Waiting for Apples?

Yesterday's meeting was nice. The snacks seemed to be a hit. Well, maybe not the lemon cranberry cake picked out in the bakery because of the cool shape -- a ring of conifers -- and I don't know why that was, I think it tastes pretty good and I am not a lover of lemony baked goods.

We always have a great group of caring educators who show up to the association meetings. I'm not sure what I appreciate most about those folks who attend on a regular basis; the level of intelligence, their willingness to offer support or their dedication to the profession. Every contribution to the conversation in yesterday's meeting was of value. All questions were discussed in a generally thoughtful manner, punctuated by the wisdom of experienced educators, and the agenda items were quickly and thoughtfully addressed.

The best part of the meeting yesterday was that we were able to say that we have a contract in its final form; it was even made available, in all it's hard copy glory, for attendees to carry home. We can start the bargaining process again early next year -- that's 2011 I'm talking about -- so I have to say an unenthusiastic, "yippee." Don't get me wrong, I understand the value of contract negotiations but this last round kind sucked all the fun out of the prospect of another go at the process.

We had time to talk about how the continuing professional development picture for our guest teachers is developing, or not. I looked at the Commission's November meeting agenda item pertaining to the issue online before our meeting (the minutes are not approved yet) and nothing had been decided previously. There seems to be a lot of wrangling over what qualifies as professional development and how many PDUs to require for substitute teachers who hold a teacher license to renew. So, what is new in the slow turning of the wheels of a regulatory body? Nothing it seems.

There was a lively discussion of everyday substitute teacher trials and tribulations. For instance, what happens when a guest teacher in our district is assigned a job via the automated dispatch system, packs a tasty lunch then treks to the school only to be told they are not needed? Our contract with said district states that if we hold the job number we get the job or are paid for (and work) a half-day. Something that is happening to a number of our guest teachers is that someone or the system calls after the assignment has been accepted to tell the guest teacher they are no longer needed for the job. Because many of us use our cell phones for our primary contact and turn the ringer off once we have accepted a job for the day we are not always getting that notification before arriving at the school site. I have been told that some of those calls come while the guest teacher is driving to the school site so I ask, in that case, where is the cutoff; at home or in transit? If I am pulling up in the staff/visitor parking area and I get call canceling the job, am is supposed to back out of the space and go home with my tail between my legs? Do I stand my ground and argue with the most important person in that school building -- the secretary (or is that the custodian?)-- and possibly an administrator that I have a contractual right to the job? It is a sticky situation that may not be easily cleared up for some time.

On a more upbeat note (pun intended) we found out that the EEA Professional Development Seminars, sponsored by the Eugene Education Association Instruction Committee and Eugene District 4J schedule had been sent out to all members. Exciting stuff since we are fairly certain our guest teachers will eventually have to collect PDUs and/or college credits in order to renew their licenses. The Instruction Committee has come up with 15 different seminars -- I signed up for 5 of them -- and as always they look like valuable and interesting learning opportunities for our licensed educators. The Instruction Committee does not disappoint!

Meeting Apples

No apples on the menu for this afternoon's meeting of the association but other goodies will be in attendance.

Again I have put off posting to this blog for too long and am ashamed of my lax behavior. I don't have a good excuse for being away all this time, just lazy. I do feel a bit ADD these days and wonder if it is part of the grieving process for me? Oh well, I just have to plow on because the holidays are upon me and I have things to accomplish to that end.

Back to the meeting and its agenda. We are going to be talking about the finalization of our latest contract with the district. Whew! We start the process of negotiation again in February so I feel sort of like we have been slogging through thick deep mud for the last one and a half years or so.

We will also be touching, briefly, on the subject of continuing professional development for guest teachers and how it pertains to relicensure. I checked the state commission's last meeting (November 4, 2010) agenda and there is still no final word on how or even if that will be a reality sometime after the beginning of the new year. I feel very much up in the air about the prospect of having to collect PDUs to renew my teaching license and, personally, would like some particulars so that I can get on with my professional life. Again, that feeling of slogging through deep mud.

Guest teaching has been very slow for me in the last 30 days. I am too bummed out to mention here how many days I DIDN'T work in the last 30 so I won't. Suffice it to say, it has been abysmally slow for me. I hope all the other guest teachers who want to work are getting as many assignments as they can handle. But if you are getting plenty of work I am quite envious. I used to take the attitude that if I wasn't working much it didn't really matter -- my spouse makes a good living (knock wood) -- but I find, every year, that we are dependent on my meager paycheck more than the last. I will say, I anticipated a drop off in assignments, due to the suffering economy and rapidly falling school fund reserves so I am not all that surprised but it is humbling and makes me question my abilities as a professional educator when days go by without even a chance to turn a job down. On such days I wonder, silently or aloud, what I have done wrong, who did I irritate enough that I am not being called back? I am almost ashamed to hope I am not the only one who is feeling left out in the cold -- no pun intended -- by this slow season.

On the upside of the downturn in guest teacher assignments I am experiencing is that I have gotten a few messy storage places in the house straightened and some junk tossed. Just yesterday I went through two of the kitchen 'junk' drawers (I can open and close them with ease now) and the cupboard that holds all the plastic wrap, aluminum foil and wax paper products. The latter effort means that those containers don't cascade out onto the dirty floor every time one of us opens the cupboard door. Life is always better when things are clean and organized, now if I could just motivate myself enough to do the cleaning part.

Question: Do you have 'junk' drawers, closets, boxes, baskets . . . ?

Since I do not expect much in the way of work for the last two days before Winter Break I should have time to post here often. Look for more frequent entries.