Optimistically Pessimistic

Well, we published the first issue of the paper without the Woodser, Pi and Steakboy. Whew. It's over, I'm happy to report. And I didn't die, and I didn't freak out too much, and I didn't hurt any children in the process.

And the paper ain't half bad for a fledgling news magazine. Our cover page had glitches caused by the printing process somehow, but was actually a pleasing visual. Our stories had substance and the graphics weren't too obnoxious. Some students liked it and others wondered why the change. We'll have to address that in the next issue and have a cut-out survey or something. Even though we won't learn much, said Jack last summer in my super duper class. WWJD? What would Jack do?

The yearbook is also off to a good start: we have the ladder all assigned and deadlines set, the layouts are done and ready to be put onto the server. Students should be beginning working as early as next week on their layouts on the computers. Whew..this job is intense.

How are those programs going? Not too shabby. I can indent, and now I can do hanging indentation. I can package and burn and get it to the printer. We fucked up our page layout sequence for the printer, however, so we gotta deal with that.

Oh well, like the title insinuates, I'm optimistically pessimistic about shit in general.

Loser

I'm a Loser with a capital "L".

I can't seem to stay awake past 9 p.m., and it's beginning to interfere with my social life. I was supposed to go out last night at 7, and I was too tired. Plain and simple, too tired.

How fucking boring is that?

Oh well, on the up side, I'm getting lots of good sleep these days, and therefore have been feeling pretty good at school most of the time. No psycho-symptomatic stuff going on so far, and only the occasional morning barfs. I'm crossing my fingers...and toes...and eyes.

Also on the up side, my editors for newspaper and yearbook all seem to have a grasp of what they are doing and it's cool...things are going fairly smoothly so far, but we are behind in newspaper. I doubt we make deadline. And yearbook is going... slowly. Rachel is the new Jared and she is doing very well so far, so I guess I'm not complaining.

Except for the part where I'm a loser.

Paper Backlog

I live by the pile approach to life. If somebody messes with my piles, it pisses me off.

But right now I have a huge pile of papers that need to be checked by me and only me.

I have a huge pile of other stuff to read to improve myself.

I have a huge pile of laundry needing to be put away.

I have a huge mess of a closet upstairs with clothes I never wear that need to be sorted out and given to good will.

And I have piles of crap from 2005-06 and 2006-07 that need to be organized and put away in my classroom.

The piles themselves are now pissing me off. I hate a paper backlog, and I wish I could wave my wand and it would be done, providing students with quality feedback. But for now, I just wanna sit on my butt and read the Sunday paper. Which will pile up if I don't read it now.

See?

The Brain of Jared (made me cry)

Oh Glorious Day. We put the book to bed yesterday, and I am hap-hap-happy.

It feels so GOOD to be done with that damn yearbook. I know I have to start immediately on another one, but for one day, I'm DONE.

Voot.

My hubby and I celebrated last night, and I hope Jared gets some well-deserved sleep today after his all night shift at Perkins. Now that I've mentioned that chain, I'll have to mention that I really enjoy Reubens from Country Kitchen. Enough random advertising.

My favorite part of yesterday, when Jared announced that Marvin was done "digesting", was when we were dancing to Nickelback's "Animal" song and playing a PS2 guitar hero guitar and Jared presented me with a small 3-ring notebook entitled "Jared's Brain". In this notebook contains a step by step instruction manual on EVERYTHING I need to know to do my fucking job. NO KIDDING. It's GREAT. It's ALIVE and vibrant and full of Jared...humor and more importantly, a guide to doing everything I need to know in order to survive another year, at least.

That's all I'm giving it. Another year. I need to live day by day at home AND on the job. I don't know what I want to do next year, but I am giving it my best shot NOW and every day so I can learn what I need to know. Then if I leave, it won't be because I feel like a loser, but it will be because I gave it my best and it just fell short of the mark.

New Goals

I made six new goals for this school year, based on the theory of WWJD: What Would Jack Do.

You know, Jack, my teacher this summer at the UI class that saved my ass. The one that made me all tingly with a love for journalism. Well, as soon as I have all the editors picked for both newspaper and yearbook, I shall begin implementing these new goals.

They include:

1. Setting up a beat system where each kid covers a beat or two, and files information about all sports, clubs, and academics.

2. Utilizing the Maestro Team approach to covering page design and news coverage.

3. Teach mini-lessons on news reporting, writing, editing, design, and yadda yadda yadda.

4. Set up a system for photography coverage, both in newspaper and yearbook.

5. Grading: make people more accountable for meetings deadlines in grading.

6. Advertising: combine newspaper and yearbook and take a few half-days off school to sell ads.

And now I know what I need to ask for: a parapro to run the business end of things, so I can focus on curriculum and production -- and, YOU GOT IT, learning the fucking programs.

Mkay.

I'm glad things are off to a good start, now remember Lisa -- baby steps to perfection...