and one of Happychyck's students found just the right button to push to make her go off:
"I thought you said the project was due Wednesday!"
Another student pipes up, "Yea, me too!"
Are you *%&$*%! kidding me?!
All the time I gave you in class last week and the opportunity to turn it in for early reward bonus points on Friday, and you thought it was due on Wednesday? Even if you never listen to me, as I have reminded you daily when it was due, it was printed on the instruction sheet, and it was posted on the board. Oh look! It's still there! Does it look familiar?
December 11, 2006
December 10, 2006
When the Food You Bring Looks Like a White Elephant...
Busy, busy weekend! My staff Christmas party was last night at our magnet counselor's house. I heard some staff members complaining about how lame it was that we had to pay money (like $5), and bring food and a white elephant gift. (Oh, and it was BYOB, but isn't that cheaper than a closed bar anywhere?) Those scrooges didn't come anyway, which is too bad because they obviously don't realize that to have a good time our staff just needs some food, drink, and karaoke.
(And to be honest, I think it was cheaper than the time we paid for a venue that was too small, too far out of the way, and that served us pizza and spaghetti.)
So, it was a great time not talking shop with the people we are constantly immersed in shop-talk with thanks to all the PLC and NCLB. Everyone is always running around with not enough time in the day, but last night life was in party-time, and the clocks magically slowed a bit so we could laugh a little more. And you know with karaoke and white elephant exchange we were laughing our arses off!
Five more days until break....we need to start off the week with some positive vibes, aye?
So, what's with the tree? I thought I might try to be Martha again and do something creative. It looked better in real life, but I thought it was a really cute idea. My idea? No way! Thanks to BusybusyMommy and Rita L. Next time I have ideas for improvement, which does include not starting it at 5 pm when the party is at 6 pm!
December 9, 2006
Twinkle Lights Make Everything Special
Last night we took the kids to Ethel M's Cactus Garden, which is all lit up for the holiday season. The company's website is more educational than inviting, but at Flickr under the tag ethelm there are much better pictures that show why this is one of my favorite places in Las Vegas. Er, actually, Henderson.
The first time I visited the factory and gardens, on a visit to Sin City in 1997, it was 115 degrees. I remember thinking that it's such a strange place to make chocolate, but of course it is nice and cool inside the factory. When people come to visit, I take them to Ethel M's, but not so much for the chocolate part but for the cactus garden, which I find to be a meditative place. Okay, it's also just a few miles from my house, and it's free. I usually take people very early in the morning because it's a touch cooler and the sun isn't beating down on us. Supposedly, we are more likely to view the workers making chocolate, but I've been many times at 8 am and they have already finished for the day--especially in the summer months.
I can't believe that I've lived here for three years I just found out that the gardens are lit up every Christmas. People just don't seem to go all out on the lights around their homes and businesses, but you see a lot of palm trees lit up. I rather miss seeing lights everywhere at Christmas. It was a brisk 40-something degrees last night, but the garden did not disappoint at all. Although, not so meditative with all the people visiting, it was more a magical place in the dark with all the lights. I could have just strolled through winding pathways for hours getting lost in the little desert winter wonderland.
December 4, 2006
No Teacher of the Year Award for Me!
I know I once posted a piece on how beautifully I can punt when presented an icky situation in the classroom, but today I just didn't have it in me to do it.
About ten minutes before my 0 hour class started the whole school lost power. Who knows how long it was going to last? It was the direct result of a crisis situation down the hallway from me, but in the meanwhile, school continued on.
The bells didn't ring, but I sent some students down to the quad to round up their classmates. (There aren't a lot of students who have class at this time of day.) When they all arrived, I read them the agenda in the dim light:
1. Skillstutor "Life Around the World"--reading comp lesson
"Well, no electricity..no server..no wireless connection...so good luck with that one." (It's an online program.)
2. Read 162-178 and 179-180 in grammar book on compare/contrast structures
"Okay. The six people who are sitting here might have enough light from the emergency light and the window in the door to handle that. The rest of you--good luck."
3. Write 5 questions with answers about the main ideas from the reading.
"Again, light might be an issue. Good luck with that."
"Miss! We could open the door and there'd be more light."
"True, but let's not. With no electricity we also have no heater, so it wouldn't take too long to get colder than it already is in here."
"Oooooooohhhhhhhhh. Let's not do that," my students replied.
"Yea. So, well..." My mind raced with things we could do. Writing in the dark? Read to them? Have a discussion? Screw it! "You know guys, this isn't the first time I've ever had to conduct class in the dark. In the times before though, we had more windows for light. I could come up with something to do, but I just don't have it in me. So just keep it low today. The teacher next door is actually trying to conduct class."
Did I actually have to tell them to keep it low at that time of morning? I've been wishing for students as hyper as I am in the early morning, and this year my wish has come true, so they are one of my rowdiest classes. 7:00 am. Go figure.
Some of them talked. Some of them took out their laptops and worked on their upcoming project while others played games. And then there were those two weird kids who my talked ear off all period long. One of them thought it was the end of the world or something. Seriously kid. The power's out. It happens.
The next period what did I do when the power was still out? Same thing. An administrator came by to check on us and told us it was business as usual. There was no word when the electricity would be on, but the electricians were on campus. If we had an emergency we were to send someone to the office.
Business as usual? Whatever!
I do not like wasted time--as if we really have time to spare EVER! I could have been a better teacher today and made the best of a bad situation, but...eh...whatever. I felt a little guilt over it for the first 10 minutes, but then I got over it.
(Yes, we did get power shortly into 2nd hour. Then it was business as usual, indeed!)
About ten minutes before my 0 hour class started the whole school lost power. Who knows how long it was going to last? It was the direct result of a crisis situation down the hallway from me, but in the meanwhile, school continued on.
The bells didn't ring, but I sent some students down to the quad to round up their classmates. (There aren't a lot of students who have class at this time of day.) When they all arrived, I read them the agenda in the dim light:
1. Skillstutor "Life Around the World"--reading comp lesson
"Well, no electricity..no server..no wireless connection...so good luck with that one." (It's an online program.)
2. Read 162-178 and 179-180 in grammar book on compare/contrast structures
"Okay. The six people who are sitting here might have enough light from the emergency light and the window in the door to handle that. The rest of you--good luck."
3. Write 5 questions with answers about the main ideas from the reading.
"Again, light might be an issue. Good luck with that."
"Miss! We could open the door and there'd be more light."
"True, but let's not. With no electricity we also have no heater, so it wouldn't take too long to get colder than it already is in here."
"Oooooooohhhhhhhhh. Let's not do that," my students replied.
"Yea. So, well..." My mind raced with things we could do. Writing in the dark? Read to them? Have a discussion? Screw it! "You know guys, this isn't the first time I've ever had to conduct class in the dark. In the times before though, we had more windows for light. I could come up with something to do, but I just don't have it in me. So just keep it low today. The teacher next door is actually trying to conduct class."
Did I actually have to tell them to keep it low at that time of morning? I've been wishing for students as hyper as I am in the early morning, and this year my wish has come true, so they are one of my rowdiest classes. 7:00 am. Go figure.
Some of them talked. Some of them took out their laptops and worked on their upcoming project while others played games. And then there were those two weird kids who my talked ear off all period long. One of them thought it was the end of the world or something. Seriously kid. The power's out. It happens.
The next period what did I do when the power was still out? Same thing. An administrator came by to check on us and told us it was business as usual. There was no word when the electricity would be on, but the electricians were on campus. If we had an emergency we were to send someone to the office.
Business as usual? Whatever!
I do not like wasted time--as if we really have time to spare EVER! I could have been a better teacher today and made the best of a bad situation, but...eh...whatever. I felt a little guilt over it for the first 10 minutes, but then I got over it.
(Yes, we did get power shortly into 2nd hour. Then it was business as usual, indeed!)
December 3, 2006
Nine Kinds of Weird
I saw this meme over at Rock in My Dryer, which is a really cool mommy blog that has a great weekly feature called Works for Me Wednesday. Shannon has actually been tagged and tagged other people, none of which I am. I stole it anyway because in my little circle of bloggin' buddies, we just don't call on on each other. We wait for volunteers. Haven't you noticed? Is that how we all are in the classroom?
Anyway, here's my weirdness, which may not seem so weird to some of you. We'll see! In no particular order...
1. I was born with polydactyly, and had I not had surgery when I was a baby, this is probably what my hand would look like today. Right hand. Same location. When I put it like that--with visuals and all-- it freaks me out, too. I usually just tell people that I was born with an extra thumb and show them the scar. They're usually still incredulous.
2. The longer I teach, the more of a germaphobe I become. I'm not THAT bad, but give me a few more years... This all probably goes along with my messiness issues.
3. Although I have issues with germs and messiness, my desk is always a disaster. It's just paper, though. No boogies or food. It irritates me to no end, but everytime I clear it off, it just takes a few hours for it to get cluttered again. People! Stop giving me papers to deal with. That means EVERYONE!
4. Also, those little frilly edge from notebook paper drive me nuts. I call them "paper fuzzies." I can't decide if they drive me more crazy on the floor or in my in-box.
5. I prefer to eat my hamburgers cut in half.
6. A new habit: I hum a lot. Especially while walking around my classroom monitoring students.
7. I wore the same color on my toenails for about ten years: green. I always had to buy the color at Halloween. Now you can buy it any time.
8. Chewing bubblegum and blowing bubbles makes me happy. Like a little kid. Regular flavor is the best.
9. I used to play D & D. I was a kick-ass halfing thief named Zora with a ring of invisibility that made me a pretty good fighter when I had to be. I once made the killing blow on a dragon after climbing up his back, while invisible, and stabbing him in his vulnerable place simply with a dagger. I acquired a human fighter named Brian from a deck of something or another. That meant I had to play both characters. I may sound enthusiastic, but I only played to be social.
Anyway, here's my weirdness, which may not seem so weird to some of you. We'll see! In no particular order...
1. I was born with polydactyly, and had I not had surgery when I was a baby, this is probably what my hand would look like today. Right hand. Same location. When I put it like that--with visuals and all-- it freaks me out, too. I usually just tell people that I was born with an extra thumb and show them the scar. They're usually still incredulous.
2. The longer I teach, the more of a germaphobe I become. I'm not THAT bad, but give me a few more years... This all probably goes along with my messiness issues.
3. Although I have issues with germs and messiness, my desk is always a disaster. It's just paper, though. No boogies or food. It irritates me to no end, but everytime I clear it off, it just takes a few hours for it to get cluttered again. People! Stop giving me papers to deal with. That means EVERYONE!
4. Also, those little frilly edge from notebook paper drive me nuts. I call them "paper fuzzies." I can't decide if they drive me more crazy on the floor or in my in-box.
5. I prefer to eat my hamburgers cut in half.
6. A new habit: I hum a lot. Especially while walking around my classroom monitoring students.
7. I wore the same color on my toenails for about ten years: green. I always had to buy the color at Halloween. Now you can buy it any time.
8. Chewing bubblegum and blowing bubbles makes me happy. Like a little kid. Regular flavor is the best.
9. I used to play D & D. I was a kick-ass halfing thief named Zora with a ring of invisibility that made me a pretty good fighter when I had to be. I once made the killing blow on a dragon after climbing up his back, while invisible, and stabbing him in his vulnerable place simply with a dagger. I acquired a human fighter named Brian from a deck of something or another. That meant I had to play both characters. I may sound enthusiastic, but I only played to be social.
December 2, 2006
December 1, 2006
Yet Another Thing to Worry About
A few days ago a teacher at the elementary school across the street from my school was robbed at gunpoint in the parking. It wasn't dark yet, and he approached her initially asking for directions.
So now we are being advised to not stay too late after school, to walk with a buddy out to the parking lot, and to not talk to strangers.
Sheesh!
My classroom is the first outdoor classroom next to the parking lot. I can see my car from my door. Should that give me comfort or fear? Hmm...I don't know. Let me check out which way the security cameras are pointed.
I usually feel safe at my school, but then then things like this happen that create a little reality check. It's the city. Crime happens. All the time. Close to home.
So now we are being advised to not stay too late after school, to walk with a buddy out to the parking lot, and to not talk to strangers.
Sheesh!
My classroom is the first outdoor classroom next to the parking lot. I can see my car from my door. Should that give me comfort or fear? Hmm...I don't know. Let me check out which way the security cameras are pointed.
I usually feel safe at my school, but then then things like this happen that create a little reality check. It's the city. Crime happens. All the time. Close to home.
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