#2- NaNo book launch

Tomorrow is the last day of school. Everyone is anxiously awaiting that day. My cold is slowly getting better. I actually had some energy after I got home from school. Today, my nose is less stuffy, but I still have gunk in my lungs... I hope it's not pneumonia. My plan is to tough it out through the weekend and if I'm still feeling sick Monday, go in.

A bunch of kids cleaned out their desks today. They turned in some of their textbooks and cleaned off the lab table too. The 7-8th graders had a ton of things due today. Most handed them in; I still need to check the pile. Some made deals with me to turn things in in the morning. One kid hollered at me from the line for the bus that he's going to hand his science test in tomorrow morning. I told him no, it's due today before you leave school. He said he couldn't stay after because he had baseball... maybe he could drop it off at my house later? Uhhh... hmmm... I'm not sure if I'm going to accept it. Maybe depending on what time he drops it off??? We'll see if I've corrected the tests by then.

Mr. E and I sent out a notice earlier this week that everything had to be turned in Thursday or it would be an incomplete/0% in the grade book. One of the 8th graders had a long list that he never turned in (as far as I know). He didn't stay after so those are all going to be zeros. A 6th grader had 11 late math assignments. She didn't want to stay after school to do them. Mr. E and I tried to convince her to stay and do them so she would get a passing grade in math. She chose to go on the bus. Sigh. These kids. They make me want to pull my hair out!!!

Before I go home today I need to get the pinatas ready for smashing tomorrow. Four out of five groups are finished. That means one group doesn't get candy... I also need to set out the BINGO prizes so we can pass them out tomorrow.

The book launch went well today! Here are my kids' books this year:

Some of them designed their own covers. I wrapped the books in brown paper so my students would be surprised. It was a hit!

Our 4th quarter offering was for the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, and they had a representative come to our school to talk about their mission. They brought honey for the teachers and seeds/a fidget bender thing for each student. We saw pictures and got to ask questions. This afternoon we even connected what we learned about them to our MN history lesson!

#3- Chew gum

Today was a day of sharing... some kids forgot to bring gum, while others brought a whole pack. It was nice to see the 'whole pack' kids giving gum to their forgetful classmates!

It was so nice out today that we read aloud outside again. It worked mostly okay. My voice is still pretty weak and it was hard to hear me in all areas of the playground. The kids were supposed to move so they could hear me, but some of them didn't. They got a little squirrely, playing on the playground equipment while 'listening' to me read. I made some of them sit closer to me when I caught them not paying attention.

We read thirty pages today. There's about 100 pages left. That means we need to read 50 pages tomorrow and Friday to finish our book on time. I think I can skip a bunch of the parts coming up, so we might be able to make it. I know I've said it before, but I still can't believe the last day of school is the day after tomorrow!

Today was a bit of a bummer. I gave the 7-8th graders my end of the year teacher survey I normally give. The trip itineraries they've been doing for each continent? The project I thought was so great and full of authentic learning that is useful in life, etc. etc.? Yeah, they told me they feel like they haven't learned anything by doing them. They were like 'what is the point of doing them?' Sigh. I wish they would've said that months ago! We could've switched back to the other type of project I had geography students do prior to this year.

I still think the trip project is a good one. The right kids will learn a ton by creating an itinerary. But I understand that some students aren't going to get much out of it if all they do is visit aquariums and zoos. My thoughts now are to give kids the choice if they want to plan a trip or do a project on a topic for each continent. If they pick the trip, they'll need to include specific kinds of tourist places: some relating to geography, history, government, etc. That might make them learn a little more.

It's too bad the 5-6th graders ended our science unit on a frustrating lab. They voted to do MN history tomorrow instead of science. Less work for me! Now I don't have to set a lab up. But it makes me a little sad they aren't loving this type of science. There are a few cool labs we never got to do! Maybe next time, we should make a voltaic battery as a class experiment to keep up morale.

#4- Miss H brings treats

Caswell Softball Day today. I brought gingersnaps (I baked before I got sick) as our treat. We shared with the 7-8th graders too.

The day went well: we didn't lose a single game! 1st place in the tournament!

I went through all my kleenex, a few cough drops, and sounded pretty croaky by the end of the afternoon. Back to the couch with tea/honey!

Can you believe there are only three days of school left for us???

#5- Watch a Wishbone Episode

Oh man, my cold is being tough on me! I am/was pretty miserable all day. Last night I actually thought about telling Mr. E I couldn't come in today, but there were some things I needed to teach my class today that couldn't be pushed off, and it's so hard to find subs, so I toughed it out.

I'm leaving school shortly to go home and rest. I don't have a ton of papers to correct tonight. I got a few of them corrected while my class watched their Wishbone episode this morning. The 7-8th graders also got to watch a movie (Storks), but we did learning first!

This Friday is the last day of school so I'm trying to cram as many things in as I can (mostly for science and social studies). We did World War II last week, started the Cold War today. We'll see if I can squeeze in the Vietnam War before Friday.

#6- Recess all day!

Guess what... it's Track and Field Day... ;)

A day full of athletic events. I always work the long jump pit (which always runs late). On a typical track and field day, I have hardly any time to eat my lunch before needing to report to the track for the afternoon running events. We'll see how the other teachers and I do keeping everything on track. I don't recognize any of the names of the teachers scheduled to help at that station, but I guess we'll see if I know their faces.

#7- Redo Round

My kids are so impressed with my planning abilities. Yesterday, our special activity was sit anywhere for the day, chosen on a Wednesday so they wouldn't have to move their desks into a circle for religion class (we have chapel on Wednesdays). Today, their activity was an extra redo round so they could finish up their spelling/handwriting/memory since I was a tough cookie and told them yesterday they have to get their work done before lunch.

It was a rough morning. These kids don't do their homework at home!!! I had five out of 12 students have to have a late lunch because of memory work. I eventually told them if they said one part of their memory work, they could eat. One boy still hadn't said his half by the time recess was over, so I let him eat. Sigh. Frustrating.

I just printed off my last week lesson plan for the year. It's weird to think that next Friday is our last day, but I'm also glad. This week has been a tough one.

Tonight was our Variety Night. I am kind of in charge of this event... typing the program, putting together the powerpoint for the projector, collecting the names of the acts/people from teachers, coming up with ideas for our teacher skit. We filmed another couple days this week. Mrs. L's husband did an awesome job editing the video. It's ten minutes long, but it sure doesn't feel like it! When he uploads it to YouTube, I'll add a link.

The kids LOVED it. They thought it was hilarious. I thought it was hilarious! The parents and grandparents thought it was hilarious. Root beer floats afterwards went well too. We had enough of everything and only ran out of cups (thankfully PTL had a bunch handy, so we snagged a few more from them). We ran out of plastic spoons too. My second year teaching one mom bought us a gigantic box of 600 plastic spoons. It's lasted this long! I guess if that's 100 spoons per year, I am wrapping up year seven.

#8- Sit Anywhere For the Day

Whew, I'm glad this day is over, mostly because of my students being scattered all over the room for 'sit anywhere day'. I had two sitting on the couch, two behind the door where my keyboard usually goes, a long line of boys in the middle of the room, two girls by the lab table...

It seemed like they were WAY messier today. Some of them complained that they couldn't see very well. Well, it was your choice to sit in that spot. Before they went home they did get the classroom back to normal. *cue big sigh of relief*

We tried having MN history this morning again so we could practice our caterpillar skit at church this afternoon. We were hoping the rain would quit by then. It didn't. I drove the kids over (and the bell stuff), but almost all of them wanted to walk/run back to school. I let them, but they weren't allowed to complain that they were all wet!

After school, some of the other teachers and I set up the black curtains as our backdrop for Variety Night tomorrow. I touched base with the parent buying our class groceries for root beer floats afterwards; she's bringing the stuff tonight. Programs and projector powerpoints should be ready too! I think everything is set. Now I just need to figure out what to wear...