When Teachers Are Code-breakers

Nobody told us that we had to minor in cryptography when becoming teachers. Today's writing assignment required an interpreter. Once you get the hang of it, there's some humor to be found! 

Jellybean Probability

Math for 7th graders isn't always easy. The new common core math is more wordy and lengthy than in the past. To help my kiddos out in Resource Room, I nabbed some jellybeans and into the world of probability we went! Word problems became tactile & at the end of the lesson a reward of colorful sugar bombs. In addition,  for more practice randomized what jellybeans each student got. No cheating! However, I may regret letting them load up on candy by the end of the day!

Mondays Sometimes Are Great

In the world of middle school & cranky Mondays, sometimes my students are just awesome.

I have an obsession with finding the perfect writing utensil. My favorite pens of all time are Varsity Disposable Fountain pens. They write like a dream. My favorite pencil, however,  I have not seen since I student taught.  Believe me,  I tried to order them for next year out of the school bid book but they weren't there.  The Ticonderoga tri-write,  a yellow number 2 pencil that just fits perfectly for any task.  Enter my student and another from my anti-bullying group..."we found your favorite pencil" The two of them had rushed in before lunch to give it to me. With much enthusiasm they explained that they had found it in the hallway and because it was my favorite they brought it to me. My Monday has been made!

Also, my Resource Room kiddo left a message...

Cemetery Gossip

Most people find the volunteering in a cemetery business off putting. Perhaps its the whole "dead people in the ground" bit that makes people nervous. But what you have to realize is that those stones not only mark where a person's final location is, but a treasure trove of genealogical information. It shows who they were, sometimes that they did, and who they were related to. In addition, it shows how they were remembered and treasured by their loved ones.

It's a shame how many of the small cemeteries around rural NY are often neglected and disappear into nature. Often it will take a group of volunteers to clear out areas to find where stones are, identify who was buried there, and get information out to people.

Having spent several dozen hours mowing and trimming around gravestones, there's a lot of work to be done to preserve the memory of loved ones.

Interestingly enough, sometimes a cemetery plot was the only land a family owned. They'd go on a day off and have a picnic in said plot.

The Basics

I truly love teaching. It's a great way to pass on valuable information to the next generation of voters. It's vitally important that we work together to produce citizens that work hard in their community. I will often tell my students "Once you stop caring about your neighbor, society goes down the drain" We'll see if any of it sticks once they graduate.

To that end, I volunteer on an Emergency Squad as an EMT. I feel very strongly about volunteering in my community and this is my fifth year as an EMT in my hometown and my seventh year in Emergency Medical Services. I'm honored to be a part of an organization that does a lot of background work to help people.

Oh the whole, the students that I work with are a great bunch of kids. Most of them think I'm off my rocker for loving history. But hey, if they pay attention enough to think I'm nuts, something must be sinking in!

The latest notable comment from one of my seventh graders was "When you grow up, you should be a cook"

Which brings me to one of my other passions, food. Cooking and baking analogies often make their way into lessons in school, but what can I say - we all eat! From scones, to roasts, to cupcakes, my small kitchen produces some yummy dishes. If only I could learn to cook for small groups!