Sunny Sunday

It was beautiful today in middle Mississippi. Sunny and almost warm. Last day of February and plants are budding-but wait-what's that being predicted for Tuesday? Snow? More snow. Oh, come on. We are already having to make up missed school days on holidays and possibly Saturdays. I'm ready for warmer weather. The pool is looking very inviting as I walk around the neighborhood. Not wishing my days away-just needing more vitamin D.
Finished reading Dead Men Don't Dance by Margaret Chittenden. Haven't read any of her books before. This one was enjoyable. Will look for more of her books. Have got to stop reading and get to writing on National Boards. Wish I could talk instead of write about these PGEs. I'm such a good talker.
I finished a crocheted scarf made from variegated merino and silk yarn. The kids saw me working on it while we were having the wax museum. I can't wait to show it to them. It was just another way to avoid writing.
The quilt is one of the things I need to write about. We made it in summer school as a culminating project to show what the kids liked about the activities we had done together.

A warmer day

Dreaming of a warmer day last summer in New Mexico. I'm tired of cold, dark mornings. I'm looking forward to Spring Break in two week. Just have to get through two state mandated tests and nine-weeks tests. Looking for a fresh idea for an art project with the kids. Just had a thought about dot markers and black crayons. Next week we are going to read Dr. Seuss all week and enjoy the fun he had with words and rhymes. Can't wait.

Busy Tuesday

Had fun today reading Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears to kindergarten and first graders. Then, instead of drawing or writing about the story, I gave them all easy books that they could read. Little bad boy in first grade who can't read as well as the others, came and read his little book to me. He was so proud he could read it. That's the best! He wants to be good and smart and it is so hard for him. There is still time to learn. Don't give up.

What a Monday

Wish I was back on this lovely island.
Today I got to sit in the hall and crochet and read for 4 1/2 hours. I crocheted about 15 inches of a beautiful, multicolored scarf. The funny thing was all the kids who passed asked, "What are you knitting?" I tried to explain that I was not knitting, I was crocheting. All the same to them.
I read some really good parts of Teaching Essentials. I wanted to copy pages and pages and share with everyone at school. Imagine-make meaning the first consideration when you plan! Revolutionary in these times. What about test prep? How will they pass those tests? The insanity has to stop or we will be just like the movie 'Idiocracy'.

quiet sunday

Finished Hamish McBeth mystery. It was a good'un. He got away again-from getting married, I mean. He also caught the bad guys. What a hero! One day I'm going to have to watch the BBC TV show based on the books.

I revised my first component on the National Boards to-do list. And I edited the video so that there are more kids talking. Hope this does it for the video portion of the games. I really hate video-taping. Also, went thru old files finding documents for component 3. There is so much to choose from and I don't know what will make the best impression on the assessors.

Jane, the black cat, is having a meowling moment. She wants something-not food, not outside, what? Nobody will play with her or pet her. Everyone is busy. Sorry, Jane.

perfect winter day

Today was the perfect winter day in Mississippi. The sky was clear blue with wisps of high clouds. The temperature was about 65, warm enough to open windows in the afternoon and let some fresh air in. The cats enjoyed sitting in chairs by the open windows sniffing all the delightful outside smells. Little fatty can't go outside because she eats things she shouldn't. Jane just wants to roll in the dust and check out the perimeter before coming back inside to nap in the usual places.

On the to-do list, I edited another 10 minute video for national boards. Hope this one will do or I will have to borrow the camcorder and do another round. Now I'm cogitating about 8 pieces of evidence for the next section. I have saved everything but can't decide what to use and what to discard. Getting help next week.

So, there are more things on the list but what I want to do is finish the Hamish McBeth mystery that is teasing me. Only about 50 pages to go. I'll work hard after I finish it. I promise.

silly kids and tired teachers

Well, by Friday the kids are so silly and ready for freedom and the teachers are so tired of trying to rein them in like run-away horses. Whew! The bell just sounded and soon the buses will take them home to their TVs and video games.
I can't wait to get back to MC Beaton's latest Hamish McBeth mystery. It seems like forever since I've read one. Makes me want to visit the Highlands. Lots to do this weekend. Need to start the to-do list again. When I write it down it seems to get done.
Hope you have a restful weekend.

Only Thursday?

First, Happy Birthday to brother Michael. Talked to mom this morning and she remembered his birth as the really easy one. Is it bizarre to remember that after 56 years? Maybe not. Births are such a part of who we are as moms.

Well, could this week seem any longer. Tuesday seemed like it should have been Thursday or Friday and Wednesday was so awful we were told to go home after the kids were all gone. Of course I had something to do after school every day this week and I really need a nap.

Oh, yeah, I have had another observer come sit in my class this week. Very nice young woman who is taking classes online. Please. I should be getting paid by the online college for this. Must be one of the ways it is less expensive than 'bricks and mortar' colleges.

What's your currency?

Just read an interesting article about teacher versus student currency. Basically, what does the teacher value and what do the students value? It made me think about the 5th graders I'm seeing as I go into the classroom to co-teach. The article didn't give enough specifics about how to figure out what the students value. I guess the author wants readers to buy her book. But the article did make me think. These 5th graders seem to value friends more than grades or 'good behavior'. They love to talk, if we can just figure out a way to use that to help them learn.
Oh, well.
Waiting for the bus bell to ring. Since we had a snow day Friday, the kids are having Valentines parties today. Lots of sugar! Thank goodness I don't have a homeroom to 'party' with.

No More Candy for Me

After watching videos of my presentation at AMTESOL and lessons with second graders I have decided I have to cut out the sweets. Or get Trini and her cohost on the BBC version of 'What not to wear' to help with my wardrobe. Good grief! I hate the way I look. I look much better in my mind. There is a cute 25 year old in this 58 year old body.

Today I have to get busy on three things on my to-do list. Since no one is following this blog, it feels like a diary that I am writing to myself. Today is Valentine's Day. Cousin's doctor husband died 13 years ago on this date. What a day to lose your love. He left her well-off financially but she still misses him. So hard to imagine walking in someone else's shoes. Even though we are only seventeen days apart in age, we have had such different experiences. Since I don't have a sister, she is the most sisterly of my cousins. Wish I could transport myself to give her a hug today.

Snow Gone

We had snow yesterday and it's gone today. That's the best thing about snow in Mississippi. It doesn't last very long. Can you tell I'm not a cold weather girl? I finished a really good mystery, Hush My Mouth by Cathy Pickens. I read her first book a few weeks ago. Set in a small town in South Carolina that reminds me of small towns in Georgia and Mississippi that I know.
I should be working on National Board writing. It took several hours for me to figure out how to download video to my Macbook. Now I'm afraid I won't be able to edit it correctly or burn a dvd. The old faithful PC seems to have died and even tho I love my mac, I liked having the security of the backup PC.
Must go. Other commitments are calling.
Oh, Happy Lunar New Year's Eve to all my students who celebrate with red envelopes of money. Hope you receive many red envelopes.

Snow Day

Well, we got a snow day here in the deep south. We didn't leave school early yesterday and I kept hoping the snow would miss us. We missed a week in January because of broken water pipes and now we will have another day to make up. But the snow in our neighborhood is beautiful. All the kids and some parents are out making snowmen. Some 'who dat!' snowmen are being created, too.

I finished The Cooking School Murders yesterday after school. (Had such good lessons planned that I just had to pick up the kids, even if the schedule was wacky.) The author totally fooled me by putting in so many red herring I had no idea who the murderer was.

The power was off for about an hour and we went for a walk in the snow to see all the snowmen. Now I've got to get to work on National Boards, bank deposits, and other mundane stuff. Most pressing-fixing the TV so someone can watch 'The Price Is Right'.

Early lunch

It might snow in middle Mississippi! That is such a rare occurance that we are sending kids to eat lunch early. Early lunch totally ruins my ESL pull-out schedule. So what do I do? Make up the time, spend my time checking on who is back from early lunch, or just take a break? Can you guess what I'm doing? After I finish writing this I'm going to get back to the mystery I'm reading. I'm almost at the end of it and I still haven't figured out 'who dunit'. I've got to know.