Time Zones!

I have a word of advice. Don't bump the time zone on the alarm clock. You might find yourself awake a couple hours earlier than  planned. Then you might wonder why it is so dark outside. Then when you talk on the phone to someone they might say "You're up early today!" Then you might discover yourself on your way to work very early. Then you celebrate with a stop at the coffee hut to get a cup of hot chocolate.

This afternoon lightening started a fire near the highway in which I drive home on. They ended up closing the highway most of the afternoon. Then they finally opened it to one lane traffic.  I followed a colleague home on a long, bumpy, and circuitous drive home. It was a beautiful drive in places. It was a wet and muddy drive, a dusty and dry drive, and a gravely drive. I am glad we went this way because we made it home before everyone else was trying to travel the same path.

Bob Marley our overused and abused copier has not been working. The repairmen are out almost on a daily basis. It has made prepping very interesting. We have been given crazy unrealistic deadlines for data that must be calculated and turned in. The data is based on student assessments. We've been in school for 7 days. Tomorrow will be day 8 and I have to have all of my students assessed. Keep in mind this involves one-on-one testing. I called a retired teacher and begged for her help. I honestly would not have been able to complete it without her help. Do you know how badly I just want to TEACH??? Tonight after my long and crazy drive home, I get a message. The message is regarding the data. The data that must be turned in tomorrow. That now has to be calculated, scored, and entered in a very specific way. A way that wasn't shared with us till tonight. TONIGHT! We have more one-on-one assessments that must be completed by Wednesday of next week. We also have beginning of the year Standardized Tests on the computer to be taken. My classes first one is tomorrow. They take the last two  next week. These poor kids!

Since I was up two hours early does that mean I can go to bed two hours early!  Despite my to-do list that is miles long. I am going with some pals on a rafting trip up north. I am looking forward to some sun, water, and laughs.

Returning the Favor

I'm loving this new Facebook Show by Mike Rowe. He's going across the country finding "Do-Gooders." He's meeting some pretty amazing people. I'm a little jealous of these little girls! Returning the Favor!

Smiles

The parent of a student sent me this video:

I appreciated the sentiment... 😆

Hatch Chiles

I knew Hatch Chiles was a thing. A really big thing. Especially for those who hail from New Mexico. They take their Hatch Chiles very seriously. What I didn't know was that our local community took it seriously as well. The local groceries started advertising them a few weeks in advance. You could even pre-order them. The grocery stores were selling them by the pound. Then out in the parking lot they  had roasters set up. The customers were picking them up and paying in the store then taking them out to the parking lot to be roasted. I'm not sure what you do with them from there. My taste buds are most likely too weak for such things. I don't think it is a coincidence there is an ambulance parked in the near vicinity of the roasters.  Sorry it's not a better photo... you can see the heat rising though!

Free Speech

Many good points...

P.S.A.

I say this for the janitors who have to clean the black marks off the floors, buff out the scratches, and vacuum up the rocks.  I say it for the teachers with limited space in their classroom. I say it for the students who are walking behind. I say it for the doorways that get whacked. I say it for the bus drivers. I say it for anyone that gets in the way of your 7 year old with the rolling back pack.

YOUR 7 YEAR OLD DOESN'T NEED A ROLLING BACK PACK. I am not sending home college textbooks to read. We aren't building cement towers in science.  We aren't packing for a weekend trip to grannies. We won't be going on any field trips that require long distance travel and airports. There will be no homework sent home that will require back support.

Get Back Your Sanity!

I might be changing my Christmas List...

More Later...

Open House

Teacher in-service week isn't just about going to professional development, lesson planning, and organizing your classroom for the new school year. It is about re-training your bladder. There is a schedule bladder and you must stick to it. It is also about reminding your feet what it is like to be on them all of a long day. It's a bit of a shock to your system to be back in this mode. Nothing is happy and everything hurts. It will get better.

Tomorrow, we are in professional development again all day. After observing a teacher from another school pull out her knitting at a different training, I contemplated what I could do. I could bring the binding machine into the training and put together handwriting booklets. I could bring my label-maker and start printing out student names. I could bring already printed labels and start labeling all of the students materials. I just can't bring myself to do it. No matter how tempting it might be. So I will just go with my pencil and notepad. I hope to learn something and not feel like it is time better spent lesson planning.

Tonight was open house. I had planned to take some photos, but I never made it that far. I worked right up to the wire getting my classroom prepared. Open house is supposed to be a simple meet the teacher, figure out where  your classroom is, get information, and go home. I am amazed how much information parents want to share in this brief period. They expect me to remember all of their needs. It's hard to remember all of that in such a short time. You meet so many students and their families. They also want to share details that perhaps should be shared in private. That is horrible. I have one of these situations every year at Open House. Right in front of the student something like this is said "My little Billy Sue has behavior problems."   This is not the time or the place. The child is excited to meet the new teacher, is putting their best foot forward, and wants me to see beyond the "bad" kid.  When I shared this with my mom tonight she said " You're told you're Dennis the Menace, now you act like Dennis the Menace." There is a lot of truth to that.  Parents have my email, can set up meetings, etc. Please don't do this to them on their first introduction to the teacher.

The a.c. in my classroom is still not working. I was melting today. Then the a.c. automatically goes off every afternoon. Open House was a hot and sweaty introduction. The maintenance man said he would be keeping an eye on my classroom temperature. Ummm how about you just make the a.c. work? I heard a rumor that next summer they might be replacing our whole H-VAC system. I hope this is fact! I don't know why the people who are in charge of maintaining this never believe you when you say. I never hear the air and I don't even see air movement. The only time the air flows through the vents is when they turn the heat on and then it blows cold air. In the meantime I must re-hydrate.

G'Night

PLC's

I'm tired and I feel like I am spinning in circles. I wish I could remember everything I accomplished today, but I don't. I will tell you I worked 12 hours today with a brief lunch thrown in there. Our trainings and informational meetings were more meaningful today. After we were done I worked on getting my classroom ready, materials ready, and papers ready to go home.  I did observe there was a lot added to our handbook this year. A direct result of people not doing the right thing. Most rules are created because people push the boundaries of general respect. Anyhow, it was a good, busy, task oriented day.  There may have been a little of the following ....although we never Rock-Paper-Scissor decisions ... we usually do Nose Goes... whoever doesn't touch their nose or is last...does the undesirable task!

My pillow is calling
G'night

Rousing Training

It's only Tuesday. Well training was as illuminating and exhilarating as I suspected it might be. Luckily we had a long lunch. Long enough to go and get a delicious meal.  After this electrifying training I ran to the post office to mail my student post cards. Of course I ended up short one. I'd already had a newly registered student. The boys outnumber the girls by one. This cannot continue😆 I rely on the girls to keep those boys on task. 😄  I then went out to school and worked in my classroom till about 7:30. Drove back to town and had mom message me my "must haves" items for tomorrow. For example a lunch to take. I grabbed a quick dinner, came home, printed a couple more items, laminated a couple more items, and now 'tis time for bed.

We had a beautiful summer rainstorm today. Cleaned the air, it was perfectly refreshing. My hair went in 162 different directions...but what can you do.

Tomorrow, we have another training at our own school in the a.m. and work with our grade levels in the afternoon. I hope tomorrow is more illuminating.

G'nite

Busy Day

I checked a lot of my "To-Do" list today. I think I may have even completed my laminating. I worked on printing materials I need. Making a schedule and contact info magnet for parents, postcards to send to students, etc etc. I even got my new (old) bookshelves from my friend and have them in my classroom. I almost have my bulletin board finished as well.  I have a lot more to accomplish before the first day of school, but today I feel a lot closer to being ready.

Tomorrow I am in training all day. After the training I may go to school for a little bit. I'll see how tired I am. The training is an overview of our new reading curriculum. I think it will be more of an overview of how to use it. I expect boredom. All of the 2nd Grade teachers in the district are meeting at one school. The other grades are meeting in different places. Luckily the school we are meeting at is about 2 minutes from my house. Wednesday I am in meetings at our school all day. Thursday they give us the day to work in our classroom because Thursday night is "Back-to-School-Night". Friday we are in training again all day. Then I have the weekend to finish last minute details before the first day on Monday. This time of year flies.

My class list changed a little bit today I lost one and gained one. They said we wouldn't be moving students around, but we could still have some added to our list. There are often late registrants in mining towns. Right now I have 22 students with 11 boys and 11 girls. Hopefully that is enough gals to keep the guys in line! HA! I have two students with the same name (different spellings). My colleague has 6 students sharing 3 different names. That is the worst. Then with the different spellings...yeah...it gets complicated.

Well, I'd better hit the sack.
G'night

Total Eclipse!

Another day spent in my classroom. It is very close! I am waiting for a couple of bookshelves to come. My classroom has been a sweat box. I have been dripping while working. I get home and can hardly wait to hop in the shower. The a.c. is not turned on during the weekend, and in my classroom it doesn't work during weekdays. After everyone left I got some more copying done. I don't know what it will be like next week and the first couple weeks of school. The copier over-heats quickly and doesn't work. 

I want to get to school in the a.m. before eclipse travel gets a little goofy in town. I expect most people will not be at school during that time. Speaking of the eclipse... 

I hope you are prepped and ready to observe this event!

Speaking of the eclipse... here is an 80's flashback for you...

It doesn't get much more 80's than this song and music video!

G'nite

Printer Drama!

The printer wars continued. When I'd print a test page the color would show. When I tried to print from my computer no color. I had to uninstall all the drivers and reinstall them. Now I am finally finishing all my printing.

Today was a tough one. I went to visit the family of a former student. They lost a child in a tragic accident this summer. There isn't an easy path through grief, it is just one that is walked through. After this painful visit I went to work for awhile. 

I decided to clean out a cupboard which led to cleaning out two other cupboards. Sometimes to clean up a mess you make a mess. I was able to purge some items and organize some as well. Tomorrow, I have to revisit the dreaded Wal-Mart for another organizational bin and some command hooks. I will have my classroom ready soon....I hope. I came home and hung out with my little buddy. He came and did a little vacuuming and shredding. He took all of his artwork off the fridge. I guess it was sub-par. He made a few plans about what he is going to do next visit. Then we went to his house for dinner. It was a yummy crockpot  chicken dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, and veggies. Delicious. Tomorrow I am borrowing his older sister to finish putting my classroom library while I work on the rest of the classroom. 

Closer and Closer

It's getting down to the wire! One more week until it is our teacher work days. Finishing up my classroom and attempting to get my house cleaned as well. My classroom is very close.  I have the bulletin board outside my classroom to complete. This video describes the process well...

Printing

I made it through a good portion that needed to be printed. Then errors started occurring. Then the printer told me I didn't have the necessary printer software installed. I am not sure what happened to it. Upon reinstall I recognized it all. I finished that was just beginning to print again and ran out of ink. I replaced the ink, and the internet went out. Then the paper ran out. I print through a network connection. I reset the internet started printing again and the color cartridge ran out. I replaced it started printing again and the internet went out. I got the internet reset and the paper ran out. I don't think I have much more to print so I am hoping the only error from here on out is "out of paper."

Update: I ran out of paper again, and it decided to only print in black and white. I didn't have that selected and I have plenty of color ink. I am letting the printer go to sleep. Clearly it needs a nap.

Preparations

Met with most of my grade level team yesterday. We were able to accomplish printing and organizing some of the beginning of year paperwork. I have been trying to get them to do a shared drive so we can share documents. I was finally asked to create one. I created it and added all of the collaborators. We also discussed some of our 2nd grade planning. We didn't get a huge amount done but anything is progress. I worked in my classroom a little bit. I have a lot more to do. My principal approved my temporary backpack storage. (Whew).  Some teachers had questions (suggestions), about how it might not work. They didn't have any other suggestions about alternatives.  We went to lunch with a colleague that changed to a district office position. We are really going to miss her but she seems very happy.

Today I have been working on printing! I can't believe how much I print to prepare for the year. It is A LOT! Much of what I printed also needs to be laminated. I will be laminating this evening.   Dad, you're missing out on the fun!!   I also was able to convince most of my colleagues to use a planning software. This will be great because we can also create grade level pacing guides, or lesson plans, and collaborate. This software has been a huge help for me. I can create a daily schedule, put in lesson plans, insert standards, add holidays, and so much more. I depend on it to get my days, weeks, months, and year organized.

Our state has a new reading law. It is tweaked at the end of every school year. What I don't like is each district has to apply for state grant money to fund what they are being asked to do. The only thing I can think of is that they will eventually deny funding if that area is not making progress in what they are saying they will accomplish. This year they added a lot to the grant requirements. Like 140 pages of new requirements. They didn't get this information out to the districts till last week. They have to have the grants turned in this week. Then funding may not come through till October. It will be interesting to see the impact this has on hiring of certain positions.

What I am impatiently awaiting is our schedule. I don't know if they are waiting till our first work week or what. It's killing me to not work on my daily schedule. We also have not been given class lists yet. I think they expect some last minute student registrations. So, I wait...ever so patiently.

Pinterest Threw Up!

A  teacher of math guru Dan Meyer says ."Leave some white space on your walls for your students to fill with their creations-don't let it look like Pinterest threw up in your room!"  I totally agree with this. Honestly there are a lot of classrooms that look as though Pinterest threw up in their room. Teachers go with a theme and suddenly their classroom looks like a jungle. Is it fun, probably for a little while.Does it enhance learning? I would say not so much. I walk in some of these classrooms and it makes me feel a little overwhelmed. Kind of like when I look at the clutter on my kitchen table right now. I think students who have trouble with being too stimulated would find those rooms overwhelming too. I like the idea that students contribute to what is hanging up, and show what we are working on, as we work on it. 

I went to work at school for a bit today. I did not make a ton of progress. I ordered a bookshelf today. I had bought Wal-Mart shelves last year that have not stood up to the test of time. I hope the one I ordered will last awhile. I need some building skills.  

Tomorrow we meet as a grade level team. It is not required of us at this point. However, it is good to get together and get an overview of the upcoming year, share thoughts and ideas, meet our new colleague, look at curriculum, and more. It is helpful to start the year getting maybe close to the same page , if not on the same page.  It is always great to see each other after summer. One of our colleagues retired this year and another took a reading position in the district. We didn't have enough students for 7 teachers we are back to 6 second grade teachers. I haven't met our new colleague yet, so that will be interesting. It was really hard to lose a strong member of our team. It is big shoes to fill, which is not fair to the newbie, so I will try to adjust my expectations. 

Pin it!

I saw something on Pinterest. I wanted to create it for my students. Wouldn't you know that I couldn't find it again. I thought I'd saved it. I thought I could find it again. I was WRONG! I've been working on re-creating what I'd remembered. It was a piece of  cardstock cut into a circle with a little maze glued on it. It said  "It's Going To Be An A-Maze-Ing Year!  I don't think my version is as cute as the original but it will work. I did realize as I was creating it that I'd ordered mazes but my class size this year will exceed what I ordered. I quickly ordered another set along with glue dots to stick the mazes on the paper. It's a little thing, but it will take time. When I have it done I will post a picture below!


We had wonderful summer rain today. It made it very humid but it washed the smoke right out of the skies. I loaded the dishwasher and had overfilled it a bit. I started over and turned it into a couple of loads. I am caught up on washing laundry, but not the folding and putting away part. I will get there. Clean clothes is a good start. I made a cup of tea to take with me to school yesterday. You know where my tea ended up?  Down the drain since I left it on the counter all day.  I was quite bummed out when I realized my hot cup of tea was on the counter at home.  While I was typing I realized a couple other things I'd forgotten to add to my list. I use the Evernote App on my phone. It is extremely useful to me. You can even take a picture to add to your list. I have lists from last year which helps me remember what I did last year to prepare for the year that I might forget this year.

I hope to get a lot  done today. There are a couple of things I organized yesterday that I've thought of a better plan.  Setting up the classroom every year is very time consuming.

Back packs, Spinners, etc

I worked in my classroom for several hours today. I worked on my improvised backpack storage.

You can see my coat hooks above. There are not enough hooks for the number of students. They also are too close to hold a coat and a backpack. I hope this storage system will work for now. The part with the most crates is way more sturdy than those on the edge. I just found one more crate at home so I can make  it an even 30! I will have to put something next to them to help them stay upright. I'll figure it out. I may put a rug runner in front of it. We shall see.  Mom said she thought kids would argue over what color of crate they get. She is correct which is why they will be labeled in alphabetical order! 😆😄 I have a lot more to accomplish before I am ready for the school year, but every day I am a little closer.

Last night I braved the wilds of Wal-Mart. They had fidget spinners in the School Supply Section. Here is what I have to say about that.

Wal-mart had an exceptionally clean parking lot in certain areas. Apparently their was a sewage leak/spill. The smell lingered. I remembered most of my list which was a bonus. 

Teacher Buttons

I need a few of these 😉

Facing the New Year

I made it back down south! Partially unloaded my car last night. Went to pick up my school keys today. I had a lot of help from a friend and was able to quickly unload my car and get on with it. I have worked a bit on laundry,  went to the grocery store, and have begun my plan for classroom arrangement.

I didn't make a list before I went to the grocery store. Clearly the heat was impacting my memory because the number one and number two things on my mental list, were forgotten. Sigh.  The problem was I'd made a mental list. Yeah, the written down lists work out a little better. I kept procrastinating on going to the grocery store. Because Like most of the west right now...'tis HOT. I finally went after dark. Then went back again to get the items I  was thankful to come home to central air. It is nice. Especially for sleeping.

Their is a yellow haze over much of the west. I drove through it my whole way back. These summer wildfires are popping up all over this summer. Their is a lot of growth from a wet winter making it easier for them to travel. Stay safe in the woods.

I briefly met our new vice principal, we have two now. I greeted a couple of colleagues that I hadn't seen all summer. Annnnnnd one of our favorite janitors is retiring. She is going out in style with a trip to Puerto Vallarta. We will miss her. She has been a lot of fun.

Everything looked in tact in my classroom. I did see one shelf on one of my el-cheapo wal-mart bookshelves has been knocked down. I don't know if it can be set up again. The shelf quality was very poor, so I am not surprised, but I also don't really want to purchase anything. It was used heavily last year and may have  been taxed beyond its abilities.

Tomorrow I plan to go in for awhile. For as long as I can stand. We've discovered the school a.c. cannot keep up with the current heat wave. My room and my neighbors classroom it has Never worked well in so we shall see what I can stand.

I put in an order to a local FDA certified Organic Vegetable Farm for some zucchini so that I can make some zucchini bread before school starts. Zucchini Bread, Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Maybe even some Strawberry Zucchini bread.  Oh that reminds me while I was at the local grocery that has a few more specialty items they have whole plain yogurt. It is really hard to find any that isn't fat free. Plain yogurt is my favorite. However, the fat free has A LOT of sugar added. So that was exciting. To make my mother happy and avoid lectures I bought a lot of fresh fruit (MOM!)! So I will snack on that MOM!!! My brother kept trying to talk me into trying kombucha ... yeah google that. So I bought one bottle. I haven't overcome my grossed out-ness to attempt it yet. Tomorrow. I will tomorrow. If I can drink Kale juice (blechhh) I can attempt this Right?

I noticed here that a lot of people have been waiting till after dark to take their walks. It is so weird to see that. However, with this heat I totally don't blame them. The air quality during the heat of the day is very poor. I am hoping that soon we can have a really heavy summer rain. That would feel amazing.

Part of our new Reading Curriculum was delivered to my classroom. Some of it is apparently back ordered. I didn't look at it too closely. My first goal is to get my room all set up nicely. Then I will consider  curriculum. That is a time sucker!   Well a new year begins.

Free Speech

Speakers addressing congress about 1st Amendment Rights. Interesting Testimonies..

FYI: School Supplies

Yes, Mr. Brooks these ARE NOT school supplies. Thank You, Thank You Very Much.

Speaking of school supplies 2nd graders are addicted to pencil sharpeners. As much as I try to reward them for having something resembling a pencil by the end of the week...know that your little darlings are wasting them by sharpening them down to a nub. Their other favorite thing to do is pull of the eraser and the metal end cap that holds the eraser and sharpen both ends. This is endless fun and you can show it off to your pals who will replicate your ingenuity. Extra pencils never hurt. When teachers ask you for yellow number 2 pencils, we aren't asking you to spend more money, we would just like a product that lasts longer than one day! Those big beautiful pink erasers you send. Yeah... after they sharpen their pencil they like to stab it. Then they spend a little time spinning it on the end of their pencil before stabbing it into little pieces. Do I catch them doing this? Yes. Do I stop them? Yes. Do they go back to it the second I am addressing another issue. Yes.

I know school supply lists can be daunting and feel like a lot of money. I know sometimes what is requested is way too much. However, most of the time, most of us are asking for what they need. If you don't buy it  we have to buy it. I spend a lot of money on your students every year to make their learning fun and purchase items needed to teach but not bought by our employers. I belong to teacher pages where the teachers share the deals we find. We do this to help each other out because we know we have to be bargain hunters. I do find deals and bargains that can benefit my students. I try to take at least one purchase off the school supply list every year and get it for my students. This year I bought their composition notebooks. It helps me because they are more uniform and when I say get out your purple notebook everyone is on the same page.  I also purchase homework folders for my students every year. I've asked for folders and you know how many are returned to me? Maybe 5-7 if I am lucky. I purchase a much needed school supply item because I know many parents will decide there is too much on the list and get a couple of the items. Then your child is in a panic that they do not have what their peers have and what I've asked them to pull out of their desk to use. I've learned to have extras because many students will not be sent with what they need.

I don't begrudge purchasing items for my students that will make their learning more meaningful through the year. I do kind of feel begrudging when you couldn't buy them an eraser on the list. So, I have  a stash that I purchase through bargain hunting.  If I sat down and calculated how much I spent on school every year... I think I'd have a panic attack. Last year I started a crowd funding project and felt guilty and ended up canceling it. I went to a few yard sales and found a couple of the items I needed. So please look at the school supply list and see what bargains you can find.

Speaking of money I was more than a little disgusted about a crowd funding page I saw. It came as a surprise to me because the people asking for funds had just spent $50,000 dollars having a luxury item installed in their house. They have children in very expensive sports with a lot of travel. Then you make a choice which would at first appearance seem to be selfless. However, their selflessness gives them opportunity to be self-righteous and cast aspersions on others who are not doing as they do. It put a bad taste in my mouth.

I think as teachers we must be careful to not stick our hand out begging. I have a good job with decent benefits, I have enough to take care of my own needs, and a little left over after breaking the bank for school. I don't want to take for granted what parents do to help their kids and the school. Even if they are in the minority. That shouldn't be expected every time. Just please buy school supplies.

Which brings me to homework. In primary education I don't think kids need a lot of homework. It isn't beneficial. What they do need to do is READ.  I have heard all of the reasons why you can't make time for it in your life. I don't want to hear it anymore. Turn off everything and read.

Temperatures were high!

I wrote this post...then forgot to post, so now I am posting! 😊

You never know who will show up to say Hello! It was fun to see some friends who brought us delicious, cold, smoothies on a really hot day. It doesn’t get better than that! It was great to catch up on all the news. We of course had to discuss our NCIS addiction. The original NCIS has lost a few of the players that made it great. They had unique, original, well written, characters. It has gotten a bit more generic and some of the richest characters have left the show. The new favorite is NCIS New Orleans. If you can’t create a “character” of great depth and intrigue with that city as the back drop well you lack talent. So yes, It was great to get caught up!!

I also was able to share my latest Gerry Brooks-Lexington Principal videos with them. This guy really understands teachers on summer vacation. It’s not that we don’t love kids, we do, but to keep loving them we need breaks!

Mom and I considered a drive over the hill today but then decided going to a city with even higher temperatures didn’t sound like fun. Even with the shopping available. It just didn’t seem worth it. I have almost caught up on all my favorite Netflix Shows. I don’t know if it is working with kids but I have less and less ability to watch gratuitous violence and language. I think our humor has sunk to some serious lows. The dramatic shows are giving WAYYYY to much insight into people lives. Maybe I just experience enough heartache with my students that I want to just be entertained. I don’t want to be preached at, hear lots of cursing, or violence. If I need that I’ll start watching the evening news. So my requirements are simple. I want to be entertained and escape into a characters world. Some of the shows I have to mix them up a bit because I begin to predict a pattern. It is like reading a mystery book series if you continue reading the same author’s book right after one another you can start predicting the outcomes based on previous patterns.  So my favorites on Netflix at the moment are Midsomer Murders, Death in Paradise, Hinterland (a little dark),  Shetland,  and Sherlock. I’ve caught up on all but Sherlock. I attempted a couple of comedies but the humor was crude and gross  and lacking intelligence or any insight into human behavior in a funny way. I gave up on the comedies. It is nice to have the time to relax and read for pleasure and watch something entertaining. 

Sad news today one of my student’s younger sibling passed away today after a tragic accident. Please say a prayer for all who loved him.  

Monday is when it starts!

Things get super busy at the end of the school year. I was able to get my asthma under control and we have a prevention plan in place that will hopefully work. The inflammation appears to have decreased significantly. We made it through the last day of school and I cleaned up my classroom and checked out for the summer. I went home and collapsed and attempted to recover and get ready to head north to see the family. I split my trip in half so I could go visit a friend for a couple of days!  I made it north in time to help dad celebrate Father's Day not with a Hot Dog but a delicious Hamburger. Then Monday came...

Monday... the day Garfield sticks his head back under his blanket for.

I decided I would not make any changes till after school was out. I am quitting soda AGAIN. Not caffeine but soda! I started when I'd gotten sick at my last job to keep myself going and once it sticks...it sticks. I've done it before long term and I can do it again. I just cannot give in and start again. So Monday didn't go to badly, then the headaches started. I'm drinking caffeinated tea, but the headaches are still present. I know if I can maintain for a couple of more days I will be past the headache part. In the meantime I am a bit cranky. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better. I wish I liked coffee....

Yep! I'm a grumpy wimp!

I find myself feeling a little emotional tonight. It has been too long since I could breath properly. I feel the relief given from my medication. I am going to be able to get on top of what I need to do this last week of school. It is a relief in so many ways. I was getting to the point I could see how anything would get better. It was frustrating and discouraging. I didn't feel like anyone "got it".  I feel  like I finally saw the right doctor at the right time. We made a plan together. A plan for prevention and a plan for what to do when my symptoms flare. I am on some medication more long term that will help to reduce the inflammation going on in my lungs. The problem with that at first, was that it was so tight in there it wasn't getting to where it needed to go. I have to change some things up to help myself recover and not get this bad again.

When I think of people fighting disease on a daily basis, hourly basis, I hurt for them. Illness like that you do not get reprieve from. It is always there and always on your mind. I turn into a grumpy wimp. They are so tough to fight that every day. I admire their determination.

I hate fidget spinners....

https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/two-moms-share-terrifying-stories-183952923.html?.tsrc=fauxdal

Except this one!

This is a waste of good brass!

This annoys me on so many levels.... Where to start...

Awesome Dad!

NPR... is RIGHT on this one!

Not Fake News!

Maybe recycle them?

Even the Tribune gets it!

I want this shirt...every kid has a spinner...but can I get a parent to send more pencils? NOPE!


They require more than 1 glass:






Not too many strong feelings about this fad! Just keep them at home and give your kid a jump rope it spins too!

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....

Fresh Air Matters

After we released our students today we had a grade level P.L.C. A P.L.C. is an abbreviation for Professional Learning Community. Professional Learning Community is a fancy name for "We had a meeting!"  I have been a little stuffed up because of spring allergies. The room we held the meeting in is not one that we normally hold it in. I walked in didn't think anything about it. I suddenly became very very tired. I mentioned it to a colleague a couple of times. Then I started to get choked up and started coughing. I asked if there was a scent or perfume in the room. The teacher had on a Scentsy wax warmer. She immediately turned it off, but I was coughing more and feeling out of breath. I left the room and realized it had triggered my allergy related asthma. I got back to my classroom and I knew I had my inhaler but I couldn't think of where I had it. Not enough oxygen = unclear thinking. A colleague came in and tried to help me. At first I couldn't talk. I just had to sit and think of only inhaling and exhaling for a minute. It got better and soon started talking. I told her to leave me for a bit so I could just breathe and drink some water and calm down. I decided to go outside for a  bit to stand up straight and breathe in fresh air. I forgot to communicate where I was going, and panicked my poor colleagues a 2nd time. After I had more air in me I realized I left my inhaler in my "recess" jacket.

I felt so bad I had scared them all. I am putting my classroom inhaler in one place so they can find it easily. I am giving one to the school nurse. After school I called in for my refill on another inhaler. That one will travel with me.

This may sound strange, but I am glad this happened. Why? Because when I say I am allergic to scents or I can't breathe with them I am often dismissed. Unless you have experienced it or have this same issue It seems far-fetched. I had told my colleagues a couple of times that I react to it, but I know they didn't really understand. They understand now.

That first sign of feeling so tired so quickly was my body saying "HELLO NEED AIR HERE." I just didn't recognize that quickly enough. Since my nose was plugged I didn't smell the scent in the air. I really hate those wax warmers. Most of the time those have chemicals that create the artificial smell. I wish they would just use a quality essential oil and a little water in them if needed. Even a diffuser would be better.

My colleagues were very good about checking on me and taking care of me. I work with good people!

2 Minutes

I forgot to share.... the "lunch ladies"... Oh my.... the "lunch ladies"... it is a hostile eating environment apparently. No wonder lunch with the teacher is such a highly sought after reward.

Today the  "lunch ladies" gave me some serious attitude about us being 2 minutes early for lunch. I am not joking! I was told... YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES!  I had been trying to help by passing the kids their styrofoam trays so they were ready to just grab their milk and keep moving. When I started doing this I noticed the line was definitely moving faster. I tried to help make sure my special needs student knew what he wanted so he was ready to tell them. I am done helping.

They've been so grumpy with me, my students, the students as a whole, and the teaching staff. I just find it so strange that you'd be grumpy with someone who was attempting to make your job easier. Most of my colleagues refuse to go in there anymore. Well, I have joined the list. What is interesting about the 2 minutes. Is these same ladies blow the whistle 2 minutes early every day. They can send them back to class early but we cannot drop them off early. I told my colleagues I wasn't in there to make their jobs more difficult I was trying to help make things run more smoothly and quickly. Some of my colleagues who have kids say that their kids hate eating in the lunchroom. I understand why.

Here is the even more ridiculous part. Do you know how many classes are having lunch at the same time?  14 classes. 14 classes to get through the lunch line in a 30 minute period.  The last kids in line barely have a chance to eat.

In teacher college I never imagined that this would be a topic of discussion.  Today's lesson learned.

Monkeys and Rabbits

I think I started off this day on the wrong foot. 😅  I promise... it was an accident. On my way out the door this a.m. I dropped my juice and the bottle broke. Juice and glass went everywhere of course. I was on my way to work and did not want to be late. I had to throw towels down scoop up the worse and head to work. Uggh. Arriving home I had a mess to clean up today. The vacuums were brought out, the paper towels, and the cleaning liquids.  I am sure I'll be finding specks of glass for awhile. Sigh....

My students were a monkeys and rabbits today. Swinging from trees and bouncing around. They wore me out. I wasn't alone in this feeling. The other teachers expressed the same thoughts which made me feel a bit better.  😲

I had so many issues to deal with today with student behaviors I think my head is still reeling.  I hope tomorrow is less chaotic!

Juice and Dinner

It is very obvious my brother hates me. He bought me a juicer and suggested a recipe. I finally removed it from the box, bought all of the ingredients, washed all the moving parts, and made juice. I have three bottles to get through in three days.




I thought I could drink most of it before work but that did not happen. It was clear this process would take some time. So, I took it to work. My students were horrified by the beverage. They were very vocal with their "ewwws"

My students questions and comments:

What IS that?
It looks like poop!
Is someone making you drink that?
Can we try some?
You make a face when you drink that!
What is in that?
What is kale?
You should put something yummy in it so it doesn't taste bad! Like cookies...


The student who asked me if someone made me drink it, walked up to me and spoke in hushed tones. He was very concerned. I'm not sure if he thought I was being tortured or if my health was so bad they were making me drink it. He was relieved to hear that it was voluntary. As I typed the word voluntary...I winced. I did make the juice, I did drink it, I did buy the veggies to make it, but there was a sense of obligation to test it out! I don't want to test any of my students gag reflexes so I will not be sharing with the class.

I asked mom for a few dinner suggestions. I was avoiding a grocery store stop. She had all kinds of ideas that involved a lot of greens. I had my greens plus some today. I even ate a spinach and leaf lettuce salad for lunch. I've done my part. Needless to say it is the end of the month the groceries are thin, and I don't want to shop. Dinner has become experimental. I am nervous. I cooked hamburger, made a roux, and threw in green beans (shoot..more green). I threw all this into a casserole dish sprinkled cheese on the mix. On the very top I added canned, sliced, new potatoes. Yeah....no idea if this will turn out. I have a back up can of chili...it has red things in it...very exciting! I thought this juice would be so filling I wouldn't want to eat dinner. I think it is more that I need a cleansed palate.

80's Flashbacks

You never know what will trigger a memory. Today I was talking to a friend about a movie that was an 80's classic that I never watched till the 90's. A Never Ending Story was what it was called. I remember thinking the special effects were terrible. Thinking about this made me think of another movie The Pagemaster which came out in the 90's. I liked it at the time. I haven't watched it since but I think I will. Thinking of these movies based on a love for reading made me think of 6th grade library. I had changed schools after 5th grade because our school was closed. I started at a new elementary school. Our previous librarian was amazing at getting us  to read books. She'd pick great ones and read us just enough of a chapter to get us into it then stop. Unfortunately, my friend Terri always seemed to beat me to checking them out. Thank goodness mom took us to the county library.

Anyhow, I was at a new school with a new librarian. I didn't love that library as well as my last and it definitely wasn't as big. I caught on quickly that the class would beg the librarian to watch this show. I'd never heard of it or seen it before. It was a post-apocalyptic  show that began with most earthlings being transported off earth because earth had become so polluted. Well a few unfortunate survivors all trapped at the library of course, had to use these library resources to survive. Basically this whole show was a way to teach kids about the Dewey Decimal system. It was released by Mississippi Educational Television and I think only released on public television. It is a bit hysterical to watch now. It really is a great example of 80's t.v. The show was called Tomes and Talismans. Click on the title and watch the first episode. I remember thinking it wasn't very good at the time and I couldn't figure out why my classmates wanted to watch it. Well, after being in library with our very grumpy librarian a few times, I understood. Watching a show was a much better idea.

I also left an extremely amazing music teacher at the last school. My new music teacher was not only of poor quality, but very annoyed by us.  My classmates also begged him to play a song at the end of every class. I missed out on what led up to it... but this was the song: Daddy Sang Bass.  This was also the height of the Jazzercise Craze. They would beg to do Jazzercize in P.E. I hated it. Well, mostly the girls would beg. Jazzercise ....legwarmer flashbacks .  

So...It all started with a movie mention by a friend. I am glad that I read more books than watched movies as a kid. Hollywood and especially Disney has ruined a lot of great books. They've really ruined them for kids and teachers. You don't want your student to go watch the movie to find out the ending. You want them to enjoy the journey. We just finished The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary. It is a classic. The kids loved it and some went to check out their own copy after we read it together. There are two more books in that series. We started reading The 13 Story Treehouse. It is a fun book with a lot of funny drawings. It will be engaging for reluctant readers. However, it is not going to be a classic. It is a fun read.

Stop

Few would be shocked to know that I have strong opinions.  Sometimes these opinions are based on reading and research into the areas of topic. However, I will admit sometimes it comes down to personal taste. Where am I going with this you say?

Yoga Pants!

I do appreciate that many have stopped pretending they are on their way to yoga or to the gym and now call them leggings. I have one descriptor for them. Ugly.

No, No, No, you don't need to try to talk me into anything. I know they are comfortable. I understand they are easy to work out in (when actually used for that purpose.). Stop pretending they are professional ready-to-wear work clothing. Stop with the terrible patterns and unflattering styles. Stop with the immodesty.  Stop! Just Stop!  Some of those patterns you are wearing match the curtains, wallpaper, and sofas of many Great-Grannies' homes.   I really don't need to see that much of you.

It's sad that I'd give anything to see sweatpants or flannel loungers.

(Update: My mother would also suggest, they are not meant for every body type. Know your limits!)

Q-tip Wars!

I started off my Monday morning with sneak attack Q-tip wars! It was a very one sided war as I was the only armed patriot. My colleagues or enemies were the targets of my very inaccurate firing. The bonus was we all had a great giggle to start off the day. You can arm yourself here!  I ordered them for a much much cheaper price! Shop around and you too can start off your Monday with an epic battle.

There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day for grading. I correct the papers. I enter in all the information needed into the grading software, then I enter in the grades, then I put the graded work in the students cubbies. It is a long process. I try to make sure I have grades going home quite often. It is a time consuming aspect of teaching.

It rained today. I have mentioned before and will most likely mention again that people here melt in the rain. We can't go outside during the slightest drizzle. We must cancel recess immediately. We can be outside in a blizzard, but outside with rain that is unacceptable. We had two canceled recesses today. Do you know what that creates? It creates students that are bouncing off walls and frazzled teachers who need to use the facilities. Rain, while I have enjoyed your presence, I have a request. Rain after 3:20p.m. and before 9 a.m. I know you tried because you woke me up a lot last night. Your schedule can be anytime on Saturdays and Sundays. I'm not concerned about rained out soccer games. See what you can do Rain! Thank you.

Spring...

That time of year when the outdoors does its best to kill me. I have to figure out out to change my game plan! Breathing is not over-rated!

Friday is coming!

What a thing to think about on a lovely brisk Saturday evening. I have to plan ahead. This coming Friday is our grade levels turn to provide lunch for the staff. I decided to make that journey to Wal-Mart this evening to purchase my contributions. We are doing a salad bar for the staff. My contributions included the plastic-ware, plates, bowls, croutons, nuts, seeds, peperocinis  and a gazillion croutons. I think we should have ordered sub sandwiches. I did not purchase the prerequisite dessert. I will decide what to do about that later in the week. Unless I am suddenly inspired earlier.

There was quite a few people at Wal-Mart purchasing last minute Easter Baskets or dinner items. It is an interesting place to observe people but I mostly wanted to get the heck out of there. I usually avoid shopping there, but when you're trying to shop "cheaper" it is the only option.

People keep asking about my summer plans. I am not sure if I will be taking a class or attending any trainings. When I think about that first week after school is out I know it will probably be a combination of cleaning house, doing laundry, and recuperating. I don't think I will be switching classrooms this summer but one never knows for sure. The janitors are in charge of the heavy lifting we just have to take everything off the walls and cover bookshelves. I will probably empty mine because I  want to do some rearranging in August.  I don't think clean up will take as long because we don't have to box every single thing up as we did at my previous teaching position.

This coming week we have Leadership Day which will involve an assembly and visitors. In May we have a school/family dance that I will be attending to serve food. We also have a field trip that same week that I wish I could explain but I have no idea what it involves. We've completed two weeks of the last nine weeks of school. I think the rest of the year will fly by.

ADD and ADHD

This has become a bit of a controversial topic. I think mostly because the over diagnosing of mostly very active boys and the overuse of Ritalin. There has become a bit of a stigma attached to even a suggestion of these diagnoses.  If you have an easily distracted child. I would be the first to say make medication the last resort. Try changing the diet. Remove all processed food and food dyes. Check for other possible medical issues. Sometimes children can have sleep apnea that can cause them to show similar symptoms. A medical evaluation is important. Making sure your child has plenty of time for physical activity can reduce possible issues. There could also be underlying anxiety problems. Parents should look at the possibilities.

When to medicate? When your child is adversely affected daily by their inability to focus. They can't complete school work, they lack success in school, they can't seem to complete a thought, and they are very easily distracted. I think the main reason to medicate is when their inability to focus is breaking their spirit and making them feel like a failure. The medication has changed for treating ADD and ADHD. There are more options and different dosage possibilities. I think this is important for parents to know.

I had a student this year from day to day and hour to hour you didn't know what to expect. I had multiple conversations with the parent. The child wasn't hyperactive. The child didn't lack the mental capacity. The child had no other impairments that I could see. A few times I thought the child might be having a seizure because it appeared that there were no lights on in the office. Sometimes, the child could get through part of a task and have it done correctly, then later on the same task have it all incorrect. The child was easily distracted by others. I had to learn to let the child come back into themselves ,so to speak, to give them help. At spring conferences I spoke with the parent again and suggested a medical evaluation. I told them I had no idea what was going on ,but the impact on their learning was significant. I suggested they go to a pediatrician they had a lot of confidence in that would listen to their concerns. School doesn't get easier after 2nd grade.  The parent made an appointment immediately. Then brought me paperwork to fill out. I didn't know if there was follow through after that.

Then this  last week I started to notice a change. There was an ability to follow through, a focus that wasn't there before, an ability to ignore other off task students, and best of all a growing confidence. The parent messaged me and asked if I had noticed anything and I let them know I had. I was then told the student was put on a low dose medication. I talked with the student privately and asked how they were feeling there was a big bright smile that lit up the room " I feel like I can think!"  I am so excited for this student. They are having success and their confidence is growing. I think the school experience is going to completely change for them.

So my message is, while I understand why you don't want to medicate there is a time that it should be considered. Don't allow a spirit to be broken because you have  preconceived ideas about ADD or ADHD. Times have changed and more options are available.

Rain

Second grade students understand sarcasm. I know this because after the second or third student came in with a pouty face and complained to me that it was raining at recess, I exaggeratedly said "Oh MY GOODNESS! I've had students MELT in the rain!! Did everyone make it? Are we all okay???" Laughter ensued and complaints ended. I am always amused by the reaction to rain in this state.

I have allergy related asthma. I hate it. I feel for anyone with breathing issues. It is frustrating to not be able to do what you want simply because you cannot get enough oxygen. When I have a reaction even laughter can trigger issues. It also takes awhile for me to get back to max capacity. It is why I love time by the sea. I can breathe easily and freely. It is that breath of fresh air my lungs long for.  We had a couple days of strong winds ahead of the storms. They blew dust and dirt, and of course I reacted. Tonight I have my diffuser going, had a long shower, am drinking my "Breathe" tea, and used my inhaler. I took my allergy medicine. If I could "wish" this away I would. People who have breathing issues year round I feel terrible for them. It is miserable.

Oh my word my computer keeps yelling at me for some reason or another. I'm doing updates, virus protection, etc. I hate Windows 10 if you haven't heard me rant about this before just know I will NEVER by a computer ran by Windows software again! UGGH! That was a short rant, but I have to sign off before it starts yelling again!!

It's almost here....the weekend

I was trying to contemplate my week. I can say for sure that I have brought home papers to grade for three nights in a row. What did I do Monday night? I think I fell into bed early. I was contemplating my day tomorrow when I realized it is Friday. This means someone else makes lunch and it is "Casual Friday." I can wear my jeans and tennis shoes. I had a list of things I brought home that I thought I would get done. Well after grading papers, eating dinner, washing dishes, and taking a shower. It is almost time for bed.

I stayed a little late after school to print some things that I haven't had time to. Usually the copy room is very busy. I thought there would be a chance that I could get some things done without too much competition. I did manage to! Yay! Tomorrow when I drop my students off for Library I will have to work on getting ready for next week and maybe tackling a couple more things on my list. I expect I will have to come in to school on Saturday to finish it up.

Not that there was any other option, but I am so glad I went to a community college before heading to a four year school. I listen to my peers and the debt they've accumulated and I wince. I also think the community college experience provided me with a quality foundation. I definitely used the available resources to help get me through and I had some really great instructors. I don't know how to quantify my learning there, but I often reflect on my learning there and how it impacts my teaching now.  I think I got more "learning about teaching" from that experience than my actual teaching degree. I'm really glad I had that experience and that I am not swimming in a mountain of debt.

I was invited to friends for "Easter Dinner" on Sunday. They don't attend church but observe the holiday with baskets, eggs, chocolate, and dinner. Since I did not grow up celebrating Easter as such I didn't remember that it was this weekend. It is interesting to see how Easter becomes a once a year event to acknowledge Christ. Today though I suppose I am glad there is any acknowledgement. We have a variety of religious backgrounds among my colleagues from some real "Holy Rollers" to traditional Lutherans. I will say this, I work with good people.

I have went through a few "Teacher Bags" as a teacher. I have given up on finding the perfect bag. There isn't one that meets my needs. Although that week with the giant Costco bag came close. I am back to using the backpack. I don't have to juggle everything to unlock or lock doors. I am not losing circulation in my arms from carrying the bag. Yeah, the backpack! It isn't fancy, but it never disappoints. Speaking of the backpack. I bought a backpack in 1999. I was told it would never last. It has been with me over seas, dales, hills, banks, streams, field trips, and much more. It is still going! Not a tear or a weak zipper. In  two years that backpack will be 20. I bought it for $19.99. It's a keeper!

I'm back

Spring break flew by. I packed a lot in a little time. I was able to stop in and visit a few folks. There were a few I missed, but time always seems to run short. I soaked up a lot of moisture. I forget what it feels like to not have dry skin. I packed a lot in a little bit of time.

Luckily when I arrived home I had planned and was prepared for the first couple of days back to school. Even though the copier broke before leaving on break I had those first two days ready and the next couple partially ready. It was nice to see my colleagues again. A change of scenery was very refreshing. My friends made me dinner my first night back home! I managed to put off the grocery store visit for one more day. I went after work today. I just got the basics so I could finish out this week.

I had to quickly make some desk adjustments this morning. I had to place some students in independent seating. There are a few reasons for this. Some students just cannot help themselves with constantly bugging their neighbors. Some will not attempt to do their work independently. I want them to be able to read it and attempt it before relying on others. Then other students don't work well with others. It seems like separating them from the group isn't effective, but they want to work with their peers. They just want to do it their way. They will be put back in the group when they are willing to contribute in positive ways. This  is usually effective. We shall see.

This is usually the time of year when I can reel it back a little because students are ready and able to do their work. They are showing independence and willingness to problem solve. They are usually willing to make attempts before requesting help. This class is the most needy class I've ever had for this time of year. It is a very immature group as a whole. I think there are a few that developmentally probably were not ready to be in this grade. It is a bummer when teachers do not retain them in kindergarten or first when they are not academically or developmentally ready for the next grade. Retention is much less traumatic in those grades.

Another busy week ahead!