Cameras have an odd effect on people

Have you ever noticed what happens in a room when a camera appears. You have to be a good sneaky photographer to get a camera into a room and get some pictures taken before any one notices. For instance, I had to video tape myself a couple of days ago for an evaluation that I had to do for work. The students were acting normal at first because they did not notice the camera. Yet as soon as one of them noticed, the group dynamic changed.

The camera hogs were being hoggy, looking at the camera and yelling "Hi Mom." The shy kids were being bashful, shooting little glances back at the camera and then turning around as quickly as possible with self conscious looks on their little faces.

When I bring out my camera, I have to be so sneaky in order to get actual candid shots of students. Some day I will have to show you some of my hooligans, but for now... You will just have to know that the camera changes their little personalities in a big way.

P.S. There have been four fifthgrade boy office referrals today. I am proud to say that none of them were mine, But I am not saying that I didn't think about it.

He's opening a club

I just had a kindergartner leave my room and in passing say, "Is He invited? Oh, that's what I thought. He's opening a club and him and him and me are invited, but he's not."

I wanted to say, "Well, I am opening a club and he's invited to my club, but not you and him and him." but I didn't.

Why didn't I?

When I was in third grade, I was in a club. It consisted of me, Sabra, Emily, josh, Jake, and Jana. We were the "God's creations club." It was right around the time when Captain planet was the coolest of cool in the newest of new ways. We were all different parts of God's creation. Jake was the plants, Josh was the land animals, Sabrah was the birds, I was the water, Jana was the fish, and I think that Emily might have been the sun but I am not quite sure. I remember we had some sort of salute that was captain planet-esque where we all put our hands together, shouted something, and went to our respective spots on the playground. It was the best of the best, and the rest was the rest.

Maybe that's why I didn't open my own club today. I have already been one of the "In Crowd" and although it was awesome while it lasted, the next time you see someone who is in a different "in crowd" it is hard to swallow.

Some would argue that I have been in the "in crowd" during more days than just third grade at church. Who knows... maybe it was true, but if I was in... I didn't realize it. I was just a goof being myself, and someone brought me along.

So, Here's to the in's and out's of life. May they teach us to stand strong when we are alone and rely on the reliable when we are not.

recorders strike a funny note

So,
I was again teaching a recorder lesson. The class was doing exceptionally well. They are still working on B, A, and G. I have a policy that they get to play once out of turn without a consequence, and the second time they play out of turn they have to walk a lap.

Now... This class has not had to walk any laps so far, but for some reason any time any of them let out the tiniest little squeak in the middle of a rest the whole class jumped a mile high. If they played one peep after the end of the song, they would all look around suspiciously at each other. They were quick to point out each other's out of line peeps.

Anyway, there was a little peep that I chose to ignore, and they all opened their eyes as widely as they could because they all wanted to look as innocent as possible. None of them was going to admit that they had accidental peeped at the wrong time. I looked at them and said,

"Wow, you guys are jumpy! You need a little relaxation in your lives." I immediately turned to start the next song and was counting off, "one, two, ready..." when I heard, "Yah, if we even had a life." It was muttered by a discouraged looking fourth grade boy.

I can't lie, I lost it. It was a complete 14 karate crack up. The rest of the students started to snicker as well, and then we all laughed. I told him, "You win the award for the funnies thing I heard all day!"

I probably shouldn't have said that, because after class he came up to me and asked me, "what is my prize?"

Dakota and I have a good working relationship. I call him out for talking a lot, and he makes me laugh. It is a system of checks and balances and that's all there is to it.

Bad Luck

I have been playing card games all of my life. I usually do alright when I am playing partner games, but if I am on my own I can't ever wind. I have only beaten my sister at Monopoly one time EVER in my life, and it is not for lack of trying. I rarely beat Chris at anything, and I am thinking that I know why.

I have awful luck. I have never won anything except a canvas bag in Florida that says Magic Tree Resort. I guessed how many somethings were in a jar of something. (See how memorable it was.) But other than that, my name is never drawn, and I can't get a good hand dealt to me in cards.

It is not that my hand is always bad, but it is never best. I always wind up somewhere in the low middle of a group, last of two, and third of four. I need an upper for my luck. Last night my luck was so bad that I dropped an entire box of double 14 dominoes, and that was even before starting to play.

Get this, we weren't even playing dominoes, we were playing cards.

The only time I have ever won anything fare and square was when I was learning to play poker with a group of friends. I won almost all of the candy corns that we were betting with. Yet, even the victory of that was dampened by the fact that Shane bit off all of the white tips of my candy corns when I wasn't looking.

With each loss, my competitive spirit has been a little more broken, and now it doesn't even bother me to loose. Except when Christopher looks at me and laughs his blast off laugh, and then I get mad, and he tries to make up for it but it is all just too annoying. The whole thing ends with a punch to a stomach, and the words, "Just leave me alone you big dumb jerk."

And the night is over.

Gone, but not forgotten.

The end.

Full time blog

So,
I read these women's blog

Antique Mommy,
Big Mama, and
Boo Mama.

They are amazing writers, and they are absolutely hilarious and Antique Mommy is so deep and articulate that I just want to cry when I read her stuff sometimes. I don't read Boo Mama very often, but Amy does and she has a lot of good times there. You should check them out!

Someday, I would love to:
A. be that funney
B. be that good of a writer
C. experience that much joy in the little things

Prayer

Father,
I know that I have promised to trust You in every situation. I know that I have given You every part of my life and not just some of it. I know that You have a perfect will for my life. I just don't know what it is.

I have walked through every door that You have opened. I have tried not to question Your will, and I have been blessed. Why now do I question my decisions and my discernment of Your will? I have been so confident until now? Show me the way.

Please grant me the wisdom to let go of all of my prior expectations for life and willing let You lead me into what You have for me. Help me learn to be a follower of You.

Father, speak into the life of your servant, and make a clear path for a servant to follow.

four days a week

I firmly believe that students should only attend school four days a week. Fridays, in my opinion, are useless to say the least. If I gave tests, I would give them on Fridays. Now I know why teachers choose to have tests and projects due on Friday. Because there is no other educational point for the day. And, it is a good way to monitor student behavior and focus. "Here, it's Friday, and you have been learning all week, and you really want to goof off. I think that we should see what you remember about what you have learned, and in taking time to do this I won't have to watch your every moove for destructive behaviors."

Class participation, even if students are completely engaged in an activity earlier in the week, on Friday will decrease by at least fifty percent. I am almost sure of it.

Can I blame them? Absolutely not. I think that as a student I remember thinking on Fridays... "Ok, I have a test in English, and a test in History, but the rest of the day I can just goof off because it is Friday, and no one introduces any new information on Friday, so it doesn't count." If those were my thoughts then, I can hardly imaging the thoughts of students right now.

I am all for education... (an obvious statement) But does it have to happen on Friday. I maintain that test scores would improve if we had a four day school week.

Those my friends are my thoughts.

I recant

I recant any cursing about recorders!

First, I just had a great class with recorders.

Secondly, all of my kids get to use their own recorder. I assign them and once we are done using them, they turn them in and I boil them and clean them and scrub them because I am kind of a germiphobe.

Anyway, one of the teachers just told me: "You have enough recorders that all of the kids get their own? Wow, when I was in school we had to dip them in scope between people and share them."

OH MY GOSH!!! IS THAT EVEN LEGAL!!!???!!! THAT IS... OH WOW!!!.... AAARRRRGGGGHHHH.
ICK! EEEEWWWW!!!!! (vomit into my mouth just a little)

Oh wow, I could not do that to a kid. No matter how much I don't like them, I just couldn't do it to a kid.

So, As I was Blog Brousing

I came across a blog with this link on it

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playground.php

Now, I am not so sure what I think about it. I am a firm believer in intelligent design, and I am hoping that this film does not make people even more adverse to the issue because of the hotness of the topic thus far.
I was impressed with the idea that it takes on, and I am curious to see the film. I am one for strange movies, just ask Christopher. He will attest that I am not one who dislikes movies that the general public dislikes. I don't think that I will be able to rope him into seeing it, but if anyone is game? Give me a holler and we will explore the mind of Stein and his scientific acquaintances.

until next time.

Recorders are...

Ode to the recorder:
............
The first instrument of almost every person.
The last instrument of almost every person. (and for good reason)
.................

Miss Music 13:4-forever
Recorders are not patient, recorders are not kind.
Recording ability is envied. It is the cause of boasting and pride.
Recorder players are self seeking.
Recorder players are easily angered, and they keep a record of theirs and others mistakes.
Recorders are not to be trusted. Recorder players have little hope. Recorder players preserver only when the notes are easy B A G quarter notes.
Recorders never fail to cause anxiety.
..........................

It took me an hour and a half to round up 68 recorders in my music storage closet that had not been chewed on. There are about 100 rejects sitting in the closet that have seen better days. Days before 4th graders decided to snack on their mouth pieces for afternoon tea.

Although Recorders are hard... I am glad that I have a good fourth grade class to work with, because I wouldn't want to do this with any other group.

So... Cheers for the Fourth grade class... and down with those dingy plastic flute things!

I live in the moment, I plan for the future

So,
I haven't posted in Forever. It is because I am working on living in the moment and planning for the future. It seems like planning is taking most of my time. If I am planning at school, I am planning lessons, planning programs, and planning wedding stuff over my lunch break. After school, I work out which I consider planning for a healthy lifestyle, and then I come home, eat and do more wedding planning. The best times are the times that I can just sit around. Yes... Those are the good times right now.
I am trying to gather addresses of family and friends as of late. That and I cut out 200 little squares of paper about 3x5 inches yesterday. It took me a couple of hours plus the length of Oceans 11 to get them done. Hurray for making progress on the invitations.
In the end, my new philosophy for my wedding is, "Whatever Dude." adopted from Antique Mommy's philosophy on potty training. I know that in the end it will be wonderful, so why sweat the little stuff.

Time to start the day!

Charles Schultz's Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles
Schultz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to
actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and
you'll get the point.


1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.


6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.


How did you do?

The point is,
none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate
achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards
tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried
with their owners .




Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.


5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.



Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in
your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the
most awards. They are the ones that care.



Pass this on to those people who have made a
difference in your life.

'Don't worry about the world coming to an end
today. It's already tomorrow in Australia ' (Charles Schultz)