Part of our School Wide Positive Behavior Support program involves rewarding the kids with a "School Buck", for doing the right thing and being "responsible", "respectful" and "engaged". When we hand out a School Buck we have to be specific about what they are getting it for. For example, we had a video today and I handed out Bucks to kids who were actively watching the video (engaged) and taking notes. My mom said she thought it was as if were bribing the kids to be good, but I see it more like teaching them basic economics - you do your job and you get paid. And it's amazing how the kids react when they get them. I've handed out Bucks for kids who've helped others with their lockers, picked up trash from the floor in the classroom, and kids who come in and get to work even before the bell rings.
The kids can use these School Bucks to buy supplies in their classrooms - boring stuff like pencils, erasers, pencil grips, and highlighters. The highlighters have been a huge hit in my room, and I must sell a pencil or two every class period. The cafeteria even got into the program and is selling slushies at lunch so the kids can have a treat now and then.
And this week we had the opening of The School Store.
The faculty got a tour of the store last week, and I've got to be honest, it's impressive. It's in one of the older classrooms right by the front office, and has great displays of stuff a typical middle school kid would like - everything from boring school supplies like sheet protectors and trapper keepers to posters to silly bracelets, stuffed animals, pillows for the stylish bedroom, t-shirts, snacks, and soda pop. It is all arranged attractively, and behind counters which are staffed by administrators, folks from guidance, and teacher volunteers. The store is open in the morning during homeroom, and after the kids are dismissed in the afternoon. We can also make appointments to take our classes there, as long as we call and they can get someone to help staff it. We each got two special blue hall passes so we can give these to kids in the morning and they can go shopping.
And boy, can these kids shop!
The demand for these two hall passes in the morning is amazing. Today I had four of my homeroom kids standing with me during hall duty, waiting for their classmates to come back with the Store Pass.
"Hurry!" they screamed, as they saw a classmate come around the corner with the pass and a handful of purchases. Goofy Boy came up to us and tiny little Helpful Girl just about took his head off as she grabbed for the pass, removed it from his neck, put it on and dashed off to the store.
"Man, I thought she was going to take me with her," he said with a smile as he showed off his bottle of Coca Cola. I couldn't have agreed more. And she wasn't the only one who was waiting impatiently for that Blue Pass.
The number of kids walking briskly by my hall duty station, wearing the Blue Pass, and heading to the store was pretty large - but then again, if you consider that each homeroom teacher received two, that's a pretty big number of kids. Big enough, in fact, that they had to turn away kids yesterday morning as it was too crowded.
I decided to check out the store yesterday afternoon to see how it was going, so after the kids were dismissed I headed over.
Oh. My. Gosh.
The room was packed with kids standing three and four deep to buy a soda, a snack, a poster, anything they could get their hands on. They were waving their School Bucks around so that it looked like the trading floor of the Stock Exchange on a really busy day. That, and a bit of Black Friday mixed in for good measure. It was insane!
But man, it's nice to see these kids enjoying the rewards that they've earned.
On an aside, I'm enjoying hearing their talk about their School Bucks. There was a big conversation in my seventh period about which kid on the team they thought had the most School Bucks. Most kids by now have at least a few (if they haven't already spent them all - some of them spend them as fast as they get them), but a few of them are hanging on to their Bucks to buy one of the big tickets items (MP3 players for example) at the store. It so happens that one of the kids who save up their Bucks is in my seventh period.
Mean Girl didn't have a pencil, and was whining because I wouldn't just give her one.
"Well buy one," I suggested to her, "that's what your School Bucks are for."
"Well, I don't have any," she whined. I'm not surprised. This is a kid who even wrote on her student information form that she was "mean sometimes," who's nose is in everyone's business, who's perpetually sour-faced, and bothering other kids. She also won't do a lick of work, and considering her behavior most of the time, I'm hard pressed to find something to give her a Buck for.
"Well, maybe if you did some of the things like you're supposed to, like being responsible, being respectful, and being engaged, you'd earn a few," I said.
At about this time, Quiet Boy who sits at her table (I figured he was the one person in that class who could ignore her as he doesn't talk to anyone,) reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ziplock bag that is CRAMMED FULL with School Bucks. This kid is rolling in the dough! Absolutely rolling in it! Even my eyes pop out when I see the stash that he's earned, but then again, it isn't surprising. He's a hard worker and a super nice kid.
By this time the whole class has spied his roll of cash and they are staring in awe. He slowly opens the bag, peels off a Buck, then another, and asks if he could buy two pencils. Mean Girl's mouth is about ready to touch the top of her shoelaces by this time. I take his Bucks, and hand him two newly sharpened pencils. He inspects the points, lays one down by his books and then hands Mean Girl the other pencil!
Mean Girl is stunned.
And of course I had to prompt her to thank her benefactor.
And as for Quiet Boy? I gave him another Buck for being nice and buying his most unpleasant table mate a pencil.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Shopping on the Donors' Dime
This year The District has something new in place called the Teacher Free Store. Apparently the local Education Foundation got a bunch of donors (mainly businesses in the area) to donate school supplies and things teachers use in their classrooms so they could set up a "store" that teachers can visit four times a year. Considering that teachers spend an average of $500-$1000 a year out of their own pocket for things for their classroom and their students, I thought this was a great idea.
Personally, I don't need that much for my classroom. I've taught at a summer camp for the past few years and they were always more than happy to have me take leftover and slightly used items off their hands. Storage over the school year was an issue and the less they had to store the better. So, for most teachers, I do pretty well.
However, the kids this year are having an awful time getting basic supplies, especially binders, pencil pouches, and divider tabs. Our free and reduced lunch numbers are up and fewer and fewer people are paying school fees. So, I figured I'd go down to the free store and see if I could find a few things for my kids.
(On an aside here...if there's one thing that drives me nuts, it's people who can't take care of their kids' basic needs like food, clothes, and school supplies, yet have enough money for beer, cigarettes and lots and lots of body art. Priorities people.)
In any case, I made my appointment to go down to the store, drove down there, and spent about ten minutes picking up things for my kids. I got some binders, some pencil pouches (no dividers, alas), two sets of multiplication cards to use with our team remediation class, and a stapler. The stapler was the only thing I got for my room, as I now have 8 lab groups, not 7, so I was short one stapler.
All I had to do was write a thank you note to the donors and that was it. Painless.
So yesterday one of my kids, Tank Boy (this kid screams football player when you look at him, even though he's only 12), is digging through a bunch of folders to find his make-up work from when he missed class. I like this kid a lot. You can tell he doesn't have much support at home financially, but he's a hard worker, participates in class and has a lot of potential. I notice the folder and ask him if he needs a binder.
"Oh yes, ma'am, I do," he says.
"Wait a second," I say, and go to the cabinet where I put the goodies from the Teacher Store. "Do you need a pencil pouch too?"
"Oh yes, and tabs if you have them," he says. His eyes are getting wider and wider as I start pulling the binder and pencil pouch out of the cabinet.
"Well, I don't have tabs, but I have these," I say as I hand him plain boring binder and a pencil pouch. You would have thought, from the look on his face, that I'd given him something much more valuable.
"For me?" He says, as if he couldn't believe I was actually giving him something to keep.
"Yes, but I expect you to take care of them, stay organized, and keep your grades up," I say. (Never hurt to lay out the ground rules again!)
"Oh, I will!" Tank Boy said with a huge smile. "Thank you so much!"
Thank you, dear donors, for helping me make this kid's day.
Personally, I don't need that much for my classroom. I've taught at a summer camp for the past few years and they were always more than happy to have me take leftover and slightly used items off their hands. Storage over the school year was an issue and the less they had to store the better. So, for most teachers, I do pretty well.
However, the kids this year are having an awful time getting basic supplies, especially binders, pencil pouches, and divider tabs. Our free and reduced lunch numbers are up and fewer and fewer people are paying school fees. So, I figured I'd go down to the free store and see if I could find a few things for my kids.
(On an aside here...if there's one thing that drives me nuts, it's people who can't take care of their kids' basic needs like food, clothes, and school supplies, yet have enough money for beer, cigarettes and lots and lots of body art. Priorities people.)
In any case, I made my appointment to go down to the store, drove down there, and spent about ten minutes picking up things for my kids. I got some binders, some pencil pouches (no dividers, alas), two sets of multiplication cards to use with our team remediation class, and a stapler. The stapler was the only thing I got for my room, as I now have 8 lab groups, not 7, so I was short one stapler.
All I had to do was write a thank you note to the donors and that was it. Painless.
So yesterday one of my kids, Tank Boy (this kid screams football player when you look at him, even though he's only 12), is digging through a bunch of folders to find his make-up work from when he missed class. I like this kid a lot. You can tell he doesn't have much support at home financially, but he's a hard worker, participates in class and has a lot of potential. I notice the folder and ask him if he needs a binder.
"Oh yes, ma'am, I do," he says.
"Wait a second," I say, and go to the cabinet where I put the goodies from the Teacher Store. "Do you need a pencil pouch too?"
"Oh yes, and tabs if you have them," he says. His eyes are getting wider and wider as I start pulling the binder and pencil pouch out of the cabinet.
"Well, I don't have tabs, but I have these," I say as I hand him plain boring binder and a pencil pouch. You would have thought, from the look on his face, that I'd given him something much more valuable.
"For me?" He says, as if he couldn't believe I was actually giving him something to keep.
"Yes, but I expect you to take care of them, stay organized, and keep your grades up," I say. (Never hurt to lay out the ground rules again!)
"Oh, I will!" Tank Boy said with a huge smile. "Thank you so much!"
Thank you, dear donors, for helping me make this kid's day.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Staplers, the Handy Tool that Can Staple...Well...Anything
I hate wasting time. And some of the biggest time wasters in my day (aside from the student who wants to interrupt class to inform you that he found gum under the table and silly stuff like that), is passing out things. I hate taking time to pass out papers so I file them in students mailbox folders instead. I hate passing out lab supplies so I have one student from each group get the supplies. And I hate passing out things like scissors, staplers and glue sticks (which I use a lot) so I have them in a nice plastic shoe box with a lid on each lab table.
When I first put out the supply boxes, as we call them, I give the kids very specific instructions about what's inside, how they are to be used (honestly, these kids have to be taught not to bang on staplers), and how if any of the materials are abused or stolen, those boxes would disappear and they'd have to find their own staplers, glue sticks, scissors, and what not. And of course, they are instructed in the most important rule regarding these boxes: These Are Not Toys To Play With So Do Not Open The Box Until Told To Do So. Over and over and over again. I must say this a dozen times a class period in the first weeks of school just to pound it into their heads.
Obviously, however, some kids need a little more head pounding to get it.
I have, case in point, one young man whom we'll call Stapler Boy. Stapler Boy came to us with some baggage but he's certainly capable of following simple directions such as Do Not Open The Box Until Told To Do So. However, the temptation has been too much for him so this past Wednesday he open the box and decided to play with the stapler.
Now, staplers and seventh grade boys can be a toxic mix if the boys are smart enough to figure out that you can shoot staples at your friend by lowering the base of the stapler. (Most students are smart enough to figure out if they do anything that damn stupid the Wrath of Bluebird will come down upon them, so they don't). I tend to notice when a kid is playing with a stapler and looking as if he's wanting to turn it into an advanced pea-shooter.
Stapler Boy looked, quite honestly, guilty as hell when I busted him the first time for playing with the stapler. But I'm still in my "I'm teaching them how to behave and understand the procedures and policies of the Land of Bluebird Mode", so I didn't get too upset, I simply told him to put it away. The second time I caught him I told him, more forcefully, to put it away again and to Do Not Open That Box Again.
The following day Stapler Boy not only was out of his seat without permission at least three times, and he decided to play with the stapler again. The rest of his lab group is having a grand time on their engineering design project (build a shelter that can withstand wind, rain and has room for 4 people), but he's busy walking around with a stapler. After the third time of telling him to Put The Stapler Away!, I yanked him into the hallway and asked him just what on earth he was doing.
"I don't know," he answered. I swear if I had a dollar for every time a seventh grade boy said that to me, I'd be wealthy beyond imagining.
I decided I had no choice but to write up Stapler Boy on one of our new PBS classroom discipline referral forms. I wrote down about the MULTIPLE warnings that Stapler Boy got, the interventions I did (counseling, alternative assignment since he wasn't helping his lab group anyway), and then gave it to stapler boy to write down his side of the story. His explanation? "I was just playing with them."
But the best part came later when Mr. Math came by after school.
"Hey did you have staplers in your room today?" he asked.
"I always have staplers in my room," I answered. "In their toolbox. Of course they aren't allowed to use them without permission, and we didn't use them today."
"Well Stapler Boy was messing with his ear this afternoon and told me he'd used a stapler to try to pierce his ear today," he said.
Oh. Good. Gracious.
This kid will be lucky if he ever does a lab again since it's apparent I can't trust him with tools of any kind. I pulled him aside the following day and told him so. The kids finished up their lab and he sat by my desk and did a worksheet packet which involved nothing more dangerous than a pencil. He wasn't happy, so perhaps he may learn something from the experience.
Mr. Math has already set up a parent meeting for next week. This should be interesting.
When I first put out the supply boxes, as we call them, I give the kids very specific instructions about what's inside, how they are to be used (honestly, these kids have to be taught not to bang on staplers), and how if any of the materials are abused or stolen, those boxes would disappear and they'd have to find their own staplers, glue sticks, scissors, and what not. And of course, they are instructed in the most important rule regarding these boxes: These Are Not Toys To Play With So Do Not Open The Box Until Told To Do So. Over and over and over again. I must say this a dozen times a class period in the first weeks of school just to pound it into their heads.
Obviously, however, some kids need a little more head pounding to get it.
I have, case in point, one young man whom we'll call Stapler Boy. Stapler Boy came to us with some baggage but he's certainly capable of following simple directions such as Do Not Open The Box Until Told To Do So. However, the temptation has been too much for him so this past Wednesday he open the box and decided to play with the stapler.
Now, staplers and seventh grade boys can be a toxic mix if the boys are smart enough to figure out that you can shoot staples at your friend by lowering the base of the stapler. (Most students are smart enough to figure out if they do anything that damn stupid the Wrath of Bluebird will come down upon them, so they don't). I tend to notice when a kid is playing with a stapler and looking as if he's wanting to turn it into an advanced pea-shooter.
Stapler Boy looked, quite honestly, guilty as hell when I busted him the first time for playing with the stapler. But I'm still in my "I'm teaching them how to behave and understand the procedures and policies of the Land of Bluebird Mode", so I didn't get too upset, I simply told him to put it away. The second time I caught him I told him, more forcefully, to put it away again and to Do Not Open That Box Again.
The following day Stapler Boy not only was out of his seat without permission at least three times, and he decided to play with the stapler again. The rest of his lab group is having a grand time on their engineering design project (build a shelter that can withstand wind, rain and has room for 4 people), but he's busy walking around with a stapler. After the third time of telling him to Put The Stapler Away!, I yanked him into the hallway and asked him just what on earth he was doing.
"I don't know," he answered. I swear if I had a dollar for every time a seventh grade boy said that to me, I'd be wealthy beyond imagining.
I decided I had no choice but to write up Stapler Boy on one of our new PBS classroom discipline referral forms. I wrote down about the MULTIPLE warnings that Stapler Boy got, the interventions I did (counseling, alternative assignment since he wasn't helping his lab group anyway), and then gave it to stapler boy to write down his side of the story. His explanation? "I was just playing with them."
But the best part came later when Mr. Math came by after school.
"Hey did you have staplers in your room today?" he asked.
"I always have staplers in my room," I answered. "In their toolbox. Of course they aren't allowed to use them without permission, and we didn't use them today."
"Well Stapler Boy was messing with his ear this afternoon and told me he'd used a stapler to try to pierce his ear today," he said.
Oh. Good. Gracious.
This kid will be lucky if he ever does a lab again since it's apparent I can't trust him with tools of any kind. I pulled him aside the following day and told him so. The kids finished up their lab and he sat by my desk and did a worksheet packet which involved nothing more dangerous than a pencil. He wasn't happy, so perhaps he may learn something from the experience.
Mr. Math has already set up a parent meeting for next week. This should be interesting.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
A Hearty Recommendation
One of these days I hope I climb over the mountain of paperwork and "to do" lists on my desks and actually start to feel like I have a grasp on this school year. In between the scheduling nightmare we've had for the past two weeks where our class rosters are changing nearly every single hour, to the normal beginning of the year paperwork, to trying to get seating charts that work put together, and actually trying to teach, it's been busy.
And then, of course, we had open house.
Actually I kind of like having open house rather early in the year, before the first progress reports show up. Chances are we get better turn out that way. (I still remember the year we had zero parents show up for conferences.)
We did actually have a good crowd, and since the book fair had already opened (and there are some nice science books in there for a change) there was a lot to see and do. I had two pages of sign ups for my parent email newsletter (although some parents were honest and said they don't check email that often) and Mrs. Social Studies said she had about 50 parents on her list, so that's a good number of parents actually showing up.
The best part was actually seeing some of my former students who are now in high school. Many of them come because they have younger siblings going through The School. (It amazes me how many siblings I have this year.) Others come just because they want to visit their former teachers. I had one young man (now a Junior and standing about 6'4") come up to me and give me a big huge hug right in front of four of my new parents.
"I just love you to pieces, Mrs. B," he said. "You're still the best teacher ever."
The parents are standing there, mouths hanging open. "That's a pretty hearty recommendation," one father says with a bit of a laugh.
"Heck ya," says my former student. "She's the best. She's why I'm majoring in geology when I get to college."
I love my former kids.
And then, of course, we had open house.
Actually I kind of like having open house rather early in the year, before the first progress reports show up. Chances are we get better turn out that way. (I still remember the year we had zero parents show up for conferences.)
We did actually have a good crowd, and since the book fair had already opened (and there are some nice science books in there for a change) there was a lot to see and do. I had two pages of sign ups for my parent email newsletter (although some parents were honest and said they don't check email that often) and Mrs. Social Studies said she had about 50 parents on her list, so that's a good number of parents actually showing up.
The best part was actually seeing some of my former students who are now in high school. Many of them come because they have younger siblings going through The School. (It amazes me how many siblings I have this year.) Others come just because they want to visit their former teachers. I had one young man (now a Junior and standing about 6'4") come up to me and give me a big huge hug right in front of four of my new parents.
"I just love you to pieces, Mrs. B," he said. "You're still the best teacher ever."
The parents are standing there, mouths hanging open. "That's a pretty hearty recommendation," one father says with a bit of a laugh.
"Heck ya," says my former student. "She's the best. She's why I'm majoring in geology when I get to college."
I love my former kids.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Click...
One of the problems with our wacky unbalanced classes this year is that some kids that really shouldn't be together are. Poor Mrs. Social Studies was ready to pack it in, retire, and move to Arizona when she realized that not only was her 5th period (the class we take to lunch and historically, the Worst Class of the Day) her largest class at 36, but that it had every single one of our wannabe thugs in it.
One of the little darlings, Bad Attitude Boy, had already had hallway conferences with two of us, had been barked at (severely) by me, and was rapidly proving to be a real pain in the neck. In addition, we looked at his records and realized that he really should be in our inclusion math and wasn't. So, Mr. Math, Mrs. Social Studies and I sat down and reworked his schedule to put him in the proper math class and to remove him from his buddies in Mrs. Social Studies' crowded class and put him in my nearly all girl class of 21. (I figure putting him in with a bunch of rather serious-minded girls, rather than another set of class clowns, would be a new and sobering reality for him.)
Before we can do a schedule change, we have to do a parent contact to let them know we're doing a schedule change (just in case they actually care), so Mr. Math went off to do that during planning.
I was setting at my desk putting the final touches on a lab when Mr. Math comes in.
"Can I borrow your phone?" he asks. "Something weird keeps happening every time I try to call Bad Attitude Boy's parents and I want to make sure it's not my phone."
Let me step back a minute and mention our issue with the phones. Last spring Someone Somewhere Who Has Authority decreed that all phones would be removed from our desks and mounted on the wall by the door of each classroom. Apparently many phones were getting knocked off desks and we were spending a fortune replacing them. No one asked the teachers if this was convenient (it isn't) or if it made sense, they just up and came and took our phones and put them by the door. Since many of our classrooms have doors right next to each other, it's a real treat trying to figure out who's phone is ringing when you are doing hall duty. The other annoying part is that if you want to talk to a parent with your computer in front of you (so you can read the information in PowerSchool) you have to unhook your computer from the teacher station goodies (document reader, LCD projector, etc.) and carry it over there and find a place to put it so you can read from it. I've seen teachers sitting on the floor by their door with their computers in their lap, talking on the phone because not everyone has a table to put by the door! I have my teacher station somewhat close by so I went and bought a 25' phone handset cord so I can see my computer and talk on the phone.
But anyway...back to Mr. Math's phone problem. I wasn't surprised, at all, by Mr. Math's question because yet another issue with the phones being moved is that, for some weird reason, they don't work all that well now. I was having an awful time with static, and voices cutting in and out (until, amazingly, I spent my own money on my 25' phone cord), so I figured Mr. Math was having a similar problem.
"Go ahead and use it all you want," I said.
"If you don't mind, I want to put it on speaker phone so you can hear it in case it does it again," he said. No problem. He pressed the button, dialed away, and the phone rang twice then picked up.
"Hi there, this is Mr. Math from The School and I'd like to..." he said and then we heard a very loud and audible CLICK.
"See, it did it again!" he said.
"That's not the phone," I told him. "That's someone hanging up on you!"
"That's what I thought," he said. "It happens as soon as I mention that I'm from The School! I can actually hear breathing on the line, and then they hang up!"
Amazing. So much for all that parent involvement that we keep hearing the politicians bark about. Good thing we weren't calling to tell The NonParent that the little darling had been, oh, hit by a car or something.
Mr. Math did go to Mrs. Sparrow, one of our admins, and she said to document the three hang-ups and change the schedule.
So there.
One of the little darlings, Bad Attitude Boy, had already had hallway conferences with two of us, had been barked at (severely) by me, and was rapidly proving to be a real pain in the neck. In addition, we looked at his records and realized that he really should be in our inclusion math and wasn't. So, Mr. Math, Mrs. Social Studies and I sat down and reworked his schedule to put him in the proper math class and to remove him from his buddies in Mrs. Social Studies' crowded class and put him in my nearly all girl class of 21. (I figure putting him in with a bunch of rather serious-minded girls, rather than another set of class clowns, would be a new and sobering reality for him.)
Before we can do a schedule change, we have to do a parent contact to let them know we're doing a schedule change (just in case they actually care), so Mr. Math went off to do that during planning.
I was setting at my desk putting the final touches on a lab when Mr. Math comes in.
"Can I borrow your phone?" he asks. "Something weird keeps happening every time I try to call Bad Attitude Boy's parents and I want to make sure it's not my phone."
Let me step back a minute and mention our issue with the phones. Last spring Someone Somewhere Who Has Authority decreed that all phones would be removed from our desks and mounted on the wall by the door of each classroom. Apparently many phones were getting knocked off desks and we were spending a fortune replacing them. No one asked the teachers if this was convenient (it isn't) or if it made sense, they just up and came and took our phones and put them by the door. Since many of our classrooms have doors right next to each other, it's a real treat trying to figure out who's phone is ringing when you are doing hall duty. The other annoying part is that if you want to talk to a parent with your computer in front of you (so you can read the information in PowerSchool) you have to unhook your computer from the teacher station goodies (document reader, LCD projector, etc.) and carry it over there and find a place to put it so you can read from it. I've seen teachers sitting on the floor by their door with their computers in their lap, talking on the phone because not everyone has a table to put by the door! I have my teacher station somewhat close by so I went and bought a 25' phone handset cord so I can see my computer and talk on the phone.
But anyway...back to Mr. Math's phone problem. I wasn't surprised, at all, by Mr. Math's question because yet another issue with the phones being moved is that, for some weird reason, they don't work all that well now. I was having an awful time with static, and voices cutting in and out (until, amazingly, I spent my own money on my 25' phone cord), so I figured Mr. Math was having a similar problem.
"Go ahead and use it all you want," I said.
"If you don't mind, I want to put it on speaker phone so you can hear it in case it does it again," he said. No problem. He pressed the button, dialed away, and the phone rang twice then picked up.
"Hi there, this is Mr. Math from The School and I'd like to..." he said and then we heard a very loud and audible CLICK.
"See, it did it again!" he said.
"That's not the phone," I told him. "That's someone hanging up on you!"
"That's what I thought," he said. "It happens as soon as I mention that I'm from The School! I can actually hear breathing on the line, and then they hang up!"
Amazing. So much for all that parent involvement that we keep hearing the politicians bark about. Good thing we weren't calling to tell The NonParent that the little darling had been, oh, hit by a car or something.
Mr. Math did go to Mrs. Sparrow, one of our admins, and she said to document the three hang-ups and change the schedule.
So there.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Someone Please Explain...
...why, when I have classes of 17 and 19, that I keep getting new kids scheduled into my class of (now) 33.
Just wondering.....
Just wondering.....
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Random Musings...
It's 9:00 pm in my Beloved South, it's still 85 degrees outside on my front porch and the heat index says it feels like 93 degrees. This is wrong on a lot of levels, the main one being that we're in school now so dadgummit, it should at least feel like fall.
I did see one tree today covered in yellow leaves. I don't know if it's because it thinks it is fall, or that it's so hot it just gave up.
Another heat advisory for tomorrow and Thank the Lord and Our Awesome Janitors that we Have Air Conditioning!!
We spent the first two hours of the past two days teaching the kids expectations and behaviors as part of our SWPBS. Fortunately the lessons were already done for us, we just had to roll them out. It went pretty well, although we really didn't need two hours...oh well, live and learn. Did a carousel activity where they wrote down expectations for behavior in seven main zones of the school (classroom, hallways, cafeteria, bus, etc.) which was interesting. It got them moving and talking (which they love) so that, and the class discussion as a wrap up, worked well. Today was skits on behaviors where they got to show how to do things the wrong way (hilarious) and the right way (not so funny but we still learned some stuff).
I'm having fun swooping down like some avenging angel of happiness and handing out PBS money for good deeds and behavior spotted - like the kid who picked up the milk carton off the cafeteria floor on her own accord - and looking at the kids' faces when they get their money. We're supposed to be very specific when we give them their money - "I really appreciate how you were responsible and took the initiative to keep our cafeteria clean," for example - and it kind of blows their mind when you say it that way. That part, at least, is fun.
Another random thought - having PowerSchool schedule the kids was not a really good idea. One kid went up to Mrs. LovelyLanguage and mentioned that it seemed a bit weird that he actually had three Language Reading classes, and didn't have any math classes. Sure enough he had been scheduled into her regular reading/language block of two classes and then had been scheduled again into the gifted reading/language block class, with, of course, no room for math. We got that fixed, he now has has a block of gifted reading/language, and advanced math.
And poor Mrs. LovelyLanguage, a veteran of 3rd grade teaching, had her past come up and haunt her when a seventh grader pulled the ultimate elementary experience - he threw up. On his desk, his agenda, his work, and, unfortunately, on her. He went home sick, she cleaned up best she could, and life went on.
My class of 36 is down to 32. I'm hoping it gets to 30, or better yet, 28. It's a noisy bunch with a lot of high maintenance kids in there.
My 4th period is scaring me. Seriously. Yesterday I had them all of 30 minutes and did the fastest introduction to my class I've ever done. Today I walk into the room from hall duty expecting complete chaos (this is another class of 32) and you could have heard a pin drop. I am not kidding. Each and every one of them had his or her agenda out, was rapidly filling it out, they weren't talking, they were seated, it was, well, kind of unnerving. I have had classes for an entire YEAR who could not (chose not to) get out their agenda and fill it out every day like they were supposed to. Jolly Ranchers all around for this bunch.
Why am I so freaking tired? I miss my naps.
I did see one tree today covered in yellow leaves. I don't know if it's because it thinks it is fall, or that it's so hot it just gave up.
Another heat advisory for tomorrow and Thank the Lord and Our Awesome Janitors that we Have Air Conditioning!!
We spent the first two hours of the past two days teaching the kids expectations and behaviors as part of our SWPBS. Fortunately the lessons were already done for us, we just had to roll them out. It went pretty well, although we really didn't need two hours...oh well, live and learn. Did a carousel activity where they wrote down expectations for behavior in seven main zones of the school (classroom, hallways, cafeteria, bus, etc.) which was interesting. It got them moving and talking (which they love) so that, and the class discussion as a wrap up, worked well. Today was skits on behaviors where they got to show how to do things the wrong way (hilarious) and the right way (not so funny but we still learned some stuff).
I'm having fun swooping down like some avenging angel of happiness and handing out PBS money for good deeds and behavior spotted - like the kid who picked up the milk carton off the cafeteria floor on her own accord - and looking at the kids' faces when they get their money. We're supposed to be very specific when we give them their money - "I really appreciate how you were responsible and took the initiative to keep our cafeteria clean," for example - and it kind of blows their mind when you say it that way. That part, at least, is fun.
Another random thought - having PowerSchool schedule the kids was not a really good idea. One kid went up to Mrs. LovelyLanguage and mentioned that it seemed a bit weird that he actually had three Language Reading classes, and didn't have any math classes. Sure enough he had been scheduled into her regular reading/language block of two classes and then had been scheduled again into the gifted reading/language block class, with, of course, no room for math. We got that fixed, he now has has a block of gifted reading/language, and advanced math.
And poor Mrs. LovelyLanguage, a veteran of 3rd grade teaching, had her past come up and haunt her when a seventh grader pulled the ultimate elementary experience - he threw up. On his desk, his agenda, his work, and, unfortunately, on her. He went home sick, she cleaned up best she could, and life went on.
My class of 36 is down to 32. I'm hoping it gets to 30, or better yet, 28. It's a noisy bunch with a lot of high maintenance kids in there.
My 4th period is scaring me. Seriously. Yesterday I had them all of 30 minutes and did the fastest introduction to my class I've ever done. Today I walk into the room from hall duty expecting complete chaos (this is another class of 32) and you could have heard a pin drop. I am not kidding. Each and every one of them had his or her agenda out, was rapidly filling it out, they weren't talking, they were seated, it was, well, kind of unnerving. I have had classes for an entire YEAR who could not (chose not to) get out their agenda and fill it out every day like they were supposed to. Jolly Ranchers all around for this bunch.
Why am I so freaking tired? I miss my naps.
Monday, August 09, 2010
Let's Try Something New
Mrs. Eagle and I have always been the type of teachers who are willing to try something new to see if it works with our kids in our classrooms. Foldable notes? We'll try 'em (love them). Cornell notes? We'll give them a whirl (hated them, kids hated them, we don't do them.) Brainpop videos and quizzes? Sure, bring them on (use them a lot!)
So, when nearly a year ago, Admin said they were considering putting together a program (with the help of a prestigious nearby University and members of the staff) to help with our discipline issues, we were all for it. Goodness knows we have more and more at-risk kids walking our halls every year, many of whom have absolutely no support at home. We needed to find a way to keep them in class and learning, rather than constantly getting into trouble and being out the door.
So, it's been nearly a year that our school has been working on this program, and they rolled it out to the faculty (for the most part) last spring right before we left for the summer. Today was an in-service day and we had workshops on how to train our kids on this (gotta love lessons already done up for you), as well as how to reward them and how to do our new discipline referral process.
Gotta be honest...I'm impressed.
Tomorrow and Wednesday we have a two hour block in the morning where we'll be working with our homeroom kids on the program. Lessons are already prepared, posters up on the wall, we're ready to go. From the conversations I've been hearing in the halls, pretty much the entire faculty (and definitely all the admin) are willing to give this a real chance. Good gracious, they even trained the cafeteria people and the bus drivers on the program, so that's saying something!
So, we'll see how it goes. I'll keep ya'll posted.
And in the meantime, let's just hope my class of 36 magically shrinks.
So, when nearly a year ago, Admin said they were considering putting together a program (with the help of a prestigious nearby University and members of the staff) to help with our discipline issues, we were all for it. Goodness knows we have more and more at-risk kids walking our halls every year, many of whom have absolutely no support at home. We needed to find a way to keep them in class and learning, rather than constantly getting into trouble and being out the door.
So, it's been nearly a year that our school has been working on this program, and they rolled it out to the faculty (for the most part) last spring right before we left for the summer. Today was an in-service day and we had workshops on how to train our kids on this (gotta love lessons already done up for you), as well as how to reward them and how to do our new discipline referral process.
Gotta be honest...I'm impressed.
Tomorrow and Wednesday we have a two hour block in the morning where we'll be working with our homeroom kids on the program. Lessons are already prepared, posters up on the wall, we're ready to go. From the conversations I've been hearing in the halls, pretty much the entire faculty (and definitely all the admin) are willing to give this a real chance. Good gracious, they even trained the cafeteria people and the bus drivers on the program, so that's saying something!
So, we'll see how it goes. I'll keep ya'll posted.
And in the meantime, let's just hope my class of 36 magically shrinks.
Friday, August 06, 2010
1 down, 179 to go...
So today was the first (half) day of school.
And, considering some of the first days we've had in the past, this wasn't too bad. Really. (In case you're wondering about one of the less than stellar first days, click here.)
The buses were all unloaded quickly, the sixth graders made their way to the gym, the seventh graders made their way to the theater, and the 8th graders (who should, for the most part, know their way around) looked up their homerooms which were posted, and went to their class. In fact, the buses all unloaded so fast that we had to wait nearly 15 minutes to start calling out our kids because the walkers and parent drop off kids hadn't all shown up yet.
We did have attendance lists and rosters. We also had - surprise! - emergency cards which we weren't expecting until Tuesday. Out of 29 kids in my homeroom, 25 showed up, which isn't too bad. However, I still have some really unbalanced classes - 27, 31, 19, 35, and 18. The Administrators all walked around to welcome the kids and The Principal mentioned that she really noticed the unbalanced class sizes and was going to see if Guidance could fix it before Tuesday (I hope...) Apparently this is what happens when you let a computer system do your schedules for you. Still, with block english/language arts, special ed, advanced classes, and all that, sometimes it's hard to get the class sizes balanced. We shall see.
The kids were really pretty good - chatty to start with, but on the whole not bad. It's always so dreadfully boring the first day or so as you spend most of the time handing out paperwork, going over stuff like supply lists (exciting stuff), and forms that need to be signed, returned, blah, blah, blah. Like I tell the kids, it's boring to me too. We did finally get through all that, had the five of us on the team circulate and introduce ourselves, and then I had the kids do a few "getting to know you" activities because it amazes me that they can sit in a class with a kid for a year and not know his or her name! They liked that activity because it was noisy, involved moving around the room, and they could talk, talk, talk.
One thing I noticed...out of 25 kids that showed up, 23 ride the bus. That's huge. It will make going to lockers at the end of the day a bit of a challenge because I always let bus riders go first...and now that's most of the class. Hum...
Monday it's in-service on our new School Wide Positive Behavior Support program (more on that soon). Tuesday it's back to reality with a full day, a full schedule, and a whole bunch of kids.
And, considering some of the first days we've had in the past, this wasn't too bad. Really. (In case you're wondering about one of the less than stellar first days, click here.)
The buses were all unloaded quickly, the sixth graders made their way to the gym, the seventh graders made their way to the theater, and the 8th graders (who should, for the most part, know their way around) looked up their homerooms which were posted, and went to their class. In fact, the buses all unloaded so fast that we had to wait nearly 15 minutes to start calling out our kids because the walkers and parent drop off kids hadn't all shown up yet.
We did have attendance lists and rosters. We also had - surprise! - emergency cards which we weren't expecting until Tuesday. Out of 29 kids in my homeroom, 25 showed up, which isn't too bad. However, I still have some really unbalanced classes - 27, 31, 19, 35, and 18. The Administrators all walked around to welcome the kids and The Principal mentioned that she really noticed the unbalanced class sizes and was going to see if Guidance could fix it before Tuesday (I hope...) Apparently this is what happens when you let a computer system do your schedules for you. Still, with block english/language arts, special ed, advanced classes, and all that, sometimes it's hard to get the class sizes balanced. We shall see.
The kids were really pretty good - chatty to start with, but on the whole not bad. It's always so dreadfully boring the first day or so as you spend most of the time handing out paperwork, going over stuff like supply lists (exciting stuff), and forms that need to be signed, returned, blah, blah, blah. Like I tell the kids, it's boring to me too. We did finally get through all that, had the five of us on the team circulate and introduce ourselves, and then I had the kids do a few "getting to know you" activities because it amazes me that they can sit in a class with a kid for a year and not know his or her name! They liked that activity because it was noisy, involved moving around the room, and they could talk, talk, talk.
One thing I noticed...out of 25 kids that showed up, 23 ride the bus. That's huge. It will make going to lockers at the end of the day a bit of a challenge because I always let bus riders go first...and now that's most of the class. Hum...
Monday it's in-service on our new School Wide Positive Behavior Support program (more on that soon). Tuesday it's back to reality with a full day, a full schedule, and a whole bunch of kids.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Down to the Wire
So tomorrow is the first day of school. Actually it's a half day, but who's quibbling?
And no, I do not know why we go a half day on a Friday, have a teacher in-service on Monday and the kids finally show up for a full day on Tuesday. It doesn't make sense to me either.
Anyhow, I'm not sure if it's because this is my eighth first day of school, or because I finally got a bit more organized, or if I got started earlier, but I had my room set up and ready to go about three days ago. I got the bulk of it done Friday of last week, but started going in every morning this week (to get back on the getting up at o-dark-thirty routine) which enabled me to get a lot more done. No last minute copying, no last minute poster-hanging (I hate that part), no last minute anything. So it's a bit weird because everything is ready to go.
Except we have no homeroom rosters.
Seriously.
I sarcastically suggested we line the kids up in the theater like you did as a kid when you chose teams on the playground and pick the kids we want in our homeroom. (Actually, now that I think of it, I kind of like that idea.)
I love our guidance department. They are rock stars. They are some of my best friends. So, it's not really fair that they get blamed for the whole scheduling problem issue because truly, it isn't their fault. It's technology. We use PowerSchool (which I usually love for the most part) but they did some changes over the summer and for some reason it has not been cooperating. At all.
First problem is that we've gone from three seventh grade teams to two seventh grade teams. Our numbers are down this year (which is weird because they are building apartments and subdivisions all over our zone but alas, no middle school kids. Perhaps they're all elementary.) And the eighth grade has gone from three full teams to two teams plus a "mini-team". Some of the eighth grade teachers are going to be teaching one class of seventh graders to reduce the class sizes. So, since Mrs. Eagle's team is closer to the eighth grade hall than my team is, her team should be getting about 30 or so more kids than my team (and these kids will be the ones that have one eighth grade teacher). Confused?
So, for some reason that no one can figure out, PowerSchool wants to schedule all new seventh graders onto my team. And from what the Guidance Goddess said, yesterday and today was Scheduling Hell as parents and kids were lined three deep trying to register for school.
And then there's the issue of balanced class sizes. Although we currently don't have homerooms, we can see some of the kids that are in our other classes. My class sizes are quite a bit bigger - for the most part - than last year. Let's see, 3rd period has 29, 4th period has 23, 5th period has 22, 6th period has 37 and 7th period has 17. (Yesterday 6th period had 42).
All of this will probably change by tomorrow. I can cram about 34 kids in my room, with 7 lab groups of 4, one lab group of 2, and 4 flying solo seats. It should be interesting to see how many show up, and how it all shakes out.
Oh boy!!!
And no, I do not know why we go a half day on a Friday, have a teacher in-service on Monday and the kids finally show up for a full day on Tuesday. It doesn't make sense to me either.
Anyhow, I'm not sure if it's because this is my eighth first day of school, or because I finally got a bit more organized, or if I got started earlier, but I had my room set up and ready to go about three days ago. I got the bulk of it done Friday of last week, but started going in every morning this week (to get back on the getting up at o-dark-thirty routine) which enabled me to get a lot more done. No last minute copying, no last minute poster-hanging (I hate that part), no last minute anything. So it's a bit weird because everything is ready to go.
Except we have no homeroom rosters.
Seriously.
I sarcastically suggested we line the kids up in the theater like you did as a kid when you chose teams on the playground and pick the kids we want in our homeroom. (Actually, now that I think of it, I kind of like that idea.)
I love our guidance department. They are rock stars. They are some of my best friends. So, it's not really fair that they get blamed for the whole scheduling problem issue because truly, it isn't their fault. It's technology. We use PowerSchool (which I usually love for the most part) but they did some changes over the summer and for some reason it has not been cooperating. At all.
First problem is that we've gone from three seventh grade teams to two seventh grade teams. Our numbers are down this year (which is weird because they are building apartments and subdivisions all over our zone but alas, no middle school kids. Perhaps they're all elementary.) And the eighth grade has gone from three full teams to two teams plus a "mini-team". Some of the eighth grade teachers are going to be teaching one class of seventh graders to reduce the class sizes. So, since Mrs. Eagle's team is closer to the eighth grade hall than my team is, her team should be getting about 30 or so more kids than my team (and these kids will be the ones that have one eighth grade teacher). Confused?
So, for some reason that no one can figure out, PowerSchool wants to schedule all new seventh graders onto my team. And from what the Guidance Goddess said, yesterday and today was Scheduling Hell as parents and kids were lined three deep trying to register for school.
And then there's the issue of balanced class sizes. Although we currently don't have homerooms, we can see some of the kids that are in our other classes. My class sizes are quite a bit bigger - for the most part - than last year. Let's see, 3rd period has 29, 4th period has 23, 5th period has 22, 6th period has 37 and 7th period has 17. (Yesterday 6th period had 42).
All of this will probably change by tomorrow. I can cram about 34 kids in my room, with 7 lab groups of 4, one lab group of 2, and 4 flying solo seats. It should be interesting to see how many show up, and how it all shakes out.
Oh boy!!!
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Oh, It's Just Me Frying an Egg on the Sidewalk
It's nearly 5:00 pm and the temperature on my shaded front porch is 99.3 degrees Fahrenheit. (Hey, I'm a science teacher, so of course I'm going to tell you whether I'm talking Celsius or Fahrenheit!) The heat index is supposedly 111 degrees. Just about 50 miles north of here the heat index is supposedly 122 degrees.
And school starts on Friday.
Some school districts in the region are delaying opening school since they apparently don't have functioning air conditioning systems. We, however, do have functioning air conditioning (cross my fingers) so we're going to go ahead and start. I feel bad for the kids who ride the bus because they are definitely not air conditioned. All outside activities are canceled, which is smart. Actually I've been at The School the past few days and it's been rather comfortable. So, if nothing breaks, we're good to go on Friday.
Still, there's some concern about the fact that we start school so early in August - the hottest month of the year. (And there are some districts who start in late July!) Some argue that we could save money by not having to air condition schools as they'd be unoccupied by students. Others argue that we've taken away kids' summers, so much so that there's a political action group here called Save Our Summers who would like to see statewide legislation requiring that school cannot start prior to Labor Day.
Personally, it really doesn't matter much to me when we start school. In fact, I wouldn't even mind year-round school. As long as I have enough time to teach content prior to The Very Big Deal Government Mandated Tests, I'm happy.
But it got me to wondering...readers, when do you start school? Any of you teach/attend a year-round school? What do ya'll think???
In the meantime, I may just go cook supper out on the sidewalk. You know, save some electricity.
And school starts on Friday.
Some school districts in the region are delaying opening school since they apparently don't have functioning air conditioning systems. We, however, do have functioning air conditioning (cross my fingers) so we're going to go ahead and start. I feel bad for the kids who ride the bus because they are definitely not air conditioned. All outside activities are canceled, which is smart. Actually I've been at The School the past few days and it's been rather comfortable. So, if nothing breaks, we're good to go on Friday.
Still, there's some concern about the fact that we start school so early in August - the hottest month of the year. (And there are some districts who start in late July!) Some argue that we could save money by not having to air condition schools as they'd be unoccupied by students. Others argue that we've taken away kids' summers, so much so that there's a political action group here called Save Our Summers who would like to see statewide legislation requiring that school cannot start prior to Labor Day.
Personally, it really doesn't matter much to me when we start school. In fact, I wouldn't even mind year-round school. As long as I have enough time to teach content prior to The Very Big Deal Government Mandated Tests, I'm happy.
But it got me to wondering...readers, when do you start school? Any of you teach/attend a year-round school? What do ya'll think???
In the meantime, I may just go cook supper out on the sidewalk. You know, save some electricity.
Friday, July 30, 2010
A Little Like Christmas In July
Summer is done.
Today I loaded up the car and headed over to The School to unpack and get my room set up. Amazing how long that can take.
Every year we have to box up and pack up our rooms. For those, like me, who have absolutely no built-in storage, this means EVERYTHING. Mrs. Eagle had cabinets and all sorts of counters in her old room so it was simply a matter of just putting stuff away. My room, however, has nothing of the sort, so I have to box it all up so that the janitors, bless their hearts, can empty the entire room to strip and wax the floors. Then they haul all the stuff back in and, thankfully, read the little map we tape to our doors so they know, more or less, where things go. I have to give them credit - this year I didn't have to hardly move a thing. They were rock stars.
A few years ago I got tired of the Spring hunt for boxes with which to pack up my room and instead bought big plastic tubs to store things in. This has turned out to be one of the smartest things I've ever done. For one thing, it increased my storage during the year. Four of these huge tubs can sit under the work table by my door. That means I can store things in these four tubs during the year. The other ones I simply stash in an out-of-the way corner (I do not have a square room so there are a lot of weird little corners) and then I pull them out every Spring and pack them up again.
I do not, however, label them with what's in them. Because that changes every year. Which means that today was kind of like opening presents at Christmas. Wonder what's in this tub? Oh wow, books, pipe cleaners, and my precious red Swingline stapler! Cool!
I did get a lot accomplished. Still need to get out and hang up posters, and figure out kid seating, bring in the plants and clean a few things, and then I should be ready to go. Heavens, I even got the technology up and running and working. That can sometimes be a disaster but this year worked out fine.
Now if I can just find a way to fit a rumored 34 kids per class into a room that's made to accommodate 28...
Today I loaded up the car and headed over to The School to unpack and get my room set up. Amazing how long that can take.
Every year we have to box up and pack up our rooms. For those, like me, who have absolutely no built-in storage, this means EVERYTHING. Mrs. Eagle had cabinets and all sorts of counters in her old room so it was simply a matter of just putting stuff away. My room, however, has nothing of the sort, so I have to box it all up so that the janitors, bless their hearts, can empty the entire room to strip and wax the floors. Then they haul all the stuff back in and, thankfully, read the little map we tape to our doors so they know, more or less, where things go. I have to give them credit - this year I didn't have to hardly move a thing. They were rock stars.
A few years ago I got tired of the Spring hunt for boxes with which to pack up my room and instead bought big plastic tubs to store things in. This has turned out to be one of the smartest things I've ever done. For one thing, it increased my storage during the year. Four of these huge tubs can sit under the work table by my door. That means I can store things in these four tubs during the year. The other ones I simply stash in an out-of-the way corner (I do not have a square room so there are a lot of weird little corners) and then I pull them out every Spring and pack them up again.
I do not, however, label them with what's in them. Because that changes every year. Which means that today was kind of like opening presents at Christmas. Wonder what's in this tub? Oh wow, books, pipe cleaners, and my precious red Swingline stapler! Cool!
I did get a lot accomplished. Still need to get out and hang up posters, and figure out kid seating, bring in the plants and clean a few things, and then I should be ready to go. Heavens, I even got the technology up and running and working. That can sometimes be a disaster but this year worked out fine.
Now if I can just find a way to fit a rumored 34 kids per class into a room that's made to accommodate 28...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sign of the Times?
Seen today on a drugstore's electronic sign (where they advertise specials and stuff).
"Flu Shot Gift Cards! $29.99"
You gotta give them credit for thinking outside the box.
"Flu Shot Gift Cards! $29.99"
You gotta give them credit for thinking outside the box.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Winding Down
Summer is pretty much over in terms of vacation, but definitely not in terms of weather.
Amazingly enough, a few districts in the region started yesterday, but we don't get our kids until the 6th. Still, it's time to wrap up those last few in-services (I think I already have something like 18 hours), get into the room and get it put together, and get ready.
It's been nice hanging out a lot with Hubby, and the Felines, but I'm ready to go back and see my friends, especially the Guidance Group, and my fellow teammates. I actually almost kinda miss the kids. I didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to but that's pretty much par for the course for me.
My garden has, for the most part, been a disappointment. I think the early heat in June did not help any, which is why I hardly have any tomatoes this year. We have massive huge tomato plants but they are just starting to set fruit, which is way late in the season. I should be canning tomatoes by now and I'm lucky to get any to put on a salad. The broccoli (which was an experiment) got pretty much ruined by heat and worms so I've tossed that all on the compost heap. Same with the potatoes. The beets did well, the lima beans are starting to produce, and the peppers are doing fantastic. I think I'll do a fall planting this weekend of some of the cool weather vegetables and see if I have better luck with them.
I have planted a lemon tree.
Yes, I know, I live too far North for citrus, but I got this idea that if I could plant a dwarf lemon tree in a pot, and bring it into the kitchen during the winter, I might be able to get lemons. My folks had a drawf Meyer lemon tree in a pot on the patio when I was growing up, so my dad found one for sale on line, I bought it, and now I've got it planted. It is 8 inches tall. (No lemons, obviously).
All this because I hate paying 69 cents a piece for lemons.
Amazingly enough, a few districts in the region started yesterday, but we don't get our kids until the 6th. Still, it's time to wrap up those last few in-services (I think I already have something like 18 hours), get into the room and get it put together, and get ready.
It's been nice hanging out a lot with Hubby, and the Felines, but I'm ready to go back and see my friends, especially the Guidance Group, and my fellow teammates. I actually almost kinda miss the kids. I didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to but that's pretty much par for the course for me.
My garden has, for the most part, been a disappointment. I think the early heat in June did not help any, which is why I hardly have any tomatoes this year. We have massive huge tomato plants but they are just starting to set fruit, which is way late in the season. I should be canning tomatoes by now and I'm lucky to get any to put on a salad. The broccoli (which was an experiment) got pretty much ruined by heat and worms so I've tossed that all on the compost heap. Same with the potatoes. The beets did well, the lima beans are starting to produce, and the peppers are doing fantastic. I think I'll do a fall planting this weekend of some of the cool weather vegetables and see if I have better luck with them.
I have planted a lemon tree.
Yes, I know, I live too far North for citrus, but I got this idea that if I could plant a dwarf lemon tree in a pot, and bring it into the kitchen during the winter, I might be able to get lemons. My folks had a drawf Meyer lemon tree in a pot on the patio when I was growing up, so my dad found one for sale on line, I bought it, and now I've got it planted. It is 8 inches tall. (No lemons, obviously).
All this because I hate paying 69 cents a piece for lemons.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
No, I Haven't Fallen Off The Face of the Earth, I'm Just Summering...and At War With a Rodent
Sorry for not posting much.
However, life is pretty calm when I'm notherding teaching seventh graders. It's time to catch up on reading, deep cleaning my house (you have no idea what a wreck it gets during the school year), clean out closets, work on lessons for next year, organize my office, knitting, and work on my yard and garden. And of course, getting to spend time with Mr. Bluebird and The Feline Children.
And naps. Naps are important.
The heat has been pretty unusual during most of June and into July. That means that my yard work has to take place pretty early in the morning or fairly late in the evening when it isn't so hot. Weeds can grow overnight in our climate, so there's quite a bit of weeding, and feeding of the plants, pruning, and even watering. Hard to believe we had floods in May and now we're dry, dry, dry.
And then there's the chipmunk.
Every year we put out a vegetable garden. This year we've moved the tomatoes over to another part of the yard, and the center raised bed has red and green peppers, jalapenos, beets, lettuce, carrots, bush beans, broccoli, and cucumbers. This garden is fenced off with what we call our "rabbit fence" because we do have quite a number of rabbits that call our yard home. Another fenced off area contains some lima bean plants as well as some potatoes.
For the record, I've never grown lima beans, potatoes, or broccoli. My garden every year resembles a science experiment because you never quite know what's going to happen. I think our cold wet spring, and the early heat wave in June has impacted some of my experiments, so to speak. The broccoli is all leaves with no vegetable part yet, which may be due to the heat - broccoli is somewhat of a cold weather plant. I'm thinking that may be the issue with the potatoes as well as the plants are kind of floppy and leggy and not bushy like the Southern Living Garden Book said they should be. As for the lima beans, they got put in late because the first batch rotted after our flood in May and I had to replant. The jury is still out on them.
Anyhow, back to the chipmunk.
I have never, in nearly twenty years of growing tomatoes, had a rabbit eat a tomato. They just don't seem to like them. So, as a result, I've never put up a rabbit fence around my tomato plants. It just wasn't necessary. However, this year we have a new resident in our yard, and he's starting to really annoy me.
We've spotted him a few times including one time when he was on the sidewalk out front of my office window and I nearly was able to get a picture of him (but of course he spotted me and ran off.) He's tunneled around the flower beds both in the front yard and in the back. And of course, he's now eating my tomatoes.
The holes in the yard I can deal with. But to eat my tomatoes? That's uncalled for especially since my plants really aren't producing all that many tomatoes to begin with. For some weird reason all the fruit on the plants is low to the ground (within chipmunk reach) and there's not even a whole lot at that. I'm starting to suspect these plants, all of which are different varieties, may have had a hard time adjusting from cool, wet weather and then sudden plunge into a heatwave.
It appears that I may have to put up a chipmunk fence now.
However, life is pretty calm when I'm not
And naps. Naps are important.
The heat has been pretty unusual during most of June and into July. That means that my yard work has to take place pretty early in the morning or fairly late in the evening when it isn't so hot. Weeds can grow overnight in our climate, so there's quite a bit of weeding, and feeding of the plants, pruning, and even watering. Hard to believe we had floods in May and now we're dry, dry, dry.
And then there's the chipmunk.
Every year we put out a vegetable garden. This year we've moved the tomatoes over to another part of the yard, and the center raised bed has red and green peppers, jalapenos, beets, lettuce, carrots, bush beans, broccoli, and cucumbers. This garden is fenced off with what we call our "rabbit fence" because we do have quite a number of rabbits that call our yard home. Another fenced off area contains some lima bean plants as well as some potatoes.
For the record, I've never grown lima beans, potatoes, or broccoli. My garden every year resembles a science experiment because you never quite know what's going to happen. I think our cold wet spring, and the early heat wave in June has impacted some of my experiments, so to speak. The broccoli is all leaves with no vegetable part yet, which may be due to the heat - broccoli is somewhat of a cold weather plant. I'm thinking that may be the issue with the potatoes as well as the plants are kind of floppy and leggy and not bushy like the Southern Living Garden Book said they should be. As for the lima beans, they got put in late because the first batch rotted after our flood in May and I had to replant. The jury is still out on them.
Anyhow, back to the chipmunk.
I have never, in nearly twenty years of growing tomatoes, had a rabbit eat a tomato. They just don't seem to like them. So, as a result, I've never put up a rabbit fence around my tomato plants. It just wasn't necessary. However, this year we have a new resident in our yard, and he's starting to really annoy me.
We've spotted him a few times including one time when he was on the sidewalk out front of my office window and I nearly was able to get a picture of him (but of course he spotted me and ran off.) He's tunneled around the flower beds both in the front yard and in the back. And of course, he's now eating my tomatoes.
The holes in the yard I can deal with. But to eat my tomatoes? That's uncalled for especially since my plants really aren't producing all that many tomatoes to begin with. For some weird reason all the fruit on the plants is low to the ground (within chipmunk reach) and there's not even a whole lot at that. I'm starting to suspect these plants, all of which are different varieties, may have had a hard time adjusting from cool, wet weather and then sudden plunge into a heatwave.
It appears that I may have to put up a chipmunk fence now.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Freaky Fair Food
One of the things I like about Summer are fairs, especially county fairs and state fairs. I've been to some pretty small, but fun, county fairs, especially when I lived up North. I've also been to some really wonderful county fairs that can give state fairs a run for their money. And of course, there are some wonderful state fairs (the Ohio State fair comes to mind) that just absolutely rock for fun.
There's just something about fairs. I love the animals (who can't love a little lamb?), plus the exhibits (gardening and of course knitting are popular with me) and the different vendors.
And there's the food. There really is nothing quite like fair food. You name it, and you can probably get it at a fair.
And even if you can't name it, you can probably get it at a fair.
A few years ago I was out visiting Momma Bird in San Diego when the county fair rolled around. This is one of the best fairs I've ever been to, and it a regular ritual for Momma Bird and her friends (and me if I'm there at the right time). The big talk around the fair that year was a new fried food treat - deep fried avocado.
Seriously.
Now I don't eat fried food that often to start with, but I do enjoy fried zucchini (available at the fair) and fried dill pickles (seriously good, discovered them Up North but they've migrated down here now). However. Deep fried Twinkies, Oreos, and yes, avocado was a bit much. I mean, I like avocados and all that, especially in a good guacamole, but deep fried? Not for me. Momma Bird and I had a good giggle over that one as we split a basket of deep fried zucchini.
And now every year Momma Bird reports to me what the new trendy, wacky, and outright strange fair food is for the year. And as luck would have it, the theme this year is Taste the Fun.
Momma Bird called to report that deep friend Klondike bars were new this year as were deep fried Pop Tarts. Now, I can kind of see these working out. I've had fried ice cream before at a Mexican restaurant, and fried Pop Tarts would kind of be like a fried pie. Then Momma Bird added in a few that were a bit too weird for me.
Like deep fried butter. And chocolate covered bacon. And finally, a chocolate covered dill pickle.
I am not kidding.
Honestly, it sounds like something my seventh graders would invent just to be disgusting.
There's just something about fairs. I love the animals (who can't love a little lamb?), plus the exhibits (gardening and of course knitting are popular with me) and the different vendors.
And there's the food. There really is nothing quite like fair food. You name it, and you can probably get it at a fair.
And even if you can't name it, you can probably get it at a fair.
A few years ago I was out visiting Momma Bird in San Diego when the county fair rolled around. This is one of the best fairs I've ever been to, and it a regular ritual for Momma Bird and her friends (and me if I'm there at the right time). The big talk around the fair that year was a new fried food treat - deep fried avocado.
Seriously.
Now I don't eat fried food that often to start with, but I do enjoy fried zucchini (available at the fair) and fried dill pickles (seriously good, discovered them Up North but they've migrated down here now). However. Deep fried Twinkies, Oreos, and yes, avocado was a bit much. I mean, I like avocados and all that, especially in a good guacamole, but deep fried? Not for me. Momma Bird and I had a good giggle over that one as we split a basket of deep fried zucchini.
And now every year Momma Bird reports to me what the new trendy, wacky, and outright strange fair food is for the year. And as luck would have it, the theme this year is Taste the Fun.
Momma Bird called to report that deep friend Klondike bars were new this year as were deep fried Pop Tarts. Now, I can kind of see these working out. I've had fried ice cream before at a Mexican restaurant, and fried Pop Tarts would kind of be like a fried pie. Then Momma Bird added in a few that were a bit too weird for me.
Like deep fried butter. And chocolate covered bacon. And finally, a chocolate covered dill pickle.
I am not kidding.
Honestly, it sounds like something my seventh graders would invent just to be disgusting.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wedding Bells
As luck would have it, one of my on-line friends and fellow blogger, Mr. Teacher, is getting married this week! (And if memory serves, he met the future Mrs. Teacher at an in-service! Sometimes they actually are worthwhile!) In any case, in honor of this momentous event, Mr. Teacher is offering a special deal on his book, Learn Me Good. If you haven't read this book, do so! It's hilarious and heartwarming and just a fun read for educators and non-educators alike. So scoot on over to his site, buy the book and help the young man pay for his wedding!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Tracking Down our Amish Guy
When we first moved down to Our Beloved South about seven years ago, I discovered an Amish farmer who would set up his produce and baked good stand nearby. Hubby and I loved this guy and his wares. Gorgeous produce, wonderful flowers (his fall mums were amazing), baked goods, and jams and jellies. He was actually closer for us than the downtown farmers market and I enjoyed stopping by every Saturday (the only day he was open) to get my produce for the week. (At least the stuff I don't attempt to grow on my own).
Last year he had to relocate his spot a bit down the road due to a sale of the property he was on, and was in a church parking lot (with the church's permission, of course). No problem, his regular customers found him just down the road a bit, and continued to come by. He is fairly busy most Saturdays with a steady stream of people coming by.
This spring we drove by to check to see if his little shed was up only to find no shed this spring. This was not good. The town he sets up in isn't very large so we pretty much drove all over trying to locate his shed. No luck. We even went so far as to call the local police department, thinking they would know, and the very nice lady that answered the phone said she knew exactly who I was talking about, but sadly, did not know if he'd relocated or decided not to set up a stand this year.
Our Amish Guy was missing.
No jam. No cookies. No gorgeous fall mums. No sweet corn. No tomatoes.
We were not happy.
But then I got a tip from one of my knitting friends who mentioned that she saw a guy with a shed about two miles from where our guy used to set up. She didn't know if it was the same guy, but it was worth a try. So this afternoon hubby and I headed out to the location she'd mentioned and lo and behold, we found our Amish Guy! (And promptly spent about $20 with him).
It's wonderful when you have these special summer things that make it such a neat season. So tonight, I'm making pork chops and we're going to have some lovely sliced 'maters with our supper. Yummy!
Last year he had to relocate his spot a bit down the road due to a sale of the property he was on, and was in a church parking lot (with the church's permission, of course). No problem, his regular customers found him just down the road a bit, and continued to come by. He is fairly busy most Saturdays with a steady stream of people coming by.
This spring we drove by to check to see if his little shed was up only to find no shed this spring. This was not good. The town he sets up in isn't very large so we pretty much drove all over trying to locate his shed. No luck. We even went so far as to call the local police department, thinking they would know, and the very nice lady that answered the phone said she knew exactly who I was talking about, but sadly, did not know if he'd relocated or decided not to set up a stand this year.
Our Amish Guy was missing.
No jam. No cookies. No gorgeous fall mums. No sweet corn. No tomatoes.
We were not happy.
But then I got a tip from one of my knitting friends who mentioned that she saw a guy with a shed about two miles from where our guy used to set up. She didn't know if it was the same guy, but it was worth a try. So this afternoon hubby and I headed out to the location she'd mentioned and lo and behold, we found our Amish Guy! (And promptly spent about $20 with him).
It's wonderful when you have these special summer things that make it such a neat season. So tonight, I'm making pork chops and we're going to have some lovely sliced 'maters with our supper. Yummy!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day
First off, important things first...
Happy Father's Day not only to my very awesome dad who taught me a lot of things, not the least being how to love sports and how to install a new faucet, but to all the fathers out there who are doing their job. Biology doesn't make you a father...how you treat and raise those kids is what makes you a father. So good for you! Have a happy day.
And as for me...I've been out of town for several weeks, doing summer camp, and haven't posted in a bit. Sorry, if any of you were wondering. About two days before I was scheduled to head out, my hard drive crashed on my laptop (and it wasn't even two years old, but already out of warranty). Dang. Fortunately Mr. Math is a geek of the highest order, so he helped me buy a new one, installed it, and we're all up and running.
And I'm going to do a commercial plug here. I ordinarily wouldn't do something like this but when I find a product that rocks, I'll do it. Last year I got Carbonite for my husband's computer because it was old, he used it for work, he's writing a book, and quite honestly, I didn't want to have to deal with the fall out if something happened. Thank goodness I did. His ten year old (yes, I know) computer died, but we were able to salvage everything due to Carbonite and Mr. Math (the geek) who helped us when we bought the new computer. So, since I have lots of pictures and stuff on my computer, I thought I'd sign my computer up. Well, 45 days later I'm glad I did. It's money well spent. I'm sold on their product and their customer service.
Anyhow, I'm back, I'll be posting a bit more now that I'm home, and I hope you all are having a great summer.
Happy Father's Day not only to my very awesome dad who taught me a lot of things, not the least being how to love sports and how to install a new faucet, but to all the fathers out there who are doing their job. Biology doesn't make you a father...how you treat and raise those kids is what makes you a father. So good for you! Have a happy day.
And as for me...I've been out of town for several weeks, doing summer camp, and haven't posted in a bit. Sorry, if any of you were wondering. About two days before I was scheduled to head out, my hard drive crashed on my laptop (and it wasn't even two years old, but already out of warranty). Dang. Fortunately Mr. Math is a geek of the highest order, so he helped me buy a new one, installed it, and we're all up and running.
And I'm going to do a commercial plug here. I ordinarily wouldn't do something like this but when I find a product that rocks, I'll do it. Last year I got Carbonite for my husband's computer because it was old, he used it for work, he's writing a book, and quite honestly, I didn't want to have to deal with the fall out if something happened. Thank goodness I did. His ten year old (yes, I know) computer died, but we were able to salvage everything due to Carbonite and Mr. Math (the geek) who helped us when we bought the new computer. So, since I have lots of pictures and stuff on my computer, I thought I'd sign my computer up. Well, 45 days later I'm glad I did. It's money well spent. I'm sold on their product and their customer service.
Anyhow, I'm back, I'll be posting a bit more now that I'm home, and I hope you all are having a great summer.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Big Payoff
Earlier this week, Mrs. Eagle and I engaged in one of our favorite rituals signifying the ending of one school year and the beginning of summer.
We went to the local High School and saw a lot of our former students graduate.
Both of us had actually received graduation announcements from former students which just blows my mind. Kids often remember the teachers that made a difference in high school, but there aren't many that reflect way back on their past and recall a middle school teacher. Especially seventh grade teachers...I think seventh grade is such a rough year for most kids that then tend to blank it out (I did). But we got those invitations and that was even more motivation to go see our kids graduate.
Several things really stood out for me.
One, I was amazed (and relieved) that some of the kids I had who just really struggled during seventh grade were graduating from high school with honors. It goes to show that often times a kid can pull it together after falling completely apart in seventh grade.
Second, the best part of the ceremony had to be when one of the graduates, who had been in a severe accident a few years ago, nearly died, and who has undergone a lot of rehabilitation, received his diploma. One of his teachers wheeled him up in his wheelchair, and then he pushed himself up, stood, took two steps, and received his diploma. That young man got a standing ovation from everyone in that auditorium and he deserved it. He's undergone a lot in his young life, but he's managed to do something many kids don't even try to do - he graduated.
Third, and this is the old lady witch coming out in me, I wish people understood the dignity of a graduation ceremony and dressed the part. I swear I saw more inappropriate clothing on parents (sagging pants, boobs falling out of tops, short shorts, you name it) than I see at one of my rare trips to the mall. Come on people, your kid is graduating, so stop looking like a hooker for once and act like a parent! (Mrs. Eagle and I spent a lot of our time rolling our eyes at each other as some of these fashion disasters paraded by.)
But on the whole, it was a wonderful experience to see these kids make it to graduation. They were a nice group of kids when I had them all those years ago, and I wish them the best in their future.
And it's just kinda neat that I may have had a small role to play in their success.
We went to the local High School and saw a lot of our former students graduate.
Both of us had actually received graduation announcements from former students which just blows my mind. Kids often remember the teachers that made a difference in high school, but there aren't many that reflect way back on their past and recall a middle school teacher. Especially seventh grade teachers...I think seventh grade is such a rough year for most kids that then tend to blank it out (I did). But we got those invitations and that was even more motivation to go see our kids graduate.
Several things really stood out for me.
One, I was amazed (and relieved) that some of the kids I had who just really struggled during seventh grade were graduating from high school with honors. It goes to show that often times a kid can pull it together after falling completely apart in seventh grade.
Second, the best part of the ceremony had to be when one of the graduates, who had been in a severe accident a few years ago, nearly died, and who has undergone a lot of rehabilitation, received his diploma. One of his teachers wheeled him up in his wheelchair, and then he pushed himself up, stood, took two steps, and received his diploma. That young man got a standing ovation from everyone in that auditorium and he deserved it. He's undergone a lot in his young life, but he's managed to do something many kids don't even try to do - he graduated.
Third, and this is the old lady witch coming out in me, I wish people understood the dignity of a graduation ceremony and dressed the part. I swear I saw more inappropriate clothing on parents (sagging pants, boobs falling out of tops, short shorts, you name it) than I see at one of my rare trips to the mall. Come on people, your kid is graduating, so stop looking like a hooker for once and act like a parent! (Mrs. Eagle and I spent a lot of our time rolling our eyes at each other as some of these fashion disasters paraded by.)
But on the whole, it was a wonderful experience to see these kids make it to graduation. They were a nice group of kids when I had them all those years ago, and I wish them the best in their future.
And it's just kinda neat that I may have had a small role to play in their success.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Last Day!
So today was the last half day of school.
Yeah, I know. A half day on a Monday. Why bother? Honestly, I don't know why we did it like this this year, but we did. Teachers, however, have two more days to report for in-service, including one day that's a make-up for the snow days we had earlier this year.
We actually managed to get report cards handed out on Friday, so we didn't have to deal with that. It was, honestly, a fairly nice morning. The kids that showed up (19 out of a homeroom of 26) helped do some packing, ate some snacks and watched The Sandlot and had a pretty nice time. And then, of course, we waved the buses goodbye which is my favorite end of the year tradition.
I had, for the most part, a pretty good group of kids this year. And if you compared them to the group from the previous year, they were angels. I'm going to miss seeing some of them every day. Some of them I'd take home and keep in a heartbeat. Some of them already have good character and I know will be successful in life. I'm proud of many of them.
On a good note, I've received some really nice graduation announcements from some of my former students. That's always nice to see because kids don't always remember their middle school teachers like they do their high school teachers. Mrs. Eagle and I will be going to commencement on Thursday and I'm looking forward to seeing some of my kids walk across the stage and get their diplomas. It's nice knowing you may have had a small part in getting that kid to that point in his or her life.
And better yet? One of my girls from way back came by today and invited me and Mrs. Bunny to her graduation. She's going to be going to Eastern Kentucky University this fall and will major in Chemistry! A scientist! I'm so proud of her. I love it when our kids do well!
Yeah, I know. A half day on a Monday. Why bother? Honestly, I don't know why we did it like this this year, but we did. Teachers, however, have two more days to report for in-service, including one day that's a make-up for the snow days we had earlier this year.
We actually managed to get report cards handed out on Friday, so we didn't have to deal with that. It was, honestly, a fairly nice morning. The kids that showed up (19 out of a homeroom of 26) helped do some packing, ate some snacks and watched The Sandlot and had a pretty nice time. And then, of course, we waved the buses goodbye which is my favorite end of the year tradition.
I had, for the most part, a pretty good group of kids this year. And if you compared them to the group from the previous year, they were angels. I'm going to miss seeing some of them every day. Some of them I'd take home and keep in a heartbeat. Some of them already have good character and I know will be successful in life. I'm proud of many of them.
On a good note, I've received some really nice graduation announcements from some of my former students. That's always nice to see because kids don't always remember their middle school teachers like they do their high school teachers. Mrs. Eagle and I will be going to commencement on Thursday and I'm looking forward to seeing some of my kids walk across the stage and get their diplomas. It's nice knowing you may have had a small part in getting that kid to that point in his or her life.
And better yet? One of my girls from way back came by today and invited me and Mrs. Bunny to her graduation. She's going to be going to Eastern Kentucky University this fall and will major in Chemistry! A scientist! I'm so proud of her. I love it when our kids do well!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Mystery Club
This year we had a new club on campus called TAG. None of us really seemed to know much about TAG except that one of the newer 8th grade teachers was the sponsor, and most of the members seemed to be 8th graders. A lot of us thought it might have to do with technology, others (like myself) thought it might have to do with business skills as these kids came up with some really innovative ways to make money. And others pretty much gave up trying to figure out the club because the kids were always really vague on what it was about and gave answers along the lines of "if we told you, we'd have to kill you."
But the kids were always out there working hard, raising money, and they seemed to enjoy it, so we figured it was a pretty good thing.
Last week we found out what the TAG club was all about. According to The Principal, a number of 8th grade students came to her this past fall about putting together a club. She gets kids all the time coming to her about clubs, and she tells them all pretty much the same thing - find a teacher to sponsor your club and she'll sign off on it. She told this group the same thing and they went off and she figured she would never see them again.
Except they found a sponsor. And a new club was born. And the name of the club? The Teacher Appreciation Group.
I kid you not.
This group of kids wanted to put together a club for the SOLE PURPOSE of raising money to throw a party for their teachers and staff at the end of the school year as a way of letting us all know how much they appreciated all we've done for them for the past three years. They wanted it to be a surprise, and didn't really want to reveal who all was in the club until the party.
You should have heard the response in the faculty meeting when The Principal told us about this club and told us that the party would be after school on Thursday. We were dumbfounded. Amazed. Flattered. And just plain astonished.
Who would have thought, in this day and age, that a group of kids would want to spend all year raising money just so they could throw a party for their teachers?
Amazing.
So we had the party today and it was astonishing. Hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, sides, and acres of desserts. The kids had music playing, a massage chair set up (nice touch) and were offering to pour more punch, hand out another brownie, and to make sure none of us wanted for anything. They got up and expressed their thanks, talked about how much we meant to them, and just were awesome.
The best part? The kids in this group were not the popular kids, or the top academic kids, or the kids that really grab your attention. For the most part they were the middle of the road kids, the kids easily overlooked, the kids that didn't stand out for any particular reason. Many of the ones I had were kids who struggled in class, and honestly, had some rough times in seventh grade. But each and every one of them had an adult there who took him or her under his or her wing and, obviously, made a difference.
I've never been so proud of my kids. And so humbled.
But the kids were always out there working hard, raising money, and they seemed to enjoy it, so we figured it was a pretty good thing.
Last week we found out what the TAG club was all about. According to The Principal, a number of 8th grade students came to her this past fall about putting together a club. She gets kids all the time coming to her about clubs, and she tells them all pretty much the same thing - find a teacher to sponsor your club and she'll sign off on it. She told this group the same thing and they went off and she figured she would never see them again.
Except they found a sponsor. And a new club was born. And the name of the club? The Teacher Appreciation Group.
I kid you not.
This group of kids wanted to put together a club for the SOLE PURPOSE of raising money to throw a party for their teachers and staff at the end of the school year as a way of letting us all know how much they appreciated all we've done for them for the past three years. They wanted it to be a surprise, and didn't really want to reveal who all was in the club until the party.
You should have heard the response in the faculty meeting when The Principal told us about this club and told us that the party would be after school on Thursday. We were dumbfounded. Amazed. Flattered. And just plain astonished.
Who would have thought, in this day and age, that a group of kids would want to spend all year raising money just so they could throw a party for their teachers?
Amazing.
So we had the party today and it was astonishing. Hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, sides, and acres of desserts. The kids had music playing, a massage chair set up (nice touch) and were offering to pour more punch, hand out another brownie, and to make sure none of us wanted for anything. They got up and expressed their thanks, talked about how much we meant to them, and just were awesome.
The best part? The kids in this group were not the popular kids, or the top academic kids, or the kids that really grab your attention. For the most part they were the middle of the road kids, the kids easily overlooked, the kids that didn't stand out for any particular reason. Many of the ones I had were kids who struggled in class, and honestly, had some rough times in seventh grade. But each and every one of them had an adult there who took him or her under his or her wing and, obviously, made a difference.
I've never been so proud of my kids. And so humbled.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Digging the Denim
Happiness is carefully rationing out your casual day coupons so you have enough left to wear jeans for the rest of the school year.
Yeah!
For the uninitiated, at The School, The Principal requires that we dress professionally - henceforth, no jeans. However, on occasions we will have a "free" casual day as a reward (for example, the day after parent/teacher conferences). We have also figured out that selling casual day coupons to teachers (at $5 a pop) is a great fundraiser. These things are like gold.
And the best ones? They're the ones that an admin will randomly hand to you for doing things like always being in the hallway during class changes. Sort of a reward for doing your job right.
I love casual day coupons.
Yeah!
For the uninitiated, at The School, The Principal requires that we dress professionally - henceforth, no jeans. However, on occasions we will have a "free" casual day as a reward (for example, the day after parent/teacher conferences). We have also figured out that selling casual day coupons to teachers (at $5 a pop) is a great fundraiser. These things are like gold.
And the best ones? They're the ones that an admin will randomly hand to you for doing things like always being in the hallway during class changes. Sort of a reward for doing your job right.
I love casual day coupons.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Just Not My Perky Self, and an Exploding Mountain
I hope this isn't so.
But here it is, the very last full week of school...and I feel like I'm coming down with a cold.
Truly not a good thing.
However, there are some positives. For one, it's the time of year where The Enforcer tends to look at discipline files and the number of days left to go, and begins to suspend kids for the duration. Of course, many of these kids, by now, are repeat offenders and have racked up enough points for suspensions. He just makes it easier on all of us, as well as the others, by eliminating the problem children from our rooms.
Hall duty has been entertaining. I have made Mrs. Bunny happy by writing up one of her darlings who decided to turn around and punch the boy behind her in the family jewels. Poor kid doubled over and I thought I was going to to pick him up off the floor.
Queen Bee Bully is gone. Apparently the family is moving out of state so she got checked out for good. The kids have breathed a huge sigh of relief. Texas, prepare yourself.
Snotty Girl is suspended for yet another cell phone infraction. She's a perfect example of how some people can't (or refuse to) learn from their mistakes. That cell phone is the bane of her existence. Then again, the number of kids getting busted for cell phones is skyrocketing. Apparently they seem to think that the rules get tossed out of the window during the last week of school.
Think again.
And that includes my little lazy darling who has spent this entire year shaking his long hair back and forth (except for the week when he was out with - you guessed it - lice) and not working. Apparently he felt it necessary to bring his weed to school and is now gone for 365 days. At least it explains a bit about his complete lack of motivation and poor work production (although capable of much more).
Sigh.
On a good note, today is the 30th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. NOVA has put on line a wonderful video called Mt. St. Helens: Back from the Dead, which we have spent the past few days watching and discussing. (I'm so glad I get to teach earth science now...although we covered all this stuff at the beginning of the year.) It's a great video and the kids really were fascinated by it, and asked a lot of really good questions. I highly recommend it.
And me, going to watch some hockey, take some vitamins, and hope I'm really not getting a cold.
But here it is, the very last full week of school...and I feel like I'm coming down with a cold.
Truly not a good thing.
However, there are some positives. For one, it's the time of year where The Enforcer tends to look at discipline files and the number of days left to go, and begins to suspend kids for the duration. Of course, many of these kids, by now, are repeat offenders and have racked up enough points for suspensions. He just makes it easier on all of us, as well as the others, by eliminating the problem children from our rooms.
Hall duty has been entertaining. I have made Mrs. Bunny happy by writing up one of her darlings who decided to turn around and punch the boy behind her in the family jewels. Poor kid doubled over and I thought I was going to to pick him up off the floor.
Queen Bee Bully is gone. Apparently the family is moving out of state so she got checked out for good. The kids have breathed a huge sigh of relief. Texas, prepare yourself.
Snotty Girl is suspended for yet another cell phone infraction. She's a perfect example of how some people can't (or refuse to) learn from their mistakes. That cell phone is the bane of her existence. Then again, the number of kids getting busted for cell phones is skyrocketing. Apparently they seem to think that the rules get tossed out of the window during the last week of school.
Think again.
And that includes my little lazy darling who has spent this entire year shaking his long hair back and forth (except for the week when he was out with - you guessed it - lice) and not working. Apparently he felt it necessary to bring his weed to school and is now gone for 365 days. At least it explains a bit about his complete lack of motivation and poor work production (although capable of much more).
Sigh.
On a good note, today is the 30th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. NOVA has put on line a wonderful video called Mt. St. Helens: Back from the Dead, which we have spent the past few days watching and discussing. (I'm so glad I get to teach earth science now...although we covered all this stuff at the beginning of the year.) It's a great video and the kids really were fascinated by it, and asked a lot of really good questions. I highly recommend it.
And me, going to watch some hockey, take some vitamins, and hope I'm really not getting a cold.
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Curse of the Seventh Grade
I am beginning to think that this class of seventh graders has a curse hanging over their heads. Or, if not a curse, one big black miserable cloud.
First, their camping trip was canceled due to The Flood we had at the beginning of the month. Some of these kids had been looking forward to this since December and were besides themselves with excitement. I am still amazed at how well they took it when I gathered them up and explained that we just couldn't guarantee their safety and since the camping area was under water, there wasn't much we could do. They didn't whine, fuss, or complain. They just sucked it up.
Then, the kids in drama, most of whom are seventh graders, received the news that their play (a musical, no less) was going to be postponed until we return to school in the fall. They had lost precious rehearsal time, many of the kids still didn't know their lines, and The Flood just complicated things. Another major disappointment.
And then there was Field Day.
Field Day is a big deal for these kids. I mean who couldn't love a day of running around, screaming, eating snow cones and just having a grand old time with your friends and not being stuck in a classroom all day? (I'm not including the teachers in this statement. Most of us tolerate it. Barely.)
So, due to The Flood, instead of having field day on three successive Fridays, they had Field Day on three successive days. Sixth grade was on Wednesday (warm and clear), eighth grade was on Thursday (hot and clear) and ours was today.
Any guess on the weather?
They had been predicting thunderstorms and rain (NO! WE'RE TIRED OF RAIN!) all week. It wasn't raining this morning and so we went ahead and tried to give it a go. We got the volleyball tournament started in the gym and while that was going on, the skies opened up. Great. It was raining like mad.
But then it stopped.
And they decided instead of 15 point games, they'd do 21 point games to take up time in the hopes that it dry up outside. And it sort of did so we were able to take the kids out for the kickball portion of the day. The PTA had hot dogs and Gatorade for the kids (free with a ticket from their teacher), they had other snacks to buy, and although it was a tad muddy on the field, the pavement was dry, the sun was shining and it was hot and muggy.
Awesome.
And then we could hear thunder in the distance. And it got cloudier. And we just finished up the last game of the kickball tournament and had taken the kids inside for lunch when it began to rain again.
Wonderful.
But it gets better.
The kids are in the cafeteria eating lunch, we're down the hall in the teacher lunchroom eating pizza (delayed Teacher Appreciation Lunch which was supposed to happen during the week of The Flood), and Mrs. Sparrow, the assistant principal is there with the radio. All of a sudden were hear The Principal come on the radio and announce that she's going to have to pull the tornado drill alarm as we were under a tornado warning. She then mentioned that all the teachers who had kids in the cafeteria had to go get them out of there and into the hallway where it's safer.
Most of us were sprinting out of the lunch room and into the cafeteria before the alarm went off and we hustled the kids out and into the hallway. I got in there so fast that my kids looked like they didn't know what was going on. They figured it out pretty fast, and hustled toward the door. We got all 300 kids out of there in record time, into the hallway, and down into the tornado position. Getting them quiet was the tough part, but they finally quieted down and we stayed in there for nearly 45 minutes.
Let me tell you, being in a long hallway with a bunch of kids, and insisting they be quiet so we can hear directions on the one radio we had, is tough.
Finally it was over, we let them go back and finish their lunch, and then we went back to our classes. It was still raining. We finally gave up on finishing field day and got the word that they are going to try it again later next week when the weather is supposed to be better. The remainder of today we basically let them relax and watched some videos. Of course, being the science geek I am, I had them watch one on tornadoes.
Appropriate, eh?
I hope next week everything works as planned. I really, really do.
First, their camping trip was canceled due to The Flood we had at the beginning of the month. Some of these kids had been looking forward to this since December and were besides themselves with excitement. I am still amazed at how well they took it when I gathered them up and explained that we just couldn't guarantee their safety and since the camping area was under water, there wasn't much we could do. They didn't whine, fuss, or complain. They just sucked it up.
Then, the kids in drama, most of whom are seventh graders, received the news that their play (a musical, no less) was going to be postponed until we return to school in the fall. They had lost precious rehearsal time, many of the kids still didn't know their lines, and The Flood just complicated things. Another major disappointment.
And then there was Field Day.
Field Day is a big deal for these kids. I mean who couldn't love a day of running around, screaming, eating snow cones and just having a grand old time with your friends and not being stuck in a classroom all day? (I'm not including the teachers in this statement. Most of us tolerate it. Barely.)
So, due to The Flood, instead of having field day on three successive Fridays, they had Field Day on three successive days. Sixth grade was on Wednesday (warm and clear), eighth grade was on Thursday (hot and clear) and ours was today.
Any guess on the weather?
They had been predicting thunderstorms and rain (NO! WE'RE TIRED OF RAIN!) all week. It wasn't raining this morning and so we went ahead and tried to give it a go. We got the volleyball tournament started in the gym and while that was going on, the skies opened up. Great. It was raining like mad.
But then it stopped.
And they decided instead of 15 point games, they'd do 21 point games to take up time in the hopes that it dry up outside. And it sort of did so we were able to take the kids out for the kickball portion of the day. The PTA had hot dogs and Gatorade for the kids (free with a ticket from their teacher), they had other snacks to buy, and although it was a tad muddy on the field, the pavement was dry, the sun was shining and it was hot and muggy.
Awesome.
And then we could hear thunder in the distance. And it got cloudier. And we just finished up the last game of the kickball tournament and had taken the kids inside for lunch when it began to rain again.
Wonderful.
But it gets better.
The kids are in the cafeteria eating lunch, we're down the hall in the teacher lunchroom eating pizza (delayed Teacher Appreciation Lunch which was supposed to happen during the week of The Flood), and Mrs. Sparrow, the assistant principal is there with the radio. All of a sudden were hear The Principal come on the radio and announce that she's going to have to pull the tornado drill alarm as we were under a tornado warning. She then mentioned that all the teachers who had kids in the cafeteria had to go get them out of there and into the hallway where it's safer.
Most of us were sprinting out of the lunch room and into the cafeteria before the alarm went off and we hustled the kids out and into the hallway. I got in there so fast that my kids looked like they didn't know what was going on. They figured it out pretty fast, and hustled toward the door. We got all 300 kids out of there in record time, into the hallway, and down into the tornado position. Getting them quiet was the tough part, but they finally quieted down and we stayed in there for nearly 45 minutes.
Let me tell you, being in a long hallway with a bunch of kids, and insisting they be quiet so we can hear directions on the one radio we had, is tough.
Finally it was over, we let them go back and finish their lunch, and then we went back to our classes. It was still raining. We finally gave up on finishing field day and got the word that they are going to try it again later next week when the weather is supposed to be better. The remainder of today we basically let them relax and watched some videos. Of course, being the science geek I am, I had them watch one on tornadoes.
Appropriate, eh?
I hope next week everything works as planned. I really, really do.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
One Bad Apple
Anyone in education will tell you how amazing it is that one kid - one! just one! - can change the entire group dynamic of a class, or even a team of kids. A class will have one personality when this kid is there, and completely different when this kid is gone.
The Queen Bee Bully is such a kid.
She has been, quite honestly, probably the biggest pain in our neck all year. She is the sort of kid who can find the weak point in others and exploit it. She loves to cause drama. She loves to stir up trouble. She has an opinion - usually not nice - about everyone and every thing and isn't shy about expressing it. She was in our remediation class (she's smart as a whip but won't do work) until we saw that she was in there for the sole purpose of tormenting the other kids. Since she had all her work done, and was passing (at that time), we exited her and I told guidance that we wouldn't let her back no matter how much her aunt demanded it. Those kids needed to be in a classroom without this little snot bothering them and causing disruptions every five minutes.
Her aunt, bless her heart, is amazingly patient, but also doesn't realize that it's about time that Queen Bee Bully realizes that her actions have consequences. She wasn't happy when we said that we wouldn't escort her from class to class so she wouldn't get in trouble in the hallway. She's old enough to know better, and they certainly aren't going to hold her hand and escort her throughout the 8th grade, so she was going to just have to do her best and deal with the repercussions of her actions. Time to grow up.
Eventually she earned herself a trip to Alternative School (for tormenting Little Big Boy and getting into a fight at lunch). The team all breathed a sigh of relief and I'm including the kids here. It was like a different world with her gone. You could almost feel the tension float away. The kids were thrilled that she was no longer lurking around, talking trash, and generally making life hell.
Anyhow, according to our calendar, she was due back this week. However, we had five days of flooding and were hoping that meant she wouldn't be back for another week. She also owed a few days for being suspended (again, for fighting) from alternative school. So, if we were lucky, we might see her for a week.
We weren't lucky.
She showed up again Tuesday and the drama started before third period was over. She was up to her old tricks, the kids were upset, and the nice, smoothly functioning team of kids was in an uproar. You could feel the tension on the team now that all the kids knew she was back. If anything, she came back with a worse attitude than she had when she left.
She's in my Fourth Period Class of Malcontents, and as soon as she walked back in the room and sat in her isolation seat (cannot sit with others, big surprise), I had kids demanding to be moved away from that part of the room as she was trying to get them to pass notes to other kids. Great. I rearranged everything and now she's on her own little island.
And we had so much fun when she was gone.
However, she got mouthy with Mrs. Social Studies, started threatening another girl with a fight in the bathroom, and we walked her over to The Enforcer and he said he'd put her in ISS for the rest of the week. Thank goodness. He also said her aunt was supposed to come next week and withdraw her as they were moving to another state. We can hope.
I feel bad for her because this kid has not had a good home life. She's never lived with her mother (I don't think she knows who dad is) and is raised by an aunt. She has BIG issues. However, when it comes down to it, I'd rather see her gone than see the other 94 kids on my team all twisted up in knots because of her antics. I absolutely despise bullies, and I don't care if they big, little, male, or female. And this kid is, without a doubt, one of the nastiest bullies I've ever run across.
So hopefully she will leave next week and we can end the year on a calm note.
Hopefully.
The Queen Bee Bully is such a kid.
She has been, quite honestly, probably the biggest pain in our neck all year. She is the sort of kid who can find the weak point in others and exploit it. She loves to cause drama. She loves to stir up trouble. She has an opinion - usually not nice - about everyone and every thing and isn't shy about expressing it. She was in our remediation class (she's smart as a whip but won't do work) until we saw that she was in there for the sole purpose of tormenting the other kids. Since she had all her work done, and was passing (at that time), we exited her and I told guidance that we wouldn't let her back no matter how much her aunt demanded it. Those kids needed to be in a classroom without this little snot bothering them and causing disruptions every five minutes.
Her aunt, bless her heart, is amazingly patient, but also doesn't realize that it's about time that Queen Bee Bully realizes that her actions have consequences. She wasn't happy when we said that we wouldn't escort her from class to class so she wouldn't get in trouble in the hallway. She's old enough to know better, and they certainly aren't going to hold her hand and escort her throughout the 8th grade, so she was going to just have to do her best and deal with the repercussions of her actions. Time to grow up.
Eventually she earned herself a trip to Alternative School (for tormenting Little Big Boy and getting into a fight at lunch). The team all breathed a sigh of relief and I'm including the kids here. It was like a different world with her gone. You could almost feel the tension float away. The kids were thrilled that she was no longer lurking around, talking trash, and generally making life hell.
Anyhow, according to our calendar, she was due back this week. However, we had five days of flooding and were hoping that meant she wouldn't be back for another week. She also owed a few days for being suspended (again, for fighting) from alternative school. So, if we were lucky, we might see her for a week.
We weren't lucky.
She showed up again Tuesday and the drama started before third period was over. She was up to her old tricks, the kids were upset, and the nice, smoothly functioning team of kids was in an uproar. You could feel the tension on the team now that all the kids knew she was back. If anything, she came back with a worse attitude than she had when she left.
She's in my Fourth Period Class of Malcontents, and as soon as she walked back in the room and sat in her isolation seat (cannot sit with others, big surprise), I had kids demanding to be moved away from that part of the room as she was trying to get them to pass notes to other kids. Great. I rearranged everything and now she's on her own little island.
And we had so much fun when she was gone.
However, she got mouthy with Mrs. Social Studies, started threatening another girl with a fight in the bathroom, and we walked her over to The Enforcer and he said he'd put her in ISS for the rest of the week. Thank goodness. He also said her aunt was supposed to come next week and withdraw her as they were moving to another state. We can hope.
I feel bad for her because this kid has not had a good home life. She's never lived with her mother (I don't think she knows who dad is) and is raised by an aunt. She has BIG issues. However, when it comes down to it, I'd rather see her gone than see the other 94 kids on my team all twisted up in knots because of her antics. I absolutely despise bullies, and I don't care if they big, little, male, or female. And this kid is, without a doubt, one of the nastiest bullies I've ever run across.
So hopefully she will leave next week and we can end the year on a calm note.
Hopefully.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Back Where We Belong
After a week off for flooding, we managed to get back to school this past Monday.
Thank goodness.
The kids seemed to be glad to be back. Some of them mentioned some flood damage at home, including flooded basements and garages, but for the most part seemed to take a lot of the week's drama in stride. These kids prove, once again, to be a pretty resilient bunch. Mrs. Social Studies asked most of them what they did with their week off (the weather was absolutely beyond beautiful) and most of them mentioned that they stayed inside watching TV, playing video games, or helped parents clean up after the mess. How sad that so many of my kids aren't allowed outside unless a parent is home. They're prisoners in their own homes.
Everyone seems a bit stressed because instead of having three weeks to do all the end of the year stuff - field day, academic award parties, the drama club play, National Junior Honor Society - we have two weeks. Two weeks that are crammed full of events and activities. I'm almost glad that teachers have an extra work day to make up from our snow days back in January and February as we're so busy now that we need that day to pack up our rooms.
It's nice to be back.
Thank goodness.
The kids seemed to be glad to be back. Some of them mentioned some flood damage at home, including flooded basements and garages, but for the most part seemed to take a lot of the week's drama in stride. These kids prove, once again, to be a pretty resilient bunch. Mrs. Social Studies asked most of them what they did with their week off (the weather was absolutely beyond beautiful) and most of them mentioned that they stayed inside watching TV, playing video games, or helped parents clean up after the mess. How sad that so many of my kids aren't allowed outside unless a parent is home. They're prisoners in their own homes.
Everyone seems a bit stressed because instead of having three weeks to do all the end of the year stuff - field day, academic award parties, the drama club play, National Junior Honor Society - we have two weeks. Two weeks that are crammed full of events and activities. I'm almost glad that teachers have an extra work day to make up from our snow days back in January and February as we're so busy now that we need that day to pack up our rooms.
It's nice to be back.
Friday, May 07, 2010
The Five Hundred Year Flood
At least that's what they are calling it now.
Our kids have missed an entire week of school. Staff reported on Thursday and Friday. It was decided that since the River was still above flood stage, and since the alternate bus routes would involve 2 1/2 hour commutes to and from school, the kids were staying home (smart call). I was one of the lucky ones because my drive to school wasn't impacted much by the flooding so it didn't take me any longer than normal. Some of the staff had to take detours - long detours - and had drives well over an hour, when normally it would take maybe twenty minutes. Traffic in most parts of town was bumper to bumper.
These past two days, without students, were really productive. We were able to work on finalizing grades for our retention and promotion meetings, get field day rescheduled, get our academic award party for the team organized. We do have one problem with the academic award party as the guy we usually buy our plaques from was, sadly, flooded out. So we're going to have to find another vendor as his phone is not being answered (I was hoping he may be working out of his house).
We did, unfortunately, have to cancel the field trip for the kids. No camping this year. Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Bunny and I had a conference call on Wednesday and decided that we couldn't guarantee our kids' safety. The river is still a mess, things are still flooded, roads are still washing out, and it was just too full of unknowns. So we canceled. I'm sure there are a lot of disappointed kids out there, but honestly, not a single complaint from a single parent. They probably wouldn't let them go anyway.
Amazingly, out of our entire staff, only one of us suffered serious damage to a home (many were stuck and stranded for a few days). Our librarian had 6' of water in her basement and floating freezer and goodness knows what else. She's already applied to FEMA for aid as they had no flood insurance. Then again, many people who got flooded out didn't even live in the 100 year flood zone so the insurance issue is going to be a mess. We're still not sure how many of our kids got displaced, however. We hope to find out on Monday when we're back to school.
I do have another friend, a lady I serve on a board with, who pretty much has lost everything. She's one of those fantastic ladies who does a lot for the community, her church, the arts, you name it. A real classy lady. It breaks my heart that she lost her husband to cancer two years ago, and now her home. Sadly, she's not alone. It's been a pretty tragic week down here.
Our kids have missed an entire week of school. Staff reported on Thursday and Friday. It was decided that since the River was still above flood stage, and since the alternate bus routes would involve 2 1/2 hour commutes to and from school, the kids were staying home (smart call). I was one of the lucky ones because my drive to school wasn't impacted much by the flooding so it didn't take me any longer than normal. Some of the staff had to take detours - long detours - and had drives well over an hour, when normally it would take maybe twenty minutes. Traffic in most parts of town was bumper to bumper.
These past two days, without students, were really productive. We were able to work on finalizing grades for our retention and promotion meetings, get field day rescheduled, get our academic award party for the team organized. We do have one problem with the academic award party as the guy we usually buy our plaques from was, sadly, flooded out. So we're going to have to find another vendor as his phone is not being answered (I was hoping he may be working out of his house).
We did, unfortunately, have to cancel the field trip for the kids. No camping this year. Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Bunny and I had a conference call on Wednesday and decided that we couldn't guarantee our kids' safety. The river is still a mess, things are still flooded, roads are still washing out, and it was just too full of unknowns. So we canceled. I'm sure there are a lot of disappointed kids out there, but honestly, not a single complaint from a single parent. They probably wouldn't let them go anyway.
Amazingly, out of our entire staff, only one of us suffered serious damage to a home (many were stuck and stranded for a few days). Our librarian had 6' of water in her basement and floating freezer and goodness knows what else. She's already applied to FEMA for aid as they had no flood insurance. Then again, many people who got flooded out didn't even live in the 100 year flood zone so the insurance issue is going to be a mess. We're still not sure how many of our kids got displaced, however. We hope to find out on Monday when we're back to school.
I do have another friend, a lady I serve on a board with, who pretty much has lost everything. She's one of those fantastic ladies who does a lot for the community, her church, the arts, you name it. A real classy lady. It breaks my heart that she lost her husband to cancer two years ago, and now her home. Sadly, she's not alone. It's been a pretty tragic week down here.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
The Hundred Year Flood, Part Two
Monday - no school.
Tuesday - no school.
They've called school for Wednesday as well. Fortunately they also said they were going to approach the State Department of Education and try to have these days forgiven. I hope so. Our kids have been through enough already.
The river is supposed to crest at 1:00 am Wednesday morning. Hopefully the weather will stay clear and dry - it's been amazingly beautiful and warm. Good weather to clean out the damp part of the garage, sort through everything, toss out stuff, apply more Drylock, and put things in plastic tubs. I'm beat. Going to school would be a relief.
Many of our staff are still stranded. The terrain here is rolling hills along with rivers and creeks that criss-cross the county. Just about every low point with a bridge is closed. Getting from one side of town to the other is a challenge so Hubby and I are staying put except for a quick trip to Lowes for more supplies. We have plenty of food and water, the power is on (never went off) and although the waste water plant is shut down, we have water.
We may make a visit to rescue our friend Mrs. Littlebird, who is stuck in between two flooded roads. Her youngest, who is a non-verbal autistic, does not understand why he can't go to Burger King and everyone at the Littlebird house is stir-crazy. They can walk through the floodwaters to get to a road where we can pick them up so we may do that just to give them some peace and a change of pace.
The camping trip, alas, may be a wash (pardon the pun). We'll have to see. Mrs. Bunny, Mrs. Eagle and I are going to talk about it tomorrow, and see what The Principal has to say. There's the issue of transportation, the issue that the river won't be cresting near our camping area until the weekend, they may be using the campsite dorms for emergency shelters, and if everything is flooded, what can we do with the kids anyway?
And then there's the snakes. One thing flood waters leave in their wake down here are unpleasant creatures like water moccasins. I am not taking kids camping in a snake-infested zone. Sorry, just not doing that.
We may have to reschedule, if possible. Or we may do something special for the kids if we ever get back to school. A cookout at a local park, or something. I honestly don't know at this point.
I just really want to get back to school and see how my kids are.
In the meantime, if you are moved to help, go here:
Middle Tennessee Red Cross
Tuesday - no school.
They've called school for Wednesday as well. Fortunately they also said they were going to approach the State Department of Education and try to have these days forgiven. I hope so. Our kids have been through enough already.
The river is supposed to crest at 1:00 am Wednesday morning. Hopefully the weather will stay clear and dry - it's been amazingly beautiful and warm. Good weather to clean out the damp part of the garage, sort through everything, toss out stuff, apply more Drylock, and put things in plastic tubs. I'm beat. Going to school would be a relief.
Many of our staff are still stranded. The terrain here is rolling hills along with rivers and creeks that criss-cross the county. Just about every low point with a bridge is closed. Getting from one side of town to the other is a challenge so Hubby and I are staying put except for a quick trip to Lowes for more supplies. We have plenty of food and water, the power is on (never went off) and although the waste water plant is shut down, we have water.
We may make a visit to rescue our friend Mrs. Littlebird, who is stuck in between two flooded roads. Her youngest, who is a non-verbal autistic, does not understand why he can't go to Burger King and everyone at the Littlebird house is stir-crazy. They can walk through the floodwaters to get to a road where we can pick them up so we may do that just to give them some peace and a change of pace.
The camping trip, alas, may be a wash (pardon the pun). We'll have to see. Mrs. Bunny, Mrs. Eagle and I are going to talk about it tomorrow, and see what The Principal has to say. There's the issue of transportation, the issue that the river won't be cresting near our camping area until the weekend, they may be using the campsite dorms for emergency shelters, and if everything is flooded, what can we do with the kids anyway?
And then there's the snakes. One thing flood waters leave in their wake down here are unpleasant creatures like water moccasins. I am not taking kids camping in a snake-infested zone. Sorry, just not doing that.
We may have to reschedule, if possible. Or we may do something special for the kids if we ever get back to school. A cookout at a local park, or something. I honestly don't know at this point.
I just really want to get back to school and see how my kids are.
In the meantime, if you are moved to help, go here:
Middle Tennessee Red Cross
The Hundred Year Flood
It was bad in 1932.
It's worse this year.
Nashville had over 13" of rain and the rivers are still rising. Schools closed, businesses damaged, lots of homes and lives lost. Nashville, and the surrounding areas, are being impacted hard. We are closed again today, most of our downtown in closed off, and I'm thankful I live on a hill because I'm high and dry. We have a curfew and are asked to stay home, if possible.
Since I haven't seen much in the national media on this, thought I'd share a couple of links with you in case you'd like to see what's going on down here in The Volunteer State (and what an appropriate name - you've never seen so many people reach out to help perfect strangers).
The best local coverage is at News Channel 5 - check out the videos of LP field under water, the house floating down I-24, Opryland under water, and the rock quarry waterfall (and the quarry was full in a few hours).
The Tennessean also has some good coverage and photos.
If you are a Facebook fan, you can find lots of photos and videos there as well. Youtube, as well has a lot of videos.
Pray for us. It's going to be a long recovery.
It's worse this year.
Nashville had over 13" of rain and the rivers are still rising. Schools closed, businesses damaged, lots of homes and lives lost. Nashville, and the surrounding areas, are being impacted hard. We are closed again today, most of our downtown in closed off, and I'm thankful I live on a hill because I'm high and dry. We have a curfew and are asked to stay home, if possible.
Since I haven't seen much in the national media on this, thought I'd share a couple of links with you in case you'd like to see what's going on down here in The Volunteer State (and what an appropriate name - you've never seen so many people reach out to help perfect strangers).
The best local coverage is at News Channel 5 - check out the videos of LP field under water, the house floating down I-24, Opryland under water, and the rock quarry waterfall (and the quarry was full in a few hours).
The Tennessean also has some good coverage and photos.
If you are a Facebook fan, you can find lots of photos and videos there as well. Youtube, as well has a lot of videos.
Pray for us. It's going to be a long recovery.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Just When You Thought The Year Couldn't Get Any Crazier....
Sigh.
After seven snow days, and several weeks of longer school days to make up the snow days (we only have three allotted in our calendar), we get this:
Rain. Lots of it. Lots and lots and lots of it. (Actually, we got more than that...I emptied out the rain gauge when it hit 8" a little bit ago and It Is Still Raining.)
And school is closed tomorrow due to flooding.
Heavens, we down here in the Volunteer State have even made the National News - nothing like video of a building floating down I-24 to get national attention. It has been something else. Most of West and Middle Tennessee is one big fat wet mess.
I have students being evacuated from their flooded apartments. The school behind my house is a shelter. And with only 15 and a half days left of school...we have an inclement weather day.
Amazing.
Oh, and last weekend? We had this:
That's hail on my deck. And leaves stuck all over the place. And a glider that needed to be repainted a bit but even more so now that it got "hail blasted". But hey, I didn't lose a tree like just about everyone else in the neighborhood.
Spring in the South.
After seven snow days, and several weeks of longer school days to make up the snow days (we only have three allotted in our calendar), we get this:
Rain. Lots of it. Lots and lots and lots of it. (Actually, we got more than that...I emptied out the rain gauge when it hit 8" a little bit ago and It Is Still Raining.)
And school is closed tomorrow due to flooding.
Heavens, we down here in the Volunteer State have even made the National News - nothing like video of a building floating down I-24 to get national attention. It has been something else. Most of West and Middle Tennessee is one big fat wet mess.
I have students being evacuated from their flooded apartments. The school behind my house is a shelter. And with only 15 and a half days left of school...we have an inclement weather day.
Amazing.
Oh, and last weekend? We had this:
That's hail on my deck. And leaves stuck all over the place. And a glider that needed to be repainted a bit but even more so now that it got "hail blasted". But hey, I didn't lose a tree like just about everyone else in the neighborhood.
Spring in the South.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Losing Their Minds
Tuesday was, shall we say, interesting.
We had Kagan training going on in the school, so a lot of teachers were off doing that (I'd already gone through it). As a result, we had a lot of subs in the building. Usually that's a sign that those of us who aren't subs need to stay on our toes because the kids seem to get a little wiggy. It's like there's this undercurrent of mania that strikes them when they see unfamiliar faces in the classroom. That being said, we only had one sub on the team (for Mrs. Social Studies) so you would think our kids would be a little better than those who had more than one.
As usual, I was wrong.
We took our kids to lunch and dropped them off in the cafeteria and then went to enjoy our 30 minute duty free lunch. The first hint I had that something was amiss was when one of the teachers from Mrs. Eagle's team came in towards the end of lunch and mentioned that she thought a few of my girls may had got into a fight during lunch.
Mr. Math looked at me, "I didn't hear anything in there, did you?" he asked. Usually when there's a fight in the cafeteria next door we can hear it (and we'll run in and try to calm things down.) I hadn't heard anything either. Which was a bit weird. Maybe they're just so loud anyway, what with the countdown to the end of school, that we didn't notice.
So I go to pick up my kids to walk them back to class and my class looks, suddenly, a lot smaller. I always check with Mrs. Wonderful Aide about whether or not they'd been good (this is, after all, my Fifth Period Class From the Very Depths of Hell Itself, so it's worth checking) and she kind of rolled her eyes at me.
"Oh dear," I said, "that bad?"
"That bad," she answered.
We walk back to class and the kids are more subdued than usual (they probably guessed they were going to get barked at when we got back to class - again), and as we walk past the Guidance office - which is surrounded by lots of glass windows - I see not one, not two, but six of my kids sitting in there.
This is not good.
Turns out that two of my girls were in there because they had gotten into a fight over - what else? - a boy. The fact that these two are best friends makes it more interesting. Three more were writing witness statements. (On a side note, I've often contended that if we made all our writing prompts witness statements, we'd get some of the best writing ever out of these kids - amazing how well they write when they're reporting one of their peers screwing up big time.) Another, Little Big Boy, was in there for a SEPARATE fight because he apparently was getting teased by one of Mrs. Eagle's kids and went nuts and started throwing forks and slinging chocolate milk all over, although for the looks of him, it landed mostly on him and not the other kids.
And then when we get back to class one girl breaks down crying because "people are cruel" and "fights scare me", and she wanted to go see a guidance counselor (she's a high stress kid and spends a lot of time with anxiety issues in guidance anyway.)
Oh wonderful.
Fifteen days. If they can just hold it together for 15 days.
We had Kagan training going on in the school, so a lot of teachers were off doing that (I'd already gone through it). As a result, we had a lot of subs in the building. Usually that's a sign that those of us who aren't subs need to stay on our toes because the kids seem to get a little wiggy. It's like there's this undercurrent of mania that strikes them when they see unfamiliar faces in the classroom. That being said, we only had one sub on the team (for Mrs. Social Studies) so you would think our kids would be a little better than those who had more than one.
As usual, I was wrong.
We took our kids to lunch and dropped them off in the cafeteria and then went to enjoy our 30 minute duty free lunch. The first hint I had that something was amiss was when one of the teachers from Mrs. Eagle's team came in towards the end of lunch and mentioned that she thought a few of my girls may had got into a fight during lunch.
Mr. Math looked at me, "I didn't hear anything in there, did you?" he asked. Usually when there's a fight in the cafeteria next door we can hear it (and we'll run in and try to calm things down.) I hadn't heard anything either. Which was a bit weird. Maybe they're just so loud anyway, what with the countdown to the end of school, that we didn't notice.
So I go to pick up my kids to walk them back to class and my class looks, suddenly, a lot smaller. I always check with Mrs. Wonderful Aide about whether or not they'd been good (this is, after all, my Fifth Period Class From the Very Depths of Hell Itself, so it's worth checking) and she kind of rolled her eyes at me.
"Oh dear," I said, "that bad?"
"That bad," she answered.
We walk back to class and the kids are more subdued than usual (they probably guessed they were going to get barked at when we got back to class - again), and as we walk past the Guidance office - which is surrounded by lots of glass windows - I see not one, not two, but six of my kids sitting in there.
This is not good.
Turns out that two of my girls were in there because they had gotten into a fight over - what else? - a boy. The fact that these two are best friends makes it more interesting. Three more were writing witness statements. (On a side note, I've often contended that if we made all our writing prompts witness statements, we'd get some of the best writing ever out of these kids - amazing how well they write when they're reporting one of their peers screwing up big time.) Another, Little Big Boy, was in there for a SEPARATE fight because he apparently was getting teased by one of Mrs. Eagle's kids and went nuts and started throwing forks and slinging chocolate milk all over, although for the looks of him, it landed mostly on him and not the other kids.
And then when we get back to class one girl breaks down crying because "people are cruel" and "fights scare me", and she wanted to go see a guidance counselor (she's a high stress kid and spends a lot of time with anxiety issues in guidance anyway.)
Oh wonderful.
Fifteen days. If they can just hold it together for 15 days.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Stuck in the Middle
One thing that I've noticed as a teacher is that most parents don't exactly see eye to eye when it comes to their child's education. It seems that oftentimes one of the parents is a little more squishy about things while the other one is demanding results. You've got the parent who believes the cherub when she says she's done all her work (and doesn't bother to check) and then you've got the other parent who's demanding to see everything, checking the agenda, and is signing in to PowerSchool on an daily basis.
When they're living together - and communicating - everything usually works itself out.
However, when they aren't living together - and aren't communicating - it can be a nightmare.
This year, it seems, we have more parents who need parenting classes and family counseling than I've ever seen before. These people are not agreeing on how to raise their child and are doing their darndest to get us in the middle.
Two sets of parents come to mind - Cool Dude's parents, and Spoiled Princess's parents.
Cool Dude has one overriding goal in life and that is to be the hippest, coolest, hottest dude in the seventh grade. This kid has the hottest clothes, the trendiest hair cut, he is so cool he can freeze a six-pack of Diet Coke. He is also one of the laziest kids I've ever seen - he's absolutely perfectly capable of passing seventh grade, should he get over himself long enough to turn in work.
Cool Dude lives during the week with Cool Dad. Cool Dad does not really stress, as far as we can tell, academics. No one checks Cool Dude's agenda, no one checks to see if he's done his work, no one is harping on him to study for his tests (even though Cool Dad and Cool Mom are both getting our weekly emails and both have access to PowerSchool.) As far as I can tell Cool Dude and Cool Dad are just hanging out and chillin' all week long together. On the weekend Cool Dude goes and lives with Mom and it really hits the fan. She gets on to PowerSchool, checks his grades, sees all the missing assignments and fires off email after email to us about "What can we do to help him pass seventh grade?"
Cool Mom is a recent education graduate and has done some subbing recently for a special ed class. She has decided that Cool Dude must be special ed (after all, he's failing) and has demanded he be tested. Now keep in mind, Cool Dude has been tested - and he reads at a 12th grade level. He has Proficient and Advanced Very Big Deal Government Mandated Test Scores. He has, on multiple times, admitted to all of us (but obviously not to Cool Mom) that he's just lazy and he can do the work if he feels like it. However, we are having to jump through the hoops with progress monitoring, and data collection just to make sure all our ducks are in a row when we tell her that no, under the state and federal guidelines, your kid is not going to qualify for special ed. Last time we looked being cool and lazy was not a learning disability. (On a side note, when our special ed secretary called Cool Dad to invite him to a meeting, his comment was, "There's a problem at school?")
What I really want to tell Cool Mom is to get a change of custody so that she has Cool Dude during the week and can hammer him every night about his school work, and she can turn him over to Cool Dad and they can waste their weekends away together being, oh, cool.
We have never met Spoiled Princess Girl's mother. We have, however, met dad (many times) and Nana (although we're not sure how Nana is related, if she's a Great Aunt, a grandmother, a stranger down the block, no one has bothered to explain this to us.) Dad likes to drop in whenever he's in the mood, for impromptu meetings. Often times when we're in the middle of something like, say, teaching our classes.
The last meeting was interesting. Dad is harping on SPG about how she's not working hard enough (and waving a box of shoes at her that he's taken away and is returning to the store), Nana is saying he's too soft and She Wouldn't Have Bought Those Shoes as SPG Shouldn't Be Rewarded For What She's Supposed to Be Doing in The First Place, and we're sitting there watching the three of them squabble for what seems like hours with absolutely no result.
"Uhm, is there any way we could perhaps get SPG's mom in for a meeting?" we finally ask in the middle of the squabble.
"Oh, that woman, she won't come," Nana says. Nana crosses her arms and looks sour.
"She won't come," says Dad. "She says SPG is doing her hardest and that's all she's expected to do, and I know she can do better."
"And you know SPG is always gonna do what her mother says because it's the easy way out," says Nana.
We finally suggested perhaps SPG's Dad set up a meeting with the guidance counselor and see if SPG's mom could come and they could do some family counseling.
Which of course SPG's mom apparently refused to do.
Which leaves us...nowhere....
When they're living together - and communicating - everything usually works itself out.
However, when they aren't living together - and aren't communicating - it can be a nightmare.
This year, it seems, we have more parents who need parenting classes and family counseling than I've ever seen before. These people are not agreeing on how to raise their child and are doing their darndest to get us in the middle.
Two sets of parents come to mind - Cool Dude's parents, and Spoiled Princess's parents.
Cool Dude has one overriding goal in life and that is to be the hippest, coolest, hottest dude in the seventh grade. This kid has the hottest clothes, the trendiest hair cut, he is so cool he can freeze a six-pack of Diet Coke. He is also one of the laziest kids I've ever seen - he's absolutely perfectly capable of passing seventh grade, should he get over himself long enough to turn in work.
Cool Dude lives during the week with Cool Dad. Cool Dad does not really stress, as far as we can tell, academics. No one checks Cool Dude's agenda, no one checks to see if he's done his work, no one is harping on him to study for his tests (even though Cool Dad and Cool Mom are both getting our weekly emails and both have access to PowerSchool.) As far as I can tell Cool Dude and Cool Dad are just hanging out and chillin' all week long together. On the weekend Cool Dude goes and lives with Mom and it really hits the fan. She gets on to PowerSchool, checks his grades, sees all the missing assignments and fires off email after email to us about "What can we do to help him pass seventh grade?"
Cool Mom is a recent education graduate and has done some subbing recently for a special ed class. She has decided that Cool Dude must be special ed (after all, he's failing) and has demanded he be tested. Now keep in mind, Cool Dude has been tested - and he reads at a 12th grade level. He has Proficient and Advanced Very Big Deal Government Mandated Test Scores. He has, on multiple times, admitted to all of us (but obviously not to Cool Mom) that he's just lazy and he can do the work if he feels like it. However, we are having to jump through the hoops with progress monitoring, and data collection just to make sure all our ducks are in a row when we tell her that no, under the state and federal guidelines, your kid is not going to qualify for special ed. Last time we looked being cool and lazy was not a learning disability. (On a side note, when our special ed secretary called Cool Dad to invite him to a meeting, his comment was, "There's a problem at school?")
What I really want to tell Cool Mom is to get a change of custody so that she has Cool Dude during the week and can hammer him every night about his school work, and she can turn him over to Cool Dad and they can waste their weekends away together being, oh, cool.
We have never met Spoiled Princess Girl's mother. We have, however, met dad (many times) and Nana (although we're not sure how Nana is related, if she's a Great Aunt, a grandmother, a stranger down the block, no one has bothered to explain this to us.) Dad likes to drop in whenever he's in the mood, for impromptu meetings. Often times when we're in the middle of something like, say, teaching our classes.
The last meeting was interesting. Dad is harping on SPG about how she's not working hard enough (and waving a box of shoes at her that he's taken away and is returning to the store), Nana is saying he's too soft and She Wouldn't Have Bought Those Shoes as SPG Shouldn't Be Rewarded For What She's Supposed to Be Doing in The First Place, and we're sitting there watching the three of them squabble for what seems like hours with absolutely no result.
"Uhm, is there any way we could perhaps get SPG's mom in for a meeting?" we finally ask in the middle of the squabble.
"Oh, that woman, she won't come," Nana says. Nana crosses her arms and looks sour.
"She won't come," says Dad. "She says SPG is doing her hardest and that's all she's expected to do, and I know she can do better."
"And you know SPG is always gonna do what her mother says because it's the easy way out," says Nana.
We finally suggested perhaps SPG's Dad set up a meeting with the guidance counselor and see if SPG's mom could come and they could do some family counseling.
Which of course SPG's mom apparently refused to do.
Which leaves us...nowhere....
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Are We There Yet?
I worked with a delightful lady Up North who once described the last few weeks of school as one very long car ride with a bunch of kids. "They all get along pretty good at the beginning of the trip, but by the time you get to your destination, they're all sick and tired of each other and are fussing and squabbling in the back seat."
She's right. And I wish I could reach into the back seat and slap some sense into them all.
We finished our Very Big Deal Government Mandated Tests last week, so that's no longer hanging on the horizon like a vulture waiting for some road kill. Although we all sort of feel like road kill at this point in time. We are having our reward party tomorrow (lucky me, I'm getting to work the pizza booth), which should be fun for the kids and tolerable for the adults. We get to wear jeans (always a happy day), and basically just shovel food and games at the kids while they run crazy and spend their reward tickets on things like cotton candy, door prizes, and hair painting.
Personally, I love the idea of getting them all hyped up on sugar, loading them on the buses and sending them home.
However, we still have five weeks of school. I am still assigning work. I am still taking grades. And some of these kids still need to bust their tails in order to pass. Yet, for some reason, some of them decided earlier this week that bringing paper, pencil, their binder, agenda or book was just Too Much Work, and they began to show up to class with nothing. They'd sit there empty handed and just look at us as if they expected us to entertain them by pulling rabbits out of a hat or something.
So, we entertained those that brought their materials to class by watching those that didn't clean out their lockers and lose locker privileges for a few days. (It worked, they now are showing up, for the most part, prepared.)
And if that isn't enough, the kids are all getting really annoyed and fussy with each other. It's spring so it must be Fight Season. Lovely. Hall duty is never as much fun as it is this time of year. This week alone we had a fight in the 8th grade hall, another in PE, another at lunch, and a few down in the sixth grade. And those are just the ones that I know about.
So the question is....are we there yet? And will we make it there in one piece?
She's right. And I wish I could reach into the back seat and slap some sense into them all.
We finished our Very Big Deal Government Mandated Tests last week, so that's no longer hanging on the horizon like a vulture waiting for some road kill. Although we all sort of feel like road kill at this point in time. We are having our reward party tomorrow (lucky me, I'm getting to work the pizza booth), which should be fun for the kids and tolerable for the adults. We get to wear jeans (always a happy day), and basically just shovel food and games at the kids while they run crazy and spend their reward tickets on things like cotton candy, door prizes, and hair painting.
Personally, I love the idea of getting them all hyped up on sugar, loading them on the buses and sending them home.
However, we still have five weeks of school. I am still assigning work. I am still taking grades. And some of these kids still need to bust their tails in order to pass. Yet, for some reason, some of them decided earlier this week that bringing paper, pencil, their binder, agenda or book was just Too Much Work, and they began to show up to class with nothing. They'd sit there empty handed and just look at us as if they expected us to entertain them by pulling rabbits out of a hat or something.
So, we entertained those that brought their materials to class by watching those that didn't clean out their lockers and lose locker privileges for a few days. (It worked, they now are showing up, for the most part, prepared.)
And if that isn't enough, the kids are all getting really annoyed and fussy with each other. It's spring so it must be Fight Season. Lovely. Hall duty is never as much fun as it is this time of year. This week alone we had a fight in the 8th grade hall, another in PE, another at lunch, and a few down in the sixth grade. And those are just the ones that I know about.
So the question is....are we there yet? And will we make it there in one piece?
Friday, April 09, 2010
My Calculator Rant, or My Kids Can't Do Math Without One
Next week we take our Very Big Deal Government Mandated Tests. Oh yipee.
Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Hummingbird and I have taught like madwomen this year and managed, despite nearly twice as many standards as last year and those seven snow days, to actually get everything done by the time the VBDGMT showed up. We've spent the past two weeks reviewing like mad, but since our review tends to be something like a cross between a game show and a relay race, it's been fun for the kids and exhausting for us. We're pretty confident they have a fairly good grasp (as far as seventh graders with the puberty brain freeze can grasp) of most of the basic science concepts.
However, the math is going to kill us.
Part of our new standards this year include Newton's Laws of Motion and simple machines, and fun little things like acceleration, velocity, work, force and all that wonderful little physical science stuff which I find really cool. However, there's a lot of math and calculations involved, such as figuring out that work equals force times distance, and power is work divided by time, and momentum is mass times velocity. (Are your eyes glazed over yet?)
We're talking simple math here - multiplying and dividing. That's it. However, we began to notice on our quizzes, our tests, and our Benchmarks that our kids can't do math without a calculator. They can punch in numbers and solve math problems until the cows come home, but ask them to do math with a pencil and paper (and their brain) and they go into shut down mode. Heck, they're not even sure how to set up a math problem without a calculator. They would read a question, say, Power = work/time, and they'd write it out and then MULTIPLY IT. Not just a handful of kids, but huge numbers of kids. Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Hummingbird and I were shocked...and promptly ran to our math teachers.
"Do you mean to tell me," I asked Mr. Math, "that without a calculator, these kids can't do math?"
"Pretty much," he said. "Welcome to my world. They don't know their multiplication tables by heart, and they depend on a calculator for everything. They may have learned their multiplication tables in fourth grade, but then they stuck a calculator in their hands and they promptly forgot everything. And we're encouraged to have them use calculators."
Oh good gracious. They don't even remember that a line between two numbers means to divide.
Math is one of those skills that you need to use to keep up with. When I was waitressing during my first round of college, I could add huge columns of numbers in my head and calculate a tip with incredible accuracy. I used math all the time and was darn good at it. Even today, I do a lot of math in my head and I was not - WAS NOT - a strong math student. (Algebra and I were not friends - it wasn't until I discovered physics that it finally clicked. Go figure.)
So, we have the kids learn their multiplication tables, and then give them a calculator. How stupid is that?
About as stupid as the State Department of Education's Decree that No Calculators Will be Allowed on Any Test Except for Math. Period.
We tried, when this first became apparent to us earlier in the year, to see if we could get the Special Ed kids that have "use of calculator" written into their IEP's permission to use calculators. Not only was the answer NO, it was a Big Fat NO.
I have kids who, quite honestly, cannot tell you how many times 3 goes into 24, who need calculators as a life skill because 2 times 6 is a challenge. These kids will be forced, along with all my other kids, to do math problems on the Very Big Deal Government Mandated Science Test, without a calculator. Even though they use calculators every freaking day in math class. And this year, about 20% of that test will be math. (I do have a few good special ed parents who are annoyed at this and asked me what to do - I suggested that as parents the state may listen to them a bit more than they listen to us teachers. Perhaps if they complained loud and long, we'd see a change.)
When we did our datachat for our last Benchmark, the kids did really well. Except for the standards that were math-based. They, bluntly, sucked. Badly. Why? They lack the basic math skills to do basic problems. And it's not just my kids, but apparently it's an issue across the entire district. And I'd guess, across the state, and most likely the country.
So, when Mrs. Eagle and I went and judged the science fair at the local elementary school a few months ago, and we found out that they'd spent some grant money buying calculators for their 2nd and 3rd graders, we pretty much told them to send them back and get a refund. They were appalled when we told them the issues that we were having with the lack of basic math skills. Again, if you don't use a skill, like doing math with a pencil, paper and your brain, you aren't going to be good at it.
Which is why our team remediation class has been doing multiplication practice, just like they did in fourth grade, several times a week (and grading those is frightening, they're so awful.) Hopefully, this practice will help a few of them.
However, I'm still incensed, that my kids are going to be, in a way, penalized because they don't have the ability to do math without a calculator. And at the same time, we stick a calculator in their hands and encourage them to use it. It makes no sense to me that they can use one for the math part of the test, but not the science part which also has math.
The politics of testing just irritates the bloody hell out of me.
Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Hummingbird and I have taught like madwomen this year and managed, despite nearly twice as many standards as last year and those seven snow days, to actually get everything done by the time the VBDGMT showed up. We've spent the past two weeks reviewing like mad, but since our review tends to be something like a cross between a game show and a relay race, it's been fun for the kids and exhausting for us. We're pretty confident they have a fairly good grasp (as far as seventh graders with the puberty brain freeze can grasp) of most of the basic science concepts.
However, the math is going to kill us.
Part of our new standards this year include Newton's Laws of Motion and simple machines, and fun little things like acceleration, velocity, work, force and all that wonderful little physical science stuff which I find really cool. However, there's a lot of math and calculations involved, such as figuring out that work equals force times distance, and power is work divided by time, and momentum is mass times velocity. (Are your eyes glazed over yet?)
We're talking simple math here - multiplying and dividing. That's it. However, we began to notice on our quizzes, our tests, and our Benchmarks that our kids can't do math without a calculator. They can punch in numbers and solve math problems until the cows come home, but ask them to do math with a pencil and paper (and their brain) and they go into shut down mode. Heck, they're not even sure how to set up a math problem without a calculator. They would read a question, say, Power = work/time, and they'd write it out and then MULTIPLY IT. Not just a handful of kids, but huge numbers of kids. Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Hummingbird and I were shocked...and promptly ran to our math teachers.
"Do you mean to tell me," I asked Mr. Math, "that without a calculator, these kids can't do math?"
"Pretty much," he said. "Welcome to my world. They don't know their multiplication tables by heart, and they depend on a calculator for everything. They may have learned their multiplication tables in fourth grade, but then they stuck a calculator in their hands and they promptly forgot everything. And we're encouraged to have them use calculators."
Oh good gracious. They don't even remember that a line between two numbers means to divide.
Math is one of those skills that you need to use to keep up with. When I was waitressing during my first round of college, I could add huge columns of numbers in my head and calculate a tip with incredible accuracy. I used math all the time and was darn good at it. Even today, I do a lot of math in my head and I was not - WAS NOT - a strong math student. (Algebra and I were not friends - it wasn't until I discovered physics that it finally clicked. Go figure.)
So, we have the kids learn their multiplication tables, and then give them a calculator. How stupid is that?
About as stupid as the State Department of Education's Decree that No Calculators Will be Allowed on Any Test Except for Math. Period.
We tried, when this first became apparent to us earlier in the year, to see if we could get the Special Ed kids that have "use of calculator" written into their IEP's permission to use calculators. Not only was the answer NO, it was a Big Fat NO.
I have kids who, quite honestly, cannot tell you how many times 3 goes into 24, who need calculators as a life skill because 2 times 6 is a challenge. These kids will be forced, along with all my other kids, to do math problems on the Very Big Deal Government Mandated Science Test, without a calculator. Even though they use calculators every freaking day in math class. And this year, about 20% of that test will be math. (I do have a few good special ed parents who are annoyed at this and asked me what to do - I suggested that as parents the state may listen to them a bit more than they listen to us teachers. Perhaps if they complained loud and long, we'd see a change.)
When we did our datachat for our last Benchmark, the kids did really well. Except for the standards that were math-based. They, bluntly, sucked. Badly. Why? They lack the basic math skills to do basic problems. And it's not just my kids, but apparently it's an issue across the entire district. And I'd guess, across the state, and most likely the country.
So, when Mrs. Eagle and I went and judged the science fair at the local elementary school a few months ago, and we found out that they'd spent some grant money buying calculators for their 2nd and 3rd graders, we pretty much told them to send them back and get a refund. They were appalled when we told them the issues that we were having with the lack of basic math skills. Again, if you don't use a skill, like doing math with a pencil, paper and your brain, you aren't going to be good at it.
Which is why our team remediation class has been doing multiplication practice, just like they did in fourth grade, several times a week (and grading those is frightening, they're so awful.) Hopefully, this practice will help a few of them.
However, I'm still incensed, that my kids are going to be, in a way, penalized because they don't have the ability to do math without a calculator. And at the same time, we stick a calculator in their hands and encourage them to use it. It makes no sense to me that they can use one for the math part of the test, but not the science part which also has math.
The politics of testing just irritates the bloody hell out of me.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Oh Yeah, I Am Alive
Sorry for the lapse in posting for a while. Didn't mean to run out on ya'll like that.
First we had our guest post April Fool's thing going, thanks to Mr. Teacher. (That Mr. Teacher, he's so silly!)
And then hubby and I went out of town for a weekend to do some Civil War battlefield touring in Georgia before spring completely sprung (you can't see earthworks much past late April due to the plant life!)
And of course Hubby's computer died and he's been using mine until we got a new one and got it set up.
So, I've been out of pocket for a bit.
And, what with dealing with the final review before our Very Big Deal Government Mandated Test next week, it's been a bit crazy.
And of course, there's always Nurse Groupie.
If this kid spent the energy she currently uses scheming for ways to visit the nurse or call home, on her school work, she'd be on the honor roll.
She survived one day without a visit to the nurse or a call to home after we implemented the plan where Mrs. Sparrow, our Assistant Principal, had to approve any such visits or calls home.
The second day she asked each of us to go to the nurse to get "personal girl things", which didn't work because we simply told her to sit down and Mrs. Sparrow would come deal with her. Which she did.
The next day she simply took herself to the nurse between classes to get her "personal girl things," and while she was there to get a baby aspirin (for who knows what.) The nurse, who usually doesn't do anything without a form filled out by a teacher, asked who gave her permission to be there, and she informed the nurse that Mr. Math did, and since she had a hallpass lanyard around her neck, the Nurse went ahead and took care of her. Only problem was she didn't ask permission, and the hallpass lanyard was really her house key on a similar colored lanyard.
Mr. Math was livid, Mrs. Sparrow even more so, and NG ended up in in-school suspension for a day. Mrs. Sparrow also called mom and informed her that it was not the school (or taxpayer's) responsibility to provide her with "personal girl things". Apparently Nurse Groupie's reasoning is that her purse is too little to carry such things so she simply wants to get them from the nurse (every class period, or every 47 minutes or so).
So today we get an email from Mom. Nurse Groupie has contacts. She also has drops with her, but mom says she's not to leave class to put the drops in. She also has some more allergies (and a new doctor appointment to get different meds) but she has a little tube of Vicks that she can rub on her nose as she's not to leave class. However, if a contact falls out, we should send her to the nurse to help her put it in as Mom doesn't want the contact lost. In other words, unless a contact comes out, She Is Not To Leave Class According to Mom.
Guess who's popping her contacts out and then wanting to go to the nurse/bathroom to put them back in every period?
Guess who now has to go to Guidance when her contact "falls" out and has to put them in under adult supervision and is then escorted promptly to class?
Yup, Nurse Groupie.
I wish, while Mom was at the doctor figuring out new allergy meds, she'd get the kid a psych eval to try to figure out this obsession with getting out of class to see the nurse, or to call home and go home. It's not like it's any particular class (it's all of them, even electives), or a kid bothering her, or a teacher she doesn't like, or whatever. Part of me is thinking she doesn't want to grow up and simply wants her mother to baby her and to let her stay home and watch television and do nothing. I don't know.
But man, she's wearing on our last nerve.
First we had our guest post April Fool's thing going, thanks to Mr. Teacher. (That Mr. Teacher, he's so silly!)
And then hubby and I went out of town for a weekend to do some Civil War battlefield touring in Georgia before spring completely sprung (you can't see earthworks much past late April due to the plant life!)
And of course Hubby's computer died and he's been using mine until we got a new one and got it set up.
So, I've been out of pocket for a bit.
And, what with dealing with the final review before our Very Big Deal Government Mandated Test next week, it's been a bit crazy.
And of course, there's always Nurse Groupie.
If this kid spent the energy she currently uses scheming for ways to visit the nurse or call home, on her school work, she'd be on the honor roll.
She survived one day without a visit to the nurse or a call to home after we implemented the plan where Mrs. Sparrow, our Assistant Principal, had to approve any such visits or calls home.
The second day she asked each of us to go to the nurse to get "personal girl things", which didn't work because we simply told her to sit down and Mrs. Sparrow would come deal with her. Which she did.
The next day she simply took herself to the nurse between classes to get her "personal girl things," and while she was there to get a baby aspirin (for who knows what.) The nurse, who usually doesn't do anything without a form filled out by a teacher, asked who gave her permission to be there, and she informed the nurse that Mr. Math did, and since she had a hallpass lanyard around her neck, the Nurse went ahead and took care of her. Only problem was she didn't ask permission, and the hallpass lanyard was really her house key on a similar colored lanyard.
Mr. Math was livid, Mrs. Sparrow even more so, and NG ended up in in-school suspension for a day. Mrs. Sparrow also called mom and informed her that it was not the school (or taxpayer's) responsibility to provide her with "personal girl things". Apparently Nurse Groupie's reasoning is that her purse is too little to carry such things so she simply wants to get them from the nurse (every class period, or every 47 minutes or so).
So today we get an email from Mom. Nurse Groupie has contacts. She also has drops with her, but mom says she's not to leave class to put the drops in. She also has some more allergies (and a new doctor appointment to get different meds) but she has a little tube of Vicks that she can rub on her nose as she's not to leave class. However, if a contact falls out, we should send her to the nurse to help her put it in as Mom doesn't want the contact lost. In other words, unless a contact comes out, She Is Not To Leave Class According to Mom.
Guess who's popping her contacts out and then wanting to go to the nurse/bathroom to put them back in every period?
Guess who now has to go to Guidance when her contact "falls" out and has to put them in under adult supervision and is then escorted promptly to class?
Yup, Nurse Groupie.
I wish, while Mom was at the doctor figuring out new allergy meds, she'd get the kid a psych eval to try to figure out this obsession with getting out of class to see the nurse, or to call home and go home. It's not like it's any particular class (it's all of them, even electives), or a kid bothering her, or a teacher she doesn't like, or whatever. Part of me is thinking she doesn't want to grow up and simply wants her mother to baby her and to let her stay home and watch television and do nothing. I don't know.
But man, she's wearing on our last nerve.
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