tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56019732011-08-29T05:15:08.909-07:00"Can I Help You Find Something?" or, Tales of a Guy Who "Tried" Teaching But Is Now SO Much Happier Going to School to Become a Librarian...Ericnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-68320576683421112332011-02-19T12:19:00.000-08:002011-02-19T12:27:57.629-08:00

Was just reading an article about getting a job (not that I need one right now... YEAH!) and got a part about how employers are now discovering potential candidate's "web presences". Googling myself brought up this blog, and the sample it gave for this blog was headed with a "bad" word... I'm hoping that this post will override that...[]

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-91268283126751365722008-06-28T23:05:00.000-07:002008-06-28T23:11:45.360-07:00

If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... it's because he wants to stay inside.-- To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (1960)*

Ericnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-40768664931710145712008-04-21T22:28:00.000-07:002008-04-21T22:32:36.384-07:00

I miss Brian...#

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-47270605348218206552008-03-01T14:27:00.000-08:002008-03-05T14:39:04.076-08:00

Out with the old:In with...... the new!#

Ericnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-22388098885582887022008-02-22T12:38:00.000-08:002008-02-22T12:41:05.580-08:00

#

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-88841971652570153962007-12-20T16:37:00.000-08:002007-12-20T16:40:26.816-08:00

Consider giving a gift card where the recipient can choose which charities that they'd like the money to go to. Pretty great concept, as far as I'm concerned. After all, how much more STUFF do any of us need? Screw the lines and the crowds in the retail stores - give to fellow human beings who don't have nearly as much as we all do.http://www.charitynavigator.org/#

Ericnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-38123210249907763102007-12-13T14:42:00.000-08:002007-12-13T18:19:24.590-08:00

Cited from the American Rhetoric: Movie Speech "The Great Dictator" (1940) Adenoid Hynkel (dictator of Tomania)/A Jewish barber: Closing Address. Here follows what Charles Spencer Chaplin said in his final speech:"I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an Emperor - that's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone, if possible -- Jew, gentile, black man,

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-12210541335472312722007-12-09T20:56:00.000-08:002007-12-13T18:19:50.894-08:00

[Although, you have to imagine it with a foresty-green, retro-speckled, textured fabric.]We ordered it today and should get it in a couple of months. It's Santa's present to us (from us) for Christmas, and is the first couch that either of us has ever owned that is BRAND NEW.Sure, Eric and Ed got a house, but that couch up there is pretty darn cute!#

Ericnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-67242271241424695932007-11-03T02:21:00.000-07:002007-11-03T02:23:35.278-07:00

This guy is so speaking to me right now.#

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-62053183965842286012007-09-26T23:22:00.000-07:002007-09-26T23:24:57.901-07:00

I'm proud of myself for:-remembering to get popcorn and parchment paper at the grocery store today.[Positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement. Constant praise. Constant praise.]#

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-51413309017859339122007-08-25T18:04:00.000-07:002007-08-25T18:14:45.918-07:00

"In 1905, [Frances Jenkins] Olcott described the characteristics of the ideal applicant to the training school for children's librarians at the Carnegie Library:Sympathy with and respect for children, strength of character, a genial nature, a pleasing personality, an instinct for reading character, adaptability, and last but not least, a strong sense of humor. [Her] home training and education

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-70783916919401721052007-07-25T15:56:00.000-07:002007-07-25T16:18:43.943-07:00

a horrible and embarrassing development, as told through email correspondence:Date:: Mon, 09 Jul 2007 11:30:55 -0700 (PDT)From:: jfisherSubject:: VERY IMPORTANT for Fall 2007 LIBR 289 e-Portfolio classTo:: erictwelvePlease make sure that you have submitted your Candidacy Form BEFORE the start of the Fall 2007 semester. You must do this to be eligible for graduation.Also - if you have registered

Ericnoreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-82741397458667092852007-07-20T15:10:00.000-07:002007-07-20T15:17:32.957-07:00

I realized the other day, when I just wanted to post some thoughts about what's going on in my life right now and wanted to use CURSE WORDS, that I couldn't really post about life and books on the same blog - there is just a bit of conflict there. People who go to read about my life may not care what I'm reading, and people who want to know what I'm reading [i.e. fellow children's librarians]

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-71126606918938448672007-07-15T18:18:00.000-07:002007-07-15T18:48:15.051-07:00

STARTED & FINISHED:Sobol, Donald J. (1963). Encyclopedia Brown, boy detective. New York: T. Nelson.Sobol, Donald J. (1966). Encyclopedia Brown finds the clues. New York: Elsevier/Nelson.[These little novels are like candy. I was inspired to read a couple books in this classic series because SFPL's Summer Reading program this summer is detective themed. The Encyclopedia Brown books, for those

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-35302003778334013362007-07-14T20:04:00.000-07:002007-07-15T18:56:22.366-07:00

FINISHED:Bowe, Julie. (2007). My last best friend. Orlando: Harcourt.[A sweet little tale about girls in 4th grade. Ida's best friend moved away over the summer and she is now trying to find her way in the social world of 4th Grade by herself. There's a new girl that seems pretty cool, but she's been taken under the wing of the class bitch (who refers to Ida as I-duh). When Ida starts secretly

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-88670389213513870542007-07-13T16:52:00.000-07:002007-07-13T17:05:18.173-07:00

FINISHED:Knox, Elizabeth. (2006). Dreamhunter: book one of the dreamhunter duet. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux.[At our ACL meeting today, I wrestled with this one... and ultimately voted that it ISN'T "Outstanding". It was intriguing, but it never completely pulled me in, and there were many times where I just wanted it to end because I was either bored or confused. It's a world where

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-39972594650096088772007-07-08T18:07:00.000-07:002007-07-13T17:11:38.761-07:00

STARTED & FINISHED:DuPrau, Jeanne. (2004). The people of Sparks. New York: Random House.[Sequel to "The City of Ember" - which I ate up. I'm quite impressed with this series so far (still have one more book to go...). This one deals with what happens with the citizens of Ember after they emerge from their underground, failing city and try to assimilate themselves with the citizens of the town of

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-32044637526093427312007-07-02T20:08:00.000-07:002007-07-03T20:40:21.635-07:00

FINISHED:McCarthy, Cormac. (2006). The road. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.[If you haven't heard of this one, I don't know what to tell you. It not only won the Pulitzer for fiction this year, it was also an OPRAH Bookclub pick. Seems like that would pretty much cover everyone. Um, I liked it. The language and style were definitely "literary", but it kind of played out as a highbrow Stephen King

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-61647470592885720312007-06-29T21:14:00.000-07:002007-06-29T21:29:50.966-07:00

FINISHED:Clifford, Eth. (1979). Help! I'm a prisoner in the library. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.[Well, even though this one takes place in Indianapolis - and the library in the story was modeled after a library that was on the spot where the Children's Museum is now - this thin tome, which I read in a day, was nothing to write home about... although, I'm writing about it here. A couple of girls

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-57904436778173915812007-06-28T19:46:00.000-07:002007-06-29T21:38:27.842-07:00

FINISHED:DuPrau, Jeanne. (2003). The city of Ember. New York: Random House.[Been on my radar for a while now and finally picked it up and read it after I saw that the movie version is on its way. I was sucked in from the VERY FIRST PAGE. The introduction begins with a whiz-BANG premise: some "builders" construct an underground city with artificial light and say that the people who live there

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-18228804235212967942007-06-23T18:29:00.000-07:002007-06-24T18:59:03.858-07:00

Finished:Niffenegger, Audrey (2003) The time traveler's wife. San Francisco: MacAdam/Cage.[This adult novel had been on my radar for awhile. It took me a bit longer to read than I thought it would - I'm used to reading 2 or 3 YA/jF novels a week - but am impressed by how quickly I DID read it. Before I started this MLIS program, it would take me a month and a half to get through a book of this

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-29577277362085047922007-06-18T09:48:00.000-07:002007-06-24T19:01:23.625-07:00

Finished:Schlitz, Laura Amy (2006) A drowned maiden's hair. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.[FANTASTIC book. SO should've been the Newbery Award winner last year. An orphan girl, Maud, is adopted by a trio of old sisters who want Maud to help them with their seance business. Great characters, setting, and descriptions.]Started:Niffenegger, Audrey (2003) The time traveler's wife. San Francisco:

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-79514529380386089172007-06-15T15:28:00.000-07:002007-06-24T19:11:29.765-07:00

Started & Finished:Sanchez, Alex (2005) Rainbow road. New York: Simon & Schuster.Black, Holly, & DiTerlizzi, Tony. (2003) The Spiderwick chronicles: The seeing stone. New York: Simon & Schuster. Book 2 in the series.Black, Holly, & DiTerlizzi, Tony. (2003) The Spiderwick chronicles: Lucinda's secret. New York: Simon & Schuster. Book 3 in the series.Black, Holly, & DiTerlizzi, Tony. (2004)

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-79585119462084237642007-06-08T18:10:00.000-07:002007-06-24T19:14:22.888-07:00

Started & Finished:Clare, Cassandra (2007) City of bones. New York: Margaret K. McElderry.[Reviewed for ACL - http://www.bayviews.org/]Black, Holly, & DiTerlizzi, Tony. (2003) The Spiderwick chronicles: The field guide. New York: Simon & Schuster.Started:Knox, Elizabeth (2006) Dreamhunter. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.Gave Up On:Raskin, Ellen (1978) The westing game. New York: Puffin

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-11619660698499958372007-05-27T10:11:00.000-07:002007-06-24T19:03:20.082-07:00

Finished:Anderson, M.T. (2004) The game of sunken places. New York: Scholastic Press.[That took me WAY too long to read. It just didn't grab me like I thought it would...]Started:Raskin, Ellen (1978) The westing game. New York: Puffin Books.

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-7441764214313459212007-05-19T16:49:00.000-07:002007-06-24T19:19:26.646-07:00

Finished:Sanchez, Alex. (2003) Rainbow high. New York: Simon & Schuster.Started:Anderson, M.T. (2004) The game of sunken places. New York: Scholastic Press.

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-32960420470592122062007-04-25T15:46:00.000-07:002007-04-25T15:48:56.783-07:00

Click on Sophistra to take the test to see who your Daemon is [yeah, it's dorky, but for some reason I LOVE IT!].Can't wait for the movie this Christmas!

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1175902177937468132007-04-06T16:06:00.000-07:002007-04-06T16:30:56.773-07:00

A little late on this, but Brian and I went to Mexico at the end of January. What's the big deal about that? We've been together @10 YEARS and this was the FIRST vacation that we got to take together. THE FIRST.We flew in and out of Merida, Yucatan, and spent 3 nights on the Gulf Coast at this amazing place called the Hotel Eco Paraiso. SO relaxing. SO fun.Here are the pictures we took:

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1157775584795428122006-09-08T21:16:00.000-07:002006-09-08T21:19:44.806-07:00

For those who have never seen her, and those who can't get enough of her:Isn't she cute?

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1155861081593452062006-08-17T17:27:00.000-07:002006-08-17T17:32:14.746-07:00

Remember why you started this blog in the first place:Ultimately, you are here to record your thoughts/words for yourself.You should be doing it for YOU and no one else.[You're all welcome to read and follow along, but I've got to just do this for me...]

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1154311564500240702006-07-30T18:57:00.000-07:002006-07-30T19:08:19.250-07:00

We recently spent a couple of days up at Mt. Shasta [4-5 hours north of here...] with some chums. I documented our time with the glorious LomoCam. Click here to see some more photos from the trip.

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1147228099398439272006-05-09T19:17:00.000-07:002006-05-09T19:28:19.550-07:00

Click HERE for more photos.ELIZABETH FRASER from the COCTEAU TWINS was there to sing with Massive Attack! It was a dream come freakin' true!2 days of sun, music, corn on the cob, camping, smoking, and countless bottles of water. FUN!

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1146286326334652392006-04-28T21:50:00.000-07:002006-04-28T21:59:11.216-07:00

[Some of the kids at Bryant - yeah, believe it or not, I'm back there... - are calling me "Harry Potter"...]We're off to Coachella in about an hour...

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1141955929587522862006-03-09T17:55:00.000-08:002006-03-09T17:58:49.596-08:00

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1141192264188999812006-02-28T21:48:00.000-08:002006-02-28T21:51:04.200-08:00

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1137120852028353492006-01-12T18:45:00.000-08:002006-01-13T10:35:47.466-08:00

Taken with the LOMO Fisheye camera that Brian got me for Christmas...

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1137120223204005222006-01-11T18:37:00.000-08:002006-01-12T18:44:29.236-08:00

Sing your lifeAny fool can think up words that rhymeMany others doWhy don't you?Sing your lifeJust walk right up to the microphoneand nameAll the things that you loveAll the things that you loathSing your lifeOthers sang your lifeBut now's your chance to shineAnd have the pleasure ofsaying what you meanThe rare pleasure of meaning what you singOh, make no mistake, my friend,All of this will endSo

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1134877098840277142006-01-03T19:16:00.000-08:002006-01-03T19:18:30.350-08:00

[A new year. A new post. The majority of the following was written on December 17th...]So the first semester of Library School ended for me yesterday, and I don't think that I've really mentioned it at all here.Last Fall, when I was subbing, I had these second thoughts about teaching. Well, actually, all through my program I had second thoughts. One of my classmates and I would talk about how

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1118419297355152972005-11-16T15:42:00.000-08:002005-11-16T15:59:47.186-08:00

[The following, HONESTLY, was started on the day indicated - June 10th - the last day of school. I'm finally getting around to putting it up here, and finishing my thoughts...]Today is the last day of school. I've been here for just under an hour already [I was way late today - much more so than usual...] and I pretty much have nothing to do. I'm not complaining, but it seems like there should

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1129998119625698372005-10-22T09:20:00.000-07:002005-10-22T16:26:21.503-07:00

Yep, that's my unbelievably cute niece.[Oh, and Kenny is in the background. Can't forget Kenny.]

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1128553838048372372005-10-05T16:15:00.000-07:002005-10-05T16:17:32.930-07:00

If you don't have a song to singYou're ok You know how to get along hummingIf you don't have a dateCelebrateGo out and sit on the lawnAnd do nothing-Cause it's just what you must do andNobody does it anymoreNo, I don't believe in the wasting of timeBut I don't believe that I'm wasting mineIf you don't have a point to makeDon't sweat itYou'll make a sharp one being so kind[And I'd sure appreciate

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1125528216934040242005-09-02T16:15:00.000-07:002005-09-02T16:16:01.046-07:00

For over 20 years I've wanted to see the band ABC*** live, and I'm getting that opportunity TONIGHT!! The show is at a SUPER small club in town and I'm peeing my pants in anticipation! Can't WAIT!AND, for over 20 years I've wanted to own a VOLVO, and Brian and I just bought a 1979 brown Volvo in GREAT shape a few weeks ago. Her name is Harriet [I named her - the name just CAME to me...] and

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1124653826814336012005-08-21T12:49:00.000-07:002005-08-21T12:50:26.813-07:00

You're in the right place. I just thought that I would change things up a bit. I feel like I'm entering a WHOLE new chapter in my life, so I thought that it would be good if this space reflected that.Change is good.Many things to talk about - it will all come soon...Don't Panic.

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1124164241376547572005-08-15T20:49:00.000-07:002005-08-15T20:50:41.383-07:00

"This was the moment when I began to understand how unaware I'd been - not only in planning to run away, but in everything. I'd never understood how closely things are connected to one another. And it isn't just the zodiac I'm talking about. We human beings are only a part of something very much larger. When we walk along, we may crush a beetle or simply cause a change in the air so that a

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1122768669056412232005-07-30T17:16:00.000-07:002005-07-30T20:16:10.963-07:00

Chicken fries.[Um, yeah... so the link above is to a fake Burger King promotional band called Coq Roq. Just disturbing on SO many levels. Be sure and visit the "Gallery". Eww...]One Nation Under Chicken Fries!

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1122609274975914152005-07-28T20:49:00.000-07:002005-07-28T20:54:34.980-07:00

Oracular pig.

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1116886760340126012005-05-23T15:40:00.000-07:002005-05-23T15:39:21.996-07:00

I'm done with this job. I've officially given up. 3 more weeks of school and I honestly don't have it in me to finish the year out.Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday last week I had to be in one of the worst classrooms in the school. It's a Spanish/Bilingual first grade, and a few months ago there was a sub in there who was supposed to be there for 2 days and only, BARELY, made it through 1. And

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1111424018181038672005-04-21T22:22:00.000-07:002005-04-21T10:22:36.286-07:00

The following was written on March 25th - I SWEAR! Thought that I would throw it up so that you have SOMETHING to read... yeah, it's been awhile...About time for a grande update, eh?Well, first off, I came this close to quitting my job a couple of weeks ago. It's odd calling it a "job" - I usually just refer to it as "school". I mean, it still strikes me as strange that I actually get PAID for

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1113357438518523672005-04-12T18:56:00.000-07:002005-04-12T18:57:18.520-07:00

Looking toward the heavens, listening to some Sinatra, and thinking of you today, Grandma...

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1108686892844390492005-02-17T17:18:00.000-08:002005-02-17T17:20:42.573-08:00

So, I just got home from school, had a MUCH NEEDED cigarette, and was about to write here about the TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD day that I had at school today when I got a phone call from my parents. They let me know thatI'M AN UNCLE!!!Yep, I'm an uncle for the first time [well, second time counting Brian's brother and sister-in-law...]!! My younger brother and his wife gave birth to

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1108081620741841532005-02-10T16:12:00.000-08:002005-02-10T16:27:00.740-08:00

The principal at my school [who is new this year, and not making any friends... more on this another time...] is on crack. Here's the proof: He made me ACTING PRINCIPAL in his absence tomorrow. Holy crap. So, in the morning today I had heard rumours that the principal was going to be asking me to do this, and I had already, in my mind, decided to "respectfully decline" the "offer". [The

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1106536958683584182005-01-23T19:18:00.000-08:002005-01-24T20:45:53.746-08:00

Finally made it down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today. While it was a bit smaller than I thought it would be, I went specifically for the jellyfish... and was SO not disappointed. Here's one of my favorite shots that I got: SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE!

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1105317612993906842005-01-22T15:12:00.000-08:002005-01-23T20:38:44.776-08:00

So, Sunday [December 26th] was the big "reunion". Brian drove up from Indy for it, I'm so glad that he was there. It ended up being at an old friend's new place - a house on a bunch of land out in the boonies that her husband owns. We got there, walked in, and I immediately felt a bit odd. Well, awkward. I just wanted the damn thing to work out well for everyone involved. Even though it

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1104025212227153372004-12-25T20:16:00.000-08:002004-12-25T18:29:40.880-08:00

I feel the need to put "home" in quotes not because I love doing the "air quotes", but because that's what everyone asks, "Are you going 'home' for Christmas?" No, my home is in San Francisco. My immediate family, however, is still in Indiana. Even writing that opening caveat is odd. The feeling begins right as we begin to touch down in Chicago. [I flew into Midway on Southwest Airlines -

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1103330076176406232004-12-17T17:08:00.000-08:002004-12-17T17:09:39.416-08:00

All week I've been waiting for it to be today at 2pm. At last, it is upon us. School's out for 2 weeks. Whoo-hoo! The only crappy thing is that since I'm paid on a day-to-day basis, I don't, technically, get paid for these 10 days. But, you know what? At this point, I don't really care. I'm just glad to be out of there. Am I enjoying the job? Well, the last month or so has been kind of

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1102557015517528202004-12-08T18:10:00.000-08:002004-12-08T18:13:55.586-08:00

"Let Go" was the theme of today's yoga class. Yeah, since I got the job, and we have some more money coming in, I decided to start going to yoga again on a weekly basis. I'm going to Yoga Tree in the neighborhood at 3pm on Wednesdays. For some reason, it has a special price [$7 - half price! - cheaper than all other classes], and it means that I have to leave school early [oops! I'm supposed

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1100397426095595852004-11-30T16:21:00.000-08:002004-11-30T16:41:30.540-08:00

[Geez, has it been a month already since that last post? Sorry - here is a tidbit of some musings that I've been working on. There's plenty more, I just have to sit down and pour it all out...] So, yeah, there I am at Bryant Elementary School everyday. I get $30 more a day than regular subbing, 8 paid personal days, and medical and vision benefits [these benefits are FREE for me, but to put

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1099289287056628752004-10-31T21:48:00.000-08:002004-10-31T22:08:07.056-08:00

Yes, I know that I owe you a long post about how things have been going at school [yes, Virginia, I am the official site support sub at Bryant Elementary School], but things have been crazy, and I've been extremely tired everyday - and things will be even more crazy this week because I'm working the Book Fair after school every day this week. I'll give you the full scoop soon. BUT, more

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1097628915508198332004-10-12T22:54:00.000-07:002004-10-12T23:04:20.343-07:00

[Brace yourselves, folks. This may be a long one...] It looks as though I got the on-site sub job at Bryant. The sort of "vice-principal" woman [she was brought in full time now that Bryant is a STAR school] told me so on Friday. The Principal told me so on Friday. However, I'm going to continue to not celebrate too hard until I sign my name on a contract - which, the Principal said, should

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1097103624881766842004-10-06T15:40:00.000-07:002004-10-06T16:56:30.326-07:00

I may have found a job. It started on Saturday. Brian and I decided to splurge and go out for breakfast. MY idea was to go someplace dive-y and cheap, but Brian insisted on going to the Ebb Tide down the street where you can get a PLATE of bacon for $9 [no, the two of us didn't get the plate of bacon, but we probably would've if Jason had come along...]. So, we're sitting there eating and a

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1096062571113709752004-09-25T17:56:00.000-07:002004-09-25T18:07:27.536-07:00

So, I subbed two days last week. On Monday, I was in a 2nd grade class at a school that is in the neighborhood, but had never been inside of before. Naturally, based on my track record of previous sub jobs - especially the most recent 6 days in kindergarten hell - I wasn't looking forward to the day. I walked into the classroom and saw that all of the student work on the walls was written in

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1095295698404394712004-09-15T18:57:00.000-07:002004-09-15T19:09:31.873-07:00

That, my friends, is the sound of my teaching career going up in flames - in a "bomb exploding spewing massive amounts of razor sharps bits of shrapnel" flamey kind of way. Yesterday, which I was initially under the impression would be my last day in my friend's classroom, was an unmitigated disaster. Truly horrifying in an almost comedic way. I got there in a fairly good mood - thinking,

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1094857376230269162004-09-10T17:13:00.000-07:002004-09-10T17:50:08.953-07:00

So, yeah, it's the end of the second week of school, and I don't have a job. Well, l suppose that isn't, at least for the time being [i.e. the next few days], entirely true. You may recall, a few posts back, that a friend of mine [Monica] from my credential program got a one year Kindergarten position. Yeah, this is the one whose school I went to to help her set up her classroom. Uh huh, this

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1093720472292885282004-08-31T11:37:00.000-07:002004-09-02T11:51:46.176-07:00

Friday sucked. BIGTIME. I mentioned before that I got a tip that a nearby school had an Onsite Sub position open and that I called the school and left a message. Well, at 9:45 PM that night [Thursday], the Principal of the school called to say that he actually had a 2nd Grade postion that JUST opened up, and he wanted me to interview for it the next morning [yesterday morning] at 8 AM. I

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1093558457059671992004-08-26T15:22:00.000-07:002004-08-26T15:29:22.246-07:00

It's the Thursday before school starts, and I still haven't found a job. I feel like the music started playing, people scrambled for seats [mostly by hearing things word of mouth by people in "the know"], and I was left standing. A glimmer of hope that didn't happen: On Tuesday I went to a school where a friend of mine finally got a job. It's a one year position teaching Kindergarten [bitch!]

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1093308097364893812004-08-23T17:22:00.000-07:002004-08-23T18:43:24.096-07:00

[Sigh.] I called Head Start this morning - my last solid hope - and was told by the secretary that interviews are happening tomorrow and that if I was being considered that I would've been called already. OK. So, you were considering hiring me for a teaching job last summer [when all I wanted to do was volunteer!] when I was completely underqualified, and now that I actually have a teaching

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1092954887631350552004-08-19T15:04:00.000-07:002004-08-19T15:34:47.703-07:00

I SO appreciate everyone's kind words and encouragements, I just wish that I had some good news to share. It's Thursday. The principal at Alvarado said that they were looking to get someone into the job as quickly as possible and that he would, thus, let me know by the beginning of this week. It's Thursday. Wednesday MAYBE could've still been considered as early next week. Thursday is

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-109244169970706692004-08-13T16:26:00.004-07:002004-08-13T20:36:07.190-07:00

Last night was somewhat stressful. I kept it pretty under control, but I was stressed because I've had, oh, 6 months to come up with SOME kind of portfolio and the hardcore procrastinator in me hadn't done a thing. Sure, I kept a file folder stuffed with my Credential, old lesson plans, some printed pictures, student work, a couple of letters of recommendation, etc. BUT, I hadn't written any

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1092357260295559642004-08-12T17:30:00.000-07:002004-08-12T17:34:20.296-07:00

Alright, so I JUST wrote and posted the stuff below and the Principal at Alvarado JUST called again. HE WANTS TO INTERVIEW ME TOMORROW! Crap. I'm not sure that I'm ready for this. Did I mention that he wants to now interview me TOMORROW? Oh, gee...

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1092356520461963212004-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:002004-08-12T17:22:00.460-07:00

Ok, so I just got home from Head Start. I knew that the recruiting woman wasn't going to be back until next week, so I decided to write a cover letter, and "beautify" my resume, and take it down to exchange out the old one. I did so. So, I'm sitting here, watching an old episode of Felicity [aka The Greatest TV Show Ever], thinking that I would rather just teach at a preschool for a year

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1092005696032370182004-08-08T19:04:00.000-07:002004-08-09T09:46:18.110-07:00

Still no real word from San Francisco Unified School District. With only 3 weeks left until school starts, I'm thinking that if I do get a job with them, it won't be until shortly before or after the first day of school. Sick of waiting, way broke, and really wanting a job lined up, early last week I went down to the offices of Head Start to apply for a job as a Preschool Teacher. Thing is,

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1090714038888086522004-07-24T20:42:00.000-07:002004-07-27T13:36:44.726-07:00

A few months ago, I mentioned to someone from high school, with whom I'm still in touch, that there was a woman [Robin] that we hung out with that I have been dying to get in touch with. Last time I talked to her was probably 10 years ago, and I was quite curious as to what she was doing these days. I mean, over the years, I've had night-dreams and daydreams about finally contacting her and our

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1090370946173491222004-07-20T18:45:00.000-07:002004-07-20T18:54:22.003-07:00

First off, I got up this morning and there was an episode of A Makeover Story on that I hadn't seen before. After watching that, I did some yoga. Yeah, my yoga doing didn't end with the end of my class this Spring. I'm telling you, I wouldn't have believed it if you'd told me a year ago that in a year I'd be doing yoga on my own in my living room, but, this stuff REALLY WORKS. Instantly, I

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1089846404106434752004-07-14T16:06:00.000-07:002004-07-15T09:34:50.896-07:00

My self-confidence level is beginning to wane. It's mentally and emotionally exhausting to sit around all day with nothing to do and everything on the line. Brian has been good during this time, but I can tell that he's starting to crack. Yeah, I don't currently have a job, nor do I have anything yet lined up for the Fall. I honestly just don't know what to do. I've hit a brick wall and I'm

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1087255268300638052004-06-14T15:22:00.000-07:002004-07-01T16:38:47.270-07:00

*****LAST WEEK WAS THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL.***** [...and what the hell am I going to do now?] There were three days of school last week, the last 3 days, and I spent them where I spent the first 15 weeks of the school year - in Miles' classroom with that amazing group of kids who showed me that I could be a great teacher. MONDAY was a whole school picnic/game day. We walked over to a nearby

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1087070075413978032004-06-06T12:53:00.001-07:002004-06-14T15:19:50.280-07:00

I subbed two more days last week, and boy did they SUCK. WEDNESDAY I was at a school which I swear I had heard through the sub grapevine was a good school. Not my experience. I got there and found out that my classroom was in the "annex" buiding across the street - which I thought was a pretty crappy idea for an elementary school. Why make 6-10 year olds cross a busy-ish street when they have

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1086138285399648772004-06-01T17:54:00.000-07:002004-06-01T18:54:29.640-07:00

So, yeah, I suppose that I should talk a bit about the job search. [There are only 6 days left in the current school year.] Well, "nothing is happening with it" is the short answer. I don't even know what the hell I'm going to do this summer. I subbed for Miles today - I got there pretty early, looked over the lesson plans, and then went to gab with my friend Monica [who took over for the

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1085857825484893122004-05-29T12:06:00.000-07:002004-05-31T18:59:32.543-07:00

Why, Eric, oh why? Yesterday I subbed at the school that I had vowed never to sub at again. It was the school in the really bad part of town where 75% of the murders in San Francisco occur. You know, the school where I was supposed to have a 3-day assignment in a Kindergarten and I only made it to the end of Day 2. Yeah, the one where the kids just started spontaneously SCREAMING at the top

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1083625770856542742004-05-04T17:25:00.000-07:002004-05-06T17:36:52.546-07:00

I subbed two days last week: Thursday was: Good! I gotta say, Wednesday night I did not sleep very well. It was strange that, immediately, after almost 3 weeks of restful nights [um, basically, the almost 3 weeks that I didn't have any sub assignments... Coincidence? I think not.] that the night before a new sub day, I keep waking up and not being able to fall back asleep very easily.

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1083012240105594602004-04-26T14:18:00.000-07:002004-04-26T14:21:39.293-07:00

Been awhile, eh? Well, I've got to say, not a whole lot has been happening. In fact, I'm incredibly bored, and it's putting me in a crappy mood. Two weeks ago was San Francisco Unified School District's spring break, so I, of course, didn't get any sub jobs that week. Last week, I didn't get any sub jobs either. Why?? My only thought is that since it was the week after teachers already had

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1081388520492454912004-04-07T21:18:00.000-07:002004-04-07T21:21:30.716-07:00

Today was: more of the same... ... and it's wearing thin. But, what's new? I'm going to try to keep this brief, because I would really rather just put it all behind me and move forward, but... Today was pretty crappy. I got put at a school on Treasure Island, and I only took the job because I thought it would be interesting to see what the heck was out there. I didn't think that many

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1080354360222052592004-03-26T18:04:00.000-08:002004-03-27T23:22:01.293-08:00

Yesterday was: the last straw... At 2pm yesterday [25 minutes before dismissal], I walked calmly [amazingly enough, considering what was going on] to the phone in the classroom and called the librarian next door [the phone list next to the phone DIDN'T LIST THE # FOR THE MAIN OFFICE!] and said, "Um, I've lost control and I'm about to walk out. Could you come over here while I go to the office?

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1080182832388538862004-03-24T15:55:00.000-08:002004-03-27T16:01:26.216-08:00

Today was: Oh, who cares? SUBBING SUCKS Really, I HATE IT. IT BLOWS. The worst thing is that it REALLY makes me not want to be a teacher anymore. I have the Credential to show that I can be more than just a babysitter, but when kids won't listen AT ALL, and we can't get anything done during the day, then I feel like I have COMPLETELY FAILED. So far, NONE of my subbing experiences have

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1079066203078228032004-03-11T23:20:00.000-08:002004-03-11T23:23:11.903-08:00

Yes, yesterday was my first official sub job, but it didn't really count because I didn't really have to do anything all day. In the morning, before school, I asked the new student teacher if she wanted me disappear into the woodwork [so that I wouldn't overshadow her Solo Day - those kids LOVE ME!]. She told me that she actually wanted me to chime in whenever I saw anyone getting out of hand..

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1078795344090136062004-03-08T17:14:00.000-08:002004-03-08T17:29:25.590-08:00

I am officially an official SUBSTITUTE TEACHER for San Francisco Unified School District!! Whoo hoo! AND, my first job is Wednesday... subbing for MILES! He has another Student Teacher this semester [more on that later...], and it is going to be one of her Solo Days. SO, I can just sit back, let her teach, and pick up the paycheck. Not bad for my inaugural subbing experience [actually, I

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1078264454209971632004-03-02T13:30:00.000-08:002004-03-02T13:59:59.640-08:00

Today isn't going so well so far. I went to bed last night with a list of things to do this morning before I ran off to State for Yoga and other class. I got up this morning a little later than planned [the doorbell woke me up, but I didn't check to see who is was - it's usually for the apartment downstairs...], hopped in the shower, and just after sudsing my head with shampoo, suddenly the

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1077062300152845862004-02-17T15:29:00.000-08:002004-02-17T16:00:13.983-08:00

I had my yoga class for the first time today [I'm currently doing this from a computer lab on campus - I have another class at 4pm]. Well, actually, today was technically the 3rd session, but we didn't do any actual yoga during the first two sessions. The first week was strictly an introduction, and the second week the Yoga Guy just talked about the history of yoga. He also gave us a bit of

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1076436686509654302004-02-10T09:55:00.000-08:002004-02-10T10:13:13.653-08:00

Why do I feel that I've just made a huge, HUGE mistake? I was awoken this morning [well, it was 9:30am...] by a phonecall from the Principal of Bryant Elementary School [where I did my Student Teaching]. He first asked if I had heard anything about getting on the Substitute list [um, this was supposed to be something that HE would keep ME informed about...], and then asked if I would be

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1075183742518427272004-01-30T15:45:00.000-08:002004-01-30T15:50:44.890-08:00

After school on Tuesday [yeah, there's more - Tuesday was a full day], I called to make an appointment to have a Credential Advisor at State look over my paperwork, and make sure that it was all in order. The woman that I talked to said that the only appointment left [yeah, I procrastinated and put off seeing an advisor until the last possible moment] was on Wednesday, December 17th.

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1073276722179088912004-01-26T22:05:00.000-08:002004-01-26T22:07:49.140-08:00

Here I am. That was quite a cliffhanger, eh? I will attempt, using my scattered memory and scrawled notes, to recount the events of the last couple weeks of Student Teaching. The wait is over. Let's start with the dreaded SOLO WEEK. Monday [December 1st] was: Day 1 ...and, at the end of the day, when the last kid left the room, I really wished that I didn't have to come back on Tuesday.

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1074649371800017052004-01-20T17:06:00.000-08:002004-01-20T17:45:26.280-08:00

This is one of my biggest problems - procrastination. I put things off. I put them off further. I put them WAY off even more. More things pile up. Pretty soon, it all just seems so overwhelming, and like there is no hope of ever completing all the stuff that has piled up, that I DO NOTHING. [I sure hope no one that might possibly give me a teaching job in the future sees this post...]

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1071883782772530492003-12-19T17:14:00.000-08:002003-12-19T17:31:26.450-08:00

I'm done. I just got home from the last day of school before Christmas break and had a celebratory cigarette [I bought a celebratory pack of cigarettes on Wednesday - my first pack in a year and a half - no, I haven't started smoking again] and a glass of lemonade spiked with a hint of vodka [we were out of beer]. I went down to State the other day to fill out the paperwork and pay the fee for

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1070600401798421842003-12-04T20:58:00.000-08:002003-12-04T21:01:20.950-08:00

In the midst of an unspeakably exhausting week. All will be revealed soon. I just want it to be Friday at 1:50 pm...

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1070329917798218462003-11-29T17:07:00.000-08:002003-12-01T17:54:42.326-08:00

Last Week was: Short, and OK Short week, last week, what with Thanksgiving [Thursday and Friday off] and all. I had another Solo Day on Monday. Miles was there for it, so maybe that's why things went more smoothly than Thursday. That guy just can't keep his paws off the room. There were a couple of times where he yelled at kids and then got this look on his face like he knew that he

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1069814611543713332003-11-23T17:59:00.000-08:002003-11-25T18:46:04.543-08:00

Thursday was: Eventful I walked into the room feeling perfectly fine. Then, within 5 minutes, I started to freak out. I had stuff that I really wanted to get prepared, and the Sub just kept gabbing. Maybe this Solo Day wasn't going to be a walk in the park. Sure enough, as the kids were filing into the room for the day, a mother approached me. She was concerned that the girl with autism was

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1069304086529976652003-11-19T20:28:00.000-08:002003-11-19T21:06:20.373-08:00

Today was: Quite Good I don't really have much time to write, I'm doing a Solo Day tomorrow because Miles has a seminar to go to [there will be a sub in the room with me - the sub that is always there] and I'm still trying to get everything planned for that. Brian saw me meticulously planning the day out in Word and was worried that I would have to do that EVERYDAY when I've got my own

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1069212156538313732003-11-18T17:23:00.000-08:002003-11-18T19:26:23.483-08:00

Today was: MUCH better than yesterday I woke up this morning still in a funky mood. When I got to school I said to Miles, "You know, I was thinking this morning that this whole experience is just so stressful and weird. It's like a psychology experiment where you want to see how naturally someone [in this instance, ME] will act in an everyday environment. However, the environment is

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1069127712450525942003-11-17T19:31:00.000-08:002003-11-17T20:12:37.340-08:00

Today was: not my favorite day Right now, I'm feeling burnt out and I kind of just want Student Teaching to be over. There, I said it. I'm just emotionally and physically tired, and the fact that I was pretty sick all this past weekend certainly doesn't help my current mood. I was having a pretty good day - in fact, despite the fact that I was sick all weekend, I woke up feeling quite good

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1069051781569121362003-11-16T17:47:00.000-08:002003-11-17T19:32:05.140-08:00

Thursday was: FUN During Workshop time, some students got to work on the computer in the room. When they were done, the program they were using was still up and working, and for the REST OF THE DAY the computer periodically emitted the sounds of birds chirping. This pretty much set the tone for the day. In the morning, instead of doing the usual "Let's meet an Alphafriend" phonics/phonemic

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5601973.post-1068783870865683942003-11-13T20:24:00.000-08:002003-11-13T20:24:50.123-08:00

Goodbye, Devo. Safe travels in the next world...

Ericnoreply@blogger.com0