What a Wacky Wednesday

      

Yes, I know it's not the best picture in the world.  And yes, I know that you can only really see my face. But, unfortunately, it's the best that I've got.  Because someone, once again, forgot to get a picture of myself all dressed up in my Wacky Wednesday attire.

Let me set the tone for you, so you can visualize it in your head.

I had on black and gold striped capris, with a blue t-shirt.  On top of that was a bronze, strapless summer dress.  On my left foot, I wore an ankle length white sock and gray Tom.  On the right foot, I wore a black knee high with a gray swirly pattern and a sparkly pink Tom.

My hair I broke in to six ponytails, sticking out in various directions.  I also wore a blue headband that has a big blue flower on it.  On my left eyelid was bright blue eyeshadow (all the way up to the eyebrow), and on the right eyelid was bright pink eyeshadow (all the way up to the eyebrow).  I also had bright purple blush in the middle of my cheeks, and some bright red lipliner on my lips.

Oh yeah.  When I say I'm gonna go ALL OUT.  I mean, ALL OUT.  Crazy.  Wacky.  Whatever you want to call it, I pulled it off.

The one picture I wished I had gotten, but didn't because I had morning car duty and had totally forgotten by the time I got back in to the school, was Peanut.  She looked AWESOME yesterday.  As awesome as you can look wearing a green tutu, pink fuzzy pajama pants, and her hair matted and sprayed to stick practically straight up.  And rather than wear eyeshadow on her eyelids, she wore the eyeshadow all around her eyes.  She looked like a very stylish zombie.  Which may or may not have resulted in a great idea for Halloween and her costume.

I don't know what it is with me and taking pictures.  Believe it or not, but a few years ago, I was a photographer!!  I took pictures for a side job, and didn't do a half bad job at it.  Now, I let amazing moments like getting all CRAZY dressed up slip through my fingers...and I don't capture them to remember forever.

What a disservice I'm doing to my children.  What am I going to show their future husbands and wife if I don't have any embarrassing kid photos?

Baby pictures are great and all, but I want those teenager, dress all crazy for school, pictures so we can sit down years from now and say "you remember when..?"  I. Must. Do. Better!

Today is Throwback Thursday, and the theme is to dress up like someone from the 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s.  

It was so funny, yesterday, when one of my kiddos came to me about the theme for today.  She was dressed in a neon pink shirt, had a side pony tail, and pink skinny jeans on.  She was also wearing hightop sneakers that were pink and sparkly.  

I tell you this only because she asked me what people wore in "the olden days like the 80s".  HA!  The look on her face when I said.. "urm, basically what you're wearing right now".  There was a little shock thrown in with some horror.  She was wearing clothes that people wore in the "olden days".  

I then explained to her that fashion tends to repeat every twenty years or so.  So, back in the 80s and early 90s, it was cool to wear neon colored clothes, high top sneakers, and side pony tails.  Now, twenty years later, kids are wearing the same kind of stuff.  I also told her that later in to the 90s, I wore bell bottom jeans and platformed shoes - which is stuff they wore in the 70s - because the twenty year fad had cycled back around.

The look of relief didn't really come to her face like I expected it to.  

Last year, I dressed up for 80s day.  And, I'll openly admit that I have worn the attire I bought for that day several times since then.  Only because I'm cool like that, and totally stay on top of current fads.  If all the kids can get away with wearing 80s style clothes, why can't I?

Because of that, I've decided to go with a different decade today:  The 70s.  

I have a dress that I bought a while ago in a vintage boutique that is completely tye-died.  It's knee length and flared at the bottom, tighter on top.  I figure, paired with my knee high boots, I could pull off a 70s go-go dancer thing.  I'm going to put a scarf in my hair, and try to get my hair to be high (beehive high).  It will take a lot of teasing and hairspray, but I'm up for the challenge.

I have to also remember to take clothes to change in to after school, because Peanut has a volleyball game...and then we're going to the Homecoming parade and bonfire.  Even though I'm participating in a county wide spirit day, I'm not sure I want to stay all 70s like all evening long as well.  I'd much rather go to a game and parade dressed in something a little more comfy - like shorts and a t-shirt.

I also have a meeting after work, but I'm not sure if that is something that would be quite humorous staying dressed up for.  I'd kinda like our superintendent's office staff to see how much school spirit the teachers at our school are capable of.  

Switching gears a little here, I want to mention that yesterday was a MUCH better day at school.  I started to put some of the new ideas Mrs. P and I came up with the night before in to effect yesterday, and my kids did well with the changes.  It will take some practice to really get it down, but I think it may just work.  I will also have to make some changes as each day goes on...but if it helps them learn better, I'll do what I have to do.

Our school district is really pushing station teaching when a co-teacher is in the room.  I have the special education teacher with me for my entire math block, and thirty minutes of my reading block.  During that time, I'm supposed to be using stations in my room.

Now, I'm not opposed to station teaching.  Except I'm also a big proponent for whole group instruction for new material, and stations for reinforcing skills.  I'll openly admit that I don't think it's a great idea to teach in stations EVERY single day.  

I've already implemented stations in to my reading block.  Twice a week.  Monday is my introduction day (for the new skills, new story, new vocabulary, etc.).  Tuesday and Wednesday are station days where the students work in small groups using and practicing the new skills.  They visit two stations a day, each day, for a total of four stations.  There's a reading station, a vocabulary station, a grammar station, and a spelling station.  I teach at the reading station, reinforcing the reading skill of the week.  My co-teacher gets the kids stated on the vocabulary station before she has to leave.  And the kids work independently at the grammar and spelling stations.  On Thursday, we have small reading groups followed by a partnered reading activity and independent grammar activity.  On Friday, we post assess the skills from the week.

My kids have taken to that extremely well.  So well, in fact, that I'm now able to add Writer's Workshop in to the reading block.  I spend 45 minutes on stations/reading groups, and 45 minutes for Writer's Workshop (three days a week).

Math, however, is a little different, because we introduce or add on a new skill every day or so.  Right now, we're in the addition and subtraction unit.  Monday, we estimated and rounded.  Tuesday, we added whole numbers.  Yesterday, we reviewed and practiced...which was great for the first day of stations.  But, I'm not yet sure how it's going to go introducing new stuff each day AND trying to keep stations going.  I'll do it.  It'll just be a little harder to do than it is in reading, because the reading is the same skills all week long.

Yesterday, I set up four stations, but two stations were identical to the other two.  I had a group.  My co-teacher had a group.  The other two groups played a game with dice and cards to add and round numbers.  Trying to teach a skill and practice that skill in 20 minutes was just about impossible.  So, I've already nixed that idea.  

Today, I will be teaching whole group for the first 10-15 minutes.  Then, we'll break up in to the same stations.. but instead of trying to teach the skill, I'll just have to reinforce the skill with the practice problems.  That should mean less talking from me and my co-teacher, and more helping the students work through the problems and assisting them where they need it.  A lot easier to do when working with 5 kids than trying to do it for 20 at the same time.

OK, I think I've gone on enough for one day.  I should probably think about jumping in to my time machine and heading back to the 70s to get ready.

I WILL GET PICTURES.  I WILL GET PICTURES.  I WILL GET PICTURES.

Maybe I won't forget if I keep telling myself.

Have an awesome Thursday!!