S.W.A.G.

'Tis Friday.....ahhhhhh! My toes feel free of my work shoes, my body feels free of talking, my head feels momentarily free of school worries. It's Friday.......

I spent part of my summer recruiting family members into helping me make "Brag Tags" or as we call them in 2nd Grade "SWAG Tags." (Students with Awesome Goals) So periodically students earn them they hang them on their own personal chain. I wasn't sure how these would go in the classroom. Let's just say they are a HIT. They are better than stickers, little erasers, and any cheap little plastic thing-a-ma-bob you might give a kid as a reward. It is in part because they are specific. For example  I followed the rules in P.E.,  Super Speller, I know my math facts, and more such as that. There are also a few that are "Happy Birthday", "First Day of Fall" or "I lost a tooth", they are earned just by showing up (or losing a tooth). We need to have a couple of those for the kids that have a lot of difficulty showing determination, or cooperation, or appreciation. Maybe they just have trouble in every way. They get some SWAG. It means more when they earn it, but a little bit of the other doesn't hurt.

Anyhow I was thinking about all these amazing encouraging S.W.A.G. tags. I show Teamwork, I read 25 Books, and the like. Here are some way more realistic possibilities for S.W.A.G. Tags...

I didn't put my pencil eraser in my mouth today.
I didn't pick my nose and wipe my boogers on the wall.
I didn't pick my nose today.
I didn't wipe my boogers on my sleeve!
I used a KLEENEX!
I stopped talking with the teacher asked for quiet.
I can wipe my own butt!
I remembered to wear my glasses!
I didn't touch my neighbor in line today.
I listened to the directions the 1st time!
I put on my own band-aide.
I didn't visit the nurse for an imaginary injury today.
I didn't break my pencil in the lid of my desk!
I wore a coat on a cold day!
I packed a healthy lunch!
I didn't pack a 16oz cola in my lunch!
I walked in the hallway.
I went to the bathroom during recess.
I kept my scissors away from my hair!
I didn't eat the Glue!
I rolled the glue-stick down so it didn't stick to the lid!
My chair didn't buck me off today!
My friends didn't make me talk loud!
My homework folder was turned in on time!
I didn't kick anyone during recess!
I didn't have Detention this week!
I didn't have Detention today!
I didn't say any curse words today!
I didn't flip anyone the bird today!
I didn't throw up today.
My family treated the whole house and me for head lice.
I didn't punch holes in my eraser with my pencil!
I raised my hand!
I raised my hand and waited to be called upon!
I didn't write on my neighbors paper!
I didn't cheat on the test!
I kept my hands out of my neighbors desk!
I didn't have any empty (wrappers, milk containers, water bottles, etc) in my desk!
I wasn't absent  the last hour of school!
I didn't stick my fingers in the food at lunch!
I wasn't tardy today, this week, this month!
I washed my hands!
I'm never absent for Field Trips!

Anyhow you get the general idea.... Here is some for teachers...

I graded papers today!
I graded papers and logged their grades!
I didn't vomit when my student vomited!
I didn't gag over the fart smell.
I didn't change my clothes when Booger Hands hugged me!
I gave high fives to every student including "Booger Hands"
I didn't throw myself on the floor when the principal said we were changing the plan again!
I didn't cry when they scheduled us another meeting.
I did my homework for my online class!
I made my lunch today!
I was nice to the hovercraft parent!
I didn't cry today!
I remembered to put on lotion after washing my hands 2,000 times today!
I bought stock in Sanitizer!
I took my Vitamins!
I am not an Alcoholic!
I got through my whole lesson plan today!
I wrote lesson plans!
I didn't eat a donut from the staff room!
I cut out my lamination!
I came to work today!
I didn't call in sick this week!
I survived the day after Halloween!
I survived the day before Christmas Break!
I survived!

Mountain View

These are the mountains we see at our school every day. The orange and yellow on the side are the trees changing colors. They are beautiful. Last week when we had rain they had snow that creeped down the sides. We'll see what they look like in winter. I love looking at them.

I was a bit nervous today. I had a parent that was coming in and based on the message I thought she'd be pretty cranky. It was a completely different experience when she came in! Yay! We addressed the behavior that had been going on and how we'd handle it. I dislike messages sometimes because they don't convey as well what you are trying to say. Sometimes it needs to be face to face.

I graded a lot of papers last night. However, we haven't been able to use our grading software as of yet. The district had to decide how grades would be put in and what report card we would choose. It was a bit ridiculous to take this long, but it did. I think (knock on wood) I have it set up correctly now and can start inputting grades. Wish me luck.

Enjoy your evening...

NOT

What I am NOT doing tonight is watching the presidential debate. I can't handle that kind of stress on a Monday night. What I am also NOT doing on a Monday night is watching football. I don't even know if there is a game, but if there is I am NOT watching it. Everyone should quit watching the NFL in my opinion until those spoiled punks start acting like grown-ups.

What I AM doing is  over-cooking chicken and suffocating in the smoke. I actually think it has just the right amount of charcoal.I may have to open a window. I AM also doing a load of laundry and dishes. I brought a couple of things home to do and I'm not sure my tired self wants to do them.

My mother, who usually has only my best interests in mind, ordered strongly suggested that I drink a Chia Seed Drink. I have been listening to this order suggestion for several days. The stars aligned and I found it at the grocery store. It looked unappetizing  but I bought it anyway because my mom told me suggested I do so.  I  threw it in my lunch bag this morning not looking too closely at it. After I ate my lunch I pulled the bottle out. It looks like a bottle of something you'd give a Zombie. It is red and very close to the red of your blood. It is full of Chia Seeds. The Chia Seeds had soaked up the liquid and became small white floating objects. So in the red blood white little maggot like Chia Seeds floated. Are you hungry?  I could tell you more about the hideous flavor but I won't. I called mom to share my review today. She suggested that I call Dad if I wanted to get any empathy. He empathized and said there was only one way to deal with this disgusting product "Close your eyes and chug it down."  It better cure whatever my dear mom thinks ails me. Something that nasty should be a cure of many things.

A student brought in a bunny as an unscheduled show-and-tell. I had several students intimidated by the bunny and I had to take their hand in mine to get them to pet it. I think it was those devilish red bunny eyes. The poor bunny had been to four classes. That's a lot of love from kids. The bunny survived and everyone had fun. Then I got out the Febreeze because  it smelled like bunny pee.

Prednisone, Field Trips, and Territory Disputes

Made it through another week. The Dr. put me on prednisone last weekend a six day course to reboot my system. I just couldn't seem to get my allergies under control no matter what I tried. It worked! The upside or downside of prednisone is what it does to you. It is steroids. No I didn't have "roid" rage but I was able to accomplish a lot, in little time, with little sleep.  It had me so wired! In one night I ran several errands after work, did a few loads of laundry, laminated a whole array of things for my class, did lesson planning, printed off documents, folded clothes, and took out the trash.  I didn't sleep well after all of that either. What was amusing is I had labeled all these file folders for some documents we use in class all the time. Then all I needed was a parent volunteer to come in and make copies. Then wouldn't you know it..the parent comes in...the copier has crashed. There ya go! It was lucky I had completed a lot of laminating because the parent just cut it out for me instead. So the rest of the week wasn't quite as productive as that first night. However, I did manage to get a lot done every day none-the-less.  I am glad I am off the prednisone. I hope I can maintain my allergies.

My mom was highly amused by this little tale. I don't find it nearly that amusing. She really thought I should share. So here ya go....

This week we met as a grade level team to plan and discuss an upcoming field trip. I have not experienced a field trip here and they were explaining to me how things would go. First you can't give parents the option of riding the bus with the class.  That confused me as we've always had a couple of parents on the bus for field trips. Well these  mom's are quite territorial and somewhat aggressive. Pretty soon you will have absolute chaos and anger as the moms fight over the available bus spots.  They try to beat each other to the teacher to be the first to request to ride the bus. Then we have seven second grade classes. So with that many classes, teachers, and teachers aides, there isn't enough room for parents to ride. Then they told me that they have so many parents that want to go they have a train of about 20 plus cars driving behind all the buses. The parents even carpool to the field trip site. They are encouraged to carpool to the field trip site because they have ran out of parking. We apparently even send lunch boxes in a "mom car" because we run out of room on the bus for student lunch boxes.  

Then there is the actual field trip. Apparently this "fossil" field trip is a local tradition. A tradition that maybe should've gone by the wayside in the last twenty years. There is a local place where you used to be able to dig and immediately find fossils.  A colleague of mine said she went on her second grade field trip (she's in her mid-twenties) and you could find fossils then.  Now after this many years of public access and yearly second grade field trips from across the county it is more a trek in the dirt. Local geologists do a little presentation before we go look for fossils. So now a field trip continues that probably should be obsolete. Apparently we also have to remind students that bullet casings are not fossils and should be left on the ground.  My colleagues also said that the best part of the field trip was going to the public park to eat lunch afterward. That made me laugh. We have  a member of our team that has been teaching at this school for 27 years. She is part of the tradition. We may let this tradition fall by the wayside next year when she retires.  I will try to post some photo evidence of this field trip in October.

Speaking of territorial and aggressive moms. I had a mom come in to volunteer and make some copies for me. She and I got the giggles after leaving the copy room. There were a handful of mom's in there volunteering for other teachers. They had staked their claim and marked their territory. The copy room was their space and we were clearly interlopers. If we wanted to make copies we would have to bow to their superiority. It was hysterically funny. I had NO idea the copy room would be so overwhelmingly scented with ownership! If you volunteer at a school proceed into the copy room with caution. You don't want to make the "land-owners" mad by trespassing onto their perceived land. I don't know if land disputes such as these erupt into violence, but I wouldn't take the chance!

I am dog sitting and chinchilla sitting this weekend. I came home to do some laundry and will probably head into school for a bit this afternoon.  Happy Weekend to all....

Preparations

 I dropped into urgent care yesterday. I couldn't seem to get my allergies under control. The Dr. gave me prednisone to get me whacked back into shape. I totally crashed last night and this morning. I went to my buddies birthday party yesterday and his mom looked at me as I almost fell asleep in their living room chair and said "Why don't you go to urgent care." It was right down the street. He agreed that it was allergies. He gave me a back up of anti-biotics just in case it moved into an infection.

I went into school this afternoon and ended up spending 3 and 1/2 hours there prepping for next week. I still don't feel completely ready. I worked the whole time as well. Sigh. I brought some work home to plan. I got home and remembered I have everything to make Potato Kale Soup. So I gathered up all the ingredients to make that.  That will be my lunch this week. So that should be good.

I work with really wonderful people. They've just made me feel so welcome. It is such a huge change. The principal was in this weekend painting. She painted a lot of our walls and was just doing some touch up. It kind of cracked me up. I am thinking she likes to paint.

Well I'm off to finish making my soup and prep for another busy week.

Friday Birthday!

Happy Friday...and birthday to me!  It was a busy fun day. Our amazing office staff decided to buy the staff lunch today. That was nice because I had brought myself a can of soup and a can opener for lunch.

This afternoon one of our secretaries walks in and asks a couple of my students to come out in the hallway for a moment. I don't ask questions and they come back in a couple minutes later with an amazing birthday gift.

It's made from wire coat hangers.

What made it even more special is that it was an unexpected surprise.







A parent was waiting for me by my classroom Monday morning. I had went to pick up some things from my school mail box and make some copies. I could see the stress in her face. I asked her if she was okay and she claimed she was fine. I said clearly you are not okay and asked what was going on. So she very embarrassingly told me her daughter has head lice. Oh boy. Well I'd been through this before. I was very sympathetic and walked her down to the nurse because I wasn't sure of our schools policy. Our very abrupt and normally impatient school nurse was very kind and offered suggestions. Anyhow the parent kept her child out of school that day to treat her and all that fun stuff. Needless to say I've been scratching my head every day since then. Sigh...

So another parent came in to volunteer today. It was super helpful. This kind person and her husband are raising a family members children. I don't know what the children have been through but I can tell she is really wanting to be the best parent she can be.  It is amazing how many families are in this position of raising others children. It is tough to take that on. The awesome news is she is a competent, kind, helpful volunteer. YAY! Another mom stopped in to ask how she could help too! She has a little one so just asked to help with copies. PERFECT. Copies are the bane of my existence. Despite all the life lessons copying has taught me. Another mom really really would love to be in my classroom, every single minute, of my day, hovering over her child, and putting bubble wrap around any potential fall. I talked with another teacher after school and she suggested I put her in charge of something big, but not happening soon, that she could plan for. So I asked her to put together a plan and games for our Halloween Party.  That was great advice. She doesn't have to help at school but she can still be involved in something fun. I hope this works! Whew

So I'm really glad no one was about to witness my clumsiness this evening. I made myself a hot cup of tea. I've been drinking a lot to help with my allergies. I put it in a large mug because I wanted to drink a lot of it. As I leaned in for my first sip I spilled on my chest, yelped, jumped and spilled in my lap. Yelped louder and longer set it on my floor ran to my bathroom pulling off garments to start soaking myself in water. I was walking a bit like a bronc rider after a serious 8 seconds. I managed to scrape my knee on the edge of my cedar chest as I wobbled around. So yeah.... that was entertaining. All that for a cup of tea.

I was talking with a friend this evening. I was discussing options for my birthday dinner. She as a stay at home mom thought I should go out or at least order steak delivered. Well as it is not only my birthday but Mexico's Independence Day I'd been craving Mexican food since my cousin-in-law suggested it. I thought about the Mexican place right down the road but it has had a terrible smell when I've driven by. Another option is in the "barrio" and by myself after dark it isn't an option. That's what my Spanish friends call that area. The other place is on the other side of town. What the bottom line was though... I wanted something a little spicy that would make my nose run. I thought about Taco Bell but that causes another kind of running. My friend says to me "I think it's cute that you think Taco Bell is spicy." I had to laugh. Yeah you have a point. So I ended up insulting all of Mexico ( I apologize) and went and bought a can of chili. Way better than Taco Bell. Way worse than really good Mexican food. Is it enough that I thought of you Mexico? Maybe not the best birthday dinner ever, but the bottom line is, it was just what I wanted.

Thanks to all my family and friends for the random, wonderful, funny, birthday wishes and gifts!

Lessons learned...at the copier

You make think the copy machine is there for convenience. That is a good generalization however, there is more to the copier than you know. You learn patience at the copier. You will have successfully copied 21 copies for your class of 23 and it will run out of paper. Sometimes it will jam  then you must seek out which of the 32 possible jam sites it could be in. Then it could be a false jam. No jam there it just felt like being opened up and investigated.  Some copiers are set up to be your printer. So you go to pick up what you'd printed and it has disappeared. Did the copy elf take it? Did it not print? Is it in the printing queue and you just have to wait?

The copier is a lesson in determination. Do you have not only the skill set to run the copier but to not give up when your two sided copy prints one sided AGAIN? Can you withstand the heat of the copy room to make your copies for the week? Can you wait patiently behind a person who is making copies for a weekend party they are having? (Also known as unauthorized use, and wasted resources). I want to talk to them when we run out of paper in a month.  There is pressure put on you when someone comes in behind you ready to use it. Can you ignores the sighs, the hinting shuffling of papers, the small talk that is really asking you how much longer?

The copier is a lesson in skill building. Do you know how to do a double sided, folded, collated, stapled, book of learning? Well, neither do I? if you've mastered that I need a lesson. I usually figure it out by trial and error but then never remember what the error side was.  Why don't they have instructions in copy rooms. Also, sometimes I can magically choose to hole punch those pages and sometimes not.  So yes it takes skill. Mastery of this skill takes time. More time than I want to allow for making copies.  As teachers we must be life-long learners. I guarantee once I get the hang of this copy machine it will die a terrible over-heated death and we'll get  a new one.

You also learn discretion at the copier. You must think before you print. You never know who is in the copy room that is going to review your copy!

For Granny...

I know a lot of wonderful things about my granny. However, last week I remembered another thing. I had went to the grocery store. Impulsively I bought a bottle of Concord Grape Juice. I had a little when I got home but there was a missing ingredient.  I had some Lemon/Lime Soda in the fridge and added a little to it. Yep, that's the way it is supposed to be. We called it Kick-a-poo while growing up. Not sure why... but there ya go! You can also make your own Kick-a-poo! Thanks Granny :)

Ants, Laundry, School, etc...

Whew! Made it through the second week of school!  There is a bit of a learning curve. In a new building you aren't certain of the routines, procedures, what's going to pop up that needs to be done. It seems like there is something daily. My team is really trying to make sure all of us newbies are well informed. They are probably overwhelmed having such a new team.

Last night I was tuckered out, but felt wired. So I started doing laundry until I could get my mind to rest. I was able to get quite a bit of laundry done. I have an extensive "To-Do" list for school next week. However, my first goal is getting my house clean.  I didn't accomplish a lot during the week other than a couple loads of  dishes. So I have some picking up, vacuuming, and general cleaning to do. If I don't get distracted that shouldn't take too long.

My landlord hired a company from the big city to come and look at the ant situation. I haven't seen any since the beginning of the week. However, as I was doing laundry last night I noticed that I had ant carcasses all over the floor next to the dryer. I never noticed they were in there. I missed that lovely entrance. I don't know if the dryer heat killed them or what? I don't even know how they got in there...! I am glad I haven't seen any live bodies! A couple of times I last weekend I did see ants carrying the carcasses of their pals across the floor. That was creepy.

I had a "Growth Mindset" class on Tuesday night after work. It was an enjoyable class. Then the next day after school was our planning day. Only we were missing three of our colleagues. We had agreed we would stay on Wednesday until we got it done! That did NOT happen.  So I made sure I stayed and helped however I could.  I was VERY tired when I got home that night. So the last couple days of school this week  I know I wasn't well rested. I will just have to make sure I have a good plan for the end of the week.

I am attempting a new Math Curriculum. The only reason I am attempting it, is because the District is most likely going to adopt it next year. I hate it. It is wrong for all kinds of reasons. One I believe students need a lot of concrete practice. This means they do math hands on with manipulatives before attempting equations. Some kids will get it without the hands on, but in my school experience the more they can see it, and touch it, the better their understanding is. There is VERY LITTLE hands on with this program. The second thing WRONG with it is the pictorial aspect. If kids can see it in a picture in a real world way it makes more sense. There is NONE of that with this program. It is mostly abstract. Which means it is just the numbers and symbols. This program expects students to understand at a very deep level mental math strategies but gives them very little visual or hands on activities to help them build that skill. Third it spirals in a very strange way. The curriculum is based on an researched high quality curriculum but they warped it. In really ugly ways they warped it and turned it into something it should not be. So WHAT am I going to do? I know the philosophy of the curriculum on which it was based. I was advised to teach it with that philosophy. Unfortunately for me that is going to take some time for me to read each lesson, figure out the "meat" of that lesson, and then adapt it to what I know is right.  Why our district is choosing this. Well it's "free". Free is better than spending money. So "free" it is. Sigh. I have some work to do.  I know it's the right thing to do.

The Camponotus Consobrinus Battle

If you've been reading my blog recently you know that I've been engaged in a battle. I am still engaged and feel like I am losing. I came home from school to discover a few ants here and there in my guest bathroom. AAARRRGGGH. I didn't want to call my landlord and have the nasty spray sprayed again. So I went online to search out some "home-made" ant killers. I discovered the Borax, Sugar, Water solution. I didn't have cotton balls so I used a napkin. I couldn't tell where the ants were coming from so I just left it where I saw the most walking about.  I left it and checked in the middle of the night. The napkin was covered with ants. They were coming from under the door trim. Then by this evening I didn't see any more live ants in my bathroom.  Then I decided I needed to run to the grocery store. I put on my shoes and walked out to the living room. In front of my door I noticed something black. Yep, MORE ANTS. So this is a new location. The borax solution I had left in a jar in case I needed more. I heated it up for a few seconds in the microwave and shook it up to make sure it was well mixed again. I soaked another napkin and set it down. It appears to be working. I can only hope!

When I went to the grocery store I bought cotton balls to place some more "bait" out.  I don't know why the ants are invading this year but they are out in force. I get one area covered and they pop up somewhere else.

I completed my first week back to school.  It has been a very different back to school experience.  I have the most thoughtful and kind colleagues. I received several welcome gifts including a very nice one from my principal. I have just been made to feel so welcomed. It is a very different working environment from my experience. Then there are the kids. I had a parent at Back-To-School Night that notified me their son went only by the first letter of his name.   I am simply not from the inner city.  I never spoke like that. I can't call you by your first initial.  I find myself wanting to say "Yo" in front of that initial and speak gangster. That's just inappropriate coming from a teacher so I call him by his name. No complaints have been filed as of yet. 

I also have a little beaver in my class. There as been crayons chewed through and eaten. The yellow from the pencil completely removed.  Hair chewed on and the ends of hoodie drawstrings. If all else fails the fingers go into the mouth or the nose. It's a toss up which one of those two orifices they will go in but they will be found there.  So I need to get this kiddo some appropriate chewy things. I don't know that crayons and yellow paint do much for ones digestive system. 

At the grocery store this evening I was unloading my cart and next to me a couple was unloading groceries into their car. They had a baby sitting in the seat and a little girl standing in their cart. She looked at me and said "You are ca-ca" I gave her my best disapproving teacher face and she said "You not ca-ca."  Her parents had been talking to each other the entire time and I don't think they heard her words at all. Her dad was smoking a cigarette that was blowing smoke into his babies faces. I heard him complaining about the cost of groceries, then complaining they couldn't get benefits because he made too much money.  If you're struggling and you have babies to feed you can't give up cigarettes? Anyhow, I think tonight won't be the first time that little girl sees disapproving teacher face. However, at least she understands that we may have to change our words. 

I have quite a bruise on my arm from my bloodletting last week.  I hope they run the tests I asked them to run. I have little confidence. 

Well, I am off to do some laundry. Tomorrow I am going to school for awhile then probably hanging with my little buddy for awhile! He wanted to come over but had a list of demands. He wanted my I-pad, two trains, and some tracks. His mom said we'd have to pull some out of his box and sneak them over. What he really wants is "Sha" to buy some trains for her house.  I have a caboose and every time he sees it he tells me to buy the rest of the train.  Have a good night....