I just got home, put on my night gown and sat down at the computer. I started checking blogs and then read PW. Say it isn't so!!! One day at a classmate's house she picks up the coffee table photo album and there finds professionally done nude photos of the girl's mom! (in a field of daisies)
For some reason this hit me as hilarious. Now you know I venture on the wild side and my favorite photographers have done some risky photo shots. I could picture us in a field of daisies and Monkey saying, "Julie bigger daisies, and we need a lot more!" The sad thing is 25 years ago (when I was 1/2 the woman I am today) we might have done this!!!!
Can you picture the boys bringing friends over..."what is this?"
"Oh, just some nude photos my mom did for my Dad. We like to keep it on the coffee table to scare off burglers!"
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
A Dirty Shame
I knew when I got up this morning today was going to be "a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day", and I was right!
I have not had a period in 6 months! I've paid massive amounts of co-pays to be assured that I am in the midst of menopause. I embraced it. I loved the thought. I relished every month that it was over. I've secretly been planning my step into Bohemian Woman. Letting my hair go gray, wear comfortable clothes. Then came this morning and like a bad dream it was back!
It was unfair! G and I barely got to the bus stop on time this morning. I needed comfort music (check list on the right)! I get to school and have to print progress reports. I get started and here comes an adult to tell me that three of my girls have been rude coming down the hall from breakfast. They have managed to tell one adult to "shut up" when corrected and another to "shut her pie hole". I definately DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH COFFEE! So I tell the AP, (who finally at 2:30 comes and tells them not to talk to adults that way). Like I hadn't already explained that fact!
Next, we are going to lunch and I remind a student they need to give me some time on the fence for backtalking. He looks at me and says, "I'm not standing on the fence and you can't make me." Right then every cell in my body turned into Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry as I thought "Make my day!" He did give me time on the fence!
We get back to the room (after recess where IBee had nearly killed another jumping off the slide) and he had been a sweetheart ALL DAY, when he suddenly throws his notebook across the room. I asked someone to put it on his desk and he says, "AND I'LL THROW IT BACK DOWN ON THE GROUND!" By then I've had enough of the insolent behavior. I'm ready to get a stick. At which point the resident Juvenial Deliquent gets all upitty and wants to stir the pot. Jesus Save Me!!!!! And I've got to tutor! I send JD to his new special afternoon class, notebook thrower to another room, and mouthy boy goes to sleep. Okay!
I keep the door shut and press on. When tutoring arrives I find out my little girl has not one project due next week, but two! It was more than a girl can take. I couldn't understand how any teachers could do this. She is from a single parent home. Mom works 12 hour days, so there is no way. We are suppose to start a business with $1,000, 000. You have to list everything you've got to buy and spend the whole amount of money. This was difficult for her. Yet, I could see her interest was peaked. I am limited at how much of this type of thing I can do with her at school because our computers are blocked. The other project is about your career, which has nothing to do with her make-believe business. WHOA IS ME!!!!
I get home and my feet are swelled beyond belief, my head hurts, and I am ill as a hornet. So I remembered... "In the past, menstruation was often viewed as a sign of uncleanliness or shame. In some cultures, women have been banished to huts or forbidden to cook during their periods."
Can someone please banish me to my hut????
Oh way, I have 4 IEP's tomorrow and a text book committee meeting.
I have not had a period in 6 months! I've paid massive amounts of co-pays to be assured that I am in the midst of menopause. I embraced it. I loved the thought. I relished every month that it was over. I've secretly been planning my step into Bohemian Woman. Letting my hair go gray, wear comfortable clothes. Then came this morning and like a bad dream it was back!
It was unfair! G and I barely got to the bus stop on time this morning. I needed comfort music (check list on the right)! I get to school and have to print progress reports. I get started and here comes an adult to tell me that three of my girls have been rude coming down the hall from breakfast. They have managed to tell one adult to "shut up" when corrected and another to "shut her pie hole". I definately DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH COFFEE! So I tell the AP, (who finally at 2:30 comes and tells them not to talk to adults that way). Like I hadn't already explained that fact!
Next, we are going to lunch and I remind a student they need to give me some time on the fence for backtalking. He looks at me and says, "I'm not standing on the fence and you can't make me." Right then every cell in my body turned into Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry as I thought "Make my day!" He did give me time on the fence!
We get back to the room (after recess where IBee had nearly killed another jumping off the slide) and he had been a sweetheart ALL DAY, when he suddenly throws his notebook across the room. I asked someone to put it on his desk and he says, "AND I'LL THROW IT BACK DOWN ON THE GROUND!" By then I've had enough of the insolent behavior. I'm ready to get a stick. At which point the resident Juvenial Deliquent gets all upitty and wants to stir the pot. Jesus Save Me!!!!! And I've got to tutor! I send JD to his new special afternoon class, notebook thrower to another room, and mouthy boy goes to sleep. Okay!
I keep the door shut and press on. When tutoring arrives I find out my little girl has not one project due next week, but two! It was more than a girl can take. I couldn't understand how any teachers could do this. She is from a single parent home. Mom works 12 hour days, so there is no way. We are suppose to start a business with $1,000, 000. You have to list everything you've got to buy and spend the whole amount of money. This was difficult for her. Yet, I could see her interest was peaked. I am limited at how much of this type of thing I can do with her at school because our computers are blocked. The other project is about your career, which has nothing to do with her make-believe business. WHOA IS ME!!!!
I get home and my feet are swelled beyond belief, my head hurts, and I am ill as a hornet. So I remembered... "In the past, menstruation was often viewed as a sign of uncleanliness or shame. In some cultures, women have been banished to huts or forbidden to cook during their periods."
Can someone please banish me to my hut????
Oh way, I have 4 IEP's tomorrow and a text book committee meeting.
Monday, April 27, 2009
23 Days
Twenty three days that is all I have left with my precious class. (Stop that snickering.) Everyone knows that with the exception of some EBD children that press every button I have, this has been a dream class.
You know what I love about teaching...the discussions. We are doing our WWII unit and today they asked me how could people follow someone like Hitler? Did I think he asked God for forgiveness before he died? Why did people hate Jews? Why did they let him kill so many people? Couldn't they understand? It is at those moments that I am so small, I don't know all the answers to their questions. Other than we should never be so consumed with hate for anyone because of the color of their skin or their religious beliefs. But today that wasn't enough. They wanted to know more.
I long to tell them of Dietrich Bonhoffer, who stood firm against Hitler's take over of the church, was smuggled out of Germany to America, was safe but returned to stand as a light in the darkness only to be executed. About Corrie Ten Boom and others who hid Jews and helped them escape from Hitler. My administrator says we must not mention God; therefore, I can't show videos. How can you not?
I have tried to contact the Jewish History Museum in ATL, but haven't heard back a response. They have a list of Holocaust survivors who will travel in the Metro area to do school programs. I'm hoping maybe 45 miles is doable. They also have a PLU for one week this summer. Cost is high, but what a joy to learn more of this important part of history. I tell my students we learn history so we won't repeat history. I hope they learn.
Twenty-three days, not very long to impart all I think they need to know before they spread their wings and fly away.
You know what I love about teaching...the discussions. We are doing our WWII unit and today they asked me how could people follow someone like Hitler? Did I think he asked God for forgiveness before he died? Why did people hate Jews? Why did they let him kill so many people? Couldn't they understand? It is at those moments that I am so small, I don't know all the answers to their questions. Other than we should never be so consumed with hate for anyone because of the color of their skin or their religious beliefs. But today that wasn't enough. They wanted to know more.
I long to tell them of Dietrich Bonhoffer, who stood firm against Hitler's take over of the church, was smuggled out of Germany to America, was safe but returned to stand as a light in the darkness only to be executed. About Corrie Ten Boom and others who hid Jews and helped them escape from Hitler. My administrator says we must not mention God; therefore, I can't show videos. How can you not?
I have tried to contact the Jewish History Museum in ATL, but haven't heard back a response. They have a list of Holocaust survivors who will travel in the Metro area to do school programs. I'm hoping maybe 45 miles is doable. They also have a PLU for one week this summer. Cost is high, but what a joy to learn more of this important part of history. I tell my students we learn history so we won't repeat history. I hope they learn.
Twenty-three days, not very long to impart all I think they need to know before they spread their wings and fly away.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
This School Year
This school year my body has been tired, many days it has taken all I have just to put one foot in front of the other. To start the year I had a student teacher and he had NO personality. For nine long weeks we trudged on, with me trying to encourage him and show ways he could improve. I dealt with a parapro (someone I'd always loved) who was going behind my back saying things and yelling at children when she was in the room. (She retired in December.) Dan closed a business and went without employment for 5 months. Our middle son went to college. While all this personal stuff raged on I had to teach 2 inclusion classes, with a total of 15 special ed students and 1 juvenile delinquent (who in January did a 6 week stint at the YDC). My homeroom class had 3 students who were EBD. I tend to be a patient person, but it has been difficult.
I have taught. I taught hard. I gave it my all, leaving very little for the one child still at home. Yet, when the state writing scores came back...13 of my 50 students didn't pass (of that 13, 8 were special ed, 1 had a mother dying, and another was pulled out for 3 weeks and then put back in). Overall the 5th grade only had 73% pass, and administration is very unhappy. The kind where they refuse to talk to you. Now state test puzzle me, students who have not written anything of quality all year long scored higher than I thought possible and those who have done okay, didn't even meet the standard.
So what do you do? You hear all the gossip, because everyone has heard a word from the boss but me. I think you get up dust yourself off and move forward. I'll make new, more detailed plans for next year and move on. Trying again to meet the expectations of those around me. However, we've been told that the next group has far more problems than previous groups both educationally and behavior.
So my question today is how much does the lack of discipline in a school (we have minimal) really effect/affect student performance?
I have taught. I taught hard. I gave it my all, leaving very little for the one child still at home. Yet, when the state writing scores came back...13 of my 50 students didn't pass (of that 13, 8 were special ed, 1 had a mother dying, and another was pulled out for 3 weeks and then put back in). Overall the 5th grade only had 73% pass, and administration is very unhappy. The kind where they refuse to talk to you. Now state test puzzle me, students who have not written anything of quality all year long scored higher than I thought possible and those who have done okay, didn't even meet the standard.
So what do you do? You hear all the gossip, because everyone has heard a word from the boss but me. I think you get up dust yourself off and move forward. I'll make new, more detailed plans for next year and move on. Trying again to meet the expectations of those around me. However, we've been told that the next group has far more problems than previous groups both educationally and behavior.
So my question today is how much does the lack of discipline in a school (we have minimal) really effect/affect student performance?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Life
Today I just was off my game all day. I wasn't a happy camper. I knew it was bad, when F was all perky this morning and I was like bite the head off a bat. It was a funk that grew as the day progressed. When I got home and checked my emails I now know why Edie Wright died today.
Edie Wright was a precious older member of our church. I taught her youngest granddaughter in 4th and 5th grade. Edie was special. They found out Edie had cancer at the same time they were doing a biopsy on a place I had show up. We knew each other from church, but we met that day in hospital gowns waiting for another mamogram. Things didn't look well for Edie, the doctor was talking of a double masectomy. She sat there with her husband and I vividly remember the looks on there faces. They tried to be optimistic, but they had that look of dread and fear that mix together in only the way the word cancer can do. That was 5 years ago.
Since then Edie has fought a brave fight. The cancer kept coming back and she kept plugging along, determined to live. God had other plans today. Haley loved her grandmother dearly, it was her favorite place to be. She is in the 8th grade now. I know that it will be extremely hard on her.
I pass her house everyday on my way to work. Her house has looked lonely here lately. I know a lot of people don't know Edie, but I will always remember a bond that was formed between us one day in hospital gowns waiting for news.
Edie Wright was a precious older member of our church. I taught her youngest granddaughter in 4th and 5th grade. Edie was special. They found out Edie had cancer at the same time they were doing a biopsy on a place I had show up. We knew each other from church, but we met that day in hospital gowns waiting for another mamogram. Things didn't look well for Edie, the doctor was talking of a double masectomy. She sat there with her husband and I vividly remember the looks on there faces. They tried to be optimistic, but they had that look of dread and fear that mix together in only the way the word cancer can do. That was 5 years ago.
Since then Edie has fought a brave fight. The cancer kept coming back and she kept plugging along, determined to live. God had other plans today. Haley loved her grandmother dearly, it was her favorite place to be. She is in the 8th grade now. I know that it will be extremely hard on her.
I pass her house everyday on my way to work. Her house has looked lonely here lately. I know a lot of people don't know Edie, but I will always remember a bond that was formed between us one day in hospital gowns waiting for news.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Tornados
I grew up in Oklahoma, so I've had a lot of experience with tornados. When I was growing up we had a cellar that was carved into the earth. It was damp and musty smelling. You had to go down a pig path to get there, my Granddaddy always kept the weeds cut back so the path was easy for my Grandma to travel. We would go there as long as my Granddaddy was alive, but after he died my Grandmother wouldn't go anymore. She said there could be snakes down there. Well that was all I needed to hear and there was no chance I'd ever darken the cellar again! And to this day I'd rather take my chances with a tornado instead of a snake.
But my Grandmother was tough so we just waited out the tornado warnings. She'd say stay away from the windows, but other than that she showed no fear. With every bolt of lightening and clap of thunder my Grandmother would tell me not to worry "Granddaddy just turned over the tater wagon." For some reason I found comfort in that, and tornado warnings (we didn't have sirens in those days) no longer made me fearful.
The other night as a storm blew in Dan and I sat in the screened in porch watching it rain. It was peaceful. We were totally relaxed. Unfortunately, my youngest child doesn't find storms to be calming. On Friday night the sirens went off three times and I thought he might have a heart attack. He wants to know the plan. I tried to be patient and retell him that we can go in the bathroom, which is in the center of the house. He is looks at me like I've lost my mind. He kept wondering where his Daddy was, I said asleep. This did not bring him comfort. "How can Daddy sleep through this?" I've tried to tell Dan he needs to be up looking around so Gabe will feel more secure, but Dan kept snoring! I'm not as reassuring as my Grandmother was.
So while I love storms and have many memories of near misses, I'm afraid Gabe will never be comfortable during a storm. I hope he has a cellar.
But my Grandmother was tough so we just waited out the tornado warnings. She'd say stay away from the windows, but other than that she showed no fear. With every bolt of lightening and clap of thunder my Grandmother would tell me not to worry "Granddaddy just turned over the tater wagon." For some reason I found comfort in that, and tornado warnings (we didn't have sirens in those days) no longer made me fearful.
The other night as a storm blew in Dan and I sat in the screened in porch watching it rain. It was peaceful. We were totally relaxed. Unfortunately, my youngest child doesn't find storms to be calming. On Friday night the sirens went off three times and I thought he might have a heart attack. He wants to know the plan. I tried to be patient and retell him that we can go in the bathroom, which is in the center of the house. He is looks at me like I've lost my mind. He kept wondering where his Daddy was, I said asleep. This did not bring him comfort. "How can Daddy sleep through this?" I've tried to tell Dan he needs to be up looking around so Gabe will feel more secure, but Dan kept snoring! I'm not as reassuring as my Grandmother was.
So while I love storms and have many memories of near misses, I'm afraid Gabe will never be comfortable during a storm. I hope he has a cellar.
Friday, April 10, 2009
When I Grow Up I Want to Be an Old Woman
Last night Kaiser aired a new commercial showing old women having fun. The commercial was a promo for mammograms. I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Being the daughter of a mother who died way to young (34), many times I've thought my mortality was limited. I heard the song last night and said, "I want that put on my phone as my ring tone." Folks, I meant it! I can't think of anything better than growing up to be an old woman. Check it out!
Then yesterday in my Don Francisco internet browsings I found out that in 1995 he remarried a woman who also sings. She had a daughter named Annie Brooks. Google her, the music is great.
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