Teacher Crafting

Today is our LAST official day of summer vacation, so I'm watching movies of "The Twilight Saga" and crafting.  If you'll remember back a couple of years, my mom and I did some "HOME Work" by taking extra slats out of the blinds, hanging curtains, rearranging some things, etc.  I planned to reupholster the chairs but . . . uuuhhh . . . that hasn't happened.  Todd is NOT happy about that but I can't find fabric I like, not to mention I'm daunted by the project and really want to buy chairs with lower backs.  Enough about the damn chairs.

And the slats from the blinds?  Wwwweeelllllll . . . let's just say they've been sitting on the floor of our imaginary baby's nursery just waiting to be used for something.  In one of my recent fits of insomnia, I created a use for those lonely little (big) slats.  I decided to make HALL PASSES for school!  Yes, it sounds sad but you'll probably understand my excitement if you're a crafter, a teacher, or a crafty teacher.

When I asked Todd to lend me his power saw skills, his response was "perhaps."  Living in the world of immediate gratification, I decided to get started on my own.  Come to find out, I didn't need his stinkin' saw anyway!  :)  Supplies: extra slats from faux wood blinds, cutting blade, duck tape, paint pens, and clear spray (optional).

Level of Difficulty for this project = 1462 on a 100 point scale.  It was so very, very difficult.  (note: sarcasm)

Today's craft area: the coffee table.

First, I took my blade along the natural notches of the blind slat and (didn't really) score it with a straight line.  And for safety's sake, I didn't use a mat or anything - just threw it across my knee.  Then I simply snapped the blind along the score line.

See that fancy, straight line?  Who needs a ruler??  (me!)

It made a lovely snapping sound.

Continuing the difficult work of this project, I cut my duck tape a little over 2x the width of the slat.  I got skull & crossbones for the boys' passes & dots for girls.

To protect the ends, I cut a tiny slit off the end of my large piece, stuck it on the end, and folded it over.  Just make sure it adheres well.  Told ya this was going to be difficult.

In preparation for any students with ADD/ADHD needs, I took a break to screw with the dog.  Couldn't help myself!!!

MOMMMM!  I iz not a pirate boy.  Argh.

After lovingly placing the tape around one side of the slat, I wrapped it around completely and made sure it formed a good bond by pressing on it with  my fingers.

From there, I fancied them up with some old-school paint pen lettering.  I must be too tired and lazy from summer to use my Cricut and actually cut out and rub on vinyl lettering!

Most likely, I will drill a small hole in the end and tie string so I can hang them on hooks.  The last thing I plan to do is spray over the lettering with clear acrylic spray paint to hopefully add some toughness and longevity to the hall passes.  Kids seem love to destroy any & every thing I make.

A Long Two Months

It has been a long two months since I've updated our blog.   So much has happened that I don't quite know where to start.  I'll try to give it to you in a nutshell, but it is still going to be long.

APRIL

*Workworkworkwork - and more work.

That's all April is about for me. My fourth graders take the Reading & Math TAKS tests at the end of every April, and it was quite a task to fully prepare them this year.  Between teaching, planning, evaluating, communicating, reports, conferencing and meetings almost every day, April is tough.  April is also a lot of work for Todd, too, although he doesn't administer the actual TAKS test.

Good news though!  Todd's students did *awesome* on their EOC (end of course) exams.  His passing average was over 90% which is amazing!  I was so proud of him!  I learned at the end of May that my students did well on TAKS.  I was especially thrilled that 100% of my students passed the TAKS Writing test in April!  Over 1/3 of my class received perfect scores which thrilled me as well.

As far as next year, Todd will be teaching 8th grade Science.  This will be a positive move for him because the 7th graders he has this year will basically loop up to 8th grade with him.  I will continue teaching 4th grade, but I will only be teaching Math, Science & Social Studies.  This will be good for my workload, or at least I hope it will be!


MAY

May was tough - and that's putting it lightly.

* We lost my Grandma on May 6.  She had been on hospice since Christmas, and her health declined quickly.  She was a strong woman both emotionally and physically, and she could cook anything well.  Thankfully she shared her chicken salad recipe with me (from memory of course) several years ago, and I can now do one thing well that she could.  The matriarch of my Dad's side of the family is now gone, as is that entire generation.

A photo of us from ten years ago:

Grandma left behind four children, one preceded her in death just a month before, eighteen grandchildren, and even more great-grandchildren.  My Dad, Step-Mom, sister, and I traveled to Oklahoma for her funeral.  Here is a photo of a few of the grandchildren that were there:

* On May 8th, only two days after Grandma passed, our hearts were shattered.  I don't even know how to write this (and the tears begin), but we lost Mackey.  Our precious, cute, strange, goofy, sweet, boy had to be put to sleep.  It will be four weeks tomorrow, and Todd and I are still reeling from Mackey being gone.  Todd's best friend of 14.5 years is gone.  His ashes are home with us, where we wish he still was.  For being the calmest of our three dogs, it sure has been a quiet house without him.  The big dogs have felt the absence of his presence as well.  We are all still devastated and many tears have been, and surely will continue to be, shed.  It still doesn't seem real, and it seems like forever since he's been gone.

...............................................................................................................................................................

Now that I've dried my eyes (some), I'll continue.  May also brought us some proud moments and smiles.

* My sister, Cindy, was inducted into the Hall of Honor of the school district where she ran track and cross country in high school.  She was the first track star to be inducted.  Her beautiful and heartfelt speech had us all in tears.  A photo of her with a former teacher & coach:

Cindy, while giving her speech:

 

* I, along with my work team, took a bajillion (okay . . . maybe only 65) fourth graders to Austin for the day.  We met at te school at 6:00am, took chartered buses to Austin, toured the Capitol building, explored the Bob Bullock State Museum, and returned to the school about 8:30 that same night.  Talk about tired!

* Our niece, Whitney (a junior), went to prom. Luckily I was invited to take photos.  She was amazingly gorgeous, and I was so proud!  I can't believe how grown up she is now.  Man, I feel old.

With her date ("friend"), Alex:

A full-length view of her dress:

And with her double-chinned aunt:

* Todd finished his first semester of graduated school and did really well.  He is taking two other classes this summer, and has about a year until he graduated with his Master's Degree in Educational Administration.  I'm so proud of him!

* Our annual Memorial Weekend in Tyler with Todd's cousins was a wonderful time as always.  Although not everyone was able to join us, we still had family there from Boston to Colorado and all over Texas.  There were 24 of us, I believe; eight of whom were aged 10 and under!  Lots of fun, water, eating, drinking, and relaxing - just what we needed.





* And now, here we still are, in June of 2010.  Best of all, it is now SUMMER!  Ahead of us is work around the house (decorating, more landscaping, cleaning & organizing), relaxing, Todd's birthday, traveling to both coasts, and recuperating from a looonnnnggg school year.  For today, Steve sums it up for both of us :
 

 

Challenges & The Poor New Girl

Today, we had a new student join our class. First of all, I was never the "new kid." I was blessed enough to be raised with the same kids from before pre-school through high school graduation. I have no personal experience with being the new kid in a new class of a new school. But being a teacher, I see it often.

The entire fourth grade (over 70 kids plus several teachers) was stuffed into the computer lab for technology camp. That was challenge #1. Being a rainy morning, the kids were extra chatty today, so it was noisy. My poor new student probably wondered what she was walking into at first. She came in a bit hesitant and shy, and I instantly felt for her. Well, that's when the fun began.

Within a very short time, we had challenge #2 - a fire drill. Shuttling sardines out of a can full of computer equipment and chairs would be a good description of what happened. I'm surprised we made it out between all of the chairs, kids, one child with a walker, several teachers, and only one door . While that isn't miraculous, it was a challenge.

Enter challenge #3. Rain. Yep, it was raining outside. And we were standing in it waiting for the okay to return. Oh geez.

Due to our schedule, the class doesn't go back to our classroom until noon. The new girl had been in school for hours without even seeing her class. We returned for only 30 minutes before leaving the room again for recess. Time for challenge #4. A student with special needs was having a rough afternoon and went into melt down. There was screaming, pounding, and the eventual dragging of him out of recess. Poor new girl probably thought she had entered the death zone. Challenge #5 - Math test. Multiplication. New girl hadn't been studying multiplication so far this year. She took the test and (after me telling her it wouldn't be a grade for her) she did her best.

Gosh, I hope the poor thing returns tomorrow!

Rewind - May 28, 2009: Austin

I'm trying to catch up the past month or so in our busy lives, so you'll be seeing all sorts of rewinds in the upcoming days.

A few people have asked about our Austin trip, so I thought I'd torture share with all of you. The program is through Education in Action, so our main jobs beforehand is to collect money ($75 per adult & child) and manage everything here. While in Austin, we teach & facilitate.

All students have to be at the school by 6am. They change into the tshirts for their group (each group has a different color), gather drinks and dinner sacks, and load the bus. We're on the road by 6:30am!

On the buses (chartered), we play games that review the vocabulary & concepts of Texas History that we've taught/reviewed this year. Of course, there is excitement by the kids that there is a bathroom on board. ick. The boys & girls do a couple of other paper activities and by then, we pull into Austin.

Our first stop is the Capitol Building. We take a great tour, sit in on the House while in session, walk the "extension" (underground), and take a group photo out front. Afterwards, we walk down Congress Avenue and enjoy a pizza lunch outdoors. Then, the fun part of our afternoon begins - the Bob Bullock State Museum. If you ever go to Austin, Texas, you have to stop here. It is an interactive learning museum that is great for kids and adults. Be sure to see the film in the "Spirit of Texas" theater. It's worth the extra dollars.

After a long and exciting day, we load the buses to head home. That time includes our sack dinners, movies, and hopefully a busload of quiet and/or sleeping children. :)

All of my photos are on my school computer, but here is a poor-quality cell phone pic from the trip home. Notice how you don't see many kids - they are asleep! Success!


All in all, it's a very tiring but amazing day. For many of our students, it will be their only opportunity to visit Austin and spend a long day away from school. It's definitely worth it.

What a Day!

"Teachers, please come to the center of the gym."

During our morning assembly today, our principal asked all of the teachers to leave their students and come to the center circle of the gymnasium. We had no clue what was about to happen. Mr. H can be a jokester, so we were all a little reluctant. We slowly gathered at the center of the gym as he urged us to get a little closer "like a group hug".

"Boys and girls," he stated, "You have all worked so hard this year. What you also need to know . . ." This is where Mr. H stops talking for a moment. He gets choked up when he talks about our school and our jobs because it means so much to him.

Mr. H composed himself and said, "What you also need to know, boys and girls, is that your teachers have also worked very hard. For the first time in the history of this school . . ." This is where a loud, collective GASP comes from the center of the gym.

"For the first time in the history of this school," he continued, "we have earned an EXEMPLARY rating from the State of Texas." This is where cheers, tears, jumping up & down, and more began.

And about 450 children (grades PreK - 5) sat and stared, confused and uncertain as to what was really going on. They knew it wasn't a bad thing, but they didn't understand what caused all of the commotion. Their teachers were huddled together - crying, laughing, smiling, cheering - but the kids weren't sure why!

Now, let me explain to you what this REALLY means. This means that our school - for the first time in its 12 year history - has earned an EXEMPLARY rating from the State. I know you may be thinking, "Okay, so what? There are lots of schools that are Exemplary." And you are correct. Kind of.

You see, though, we are a family. We aren't just colleagues, we are friends. As a staff, we depend on and can rely upon one another at all times. Everyone on our staff does what is right every time. Our jobs aren't only from 7:50 - 3:50. We're teachers. Our jobs continue past the last bell while we tidy up our classrooms and try to finish some work, on to home where we plan and grade and call parents, and to our sleep in which we have dreams (and sometimes have nightmares!) about our children. We laugh during the year at the many antics that happen in an elementary school. We support one another in the times of frustration and despair that happen in an elementary school. We cry on the last day of school because we know our children are leaving the safest place they know until they can return the next school year. I have never worked with a group of people as professional, dedicated, kind, patient, heartfelt, fun, honest, and responsible as these men and women are. I know I'll never have this opportunity again.

WE accomplished something that should NOT be attainable with the challenges we face. In fact, it's really not even expected that we would. You can't see it from the outside though. Once you get inside and spend some time in our school, you can begin to see why. Over half of our student body receives free breakfast and lunch every school day. Each Friday dozens and dozens of children receive bags full of food, juice, and milk so they aren't hungry when they aren't at school. We have discipline problems - MAJOR discipline problems. We are constantly faced students who have academic challenges, CPS, children with severe emotional issues, parent problems, visits from the police, budget restrictions, and so much more. We buy supplies for our kids because they often show up to the first day of school without even a pencil. Uniforms, shoes, socks, and even underwear are given to students that can't afford them. We work many, many extra hours tutoring and helping students in need.

But WE ARE EXEMPLARY. And with our population, our children, our community, our challenges, our issues, our limited opportunities . . . we did it.

And it feels amazing.

Busy & a Funny

I know that I've been neglecting our blog lately. I have been battling bronchitis & a sinus infection for over 2 weeks now, so between that and school and home and life . . . we have been busy.

My birthday was yesterday and my class asked me if I had any plans. I told them that DH and I are going to Hawaii, but not to worry because we'd be back in the morning (today). They got all excited and I heard questions like, "Are you going in a PLANE?" and "Are you going to DRIVE?" I told them that we will be driving because Mr. H has an aquacar - kinda like a Batmobile - that will take us across the water. One of my students said, "Mrs. H, it's like a ten hour flight to Hawaii." I replied, "I guess we'll have to hurry then!"

I've already been asked twice about HI this morning. I told the kids that, yes, it was beautiful but, no, I don't have pictures yet. We will be continuing to work on Geography each week.

We have one more week until Spring Break. I hope to update this blog and our photo blog then.

Working in an Elementary School

The people I work with are truly amazing. I am often awestruck at what we are all able to accomplish and achieve with the student population we have at my school. No, we aren't inner-city. We are a suburbian school with an inner-city population and feel. The women and men who work with all of the children here are dedicated to the teaching profession and determined to help every student become a success no matter what it takes. To become a "Recognized" school with our population, you have to be a teacher - and an excellent one at that.

We are really and truly a family here. Everyone cares for one another as much as we do the kids. We help each other, lift each other up when needed, and cheer in our successes. You'll often see attaboy emails, requests for help, prayers being given, high fives in the hall, or simple smiles that say, "You can do it!"

Today I took my typical mid-day restroom break (usually the one break I get), only to find an inspirational message awaiting me. You can only find such messages in the trash of the teacher's restroom at an elementary school.

My question: Was it left as another sticker to trash, to inspire me to stay in the restroom for a while, or to just simply help us make it through another day? :)

Of course, I had to include this as today's photo on My Shuttercal.

A Night of Recognition

Tonight my school district held its first Service Award Dinner, and it was much better than I expected. Employees - including teachers, auxiliary personnel, custodians, administrative staff, administration, & more - received $500 per five years of service (for 5, 10, 15 years, etc.). Over $335,000 were distributed to staff members at tonight's dinner. That dollar amount does not include employees who were not in attendance that have been with the district for five years. There was a man who received recognition for being with our district for 35 years. Wow.

One thing I did notice is that with all of the people there (over 250), there were only a couple of former employees from my building. I knew many others there, but they were from my time at another school, people I met in trainings, service personnel, etc. That alone showed me that our staff stays at my school for a reason, and the main reason we ever lose people is because they go on to bigger and better things.

With everything going on in today's economy and DISD, I feel very privileged to work for a district that truly values its employees. Tonight is one example that proved that to be true.

A picture of my assistant principal (in year 16), my principal (in year 15) & me (in year 11). A fun note: I graduated from high school w/ Lance (my principal)!

The only thing that would have made the evening better - wine with dinner. :) Guess goverment dollars don't pay for alcohol unless you're in the political arena!

Sunrise, Sunset

If you're cool like me, you're now singing that song from "Fiddler on the Roof." Uh, anyway . . .

Going home from school last night, I saw this:

Coming back to work this morning, I saw this:

Gorgeous full moon shots, aren't they? Don't know when I'll get to see the light of day again. At least teaching in a windowless classroom for the past 7 years doesn't get me too exposed to the outdoors. ;)

If Today Wasn't Thursday

. . . then it had better be Friday! I am BEAT. This whole back-to-school thing is tough. Training a new group of kids is hard work - and I have to teach them while that's happening!

Overall, my class is very sweet. VERY talkative and VERY immature for their ages, but sweet so far. I hope they simmah down, grow up some, stay sweet, and not make me insane in the process.

So, dear blog, I'm not ignoring you. I'm just tired.

Because I'm Lazy

We survived the first week of school and everyone is still alive! :) Todd and I are exhausted, but we are determined to have a great year ahead of us both. I've been particularly worn out because my sleep schedule has been completely thrown for a loop. After starting training two weeks in a row, going on a scrapbook retreat, my mom's surgery, worrying about Mary (my gma), setting up my classroom in record time, and being thrown into a room with sixteen rats (aka students), I'm beat!

I'm kicking back this weekend and trying to catch up. So far, so good. I've slept for at least ten hours each night for two nights now. Think I'll do the same tonight!

So . . . in my pursuit to maintain this blog, I'm being lazy and cheating. Here's what I've thieved from Julie:

i am: being a bum today.
i think: i'll make this a great school year.
i know: that I am loved by many.
i want: to have a family.
i have: many blessings in my life.
i wish: the shelving unit my mom offered me would fit in my closet.
i hate: green peas.
i miss: having hope and naivete about pregnancy.
i fear: heights.
i feel: relaxed!
i hear: the ceiling fan spinning above me.
i smell: the pizza i just baked.
i crave: hugs, kisses, and snuggling.
i search: the internet via google reader, the blogosphere, and facebook.
i wonder: what our babies will look like.
i regret: quitting the saxophone.
i ache: when someone i love is hurting.
i care: deeply for my family and friends.
i always: kiss my husband each day.
i am not: a patient person.
i believe: that God has great things planned for us.
i dance: whenever i want.
i sing: random songs as they come to mind.
i cry: often because i am tender hearted.
i don't always: open up like people think i am.
i fight: if there is fighting to be done.
i write: in my blogs instead of journals.
i never: have had a pedicure.
i stole: a mailbox sticker from the store when i was little.
i listen: and have to remember not to think of my response while listening.
i need: some new pants. why did i only buy shirts before school started?
i am happy about: the fact that i am loved, that i love others, and good things will happen because they have to happen.

No tagging here, but if you want to take my lazy route and thieve this from me, let me know & I'll read it!

Lesson Learned

Last night I could have easily screamed, "KILL ME NOW!!!

For the first time in my memory, I went to an office supply store. After the first day of school ended. WTF was I thinking? Had I really not had a long enough day?

When Todd and I walked in, he called out across the store to two of his students. Todd suddenly said, "Hell no!" and turned around to walk out. That's when I saw the line. The HUGE, long line of people. (Is that lady in the white shirt trying to cut? I think not!)


You can't see the ones at the end of the line because they are hidden by shelving. Believe me, they were there. I swear there had to be at least 50 people. That's when I saw the other line - you know - the short line. The man in the tie was not the last person.


Because I (1) desperately needed binders for school today, (2) wanted to purchase them for $0.25 each, and (3) could buy up to 25 binders since I'm a teacher . . . I stood in said line. For about 25 minutes. And, yes, I sent Todd to get some yogurt down the street and come back later. I'm such a nice wife.

Kill me again for just thinking about it. Lesson learned.

Classroom Project

I've been busting my butt this past week to get my classroom unpacked, setup, organized, decorated, and ready for a bunch of 9 year olds. I was easily working 10-12 hour days for a week, and everything was ready as of 9pm on Saturday. Today is the first day of school - here we go!!!!

I took an old, antique chair from our house to use at school. It was old & ugly plus the legs had been chewed on by a few different dogs. I wanted it out of our house, and I thought (hoped!) it might work in my classroom.


Before:

I went to Target and bought some jersey sheets that were used to drape the chair. I needed something that I could remove and wash if necessary. It's not gorgeous, but it was cheap and easy to do!

Must be Back to School Time

School dreams are starting! Wouldn't you think one would need to sleep in order to have dreams?!

3 dreams I remember:
1. The Pope coming to visit some teachers, and we had to be naked. I'm the one who figured out he wasn't really the Pope. (duh!)
2. Slamming a misbehaving boy to the floor and holding him down by the neck.
3. Todd & I going to college together and looking for an apartment.
4. Teaching a class of about 80 with my friend Monica & we weren't doing a very good job of it (see #2!).

I hope none of those come true!!! We'll find out soon . . .

It's Been Fun

But my summer is pretty much OVER. I start a week of Math curriculum training tomorrow and from there . . . they have me for another nine months! BACK TO SCHOOL!

No more sleeping in. No more staying up late. Back to long days, working hard, heat-stroke recess duty, noisy cafeteria duty. I'm actually looking forward to this year, but I'll miss my summer!

Fun While It Lasted!

Last week was my last full week before returning to school. This week I have two days of training for my ESL certification (that I won't even use). Next week I have a full, 40-hour curriculum training. zzzzzz.

So here's how the shit's gonna hit the fan for me in the four upcoming weeks:
- ESL certification training
- helping a friend pack her home to close in one week
- start setting up my classroom
- Steve & Mackey to vet
- Curriculum training
- a few trips to the airport
- 3-day Scrapbook Retreat
- making meals to freeze for us, grandparents, mom
- Mom having open heart surgery
- taking care of mom
- Staff Development
- Back to School Night
- finishing classroom
- first day of school

I know there's more, but I'm already tired. The best part? Todd and I will be able to spend some time apart for the first time in a couple of months! The worst part? I don't think my 1am - 10am sleep schedule is going to fly.

Old Rocking Chair

We have an old rocking chair that belonged to Todd's grandparents, and I haven't been able to figure out what to do with it. However, I hated to get rid of it. It's been sitting in the garage collecting dust and spider eggs for months now. I finally decided to clean it up, put fresh fabric on it, and take it to school to use in my classroom.

Before - dusty & ugly. (Mindy thought I was taking her picture.)



Nasty, dusty, ugly, and torn cusion.


Fabric and "trim" tacked to the back of the chair.



AFTER! The cushion has been recovered, but the fabric isn't as purplish looking as the photo shows. It's a burgundy chenille that I've had laying around for a couple of years now.




Now I'll have a rocking chair for share time in my classroom. I love to rock, so I'm sure I'll be using it as a stress-reliever this year as well. :)

Coming Soon: pics of my new scrapbooking/craft/office area!

BBs or Bullets - I don't care.

Keep your damn guns at home. Don't bring them into my school. I don't care what your lame excuse is. Why did your 7 year old brother have it in the first place? GAH. You are only 11 years old. And your momma needs to parent you. Obviously.

Uh . . . yeah . . . I went back to work today.

Why I'm Still Teaching

I am very burned out with teaching right now. The demands from the state, the district, administration, parents and students often seem insurmountable. This is my tenth year of teaching (6th year this "round"), and the expectations and stress increase each year.

The main reason - and sometimes it feels like the only reason - I teach is because of the people with whom I teach. They are all amazing people. My new team of 5th grade teachers are wonderful to work with each day.

Tonight we had a celebration for the faculty and staff. A couple dozen of us enjoyed time at Main Event. We played arcade games, ate pizza, bowled, and played laser tag. It was such a fun time and a real relief just to be together outside the stresses of school.

Of course, MY laser tag team won both games we played! We were short one team member, but that did not take away from our skill level. I lost my voice from yelling and loudly squawking like a chicken to the other team. Let's just say I did better in laser tag than bowling. That's one course from college that didn't help me at all in real life! ;)

Here's a picture of the WINNERS. (The young girl on the R is a former student - not a teacher!)

Tonight renewed my commitment to the men and women at our school. Now, I just need to renew my commitment to my job. It's tough, but I know I can do it - with the help of those in the trenches with me.