Every single year at parent-teacher conferences I have this situation. As I kindly explain that their student is not on grade level and why that is. They begin to talk over me, make excuses, and tell me why I am wrong. I know I am not getting through to them. I know I am not heard. I know that they probably heard the same thoughts from the previous two years of school and will continue to hear it. They can say the education system failed them. Maybe it has. Maybe that student should have been retained. However, the parent is also failing them by not being realistic about their learning. If they are in denial you know they are not going to have any extra help at home. It makes you sad. The parent has effectively tied your hands. This year I only had a couple of those situations. Overall I think conferences were successful.
Next year we move to student led conferences. The parents share their goals and demonstrate their own learning. I like the idea. I did get a piece of feedback from a parent that went to one this year. They said that multiple parents were at the conference at the same time as they moved around the room from learning demonstration to learning demonstration. The parent said she had questions she wanted to ask and thoughts she wanted to share with the teacher. The parent didn't feel comfortable because there was not any privacy to do so, it left the parent feeling frustrated. I completely agreed that this was important for the parent to have that time with the teacher. I think I may need to share that in private with administration. I didn't think other teachers would be receptive to that. They thought it went better to do conferences this way because they went more quickly. They also said when the students demonstrated their learning parents had less questions about their grades. I think getting conferences done quicker is nothing to brag about. I have a feeling there was a lot of people who felt rushed.
I came home this afternoon and hung out with my little buddy and his big sis. After he had a meltdown the other night about me leaving for spring break I had to make some time to hang with him. We went and bought slushies, chatted about their new gecko, and played games. I also managed to get through a couple of loads of laundry and a load of dishes ran through the dishwasher. I am finishing up the last of my laundry. Then I can begin packing my suitcase. I didn't want to come back to a laundry pile and a sink full of dishes.
I hit the road soon!
March 24, 2017
March 17, 2017
Teacher Education
I've had a few conversations recently about why Teacher Colleges are not doing a good job in preparing teachers. I had another conversation with a friend tonight who has applied to teach at a teacher college. The interview process was interesting to hear about. The education department was well represented at the interview. What she observed was that many of the people in the department had not been teaching in schools (outside of the college) in a very long time.
We have regional professional development coordinators here who will train you or you can take classes from them while still teaching. I've learned more from these coordinators than I learned in teacher college. A lot of this is due to the fact they are continuing their own education. A huge part of it is that they are in schools all over the region A LOT! This gives them more insight into the actual needs of schools and teachers. They also can be a bit more objective as an outsider. Another thing that makes their instruction to teachers highly valuable is the way they design their instruction. They realize they are teaching teachers. So they embed strategies into their instruction that we can use with students. If we are learning about math instruction we will be not only learning that material but practicing strategies we can immediately use with our students. This means we are not just sitting and listening to a lecture. We are practicing our practice. Their job is to continue their own learning to be of help to teachers. I notice they travel quite often to attend conferences. They read a lot and pay attention to research based practices.
We also discussed that while in teacher college, fledgling teachers need to be in the classroom more. WAY More. I think they need to do an internship with mentors as well. There is a huge aspect of learning to teach that is through the experience. We can discuss theory all we want but putting ideas into practice is way more difficult. I think having really hands on mentors for new teacher is vital.
Classroom management is one of the most difficult challenges of the job. Every year how you manage your classroom changes because the needs of your students change. You also find ideas that work for you and don't work for you. It is in a perpetual tweak mode. I am constantly looking for ideas that may help. Every year I have a challenging student or ten that I am at a loss how to get them in "school" mode. It takes time to figure out what will work. Sometimes it feels like that doesn't happen till the last two weeks of school.
There is another aspect we call "With-it-ness." This is like your mom having eyes in the back of her head and knowing what you are up to from the other side of the house. Teachers need to have that. The ability to look and see the needs of the students in a glance. It's an awareness of the surroundings. I've been in classrooms in which the teacher had none of this. There were students throwing things at each other, playing with each others hair, making things out of paper, singing songs to themselves, and talking to each other. The teacher didn't notice. She had a great lesson but was completely unaware to what her students were doing. Now I will be the first to admit that some days you are more "with-it" than others. However, if you have this you can see if your students are even understanding the lesson. I think this is an ability that can be worked on and improved, but some people may never get it.
I think in most (not all) teacher colleges you spend so much time on the theories of learning that you do not get to the brass tacks of quality instruction. It really does help if you have professors who are continuing their own education and getting into classrooms themselves.
We have regional professional development coordinators here who will train you or you can take classes from them while still teaching. I've learned more from these coordinators than I learned in teacher college. A lot of this is due to the fact they are continuing their own education. A huge part of it is that they are in schools all over the region A LOT! This gives them more insight into the actual needs of schools and teachers. They also can be a bit more objective as an outsider. Another thing that makes their instruction to teachers highly valuable is the way they design their instruction. They realize they are teaching teachers. So they embed strategies into their instruction that we can use with students. If we are learning about math instruction we will be not only learning that material but practicing strategies we can immediately use with our students. This means we are not just sitting and listening to a lecture. We are practicing our practice. Their job is to continue their own learning to be of help to teachers. I notice they travel quite often to attend conferences. They read a lot and pay attention to research based practices.
We also discussed that while in teacher college, fledgling teachers need to be in the classroom more. WAY More. I think they need to do an internship with mentors as well. There is a huge aspect of learning to teach that is through the experience. We can discuss theory all we want but putting ideas into practice is way more difficult. I think having really hands on mentors for new teacher is vital.
Classroom management is one of the most difficult challenges of the job. Every year how you manage your classroom changes because the needs of your students change. You also find ideas that work for you and don't work for you. It is in a perpetual tweak mode. I am constantly looking for ideas that may help. Every year I have a challenging student or ten that I am at a loss how to get them in "school" mode. It takes time to figure out what will work. Sometimes it feels like that doesn't happen till the last two weeks of school.
There is another aspect we call "With-it-ness." This is like your mom having eyes in the back of her head and knowing what you are up to from the other side of the house. Teachers need to have that. The ability to look and see the needs of the students in a glance. It's an awareness of the surroundings. I've been in classrooms in which the teacher had none of this. There were students throwing things at each other, playing with each others hair, making things out of paper, singing songs to themselves, and talking to each other. The teacher didn't notice. She had a great lesson but was completely unaware to what her students were doing. Now I will be the first to admit that some days you are more "with-it" than others. However, if you have this you can see if your students are even understanding the lesson. I think this is an ability that can be worked on and improved, but some people may never get it.
I think in most (not all) teacher colleges you spend so much time on the theories of learning that you do not get to the brass tacks of quality instruction. It really does help if you have professors who are continuing their own education and getting into classrooms themselves.
March 15, 2017
Mystery Trash
My students are wonderful. They helped me get through this day without a voice. They volunteered to help me call names, ask questions, call tables to line up, and much more. They tried their very best to be quiet and that is a challenge. It's like asking a bunch of ladies to come to a potluck and not speak to each other. It's physically impossible.
I also learned a new trick. The "Mystery Trash" trick. After contemplating what the mystery trash might be you announce " I spy a mystery piece of trash on the floor and if you find it there is a prize for you! You stop when they find it or if the floor is sufficiently clean to announce a random winner. (They just can know it's random). The floor of the classroom will never be cleaner. It's quite the motivating game. Wish I'd learned about this a couple of years ago.
After school we did a team building competition of sorts. We were broken into teams. The teams chose a person to represent them in Skittle⌐ sorting. Our team came in third out of six teams. I was NOT the official Skittle⌐ sorter. Thank goodness. At one point a teacher on our team said "Can you imagine what parents would say if they knew at our meeting today we were sorting Skittles⌐! " After we finished that exciting business we broke of to schedule our sibling conferences. This school is so much more organized. Before any other conferences are scheduled we get together to schedule the siblings so that parents do not have to come back and forth to school. The office copies all the papers that go home to have parents choose a time, day, and alternate times. Then they supply a paper that confirms a time with parents. It is just a level of efficiency I am not accustomed to. It saves so much time. I had to always type up the note and get it all ready. I feel spoiled.
I'm drinking a cup of tea before bed. I came home this evening so tired. I had a little nap. I think with a hot cup of tea I will be able to get back to sleep again! G'nite
I also learned a new trick. The "Mystery Trash" trick. After contemplating what the mystery trash might be you announce " I spy a mystery piece of trash on the floor and if you find it there is a prize for you! You stop when they find it or if the floor is sufficiently clean to announce a random winner. (They just can know it's random). The floor of the classroom will never be cleaner. It's quite the motivating game. Wish I'd learned about this a couple of years ago.
After school we did a team building competition of sorts. We were broken into teams. The teams chose a person to represent them in Skittle⌐ sorting. Our team came in third out of six teams. I was NOT the official Skittle⌐ sorter. Thank goodness. At one point a teacher on our team said "Can you imagine what parents would say if they knew at our meeting today we were sorting Skittles⌐! " After we finished that exciting business we broke of to schedule our sibling conferences. This school is so much more organized. Before any other conferences are scheduled we get together to schedule the siblings so that parents do not have to come back and forth to school. The office copies all the papers that go home to have parents choose a time, day, and alternate times. Then they supply a paper that confirms a time with parents. It is just a level of efficiency I am not accustomed to. It saves so much time. I had to always type up the note and get it all ready. I feel spoiled.
I'm drinking a cup of tea before bed. I came home this evening so tired. I had a little nap. I think with a hot cup of tea I will be able to get back to sleep again! G'nite
March 14, 2017
Grocery Store Contemplations
I decided I needed to find my "suck-it-up-buttercup" attitude and take myself to the store. I got what I needed and came home. After putting the perishables in the fridge. I wasn't very motivated to keep moving. I have to find the energy somewhere because it is back to work tomorrow. I can do it. I went to the small more pricey grocery store. I did this because the lines are shorter and the public is well cleaner and healthier. (I guess I messed up that healthier bit.) I used the sanitary wipe on my cart and got it done.
I never go shopping at this time of day. I notice the older folks shop in the morning. The stay-at-home moms in the afternoons. The early mornings are these weird bunch of happy early risers that cannot be tolerated or people grabbing last minute lunch on their way to work. The evening crowd is usually mostly working people. The late-night crowd is a motley crew. They usually have a scary element and then some of the non-early risers that don't want to shop with crowds. Older folks have interesting shopping habits. They kind of wander and are perpetually in the way. The stay-at-home moms are a bit leisurely if no young children are with them. I like people in a hurry. My grocery shopping strategy was learned from my mother. If there was a way to make shopping faster and more efficient she would be the person you should contact.
The grocery store line in my opinion should be like at the bank. We need just one line. The next open cashier takes the next person in line. We can keep the 15 items or less line if that helps people to feel like they are moving faster. It would be fair and efficient. I get it though. We like choice. My mom prefers this cashier to another cashier because the checkout is quicker and more efficient. Maybe there should be a cashier training you should go through.
I suppose that is enough grocery talk for the day. I really want to take a nap. I pulled all my bedding off to wash it. Nap in my chair or make my bed?
Hmmmm
Can this cold be done yet?
I never go shopping at this time of day. I notice the older folks shop in the morning. The stay-at-home moms in the afternoons. The early mornings are these weird bunch of happy early risers that cannot be tolerated or people grabbing last minute lunch on their way to work. The evening crowd is usually mostly working people. The late-night crowd is a motley crew. They usually have a scary element and then some of the non-early risers that don't want to shop with crowds. Older folks have interesting shopping habits. They kind of wander and are perpetually in the way. The stay-at-home moms are a bit leisurely if no young children are with them. I like people in a hurry. My grocery shopping strategy was learned from my mother. If there was a way to make shopping faster and more efficient she would be the person you should contact.
The grocery store line in my opinion should be like at the bank. We need just one line. The next open cashier takes the next person in line. We can keep the 15 items or less line if that helps people to feel like they are moving faster. It would be fair and efficient. I get it though. We like choice. My mom prefers this cashier to another cashier because the checkout is quicker and more efficient. Maybe there should be a cashier training you should go through.
I suppose that is enough grocery talk for the day. I really want to take a nap. I pulled all my bedding off to wash it. Nap in my chair or make my bed?
Hmmmm
Can this cold be done yet?
March 13, 2017
'lil who?
If you need a light and have your phone with you, you can pretend to be Harry Potter with a magic wand. Open your "Okay Google" app and say "Lumos" the flash for your phone camera will come on and stay on. It's a fun little trick. However, If you have a cold "Okay Google" my not hear Lumos. It may hear 'lil Mouse. Then you'll be listening to some ummm "Hot New Hip-Hop" (ahem).
I've been misunderstood quite often with this cold. It makes life interesting.
I've been misunderstood quite often with this cold. It makes life interesting.
White Noise
I can't recall a time when I didn't find white noise relaxing. I remember taking a nap after lunch and mom would start the dishwasher. It hushed the background and outdoor noises and made for a pleasant nap. I like a good nap. I have had trouble sleeping since being sick and it seems like just when I am relaxed enough to get a decent sleep some sound awakens me. I have a small white noise machine that I have been running. That helps a lot. Then of course my humidifier is going. This all leads me back to my classroom of course 😁. I am sure you are wondering "How?" Well, when my students are able to be good enough listeners for enough days in a row they earn "Flashlight-Friday." They get to bring flashlights to school and read. I usually put this fireplace on my Smart-Board. It has been perfect during the cold weather. It gives an illusion of warmth. There is something so calming about watching a fire. I started thinking about other relaxing videos we could watch during this time. I found a few more like this one, and this one, and even this one. I think I can put any of those of for a fairly quick calming influence on my class.
Anyhow, all of this made me think of my favorite ride at Disneyland as a kid. They've now messed it up. Like many great things someone thinks they have a better idea and they completely remove the part that made it great in the first place. My absolute favorite ride as my mom will attest to was the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. Anytime there was a lull in rides and a possibility of making a choice to go again. I did. My very favorite part of the whole ride was the boat ride through the bayou. The people on their swamp shack porches the fireflies flickering. There was something about it that everyone would get quiet on the ride. It was peaceful. I loved that ride. The following relaxation video reminded me a little of that...
How to Blow Your Nose!
I found these helpful videos today! I really will have to play them for my students. I mean really...don't be a Snerd! I love classic Sesame Street.
March 11, 2017
Cold
What a week! I gave it all I had this week. By Friday there wasn't much left to give. I started feeling as though I had a cold coming on. I was correct. It is a total head cold. I came home last night just done in. I picked up some dinner then came home and made a hot toddy before bed. I didn't sleep well as it was hard to breathe. I feel like such a wimp. It's a cold. Usually by now I've had a terrible respiratory infection or bronchitis. I have a cold. I think it is a combination of that and just being worn out. I am whining. Since I was not sleeping well I got up at my normal time and did the dishes and started laundry. I completed quite a bit.
I just really want to sleep. I've tried off an on all day to squeeze in a little nap without success. It might be in part all that tea I've been drinking.
Next week is a full week of school without (knock-on-wood) any interruptions. The following week is parent teacher conferences. That is when I have to tell the truth in really nice ways and hope that it gets through! The students are released early both of those days so that we can have conferences. Then we are off for Spring Break! I am so ready!
There has been struggles and stress this year. However, no where near the stress of previous years. I am glad to be where I am.
I just really want to sleep. I've tried off an on all day to squeeze in a little nap without success. It might be in part all that tea I've been drinking.
Next week is a full week of school without (knock-on-wood) any interruptions. The following week is parent teacher conferences. That is when I have to tell the truth in really nice ways and hope that it gets through! The students are released early both of those days so that we can have conferences. Then we are off for Spring Break! I am so ready!
There has been struggles and stress this year. However, no where near the stress of previous years. I am glad to be where I am.
March 6, 2017
Not Mine...Yes! Yours!
As I was getting ready to complete my day of school on Friday I received a message from a parent. It was a so-and-so is a bully message. I shared with a colleague and she reminded me that due to our new state anti-bullying laws I had to report it. As my administrator was about to complete a very busy week I had to share. What drives me crazy about the word "bully" now is that it is used in every situation. It is overused. It is abused. However, if a parent wants to create a stink they immediately use that word. Then they get a meeting. My administrator helped me to form a reply. Then we offered times that would work. Those of course came back with replies that no that wouldn't work. My administrator chose another day. Do me a favor. If your child gets in trouble at school ask them What part they had in the situation? Did they help make it better? Did they make it worse? More often than not the second party is not all that innocent. The good news about all of this is that for the first time I have back-up. I have administrations help. I don't have to do my best and figure it out on my own. It will be handled. We even came up with another plan to help relieve some of this issue and it is being executed immediately.
We often have meetings as teachers I refer to as "Not my child meetings." Yes, it could be your child. They are seven or eight. They are growing, learning, and making mistakes as they figure out the world. Yes, your child might to something naughty. Yes, your child may break the rules. Yes, your child may decide to not do work when they've always done it before. Your child is testing the strength of your boundaries. Yes, your child....
I have a boy in my class that I have a soft spot for. He is NOT the most well behaved. He is NOT one to follow the rules precisely. He is extremely active. There is an energy oozing out of his pores. He cannot help but be on the move. He is very bright. His life is NOT easy. He does NOT have a reason to trust women. I've had to work hard to make a connection with him and I have. There is trust there that I take very seriously. He fights reading and writing. Not because he is incapable. I think writing taps into emotions that are unbearable. Reading doesn't promote movement. Just for him I ordered a hardback Calvin and Hobbes book. "Scientific Progress Goes Boink!" He has been slowly reading through this. I made him promise as I handed him the book that he would NEVER call me Mrs. Wormwood. He didn't know what that meant but he did promise 😀! He came to me this morning as I was inputting attendance. He said "Miss Carpenter?" "Yes, I replied!" "I asked for THIS for my birthday!" and he holds up the Calvin and Hobbes book. I smiled a big smile at him. We've connected and maybe he will have just a little relief from his world.
I have had bouts of insomnia lately. I cannot seem to find a nice balanced sleep schedule. I think my sleep is as bi-polar as the "spring" weather. The bonus is that when I inevitably wake up I grade papers. I have a lot of grading to do. We are nearing the end of the quarter. Grading takes sooo much time. Correcting papers takes a long time but then... I have to input them. Which takes a VERY long time. So it goes. As I complete grades and input them... I have more in my box to do. It's like laundry. I do have June though.... In June I get a reprieve!
We often have meetings as teachers I refer to as "Not my child meetings." Yes, it could be your child. They are seven or eight. They are growing, learning, and making mistakes as they figure out the world. Yes, your child might to something naughty. Yes, your child may break the rules. Yes, your child may decide to not do work when they've always done it before. Your child is testing the strength of your boundaries. Yes, your child....
I have a boy in my class that I have a soft spot for. He is NOT the most well behaved. He is NOT one to follow the rules precisely. He is extremely active. There is an energy oozing out of his pores. He cannot help but be on the move. He is very bright. His life is NOT easy. He does NOT have a reason to trust women. I've had to work hard to make a connection with him and I have. There is trust there that I take very seriously. He fights reading and writing. Not because he is incapable. I think writing taps into emotions that are unbearable. Reading doesn't promote movement. Just for him I ordered a hardback Calvin and Hobbes book. "Scientific Progress Goes Boink!" He has been slowly reading through this. I made him promise as I handed him the book that he would NEVER call me Mrs. Wormwood. He didn't know what that meant but he did promise 😀! He came to me this morning as I was inputting attendance. He said "Miss Carpenter?" "Yes, I replied!" "I asked for THIS for my birthday!" and he holds up the Calvin and Hobbes book. I smiled a big smile at him. We've connected and maybe he will have just a little relief from his world.
I have had bouts of insomnia lately. I cannot seem to find a nice balanced sleep schedule. I think my sleep is as bi-polar as the "spring" weather. The bonus is that when I inevitably wake up I grade papers. I have a lot of grading to do. We are nearing the end of the quarter. Grading takes sooo much time. Correcting papers takes a long time but then... I have to input them. Which takes a VERY long time. So it goes. As I complete grades and input them... I have more in my box to do. It's like laundry. I do have June though.... In June I get a reprieve!
March 1, 2017
Read...JUST READ!
Every Reading Night at school I look around. I look at the parents that are there. I notice their kids. We discuss the importance of reading with, to, and around your kids. Read! The thing is every reading night we are "preaching to the choir" so to speak. In general the parents that come are the parents who are involved and are reading to, with, and around their kids.
Reading impacts all content areas. It is very difficult to pass tests if you are a struggling reader. Turn off the T.V. hide the electronic devices and just read a book. If you still struggle to read as an adult listen to an audiobook. Please! There are amazing and wonderful things happening in the brain development of a reader.
READ!
I can't even begin to explain how heartbreaking my job can be. I have to put it aside sometimes because it is just too much. Honor the nuclear family. I can't emphasize that enough. We are told all of that doesn't matter these days, but I am telling you, I know, without one single doubt, it matters! Kids are lost confused and heartbroken because parents are confused, lost, and heartbroken. I was listening to a podcast not long ago and the speaker said (I'll paraphrase here) "We went wrong when we became more concerned about self esteem and less concerned about self-control." This is so true. If children have love, safety, and security their self esteem will be fine. Self-control is lacking across all aspects of our society. Self control. That is a gift you can give to the world if you can give your child a few lessons in that skill.
I've had so many students in heart-wrenching situations in these teaching years. I think this job gets harder and harder for all teachers. In part because of the increasing demands placed on us and in part because more and more students come needing so much love and structure. Their worlds are a mess. It is so many kinds of wrong that students are looking to school in hopes those needs will be met.
I am so tired this evening. It was such a long day. I arrived at home after 8 p.m. tonight. I was just ready to doze and recalled that I forgot to print something I wanted to have ready for my students tomorrow. Then I recalled a forgotten e-mail. Then I decided to laminate what I printed...and on it went. It is time to tell my tired brain...to shut up...and go to bed!
February 24, 2017
Blue is the Color!
My oh my! The week is done! We had a lot of preparations for Read Across America next week. We have a door and bulletin board to decorate. I am sooo over bulletin board decor. An amazing parent has been helping me this year or it would be VERY dull. We have to decorate with a Dr. Seuss theme. I took photos of the kids looking down today so their pictures will have a Dr. Seuss book in front of them as though they are reading and a "Cat in the Hat" Hat upon their heads. They also learned how to draw the "Cat in the Hat" today. My amazing parent is coming on Monday to put this all together for me.
Wednesday night is a "Family Reading Night" that I was asked to help out with. We do get a small stipend to help that night. My classroom is also being used that evening. I have a lot to accomplish before next week. Thursday night is the 2nd Grade musical. There will be a few late nights at school. Monday we have visiting author Eric A. Kimmel coming to visit our school. We have an assembly with him presenting. Then we have musical practice. Tuesday and Wednesday we have two 1 hour musical practices. Thursday a practice then a school assembly showing off their musical. I am not sure when teaching is going to occur with all these events. I guess I will figure it out. It was a bit difficult figuring out a schedule.
The most wonderful thing happened this week. This summer just before school started my hallway wall was painted 70's orange. It was so 70's I went to look for Alice in the kitchen. This week they
decided they should do some touch up on the walls before the next Parent-Teacher Conferences. Something went terribly wrong. It was the same paint on the same wall. A chemical reaction occurred that made it look like someone had smeared mud on the wall. They came back with primer and tried to paint over the primer and it happened again. The struggle the discussion and frustration levels were high! I said it's okay I'll just make sure I do some really big decorations around my door! This afternoon they came in and said "Which color do you like better?" The two options were another orange and a lovely blue. I pointed eagerly at the blue. I had to seek out my colleagues and ask "BLUE OR ORANGE?" High fives for blue! I hope to come in one day and see a lovely blue hallway! I am filled with hope!
A parent took some initiative and decided to build me some "lockers" for students to hang their coats and backpacks. I need to do some shopping at the hardware store to get the materials! This will save on a few arguments over backpack and coat placement. I had been trying to come up with a lot of solutions to this problem. I am very thankful the parent is helping me out!
My buddy came to hang out with me tonight. He wanted to watch a cartoon for a bit. Then my I-Pad. We played a game on there together for awhile. Needless to say we stayed entertained for the few hours he was with me.
I have a stuffy nose and have been fighting a cold. I smelled a terrible smell in my kitchen but my sniffer was letting me down as I tried to sniff out the culprit. I finally went to put something in the dishwasher and WOOOWEEE! I identified the culprit. By that time I had cleaned out my fridge of possibilities and emptied my trash. The dishwasher is on the "Heavy" wash cycle now! Yikes!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday night is a "Family Reading Night" that I was asked to help out with. We do get a small stipend to help that night. My classroom is also being used that evening. I have a lot to accomplish before next week. Thursday night is the 2nd Grade musical. There will be a few late nights at school. Monday we have visiting author Eric A. Kimmel coming to visit our school. We have an assembly with him presenting. Then we have musical practice. Tuesday and Wednesday we have two 1 hour musical practices. Thursday a practice then a school assembly showing off their musical. I am not sure when teaching is going to occur with all these events. I guess I will figure it out. It was a bit difficult figuring out a schedule.
The most wonderful thing happened this week. This summer just before school started my hallway wall was painted 70's orange. It was so 70's I went to look for Alice in the kitchen. This week they
decided they should do some touch up on the walls before the next Parent-Teacher Conferences. Something went terribly wrong. It was the same paint on the same wall. A chemical reaction occurred that made it look like someone had smeared mud on the wall. They came back with primer and tried to paint over the primer and it happened again. The struggle the discussion and frustration levels were high! I said it's okay I'll just make sure I do some really big decorations around my door! This afternoon they came in and said "Which color do you like better?" The two options were another orange and a lovely blue. I pointed eagerly at the blue. I had to seek out my colleagues and ask "BLUE OR ORANGE?" High fives for blue! I hope to come in one day and see a lovely blue hallway! I am filled with hope!
A parent took some initiative and decided to build me some "lockers" for students to hang their coats and backpacks. I need to do some shopping at the hardware store to get the materials! This will save on a few arguments over backpack and coat placement. I had been trying to come up with a lot of solutions to this problem. I am very thankful the parent is helping me out!
My buddy came to hang out with me tonight. He wanted to watch a cartoon for a bit. Then my I-Pad. We played a game on there together for awhile. Needless to say we stayed entertained for the few hours he was with me.
I have a stuffy nose and have been fighting a cold. I smelled a terrible smell in my kitchen but my sniffer was letting me down as I tried to sniff out the culprit. I finally went to put something in the dishwasher and WOOOWEEE! I identified the culprit. By that time I had cleaned out my fridge of possibilities and emptied my trash. The dishwasher is on the "Heavy" wash cycle now! Yikes!
Have a great weekend!
February 22, 2017
It's all learning! For grownups too!
Well..... another staff meeting I survived. We went over how to look at our testing data on the national testing service provider we use. I had been looking at my data a lot. The bad news is most teachers do not know how to read statistics. (Including me). I keep looking at it until I have some understanding. The good news is only four students did not make gains in all subject areas. There are a lot of things going on there. The bad news is I have many students way below grade level. It is frustrating. Looking at the data recently I realized that they needed more practice reading a text and answering questions about it. Daily practice referring back to the text to find answers. I have a few with major reading issues. However, the majority will benefit from practicing referring back to the text to find answers. I also realized they needed more practice reading charts and graphs. A few of the areas in math they needed work on were areas we have not studied yet.
If your child is a struggling reader and things are not improving by second grade. Start simple get their eyes checked. So many reading issues are related to vision problems. If that does not help them then discuss more with the teacher. I have had so many students this year that just needed glasses! They are behind in reading but are making progress very quickly because they can now see the words clearly. Vision changes can occur quickly in children so maybe they don't have issues one year, but the next year they do. This is a great article on vision in school aged children.
Another frustration I have and I have talked with parents both in and out of the school setting is math fact fluency. If your child isn't speedy it does not mean they are not fluent mathematically. Thinking deeply about math and seeing patterns, relationships, and other strategies is way more important than quickly know how to add all of my plus 4's. Time limits are okay as long as they are reasonable. If it takes them 4 minutes to complete a 2 minute test are they less fluent? I would say not. However, if it took them an hour I'd say we have some issues there. Here is an article to support this idea that fast isn't necessarily evidence of fluency.
If your child is a struggling reader and things are not improving by second grade. Start simple get their eyes checked. So many reading issues are related to vision problems. If that does not help them then discuss more with the teacher. I have had so many students this year that just needed glasses! They are behind in reading but are making progress very quickly because they can now see the words clearly. Vision changes can occur quickly in children so maybe they don't have issues one year, but the next year they do. This is a great article on vision in school aged children.
Another frustration I have and I have talked with parents both in and out of the school setting is math fact fluency. If your child isn't speedy it does not mean they are not fluent mathematically. Thinking deeply about math and seeing patterns, relationships, and other strategies is way more important than quickly know how to add all of my plus 4's. Time limits are okay as long as they are reasonable. If it takes them 4 minutes to complete a 2 minute test are they less fluent? I would say not. However, if it took them an hour I'd say we have some issues there. Here is an article to support this idea that fast isn't necessarily evidence of fluency.
February 21, 2017
Observation Day
I have a hole in my sock. If that doesn't sum up the day I don't know what does. At some point during the day I noticed....holey sock.
I was observed this morning. I think that was the last time my students had decent manners. I am thankful they were giving it their best effort while administration was there. After that behavior was all downhill. I asked them at one point "Did you all forget how to behave in the classroom this weekend?" It was nutty.
My observation went well. I know it didn't go badly because if it did they have so many hours to discuss it with you afterwards. My post observation has been delayed...indefinitely. I did have a bit of technical difficulty. The presentation I made had graphics that would not show up. I even played it before school and it worked. I did the graphics a bit differently and we will review with it tomorrow.
Apparently my soup I ate for lunch was JUST enough to get me to the end of the day. When the kids left all I could think was "I am HUNGRY."
I only had one sick student today. I hope we can stay healthy. I have a bit of a cough and a sore throat. I don't feel terrible. I would appreciate that all ending, but it isn't at a point I can't deal.
Next week we have Musical Practice two times daily all week. Yes, two times daily. That is just crazy. I had to read the schedule twice to make sure that was correct. I really have to cram teaching in between all of these other interruptions.
I was observed this morning. I think that was the last time my students had decent manners. I am thankful they were giving it their best effort while administration was there. After that behavior was all downhill. I asked them at one point "Did you all forget how to behave in the classroom this weekend?" It was nutty.
My observation went well. I know it didn't go badly because if it did they have so many hours to discuss it with you afterwards. My post observation has been delayed...indefinitely. I did have a bit of technical difficulty. The presentation I made had graphics that would not show up. I even played it before school and it worked. I did the graphics a bit differently and we will review with it tomorrow.
Apparently my soup I ate for lunch was JUST enough to get me to the end of the day. When the kids left all I could think was "I am HUNGRY."
I only had one sick student today. I hope we can stay healthy. I have a bit of a cough and a sore throat. I don't feel terrible. I would appreciate that all ending, but it isn't at a point I can't deal.
Next week we have Musical Practice two times daily all week. Yes, two times daily. That is just crazy. I had to read the schedule twice to make sure that was correct. I really have to cram teaching in between all of these other interruptions.
February 20, 2017
One more day...
Apparently all my green tea, vitamin c, b vitamins, EmergenC, essential oils, etc etc went to work doing their job. I felt so much better yesterday. I wasn't achy or chilly. I am still coughing and sneezing a bit, but not too bad. I continue my fluid flush and hope the worst is behind me. I am thankful today is a holiday. It gives me one more day to get well.
I went in to school again yesterday. I completed more of my lesson plan and even created an interactive presentation to go with my lesson. I may go out again today to prep a couple more things. I could work all weekend without any breaks and still feel like I should do more. One needs breaks to feel refreshed and ready to take on the challenge again.
Right now I am tackling the laundry pile. It was getting pretty impressive. Last night I went to purchase the ingredients to make a Hot Toddy. I came home and made myself one. I asked colleagues what kind of booze to purchase. They gave me some good advice because I didn't mind it. I think the cloves, cinnamon sticks, and lemon blocked most of the booze flavor. I hoped I would sleep well. It didn't turn out that way as I'd been drinking tea and water all day. So the consequences of that were many visits to the bathroom. I did sleep well in between bathroom breaks. I woke up pretty congested this morning so more tea and water for me today.
A recent topic of discussion lately has been... What is the thing you want to do but it is never the "right time." The idea is that the time is never going to be right, so just do it. Just start. I'm not talking about cleaning the garage or some other task you hate. I'm talking about the thing you really WANT to do. So go START.
Thank you to George and Abe for being born in the same month. Thank you to those folks in 1885 who thought we needed to honor George. Enjoy your day. Also, Happy Birthday to my Dad. He needs a hot toddy too! Dad drink your tea, take your vitamins, and just do what mom tells you too! 😃 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
I went in to school again yesterday. I completed more of my lesson plan and even created an interactive presentation to go with my lesson. I may go out again today to prep a couple more things. I could work all weekend without any breaks and still feel like I should do more. One needs breaks to feel refreshed and ready to take on the challenge again.
Right now I am tackling the laundry pile. It was getting pretty impressive. Last night I went to purchase the ingredients to make a Hot Toddy. I came home and made myself one. I asked colleagues what kind of booze to purchase. They gave me some good advice because I didn't mind it. I think the cloves, cinnamon sticks, and lemon blocked most of the booze flavor. I hoped I would sleep well. It didn't turn out that way as I'd been drinking tea and water all day. So the consequences of that were many visits to the bathroom. I did sleep well in between bathroom breaks. I woke up pretty congested this morning so more tea and water for me today.
A recent topic of discussion lately has been... What is the thing you want to do but it is never the "right time." The idea is that the time is never going to be right, so just do it. Just start. I'm not talking about cleaning the garage or some other task you hate. I'm talking about the thing you really WANT to do. So go START.
Thank you to George and Abe for being born in the same month. Thank you to those folks in 1885 who thought we needed to honor George. Enjoy your day. Also, Happy Birthday to my Dad. He needs a hot toddy too! Dad drink your tea, take your vitamins, and just do what mom tells you too! 😃 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
February 18, 2017
Weekend
I didn't get much accomplished today. I slept in YAY! Well I went back to sleep after my alarm went off. I apparently knocked the alarm off my nightstand in my sleep. I had to search for it in the dark to turn it off. Luckily, I had no trouble at all falling back to sleep.
This afternoon I went to school to work on some prep for next week. I had forgotten that Missoula Children's Theater had been working with students on a play and the play was today. I had to sneak in because I didn't want to attend. I went to my room, locked the door, and only turned on one corner light. I did get part of my math lesson completed. I started feeling worse and worse. Achy, sneezy, coldy 😰, and coughy! Those are Sneezy's cousins.
I got home and broke out the green tea and vitamin c. Then I started having chills. I took some acetaminophen and waited for that to work. I am drinking a lot of water and tea. I hope I caught it in time to flush it from my system. I don't have time to be sick. When drinking this quantity of liquids you end up spending a lot of time in the WC!
I am introducing a new topic in my math lesson. I hope it goes well! With my students I feel like I never know from day to day. My poor class is a bunch of coughing, sneezing, sick, kids. It's not any wonder I am feeling it. I was very generous with my Lysol usage this week as the little germ spreaders seemed to all be coughing. Hopefully, this three day weekend will be enough to get most of them healthy.
I hope to get a little more accomplished tomorrow! I had thought about driving up north since the road has been reopened. The dam break washed out the road. I'm glad I didn't make the drive.
My amazing Granny turned 96 today. I wish I was there to give her a hug! Happy Birthday Granny!
This afternoon I went to school to work on some prep for next week. I had forgotten that Missoula Children's Theater had been working with students on a play and the play was today. I had to sneak in because I didn't want to attend. I went to my room, locked the door, and only turned on one corner light. I did get part of my math lesson completed. I started feeling worse and worse. Achy, sneezy, coldy 😰, and coughy! Those are Sneezy's cousins.
I got home and broke out the green tea and vitamin c. Then I started having chills. I took some acetaminophen and waited for that to work. I am drinking a lot of water and tea. I hope I caught it in time to flush it from my system. I don't have time to be sick. When drinking this quantity of liquids you end up spending a lot of time in the WC!
I am introducing a new topic in my math lesson. I hope it goes well! With my students I feel like I never know from day to day. My poor class is a bunch of coughing, sneezing, sick, kids. It's not any wonder I am feeling it. I was very generous with my Lysol usage this week as the little germ spreaders seemed to all be coughing. Hopefully, this three day weekend will be enough to get most of them healthy.
I hope to get a little more accomplished tomorrow! I had thought about driving up north since the road has been reopened. The dam break washed out the road. I'm glad I didn't make the drive.
My amazing Granny turned 96 today. I wish I was there to give her a hug! Happy Birthday Granny!
February 16, 2017
I have a Rant on! Beware!
One of the greatest disappointments of my adult life was revisiting my childhood library. I loved walking in the cool quiet building to look for the next great read. I looked forward to the peace and quiet to search for that next book. Quietly searching the shelves, looking at book covers, flipping pages, seeking favorite authors, in the peaceful quiet. Revisiting it there were kids running around yelling, no one shushed them. There was no corner for quiet study or reflection. I guess that is a general sign of the times. That general lack of respect. I am sure my mom would've loved to yell across the library that it was time to go when I'd already started reading my next book. She didn't because that is rude.
I am very disappointed again. My district put together a team of teachers to pick a new reading curriculum. These are the teachers with masters in reading instruction. Not sure what they learned working on their masters, I don't think they learned how students learn to read. Sooooo we are going to get a less than stellar, poor quality curriculum. It will be sparkly, shiny, beautiful and have lots of worksheets YAY! (ahem) I understand why teachers want these types of curricula. It takes the "thinking and planning" out of the equation. Heck they even give you suggested dialogue. This just kills the soul of instruction in my opinion. EVEN WORSE...is that they provide readers. It sounds great right? It is NOT. In Kindergarten or First grade they can fit complete stories into the readers. In second on up...they edit and cut out huge chunks of great literature just to provide a "reader." UGGH
😩. So sad.... I can only hope that the Math Team is picking a quality curriculum.
I spoke with a colleague about it. She'd decided that she might go teach at a college. She said maybe the only way to create change is to teach teachers and future teachers how to teach reading. I talked with mom and told her one thing I'd heard "Kindergartners can't learn that letters make more than one sound that is too overwhelming for them." ARRRGGGHHHH Mom said "That is dumb...How to kids learn foreign languages at a young age if they can't work that out?"
Yeah.... this is in partly why the American Education System is failing....rant over...for now
I am very disappointed again. My district put together a team of teachers to pick a new reading curriculum. These are the teachers with masters in reading instruction. Not sure what they learned working on their masters, I don't think they learned how students learn to read. Sooooo we are going to get a less than stellar, poor quality curriculum. It will be sparkly, shiny, beautiful and have lots of worksheets YAY! (ahem) I understand why teachers want these types of curricula. It takes the "thinking and planning" out of the equation. Heck they even give you suggested dialogue. This just kills the soul of instruction in my opinion. EVEN WORSE...is that they provide readers. It sounds great right? It is NOT. In Kindergarten or First grade they can fit complete stories into the readers. In second on up...they edit and cut out huge chunks of great literature just to provide a "reader." UGGH
😩. So sad.... I can only hope that the Math Team is picking a quality curriculum.
I spoke with a colleague about it. She'd decided that she might go teach at a college. She said maybe the only way to create change is to teach teachers and future teachers how to teach reading. I talked with mom and told her one thing I'd heard "Kindergartners can't learn that letters make more than one sound that is too overwhelming for them." ARRRGGGHHHH Mom said "That is dumb...How to kids learn foreign languages at a young age if they can't work that out?"
Yeah.... this is in partly why the American Education System is failing....rant over...for now
February 15, 2017
That Store!
I had to be a grown up and go to Wal-Mart tonight. I waited till an hour I thought there would be a few less people there. I timed it okay. I decided to grab some Vitamin C and of course that is in the aisle right in front of the pharmacy. The aisle the pharmacy uses to line up their customers. So of course they wouldn't move out of the way so I could grab some Vitamin C. I finally got it. I hate Wal-Mart. I also bought a couple electronic items I needed for my kids to start their claymation. Just when I thought I had everything... I thought of something else! I think (knock on wood) we are ready.
One of our local schools is near the river that flooded. Many homes of students have been condemned and their families lost everything. The school sent us and e-mail asking for clothing, bedding, furniture, non-perishable foods etc. When I went to that terrible store I picked up some towels and pillows. I thought to myself. I wouldn't want a used pillow. My school is collecting items to drop off at the site that is distributing them to families. I talked with my students about it. It is hard to explain to them that every single thing they own they cannot use because it was contaminated by sewage. I finally told them sewage is everything you flush down the toilet. Then they had a little bit of a picture. I hope it will help them to think of others. A few of my students are really, really spoiled.
One of my students is with a babysitter who does not accept anything less than stellar behavior. She provides a lot of structure for children that really need it. The student told me today that they didn't need to behave because they weren't with the babysitter today. Well then....!
I am trying to think of what else is new, but I can hardly keep my eyes open. G'nite
One of our local schools is near the river that flooded. Many homes of students have been condemned and their families lost everything. The school sent us and e-mail asking for clothing, bedding, furniture, non-perishable foods etc. When I went to that terrible store I picked up some towels and pillows. I thought to myself. I wouldn't want a used pillow. My school is collecting items to drop off at the site that is distributing them to families. I talked with my students about it. It is hard to explain to them that every single thing they own they cannot use because it was contaminated by sewage. I finally told them sewage is everything you flush down the toilet. Then they had a little bit of a picture. I hope it will help them to think of others. A few of my students are really, really spoiled.
One of my students is with a babysitter who does not accept anything less than stellar behavior. She provides a lot of structure for children that really need it. The student told me today that they didn't need to behave because they weren't with the babysitter today. Well then....!
I am trying to think of what else is new, but I can hardly keep my eyes open. G'nite
February 11, 2017
👀
As much of the town is in their boots trying to help others survive high waters. I am staying out of the way. I decided not to be a "looky-loo." Sounds as though there are a lot of messes. The water level is supposed to peak tomorrow then begin to recede.
I didn't accomplish a lot today. I did get a few loads of laundry today. I put my class Valentines together! I printed a few things. I laminated a couple of things. Then I finished my day off by picking up mail and going to the grocery store. I went to Wal-Mart because there were a couple of things I needed to get there. I spotted shop-lifters stuffing a backpack full of stuff in the back-pack aisle. I notified an old lady employee then realized I'm not sure she was very with it. I found some young ones who were in pursuit of the culprits. I decided my shopping should probably come to a close there since the shoppers spotted me spotting them. I checked out and went on my way. I did get everything on my list!
My plan for tomorrow is to go in to work and complete next weeks lesson plans. Tuesday is Valentine's Day. So there will be some hyped up, sugared up, nutty kids. 👀👀👀! I will take extra vitamins!
I didn't accomplish a lot today. I did get a few loads of laundry today. I put my class Valentines together! I printed a few things. I laminated a couple of things. Then I finished my day off by picking up mail and going to the grocery store. I went to Wal-Mart because there were a couple of things I needed to get there. I spotted shop-lifters stuffing a backpack full of stuff in the back-pack aisle. I notified an old lady employee then realized I'm not sure she was very with it. I found some young ones who were in pursuit of the culprits. I decided my shopping should probably come to a close there since the shoppers spotted me spotting them. I checked out and went on my way. I did get everything on my list!
My plan for tomorrow is to go in to work and complete next weeks lesson plans. Tuesday is Valentine's Day. So there will be some hyped up, sugared up, nutty kids. 👀👀👀! I will take extra vitamins!
February 10, 2017
It rains
We're experiencing a lot of water. Tonight it is expected to turn to snow. It's a mess all over the place.
Today was a little nutty. A colleague went home yesterday sick with a 103 degree fever. Needless to say she was absent today. Unfortunately, we also ran out of substitutes. So her class was split between the other 6 classes. It's amazing how only three more kids can make such a big difference. It poured down rain most of the day so much so that by afternoon recess the playground was such a big muddy puddle that it was cancelled. Some of the students had to complete some school work during recess. The others got to play with these! They haven't gotten too creative with them yet but they really like them. They are such simple toys, but they really like them. Probably because most kids do not have toys like these at home anymore.
It was interesting having students from another class in my room. They were completely lost in math. It is a bummer because what we did today was pretty basic 2nd grade material. This stupid curriculum these other teachers are attempting to teach are turning them into terrible math teachers. It really is the curriculum. It is HORRIBLE. Rant over....for now. I sometimes wish I could just teach math to all the 2nd graders. I think in some ways I would become really bored. I just hate seeing them learning math in this manner.
I am soooo glad it is Friday. I do need to go into work for a bit this weekend. I did get some preparations done during my prep time today. We have less than 80 school days left....and I have a lot left to teach! ACCCK
Today was a little nutty. A colleague went home yesterday sick with a 103 degree fever. Needless to say she was absent today. Unfortunately, we also ran out of substitutes. So her class was split between the other 6 classes. It's amazing how only three more kids can make such a big difference. It poured down rain most of the day so much so that by afternoon recess the playground was such a big muddy puddle that it was cancelled. Some of the students had to complete some school work during recess. The others got to play with these! They haven't gotten too creative with them yet but they really like them. They are such simple toys, but they really like them. Probably because most kids do not have toys like these at home anymore.
It was interesting having students from another class in my room. They were completely lost in math. It is a bummer because what we did today was pretty basic 2nd grade material. This stupid curriculum these other teachers are attempting to teach are turning them into terrible math teachers. It really is the curriculum. It is HORRIBLE. Rant over....for now. I sometimes wish I could just teach math to all the 2nd graders. I think in some ways I would become really bored. I just hate seeing them learning math in this manner.
I am soooo glad it is Friday. I do need to go into work for a bit this weekend. I did get some preparations done during my prep time today. We have less than 80 school days left....and I have a lot left to teach! ACCCK
February 9, 2017
Flooding
Tonight when I came home from work i did more work. I was creating labels to help create a literacy rich environment. At my last job if there was too much on the walls the Fire Inspector would tear it down and leave it on the floor or if he was feeling generous on a desk. We don't have as strict a Fire Marshall here. I spent about an hour creating word labels with marked phonograms and spelling rules. I need to laminate them, but that will not occur this evening.
We had our 2nd day of training today. It was as exciting as I imagined it would be. In other news the camera, clay, and tripod came. I think I can get my students started on making a claymation. I found out one reason I was having trouble downloading software is that it is not allowed on student computers. I can login under me on a student computer so I hope that will be enough to allow the students to access the software when they are ready for it. I am excited to get them going on it. The other two students that are working on the newsletter. One is more gung-ho than the other. I decided today I need to let the gung-ho one run with it. If the other one decides to hop in and do more they can, but I won't let the second hold up progress. I tried to find another project for another group of students. I think I will have them work on a Prezi it is a presentation software. The students would have to research a topic then present it too the class. I just need to get the first couple groups on the move before I add another project to my plate.
At about 6p.m. I really thought I needed to go to bed. I managed to stay up just long enough that I got my second wind. bummer! The problem is that if I fall asleep too early I wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep, but don't feel awake enough to accomplish anything. It's a balance. I did accomplish the goal of making dessert for our Friday Lunch tomorrow. I was debating stopping at the store in the a.m. and just picking up a dessert. It sounded like the best idea a few hours ago. I managed to get it done!
I hope to have a nice quiet weekend this weekend to recuperate from a few busy weeks. I'd thought about heading up north to do some shopping. Unfortunately, there is extensive flooding and a road completely washed out. A dam has failed in another town. Quite a few of our parents are struggling to leave their homes to get their students to school. We had a lot of rain on a lot of snow. It's a mess. The school district told parents to make arrangements with the school if they couldn't make it safely. I think my driveway is flooded ;) nawww! Tomorrow is FRIDAY!
I work with really wonderful people. Have I mentioned that. It isn't that I didn't work with some good people before, it is just that we were all stretched so thin you felt like you were perpetually treading water. What is great here is that you have time to communicate and collaborate in a meaningful way. We help each other out. I still can't believe how wonderful it is to drop my students off at specials. Having that time to prepare, grade, etc. is just fantastic. I even have time to go to the bathroom. I hope I do not take this for granted.
We had our 2nd day of training today. It was as exciting as I imagined it would be. In other news the camera, clay, and tripod came. I think I can get my students started on making a claymation. I found out one reason I was having trouble downloading software is that it is not allowed on student computers. I can login under me on a student computer so I hope that will be enough to allow the students to access the software when they are ready for it. I am excited to get them going on it. The other two students that are working on the newsletter. One is more gung-ho than the other. I decided today I need to let the gung-ho one run with it. If the other one decides to hop in and do more they can, but I won't let the second hold up progress. I tried to find another project for another group of students. I think I will have them work on a Prezi it is a presentation software. The students would have to research a topic then present it too the class. I just need to get the first couple groups on the move before I add another project to my plate.
At about 6p.m. I really thought I needed to go to bed. I managed to stay up just long enough that I got my second wind. bummer! The problem is that if I fall asleep too early I wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep, but don't feel awake enough to accomplish anything. It's a balance. I did accomplish the goal of making dessert for our Friday Lunch tomorrow. I was debating stopping at the store in the a.m. and just picking up a dessert. It sounded like the best idea a few hours ago. I managed to get it done!
I hope to have a nice quiet weekend this weekend to recuperate from a few busy weeks. I'd thought about heading up north to do some shopping. Unfortunately, there is extensive flooding and a road completely washed out. A dam has failed in another town. Quite a few of our parents are struggling to leave their homes to get their students to school. We had a lot of rain on a lot of snow. It's a mess. The school district told parents to make arrangements with the school if they couldn't make it safely. I think my driveway is flooded ;) nawww! Tomorrow is FRIDAY!
I work with really wonderful people. Have I mentioned that. It isn't that I didn't work with some good people before, it is just that we were all stretched so thin you felt like you were perpetually treading water. What is great here is that you have time to communicate and collaborate in a meaningful way. We help each other out. I still can't believe how wonderful it is to drop my students off at specials. Having that time to prepare, grade, etc. is just fantastic. I even have time to go to the bathroom. I hope I do not take this for granted.
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