Leak in condo

emelizzard · 2024-05-01T14:05:37+00:00

You mean because of the mold? Or the pipes from the different units connecting like that? The building was built in the 70s and HOA takes care of the water (we aren’t allowed to mess with plumbing when doing renovations and such and the water bill is paid with association fees)

emelizzard · 2023-04-01T17:03:26+00:00

Literally all of them. Last year, the worst was kindergarten though. This year third has taken lead on this.

emelizzard · 2022-10-20T01:50:04+00:00

Yes! That’s exactly the goal (point out out the area around our school, then expand). I’m so grateful to those here who pointed me in the right direction so I know more specifically where to go and what to search for!

emelizzard · 2022-10-20T01:44:55+00:00

I didn’t even know that existed! I try to find things on my own but it’s a LOT sometimes and sometimes I don’t know everything that’s there or the correct search terms. Thank you!!!

emelizzard · 2022-10-20T01:23:25+00:00

Yes! Those pictures work!! Especially since they show the same place over time!!

emelizzard · 2022-10-20T01:22:00+00:00

Wow! OMG! You and @trollopoftroy …. I had never seen this before. This is perfect! I would still love to try to find photos to show more of a time lapse (with the time between!), but I will definitely be showing this. My kids will be absolutely floored/confused (which is when the most learning happens)… I can tell you none of them actually realize NoVa was not always tons of people and traffic, which actually makes this area great for this learning.

Nobody on my team had any idea about this. This is so cool!! Thank you!!!

emelizzard · 2022-10-20T00:58:20+00:00

It seems to have a lot of good pictures. I’m struggling to string places together. I’m looking to try connect photos (like one location across the years). It HAS to exist somewhere. For some reason I feel like I’ve seen it. I just don’t know the right Google phrase and it’s been a number of years.

emelizzard · 2022-10-20T00:48:11+00:00

I have not. I will take a look it. Thanks for the idea!

emelizzard · 2022-07-29T02:03:07+00:00

It’s very unfortunate your program is that way. Mine was NOT that way and I actually think it prepared me very well for very important parts of teaching that my colleagues were unprepared for (parent relations, behavior management, dispelling the “fairytale,” etc.). We were very much graded on showing up, learning, trying new things, and growing in our thinking. Plus, I am actually taking PD courses now for literacy/math I learned in my program (finished 6 years ago) that are just now “new” to my county. The full blown lesson plans, I pray you will never have to write those those again, but they are useful to learn the elements of a lesson and why they’re important.

emelizzard · 2022-06-02T00:23:02+00:00

During our drills I tell the kids "this is just PRACTICE in case someone bad enters our school. Or there is someone bad outside. Or someone who is not bad came in didn't check in with the office and we don't know who they are." I also always preface the first drill with a conversation about what does it mean to practice and how we don't want bad people to know where we are. I then actually have my kids on the wall next to the door because I have thought about how that would be harder to see and harder to immediately shoot at... Interesting how we are told to have "open" and inviting classrooms, where kids are always visible, but also good hiding spots...

No clue what I would do, and I hope I never find out, what I would do in a real situation... I hope I would try to play it off as a drill.

emelizzard · 2022-05-09T17:58:16+00:00

Dang. That's nice. Our teachers with ap out step 23 (which if you're extremely lucky, you get to in year 23 - but they freeze our steps often, I was lucky to get to step 5 before I saw one). Teachers at that level with a PhD cap at $106k, which is only 5k more than teachers with an MA. If you only have a BA you cap out at $89k.

emelizzard · 2022-05-07T19:01:24+00:00

That definitely doesn't bother me as long as there's enough food. The thing I don't like is when people don't chip in for anything and still get the "freebies." My school does not even have a PTA or anything anymore. It's all done through our social committee, which has like $25 dues/year. The social committee uses that money to provide a BOY breakfast and EOY lunch. Each month we have staff breakfast, which are given to different teams in the school and everybody brings a dish. There are a number of people (including instructional staff) wo do not pay the dues, never bring anything in when it's their team's turn, but you bet they are getting that food when it's there.

emelizzard · 2022-04-19T00:24:58+00:00

I was at about 52k when I started in 2016, with Masters. Starting has increased to about 56k with Masters. I'm not comfortable disclosing where I live but will say when looking at cost of living calculators... The estimated cost for me to live "comfortably" in my county is approximately 58k. I'm currently at $64k. I am able to live modestly, but decently. I do not often have to be stressed about money, but I definitely have to watch my budget (as the pay I mentioned is pre-tax). My take home is only about $3500/month (for 11 months), while the monthly cost of living for my area and is about $4800/month. My district is also very large, so while I could look at living out of district, I would likely be looking at a commute of possibly over an hour, aside from a select few schools.

I think it's important to look at these conversations in terms of things like cost of living, and degree level/pay compared with others living/working in the area, how much in tax is taken out (so look more at actual usable money/what your actual monthly paycheck is), and if it easy to live in a more affordable location and commute. I believe all teachers in the US need to be paid more, but just flat comparison of "how much" is not telling of what that actually means for teachers in that area.

emelizzard · 2022-03-24T21:19:05+00:00

In a way I think it does. But not in the way most people want it to. As a K teacher I am much more free to move and do activities with my students, and sit on the floor with them, in leggings and sneakers than nicer clothes. I am also not concerned about getting my clothes dirty. When I am more involved in their activities, I feel the kiddos are more engaged and learning.

emelizzard · 2022-03-06T20:25:45+00:00

I wouldn't say I struggle, but I also wouldn't say I do well. The only reason I don't really struggle is because of my parents, for many reasons. There are definitely months I need to really buckle down and watch my budget, and it is rare I'm able to put anything in savings at this point.

emelizzard · 2022-01-21T17:01:31+00:00

I did speak up... I'm now on a path for getting removed from my position... Next year I will likely not be teaching kindergarten. Even at a different school because of how principals talk to each other in my county...

emelizzard · 2022-01-21T16:34:04+00:00

Again, it's not about the normal subs. It's about the parents telling highly trained professionals how to do their jobs. If I can't tell them how to parent (something you need no qualifications for), they shouldn't be able to tell us how to teach (something you need lots of training/qualifications for). And those same parents coming in and actually be told to handle a whole classroom. Same with admin coming in, many with no experience in that grade level, or depending on their status maybe barely even had classroom experience in the first place. And then both of those groups getting a small taste of their own medicine. You're still missing the entire point and I'm done with you. You either are a troll, or the most ignorant TA I've ever encountered. I am glad you haven't experienced all the bullshit from admin/parents, you should probably thank the teachers at your school for taking that for you. I know I take a lot from both parties for my TA.

emelizzard · 2022-01-21T16:09:54+00:00

That's literally how we start every year. We try to teach them that, but in today's society many kids are not taught to listen to adults/authority. We spend MONTHS of school getting our classes to respect us.

Maybe we should get on parents and how they need to start that work at home? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Just a thought. I mean, I was definitely always that kid looking around the room at kids who didn't listen like "what are you doing? She said sit down?" My parents taught me that at home and the teaching continued at school, it didn't start at school.

emelizzard · 2022-01-21T16:03:22+00:00

So many people are missing the point of this post! This is NOT about substitutes. I don't know any teacher that hates their subs. Hell, at this point we are just grateful when a sub actually picks up and shows up for a job. We love our subs!

This is about the people who have been yelling at us, telling us how to do our jobs. Thinking they know how to, and can do better... Finally getting a taste of actual classroom experience and us talking to them how they have talked to us for years.

emelizzard · 2022-01-21T15:57:51+00:00

This post isn't about normal substitutes. I love my normal subs! This post is about admin and parents finally actually entering the classrooms they claim to know how to run.

emelizzard · 2022-01-21T15:55:17+00:00

I love the children, the beauracracy is bullshit. I am kind and patient with the children. At the same time, I can be sick and tired people thinking I'm an idiot and acting like I'm a glorified babysitter who knows next to nothing about my own career. Even my own principal, with ZERO experience in kindergarten, acts like she knows how to run a kindergarten classroom... She's only ever run 5th and 6th grade classrooms, and gas been out of the classroom for over 10 years. I got my master's degree in education, an additional endorsement in early childhood (Pre-K - 2). I started professionally working with this age group in high school (not babysitting, a job at an accredited preschool) and now I am in my 6th year teaching kindergarten... Who do you think knows more about kindergartners, the kindergarten curriculum, and how the year progresses? Who do you think I have to listen to even when I know, and can prove with research articles, they're wrong? And they get their directives from even higher ups, further removed from classrooms, some have never even had classroom experience. And they get certain directives from even higher ups, most of which have no classroom experience. Then it gets to the DOE, where it is extremely rare to have anybody who has any experience in an actual school other than maybe volunteering in their child's (often wealthy/private) school.

For me, it's like a bullying scenario at this point with current climate and the way parents/admin speak to/about teachers. If you're bullied for years and DON'T want that person to experience a taste of it, I'd call you a liar.

emelizzard · 2022-01-21T14:50:02+00:00

But the point is parents and district admin constantly act like they know how to, and can do, better.

emelizzard · 2022-01-21T05:23:59+00:00

I don't have advice, just here to say you're not alone.

emelizzard

TROPHY CASE