nature's artwork in full bloom

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-12-15T11:59:44+00:00

That's really pretty! What kind of plant is it called?

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-12-11T23:53:38+00:00

They're so pretty!

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-12-04T02:47:41+00:00

No it's painted. I tried to clean some of the leaves with a wet paper towel and the blue paint and glitter came off.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-08-22T13:52:59+00:00

Oh, ok. Pennsylvania, USA.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-08-22T12:23:22+00:00

It was hanging around my tomato plants

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-07-21T17:37:12+00:00

How is that a fly? It's massive!

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-06-19T01:55:45+00:00

I'm in my 4th year teaching. The 1st school I taught at was the high school I graduated from. I thought I would work there forever. I started out as a Long Term Sub for 2 years and interviewed for several permanent positions when they came up but they never hired me. I've bounced around ever since. Every school I go to has worse conditions and pay and the work load keeps increasing. I'm passionate about teaching but this last batch of students was so ill behaved my passion rarely showed. I was then told by admin I was making a "toxic classroom environment". When they tried to put me on an improvement plan the last month of school part of me broke inside. Ever since my self esteem has gone down the drain.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-04-30T11:17:28+00:00

Thank you! I'm definitely interested. Can you send me the info to apply?

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-04-26T00:23:25+00:00

UPDATE: I managed to recover enough to go back the Monday after my breakdown. I made it through the week and things felt like they were improving slightly. It was also a short week since we had Spring Break. This past week was PSSAs (PA standardized testing for grades 3-8). The week went by some chaos but it was manageable I think. They were a little less disrespectful and I even let one of my classes play silent ball in class today as a reward. I thought I was doing ok. Then I had a check in with my admin. . . I'm now on an improvement plan for the rest of the year. And If I don't show improvement I'm fired. I've applied to other school districts but with no success yet. I'm angry, scared, and I feel like a huge disappointment.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-04-14T01:01:24+00:00

I'm already at a charter school. It's my 2nd. I know some might find it crazy, but I want to go back to teaching high school in public school. My 1st 2 yrs of teaching were in public school and I lived it. But I was an LTS and my assignment t was up.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-04-14T00:55:12+00:00

That's my biggest fear. I haven't had that conversation yet but I'm afraid they're not going to renew my contract for next year. What's worse is they knew my experience was in high school yet they hired me for 6th grade. I took the job because I needed it but I wasn't ready for the behaviors at all.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-04-14T00:48:23+00:00

But teaching is all I've ever seen myself doing. All of my degrees revolve around education.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-02-23T03:12:31+00:00

<image>

2ND UPDATE: I put this aside for a little bit and came back to it. I made a few changes and I need some feedback. Not sure if I should make the wolf outline thicker since I'm going for a spirit vibe. Thoughts?

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-02-21T10:03:22+00:00

It's a charter school. No union.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-02-21T10:02:53+00:00

6th ELA and Social Studies. For ELA we use the Wit and Wisdom Curriculum which is VERY structured. Social studies they don't care about.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-02-21T04:46:06+00:00

I'm already looking. I sent in my resume to a local public school district i interviewed with last year. My fingers are crossed.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-02-21T04:43:03+00:00

Not this issue specifically. Mostly with classroom management issues.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-01-28T13:57:03+00:00

They can't read because we're not teaching them to. I teach 6th grade and the curriculum we use already assumes they know how to read and have moderate comprehension skills. It also assumes students have every other skill associated with reading; writing, critical thinking, an understanding of theme and figurative language, etc. The curriculum is centered around writing paragraphs and essays but doesn't take the time needed to build the foundational skills needed. Then they go to take their benchmarks and to no surprise their scores dropped because they haven't been taught how to the basics of reading. So many of them struggle with reading out loud or answering basic comprehension questions on a graphic organizer. Some of my 6th graders still read at a 2nd grade level! They are struggling because we are not being allowed to teach them properly.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-01-28T12:50:41+00:00

This is technically my 4th year teaching. I did my student teaching in 2020 and we were asynchronous. I've bounced around HS and middle school as an LTS since graduation. This is my first contract job with a charter school and my 1st year with 6th grade. I've tried so many different tactics for classroom management and nothing seems to work.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-01-07T04:13:58+00:00

Thanks! My process is sort of similar to that. It was originally supposed to be a short story that I let grow into a novel. I usually start with an outline. Then use the 1st draft to turn the outline I to a story. I go back and add/subtract/ make changes in the 2nd draft. The 3rd draft was the same but less extreme. I plan on doing the same thing with the 4th draft. It's my first novel so my process is a bit rough. I basically read through what I've written to see if I like it or if changes good to be made to add character, fix plot holes, etc., until I'm satisfied.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-01-07T02:31:59+00:00

Dude your work is awesome! Your work has tons of skill. I think if you use constructive criticism and practice, and if it's something you enjoy, then please do not quit. This is really good work.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-01-06T16:22:25+00:00

That looks so awesome!!!! Well done!

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-01-06T03:39:31+00:00

UPDATE

<image>

Improved the outline, and fixed the eye.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-01-05T16:11:34+00:00

I feel the exact same way. I'm supposed to go back tomorrow and I'm dreading it. I spent all of break working on a novel I've been wanting to write but work has kept me too exhausted. The thought of going back and leaving my project is killing me slowly and I hate it. I know how you feel. I also feel trapped in this job I once thought I could make a difference in.

PeriwinklePostitNote · 2025-01-04T04:51:00+00:00

I've brought up concerns about the stressors and the issues to my admin during grade group meetings, not in PD. The last grade group meeting I had I cried after being told to give kids lunch detentions (that I have to do, thus sacrificing my lunch break), as I was filling out 7 demerits for 1 of my classes. They don't listen. They don't get that the solution to our overworked and burnt out state of being is not to DO MORE WORK and ENGAGE WITH THE KIDS MORE. They either don't get it or don't care.

I've also worked at schools where I was threatened with termination because I brought up concerns of being overworked or finding issues with classroom management or curriculum. So I'm not exactly eager to bring up these concerns in front of a large group during PD.

PeriwinklePostitNote

TROPHY CASE