…but…
Sorry, Christina!!
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Words with Friends | Leave a comment »
Tisn’t Nice to Brag
Posted on March 11, 2012 by auburnchick
A Bit of Remodeling
Posted on March 10, 2012 by auburnchick
I think I’ve mentioned that my classroom is in total chaos because new technology is on the way.
Thursday was ROUGH, let me tell you.
When I arrived at school, I saw that workers had installed the framing for my Smartboard. They’d also moved my computer wiring to the other side of the room.
It was then that I suspected that I would be doing some major work that day.
My assistant principal walked into my classroom with about thirty minutes left in first period, and she told me I had to move the bookshelves that were located in the same corner that my new desk was going to be put into.
I envisioned hours and hours of work relocating books, shoving furniture around, etc.
However, I have several strong boys in that class (one of the advantages of teaching high school), and they were more than willing to help me get things moved around…
Oh my gosh, but moving one pile led to moving another pile until there were just piles everywhere…
It was quite disconcerting, let me tell you. I do NOT function well in disorder.
Fortunately, during second period, I was able to straighten things up a teensy bit so that my students would be able to complete the test I’d prepared.
I stayed after school, determined to finish grading the tons of work that had been generated this past week. We’re going to be on Spring Break next week, and I didn’t want to spend my time entering grades.
Thus, I was in my room when the contractors arrived, ready to install the actual Smartboard and put my desk and new computer together.
They “rearranged” my room a bit, but I didn’t mind. It was for a good cause…
I really wanted to stay until they were finished. That’s how much I love new technology. BUT, they told me it would take them a couple of hours, so I decided to head for home.
It was almost like Christmas Eve with the anticipation high.
The next morning, I saw this when I walked in…
Oh baby!
And look at my new computer…
Isn’t that monitor fantastic?!!!!
The contraption to the left is called an Elmo…an electronic document reader.
* also got a microphone thing to wear around my neck. After I get training, I’ll be using this during my class. The sound will come from the wiring in the ceilings.
Oh my.
No more excuses of “I didn’t hear you.”
The new technology also includes DVD players and the capability to watch the in-school television production through the Smartboard.
Here’s the control center for all of the projection stuff…
That’s on my wall, right next to my desk.
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
My students were THRILLED. The ENTIRE school is getting this technology, and my building was the first.
I spent much of the day moving furniture and putting my desk and office supplies in order. The result is better than I could have ever hoped for.
The new layout is much more open with a lot more open space for me to move around…
I’ve still got quite a bit of work to do in there…lots of “teacher” stuff to put away. I’ll go in once or twice next week to get this stuff done and will also get my lessons ready for the following week.
For now, I am one happy camper!!
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teaching, technology | 1 Comment »
Adventures of a Wanna-Be Lipstick-Wearing Teacher
Posted on March 9, 2012 by auburnchick
My latest adventure started out very innocently…
With one itsy, bitsy photo…
Well, okay.
It’s an ugly itsy bitsy photo, I’ll admit.
I’d had a rough start to the morning and had, unknowingly, donned two different earrings.
After Barb pointed this out to me, I laughed and figured it would be a good object lesson for the current unit I was teaching…making inferences.
I took that picture of myself and showed it to my students, asking them to make an observation, add it to what they already know, and make an inference.
I was looking for something along the lines of “I see two different earrings, and I know Mrs. AuburnChick stays up late working on lesson plans, so I can infer that she overslept and didn’t pay attention to what she was putting on.”
Yeah.
All good plans don’t mean a hill of beans when children are involved.
I’ll admit that in hindsight, I set myself up for what was about to occur.
I used my projector to show that picture on a BIG wall in my room.
The first thing that came out of my students’ mouths was “Ewww…whose face is that? It looks old.”
Um…not exactly the observation I was looking for.
Well, I got through the object lesson for that class but made the mistake of showing the picture to my 3rd period with the hopes that they would come through for me.
No such luck. Their reactions were the same.
I had also made the mistake of posting this on Facebook, where a friend of mine, when asked to make an inference, said, “You forgot to wear lipstick?”
Um…no…I never wear lipstick.
That was it. I was determined to change things.
That afternoon, I ran to CVS and bought two tubes of coloring for my lips…
I wore the pink gloss the next day, and all was well.
Things went a little differently the next day when I wore the lipstick in the second picture.
First period didn’t say anything, but then third period came in.
First of all, one sweet young guy said, very hesitantly, “Uh, Mrs. AuburnChick, I think you need to rub in your makeup. It’s a little heavy today.”
Uh oh.
I grabbed a paper towel and started rubbing in my blush, even looking at myself in the mirror.
The makeup didn’t look too bad.
Then, I began walking toward the door to finish greeting my students who were milling around.
My friend, Barb, had also come in.
Another one of my students said, “Mrs. AuburnChick, your lipstick is really dark today.”
And…I wanted to say…
He continued, “Mrs. AuburnChick, is it supposed to be…um…all over your face like that? It’s like you didn’t stay in the lines.”
Oh good gravy.
I still had the paper towel in my hand, so I dramatically wiped it off, telling my class, “All I wanted to do was wear a little bit of lipstick so my face wouldn’t look old any more. Sheesh.”
We all got a good laugh at that.
Well, on my way home, I stopped by Target, determined to “fix” the problem.
Oh my, but my jaw dropped when I took a look at one of the lipstick displays…
Now, please understand that I am a fairly simple girl who is only starting to come into her own.
I’m not that good at this makeup stuff.
Looking at that display was almost as overwhelming as walking into the reading resource room at school.
It was too much.
I couldn’t make up (get my pun?) my mind with all of the choices in front of me! I seriously needed Stacy from What Not to Wear.
I finally grabbed a few tubes and made my way to the register…
Oh yes, I did.
Four stinking tubes.
The guy who rang up my total…a whopping $31…gasped. That was all I purchased. After I told him the story, he laughed and wished me well.
My new tubes are various shades…all slightly different but not too dark…
The tube on the left is 8-hour “gloss.”
Honestly, I can say that after wearing it a couple of times, I don’t like it. It kind of hardens up and makes your lips tight. Plus, it’s not “glossy” enough. I want gloss like Jennifer Lopez’s. The one she was wearing on Thursday night’s American Idol SHINED!!
Here are the other two I bought…lip butter, as my bloggy friend, Mary, suggested…
I LOVE these!! I don’t eat butter anymore, but I will say that this stuff is moisturizing and smoooooth!!! I need to find it in slightly darker colors though.
Either way, I paired one of the new lipsticks with the eight-hour gloss, and I made a VERY big deal of it the next day at the beginning of third period, telling them how much I’d spent.
They gasped…”That’s a lot of lunch money!!”
heehee
I know I can’t live my life to please my students, but simply having this experience and laughing it up with my students has turned into another bonding time with them…especially the crew that has been rather difficult to manage since January.
They are coming around, starting to see that while I am strict, I am also human.
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: lipstick, makeup, teaching | 2 Comments »
Charlie’s Angels With a Twist
Posted on March 8, 2012 by auburnchick
Remember these ladies?
Imagine a similar group of women, without the 70’s hair, sporting school ID badges and Expo markers.
It’s Charlie’s Angels…Teacher Version.
Today, a couple of kids at my school got a taste of what it’s like to have not three, but four teachers on patrol, searching for law breakers.
What happened, you ask?
Well, I’m more than happy to share.
See, it all started a couple of weeks ago when, during third period, someone from the hallway randomly hit the you-know-what out of my metal classroom door.
I went to the door, but the person had hightailed it out of there.
This happened again the next day, and despite my best “mom run,” the perpetrator eluded detection.
This continued every day; however, during the last few days, the episodes had increased to two or three times during the class period.
I was ticked off, let me tell you.
Because the door is metal, the sound was like a gunshot, startling my hard–at-work students (students, I might add, that it took me months to corral).
A couple of days ago, we got proactive. My friend, Barb, who comes into third period to help me out each day, planted herself in the back hallway so that, the person would encounter her by surprise should he or she decide to ding dong ditch and run again.
The person never showed up.
Today, during my planning period, I went looking for another teacher who also has the same planning time as me. She’s on the other side of my building. As I approached her classroom, I noticed three teachers standing in the hallway in front of the boys bathroom.
I asked what was going on.
Well, the person had struck again, this time knocking on an English teacher’s classroom door.
He messed up, though, because two of the reading teachers were in the classroom across the hall, and when they heard the sound, they turned, catching sight of the gentleman’s head and gray-clad arm. They noticed that he was also short.
They knew he’d gone into the bathroom, so they waited, which was where I found them.
Because we’d just had a reading team meeting the day before, everyone was familiar with what had been going on.
We were all determined to get down to the bottom of it.
Finally, one boy came out.
I knew him.
I’ve been calling him “The Wanderer” because he’s ALWAYS out of class, wandering the hallways. I see him often during my planning.
He claimed he had no knowledge about what had occurred.
He was tall, so we ruled him out.
There was another gentleman in the bathroom, but he wouldn’t come out. Finally, after we ordered him to, he did.
He looked bewildered and claimed, after being asked, that he had no clue what we were talking about.
He was short, though, but not wearing gray clothing.
He was, however, out of dress code, which we busted him for.
He returned to his classroom.
Meanwhile, we had called for an administrator, and the principal walked in.
I can’t imagine that he was too happy. Administrators are a busy bunch these days with teacher evaluations coming due soon.
In addition, the principal is responsible for ninth grade discipline issues.
Yep. His plate is full.
Still, we shared out story, and off we went to track down the kids and make sense of the story.
We knew the ding dong ditcher was one of them.
We found the out-of-dress-code kid and pulled him out of class.
Once again, he faked knowledge.
However, the principal questioned him further.
We learned that the student had been out of class without a pass or a bathroom key.
We keep the doors locked.
Don’t ask.
So, the principal asked how he’d gotten into the bathroom.
“My friend,” he said.
“How’d you know he had the key?” asked the principal.
“Because he came and got me,” the kid said.
“How’d he get you?”
“He looked in the window in the door,” the kid continued.
Oh boy. This was getting good. It got even better.
The student admitted that his friend, upon pulling him out of class, said, “I’ve got an idea…”
That’s where the story stopped.
Bet you can figure out what’s coming next.
The other student was not in his classroom when we went looking for him.
He did, however, show up a few minutes later.
It didn’t take him long to admit that he’d been the one hitting the doors. Because he’s tall, he would duck down as he knocked and run quickly to the bathroom where his friend would stand with the door open, waiting to let him in quickly to avoid detection.
Why?
Because, in his words, “It was for the adrenaline rush.”
Oh my.
It was a little funny.
The principal took him to the office.
Before the principal disappeared, he looked at our little crew of crime fighters, and I think I saw a flicker of admiration and the slight nod of his head.
I’m fairly certain that he’s secure in the knowledge that our building is being well taken care of.
I think we sent a message to the students today.
Don’t mess with the reading teachers.
Especially don’t knock on their doors and run.
We will find you and restore order.
Yep. I love my job.
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teaching | 3 Comments »
Marching Into the Hodgepodge
Posted on March 7, 2012 by auburnchick
It’s the first Hodgepodge of the month! Yay! Visit Joyce‘s blog and play along!
1. Did March come in like a lion or was it something less ferocious in your neck of the woods?
March came in like a lion with heavy storms. Oh boy! Still, it was fun to stay inside and listen to the rain. It was bad, however, for the states north of me. Please keep them in prayer as they recover from the devastation.
2. Speaking of lions, which one’s your film favorite…The Cowardly Lion (Wizard of Oz), Mufasa (The Lion King), Elsa (Born Free), or Alex (Madagascar)? You may notice I left Aslan off the list. Including him would have made this question way too easy for many of you.
Hmmm…these are tough choices! I was recently called Mufasa by a student who was in another class. This was not a compliment. I guess, out of the three, I’d have to go with Alex.
3. What’s your favorite spot from which to view the sunrise or sunset?
I live about ten minutes from the beach. A sunset viewed from the beach is GORGEOUS! I’ve also been on several cruises, and I’ve always enjoyed the sunsets from the ships. Oh my word, but just looking at the way the sun sets over the water is something else!
4. To what extent is knowledge power and to what extent is truth power? What’s the difference?
Knowledge equips us by giving us the information (facts, etc.) we need to do whatever needs to be done. Truth is that which is real. I would say that knowledge helps us to discern truth from fiction.
5. What’s something peculiar you’ve seen recently?
Please define peculiar. Do you mean something like my face in the mirror? heehee
Maybe you mean a strange situation that makes you turn your head sideways. Like the student I busted for skipping my class. When we put the pieces together, we figured out that he’d tried to cover himself by checking himself out and then back into school to make it appear as if he’d been gone to a doctor’s appointment. The only problem was that he put down the same time for both check-out and check-in.
Yeah. I turned my head for all of thirty seconds before writing him up. 😀
6. Bottled water…your thoughts?
I like it…especially Dasani and Nestle. Sure, it might be the “perception” that it’s cleaner. But, it’s convenient, and I like that.
7. What’s your strongest sense?
Well, I know it’s not hearing or seeing, unless it’s seeing a student trying to slip in late undetected.
How about the sense that I’m being fed a line of baloney?
Or maybe it’s the sense I have when I seem to “know” that one of my students is pregnant.
Yeah. It’s sad but true.
We typically think of the senses as taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing; however, I’d like to think that we have inner senses…the kinds that help us “know” when something is off, when a person is feeling down, despite their best efforts to mask their feelings.
Those are my senses that are strongest.
8. My Random Thought
Ok. Call me a prude. If the shoe fits, I’ll wear it. Here’s the bit of conundrum I’m struggling with lately.
But first, a bit of history as to why my brain decided to spend time thinking about this particular topic.
Ever since Chicky got a Facebook account, I’ve monitored what kinds of pictures she posts. I’ve never allowed her to post pictures of herself in a bikini because, quite honestly, I’m uncomfortable with them being online. Potential employers can easily see these pictures. There are also some very twisted people out there in Internet Land.
Thus, one might understand why I might have gotten a teensy bit upset when pictures of my baby in her her bathing suit were posted online.
I might have said a thing or two about that to my baby girl.
*cough*
Here’s the conundrum…
Why is it okay to wear a bikini on the beach or in a store, but one cannot wear a bra and underwear to the same places?
What’s the difference?
You’re covering up the same amount of skin in both cases.
Why do we find it socially acceptable to do one but not the other?
The older I’ve gotten, the more conservative I’ve grown in respect to this topic.
Yes, I’ve had my years of wearing two pieces out in public, but I think, in some small way, I struggled with this whole notion even back then.
There’s a reason why God commands women to dress conservatively.
Do I believe in covering up all visible skin?
No.
But seriously. Can we please cover up parts that need to be covered up and leave the rest to the imagination?
Really, I’m driving myself crazy with this one (short trip, I know), but it’s why I involved myself in a “discussion” with my girl child.
What are your thoughts?
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Wednesday Hodgepodge | 6 Comments »
Teacher Mom
Posted on March 6, 2012 by auburnchick
A teacher mom, as defined by my friend, Barb, is a mother whose chosen profession is teaching, thus creating a double whammy (or a double blessing, according to your perspective) for the students who enter her room.
Teachers who are also moms carry with them their motherly instincts and experiences, creating a force to be reckoned with.
What?
Don’t know what I mean?
A teacher mom can be your worst nightmare.
She can hound you to death about doing your work, staying organized, and keeping on task. However, she is also after you about who you’re hanging out with, who you’re hanging all over, and what you’ve chosen to wear to school that day.
Oh, and let’s not forget how teacher moms seem to have that “knack” for bumping into you every time you turn a corner, gently but firmly pointing you in the direction of the classroom from which you’ve escaped. Sometimes, teacher moms will even do the unthinkable…and escort you back to class personally.
For the students who don’t want to be looked after so closely, teacher moms are their worst nightmares!
Then, there are those students who instantly adore teacher moms.
These are the kids who come to you for extra help with an assignment or a favor to “talk to an administrator” about getting a class switched. They like knowing you’re on their side and trust you to help them out.
Students who like teacher moms squirm when asked about their grades, ashamed to admit their work isn’t up to par but grateful that someone is checking up on them.
Teacher moms endear themselves to these students because they check up on who they’re hanging out with, who they’re hanging onto between classes, and why they’re out of dress code.
Whichever way you look at it, and whichever student you are or used to be, teacher moms leave an impression on your life…a positive impression when all is said and done…and you slowly grow to love, respect, and appreciate the doting (and somewhat annoying) special attention they gave to you and the other students blessed to cross paths with them.
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teacher moms, teaching | 2 Comments »
Branching Out in a New Direction
Posted on March 5, 2012 by auburnchick
Sunday morning was a busy one for me.
First, I headed out early to play handbells during the 8am service. We played to Old Rugged Cross, one of my favorites. It was even prettier because we accompanied the guitar playing that our worship leader was doing. I’ll admit that I sang along with the congregation. 😀
We also played to the song Jesu, Jesu. I’m posting a YouTube link to the second song. I’d never heard it before. It’s quite beautiful and fitting given the season of Lent…
After playing the second song, I headed out.
Why?
Because my church was getting ready to branch out in a new direction.
Several months ago and after much prayer, discussion, and more prayer, my church purchased what had been a local indoor sports complex. The business had gone belly-up when the economy went south.
Volunteers spent hundreds of hours cleaning up the place, which had been left in disrepair by the former owners. The skate park was dismantled, and the parts carted off by a local businessman.
The large room that the skate park existed in will be converted to a worship center and business offices.
The facility also has indoor basketball courts, volleyball court, and soccer field. There’s also a fitness area with machines and free weights! Gym memberships are already being sold, and yes, we bought one, but I haven’t had time to go yet (look for posts about my sore buns in the future)!
The church’s youth program relocated to this new facility, and attendance at weekly youth functions is climbing.
Sunday marked the first morning that a worship service was held in the former skate park.
I was amazed when I got a first look at it…
That’s with the flash off. The next picture is with my flash on…
The church wasn’t sure how many people would be attending this inaugural service.
They quickly discovered that more chairs were needed.
As the music started, my heart leaped in my chest.
I love contemporary praise music.
Everything, from the music to the sermon was so Christ-centered.
This facility is located across from a local high school and is easily accessible to many people, so there’s a lot of potential to reach large multitudes of people.
It’s an exciting venture, and one I’m honored to be witnessing.
Please pray for those involved in getting things up and running. There’s a learning curve…creating an “off-campus” location from the home base, but the church is doing as Christ commanded and going out into the world to meet the needs right where people are at.
Filed under: Christian | Tagged: Christianity, church, outreach | 2 Comments »
Have You Ever Wondered
Posted on March 4, 2012 by auburnchick
Have you ever wondered why parents send their children to small, Christian colleges?
Well, the adorable gal in the following video…one of Chicky’s teammates…shares what makes Southeastern University so fabulous.
My nephew and Barb’s son will be attending Southeastern in August. Super Sis and Barb will shed tears as they drop off their precious boys; however, they can rest assured that the guys will enjoy a well-rounded, Christ-centered experience.
Filed under: children, Christian | Tagged: college, raising children, soccer, Southeastern University | 2 Comments »
How to Fix Curve Balls
Posted on March 3, 2012 by auburnchick
My week…
Busy, to say the least.
After my observation and post-observation meeting, I got thrown curve balls.
Working so hard had left me so tired that I overslept. Thanks to a God-led prompt to call home, Chicky woke me up in the nick of time! Rushing out the door, I had no idea I’d done the following…
Yeah…wearing two different earrings was an accident.
I tried to use the picture as an object lesson for making inferences.
My students, upon looking at it and being asked to tell me what they observed, responded, “Someone old!!”
Curve ball #1.
A friend on Facebook suggested that I wasn’t wearing lipstick in the picture.
I never wear lipstick.
Curve ball #2.
For the record, I’m making a purposeful effort to look younger (can you say Botox? Just kidding.). I am, however, trying to remember to wear lipstick.
New technology is on the way, which is requiring the temporary “rearranging” of the furniture in my room…
Though we’d been warned, I was surprised when a gentleman appeared after school and told me that my white board was coming down that afternoon.
My much-loved white board with loads of stuff written on it for the next day…
It’s all for the greater good though, so no complaints here. Still, it was a curve ball I had to deal with…especially the next morning when I got to school and saw my icky wall…
It kind of looks like a toddler had a bit of fun painting the wall with something sort of nasty (like stuff from a diaper).
My students were a wee bit grossed out, but surprisingly, they managed to function somewhat normally despite everything being moved to the center of the classroom.
That’s because I was breathing deeply to get through the curve balls being thrown my way.
Oh, and let’s not forget Mother Nature unexpectedly showing up.
Sigh.
I’m really ready for menopause.
Curve ball #1,059.
Despite the strange week, my students had been good…especially fourth period. I rewarded them with these…
They loved the Spiderman rings!
By the end of the week, I was pooped and decided I needed some pampering.
Barb and I headed out to do just that…
Pedicures, fill in’s…it was a great way to cap off a week that was crazy, had unexpected moments, but was overall GREAT!
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: pampering, teaching | 4 Comments »
O Day – Part 3
Posted on March 1, 2012 by auburnchick
Continuing my recounting of Observation Day…
As previously recalled, my lesson had, in my opinion, gone rather well. I was pumped!
When I got home, I began typing the answers for my post-observation section of my appraisal form.
Oh, don’t know about this system?
Well, my school district has a very detailed, lengthy, and thorough appraisal system thanks to some changes in state laws. I know these changes will benefit students, but oh my word. There’s so much to do!
I’m so happy to be where I am after looking for so long that I don’t really mind.
After I finished uploading my information, I happened to notice that my principal had just finished entering his own notes.
Oh my goodness, but his comments were…
Shall we say…
Very positive?!!
I called Barb to share the good news.
She was happy for me.
Still, though, I had to wait for my face-to-face meeting with my principal, which I’d scheduled for the following day.
I was nervous.
It’s hard to hear constructive feedback, no matter how well you do on a task.
Especially for a perfectionist.
Mr. Principal was all smiles when I entered his office.
He truly has a way of putting people at ease.
Well, I found out that the smiles he was directing my way were the result of his being pleased with my lesson the day before.
We went through each of his comments, and he provided additional feedback.
He was extremely happy with the way I’d handled a student’s refusal to perform the role he’d randomly selected. I had not given in but had allowed the situation to work itself out (another student offered to switch with this one).
Mr. Principal had also commented about how I’d subtly given the request to desist when students were becoming unruly.
Most notably, though, were his comments regarding my students’ self assessment.
Any time students assess themselves, they are using higher order thinking skills. Making judgements and justifying them is a lot more difficult than recalling memorized information.
Mr. Principal also explained that my strength is in the rapport I have with my students. He said that the students trust me.
Oh, this was music to my ears. I’ve worked very hard in this area, believing that I will not effectively teach a student if I can’t reach that student personally.
He also told me that he’d remembered my angst about writing my students up at the beginning of the year. He further explained that it was my consistency that paid off in the end because students knew they could trust that I would keep my word and hold them accountable for their actions.
Yes, it was a great meeting.
I left his office with a huge smile on my face.
I don’t think my feet even touched the ground as I made my way to Barb’s office to share the feedback he’d given me.
She’s a huge reason why I got that feedback.
She’s been mentoring me for the last couple of years, but more so this year. She’s been a steady presence in my class, modeling good teaching practices, talking me through my lesson planning, and challenging me to put the kids in the drivers’ seat of their learning. She’s often reminded me, gently, to do less talking so the kids don’t zone out (not her words but mine).
My students adore her, as do I.
I’m grateful for the other teachers I work with. These teachers, who have so much more experience than I do, constantly share their ideas and help me fill in the gaps when I feel like I’m coming up short. They encourage me and sometimes even remind me that I’m not the only one feeling overwhelmed.
Humbling?
Yes.
What I need to hear?
You bet.
I’m grateful for my students who can be very forgiving. I’ve had a few bad moments where I’ve lost my patience. They’ve forgiven that. I’ve eaten crow more than a few times this year. They’ve accepted that. They’ve accepted the lessons that have fallen flat. They’ve cheered on the lessons that made class fly by. Though they sometimes have led me to cry, their victories have turned those tears to laughter and joy. THEY are what teaching is all about!
Most of all, I’m grateful to my Heavenly Father who constantly reminds me that I can rely on Him to be my strong foundation…especially when He’s called me to a task that I think I can’t do.
I’m thankful for these observations. Though they are a bit of a pain, they truly are part of the refining process. It’s a process that will change me from being a ho-hum teacher to a GREAT teacher.
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teaching | 2 Comments »
AuburnChick's Adventures 