Crazy, Busy Week

I can't believe it's already Wednesday.  It feels like I was just sitting here and it was Sunday morning.  It seems so crazy that we're half way through this week already, and that's probably because this week has been non-stop.  

Monday night I drove to Lamar, Missouri for a football game.  Unfortunately, Butter couldn't play because he suffered a concussion at practice on Friday which put him out of commission for a week.  He still has to be at the game, though, standing on the sidelines with his team.  It was a great game though, and I'm glad I got to see it.  His team pulled a great 44-30 win over the Lamar Tigers.  Being that Lamar is almost two hours away from where we live, we didn't get home until 11:30 that night.  Talk about exhausted.  It's why I didn't write a blog yesterday.  I needed a little more than four hours of sleep, so I stayed in bed for an extra hour.

Yesterday evening it was our Family Night at school.  It's my favorite Family Night of the year, because we have fire pits, ghost stories, hot dogs, and s'mores.  The kids absolutely love it, and we always have a great turn out.  I heard we had over 500 families in attendance last night, which is fantastic.  For the first time, we joined forces with the primary school.  They provided some craft activities for the kids to do, and I know that my three kids had a fun time.  I did what I always do at Family Nights and worked with the rest of the 4th grade team in the food area.  We got all the plates loaded with the fixings everyone needed for their hotdogs and s'mores.  But, as much fun as it was, we still didn't get home until after 8:30.  I was ready for bed the minute I walked in the front door.

This evening, we have a staff meeting and then I have class.  So, another late night.  Due to all of the craziness that has ensued since my last class, I have still yet to do my homework.  Not a great example to set for myself, but it's hard to get stuff done when I'm gone every night here, there, and everywhere.  As much as I don't like homework, I know it's something that has to be done.  It's also a great way for me to empathize with my students.  I try and give them time during the day to work on homework, which is something I don't always have the luxury of having.  Most weeks, I work on my homework while I'm waiting for Butter to finish football practice.  Haven't had a chance to do that this week.  But, like I tell my kids all the time:  Excuses are like underwear, everyone has them and they all stink.  I'll get the homework done.  

Tomorrow morning, I have my weigh-in for the weight loss contest.  I have not had a good week this week.  I haven't splurged or gone crazy, but I've had a really hard time getting the scale to do down.  I even saw a gain this morning, which has really upset me.  It's always disheartening to see a gain after trying to be mindful of what I eat.  But, I'm not completely innocent.  I haven't drank as much water this week, and I did graze a little during family night last night.  I didn't go crazy, but I probably could have done without the hotdog and graham crackers that I ate.  

Today, I'm going to try and "cleanse" in preparation for tomorrow.  Plenty of water and veggies for me today.  I'm going to avoid carbs and anything heavy for today, and hope that it helps a little bit with the weigh-in tomorrow morning.  And this upcoming week, I'm going to just have to work a lot harder to make sure I have a big loss next week.  I may have to pay a dollar tomorrow, but I hope that by next week I'll be seeing a good loss on the scale.  

Tomorrow evening, it will be another late night as we have to drive to Mt. Vernon, Missouri for another football game.  Once again, Butter will be standing on the sidelines.  It figures that the week that we have to drive over an hour away to watch the game, he can't play.  But, that's the life of a football mom.. you do what ya gotta do. But, it'll be yet another night of not being home until after 11PM.

Friday, I'm not sure what's happening yet.  Peanut may be going to a debate contest.  If that's the case she'll be gone doing that, and I'll be able to come home at a reasonable time and sit on my couch for the first time in a week.  If not, we'll be going to the last high school home game of the season and not getting home until late, once again.

I was supposed to work the Arkansas vs. Alabama football game on Saturday, but because everything has been so crazy busy this past week I dropped out from going.  I have a big project due for school next Wednesday, and I just can't afford to spend the entire Saturday working a football game.  I hate letting people down, but I have to prioritize.  I've worked two games, which is the requirement for parents, so it's not like I haven't pulled my weight.  I'll be working a couple of games in November, too, so I feel like skipping this game isn't going to hurt.  I didn't sign up for the other game that's happening this month, so that now means I have an entire month without having to give up an entire Saturday to work a football game.  I'm kinda excited by that.  

This weekend, I'm sure I'll be so exhausted from this week I'll just enjoy some down time.  In between working on my project and my regular weekend "teacher duties", I plan on going out for a nice walk/jog this weekend, and start the exercise promise.  Something I was supposed to do this week, but well...you know.  

Despite all this crazy, busy stuff, I'm still having a FANTASTIC time in my classroom.  The kids are enjoying themselves, and this week we've started learning a little about vets.  I made the kids name tags that looks like something a vet would actually wear, they have been bringing stuffed animals to school, and we've been discussing some of the stuff vets have to do in order to prepare for working with animals.  

Yesterday, I made up an invoice sheet with some basic supplies that a vet's office may order.  The kids had to multiply how many units of each item was being purchased, how much each item would be, and the total cost of the order.  I threw in adding tax and shipping, and then threw in some subtraction in the form of an account credit.  The kids all found it very challenging, but they were dedicated in getting it completed.  Today, they are going to handle some billing situations.  I'll make up some scenarios where animals receive different services, and they will have to figure out how much the patients have to be charged for the services.  Real world application at it's finest, right there!

Being that October is Disability Awareness Month, we are going to learn about service animals today.  They are going to hear how guide dogs are trained, and the services they provide to blind people.  They will also get to see how certain animals are used as therapy animals for people with other disabilities.  I think it'll be a great connection to what we're learning about.

OK, I guess that's it for me today.  I need to go and get ready for another busy, fun day.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

Vent Time!!

Well, I made it a little over a week before I found something to complain about, but the record is over.  I had a good run, but I have to break the cycle of cheery and upbeat to spend this morning complaining about my Sunday.

Bring on the RANT!

So, yesterday I needed to get the photos of my kiddos printed out.  Their "graduation" photos.  I really didn't want to have to go out yesterday, because I was out most of the day on Saturday, but I figured it wouldn't take long to get some photos printed.

HA!

My plan was to order my photos online then run to the store and pick them up.  Well, once I got my photos uploaded, my only options come check out was 1 hour photo (twice the price) or site to store delivery which said they'd be ready on Monday.  Which is ridiculous, if you think about it.  They aren't shipping my photos, they're still printing them right there in the store.  So, I decided to call the store and ask them if they'd go ahead and print them if I went ahead and ordered them.  Know what they told me?  If the site says they'd be ready tomorrow, that's when they'd be ready.  Well, thanks a lot.  Nice customer service right there.  What the guy did tell me, though, is that I could bring my phone in to the store, upload my photos, and the 1-hour photo service was only 15 cents a photo. OK... so I'd only have to be at the store for an hour.  I could give up an hour to get the photos printed.

So, I drive to my local Walmart.  

When I get there, I discover the photo center is going through some renovations.  There are signs up everywhere telling me that the photo lab closes at 3PM due to new machines being installed.  Information I wished the guy on the phone had told me.  There are still two stations set up, but when I try and plug in my phone I kept getting an error message.  I call for an associate to help me out, and she tells me they took out the machine that morning that allows phone uploads.  Great.  I'm a little agitated by this point.

She tells me I can download an app called KickSend and that would send my photos straight to the lab.  The next problem I encounter is having no cell signal in the store.  So, I go back outside to get some cell signal long enough to download the app.  But, it takes freakin' forever.  Well, twenty minutes actually.  The wi-fi they usually have at McDonald's is down, and I have to use the low signal I have outside the store to download the app.  Half an hour later, I have downloaded the app, uploaded the photos, and sent them to the store to be printed.

I go back to the photo lab to speak to the associate that originally helped me.  I ask her if she can make sure she got the order.  She tells me that it takes a few minutes for them to receive it, but if I got the onscreen confirmation that it went through, they'd be ready in about 30 minutes.  I was then told I'd get a text message when the photos were ready.  

OK, so I had arrived at the store at 11:10.  It was 11:45 by the time I had sent the photos to the lab to be printed.  I decided to go and do some shopping while I was waiting.

I did manage to find a couple of adorable butterfly chairs on sale for $10 a piece.  They are usually $20, and I've always wanted a couple for my classroom.  So, I got a pink one and a blue one.  I then bought some supplies for the kids to make picture frames for their photos.  I moseyed around the toy department still on the hunt for the police badges, and doing some mental Christmas shopping.  The next thing I know it's 12:45, and I still haven't received a text message about my photos.  So, I head on over to the photo lab.  There's a new person there, now, and I ask her about my photos.  She goes over to the photo area, no photos.  She goes to the computer, no record of an order.

Are.  You.  Freaking.  Kidding.  Me?

I give her the whole spill about being at the store since 11, and what I was told about the app I downloaded.  She then says very nonchalantly "Oh, yeah, we've been having trouble with that app".  Really?  You have, have you?  Information that would have been REALLY nice to know TWO hours ago!

She then tells me I can try it again while I'm standing there, and she'd make sure I'd have my photos in about 30-45 minutes.  Urm, no thank you.  I was so furious by this point, I just turned and walked away.  Not before telling her I was driving my happy behind to Walgreens... because I'd pay extra to have some decent customer service.

After checking out and driving to Walgreens, I get there at 1:15.  I have now spent two hours trying to get these photos printed.  I walk in to Walgreens, sit down at one of the stations, and upload the photos from my phone.  I'm told via onscreen message that my photos would be ready in about 30 minutes.  There's a lady standing behind the counter, however, and I begin to tell her about the craziness I'd been through with Walmart.  She then tells me she'll get my photos printed straight away.  

Ten minutes later, I have my photos.  When she sees the photos as they're printing, she asks me about them.  I tell her what I'm doing with my kiddos, so she tells me that she's even going to give me a 15% discount because of how much trouble I'd been through and for what I was doing with my kiddos.  How awesome is that?  

I'm walking out of Walgreens by 1:35, photos in hand, and cheaper than if I'd stayed at Walmart.

I can't believe I didn't just go there in the first place.  I would have saved myself two hours of my day, and the $70 I spent moseying around the store for that long buying supplies for my classroom and home.  And to think, I thought I'd save some money by going to Walmart.  HA!

So, with all of this complaining, I'm happy to end with a giant kudos for Walgreens.  They have definitely earned my repeat business.  I will be going back there any time I need photos printed, and I now have the Walgreens app so I can save myself a few dollars and make my life a whole lot easier in the future.  

When I get home, it's close to 2PM.  Three hours after I had left for the quick run to the store.  I'd hoped the fun would stop there, and I could just settle down to finish my laundry and get my work done.

No such luck.  

When I get home, Hubby informs me that our cats have fleas.  Awesome.  Just what I needed to make my day even better.  So, I spent the next hour trying to give the cats flea baths.  That was fun.  I had the dry bath kind of flea spray, but they HATE it.  I end up getting scratched and running around the house chasing the cats.  I finally got them doused in the spray, but then it's striping bedding and stuff to make sure we get rid of them from the beds and furniture.  Thankfully, it looks as though we caught them early.  Hubby had only seen one on Katniss before I got home, and I didn't see any while I was spraying the cats.  

Poor Jelly wasn't so lucky, though.  She seems to be allergic to flea bites, and is covered in hives.  Being that the cats spend a lot of time in her room, we think she may have gotten bitten in her bed.  So, I striped off her bed, but made Hubby run to the store to buy spray for all of her stuffed animals.  

Apparently the Walmart curse was contagious, yesterday, because when he gets to Walmart he finds that they have no power.  So, he can't buy anything.  He made the drive for nothing.  Neither of us felt like driving to the next town over, so we decide to shut off her room and do what we can to clean up with what we had.  This morning he's going to stop and buy sprays and flea collars and then douse the house down when he gets home from work.  

Not exactly the Sunday I'd planned on having, that's for sure.  I hate fleas, and I refuse to have them in my house.  Having indoor cats and kids that like to play outside makes it kind of inevitable that we're going to have a few from time to time, though.  I just have to stop everything and do what I can to get rid of them.  Poor Hubby will have the worst part, though.  He gets to come home from work and spray everything and vacuum.  I took care of the flea baths and cleaning the bedding, but we both know that's not enough.  We'll still have to do it all over again in a few days, just to make sure they're gone.  

After all that fun, I finally settled down to get some work done after dinner, and then I was up until 10PM getting everything finished up.  

This morning, we have to leave early so that I can get to school and print out the lesson plans for my sub.  I didn't have time to finish them on Friday because I had to go pick up Butter from practice.  That's one job I don't like leaving until the last minute, but I had to do what I had to do.  I managed to get everything else taken care of, just have to print those out when I drop off the kids, and I'll be good to go.  I just hope that Butter's appointment is over quickly this morning so I can hurry and get back.

OK, so I'm ready to leave these rants behind me and start another fun, adventurous new week.

Have a good Monday, everyone!!

Sunday Fun-Day... Workday... Same Thing

I've got a very busy day ahead of me today, but a day that I'm also looking forward to.  I'm going to be sitting down at my desk and hashing out some lesson plans and ideas for the next few weeks' worth of careers.  

I'm not going to be at work tomorrow morning, so that puts a damper on my Day One Extravaganza, but it's not going to stop me from kicking everything off the minute I get back tomorrow.  I was able to pick up a few of the things from my extensive supply list yesterday, but there's still plenty to prepare and buy for.  One thing I forgot to do, which I'm going out to do in a little while, is print out the graduation photos.  I can't believe I forgot about that while I was out yesterday.  It was the main thing I went out for.  But, that tends to happen quite a bit.  I go shopping for something, end up spending a small fortune, and coming home without the one thing I went out for in the first place.  No worries, though, I'll get them printed today.  

I'm shocked at how crazy expensive photo printing is nowadays.  I mean, if I want to get 4x6 prints, they are $0.19 a piece, but if I want to get 5x7 prints, the price jumps up to $1.50 a print.  That seems a little ridiculous.  I really wanted to do 5x7 prints, but I just can't afford to spend almost $50 on photos.  I have to get two copies of each picture, one for the classroom and one for the parents at parent/teacher conferences.  It looks as though I'm going to have to get 4x6 photos.  A little smaller, but I can't justify paying an extra $40 for photos that are an inch wider and longer.  I could order the kiddos five 4x6 copies a piece for that price.  It means I won't be able to have the big Wall of Fame like I had planned, but I can make a great bulletin board arrangement with the photos...it'll be fine.  

Now my mind is wandering to the wall space I have in my classroom.  I'm going to have to get creative to make it all work out.  I want the kids to be able to look at their graduation pictures whenever they need a boost of motivation, so I'm going to have to do some rearranging of my wall space to get the pictures in a good focal point.  Like I said, though... I'll make it work.  

Other than the picture dilemma, I am excited and pumped for some of the stuff I managed to pick up yesterday.  I went by Staples and bought name tags for all of my kiddos.  The fancy, plastic, clip on ID badge holders.  That way, each Monday I can print out new "ID badges" for the kids' profession of the week.  Every Friday, I'll print out new name tags to go in the holders so that they can wear them throughout the week.  I also picked up a couple pairs of scrubs to wear for the medical profession weeks.  This week I'll wear them for being a vet, and then I'll be able to use them again for Doctor Week and again for Nurse Week. 

I hunted high and low for some novelty police badges, but I couldn't find them.  I think I'm going to have to either order them online or go to a party supply store.  Being that it's Halloween time, I figured I'd have no problem finding them.  Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  I mean, sure I can buy an entire Halloween cop costume set, but again, I don't have the money to spend $10 per kid.  I'm sure there has to be somewhere I can find sets of novelty police badges.  Maybe Oriental Trading, or something along those lines.  If anyone knows of a place that sells them, please let me know.

I've already got some math lined up for the kids this week.  Each day, they are going to perform a duty that a vet might have to do that involves multiplication, addition, and subtraction.  On Tuesday, they are going to fill out order sheets for supplies that a vet's office might need.  They will have a dollar amount to spend, a list of supplies, and the cost per supply.  They will then have to fill out an order form with the amount of supplies they're going to order, how much they'll spend, and how much will be left over.  The next day will be billing.  Each student will figure out the bills for the services that were performed on the pets and how much each customer will be billed.  We'll discuss taxes and such as an added bonus.  On Thursday, the kids will be creating dosage charts.  Each medicine will have a recommended dosage per animal, and they'll have to figure out how much of each medicine an animal has to have of a certain medication.  On Friday, we'll review and discuss the services and how the math they used is what they're currently learning about.  

On Thursday, we're having a vet come and visit us in the classroom.  I'm going to have the kids work up a list of questions they want answered.  I also want them to connect some of the questions to our reading.  For example, we're reading Charlotte's Web, so I want them to ask about caring for farm animals.  Then, there's the connection to science and ecosystems.  Maybe ask about some exotic pets, animal habitats, etc.  Which is something we'll also be doing during science... discussing habitats and caring for animals that live in our area.  

October is also Disability Awareness month, so I figure a great way to pull that in is to discuss and learn about service animals.  I hope to find some information on guide dogs and other animals that help out people with disabilities.  

All in all, it's going to be a great week of learning, and I'm so excited to get my work and research done today.  It's going to be a fun week, that's for sure.

OK, if I'm going to get it all done, I should probably get to doing it.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!!

My Class Has Now Graduated...

                                     

Yesterday afternoon, I walked my kiddos down to the gym so that they could have their pictures taken for their mock high school graduation.  I asked our two 8th grade "sponsors" to come and lend a hand and be a part of the fun.  

I had a couple of teachers who were nice enough to loan us a couple of caps and honor cords, and we borrowed the Jr. high graduation gowns.  Our 8th graders made up some fake diplomas for the kids to hold, and it was crazed excitement in the gym.  We discussed what the cords symbolized, and I gave the kids a choice if they wanted to wear them or not.  It was great to hear every kid wanted to wear them, because they all planned on graduating with honors.  

I've never seen a bunch of 4th graders more excited about anything.  The smiles on their faces as I took their pictures were absolutely PRICELESS. As you can see in the top photo, this guy was so happy.  It also helps that I'm friends with his momma, so I got permission to use the pic she posted on Facebook.  You can see the genuine pride and happiness on his face, and I have to admit, I had to hold back a few tears as the pictures kept piling up on my phone. 

Another amazing photo came from this little beauty...

                                     

Her dad is a teacher in the school, and he was also Butter's 6th grade teacher and is now a Jr. high teacher.  I couldn't have captured more excitement and happiness in her face, could I?  She was laughing about her missing teeth and how big the gown was on her.  But, she was also the first kid to tell me that she couldn't wait to compare this photo to her real graduation photo.  That was nice to hear.  

I wish I could share all of the photos I took, because they were absolutely amazing.  However, I don't have parental permission.  What I am going to do, though, is print out the photos this weekend.  I plan on making two copies of each photo...one to hang on the wall in the classroom, and another copy to give parents on parent/teacher conference night.  I want to explain to the parents what I'm doing, and then give them a little token to show them how wonderfully their kids are doing.  

I tell ya what, the increase in student performance this week has been phenomenal.  The students have been engaged, focused, and motivated.  They have overcome challenges, done extra work, and really set the bar high for themselves.  I think the best example is with the spelling contract.

My kids really don't care for the spelling contract.  It's homework, so they aren't big fans of having to do it.  But, something changed when the 8th graders that came to visit us this week told my kiddos that they do a spelling contract in Jr. high.  Now, I had changed the spelling contract last week.  Instead of requiring the kids do 5 activities, I told them they only had to do 3.  That was more doable, and less stress on them.  I told them that being that I was decreasing the amount of activities, I expected more effort be put in to the activities they did have to do.   

What ended up happening this week?  The majority of my kids did at least 5 activities, with several of them doing more like 7 or 8 activities.  And the effort was there.  They didn't just rush through the activities.  The spelling test scores this week were extremely high.  It made me so happy that to see that my crazy idea was working.  These kids were dedicated to showing more effort.  

I have to be gone Monday morning, so I won't get to do the big reveal that I had planned.  So, instead, I told the kids the first career we were going to be focusing on for their first week.  I told them we were going to be vets, and they were all excited.  I told them to find a stuffed animal to bring to school with them on Monday, and how we would be spending our week learning about some of the things vets do.  Which includes a visit from a real vet.  

Today, I have quite the shopping list of supplies I'm going to need.  I have to print out the photos, but I also want to pick up a few items.  I have decided I'm going to need to have some scrubs, and I want to buy some name tags for all of the kids to wear each week for the career we're learning about.  My plan is that each Friday, I will print out new name tags that will have their name and the profession on them.  Something like "Dr. John Veterinarian".  

I'm also going to hunt for some small things I can use to help with the fun that each week will bring.  Things like novelty police officer badges, and any other novelty items that might help us out.  

I might spend a small fortune on doing this, but every penny is worth it if it produces the results I'm hoping for.  I've never seen such enthusiasm or excitement in a class before, and I plan on really honing in and keeping it going as long as I can.  If it works as well as I think it might, I plan on doing this each year.  From day one I can instill a focus on the future, and I'm even thinking of decorating my classroom with our motto: The Future is NOW!

Well, if I plan on getting all the stuff done that I need to get done, I better get off here and start doing it.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!!

First Team Weigh In

                                       

Last week, I told you that I was going to have another go at losing weight.  So, I decided to take part in a team weight loss challenge at work.  Last week, we weighed in and got put in to our teams.  We also had to individually make a goal of how much weight we want to lose over the eight week competition.  I decided to go with 20lbs.  I thought that would be a pretty easy and attainable goal for 8 weeks.   There are four teams of four all competing for a cash prize.  Being that the entry fee was $15, that means there's a chance of winning $60 per person, plus any money collected for pounds gained.  There's a penalty fine of $1 per pound gained if anyone puts weight back on.

I decided in order to pace myself and not ending up losing momentum, I thought I'd try something new each week.  This week, I decided to start off small and just cut out soda and add more water.  I also, of course, lowered my calorie intake and watched what I ate.  

Well, I'm very happy to report that after one week of those slight adjustments earned me a loss of 4.6 pounds!! That's a percentage of weight loss of 1.72%.  That's also almost 1/4 of my weight loss goal completed.

Collectively, my team lost 24lbs.  I was happy with that number.  Unfortunately, we are in last place even with such a great first week... but only by a tiny percentage.  

One thing I know about these weight loss challenges is that it's often hard to keep the momentum.  The first week is always a good week for everyone, because everyone is so pumped and motivated.  There were some extremely high numbers lost by my competitors this week, but the first week is not an indicator for how the rest of the competition will go.

I know that slow and steady wins the race.  There's no way that my competitors will be able to lose, individually, 8-12lbs each week.  Which is what some of them lost this week.  I think that's amazing, and I'm very happy for them.  But, it doesn't make me disheartened.  I figure I can lose close to 5lbs each week pretty easy, as long as I keep upping the intensity.  

Last night was my "free night".  I've decided that on each weigh-in day, I'll treat myself to something I wouldn't normally eat.  Mostly because Thursday nights just happen to be Butter's football game nights, and we always eat dinner out on Thursdays during football season.  

Well, I'm very happy to report that even though I told myself I could eat anything I wanted last night, I didn't go crazy.  The kids and I tried a Mexican restaurant that we've been wanting to try.  Now, my usual go to at a Mexican restaurant is the chimichanga.  It's deep fried, loaded with meat and cheese, and delicious.  But, last night I told myself that couldn't happen.  Instead, I went for fajitas.  Still not the ideal weight loss food, but better than a chimichanga.  The best part was the fact that I couldn't eat it all.  When I got full, I stopped eating.  And I was shocked, because I can usually down a plate of fajitas and all the fixings with no problem.

I limited the amount of rice and beans I ate, and focused mainly on the pico and meat.  I have been trying to limit my carbs.  Not cut them out, completely, just keep a tight squeeze on how many I eat.  Because carbs are my worst enemy.  I have to really train myself to be able to handle eating carbs without overloading, so I'm trying to start off small with how much I can eat.  When I do eat carbs, I have only been eating the whole grain variety.  

I feel like I'm doing very well in the food department, and I haven't touched a soda since the competition began.  Even when we went to SDC last Saturday, I drank only water.  I have been drinking my coffee in the morning, and water for the rest of the day while I'm at work.  Giving up soda was a pretty easy task for me.  Because even though I love a Diet Dr. Pepper every now and then, I never really drank it too often.  I don't feel like I'm depriving myself without the soda.  

Next week's goal is to focus on some exercise.  One of my teammates and I will be working out after school two days next week.  Nothing too crazy, just a start for adding in some exercise.  We've decided that even some laps around the gym is better than nothing.  We can always up the intensity each week as the weight continues to drop off.

Being in the team mentality has really boosted my motivation.  There are some people that think it's unhealthy to be "competing" for weight loss, and they are entitled to their opinion.  Yes, I know that losing weight should be only focused on me wanting to lose weight, and being in a competition is only a short-lived experience, but it could be the springboard I needed.  I do well in a competition environment, more so when it's team oriented.  I don't like to let people down, and there are people counting on me to do my best.  Plus, I really think my recent upbeat attitude has played an important part in all of this.  Eating is one of my stress coping mechanisms.  I eat when I'm stressed.  Being that I've eliminated a lot of the negative stress I was feeling, I feel like I've been able to stay upbeat and positive with my weight loss efforts.  

So, here's to another awesome week of losing weight.

Have a great Friday, everyone!!

Fun Can Sometimes be Frustrating

Don't worry, I don't plan on complaining about anything.  Don't be fooled by the title.  I am just going to share about the activity I did with my class yesterday, and the fun frustration that it brought on.

So, yesterday I told you all about the activity I planned on doing with my kiddos for the bulletin board.  The idea was for the kids to make their own spider webs, inspired by Charlotte's Web.  Well, when I told the kids about it, they were excited.  They thought they were going to spend their time doing something fun, creative, and completely thoughtless and easy.  Little did they know that making a web out of yarn, construction paper, and glue would be so thought inducing and a little frustrating.

I have to admit, I was very impressed with some of the words they thought up for themselves.  I had kids that wanted to make webs with words such as Perseverance, Responsible, Motivated, and Fantastic.  They were awesome ideas, but once the kids started messing with the yarn, they quickly discovered that it was easier said than done.  Trying to make the words fit on the page was one of the biggest tasks.  I had the kids have a go at trying to write the words with as little cutting as possible of the yarn.  It was quite humorous watching the kids try and form the letters from the yarn, and trying to hold the letters in place.

After about fifteen minutes of some serious perseverance and motivation, the frustration level started getting a little high for my liking.  So, I told the kids to just figure out the best way to make their words. I was nicely surprised to find some kids that didn't want to give up on trying to make their word from one long string, I had some kids that made a few cuts but focused on making the word look like it had been created with one string, and then I had a few kids that started chopping and cutting their yarn in to tiny pieces in order to create each letter individually.  

Once the word was in place, the kids then had to make the web that went around the word.  Some kids opted for making circles of yarn, but we pulled up some pictures on the SmartBoard to look at how spiders create their webs, and the shapes that are used.  That gave the students a better understanding at what they were shooting for, but once again they realized that was easier said than done.

After making the words, the kids and the paper were covered in glue.  They found that the yarn was sticking to them, and it was extremely difficult to get the yarn to stay where they wanted it.  Anyone walking in to my room may have thought that we were in a kindergarten classroom with the mess that was scattered around the room.  There were pieces of yarn everywhere, the floor, their fingers, the desks, and on their clothes.  We ended up spending an hour and a half (our entire 90 minute reading block) on making the webs.  

When they were finished, we had a great discussion for how hard web creating must be for a spider, and why they need eight legs in order to create a web.  The kids discussed that having a couple extra sets of hands may have made their task a little easier.  We also had a discussion about some of the variations the students made to their words.  For example, the finished products showed words such as Persevere and Motivate instead of their original plans of perseverance and motivation.  The kids were able to explain that shortening the words didn't change the meanings, it was more of a requirement in order to make the words fit.  

We also connected the activity to our reading, and discussed which webs would and wouldn't work for Wilbur.  The class agreed that words such as "lovable", "friendly", and "fantastic" would work, but words such as "motivate" and "neat" wouldn't work so much.  

Overall the kids enjoyed the experience, and were shocked by how frustrating and hard the assignment actually was.  We then discussed how sometimes the simplest of tasks can require some dedication and frustration they didn't expect.  It was a good lesson to learn, and it helped them grasp the fact that they have to put in effort even when they don't expect to.

Another fantastic part of our day yesterday occurred when we got a visit from two Jr. high students.  I had asked to borrow two students to come in and share with my class some insights about Jr. high and some of the stuff they wished they had paid more attention to in 4th grade.  Well, to say that they did a fantastic job would be a total understatement.

The kids that came to see us started out by explaining some of the concepts they learned in 4th grade that they were still learning about.  Stuff like using multiplication facts, spelling contracts, and writing and identifying nouns, subjects and predicates, and creating complete sentences.  The 8th graders explained that they now realized that if they had paid more attention in 4th grade, their lives would have been much easier.  

One of the 8th graders explained that she didn't take the time to learn her multiplication facts in 4th grade, which has made math pretty tough for her.  She encouraged my students to do everything they could to learn the facts now, so that they wouldn't have the same struggles that she is now experiencing.  She also told them that the spelling contract was necessary and really helped her learn how to spell words.  The two 8th graders looked over the spelling contract I give to my kiddos, and they told the kiddos how the activities will help them become better spellers, but also better readers, writers, and how they will have a better vocabulary by learning the definitions for the words.  

The discussions that took place next...well...all I can say is that they delivered speeches that neither my kids or I were expecting.  

After we discussed current learning and how hard the students need to work, we shifted the focus of the discussion to the future.  I asked the 8th graders if they'd thought about what they wanted to be when they grow up, and what they were doing to prepare for the future.  

The male 8th grader took the floor, and delivered one of the most inspiring, motivational, and passionate talks I've ever heard.  

He told my kids that his mother had always wanted to be a marine biologist, but after she had him her plans had to change.  At that point, he became a little choked up.  None of the kids knew what to think, but he didn't give them enough time to think.  He continued on discussing how his mother now makes bean bags for a living, and that she wasn't able to follow her dreams.  That was his motivation for following his own dreams.  At this point, he lost it and had to take a second to compose himself through the tears.  He then told my kids, in such a passionate way, that he has decided not to think about how he's going to become what he wants to become, but instead he envisions himself doing it.  He wakes up every morning thinking about his future, and how everything he will do on that day will help him get there.  He explained that everything his teachers say, everything they ask him to do, he does without question.  He doesn't ever consider giving less than 100% effort, because it's all important.  He told my students that there's nothing they are learning about that won't make them better people, and it will all be important in some way or some form to their futures.  

After such a powerful and emotional discussion, the kids were dying to know what it was that he planned on being one day.  I think we were all a little shocked when he told us he was going to be a singer.  No matter what.  He was going to sing for a living.  But, he made sure to point out that his education was going to be what got him there, and learning everything he could about everything would be important to his career in some way or some form.  

The female 8th grader then explained that she didn't know what she wanted to be, but she thought about it often.  She explained how she was constantly talking to her mom, her teachers, and her friends about what she might want to be once she finishes school.  She explained to my kiddos how it's OK not to have a decision while they are still in school, but it makes the learning even more important.  She explained that, in her mind, being that she's unsure what her future holds, she has to make the most of everything she learns so that she gets all that she needs for whatever she decides.  She told my kids that right now, her main focus was making good grades, giving her best effort, and making her mom proud of her.  One day, she'll know what she wants to do, and she knows that her grades, her effort, and everything her teachers taught her will help her with her career.  

I was completely blown away by the maturity these 8th graders showed when it came to discussing something like school and their futures.  I couldn't have asked for anything better.  I quickly told my principal that these two kids needed to visit every classroom in the school and deliver the same speeches, because even I was motivated to do better for them and for my kiddos.  

I may have several kids in my class that don't think college to be an option, or even making it out of their small town being something they can do.  But, hearing from two students about their dedication and motivation to make something of their lives was EXACTLY what my kids needed to boost their motivation and effort.  I can talk at them all day long, but they needed to hear it from kids that had been in their shoes only a few years before.  They needed to hear from students that were still working hard every day, and making sure they made their education count.  They needed to hear that what they can do now that will help them as they get a little older.  

I am so glad they came.  I'm so glad they shared.  And I plan on having them come back a few times throughout the year to check on my kids and give them boosts of motivation as often as possible.  

What an absolutely fantastic week this has been, and it's not over yet.

Have a great day, everyone!

Because I'm Happy....

                              

This sounds terrible to admit, but I can't believe I've gone almost a whole week writing my blog and not complaining about anything.  That's bad, huh?  That I'm excited that I've been able to stay happy for less than a week.  Don't worry, the momentum isn't letting up.  I just had to point out that I'm aware I haven't complained, whined, or vented about anything for about five days and that it's a big deal.

It shouldn't be.  But it is.

What's even more surprising and pretty awesome is the fact that I haven't allowed any negativity in this week, either.  What I mean by that is I haven't allowed myself to be pulled in to complaints or frustrations of others, and then let it fester at me until I realize it's something I'm frustrated about too.  I've quickly learned that as long as I let negativity in my ears, it starts to pull me down and I just can't let that happen.

This week, I've changed from the woman who's always got a snarky comment to make or an opinion to give to that person who's always annoyingly upbeat and happy.  And, you know what I've discovered?  I'm OK with being one of those annoyingly happy people.  In fact, I plan on staying one of those annoyingly happy people in the hopes that people will take notice of my mood change and wonder what on earth I've done to make myself so upbeat and carefree.

I will tell you who has picked up on my drastic mood change, and that would be my kiddos.  For the past two days, it's almost like I've got a completely different set of students.  The kids that have come to me for the past two days have been happy, confident, and motivated.  They have tried hard with everything I've given them.  And dare I say it, but they seem to be having fun.  

Monday, I had the highest class average to date on a spelling pretest.  Yesterday, I had the highest class average to date on a reading quiz and a science test.  And, I've had several kids tell me that they've already finished their spelling contracts THREE DAYS EARLY, and then asked if they could do MORE.  Which is normal for some kids, but these were the same kids that I usually have to basically force them and constantly remind them to just finish the activities they are required to do.

Oh yes, it's a happy, happy place in my classroom right now.

And the best part is, even though I told the kids I'm working on changing how we do things, everything I've given them to do this week has been the normal assignments they get...the weekly hum-drum rinse and repeat assignments with a new skill attached.  I am working on changing things around, but haven't quite figured out the kinks just yet.  But, that hasn't seemed to have mattered.  They are taking my new attitude, my new found excitement, and clinging on to it with what I'm giving them.  

My classroom has been a pretty fun place to be, though.  I've shared with them some secrets about being a high school student and college student that they found amusing.  I shared with them how high school and college students have to read from giant text books, how boring some assignments can be, and some of the methods that the students use to cope.  

For example, I had the kids work in study groups on Tuesday.  We discussed how it's quite common for high school and college students to group up with classmates and discuss the assignments they have to complete.  We discussed how they work in groups and break up the workload to make life a little simpler, and how they discuss and share what they've learned.  They share opinions, strategies, and even compare answers in a way that's not cheating but a platform for discussion.  I then had the students work in those study groups for reading, and again in science.  They discussed, they shared opinions, and they helped each other come up with study guides for the quiz and test they had the following day.

Yesterday, I discussed the art of cramming.  Now, I know that some people will read this and wonder why on earth I would do something like that.  How cramming is an awful thing to teach students, and how I should be focusing on healthy study practices.  But, at the end of the day, as a former high school and college student, and a current college student, I know that cramming is a big part of the high school/ college lifestyle.  I don't care what anyone says, it doesn't matter how much someone prepares for a test, there's still cramming that takes place before said test.  

What I did was give the kids 10 minutes before each test to discuss, go over their study guides, and ask their friends for suggestions about something they were having trouble remembering.  I had them write down quick notes that they could use on the test, and flip through the books to take note of the pages that hold some important information (the tests are open book tests).  

Did the cramming help give them the highest scores they've ever scored on reading and science tests to date?  Maybe.  I don't know.  But, I do know that I was often frustrated by low test scores on open book tests.  I didn't understand why the kids made such low grades when all they had to do was go back in to the reading and find the answers.  I like to think that the cramming helped them refresh their brains about where the answers were located, which made the task a lot less overwhelming when it was time to actually go in and find the answers.  You have to remember that I have several kids that are reading on a 2nd grade level, so going back in to a 4th grade science text book or a 4th grade reading book can be extremely overwhelming for a kid that can't read the books very well.  

Today, we are going to celebrate their test scores by having a little fun during reading.  Something that's fun and hopefully pretty motivating.  

I've been trying to think of something to put up on the bulletin board outside my classroom.  It's time to start thinking about fall, and my bulletin board needs a new fall makeover.  Well, being that we're currently reading Charlotte's Web, I thought it would be neat for the kids to make their own spider webs with a word that describes them on it.  I am going to take yarn in to school, and let the kids use the yarn to create a spider web on construction paper and spell out a word that is motivating and up lifting.  I am going to challenge them to think of words like Charlotte used, such as "radiant" and "terrific".  I'm even going to let them look for words in a thesaurus and on the computers.  Then, I can put them up on the bulletin board as a Halloweenish type thing, yet our spider webs won't be scary.. they'll be fun, motivating, and happy.  Because that will represent how our class is feeling right now.  I'm even going to have the kids help me make a butcher paper spider to hang up with the webs.  

Fun times!!

OK, it's time to get my day started.  

Have an awesome Wednesday, everyone!!