Sometimes I feel like I am doing okay as a teacher. Then you do a reading on volcanoes. You read this non-fiction informative passage three times. You ask questions. You dive deep. You watch a video on volcanoes and how they form and what earth processes occur to make them erupt. You write on anchor charts and discuss again. Then you hand them a paper in which they answer questions about volcanoes, but think it will be okay because they can refer back to the passage to answer the questions. Then your students write in their answers that shield and cone shaped volcanoes are similar because they are different shapes. Sigggh...
And volcanoes erupt because of PLANTS! Plants.... beware of your house plants, there could be an eruption. Then to top it off one of the little darlings says that one of the properties of lava is that "it is made out of a hard-boiled egg."
Did anything sink in?
I don't know, but I do know... it might be time for Spring Break
March 17, 2018
March 15, 2018
7 more
It has been a hectic week. Tonight my student I tutor didn't show and I was asked to babysit my little buddy. I was able to leave early enough to do that. I completed a load of laundry, emptied and took out all the trash, and did a load of dishes. All while hanging out with my funny short friend. Luckily he doesn't mind if I work around him as long as I stop once and awhile sit with him and chat. I even managed to get my clothes for tomorrow set out. It is supposed to snow through the night so I have a back up...just in case I need warmer gear.
One of the Special Ed. aides has been helping me now and again grade papers, do bulletin boards, make copies, and other odds and ends. Next she is helping me put together the materials needed for student led conferences. This should be interesting. It leaves me with a lot of work to do this weekend. Finishing grades, Reading plans, prepping materials, and a host of other things I can't think of right now. The good news is. Spring Break is on its way. Which is good... I cannot keep up the pace I've been at lately.
Coffee drinking continues. I really enjoy the impact it has on my lungs for several hours. I wish it lasted a little longer, but that is a major upside. It opens them up. It is a great feeling and doesn't make me feel weird like my inhaler does. Since it snowed a little my allergies kind of stalled for the moment. As far as I'm concerned it can snow till June! Not a popular opinion.
I need to come up with a meal plan for my busy week next week. I will have to find some time to cook this weekend so I don't end up eating crap all week. Hmmm, something to consider. Last weekend I wasn't paying careful attention to the type of salad greens I bought. I did pay careful attention once I started eating them. It had "herbs" added. The herb of choice seems to be cilantro and Epazote. Let me tell you... if you want to punish your child for saying bad words... don't worry about the soap. Get out the Epazote. It is really a bad combination of a cilantro, anise, and some other indefinable nastiness. I learned about a new herb, and discovered how much more revolting you can make a salad. I also was reminded to look at labels a little more carefully.
7 more days till break....
One of the Special Ed. aides has been helping me now and again grade papers, do bulletin boards, make copies, and other odds and ends. Next she is helping me put together the materials needed for student led conferences. This should be interesting. It leaves me with a lot of work to do this weekend. Finishing grades, Reading plans, prepping materials, and a host of other things I can't think of right now. The good news is. Spring Break is on its way. Which is good... I cannot keep up the pace I've been at lately.
Coffee drinking continues. I really enjoy the impact it has on my lungs for several hours. I wish it lasted a little longer, but that is a major upside. It opens them up. It is a great feeling and doesn't make me feel weird like my inhaler does. Since it snowed a little my allergies kind of stalled for the moment. As far as I'm concerned it can snow till June! Not a popular opinion.
I need to come up with a meal plan for my busy week next week. I will have to find some time to cook this weekend so I don't end up eating crap all week. Hmmm, something to consider. Last weekend I wasn't paying careful attention to the type of salad greens I bought. I did pay careful attention once I started eating them. It had "herbs" added. The herb of choice seems to be cilantro and Epazote. Let me tell you... if you want to punish your child for saying bad words... don't worry about the soap. Get out the Epazote. It is really a bad combination of a cilantro, anise, and some other indefinable nastiness. I learned about a new herb, and discovered how much more revolting you can make a salad. I also was reminded to look at labels a little more carefully.
7 more days till break....
March 12, 2018
Angry
Whenever I see another school shooting. I am mad. Mad for the victims of course and sometimes even the shooter. However, I am really mad for another reason. I know without one single doubt in my mind that there was at least one teacher, maybe a school counselor, and others who worked with this student and said. This one needs help, they are in trouble, they are a danger or more. You know what happens? The people you tell don't know what to do, or where to go, or how to help. Oh but there are school counselors. Yes, even they look at these terribly troubled students and are at a loss. School Psychologists though they must be doing something. Nope they are very busy testing students for Special Education Services. I have yet to see a school psychologist working with a troubled student. Mentally ill students fall through the cracks, dangerous students fall through the cracks, and if you want schools to do better you need parents to demand more.
Another thing about all this that makes me angry. Is our society has told us all that the family isn't that important. If dad isn't around a single parent is enough. Just as long as there is someone who loves you that is enough. It is a lie. A really profound and damaging lie. Families matter and need to be held accountable for their lack of involvement. The lack of involvement has a lot to do with drugs anymore. The damage drugs do to children scares me. We have more and more children who lack empathy, compassion, and basic emotions. You can track that right back to their parents being neglectful, drug users. Good job society...
It is completely laughable that people think taking away weapons will end this. It won't. Criminals don't obey laws. We have virtually open borders that anything can be smuggled through, even the aforementioned drugs. Criminals don't worry about laws. We need to strictly enforce the laws we do have. Mental health in children needs to be a priority. In every instance I have seen, someone dropped the ball and didn't take it seriously. If you want to point fingers... point them carefully.
Another thing about all this that makes me angry. Is our society has told us all that the family isn't that important. If dad isn't around a single parent is enough. Just as long as there is someone who loves you that is enough. It is a lie. A really profound and damaging lie. Families matter and need to be held accountable for their lack of involvement. The lack of involvement has a lot to do with drugs anymore. The damage drugs do to children scares me. We have more and more children who lack empathy, compassion, and basic emotions. You can track that right back to their parents being neglectful, drug users. Good job society...
It is completely laughable that people think taking away weapons will end this. It won't. Criminals don't obey laws. We have virtually open borders that anything can be smuggled through, even the aforementioned drugs. Criminals don't worry about laws. We need to strictly enforce the laws we do have. Mental health in children needs to be a priority. In every instance I have seen, someone dropped the ball and didn't take it seriously. If you want to point fingers... point them carefully.
March 7, 2018
Quarter 3
I feel like I am treading water again. I finished progress reports and now here we are and Report Cards are coming up. The end of the 3rd quarter is nigh. This quarter we are doing student led conferences. Speaking of that I had to teach the office staff the difference between (lead-the way) (led-the way) and (lead-pencil). Yeah, I hope they ended up with the correct "led" in their documents. YIKES. Spring Break is coming but I am trying not to think about it because I have so much to do between now and then. ONE day at a time.
Learning to like coffee... still learning. I don't mind the warmth of it on a 4 degree morning. Still tastes like ...coffee...disgusting.
My challenging student is showing some very worrisome behaviors. It is a daily on-going challenge to keep ahead of this one. I am kind of numb to how weird things can be at this point. It isn't until I say it aloud to someone else that I start thinking ...Uh Yeah ...That is bizarre.
I went to dinner at a friends tonight. They made tacos and fried the tortillas. I'd rather be sleeping right now, but whatever oil they cooked in has not set well. I read that sometimes this can be the acid or sometimes an allergic reaction. Allergies especially to Canola oil. I don't know what they used. Once in a great while it will happen at a restaurant or someones house. I've never been able to figure out why it did sometimes and not other times. So, now I am wondering if it is an allergy.
I bought a diffuser for my classroom and occasionally I put essential oils in it. Mostly though I put in water. I've noticed a great reduction in bloody noses. In our dry winter air that happens a lot.
I also started my students can write me a note in a little notebook. They can write a note to me or draw me a picture one time a day. They ask me questions, remind me of things, tell about what is happening in their life, and draw me pictures. They can't use it to "Tattle-Tale" or write mean things. It has been fun to read them and it has helped me to connect to students that are not as easy to connect with, or that are just a little shy or quiet.. I use notebooks like the following:
Learning to like coffee... still learning. I don't mind the warmth of it on a 4 degree morning. Still tastes like ...coffee...disgusting.
My challenging student is showing some very worrisome behaviors. It is a daily on-going challenge to keep ahead of this one. I am kind of numb to how weird things can be at this point. It isn't until I say it aloud to someone else that I start thinking ...Uh Yeah ...That is bizarre.
I went to dinner at a friends tonight. They made tacos and fried the tortillas. I'd rather be sleeping right now, but whatever oil they cooked in has not set well. I read that sometimes this can be the acid or sometimes an allergic reaction. Allergies especially to Canola oil. I don't know what they used. Once in a great while it will happen at a restaurant or someones house. I've never been able to figure out why it did sometimes and not other times. So, now I am wondering if it is an allergy.
I bought a diffuser for my classroom and occasionally I put essential oils in it. Mostly though I put in water. I've noticed a great reduction in bloody noses. In our dry winter air that happens a lot.
I also started my students can write me a note in a little notebook. They can write a note to me or draw me a picture one time a day. They ask me questions, remind me of things, tell about what is happening in their life, and draw me pictures. They can't use it to "Tattle-Tale" or write mean things. It has been fun to read them and it has helped me to connect to students that are not as easy to connect with, or that are just a little shy or quiet.. I use notebooks like the following:
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