The Egg!

When good things roll in we must not forget to share. I almost forgot to share this. I made a fantastic purchase! Before I perorate on about this remarkable item I would like to remind you of another great book. It is one of my all time favorites because it is funny, honest, and somehow a snapshot of life that is real. The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald. It was made into a film and had a spin off T.V. show. The book is biographical and is about the life of Betty in the 20's. It is about her life on the Olympic Peninsula  as the wife of a chicken farmer. If you haven't read it get it on your Kindle now and prepare to laugh out loud! I think of this book when I think of eggs... which brings me to my purchase.

I bought a counter top egg cooker! It works perfectly. I tend to boil eggs for too long or remove them too soon. As I mentioned in this Mother's Day post.  I don't know if mom is using it as much as I am, but I love it! The eggs peel easily when you remove them. It turns off automatically when the eggs are cooked. I could probably even attempt a Deviled Egg since this little device came into my life. I think I have a mild egg allergy so I try not to over do it, but this makes me want to eat more eggs. Luckily, no one has figured out a way to make a Frosted Triple Chocolate Cake in a counter top device or I could have trouble.  I highly recommend this little egg cooker. I will probably will blather on about this again. You've been warned. 

Sharing Joy!

You know your day has taken a terrible turn when you attempt to share the love of a great book and are denied. This particular book is so very popular that there is an item limit on Amazon. You are allowed 1 purchase and 1 purchase only. The demand is high and the available stock is low. I've been privileged to share this wonderful text with one family. Only ONE family and really truly the joy SHOULD be spread Far and Wide! What to do? Call a family member to order it for you. Once again there is a problem because there is a LIMIT of ONE! Like I said before this book is very special and MUST be shared!  I had to find the publisher. Once I found the publisher they gave me options for purchasing from other sites. Things were looking up! Then terrible disappointment when the shipping costs were absolutely ridiculous. I will NOT give up! I will not share the title of this amazing text quite yet. It could be coming to a mailbox near you! I would hate to ruin this Fantastic Surprise for others.

Original

Do you know what bums me out about most music now? It is so crude. Why can't you have a little innuendo without getting all the details out there? Most of that will go right over kids heads! I don't think most radio is for the consumption of minors and when I hear them singing certain songs I wince over the lyrics.

The second thing that bums me out about music now is if someone  makes it big. They find about 32 other people that sound a little bit like so-and-so and make about 145 songs similar to theirs and it gets really boring really fast. I heard a  country singer popular in the mid-nineties say that he hasn't heard a country song on the radio that doesn't have "girl" in it right now. It's true. They find a formula then they beat it to death. There is a lack of originality.


You once could turn on the radio and know immediately oh that is "name here." Most artists were unique and original. Not so much anymore. Sad...

Here is a goodie with a couple of originals...

Nightmare or Dream!

Holiday Weekend Nightmare or Dream?

This morning I had a vivid, realistic, disorienting dream. I dreamed that I woke up and it was Tuesday. Tuesday at  one o'clock in the afternoon. Tuesday, when I should have been at work long ago. I looked down I was wearing my work clothes. I couldn't make sense of the time. How, did I wake up so late. Why don't I remember changing into my work clothes. How could I get up and get dressed and not go to work? Did I take medication? I didn't take medication. I looked at my clothing again. How could I explain to my bosses why I never showed up at work? The sun was high and shining bright in my apartment. I kept looking at the clock and looking at my clothes. I grabbed my phone and it said it was Tuesday as well. Panic was setting in.  I then really woke up. I looked down at my pajamas. I looked at the time. I looked at the date and the day. I double checked my phone. I started breathing easier and easier. Still Monday....Whew.

Sigh...of...relief...

9 days of school left. Then I can start the nightmares of a repeat year with "that" student.

STEM

I went to a STEM training today. It was mostly fun and we had exciting activities. Although, most of the day I kept asking myself was that really a STEM project. STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. They often throw in an "A" making it STEAM by adding an Art component.  I think now they even add an "R" making it STREAM with Reading. Which is kind of silly because of course reading was always involved.  Anyhow, were the activities I did really STEM? I think some were and some were not. Many kind of missed that engineering component. The engineering aspect means that students should develop and create models. These could  include diagrams, drawings, physical replicas, mathematical representations, analogies, and computer simulations. I think we may have missed the mark a bit.

Scientific inquiry begins with asking a question and answering that question through investigation. I think that is what we mostly did today. While engineering involves the formulation of a problem that can be solved through design. We asked questions and answered these questions through an activity for the most part. We didn't solve problems with design. That is a pretty big ask. I get why for the most part we do Scientific Inquiry. It is easier. There is tons of information available quickly to do Scientific Inquiry. Which is a really good thing. Engineering practices however, I think force teachers to think a little deeper about how to put them into practice. The products of science are explanations for a phenomena and the products of engineering are solutions. Hmmm... How can I engage my students in true STEM activities!

Scaaaaaaaaarrrryyyyyyyy......

Sooo I scared myself tonight. I kept hearing this little scratching noise by my door. It would go away then start up again. I kept imagining what might be on the outside of my door scritching and scratching away. I didn't dare open it to check. The creature on the other side might creep in my door right? The sound went away for awhile then became really loud. I about jumped out of my skin. I was trying to build up the courage to go check it out when......... I discovered the real culprit. I had a package of bottle water by the door. I had emptied enough from there that some of them had fallen over. The whole package started slllooooowwwly leaning to one side and the bottles were rubbing against each other making this scritching scratching noise as they tipped over. Clearly I've watched too many murder mysteries.

Night Chores

In the middle of the night I've been getting a lot done. At the end of the day I come home so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. It has occurred quiet often lately that I fall asleep for a few hours and then get up wide awake. It happened again this evening. I did manage to throw a load of clothes in the washer before crashing. I woke up took it out and put in a new load. I even unloaded and loaded the dishwasher. If it helps me make it to the end of the year I suppose I can accept this schedule. It may be a symptom that my Vitamin D levels are dropping though, so I plan to up them for a little bit.

It rained again this evening and snow is expected. Not a lot of snow but just enough to let you know Mother Nature is still in charge. The rain offers my lungs relief as well as the crisp cool air. I am not on the complain train about fresh spring rain.

We start testing this week. They have a terrible testing schedule that they refuse to modify in any way. I cannot believe they ask these very active second graders to sit for that long without a break. It is wrong. I have offered a couple of suggestions and hit brick walls every time. They cannot see alternatives and do not wish to hear them. I plan on telling my students if you need a break, stand up, look around, ask to go to the bathroom, get a drink, etc. I have many VERY active kids of both genders. One of the problems is we have approximately 900 students and not enough computers or computer labs. Since we are not a Title 1 school we do not get extra funding for such items. 1 Computer lab and 3 Chrome book carts serve our huge student body. We had half of that number of students at my previous school and we had  4 computer labs and one cart.  After our arduous testing schedule I will have to cut my students some slack the rest of the day.

Our towns centennial is happening soon. In celebration different businesses have purchased huge 5 foot tall cowboy boots. Local artists have painted them and they've been placed throughout the town. It is kind of fun to see them popping up all over.

Well, I am off to sleep for round 2. G'nite

Rain

There are times as a teacher you are exposed to heartbreak. What small children suffer through at the hands of those who should love them the most is gut-wrenching. This one will stay with me for awhile. If you believe in prayer...pray. Maybe hearts will soften and change toward a child. I hope.

I finished up reading  "The 13 Story Treehouse" to my students and started a new book. I love to end the year with this book "The Search for Delicious". It is a fantastic tale occurring in the springtime of a kingdom of long ago. It immediately engages the students. It is well written with rich language. It is fun to take this reading journey with my students wholly engaged in a great story. It is a very FUN part of teaching.

A fabulous event occurred this evening. It rained. I was so thrilled to hear the rain on the tin carport roof. The fresh air did wonderful things for my lungs. I should be sad that it is supposed to snow tomorrow, but I am looking forward to it. The effect of all this sunshine and moisture is a bumper crop of mosquitoes the experts tell us. It also creates a lot of plant growth and can make for a fearsome fire season when the growth dries out. I remember reading a poem or short story. I do not recall the author. They spoke of springtime and the veil of green creeping over the land. It is that time of year. The green has come down the mountainsides and across the valley. It doesn't stay green for long here, but I enjoy it while it lasts.

My mother is one of those mothers who wants NOTHING for Mother's Day.  However, I am sure she'd elicit some epic guilt if we didn't acknowledge her in some small way. HA😀! This year my brother and I purchased her an egg boiler. Everyone looks at me so puzzled when I say this. My mom can boil eggs pretty well. This handy little appliance  will boil your egg and you can safely walk away and do something else. It turns off when the eggs have completed the cooking cycle. Getting mom an egg boiler brought about a conversation about cooking. I  wouldn't hesitate to say that I am a much better cook than mom (If nothing else more patient) except when it comes to boiling eggs. I remove them too soon, or leave them too long. Mom seems to have egg boiling mastered. However, now she can boil them and walk away and give instructions to others, do laundry, make a cup of tea, etc. I expect Dad will be eating boiled eggs in his salads with greater frequency. You are welcome Dad.

Now, Dad... Father's Day is coming soon. He decided to purchase his own Father's Day present. Which luckily involved buying something online. He doesn't buy things online. He generally calls his daughter to buy things online for him. That makes this Father's Day and easy gift. I already know what he wants because he told me what to order. Then I had to kindly decline his dollars and purchase it for him anyhow. If you are into hours upon hours of Country Music and reminiscing about Country Music. You can  look up Country's Family Reunion and order a DVD or 12. You can even join the DVD of the month club and continuously torture your friends and family. It is a gift that keeps on giving. If you long for  a solitary life... play it loud enough everyone disappears.

Jumping Rope

I've had jump ropes hanging in my classroom for student use all year long. How many jump ropes used? ZERO! There has been so many issues on the playground I thought maybe it is time for a new activity. I've never even seen kids using the jump ropes provided by the school. I pulled them off the hook today taught them a couple of jump rope rhymes. I showed them how to rotate people in and out and keep the line moving. There were a few that had no sense of how to swing the rope. I hope this will give them another positive playground activity. Maybe it will help with a little of the playground drama.

One of the playground issues is that boys significantly outnumber girls. This creates an environment where all the boys want to play the same game (usually soccer) and are unleashed maniacs. Okay maybe not that bad. I'd love for their soccer coach to come visit the mayhem of soccer on the playground. I think the coach would cry. My students were angry at me because I told them snow on the ground means no soccer. If you'd seen the kids slipping and sliding across the icy playground after a soccer ball it would give you anxiety attacks. I didn't mind the playing of soccer on the ice. I minded the perpetual injuries on the ice. There was a lot of pouting when I said no soccer on ice. When the snow was gone they could play again. The upside of soccer on the playground is that all of these boys run the entire recess. They need to run the entire recess!

The lunch ladies were tired of soccer drama and told the kids there would be NO Soccer for the rest of the year. It seemed excessive to me. There has been a few times individuals have lost soccer privileges for not being team players and fighting. It wasn't a permanent ban. The kids were told you'd better have good sportsmanship or I will take it away again. It pretty much took care of most of the issues. Not sure why the lunch ladies couldn't identify the individuals that might be creating problems and have them go do something else. Our lunch ladies are the stereotypical grumpy grouchy lunch ladies. I used to help round up kids and get them moving in the lunch room, but I got so much attitude from them that I refuse to help anymore.

Do you know how hard it is to find jump rope rhymes that aren't spine chilling? There are mostly disturbing jump rope rhymes. It didn't seem like the kids new any so I picked a few that didn't make me go "WHAT?"!   I ordered a couple of new jump ropes too. I thought about playing them a double dutch video. Then I realized that I'd have boys attempting athletic prowess that they do not possess! So yeah.... one jump....one person...one rope at a time!

WHY!

WHY would a curriculum committee choose a curriculum for elementary school that is weak in phonics? It is the same reason your child gravitates toward the box of Lucky Charms. Its bright attractive and implies sugary sweetness. It has a pretty pretty package. The marshmallows are little online extras like videos and software. The leprechaun is those pre-made worksheets that are cute but offer no substance. The sugar is all those "books" that are almost good, but not quite. It makes it taste really good though so you're distracted and don't notice you're eating cardboard. Look it comes with all these books!!  Yes, but wouldn't it be better to choose books that are written well and not edited for space?  

These companies that sell basal reading programs have made a beautiful, beautiful package. Very smart people who should know better are choosing the pretty package. WHY? What is easier giving your kid a bowl of cereal or making them a breakfast from scratch.  They can make the bowl of cereal without help. YOU have to do the work on breakfast from scratch.  So, it sounds like they after looking at three basal reading programs will look no further. They will choose the prettiest package. Then they will have to figure out how to teach kids phonics in a meaningful way. There will be lots of extra visits to an interventionist because they were given sugar and no substance. 

ARRRGGGHHHH

Other than that I have no strong opinions on the matter 😉

It was a Cultural Event!

Having scraped through several lice outbreaks unscathed I am slightly paranoid about these wicked bugs. That is why when My scalp started itching today lice was the first thing that came to mind. Which of course made the itching exponentially worse. I stripped the bed and hopped in the shower. When I came out of the shower the itching was temporarily better then even worse. I looked in the mirror and discovered the culprit. My sunburn was peeling all around my scalp and into the hair. My neck was peeling, and my ears were peeling right now to the lobes. Never go without sunscreen.

My Friday night was spent covering nachos with that nasty chemical concoction they call "Nacho Cheese." Didn't like it before and it is vomit inducing now. After stirring the toxic sludge around and ladling it onto tortilla chips all evening it became the cause for nightmares. It was our annual school dance fundraiser. There was a D.J. who played songs the kids knew and it was a packed house. I made a lot of nachos.

 Since it was held on the 5th of May it was a Cinco de Mayo themed party. One deemed the mustaches racist. I don't know if the serapes, sombreros, cacti, pinatas. and ponchos were racist I didn't have a chance to ask them. I supposed we could have been guilty cultural appropriation. (EYE ROLL HERE.) Fun was had by all of us racists, non-racists, males, females, cultural appreciators, cultural appropriators, senior citizens, middle year citizens, Jr. citizens, and that other category Nacho Cheese Dispensers. Although the Nacho Cheese Dispenser's feet really hurt by the end of the night.

I know this event is coming around next year, I have planned for a second pair of shoes.

UPDATE: I totally forgot to share what toxic cheese does to keys! So I loaned my keys to another teacher to go into the main building to wash the toxic cheese trays. The keys were returned to me quite wet and a little yellow.  I received them along with many apologies. During the weekend I threw the lanyard into the wash and it cleaned up nicely. I had to get the Lysol wipes out to wipe down my I.D. which removed the yellow. The cheese was in nooks and crannies of the keys. I had to get tweezers and other items to get into the crevices. Luckily my flash drive still works, although I ordered a second one. It had a cover on the drive part but it still had cheese in crevices. Then my poor whistle. I washed, rinsed, and cleaned it over and over. I was unsuccessful in cheese removal. It went into the trash and a new whistle was ordered.  Here is what I learned. Don't loan your lanyard with all your keys to someone who is washing nacho cheese trays. Also, it could permanently damage and contaminate the innards of your whistle. I did have enough smarts to know not to wear them while dishing up the cheese! 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 Beware of the CHEESE!

Beware

A quick word of advice.

Beware of the parent who brings you a present on the first day or week of school. It is a big red flag. What that tells you is  "I know my child is a pain in the ass, I apologize in advance, and I plan to do nothing to improve the situation."  Harsh I know! When I get gifts at Christmas or during Teacher appreciation week I don't think these thoughts. It is just nice. It fills me with a sense of dread when I receive a gift that first week. I know hard days are ahead. Just get them the school supplies they need for the year, that is a big plenty. 

FYI: Parents need to be thanked to for reading with their kids, providing them with healthy lunches, and giving them a consistent structured life. 

It's May

May is rough. I always forget how rough May is. The kids don't want to work anymore. They don't want to walk in lines up long hallways. They don't want to follow the rules. They don't want to learn. They are done. Their teacher is usually pretty tired too. I am pushing them until we have our last state testing session. They don't want to be pushed.  We are sooo close to the finish line that I need to keep it in sight.

My classroom librarians took over the organization that I worked on last night. They made a lot of progress. It was great to see that they enjoyed it, but other students really wanted to help too. I can see already that they are starting to put back books correctly and in the right location. I hope this will all make the set up go well next year. I have had many different types of organization. This year I completely changed the plan. I changed it because of reading about reading. I used to be  a subscriber of students need to be reading books at their level. I don't worry about that now. If they want to pick a below level book and read it for two minutes, enjoy it, and move on that is fine. If they want challenge themselves fine. As long as they are reading. Of course I do have a problem if they only pick really easy books. I also have a problem if they pick books they can't even muddle through. Other than that I just want them to read. When they are given choice they are more likely to read. Reading is the goal. It reminds me of going to my Great Aunt Norma's house. When I was well beyond the age of reading her little collection of Little Golden Books I would go get the stack of them and sit and read them. They reminded me of being little at her house, it was nostalgic, and it was just fun. Reading should be fun.

My students don't even know their levels. I haven't told them. They told me last year I was a ___. I know what level at which they are reading, but I don't share with them. I do share if they have made growth, but that is not addressed as a "level."  I do sometimes miss Accelerated Reader. I miss it only because it holds students accountable for their reading. I don't have time to talk with them after every book they've read and see if they have some general comprehension of what they've read. That is where the software comes in handy.  Read just read.

I am apprehensively awaiting a decision being made about purchasing a reading curriculum. The curriculum which I am being told they really like on the committee makes me want to beat my head against a wall. A lot of what they said they liked about it, I had to wonder if the district would even purchase all of those "extras." The extras cost more. I have observed over and over again that teachers are more concerned with things looking "cute" than they are with quality. It is terrifying. Who cares if you have a "cute" worksheet if your students cannot analyze a text.

We are hiring a couple of new teachers this year. We are also hiring a librarian, P.E. teacher, and school counselor. I hope we can find good people. The dynamic is generally so positive here. I am hoping they have recruited some good people so that we our dynamic doesn't go ploot!

Naps

I read an article somewhere on the world wide web today discussing how naps are really good for you. I thought to myself  "This is something I  can get on board with." So I came home and took a nap. When I woke up I had a to-do list a mile long. I accomplished some of it. More than I would have without my nap, but less than I'd hoped. Tomorrow is another day.

I had a long laminating session today. I have student classroom librarians who are very frustrated withe the classes lack of respect in putting books back where they belong. I've been working on making labels for the classroom library to make this an easier process. I hope. I printed what I had finished onto label stickers, stuck the stickers to card stock, then laminated them. We can start this organization process. I will be able to continue to use these labels next year.

I also managed to get a bit of laundry done and a load of dishes through the dishwasher. I have trash to take out still and recycling to take in. Thursday I hired the carpet shampooing company to come work their magic. This means that tomorrow night I need to make sure as much as possible is out of the way! I hoped to get more of that done today, but it didn't work out.

I am taking my vitamins and attempting to stay healthy. Much of our staff has some nasty lingering cough and cold. I don't want it.

Now I am off to take nap number two...otherwise known as "Going to bed for the night!"
...or what is left of the night

G'night

Field Trip

Today was our field trip. We went to the local "marina" which is way to fancy of a word for where we went. We went to the local reservoir and learned about watershed.  The state outdoor school is the folks who set it up and planned the lessons for the classes. They did a really great job! I was impressed by their organization and implementation. Every instructor reviewed some of the same facts so if nothing else I am sure they will remember that part.

It was a beautiful sunny day, but it wasn't too hot. Just the right amount of wind blew over the mountain tops and across our learning. We came back to school with a lot of pink cheeks and tired kids. Then the rounds of bathroom visits began. The teacher did not lose any kids and the kids didn't lose their teacher.

I came home and thought to myself "I am NOT making dinner!" I don't know what my neighbor upstairs is making in his kitchen, but if he keeps it up I am going to knock on the door and ask. Whatever it is it requires a lot of noise. He doesn't have light feet.

After, I ordered the pizza and my newspaper delivery person dropped it off to me. Yes, she has her a.m. and p.m. job. I have to admire her work ethic. Although she was horrified to see unopened newspapers inside my door 😏 oops! Anyhow, after all of that and a couple pieces of pizza I asked myself "Is 5:30 to early to go to bed?" I told myself that yes it was! It sounds like a better and better idea though. I will have to shower off this day and that will delay my sleepiness a bit.

We finished our day today taking our administrators their gifts for Admin Day. They seemed pleased by our simple but enjoyable gift.

The shower and my pillow....I hear them calling....