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Posters. I need posters. I have enough to start two of the three new science units, but I own nothing for the first one. Solution? Take a little clip art, an overhead projector, and enlist the family in helping with the final drafts. Result? Take a look for yourself!
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You saw the “before” picture. This is a “during” picture. These are some of the books for my classroom library sorted by author.I found out that I had enough Gordon Korman trilogies (Everest, Island, Dive) and other series to make a separate basket of those. Over the last two years my students have loved dogs and horses, so my “animal” book collection has grown enough to rate a basket of its own, too. And so on, and so on, and then I sorted by reading level. I have a pretty good variety — everything from late 3rd grade to 7th and 8th, which is just right for a class of incoming 6th graders who might have all kinds of different reading abilities.
The plastic is off the furniture now, and I’m working on putting the room into shape. I’ll share pictures when it’s done…if I have time to take any!
This is a very exciting time of year. I feel like I made enormous progress today getting the room in order and putting away the clutter. I saw my class list, and it looks like a wonderful group. I can’t wait to see the families come to Open House on Tuesday!
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This is a sight that inspires excitement, enthusiasm, and panic all in one — if you’re a teacher. Yes, this is what my classroom looked like as recently as Monday night. All the furniture was crowded in the middle, covered in plastic, because the carpenters were almost (but not quite) finished putting in the parts that will hold up the new blinds that go with our wonderful new energy-efficient windows.
The beginning of a school year is always exciting. New kids, new families, coming in for Open House with backpacks full of school supplies and gym shoes and tissue boxes. New smiling faces, children full of energy, eager to see what the new grade holds for them.
And the panic? Well, those kids come in for Open House next Tuesday night, the day after Labor Day. The carpenters finished in my room yesterday; the cleaning crew went through today. I have staff meetings for half of Wednesday and most of Thursday, with Friday a day “off”. Monday (Labor Day) I will drive La Petite and a van full of her belongings to the University dorm. Somehow, somewhere, I need to find the time to get this room looking like a happy and comfortable place to learn.
It needs posters, bulletin boards, name tags for the desks, locker tags, and more. The desks need arranging. The classroom library needs to be set up. My computer pod is ready (Hip Hip Hooray!), so there’s at least one piece prepared. (Thanks, IT dept.!) The new science materials have to be set up and prepared for use.
Ready, get set, and go — I’m off to the races!
I’ve entered this post in MammaBlogga’s writing contest under the theme of “The Best Time of the Year.”
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Since the lightning hit and the internet went out, we have:
Re-learned the pinball game on the computer
Bought a new answering machine
Replaced the small bedroom TV that was also fried by the lightning strike
Actively looked for local places that have free wi-fi (found four within two miles of home)
Read a good book
Read a professional magazine
Slowed down to smell the rose (yes, my rosebush has only one bloom on it)
Listened to CDs while cooking supper instead of internet radio
Shopped for college dorm supplies
Baked bread – twice
Bought a bike helmet and lock
Okay, it’s not all sweet and lovely. Our attempt to contact the local phone company and tell them that our entire neighborhood’s phones were out was not the smoothest piece of customer service. Husband called on his cell phone from the deck, since our cells don’t work well inside the house. He went through a whole menu of options and pressed all the right buttons, or so he thought. “If you want customer service, press 3. If you need assistance, press 4. If you want to push more buttons, press 9. If you enjoy being on hold, press 6. If you wish to hear more recorded messages, press 8. If you have something to say, please stand on your head and press 2.” Eventually he reached a person, who said, “May I have your phone number please? I’ll check your account. Oh, you’re fully paid up. Thank you! Goodbye.” Click.
“ARGH! That’s not what I wanted!” He called again. This time he reached a different customer service connection with a recording (still not a real live person) that responded with “we’ll do a remote check of your phone number now. Please hold.” He danced impatiently to the over-modulated hold music (it drives engineers like him crazy) until another recorded message came on and said, “We have confirmed that your number is not working. We will send a service representative out as soon as one is available. If they confirm that there is a problem, it will be repaired within 24 hours.”
Yes, we do have phone service now. A repair crew spent the next two days on our block. Real people – not recordings!
He went through a similar and lengthy process after we bought a new router modem (the diagnosis of the repair team) tonight. It took the entire first half (and more) of the Monday Night Football game and another long phone call to the helpdesk to get us up and online again. But I’m back now! Thanks for all the encouragement.
>Yes, I’ve been offline for a few days. On Wednesday night lightning hit in our backyard. Power didn’t go out, but phone service and internet access did. The phones are repaired, and the answering machine was fried, but the DSL that we use for Internet access is still out and we have no explanation. The service tech comes out to our house on Monday. For now, I have escaped the craziness of home for a little while with my ancient laptop to use the wireless network at a local eatery.
So…we all survived the storm, and the one the next night, too. I’ll be back — and tell more of our Dark and Stormy night — later.
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Bayou Farewell: the rich life and tragic death of Louisiana’s Cajun coast
by Mike Tidwell
This title caught my eye on a shelf in the public library. This is an area of the country that I know so little about, so I checked out a copy.
Up here in the midwest, Cajun often means only a style of (delicious and tasty!) cooking. In his book, Tidwell vividly describes Cajun culture, food, and unique language from his one-on-one encounters with fishermen and crabbers in the Louisiana bayous. Tidwell hitchhiked along with several crabbers, shrimpers, and others as they go about their daily and nightly routines, offering to work for them in exchange for conversations that would make up his research.
Tidwell’s new friends were welcoming and candid, and the stories they shared create a vivid picture of the coast and its people. He delves into the seafood industry itself and the generations of (mostly) men who work in it.
Through these conversations another picture emerges: that of a disappearing coastline. Tidwell wonders why there are telephone poles in the middle of the water and dead oak trees, a land tree, sticking out of submerged, isolated groves. His hosts explain that the rapid changes in the coastline caused by human impact are allowing the salt water of the Gulf to overtake the bayous and marshes of the region at the same time as the sediment-formed land sinks below water level.
The author’s descriptions of his new friends and his surroundings are vivid, sensory, and detailed. I felt like I was riding along the bayous with him as I read. He examines the potential environmental catastrophe from both scientific and political angles. There is a definite bias in his writing toward saving and rebuilding the bayous — a bias he supports convincingly through his data and stories.
Bayou Farewell was originally published in 2003. The new edition contains an update written after the hurricanes of 2005, Rita and Katrina. It is a valuable book and a worthwhile read on topics of both the peoples and the land. I highly recommend it to all who are interested in society’s impact on unique cultures and on our fragile environment.
>It’s not fancy, but it’s solid. Husband and I went to The Man’s Mall (you midwesterners, you’ll know what I mean) and looked over the fall sale bicycles. Several were in our price range (cheap), so I tried them out for quality. And yes, I do mean I tried them out. The bikes were in an outside display area that had a lot of open space with only a few obstacles — a kayak or two, a stack of lumber here and there — so I rode the bike around before I bought it. The price was knocked down by $30, and Husband has been moaning about how his bike is wearing out, so (you knew this was coming) he bought one too! We now have “matching” his and hers bicycles. We were quite a sight, dragging these bikes around the store while we looked for the other things we needed. Fortunately, we had parked the minivan near the store exit, so it didn’t take much to get out and load up after checking out.
If you’re wondering, I didn’t buy a helmet yet. Yes, I plan to get one. I didn’t like the selection they had in stock. I have a small head (no comments from the peanut gallery, please), and I’d also like to get a helmet that will accomodate a ponytail. If it’s cute I’ll post a picture.
Now I can join Da Boys on their evening and weekend rides!
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Parents get ready for school by buying school supplies, on sale if they can, and helping their children name-label and organize everything.
Teachers get ready for school by buying school supplies, on sale if they can, and name-labeling and organizing everything.
I didn’t buy books for my classroom this year, but I cleaned the basement and found four boxes of books I could use. Since we teach a Readers’ Workshop format along with a formal textbook in our school, more books means more reading. I then spent several hours changing the way I organize and use those I already owned and had stored at school.
Step 1: Figure out the reading level for each book. This helps me match books with students. It was a long, tedious process, but I know I’ll find it well worth the time investment.
Step 2: Stamp my name inside each book’s cover, front and back. I use a stamp because, frankly, I have a long name and it would take me weeks to write it by hand in every book.
Step 3: Use clear packaging tape to reinforce bindings and mend ripped covers. The cost of tape really adds up; I haven’t decided if it’s really worth the money to tape older books. It definitely makes the new ones last longer.
Step 4: Pack up today’s load and bring it back to school to exchange for a new batch!
Step 5: Repeat five times or until done.
I did most of this outside on our picnic table and our deck table in order to let the books air out and let myself relax. The basement books were a little musty, and so were some of my classroom books. They needed to sit out and absorb the scents of outdoor air. La Petite recommended a fabric softener sheet for any that still retain a little “basement” in their pages. I’ll try it; no children will have to open their books and wrinkle their noses.
The next step will be increasing my stock of cheap plastic baskets for organizing and displaying books on the shelves. I’m still looking for the best deal; Dollar Tree, here I come!
>Parents get ready for school by buying school supplies, on sale if they can, and helping their children name-label and organize everything.
Teachers get ready for school by buying school supplies, on sale if they can, and name-labeling and organizing everything. I started two weeks ago; classes start after Labor Day.
First, I started reading the sale ads. When the local drugstore had their big one, it was time to spring into action. I clipped the coupons and bought: mini-notebooks for rewards, rulers and scissors for kids who lose theirs or don’t own a pair, a memo book for my own records, and more. In fact, I picked up multiple copies of their flyer and went to three other locations to stock up on the 30 cent rulers and 6/$1 mini-notebooks so I would have enough for the whole class. I sure hope it was worth the gas I spent!
Next, I watched for the annual office supply store’s annual sale bag. Everything I could fit in the bag was 15% off. I procured another from an anonymous source, and then I filled one with classroom supplies and La Petite filled one with things we needed at home. I got a great deal on spiral steno notebooks, good ballpoint pens, and sticky notes for reading class. And again, I found scissors on sale to add to my classroom stash.
In teaching, we call this provisioning. It means making sure every child has all the necessary supplies to learn. Our PTA helps out. I’ll be reimbursed for the reading supplies from our school budget. The rest? It’s on me. I don’t mind buying for kids who really need supplies; that’s why I stock up in August on the cheap. I do mind parents who can buy, but don’t. And I’ll tell you straight out, most parents will find a way to get what their children need or ask for assistance. It’s only a few that get under my skin at times. So to the rest of you: thanks! You take good care of your children and we teachers love you for it. Together, we help your children succeed.
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