Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Lunch at Literati
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Los Angeles
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Professor
Good evening all my fans! As you all know I obtained my Master of Science degree in April! I did not forget what it is like to be a student. So, I thought will all of my knowledge and work experience I would be a professor. Here I am. Professor Kandrach. Instructor Kandrach. Ma'am. Kirsten. Those are all of my titles. LOL I am currently teaching Criminal Law. I love the class and it's totally cool and interesting. I have 24 students. It is a 300 level course so most of you know what that means...they are juniors/seniors.
One would think at this level that they know APA format is required in ALL writing right? This includes discussion forums and writing assignments. Well, not the case in my class. I have a student (who shall remain nameless of course) that has a 38% in my class. How does a person even get a 38%?
Anyway, I am a tough grader. I have explained to them in my announcements and my guidance for each week what I expect of them and what is required. The discussion forums require and initial post and 2 thorough responses to their classmates posts. They are to use APA format and cite references and yes...my discussion forums do require references. The writing assignment is (for this week) to be 3-5 pages long excluding the title and reference pages. And they are to use APA format! Pretty standard and relatively easy.
So, this student has decided to not even complete the three required posts. She does one post, doesn't respond to her classmates, and doesn't use APA format. I have explained that one liners will get you nowhere in my class. Automatic deduction of points. No APA more deduction of points. Then she turns in her writing assignment for the week. Now, remember that all of my students have my email address and phone number and can call me at any time (which I have students that do). I open her paper, use my plagiarism checker and find out that her paper is 83% plagiarized. Really?!?!? So I look deeper at the paper. Yup- definitely plagiarized. I can also tell it is not her writing because she doesn't speak that way in her discussion forums. Not to mention she didn't even cite references. UGH! I'm totally annoyed.
So, I send her an email and I tell her that the similarity index of her paper is way too high and that she should look it over. I also proceed to tell her that if she would like to re-do her paper and turn it into me by Monday I will accept that as her final paper. Basically, I tell her in a nice professional way that she is going to flunk my class if she doesn't get it together. She emails me back and says......."Ma'am, I will think about it and let you know." WHAT?!?!?!? Is she serious? Really? What does that even mean? Geesh. Here I am giving her an opportunity at this teachable moment and she basically tells me to go jump off a bridge. UGH! Now, I feel like giving her a big FAT ZERO!!! But, I will wait and see if she redeems herself.
The life of a teacher...
Until next time...think about it...UGH
One would think at this level that they know APA format is required in ALL writing right? This includes discussion forums and writing assignments. Well, not the case in my class. I have a student (who shall remain nameless of course) that has a 38% in my class. How does a person even get a 38%?
Anyway, I am a tough grader. I have explained to them in my announcements and my guidance for each week what I expect of them and what is required. The discussion forums require and initial post and 2 thorough responses to their classmates posts. They are to use APA format and cite references and yes...my discussion forums do require references. The writing assignment is (for this week) to be 3-5 pages long excluding the title and reference pages. And they are to use APA format! Pretty standard and relatively easy.
So, this student has decided to not even complete the three required posts. She does one post, doesn't respond to her classmates, and doesn't use APA format. I have explained that one liners will get you nowhere in my class. Automatic deduction of points. No APA more deduction of points. Then she turns in her writing assignment for the week. Now, remember that all of my students have my email address and phone number and can call me at any time (which I have students that do). I open her paper, use my plagiarism checker and find out that her paper is 83% plagiarized. Really?!?!? So I look deeper at the paper. Yup- definitely plagiarized. I can also tell it is not her writing because she doesn't speak that way in her discussion forums. Not to mention she didn't even cite references. UGH! I'm totally annoyed.
So, I send her an email and I tell her that the similarity index of her paper is way too high and that she should look it over. I also proceed to tell her that if she would like to re-do her paper and turn it into me by Monday I will accept that as her final paper. Basically, I tell her in a nice professional way that she is going to flunk my class if she doesn't get it together. She emails me back and says......."Ma'am, I will think about it and let you know." WHAT?!?!?!? Is she serious? Really? What does that even mean? Geesh. Here I am giving her an opportunity at this teachable moment and she basically tells me to go jump off a bridge. UGH! Now, I feel like giving her a big FAT ZERO!!! But, I will wait and see if she redeems herself.
The life of a teacher...
Until next time...think about it...UGH
Monday, October 18, 2010
Woodchuck to Ground Squirrel
HAHAH! AT - do you love the title? I am so happy you came to visit me last weekend. What a relaxing blast! I never laughed so hard. My freakin cheecks were hurting! HAHAH. Spankin my monkey and nunchuck tampons! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! OMG! Kids! Too Funny. How about the Crisco Courtney spread all over her face and then had to use the "scrubby" face wash! LMAO! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What a great weekend! I was so sad to see you go. But, Cherry 123 and Rettard love you! XOXOXOX- WC Out
Ok- onto my blog! WOW! What a happenin last two weeks. My person and her fam came out to visit all the way from good ole MI! We had so much fun, but it was exhausting. All of us were ready to crash every night by like 9:30pm! We went o Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Disneyland, to see the Hollywood sign, the ghetto pumpkin patch, and they went to Universal Studios while I was at work. Talk about BUSY! It was great though and I hope they come back to see me soon. Maybe next weekend! HA! Yeah right! I love you guys!
My favorite AT came to visit me last weekend. (The beginning of the blog was a tribute to her!) LOL Then on Saturday I am going to see my good friend Heather and hopefully relax! Courtney has a soccer game at 0900 and then I am taking her on a mother-daughter date to Color Me Mine where she gets to make her own pottery! Should be fun.
Work is crazy busy plus I am teaching. Really with my students? Seriously? Come on people. I am not going to even get started on that. Geesh!
Kaci is gowing up so fast. She is 22 months now! Almost the Big 2!!! Wish daddy was gonna be here for her birthday! It seems so amazing that she was born almost 2 years ago. Really? Where does the time go? I have a friend whose triplets are going to be 1 next month! Holy Crap! Man are they ever cute! The twins...I miss them! Declan and Conner- Auntie Kirsten will come see you soon. Promise! Sooner than you think!
Well, this has to be a fast blog because it is already 9:01 PM and I have to clean the kitchen, pick up the toys, take a shower, and go to bed! Gotta get up at 0400! Yikes! So....Until Next Time....
Night ya'll!
Ok- onto my blog! WOW! What a happenin last two weeks. My person and her fam came out to visit all the way from good ole MI! We had so much fun, but it was exhausting. All of us were ready to crash every night by like 9:30pm! We went o Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Disneyland, to see the Hollywood sign, the ghetto pumpkin patch, and they went to Universal Studios while I was at work. Talk about BUSY! It was great though and I hope they come back to see me soon. Maybe next weekend! HA! Yeah right! I love you guys!
My favorite AT came to visit me last weekend. (The beginning of the blog was a tribute to her!) LOL Then on Saturday I am going to see my good friend Heather and hopefully relax! Courtney has a soccer game at 0900 and then I am taking her on a mother-daughter date to Color Me Mine where she gets to make her own pottery! Should be fun.
Work is crazy busy plus I am teaching. Really with my students? Seriously? Come on people. I am not going to even get started on that. Geesh!
Kaci is gowing up so fast. She is 22 months now! Almost the Big 2!!! Wish daddy was gonna be here for her birthday! It seems so amazing that she was born almost 2 years ago. Really? Where does the time go? I have a friend whose triplets are going to be 1 next month! Holy Crap! Man are they ever cute! The twins...I miss them! Declan and Conner- Auntie Kirsten will come see you soon. Promise! Sooner than you think!
Well, this has to be a fast blog because it is already 9:01 PM and I have to clean the kitchen, pick up the toys, take a shower, and go to bed! Gotta get up at 0400! Yikes! So....Until Next Time....
Night ya'll!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Past to Present
I have to start with Friday. And no...there are no mental affair stories...sorry. Friday began wonderful. Friday did not end up so good. My lovely grandma has been helping me with the kids. I have crazy work hours so she has been getting them off to school/daycare and helping out before I get home from work. So she sends me a text on Friday while I am driving home from work, in LA, in all of LA's glorious traffic. Beh. I burst into tears on the 405 freeway. Yes, my glasses are fogged up and I am sobbing. She tells me that she picked Kaci up from daycare and they didn't feed her lunch! WWWHHHHAAAATTTTT!!!!! Seriously? They didn't feed my baby lunch! So, as you can imagine I am passed the point of furious. I call the daycare. (You know this already.) They are like, "Well, she had dry cheerios for breakfast and we gave her a handful of Cheeze-Its." I think to myself...Wait..did you say a handful of Cheeze-Its? Now I am more furious.
Let me back-up. The "rule" at day care is you can either bring their food for them or you can pay for a hot lunch and only provide the snacks. Quite frankly I pay way to much money for this daycare for either of those things. They should provide it all! (Well, the food anyway).
So, I am like well why didn't anyone tell us on Thursday that Kaci was out of food?!?!?!?
Them: Oh, I don't know I guess we forgot.
Me: Seriously?!
Me: Why did I fill out an emergency contact list and no one bothered to call me or anyone else and say that Kaci was out of food?
Them: I don't know. But she had the Cheeze-It's.
By this point I am literally ready to freaking take someone out! Seriously? You don't know? What does that even mean? UGH! So, yup, you guessed right. Kaci is no longer going to The Learning Garden. Great Grandma Reta is lovingly taking care of Kaci for now. Kaci loves GG Reta! She cries when she leaves. Well, cries after she tells her bye bye. LOL I'm happy now. Kaci is happy. That is all that matters!
Now, I am sooooooo excited for tomorrow. My person arrives with her family! YIPPEEEEE! I am so thrilled and we have so much to do. Universal Studios, Halloween at Disney, Venice Beach, the pumpkin patch and more! I'm so glad they are all coming!!! Just wish my hubbs was here to spend this wonderful time with us.
Then, next weekend my AT is coming to town! Woo Hoo!!!!!!!! I see Blue Moon in my future. Maybe Sam. I'm not sure yet.
Then....my good friend Heather is coming to town. (Do NOT start singing here...Santa Clause is coming to town or I will hurt you.) HA!
I'm trying to get my other peep hired on where I work. Man, talk about pulling strings and trying to work it! I hope it happens for her. She deserves it. :o) Speaking of work my job is fantabulous! I absolutely love and adore the people I work with, my boss is awesome, and I am just having a great time learning and learning and learning. Annddddd, speaking of learning I started teaching my first class today! It's not too bad so far. Hmm, Courtney won her soccer game last week 5 to 1 and all is well in her world. She gets to skip school on Thursday so I know she is thrilled. LOL Kaci is wonderful and cute as a button! Kyle is doing great in school! YAY!
Other than all of that not too much else to report. I am off to bed. Nite ya'll!
Until next time....
Let me back-up. The "rule" at day care is you can either bring their food for them or you can pay for a hot lunch and only provide the snacks. Quite frankly I pay way to much money for this daycare for either of those things. They should provide it all! (Well, the food anyway).
So, I am like well why didn't anyone tell us on Thursday that Kaci was out of food?!?!?!?
Them: Oh, I don't know I guess we forgot.
Me: Seriously?!
Me: Why did I fill out an emergency contact list and no one bothered to call me or anyone else and say that Kaci was out of food?
Them: I don't know. But she had the Cheeze-It's.
By this point I am literally ready to freaking take someone out! Seriously? You don't know? What does that even mean? UGH! So, yup, you guessed right. Kaci is no longer going to The Learning Garden. Great Grandma Reta is lovingly taking care of Kaci for now. Kaci loves GG Reta! She cries when she leaves. Well, cries after she tells her bye bye. LOL I'm happy now. Kaci is happy. That is all that matters!
Now, I am sooooooo excited for tomorrow. My person arrives with her family! YIPPEEEEE! I am so thrilled and we have so much to do. Universal Studios, Halloween at Disney, Venice Beach, the pumpkin patch and more! I'm so glad they are all coming!!! Just wish my hubbs was here to spend this wonderful time with us.
Then, next weekend my AT is coming to town! Woo Hoo!!!!!!!! I see Blue Moon in my future. Maybe Sam. I'm not sure yet.
Then....my good friend Heather is coming to town. (Do NOT start singing here...Santa Clause is coming to town or I will hurt you.) HA!
I'm trying to get my other peep hired on where I work. Man, talk about pulling strings and trying to work it! I hope it happens for her. She deserves it. :o) Speaking of work my job is fantabulous! I absolutely love and adore the people I work with, my boss is awesome, and I am just having a great time learning and learning and learning. Annddddd, speaking of learning I started teaching my first class today! It's not too bad so far. Hmm, Courtney won her soccer game last week 5 to 1 and all is well in her world. She gets to skip school on Thursday so I know she is thrilled. LOL Kaci is wonderful and cute as a button! Kyle is doing great in school! YAY!
Other than all of that not too much else to report. I am off to bed. Nite ya'll!
Until next time....
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