Making Progess/Giveaway Reminder
I’m making progress on assembling the hearts for what will hopefully become a Valentine wreath- this is taking much more time than it usually does when it comes to wreath making, but that’s to be expected when I’m *not* just wrapping garlands, bows, and clusters of flowers to a grapevine form!
Don’t forget, I’ll be drawing the winning name for the Book Giveaway tomorrow (Sunday) evening- go here to enter by leaving a comment, or email me directly at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com a.s.a.p. .Good luck!
I Hab a Code
*Sniffle*
*Snork*
**HONK!**
Cough, hack!
Just more proof that Murphy’s Law exists to put a cramp in my weekend plans. Husband is hunting wabbits, toddler is getting over being under the weather, teen is relieved Friday has arrived sooner rather than later, and I’m a coughaholic. SnotMonster. A walking zombie thanks to cold medicine (even the daytime brands knock me for a loop).
Cutting out fabric hearts was fun- here’s a tidbit you might find helpful: Fiskars and sneezes…..NOT a good combination! But I persevered, since it kept me on the couch and I could at least feel like I was being productive. I decided to make a puffy heart valentine wreath, by the way. Wonder what kind of combination sneezing + sewing machine will be tomorrow…sneezing + hot glue gun? I think I feel my motivation leaving me.
The plan is to attempt to sleep through the night, wake up refreshed and less sniffley, get domestic goddess chores done first thing, and then do some sewing.
Thank you Bill Watterson, pass the Kleenex will you?
Show and Share Thursday: Loose Ends
Today I’m tying up loose ends: finishing up the latest baby afghan (pink!), finding a nice “rule” font for the plain notecards I decided to dress up with patterned paper and stickers (”embellish” is too-grand a term for what I do, Queen Scrapbooker/Mixed Media Artist I am *NOT*), packaging up giveaway books in preparation for mailing on Monday morning (check Kindergarten’s 3 R’s to see how to enter), and taking Daughter back to the dentist to re-repair a chipped tooth. All this while my husband prepares for his latest hunting trip (which any military spouse will tell you is like a mini-TDY, so the house will finally be CLEAN!) and I try to decide what Valentiney-type of craft to busy myself with this weekend.
This afghan brings my baby-stash up to eight:
These are the cards that despite my lack of embellishment know-how still look more appealing with the little work I DID do to them:
And here are the giveaway books, nestled in and ready to move to their new home where I’m sure they’ll be shared and enjoyed:
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Some sites to share with you:
Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy now has a site all about HER up and running now, and has some very cute crochet patterns (available for purchase and download) that I’ll have to take a closer look at now that I’m wanting to take a short break from afghans.
Songs for Teaching has a list of songs for Valentine activities for February. Some of the songs have sound file samples you can listen to- my favorites are “Valentine’s Song” by Hap Palmer and “Valentine, Valentine” by Denise Gagne. Head back to the home page and you’ll find recommended songs for academic subjects, holidays, etc.
Though I’ve never been a Room Mother myself, Parents.com has some wonderful Valentine Treat recipes that have me looking forward to the time when the toddler has his first kindergarten class party several years down the road- I can hear the oohs and ahhs already!
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Remember, if you have a craft, recipe, photo, or idea to share as a teacher, blogger, crafter, parent, or military spouse, feel free to email me at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com by each Wednesday of the week so I can add them to Show and Share Thursday- yep, I’m happy to link back to you!
Have You Ever Lost a Day?
Feel free to check yesterday’s blog for proof that *I* certainly have! Yes, yes, I appreciate your kindness- refraining from chucking a stuffed animal at me while yelling “Helloooo, McFly!” Sigh. It was a wonderful Monday, not Tuesday in fact. My brain did a time warp. The fact that I’d had a good day must have subconsciously registered to me that it couldn’t have been Monday, because who has a good day on the first day of the week? Perhaps I just didn’t have enough coffee.
Today is Tuesday. And I know why I’m “off” this morning. The toddler was up at 12:45 a.m. He was up at 2:15 a.m. Round three was at 3:05 a.m. Fittingly, round four was at 4:00 a.m. Daughter decided to sleep in because she *knew* Mom would come and wake her up. Didn’t happen. Daughter woke ME up at 7:25 a.m. with “Mom! I missed the bus!” Who was asleep? Daddy and toddler. Thank goodness the coffee pot didn’t die during the night. Cup of coffee number one was chugged on the way to school. It wasn’t enough however to numb the effects of hearing the school’s daily announcements over the intercom.
Imagine the dullest voice you’ve ever heard. Now imagine it droning on and on with a series of public-service-type announcements at 7:45 a.m., first class period of the day, at a junior high school. The counselor’s statement ended with “Students, if you are being abused or neglected, know that there are people here at school who can help you. You can make an appointment with the school counselor to get help. Remember, you can have a good day, or not, the decision is yours.” Followed by the principal with several announcements he thought sounded humorous (they weren’t), concluding with “Teachers, please take this time to do a school uniform check in your classrooms. Make sure all students are wearing the school uniform appropriately. Check that undershirts are the required white color.” Yadda yadda yadda yadda (in drone-tone). Ten minutes of mind-numbing “essentials” that frankly, made me wish I had some Kahlua in my coffee mug. Okay, a lot of Kahlua.
Who was walking in to the building as the morning announcements were wrapping up? Substitute teachers. Not kidding. Other tardy students walked by the office without signing in, and without stopping when teachers addressed them about their hoods, or shirttails hanging out. Wow, that dress code enforcement is really consistent, I tell you. Did I mention that in this very bi-lingual city, district, neighborhood, that the announcements were only made in English?
What worries me? In my mind, the dress code announcement/request by the principal (along with three other “reminders”) could have easily been made via school email, at the last staff meeting, or in a morning bulletin (and so logically was only done over the loudspeakers as some sort of reminder/enforcement addressing students). Yes, the teacher in me wondered how much time was lost sitting through the babble. I also wondered how difficult it would be to get the kids on track and transitioned for classwork after getting their minds on (or off) track regarding their undershirts and possible personal states of abuse or neglect. I mostly wondered why any staff would choose to start each and every day in such a way. It was prison, not school. And the district wonders why students are disinterested, resentful, sneaky walking zombies.
When I was asked why my daughter was late, I replied that we had accidentally overslept (no, it’s not a regular occurrence, in fact it threw me that it happened in the first place) to which the secretary replied rather abruptly, “well, it’ll be an unexcused absence.” The coffee kicked in. I replied with “that’s fine, she is here, after all, and obviously instruction hasn’t yet begun.” Smile smile smile. It is apparently too much to ask that other adults with whom one interacts be polite. Positive. Happy even. While filling out the admit slip for my daughter, the secretary was asked by another staff member the location of a volunteer. The secretary replied “I told you, she’s not coming in today until tomorrow.”
Huh? Coffee. Need….more…..coffee.
I’m no Pollyanna, really. I’m sarcastic, and can be downright rude. But I know what kind of workplace I want to be a part of. I know what kind of feeling I want my children and students to have about school and their environment. I believe in the self-fulfilling prophecy. I believe in the Golden Rule. I believe we reap what we sow. And yes, I believe in standards, and trying to measure up to them. I behave accordingly, and do my best as a parent and a teacher privately and publicly, never perfect, but well-intentioned. My intentions are formed by experience, wants, likes, dislikes…information. Data. The general process tends to work for most people.
Perhaps not in the Bordertown. Instead of seeing this year as one full of “lost days,” my family and I will do our best to put a positive spin on things (we’ve learned how “not” to be, after all), and will look forward to our next military move with anticipation.
Thank you for letting me vent! I’m off to get my 100th Blog Post Giveaway photographed so I can pretend this is Wednesday and get it posted (check my last post for the link) for you to see- after the eye-strain I’ve put you through, you certainly deserve a treat!
GIVEAWAY at Kindergarten’s 3 R’s
In honor of my 100th blog post at Kindergarten’s 3 R’s, I’ll be hosting a giveaway (at that site)! Check in on Wednesday for specifics and to enter your name in the drawing (remember, I’m a kindergarten teacher so expect the giveaway item to be something literacy-enriching)!
Yay!
Band/Album Cover Meme
Too fun! Pretend you have a band.
First, go to:
1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.
2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote will be the title of your album.
3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4. Put it all together with your graphics program of choice, and please post on your blog for all to see!
5. ROCK ON! (Okay, so my album cover looks a bit mellow, I’m probably featured on an easy listening channel!)
In the (Mood for) Pink
My friend Polly will understand. It’s an annual urge we both share. Only this year I’m not only painting my nails pink, wearing pink shirts, and having fun with rosy lip gloss…oh no…pink has been catching my eye everywhere lately. I’m not the “romantic/shabby” decor kind of gal, with rooms overflowing with cabbage roses, white furniture, and pink galore, but I do appreciate *touches* of the flirtatious color. Who’da thunk I’d be bitten by the fabric bug while shopping this morning?
The fabric and baubles will be incorporated into some project or another, as yet, undecided. My husband won’t mind as I’ll take over the countertops while he’s away hunting, and I’ve neglected using my sewing machine for far too long now.
With Valentine’s Day coming up next month, I’ve also got love and hearts on the brain. Is it just me, or is the fruit I snack on each day even subliminally suggesting love?
Very Cool
My friend Sandra sent the following images to me in a mass-forwarded email message, and try as I might, I haven’t been able to discover the source…just link after link after link after link from email to blog to another blog to another blog to another blog, etc.
So, THANK YOU to the creator of this scale model of the planets (Pluto no longer counts though, eh?), whoever you are, wherever you are. It’s very cool.
Subs, Aides, and Paraprofessionals
A former colleague of mine is now on maternity leave after the much-anticipated arrival of her daughter. My friend has been preparing her classroom, materials, and students for the long-term sub for months now, hoping that she and her students “get a good one.” I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed for her too.
For all of the wonderful substitute teachers, classroom aides, and paraprofessionals out there, thank you for all that you do. And thank you for all that you try to do.I was raised “a teacher’s kid,” and was therefore privy to the inside track of public education from a very young age, but I still had to “do my time” as a substitute teacher before I was given the chance to teach my very own group of students. And Ladies and Gents, I never had it as difficult as many of you do simply because of my upbringing and exposure to the world of teachers, inservices, and educational training. I knew which substitute teachers my mother would request by name and why she would request them, and I knew why some substitute teachers had their names crossed off of sub-caller lists after their first visit to a school. I had my mental file cabinet full of tricks and could navigate the “Yay, it’s just a SUB” minefield that miraculously appears whenever someone other than the classroom teacher enters a room.
Subs, aides, and para-professionals have to deal with so many issues when they step into another teacher’s classroom. The biggest one being that they are not the regular classroom teacher. It’s obvious for all to see, and the usual response from many students when a stranger enters the room is to assume all of the rules, limitations, allowances, and expectations of the classroom teacher were just thrown out the window. In response, many subs tend to choose one of several paths: they try to exactly follow whatever schedule or routine that has been left for them, attempting to don the costume, tone, mannerisms and authority of the teacher they are covering (while failing miserably on the classroom stage); they try to call down the thunder in their very best Viola Swamp impersonation, somehow failing to gain the compliance of the students as effectively as she; or they sit behind the desk, warming the teacher’s seat and letting the students run the show for the day, merely looking up to check that no blood is left on the linoleum. But the exceptional substitute teachers, aides, and paras, are all able to leave a positive mark on our students, encouraging the academic learning process to continue to motor forward, and giving students some valuable social experiences as well.
Here are some of Amazon.com’s recommendations for substitute teacher handbooks. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I haven’t come across a “Subbing for Dummies” book… or “Teaching for Dummies” for that matter.
As for my colleague’s sub? Please do a good job. Enjoy your new students as much as she does. Laugh with them, sing with them, read to them, share with them, encourage them, listen to them, guide them, teach them.No pressure.
Show and Share Thursday
Sounds a bit like “show and tell Friday,” doesn’t it?
Why “show and share?” Because kindergartners express themselves in a myriad of ways, and not just through speech. Speaking to peers, teachers, and possibly with the greater public is an important skill to help children develop, but I’m a firm believer in teaching children how to share their information, knowledge, inquiries and interests with their audience, opening up communication with at the very least mimed demonstrations, interpretive dance performances, and of course, two-way dialogue. Even the shyest and most reluctant of speakers have come out of their shells after being allowed to pantomime, display a toy or artwork, or dance to a favorite song in front of their peers.
Why on Thursday? Because I’ve had many parents of my kindergartners email me over the weekend when their kiddos have forgotten their “show and shares” at school on Friday, and my goodness, a weekend is an eternity for five year olds to wait to see their special item again! Having Show and Share on Thursday means that even if an item has been accidentally left at school overnight, it can be remembered and brought home on Friday- happiness all around!
In the spirit of sharing, feel free to submit ideas and links about your favorite things (it would be nice if you provided photos too!) or helpful resources that you think others might enjoy via comments or emailing me (michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com) by Wednesday of each week. I’ll add your contributions and post everything here and here on Thursday.
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Here’s a fun recipe (and quick snack for your sweet tooth) when you’re wanting something sweet, warm, and a little salty too. It’s also easy for kids to make in the classroom if you have a toaster oven and would like a special treat during your snow/winter unit!
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Ritz S’mores
Ritz Crackers (I used reduced fat Ritz)
chocolate kisses or chocolate bar pieces
large marshmallows, cut in half
Heat your oven to 350 degrees, use foil or parchment paper on your baking sheet for easy cleanup. Place crackers on sheet, top with chocolate, and marshmallows. Bake (melt) for five to eight minutes (keep an eye on them!), and let cool for three to five minutes before handling. NUMMY!
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For those of you who are wondering what has happened to our home decor since the holidays, let’s just say the following photos are probably as close as we’re going to get to seeing SNOW this month!
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Some links:
Linda was nice enough to leave a comment from Classroom Displays, and of course I’ll be adding the site to my blogroll after seeing the “Where the Wild Things Are” bulletin board! Thanks for sharing!
Honeysuckle Lane is hosting a giveaway in honor of her 100th blog post (my 100th is coming up soon, any ideas on how to commemorate it?) featuring her cards and charms.
Finally, CakeSpy is the newest blog I’ve found where I can blow my virtual diet (I’ve broken a few fingernails trying to grab the goodies off of my computer screen) daily!
Enjoy!
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