I whipped up a batch of chicken and dumplings for our hall potluck at school last week. Since I was under the weather nothing tasted good and Dan wasn't feeling well so he wouldn't taste them for me, so I showed up to school with dumplings; the first batch I've ever made by myself, and not entirely sure how they tasted.
Since I had a half-dozen boys hanging out in my room I decided to con one of them into tasting it for me.
So I called over Andres and asked him if he would taste my food.
"What is it?"
"Chicken and dumplings."
"What's that?"
Well this presented an interesting problem. How do you explain dumplings and have it sound like something someone would want to eat?
"Well it is chicken, in like a thick broth...Then there is a bread thing inside, dumplings. They are like biscuits that are cooked in. They should be soft but taste cooked, not doughy. Can you just taste them and let me know if it tastes cooked?"
"Sure."
I mean really, he is a 15 year old boy. Is he honestly going to turn down food?
So I give him a scoop full and he tastes it and tells me it is ok. Then they all walk around the room whispering about my food. A couple of boys made faces, to which I replied that I don't make fun of *their* food (specifically mentioned menudo). And this is what we eat at my home. They laughed and no one else said anything else about it. Most of them said it smelt good but weren't entirely sure about tasting it.
Tuesday, December 27
Christmas at the Pape house
My parents have taken off the week between Christmas and New Year's. Amazingly, since they hardly even take off work on the weekends. Of course today they went on 3 service calls and spent the morning at the shop, but still.
What have we done over Christmas? Had multiple parties: Dad's company Christmas party (which I missed most of cause I hadn't gotten over the crud yet), Family Christmas party at Aunt Gloria's on Christmas Eve and then Christmas day we ate the tamales that one of the guys that works for Dad gave him for Christmas and an enchilada experiment that I made. I probably wouldn't have attempted it but it was just going to be for mom, dad, Dan, Sheri and Joey....then Mammaw and Pappaw, Eddie's family, Aunt Leisa and my cousin Derek all ended up there too. I don't make terribly authentic enchiladas, I always do it wrong. But they ended up ok. Martha saved me by knowing how to make sour cream enchiladas and made those also.
Yesterday we went shopping at the mall and ate dinner with a friend of Dan's. then today we went shopping again. Best thing today was that we got to go and eat at El Sombrero's in Clinton, which I probably ate at 2-3 times a week in college. I had missed it terribly. Silly huh? I live in Fort Worth and can have much better Mexican food and I end up craving El Sombrero. But you know? It was good.
What have we done over Christmas? Had multiple parties: Dad's company Christmas party (which I missed most of cause I hadn't gotten over the crud yet), Family Christmas party at Aunt Gloria's on Christmas Eve and then Christmas day we ate the tamales that one of the guys that works for Dad gave him for Christmas and an enchilada experiment that I made. I probably wouldn't have attempted it but it was just going to be for mom, dad, Dan, Sheri and Joey....then Mammaw and Pappaw, Eddie's family, Aunt Leisa and my cousin Derek all ended up there too. I don't make terribly authentic enchiladas, I always do it wrong. But they ended up ok. Martha saved me by knowing how to make sour cream enchiladas and made those also.
Yesterday we went shopping at the mall and ate dinner with a friend of Dan's. then today we went shopping again. Best thing today was that we got to go and eat at El Sombrero's in Clinton, which I probably ate at 2-3 times a week in college. I had missed it terribly. Silly huh? I live in Fort Worth and can have much better Mexican food and I end up craving El Sombrero. But you know? It was good.
Wednesday, December 21
Silence OR What do you say?
Currently it is 12:24 am. Now, for those people who know me, (and since Sheri, Deva and Dan are usually the only people who read this) I don't stay up late. In fact I am early-to-bed girl sometimes getting in as early as 9:30 on a school night and can sleep right on through with no problems. Now I can't sleep. Probably because I'm getting better and am not as tired. Though apparently those steroid shots can keep you awake.
Train just went by. Didn't even know there was a train at 12 am. One of the joys of living across the way from a railroad track. Of course, nearly everyone in Fort Worth lives near a railroad track.
One of the teachers at school has discovered blogs. Specifically student blogs. I pinned my lips shut and didn't say a thing. He monitors them for inappropriate content and discussions about himself. :) Please don't let me get that old!
Today was a good day at school. I was feeling better. I was only disheartened when 3rd. . . which is my planning period I had 8, count them 8, students show up in my room. Why were they there? Apparently they were exempt, from both tests and didn't want to go home. Well except the kid that rides the bus and had to stick around until the bus ran at 3:35. At one point I had 21 people in my room. Now that was after my friend down the hall brought in her class so that I could head out a little early to go to the doctor.
The majority of the boys in class today were on elchat.com again. I am still shocked and surprised that the filter hasn't blocked them from it yet. I keep having to watch a few of them to make sure that it is appropriate content. The problem is that I don't speak that much spanish. I was doing ok at shutting them down when they were just cursing at each other. We caught one of the boys talking to "laura - sexy y horny." We told him that someone with that name was up to no good. Come to find out it was another boy from across the room. Then "maira" shows up and she was also someone in the room. My friend and I let it go on for a while and somehow with us giggling on the other side of the room, they never figured it out. We ended up having to tell him later. :)
Later on two other students were chatting with each other and only realized it when they asked each other where they were from and one of them calls out, "Hey, this person is from Fort Worth!"
But really there was only one thing that happened today that really impacted me. Sitting at lunch we were discussing students and one of them had gotten taken away to juve for being found with cocaine. Not someone I teach, but someone I knew, and I was there when they got caught. . . .We thought they were tagging the walls in the boys' bathroom or smoking cigarettes. We were going to be pretty mad about that, but I wish that had been the problem.
In the process of discussing this, one of the teachers brings up that this student wasn't the only one involved in drugs and started naming names. So the first couple I thought, "Ok, *maybe*, but I'm not sure." I try not to take what teachers say about students to heart. Everyone deserves more than one chance. It isn't like I haven't needed them myself in life. Then they named one of my kids that hangs out in my room all the time. Immediately, myself and another teacher piped up and said, "No, not him. He isn't involved in anything like that!" But we were assured on good authority that it was true. If it were true I would notice, right? I am not completely naive to think that it doesn't happen. I know of students who have come high on weed to my class. I noticed that.
To make a long story stort, we pulled the student into another room (because like I said, he hangs out in my room all the time) and my friend point-blank asked him. I didn't know what to say. It broke my heart. He swore up and down that it wasn't true. So we had a discussion about who you hang out it with and people's perceptions of you. No matter how much you don't care what people think about you, it changes your opportunities in life if people don't trust you or have misconceptions of you.
I'm sure there is a lesson there that i can learn. Right now I still want to cry about it. I'm glad my friend was there cause I wouldn't have known what to say. I didn't say a word. I just stood there and tried really hard to comprehend the accusation.
Train just went by. Didn't even know there was a train at 12 am. One of the joys of living across the way from a railroad track. Of course, nearly everyone in Fort Worth lives near a railroad track.
One of the teachers at school has discovered blogs. Specifically student blogs. I pinned my lips shut and didn't say a thing. He monitors them for inappropriate content and discussions about himself. :) Please don't let me get that old!
Today was a good day at school. I was feeling better. I was only disheartened when 3rd. . . which is my planning period I had 8, count them 8, students show up in my room. Why were they there? Apparently they were exempt, from both tests and didn't want to go home. Well except the kid that rides the bus and had to stick around until the bus ran at 3:35. At one point I had 21 people in my room. Now that was after my friend down the hall brought in her class so that I could head out a little early to go to the doctor.
The majority of the boys in class today were on elchat.com again. I am still shocked and surprised that the filter hasn't blocked them from it yet. I keep having to watch a few of them to make sure that it is appropriate content. The problem is that I don't speak that much spanish. I was doing ok at shutting them down when they were just cursing at each other. We caught one of the boys talking to "laura - sexy y horny." We told him that someone with that name was up to no good. Come to find out it was another boy from across the room. Then "maira" shows up and she was also someone in the room. My friend and I let it go on for a while and somehow with us giggling on the other side of the room, they never figured it out. We ended up having to tell him later. :)
Later on two other students were chatting with each other and only realized it when they asked each other where they were from and one of them calls out, "Hey, this person is from Fort Worth!"
But really there was only one thing that happened today that really impacted me. Sitting at lunch we were discussing students and one of them had gotten taken away to juve for being found with cocaine. Not someone I teach, but someone I knew, and I was there when they got caught. . . .We thought they were tagging the walls in the boys' bathroom or smoking cigarettes. We were going to be pretty mad about that, but I wish that had been the problem.
In the process of discussing this, one of the teachers brings up that this student wasn't the only one involved in drugs and started naming names. So the first couple I thought, "Ok, *maybe*, but I'm not sure." I try not to take what teachers say about students to heart. Everyone deserves more than one chance. It isn't like I haven't needed them myself in life. Then they named one of my kids that hangs out in my room all the time. Immediately, myself and another teacher piped up and said, "No, not him. He isn't involved in anything like that!" But we were assured on good authority that it was true. If it were true I would notice, right? I am not completely naive to think that it doesn't happen. I know of students who have come high on weed to my class. I noticed that.
To make a long story stort, we pulled the student into another room (because like I said, he hangs out in my room all the time) and my friend point-blank asked him. I didn't know what to say. It broke my heart. He swore up and down that it wasn't true. So we had a discussion about who you hang out it with and people's perceptions of you. No matter how much you don't care what people think about you, it changes your opportunities in life if people don't trust you or have misconceptions of you.
I'm sure there is a lesson there that i can learn. Right now I still want to cry about it. I'm glad my friend was there cause I wouldn't have known what to say. I didn't say a word. I just stood there and tried really hard to comprehend the accusation.
Monday, December 19
Fever count - 101
Ok, today I am sick. It is extremely obvious to my students, my collegues and most of all me. I am not walking-dead-sick, but still lacking energy. My co-11th grade teacher (who is leaving me next semester to be an instructional specialist) told the principal that she didn't think I would make it through the day. Principal says, "Who?" "You know, Mrs. F." [gotta point out how memorable I am here.] "Nah, she won't leave. She'll stick it out."
Now I need to point out that the person that had to think about who I was pegged me better than my friend. but I did leave at exactly 3:45. It took 10 minutes of 'date prisa' and 'vallence a su casa,' but i got all the boys & girls kicked out of my room and headed home. My across the hall neighbor was even impressed that I didn't stick around today.
Why you might ask was there anyone in my room that wasn't taking an exam. Good question. I had about 7 boys show up. 2 that rode the bus and couldn't leave, 2 that were taking the last exam, but not the first and 3 that just showed up. Then two more asked their teacher next door could they come in my room when they finished the exam. I should have kicked them all out. but I wasn't leaving, I knew I wasn't leaving and where else would they go? At least in my room they weren't getting into trouble.
We did have a moment where they all felt my head to see if I had a temperature. I was proclaimed "calliente" (sp?) and they stayed away from me after that. they didn't try to give me any grief though and that was good.
Now I need to point out that the person that had to think about who I was pegged me better than my friend. but I did leave at exactly 3:45. It took 10 minutes of 'date prisa' and 'vallence a su casa,' but i got all the boys & girls kicked out of my room and headed home. My across the hall neighbor was even impressed that I didn't stick around today.
Why you might ask was there anyone in my room that wasn't taking an exam. Good question. I had about 7 boys show up. 2 that rode the bus and couldn't leave, 2 that were taking the last exam, but not the first and 3 that just showed up. Then two more asked their teacher next door could they come in my room when they finished the exam. I should have kicked them all out. but I wasn't leaving, I knew I wasn't leaving and where else would they go? At least in my room they weren't getting into trouble.
We did have a moment where they all felt my head to see if I had a temperature. I was proclaimed "calliente" (sp?) and they stayed away from me after that. they didn't try to give me any grief though and that was good.
sicky girl or i'm really tired and school hasn't started yet
Ok, it is currently 6:27 in the morning. I'm coughing (already took my antibiotics and cough syrup -- hey deva. i been meaning to call you. can i take both at the same time?). I couldn't sleep tonight. So why am I going to school? It is finals. My 1st period has no idea what is on their exam cause I haven't reviewed it and 4th needs to get a review so that they can take their exam tomorrow. up side? i get a planning period today, we haven't taken 3rd period's exam yet. And 2nd is doing locker cleanout. So i'm pulling my oh-so-famous Ikea mushroom stool out to the hall. and yelling at kids from there to keep their stuff neat. :)
On the other upside, as soon as I get exams graded I'll be completing my TAKS/Wiesel unit on Night. I have found a way to read a novel, which will faciliate answering 3 step open-ended responses, which will lead to higher level thinking skills and hopefully facilitate essay writing. this is my plan. sometimes . . . ok, usually, my grandious plans don't turn out as I would like. but this unit will be immediately after my heart to heart with my classes about behavior and how if they don't want to do anything, that is fine. I'm here to help but really it is up to them. if they want to pass TAKS and graduate, they have to step up and do the work. I'm letting the kids who don't care sit it in the back row. I'm not fighting with them next semester. Not till after February. :)
On the other upside, as soon as I get exams graded I'll be completing my TAKS/Wiesel unit on Night. I have found a way to read a novel, which will faciliate answering 3 step open-ended responses, which will lead to higher level thinking skills and hopefully facilitate essay writing. this is my plan. sometimes . . . ok, usually, my grandious plans don't turn out as I would like. but this unit will be immediately after my heart to heart with my classes about behavior and how if they don't want to do anything, that is fine. I'm here to help but really it is up to them. if they want to pass TAKS and graduate, they have to step up and do the work. I'm letting the kids who don't care sit it in the back row. I'm not fighting with them next semester. Not till after February. :)
Thursday, December 15
spanish lessons
now, in addition to my informal spanish lessons, it seems I can sign up for spanish for teachers taught through the district. :) classes start in January.
in the meantime here is the spanish I've learned this week.
What's up - Que honda?
What's up (in chilango speak) - Que tranza?
Vallence a su casa - Go to your house.
Largete (sp?) - You go.
Oh and a great deal of good spanish curse words. I learned at least two really pleasant ones today. The last two spanish phrases are to help kick the kids out of my room.
Exams start tomorrow....that should be fun.
Today was the last time I will see 7th period until January! Woo-hoo!
in the meantime here is the spanish I've learned this week.
What's up - Que honda?
What's up (in chilango speak) - Que tranza?
Vallence a su casa - Go to your house.
Largete (sp?) - You go.
Oh and a great deal of good spanish curse words. I learned at least two really pleasant ones today. The last two spanish phrases are to help kick the kids out of my room.
Exams start tomorrow....that should be fun.
Today was the last time I will see 7th period until January! Woo-hoo!
Tuesday, December 13
Field trip to the library or "Can you help me find?"
Amid the hectic schedule of the past week, we managed to secure that our field trip to the central library still happened. The other reading teacher and I have bribed our kids this 6 weeks that if they read a certain number of pages (160 for Reading I & 200 for Reading II) they can go on a field trip. . . to the library. I had seriously downplayed the library part and seriously up-played "you get to spend a whole day with us, out of school, not in math or English class. come on, it'll be fun." In the end we had 45 of 75 that finished their reading and brought permission slips and got to go.
We had a blast.
Among the highlights:
-Teaching the students how to hold chopsticks at our lunch at P.F. Chang's.
-After Francisco was the kid to sit the farthest to the front of the orientation, getting to point out that he read HP & the Goblet of Fire and is halfway through Order of the Phoenix (the librarians gave him a copy of Half Blood Prince!!! He was so excited that he said it was the best day. He got to eat Chinese food AND got a book.)
-Having the kids genuinely excited to be at the library and get their own library cards.
-Spending all day with my students. they are great kids. they were *quiet* in the library even. They didn't complain and were genuinely pleased to be there. Even if it was a trip to the library, less than 5 min from the school. (Our school is right near downtown.)
To copy my sister:
Things I learned today -
1) I have been calling one of my students Isaac, everyone else calls him Ee-sahc (spanish pronunciation)
2) I can't count...or add. I counted the kids on the bus 7 times only to have another teacher come through and say "they're all here."
3) I learned 'what's up?' in spanish. but i forgot it already (didn't write it down).
4) Homework is "tarea"
5) sports is 'Deportes'
6) The kid I thought never talked, talked all day long!!! His brother was even surprised.
7) My after-school club is going to spread the words sancho/sancha into the English language. They were extremely disturbed that there wasn't a word for it in English. Basically a sancho is an extra boyfriend. It doesn't carry quite the same negative connotation as an affair or mistress. The kids are fixing us up with sanchos all the time.
8) Two of my kids are being left home alone for 3 weeks over Christmas.
We had a blast.
Among the highlights:
-Teaching the students how to hold chopsticks at our lunch at P.F. Chang's.
-After Francisco was the kid to sit the farthest to the front of the orientation, getting to point out that he read HP & the Goblet of Fire and is halfway through Order of the Phoenix (the librarians gave him a copy of Half Blood Prince!!! He was so excited that he said it was the best day. He got to eat Chinese food AND got a book.)
-Having the kids genuinely excited to be at the library and get their own library cards.
-Spending all day with my students. they are great kids. they were *quiet* in the library even. They didn't complain and were genuinely pleased to be there. Even if it was a trip to the library, less than 5 min from the school. (Our school is right near downtown.)
To copy my sister:
Things I learned today -
1) I have been calling one of my students Isaac, everyone else calls him Ee-sahc (spanish pronunciation)
2) I can't count...or add. I counted the kids on the bus 7 times only to have another teacher come through and say "they're all here."
3) I learned 'what's up?' in spanish. but i forgot it already (didn't write it down).
4) Homework is "tarea"
5) sports is 'Deportes'
6) The kid I thought never talked, talked all day long!!! His brother was even surprised.
7) My after-school club is going to spread the words sancho/sancha into the English language. They were extremely disturbed that there wasn't a word for it in English. Basically a sancho is an extra boyfriend. It doesn't carry quite the same negative connotation as an affair or mistress. The kids are fixing us up with sanchos all the time.
8) Two of my kids are being left home alone for 3 weeks over Christmas.
Thursday, December 8
SNOW DAY
Yep, I got a snow day today, along with the rest of FWISD. I also got a snow 'afternoon' yesterday. We let the kids out at 12:10 to go to lunch, buses picked up at 1:00 pm...but most of our kids walk or drive home. I spent the better part of the afternoon making sure that all the kids I could find had a ride home.
The thing that amazes me most about our school is that kids don't want to go home. Days off, after school and summer they just show up and hang around. Multiple students were sent home with reliable rides and then they would show back up on the 2nd floor *because they never left!* I mean, I'm flattered, that they want to be at school and not out on the street getting into trouble, but it was sleeting, my car was covered with an inch of ice, and the students needed to go home. So we kept pushing them out the door.
An hour after we sent kids home 7 of my students show up. All telling me they are going to walk home. None of them live within a half mile of school, so I start trying to find a way for them to get home. They wait till I get just slightly panicked, then they say that they are all walking to Pedro's house and he is going to take them home. So I send them all to Pedro's house to hang out there instead.
Today I have the excitement of not getting up until 9 am...Dan said it was a snow day miracle. I never sleep past 7:30. Then I watched ABC Family's Christmas Carol movie version of the year and 2 weeks ago's Charmed. For those of you who keep up (ha!) Leo didn't die, but he is frozen and being "kept" by the Angel of Destiny until such time as the sisters can fight a final battle. They needed the loss of losing Leo to make them stronger for this battle. :) Ok, I like Charmed, you can get on to me if you want.
I think my husband wants to play Civ IV this afternoon. I suppose I can accomodate. :) It is a good snow day activity...but we have to decorate the house later!
The thing that amazes me most about our school is that kids don't want to go home. Days off, after school and summer they just show up and hang around. Multiple students were sent home with reliable rides and then they would show back up on the 2nd floor *because they never left!* I mean, I'm flattered, that they want to be at school and not out on the street getting into trouble, but it was sleeting, my car was covered with an inch of ice, and the students needed to go home. So we kept pushing them out the door.
An hour after we sent kids home 7 of my students show up. All telling me they are going to walk home. None of them live within a half mile of school, so I start trying to find a way for them to get home. They wait till I get just slightly panicked, then they say that they are all walking to Pedro's house and he is going to take them home. So I send them all to Pedro's house to hang out there instead.
Today I have the excitement of not getting up until 9 am...Dan said it was a snow day miracle. I never sleep past 7:30. Then I watched ABC Family's Christmas Carol movie version of the year and 2 weeks ago's Charmed. For those of you who keep up (ha!) Leo didn't die, but he is frozen and being "kept" by the Angel of Destiny until such time as the sisters can fight a final battle. They needed the loss of losing Leo to make them stronger for this battle. :) Ok, I like Charmed, you can get on to me if you want.
I think my husband wants to play Civ IV this afternoon. I suppose I can accomodate. :) It is a good snow day activity...but we have to decorate the house later!
Tuesday, December 6
taks scores
I got the senior TAKS scores. 12 of my kids passed, 22 failed. Of the 22 that failed, 19 of them failed because of the writing. I teach reading....I'm not supposed to be teaching writing, but i guess i'm doing that from now on. i just can't take a chance.
today i was relocated for 6th and 7th. the cheerleaders were doing stretches outside of the portable that I was in. The male members of my class were very excited.
One of the kids I taught last year just came back from alternative school yesterday. I, apparently, am the only teacher he gets along with. he drives the rest of them crazy. very very add kid. why is it that i do fine with the add kids? ok, don't answer that.
alex and jorge were rating the girls on a scale of 1-5 during the testing by pointing to a girl and then holding up fingers.
one of my kids came up and told me 7th that it was going to snow tomorrow. I told him he was crazy. He asked me did I watch tv. I said I was out of town all weekend. I nearly, almost nearly bet him $10 that it wasn't going to snow tommorrow, that he was just making that up. I would have been wrong!
today i was relocated for 6th and 7th. the cheerleaders were doing stretches outside of the portable that I was in. The male members of my class were very excited.
One of the kids I taught last year just came back from alternative school yesterday. I, apparently, am the only teacher he gets along with. he drives the rest of them crazy. very very add kid. why is it that i do fine with the add kids? ok, don't answer that.
alex and jorge were rating the girls on a scale of 1-5 during the testing by pointing to a girl and then holding up fingers.
one of my kids came up and told me 7th that it was going to snow tomorrow. I told him he was crazy. He asked me did I watch tv. I said I was out of town all weekend. I nearly, almost nearly bet him $10 that it wasn't going to snow tommorrow, that he was just making that up. I would have been wrong!
Sunday, December 4
a week off...
...Exciting fun things of the day:
1) I'm presenting about India tonight for the Week of Prayer at my grandparent's church. I went there in 2001 for an ethnographic study. Kinda nervous...Apparently they have hyped me up quite a bit, i hope no one is disappointed.
2) I called H's sister. . . who speaks perfect English. She is about 15 years older than him and was in high school when he was a baby born in Los Angeles. We had a discussion about him and how he is doing and what he could be better at.
Then 2 days later I caught him wearing spanish curse words on his shirt. :) kinda proud of myself for noticing. Had to hunt him down cause he wouldn't come back and change it right then.
3) I get to go on a field trip with my reading I's a week from Tuesday. We are going to the downtown library and then out to eat. *I'm* excited, I hope they are.
4) My 7th period class is out of control and I'm being observed in there on Wednesday...This could be bad. I get to practice my lesson on Tuesday, but we are relocated because of TAKS benchmark testing to a portable. This *might* just be chaos.
1) I'm presenting about India tonight for the Week of Prayer at my grandparent's church. I went there in 2001 for an ethnographic study. Kinda nervous...Apparently they have hyped me up quite a bit, i hope no one is disappointed.
2) I called H's sister. . . who speaks perfect English. She is about 15 years older than him and was in high school when he was a baby born in Los Angeles. We had a discussion about him and how he is doing and what he could be better at.
Then 2 days later I caught him wearing spanish curse words on his shirt. :) kinda proud of myself for noticing. Had to hunt him down cause he wouldn't come back and change it right then.
3) I get to go on a field trip with my reading I's a week from Tuesday. We are going to the downtown library and then out to eat. *I'm* excited, I hope they are.
4) My 7th period class is out of control and I'm being observed in there on Wednesday...This could be bad. I get to practice my lesson on Tuesday, but we are relocated because of TAKS benchmark testing to a portable. This *might* just be chaos.
Tuesday, November 22
thanksgiving
Well, I got everything I wanted to do done yesterday. This morning I sat and watched Little Women...my favorite book growing up and a good 'Christmassy' movie. It is nice being off.
Dan and I went to go and see Harry Potter last night....I love Harry Potter. Goblet of Fire was my favorite book so far so I really enjoyed the movie. We stayed up late, ok, midnight and we even found See's Candies at Ridgemar!!! They are selling them at a kiosk for the Christmas season. mmm-mmm. We are taking them back to Jackson with us. I used to bring a box back every holiday when I lived in CA.
I'm kinda sad about the movies though. They waited so long to make them all that the actors are growing up. Neville Longbottom has *really* grown up, lost all his baby fat, etc. I am not sure they will pass as high schoolers, of course movie people do it all the time. I guess we will see what happens.
We had one language center kid who just read the entire Goblet of Fire novel (800+ pages). In addition to the fact that he could have just gone and gotten a copy in Spanish, he actually finished it! He borrowed book 5 from me and was in chapter 7 when we got out for Thanksgiving. Pretty impressive, huh?
Dan and I went to go and see Harry Potter last night....I love Harry Potter. Goblet of Fire was my favorite book so far so I really enjoyed the movie. We stayed up late, ok, midnight and we even found See's Candies at Ridgemar!!! They are selling them at a kiosk for the Christmas season. mmm-mmm. We are taking them back to Jackson with us. I used to bring a box back every holiday when I lived in CA.
I'm kinda sad about the movies though. They waited so long to make them all that the actors are growing up. Neville Longbottom has *really* grown up, lost all his baby fat, etc. I am not sure they will pass as high schoolers, of course movie people do it all the time. I guess we will see what happens.
We had one language center kid who just read the entire Goblet of Fire novel (800+ pages). In addition to the fact that he could have just gone and gotten a copy in Spanish, he actually finished it! He borrowed book 5 from me and was in chapter 7 when we got out for Thanksgiving. Pretty impressive, huh?
Saturday, November 19
puedo hablar...
Ok, more on the calling of my student's momma, since I realized that it sounded a little odd. I tease my kids, especially those who are more ADD, that I am going to call their mommas. Well, I have this one kid whose mom and two sisters live in Mexico City, he doesn't talk to her a lot, lives with his dad and older brother. As much as I can tell he was there this summer and hasn't talked to her since. Well, he started saying that I should go ahead and call his mom..."What do you want me to say?" "Tell her I'm ok."
We went through that banter for a few days, then Friday he brings me his mom's phone number in Mexico City, writes down her name and tells me to call after 8. I asked did his mom speak English and he said to ask for his sister Georgina cause she speaks "a little." (this last bit was with a grin and a giggle, so I'm not real sure how much 'a little' is.) So I really think he does want me to call. Not sure what to say, he is a good student, very bouncy, the boy who taught me what "tuba" means in spanish, but a sweet kid. He apparently misses his momma and wants her to know he is doing ok.
So, does anyone know how to call Mexico City?
We went through that banter for a few days, then Friday he brings me his mom's phone number in Mexico City, writes down her name and tells me to call after 8. I asked did his mom speak English and he said to ask for his sister Georgina cause she speaks "a little." (this last bit was with a grin and a giggle, so I'm not real sure how much 'a little' is.) So I really think he does want me to call. Not sure what to say, he is a good student, very bouncy, the boy who taught me what "tuba" means in spanish, but a sweet kid. He apparently misses his momma and wants her to know he is doing ok.
So, does anyone know how to call Mexico City?
Friday, November 18
fall cleaning time
Posting since I am waiting on my husband to get home. :)
Today, the last day before a week long, much needed Thanksgiving break, I chose not to do the originally planned writing center activity. Instead I chucked the lesson plan and offered my students the following deal: "You help me get my life organized here and I'll show you the movie you want to watch the last half of class." Worked like a charm.
The things I accomplished today:
1) sent every bit of paper, book, stuff to the correct teacher/office...even the stuff that has been sitting in my room for 3 weeks...ok, the entire year.
2) moved my two filing cabinets across the room and away from the air conditioning/heating sensor (the air guy says that was my heating problem)
3) moved my desk
4) cleaned out the files left by the teacher before me
5) organized the class library
6) alphabetized all the folders
7) cleaned my boards and put the birthday calendar up permanently so I don't have to keep doing it
8) got rid of all the boxes in my room and put empty ones behind the books so they don't push over.
all in all a productive day.
also I learned a little spanish:
"Puedo hablar con de la mama de Hernan, por favor?"
One of my students wants me to call his mom in Mexico City and tell her he is ok. I am sorta tempted to do it cause he really did want me to.
and
"que de histe" (spelling extremely rough?) 'What did you say?'
Today, the last day before a week long, much needed Thanksgiving break, I chose not to do the originally planned writing center activity. Instead I chucked the lesson plan and offered my students the following deal: "You help me get my life organized here and I'll show you the movie you want to watch the last half of class." Worked like a charm.
The things I accomplished today:
1) sent every bit of paper, book, stuff to the correct teacher/office...even the stuff that has been sitting in my room for 3 weeks...ok, the entire year.
2) moved my two filing cabinets across the room and away from the air conditioning/heating sensor (the air guy says that was my heating problem)
3) moved my desk
4) cleaned out the files left by the teacher before me
5) organized the class library
6) alphabetized all the folders
7) cleaned my boards and put the birthday calendar up permanently so I don't have to keep doing it
8) got rid of all the boxes in my room and put empty ones behind the books so they don't push over.
all in all a productive day.
also I learned a little spanish:
"Puedo hablar con de la mama de Hernan, por favor?"
One of my students wants me to call his mom in Mexico City and tell her he is ok. I am sorta tempted to do it cause he really did want me to.
and
"que de histe" (spelling extremely rough?) 'What did you say?'
Monday, November 14
my day in the library
ok, well to start off with, myself and the other language center reading teacher are bribing our kids to read long books. if they read 160 pages by the middle of december, they will get to go on a field trip downtown. tool around awhile, tour the library and go out to eat for free. i have conned most of them into trying.
then i spent the rest of the day alternately admonishing and praising my students for behavior when the sub was here. it culminated with yelling at them about posting a note to the pointy part of the flag and leaving it for my 9th graders to find this morning. my 9th graders translated it for me. my list of spanish curse words gets longer by the day. the first girl was so embarrassed she almost wouldn't tell me. i did get out of two girls in 7th who posted it. he wasn't there today so i'll get him tomorrow. :)
so today i give 7th their rant about behavior and how lots of them are seniors and 6-7 months from now they will be done with high school and i shouldn't have to be telling them how to act. basically a 'grow-up' speech. :) then i had to take them to the library because i had to wait a week to get in. i'm helping these groups of boys find books (16:9 boy-girl ratio remember) and get so frustrated that i take off my jacket while i'm talking to them. apparently this surprised them cause they all go "whoa! what are you doing?" "Taking off my jacket. I'm hot." "Right, Ms. You're hot!" what do i do? blush.
This is not what i needed today. especially from the class i'm supposed to be mad at. though i never stay mad at 7th period very long cause they are good kids and generally i like them. there are quite a few kids in there that shoot off a smile like "you can't be mad at me." and there i go and don't hold them to it. I should be a better disciplinarian.
then i spent the rest of the day alternately admonishing and praising my students for behavior when the sub was here. it culminated with yelling at them about posting a note to the pointy part of the flag and leaving it for my 9th graders to find this morning. my 9th graders translated it for me. my list of spanish curse words gets longer by the day. the first girl was so embarrassed she almost wouldn't tell me. i did get out of two girls in 7th who posted it. he wasn't there today so i'll get him tomorrow. :)
so today i give 7th their rant about behavior and how lots of them are seniors and 6-7 months from now they will be done with high school and i shouldn't have to be telling them how to act. basically a 'grow-up' speech. :) then i had to take them to the library because i had to wait a week to get in. i'm helping these groups of boys find books (16:9 boy-girl ratio remember) and get so frustrated that i take off my jacket while i'm talking to them. apparently this surprised them cause they all go "whoa! what are you doing?" "Taking off my jacket. I'm hot." "Right, Ms. You're hot!" what do i do? blush.
This is not what i needed today. especially from the class i'm supposed to be mad at. though i never stay mad at 7th period very long cause they are good kids and generally i like them. there are quite a few kids in there that shoot off a smile like "you can't be mad at me." and there i go and don't hold them to it. I should be a better disciplinarian.
Sunday, November 13
bragging on my kids
Ok, so I don't actually teach any of these kids, but I am super super proud. yesterday we went to state cross country. And OUR GUYS WON FIRST! In the state of Texas, North Side has the best 4A cross country team! We got written up in the Star-Telegram the day before.
Just wanted to brag.
Just wanted to brag.
Friday, November 11
friday night plans
what am i doing tonight? i'm going to the drive-in with 3 middle schoolers. :) a promise made to take them during Rambling Road Trip VBS this summer...then they didn't show a G/PG rated movie for 3 MONTHS!
We're going to see chicken little. wanna join us?
www.thebrazos.com
From Ft. Worth exit 429A from I-20/820 to US-377
Take 377 Business to Granbury Square
377 becomes Pearl St.
Go 2.5 miles on Pearl St.
The Brazos is on the right, before the High School
The estimated driving time is about 50 minutes
We're going to see chicken little. wanna join us?
www.thebrazos.com
From Ft. Worth exit 429A from I-20/820 to US-377
Take 377 Business to Granbury Square
377 becomes Pearl St.
Go 2.5 miles on Pearl St.
The Brazos is on the right, before the High School
The estimated driving time is about 50 minutes
Thursday, November 10
substitutes
now normally i have excellent luck with substitutes, or at least am not in the building where i know all the problems....but today....
1st period the sub was late. she took the job last night, no excuse. we start at 8:35 for crying out loud. my teacher assistant got the class started. then 2nd 2 kids and the teacher assistant came down to ask, "what are we supposed to be doing, cause the class is crazy. they are all listening to music, etc." well, apparently, the sub lost the instructions and didn't know what to do. the directions were on the board; the grammar packets were in the basket by my desk. . . seriously, figure it out. I went up there and by the time i got there the students had found the work and passed it out and started working on it. 4th, apparently they didn't do anything. 5th, they hunted down the grammar packets and did it themselves because she told them she didn't know what they were supposed to be doing. 6th, nothing...that is when i found all this out. i went up there 7th, passed out the packets myself and got them started. most of them were doing their work between blaming this girl of being pedro's (another kid in class) girlfriend. go figure that. oh and they tagged my board up...mostly in dry erase markers, partly in regular markers.
what did my sub do today? she make some excellent pencil drawings because she is an amateur artist. did she attempt to make them do their work? did she check or worry about what they were doing? you know the answer to that i'm sure.
so this is my quandry. i *was* going to let them watch a video tomorrow if they did the grammar packets efficiently today, but most of my classes didn't do them and those that did didn't get them till the end of the period (except for 7th). though i shouldn't punish the students for the sub being crazy. i'll just make sure that she doesn't come back to my room. i was visably angry today when i went up there after school, but i didn't say anything to her about it. i asked what they did and she said she didn't know what they were supposed to be doing and she lost the assignment page. i wouldn't be so upset about it but i was in and out of my room all day and she didn't ask. she said she didn't know where the packets came from, they just appeared. :)
on a happier note, the conferencing is going very, very well. most of my student are actually very very close to passing and many of them could make 3/4 on their essays if they work at it. so the day wasn't a complete bust.
1st period the sub was late. she took the job last night, no excuse. we start at 8:35 for crying out loud. my teacher assistant got the class started. then 2nd 2 kids and the teacher assistant came down to ask, "what are we supposed to be doing, cause the class is crazy. they are all listening to music, etc." well, apparently, the sub lost the instructions and didn't know what to do. the directions were on the board; the grammar packets were in the basket by my desk. . . seriously, figure it out. I went up there and by the time i got there the students had found the work and passed it out and started working on it. 4th, apparently they didn't do anything. 5th, they hunted down the grammar packets and did it themselves because she told them she didn't know what they were supposed to be doing. 6th, nothing...that is when i found all this out. i went up there 7th, passed out the packets myself and got them started. most of them were doing their work between blaming this girl of being pedro's (another kid in class) girlfriend. go figure that. oh and they tagged my board up...mostly in dry erase markers, partly in regular markers.
what did my sub do today? she make some excellent pencil drawings because she is an amateur artist. did she attempt to make them do their work? did she check or worry about what they were doing? you know the answer to that i'm sure.
so this is my quandry. i *was* going to let them watch a video tomorrow if they did the grammar packets efficiently today, but most of my classes didn't do them and those that did didn't get them till the end of the period (except for 7th). though i shouldn't punish the students for the sub being crazy. i'll just make sure that she doesn't come back to my room. i was visably angry today when i went up there after school, but i didn't say anything to her about it. i asked what they did and she said she didn't know what they were supposed to be doing and she lost the assignment page. i wouldn't be so upset about it but i was in and out of my room all day and she didn't ask. she said she didn't know where the packets came from, they just appeared. :)
on a happier note, the conferencing is going very, very well. most of my student are actually very very close to passing and many of them could make 3/4 on their essays if they work at it. so the day wasn't a complete bust.
Wednesday, November 9
conferencing
tomorrow and friday myself and a teacher down the hall are conferencing the students that we teach on their writing for the state test. i am actually quite excited about it. i get to spend a whole day talking to the kids and *really* giving them things to help them w/o having to shush kids every 5 minutes or stop and find more work for those that finished early to do. we have gotten subs for two days so we can do this. i can really talk to each and every kid and given them things to hold on to. it actually should be a lot of fun.
Tuesday, November 8
raising expectations
Our school just got some kind of insane grant to do High Schools that Work. It is a smaller learning community program. The kids will go to a freshman academy then will choose a major and stay in that academy till they graduate (they can swap majors if they like later one). Really neat idea. Great for the teachers cause you will teach the same kids and can keep track of them and help them out a lot. It really is very helpful to talk to other teachers about kids cause you can find out if it is just you or if they are slipping or if something is up with them.
We had to go to the faculty meeting today and hear everyone complain about how the students can't all take ap classes (should be up to 80% on a distinguished grad plan) and how we need an extra administator just to call parents and you can't help kids out if they just can't do it. I really hate faculty meetings that end up that way. The principal got frustrated and actually told the teachers that we are doing this next year and if they don't like it they need to let her know and she will get them transferred for next august...or even January. :) Lots of fun.
We had to go to the faculty meeting today and hear everyone complain about how the students can't all take ap classes (should be up to 80% on a distinguished grad plan) and how we need an extra administator just to call parents and you can't help kids out if they just can't do it. I really hate faculty meetings that end up that way. The principal got frustrated and actually told the teachers that we are doing this next year and if they don't like it they need to let her know and she will get them transferred for next august...or even January. :) Lots of fun.
Monday, November 7
to write or not to write....
In my first 3 months being a reading teacher I have realized that I in fact really, really love to teach writing. I understand writing, I retain the information about the people who are writing gurus and I think I'm pretty good at getting the students to do it. This six weeks I decided to teach writing. It is on the test, the kids need it and the other teachers (that are teaching English) are not doing it. Well I say that, they aren't doing it as much as I would, but they are writing some.
Today I created this awesome lesson where the students choose a generic topic (first day of school, championship game, etc) and then they choose 3 styles of how to write an introduction (description, dialogue, interior monologue, action, etc.) It is cool cause they rewrite the same thing 3 different ways. They can see how they can rewrite things to match the story better, how you can say the same thing 3 ways and practice with different methods of writing. I found that last year students would only try one way of writing an introduction. They ALL used begin with a question. Thus, they never branched out and never really refined that method either. I'm trying it different this year.
So far I have at least two kids that *never* do anything that are interested and asking how to do it. One literally didn't write anything last year. The other wrote some stuff for me, but didn't put much effort and *never* asked questions about how to do it. Both kept trying to get me to help them and wrote stuff!!! Yes, that seems like a small thing, but really it is a very big thing. I'm super proud of them. small victories.
update on the kids who hang out in my room. Today I had 3 who used computers, 3 who finished their intro paragraphs before I let them on (one i made stay after because he goofed off all 7th period). One kid told me that he wished he could know what I was like outside of school (not being a teacher) this i laughed at and told him that was a much more interesting teacher than I was a person. I explained that my husband and I read books for fun...and that we went to the movies for the first time in a *long* time on Friday and it almost got vetoed cause there wasn't anything Dan wanted to see. But I conned him into Zorro (Antonio Bandaras :). I think I convinced them that I wasn't that interesting a person.
Today I created this awesome lesson where the students choose a generic topic (first day of school, championship game, etc) and then they choose 3 styles of how to write an introduction (description, dialogue, interior monologue, action, etc.) It is cool cause they rewrite the same thing 3 different ways. They can see how they can rewrite things to match the story better, how you can say the same thing 3 ways and practice with different methods of writing. I found that last year students would only try one way of writing an introduction. They ALL used begin with a question. Thus, they never branched out and never really refined that method either. I'm trying it different this year.
So far I have at least two kids that *never* do anything that are interested and asking how to do it. One literally didn't write anything last year. The other wrote some stuff for me, but didn't put much effort and *never* asked questions about how to do it. Both kept trying to get me to help them and wrote stuff!!! Yes, that seems like a small thing, but really it is a very big thing. I'm super proud of them. small victories.
update on the kids who hang out in my room. Today I had 3 who used computers, 3 who finished their intro paragraphs before I let them on (one i made stay after because he goofed off all 7th period). One kid told me that he wished he could know what I was like outside of school (not being a teacher) this i laughed at and told him that was a much more interesting teacher than I was a person. I explained that my husband and I read books for fun...and that we went to the movies for the first time in a *long* time on Friday and it almost got vetoed cause there wasn't anything Dan wanted to see. But I conned him into Zorro (Antonio Bandaras :). I think I convinced them that I wasn't that interesting a person.
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