Summer Projects

During the summer, I like to try to get a lot done...I have more time and energy than the rest of the year. I decided to post my to-do list now and then check back in September to see how I did. Without further ado...

*Go to all medical appointments: eye doctor, dentist, and annual checkup

*Clean out linen closet

*Clean out hall storage closet

*Clean out under my bed

*Clean out my trunk

*Organize my home file cabinet

*Go on at least four hikes

*Go kayaking four times

*Try surfing again

*Read at least 8 new books

*Lose ten pounds

*Organize the posters in my classroom

*Get all classroom filing done(!)

*Don't get sunburned(!)

*Get credit cards paid off in August paycheck

Oh yeah, this blog.

Raspberries, though delicious, must be eaten within about 15 seconds of coming home from the grocery store, otherwise they all mold. So even when they're on sale, I have to think of how many I can eat in the same day.

Why Walk?

On Saturday, May 8th I will be participating in the Revlon Run/Walk for women's cancers in memory of a fellow Carnegie teacher who passed away this school year. I am joining other teachers, staff, students, and their families in a team in order to fight women's cancers. I am also participating as a role-model to my students, to show that it's important to do something about causes that are important to you.

If you'd like to donate, here is my fundraising site: https://www.revlonrunwalk.com/la/secure/MyWebPage.cfm?pID=538358

Thanks friends.

So, you know how I'm a teacher?

In the last month, two students have thrown up in my classroom. Both of these boys threw up on their desks. Like, didn't even make a move to run out of the room or to a trash can. Just barfed on their notebooks. Seriously?!?!

On the Ancient Israel test, they had to list five of the ten commandments. One boy wrote all of his as excalamations. As in, "You shall not commit adultery!" and "You shall not have other gods before me!" It's like the ten commandments are on the back of a DVD cover, describing a wacky adventure!

I was talking the other day and said, "Okay my children..." and a boy said, "Yes, my lady?" I told him not to call me that because it was creepy. He's called me that for the last three days straight.

30 Day Shred

Has anyone tried this DVD? I have been reading a lot of blogs where people are doing it, but I want an opinion from someone I know, if possible. I am thinking about doing it sometime soon-I would love to be in better shape, and I like that it has three levels, so you can work your way up to make it more challenging.

One of the reasons I am thinking of doing this is because my gym membership is on hold until May. I did this for financial reasons, and since my prime gym months are during the summer-I really wasn't using it at all over the last few months. I occasionally go on walks or bike rides on the beach path, but I know this would be a more challenging workout and would work on muscle, which is what I am missing.

Anyone want to do this with me? Accountability?

Said with enthusiasm, to my 6th graders today,

"Alliteration is my favorite literary device!"

What do you remember from 6th grade?

Every once in a while I do an activity at school that I think the kids might actually remember. The things I remember from 6th grade include dissecting owl pellets, an affirmation activity where we all wrote nice things about each other, writing protest letters to the school district, and current event discussions (during one of which I stood up and called a classmate a "male chauvinist pig!"). There are a few other details, but that's about it. The rest blurs together.

As a teacher, I know that my kids won't remember every lesson I teach. Hopefully the things they learn build on each other, and while they don't remember the lesson, they remember things that I taught them. But, it's nice every once in a while to know that I did something special, that at least a few of them will remember.

Today, I think, was one of those days. My kids did How-To Speeches in English. The lesson was public speaking and writing directions. They had to make a poster and give their speeches today. Highlights included a boy who did how to make a paper airplane. He brought in paper for everyone, we all made planes, and then I had them line up outside to see who could throw theirs the farthest. Another boy did how to make sugar cookies and brought in homemade cookies for everyone. Along the same lines, a girl did how to make cupcakes and brought in cupcakes. A boy from first period did how to clean your room, and his poster included pictures of him cleaning his bedroom, along with a before and after photo (I'm thinking his mom suggested the topic). One girl did how to make lemonade and printed recipe cards for everyone. I also learned how to pitch a baseball, how to straighten my hair, how to shoot a free throw, how to draw a dog, how to make paper stars, how to cure vomiting, and how to do a rear naked choke hold (the boy demonstrated on another student. Neither was naked, just to clarify).

The kids overall did a great job and put a lot of effort into it. Eve the really nervous ones said they liked the assignment, and I was proud of them. I told them that it really made me happy to see the effort they put into the assignment. Definitely a new staple of being in Ms. Fletcher's English class. :)

Cartoons make the best musicals.

Every year during my Israel unit I show The Prince of Egypt to my history classes. And every year I forget how much I love this movie. I think I may have blogged about this before, but it's usually the part where they're crossing the Red Sea that gets me. This year though, it's an earlier part in the movie where they sing this song:

"How can you see what your life is worth
or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man,
you must look at your life through Heaven's eyes."

I don't know why this hit me so strongly...but it did. There are lots of things I think of as important in life. And I spend a lot of time thinking about the little things. And I know I still will. But for a second I thought about the things in my life that matter. It matters that I am the kind of teacher who cares about my students. It matters that I love people, and show that I love them. It matters that I am a good friend, sister, daughter. And it's so hard to keep those things in mind when I am distracted by the little things. But for a minute, while watching a cartoon, I looked at my life through Heaven's eyes.