Are you in or out?

This Thanksgiving break, I'm very thankful for my amazing family. Being together on holidays and celebrating what holds us together is heartwarming. Personally, I get together for two Thanksgiving celebrations, one with my great great aunt & 2nd cousins, and the other with my "immediate" family. In this country, I know that it is rare that there are large families who spend hours together on a regular basis, much less knowing who your second cousins are AND spending Thanksgiving with them. It's always been something that I've been so lucky to have!

While I celebrate all of these blessings, there are two things that are bothering me. First, this year really exemplifies the pre-Christmas rush. Have we skipped over Halloween and Thanksgiving? Have we dismissed the thought of what binds us together? Society has become so terribly individualistic that we have forgotten about others. People become so focused on deals, sales, and material things, that Christmas shopping has overshadowed not one, but two holidays.

Secondly, as the granddaughter of an immigrant to this country, I am uneasy in finding a clear answer to letting refugees in. Where will they live, what will they do, will they eventually become citizens? What is the plan? Yes, people in such terrible positions should be helped - but what are the logistics? Can the nation sustain a large influx? Is there a screening process? What rights will they have? How will those rights be protected? So many questions. In the Thanksgiving spirit, I am thankful for that I have and would like to extend what liberties I have to those who don't. But, it's a more complicated process and national reputations do get in the way.

Who should have the right to vote?

Recently, I asked my 8th grade students to tell me who should have the right to vote after finishing up the Progressive Era Unit. I've adjusted for spelling. This is what they said:


"I think people over 21 should vote. No, I don't think you should vote in jail because you are punished. Illegal immigrants should vote because no matter who you are you should vote. If you are 21, then you are more responsible. Everyone over 21 should vote because you are human"

"Women should have the right to vote. You should be allowed to vote when you are 16. You should not be allowed to vote in jail because you did something bad to get in there. People are not allowed here to vote if they are illegal immigrants"

"Everyone should have the right to vote because all people think differently. People in jail should have the right to vote and illegal immigrants should have the right to vote. Everyone should have the right to vote"

"The people that are allowed to vote should be men and women. They should be men and women who are not in jail, illegal immigrants or people under the age of 18. Illegal immigrants should't vote because they aren't American citizens until they are made citizens. Women should have the right to vote because they've done a lot."

"Everybody should have the right to vote. You should be 18 years old to vote. You should be able to vote if you are in jail. No illegal immigrants should be able to vote. Women should be able to vote."

"Kids over 12 should be able to vote because we have rights just as older people. At 13 we have just as much rights as 18 year olds. People in jail should not have the right to vote because you are in there because you did something wrong so you should not have a say. Yes, immigrants should have the right to vote because they have as much a say."

Pondering the Chaos

Lately, I've been thinking about how my room is set up and the amount of papers that are piling up.  Like  one of the blogs I recently read, I'm sure that there are many of us educators that start off the year with good intentions and then the mess ensues. My little world behind the desk has become a flurry of old student papers and department paperwork. So how do I get back on track? Time to get back into that energized mindset. You know, that eagerness that you get in the early months that slowly dissipates.

I am also reminded of a sermon that I heard recently. The pastor, coming out of retirement to preach, gave a sermon that you rarely hear - one of money. Not the money one that's pounded out for stewardship, but one where he basically boiled a lot of fluff down to a couple things. 1) God will provide (I'm sure a little initiative doesn't hurt!) 2) It shouldn't matter what you make - the salary part shouldn't matter as long as it's something you like to do 3) Money is a pain. At least this is my interpretation of what was said. It made me think a lot about my current situation.

I've been so caught up in the petty politics of the school and getting stuck on the little stuff, that I've forgotten to focus on what really matters - the students. I've focused on my salary and how long it'd take me to pay off my student loans that I've let myself forget how much joy there is in seeing the light bulb moments.

So, what to do from here. I've cleaned out my desk - a clean, organized home base sounded like a good place to start - and moved on to the shelves in the room. I'm going to clear the clutter and get back to creating fun lessons & focus on the stuff that matters.

Substitute Teacher Binder

I severely dislike when I am absent from work. Perhaps it's just the American Protestant work ethic kicking in, but it's disconcerting to come back after having been out to find my desk and classroom a mess. So, I made a Sub Binder to try and combat this.

I took one of my binders that I inherited from the previous teacher in my room. It's one that had graphics on the cover for an outdated reading program that won't run on computers today. Throw on a title page and some duct tape (the one you see is the Stick Together roll where a portion of the cost goes to stop bullying in schools) and hello organization.

Inside, I put my sub plans and any materials that the sub might need. Some lined paper, sticky notes to label what period worksheets are for, a loaner pen, etc. 

When I came back after laying out this binder for my sub - it was great. Also, it helped that the sub had been amazing himself. He's certainly gone on the list of preferred subs! 

I've also done my fair share of subbing before gaining a full time teaching position. It sucks trying to find the materials when they aren't in the same spot and you don't know if there are certain classroom rules. Hopefully, this binder will help whomever comes in my room to cover for me! 

NYSAC Cemetery Conference

This Wednesday, I sucked it up and took a day off of work. In my experience, most teachers hate taking the day off. It means writing detailed lesson plans and praying that your students don't do something horrid. As a result, you get a group of workaholics who hate missing a day of school, much like hover parents who don't want to miss a thing.

Anyway, Regional Cemetery Conference - Thinking of death as a business...

Scary thought, really. I've always thought of cemeteries as these everlasting residences for those who have passed on. Sometimes, sadly, older stones and internees have been forgotten and neglected. The problem lies with the fact that our society doesn't talk about death. We don't talk about what happens after a loved on has passed on. Let me tell you, it gets busy.

First, a depressing fact. One of the speakers, David Penepent from SUNY CANTON, pointed out that most Funeral Home Directors are Baby Boomers. As we've seen with the looming Social Security crisis - you know that most of these guys will be on their way out. This will result in a shortage of individuals who facilitate post death traditions and care. In addition, there aren't enough people studying and becoming Directors. 

A side note: Should one invest in coffins now before the Baby Boomers really start to pass away? Maybe pay off my college debt?

Another depressing fact and realization; cemeteries need to plan for FOREVER.  Now, I volunteer for a small cemetery in rural New York. Not the city, but Upstate. We've got a little over 500 grave sites and have more lots available. Most of our board are all elderly and young enough to be on the tail end of the Baby Boomers. I'm the youngest one there. So how to plan for forever. a) we need more young blood, b) we need to plan financially for forever (which seems practically impossible). However, it was noted that almost all cemeteries are severely underfunded. We all need to charge more. 

It was also mentioned that we should stop devaluing or undervaluing what centenarians do. We're professionals!

So, from this conferencing of the minds I've learned a lot. Here are just a few things to remember...

Tips:

• Advertise
• Get involved in the community
• Make meaningful relationships with your local funeral homes
• Get things out there (newspaper, etc)
• Change is GOOD
• Think of inventive ways to get people into your cemetery
• Documentation is key.
• There are ways to "space save"
• Make the cemetery look "alive". Sometimes people think they're abandoned!

Also, the doughnuts were amazing - certainly satisfied my sweet tooth 

Monday came on Tuesday

This is just one of those days where you work through lunch recreating a foldable. My desk is a complete mess!

Student Sayings

An old student came to visit and introduced me to a new word. 

Slope Dude Came to Visit

Now, I'm not a math fanatic. I do like math and push into a math class, but Social Studies will always be my baby.

We've been learning about slope in class and my kiddos seemed to not quite get it. So I hopped over to Math = Love (a fabulous blog if you haven't been there already) and found "The Adventures of Slope Dude".  I used her foldable and my kids love it! Let's hope they ace their exam today!

Tips for Newbies (What I've Learned in the Last Five Years)

As I move into my sixth year of teaching, I've learned a few things. Some have been hard learned lessons and others just ways to make life easier.

Make Time for You
     This I've always believed from the start. My first student teaching placement supervisor was a high school Social Studies/ELA teacher. He had family and was completely dedicated to being able to spend time with them. He got all of his work done before leaving for the day. His reasoning - You spend so much of life working that you don't get to enjoy time with your loved ones. So #1, make time for you (and your family). Don't let school become your entire life. Have fun and do things outside of work!

Know Your Students
     I've mainly taught at rural school districts. From this, I've learned to speak "tractor" and "redneck". In addition, you learn how to predict absences based on when hunting season really starts. A lot of kiddos around here will start to wear camo (which can also been seen year round if truth be told).
     The point of it all is - get to know your students. If you can take military tactics and relate them to a football play, your football players will most likely pay more attention. If your kids love duct tape - have at it. If you all like the same kinds of foods - great! When you know your students, you can tailor lessons to best capture their attention and get them excited for what's next.

Do Your Research
     Sometimes you just get stuck. One large brain fart and it feels like you don't quite know what to do for the next year, lesson, class. The best thing about this modern era is the internet - so use it! There are plenty of blogs out there with helpful hints, tips, plans, powerpoints, etc. Find someone who inspires you and follow them! Also, Pinterest gives you a great way to scope out what's available before you get too lost in the land of information...

You Don't Have to Make Everything From Scratch
   Almost the same as Do Your Research. But realize that not everything has to be made from scratch. There are perfectly good resources out there that you can use without stressing yourself out. In fact, remember to ask other teachers what the use and if you can use theirs. I think too many new teachers try too hard to make their own that they get overwhelmed. Perhaps leading to burnout?

Get Organized
   It's way too easy to forget where papers went and things occasionally got lost. There's nothing worse than losing that one child's HW. So get organized. Keep folders in a binder so everything is close at hand. There are many teachers out there who use a "Teacher Binder". I have just started to use on and it's working out great! I wish I had seen one sooner! My binder has everything from schedules, student data, lesson plans, meeting minutes, to  parent contact logs. Come time for APPR summative evaluation, everything's ready to go! Plus, it makes life so much easier and lessens some stress.

Get Connected/Be Seen
     It's important to get out into the community. Both the school community and the town's community where you teach. I feel it's important that the kids know that you exist outside of school. Perhaps it'll help them stay off the streets, but it lets them know that you're out there and you care. In addition, it will really help you to get to know parents, students you might not have, and other teachers. The worst thing you can do is stay in your room, squirreled away.
     So get out there! Get involved with school sports, with musicals, with marching band, go to games. If you can, try to find something where you can volunteer in the community. I volunteer with an Emergency Squad and you wouldn't believe how many kids visit our EMS tent at events just to say hello. Shop local if you can, too. This lets parents see you and you see them in a setting that isn't all about their kids or school. In all reality, it's about making connections and building relationships with the community you're in.

The Debate Over Plants

Over the years, I've seen some teachers bring in small plants to keep on their desk or on a windowsill. Other teachers bring in fish and science teachers can often have an array of other organisms residing in their rooms.

Personally, I feel that having plants in a classroom does several things. Not only does it make a room feel and look "homey" but they can also be used as a teaching tool.

Every year, I assign one of my Resource Rooms to be in charge of plant care. For this, I get a little sneaky. I try to find the class that has an individual that has a goal relating to organization. For example, I've had students that sometimes become frequent visitors to the office. In a weird way, they're the kids that are the most possessive and gentle with my plants. It helps to teach them responsibility and kindness. If you don't water any of the plants, they will die.

Last year, we started some seedlings. Basil, lavender, and thyme. While most of my plants are hardy and can withstand a couple days without water, seedlings need extra attention. It was a challenge for some of my kiddos, but we managed to get those little guys started. I still have lots of basil!

Furthermore, plants do a lot for the environment of the room. My school upgraded a few years back to a new heating and cooling system. Mainly, a lot of the air gets recycled and "conditioned" to the appropriate temperature. When school first starts and I haven't brought in any of my plants, I will occasionally get headaches. After I bring in my plants - nada. Life is good.

A Case of the Mondays

Two words -  Hall Duty

I haven't quite made up my mind yet if I like Hall Duty or Lunch Rec duty better. Both have perks and disadvantages. But today, today Hall Duty sucks. It's the first actual Monday of the school year and it's dragging like none other. Mainly, it's beautiful out and I'm not adjusted to the school time table. So here's hoping that this day ends quickly so a nap in the sun can commence!

Happy Misfortunes

With a storm that recently passed through, an apple tree lost a branch loaded with fruit fell. Fortunately, the apples were ripe and it's time to make some applesauce!

Being me, I wanted and easy way to make a large batch of applesauce. Hello Pinterest! Lots of ways to make applesauce in the crock pot to be found! Let the cooking begin...

In the end it turned out great! Very yummy and on it's way to be canned.

Planning Binder

After reading a fantastic blog (thank you Pinterest!), I decided to get together a better plan for next year. It's been  dubbed "the pretty binder"

I'm hoping that it will force me to be more organized and make it easier for when I'm out. All my important information for classes will be in one central location. It just gets to be a headache when there's a dozen folders and binders to keep track of. 

My binder has sections for calendars, schedules, lesson plans, student data, parent contact log, and meeting notes. I'd like to add seating charts and class rosters at the beginning of the school year. I won't know who's in my classes till much closer to September.

*Inspiration and pages for the binder came from Eat. Write. Teach. Stephanie Richardson is nice enough to have all of the black and white copies of documents available. She's also got a teacherspayteachers account where you can buy/download more of her awesome templates.

Getting Crafty

For a while now I have been unable to do any sewing because I didn't have a proper workspace. Alas, good fortune! I have been gifted a desk by a good family friend. Now I just have to clean up my sewing machine :-)

Cast Iron Cinnamon Rolls

Thank god for air conditioners! Who wants to bake in the summer -  the hot, humid, upstate NY summer? With the AC cranked up on high, I set out to make these babies...

You'll notice that there's a roll missing already. In my family, it's called the Aunt Ann corner. Ann was my Great Great Aunt and more often than not, a corner of a pan of brownies, etc would be missing when culinary delights showed up.  Unfortunately, she is no longer with us in the physical, but always in spirit. Every time a corner, a piece, or a swipe of frosting goes missing - everyone simply states

 "Aunt Ann must have been here".

Back to the baking-
I've had a Cast Iron Magazine laying around for ages and drooled over nearly all the photos in it. Most of the drooling, though, has been concentrated on the Pecan Sticky Rolls page. So, with ingredients on hand, I got to baking.

The recipe has you make what looks like a sourdough starter and add it to flour and yeast. After you knead like the dickens and then wait an eternity...well you get to the filling soon enough.

A little patience and the dough did indeed double in size! Hallelujah 

Unfortunately, once you've waited for the dough to rise, you roll out the dough, put in the filling, and then WAIT again. It's all worth it, I promise!

Into the oven at 350 degrees until golden brown. I think a couple of my guys couldn't stay in the pan!

I really love my cast iron to cook with. However, I've never baked anything in my most favorite pan. A couple of the rolls really seemed to "pop up" at the prospect of being in it!

All in all, you can taste the yummy cinnamon and fresh orange zest. Not a bad way to end the day (and right before a thunderstorm too!)

Brown Sugar Scrub

There are lots of sugar scrubs out there, made with all sorts of things. You can literally make a sugar scrub with almost anything. I've done some experimenting of my own and am ready to try out one a little different.

Me, an orange, and sugar make three...well and then the honey and oil.

For this scrub I used brown sugar, almond oil, buckwheat honey, and some orange zest I had leftover from making cinnamon rolls.

Now you'd think that the honey in it would make the scrub sticky - it doesn't. I'm willing to bet that the oil dilutes it or some other chemical bonding, etc. 

Best part about this scrub - totally edible. No kiddies will get poisoned from this one!

My Apologies

I've been neglectful in keeping up with my blog so far this summer. In part, it is due to working at Sheriff's Camp in the middle of the woods where there is no internet connection of any kind. However, it's high time that I get a move on and start posting again.

A nugget or two of useful information from summer life so far:

• Chenango County Summer Sheriff's Camp is absolutely free for kids ages 9-12 living in Chenango County. Lots of great presentations and fun! Look for applications or go online at the end of the school year.
• Drink lots of liquids (stay hydrated!) when it is ungodly hot out. 
• Bug spray is your best friend - so is sunscreen! No lobsters here!
• Go to the bathroom whenever you can - you never know when you have to go! You could be in the middle of a demonstration or hike!
• Appreciate the manners your parents taught you. Not everybody has good toileting skills! Or cleaning skills!
• Enjoy the small, quiet moments. Sometimes you just need a break from all those electronics to find yourself again.

Finishing Projects

First day school free and it's time to wrap up a few projects.

Over the last year I've completed  dozens of crochet projects. However, there are always a few that never get completed.  Today I finally got around to giving them the attention they need. Maybe I can start whittling down my yarn stash!

Ripple Stitch

Based on a pattern found in "Quilts & Afghans from McCall's  Needlework & Crafts"

This one I'm still trying to piece together a pattern I'm happy with. It's a variation on the Lucky Shamrock pattern from Red Heart Yarns. Instead of being green and white, I used claret, buff fleck, and a green that I think is medium thyme.

Let the Summer Begin

Today is officially the end of teaching for the 2014-2015 school year.

I've learned a lot this year from my kiddos! Mostly, how the middle school brain works! After teaching in the high school for a couple years, it's certainly been interesting getting to know my 7th and 8th grade students. There's a lot more parenting involved in the tasks of a middle school educator. By high school students have become individuals, perhaps still forming, but Middle School - Middle School you can mold them a whole lot more. I like to think of it as spreading my own brand of corruption. Creating little minions of mine who will do awesome and great things.

In any case, my room is all cleaned out! Hopefully, I will have desks next year instead of tables. With my room being small, it's important to be able to utilize the space effectively. While I'm not overly enthused to start a whole new layout this month, by the start of August I'll be itching to get back in here to get it ready!

"Playgering"

While we're in Resource Room, one of my students shouts "He's plagering! plagering!" I see the another student highlighting text from the web and pasting it into his project for English.  When this problem is fixed, the original student was asked for a definition of plagering, to which yet another piped up "it's to be in the process of plagiarizing" 

You learn something new every day...

From the Mouth of Babes

After talking about the cold war...
"Name me one country that is a superpower"
"Flying!"


On a Cold War Exam

“I am about to tell you about the Cold War. So get a scarf and sweater…

  The Cold War relates to today due to

  War because war will not end for a long time

  It is also related due to nuclear

  Weapons. Just like Iran has today.

  Those are only a few I have…So how

  About you. (literally, I’m curious again)

  PS: You might want a thermos of cocoa for

  The other cold war stories”

"It's a left handed mug!"

"I broked it"

"Duct tape can fix anything but stupid, but it can shit it up for a while"

"Do you ever think that when Chinese people get a happy meal they think-hey I made this?"

"I thought Vietnam was a battlefield...wait people live there?"

"There was this thing that happened, & it led to this other thing happening, & another thing happened and it led to the Civil War"

"Does 'book' stand for something?"

Remembrance

Memorial Day Has Come And Gone. 

The patriotic flags, aside 'till July
And dwindled cars have rattled by.
The cemetery so filled, is now left
Where many a soul is found bereft

For just one day, they held a spell
Cast around for those who fell.
But, in this quiet silence I find
That more than time is left behind

Who are we, the living,
To be so stingy in the giving?
Why one day for the dead,
When it's clear there's so much unsaid?

Please hear me know, oh yea of faith
And find a proper spot to graith
Not for just one day's time
But many more for those not mine

When McCrae's words have gone unheard,
Has the torch so been interred?
Have we, the living, been so blundered,
That we no longer hear the thunder?

My friends, in Flander's Field
Lie those who fought with zeal,
And often with a dose of fear.
Do we still keep them to be so dear?

Do we, at home and abroad
Become, in ignroance, basked in fraud?
Forget the food and the fun
Remember those who hold a gun.

Remember those who beat the foe
Remember those who were brought low
Remember those upon the bier
Remember before they disappear.

Spring Arrival

It's finally Spring! Yet, perhaps, I should wait till Memorial Day passes. Several frost warnings have been issued this week already!

Geography Oops

Sometimes my kids make me wonder...

On the other hand, maybe it's the summer antics kicking in...

The Power of Fresh Bread

We all know the smell of baking bread, or at least the smell of bread that has been made less than 6 hrs ago. You know, that smell that's all warm and makes your mouth water.

Well, it's no small feat to make fresh bread in my small apartment. With virtually no room to knead, I've opted for an electronic bread maker. I've recently acquired one from a thrift store (via my brother). At a value of $6 it makes a pretty decent loaf! I'm looking forward to trying out as many recipes as I can.

And, in addition to that lovely smell, fresh bread is way better than bread you get from a factory. Many types of bread that you can pick up at your local grocery store contain all sorts of preservatives. When I was co-teaching in an Applied Science class we did a lab to test how fast bread would mold over. I'll never look at white bread the same again...

So, besides the rich smell and wonderful taste of bread that I know (and can pronounce) all the ingredients, no wonky preservatives here!

Seriously, flour, sugar, water, yeast, salt, and other mix-ins make delightful creations!

Students Strike Again!

My whiteboard is often commandeered for special conferencing and random messages. Today's message involved a character most often mentioned with enthusiasm and when least expected. It invokes confusion and laughter, yet remains one of those things you just shake your head at. Happy Tuesday Tacocat...