Back in action

I know it’s been a long, long time since I’ve last written. I planned to change that on several occasions, but just hadn’t yet.

I am now teaching in St. Croix, USVI. I teach  English to 8th grade, 10th grade, and 11th grade. I am in charge of the newspaper and have just recently started volleyball practices with some girls in hopes of having a team by the fall. I would say that things here couldn’t be better. But, that would honestly be a lie. There are days I get lonely and feel so far away from the rest of the world and my friends and family who live in it. But, overall I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be doing exactly what I was made to do.

So, it is my intention to use this blog once again to keep up with the happenings of a teacher’s life. I will write soon and hope you’ll visit often.

washed out jeans and mixed signals

As I enter the school on a dress down day, my eyes are drawn to the black/gray skinny jeans faded much like the ones I used to see on “Family Matters”, “Full House”, and “Saved by the Bell.” I witness layers and layers and layers, along with bright eye-catching colors: Pink, Yellow, Green, all very neon. Teased hair, side ways ponytails, and long beaded necklaces all remind me of the hideous fashions MTV brought on the scene in the 8o’s. Each student looks like they belong on stage in a punk band.

It makes me think back to my days in high school when bell bottoms or I mean “flared” jeans came in and my mom said things like, “I should have saved my jeans and you could have worn them.” Trends and styles are never new. They are all recycled, regurgitated, or slight variation of a past style/trend.

This also leads me to the point that although there a few differences in students today and students of the past, there are also several similarities. Students have more thrown at them in more ways than ever. But their reactions and responses are always the same.

Teens tend to be selfish, needy, rude, and distracted. But they are at a time in their life where they discovering who they are, what they offer as a person, and their self-worth. They have to be taught that true happiness is found through self-less love. Love for others, not money, things, or unhealthy love of self. They need to be taught responsibility and time management. They need to be taught to be a good citizen. The key to all I just said, is that they need to be taught. Obviously, some are easier to teach than others. Some students learn by looking at their dead- beat parents and deciding NOT to be like that. Either way, they are taught in some way or another by someone or something who they are.

One thing I’ve recently noticed, is that adults tend to say things like, “I don’t have time…”, “I don’t care….”, I… I.. I. And while these make more sense in context, they sound a little… well.. insensitive. Are we unintentionally teaching our children that they’re not important right now, but when they become an adult they can expect the world to revolve around them as well? I think we try to teach them they’re being selfish, incosiderate, irresponsible, but instead we’re sending them the opposite message.

So, pardon my choppy blog and horrible segue from 80’s style to life lessons we’re teaching teens… But what are some other examples or what we’re trying to teach and what we really end up teaching?

Most Important Book for Students

Let’s think about books and reading. What would you consider the most important book you read in shchool or that you think students should read today?

I would consider the book that made the biggest impression on me in high school to be “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathanial Hawthorne.

Unfortunately, students don’t read anymore. If they read one book, what do you think it should be?

Confessions of a seventh grader….

Well being around school and students everyday has reminded me of my own days as a student in middle and high school. Seventh grade is such an interesting stage in life. For me, I have several traumatizing stories that I seem to manage to forget for extended periods of time – for obvious reasons. When looking back at my school pictures, seventh grade is by far the worse. Even the other bad ones still look like me, unfortunately. Seventh grade looks like mom and dad picked up the wrong pictures from the photographer. Who is that pimple faced, big banged, un-cool dressed kid?

I moved right before my seventh grade year. I was in a new place, a new school, and seventh grade is already an awkward transition. I wanted to be cool and I wanted to make friends. I did fine in my own class, kind of. I met the girl that is still my best friend, and has actually made me her maid of honor in July. She was my absolute best friend in 7th grade all the way to 12th grade.

It was 8th graders that didn’t like me. For some reason, once you make it passed a grade, you think you’re better than those that are now in that grade, especially the new kids. Seventh grade was where for the first time EVER I was made fun of for my smile. All my life I had been told that I had a huge and beautiful smile. Well, 8th graders apparently don’t like big smiles? This is the time in my life I got the nicknames beaver, Mr. Ed, and I’m sure several others I have just dismissed from the painful memories. I also experienced having a “boyfriend” for the first time. You may say, well Hannah a boyfriend? That sounds like you fit in fine. Oh, but let me explain. He was an 8th grader….cool, right? Wrong. He didn’t like me. I found out later that it was some prank/joke thing that he got pushed into “being my boyfriend.” I imagine the conversation going something like this.

8th grade boy 1: Dude, see that girl?

8th grade boy 2: Yeah, ugh.. she’s So gross!

8th grade boy 1: Dude, I dare ya to tell her you like her…

8th grade boy 2: Nah, man that’s not cool…

(Next day in music class they’re sitting next to this girl)

8th grade boy 1: (to girl/me) Hey, he likes you

8th grade boy 2: No, I do- I mean maybe

girl: really?

And basically, I think he was just too nice to ever tell me the truth. I think I found out months later. But while he was my “boyfriend” we sat together at lunch. That was pretty much the extent of it. I would wonder why he would only IM me and not call me like he did his other friends… even other girls.. but as a seventh grader you just take what you can get I guess. And, I wanted to be cool. Well not only did I experience my first “boyfriend” I experienced the first break up. But this wasn’t just you know the regular break up. He and his best friend (another girl) finally got enough courage to express feelings… with a kiss. My world crashed. My “boyfriend” kissed another girl. Basically the whole 8th grade class knew he didn’t like me, knew he kissed this other girl, and had more reason to make fun of the ugly girl with a smile like Mr. Ed. Anyway, I can not write a blog including every story I remember from that terrible year of my life.

But my point is this. As I sit in the classroom with seventh graders everyday I wonder what nicknames they’ve been given. What problems with their peers do they experience? Do their parents write them off? Do their parents unhealthily baby them? Is there anybody telling them they are made in the image of God and VERY special to Him? Do they believe it when they are told?

What are your stories? What was your seventh grade year like?

Is cursive writing still needed?

Okay, so this is a post I need opinions on. I understand that this subject however may not be near or dear to everybody.  But we teachers can be nerds or even boring at times.

It seems that one of the next things to be taken out of schools is cursive writing: teaching it and practicing it. Now as a traditionalist, this sort of bothers me. But in talking to people about it, I don’t really have a legitimate reason to let it bother me. Other than the minor fact that I am traditional. I learned how to write in cursive as an elementary student, I still write in cursive, and I guess part of me feels like it should be required.  I have also got to realize that in our ever changing world, things such as cursive are going to seem less and less necessary. Especially with computers that can write in cursive for you, or write for you in general. Typing has the become the required skill. You could be considered unqualified for all kinds of jobs without the ability to type. Who needs to write cursive?

A lot of people have also become perturbed at students who can not tell time on a face clock. They have become reliant on cell phones, computers,alarm clocks and other digital time pieces to tell them the hour and minute without the need for simple math.

Things are always evolving and changing. There are things my grandparents had to learn that I don’t. Teachers feel the lack of time to teach simple things like cursive when students are facing far greater problems more and more everyday. What is your opinion? Are you a traditionalist? Do you see it as needed? Or do you agree that it’s a necessary change with the times? The Declaration of Independence was written in cursive, can students read it?

Teens and Texting….

I hate to start off with anything other than a lighthearted post, but this about an article I read a few weeks ago. It broke my heart. Teens with cell phones may have bigger problems than just using them too often…

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the term for a  practice among teens… and I’m sure adults. The name given to the sending of semi-nude pictures, nude pictures,dirty jokes, and sexual language through  text messaging is called “sexting.” And this practice is common for teenagers to take part in.

The article told about teens in Pennsylvania who are facing charges right now. The two girls who are 14 and 15 are facing charges for manufacturing, disseminating, or possession of child pornography. While the boys they sent the nude pictures to, were 16 and 17 and are facing charges of possession.

The school found nude pictures of the classmates on the boys phone when it gotten taken away for being used at school.

I know this behavior is not new to students now. I realize that cell phones did not create the problem, but are merely tools. We are sinful with or without cell phones. And teenagers will behave in sinful ways as long as the world exists.

What can be done to help eliminate this problem? Is there a way? Have we gone too far to be stopped? As a teacher, where does my responsibilty lie involving issues like these? I’m interested in hearing what you think. What is your reaction to a situation involving teens and raunchy texts?

It’s a new day.. seize it!

Hello. My name is Hannah Postlewaite. I used to have a blog on the famous blogspot and then I wrote on Myspace for awhile.. I haven’t blogged in sometime and have wanted to start up again. Today I decided it was time.

I will attempt to write this blog for teachers or anybody else who works with our youth. I may tell stories about my student teaching experiences, or I may write about things I hear involving youth – students.

This post is a brief introduction and welcome from the “Teacher’s Lounge”

Hope to be hearing from you all through comments.