Thoughts on Thursday

The more college classes I have the more my professors scare me. From my English 250 professor who was 65 years old wearing baby doll jumpers with sneakers.. one class where the boys were not saying.. (Stacy’s mom has got it going on), to an OCD professor who had to jingle his keys 15 times before any lesson and then flip a coin, to my current world folk literature teacher… What a strange man.. well, really I question even that.. He is a very feminine man.. very.. a little too much even..even ask Paula.. she had him before.. anyway..Well he believes we all have powers from time’s beginning. That each of our names comes from folktales and traditions from our past. If that is the case, I do not want to know what my powers are as my name means unhappy and unlucky..

As I go towards the finish line of college.. I wonder if I will ever have a “normal” professor.. or in that case.. if just all teachers are weird.. in that case.. I am weird, because I am going to be a teacher, and in that case, my sisters are weird, as we are all teachers or going to be teachers.. or is it just the field of college professors…..

Well.. Thoughts on Thursday.. which really I posted on Friday.. almost even on Saturday.. are very random.. but thats okay.. maybe its a part of my secret powers..

Wordless Wednesday

In Need Of A Makeover

Anyone in need of a facial? Want to try some new makeup or get a new hairstyle? Well Hurry!! Drop what your doing, and head straight to Big Rapids, Michigan. When you get their go straight to Bishop Hall..My school-agers and wrap around students will even do it for free!!

Today was teacher makeover day.. Mr. Curtis was a good sport and participated as well!

Highlights

Students state, “I watch my mom put this on all the time, look how easy it is.”
Reality- Mascara all over, and I mean all over.
Liquid eye liner all down the sides of our face

Students state, “Mr. Curtis your beard is looking kinda ugly.”
Reality- They plastered 80 layers of eyeshadow all over it

-- Lesson of the day.. you do not need a lot in the classroom to have a lot of fun. I really do not know who was laughing more, the students or the teachers. This lesson lasted over 45 minutes of the kids taking turns and having fun!

I wish I could show you all the pictures of the students helping, although I cannot due to privacy issues in the contract at work, however I can show you the final result of Curtis and myself.. Will upload those later, so be sure to check back!!

Happy Tuesday!

Just Another Manic Monday

Okay, I admit I have been slacking. However, compared to the rest of my writers workshop class I am ahead. We have a number of posts we have to create, I just wanted to start mine right away and then be done as my semester's tend to be backloaded.

This past weekend I was up in Traverse City. I had a great time!!

Color Me Monday... today I am a mixture of Violet and Indigo. Weird Combination? Let me explain..

I am so very tired.. Ready to fall asleep right now while typing this, but I still have homework to do, I still have to take the garbage out, Have to walk Bella, and run to ATM at the bank.

Therefore these colors represent --

Violet is often used to soothe organs and relax muscles.
Indigo is also sedative and calming.

That sounds pretty good to me.. and a bubble bath.. that too..

short post.. to tired.. Hope everyone had a good weekend..

Back to regular posts soon!

Read Labels

Kids love cooking projects. They love to get to their hands dirty and play. They also really like to be able to play and then eat. For this lesson all you need is:

Assign jobs to each of the kids. Make the pudding, and do not refrigerate. Just pour it evenly into the three smaller bowls. Then add food coloring. Mix it up. I pick a number and the kids each take a turn counting until we get to that number.. helps reinforce counting/numbers for our wrap students…then pour, I always do blue, red, and yellow for the food coloring, one dollop of each color on wax paper and let them get really messy. When their all done playing, they can eat it.

Sounds simple right. Well the first batch of this, as I have so many students I have to make three batches, did not go so well. As my “student helper” apparently CANNOT read labels. Now, I do these projects and am getting ready, and she runs to the teacher chair to take over the project. Okay, Whatever, I start another activity with remaining students in the class. Well when my school agers get into the room.. We go to make the same pudding fun as before when a wrap around student comes to sit on my lap and asks why their colors look different. At this point I have 8 million thoughts running through my head.. and then I realize by looking at the bottles by the remants of the first batch that…. Instead of food coloring for cooking, she poured in food coloring for arts and crafts.. wonderful right? So then I went into freak out mode, reading out every ingredient in the arts and crafts one, looking for poison control warnings and you name I was freaking.. for her case.. it was luckily non-toxic, but it was still not fun having to tell parents because she cant read labels.

Now this student helper you ask of.. well I have problems with her…. Just all around… she doesn’t do much and cant clean.. and worst of all she works with kids, but is not going to work with kids.. Follow that?? Yea, I didn’t think so.. Okay, so where I work.. The full time, part time are obviously trained and qualified to work with children. But the student workers are college workers.. where at a Child Development Center.. There is one education student.. ONE.. The other 10 student workers are going for Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice.. SO.. this explains a lot..

You know people say, wow, I could never do that all day long.. I could never do what you do...Well, this student helper of mine does not belong, and should not do this all day long… as education working with kids is not for her.. Just as I would not want to be a police officer which she wants to be.

Okay.. I wouldn’t mind the perks of speeding through town in non emergencies.. whenever I darn well pleased like the cops in my town do.. or on duty, just pull up at a friends house and chat for a couple hours.. get paid to protect the people, but lets go hang out!

But in all reality I would be a chicken.. My butt would be running for hills if I got some crazy call.. I would freak, I would shiver.. and it would not be pretty...and well that’s just not for me.. so my point… she needs to find a new job.. please.. someone.. get this girl who causes problems that I cant do anything about.. get her to leave please.. as on the other things I have to remind her of daily, I now have to add please read labels to her list of what she seems to always forget..

Okay.. wow.. you deserve some type of award if you followed that! Happy Tuesday see you tomorrow for wordless wednesday!!

Good Blue : Bad Blue: Everything is BLUE!

To some to be blue is a darkening state. Anyone who knows me, knows that is not the case. I love Blue!!!Obviously, can you tell from the blog..



Here are 6 + 1 things I see blue today!



1. Ever have favorite clothing, jeans, tshirt, sweatshirt... mine all seem to be blue.. coincidence?? I think not!

2. To some, like myself, blue represents

3. Blue Sky - I can hope right, it is Winter, and it is Michgan..


4. My Navy Jeep.. Wanted it forever.. pretty much drool like a dog when I see one.. but someday Mallory, someday!


5. Outta the Blue - Well I will fill you in.. I was inserting a disk into Paula's NEW Macbook.. and she directed me so, just push it in, push, mallory just push it in.. so I did.. and it got stuck.. after Apple Store Visits, and Google Help.. NOTHING.. when today after a week and a half.. it just came out, outta the blue


6. Blue Monday – No College Classes on MLK (MILK day, well only my family will understand that).. but not me.. up for work @ 6 am.. I am such a grown up! ;)


+


7. Blue Feet.. no seriously.. because that’s what my feet look like in our freezing cold house.. remeber the house that misses us.. but also never warms up..


P.S. notice the 6+1..
yeah, in my classes we are discussing the 6+1 Traits of Writing. Many school districts are now using this model, with voice, organization, to word choice..

But really, it just disturbs me, I mean can’t they just call it 7 traits? Geesh

Friday Ponderings

I'm thinking ...that I am darn glad it's Friday. The semester just began, but this is an example of my day today, so you will understand how much I appreciate my weekends.

7:30-9:30 work
9:45-10:15 wait in line at bookstore,return books given to me for wrong class, get right books
10:45-11:45 Student Life Meeting
12:00-1:15 Children’s Literature
1:30-2:45 World Folk Literature
3:00-5:35 Work
5:45-6:00 Dinner,
Play with Landon,
Homework..

I'm happy ...
I got a raise.. although I sadly wont feel any affects of it as it goes all to heating bills

I'm laughing ...
At one of my students.. Today was a miracle for my autistic student… well miracle would even be an understatement.. (First time in over month their was not hitting, kicking, screaming, biting, pushing, punching, or screaming) Something I have never seen before. I got him to play farm animals with me on the carpet with two other children. His job was to greet the animals as they entered the mansion.. apparently, barns are out of style. The loudest, longest laughs I have ever heard had not only me dying of laughter, but Mr. Curtis as well.

Besides that… I am usually laughing along with Landito Comosito Burrito.. aka.. Landon..

Best TV Show I watched this week ... only TV shows I watch, besides news in the morning getting ready for work..

Grey’s Anatomy, The Office

Looking forward to ... Sleeping in my wonderful bed with all of my wonderful pillows.. no really.. However, I am very excited to meet my niece(04/2009)!!

I Am A Fish

My family, neighbors, and even my students know that I love water. Love it! As Summer 08’ came to a close I packed my summer wardrobe away knowing it would not be needed until Spring 09’.

To my surprise that was not the case. During semester break, after two glorious weeks
home of mom’s cooking, games with dad, Wii with the family, and a lot of celebration, I came home to a swimming pool in my own backyard. Well not even, lucky for me it was in my own basement! Yup, 4ft of water in our basement. Paula and I just pretend that our house missed us.

Now we tried our best to prevent, we left heat up, we left cupboards open so the pipes would be open to the heat flow, but that obviously doesn’t work in our house. Pipes burst in every bathroom, the kitchen, and you could barely make out our furnace as it was 2/3 covered in water.

Planning ahead, we discuss what we are going to have to do next year to prevent this disaster again.

Any thoughts, idea’s?

When the landlord came thinking it was just a small leak, I quote, “ I will be right back, I have to go get my scuba gear.”

As much as I love water.. this just does not appeal to me.

Wordless Wednesday

Don't Worry About Spilled Milk

Work is rewarding yet tough. I got a new position as the lead teacher is off on maternity leave. The activities the children see are often repeated semester after semester. As interns come in nervous to do lesson plans in front of professors, it is even worse when none of the children are interested as they have done this before.

My goal was to create and find new experiences for my lesson plans. The hard part, this year they adjusted my program. Instead of just having school agers,Grades K-5th,I also have wrap around children Ages 3-5.Therefore, my lesson plans have to be age appropriate for a broad range of age levels. Not so easy to do…. Especially on days when the weather is -10 and we do not go outside.

Today just happened to be one of those days. So after activity centers and snack all 15 of us scrunched in around a tiny little table to watch milk for 20 minutes.

They loved it! All until one student spilt theirs. Tears oh My! As the “helper - one who really does nothing in the classroom” frantically ran for paper towels as the milk was out to destroy.. I just took more food coloring and made a bigger mess. Oh the tears stopped. The once white table was now of sunset quality, and the fun began for an additional 18 minutes.

P.S. If you really must know.. We then had classroom meeting, did the locomotion, and hopped to the large motor room!

**Check out this site.. Same idea with the milk-- although we used one giant pan to see the reaction as a class to test our predictions. Following with individual cups so they each had a chance to try the experiment and fun all over the table.

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000066

Teachers who teach writing should write

First statement from my teacher in my EDLA Writers Workshop class for this semester. I am thinking this is going to be okay. I see on the syllabus we have to write poetry, check, we have to write about ourselves, sure that’s easy, we have to teach lessons, no problem, ……WRONG..

We have drafts along with stories to complete in class. So don’t get me wrong we still have to write, but we have to share some of our writing. Instead we also have to blog it. So here I am!! This is a complete change for me, so bare with me until I get the hang of it!!