Need Motivated

I've got work to do today. But I am not motivated. Maybe when someone arrives to spend the day with me I will gain my motivation to work. She will probably require a list. So I better get ready.

To Spank or Miss Recess

The parents of my granddaughter received a call from her pre-school yesterday. Seemed Toots got herself into some trouble. A boy in class was bothering her so she kicked him. The teacher offered a choice of punishment, spanking or miss recess. The parents chose miss recess. I haven't talked to the perpetrator yet, but I bet missing recess on such a gorgeous day was the greater punishment. Now to work on those anger issues.

To Do List

Gotta make the doughnuts!

Lesson Plans

Someone has volunteered to work with the gifted students from my room. That's great, except this person wants me to get all the materials ready, at least 2 weeks in advance. Do I look gifted?

You Start Monday

After being laid-off for about 6 months, my son-in-law got a job. It's not with his former company, but it is a job. At least now he can also do some of those part-time jobs that he wants and enjoys. And the health insurance will be good. No more Cobra and the high payment now!! Way to go JSS!

Too Tired

Too tired to post much this morning. Guess my mind is in a little bit of a fog. Looking forward to having a day off next week for Labor Day, one where I don't have to make lesson plans for a sub!

Sick Day Already?

How can not taking one pill cause a sinus infection that has rapidly developed into bronchitis? Here it is the beginning of school, I should take the day off, but don't even have enough explanation written out for a substitute. I hate being sick:(

Trip Delayed

Hubby flew out this morning for his convention in LA. I was suppose to go, but am battling pain in the sciatic nerve and surrounding muscle tissue. Got a shot and hope to be well enough to join him early next week. I hope and pray the shot works because the pain is unbearable!

Did You Say Rain Today?

Can you believe all of this rain we are having? Yuk! Enough!! Send some to Texas where the trees are dying from no water. The predition is for thunderstorms today, Sat., Sun., Mon., Tues., and Wed. At least it should be above the 60s in temp. It's a little hard to swim in this weather.

Fixed Car, Will Travel

The Vue is fixed. After another conversation on the telephone with the service manager, he told hubby how to fix the oil light without driving the car to their place. Guess the computer is set up to notify the owner every X number of miles and since they changed the oil a little ahead of schedule, they forgot to reset it. And the manager admitted that his department made a mistake in not fixing the computer. Is it too late to cancel those magnetic lemon signs?

Fly Under Your Middle Name or Else

Have you heard the latest about airline tickets? Now your name on the ticket must match your name on your driver's license exactly. It must contain your middle name. It must match other documents such as Passport. How many people have their middle names on their drivers' license? Right, most of us have only the initial. And some of us are using the initial of our maiden names as we were directed to do in college. And if you have frequent flyer miles, you best be finding the form to amend your name on the site or else you will not be eligible for the miles earned. Could this be the real reason the new change is coming?

ISTEP Again

We are in the middle of giving ISTEP again, only this time the multiple choice section questions. The test does seem to be easier than the part we took in March. At least the kids are not totally frustrated with the test. Something new this time is an answer grid where the children are instructed to transfer their answers on to the sheet by coloring in the circles. Why did they have to put the circles so close together? Some children still have poor fine muscle control and are unable to color in those small circles that are placed so close to the next line of circles. There is enough room on the page to have separated them a little more. But then they didn't ask me.

April Fool's Day Has Passed

Okay, enough already! We had been enjoying several 60+ degree days with beautiful sunshine. Now we have been subjected to freezing temps, gusting winds, and SNOW. Enough! Give me back the warm, blustery wind. It is amazing that the kids at school are wearing their flip flops, tank tops, and shorts, right through the snow. (Remember the fashion directive that no white shoes could be worn from Labor Day until Easter?) Once that first warm day hits, out comes the summer stuff to stay. Our mandatory fire drill should be interesting today--kids in flip flops and me in my winter coat with gloves!

Depressing News from the News

It is so depressing to listen to the news this morning. Father shoots and kills his 5 children then self in Washington. Three police officers killed in a hail of gunfire in Pittsburgh. Man barricades self and 4 hostages in house. Hours later police find the girlfriend shot dead and gunman dies at the hospital. He had lost his job. Gunman from the NY massacre was wearing a bullet-proof vest and was made fun of because he did not speak English well and he had lost his job. The common thread of most of these shootings was the loss of their jobs. Is this the beginning of more carnage because of the down-turn in the economy? How sad that when faced with the loss of one's job the only answer becomes death by guns. Is there a way to give people hope and help? When will the carnage be addressed by government? Or am I dreaming? My fear is that more deaths will occur by the result of guns because the idea has been planted in the heads of those who seem to have no hope. The news story of violence by guns becomes the solution. We need to pray that God will turn this around. And we need to be ready to help.

It's Still Dark Outside!

Have you ever heard of those kids who are extremely active in the day and don't require much sleep at night? Let's just say my granddaughter spent the night with me, it's 5:00 am, and she's up!

ISTEP++++

Well, we are almost finished with ISTEP+ testing. This new test is unbelievable. The math problems would stump most adults, let alone 9 to 12 year old students. I read in the Indy newspaper about the stress students are experiencing across the state. Some students have stressed so much that they closed the test booklet and did not work the test. Others have literally pulled out their hair. The article said that the state may have to change its way of grading the test. Students may get more points than the students thought. So we are to tell our students not to worry about it. That's like trying to get the spilled red Kool-aid separated out of the swimming pool. I'm sure my students will feel so relieved to know that NO problems worked will equal a better score than we originally thought. The newspaper gave a few examples of the problems given to fourth graders. The directions state, "Use words, numbers or symbols to explain why Elaine is NOT correct. Be sure to indicate the areas to support your answer." Then the answer states, "Elaine is not correct because mopping floor B twice is less area than floors A and C combined." Where are the numbers? Where is the proof? How did the answer show proof? You can bet that the state's answer key for the test just given will not be so lenient. My math is pretty good when I say the state has wasted $29,000,000 and excused themselves in the process.

Accelerated Math Decelerates Blogger

Sorry for my absence. We have begun yet another new program in school this month called Accelerated Math. We are receiving training, but not quickly enough. We are to be immersed in the program, having all students actively using the program NOW, if not sooner. It has become a "learn as you go" program for we, the teachers. Thankfully we are willing to share with one another what we have learned, especially the parts about what does not work! Most of the students really like the program. Those who struggle in math are not as willing to work in the program. I am so busy keeping the program and all its components going while we are doing acc math for the day that it has become easy for the strugglers to just sit and do nothing. I will have to find a way to "fix" this problem, and soon!

Dreams Can Be Nightmares.

Last night I had a vivid dream about my mom, my brother, and my dad, all of whom are deceased. We were in my dad's house, mom was in her bedroom, Joe in the living room, and dad was sitting at the kitchen table. I only talked with my dad, and he answered me. I was helping pick out two sets of clothes for him to wear to a friend's visitation and funeral. I picked out the red/orange leisure suit, and he agreed that would be fine. Now I don't go in for dream interpretations, but it gives me the willies to be talking with the departed. Does that mean I miss them? I long to be with them? I am dying soon? Too much stress? Don't answer that.

All Pain, No Gain

I only have a few days of vacation left before I have to go back to teaching school. I had so many things on my list that I wanted to accomplish while off these few days. But I'm not sure if I will get many of them done. I have a pinched nerve in my lower back that affects my right hip and leg. While laying down, no problem. But as soon as I get up the pain begins. I'm already taking large doses of ibuprophen. And the worse part of it all is that my chiropractor is also on vacation.

Clutter

Here I sit in my computer room, surrounded by clutter. I need to begin working on ridding, condensing, purging, trashing this stuff. Where is Nate when you need him? But Nate would rid my room of all things that are us and create a beautiful room that has nothing of our "stuff." But then it would be done.