No More Working Late For Me!

I’ve decided that I will only bring work home on the weekend if I do not finish it after school. In fact, I’ve decided to only stay after school 1 day/week. Two days max. Since my classroom is always clean, the only time I need to stay after is when I need to change the [...]

“That’s Fine,” She Said.

Okay, I think I was a victim of a misunderstanding. I say I think because I’m not sure. The conversation had two possible meanings. Apparently the one I understood was the incorrect one. Here’s what happened. My school won the Clippers FIT challenge in our area so the FIT team was there working with the [...]

Hey, Mom! Look At Me! Look What I Can Do!

What I am about to say (write) will sound incredibly conceited, but it’s not. As usual, just bear with me and I will bring it around. Let me begin by saying (writing) that I just read my horoscope and was surprised at its accuracy. It detailed how I am a late bloomer. And this is [...]

English Language Learners with Disabilities

I just read this fantastic article on Reading Rockets regarding English Language Learners with Disabilities. It had a ton of links to other articles on disabilities. If you’d like to visit the page, here it is: Reading Rockets

Monthly Library Trip

Hello, Dear Readers, I just returned from my monthly walking trip to the library. I am so tired. I was not this tired last time. Thank goodness these trips are on a Friday because I am usually so tired afterward. I love these monthly trips. My students get to walk and see the neighborhood. They [...]

I Hate to Stop You From Reading, But…

That’s what I had to tell one of my students. I REALLY hated to stop him, but he was not finished with his classwork. My students know there is a  MUST DO/MAY DO system in my class. At the top of the MUST DO (Chores) system, what the students need to complete, is: Finish incomplete [...]

Still Surprising Myself!

I just read an interesting article about Special Education teachers who transition to General Education. The article said something that surprised me. It talked about how Special Education teachers who transition to General Education have the neatest & most organized classrooms with the most explicit rules. I thought it was odd that that applied to [...]

They Are Such Sponges!

Yes, you read it right. My students are such sponges, but not in a bad way. Yes, they talk WAY too much, but they are constantly surprising me. In a good way, that is! The “thing” they surprised me with is their capacity for absorbing information. They have been soaking up information like nobody’s business. [...]

I Wear No Make-up!

Yes, I am still harping on the Open House Debacle of 2011, as it shall forever be known. Ok, this is what I didn’t say in the last two posts (here and here) where I harped on said Debacle of 2011. Let me tell you a little bit about me. I don’t wear make-up. I [...]

Pants on the Ground! Pants on the Ground!

PANTS ON THE GROUND! PANTS ON THE GROUND! Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground! Do you remember that video from American Idol! Well, I do and that’s exactly the way I feel. This post is in regard to last night’s post about looking like a total slacker & eating sour grapes. [...]

African-American Firsts!

For Black History month, I assigned my students projects on trailblazers- the first in their field. I definitely wanted them to do a project for Black History month, but was just tired of students wanting to report on Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, or some other well-known figure that’s been done to death. Don’t get [...]

Not Sour Grapes At All. Really, It’s Not!#$%?

What I am about to say will sound like I’ve been eating terribly sour grapes, but I have not. Honestly I haven’t! There’s nothing but big, juicy grapes in my classroom! I can tell you don’t believe me, so let me just start by asking a question-Does Open House tell the true story? What do [...]

A Long Day!

This day is going to be long because today is the day we have Open House at my school. It will not even start until 6 p.m. today and will end @ 7:30. Yay, lucky me! I get to stay at work for 12 hours. I really wish Open House would be right after school. [...]

Thank God for Redundant Systems!

Redundant system are my savior. What am I talking about? I’m talking about being behind on my homework chart. Well, I have systems that are a back-up plan for the back-up plan. If I get behind on my homework  chart (which I did), then I go to my time sheets. If that doesn’t work, then [...]

“Out, Out, Damn Laptop!

“Out, Out, Damn Laptop!” has been echoing in my ears Dear Readers. As I write this I am reminded of my high school Shakespeare class. I have been feeling so guilty about spending so much time on my laptop that I’ve been dreaming about it. Is it my guilty conscience? Yep, it sure it. But, [...]

Lesson Planning Once Again!

I’ve been lesson planning this weekend, once again. Then again, when am I not lesson planning? Since I plan by the unit, once I finish this unit, I will not have to plan for 5th grade Social Studies until the middle of next month. This week, after school, I will complete 4th grade Social Studies. [...]

Read Only What’s There. Not What You Think is There!

Read Only What’s There. Not What You Think is There! That’s what I tell my students as we begin reading any material. “When we begin,” I say to them, “I am going to correct you. I may correct you a lot, but it will  do two things. First, it will improve your comprehension. Secondly, it [...]

Like Monica said, “Just One of Them Days!”

Yesterday was a terrible day. It was just one of them days. It’s too bad I can’t post You tube videos on here any more. If I could have, believe that I would have. That song captured my sentiments perfectly. I’m just happy the day is over because so many bad things happened. Something that [...]

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Hello everybody! I’m a little late because I’ve been re-creating my lesson plans all day since my laptop is out of commission. But, I’d just like to say “Happy Martin Luther King Day”.

My Laptop is Out of Commission!

Yes, dear Readers, as you read in my title, my laptop is out of commission. I don’t know if she’s broken, but I will soon find out when I go to the Apple store. I wish this would have happened just a few short months ago, when it was still under warranty. I don’t know [...]

Getting Better & Better!

When I first started teaching I would look at teachers who used all the books in their classroom (including the accompanying books) & think that I would like to do the same; or at the very least, look like I’m doing the same. Oh, how I envied them. “When am I going to make it [...]

Teaching As I See It!

The way I see it, teaching is a series of connect the dot puzzles. You know those puzzles? In the beginning, you can kinda’ sorta’ tell what the picture is, but you need to connect the dots to be sure. Well, ever since I’ve been teaching, it’s been like that for me. I know that [...]

Things I Learned Today!

Today, I learned that I can do it! The “it” that I’m talking about is me, projects & setting deadlines. My problem with projects, has typically been the deadlines. So I gave myself permission to start off small & go from there. For my beginning, I gave my students a series of small projects to [...]

How To Read a Report Card (READING ROCKETS ARTICLE)

I subscribe to Reading Rockets and so should you. They have such great articles. Well, since I’m about to do Report Cards for the 2nd quarter, I thought I’d post this. It’s an article by Reading Rockets about how (You guessed it) to read a report card. http://www.readingrockets.org/article/40302 Here’s the link for Spanish version of [...]

George Said It!

When I first met George, he told me that I should teach teachers. “Umm, it’s only my 2nd year of teaching. Just like you,” “I said. It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You are amazing. You should be helping others.” I politely thanked him but told him there was nothing special about me. Well, I’ve come [...]

Happy Birthday Phillise!

Today is my one and only little girl Phillise’s 9th birthday. I love my little brown lady so much.

Know Your Audience!

When my husband was a kid, he bought his great-grandmother a really, really nice radio with all the bells and whistles with all the latest technology. (Of course this radio to the left is not the radio that my husband gave his great-grandmother. It’s a comparison of the version of the radio that he gave [...]

Trying to Get It Together!

I am so trying to get it together. Just in case you’re wondering, I’ll start by saying that I work at a private school now, but I’ve worked at public school for my whole career. With that being said, I am used to having 3 weeks off, not two. I am really feeling it, believe [...]

Snap Back to Reality, Part 4

Well, it’s back to reality. I got a whole two weeks off. They were very restful. I didn’t get much done in the way of lesson planning (just Social Studies), but I did spend a lot of time with family, cooked & baked up a storm, & got pleennnnnnnnnty of rest. I think no matter [...]

A Baby in the Oven???

For New Year’s Eve, I decided to start a new tradition. I decided to cook the same meal every New Year like some people do. I wanted to cook something I hadn’t cooked in a long time- Cornish hen. It’s actually been thirteen years since I’ve cooked it. There’s a funny story behind the reason [...]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Believe me when I say that I am happy that 2010 is over. The early part of the year was soooooooo hard on me. I hated it. I just know that this year will be much, much, much better than last year. HERE’S TO 2011!!!