AuburnChick's Adventures

Well, I was so busy with LIFE last week that I just didn’t have time to participate in the Hodgepodge.  My apologies, Joyce.  Someone forgot to tell me that becoming a professional meant that I’d have to cut out a few other things.

Bah humbug!

Ok, so I’m here this week, and I’m playing.  On to the questions!

1.  Do you put Christmas decorations in every room of your house? If not, what rooms do you decorate?

Yes, I decorate almost every room in the house.  I’ve always done this, and my Chicky, who did the decorating this year, naturally followed suit.  It’s fun to have a bit of Christmas wherever I find myself.

2.  If you could visit one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) which one would you choose and why?

I really don’t have a preference.  My father’s side of the family hailed from Europe, so simply going over in that general direction would make me feel a bit more connected to my roots.  I love learning about new countries and their traditions.  Plus, I like to people-watch, and I know there would be some interesting two-legged sites to take in over there!

3.  What does the word faith mean to you?

Faith means believing in things unseen and holding onto a hope that’s been promised.  God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit embody everything my faith rests upon.

4.  You can go back to your childhood for one day…what day and age would you choose?

I would not choose any age.  My childhood was fraught with difficulties.  My students have no idea of the struggles I faced, from being the child of an oft-single mom to the loneliness of being a teenager who lacked confidence and assertiveness.

I’m glad to be an adult.

5.  When did you last have ‘punch’? If its not too much trouble share your favorite punch recipe.

I could not tell you when I last had punch.  I’ve never made any either.  What a fuddy duddy I am, eh?

6.  Do you fill stockings at your house? Are stockings opened before or after the bigger gifts?

Santa fills the stockings in my home, and he delivers the goods after everyone goes to bed on Christmas Eve, leaving us to discover his surprises when we wake up.  Stockings are always the first things dug into.

7.  What takes your breath away?

What takes my breath away is the vastness of a large yarn store.

Take, for instance, this one, which I found in New Orleans a few years ago when Chicky was at an ODP (Olympic Development Program) event…

Oh, you think I jest, eh?

I can assure you that the sight of hundreds of bright colors is enough to make you suck in your breath…especially when they are all located in ONE store, as the pictures above can attest to.

It.  Is.  True.  Beauty.

😀

8.  My Random Thought

Oh, the joys of teaching.

Oh, the roller coaster a teacher rides each day.

One can go from hearing a comment like, “Mrs. AuburnChick, you was smart, but you are getting smarter.”  He was referring to the way I’ve learned to handle his class…a class that is full of teenagers who need a lot of extra care, love, and devotion.

That was the up part of the roller coaster ride yesterday.

The down came when while getting checked by the district’s fidelity checker (she visits schools and their reading classrooms to ensure that reading framework policies such as guided reading groups, stations, and other things are being adhered to).

Alas, but she popped into my room, with my friend, Barbara, who is my school’s literacy coach, during my Read Aloud time.  All was going well.  We’re reading The Hunger Games, and I love to discuss each day’s passage.

Well, as they turned to leave, one of my students let one rip.

And I’m not talking pants.

And it’s the opposite of what Shrek is referring to when he says, “Better out than in.”

Yeah.

Not cool.

I maintained my composure and kept reading.

Until that classroom door closed.

The following conversation then commenced:

Me:  “You just had to leave a final impression, eh?”

Student:  No comment (probably wise)

Me:  “Real Talk.  Everyone has gas.  Everyone eats things that upset their stomachs.  Maturity involves excusing yourself to step into the hallway for a moment.”

Later, I asked Barb if she’d heard his lapse.

She had.

Oh.

Joy.

Funny but not so.

Oh the fun of teaching.

😀

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Wednesday Hodgepodge |