School Clothes & More Quotes...

One of the things that I have been excited about lately is that I am finally finding new clothes to replace my worn out attire from student teaching. Part of the problem is that it has taken me some time to learn what styles best fit my body. It has also taken time for those styles to be popular. My old clothes fit fine but they are so faded and are getting those little fuzz tufts all over them. I feel one step closer to being an adult professional now that I have black pants instead of grey pants that use to be black. I'm sticking with fairly simple pieces I can mix and match easily. A special shout out to my college roommate Amanda! I'm a little sad to be getting rid of the clothes we shopped for together at the various places you were employed. I guess we will be less likely to accidentally match when we see each other.

I try really hard not to be overly sensitive to grammatical errors outside of school. I know how much Mike loves having me correct his grammar so I try to spare the people who aren't required to love me forever.

Student: I don't need no book.

Me: Don't speak to me in a double negative! After all the time I have spent teaching you the English language you thank me by using it recklessly!

Student: O...I don't need a book.

Me: Fine...sit and wait until everyone else is done checking out books.

Student: Can I look at books?

Me: Argh!!!

School is going well overall. My students have been very well behaved although my sixth graders are a little babyish this year. I have spent a lot of time the past few weeks training other teachers in the district. I have learned that teachers can be much worse behaved than students.

Teacher: Do you know where room 101 is? I have to go to some stupid training!

Me: Hi! I'm your stupid trainer! Room 101 is just down the hall on the left.

Teacher: I don't know why we have to be here so late. I worked all day!

Me: At least you get to sit, turn pages, and daydream! I worked all day and I'm still working!

Flu Precautions...

My mom sent me this picture since I am a big fan of Winnie the Pooh. It sort of makes me think of school. I usually wait for students to ask to go to the nurse before I send them but since the flu is already going around in full force I'm being a little more proactive. I've gotten pretty good at recognizing the "I don't feel good look". They are suppose to stay home until they have been fever free for twenty-four hours but some come back as soon as they think they feel ok. When they come back too soon, I stop them at the door and send them down to the nurse. I usually tell them "I miss you too but I would rather wait until you are completely healthy before we spend time together."

Quote from early last week:

Student: Is it Friday?

Irritated students: No! It's Tuesday!

School Quotes...

Student: Why do I have two periods of your class and my friend only has one? That's not fair!

Me: I agree! It isn't fair that your friend only gets to spend one period a day with me and you get to spend two periods with me. I guess you are lucky. That's what you meant...right...(sarcastic smirk).

Student: No.

Me: It should have been!

Student 1: I don't understand #2.

Me: We are studying proper nouns and on this page you are writing the names of people you know in the blanks. Names are capitalized because they are proper nouns. The sentence says "________ is the kindest person I know".

Student 1: What does kindest mean?

Me: Nicest.

Student 1: Oh...(student writes Mrs. Rogers in the blank).

Student 2: That's not true! He just wants to be your favorite.

Me: Well it is working! He knows who grades his work. You should try harder!

Me: (Attempting to tell my new non-English and non-Spanish speaker about taking the bus to and from school...I was frustrated and she was confused.)

Student: I saw her yesterday. She got beat up. (Referring to the student I was talking to.)

Me: She couldn't have gotten beat up! I walked her to all her classes yesterday and out to her mom at the end of the day.

Student: She did! She got beat up! I saw her!

Me: Beat up!?!?!

Student: Picked up...by her mom after school! I saw her!

Me: Picked up?

Student: Yes! Her mom picked her up in her car!

Me: (Sigh and head shake...note to self to spend more time teaching pronunciation.)

Sniffles...

Every year as summer starts to become autumn I get a cold. I suppose it is probably allergies related to the changing season. It really hasn't been too bad. I have had a runny nose, scratchy throat, cough, and sinus pressure on and off. I sound sick but I feel mostly normal. I'm glad I don't have whatever illness has been going around school. Mike has been very sweet. He even made a special trip to the grocery store to get ingredients to make homemade Japanese chicken soup. He also did all the chores last weekend so I could rest.

The letter Y...

Students: Do we have to practice today?

Mike: You have to practice everyday of the week that ends in "y".

Students: (Long pause and thoughtful looks.) Everyday ends in "y".

End Of Summer...

Since Labor Day marks the end of summer I figured I should put up the last of my summer pictures. This post is short and random.

As Mike and I were completing our last minute preparations for our weekend guests we found this guest making his way up the driveway. I'm not a huge fan of bugs but it was kind of cool to see this one up close. I made Mike take pictures of it because I didn't want to get close enough for it to jump on me. The praying mantis is now residing in one of the shrubs by the garage.

Sometime late in the summer Mike and I tried the frozen yogurt at Fresh Berry in the Vintage Park shopping center and really liked it. They also have smoothies and frozen pops. The shop is probably too small for a Starting Point social gathering but you could visit in smaller groups.

Band Ninjas!!!

As always the beginning of school is filled with teaching rules and procedures. It is very important to Mike that his students students enter the band hall, get their instruments, and are in their seats ready to play when they bell rings. This year he is encouraging his students to enter the band hall as if they are ninjas...silent but deadly. The older students find it funny and have improved significantly but the sixth graders have taken it to a whole new level. They really think they are band ninjas. The bassoon and oboe players have to go to the water fountain at the beginning of each class because they need water to soak their reeds. As they make their way down the hallway they are careful to not be seen by the ninja hating art teacher who might attack them. Typically one will make sure the coast is clear before they pass her room. I haven't witnessed this yet but I have heard it is quite comical!