introducing myself

To be upfront, this is a little unnerving. I am accostomed to using the desktop to get my email, resgister the grades and attendance, use Word and search the Net. But here I am, trying to figure out this new laptop, Windows 7, how to function without a mouse, and now to try to blog, as well. I don't even know if this is the right place and time to do so, or if it is a practice run which will evaporate into the aether.

That said, I am excited to be a part of this institute. I was given the journalism/yearbook class this year after the previous teacher retired. She had control of the situation for about 35 years, and had her traditions. I came in with very little understanding about the game, and had a very negative group who resented my trying to change the traditions. It has been a very interesting and challenging year.

But all that is changing, now, as I will have a new group who have not worked under the old system. We will be creating our own traditions, such as investigative reporting, interviewing and including the 75% of our student population (the Hispanic students), who have largely been ignored in the past.

I am looking forward to learning the proper ways of putting together a paper, and especially putting a paper on-line, something I know nothing about. I only hope I don't hold my work group back from lack of experience (especially with anything having to do with electronics).

As for the rest of the introduction, I primarily teach art and some digital photography. I came to teaching rather late, in my 40s. In the last 15 years, I spent 10 subbing, and have taught some English and ESL, as well as art. I have one son (Brent, 26) and am married to Allen (38 years and counting). We live outside of Marlin, WA (pop. usually around 50) in a 115 year old house surrounded by trees (in a desert). 7 cats round out the household, and the outside "pets" include some mule deer, turkeys, a bobcat, Canada geese, and whatever else wanders through. I call these my pets as they have accepted us as relatively non-threatening, and will allow us to see them in the yard and even stand there while we talk to them. I annually sacrifice most of my strawberries and rose blooms for the privilege.

My personal goals include improving things in general for my students. Many of their parents never got to, let alone graduated from high school. Quite a few think that school is simply where you warehouse yourself until you can escape and get a job, get married, etc. The apathy in the school is apalling. I am hoping to stir things up with the newpaper next year. There was some progress along those lines this year, but it is only the beginning. I am so looking forward to meeting you all and learning from you. N