My life...

We left South Texas seven years ago. In fact, I spent my first wedding anniversary on the road just past Texarkana, big Uhaul towing our car, loads of fun. At the time, sorry to tell you, I was not ready to re-enter the classroom. I was totally stressed out and unsure what I wanted to do (other than return to Wisconsin). No offense. Really. It was me, not you.

Anyway...

I spent two great (read: poor) years trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I worked at a paper plate factory (two weeks), Kmart (hell) and a restaurant. At Kmart, they made me department manager within about 2 months. Of toys. This was the fall, as in before Christmas. Do you guys remember how much I love little kids in large numbers? Yeah, that was fun. I walked out of that job. In fact, it holds the distinction of being the only job I was ever fired from.

The restaurant was better. I was a server trainer and made tons (well, not really) of dough. I worked there for a little over a year and really got my addiction to alcohol raging madly.

Then I entered grad school and decided to try to re-enter the field of education. I got a job at a psychiatric hospital near where we were living. The students there ranged in age from 13 - 19 and were placed there for 1-2 years by court order. The reading ability of these kids ranged from 1st grade to college. It was quite an experience, to say the least. They could be extremely violent and had serious issues - all had mental, physical and/or sexual abuse problems in their past. I learned more about teenagers in those two years than in any experience or class before.

I also learned how to take a student down to the ground without hurting them. :) Always fun.


Anyway - after two years, I was really feeling that I needed to get back into a regular classroom. I took a job for second semester of 2002 which was supposed to turn into a permanent job (but didn't), and then I got the job I'm in now.

I've really been enjoying being back in the classroom, and I feel that I am back to (if not better than) the teacher I used to be. I got my master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Economic Education, I published a booklet through the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, wrote my thesis on it, and even received an award in Excellence in Economic Education from the National Council on Econ. Ed. That was cool.


I still have an excessively weird sense of humor, and I still love torturing students. I still hate whining seniors and punky freshmen. I still think of South Texas with a lot of affection - although I'm glad I don't live there anymore (the heat/humidity was just killing me...).

Mark & I bought a house and plan to stay there for quite awhile, and I have no intention in the near future to leave this job. This is my third year here, and I feel nowhere near as overwhelmed and unhappy as the last couple years at Sci-Tech left me. I think I just needed to grow up a lot. And...!gasp!...although there are no little McDaniel's running around, we have not totally thrown the idea out the window. When I hit 32, that ole clock starting ticking...now I'm 35 and my doctor told me that my eggs were old. That bitch. Sorry, I know - too much information for a lot of you. Deal with it.

You might be amused to know that my students still call me by many different names, although "McDaniel" is a lot easier to bastardize than "Fulmer." I get MickeyD, of course, KMac is another. KM often (it's how I sign my emails to them). Ms. Mac on occasion. For some strange reason, "Mom" is catching on. That scares me. Oh, and every once in awhile, I get a "Satan" - but that is usually from my AP Econ class. :)


I also get the joy of getting student teachers now...so I get to teach unprepared college students how to be just like me. How exciting! I love it!


Okay - I have to go...do something. I'm sure there's some paperwork around here somewhere that needs to be completed. I would love to hear from any of you to hear how life is treating you.

Take care!
Kris

Too weird...

I know - too exciting for anyone. Reading about the life of a high school teacher. How much better can life get?

I know there's a few former students I've found in here...I'll write more about the last 7 years since we left Texas in just a few. Give me time.

After all, I need to track all of you down...



Kris