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Ready As We’ll Ever Be

Posted on April 14, 2014 by auburnchick

Dear Students,

Today marks the beginning of FCAT testing for most of you.

For the last nine months, we have been honing the skills that you will use to answer two-days worth of reading comprehension questions.

I have worked 60-80 hour weeks preparing lessons.

You have worked through each task I’ve placed before you…sometimes willingly…sometimes a bit hesitantly.

Throughout the year, I have watched you go from students who deplored silent reading time to students who beg me to give you more time.

You have become students who, at first, could not find a book to read to students who recommend books to each other AND me!  You’ve even teared up when you have finished reading your beloved books.

Those are the signs that you have become book lovers.  May this love for reading never leave you.

Fluency was once a chore, but thanks to the research I’ve thrown in, it’s been a fun exercise.  You’ve learned a lot of extra vocabulary and bits of random facts that you previously didn’t know.

We can now call that “prior knowledge.”  It will be a resource that will prove quite useful, I promise.

You’ve gone from being students who had never heard the word meta-cognition to students use that term in daily conversations.

This is another skill that will assist you over the next two weeks.

As the months have passed, you’ve evolved from being students who shrugged their shoulders when asked to justify answers to students who actively assist each other, explaining your selections before I even ask.

I rather doubt that there will be a lot of “guessing” on the BIG test.

I want you to know that I have been praying for you.

More than anything, I have prayed that you would walk into your respective testing rooms with confidence.

You ARE ready.

You WILL succeed.

You will prove to yourselves that you ARE gifted young men and women, able to master the challenges placed before you.

I’m very proud of you and BELIEVE in the success that you are about to experience.

Love,

Mrs. AuburnChick

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

A Bit of Pampering Before FCAT Begins

Posted on April 13, 2014 by auburnchick

The Mr. and I spent Saturday out and about.

There’s a mall at the beach that we enjoy going to.  The shops have exterior entrances so, when the weather is as beautiful as it is right now, shopping is a lot of fun.

We discovered a new store that had recently opened…

The clothes were adorable, and I had a lot of fun trying things on.

The Mr. spoiled me by paying for two of the dresses.  I paid for the other two.

Here’s what I got…

Retro and very flattering!

Navy wrap dress, which I’ll wear with a tank top underneath

Love this dress! It fits perfectly!

Maxi skirt…so comfortable that I couldn’t pass it up!

The next couple of weeks are going to be a bear, so it was fun to indulge in a bit of pampering.

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

The Scorpio Races

Posted on April 12, 2014 by auburnchick

I just finished book #14 for this year…The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater.

I had read a few reviews and knew I had to purchase it for my classroom.

What a gem of a book!  I read it in three days!

The story centers around an annual ritual in which water horses, caught from the sea, are raced across the shore, handled by experienced and inexperienced men.  The prize is a large purse of money and prestige.

Sean Kendrick is a four-time winner, vying for his fifth win.  His motives run deeper than tangible rewards.

Puck Connolly is an orphaned young lady who enters the race to save her home.

I’m trying to put my finger on what makes this book so magical.

Part of it is the setting.

I’ve been on a few cruises, and I’ve seen a few tropical locations.

There’s a ethereal feel when you step on an island, and it was that connection that I felt when I read this book.

A thread of mystical power runs through this story.

Sean reminds me of the Horse Whisperer.  His connection with the wild horses from the sea is intriguing and touching.

Puck is a strong female character who doesn’t wait for life to happen to her.  She literally takes the reins in her hands to drive her own destiny.  This is a theme my teenage charges need to read about.

I think what I loved most about this story was the constant pull between what one loves (in this case, the ocean) and what needs to be done, pragmatically.  It’s a struggle I can identify with…that any reader will connect to.

I highly recommend this to anyone…middle school and above (it’s a good read for adults too).

Filed under: Books | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

“What’s Wrong With You, Mrs. AuburnChick?”

Posted on April 11, 2014 by auburnchick

During 7th period on Wednesday, one of my students asked, “What’s wrong with you, Mrs. AuburnChick?”

I was sitting in my rolling chair in front of the class…very uncharacteristic of me.

I had not been feeling well for three days…suffering from an ongoing stomachache.

Thus, I thought my student was referring to my not feeling well.

He clarified by saying, “You’re being so relaxed and not doing anything to be annoying.”

Ahem.

Kids.

What he meant was that I had been “chill” this week instead of spazzing out because of FCAT next week.

I told him that I felt that, with the exception of the figurative language unit we were finishing up this week, I had probably prepared my classes as much as I could for FCAT given the time allotted.  I also told him I saw no reason to stress everyone out by being all crazy.

He nodded his head in understanding.

My motto has always been to keep on with a regular routine the week before FCAT.

We have been reviewing our skills but in a low-key manner…one big passage and question a day using the results of the most recent Discovery Education progress monitoring test students took before Spring Break.  I pulled the questions most of my students had missed and have been helping my kids work through them to understand why they missed the questions the first time.

Very low-key.

I really enjoy these conversations with my students because they reveal how much my students notice the big and little things and how much they appreciate a relaxed classroom (and a relaxed teacher).

My students see me being reflective as well.  They know I am open to their viewpoints, even when I don’t necessarily agree with them.

Good stuff.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Comments from the Classroom

Posted on April 10, 2014 by auburnchick

Truly do I wish I could record some of the conversations that transpire between me and my students.

I want to replay some of them over and over.

Thank goodness for this blog, which has become a snapshot of the things I want to hold close to my heart.

Here are a few comments I overheard yesterday.

Before school started, one of my students popped in.  He was on his way to take FCAT because he is an eleventh grader.  As I began wishing him good luck, he proudly opened his backpack and displayed the HEALTHY snacks he had packed for the day…carrot slices and peanut butter crackers!  He also told me that his friend, another student of mine who won’t be testing until next week, had MADE him eat breakfast that included PROTEIN!!!!

I.

Kid.

You.

Not.

Later, I saw one of my students walking past my classroom before second period.  He was on his way to another class and would be seeing me later, but he said, as he made eye contact, “Mrs. AuburnChick, I went to bed an hour earlier like you said.”

You see, I’ve been asking my students to eat healthier and get more rest in preparation for the FCAT test they will be taking next week.

In fact, nutrition has been an ongoing theme in my room all year as they inquire about my vegan lifestyle.

These are conversations that most of my students do not have with their parents.

Changing topics…

My second period class was taking their five-minute break between classes (we are together for second and third periods).  One of my students proudly announced that he had read twelve books this year!  Another student chimed in by saying she had read six.

They’ve been keeping lists.  I had no idea!

Another student told me he needed a new series of books to read.  He’s read Neal Shusterman’s Skinjacker and Unwind series.  He recently finished the I am Number 4 series, written by Pittacus Lore.  He’s read a number of other books this year as well, but he likes series, where he can establish long-term relationships with characters and story lines.

Three female students were discussing how they liked/disliked a prominent male character in one of the books they’ve passed around.

One of the girls said she didn’t like him because he has one dimple, which students in my classroom have been teasing her about, saying they would make the perfect couple because she has one dimple and the character’s dimple is on the other side.

Ahhh…teenagers.  You’ve gotta love them!

I love listening in on these conversations.  They reflect the atmosphere in my classroom…one that has fostered a love for reading…a camaraderie among vastly different teenage personalities…a sense of accomplishment.

This is not something that has existed to this extent in my previous three years of teaching.

These things show me that my ability to connect with my students…read their interests and supply their needs…is improving with each year I am in the classroom.

Go ahead and be envious.

I’m doing a job that pays these kinds of dividends every single day, and I am a fortunate gal indeed!

Filed under: Books, Teaching | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Showering in the Hodgepodge

Posted on April 9, 2014 by auburnchick

I am loving Joyce’s Spring-y theme this week!  As always, these questions got me thinking…a good thing every now and then!  Thanks for visiting and playing along on your own blog!

1.  April showers bring May flowers, or so the saying goes. When did you last ‘shower’ attention on someone or have attention ‘showered’ on you? Did you love it, or did all that attention make you squirm?

I shower attention on my students near about every day!!!  They need it!  My family showered attention on me a couple of weeks ago for my birthday.  I like extra attention like gifts and warm wishes when done in private.  I do not like it in public, such as when the kids got a singer in a restaurant we went to to serenade me.  The man was very sweet, but I was mortified.  I just don’t like to be the center of attention!  Strange given my profession, where I’m in front of a classroom of students each day!  Of course, they are kind of required to listen and aren’t there to sing to me!

2.  Share a favorite ‘spring break’ memory. Not talking about just the ‘college spring break’ thing, but any favorite spring break memory you’d like to share. Keep it family friendly please!

Although I went to the beach during my high school Spring Breaks, I couldn’t tell you anything more specific than that because they weren’t uber-special.  Fun, yes, but nothing stands out in my mind.  I am a homebody, and I prefer lying low when school is out.  Ever since my children started school, I decided that we would stay home for a staycation.  The break from traveling and having to be somewhere at a certain time was wonderful and relaxing.  Now that my children have grown up and I teach, I still stay home.  I love Spring Break!

3.  It’s National Pecan Month…are you a fan? If so, what’s your favorite dish that calls for pecans?

I grew up in Alabama, and we had pecan trees in our backyard.  I don’t know of many Southerners who don’t like pecans!!  I make Caramel Pecan Bars, vegan-friendly of course, and they are divine!!!

4.  ‘Put all your eggs in one basket’, ‘egg on your face’, ‘rotten egg’, ‘walk on eggshells’, or ‘a good egg’…which egg-spression could most recently be applied to your own life?

I’d like to think that I’m a good egg.  I do my best to live out my faith in Jesus.  I am not perfect, of this I am fully aware; however, it is my prayer that people see more good than bad when all is said and done.  Any good they might see is a reflection of God’s grace and forgiveness.  I am nothing without Him.

5.  In my experience students should not get wisdom teeth removed midway through FCAT week.

(Typed after learning that one of my students has been scheduled to have her wisdom teeth taken out next Tuesday, and my advice has fallen on deaf ears.  I’m freaked out and ticked off.  That’s all I need to say.)

6.  What’s a  favorite song with the word rain in its title or lyrics?

I love Michael W. Smith.  The lyrics he pens are thought-provoking and speak of God’s love and grace.  His song, Healing Rain, is beautiful and talks about God’s forgiveness washing away our hurts and sins.

Healing rain is coming down
It’s coming nearer to this old town
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It’s bringing mercy, it won’t be long

Healing rain is coming down
It’s coming closer to the lost and found
Tears of joy, and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus’ name

Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I’m not afraid
To be washed in Heaven’s rain

Lift your heads, let us return
To the mercy seat where time began
And in your eyes, I see the pain
Come soak this dry heart with healing rain

And only You, the Son of man
Can take a leper and let him stand
So lift your hands, they can be held
By someone greater, the great I Am

Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I’m not afraid
To be washed in Heaven’s rain

To be washed in Heaven’s rain…

Healing rain is falling down
Healing rain is falling down
I’m not afraid
I’m not afraid…

7.  What does the word hope mean to you?

Dictionary.com defines hope as, “to believe, desire, or trust.”  (My students would be so proud that I’m citing my source!).

Hope is believing in things unseen and trusting that God will answer in the way that best fits His purpose.

When I saw the verse below, I thought about the injustice I faced at the end of last school year and how God’s resolution literally shut injustice’s mouth.

I quickly found the following on BibleGateway.com:  “So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.” (Job 5:15-17)

God is my protector and my defender.  I place my hope in Him for all of my needs.

8.  My Random Thought

I spent last weekend watching the third season of Downton Abbey.

I watched that season’s finale before going to bed on Sunday night.

Three words.

Oh.

My.

Word.

I needed kleenex.

I didn’t sleep well.

I had dreams about what happened.

I asked, “Why?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????”

I’ll begin watching Season 4 this weekend.

No spoilers please, as I have given none in case YOU haven’t seen this show yet.

But you must.

This is truly one of the most wonderful shows out there.

Except when they do things like what they did in Season 3’s finale.

 

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

You Don’t Need to be Afraid

Posted on April 7, 2014 by auburnchick

Saturday was a somewhat lazy day for me.  I’d woken up with the beginnings of a migraine thanks to an incoming storm system, so I laid low all day knitting and watching TV.

After cleaning up my DVR’d shows, I decided to look at Netflix, where I found The King’s Speech, a movie I had not, to date, seen yet.

As an avid history buff, this film appealed to me.  I’d taken two British history classes during my return to college, so I knew the topic matter of the movie would be right up my alley.

As I’m sure I’m probably one of the last people to see the movie, I’m sure you already know how amazing it is!

The story of Prince Albert/King George VI’s effort to overcome his stammering problem was incredibly heartbreaking and inspiring.

I watched a documentary about his life after the movie was over, mainly out of curiosity about how the real facts lined up with those detailed in the movie.

I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s not often when a movie makes me cry.  I am not ashamed to admit that this one led to a few tears.

I was especially touched by Lionel Logue’s therapy, which focused on the underlying issues that had originally led to the King’s stammer.

If you’ve seen the movie, you already know that the King endured a very strict upbringing, was mistreated by a nanny, was forced to write with his right hand instead of his left, which he was predisposed to, and grew up feeling unloved and unvalidated by his father.

It’s no wonder he stammered!  His stammering was a physical manifestation of the internal turmoil he had faced for years!

As Lionel worked with the King to prep him for one of his most famous speeches ever, the one he made as England was entering WWII, Lionel uttered words that struck a chord in my heart.

He said, “You don’t need to be afraid of the things you were afraid of when you were five.”

Those words made me cry.

My church is currently studying the book, Life’s Healing Choices.

It’s not a book study for the faint-of-heart because it requires asking yourself very difficult questions…digging deep to get to the root of the things that have led to hurts, habits, and hang-ups.

Lately, a few of my posts have dealt with some of my deepest hurts…those related to issues I’ve had with my mom.

During Friday’s small group meeting, I shared that my biggest worry is being rejected by my children.

Truth be told, rejection by others, in general, is a worry for me.

I think my worries go back to being rejected as a child.

When I reconciled with my father, years after he and my mom had divorced and when my children were in elementary school, he told me that a woman who had been taking care of my sister and me had tried to adopt us.  I don’t know/remember all of the details, but apparently my mom had taken us to her to care for us for awhile.  Ultimately, this woman, to whom I actually spoke with years later on the phone, was not able to adopt us.

Learning of this was terribly upsetting and added more baggage to the pile that had been growing ever since I was a child…when I could see my mom favoring my sister, her job, her friends, or her house over me.  This treatment continued into adulthood, which is why I finally quit speaking to her.

It’s hard to be rejected by someone who is supposed to love you.

The rejection I experienced from my mom has led me to close my heart off to many people around me.

The only people I fully give my heart to are my children.

For everyone else, I close off part of my heart to protect it.  I don’t love as fully as I should.

I suspect that a big reason why I am so anti-social is because I lack self-confidence.

When you are rejected, you blame yourself.

You don’t feel good enough to stand with others.

You become awkward, which makes everything even worse.

It becomes easier to be alone.

As the King’s stammer was his tangible manifestation of his hurts, my closed-off heart and inability to love and trust fully are the way I have dealt with the rejection I’ve experienced.

Watching the movie was a painful experience for me.  I know I can’t especially empathize with a member of royalty as far as the stresses of being groomed for that kind of position in society goes; however, I can relate to the human need for love and acceptance, which was so clearly missing in this man’s young life and, most likely, responsible for the speech impediment he suffered from.

Those words, “You don’t need to be afraid of the things you were afraid of when you were five,” echoed long after the scene had ended.

I don’t have to fear rejection any more.

I don’t have to worry about someone or something being placed as greater importance than me.

My mom has no hold over me any more.

I am a Daughter of the King.

He will never reject me.

I don’t have to prove my worth to him by keeping a clean house, starched shirts, or perfect lesson plans.

I don’t have to be a gifted orator or win teacher of the year (I would love to win the cruise that goes with this award though!).

All I have to do is allow God to love me…

To heal me…

To help me forget the hurts that tie me down to a past that is LONG OVER.

You’d think that at the age of 44, I’d quit rehashing this stuff, but I think that’s why people like me need to do these Bible studies…

Because there’s always more work to be done.

All praise be to God for His grace and patience as I continue to work on becoming more like Him.

 

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

I Have a Little Problem

Posted on April 3, 2014 by auburnchick

I have a little problem that I thought I’d share here.

This problem has been in the works for several months now.

It all started when my first box of books arrived.

You see, I had been observing my students…listening to my students’ comments about the types of books they liked.

It wasn’t long before THE PROBLEM happened.

My students were reading…

Without me asking them to…

And asking for more reading time.

They were reading after the timer went off, signaling an end to independent reading time.

As the months have passed, the problem has gotten worse.

Students are reading when they are supposed to be doing bellwork.

They are reading instead of listening to my carefully-prepared lessons.

They are hiding books under the paperwork they are supposed to be completing.

They are leaning over their chairs, gripping their stomachs in feigned sickness, all the while reading the books they have crammed into their laps.

Oh, and the problem is even worse than that.

My students are talking even more in class…

About the books they are secretively reading.

They are making threats too.

Threats against me…

Threats to reveal twists in the plots of the books I am planning on reading during summer vacation.

And they are laughing in demonic voices as I implore (vocabulary word from yesterday’s reading) them to keep their secrets to themselves.

Do you want to know the VERY, VERY worst problem of all?

Instead of buying more bling for myself, I am buying the above offenders MORE books, thus encouraging the problem to continue.

The newest batch of books…newly arrived as of yesterday afternoon…

Sheesh.

Honestly, I don’t know what to do!

I guess I’ll just have to let this problem time out on its own…as in June 6th…the last day of school.

What a WONDERFUL problem to have!!!!

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

No Fooling the Hodgepodge

Posted on April 2, 2014 by auburnchick

It’s the first Wednesday after Spring Break, and it’s been a good week so far.  My students were exhausted and a few sunburned when they came back, but they are transitioning into the routine quite nicely.  Speaking of routine, the Hodgepodge is a fun Wednesday routine, is it not?  Thanks, Joyce, for keeping it going each week!

1.  Since these questions are posting on the first day of April it seems only right to ask-when was the last time you did something foolish? If you can’t answer that one, try this one-when was the last time someone fooled you?

Hmmm…I’m usually a very deliberate person who gives much thought to what I do, so I can’t think of anything that I’ve done that might be considered foolish off the top of my head.  I’m also having a hard time thinking of a recent time someone fooled me.  I will share that early in the year, a student told me he had a bladder infection and was taking medicine that made him go to the bathroom a lot.  For nearly two weeks, I gave him a bathroom pass whenever he asked.  I got wise, called his mom, and learned that he didn’t have an infection.  The bad thing was that the other students in the class knew what he was up to.  Yep.  Gullible.

2.  What’s the last biography or non-fiction book you’ve read? Was it any good?

The last nonfiction book I finished (I’m in the process of reading two) was the book, There are No Shortcuts, by Rafe Esquith.  He won National Teacher of the Year several years ago and includes strategies that he employed with great success with his students.  I found the book o-kay, if not a little whiny and a bit over the top.

3.  Garlic-friend or foe? What’s your favorite dish made with garlic?

I really like garlic but can’t think of one particular dish that has garlic in it.  I think most dishes taste better WITH garlic in them!

4.  Several Spring flower festivals happen in the US during the month of April. Of those listed, which would you most like to see in person…The Skagit Tulip Festival in Skagit Washington, The Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville Tennessee, The North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington North Carolina or the Daffodil Festival Weekend on Nantucket Island, Massachussets?

Well, flower festivals aren’t really my thing, but if I had to choose, I’d probably go with the tulip festival.  Tulips are so pretty, so I know I’d enjoy looking at all of the different varieties and colors.

5.  How do you choose which blogs to read?  What is something that will make you stop and read every time? Something that makes you say, ‘eh, think I’ll skip this one and move on to the next’?

I’m not sure if this question is referring to blogs at large or blogs that are linked on the Hodgepodge.  In general, I only read a few blogs that I’ve subscribed to via email.  Once upon a time, I read a bunch of blogs through Google Reader; however, my teaching job is very time-consuming, so I pared down my reading list to the few gals who I happen to be bloggy/Facebook friends with.  I also read one in which the writer and I worked on charity baby blankets together.  I wish I had more time to read more and comment often.  Unfortunately, until I retire, I won’t.  By then, there will be some other medium through which we will share.

6.  April is National Mathematics Education Month so tell us, when did you last use math? 

I try to avoid doing math.  I am not good with numbers.  I think I did math out loud in class on Monday…and actually got the answer right.  Go me!

7.  n honor of the A-Z challenge kicking off on April 1…choose one word beginning with the letter A to describe your yesterday.

I would say that yesterday was “average.”  I had a good day at school but got into a terrible argument with Rooster before he left for his night class.  What would have been an amazing day was turned down many notches by the argument.  I love my son so much, so it hurts my heart terribly when we argue.

8.  My Random Thought

I got my nails done after work yesterday…

My nail tech did this artwork last year around this time, and thanks to my pinning it on Pinterest, she was able to do them again.

I wanted something “Spring-y.”  She did an amazing job!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

All I Said Was “No”

Posted on April 1, 2014 by auburnchick

How many of you are familiar with Siri?

You know…she’s the voice that asks you what she can help you with…if you have an iPhone.

I like to enlist her help when I want to be hands-free.

Such was the case yesterday when I wanted to send a message to my friend, Maegan.

After sending the text, Siri asked if I wanted to teach her how to properly say Maegan’s name.

Honestly, I was tired.  It had been my first day back to school, and I just wanted to get home.

So, I answered, “No.”

Apparently, Siri didn’t like my response and decided to get all sassy on me.

Look at what she said to me…

It was even better hearing her say the words above.

Sheesh, Siri.  I know that I frequently ignore your instructions…turn left when I should turn right…etc., but do you really think it’s smart to get mouthy with me?

😀

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

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