Sooo..whatever happened to Stephanie's brain?

Apparently, I have been slacking off in the blog department, especially in regards to updates on my brain.

Here is the very speedy update, as I have little patience to write any more about it.

I went to the doctor three weeks ago, I guess it was. Huh, that was fast.

Anyway, yes, three weeks ago. I finally saw the specialist, the magnificent specialist who I was told would be wonderful and magical and the "female Dr. House."
"She will find out what is wrong with you," they told me.

And so I believed them and I went, and I talked. She asked a litany of questions and sat there with a very concerned and interested face. She quizzed me on the history of my "seizures," how they start, what they feel like, when they happen etc.

I explained they have only happened in accompaniment of a change in hormone levels (miscarriage, birth, change in birth control etc.)

She then asked what they looked like, at which point my girlfriend Anna took over, who was there that fateful day when I "died" in the ambulance. She gave the full run-down, describing at length what I looked like, the sounds, the thrashing etc. It was unpleasant and embarrassing for all of us, but it had to be done.

We spoke for about 15-20 minutes, then she began to explain, very calmly how an EEG works, and how I had a "seizure" while having an EEG and nothing showed up, which meant I am not epileptic. She then gave me a very long speech about the brain and how even the best neurosurgeons only know 20% of what the brain can do, yada yada, and basically, what it comes down to is "they don't know."

The theory is: hormone changes+stress= wicked migraine. Wicked migraine= Stephanie has a non-epileptic seizure. Apparently some people in horrendous pain can, at times, have seizure-like activity as the body's way to release the pain. Who knew?

So, I continue taking the mega doses of migraine/anti-convulsing meds. I can't feel my hands, because, well that's a side effect of the migraine medication. Yippee.

As for the "non-epileptic seizures," well, I have something now I can take that "should" stop them. Also, I need to be aware when I have hormone changes, and major stress in my life.

Thanks for the tip, Doc.

And that's what is up with me. I am now driving again, huzzah, and other than tingling legs and hands, I feel fine.

Someone get this boy a medal...

You know there are moments in every teacher's life when you really want to just smack a kid upside the head. Then there are moments when you want to hug them. Other times, you are astounded, not by their brilliance, but really, truly astounded by what they said or wrote, and cannot believe they had the audacity to do it.

Tonight, that happened and it's just too funny not to share.

I had students self-rate their final papers.

One student, (who is really "miffed" he earned an A- on his last paper,) had the following responses on his self-assessment: (I have included all punctuation and spelling as he wrote it, for full effect.)

Content: "My Content is flawless. I have 3 main ideas that Work in Unison. Better than other peoples Paper's ideas."

Organization: "I used perfect arguments. Other people's are awkward or choppy mine flow perfectly with each other."

Style: "My writting/ideas are the best in the class. Other people's paper lack high quality writting, but still get better grades somehoW.

Conventions: "There are No Spelling or misplaced Words, While other people can't spell easy Words."

Overall: I've put in the hardest work possible for this. Other people talk and are lazy, While I've worked my butt off for this. Other people's explanations are short and not sood quality, While I did everything possible to "explain" myself. My intro & Conclusion is long/detailed, While other people's are short. I got an A+."

Strengths: "I have the best writting not because of skill or hatural talent, but because of my Work ethic. I convee my ideas and have a sound voice. Other people's writting suck, but they fit the "criteria," and get good grades anyway."

Weaknesses: "Nothing. The only part could be considered "week' is not doing every nitpicky thing to fit the criteria. Other people's writting is nowhere as good as mine but get equal grade because they fit the "criteria." The criteria doesn't alway recognize good writting.

Goals:
1. Get A+ Forever
Action Plan: I will use pre-writing web, rough draft and all the steps
2. Never get A-
I'lll try to git the "criteria" even if that means lessening the quality of my writting

Is it wrong I want to respond "Yes?"

We are working on editing and revising papers today. I gave explicit instructions, (three times,) including writing them on the board. Of course that means nothing to high school boys.

Student: "Mrs. Scott, what do I do when I am done getting my paper edited (by a fellow peer)?"

Me: "Revise the edits."

Student: "What do you mean?"

Me: (trying not to lose it, since I JUST gave a lesson on how to revise, including a full demonstration with a student's paper; never mind that they have been revising since the 7th grade and these are juniors and seniors in high school.)

"Fix what is wrong, go back through, erase or cross out misspellings, put in transitions, change/replace words with better and/or stronger words, etc."

Student: "So you want me to write my final draft now?"

Me: "No, not yet, you are revising your rough draft right now."

Student: "I don't understand."

Me: "That's because you weren't listening."

Student: Blank "......"

Me: "Go through your rough draft, and on your rough draft, make revisions, cross out or erase and fix it. Then read through it again and make sure it flows. That's called revising."

Student: "So you want me to rewrite my whole paper?"

Me: "What did I just say?"

Student: "I don't know"

Me: (sighing heavily, trying not to throw my shoe and/or stapler at his head) "I really need you to listen to the directions"

Student: "I don't understand"

Me: "I can only help you if you listen you are not listening to me"

Student: "So am I writing my final draft now?"

Me: "NO."

Student: "What am I doing?"

Me: "Fix the edits on your paper, do you see here, all the things people marked as wrong, or need improvement on your paper? All that stuff written all over your paper in different colored ink? What you need to do is take your pencil (pick up your pencil, pick it up...) ok, now fix it...literally, on your rough draft. Like here, you spelled this word wrong, so you need to cross it out and fix the spelling...(go ahead, do that now...)

Student: "Right now?"

Me: "Yes.

Student: "Am I re-writing the whole paper, again right now?"

Me: DON'T re-write it, DON'T write your final draft, just cross out or erase the problems and revise the rough draft."

Student: "So, what am I doing, then?"

Me: glaring...."You need to go sit down now"

Student: "But I don't understand what I'm doing."

Me: "Sorry, you'll have to ask somebody else, now."

Student stomped off, dejected, but somehow, miraculously figured it out.



Later, at the end of class, (this is summer school, so they have class for four hour blocks a day...we revised our papers, then we re-read them, then we wrote the final drafts.)

I have written on the board the following:

"Stack your paper in the following order (bottom to top)
-rough draft including revisions (bottom of the stack)
-final draft
-self-assessment sheet, (completed)
-final scoring rubric sheet (blank)

Staple all together and turn in to Mrs. Scott by 11:30 today."

I then made them all put their pencils down, look at me so I could see their eyes (so I knew at least they were watching me) and demonstrated how I wanted them to turn in their final paper.

At the end of the day, the SAME student handed me his stack, in the opposite order, with no rough draft. I handed it back to him and said:

Me: "This is not correct, if you want me to grade it, you need to read the directions on the board and stack this properly, with all the required pieces.

Student: "It is TOO correct!"

Me: "You are missing your rough draft there, Sir."

Student: "You NEVER said I needed a rough draft...."

Me: I quietly walked over the board, pointed at the words "ROUGH DRAFT" and said "Don't argue with me, Anymore. It's obnoxious."


This evening, I received a text message, from the SAME student.

I had given my cell number (not home phone) to my students at the beginning of the semester to be used in emergencies only, as in, you or your parents are in the hospital, (which actually happened.)

His text message?

"Did I fail the class?"

He currently has a C-, although I haven't yet graded his final paper. He is most likely going to hold at a C-, or drop to a D+.

The question remains however, given the events of today, and his text that is an obvious abuse of my kindness (and beyond annoying,) is it wrong that I want to reply "yes?"

Tomorrow is my Mother's birthday...

Tomorrow is my Mother’s birthday; she would be 50. I am not really sure how to feel. Perhaps more accurately, I am overcome with a flood of conflicting emotions. There is the obvious feeling of emptiness and grief that continues to sit just beneath the surface; that which I try not to think about too much, but will every once in a while get the better of me. The feeling only those who have lost someone so very close, so very connected to them can understand. It is a feeling that a part of you has also died and will always remain empty in their absence.

But I also feel, in some strange way, that maybe she has finally been released from a lifetime of suffering and anguish. Hers was not a charmed or enjoyable life, plagued with loss, disappointment and illness, she endured much for a woman of so few years. It seemed such a great tragedy that, when she finally seemed to be rising above and breaking the chains of disappointment, she would fall ill and lose her life.

Perhaps however, it was grace after all. For she no longer has to suffer and endure the pains of a life in a broken world.

So while tomorrow will be difficult as her absence is made all the more conspicuous on her birthday, I can still feel some peace in the hope that she is now in a better place; finally relieved of the pain of her troubled life.

What’s more, I have the joy of knowing I have the wonderful gift of my daughter; another chance for our family to try to raise a little girl into a strong and beautiful woman. I have every confidence my Mother is watching and guiding me as I go, if now only in my own heart.

Happy 4th of July!

Evie and I went to my friend's Anna's for the day to enjoy the 4th. Bryan joined us after work. We brought over Evie's little inflatable pool, and she enjoyed splashing most of the water out and getting her face wet. I'd call the day a success.