Last day of "I Love to Read" Month. This morning, we were about 11,000 minutes short of our goal (33,650 or so minutes). I amped up the the 7-8th graders by telling them we wouldn't have the cocoa party if we didn't make our goal. One of the 8th graders, the smarty pants, said, "I saw the cocoa and cookies on the table in the office... What are you gonna do with them if we don't make it? Eat them yourself?" I stared him right in the eyes and said, "Yep. Right in front of you." We all laughed. He said, "But that's so mean!" I said, "Then you better write down how much you read this month and turn it in to Mrs. E!"
We had a lot of sheets turned in before lunch. Enough that we actually made our goal! So, at 2:00, the kids read in the gym for a little while as they drank their cocoa and ate their cookies. Then, they trekked to Mr. E's room so he could read a book, A Bad Case of the Stripes. We teachers thought it would be funny if Mr. E read the book with his face painted to look like the main character's, all covered in stripes. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to get his face done. However, the rest of us put face paint on and popped into the room right as he got to the part where the main character's face changes colors. Mine was red/white/blue, Mr. D had white with purple polkadots, Mrs. L had leafy greens all over, and Mrs. E dressed up as the old lady who helps the girl get back to normal.
It was great! Mr. D was already in the room to take pictures, so I was the first teacher to make a surprise visit. I knocked on the door, Mrs. E 'screamed', and I announced, "Mr. E, I don't feel so good. I think I should go home." All the kids stared at me wide-eyed. It clicked with a couple kids, "Ohhh, Mr. D, that's why your face is like that!" A few pages later, Mrs. L did the same thing.
I had some trouble finding this face paint this morning. I knew I had a bunch left from the Fall Carnival in October. For the longest time it was under Joe's tank, but I thought I had moved it into the closet. Before school, I scoured the closet and found nothing. Thinking I had maybe sent it home with a kid, I questioned them all when they got to school. Nope. So the girls searched the closet too. Nothing. During Reading Buddies I made one more attempt to find it. Ha! It was right where I thought it was, but shoved further against the wall and tucked back. It came off pretty well. The red kind of stained my skin a bit, but I think another wash at home will do the trick. The bathroom soap at school is not super great and it's hard to wash your face in the low sink!
I forgot all about my potentially strange-looking face when our preschool teacher called me after school and said a school in New Ulm had received a huge donation of good quality nonfiction books. Did I want to come look through them with her? Uh, yes please! So we spent a full hour digging through boxes selecting ones to add to our class libraries. I ended up with four cardboard boxes (one box is for the Fulda library). There were boxes and boxes of duplicate books; I didn't feel bad about taking so many. We barely made a dent!
Friday, February 28, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Bell Update
Last night the 5-8th graders played bells for Ash Wednesday service. It was... not a complete train wreck. It's not as bad as that sounds. The first song sounded great at practice that morning, but we got off on the wrong foot and a bunch of them got lost. I actually considered starting the song over, but we carried on and they eventually found their places again. Until one pair couldn't get the page turned, but they caught up again too. The congregation couldn't tell we were messing up... I know because they told me. My Bible study ladies said they only knew it wasn't going how it was supposed to go by the looks on their faces. Their faces were priceless!
The second song went better. It included the 5th graders on the tone chimes. They did pretty well overall. We're going to play that song ("Ah, Holy Jesus") for Fine Arts Fair in two weeks, but swap out the 5th graders with the 6-8th graders who didn't play in that song this time.
School today... Eh. I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over. My normally crazy kid did okay today, except all the other boys went crazy/yelled at each other at recess/had meltdowns/couldn't keep their hands to themselves... I'll stop there. Thank the Lord tomorrow is Friday!
The second song went better. It included the 5th graders on the tone chimes. They did pretty well overall. We're going to play that song ("Ah, Holy Jesus") for Fine Arts Fair in two weeks, but swap out the 5th graders with the 6-8th graders who didn't play in that song this time.
School today... Eh. I feel like I keep saying the same thing over and over. My normally crazy kid did okay today, except all the other boys went crazy/yelled at each other at recess/had meltdowns/couldn't keep their hands to themselves... I'll stop there. Thank the Lord tomorrow is Friday!
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Better-ish
A better day than yesterday, but still not good. When one student acts out, it really drags down the whole class. The most frustrating part of the day for me was at the end of the day, after PE, after Mr. E had called everyone in. They were supposed to be packing up to go home. When I came in the gym from the hallway, I found my normal four boys messing around. Instead of chewing them out, I said something hinting that if they were in the gym and didn't go in right now they'd be getting consequences. They dashed off.
One boy in particular was pouting and being crabby-pantsed. He thought that meant they got sentences. He was so irate I wanted to clear the air with him before he went home. I explained (very calmly) that when I came in the gym and saw them still in there, I thought they were messing around when they were supposed to be packing up and doing their end of the day jobs.
He countered with, "I was picking up PE stuff for Mr. E!"
I said, "Oh, it looked like you were messing around with a ball or something."
"No, we were trying to touch the net!"
"Ohh, well, it didn't look like you were picking stuff up for Mr. E, which is why I thought you were messing around. Were you still picking things up at that time? It looked like everything was put away." (It had been).
(long pause) "I don't remember."
"I see, well, next time, you should explain that you are doing a job for him. Then I will apologize for scolding you for being in the gym."
The kid was still upset and not sure what else to say, but at least he didn't have any more backtalk.
After school I asked Mr. E about that. He said when he left the gym, this student had already put all the stuff away and was heading back to the classroom end of the gym. So. He was not in the gym with a purpose, like I suspected. Grr... I wish I had a better way to get these kids in from recess. They will ignore me and shoot around for a few more minutes after it's time to go in. Nothing except threatening sentences will get them to move!
One boy in particular was pouting and being crabby-pantsed. He thought that meant they got sentences. He was so irate I wanted to clear the air with him before he went home. I explained (very calmly) that when I came in the gym and saw them still in there, I thought they were messing around when they were supposed to be packing up and doing their end of the day jobs.
He countered with, "I was picking up PE stuff for Mr. E!"
I said, "Oh, it looked like you were messing around with a ball or something."
"No, we were trying to touch the net!"
"Ohh, well, it didn't look like you were picking stuff up for Mr. E, which is why I thought you were messing around. Were you still picking things up at that time? It looked like everything was put away." (It had been).
(long pause) "I don't remember."
"I see, well, next time, you should explain that you are doing a job for him. Then I will apologize for scolding you for being in the gym."
The kid was still upset and not sure what else to say, but at least he didn't have any more backtalk.
After school I asked Mr. E about that. He said when he left the gym, this student had already put all the stuff away and was heading back to the classroom end of the gym. So. He was not in the gym with a purpose, like I suspected. Grr... I wish I had a better way to get these kids in from recess. They will ignore me and shoot around for a few more minutes after it's time to go in. Nothing except threatening sentences will get them to move!
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Rough and Rowdy
Boy, today was an exhausting day... I think I had a lot of tired kids from yesterday's big day at the capitol. I know my body was still feeling tired when I got up this morning. One student's parents are on vacation out of the state for the week and I can tell he's feeling it. He spent a bunch of time with Mr. E because he was too disruptive and wouldn't listen.
We had bell practice at church this morning to prepare for tomorrow night's Ash Wednesday service. Our songs are still a little rough, but we'll practice tomorrow after chapel and hopefully things will be all right. There is one part where a kid plays on the off-beat that he just can't get. But, we're glorifying God, no matter how many mistakes we make!
We had bell practice at church this morning to prepare for tomorrow night's Ash Wednesday service. Our songs are still a little rough, but we'll practice tomorrow after chapel and hopefully things will be all right. There is one part where a kid plays on the off-beat that he just can't get. But, we're glorifying God, no matter how many mistakes we make!
Monday, February 24, 2020
Capitol
Thankfully my illness lasted only one day. I'm feeling much better, though my tummy is still a little rumbly from time to time. My kids did great in Mr. E's room. He said they didn't make a peep all day.
Today, the 5-8th graders went to the state capitol. A parent who used to work as a legislative assistant planned everything, so I got to take it easy-ish today. We took a bus up, met with our local representatives and senator, sat in on a committee hearing, and talked to a lobbyist. I think I finally understand what they do now... they're hired by companies or groups of people to 'talk government' with elected officials in an attempt to get them to vote a certain way or make certain legislature. We also took a tour of the capitol and met with the Lieutenant Governor of our state (basically Minnesota's vice president). That was pretty cool. Peggy is the first Native American to be elected lieutenant governor and the second Native American to be elected to state office in the US.
The last thing we did was to watch the House in session. We sat up in the galley (open to the public). But, our four 8th graders were able to sit on the House floor (you need special passes to do that), and Rep. Brand made a special announcement about our school to the whole room. The rest of the House recognized us with a standing ovation! It was pretty neat. Session was also very short. The bills on the docket got sent back to committee/their authors so it lasted about 15-20min total, if that.
We got a lot of compliments on our students today. The best one was from Senator Frentz who told our Courtland Fire Chief (up at the capitol today to talk about Hwy 14 expansion from a safety perspective) that our kids were the best dressed group of students he's ever seen. Sweet!
My favorite part of the day was probably watching our students pretend to be in court. The room we used as our base had a big U-shaped table with microphones for each seat. They decided to sit there and call people up to the 'witness' stand in the center of the U. The 'crimes' they tried their classmates for were quite interesting ranging from stealing Swiss Rolls to breaking into a house to play "Fortnite" to stabbing a person. It was cool to see them work out the issues and take what they knew about the justice system and apply it in fun. They even called me to the witness stand once!
Today, the 5-8th graders went to the state capitol. A parent who used to work as a legislative assistant planned everything, so I got to take it easy-ish today. We took a bus up, met with our local representatives and senator, sat in on a committee hearing, and talked to a lobbyist. I think I finally understand what they do now... they're hired by companies or groups of people to 'talk government' with elected officials in an attempt to get them to vote a certain way or make certain legislature. We also took a tour of the capitol and met with the Lieutenant Governor of our state (basically Minnesota's vice president). That was pretty cool. Peggy is the first Native American to be elected lieutenant governor and the second Native American to be elected to state office in the US.
The last thing we did was to watch the House in session. We sat up in the galley (open to the public). But, our four 8th graders were able to sit on the House floor (you need special passes to do that), and Rep. Brand made a special announcement about our school to the whole room. The rest of the House recognized us with a standing ovation! It was pretty neat. Session was also very short. The bills on the docket got sent back to committee/their authors so it lasted about 15-20min total, if that.
We got a lot of compliments on our students today. The best one was from Senator Frentz who told our Courtland Fire Chief (up at the capitol today to talk about Hwy 14 expansion from a safety perspective) that our kids were the best dressed group of students he's ever seen. Sweet!
My favorite part of the day was probably watching our students pretend to be in court. The room we used as our base had a big U-shaped table with microphones for each seat. They decided to sit there and call people up to the 'witness' stand in the center of the U. The 'crimes' they tried their classmates for were quite interesting ranging from stealing Swiss Rolls to breaking into a house to play "Fortnite" to stabbing a person. It was cool to see them work out the issues and take what they knew about the justice system and apply it in fun. They even called me to the witness stand once!
Friday, February 21, 2020
Sick
Well, I had the best of intentions of going to bed on time last night. I did go to bed early, but I didn't fall asleep until way too late. I got one of those stomach bugs that's going around and stayed home from school today. :( Last night was the worst, and I was able to fall asleep, but since I probably had a fever (my thermometer quit working so I couldn't tell for sure), I decided to rest up at home.
Our sub list is quite short to begin with, and one of our go-tos is already subbing for Mrs. L this week. Our other go-to is busy today because her son is getting married tonight! So. Mr. E ended up absorbing my class for the day. I made them a checklist and emailed it to Mr. E. Hopefully the day went okay!
Our sub list is quite short to begin with, and one of our go-tos is already subbing for Mrs. L this week. Our other go-to is busy today because her son is getting married tonight! So. Mr. E ended up absorbing my class for the day. I made them a checklist and emailed it to Mr. E. Hopefully the day went okay!
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Me Time
Boy today was a tough one. One kid just didn't care about school today and nothing I could do or say could get him to stop talking. He kept getting mad whenever I tried to redirect him, either ignoring me or yelling and stalking out of the room. We talked a few times to try to get to the bottom of it, but he didn't have an answer for what set him off. His parents are going on a (well-deserved) week long vacation next week, and I know he's not looking forward to that, but he said that wasn't the reason. His homework fixes weren't the reason either. So he ended up working in Mr. E's room for the rest of the morning.
I am really nervous about these parents being gone. I'm glad they're going and I hope they are able to relax and de-stress. But I have no idea how their kid is going to be in school. And without someone at home to talk through his behavior with him, I have a feeling next week is going to be a rough one. Or he could surprise me and be really good all week! So, start praying now!
Two things I haven't been doing so good on this week and need to work on: going to bed on time and leaving school on time. Today was kind of hard to leave by five; I had a meeting at Nicollet right after school so I came back to Immanuel afterwards to do my normal work. Hopefully I can get to bed on time though!
I am really nervous about these parents being gone. I'm glad they're going and I hope they are able to relax and de-stress. But I have no idea how their kid is going to be in school. And without someone at home to talk through his behavior with him, I have a feeling next week is going to be a rough one. Or he could surprise me and be really good all week! So, start praying now!
Two things I haven't been doing so good on this week and need to work on: going to bed on time and leaving school on time. Today was kind of hard to leave by five; I had a meeting at Nicollet right after school so I came back to Immanuel afterwards to do my normal work. Hopefully I can get to bed on time though!
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Bells
Pastor is in Guatemala this week, so we didn't have chapel today. We did have music practice and pass out Student of the Month awards. I am kicking myself because one of my students got the award (which I knew about), but I was in the office fixing the copier while they gathered (I forgot about passing out the award today). By the time I was done, they had wrapped up singing.
After singing, the 5-8th graders practiced bells with me. The song we play at next week's Ash Wednesday service involves bells AND tone chimes. The 5th graders are playing tone chimes and have been practicing with Mrs. L only. Today was the first time putting them together. It went all right. The 6-8th graders who play the treble clef part for those measures with the tone chimes are pretty rough still. We're going to have practice again tomorrow and maybe on Friday too, depending how it goes.
The rest of the day went pretty well. A bunch of my kids are now hooked on Duolingo, a language learning site that teaches you with games/quizzes. I do it every day to practice my Spanish and I've learned quite a bit. Now, I'm attempting to learn Swahili (just in case I ever decide to go to Africa). ;) So far, my kids are learning: Dutch, German, Russian, and Greek. They even convinced me we should add a Duolingo round option to our choices for Daily 5. Not a bad idea... it's better to capitalize on their enthusiasm while they still have it! A few of them were even fired up about practicing at home!
After singing, the 5-8th graders practiced bells with me. The song we play at next week's Ash Wednesday service involves bells AND tone chimes. The 5th graders are playing tone chimes and have been practicing with Mrs. L only. Today was the first time putting them together. It went all right. The 6-8th graders who play the treble clef part for those measures with the tone chimes are pretty rough still. We're going to have practice again tomorrow and maybe on Friday too, depending how it goes.
The rest of the day went pretty well. A bunch of my kids are now hooked on Duolingo, a language learning site that teaches you with games/quizzes. I do it every day to practice my Spanish and I've learned quite a bit. Now, I'm attempting to learn Swahili (just in case I ever decide to go to Africa). ;) So far, my kids are learning: Dutch, German, Russian, and Greek. They even convinced me we should add a Duolingo round option to our choices for Daily 5. Not a bad idea... it's better to capitalize on their enthusiasm while they still have it! A few of them were even fired up about practicing at home!
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Movie
Last week Thursday we had school cancelled due to the extreme cold weather. No school on Friday (already planned as a teacher workday) and no school on Monday (Presidents Day) made it a nice long weekend! I read a bunch of books, got caught up on some tidying in my apartment, and spent time with a friend celebrating her birthday.
I figured my kiddos would be wound up after the break, so I scheduled our class movie prize for today so it didn't matter so much if they couldn't focus. They actually did better than I expected. We did a few Daily 5 rounds before watching the movie so they could get caught up on last week's spelling, handwriting, and memory. I met with spelling groups to go over this week's spelling instructions. Like I said, they did okay.
However, once the movie started, most of them couldn't settle down and watch in peace. I had boys wanting to talk to each other, wander around the room, change where they were sitting... it was distracting. One boy straight up said, "Miss H, this movie is so boring. Nothing is happening!" (It was Treasure Planet). I told him he didn't have to watch it; he could read his book in our classroom or Mr. E's room if he wanted to instead. I noticed that even though he got his book out to read, he ended up watching the movie. Of course, right after he said that we hit the climax, so it did get more exciting. Sigh. This is why we don't watch movies more often.
Since we didn't have school on Valentine's Day, we traded treats today. Some kids forgot to bring theirs, so they'll share tomorrow. One boy gave me a giant heart box of chocolates. Another one (one of my challenges) gave me Lindor truffles. Yum! I won't say no to chocolate! How sweet they thought of me. :)
I figured my kiddos would be wound up after the break, so I scheduled our class movie prize for today so it didn't matter so much if they couldn't focus. They actually did better than I expected. We did a few Daily 5 rounds before watching the movie so they could get caught up on last week's spelling, handwriting, and memory. I met with spelling groups to go over this week's spelling instructions. Like I said, they did okay.
However, once the movie started, most of them couldn't settle down and watch in peace. I had boys wanting to talk to each other, wander around the room, change where they were sitting... it was distracting. One boy straight up said, "Miss H, this movie is so boring. Nothing is happening!" (It was Treasure Planet). I told him he didn't have to watch it; he could read his book in our classroom or Mr. E's room if he wanted to instead. I noticed that even though he got his book out to read, he ended up watching the movie. Of course, right after he said that we hit the climax, so it did get more exciting. Sigh. This is why we don't watch movies more often.
Since we didn't have school on Valentine's Day, we traded treats today. Some kids forgot to bring theirs, so they'll share tomorrow. One boy gave me a giant heart box of chocolates. Another one (one of my challenges) gave me Lindor truffles. Yum! I won't say no to chocolate! How sweet they thought of me. :)
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Short Day
Well, we got out of school early today. Some schools were called off last night already. We found out around 10am that New Ulm was being released at noon and Nicollet was releasing at 1:00. So, that cut our morning short. It's snowing a little right now, but the wind is supposed to come up really bad. I'm wondering if we'll have school tomorrow. The forecast says it'll be a -45 degree wind chill. Yikes!
Anyway, I better pack my stuff up so I get home safely before it gets worse!
Anyway, I better pack my stuff up so I get home safely before it gets worse!
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Switching it Up
I made some adjustments to our morning routine. We were going to go over to church to read through the hymnals for religion, but after my students' behavior yesterday I decided we better stay put at school. I swung by church and snagged 13 hymnals for us to flip through at school. My kids were disappointed we couldn't take a mini-field trip to church.
During read aloud time, I had them make Valentine cards for the widows/single ladies of our congregation (one of my bible study lady's ideas). Some kids had a great time making them, others gave me a lot of attitude about even making one.
I switched around Daily 5 and Writers Workshop, hoping it would keep them more focused and calm. I also picked their rounds for them in Daily 5. Normally we do read aloud, then Writers Workshop, then Daily 5. They pick their rounds in the morning before school starts. They weren't too thrilled they couldn't decide their rounds. I think me picking their rounds did help them focus. I'm not sure about flip flopping WrWS and D5. I might try it another day and see what happens.
This afternoon, the mom planning our state capitol trip gave us a sneak peek about what we'll see and do. Then, we went to the MSU play at Nicollet. It wasn't my favorite play. There was some subtle agenda pushing; I'm sure none of the kids noticed, but I picked up on it. The story line was kind of all over the place and the lyrics to the music was kind of meh. One singer blew me away though. He's from Georgia and learned to sing on YouTube! (Found that out in the Q&A). We got back to school at the time the buses normally leave with our kids on them, so we had to scurry to pack up! Of course about three of my kids stopped in the gym to shoot some hoops instead of doing what they were supposed to.
During read aloud time, I had them make Valentine cards for the widows/single ladies of our congregation (one of my bible study lady's ideas). Some kids had a great time making them, others gave me a lot of attitude about even making one.
I switched around Daily 5 and Writers Workshop, hoping it would keep them more focused and calm. I also picked their rounds for them in Daily 5. Normally we do read aloud, then Writers Workshop, then Daily 5. They pick their rounds in the morning before school starts. They weren't too thrilled they couldn't decide their rounds. I think me picking their rounds did help them focus. I'm not sure about flip flopping WrWS and D5. I might try it another day and see what happens.
This afternoon, the mom planning our state capitol trip gave us a sneak peek about what we'll see and do. Then, we went to the MSU play at Nicollet. It wasn't my favorite play. There was some subtle agenda pushing; I'm sure none of the kids noticed, but I picked up on it. The story line was kind of all over the place and the lyrics to the music was kind of meh. One singer blew me away though. He's from Georgia and learned to sing on YouTube! (Found that out in the Q&A). We got back to school at the time the buses normally leave with our kids on them, so we had to scurry to pack up! Of course about three of my kids stopped in the gym to shoot some hoops instead of doing what they were supposed to.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Chocolate
It was definitely a 'left drawer' chocolate kind of day today. I keep all my typical snacks in my bottom right desk drawer, including some chocolate. But the really good, high quality stuff is in the top left drawer, to be pulled out in the event of a celebration or when it's been a tough day. Unfortunately, today was the later kind.
Twenty minutes before going to PE, a kid threw something at his classmate's head on purpose... twice. Both projectiles were a hit, and I sent the kid to the principal's office. He didn't want to go and kept saying stuff like "I'm such a bad kid. I should be in jail." Just a lot of negative self-talk.
I feel like a broken record: My kids had trouble focusing today, they were loud and didn't listen to me most of the day. Mondays are always tough; tomorrow will be better.
Twenty minutes before going to PE, a kid threw something at his classmate's head on purpose... twice. Both projectiles were a hit, and I sent the kid to the principal's office. He didn't want to go and kept saying stuff like "I'm such a bad kid. I should be in jail." Just a lot of negative self-talk.
I feel like a broken record: My kids had trouble focusing today, they were loud and didn't listen to me most of the day. Mondays are always tough; tomorrow will be better.
Friday, February 7, 2020
Half
Our half day of school went about as expected. All morning my kids rattled with excitement, some rattled more gently than others, but all were geared up for the tournament later today. 11 out of 12 of my 5-6th graders play on the team. Only two of them ended the day with overdue homework.
Their parents were sticking around to help set up the tournament so I kept them in my room to get their things done. So we worked on memory work while people poked their heads in and out of the room cleaning and organizing. Now everything is tucked away, homework is done, and I'm trying to decide if I should go home for an hour before the first game starts. I think I'll stick around here. Always papers to correct!
We finally got smart with Joe this year. Normally I put Joe in his travel container and put him under my desk with the heat lamp plugged in, then pack the entrance to my desk full of stuff so you can't get to him. But, this year since we put all the desks in the reading corner, there was nothing to stick around my desk. One of the boys had a mini padlock in his backpack he offered up to keep Joe's tank locked. It was just the right size to fit through the hole for that purpose. Now he can stay cozy in his tank, kids can still look at him, but no one can mess with him.
Their parents were sticking around to help set up the tournament so I kept them in my room to get their things done. So we worked on memory work while people poked their heads in and out of the room cleaning and organizing. Now everything is tucked away, homework is done, and I'm trying to decide if I should go home for an hour before the first game starts. I think I'll stick around here. Always papers to correct!
We finally got smart with Joe this year. Normally I put Joe in his travel container and put him under my desk with the heat lamp plugged in, then pack the entrance to my desk full of stuff so you can't get to him. But, this year since we put all the desks in the reading corner, there was nothing to stick around my desk. One of the boys had a mini padlock in his backpack he offered up to keep Joe's tank locked. It was just the right size to fit through the hole for that purpose. Now he can stay cozy in his tank, kids can still look at him, but no one can mess with him.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
What a Day
Not gonna sugar coat it... today was a rough one. I chased so many of my kids back into my classroom! It will not surprise you to learn they were in the gym. Mr. E even had a chat with them at the beginning of the day. Sigh. Even the 7-8th graders gave me a hard time; they were so catty and on each other’s case about everything. My theory is a combination of full moon on Sunday, last week of basketball/home basketball tournament tomorrow, potentially strong storm system moving in, and being tired out from late nights.
Not every part of the day was rough. We actually had a good beginning and a decent middle. It was just part of the middle and the end that were so exhausting. I’m trying to help them get all their work done before tomorrow (I told my kids they have to have everything done before they get to play basketball in the tournament). The two kids with the most to do were not having it. They pitched such a fit over doing their work!
The end of the day featured kids who didn’t do their end of the day jobs, so I had to harp on them. A grandma who had to bring her granddaughter to the away game was breathing down my neck to pick up the pace so they could leave. I’m afraid my tone of voice was a little testy with her as I assured her we were doing our best to wrap it up. Her granddaughter actually apologized to me after the prayer on behalf of her grandma. “She gets anxious about getting to the game on time,” she said. Well, I certainly can understand that. Please pray for patience and focus for tomorrow! For me and my kids!
Not every part of the day was rough. We actually had a good beginning and a decent middle. It was just part of the middle and the end that were so exhausting. I’m trying to help them get all their work done before tomorrow (I told my kids they have to have everything done before they get to play basketball in the tournament). The two kids with the most to do were not having it. They pitched such a fit over doing their work!
The end of the day featured kids who didn’t do their end of the day jobs, so I had to harp on them. A grandma who had to bring her granddaughter to the away game was breathing down my neck to pick up the pace so they could leave. I’m afraid my tone of voice was a little testy with her as I assured her we were doing our best to wrap it up. Her granddaughter actually apologized to me after the prayer on behalf of her grandma. “She gets anxious about getting to the game on time,” she said. Well, I certainly can understand that. Please pray for patience and focus for tomorrow! For me and my kids!
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Teacher or Astronaut?
At lunch today, one of the girls wanted to play ‘would you rather’. Right away she asked me, “If you had to choose between being a 5-6th grade teacher and an astronaut, which would you pick?” Hmm. Not as tough a choice as you would think. I said I’d still be a teacher because I know how to do that and I don’t know much rocket science. One of the other girls chimed in, “Yes you do! From Camp Omega! You made a rocket there!” ...She does have a point.
The girl who’d originally asked clarified, “Well, let’s say you knew how to do both. Like you were trained to do either. What would you pick?” I’d still pick being a teacher. I love getting kids excited about learning and I like being around people. I think astronauts have to get lonely sometimes all alone in their space ship. That and I like to have my books around me. 😉
The girl who’d originally asked clarified, “Well, let’s say you knew how to do both. Like you were trained to do either. What would you pick?” I’d still pick being a teacher. I love getting kids excited about learning and I like being around people. I think astronauts have to get lonely sometimes all alone in their space ship. That and I like to have my books around me. 😉
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Farmer or Decade Day
Since it's the week of our home tournament, we have dress up days. Yesterday was PJ Day. Today, I dressed as a farmer. I just wore jeans, boots, and a farm girl sweatshirt, so nothing too extraordinary. I had thought about doing a specific decade, but I had an appointment to get my car's rear wiper fixed after school and didn't want to look weird running errands.
I'm pretty proud of myself... I bought the part I needed from a parts store for $20 cheaper than the dealership quoted me. Then, the technicians fixed it faster than they'd originally predicted, so I came in $50 under what the dealership had told me it would cost to fix. Hooray!
Tomorrow is Jersey Day and I plan to wear the Croatian soccer team jersey I got on my trip to Croatia a few summers ago. The rest of the week is the typical Class Color Day (mine are 5th= purple, 6th= brown or camo) and Braves Color Day (blue and gold).
I'm pretty proud of myself... I bought the part I needed from a parts store for $20 cheaper than the dealership quoted me. Then, the technicians fixed it faster than they'd originally predicted, so I came in $50 under what the dealership had told me it would cost to fix. Hooray!
Tomorrow is Jersey Day and I plan to wear the Croatian soccer team jersey I got on my trip to Croatia a few summers ago. The rest of the week is the typical Class Color Day (mine are 5th= purple, 6th= brown or camo) and Braves Color Day (blue and gold).
Monday, February 3, 2020
The Day of Broken Things
Sigh. Today was a frustrating one.
My kid who shuts down became a noisy, limp noodle for the majority of the morning. The other boys were giggly and whiny. The mini-whiteboard easel (which gets knocked over at least once a week) fell over and completely broke. Then, this afternoon one of the 6th graders tried to carry too much in his hands and dropped a laptop. The screen cracked. At first they thought it was okay, but after school when we turned it on there was a big crack getting bigger from the top corner. Sigh.
Mr. E said to ask the IT guys if it's under warranty. They said it's close, but we might be within the window. So more research is getting done. Until then, we just have to use it as it is.
One of the 6th grader girls was home today because she hit her head on the swing last Friday during afternoon recess. She has a concussion and has to take it easy the rest of the week.
Too many broken things!
My kid who shuts down became a noisy, limp noodle for the majority of the morning. The other boys were giggly and whiny. The mini-whiteboard easel (which gets knocked over at least once a week) fell over and completely broke. Then, this afternoon one of the 6th graders tried to carry too much in his hands and dropped a laptop. The screen cracked. At first they thought it was okay, but after school when we turned it on there was a big crack getting bigger from the top corner. Sigh.
Mr. E said to ask the IT guys if it's under warranty. They said it's close, but we might be within the window. So more research is getting done. Until then, we just have to use it as it is.
One of the 6th grader girls was home today because she hit her head on the swing last Friday during afternoon recess. She has a concussion and has to take it easy the rest of the week.
Too many broken things!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)