God Always Has a Plan B! Part 2

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his namesake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me… Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Psalm 23

When I was in church a couple of weeks, the preacher, Caleb, spoke on this very scripture. Imagine my surprise at finding myself in the very situation of being in the valley of the Shadow of death just a couple weeks later. When the preacher spoke on this, I simply thought this was a great sermon. I liked it but only had a small personal connection to it. Now that I feel I’m in the valley of the shadow of death, I feel this sermon even more.

This is how I feel right now. I feel like I’m not really living life. I feel like I’m being tortured. My life has been really hard for the past couple of years. If I’m not experiencing financial hardship, then I’m experiencing emotional hardship. It always one bad thing or another. Murphy’s law- If it could go wrong, believe me when I say that it did go wrong.

I’m extremely disappointed in my early warning “system”. Usually I can feel when something is going to happen- good or bad. I’ll have an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. I don’t know why, but it didn’t happen this time. I feel sideswiped. Because I was so taken by surprise, I am having a hard time recovering. When something happens to me, I like to withdraw to my little cave. I’ve been told that I’m like a man in that  respect. But, I digress.

I am so distraught. I feel like nothing has been going my way for a couple of years now. I thought things were different. I thought my life was going to get better, but it’s just one trial after another. I really feel like giving up. I don’t feel like I’m living life, I feel like I’m being tortured. I know. I know. I know life is not fair, but life sucks. It sucks so bad. I know this is going to pass. It always does. It’s just what happens in the meantime. All the hell I have to go through as I go through the valley of the shadow of death. But, I will prevail. I know that God is with during this travail through the valley of the shadow of death. I’d just like to know when is it going to end?

God Always Has a Plan B!

Ok, so I’ve been screwed over, but I don’t have time to stop or worry about that now, I still need a job. I am going with Plan B. I will begin applying @ Charter schools & private schools. I don’t have a choice. I know I will make a difference no matter where I go, so onward I march.

Guest bloggers needed!

Although I get a significant amount of hits, I know that I’m not one of the most popular blogs out there. That being said, I would like put out a feeler for guest bloggers who teach elementary special education. I am not in the classroom right now and cannot bring the latest information to you, so I would like to connect with someone who is. I would love someone who teaches SRA’s Open Court to multiple grade levels. Voyager is a perfect, if you teach that. Contact me if you can help me out. My e-mail address is specialedandme@gmail.com

Anxiously Awaiting News!

I contacted L.A.U.S.D. regarding the available positions and am awaiting news. I’m very hopeful though. Here’s hoping!

I Got the List!!!

Yes, dear readers, I am so happy. I have acquired that once oh-so-elusive list of teaching vacancies. Here’s hoping for the best!

A Message So True!

I love these messages from Facebook. This is the one I got the other day.

You are not your wallet, your job, your kids, your house.

You are not your activities or your worries or the labels other people give you.

Like an actor you play these roles, and like a good actor you sometimes forget who you really are.

Time to wake up now, and remember that you are a being of immense power and breathtaking beauty created in the image of God.

Happy Daylight Savings!

Yes, dear readers, I hope everyone put their clocks back last night. I am so happy that now until April, we are the proud recipients of an extra hour of sleep each day. Yippee!!!

Halloween by Jerry Seinfeld

Since today is Halloween, I decided to review a book about Halloween, called Halloween (2003), written by none other than Mr. Jerry Seinfeld & illustrated by James Bennett.

This book is hilarious. Of course it is. It’s by none other than Jerry Seinfeld. He perfectly captures the spirit of Halloween. He begins the books by saying… When you’re a kid you can eat amazing amounts of food. All I ate when I was a kid was candy. Just candy, candy, candy. And the only really clear thought I had as a kid was get candy.

In the grocery store. In the mini-mart. At his grandparent’s house. Looking out the window. Alllllllll the time. That’s all he thought about was how to get his next fix of candy. So, imagine his glee over discovering Halloween where, for a whole night, people just give it away. His young mind couldn’t process that. Are you serious? They’re just giving it away. The fools!!!!

The first couple of years he made his own costumes. A ghost one year. A hobo the next. However, those were just the beginning. He was in training for the real thing- Superman. One day he was going to get the real Superman Halloween costume from the store. You know the one…The cardboard box….the cellophane top…mask included in the set.

He then reminisces about the rubber band on back of the mask…that broke almost as soon as you put it on. Then you had to get your friends to wait up as you tried to fix it. “Because”, he says, “when you’re little, your whole life is up. You want to grow up. Everything is up!

Wait UP! Hold UP! Shut UP! Mom, I’ll clean UP! Just let me stay UP!

So, the day finally comes when he convinces his parents to buy him an official Superman Halloween-store costume. Well, what do you think happened? Did it fit just the way he wanted it to? Did he get all the candy he wanted? I guess you’re going to have to read it and find out for yourself. You’ll like it. It’s too cute! As always, pick it up at your local library or bookstore.

***P.S. This comes with an audio CD, which is a live performance of the book. As I thought. As I was talking to Phillip, I thought about how this book read like a classic Seinfeld script. I listened to the CD and my suspicions were confirmed.***

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween everyone. Have fun, but above all, be safe!

Benchwarmer? I Think Not!

I say, no, no, no. A THOUSAND TIMES NO! My dear readers, I say this very emphatically, “I am no benchwarmer!”

True, I have been sidelined with this no job having thing. I truly did not think it would take this long.

True, I did think I would have a job by now. I was probably even a little cocky. However, I am back to my old humble self.

True, I have been a bit discouraged, of late, but I am no benchwarmer. I am not the guy who will never get any playing time in the game. EVER!!!

I am not the slacker who rests on their laurels. I have had tremendous success in the past and I will have even more tremendouser (That’s right, I wrote tremendouser) success in the future. I push myself to the limit. I want to squeeze every bit of learning out of a kid that I can.

Believe me, dear readers. I am down on the sidelines right now, but I am definitely not out of the game. That bench will soon be cold!!!

Attn: Displaced L.A.U.S.D. teachers, Part 2

Well, obtaining that list of available teaching positions from L.A.U.S.D. is going to be easier said than done. What is the problem????? Well, the problem is that access to L.A.U.S.D. e-mail is necessary to obtain the list.

Other problem????? If you’re not a current employee, you do not have access to L.A.U.S.D. e-mail.

I tried for half the morning, calling over & over, on hold for more than 30 minutes each time, only to be told (each time) that I could not gain access to the e-mail.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but there is some sort of disconnect here. I need access to the e-mail in order to obtain this oh so elusive list, in order to be gainfully employed again, so I can gain access to said e-mail. ^^^ (Those are raised eyebrows, by the way).

I need help. I need a job. If anyone reading this has access to this list, please let me in on some of the action. Please. A teacha’ needs a job. You can e-mail me @ specialedandme@gmail.com.

Don’t let me down.

The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane and Herm Auch

The Plot Chickens (2009) by Mary Jane & Herman Auch was the cutest little book.I really liked it because it can be used during English/Language Arts time to help children with the writing process. The illustrations were a very colorful mixed media mishmash. They were quite enjoyable to look at. Now, on to the review.

The story begins with Henrietta Hen who loves to read. She loves to read so much, she’s read all the books on her farm. There’s nothing more to read. Now, she must go into town to the library to get more. She goes into the library & gets in line. As she gets to the counter, the librarian tells her that they have nothing for chickens there. Henrietta indignantly clucks at the top of her lungs. BUK, BUK, BUK!

“Well, why did you say so?” says the librarian as she hands Henrietta three books.

Henrietta’s four aunts love being read to. Every day she reads to them and returns to the library for more. Now, this is where one of my favorite parts come in. Henrietta loves reading so much, she wonders if writing them is as much fun. She does what anyone is serious does. She researches it. She finds a book, goes home and reads it, and promptly begins writing a book. I love, love, loved this part. This part reminds me so much of Phillise. She is a read-a-holic. She loved reading so much that she has decided to write her own stories. She is constantly writing her own stories. One of her favorite things to do is to cross popular stories. She wrote one entitled, Fancy Nancy Meets Junie B. Jones. She inserted her own pictures in it and everything. As I write this, she has another one on the backburner. I’m not going to tell the name of that one until she finishes writing it. I am so proud of my little girl. I encourage her to write her own original stories as well. I’m just happy that she enjoys reading & writing. But, I digress. On with the review.

While visiting the library, Henrietta comes across an excellent book about writing that has eight writing rules.

Rule #1: You need a main character.

Rule #2: You need to “hatch” a plot.

Rule #3: Give your main character a problem.

Rule #4: Develop your plot by asking “What if?”.

Rule #5: Write what you know.

Rule #6: Build suspense.

Rule #7: Make your story come alive by using all five senses.

Rule #8: The main character must solve her (or his) own problem.

So, with the help of her aunts, she writes a story. What do you think happens? Did Henrietta’s research pay off? Does her book become the #1 bestseller? Well, I guess you’re going to have to read it to find out for yourself. I know you will like this. Especially if you’re an elementary teacher.

I can think of a few ways this book can be used in a writing center, after I’ve used it for a read-aloud. I would begin by photocopying the middle of the book that explains how to write a story, along with its explanations & make it into a mini-book for the children to refer to. That is, as soon as I get another class.

What would you do with it? Drop me a comment and let me know.

Happy Birthday Sam!

Today is, Sam, my oldest son’s 20th birthday. My, how time flies. He was just a baby. Happy Birthday!

Attn: Displaced L.A.U.S.D. teachers

***This post is for all the displaced L.A.U.S.D. teachers.***

I just got off the phone with Recruitment & Placement @ Beaudry building and have some very good news. Believe me when I say this made my day. I was a little down yesterday and today.  I was told that L.A.U.S.D. just received a list of vacancies today. The list would be going out tomorrow to all displaced teachers. So, be on the lookout in your L.A.U.S.D. e-mail. If you are a displaced teacher and don’t receive this list, try calling Recruitment & Placement @ 213-241-1000 and ask for the certificated specialist in your local district.

Hope this helps.

Bound & Gagged!

In the words of India.arie- I am not my hair. I am not this skin. I am not your expectations. No… I am a soul that lives within.

You know what? That is so true. I am a soul that lives within. I am more than the title of teacher. But if that’s true why do I feel like a loser, a nobody. I feel- bound & gagged. Since I don’t have a job I feel like I have nothing to contribute at all. My whole identity is wrapped up in my job.

Why is that? Why do we, as human beings, wrap all of our self-worth up in our jobs? Why am I doing it? I know it’s unhealthy, yet I keep beating myself up anyway. I need to stop this roller coaster ride and get off. Life is scary enough as it is. I don’t need anything else wreaking havoc on my emotions. I need to get a hold of myself & my emotions. I am more than my job. I am the soul that lives within.

***(If I could just make myself believe it, I’ll be just fine.)***

True Friendship

1.) When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad, like a spider monkey hopped up on Mountain Dew.

2.) When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3.) When you smile, I will know you are plotting something I must be involved in.

4.) When you are scared, we will high tail it out of there.

5.) When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya’ big baby!

6.) When you are confused, I will use little words

7.) When you are sick, stay away from me until you are well again. I don’t want whatever you have…

8.) When you fall, I’ll pick you up and dust you off– After I laugh my a$$ off.

9.) This is my oath… I pledge it til the end.  “Why?” you may ask… because you are my FRIEND!

***********************

Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only YOU can feel the true warmth.

Traumatic Brain Injury posting delayed!

I would like to extend my apologies to the interested reader who requested research on Traumatic Brain Injury. I was extremely busy last week and did not have time to research & post it. I will post next week.

Miss Malarkey Won’t Be In Today by Judy Finchler

Miss Malarkey Won’t Be In Today (2000), written by Judy Finchler and illustrated by Kevin O’ Malley, gave me quite a little chuckle. In this 2nd installation in the Miss Malarkey series, Miss Malarkey is back and this time SHE is the one with the over-active imagination! Stuck at home, delirious and helplessly sick, Miss Malarkey can’t help but worry about which substitute Principal Wiggins has called in.

Will it be Mr. Doberman? A guy so tough he even scares Miss Malarkey. Or will it be Mrs. Ungerware, who the kids call Mrs. Underwear? Or will it be Mr. Lemonjello? He is such a nervous man. Miss Malarkey worries he’ll be scared stiff if they let the iguana out of its cage. Visions of myriad horrors dance in her head of what the students will do in music class because Mr. Lemonjello cannot control them.

They’ll crank up the volume, dance on the desks, and swing from the lights.

When they have art, OH MY, they’ll go crazy. They’ll paint the ceilings AND the floor. Mr. Lemonjello will be two shades of blue.

So crazed is Miss Malarkey that she rushes to school in her bunny slippers and bathrobe, lesson plans in hand. She gets to school, looks in the class, and can’t believe what she sees. What, oh what, does she see? Well, I guess you’re going to have to read it and find out for yourself.

I think teachers will get quite a chuckle out of this book. Although some didn’t. I read other reviews of this book. Someone thought it was, how did they put it, trite and banal. They thought the author made substitute teachers look bad. I can see their point. There were some inept subs, but you have to admit that that’s how it really is. I have worked with some bad subs in my day. I’m not saying all subs are bad. That would be a gross overgeneralization. However, some are as bad as the book portrays them.

Oh, does this book remind me of my own class when I took a leave of absence earlier this year. In a two month time period, my class ran away 9 subs. You read right, 9 subs. Just like Miss Malarkey says in the book, “My class can be a handful sometimes.”

As always, read it and decide for yourself.

An A.P.L.E. a Day? Maybe not!

An A.P.L.E. a Day? Maybe not! It seems my site has become an unofficial sounding board for A.P.L.E. recipients who haven’t received their promised payments. Now, this disheartens me since I am signed up for the A.P.L.E. grant. I am beginning to get scared. Am I going to have problems collecting like all those who use my site as a sounding board? Will the A.P.L.E. program do me like all the others. That remains to be seen. I hope not though. I need A.P.L.E. to take a bite out of my loans. I owe a truckload of money!

Feeling a little bit better!

I feel a little better today. I’d been feeling a little down ’cause I thought I’d have a job by now. I’m going to send out so me more resumés tomorrow. I’m confident I’ll find something in the coming weeks.

What is a Leader?

Leadership is not the ability to command, it is the ability to inspire others to act in ways that make them leaders as well.

-Unknown-

Still Unemployed!

Yep, dear readers, I am still unemployed. I thought I’d have a job by now, but not so. I’ve done all I know how. I’ve reached out to contacts & sent out resumes. But, so far, nothing at all.  I’ll just have to keep on pounding the pavement.

Cornrows by Camille Yarbrough

Cornrows (1979), written by Camille Yarbrough & illustrated by Carole Byard, was a very nice book. It’s a tribute to braids or cornrows as they’re sometimes called. The book is beautifully & simply illustrated with charcoal, and/or pencil drawings. Can I just say that I love these drawings?

Since I my mother used to braid my hair and I braid Phillise’s hair, I had to get this book. Imagine how pleased I was when I found this book. I didn’t realize it was so old until I looked at the publication date. Whew, this is old! This book was actually published when I was 9 years old. I didn’t know of too many books that had brown people who looked like me when I was younger. It was readily available, I just didn’t have access to it. I wish I would have had access to this book when I was younger.

It wasn’t a problem for me to be proud of my braids when I was younger because I grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in the ’70’s, so almost everyone wore braids at one time or another. Even though my neighborhood’s a little bit more diverse, it’s the same situation with Phillise. Not to mention that I, and 5 of my 6 sisters braid our children’s hair. Danielle is just learning with Moriah, but she’s getting there.

So, needless to say, this book took me back to a time when I was little. Back to when my mother used to braid my hair. Sometimes the styles would be simple; sometimes they would be elaborate. More often than not they were simple, just like in the book. So, on to the review.

Shirley Ann, otherwise known as Sister calls Mike, her little brother, otherwise known as Brother, MeToo because he echoes everything she says. They listen to the Mama & Great-Grammaw’s stories. They love listening to the stories. Yesterday, when they went in, Great-Grammaw was fixin’ Mama’s hair in cornrows. Great-Grammaw says the braids got that name because our old folks down south planted rows of corn in the fields that looked like the rows of braids they fixed in their hair.

Sister & Brother want their hair fixed too. They also want to know the name of the style Great-Grammaw is doing, but Great-Grammaw tells them to go outside & play. Before they do though, Mama stands up and turns around in front of the mirror like she was going to dance or something. Then she bent down and kissed Sister on the head. Then she said:

I delight in tellin’ you, my child–

yes, you please me when you ask it–

it’s a hairstyle that’s called suku.

In Yoruba, it means basket.

Then Brother looks at Sister and tells her, “You gonna’ be a basket head.”

Sister asks her mother what she’s going to put in the basket. Mama says she thinks she’ll put love in it. Brother asks Great-Grammaw what she’ll put in her basket. Great-Grammaw says she’ll put love in hers too. Brother then asks if he falls down, will the love go away.

“Oh, noooo, my darlin’! she said. “Because the love, like the basket, will be a part of you.” So Sister asks her again, what kind of love would she put in her basket. To which Great-Grammaw replies, “Hand-me-down love, baby.” Of course, ole’ MeToo asks Great-Grammaw too. She gives the same answer. Then Great-Grammaw picked MeToo up and hugged him in her lap and started humming just like she does when we’re in church. She said, “An’ if you fall down, that ol’ hand-me-down love won’t go nowhere. Because it’s gonna’ be a part of you. Just like the basket I’m fixin’ to braid in ya’ hair.

The story goes on like this really sweetly. Read it for yourself and see how it ends. It’s a sweet story. This story will pique your interest whether or not you got your hair braided. Either way, this review is just in time for Chris Rock’s new movie “Good Hair.”  As always, go pick it up at your local bookstore or library.

Books, Books, Books!

I love books. What I love even more than buying and reading books is buying them for cheap. What am I talking about? Well, the ROADIUM open air flea market, sells books for very cheap. How cheap? Today I purchased some books for as cheap as $1 for hardcover books. My latest acquisition:

The Roald Dahl Treasury, all 443 pages for $2 (list price=$35) 

Miss Spider’s Wedding by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Miss Spider’s New Car by David Kirk for $1 (list price= $16.95)

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing (Illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist) for $1 (list price= $16.95)

David Goes to School by David Shannon (list price= $16.95)

There’s No Place Like Space, a Cat in the Hat Learning Library book, for $1 (list price= $8.99)

These are all in like new condition. So, for a grand total of $7, I got over $100 worth of books. Love it, love it, love it!

Ghosts of Hair & Clothes Issues Past!

I wish I felt like this when I was younger, but I didn’t. This book and all it represents reminds me of a situation I’m dealing with right now. I have been very upset lately with someone that I am very close to. It has to do with a young female relative. You see, this person is so extra, super-dee-duper, ridiculously cheap. She doesn’t buy her little girl any pretty clothes. Nor does she fix her hair nicely. It’s doubly bad because this person is a hairdresser. Needless to say, this little girl is very insecure. She told me that Phillise is so much smarter, prettier and has better clothes than her.

I really felt like crying when she told me this. I had to tell her that she is pretty and that she had nice clothes too. To which she replied, “My clothes are dark and ugly. They’re like boy clothes.”

“Phillise’s are much prettier. They’re girl colors,” she said.

I felt like crying again. How can I help her? She has no confidence. Her hair, at times, is like whateeever. He clothes are too small and sometimes very outdated. What do I do? I bought her a couple of things when she went shopping with me & Phillise, but I don’t have the funds to do that all the time. I want her to have confidence. How do I approach her mother about treating her better?

Right about now, you may be asking, what does this bother me? What does this have to do with me? Well, I grew up really poor. There were always so many of us, with not enough money to go around. Put it this way, we always had more month at the end of our money. I was always so jealous of the girls at school who had pretty clothes and hair. Don’t even talk about Hello, Kitty! stuff. One of my classmates had a lot. I would look enviously at her cute little trinkets and wish I had them. That’s why I made a vow to myself that when I had a daughter, I would buy her nice clothes, shoes, and cute little trinkets. Did I keep my part of the bargain? Yes, I sure did. I don’t go overboard and overspend, but I do keep my little girl looking as cute as can be. I know how to bargain hunt. I can buy her a whole outfit (top & bottom) for less than $20. So, can my relative’s mother. That’s why I am so mad about this particular situation. It reminds me too much of my situation when I was younger. My mother didn’t have the money. That didn’t make me any less furious, but at least there was a reason. This person has no reason. She’s such a cheapskate and her little girl is suffering. I’m not saying she should spend an insane amount of money on this child’s clothing, but she needs to try.

I really need to work through this. I don’t have a choice. I do not need to put my own feelings in this but, it’s such a tender spot, I can’t help it. I will work my way through this, dear readers. I’ll come out on top. I always do.

Until next time!

Learning Disabilities Awareness Month

October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. So, I’d like to take this month and dedicate a week to a specific disability. My personal specialty is Specific Learning Disability or SLD. I’m not sure why it’s called Specific Learning Disability because there is nothing specific about it. I will, however, discuss that at a later date. That will be this next week’s focus.

Next week, I’d like to highlight a different disability. Or, if you have a request, leave it here or in my inbox @ specialedandme@gmail.com. While you’re at it, why don’t you subscribe to this blog by clicking on the orange button like thingy  to the right.

Until next time!

A Pack of $5 Stickers vs. Using What You Already Have!

Yesterday after I picked Phillise & my niece, Melodee, up from school, I decided to stop by Michael’s. We hadn’t been there all summer, so I figured it was high time we did. Initially, I thought about buying some stickers, but thought about the 1,000 we already had at home. (Translation: I was being a big fat cheapskate). However, Phillise didn’t have that problems. She had $2 to spend and by golly she was gonna’ spend it. She picked up a pack of stickers that we thought were $2.99. She told me that she’d find her extra dollar in her drawer and pay me when we got home. So, I told her okay. The problem began when the stickers rang up for $4.99 instead of $2.99.

“Uh-oh, honey,” I said. “Those stickers are waaaaaay too much.

After I asked the cashier to remove them, I told her that she would just have to use what we had @ home. She really tried to get me with her big puppy dog eyes, but I stayed strong. As I was driving home, trying not to look @ the tears welling up in Phillise’s eyes, I thought about how privileged Phillise is. When I was younger, I yearned for stickers and scissors that cut wavy lines. I didn’t have the privilege of having 3 die-cutting machines, 2 binding machines, a laminating machine, and a whole host of brightly colored markers, crayons, and pretty paper. So, I thought to myself that she could make do with all of the stuff we have at home. No need for $5 stickers. She can use what we already have.

Until next time, dear readers!

I Didn’t Get It!

Nope, dear readers, I did not get the job that I was up for. At first I thought I was a shoe-in. However, after I was contacted after a week, I knew it wasn’t meant to be. I’m not upset though. It would have been fine if it happened. It didn’t, so next. Hopefully someone will call soon. I’ve been putting out a ton of resumés.

Lulu’s Hat by Susan Meddaugh

Lulu’s Hat (2002), by Susan Meddaugh, author of Martha the talking dog series, was my latest purchase from the .99¢ store. I could not believe it. It’s a chapter book. Since I have a middle school student, it’s high time that I begin re-familiarizing myself with chapter books. But, even though this is a chapter book, the chapters are short. So, I would say this book could be for someone as young as 3rd or 4th grade; 2nd in Phillise’s case. She’s currently reading this. N-e way, on to the review.

In True Magic Families, a single member of each generation was born with the magician’s touch. Real magic. It was a genetic quirk that no one could explain. Either you had it or you didn’t. (Reminds me of Highlander- “There can be only ONE.”)

McDonald’s Trick or Treat Coupons

The cost= $1.50 for a packet of 12 coupons.

What you get?= 3 bags of Apple Dippers, Small Apple Juice or Milk jug, small cone, or Hamburger.

Who it’s for= 12 and under. My McDonald’s a stickler for this. They’re actually kinda’ anal about it.

It’s a limit of one coupon per customer per visit.

I love these coupons. They’re sold year-round and are good for 2-3 months @ a time. I began purchasing them when David was in Kindergarten (Gee, has it been that long?). I’d pick him up from school, take him to McDonald’s & let him have his pick. He loved it. This was at a time when I was low on funds, but he didn’t know because he still got his treat @ the end of the day. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

**P.S.- Mine don’t look like this. They look slightly different.**

Missing them terribly!

I miss my students so much. They miss me too. They want me to come back. Oh, if I could. That’s just not in the cards, but I miss them so much.

Sister!

Sister
Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don’t just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

How to Eat Fried Worms (1972) is so gross. It is totally a little boy’s book. The author, Thomas Rockwell, is the son of beloved American painter Norman Rockwell, and he was the recipient of the Mark Twain Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Sequoyah Award for Worms.  He wrote several other young adult books (most of them seemed to start with How to…i.e. Fight a Girl, Get Fabulously Rich, etc.), but Worms is the only one that most people remember.

And After That?

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

“Not very long,” answered the Mexican.

“But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

Taken directly from Wikipedia.

A Wrinkle in Time (1962) is a science fantasy novel by Madeleine L’Engle. The book won a Newbery Medal, Sequoyah Book Award, and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. It is the first in L’Engle’s series of books about the Murry and O’Keefe families.

Meg Murry is a teenage girl, regarded by her classmates and teachers as a bad-tempered adolescent. Her family recognizes her problem as a lack of emotional maturity but also regards her as being capable of great things. The family includes her pretty scientist mother, her mysteriously missing scientist father, her five year-old brother Charles Wallace Murry — a nascent super-genius — and her 10-year-old twin brothers, the athletic Sandy and Dennys.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Taken directly from echeat.com

I did read this book. I just didn’t take the time to write a review. I can remember when I read it, way back in 1985. I was in 10th grade. It wasn’t for a class. I was just pleasure reading. I don’t remember who recommended it to me, but do remember someone recommending it to me, but cautioning me about the language and the situations in the book. I can see why it was initially banned. I’m glad it’s not now, though. It’s quite an intense read. On that note, I will let you read the review just in case you haven’t read it or seen the movie.

The Color Purple (1982), by Alice Walker, is a very intense book to read. By intense, I mean it is a book touching very difficult and hard aspects of life of a poor, black oppressed woman in the early twentieth century. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the early twentieth century. Walker uses the life experiences of Celie to illustrate her social criticism.

The Color Purple is not written in the style of most novels. The author does not tell us everything about the characters, the setting, and why the characters behave the way they do. The novel is written in a series of letters, not dated. There are large gaps between some letters, but this is not revealed by the author; we have to figure it out ourselves. The letters are written in what Walker calls black folk language, which also reduces the easiness of the reading.

I Found a Copy of My Lesson Plan Template!

Okay, this is for all the people I promised an OCR lesson plan template for. I found it. I finally found it- my lesson plan template. It was on my school laptop which I had to return. I had a backup on my personal laptop. However, my laptop crashed a couple of weeks ago. As a result, I lost the template. Well, I found a hardcopy cover of it and am in the process of typing it up again. So, everyone I promised a copy, I will actually have it to you by Friday.

Again, sorry for the delay!

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451 (1953), written by Ray Bradbury, is an engrossing futuristic tale of a society where all printed material is banned. In this country of the future, officials believe that people who read and are able to think for themselves are a threat to the nation where individualism is strongly discouraged. The inhabitants of this society all seem to be suffering from sensory deprivation and their only link to news and entertainment is a large television screen on the wall where broadcasts are continually transmitted to the “family.” All the people are members of the Family. Even though they aren’t forced to watch the telecasts, they all do.

It is the job of firemen (this movie was made long before they were referred to as firefighters) to hunt down subversives and burn the caches of books they’ve secreted away. The title, Fahrenheit 451, is the temperature at which book paper catches fire and starts to burn.

Can I just tell you that this book used to scare me? I was so scared of this book actually coming true. This kinda’ reminded of that Twilight Zone episode with the man who goes into a bank vault to read when a bomb goes off. I guess it serves him right, that he’s so happy that everyone is dead and he can read all he wants without human interference, that his glasses fall off and break. How heartless. Now he can’t read. He’s left alone with all the books in the world, without any glasses to read them.

How horrible! But, which one is worse? Having all the books in the world and not being to read it or not having books to read at all???? Either way, it sucks! I hope we will never have to deal with this, ever!!!

List of Banned Books

In light of Banned Books week, here’s a list of books that have been banned at one time or another in the United States:

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Blubber by Judy Blume
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Christine by Stephen King
Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Cujo by Stephen King
Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen

Banned Book Week (September 26- October 3)

Taken directly from Wikipedia page.

Banned Books Week is an annual awareness campaign that celebrates the freedom to read and draws attention to banned and challenged books. The campaign “stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them” and the requirement to keep material publicly available so that people can develop their own conclusions and opinions. Its goal is “to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.”

Held during the last week of September since 1982, Banned Books Week not only encourages readers to examine banned and challenged literary works, but also promotes intellectual freedom in libraries, schools, and bookstores. Offering Banned Books Week kits, the American Library Association (ALA) sells posters, buttons, and bookmarks to celebrate the event. Many educational facilities also celebrate banned and challenged books during this week, often creating displays and programs around the awareness campaign. Additionally, various booksellers sponsor activities and events in support of Banned Books Week. Some retailers create window displays, while others go further, inviting authors of banned and challenged materials to come speak at their stores, as well as funding annual essay contests about freedom of expression.

The campaign was founded in 1982 by prominent First Amendment and library activist Judith Krug. It is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

Maxi’s Bed Magicians by Werner Blaebst

Maxi’s Bed Magicians (1990), written & illustrated by Werner Blaebst, was too cute. It reminds me of another book I reviewed, Snuggle Mountain, by Lindsey Lane. It celebrates one of my favorite subjects, imagination. This book can be used during the 3rd grade Imagination unit in OCR. I don’t know why I didn’t read this book during the Imagination unit, but if I have a chance, I will next time. I’ve had this book for a couple of years now. It’s actually falling apart. I’ve been trying to find another copy, but this book is pretty hard to find. N-e way, on to the review.

When Maxi’s parents get out of bed in the morning, he gets in and haves himself a ball.

He closed the door and said softly, “Hi, magicians.”

They also respond (in his imagination), “Hi, Maxi.”

Mondays meant fun-time. Maxi asks them if they’re ready. As anyone knows, you don’t have to ask bed magicians twice. So, he climbs on top of the t.v. and… Geronimo… he shots, he scores. He lands right smack dab in the middle of the bed, with the big fluffy pillows & the oh, so soft down comforter. From there he has a grand ole’ adventure. If you’d like to know what happens, I guess you’re just going to have to read it for yourself.

*** P.S.- The above picture has the German title, but it’s the same book.***

In the above picture, the white thing is the pillow. The orange polka-dotted thing is the comforter.

Time to move on!

I’m not sure if I wrote on this blog before about my dreams. If I did, this is a continuation of that. If not, I got a little story to tell you, like to hear it, here it goes. We, as human beings, are so preoccupied with our daily lives that we don’t pay attention to small things that God is trying to tell us. Our minds are not open to answers because they are not quiet; there’s too much noise. However, when we are sleep, we are more open to answers we couldn’t hear during our waking life. So, what I’m saying is that answers are easier to hear in our dreams, when we are not so preoccupied.

That being said, I’ve had quite a dilemma that I needed to get an answer to. However, as with many people, I was having a little trouble getting my mind quiet. So, I thought I’d pray about it and listen for the answer in my sleep.

My dilemma-I wanted to go back to my old job. I thought there was a slim chance of that, but I was willing to jump at it nonetheless. I felt like I was abandoning my students when I knew perfectly well that that was not the case. Although it was not my choice to move on, I knew that it was time to do so, but would have stayed for the children. However, I also wanted this new job that I am in the running for. I had been praying for an answer beyond a shadow of a doubt that moving on was the correct move. Well, I prayed before I went to sleep last night and got my answer. Without a doubt, it is time to move on. In my heart of hearts, I knew it, but wasn’t ready to accept it. Now, I know what must be done.

Free Ice Cream @ Coldstone Creamery (9/24/09)

Thursday, September 24th  5-8pm

FREE 3 oz. Make-A-Wish^® Creation™ with a Donation

Donate and receive a 3 oz. sample of Jack’s Creation served out of a ready-to-love pan in a Like It™ Cup. Valid only during published date and time. While supplies last. No substitutions. Limit one per customer. An estimated 85 percent of all donations in September will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation^®. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org. ©2009 Cold Stone Creamery, Inc. All rights reserved.

Why the sneer?

Okay, dear readers, this is my rant. I got a lil’ something to say it, here it goes. My daughter, Phillise, has had great teachers during her short time in school. I’ve had great relationships with them all. They’ve all been really nice with sparkling personalities. That is…up until now. Her current teacher is not mean, she’s just not as personable as the others. She’s kinda’ dry with little personality. The first day I met her on the first day of school, she was very dry. I didn’t really care for her then, but decided to hold off on forming an opinion. Well, last night, @ back to school night, I made up my mind about her. I really don’t like her. She made a comment about Phillise’s writing; that she thought it was really good and that my baby is very creative.

I know you’re probably thinking, Well, what made you mad? She’s complimenting your child. Okay, I’ll get to it.

I told her that Phillise was no stranger to books, as we have a small library in our house. I also told her that she knows how to do book reports and how to make and bind her own books. I also told her that we were colleagues, since I’m a teacher.

“Yes, Phillise told me that you’re a special ed. teacher,” she said with a sneer.

Did I miss something? The last time I looked, a special ed. teacher is a teacher is a teacher. I work so hard. It’s unfortunate that some people still think that special ed. teachers are babysitters.

Once I realized she was sneering. I told her that I was no babysitter and that I teach my students OCR. I was so mad at myself for explaining anything to her. If she believes that I’m a babysitter, so be it. I don’t owe anything to her. I could gone on, but I won’t. That’s all I have to say.

That, my dear sir or madam, is my rant for the day!

What’s Your Stress (Relief) Plan?

Well, what is it? Your stress (relief) plan, that is. How do you plan to release the excess stress built up during the day. You know there’s going to be some in any job. There’s especially going to be a whoooooole lot in a high stress job like teaching. That’s what a good friend of mine, Danika, and I were just talking about. I told her how she needs to have a plan to relieve her stress just as she needs a lesson plan. Both are equally important to your job. If you are underprepared & overly stressed, you are no good to anyone.

I had to learn this the hard way. My first year of teaching was unusually hard. I literally felt as if I was unraveling at the seams. Nothing I did seemed to work. Everything I did seem to unravel just as quickly as I seemed to be doing.

This is why it was so stressful. Initially, I didn’t know the programs, I had no administrative support, and to top it all off, I had the classroom from hell. It’s a long story, but on my first day, my very first day of teaching, I was called a garden tool (hoe), a female dog, and had to break up three fights, all before Recess. I won’t go into it, but here’s a link to my first couple of weeks of teaching if you would like to read about it. (Click here, here, here, & here). So, I am no stranger to stress. I don’t know what others do, I can only tell you what I do to relieve my stress. If I would not have had a stress relief plan, I would not have made it through my first year of teaching.

Here’s what I do.

Famous Quotes

Here’s an often quoted saying. You’ve probably seen it or heard it a million times, but I’m going to write it anyway. It’s so profound.

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster

The Hello, Goodbye Window (2005), written by Norton Juster & illustrated by Chris Raschka, was a good read that left me with a nice feel good feeling. Winner of the 2006 Caldecott Medal, Chris Raschka really hit the ball out the park with this one. The illustrations are a type of watercolorish drawing. They are very beautiful with very vivid colors that’s sure to further spur the imagination of those for whom this book was intended.

The little girl in the story really enjoys spending time with her grandparents. She begins her story by explaining that: Nanna and Poppy live in a big house in the middle of town. There’s a brick path that goes to the back porch, but before you get there you pass right by the kitchen window. That’s the Hello, Goodbye Window. It looks like a regular window, but it’s not.

This is how we are introduced to the Hello, Goodbye Window. She tells you everything you can do at the Hello, Goodbye Window: climb up on the flower barrel and tap the window, press your face against the window, play

Stepping outside my comfort zone!

My dear readers, I have a story to tell you, like to hear it, here it goes: I don’t like change. I know this is not a good thing, but I sometimes stay in a situation that is not good for me longer than is healthy. Don’t get me wrong, when I have to do it, I do it. But if I don’t have to, I will not, or I will do it kicking and screaming. Presently, I am being forced to change. I have to change. Well, unluckily or luckily for me, (however you want to look at it), I don’t have a choice in the matter. I was displaced at the end of last year. Even though I knew that I could have gotten a way better job, I wouldn’t have tried. If given the choice, I would not have changed jobs. However, I was not given a choice. So, I am looking for a new job. I think I’ve found a job. In fact, it’s a job that I would not have thought I wanted. It’s for a middle school position. In my nearly nine years working in special ed, I’ve never worked in a middle school. Truth be told, I was scared to do so. At that age, they can be so obnoxious. But, they can also be very sweet, like my David.

I’m Not Apologizing for Special Education Anymore!

In the immortal words of Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman, ” I was in here yesterday and you wouldn’t wait on me. You work on commission, right? Well, big mistake! Big, big mistake! Huge! Gigantic! Bye, I’m going shopping now.”

This is what she tells the sales clerk who refused to help her the previous day. The clerk wouldn’t give her the time of day; she wouldn’t even listen as she tried to explain her situation. She took one look at her and judged her on appearance alone.

Now, I don’t work on commission. I get paid whether the students learn to read or not. However, I do “wait” on my students and am very patient with them as they learn how to buy into the educational “marketplace” as they try to play catch-up.

The above situation illustrates how special education students & those with disabilities are treated most of the time. There is a special connection between Julia Roberts’ situation and those in special education classes. I relate this situation to special education because people take one look @ special education students and judge them by their appearance/their situation alone.

Case in point, I had a student in my class who was as cute as a button. She is a triple threat; she is so talented. She can sing, dance, and draw. Well, one day someone from the after school program visited my class and was so surprised that she was in my class.

“She’s in your class?,” he said. I would never have thought that.

Hoping against all hope!

My life has been is such turmoil for the last couple of years that I’ve actually stopped wanting as much as I used to because, quite frankly, I’ve haven’t gotten a whole lot of things I’ve wanted lately.It’s just become a way of life. You get used to it, you know! That’s so not a good thing, but it’s just the reality of it all. However, things have been on the upswing. Another however (if I can say that), is that I’m scared to hope. I want to want more, but have been so used to getting disappointed. I am in the running for a very, very, very nice job. I really want it, but am scared to. I am hoping against all hope that things really are on the upswing and that I get it. Only time will tell, but here’s hoping!