Saturday, September 17, 2005

The Money Fairy!

Woo-hoo!!

The money fairy came by today and left a $430 check in the mailbox.

Yippee!!

Last year I wrote a book study grant for our school, and received money to pay for all materials AND I included pay for every hour the participants attended the meetings, and I added a coordinator's fee for myself.

I'd forgotten about the check because we finished in APRIL of last year.

And the check came today.

Yippee!! Woo-hoo!!! Hooray!!!

What's up with the SPAM?

What's up with the spammers posting responses to the blogs? It's bad enough having to deal with them in my email and in listservs. . . now they're here, too?

Boo-hiss to the spammers!

Pre-school vs. Middle School

As a teacher on one of my focus groups said, "The main difference between preschoolers and middle school students is that the preschoolers go home earlier."

Thursday was a preschool day.

Thursday my students are having writing workshop. Basically that means that some are brainstorming writing topics, some are writing drafts, some are talking with me, some are talking with each other, some are writing pieces for their science class, and some are reading their library books. Things are working smoothly.

Kid asks to get a drink. I let him go because. . . well, there's not really any reason not to. He's a kids that sort of needs a little "up and moving" time every now and then, and the fountain isn't far from my room. He comes back, sits down, and soon comes to tell me his mouth is burning. I assume he's been eating some weird candy since they LOVE the hot/sour stuff. I ask him why, and he says, "I ate one of the leaves off your plant."

You did WHAT?

Yes, he plucked one of the leaves off the plant on my desk and ATE it.

While he was in the office--with one of the plant leaves--talking to the principal, the nurse, and the poison control center, his buddy managed to pull another stunt.

He was trying to write on the cover of his planner, which is plastic. Only he didn't realize that you have to use Sharpie markers on plastic. He used the regular kind. . . and didn't know it didn't dry. So. . . by the time he figured out what was going on, he had is on both forearms, one hand, his face, his shirt, and his desk.

I left early that day to go to the doctor, and my sub told me about how three of the boys were breaking and throwing CRAYONS.

Thursday was a preschool day.

If I had to teacher sixth grade all day long. . .

. . . I would go out of my mind.

They're always moving, tattling, kicking, poking, talking, passing notes, not working, whining, etc.

My 7th graders are SOOOO good in comparison. Of course, that's not to say they don't have their moments. It's just that their moments are few, far between, and MILD compared with the others. Basically they talk a little too much sometimes--but will quiet down. A few won't do their work, but they're not bothering anyone else keeping them from working.

The good things about sixth graders. . .

. . . I only have to keep them for 9 weeks.

. . . most of them will grow up a lot before next year when I get them all year long.

Surgery Update

My dad went to the doctor last week, and his kidney function has improved since his renal angioplasty. They won't know until they do more tests whether the kidney that wasn't working at all is working now. At least the one remaining kidney has improved, if nothing else!

:-)

Been awhile. . .

It's been awhile since I posted because. . .

1. Not that much noteworthy has happened.

2. I've been busy.

3. I forget I've got a blog.