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A Hodgepodge Full of Good Manners

Posted on October 23, 2013 by auburnchick

I like Joyce’s questions this week.  They aren’t too taxing on the brain, which I really appreciate given that we are now very much into the routine at school, and I am feeling, oftentimes, overwhelmed.

Let’s cut to the chase and begin!

1.  When it comes to good manners, what two top your list of most important?

Being a Southern girl, I really like when people say “Ma’am” and “Sir.”  Teenagers, especially, melt my heart when they inject a ma’am into a conversation, and I find myself less likely to write someone up if that person has said this one simple word.

Another manner I think is important is not talking when there’s a meeting going on.  I’m shocked when people sit and have small conversations during faculty meetings!  Trying to teach in a classroom when children are talking is distracting.  Sitting in a meeting trying to hear what my administrators are saying is equally difficult.

2.  Let’s open a proverbial can of worms…Common Core.  Are you familiar with the term (talking education reform in the USA)?  If so, care to share your thoughts? In your opinion, what is one of the biggest issues schools (in your home country) face today?

Ahhh…you just had to go there, didn’t you, Joyce?  I think that the intent of Common Core is good…to toughen up the standards and make them the same across the country.  What I disagree with is the testing.  Our children are tested every time they turn around, and it’s ridiculous.  Teachers (myself included) have our instruction frequently interrupted by said tests…to the point where we can’t even teach what they are being tested on!  Do I think there should be standards and accountability?  Absolutely.  I went to school with kids who would not have graduated, and probably rightly so, if such things had been in place.  They would have been identified as having learning problems and helped, I hope.

I think our schools are facing a problem with micromanagement.  Let the teachers teach without nearly so much oversight, paperwork, and meetings.  It’s a very overwhelming job as it is.  Those things make it even harder.

3.  Name a celebrity whose fashion sense you admire and share why.

Honestly, I don’t follow celebrity fashion, so I have no answer for this one.  I wear what I want and don’t pay much attention to what others are wearing.

4.  How are you affected by the changing seasons?

I’m not really affected at all.  I layer up as it gets colder, but I’m usually wearing a sweater anyhow because I’m cold-natured, so the weather changes don’t affect me too much.  I will say that my hair is easier to straighten during the winter because a lot of the humidity is gone.

5.  Scariest book you’ve ever read?

I once tried to read Pet Cemetery, by Stephen King.  I was much younger…barely a teenager.  I don’t think I made it past the first two chapters.  I’ve never tried to read it since.

6.  What time of day are you most hungry? What’s your go-to snack?

I don’t get hungry too often.  I don’t eat breakfast nor lunch.  Food is such an inconvenience to me, and I love it when I fast.  Yes, I realize that I have food issues.

If I’m going to snack, I’d prefer to have chips and salsa.

7.  Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent? Which do you find harder to deal with in others?

I am fiercely independent, which puts me at odds with people because I do not like to get help.  Now, I will ask for help, when I’m teaching, but really, I like to work on my own.  I think it’s my desire for full control of my life (and God laughed).

I find needy people to be extremely annoying.  I don’t mind helping, but please at least try to learn while I teach you and then let’s move on.

Yes, I’m a bit impatient too.  🙂

8.  My Random Thought

During the past seven days, I have received two new books…both third installments in their respective series.  I am one happy girl!!!!

Filed under: Books | Tagged: , , , , , | 6 Comments »

September Musings and the HodgePodge

Posted on October 2, 2013 by auburnchick

It’s hard to believe that it’s the second day of October!  Wow!  The temperature is starting to cool down a little, and there’s a crispness in the air when I leave each morning.  Along with the lovely weather, we have fun questions to answer on the Hodgepodge.  Join in by playing along on your own blog and linking up with Joyce!

1.  What’s one thing you learned in September?

In September, I re-learned that God’s plans are not my own.  Chicky’s knee injury was a painful reminder that God’s plans trump ours, and that we can choose to accept or resent those plans.  Fortunately, we have chosen to trust Him.

2.  Acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, yellow squash, zucchini squash, or blech! hold the squash… what’s your favorite squash? What’s your favorite way to prepare your favorite squash?

I love squash, thanks to my country upbringing.  A few years ago, I discovered spaghetti squash, and what a delightful vegetable indeed!  I love the texture and the flavor, which is very mild.  Ultimately, though, cutting up squash, dicing an onion, and steaming the pot works fine with me.

3.  The older I get the_______________________________.

The older I get, the less patience I have for drama…especially in regard to adults.  I absolutely cannot stand to see adults engaging in drama…especially at work.  It’s so petty and undermines what we are there for.

4.  What’s your favorite television theme song ever?

I had to do a bit of googling for this one and found one I love…The Addams Family…classic!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YFk4b6yeX4

5.  What do you wish you’d spent more time doing five years ago?

Five years ago, I wish I’d spent more time sleeping.  This is my fourth year teaching, and I’m constantly sleep deprived in a way that no amount of sleep during the school year will replenish. It is only during the stress-free, no-lesson-planning time of summer that I feel completely refreshed.

6.  What item do you most need (or want) to add to your wardrobe this fall?

I really need some closed-toe shoes that I can wear with dress pants.  I live in flip flops and sandals most of the year, so the transition to covering up my tootsies is tough.

7.  On October 2, 1950 the Peanuts cartoon was introduced to the world. What was your favorite cartoon when you were a kid?

When I was a child, I lived for Saturday mornings and my Justice League cartoons!  I loved the Wonder Twins, Batman and Robin, and everyone else.

8.  My Random Thought

Last week, teachers in my district received lead money…money to help us purchase supplies for our classroom.

Technically, I should have paid myself back for what I’ve already purchased this year; however, since I’m not feeling the pinch anymore, I figured I would just buy more stuff.

Take a look at what’s been arriving in the mail the last few days…

I feel the need to explain that I am not stalking Neal Shusterman.  Really.  I’m not.  I just love his writing…and his creativity…and his wicked use of twisted plots.  Seriously.

I bought the following book to replace the one that someone removed without my permission last year…

Oh, how I love buying books for my students to read.  They appreciate having new, relevant books, and I love that they are begging for more time to read during class.  It’s a win-win for everyone!

Filed under: Books, Teaching | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Better Late than Never

Posted on July 29, 2013 by auburnchick

Saturday evening, I completed a quest I’d been on for the last fifteen months.

I finally finished reading all of the books in the Harry Potter series.

I read the seventh book in under a week.

On Saturday, I read the final 250 pages.

I read everywhere that day…the bathroom (TMI), the car on the way to the beach, the beach, back in the car to go home, the ride back to the beach to see a movie, the way home.

This final book had so much action packed into it that I could not turn the pages fast enough!

I got mad several times as important characters died.

When you’ve invested so much time into reading these books, you develop relationships with the people in them, and your heart breaks when they don’t survive their circumstances.

I needed to find out if Harry successfully finished his quest.

It may be hard for you to believe, but I’d never watched the movies nor read the books previous to this time, so I had NO IDEA how the story would end.

I can honestly report, without spoiling the surprise for anyone, that I am happy with the ending.

This series is deep on so many levels and provides lessons that we can apply to everyday life…love overcoming evil…the ramifications of judging others based on external appearances or circumstantial evidence…loyalty…bravery…daring to go against popular opinion…believing in the underdog…untapped potential.

The characters were so unique and gifted with special talents that, when put together with the other characters’ talents, made for breathtaking scenes in the books.

Professor McGonagall is a wonderful role model for me…a blend of strictness balanced with tenderness and courage.

Mrs. Weasley reminded me of my best friend’s mom when I was growing up.  She took me under her wing, prepared my favorite food when I stayed over, and always had a warm hug ready for me.  As Harry found the unconditional love and acceptance that he had missed out on for the first eleven years of his life, my heart soared.  Throughout the books, his relationship with Mrs. Weasley evolved to the point where he was treated like a son.  This is what I think we humans are called to do…love each other with the same kind of abandon and acceptance.

I so appreciated how seemingly minor characters eventually played very important roles.

For the record, Neville Longbottom will forever be one of my favorite characters ever…such a sweet boy who only needed a bit of encouragement to blossom.

My vocabulary will never be the same.  It now includes words such as muggles, lumos, and patronus.  I am giving serious thought to teaching my students roots/prefixes/suffixes using the names of the spells cast in these books.

I would kind of like to say that I’m sad I didn’t read these books sooner; however, I don’t know that I would have fully appreciated them had I done so.

Now that I am older and a teensy bit wiser, I can see the multiple layers of storytelling that occurs in each book.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Sirius, and the rest of the gang will live on in the part of my heart reserved for those special characters in literature who do more than occupy pages in a book.  They will continue to challenge me to be a better friend, not take the easy way out, and not judge circumstances according to what my eyes see.

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

Unglued – A Proper Book Review

Posted on July 20, 2013 by auburnchick

So, I’ve mentioned the book, Unglued:  Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions, by Lysa TerKeurst, a couple of times over the last few weeks.

I thought it was time for me to properly review it.

I learned of this book when I read a devotional series, authored by Lysa, on my phone.  I knew I had to order the book.

I limited myself to reading only one chapter per day because I wanted to really think about what I’d read.

I underlined more things in this book than I ever have when reading.

I made notes.

I copied quotes and added them to my Goodreads log.  I also shared tidbits on Facebook.

Every.

Single.

Chapter.

Was.

Powerful.

I saw myself on EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE.

Lysa writes in a style that is conversational.

It’s as if you and your BFF are having a chat over coffee (or in my case, Frappuccinos).

There were chapters devoted to what kind of reactor you are when faced with emotional situations…are you a stuffer or an exploder?

There were subcategories.

I like to be organized, so this suited me.

She explained what kind of reactions she has and gave specific examples.

This was, perhaps, one of the best things about the book…how she opened up and gave honest, heartfelt accounts of situations she’d been in and how she had, oftentimes, come unglued herself.

She gave practical steps…steps that even I can follow…on how to handle the raw emotions that we encounter.  I am going to type them up and put them on my bulletin board at school.

I was validated in some of the ways I handle stressful situations and comforted by the fact that I haven’t always messed up.

I think what I appreciated the most about this book was that I didn’t feel alone or less like a Christian because of how I handle myself when I come unglued.

By the time I closed the book, I felt empowered.

Oh yeah.

For an overachiever like me, planning is huge, and feeling empowered makes me more confident to accomplish, to the degree I expect of myself, the tasks I set in front of myself.

I also felt better equipped to understand others…to recognize how they handle themselves in unglued moments.

I am of the firm opinion that I will be a better mother, coworker, and teacher because of the time I spent reading this book.

Teenagers, especially, need help working through their feelings.  They need to be taught that 1)  It’s okay to feel what they feel, and 2) How to handle themselves when such situations occur.

This book was a godsend, let me tell you.

I highly, highly, highly encourage you to get your hands on a copy of this book.

The lessons have the potential to change your life.

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

Book Review – The Fault in our Stars

Posted on July 1, 2013 by auburnchick

A few days ago, I finished my 32nd book of 2013…The Fault in our Stars, by John Green…

The book tells the story of Hazel, a young woman who, although holding the tumors in her lungs at bay thanks to experimental drugs, still fights the complications from the cancer, such as fluid buildup and labored breathing.

She meets Augustus at a cancer support group.  He is a cancer survivor.  The attraction is immediate; however, she fights herself and worries about how her illness might leave others to deal with her loss one day, so she can’t fully give herself over to the affection she feels for Augustus.

She has a wonderful set of parents who you just can’t help but love.  Her mother needs to win Mom of the Year.  She is so patient and attentive to Hazel’s needs.  Their relationship is tight; however, Hazel fears leaving her parents should she one day pass away.

This book is not one filled with trite sayings…the stuff you’d find embroidered and hung up on the wall so you’ll find inspiration.

Hazel, Augustus, and their friends are very blunt about their cancer.  Their witty comments leave you chuckling at various points throughout the book.

However, it is their brutal honesty and raw emotions that leave you in tears at various points throughout the book.  Somehow, it feels wrong to laugh, but you can’t help yourself, and those moments are very fitting.

I didn’t want to read this book, I’ll admit it.  I don’t like to cry when I read.

However, as a teacher, and this is Young Adult fiction, it really is my duty to read what’s out there.

I’ve got to find books that will touch my students’ hearts, and this certainly is one of them.

It was incredibly poignant and smartly written with references to Shakespeare and other great literary works sprinkled throughout.

I highly recommend this book, both for teenagers and adults.  These are characters you will not soon forget, and you won’t help but think of them when you encounter a friend or loved one who is battling this tragic disease as well.

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

The Kill Order – Book Review

Posted on June 25, 2013 by auburnchick

In Sunday’s wee hours of the morning, I finally finished reading The Kill Order by James Dashner.

It is billed as the prequel to the series; it was published after the other three books.  Thus, I read it last.

If you read my blog regularly, you’ll know that I have not enjoyed Dashner’s other books in this Maze Runner series.  The concept was actually quite good; however, it was not executed well, in my opinion.

Sure, there were characters that I actually liked, but they were far and few between.

In this final installment, readers learn what led to the maze being created in the first place.

I actually enjoyed this book most out of all four.  The dialogue was not as juvenile.  This could be due to one of the main characters being an older teen.

I liked the characters in this book as well and rooted for them to survive.

However, I still had trouble getting through this book simply because I had nothing pulling me back to it, unlike the scores of other Young Adult fiction books I’ve read over the last two years.

The fighting scenes in this book dragged on forever.  Perhaps young men reading these scenes will appreciate them, given the virtual reality games they like to play.

I am a female, which sounds stereotypical, but I just didn’t enjoy them.

The positives that I can say about this series is that I think it does appeal to young men who crave action when they read.  The text is not high complexity, and the chapters are short, which makes the books perfect for struggling readers who cannot seem to get past two or three pages in one sitting.

With all of that said, I am glad to have finally closed the back cover of this series.

I’m already nearly finished with a book a began immediately afterward.  I’ll be back with another review shortly!

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

The Death Cure – A Book Review

Posted on June 11, 2013 by auburnchick

Saturday night, I finished the third book in The Maze Runner series, books written by James Dashner.

If you’ve read my reviews for the previous books in this series, you’ll know that I haven’t been a big fan.

The dialogue is somewhat juvenile, although I do like the clever way in which the kids swear without using the real swear words.

The plot, though, has always been somewhat shallow, as have the characters.

The third book picked up where the second one left off, with the characters trying to find the cure to the virus that is killing off mankind.

It seems as though it took me forever to get through this book.

I just wasn’t very interested but remained determined for my students’ sake.

About 3/4 of the way into the book, the action finally picked up speed, and I actually stayed up until 3am to finish.  I wanted to know if Thomas was going to make it through alive.

When I closed the back cover, it was with relief, unfortunately.

I really like reading books that make me with they went on and on without end.  Those are the books that stay with me long-term.

I doubt that this series will.

There is a fourth book, the prequel, titled Kill Order.  I’m a few chapters in and hope to finish within the next few days.

I will be glad to put these books to rest…for good.

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Everfound – A Book Review

Posted on May 20, 2013 by auburnchick

Everfound, by Neal Shusterman, is the 27th book I’ve finished this year.  It is the third and final installment in the Skinjacker series.

If you have never read any of Shusterman’s books, I strongly encourage you to run to your nearest bookstore or open up your browser to your favorite online book retailer and GET ONE OF HIS BOOKS!!!

Everfound is the fifth Shusterman book that I’ve read.

Every time I order one of his books, I sit with baited breath awaiting its arrival.

Such was the case with Everfound.

This series deals with children who are stuck between life and death.  For whatever reason, they don’t make it to the light.

The main characters – Allie, Mikey, Nick (The Chocolate Ogre), and Mary – are in a battle.  Allie, Mikey, and Nick want to help the children find their way to the light, and Mary thinks it is her purpose to keep them away from it, safe in Everlost.

The final book touched me very deeply.  At one point, I actually cried.

The climax of the story will leave you both stunned and amazed at Shusterman’s creativity.  He cleverly utilizes historic places, weaving his tale to an emotional end.

This is a must-read…for ALL ages.

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The Scorch Trials – A Book Review

Posted on May 14, 2013 by auburnchick

As you know, I’m constantly reading something.

My most recent book conquest was The Scorch Trials, by James Dashner. It is book #2 of his Maze Runner series.

I wasn’t super-happy with the first book, although the premise was good. Unfortunately, I think that The Hunger Games series, while written after The Maze Runner series, eclipsed Dashner’s series.

However, in the interest of honestly recommending books for my students, I have chosen to continue reading Dashner’s series. Hence, book #2.

In this installment, the crew that escaped from the maze in book #1 is put through a new set of trials. They must cross a desert and find the safe haven, where they’ll be given The Cure, which will heal them from the sickness they were infected with after they escaped.

The plot had potential; however, I found myself struggling to read my way through the book. I was curious enough to keep reading, but I can’t say that I overly enjoyed it, unlike the book I’m currently reading (review to come as soon as I finish).

I feel kind of badly writing this review, but it is an honest assessment.

The good points are that the chapters are short, and the readability is low enough that a struggling high school student can pick it up with no problem. The series is appropriate for middle school readers, by the way.

There is a lot of action, so it’s great for the boys. There are strong female characters, which will appeal to the girls. There’s also a bit of teenage romantic drama, which girls will like as well (and the boys won’t go “ick” to).

Overall, it’s not a bad series, but when compared to other teen fiction I’ve been reading of late, it’s just okay.

Filed under: Books | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Reading Up a Storm

Posted on April 27, 2013 by auburnchick

What is up with me?  I feed badly for letting my blog go lately!

But I’ve been busy.

Sort of.

Actually, I’m ahead on lesson planning…by two weeks…so I’ve been coming home in the afternoons and chilling…something I rarely get to do.

One thing I’ve been doing during my down time is reading…

A lot.

Because I teach intensive reading…to high school students…I feel as though part of my job involves keeping up with relevant reading material so i can honestly and enthusiastically recommend books to my students.

This week, I finished two books.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, was recommended to me by a young lady in my first period class.

I was immediately drawn into this book by the opening lines and intrigued by the concept of having to find a way out of a maze to survive.  However, the further I read, the more it sounded like The Hunger Games series.  I believe that Dashner wrote this book first though.

One other thing that bothered me was the constant references to memories just beyond the main character’s (Thomas) consciousness.  This repetition grew old at times.

Still, it was a good read, and I will continue with the other books in this series.

The second book I finished was Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko.

Two of my students from my sixth period class recommended this book to me.

The setting is Alcatraz in 1935.  The story is about a family who moves to Alcatraz, where the father works as an electrician and guard.  The son, “Moose,” is tasked with taking care of his sister, Natalie, who is mentally challenged.

When you read this book, you get a sense of how society thought about the mentally challenged as well as the personal obstacles that families faced as they tried to come to terms with the less-than-perfect circumstances involved with taking care of such loved ones.

At first, I did not really like this book.  It truly read like an early middle school book.

My feelings changed, though, the further along I got in the book.  As I watched characters evolve, my heart melted.  By the end, I was in awe of Moose and his compassion for his sister.

I’m looking forward to reading Al Capone Shines My Shoes, which I ordered at the same time as the other book.

Filed under: Books | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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