OUSD FLASHBACK! East Coast Girl Heads West: You mean we're not 45 mins away from DC?

I just (officially) booked the first hotel for our first night on the trip.  Very exciting and very... well, real!  I cannot believe that my family will be all here in a week to start our trip across the country! 

I had 4 very new-to-the-district Oakland Teaching Fellows come visit my summer school classroom today.  With all these blog posts about my first days in Oakland, it was definitely interesting to see where they are in their OUSD process and where I was at the time... My favorite question of the day was "What is your biggest frustration with the district?" AHAHAHAHAHA.  Where to start??? I feel bad for this cohort of Fellows, since their school year will most likely include a longer strike (one day this year was crazy; I can't imagine having to do it more than one day.  Striking is hard!) in addition to a crazy first year experience.  Or, I should say, a CRAZY first year experience.  And these Fellows are all teaching non severely handicapped middle school and high schoolers.  GOOD LUCK!  A preschooler is miles away from a teen, and then to add in a disability, forget about it!  I do feel good that my colleagues and I have created an amazing space at the new school and that there will be a lot of support for the incoming preschool teachers.  They will definitely need it!

Yes.  I honestly thought that [You mean we're not 45 minutes from DC] today.  It went a little bit like this: (And, keep in mind, I was eavesdropping on a convo between a teacher and one of my fellow Fellows...)  Teacher: "So I'll get you connected with the teacher X, but she's in DC, so I don't know when you'll be able to talk to her," etc. etc.  Okay, so I didn't have to write it out like that...  Okay.   So they're having this conversation, and I'm all "DC's only 45 minutes away.  Why is that such a big deal?"  And I think about that for awhile, and forget about it for awhile, and revisited after lunch, when it FINALLY hits me that DC is not 45 minutes away.  DUH.  You can see that I'm adjusting to my new surroundings... ssssssslllllooooooooowwwwwwwwllllllllllyyyyyyyyyy.

 

I got a JOB! Yes, we should all be very proud of me!  I will be a pre-kindergarten teacher for children with severe handicaps.   Apparently I was a better match for this class, instead of the class of kindergarten-second grade for children with autism.  *Let's give the class for children whose handicaps that she's never experienced!*  I think that was the logic... apparently I need a challenge...

 

Which brings me to this week in class.  Thankfully, we have redirected the biter.  We have, however, replaced the behavior with kicking our friends.  In the face.  Huh.  "Lena, please stop kicking Ricardo in the face."  And then Ricardo cries and wipes snot up and down my arm.  At least he's not puking this week.  I'll taking snot over puke, any day.  Is it weird that I have a preference? Because I definitely do.  Anyway, I've learned that misbehavior is what I will be addressing in my classroom, more than colors, or letters, or names... Too bad they've taken corporeal punishment out of the classroom...

 

In Oaktown news (that's Oakland's nickname... not so hip... I will use it never again...) we are in the middle of a heat wave.  Yep, we're in a 'power-watch' mode because we topped out today at 76.  No, I wrote that right.  Seventy-Six degrees farenheit.  Everyone's in a tizzy, aides are complaining (that's nothing new), children hanging out underneath the climbing apparatus... You'd think Oakland's never hit higher than 65.  There are no elderly neighbor/children warnings ("Check on your elderly neighbors/Don't take children outside" etc) It's just "IT'S SOOOO HOTTTTT."  Umm.  Okay.  I literally jumped for joy when I got a sunburn on Tuesday, because that means it's:

          A) Warm enough to outside

          B) Sunny

   You have no idea how thrilling that combination was for this girl.  Especially for those of you out there who have compared me to a reptile.  (Not always a flattering comparison, but I definitely need a heat rock out here.)

 

Anyway, I'm off to nurse my sunburn and write lesson plans.  I did none of the aforementioned activities yesterday, when I crashed after I got home at 5:30.  And pretty much slept until 7:15 this morning... and still ended up being late for work.  (Old habits die hard!)

 

Love from left to right,

Torrey

Looking back, I am turning NorCal... I'm right with the weatherman when we have a "heatwave" although the winter temperatures that we are experiencing this month (high of 66 today) make me want to move back to the heat so much!   Summertime in the city!

OUSD FLASHBACK! East Coast Girl Heads West: Little Kids Make Me Sick

So, here is the first update from being in the classroom.  I was blessed to get a classroom with an actual teacher who had actual experience with actual children.  You would be surprised at how rare that is (especially 5 years ago) for a Fellow to have.  In general, though, I was still super nervous to be in the classroom and was still getting used to what OTF was telling us in our silly afternoon sessions and what was REALLY going on in the classroom.   Naive, naive little me!

First I would like to let you know that WE HAVE INTERNET! Yep, the bird has landed and I'm now writing to you on a secure internet connection that assures my credit card number won't be stolen again.  We hope.  Because, yes, my credit card number was stolen and charged with purchases from heavymetal.com.  Thank you Chase MasterCard for realizing that Iron Maiden is not my favorite band. 

 

Now for school news... I have been placed in a classroom of 8 preschoolers with autism.  Seven of them are sick.  Seven of them cough, sneeze and wipe their little germs on me.  I am now sick also.  It's just a preschool size cold, but I am sick none the less! 

 

I was enjoying the classroom until Thursday when the children's bodies were possessed by demons.  There was screaming, jumping, running, screaming, biting, kicking... it was crazy.  The thing that gets me most is that they'll be bouncing off the walls in the classroom and then it will be playground time and they will rest up underneath the jungle gym.  "Oh no, I am much too tired to precariously climb to the top of the monkey bars right now.  I will rest in the shade of this climbing apparatus, saving my energy for when I need to bite my next friend."  Children are tricky. 

 

I led my first "lesson" on Thursday--painting with ice cubes.  Anthony decided to paint the white board and make faces at the people observing me, Lena decided to eat the ice cubes (while telling me what color she wanted, so I couldn't be that upset), and Isaiah wanted to use the medium of soap instead of ice.  Good times.  Nothing could top Friday's gagfest, that ended with little Ricardo vomiting during closing circle.  Nice.  And to think that I only have to survive 2.5 more weeks. 

 

My head hurts.

 

Well, I'm in the thick of apartment hunting and I hope to have a new place by the end of the week.  OH! And I have my first job interview tomorrow morning AND I get to go into school late!  Woohoo!  It's not a good sign that I'm trying to get out of school already... I'm off to grocery shop and, let's be honest, take a nap! 

 

Love to you all,

Torrey

 

PS Did anyone else notice that the kids have sucked the funny out of me?  I'm too sick to be funny.... oh, woe is me....

 Oh memory lane.  I thought I knew a lot when I first entered Bambi's class, but I had a lot to learn!  Thanks, Bambi, for being the best mentor a silly New Jersey girl could get!

OUSD FLASHBACK! East Coast Girl Heads West, Teaching for Effective Time Management

So I'm finishing up my last week as an Oakland Unified School District teacher (5 more days!) so I thought it would be appropriate to revisit the posts of what happened when I first got to Oakland.  For those of you who do not know, I was a part of the first year of Oakland Teaching Fellows (OTF), which was both a good thing and a bad thing.  A lot of it, unfortunately, was mismanagement and threats of not getting a classroom, but I did meet a ton of great people, who will be mentioned in a later post and who read this blog!  (Hey Jess, Laura and Matt!) I was super lucky to get into the superNOVA co-hort (all special ed teachers) and we all coped by meeting at the tiki bar every Friday through summer Institute and into the beginning of our first year.  It was amazing and I feel honored to have started my journey with those guys.  But on to my original e mail from the first week of OTF's summer institute, 2005:

 

Well, guess who's in trouble with the teacher?  Yep, that's me.  Okay, I am embellishing a little bit, but I was told to tell the institute director for the oakland teaching fellows that I was late this morning, as dictated by my teacher.  I refused.  I was 3 minutes late, due to "Street Sweeping Thursday" and could not get my head around parallel parking this morning.  Yes, I did feel like a moron, but I was also enraged at a Miata who butted it's little self into a HUGE parking spot right in front of my station wagon eyes, and just couldn't be at my desk with my book open at 9 am. 

 

Hell, I was late being born.  I'm definitely going to be late getting to class.

 

That might give you a little picture of how my first week of classes is going here with the Oakland Teaching Fellows.  I have learned that this is the *veryfirstyear* that the program is in place, which has mitigated some, but not all, of my frustration with the organization.  They haven't even figured out that I'm not enrolled in a University Credientialing Progam, which was required by June 15.  And I maybe not ever apply!! Take that poorly-put-together-program! 

 

Needless to say, the program has been a fair amount of work, with the extra edge of having to know everything for July 7, when I'm schedule to do my first lesson.  AHHHHHHHHH!  And, to top it off, I'm in a class of Severely Handicapped children, which, though it's not an issue for me, we were told we would definitely NOT be put in a class to teach anything more than moderately handicapped.  (Side note: They're still using the word "handicapped," and not "disabled"... does anyone else think that's odd?)

 

Anyway, we're still working on the housing situation.  I have tornadoed through Bryan's two and a half rooms, to the point where the once gleeful "I'm living with a girl" and turned into an "oh crud, i'm living with a girl..."  I promise to keep my stuff from spilling into every creeping corner of the apartment (fingers crossed behind my back).  Living with Bryan is good; we're good roommates, it's the living out of boxes that is killing me.  I'd call it the "I need my black ballet flats before they go out of style and i'm not sure if they're in box 6 or 14 (out of the wondrous 22 boxes) and I want them NOW" syndrome.  If you all thought I was messy before, look out world!  Boxes, bags, containers, and still a full trunk load of stuff.  Let's think money for christmas, instead of tchotkes, k? ;)

 

Anyhow, I should get to my applying to grad programs and shopping for apartments ::torrey drags feet:: I hope to have some fun stories soon... and internet!!! We should be internet ready by next week and then life will be whole again...  Or I won't have to go to the bar to surf the web.  (Less beer to get on the laptop)

 

Here's to my first morning of teaching.... Shiver, shiver!

 

Sincerely,

Miss Campbell

*gag*

Welcome to Oakland! ;)
Victoria

FLASHBACK! East Coast Girl Heads West, Vol 3, The Final Chapter

 Here is the last update from the road from my trip out on the road:

Well.  I've made it! 

I put the pedal to the metal (not really, Mom!) and hit up the final leg of the trip in a mere 19 hours.  The last leg of my trip went through Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California. 

I just couldn't do another day in the car!  I had to get through it!  Luckily, I had my fantastic friend Erin load me up with some books on tape, so I listened to Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and then a James Patterson murder mystery, which I promptly stopped listening to once I was past the midnite hour in Nevada.  I was never alone on the road; I called Erin before I stopped for gas the last time, since it was almost dark and then talked to Bryan once I was in California for the last few hours, telling them what
mile marker I was passing!  It was the safest trip across the desert, ever. 

Anyhow, now that my journey's are over, I am settling in to West Coast life.  I have unpacked the essentials out of the car so that I can actually see out the back
window and have made the initial contact and processing with the Oakland Teaching Fellows.  The summer institute starts on Monday, and school starts on August 29.  We'll see how learning to be a teacher works out!

There will be updates!  ("So the kids locked me in the closet again... the bulletproof vest looks fabulous with my new shoes... at least it wasn't a gun..." etc. etc.)  Ahh.  Wait and see.

I wish I had more amusing stories to detail.  Scratch that, I'm just glad I made it through the country WITHOUT having any of those it's-not-funny-now-but-will-be-later stories.  Except for that dang 4x4.  Ugh!  Stupid Kansas.  Er, Missouri.  Eh... most of the midwest and I don't get along... Wyoming wasn't the action-packed adventure it could have been either  :)

OH! I totally saw the houses from "Full House" last night!!  It was AWESOME!  Bryan and I were lost... okay, we just hadn't found our way to the concert venue... when we stumbled across the painted ladies!!!  It was soo cool!  Sing it with me: "Whatever happened to predicatibility.  The milkman, the paperboy, the evening tv.  You miss your old familiar friends, waiting just around the bend...."

Now that was symbolic. 

I'll start individually responding soon!  I'm off to read a 400 page booklet on basic teaching strategies.
Super. 

Love you all!  Thanks for the thoughts and prayers!

Much love from the left coast!
Torrey

FLASHBACK! East Coast Girl Heads West, Vol 2 (or, Why I Hate Kansas)

Here's the update from my second day on the road.  Here I did not tell anyone that I was
alone, but did have quite the adventure!

I'll make this update much shorter, since it's late and I hate Kansas.  I mean, since I'm tired.  I have successfully made it to Golden, Colorado, home of Coors Brewery and best friend Erin!  The last two hours of my trip today were wonderful, but the first two hours were... well, more exciting...

I ran over a four-by-four.

And before you judge, no, I did not have time to swerve effectively, as I was in a work zone and had a guardrail to my left and a tractor trailer to my right.  Turns out, I did not plan on hitting a giant piece of wood.  Go figure.  So the tire (sans hubcap) looked okay when I stopped for the second tank of gas the first time, but not so hot when I stopped in Russel, Kansas.

Ahh Kansas.  If you ever want a fate worse than death, drive through Kansas. 

A Kansas mechanic did only charge me $12 to unbend my tire rim and patch the tire "the farmer's way" and assured me that I would be able to get where I needed to go.  So far, so good.  I have noticed that the tire is slightly flatter now that I'm in Colorado, but I feel like compared to the Rockies, everything seems flat.  Ha, ha.  Seriously, I've bought my can o' Fix-a-flat and am ready to take on Nevada tomorrow.  Or just Utah; we'll see how far the Suby goes! 

I'm having a lovely night in Golden (it's nice to be able to talk to someone face-to-face, especially when it involves margaritas and chocolate kahula cake!)  and will start my journey again tomorrow. 

Talk to you soon!

Love,

Torrey

So I've now minimized my hate of Kansas, since the whole situation really wasn't that bad and I'm actually thinking that since I ran over the block of wood in Kansas City, MO, the blame should be on Missouri (which I have since visited and rather enjoyed, thanks to ADEC!)  I'm hoping the the general "awfulness" of what happened on Day 2 is about the level of bad stuff that happens to us on Coast to Coast 2010.  Luckily, I've got my AAA plus membership and my AAA car emergency kit (cheaper here even with shipping than it was anywhere else I looked, including target)  Think good thoughts for exactly 2 weeks from today when the adventure starts!

Vegas!

Welcome, followers!  If our following continues to grow exponentially, I see us taking over the world in about two weeks. 

So our next stop after LA is Vegas.  Here we plan to take a breath and stay for a couple of days.  We've been debating hotels and deals (and have already decided to lie about how many people are in our group because some hotels charge anywhere from $10 to $30 a night per person for persons #3 and #4 and beyond.  At that point, everyone should have their own hotel room!)  The only thing I know for sure is that I want to have us in the middle of the strip (think Caesar's/Bally's/etc.) but don't want to pay an arm and a leg (so the two story suite at the Bellagio is out, as much as Michael wants to stay there.)  I would not mind some "lazy river" action because I have an inner tube from a stay at the Monte Carlo that needs to see the light of day (and justify why I have kept a tube for 3 years) Thus, we have not planned a hotel. 

While in Vegas, we are seeing Love at the Mirage and then Viva Elvis at the Wynn (warning: that link involves a siren noise as the start of Jailhouse Rock)  I had no idea that I would be so enamored with Cirque du Soleil until I saw my first two shows in Las Vegas a couple of years ago.  So this will be my second viewing of Love and then we will all get to experience Viva Elvis for the first time together! 

In other entertainment, we plan on taking in the fountains at the Bellagio along with the crab legs at the buffet and maybe some MGM lion habitat and Treasure Island Siren show.  I have never been to Sin City with children so I'm not sure what else to do, while trying to avoid the worst of the heat. 

We will be going to Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and four corners on our way out of Vegas so no suggestions for that!

Victoria

FLASHBACK! East Coast Girl Heads West, Vol 1

Although many of you may have already read this, here was the first day of my solitary trip across the country, on June 20, 2005:

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted you all to know where I am and what I am up to so far in my journey to Cali!!!

I did not end up going to Kentucky... I did end up staying an extra day in Frederick to pack up my life (My mom walked in and commented "I should have come up yesterday," just to give you an idea of the mess that I had made!) It was nice to have the extra night to spend with some of my favorite Hoodlums!  I drove off Monday morning around 8 am down the glory that is Interstate 70 West. 

In the last 14 hours, I've made it through Pennsylvannia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.  That's a 7 state day!  I've seen more interesting town names than I thought possible.  (Note to Indiana: Having towns named Brazil and Paris does not make a Midwestern state exotic).  I've also hit up the musical catalog.  I must look ridiculous to those I'm passing by... this little girl in a car stuffed to the gills, singing her heart out. 

Anyway, it's 10:30 pm CST and I'm exhausted.  The Comfort Inn bed in Kingdom City, Missouri is calling my name! 

Talk to you soon!

Love,
Torrey

P.S.  I have not driven in the dark, told anyone that I'm alone and defenseless, I'm staying in a hotel that you have to walk into to stay in, and all that jazz!  I'm being safe--promise!

Great times!  And the change in the trip this time, it's going to take us about 4 days to get out of one state.  Silly west coast. 

The p.s. is a reference to all of the rules that my family and co-workers pounded into my head before I left on the trip by myself. And I followed them mostly... so, just to get this off my chest: at a Steak and Shake (shout out to Amber and Jay!) in Indiana I absolutely DID tell an older guy that I was traveling alone and he regaled me with stories of his mother-in-law.  I feared that he was going to serial killer me off for about 500 miles, but it appears that he was just some weird dude in a Steak and Shake who really needed to talk about his in-law.  Sorry mom!

Victoria