Tutoring takes a lot of energy out of me, yet I know I am doing a good thing for the African refugee children who are immersed into American schools. I just have mixed feeling about doing it. I know that the children need me and I love them. It is their teachers and the principal and everyone around them who are adults that are the problem. When I went to tutor last Friday I had the most hellish day. At recess, the teacher on duty ran around the yard and yelled at the children to not play tag. So I was gently reminding them so they wouldn't be bawled out by this teacher. When the bell rang a little boy was slowly getting off the play ground equipment and she SCREAMED at him to get off and get in line. I was picking up the equipment and putting it away for the children and then I saw this little boy start to cry because she was yelling at him and she called him a crybaby and screamed in his face to get in line. OH MY!!! I can't believe people like this are actually employed in an elementary school. Then I witnessed the principal in the middle of the lunch room with a microphone yelling at the kids to be quiet, sit and eat, and when they were done and sitting quietly she'd let them dump their food and go to recess. I don't think children should be yelled at like that. Children are so innocent and to see this stuff go on makes me want to vomit. Then I go into a classroom to help tutor a child from Somalia and the class is PURE chaos. The teacher doesn't know her left hand from her right and finally sends three kids out of the class with me. These kids were required to do some reading and answer the questions. These children could read but had NO comprehension of the piece and these kids are not getting ESL time. These were only a few of the problems I encountered that day. There were so many that I wrote three pages to my professor. He said inner city children rarely get the help they need and the teachers show signs of frustration and are probably worn out. He agreed with me that the adults' behavior was inexcusable. I told James never on earth will I EVER put my kids in public school. I tutored last year at a different school and had a miserable experience with the teacher there as well. She was MEAN to the poor babies in kindergarten and she wondered why the kids didn't like her. Oregon has some of the highest qualifications to get into teaching, but these teachers are seriously lacking. I guess the most I can do is keep going back and hope I can help as many children as possible and love them because they are God's precious children.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Penn State
My cousin sent me this. I thought it was hilarious. They should've gotten their story straight before they told it to the professor!
At Penn State University, there were four sophomores taking chemistry and all of them had an 'A' so far. These four friends were so confident that, the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party. They had a great time but, after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to State College until early Monday morning. Rather than taking the final then, they decided that after the final they would explain to their professor why they missed it. They said that they visited friends but on the way back they had a flat tire. As a result, they missed the final. The professor agreed they could make up the final the next day.
The guys were excited and relieved. They studied that night for the exam.
The Professor placed them in separate rooms and gave them a test booklet. They quickly answered the first problem worth 5 points. Cool, they thought!
Each one in separate rooms, thinking this was going to be easy.... then
they turned the page. on the second page was written....
For 95 points: Which tire? _________
afghan
Here is the afghan I made for my inlaws. James says it's the most incredible handmade thing he's ever seen. Very sweet of him. I didn't get the afghan done for my inlaws for Christmas, because I couldn't work on it as much as I wanted to. So perhaps I will send it to them for Valentines' day! 
Monday, February 4, 2008
more crochet
I haven't been crocheting. I want to. I have this darling hat I crocheted for my niece and I have a cute sweater pattern to go with it. I hope I can get it done before her birthday in March, but my carpal tunnel is acting up, again... I haven't been doing anything with my wrists for a couple of weeks now, except try to hold them still. The pain is driving me crazy, so much so that now I'm dreaming of performing surgery on myself.... GROSS! The pain started in my hands, fingers, and wrists. Even with ice and heat it has spread to my forearms, elbows, and up to my shoulders. I've even been splinting them at night. I've had cortisone injections to help my arms and they were great for a long time, but they've probably worn off. The Dr. now says he can't give me anymore because in time the steroids weaken the joints and cause other damage. Oh what a pain, literally and figuratively! I did read something interesting that said yoga would help and also acupuncture. I don't really like yoga, but I guess I better start and I've always wanted to try acupuncture. Possibly by summer, I may just have to bite the bullet and get the surgery. My brother Craig doesn't want me to, (he's a chiropractor)but I can't live with the pain anymore and I don't want to give up things I enjoy, like crochet. Plus the sweater set is for his daughter!!!
