Got some news this morning about last night's Board meeting. I guess one of our 5th grade teachers is retiring and instead of hiring new, they want to move the 8th grade Civics teacher (who also does have a dozen other things) down to that position and have me teach 2 sections of 8th Grade Civics. It's not HS Psych, like I'd really like, but I'm game.
I appreciated that they told me in Feb. instead of August. It means dropping Web Design and MS Cheer, but I guess I don't mind that too much. It will be more work, but it's something I value and like and I like this year's crop of 7th graders too.
Although, I must admit that I'm really feeling insecure about HS Cheer. Not just that they'd take it from me because I appear to be ineffective, but that they'll scrap it altogether.
Our boys are doing really well in play offs this year. Tomorrow night are Regionals and if we win, they'll go on to sub-state, but our cheer squad have missed the last couple of games and I don't know whether we'll be there tomorrow night either.
We started out with 7 but it's really atrophied.
First, the two veterans (who are also on Drill) quit early in the season, saying that "it just wasn't as much fun as past years." The truth was that they were embarrassed to be on squad with the others. One seriously quiet Hispanic girl who had cheered before, but never seemed to come to practice; Two painfully shy, very quiet, and somewhat awkward/uncoordinated girls; one heavy-set, socially awkward, but incredibly positive if not overzealous Freshman girl; and our significant/profound Spec Ed boy.
Then one of the two quiet rookies quit. She said it was because she didn't have transportation to/from practice and games, but I found out from other students later that she had got her navel pierced and was afraid I'd order her to take it out.
I begged and pleaded with the 2 vets to come back, or for some of my other veterans who weren't cheering this season to come back- but to no avail.
Eventually one (also insanely quiet, shy, and moody) girl who had cheered in the past offered to cheer, but only for games when she didn't have to work. I took it!
I worked with what we had as much as I could. The all got much better over the course of the season. They bravely led pep-rallies. They all learned the fight-song dance, which is more than I can say for some of the more socially adept/accepted girls on this year's football squad. I even got them to get louder.
The Freshman zealot grew on the basketball players and much of the student body. She went from being the new kid who'd transferred in from somewhere else and seemed kind of weird, to being the one who always got them to stand up and yell, the one who always slapped their hands and told them "good job!" whether they won or lost. The only people who's nerves she was irritating, were her squadmates- who'd all rather blend into the background and who felt like she was being bossy, just because she actually took initiative and started cheers!
I appreciated that they told me in Feb. instead of August. It means dropping Web Design and MS Cheer, but I guess I don't mind that too much. It will be more work, but it's something I value and like and I like this year's crop of 7th graders too.
Although, I must admit that I'm really feeling insecure about HS Cheer. Not just that they'd take it from me because I appear to be ineffective, but that they'll scrap it altogether.
Our boys are doing really well in play offs this year. Tomorrow night are Regionals and if we win, they'll go on to sub-state, but our cheer squad have missed the last couple of games and I don't know whether we'll be there tomorrow night either.
We started out with 7 but it's really atrophied.
First, the two veterans (who are also on Drill) quit early in the season, saying that "it just wasn't as much fun as past years." The truth was that they were embarrassed to be on squad with the others. One seriously quiet Hispanic girl who had cheered before, but never seemed to come to practice; Two painfully shy, very quiet, and somewhat awkward/uncoordinated girls; one heavy-set, socially awkward, but incredibly positive if not overzealous Freshman girl; and our significant/profound Spec Ed boy.
Then one of the two quiet rookies quit. She said it was because she didn't have transportation to/from practice and games, but I found out from other students later that she had got her navel pierced and was afraid I'd order her to take it out.
I begged and pleaded with the 2 vets to come back, or for some of my other veterans who weren't cheering this season to come back- but to no avail.
Eventually one (also insanely quiet, shy, and moody) girl who had cheered in the past offered to cheer, but only for games when she didn't have to work. I took it!
I worked with what we had as much as I could. The all got much better over the course of the season. They bravely led pep-rallies. They all learned the fight-song dance, which is more than I can say for some of the more socially adept/accepted girls on this year's football squad. I even got them to get louder.
The Freshman zealot grew on the basketball players and much of the student body. She went from being the new kid who'd transferred in from somewhere else and seemed kind of weird, to being the one who always got them to stand up and yell, the one who always slapped their hands and told them "good job!" whether they won or lost. The only people who's nerves she was irritating, were her squadmates- who'd all rather blend into the background and who felt like she was being bossy, just because she actually took initiative and started cheers!
I'm proud of all of them, but I really have to say that I'm really proud of her for her constant positive attitude, enthusiasm, intention and school spirit.
Ah, but then it really fell apart. The Hispanic girl, a Junior, transferred to another school. That zealous freshman started failing two classes, making her ineligible, and the Spec Ed boy's mom had back surgery so she couldn't transport him around to games anymore. We were down to two, quiet cheerleaders.
Our surly, curmudgeon of a mascot, a Junior boy who's on my yearbook staff, called this season the "Geek Squad." I sighed and asked him not to make things worse.
I was still proud of them, they were troopers. If you knew them, you'd know it was brave of them to cheer just the two of them.
Then we came to "mid-winter break," a Thursday and Friday off, giving us a 4 day weekend in February- playoff season. And what happens? One of the 2 remaining girls, the rookie Sophomore's family decides to stretch this into a vacation in Florida. So she's unavailable for the last girls game last Thursday or the boy's games last Friday and yesterday (Tuesday).
I'm in Des Moines in a meeting with a new Occupational Therapist for my daughter when I get an email from my principal asking why we haven't had any cheerleaders. I explained as concisely but honestly as I can.
In my experience, it seems like most administrators, having a background in competitive team athletics aren't very empathetic to the problems of cheer coaches. But I could just be paranoid. He didn't respond to my reply, though he did ask this morning, when he brought me the news about next year's changes, if I thought we'd have cheerleaders tomorrow night.
We'll see, the Florida family is supposed to get back some time today and that girl plans on coming to school tomorrow- of course the game will be LATE, it's more than 80 miles away.
I know a few 6th and 7th graders who will be upset about the demise of our MS Cheer program. One who'll be devastated in fact. I don't know what to think. No other schools in our area have MS programs and it will make some things easier for me.
I don't know if my board or administration would like to find someone to replace me because I just can't seem to hold a decent squad together- or if under the pressure to cut expenses because of state budget crunches and the national recession- they'd look for an excuse to discontinue HS cheerleading at our school too.
Guess I can't waste energy worrying about it nor take it too personally whatever happens. I'd miss that vocation, it's not just that it's become a part of my identity (which it shouldn't be) bit it's both such a meaningful venue for mentoring kids and an aspect of HS life that I think is important- though from all I've been managing to recruit lately, maybe it's not so valuable to the constituency to constitute maintaining it much longer anyway.Hmmm.
Anyway, I'm not spinning out of control in any kind of existential angst or anything, but I am trying to absorb what all this means. Mind you, I can't hardly listen to anymore news about teacher unions and labor unrest right now either.
I guess I have this blog to ruminate on. The compulsive communicator in me desperately wants to share this post with people. Maybe just to get some sympathy, maybe for moral support or to solicit some positive thoughts and prayers. But in my insecurity, I don't think it would be wise. My wife already worries that students or parents might be offended if they ever knew what I write here. I know better than to complain publicly about work, you hear about people getting in trouble for what they post on facebook and twitter all the time. Be that as it may, writing is therapeutic and if this blog never leads to publication, but is merely a diary- then at least it's helping me process my thoughts and work through what I'm dealing with.
Maybe it's time to retire. As fantastic of a ride as it's been, and as important as it is for some of these young women to gain the poise and confidence that Cheer offers and hopefully the mentoring I try to offer- a HS Cheer coach needs to inspire pride and loyalty, I seem to be lacking in this area.
Ah, but then it really fell apart. The Hispanic girl, a Junior, transferred to another school. That zealous freshman started failing two classes, making her ineligible, and the Spec Ed boy's mom had back surgery so she couldn't transport him around to games anymore. We were down to two, quiet cheerleaders.
Our surly, curmudgeon of a mascot, a Junior boy who's on my yearbook staff, called this season the "Geek Squad." I sighed and asked him not to make things worse.
I was still proud of them, they were troopers. If you knew them, you'd know it was brave of them to cheer just the two of them.
Then we came to "mid-winter break," a Thursday and Friday off, giving us a 4 day weekend in February- playoff season. And what happens? One of the 2 remaining girls, the rookie Sophomore's family decides to stretch this into a vacation in Florida. So she's unavailable for the last girls game last Thursday or the boy's games last Friday and yesterday (Tuesday).
I'm in Des Moines in a meeting with a new Occupational Therapist for my daughter when I get an email from my principal asking why we haven't had any cheerleaders. I explained as concisely but honestly as I can.
In my experience, it seems like most administrators, having a background in competitive team athletics aren't very empathetic to the problems of cheer coaches. But I could just be paranoid. He didn't respond to my reply, though he did ask this morning, when he brought me the news about next year's changes, if I thought we'd have cheerleaders tomorrow night.
We'll see, the Florida family is supposed to get back some time today and that girl plans on coming to school tomorrow- of course the game will be LATE, it's more than 80 miles away.
I know a few 6th and 7th graders who will be upset about the demise of our MS Cheer program. One who'll be devastated in fact. I don't know what to think. No other schools in our area have MS programs and it will make some things easier for me.
I don't know if my board or administration would like to find someone to replace me because I just can't seem to hold a decent squad together- or if under the pressure to cut expenses because of state budget crunches and the national recession- they'd look for an excuse to discontinue HS cheerleading at our school too.
Guess I can't waste energy worrying about it nor take it too personally whatever happens. I'd miss that vocation, it's not just that it's become a part of my identity (which it shouldn't be) bit it's both such a meaningful venue for mentoring kids and an aspect of HS life that I think is important- though from all I've been managing to recruit lately, maybe it's not so valuable to the constituency to constitute maintaining it much longer anyway.Hmmm.
Anyway, I'm not spinning out of control in any kind of existential angst or anything, but I am trying to absorb what all this means. Mind you, I can't hardly listen to anymore news about teacher unions and labor unrest right now either.
I guess I have this blog to ruminate on. The compulsive communicator in me desperately wants to share this post with people. Maybe just to get some sympathy, maybe for moral support or to solicit some positive thoughts and prayers. But in my insecurity, I don't think it would be wise. My wife already worries that students or parents might be offended if they ever knew what I write here. I know better than to complain publicly about work, you hear about people getting in trouble for what they post on facebook and twitter all the time. Be that as it may, writing is therapeutic and if this blog never leads to publication, but is merely a diary- then at least it's helping me process my thoughts and work through what I'm dealing with.
Maybe it's time to retire. As fantastic of a ride as it's been, and as important as it is for some of these young women to gain the poise and confidence that Cheer offers and hopefully the mentoring I try to offer- a HS Cheer coach needs to inspire pride and loyalty, I seem to be lacking in this area.
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