Had a meeting first thing this morning. I can’t go into, because I fear confidentiality issues, but lets just say, you can be organized, you can be working hard to get what you think your child needs, but you are still delusional.
What dad says, “So when in the process will he be normal?”
Honestly!
And that was how I started my day.
Random fact: While I am not a hypochondriac, I do often think I have whatever syndrome or illness fits my “symptoms” at the moment. So today, I had ADHD.
I had 3 parent conferences today, thus rounding out my 5. Of my 5 kids (the sixth one is too new to have a conference) I got 3 moms and 2 sets of parents. I realized that all 5 of them live with both of their biological parents, although I am not sure if one set is married or not. It makes me sad that we are surprised when kids’ parents are still married to each other.
I had one father ask me what I meant by “alphabetizing” when I told him his son is very good it.
One mother mentioned to the classroom teacher that her son would like to be moved to Ms. Otherteacher’s class because he knows it is the “high” Literacy block. I tried to spend the conference letting her know, gently, that he was not even on grade level, and therefore not a candidate for being moved up (I teach the “middle” group). Of course, this was the same mother who asked if her son should be reading at home. When I told T this he said, “No, no, why would you want to do that? We’ve found that it actually fosters improvement.”
Then there is the mom who not only reads with her child each night, but follows along and keeps track of how she is doing. I gently (again) suggested that her daughter might enjoy reading more if it was less like school.
I won’t even get started on the couple who think their child is stupid.
Teacher funnies:
18. Meeting a child’s parents instantly answers the question, “Why is this kid like that?”
Random fact: I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher since I was a very little kid.
Blue #1 I forgot to blog yesterday.
Blue #2 I nearly forgot today, so I ran downstairs in the nude to get my laptop.
Blue #3 We forgot to buy a nose hair trimmer for my husband.
Only 2 girls showed up for Sunday school today, so after we did our lesson we did lots of crafts. First we colored with chalk on black paper to imitate “Out of the Dark” a picture we looked at in association with our lesson. Then we made book mark ribbons for the bibles and hymnals in the sanctuary. I think I have found a new way to make them stay in church (Sunday school is before church).
Random fact: I have pictures of my high school classmates at different spots in my bible depending on how I felt about them. A boy I was friends with, and then lost all respect for, is between the pages about the plagues.
In the Strathconn household, we don’t always go wild on the weekends. Tonight we ate at the Chelsea and now we are doing our “parallel play” thing both on our laptops watching CSI/Without a Trace.
I don’t have anything interesting to tell. This afternoon was parent/teacher conferences, but I only had 2. Neither of them terribly productive. One parent is too overbearing and pushy with her kids. The other couple is too stupid to help their child. I have 3 more on Monday.
Last night when I was getting in bed T looked rather sheepish laying there. I asked him what was up. He told me his legs had felt a little chapped so he rubbed some moisturizer on them. Then he put on his pajamas and climbed into bed. When he got into the bed his thighs “squished together making a cool mint sandwich with his dangly bits as the filling”. And that’s when I walked in. I fell over on the bed laughing and said, “I am so blogging that.” I’ll bet he could do an ad for them.
Random fact: I once rubbed my husband’s (afore mentioned) Gold Bond Medicated Lotion on my bum and was convinced that people could see the cool tingling sensation I was feeling.
I crouched next to cutie-pie kindergartener to help her with her computer. She was very thoughtful and quiet just staring at me trying to help her. I looked back at her and said, “Darlin’ what are looking at so intently?”
“You,” she said.
“Why?”
“You are just so pretty.”
I wanted to take her home with me.
Random fact: Each teacher I had in first through fourth grades left my school after I had them. 1st transfered in district to the school I teach at now. 2nd retired. 3rd had a baby. 4th got fired. 3rd and 5th are still in the district (20 years later) and 6th left after 10 years.
I learned a very important lesson tonight.
Don’t leave a plastic spatula on the stove when you turn it on. (edited to add pictures)
Random fact: When I was 8 we got our first microwave. I read in the book that to cook a hot dog you set it to 20 seconds. Of course, I didn’t realize that the turn dial on the microwave was minutes. Needless to say, I learned how to make charcoal.
I love my job. Really I do. And most of the time, I even like my coworkers. Actually, I don’t think there is even one staff member I would say I “don’t like” (anymore, there used to be one, but we have reached an agreement). But just like everywhere, I don’t love them all.
Our staff meetings are the second Tuesday of the month (moved this week for conferences). The other Tuesdays are either free or some other kind of meeting. I try to knit during the meeting, so I won’t talk too much because it gets me in trouble. I have one coworker/friend who talks through the ENTIRE meeting. It is very distracting to sit near her. Fortunately she sat in another part of the room today.
Today we had an intruder alert drill. I have two classrooms connected by a fire door. One is my Literacy room and one is my Tech Lab. We all have a key that locks and unlocks our classroom doors. I keep the key in my purse in the lab. I asked the custodian for a second key to hide in my Literacy room, but he said I would have to take it up with my principal.
Today I timed myself. I started in my Literacy room when the alarm went off. I walked to the lab, got my key, locked that door, went back to the Literacy room and locked that door. It took me over a minute. Say I have kids in my Literacy room. I have to leave them alone in there with an unlocked door while I go next door to get my key and lock the door and then go back to lock the door in there. (Did I mention I am right next to the office and across from the front door?)
So today at our staff meeting when we debriefed about the alert I mentioned my desire for another key to hide in my 2nd room. I am concerned about carrying around my key because I don’t always have pockets, necklaces annoy me, and I tend to lose things. (I only mentioned the last one.) Principal said “I’ll look into that.” and moved over to his notepad to write it down. Then previously mentioned coworker/friend said, “Well, why should just one person have a second key? Then everyone should have two keys.” A teahcher sitting near me said, “Do you have two classrooms?” And self-centered coworker said, “What if [connected room teacher] isn’t in? I have to go in there to lock her door.” To which my principal said, “Well, I can’t go around handing out extra keys. I guess I will have to think about this.”
Think about what? I would like ONE extra key to hide. And what business is it of hers if I have two keys? How often is her next door neighbor not there? Cause I am the only one constantly in my two rooms, so if I am in one, no one is in the other.
It was so stupid. She just likes to argue. She is so contrary and self-centered.
I feel better just having written this.
Random fact: I have been on a school year calendar every year since I was 3.
I don’t write much here because I don’t have anything in my life that is interesting enough to write about. I have things that are going on in my life, but I am undecided about whether I should share them. I never know who is going to read this and I am concerned about what people know about me.
I am sure if I shared my readers (however few there may be) would be very receptive and supportive. But what if one my students finds this? Do they need to know about certain private things?
And considering the nature of my issue, what kind of people will it attract? I guess I could use symbols to replace certain letters, but will that really keep the creeps away? I am not going to be posting pictures, so I guess it shouldn’t be that much of a concern.
Random fact: I am not a very good liar. I try to lie, but I never get away with it.
I finally launched my new look. I am a wicked perfectionist, so I didn’t want to put it up until I thought it was really done. I took all the pictures in the masthead. Most of them are from around my town.
This is not my post for the day. I will be back this afternoon.
Blue #1: I forgot to post on Saturday. I couldn’t even make it 3 days without forgetting to post!
Blue #2: I have to go to work tomorrow.
Blue #3: It is getting cold.
Blue #4: We forgot to set our clock back so I got up earlier than I needed to.
Blue #4.5: I was still late for Sunday School.
Blue #5: I can’t get my Joomla site to work on my school’s new hosting.
This weekend went by too fast. Friday we went shopping and out to dinner.
Saturday night we performed in a Murder Mystery. It was the Italian themed story and I played the 21 year old daughter (only 9 years too old) and our friend Jay Man played my 25 year old brother (only 7 years too young). Lord S played our father’s twin brother and Best Lady played his girlfriend. It was at a nice restaurant hosted by a local church. The audience was really great and very enthusiastic. We all knew a few people in the audience, which is a little different for us. The audience members I interacted with asked great questions and made really good guesses. It was not as great as the night we performed at the country club where they bought us drinks and had a water gun fight.
Today, not only did we have time trouble, but I had Sunday School, church and then I was in charge of coffee hour with two other great CE members (they don’t read this, but I love them both!). For the first time in weeks all my Sunday schoolers and my helper showed up. We had a decent lesson about Zaccheus and talked about they would do if someone famous showed up in our town and invited themselves over. Then we did a crossword review of the parables we’ve read. I knit my way through church, although this week’s sermon was really great. Coffee hour did not go smoothly, but everyone seemed satisfied. I washed dishes and had really nice conversation.
The afternoon is a blur. I tried to figure out what to do with all the pictures we’ve scanned for MFP’s 100th year scrapbook (more details later) because my MIL and I planned to work on it this evening. I also promised to run lines with a friend who is in A Doll House. I nearly fell alseep several times. The evening was spent with MIL looking at the photos we have scanned and cropping them while T watched the Patriots come from behind to stay undefeated!
Now I am watching the start of this season’s Amazing Race.
Random fact: My parents owned a small country store when I was a kid. 18 years later people still say they wish my parents owned it.