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    My Second Period
    My Second Period
    My Second Period
    Ebook104 pages1 hour

    My Second Period

    By Loren Smith

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    About this ebook

    This book is written from the perspective of a Biology teacher. If you are a teacher, student, parent or someone who took Biology in high school, you will enjoy this book. Faculty meetings, academic team meetings, parent phone calls along with scientific method, ecology, genetics and evolution are brought to life in Mr. Smith’s second period biology class. This book is more than that; it is educational satire that you may or may not find funny. If you are easily offended, pass on this one. However, if you are a thinking person, who understands that each of us is unique, with our own faults and proclivities and with the ability to laugh at ourselves and each other, this is the book for you. Enjoy.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLoren Smith
    Release dateMay 31, 2013
    ISBN9781301471478
    My Second Period
    Author

    Loren Smith

    Loren Smith taught Biology for eighteen years. He has worked as a mud engineer in Venezuela, Guatemala, Alaska, Africa and Texas. Loren and his wife Jane reside in Houston.

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      Book preview

      My Second Period - Loren Smith

      MY SECOND PERIOD

      First Semester

      By Loren Smith

      Copyright 2013 Loren Smith

      Published on Smashwords

      Formatted by eBooksMade4You

      * * *

      All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

      Smashwords Edition License Notes

      This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

      * * *

      MY SECOND PERIOD

      First Semester

      By Loren Smith

      CHAPTER ONE

      If you don't LOVE what you do, then go do something else, Mr. Crocker, the principal of Holstein High School, said into the microphone during an afternoon faculty meeting in the auditorium. Several short stacks of paperback books were lined up on the front of the stage behind him. Each one of you is responsible for the success of YOUR students. The teachers were quiet. The STAAR Test is coming up and YOUR job is to help students be successful. He looked straight at Ms. Pearson, the Science Department Chairperson, sitting on the fourth row. She looked back at him, transfixed. She had a condition which caused her left eye to roll or yaw in its socket occasionally and a sudden slight tightening of Mr. Crocker’s face, signaled it might have just moved. Ms. Swenson, another Biology teacher sitting one row in front of and five seats over to my right, cut her narrow brown eyes toward and then quickly away from me. She leaned over and whispered something to Ms. Mayo, sitting to her right.

      Any questions, Mr. Crocker asked? Make it happen, he whispered. Ms. Hamilton, he spoke into the microphone. The tall Associate Principal stood up from the front row of seats. Mr. Crocker handed her the microphone then sat down.

      As Ms. Hamilton, began speaking into the microphone, l thought about my second period class, and Yonatan Rodriguez’ grade. Yonatan was an accommodated student, which meant special-education. Yonatan almost never talked or did much work in class; however he could draw like Rembrandt. Experienced teachers, like me, do not like to fail special-education students because of the liability and because of the hassle factor. Yonatan wasn’t on the recommended plan for college.

      The three R’s, Ms. Hamilton said, are rigor, relevance, and relationships. We must provide rigorous instruction to EACH STUDENT, relevant to the needs of EACH STUDENT, and develop meaningful relationships with EACH STUDENT AND THEIR PARENTS. People, you must call parents. She then tilted her head slightly to one side, half smiling. The look on her face was one of empathy mixed with authority. She cluck-chortled a short laugh, and then handed the microphone to Mr. Crocker who stood up and smiled goofily.

      Economically disadvantaged kids (Oh spare us, I thought) sometimes have difficulty with their grades. They score in the bottom twenty-five percent on standardized tests. Did you ever wonder why? He asked the audience of mostly middle class, mostly white, mostly female high school teachers as if expecting them to believe that no teacher had ever made the full connection between poverty and low grades before this faculty meeting. Why do economically disadvantaged students score lower than other students on standardized tests? Well, we’re going to find out. He held up a paperback book like a Baptist preacher would a bible. We have some of the answers to that question. He paused and looked around the auditorium. "Grandpa’s Gonna Learn Ya, attempts to answer that question. He continued holding up the paperback. And guess what? he asked, oddly bemused. The auditorium full of Holstein High School faculty and staff was silent. His expression turned churlish. We are all going to read Grandpa’s Gonna Learn Ya." He waited a few seconds then waggled the book. Not missing their cue, all eight assistant principals stood up from their second row seats, and stepped lively toward the stacks of books on the stage at the front. The seated teachers began murmuring as the AP’s walked back up the isles, carrying armloads of paperback books. They stopped at the end of each row, counted the number needed per row and handed that many books to the teacher sitting at the end. That teacher would then take one and pass the diminishing stack on until everyone had a copy of the book.

      Jesus Rodriguez, I said under my breath taking a book.

      Ms. Swenson leaned over to her right and whispered something to Ms. Mayo again, causing her to chuckle. Ms. Corgi, a science teacher with a sour attitude and permanent scowl, was seated in front of Ms. Swenson. She turned half-around and snarked, yeah, right. Mr. McEwen, a Geography Teacher friend sitting in front of me, turned around in his seat and smiled with a ‘now what’ look on his face.

      What next? I asked Mr. McEwen, not expecting an answer.

      Differentiation, he said, and then turned back around chuckling.

      Everyone have a book? Mr. Crocker asked loudly from the front of the auditorium, as he held the paperback book higher.

      Ms. Parker, an older, never married, long time teacher, famous for expressing her opinions, shot her hand up from the middle of the auditorium and shouted, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? The auditorium quieted.

      Mr. Crocker genuflected with mock surprise. Yes, Ms. Parker, Mr. Crocker said, smiling. Ms. Mayo, sitting beside Ms. Swenson, said something under her breath and several teachers sitting around them giggled.

      Do we have to BUY this book? Ms. Parker asked loudly. Or did the STATE pay for it? The auditorium became quiet.

      Mr. Crocker spoke into the microphone, That’s been taken care of, and I can’t force you to read it, but please DO read it. You MIGHT even learn something, Ms. Parker. Several teachers cackled. A guffaw or two was heard.

      Ms. Hamilton, the Associate Principal, popped up out of her seat on the front row and spoke without the microphone. This book study will count eight hours credit for WHY-PDAS this year, she said loudly. A few teachers chuckled. "The Wong Harris Yowchi Professional Development and Appraisal System, also known as WHY-PDAS, was developed by the state and used by school districts to evaluate teachers. The acronym was the source of endless jokes among teachers. Dr. Yowchi had resigned several years earlier and become a consultant with a book for sale, co-authored by Dr. Wong, and a hefty speaking fee. Mr. Crocker had obtained copies for the

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