The Principal's Office

Getting called to the principal's office is never a good thing. In some ways it feels worse when you are a teacher. I think it has to do with having to be more responsible... or something... ;).

Anyway, One of my coteachers came in during my lunch and said the principal wanted to see all the English teachers. I was thinking that this was about "turning off the air con."

When we got down there I could see that the principal wasn't very happy. Since I had to be there... I was sure it involved me somehow.

So apparently during my canceled afternoon class a student hurt themselves. I was home sick and I called in and such. But some students didn't get the message I guess. I believed that since they were making such a big deal out of it, that the student hurt themselves in the classroom. Since ALL the English teachers were there to talk with the principal.

One of my co teachers told me the principal was trying to find out whose fault it was... Later on in the conversation we found out the kid hurt themselves in the bathroom by standing on the toilet-paper rack and it broke. The kid's leg scraped on something and got a deep cut (about 20 cm) and needed stitches.

Now, lets look at the story. The kid hurt themselves in the BATHROOM. I am pretty sure that it is a GOOD thing that we don't watch our students pee. They are looking for someone to blame? Ummmm how about the student?

Well, that is just silly. It is my coteachers fault for not filling out paperwork that I was sick.

That's right. Because she didn't fill out paperwork... The boy stood on a toilet-paper rack and hurt himself.

Oh my gas range this is silly...

Such a Charming Man.

This morning I woke up too early and before my alarm. This was a good thing for my dog Casanova since that meant a little more walking time in the morning. So he was doing his thing and this guy walks up and starts clicking his tongue at him. Now, a friend and I have talked about this and we both hate it. It is really distracting for my dog (who loves everyone) to try and poop and then someone is trying to get his attention. This causes my dog to jump up in the middle of pooping and then that gets poop on his hair... guess who gets to cut that out? Not the people clicking their tongues...
Also I get annoyed when people pet him while he is pooping... Come on... How would you like to be touched while doing your thing?

Anyways back to my new friend. He clicking at my dog and then he asked where I was from. I told him "the U.S." He asked me if I spoke korean and I said no. So he starts going through his bag. I just follow my dog and let him wander a bit. My dog is now walking off and I follow and the man yells "Hey Hey" I say "Goodbye" and follow my dog and pick up his second poo. While I'm doing that the man catches up and pulls out a paper with people who have really bad acne. Then he points to my face...

Ummmm. I don't care what culture you are from. It is rude to go up to a stranger on the street and point at their acne. I would also like to say that mine isn't as bad as those pictures. So I wave him away and he is trying to get me to sit at some tables. Right now I'm picking up dogs poop and I'm not in the mood to have someone pointing at my face. I say goodbye again and he follows with a "Hey hey!" Sadly my dog has to poop for the THIRD time and I have to stop and pick it up. The man runs over and then trips on my poor dog (who was actually standing still). Casanova runs over to me with his ears back. I glare at the man and comfort my dog.

The man says, "Here sit sit."

I say, "I have no time."

While I walk into my building I hear,"Hey, hey!"

I wonder if this charming man is single? ugh.

This is what I'm doing. I hope it is enough.

Last week I had to get more serious about the GRE. I've been working on my 250 word pack at school, but I haven't gotten near my 500 pack. So last week I set a goal for 20 words a day and then review all my old words. I stuck to it and I'm 100 words richer. So even with just those added words I've been doing great on my practice tests. So I though I should try the Math tests... I got only the geometry questions right. I bombed the Algebra and Arithmetic. Then came Data Analysis... I don't want to think about that one... So since I'm doing okay in Verbal I have to take a look at improving my Math so I don't look like a complete idiot.

I started looking for tutors. All the good ones are way to expensive for my budget, but I found a sight that will give me 20 hours for $160. They started out at $200, but went down when I said I wouldn't sign on right away. I don't get to talk to them. It is just using white board and typing, but it is better than nothing so I start next week. One hour each day at school.

I'm also doing pratice at Number2. com and I'm signing up on another online sight that just cost $10, but they have the best practice tests and they explain the answers really well.
So at school I spend 2 hours after class with practice tests and online study. Then I'll have an hour with my tutor.

Get home it is vocab time. Then it is writing time for the GRE. Luckly they post all 200 questions for the Issue Essay. I'm going to start making notes on those so I can have some prepared argument. If I get lucky I'll get a question that I prepared for... It is also good to read the news which is probably the easiest part of studying.

The next 5 weeks is all about the GRE. This is the most studying I have EVER done for anything. The ACT I didn't study at all. The first time I took the GRE I didn't crack a book. Sure both times I still did above adverage, but I want to do better. I've been out of college for some time. The way I lost my my skills scares me. I was in advanced math in High School... What happened?!

Here I go!!!!!!!

Okay being mean is working. This weekend it was easy cause I had plenty of time to do studying and such and do what I want. During the week it gets hard. So I'm going back to what worked in college. I should have done this sooner. I plotted out my free hours at night.

In the afternoon at school I never have anything to do. So after the next pay day I'm getting a mic so I can do skype tutoring at school for the GRE. This will work out well. I usually have 3 hours free almost every day. I'm bringing my notebook so I can start outlines for my stories at school and flesh them out on the computer at home. I should have done this sooner. I remember when I was writing more in college I would always handwrite first and that made it way better. Then in any extra time I'll keep at the vocab words.

Now when I get home I have an hour to work out and walk the dog. At six I will learn my next twenty words and review the old ones. Then around 7 (depending how long review takes since as you get more and more words memorized it takes longer and I got a nice little stack now ;P). I'll take 30 minutes for my guitar so I don't forget the songs I've learned. I hope I can get back to lessons after I send in my applications in the fall. Then after that I will read and write. The best thing for a writer besides write is read. And lastly before I go to bed I review the new twenty that I learned that day.

I'm writing all this out because it makes it more real. Makes it happen. Promises to myself to just do better.

So I know that when I take the GRE or send in my stories for school, I will know I did my best. No regrets :).

I need to be mean.

In less than two months I will be taking the GRE. In six months I will be sending off my little applications to graduate schools. I've been doing okay with ideas and studying, but right now it still isn't enough.

I need to be mean to myself. Higher goals for the end of each week. Almost impossible to meet. Bring it!