Friday, December 31, 2010

NYE - and teachers

I'm not sure if this is always the way teachers feel around this time of year. But I know that I do.

I don't really care about New Years Eve. I still have another semester to teach.

As a teacher (and generally controlling person) I don't really drink. I don't like being drunk. And I don't like the taste of most alcohol. So really - this is not the best day of the year for me.

I'll tell you what's a great night. The eve before summer vacation. Now that is a holiday. Oh The dreams and the new craft projects that will be attempted. The closets that will be cleaned out. Oh Heavens I love New Summers Eve*.

I look forward to 2011 - I think it's going to be a great year. I really am d.o.n.e. done with 2010. There were some great moments - don't get me wrong. And the second half of the year has been great. But again the teacher view on this whole situation is that school years take precedent over actual calendar years.

So as I look at a new calendar year and 5 and a half more months of the school year. I hope that things continue to be positive.

I wish you a happy and healthy new year - no matter which way you look at it.

*I think Summer's Eve might be a feminine hygiene product. I am not referring to that. gross**.

**Don't get me wrong being clean and healthy is a good thing. But those commercials are too much information.

A New Year's Prayer



Love you Scottie.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

How will people know you are smart...

Today I had brunch with two very dear friends. My friend Jeff is married to the lovely Kate.

I was able to hang out and catch up - we had a blast.

Both Kate and Jeff are engineers. Very smart people.

We were talking about my students and why it's important to be a good writer. Kate made the following statement and I want to put it on a poster in my classroom.

"How will people know you are smart - if you can't tell them about it." She talked about the fact that there are so many people who can't write, speak, or present their thoughts in a way that makes sense.

I am seriously going to make a poster of this statement. I might also find a way to have it printed on pencils.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

It's the small things

I was in Trader Joe's tonight - getting a few last minute things for my cookie extravaganza that will take place tomorrow with my friend Nicole.

I turned down the isle with the meats and cheeses and saw a man with his finger up his nose. He picked a good one and looked at his finger.


I had to turn around and walk away so as not to laugh out loud.


Ahh now my life is complete.

Have you seen the cord...

That goes to my camera?

Blerg. I had these great plans to post some of the projects that I worked on for Christmas prezzies. And sadly I can not find the cord to my camera. I'm sure it's in the house somewhere. This is what happens when we make plans...

So instead I'll just show you my inspiration and as soon as I find my cord I'll post what I made.

Check this out. Mine was for my friend Ellen. Who was my secret Santa at work. She loved it!

I also made these for a few of my work friends.

They were all very pleased with their gifts!
I love being able to make things for presents. When the budget is small - the time spent becomes valuable.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Ummm what?

So early this morning I got up and went to Riverside to have a benign cyst taken off the back of my neck.

I'm find everything went well. Drove myself home and even stopped at Costco*

The only bummer is that while the nurse was putting on the giant band-aid on the back of my neck she says to me.

"You will need to change the dressing twice a day and put ointment on it when you change it. You also need to wait 48 hours before you shower."

Me: I can't wash my hair for two days?

Nurse: No, you need to keep it dry and not mess with the 5 stitches

Me: (Trying to be calm) Okay.

You see - I don't mind having a bath - that is actually sounding wonderful. It's the not washing my hair that creeps me out. I have VERY oily hair. The kind of hair that looks almost wet when i go for more than 24 hours without washing it. I wash my hair in the morning because by the end of the day it looks gross. So needless to say I am not looking forward to the next two days of greasy hair.

But Thankfully I'm on vacation, so if I stay locked up in the house for a day or two it won't matter.

Just call me Repunzel.

*Yes that's right friends, I went to Costco the week before Christmas! I know you are proud of me.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Winter Break

Ahhh Winter break. That Mid year reprieve that keeps teachers sane.

I have so many things to be thankful for this Christmas season. I have a wonderful Hubs who puts up with my long hours of grading papers. I'll be making many a filling dinner and spending lots of time with him this break.

I'm very lucky that our district has chosen to take a shorter summer and a longer winter break. So my dear friends, I don't have to go back to work until Jan 10, 2011. Next semester will bring it's busy schedule soon enough so I'll start planning after Christmas.

Until then here is the plan -

Food
Coffee with friends and some old students
2012 Christmas party (attending with Kristine of Blog Stalking fame)
Wrapping of Presents
Getting a few more presents to finish off the list
Christmas with the Family
Craft Days with friends
Blogging about all of the Christmas presents I've been making
Sleeping in
Taking the dog for walks


Ah I love breaks from school. But I do love when you know your students have also enjoyed the year so far - I have more fudge, cookies, mugs, Christmas cards, and starbucks gift cards than I know what to do with.

It's been a great year.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

The end is in sight

5 more days of school.

19 more research papers.

150 business letters.

70 in class essays.

a handful of presents to make.

I'm like the little engine that could!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Grading Papers

I am in the middle of grading research papers. I'm down to 60. Which means I've graded around 100 over the last two (and a bit) weeks.

I really wish I could be doing a few crafts. But alas. I can not justify craftyness when there is so much to grade.

Today I was grading papers and this was a gem I came across that I thought I would share with all of you. I don't have the paper right in front of me so this is not word for word. But really the epic nature behind this still comes through in a paraphrase. The subject of the paper was Animal Rights.

"Society must take action against testing on animals. There are plenty of murderers and pedophiles in the prison system and those should be the people that companies test their products on - not animals."

It was one of those moments that made grading papers better.

I'm so close to Christmas break I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - but yet I just can't seem to see the end of the papers. Blurg.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Two More Weeks!

That's all I need to get through in order to get to Christmas break.

I will be doing some activities with supplemental reading books, grammar, and a literary terms test over the next week - then finals!

I can't believe how quickly this semester has gone by. It feels strange to me that so much has happened in 2010. I'm looking forward to seeing it go. Last spring was rough and I'm glad to be looking a new year in the face.

Plus -PROM is coming in the spring. I will be helping the class of 2012 put on prom this year. It's going to be so fun. Or at least I think so. But I'm kind of a nerd like that.

My only problem now is getting about 100 research papers graded. I've been pushing through a lot of them. And I have read some great papers. And then... there are those where I start verbalizing my frustrations.

I really don't know how some of these kids ended up in an advanced English class. I know they mean well. But their writing is - well - it needs some work. I think that the biggest problem young writers have is that they don't read over their work. They think that the sound awesome.

I guess that's what revision is for!

Two more weeks.... here I come vacation!
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