From My Other Blog

Background: I am saving you the trouble of reading my previous entry wherein I explain that I am taking a continuing education class for the purpose of license renewal. It is called "The Daily 5." Two sisters who teach reading have developed this method of teaching reading. Perhaps if the two sisters taught us, it would be better. Instead, two "experts" from a nearby district are teaching. Until now, I was unfamiliar with their abilities. I thought this class would help me be a more effective teacher of reading. I thought it would be interesting. I was wrong.

I can't believe how exhausted I am after coming home from a day of sitting around doing nothing. I sit all day and I get very stiff, especially in my hips and knees where I have arthritis. I like to be moving around. It might help if this class was engaging, but sadly it isn't. Even now, we're sitting in a computer lab, and there is nothing to do. The class instructors have given us a list of reading and "Daily 5" web sites to explore, but I just have zero interest.

This is absolutely the worst continuing education class I've ever experienced. We had the opportunity to evaluate the class this morning, since today is the final day. I've never done this before, but I had no other choice than to give the lowest possible grade to each aspect of the class. I also wrote several pointed comments about the disorganization; the way the examples focus only on Kindergarten and first grade activities; the poor use of technology; and the snail's pace of the class. I still am not sure why we are looking at web sites. The sisters who developed the Daily 5 have password protected and copyrighted everything they do and say, so we can't get access to the original material unless we pay dearly to get it. I see that one of the sites we've been given to explore is from Blogspot.com. I know that Blogspot is blocked at the District level (as is this site). Both are considered "social networking" sites.

I was so tired yesterday that I actually skipped going to the dojo. This is the first class I remember missing this whole summer. I certainly want to continue going as often as possible. I'm down to about 80 hours before I test for my brown belt, so I want to keep going. Being tired shouldn't stop me, but last night it did. I'm guessing with about 80 hours of training left, I should test some time in the spring. I'm looking forward to this very much. I've been a blue belt for almost three years now, and I'm ready for that brown obi (belt) around my waist.

One of my colleagues just looked over at me. I held up my hand to my head as though it were a gun. I pretended to shoot myself in the head.

I really want to go home now.