Memorial Day 2012

Thank you…

Men In Black 3 (MIB3) – A Movie Review

Yesterday, the Mr., Rooster, and I headed to our favorite theater to see the movie, Men in Black 3.  The Mr. had purchased the first two movies in Blue Ray, and there were $10 movie coupon codes under the shrink wrap.  I redeemed them online, printed my coupons, and off we went!

Here are my thoughts about the movie.

First of all, I would not take children who are not in high school to see the movie.  It starts off with a scene between the bad guy and a gal that is…um…a little too over the top.

There was also some cursing in the movie.  I mean, with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, you really should expect that.  The cursing was completely unnecessary, in my not-so-humble opinion, but it wasn’t enough to make me walk out of the theater, unlike a certain other movie that I, to this day, loathe (Transformers 2).

That’s all of the negative stuff I have to say about the movie.

The storyline was good, and there was comedic relief in just the right places.  I fell in love with the younger version of K, and his back story helped me understand the previous two movies a lot better.

There’s an alien that you simply fall in love with in this movie.  Check out his eyes.  They are incredibly kind and full of wisdom.

There’s a twist in this movie that you don’t see coming.

It was perfect and provided the glue to make all three movies come together nicely.

I definitely don’t think you’ll waste your money if you go see this movie.  While not as good as Avengers, it certainly wasn’t anything to shake a stick at!

Working Holiday

Yesterday, my students and I discussed what constitutes an oxymoron.  I showed them a list of examples.  One of the phrases was “working holiday.”

I could have shown them this picture to give them a visual to connect with…

Yep.

That’s what I brought home with me…nearly 200 assignments to grade.

Sort of.

The kids took a test using my SMART responders, which I absolutely LOVE because the computer grades the tests for me thanks to a handy little thing called an ANSWER KEY!!

Still, I had to go through and enter the grades into my digital gradebook.

I also had to grade my students’ weekly Text Connections Sheets and their Life in Prison question packets, which they completed as I read the book aloud.

Added to that were their Figurative Language booklets…a summative, project-based assessment for this unit.  Nearly half of my students turned in the project early.

I’m grateful, though, because that means that I won’t have many items to grade next week…just three more assignments, including the final exam.

Fortunately, I graded everything, only using up five hours of my holiday weekend.

Later today or tomorrow, I’m going to cook up their final exam and then create a few review exercises in my SMART Notebook.

Sigh.

Six and a half more days until I’m done grading.  Seven and a half more days until I am completely free (loosely typed, of course) for the summer.

Word

…or rather Wordle…

I used Wordle.net to create this visual reminder of the book Life in Prison, which my students will be tested on today…

My students enjoyed the review game we played yesterday…so much, in fact, that one of my students declared it the “most fun day of the entire year.”

We have six and a half more days of school.

I’m going to miss these guys!!

Who Wants to Play a Game of Jeopardy?

Today, my students are playing a game to review for a test on the book Life in Prison, which I recently finished reading aloud to them.

The book was written by Stanley “Tookie” Williams.  In it, he describes the harsh realities of life in prison and, more specifically, life on Death Row.  His goal when he wrote it was to discourage children from joining gangs and committing crimes that would land them in prison.

I wanted to find a fun way to review for the test, so creating a Jeopardy game seemed like the perfect thing!

Here’s a screen shot of what my game looks like.

You can access the game here.

The website is pretty neat.  You enter your own categories, questions, and answers, and the site creates your game!  What fun!!

My plan is to hand out small whiteboards and Expo markers to each group.  Students will work with their groups to answer the questions correctly by writing down the answers and “revealing” their answers.  The winner will get a prize (think I’ll have to run to Walmart to get some candy).

It doesn’t matter if you home school or teach Sunday School.  You could do something like this for a lot of different situations!!

From one teacher to another (we, as adults, are all teachers at one time or another)…cheers!

Wednesday Hodgepodge – Hold the Cheese Please

Joyce is back with the Hodgepodge after taking some time off.  Please pray for her family as they continue to mourn the loss of her beloved niece.  Hugs to you, Joyce!!

Now, on to the questions!

1.  What’s something you miss about the 1980′s? If you’re too young to miss the 80′s how about the 90′s?

Gosh…there’s so much to miss about the 80′s!  I love that BIG hair was okay and, in fact, expected.  I miss such 80′s chick flicks as Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club.  I miss the Patrick Swayze of Dirty Dancing fame and Tom Cruise’s Top Gun beach volleyball scene (good clean fun).

Yeah.  The 80′s were good.

2.  Do you have a library card? If so, how often do you visit?

I actually have two library cards…one for Podunk, USA’s library and the other for the county library.  I don’t go very often any more…ever since the kids grew up.

3.  What’s the secret to success?

Gosh…I think we have to properly define success before we can figure out the secret to it.  I think the secret to success, though, is being content with where you are in life and giving your best effort to the task that’s in front of you.

4.  This is National Backyard Games week…what’s your favorite backyard game?

My favorite backyard game is Dodge the Poop.  See, I have four dogs but no grass.  Just going out into the yard is an adventure.  Managing to not step in poo is a game that rivals any pro sport!

5.  If I dropped by today what would I find on your coffee table?

My coffee table is pretty sparse.  I only have a few magazines, neatly stacked, and a few coasters.  I have four dogs…two of which are prone to pulling things off of tables and chewing on them.

My dining room table, on the  other hand, is an entirely different beast…

6.  Do you own a bicycle? When was the last time you rode a bicycle? Is that something you enjoy?

I actually do own a bicycle…an expensive one.  The Mr. and I bought our bikes over ten years ago.  We used to ride them a lot.  I do periodically get mine off of the bike rack and go around the neighborhood, but it’s been about a year or so since my last ride.

7.  What’s your favorite cheese?

I am a vegan.  The last time I ate cheese was over a year and a half ago.  I’d have to say that my favorite, when I was eating it, was provolone.

8.  My Random Thought

If you are a regular reader of mine, you probably know that Rooster graduated early…finished up in January.  He had the option of participating in a couple of graduation festivities.  He was also allowed to walk the stage.

He has decided to forgo all of the events…

Much to my chagrin.

Watching as my youngest child finishes this part of his life has been strange.

It’s also been especially bittersweet the last couple of weeks as I’ve watched my friends post pictures from Senior Recognition and Academic Awards.

I’ve NEVER missed events like these.

Last week, I ran by the school to pick up his yearbook, which they were holding for him.

I’ve spent six years as a mom to a child at that school, so I’m having a hard time not seeing some of the people who were integral in shaping my children’s educational lives.

This past weekend, our church honored the Seniors at one of the services and a luncheon afterward.

THAT was fun because we were included.

Rooster has opted not to walk the stage on graduation night.

THIS has broken my heart, because I really wanted and needed this event for closure to my baby’s youth.

But I keep reminding myself that it’s not about me.

It’s about my sweet boy who has always stayed out of trouble…never done drugs, drank, or acted inappropriately with the girls.

He’s a wonderful young man…eager to volunteer at church and ready to hit college with full gusto.

Next week, on the 30th, he’ll turn 18…on the same day that he WOULD have walked that stage.

I’m trying to plan somewhere else for us to be so we can honor our guy for who he is…a true blessing and joy.

I’ll Take Two To Go

Dear Chick fil A,

As I was picking up breakfast yesterday, I came up with a unique way for you to increase your revenues.

It’s very simple, if you think about it.

It only requires you to  add a little something to the menu…

So that the next time I pull up, I can order the following…

Hash browns, orange juice, and two Midol.

Yeah.

See, women have those kinds of days…

Where they walk out of the house without the essentials…

And don’t have planning until 9am…

And must thus be forced to suffer needlessly…

When a trip through a drive-thru would have fixed all of that.

Listen to your patrons.

We’re the ones driving out of our way to spend our money at your fabulous establishment.

Thanks for listening.

Where’s the Leak?

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that there was a leak in the Mr’s bathroom sink.

You know me and my DIY projects.

I LOVE them!

So, on Saturday, I ran to Home Depot and picked up these…

Then, I got down to work.

Let me first tell you that this project seems easy.

It’s not.

Unless you pay attention to what you’re doing.

Which I didn’t.

But I digress.

Let me go through the steps of how to fix a Delta, two-handled faucet.

First of all, I had to find a tool to unscrew the itsy bitsy screw inside of the handle.  No easy feat.  The allen wrenches we had in our toolbox were either too big or two small.

Finally, I found the perfect thing…

That’s my tool for adjusting my sprinkler heads.

It worked perfectly!

The screw is very small, so if you attempt this yourself, make sure you pull up on the plunger thing, seating the sink stopper so nothing goes down the drain accidentally.

I was able to pull the handle right off, but I still had to remove the inner hardware to get to the washers underneath.  The washers are what get worn out and allow for the dripping that occurs in faucets.

Taking out the pieces in the middle was harder than I expected.  First, I had to unscrew the ring that sits below the middle section.  To do this, without ruining the metallic finish, I wrapped a towel around the ring, grabbed some a pair of piers, and turned the piece to the left (righty tighty, lefty loosie)…

I thought things would be easy from here, but they weren’t.  I still could not make that center piece budge!

I discovered that I could use a screwdriver as leverage and, by sticking it under one little tab on the side, I was able to loosen the piece…

Voila!

If you’ve never seen the inside of a faucet before, please let me enlighten you…

That hole is where the spring and washer go, and it’s where the water comes up before going out the center part.

Fascinating, I know.

The easiest way to get those parts out is by sticking a screwdriver inside and pulling out the parts…

One would think that the last part…putting everything back together…would be the easiest.

It really should have been except that it wasn’t.

First of all, I couldn’t get the top of the faucet seated back on top of the middle section.

I tried and tried.

Finally, I took apart my sink’s faucet (I have a dual sink vanity).  After looking at the way the cold water faucet was set up, I promptly went over to fix the Mr’s hot water faucet.

The only problem was that I don’t have a math mind, so I forgot to reverse the setup.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

When I finally figured this out, then I had another problem.

See, the inside of that faucet has an extra white piece that comes out.

Look closely at the following picture…

See the piece that doesn’t have the hole in it?  The white piece?

Well, it turns out (after trial and error) that where you put that piece determines which direction the handle turns.

I’m serious!!

I know this because I put it in the wrong slot and had my faucet handle turning on the water in reverse.

I could have been mean and left it this way for the Mr to figure out.

I’m a perfectionist, though, and had to put it back in proper working order.

Oh, and take a look at how one half of the metal piece has a straight edge and the other half is curved.

That is significant, it turns out.  It has to be facing the side what the handle will be facing when it’s off.  Go figure (which I did…the second time I had to fix the faucet).

So, after much sweat, fussing, and wishing I’d never started the project, I was finished.

I tested things out by turning on the water (did I mention that you have to turn it off before dismantling the faucet?  Oops.).

Well, that darned hot water faucet had water pouring out of it, so I knew that I hadn’t seated the spring and washer properly.

I had to dismantle the entire thing again.  I think that all of my efforts to fix that white insert, I loosened up the washer.

Finally, and I do mean finally, I had things working perfectly!

No more leaks.

No paying an arm and a leg to call in a plumber.

Good Shoes Come to Those Who Wait…

…for the prices to drop, that is.

Take, for instance, two shopping trips I went on this weekend.

Kohl’s had sent me a $10 coupon…that I could use off of anything.

Naturally, I headed to the shoe department first.  I found a pair of boots I liked.  They were on the clearance shelf, marked at 80% off.

The Mr. poo-pooed the idea saying, “We only have a week of winter in Florida.”

Whatever.

We walked around the store so I could look at clothes and jewelry, but nothing really struck my fancy, so I left with my coupon in my back pocket.

Well, let me tell you…I WANTED those boots, so I went back after church on Sunday to buy them.

I was shocked to discover a new clearance sticker on the box…

90% off!!!

Conveniently enough, there was another shoe box beside the one I’d been looking at…

HEELS!!!

On sale for 90% off as well!!!!!

Hello, Lord, I know you speak to your people and all, and, well, this was one time I really didn’t mind heeding your instructions.

heehee

I walked out of Kohl’s after spending $1.59.

What a deal!

I’m so glad the Mr. told me not to buy those boots.

I’m even happier that I did my usual thing, ignored him, and went back to get them anyhow.

A Day in the Life of a Reading Teacher

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a reading teacher?

Keep on reading to become enlightened.

On Friday, the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test results were released to schools.

Teachers…namely reading teachers…held our breaths.

Principals printed long documents that listed individual students’ test scores and handed packets out to teachers.

I anxiously took mine from my friend, Barb, who is my school’s literacy coach.

Then, I sat in her office and read, name by name, looking for each of my students.

Let me explain what went through my mind as I searched.

First, I was nervous…almost to the point of being sick.

I had worked my tail off all year, as had my fellow teachers and the students in our classes.

I did not want the work to have been for naught.

I stopped at each name I recognized and looked across at the numbers.

I was thrilled to discover that several of my students had PASSED!

Not only did they pass, but one, in particular, had done so with flying colors.

One of the most important numbers listed beside each student’s name was in the learning gains column.

Nearly all of my students made learning gains…some by as much as three years’ worth!

Along with the joy came the sadness and frustration when I discovered that several I’d just known were going to pass missed the magic number…by one or two points.

It’s going to be difficult to share this news with those students.

By the end of the day, I was emotionally exhausted.

I was also incredibly proud…of the students as well as the five other reading teachers and our wonderful literacy coach.

Sure, we’re not solely responsible for preparing our students for FCAT.  Every single teacher joins together to help students succeed.

However, reading teachers are responsible for focusing on specific strategies…teaching our students why and how to use them to help with the difficult task of comprehending text.

I am so honored to be a part of something so important.  I feel like what I and my coworkers are doing IS making a difference.

I doubted myself before beginning this school year.

I wasn’t completely sure I was ready or would be able to teach reading successfully.

The Lord has shown me that while I wasn’t perfect at it, and that there are things I need to change next year, I am well-suited for it and have loads of potential.

The Lord also reminded me that He WILL equip those who trust in Him if they dedicate their lives to serving Him.

I certainly placed my trust in Him when I applied for and accepted this teaching job.

I am so glad I did and cannot wait for next year, when I can put into practice some of the lessons I learned this year along with the lessons I’m learning in my Reading Endorsement classes.

THAT is what it’s like in a day in the life of a reading teacher.