and the last I never would have guessed. The fourth student's English is perfect. He understands every word I say, just not every math concept, but that's a different reason other than language needs. He told me that he was exitted from the program after he tested out of it last year. Now I've got to deal with the paper work of the new three students added to my ELL list, because they all have Ds. And there was much rejoicing...yaaaaay.