School and more cooking

I woke up this morning with a terrible headache. I tried taking a nap that didn't work. So Then I started drinking water and kept at it. Even though we have had high humidity for us apparently I hadn't drank enough water.

I had to go out to school to at least get partially prepared for the week ahead. I'm not sure I am ready, but hopefully I have enough to at least get through tomorrow. Dad helped me do some rearranging in my classroom this weekend. After that I hadn't put everything away, so when I went back I had to work on getting it all put back together. Dad helped me get some projects done that I hadn't had time to do, and an assistant is a huge help.

I made another couple casseroles tonight and a pot of beef stew. I also cut up the ham I bought from our local FFA. I had put some of it in one of the casseroles I made. I diced the rest and will freeze it to use now and again in other recipes.

We've had a head lice outbreak at our school. They will not send students home when the nurse discovers they have it. They won't send them home if the parent says they have treated it. We have a "Super Lice" outbreak and usually one treatment isn't enough. Some people have to go get a prescription. It can be really expensive for families. Since it is not considered harmful to the health nor an infectious disease they feel that students shouldn't stay home. I am glad I work at a school with student cubbies this year. At least their coats are separated. I make them tie their coats around their waist if they get too warm during recess. Other teachers let them throw it into a huge pile. It is really frustrating that this is the policy. I might have to open up a Head Lice Clinic. In larger cities they have them. Anyhow, I keep my hair up and use some homeopathic preventative sprays on myself. Just talking about it makes my head start itching.

So No laundry done, but lots and lots of cooking. They are both time consuming, but cooking takes a larger consistent chunk of time. I'll throw some laundry in here and there as I have time.

Cooking Day

i ignored the growing laundry pile today. Focused on cooking. I made turkey noodle soup with the leftover turkey. Had to make the noodles first, but that didn't take too long. Then I made Acini de Pepe soup, spaghetti, and Hearty beef soup. All for the freezer of course. I will have some good dinners for busy weeks ahead. I have a few more things I want to make tomorrow. I really need to go to school, but I am procrastinating a little bit. We'll see tomorrow how motivated I am. I may be able to get some done from here.   I've been doing loads of dishes between and during each cooking session. Dishes instead of laundry. There is always the favorite knife or pan that I like to use best.  In between I have to "make-do."

Having mom and dad visit mom helped work on some of my chores that had been neglected. So that helped me to focus on getting some other stuff done like cooking. I also was able to watch some dumb T.V. and relax.

One of my favorite things to watch for escapism is Monty Don's Small Gardens, or something to that effect. I never understood why the English referred to their "yard" as a "garden", but after watching this I understand they are a little garden obsessed and their gardens are something above a yard. Even in the smallest of spaces. Their climate sure allows for some phenomenal gardens.

I also like to watch renovation shows especially those that are working on historically buildings. It is interesting to watch skilled craftsman use modern tools and historically accurate tools to recreate building methods used for hundreds of years.

What's that smell?

So much has happened lately. It has been busy. So I am going to start with the last worst thing.
There has been a horrible smell at school, one day it is in one wing, the next day in another, and just seems to shift around. Today it seemed to be the whole school. This smell I would call a "raw-sewage" type odor if that helps. Throughout the day I had a headache and nausea. I opened the windows in my classroom. I turned the fan on next to the window to get some fresh air.  I left school early because I felt so terrible. I thought getting home and resting would help. Then the vomiting began. I won't go into any more details. It hasn't been a good evening.  I wanted my Mommy!  She told me in her best MOM voice to stay HOME! I put in for a sub and I have one scheduled. I have to prep for her somehow and my Mom said I couldn't go to school.  Now if you think I am whining, I rarely throw up, and if I do it is usually a one and done.  This has been a onerous evening thus far.  Yeah...  So in the life of a teacher  sewage is a new one, and I've had some experiences.

Although there is more to say from other days and weeks... I must leave you with this thought.
Methane Gas is NOT healthy.

Negative

It has been all about the data lately. Gathering data, inputting data, calculating data, discussing data, and more. I'm done. Not really, I just wish. I feel more and more that my job is less about teaching and more about assessing, assessing, assessing. 

It has been an interesting couple of weeks. My new kiddo comes with the challenges of life and a grumpy new aide. My job is tough enough, I don't need grumpy around me. I can be that all on my own without any help. I like having people around that are a little more positive and encouraging.

We had our big Place Value Party, and most of us have a deep understanding of place value. A few of us are still struggling. Hopefully, we can get there by the end of the year.

Trends in teaching. We have been discussing how our students are changing. The last couple of years the neediness has increased. The expectations from the students is that someone will hold their hand through EVERYTHING. They lack independence. They lack problem solving skills.  It is a scary trend. Not encouraging independence creates people who do not attempt to think for themselves.

I spent a little time with my buddy this evening so that he didn't have to suffer through another million volleyball games. We talked from room to room with Walkie Talkies, we played a video game, we had "Happy Meals" (uggh), we discussed the 31 laps he ran in Running Club, we fed the dogs, and just spent time together. It was a nice change from the grind I've been doing. 

I have been spending a lot of extra time at work attempting to catch up. All I seem to do is add to my "To-Do" list. I did notice today I had checked 10 items off of it. I attend my next class Tuesday of next week, so I have to prepare for a sub. It is hard to think of everything they need to know in a new building. 

We had a Fire Drill today. My new friend was very upset that we went back into the building because it was  "On Fire." I ended up having to move him/her away from his aide to distract him/her and get him/her thinking about something else, so that I did not have to hear crying for an hour.  It seems I have to keep stepping in to help him/her, when it should be the aide. That is a loooonnnnnggg story. Having this aide in my room is like nails on the chalkboard. I've had verbal snapping at other students loudly when I am teaching a lesson, watching videos with sound on the phone, and not physically helping the student as needed. I have the impression this isn't the job for this person.  It can be painfully boring and I understand that. It isn't a reason to neglect your charge. Anyhow, hopefully I can make it through this and stay positive. I feel protective of my students and don't want them to feel that there is a Grinch in the room.

I've had to reach out to colleagues to get materials for this student, because I have NOTHING at this students level. They have been very helpful. I am thankful that they have been so helpful.   Well....
I need to get to bed! G'nite

Full Speed Ahead.

I went from waiting, waiting, waiting, to full speed ahead.

We got permission to move in on a Monday. Monday night we loaded up our truck with everything from storage. Tuesday morning we emptied the truck, returned it, and started to unpack. Wednesday was putting together the worst filing cabinet in the world. Right Dad? I workedon organization and unpacking. Thursday, I unpacked organized all day. Then we had 'Back-To-School' Night. We were all completely exhausted and had a 'Grand Opening' with the entire school board, reporters, and parents. I can't even explain how done I was. Those 1st two days of unpacking the water was turned off in the building. We also had our before school meetings, our health fair, and more. I continued working through the weekend, and school started Monday.  It has been non-stop since then. Every weekend at work and working late every night.   Still feeling miles behind.

I have a few classroom challenges this year and we shall see how that goes. A new challenge arrives tomorrow. I hope I will have a lot of support, from what I know I will need it. 

Today was my first day of a class I am taking through December. I have mixed feelings about what I will get out of it. I left feeling not quite sure today of what I would be getting out of it.  Maybe, the next class will be better. What it did provide me was a little time away from my classroom. Time to think about what is coming up and reflect. It also allowed me time to be an adult and go to the bathroom just whenever I needed to! HA HA! You've no idea how nice that is.

We have a training to go to tomorrow, our late start day, and all the K-2 teachers are meeting at another school. I am not sure what direction we are going  as the district changed our grading policy.However, K-2 is the same as it has been, and most of the changes are for 3-8. I don't know. I hope this isn't some policy that makes me want to bang my head on a wall. I've been trying to talk myself out of what I "think" they might be having us do.

One of my biggest frustrations as a teacher is others NOT valuing my time. Do we make this job look easy. Does society? All of the teachers I know who are really reflective and trying to do a good job are working ABOVE and WAY BEYOND our contract hours. I do not complain about this because I feel it is the right thing to do. To have quality lesson plans in place, procedures, etc. It takes some thought and reflection. I had a parent ask me last week if I could make an exception for her child and have her child do testing outside of school hours.  I just said, "I'm sorry no I can't." I didn't offer an explanation as to 'Why Not'.  I was just so disgusted. I have meetings to attend, work to grade, emails to answer, lessons to plan, copies to make, assessments to dive into, interventions to create, and the list goes on and on. I am working after work, to make these school days meaningful for your child, and that takes time. So, like the rest of the students in this building, your child will have to test while we test. Now, I can offer the student headphones, a cardboard privacy folder, extended time,  scrap paper, and breaks. So frustrating. 

In other exciting news I spent about 1/2 hour at a student's soccer game on Saturday. It meant a lot to the student, to me it was a special kind of torture. I don't know how coaches coach over parents yelling at their kids. It reminded me why I use caution when inviting classroom volunteers. 

So here I go... Jumping feet first into another school year!

still...waiting...

Friday for a few hours they let us in the building to drop off things from home. I just brought what I had in the house and in my car. We decided to wait on bringing what was in storage. I am glad we did. We were told they would have "movers" there to help us when we came. They were not there. I unloaded my car then helped colleagues unload their trucks, trailers, cars, etc. Some of them brought everything that day and we had a small window to get it done. Then we did a walk around the school checking things out and contemplating our classrooms. What might go where, and the ugly paint colors on the wall. Luckily they only painted 1 wall a REALLY ugly color.  At least in my room. It is  yellowish green. It's just bad. Anyhow, My classroom was 98% complete as near as I could tell. I was one of the lucky ones. The upstairs classrooms had A LOT of work to be done. The movers arrived looonnnnngggg after we'd unloaded. The "Movers" were teenagers whose loading and unloading skills made me twitch. I watched them loading carts, and dumping them off into classrooms as we walked around. I told them off for riding a teachers chair town the hallway. Then both of us told them off when they pushed a friend down the stairs in the chair a while later. My colleague and I looked at each other and said. "THIS is why we got a storage unit and moved our own stuff."   Teachers invest a significant amount of money into our classrooms. To have our investments treated so callously is frustrating. The teenagers were NOT well supervised.  

I went back to my classroom to look it over again to consider placements of desks, tables, bookshelves, filing cabinets, etc. I have a tentative plan in my head. I even have an idea to mostly cover my ugly wall. My really really ugly wall.  When I went back to my classroom the custodian had just finished mopping the floor. I asked if I could come in. They said yeah, yeah come on in. I was like no, I don't want to be the person that walked on your just mopped floors.  They insisted I come in anyway, so I insisted I take my shoes off. They said the contractors shoes are way dirtier than yours. I said well... they can be the first ones to do it, not me! The poor custodians were attempting to continue cleaning around all the work being done and stay on top of it. Kind of a lose, lose situation. 

Monday the inspectors come in and decide if they will give the occupancy permit. If they say yes then we can start taking in the rest of our stuff and setting up our classrooms. It will be some very long days. IF we get an all clear Monday afternoon we will have 2 1/2 days to set up our classrooms. Mind you we usually do this over a couple of weeks.  I say 2 1/2 days because we will be in meetings  part of one day then have our "Grand Opening" Thursday evening.  All of this, depends on getting our occupancy permit. So we wait...

One of my friends talks a lot about being grateful. Last night I went to dinner with their family. Not one time did this friend say thank you to our waiter, or say please when asking for something. I thought to myself, well maybe a little less talk and more action. Our poor waiter I finally said to him do you feel like you're serving a camel?  Between my morning work and doing a project outside in the sun and wind, I just could not quench my thirst. I had been drinking throughout the day, but supply and demand were not equal. I lost count of how many times our waiter refilled my ice-water.   When the wind blows on hot days here it is inconceivably dry. You are parched very quickly. I also realized later than my allergies had been triggered which also makes me very thirsty. I made sure I drank more that evening too.  

Well, I'd better go start my day now that my coffee cup is empty.  

Waiting

STILL WAITING!  Yeah... patience is gone time is running out. They say we will be starting school as scheduled! They told us we could bring in items from home on Friday and they would have high school students there to help. However, all we can do is set stuff in our classroom. We can't organize or set anything up. I am not sure how much I would want to take because I don't know what state the school is in. They do NOT have their certificate of occupancy and there is a SLIM chance they will get it Friday. So we wait.  I've been doing what I can from home, but that isn't much.  We will not have any materials prepped as we don't even have access to copy machines.   We wait....

I have been trying to build up my freezer dinners. I have some GF spaghetti, Beef Stew, and tonight I am making Acini de pepe soup.  I continue to work on laundry etc. That should get me through a few dinners.  I  have other things I can make I just have trouble deciding  what will be next. So once upon a time a lady named Mariana asked me to cut up a tomato. She decided that wasn't my skill set and didn't ask me too again. I wish we'd had smart phones and google then to look up the best ways to dice a tomato. I just learned the other day the correct way to dice up an onion. I had been doing that all wrong of course. I now just have to retain this helpful information.

My parents are off to a church convention with Granny. This year they have changed their plan. They are staying with Granny and helping her dial in to listen to the convention in real time with a cell phone speaker I got for Granny. It is a bit beyond Granny to do this on her own.  So hopefully someone is petting the cat while they are gone.

I have been watching or listening to some TV shows while i do work around the house. I got off on an Australian TV show tangent. It is easier to listen to that and understand the context than the Russian TV show I had been watching. You can't READ TV all the time.

Every Fall we have a Health Fair for the district. The SAME week we are all back to work, stressed, and don't have time for that. It is in one location which is convenient for those in town. The rest of us it is not great. I try to schedule one of the earliest times  I can in the morning. Which means I'm not so awake, but then I can leave there and get to work.  It is a hassle every time.  The upside is it is a very cheap way to get some blood work done. That went well except for the year I had a really incompetent blood pressure taker and blood drawer. I ended up being one big bruise. I also tend to forget my login and password every year which wastes time. So this year if I can remember at 6 a.m. it is on my phone. Maybe that will help.  I have had such terrible experiences with people taking my blood pressure, it tends to be high. My previous Dr. would retake it after about 30 minutes.  Can't they figure out a better way to measure this? It is painful. Also, peeing in a cup. I'm sure we have a better way by now RIGHT?

Well tomorrow I have some groceries to pick up, some stuff to drop off, and a car to re-load with school stuff.  Laundry and Cooking shall continue...
G'nite

Waiting...

Still waiting. I also had to wait for the Power Washing of the breezeways to be complete.  That is done today woot. I felt bad because apparently some folks were out of town and their bicycles were in the path of the power-washing. I know my landlord would have tried to contact them, but so it goes.

I was hanging with my buddy today. He had a new circuit building kit, and we spent part of our afternoon putting them together to generate sounds, lights, or a fan. It had a brief explanation of what they were to read to him, which was mostly over his head. I don't think he understood the "Why?" and it is too bad this kit didn't explain open and closed circuits a bit. Even so we learned about laying things out on a grid and the x/y axis. He didn't quite get that was what he was learning, but he will see it again and that is great background knowledge. We had fun! We also drove down to the Maverick. You can't simply call this a gas station convenience store. If you've been to the Maverick you know what I mean. They get better and better. Anyhow, we drove down their to buy  slushies or slurpies. You choose the noun. Anyhow they hit the spot on another HOT day.

I had a long visit with  a colleague tonight discussing our patience and lack of  patience while waiting for our new building to be complete. Her husband did drive by this evening and  the road to, driveway, and parking lot was complete. The playground was done and landscaping was being worked on. As far as the indoors he said the doors were wide open and there was lots of people working and stuff everywhere. If I know anything about completing a job it is that one must make a mess to  get to the end goal. I am hoping there is some overtime going and they are getting it done. I continue to wait.

We wish our principal was communicating a little more. Maybe sharing details of our schedule so we could do a little planning at home. It is hard to set up your day when  the only details you have is  this is when school starts and gets out. There are a lot of hours in there to fill up with specials classes, lunches, and recess.  I did do a little lesson planning with the knowledge that I  will have to move things around.  We started listing questions we have regarding the first couple of months of school. I'm not sure this was productive, but it did make us feel better to do something. 

I have to head north the beginning of next week for a dentist appt. Hopefully, that isn't the day we are told we can go in. Oh no... that would be my luck!

Mom and I were talking this summer and after someone helped us, and their was a cost to them. I am not talking about dollars here. She said true friendship has a cost in sacrifice.  Simple lesson, but too true.  Thankful for those true friends.

The Waiting Game

The waiting game. Yeah... ACCCKKK!  My success with being patient is not going well. We should find out more tomorrow. I did hear my last school they would not be able to get into the building until 3 days before school starts. They decided to do their Back To School Night outside just to give Teachers more time to set up. Very nice. My wait time is a huge UNKNOWN!

  What I do know is that my Apartment Complex is power-washing all the breezeways the next two days. We have the option of not leaving our house at all from 8 a.m.-5p.m. or leaving before that and being gone all day. Normally this isn't an issue for me because I just go work at school.  So my plan is to take my materials and go to a friends house and lesson plan. I will be  sort of a babysitter, mostly just adult supervision. This way I can leave for breakfast and lunch etc.  It isn't ideal, but what else can I do!

I worked on cleaning my counter and stove this evening.  Cleaning the drip pans is always a delight. I've worked on laundry and some organization. While I am whittling away slowly at house work. I realized that I've been moving slower and slower this summer. Then I finally remembered to take my Vitamin D. I was inconsistent with taking it and I was really feeling it. It doesn't matter if the sun is  shining bright if your body doesn't absorb it correctly. It will take a few days to jump start, but it will get there. It is interesting or perhaps a pain, but it impacts my sleep patterns as well. 

Tomorrow I won't be completing chores at home, but hopefully I can still get some things done. 
As I continue to wait...

Missions

I had several missions I wanted to accomplish this summer.

The first being surprising my parents with a 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration. Despite a couple of people almost spilling the beans we allll managed to keep it a secret. They were surprised. They weren't sure whether to kill me or hug me. Mixed emotions.  In planning that I attempted to keep them distracted while working on projects for school.

My second mission was to get things printed and prepped for school and I did accomplish most of that. There are a few more projects I'd like to do, but we shall see what happens with the time I have left.

I also had to get to the dentist. I managed that, but have to go back soon for another part of that. I found a great dentist up north. Which is helpful because it gives me a reason to get out of town and hit up Costco, Hobby Lobby, and Dutch Brothers once in awhile.

I really wanted to get my refrigerator defrosted and cleaned. I unplugged it today and went through its contents to see what could go out to the trash and what could go into the cooler. I am very close to being done. I am just working on whatever the sticky stuff that ends up at the bottom of the fridge and turns to a rock. Yeah... that stuff. 

My next goal is to clean my house. Before I headed up to my parents I tore through all my stuff and got rid of a whole bunch of things. I left it to head up there and it's still all over the place. So I want to get it all cleaned up before the madness of the school year starts.

Speaking of the madness of the school year, we did receive an email this week. They are not ready for any of us to move in this week. We should receive an update next week. The contractors have to pay the district a certain amount every day they go over the contract. Which I think was up August 1st. So I suppose now they are calculating how much it costs to have union workers working overtime to complete it.  They need to get it DONE! So we can get  in there and get ready for the year. I plan to finish my house this week then focus on lesson planning. I can do that without being at school.

We are also impatiently waiting for them to get the school website up. It is like we don't exist right now. Which makes it hard for signing up for things that I normally do for the school year. Always waiting on something... you'd think I'd have more patience. My previous school is not finished with their renovations either so we are all waiting.   

Well, I am going to try to scrape some more goo off.... G'nite

CAFFEINATED!

I know not to drink coffee after noon. Yeah I did it anyway because well there was a Dutch Brothers, and I wanted to stay awake on my drive back after my dentist appointment. SO NOW I AM WIDE AWAKE. I watched a little of my newly discovered favorite show.  I ate a snack. I drank some water. I put dirty clothes in the laundry. I found myself going in circles. So I decided to go through some things. A friend up north is having a yard sale. I think. Maybe. I kind of "voluntold" her and she agreed. I have a lot to contribute. I was pretty ruthless. It was nice to have the time to focus and go through things. I hope I have a little more time to go through more.

 I also  have school stuff that came out of my car for my drive to the dentist. Now I need to go through that and organize it a little....okay a lot better and take it to storage. It is an odd mix of odds and ends from the last bit of packing up of my classroom. It wasn't packed with thought to order or organization or anything really. It was just throw that in a crate or a box and toss it in the car. Yeah...those last few items on the last day of school are randomly put together. Organizing those and repacking them will make some room in my house. Then I can take them to storage and start making space in my car for my "Yard-sale" stuff. 

I have random projects to work on this summer that I will take up north with me. Yep the laminator is making the trip. Yep. Always more laminating. Sorry Dad.

I have a huge pile of laundry that is growing by the second. I  haven't taken the time to fold and put away. One step at a time here.  I visited Costco today and the ladies handing out samples had nothing very delicious to offer. I ignored them.  My dentist visit was fantastic. The staff at this office clearly love where they work. They were happy and funny and simply delightful. I wasn't tempted to place a "Where's Waldo" poster on the ceiling tiles to alleviate the boredom. I simply listened in to the banter. 

What else? I scheduled my next Dental appointments and my six month check up with a little more thought. I had to consider when school starts, when holidays are, and winter weather. I decided on Mondays since the dentist is  closed on Fridays. That way if the roads are bad I can drive the day before and take my time. Then I can treat it like a mini-vacation and get a hotel. Costco, restaurants, Hobby Lobby, Dutch Brothers, and the Dentist are in the same general area. That makes it easier to get around because I am still unfamiliar with the town where my dentist is. While I did do some quick shopping and had a delicious lunch. It was pretty much a drive up and drive back trip. I might have to make some connections to people I know in the area next time.

My random thoughts for today. Everyone has insecurities that don't make sense to others. They are prideful in ways you or me may not even notice or care about. I was thinking I have two friends. One visited my home state  a couple of years ago. I gave this friend a lot of suggestions that their family could do on their trip. They did quite a few of them, loved them, and are discussing a return visit this summer. Another friend I have is considering making a summer trip to my home state. I offered some suggestions and I was shut down. I stopped myself. I realized this person wants everything to be their idea. It is their insecurity. I have seen it time and time again. It is very tempting to share my ideas, but they  weren't asked for and this person doesn't want input. It doesn't make sense to me. I guess my point is sometimes we have to step back, because for whatever reason that is something they are prideful about. We can think its weird, crazy, ridiculous, but we also may have some area of sensitivity that doesn't make sense to them. It really ends up coming down to respecting others boundaries. We have to recognize their is one first and let it be.  Yep... everyone is special in their own way. Or beautiful... you take that up with Ray Stevens! HA! 

Welll... I am going to drink a little more water and see if the caffeine has worn off enough that I can Slllleeeppp.

What's NEW?

May is rough as a teacher. It is tough keeping students engaged, willing to work, on task, and generally willing to do as you ask. I have a good class this year, but they are tired. We did finish our last testing day.  For the past 3 years I've signed up for a STEM class in May. I always get some fun ideas to bring back to my students. Then we finish the year with a little or a lot of STEM. One of my go to favorites is  having the students build a marble run. I give them pool noodles cut in half, painters tape, and a marble.  Then I set them free without many restrictions.

I started the above post and well life got really busy. Those last weeks and days of school are  crazy. On top of it having to make sure my entire classroom was emptied added to the stress. I still had to have enough to function for my students. Every day I had more done and even up to the last day I had stuff to remove. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to keep me busy. Then I got home and remembered a few items I forgot. So I had to go back on Monday to pick them up. The school looked like a bomb had went off. They were loading up and moving everything out of the way. The secretaries were frustrated because they were told the internet would be left on one more week. It had already been cut off. Instead they were packing up their office and I could feel how overwhelmed they were. They work throughout the summer, and have to work without an office. I know this will be stressful for them.

The new school that I am moving to should be done by the end of July. Hopefully, they can stay on schedule. We were able to visit it the last week of school, after students left one afternoon. It seems to have been planned out fairly well.  The whole playground will be astro-turf. We asked the project manager why. He did a change order and requested it. In town and out where the new school is we are in the flight-path of migrating geese. There are a few parks that cannot be enjoyed due to the abundance of goose poop. He called schools in  Northern Idaho that had  similar issues. They finally replaced all their grass with astro-turf. Apparently geese aren't fans of this.  It has a 15 year warranty. I guess we shall see how that goes. The pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade classrooms have built in bathrooms. Which is nice if you've every seen confused kinders that can't figure out how to get back to their classroom.  The 4th and 5th grades are upstairs.  We have a huge gym. Part of it can be closed off with a wall to use one side for indoor recess, while a p.e. class continues. The lunchroom doubles as a Volleyball court. The side of the building where the gym and lunchroom are can be used by the community on the weekends. How they planned it that whole side can be locked off so the community isn't wandering the whole school on the weekend. Which is great because many many times as I've been working on the weekends parents feel like they can pop into your classroom if an event is happening at school. It can be very frustrating. 

We are very close to the mountains and most classrooms have a bit of a mountain view. There is even an elevator to the upper floors. That is a huge fascination for our students as there are few elevators locally. Hopefully, that novelty will end quickly.  We will also all have Smart TV's on wheels so we can move them around our classroom. The principal decided to get us laptops instead of desktops. I don't know what type they are getting us. I just hope the screens are not too small.   It is a little nerve-wracking thinking of setting up a different classroom again and teaching new procedures for navigating the school. It will be ALL NEW for all of us. There won't be familiarity for our students and so it will require more teaching. When they are used to the school, you do not have to do quite as much because they know the way it all goes. 

The classrooms have that rubbery tiles and most hallways. Some of the hallways have a polished concrete with the school colors embedded in it. In the main entryway the school mascot will be put in with small tiles. The mascot is the Bighorn Sheep. I look forward to seeing everything complete. I have worked in many old schools. NEVER a new school.  It will be a challenge adapting to a new environment again, but it will be an adventure. 

We had enough rain in May to test the new roof. About 15 leaks were discovered and repaired.  It is a huge metal roof. I thought that was good that mother nature tested it before we all moved in.  They put some thought into pick up/drop off, and bus lanes. Buses come on one side of the school and pick up/drop off is on the other side of the school. Most of our students will still ride buses because there are no sidewalks in this  community. They will discourage walkers.  The little grocery store, coffee shop, and subway are about 1 block away. If I did forget my lunch It wouldn't be a total disaster! HA! 

Last night I finished cleaning out my car and prepared to have a passenger. I got up early this morning to head to the dentist. Then realized I was a day early. Sigh... I wish I could say I realized quite early that I was off one day. Nope.... it took about 1 1/2 hours to realize. So tomorrow I am off to the dentist and will also fit in some shopping. 

Wellllllll

It was an extraordinarily packing kind of weekend. I am 99 % packed and stored. The other 1% I will need to finish out the year, or I am not allowed to  remove because it is "District Property." They will be moving  most of our curriculum to a Connex Container then to the New School. We are hopeful... very very hopeful that nothing will be misplaced. I am trying not to let this panic me.

Another item on my try-not-to-stress list is a meeting for a student that may or may not qualify for Special Education. The problem is they don't like to qualify students unless it is an IQ issue. Well guess what lots of people have learning issues unrelated to IQ. I am trying to stay calm.  The parents will be there and I know they will do their best to advocate for their child.

We aren't always allowed to do what is right. Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I am miles behind on laundry, dishes, and general house cleaning. Maybe I can get a little caught up this long weekend.  I hope. I have spent every weekend at school for so many weeks... I don't remember what is possible to do on  a weekend.  My students have their last test tomorrow. Then there are end of year assessments that I have to do one-on-one. 

To lift my spirits and give me something fun to think about for the third consecutive year I have signed up for a STEM class. It is always hands on and fun. I stay in town for the training and I always get great ideas for activities I can do with my students. Especially at the end of year when they are over it!

There has been some nasty flu/cold but running round about the school. I hope I can avoid this plague! It sounds pretty awful. Well I'm off to find my pjs
G'nite

Just say NO!

I interrupted yesterdays packing with a nap, then I went back to it. I found myself getting sleepy in that hot classroom. I yawned the whole way home. The nap felt great and it had cooled down just enough to be bearable that evening. The air conditioning is turned off on the weekends. When I left last night I had stuff everywhere. So I had to go back today. I boxed up some more and organized and stacked the boxes mostly out of the way. I have many papers to go through, and the classroom library isn't boxed up. I wanted to finish testing before tackling that. The kids have really been reading a lot when they have their work complete. I would like to see that continue, so I hate to box up the library yet. That day is coming VERY soon though.  I did get a lot done, but there is more to do and it feels like not enough days in the week to do them, or hours in a day.

The art teacher has an "Art Club" after school on Monday. She asked me to do her "Art Club" tomorrow after school. I said yes! UGGH What was I thinking??? She was supposed to email me some notes, but never did. It will be what it will be. 

When I'm packing boxes or doing some other tedious task I've been watching a very cheesy show. It is on Amazon Prime and it is called Corner Gas. It is a Canadian show set in rural Saskatchewan. It is very clean other than the frequently used word "Jackass."  It has been entertainment that doesn't require my full attention, yet is a pleasant distraction. I can't say that it has great writing or clever jokes. It's simply amusing. Emphasis on simple. It captures small town interactions and dynamics in a simply amusing way.   Anyhow, you get the gist of its simplicity.  If you want to give it a watch please don't blame me for letting it suck you in. 

I have a strict Facebook policy. If it brings drama into my world in any way, shape, form, or message. That individual is out. I was tested again. UGGH. It is for the most part a fun way to stay connected. If you take the fun out of it you're out. So, someone was out again.  I might feel bad for a minute, but it will be a relief to not deal with it anymore. Some folks know no other way. 

Tomorrow is the dreaded Monday. I'm off to prepare my coffee pot, my clothing choice, and my pillow. G'nite

Newer... SMARTer?

I play a lot of classical music in my classroom. My students can tell you quite a bit about Beethoven, a little about Bach, and they enjoy Mozart the most.  If I don't play THE Composers. I will play a little background quiet music. However, some students get a little sleepy with those soothing melodies. Then I switch back to Mozart. They are more alert then. Today, we went to an assembly for our Honor Choir with 4th and 5th grade students. My students were very quiet and respectful. They were engaged and listening completely.  A para-professional commented on their stellar behavior to me. Then she said " I think it's because they forgot music had words!"   HA HA!!   

Anyhow, if they can appreciate the classical composers, I've done something right. Our honor choir is quite good. It is interesting to see some of my former students perform.

Tomorrow I have two missions to complete. I have to go watch at least briefly two of my students sporting events. Then I have to pack, pack, and pack some more. I'm running out of packing days. I'm also running out of energy. I had errands to run after school today to prepare for the big move.

We had a meeting Thursday about our new digs at the new school. It looks pretty fancy. I am worried that I will be on the playground side of things again. It will be what it will be.  They are making the windows opaque so that students can't really see in, but light still comes in. They thought that maybe in a few weeks we could do a walk-through.  We will all have SMART TV's instead of SMART Boards. So I will have to get a little SMARTer to learn how to use them.  It also sounds like we will be 2 classrooms to one Chromebook cart. They are getting the teachers Laptops instead of Desktop computers. Lots of changes coming.

Hey MA, we need to get your life jacket and rash guard!  Alrighty... I'm off
G'nite

It's all New to me!

Completed another busy week with a game of Hallway Bowling. Not sure if the ball, the floor, or the teachers were listing one way, but we all seemed to be exceptionally poor bowlers. What we did have was a lot of laughs. Much needed on a Friday afternoon in May.  I completed a few necessary items before leaving school then happily went home. I went back to school this morning to prep some materials, and pack more boxes. I did get quite a bit packed up. I've been trying to do cupboards first so it wouldn't be too noticeable to my students. Today I caved and started taking things down and boxing up more visible items. I couldn't put it off any longer. My students probably won't be thrilled because Superman, and the Incredible Hulk are off the bulletin boards. The not great part about packing is that you make a mess of things to pack things in an organized way. Then you have to clean it up so you can still use the space Monday morning. Another thing is putting the boxes in a space out of the way, where you can still use the rest of the space. Yeah... As much as I've moved around one would think I'd be better at this packing thing. NOPE!

I also have been working on a million "To Do" lists. When prepping for a new school year I often forget things I need to prep when I don't have the visual of the classroom. As I box things up, I am reminded of things to print, label, create, print, and label. Did I mention print and label?  I have been considering changing my classroom theme for next year. I think I might rotate between a couple of of themes so I don't get bored.

I drove by the new school today.. The outside looks pretty much done, but I did see someone on the roof. There were quite a few people working on Saturday. I also noticed the roadway into the school needs work, A LOT of work, like gravel won't be enough to call it a road work. I overheard a conversation about the road that the school district has to pay for its construction. Anyhow, hopefully they get that done. I want to go see the inside badly. We were sent an email this week letting us know there would be a Staff meeting Thursday after school for the staff of the new school. The principal and vice principal will be there. It will be interesting to see what we find out.

I have been doing pretty well with my allergies. This week they started hitting me. When my seasonal allergies strike I get more sensitive to other irritants. I have a colleague that uses scented wax that she heats up. The whole hallway is a "No-Go" zone for me. Usually, I can stand at the end of the hallway and be okay. Not yesterday though. I immediately got choked up. Another teacher came and watched my class for me and I went and watched hers (we were dropping them off at specials). I walked to the bathroom thinking I would be okay now that I was away from it. I went to the bathroom and couldn't make it back to my classroom to grab my inhaler. I went around the corner to the main office in which the nurses office is. When I walked in I told her I needed my inhaler. She said "you sound like it" Ir was a strange feeling I was staring at the wall where my inhaler is. It is in a bag with my picture and name on it and I couldn't recognize either. The nurse grabbed it and handed it too me. I was able to use it and feel much better in a short period of time. The nurse asked me what triggered me and I told her. Then all the secretaries checked on my and asked what triggered me. I told them. The secretary looked at the principal and said "We need to stop the teachers from using that stuff in their classrooms." I don't know how it is allowed. It just shouldn't be. Anyhow, I made it through the rest of the day and had enough left in me for hallway bowling.

That's all I know... G'nite

Ummm

I was trying to think of what I've accomplished lately. Let's see...
I did pack some boxes at school. I also locked all of my keys in my classroom and had to wait for the secretary to come free me. Uh... I have about 1/2 of my classes Mother's Day gifts prepared for their Mothers and Grandmothers. I learned that the Wal-Mart Grocery app is the best thing ever! I can just completely avoid going into Wal-Mart altogether. I can't even begin to explain how glorious that is. I have started student progress reports. I finished with the most uh...uninterested Practicum Student ever. (A future teacher...maybe) I created about 1,000 (MUCH EXAGGERATED) lists for what is needed at my new school. This was requested by our new principal to get us started in the fall. I created a schedule for my grade level team. For the gazillionth time. (slight exaggeration). I created the schedule for a presenter that is to come to our school and teach our students a little bit about pioneer life.  My team never volunteers to help. I contemplated my grocery list while sitting in training after school today.  I put grades in my grade book. I planned lessons. I corrected student work. I put stickers on student work. I remembered to change the date on the board, BEFORE my students reminded me. I taught. I helped make a few million (a bit of an exaggeration) tissue paper flowers. I took pictures, I had the pictures printed.   I supervised naughty children. I sneezed a lot.
I forgot my Wednesday coffee in the office. The principal brought it to me. Made my Wednesday much better.  Throw in a couple loads of laundry, some dishes ... I think that's all  lately... I'm off to hit the sack...
G'night

Frustrated

My FRUSTRATION has been pretty high!! GRRRR okay so I cannot believe the lengths people will go to, to NOT do their job. I have to fight so hard every single year for students to receive services or even be tested for services.  What is even more frustrating is that I know enough to know they are feeding me a line of bullshit. I know that other states aren't this bad... I don't know why ours is. It makes me so ANGRY. It makes my head hurt that the people whose job is to help kids ...just aren't! Okay maybe... maybe rant over.

Easter Weekend

I spent all day Saturday in my Google Class which was pretty great. I learned a lot. It was very tiring though. Then today I went to school to prep for the next few weeks of school. We are almost out of paper so I wanted to get as much done as I could before it runs out. After that, I guess I will be utilizing other things to teach! I am prepared till the end of May... I have a little paper hidden for emergencies.

After prepping for the coming weeks, I went to my friends for an Easter dinner. We had many delicious things. I really enjoy dinners cooked by other people. I am now getting some dishes and laundry done for the week ahead.

I was asked to take on a practicum student. This student was basically given a  last chance to get it together. I felt optimistic. I thought maybe this will be the turning point. It doesn't appear to be their turning point. A practicum student is a student that observes teachers and is going through the education program. They are not at the point where they are student teaching yet. This one just doesn't really seem to be into teaching. I can tell even my students feel the vibe from her. I had to ask her, a grown woman, with several children, to leave her lap top at home. She was on it the entire time doing homework for school. Yeah, that isn't going to work. I had another practicum student who didn't need to do as many hours, and she was very engaged and had a lot of education related questions. The other had none. Yeah.... go do something else. Please.

I also need to start packing the boxes. ACCKKKK I always seem to be moving for some reason....

Transferred

I have decided to accept the transfer to the new school. I have no idea whether I am making the right decision. I am just making a decision. I am hopeful that I will stay in the grade level I like and will continue working with good people. I do know that many of our strongest teachers are making the change. There are a couple I'd like to leave behind.  I've heard though that you can't always get what you want! Lots of changes in store for me as I participate in the opening of a brand new school. I know there will be  A LOT of work involved because of that.  Here I go on another adventure.

I am trying to focus on finishing out this school year and planning the next month. Pretty much the end of May will be a bust! My classroom will probably be mostly empty by then.  A colleague and I are renting a storage unit for the summer. Then we discussed renting a U-haul for the day loading and unloading everything in one day at the storage unit.  I think that will work out well. Our school discussed providing conex containers for us. I just well... I don't trust them with my stuff. yeah... I'd probably have field mice!  So that is the plan for now...

To be continued...

Internet

Why is it that when your internet goes out... and you call technical support...that they refer you to a website? Yeah... that'll work. Also,  they should note I live in a very inaccessible town as far as internet/phone service. So I'm not going to be downloading your app and using up all my data for technical support. I'll just beat my head against a wall now. Okay.... sigghhhh It is working now. Hopefully, not temporarily.

I had my "interview" today for possibly moving to the new school. I don't know the outcome and may not for awhile. the interview questions were fairly typical questions.  I had a lot of questions on my side. There is some anxiety about starting at a COMPLETELY Brand Spanking New school without any procedures, routines, etc set up. Some will be similar or the same just because it is the same school district. I try not to think about the changes that are happening because I really don't have much control over the outcome. There is so much whispering and discussing going on in the hallways. I am just dodging them as much as I possibly can. 

My frustrations with my internet have been going on all week, but I hadn't had the time to sit down and figure out what to do till tonight. Since the internet is part of my rent and the whole complex uses the same provider it adds a little complexity to it. My amazing landlord messaged me back this evening with the information I needed. AFTER her work hours.  I was wanting to get cracking on my home computer because I have some ideas I want to implement, but haven't had time at school to work on them.  I took this amazing Google Class and I've learned so much from it, but I haven't had the time to sit down to dedicate myself to it.  I do not want to forget what I have learned and let these ideas fall by the wayside.

This was the first week back after spring break and I had a lot of students absent. They just took a longer vacation. Of course it wasn't any of my high students that don't struggle in school. It was all of my students that are waaaayyyyyy behind and really struggle. For them every day they are in school is important. When they have been gone they can't catch up. It is sad for them.

I was starting to feel off and my stomach was being really weird, and my asthma seemed to be kicking off a bit. I was attributing it to the crazy fluctuations in weather but... I finally read the label of the soup I've been eating all week. It had mushrooms in it. I am allergic to them. If it had been one day I probably would've gone on without a problem.   Read the label. I usually make my own soup at home, but after just getting back from break. I decided to buy some ready made. OOOPSSS read the label!

I have to make a run to the big city to the east this weekend. It will take a little over 4 hours to get to where I need to go. Hopefully, the snow stays above 7,000 feet. We've had it spit snow off and on this week, but it hasn't amounted to anything.

I'd better hit the hay...  G'nite

Mondayyyyyyyyyyyy

The Monday following any break is rough!  I think most of my students were very sleepy today. I wasn't exactly feeling vigorous myself. We all made it through the first day back.  I was missing four students today. All of which are unlikely to make up the work they missed sigh, and all of which are quite behind in all subject areas. It has NOTHING to do with how much school they miss though. Nothing at all.

We had to move at a slow, but steady pace throughout the day. Early finishers of schoolwork had an opportunity to clean their desk thoroughly. Which was desperately needed. Hopefully, after easing back into the routine today they will be back on track. In the next couple of weeks we are interrupted by spring pictures, the "Bunny Hop", and Spirit Store.  The "Bunny Hop" is for students who run daily in our "Mile Club!" If they run they go to the "Bunny Hop." If they have a certain number of miles under their belt they can win prizes at the "Bunny Hop." The bunny hop is an annual event at the middle school. All students participating ride in a bus to the middle school, run laps on the track, get out of school for a couple hours, and if their lucky maybe win a prize.  Quite a portion of my class participates so I may have a tiny class for those couple of hours.

It is always fun to greet my colleagues after a break. There are some I even miss when I'm away. HA!  I came home today pretty pooped and ready to rest my head. I did manage to start a load of dishes. I don't know if it is my dishwasher or my water or both, but I will not buy the Kirkland brand off dishwasher detergent pods again. I've ended up with white flecks every time and have to rinse them again. Yeah... not fun. Mom you might have some dish detergent pods coming your way! I'm going back to Cascade brand.

I have an avalanche of clean laundry to fold and put away. I'm proud I came home and have clean laundry. The folding part didn't get completed though. I did get my house a lot cleaner than I left it before spring break. Including getting some shredding done. I don't know how papers get to be such a pile. It happens quickly though.

Mom and I watched Jeanne Robertson  over the break  a speaker/stand up comedian. If you need some clean family friendly laughs and have Amazon Prime there are a couple of giggle worthy shows on there. She refers to her husband as "Left Brain" which Mom appeared to relate to a little too well! Hee hee

Well, I'd better go re-energize for another fun filled day!

updates

I hadn't really thought about it until some friends asked me. This was the first winter in a long time I didn't have lung issues. Every year since I've moved to this town I've had less and less issues. I think in large part it has to do with the very old building I had taught in before. I really think it had mold.  I did get sick in February with  a virus. It started with a terrible headache, followed by a low grade fever, and a terrible sore throat. It wasn't the worst bug I'd ever had I just found myself very very tired. Then just when I thought I was past the worst of it  round 2 kicked in. I'd come home and just crash every night and sleep most of my weekends. I thought I was such a wimp, but my friends son missed a week of school because they just couldn't knock that fever. After that went away she said he'd go to sleep at like 6:30 every night. Everyone I talked to with this virus would say how tired they were. I was so happy it didn't go down into my lungs. Hopefully, having a couple of years without getting a respiratory infection I can continue this trend.  After spending the summer attempting to avoid wild fire smoke unsuccessfully I think I did really well.

Our number of students at our school outgrew the buildings capacity long ago. We have 20 classrooms in portables outside of our building. A new school will be finished this summer. It looks like there is a strong chance I will be moved to this school. I say this because next week I will be interviewed for a position there. I am hoping this means I can stay in my current grade level, that I will know what next year has in store for me, and will enable me to plan a little bit. We shall see.

I took an online class about literacy this quarter as well as the second half of a google class. I'd considered signing up for another class, but I put the brakes on it for now. I tend to overextend myself taking classes. My focus needs to be on completing this school year and packing up my classroom. All of us leaving our school or not have to have our entire classrooms packed up and emptied by 5:00 p.m. the last day of school. The last day of school. The last day of school. This means we will have students all morning and early afternoon they depart and we have a couple hours to finish checking out. Our admin is very supportive of us having stuff moved out sooner. It is just stressful contemplating it. My current school is completely removing the old and installing a new HVAC system over the summer. There will also be remodeling and updating to be up to current ADA regulations.  Either way change is in store. I'm riding  a wave of change. 

Well... I need to finish some laundry and housecleaning as I say goodbye to my last day of spring break.

Spring Break

I've been off the internet mostly and haven't posted in quite awhile. My laptop was almost completely dead. I think I can get it on enough to get everything I need off of it... but it won't be fun. It was a fight just to get it started up. I had some help picking out a refurbished laptop for a great deal. Then that went to visit a computer guru also known as my cousin. It arrived back to me in perfect working order. It is a great size for me!

Spring Break just flew by in a whirlwind. I was able to spend a couple of days breathing fresh coastal air. What is sad when I travel up north now is often  my fresh air is polluted by Marijuana smoke these days. You can't pollute anyone's air with anything but marijuana up north. A breeze is necessary at all times. It was a good trip and I was able to scoot over to see my Granny. She is recovering and rehabbing from surgery. It will take her awhile to build her strength, but she is working hard every day to get moving. It was great to be able to give her a hug and chat with her.

Right before break was Parent Teacher conferences. Most went well. A couple were not happy campers. It's hard to help kids to care when their parents do not take responsibility on their end. Those couple of days spent in conferences are totally exhausting. We arrive back to the last nine weeks of school! It will fly by I am sure. I have to get my classroom completely boxed up. I do not know what is in store for me next year. I do know I will be at either the newly built school or the school I am currently at. I will not know where I will be till possibly May or even later in the summer. We really can't get a definitive answer to this question.  It is interesting to be at a school during this transition. If I end up in a situation I am not happy with I can always put in for a transfer later. I am hopeful that things will go well, the waiting and unknown isn't really much fun. I think what concerns me the most is working with some of the amazing people I work with. I want to continue working with these colleagues. It makes a huge difference in your day to have colleagues that are good people.

I also made the grand purchase of a tandem kayak. My brother found me a good deal on a good brand. It is more kayak that I was expecting, but I am looking forward to some lake time this summer break. I need a few more accessories to make it all work!  Well.... I'm off to work on doing some more laundry and do some house cleaning. It is back to reality on Monday morning.

Commute

Well my 20 minute commute home turned into 1 1/2 hour commute today. A few cars in front of me did some involuntary off-roading. Based on what I observed before that point many people were driving way too fast for the road conditions. We had a terrible combination of blowing snow, drifting, and slushy snow.  That combination will easily pull a vehicle where it wants you to go. I talked with a pal on the phone while waiting.  A few of our buses canceled their journey to deliver students because they couldn't make it up the roads due to drifting. There was even a few snow plows getting stuck. We had something you might call a blizzard today. Which is a lot of fun when you have nowhere to go. I am crossing my fingers and hoping for a snow day tomorrow.

I am just recovering from  a cold. I LOVE the snow! Don't get me wrong, but I'm not so fond of being sick during the snow!  My amazing landlord makes sure all the walks are shoveled and spreads ice-melt and plows our parking lot. That makes a blizzard that much more enjoyable.

I am taking an online class right now and this class so far has reinforced all of my beliefs about reading. What is quite frustrating to me is reading articles about the importance of phonics is NOT enough. Teachers need to be taught the "HOW" not just the why. Many teachers are leaving teaching colleges without the "how" part.  It is annoying.

Well... I need to sign off take some cold meds and go to bed.

Roast

I made a roast in my Instant Pot while my parents were here. It came out very juice and delicious!
It was about 4 pounds.

In the Instant Pot I poured about a 1/2"-3/4" of  Balsamic Vinegar with about 1/2 cup of water.  I sprinkled a little salt and pepper on the roast, then a little garlic powder, lastly a  layer of Kirkland brand no-salt seasoning. I put the Instant Pot on the slow cook setting for 4 hours. It was perfect for that size of roast.  I'm getting hungry thinking about it.  We ate on it all week. Before refrigerating I poured all the juice over the sliced roast. It helped keep it juicy. We ate on it all week and it never got old.  I'll make it again the same way. Yum!

January Whiplash!

What happened to January. It felt like it was a thousand days long and that it would never come to an end. It was insanely busy. It also felt like it flew by. We completed a ton of testing, report cards, etc etc etc. It finished with Western Folklife week at school and The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in town. Which was pretty amazing by the way. There was a couple of them that I had to look at the ticket buyers (my parents) and convey my best "WHAT IS THIS!" look at them. THE HIGHLIGHT for me was Marty Stewart and his Fabulous Superlatives. The best live music I've seen in a  long, long, long time. Go see them. You won't regret it.

I had another crazy interaction with a parent. I just don't even know where to start. Not much I can do, it is in Admins hands. I made the mistake of engaging with crazy. Every year of teaching I think well... surely I've seen it all. NOPE another one surprises me. This week ... all 2 days of it has felt like a month.

I signed up for a class. It is an online class. Why do I do this?  Anyhow, hopefully I get something meaningful out of it.

I helped write a grant this fall for Science Curriculum. We were awarded the grant and all the books, materials, etc arrived last week.  Now I just need the time to read it and do some lessons.

All kinds of rumors are running around about what is happening with the new school and changes next year. I am just trying to keep out of it. None of us know until we know... so none of us know. 
The situation reminds me a little of the Norman Rockwell Painting below. 



I am trying to keep up with everything happening and not just tread water. It is NOT easy.  I live and breathe school during the year. This is why Teachers need breaks. You can only give so much before you pay a price.

I'm off... g'nite