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Teacher Miscellanea

Posted on October 17, 2011 by auburnchick

My brain is all scrambled right now…

What can I say?

It’s Monday.

I had a sub three out of four days last week.

Let’s just say that I walked into a mess…some of it my own doing.

Here are my ramblings from my day.

Miscellanea #1:

Last week, I had assigned a Story Elements summative project.

For you non-teacher folks, that means that this assignment counted as a test grade.

Oh yeah.

I had gone over the instructions.

Everyone understood them.

Or so I thought.

I picked up the projects on Friday after school and graded them this weekend.

It was ugly.

Oh my, but as I went through each class’s work, I realized that my students had not understood things nearly as well as I had thought.

So, I spent part of the weekend developing a simpler checklist for the kids to use.

Don’t ask me why I had not thought of this before.

Call it overload.

I also had provided feedback on the rubrics that were on the back of the original instructions so that each student could see where on the grading scale their projects fell.

We’re visual people, don’t you know, and there’s nothing like a pink highlighter to alert you to areas that you need to work on.

I saw my students faces relax as I apologized for my mistakes, and I assured them that I would walk them through the re-do.

Intensive reading kids need a lot of reassurance, you see.  Often, they are beaten down by poor self images and people who’ve given up on them and left them to their own devices.

I’m determined to show them that they CAN succeed.

Miscellanea #2:

Although I sound nice, I’m not.

At least, I wasn’t today.

I’m really tightening the reins.  I’m working very hard to nip misbehavior in the bud.  I’m determined that my students will follow procedures, and if not, then they will incur natural consequences.

My kids are not enjoying this new, tougher side of me.

They’re starting to say things like, “Man, Ms. AuburnChick. Everything in this class has a procedure.”

Uh huh.

Oh, and don’t try to bring discipline forms back to school unsigned.  It’s just not going to fly with me anymore.

Call me mean.

Call me a teacher who cares.

Miscellanea #3:

My 4th period class won the contest for good behavior.  My substitute told me that they were excellent and even tagged this class as the best.

I didn’t tell them at first, though.

My friend, Barb, did me the huge favor of running out to Little Caesar’s during lunch.  She also picked up a couple of two-liter drinks…even getting them on sale.  Me thinks I’m rubbing off on her a bit.  😉

She came into my room as my students were finishing their independent reading, and the looks on their faces was completely worth the minimal effort it had taken to provide this incentive.

It was a lot of fun teaching them while they enjoyed food and drink.

Miscellanea #4

The reading teachers have been sharing websites with each other.  I thought I’d pass along a few for you.

Reading Comprehension/Context Clues Worksheets – Oh my, but this is a wonderful site!!  I’m going to use a lot of these as sponge activities (i.e. stuff to do when students finish assignments).

Reading/Language Arts Lesson Plans – Another terrific website with lots of pre and post-tests!

Story Elements Video – Oh my, but this is the cutest thing ever and a good summary of the story elements!

Story Elements Interactive Site – This is a cute little site that helps students learn in an interactive manner.

VocabAhead – This site has great videos and is used by some of our reading teachers to introduce vocabulary words.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Collegial Bonding

Posted on October 15, 2011 by auburnchick

One thing that I am loving about being in the public school system and, specifically, in my particular school, is the close-knit group of teachers I work with on a daily basis.

This past week, the school’s intensive reading teachers were tapped to administer FCAT retakes.  The retakes were administered Thursday and Friday mornings, and administration had allowed us to have both afternoons for professional development.

Of course, we had to grab lunch each day before our training.

On Thursday, we headed to Chilis, which offered a menu that accommodated our various dietary needs.

On Friday, it was decided that we would eat at a local seafood restaurant.  This establishment is known for its beautiful views…

Oh yeah.  What a wonderful backdrop for getting to know one another better.

It might seem to those who do not teach that those of us who do have plenty of time to chat with one another…in the teacher’s lounge…in the copy room.  This, in fact, isn’t the case.  We’re usually so pressed for time that we have to settle for quick hellos in the hallway.

After lunch, we returned to school for some much appreciated training.

Oh, but we weren’t done bonding yet.

See, Friday was payday.

Oh yeah, baby.

My feet were desperate for some TLC, so Barb, Lady M, and I headed out, laughing it up at the nail place.

It was a fun way to relieve ourselves of the stress that had accumulated during the week.

As we walked out, we admired our toes…

Here’s a close-up…

Lady M got the silver polish with the purple flower.  Being an LSU fan, Barb decided on the purple polish with the white flower.

I had to be different.

I always do, don’t you know.

I wanted something with a Halloween feel to it…

I didn’t get home until 5:30, and I’ll admit that I felt guilty.  Rooster had been home for a couple of hours.

As I apologized, he said, “Mama, you have a career now.  You have to work lots of hours.”

I said, “I didn’t spend the whole afternoon working.  I was playing.”

He responded by saying, “Mama, you’ve never done things with friends before.  I’m happy that you’re having fun.”

What a generous and wise young man he’s grown up to be.

He recognizes the fact that I put myself last for all of these years, and he’s gracious enough to free me from feeling the guilt that’s been tugging at my heart since I began teaching last year.

Collegial bonding has become very important to me.  It’s making me a more well-rounded person, and it’s going to help me become a terrific teacher, which will ultimately benefit the children I teach.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

I Wonder…

Posted on October 14, 2011 by auburnchick

This has been another interesting week at school.

I had training on Tuesday…Classroom Management.  We did a not of fun activities and watched several clips of Harry Wong’s videos…

Little did I know how quickly I would call on the information and inspiration I had gleaned that day.

After I left training, I went back to my classroom and read the note from my substitute teacher.

It was not good.

At all.

This was the second time in as many weeks that I had received a bad report about my classes.

Something had to be done.

I decided that I needed to do some soul searching and, in the end, realized that my best course of action would be to refresh my students’ memories on classroom procedures.  The training I had received also brought to mind the fact that I had not created procedures for such things as moving around the classroom and how to act when a substitute is running the class.

I called my friend, Barb, and asked her advice.  She suggested that I offer some sort of reward for good behavior.  You see, my students would be having another sub on Thursday and Friday (it’s Thursday as I write this).

Smart idea!

So, I stayed up late, typed up my notes and new procedures, and went into class ready.

My students entered the classroom like they were about to face a firing squad.

Isn’t it funny how we know when we’ve let someone down, and we dread facing the consequences?

I surprised them, though, by not yelling at them.

I think this scared them.

LOL

I had a very frank talk with them, keeping things low-key and real.

We discussed procedures, and I explained what to do if a substitute was coming.  I even went so far as to apologize for not giving them enough credit to be told that they would be having a sub ahead of time.  Silly me had thought that they would be concocting wild and crazy schemes ahead of time.

Shhh…don’t burst my bubble.

What I did, in effect, was give them more responsibility along with the expectation that they would rise to the challenge.

Then, I told my students that I would be having a sub on Thursday and Friday.  Reading teachers had been tapped to administer FCAT retakes to juniors and seniors.  I offered up the incentive that the class with the lowest percentage of students’ names written down by the sub would get a party…provided by me…on Monday.  I even allowed them to vote on the food.  Two classes voted for pizza, and the other one voted for brownies and ice cream.

I’ll be busy on Sunday.

The rest of the class period was spent going over the instructions for a project students are completing to round up a unit of study.

I said a prayer as I closed my door late Wednesday afternoon…my classroom prepared with all of the supplies laid out.

I wondered, all morning as I administered the exam, if my words had left an impression.

After the testing, I popped my head into a school employee’s office.  She’s does a hodgepodge of things, including running the school’s positive behavior program.  She had some lesson plans that I wanted to look at, and we had a good chat in the process.

I shared my story about the talk about procedures with her, and she complimented me, saying that I seemed to have my act together.

I don’t know about that.

I’m still struggling…trying to figure out stuff.

Still, between the classroom training and her comments, I’d found myself wondering…what kind of teacher would I have been if I’d finished college on the traditional timeline…i.e. in my early 20’s?

Would I have been as patient?

Would I have been as discerning?

Would I have been as empathetic?

Would I have been as willing to learn more and tweak things if they didn’t work the first time?

I’m 41 years old.

This is only my second year of teaching.

Yet, I bring a plethora of real-world experience to the table.

I’m a mom.

I know kids.

Precisely because I’ve had kids, I know that I’m not perfect and have to eat crow often.

Such is teaching…reflection and revamping.

Would I have been willing to do this if I’d started twenty years earlier, or would I have taken the easy way out and blamed the students and/or the parents?

Oh, don’t get me wrong.  I think there are some amazing 20-something year old teachers out there.  They’re young and energetic, and the profession needs that…heck, the students need that.

But for me, I think that I would have acted like a know-it-all and been a bit more unwilling to change.

So, in essence, I think I’ve answered my own questions.

In the end, I am reminded that God’s timing is ALWAYS perfect.  He orders our lives with a purpose, and He uses our choices to groom us for reasons we may not understand at the time.

And I wonder…

What kind of teacher will I be like at the end of my career…

Time will tell.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

The Results Are In

Posted on October 13, 2011 by auburnchick

If you read yesterday’s post (Question #8 – Random Thought), you saw that my Chicky was awaiting the results from an MRI that she had undergone on her shoulder.  The concern was that she had torn a ligament or tendon or something that’s inside that part of the body.

She was scheduled to get her results first thing in the morning…

I had to teach, but I told her that I’d call her as soon as I got out of class.  I have second period planning, you see, and so I wouldn’t have to wait long.

I nervously called.

When she answered the phone, I listened for clues as to how she was feeling.

You know the drill.  If you care about anyone (in other words, if you’re breathing), you always look for ways to determine how your loved ones are really feeling…especially if you’re communicating long-distance.

I didn’t even have to ask a question when she answered:

“Mama.  Nothing’s torn.  I probably have a strained ligament.”

Oh my gosh.

Tears filled my eyes.

I told her this, and she chuckled.

I assured her that I had not been worried and had accepted the fact that we would get through whatever came our way.

Still, she understood my tears of happiness.

She told me she was, of course, relieved as well.

This is a girl who LOVES the game of soccer.

I know I’ve only said this a time, or two, or three, but she really does.

I’ve seen this girl child play with bronchitis (don’t be a hater, but the girl was going to walk across the state if I didn’t drive her to the tournament).

She’s played with a 104 degree temperature and the stomach virus.

So, she’ll resume her play, but she’ll be sporting a shoulder brace, specially ordered (thanks to a teammate’s father).

Chicky will work out with the team’s trainer to get full range of motion, and God will do the rest.

Thank you so much for your prayers.  I am POSITIVE that God heard each and every one of them.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Hodgepodge – Books, Mechanics, and Overall Cuteness

Posted on October 12, 2011 by auburnchick

I’m loving the short week, aren’t you?  With Monday off, the Hodgepodge sneaked up on me (that doesn’t sound right, but it’s grammatically correct)!

If you don’t know the drill, here’s what you do.  You answer the questions in you own little corner of the world, visit Joyce‘s blog, link up there, and visit others!  Easy peasy!

Now, on to the questions!

1.  Have you ever been “asked” to report for jury duty?  Were you chosen to serve?  If not, were you happy or disappointed?

I did have to report for jury duty…FEDERAL jury duty.  Let me tell you…the security was something else…a little unnerving!  I never made it out of the holding pen, though, as a jury was selected before I even faced the lawyers.  Honestly, I think I was somewhat relieved.

2.  On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being very), how mechanically inclined are you?  Give an example to back up your answer.

I’m going to say an 8 because of the many, many household repairs I’ve done.

For instance, I once repaired the doorbell…

I also fixed the heating element in the oven…

And last, but not least, I cleaned the carburetor of my lawn mower…

And no, I don’t chew tobacco and walk around with a toothpick between my teeth.  😉

3.  Beets-cabbage-cauliflower-butternut squash…of the four, which is your favorite fall vegetable?

Hmmm…this is a toss-up between cabbage and cauliflower.  Flatulence speaking, I’d have to go with cauliflower because as a teacher, I can’t afford for the cabbage to leave its residual effect.  Sorry if that’s too TMI, but I like to keep things real.

(Maybe I do walk around chewing tobacco…hmmm…you might be a redneck if you talk about flatulence on your blog…)

4.  What do you recommend to overcome self-pity?

Listen to a student tell you that he’s hungry, or listen while another student recounts a time when she heard gunshots.

Suddenly, your life seems pretty easy.

5.  Do you enjoy classical music?

Hmmm…let me think…for all of two seconds…NO.  I just can’t get into it.  Now, if Shakira was putting her little twist into it, that might be another thing (see last week’s Hodgepodge if you’re wondering why I even mention her name).

6.  October is National Book Month.  What’s on your reading list this month?

I am a reading teacher; however, I am also a second “first” year teacher (first year in the public school system).  I’m reading, but not necessarily stuff for fun.  I’ve currently got two or three academic books going…one of which is I Read It But I Don’t Get It.

I am getting ready to begin reading The Hunger Games to my students as a daily read aloud.  I finished this book a couple of weeks ago.  What a fantastic read!

This past weekend, I also finished Alex Cross’s Trial by James Patterson.  Oh my!  This is a powerful book!

BTW, have y’all heard of goodreads?  It’s a fun website where you can keep track of the books you’ve read.

7.  What is your idea of “cute”?

Aubie

Pele

Molly

8.  My Random Thought

I would greatly appreciate if you would pray for Chicky today.  A couple of weeks ago, she dislocated her right shoulder during a soccer game…the only soccer game I’ve been able to watch.  It broke my heart to see her go down, stay down, and then get up and play, hurt, the entire game.  She’s a tough competitor and hates being out of commission for any reason.

She had an MRI yesterday…the kind where you inject dye into the affected area so as to get a clearer picture.

She’ll be getting the results first thing this morning.

We are praying that nothing is torn, because surgery is the last thing we want.  We’ve been down that road before with other body parts, and it’s not fun.

Please pray:  1) that there’s nothing torn (might as well go for the gusto), 2) that we gracefully accept whatever the findings are, and 3) that God gives the doctor wisdom as to the best course of treatment, no matter what the results.

Thanks all!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 10 Comments »

The Results of Guilt

Posted on October 10, 2011 by auburnchick

What happens when you blog about being unbalanced and not keeping up with your domestic duties?

You guilt yourself into planning meals…

going shopping…at two different stores…

Breaking apart large meat packages and freezing everything in single-serve packages…

And even cooking…perhaps quadrupling a favorite Black Bean Soup recipe so a friend can be repaid for a kindness, or two, or three over the last couple of years…


Dag nab it for personal reflections!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Unbalanced

Posted on October 9, 2011 by auburnchick

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling especially grateful for a long weekend.  Having tomorrow off is allowing my mind to relax, just a bit.

Thank goodness.

When this school year rolled around, I was determined to be a bit more balanced.

Good intentions went right out the window as I found myself immersed in the world of lesson planning, paperwork, and professional development.

I know this is the plight of new teachers and that things eventually get easier…especially once you’ve been teaching the same subject for a few years.

I’m not at that point yet and, thus, find myself quite unbalanced (no jokes from the peanut gallery…and you know who you are).

By the time Fridays roll around, I am exhausted and simply cannot seem to get enough sleep.

Grocery shopping…once a thing I took pride in (namely the couponing part of it) has gone out the window.  We’ve been getting take-out…often.  The Mr. pops into the grocery store every once in a while to pick up necessities such as toilet paper and deli sandwiches.

Housecleaning?  What in the world is that?  Oh yeah.  It’s whatever Rooster finds himself having time to do.  Thank goodness for chore lists or else we’d be swimming in dog hair.

A tiny part of me misses the old days, when my life was a bit more organized, and we had somewhat homecooked meals a few times a week.

However, if I reflect honestly, I can’t say that my life has ever been very balanced at all.

I tend to jump into things 110%, focusing the bulk of my energy and attention on whatever is right in front of me.

During the eight years that I stayed home full-time, I was gung-ho into the volunteering that I did at school.  The Mr. often found me laboring over volunteer spreadsheets or on the phone begging moms to fill in slots for such events as Olympics and Book Fair.

I thought that as my children got older, things would slow down a bit…especially with one child in college and the other one soon on his way.

Ha!

I think life laughed at me a bit when I even dared entertain those thoughts.

I know that I’m not the only person who struggles with finding balance in my life.  If I were to poll all three of my readers, I think it’s safe to say that the results would probably show 100% agreement in this area.

I guess I might as well just own up to the fact that I’ll probably stay unbalanced until I have the luxury of retiring.  Of course, if Grand Pooba and Coupon Queen are any indication, life doesn’t slow down just because you don’t have to get up at o’dark thirty anymore.  They continue live life on-the-go.

What about you?  Are you running through life at some crazy pace too, or am I fooling myself by thinking that I’m not the only one doing this.

Filed under: This-n-That | 2 Comments »

Comfort Shawl for Heather

Posted on October 7, 2011 by auburnchick

You might remember a couple of posts in which I mentioned the passing of my friend’s husband.

A couple of weeks before he died, God had put Steve’s name on my heart.  I had felt a gentle nudge to knit a shawl for his wife, but I insisted that I would make it…in time.

I even mentioned the shawl to my friend, Christina…even going so far as to find a pattern…this free one…on Ravelry.

Well, Steve passed away very unexpectedly, and I got busy.

First, I queried Christina about the yarn I should use, and she said, “Hold your horses.  I have buckets of yarn in my basement.  I’m positive I have the perfect skein.”

She dug around a bit and named off a few colors of Bernat Baby Sport Solid.  I told her to surprise me with a color, and she generously sent a skein to me in the mail…

As soon as I received it, I got to work.

It took me about three weeks to finish it…school obligations interfered with a speedier completion.

But, finish I did, and although acrylic yarn is rumored not to have a “memory,” I blocked it anyhow.  I needed to uncurl the edges of the seed stitch border.

What resulted was a shawl that drapes nicely over the shoulders.  The sport weight yarn coupled with the size 10 needles made this a less-than-bulky shawl…perfect for nippy days.

The style is simple but sweater-like, with seams running down both shoulder blades…

I really wound up liking this pattern, even if I did have doubts along the way.  I love the seed stitch border, and I love the arrowhead lace pattern that adorns the bottom of the shawl.  Quite honestly, I love everything about it!!

My prayer is that God will use this shawl to bring comfort to Heather during the difficult days ahead.  I don’t think that we ever stop mourning for those whom we’ve lost.  But if we allow Him, God will use us to give comfort to each other in our deepest time of need.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , | 5 Comments »

Once Lost, Now Found

Posted on October 6, 2011 by auburnchick

A few days ago, I realized that I couldn’t find my sunglasses.

One of Joyce’s questions in yesterday’s Hodgepodge served as a reminder…one of those nagging ones that irked me.

You know what I’m talking about.

I’d hunted for my glasses…looked under the seats in the car, in the center dash thingy, and even around my desk at work.

I had given up, figuring that I’d pulled them off of the top of my head, set them down somewhere, and left them behind.

Who knows these days.  I’m a bit of a space cadet.

Well, when I got home late yesterday afternoon, I went out on my porch to sit and call a friend.

As soon as I sat in my chair (don’t be a hater)…

…I spied something sitting in the cup holder…

Yep.

It was my beloved, $5, sunglasses that I’d gotten from Kohl’s…

What I think happened was that I went out on the porch last week while on the phone with my friend, Barb.

I probably took the glasses off of the top of my head, set them down, and promptly forgot about them.

Duh.

I’m thrilled that I’ve found them, let me tell you.

By the way, I just thought I should let you know that I am way more responsible for the 40+ students I teach.  I haven’t lost one yet, knock on wood.

😉

Filed under: This-n-That | Leave a comment »

October Hodgepodge

Posted on October 5, 2011 by auburnchick

Hola!  Can you believe that it’s October already?  Good gravy, but where is the time going?

Here are Joyce‘s questions for the week.  Join in.  Have fun.  You won’t regret it!

1.  What’s your favorite meal to serve on a chilly autumn evening?

First, this would require two things:  1) That I enjoy serving things up and 2) that I actually do so.

😉

With that said, I think my favorite thing to whip up would be warm chocolate chip cookies.  My recipe is to die for.  Even though I don’t eat them any more, and I rarely cook them, my family still loves them.  They hover around the oven as soon as they smell them cooking…everyone eager to get their hands on them while the cookies are still hot.

2.  Are you a creature of habit?  Explain.

I am definitely a creature of habit.  I’m not much for surprises.  I enjoy knowing what’s coming up, although my life usually doesn’t allow for that…especially with my vocation as a teacher.

Still, I drive down the same roads…insisting on taking the “slow” way home, according to the Mr. and Rooster, who go nuts when I turn down the back road that’s 20mph.

3.  What food product (no longer readily available) do you remember and miss from days gone by?

Quite honestly, I have no idea how to answer this!  Food wasn’t a big part of my life growing up.  There wasn’t much of it around, so I made do on very little.  That is, perhaps, why food doesn’t mean a whole lot to me now, and why I tend to eat the same thing once I find something that I like.

4.  What’s something you’ve lost that you’ve never been able to find?  Any theories as to what happened?

Many years ago, I lost a diamond cross necklace that the Mr. had given me one Christmas while we were dating.  I know where I lost it…the “female” doctor’s office.

Here’s what I think happened.

I, being all of 20 years old, was very self-conscious when I had to have my yearly “exam.”  I didn’t want to be wearing only my necklace.  It just seemed weird to me.  So, I took off the necklace and put it in my purse.

I suspect that when I pulled my keys out of my purse as I was leaving the doctor’s office, the necklace came out too, falling into the bushes or on the walkway.

I returned the next day and looked for it, but it was gone.  Someone probably found it and walked off with it, because it was never turned in.

Losing this item broke my heart, and the Mr. refused to buy me another piece of jewelry for years.  😦

5.  Zoo-circus-carnival…your favorite?

I would have to say carnival.  I loathe zoos because my main memories of them involve horrible heat, humidity, and sunburns.  Circuses are okay, but carnivals are fun because of the games.

6.  What song makes you instantly happy?

Oh, I love Shakira’s song, Hips Don’t Lie.

The reason why it makes me happy is because, years ago, I did a little car dancing while I was driving Chicky and her friends somewhere.

She never lived it down, and once I bribed her with it.  I had downloaded the ringtone and set it as the default tone when someone called me.  We were in the bank, opening an account for her, and I warned her that if she continued to sass me, and my phone rang, I would dance right there in the bank.

As if on cue, the phone rang.

Her eyes got wide as she waited to see what I would do.

I shook my butt…once.

That was enough.

To this day, if we’re together, and the song comes on, we’ll start laughing, and she will beg me not to dance.  LOL

7.  To what extent are you an argumentative person?

Never.

Ever.

And if you think I am, then you’re wrong.

And I’m right.

I’m always right.

So there.

😉

8.  My Random Thought

Questions #1 and 2 got me thinking about my random thought.

Because I don’t enjoy cooking (except my black bean soup…every now and then), and because I work a lot, I don’t fix homemade meals often.

As a result, I’ve been frequenting three or four local restaurants.  I know when my favorite meals are served on their respective days.

Well, last Friday, Rooster had a game.  Podunk High School doesn’t have its own football stadium, so the kids play in the stadium at the high school where I teach.  As such, I worked late and left in time to grab some food and return to the stadium for the game.

On the way out for food, I called one of the restaurants.  It serves my second favorite black bean soup on Wednesdays and Fridays (my recipe being my favorite).

I was going to get the half and half…half vegetarian sandwich and half black bean soup.  I called ahead to ensure it was ready for take-out.

Well, I couldn’t believe my ears when the gal told me that the restaurant didn’t have black bean soup.

Um, hello, I said?  I get this dish at least once a week.

She then explained that the soup had just been taken off of the menu to make room for WINTER soups.

Seriously?

Since when is black bean soup considered a winter dish?

I told her to scratch my order.

I’m not sure if I’ll be returning to the restaurant now.

Guess I’ll have to go buy the ingredients and make it myself.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 9 Comments »

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