It has been a really long time since I posted anything. I think it's hard to find something interesting to write about when you're stressed. And this time of the school year just isn't easy. The kids can be so irritating - to each other and me. But I'm going to try to think of something to share ( Read more... )

It has been so nice here in Cinci. I was outside in shorts yesterday! I probably could be today, too, if I actually were outside. I'm working in the classroom for now. Yesterday we were working out in the yard and a realtor for the vacant house next door came out to chat. He invited us to look through the house if we wanted, which was pretty ( Read more... )

I have a very scientifically minded third grader who never ceases to amaze me. Yesterday the term "fossil fuel" was enough to send him into a discourse on carbon dating. THIRD GRADE. There are times when a fifth grader will ask a question in their class and I'll just say, "Jared, how about you take this one." Sometimes he'll make a comment or ( Read more... )

After the lesson about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane praying "Thy will be done," students had to write their own prayer having something to do with God's will. I told them they could include other things in the prayer, but that had to be in there. So one boy wrote a prayer about a bunch of things, and then at the end he wrote, "And Lord, if ( Read more... )

I was just telling someone the other day who said I should go on Jeopardy (which I would be terrible at) that I'd be good on a quiz show that covers material up through fifth grade. So you can imagine I was surprised to see an ad for the new show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" which premieres tonight. Finally, a trivia show where I REALLY ( Read more... )

The sad part of the story is that I broke my phone. It took one particularly nasty fall outside on the driveway and it hasn't been the same since. The top corner broke off, so the hinge didn't work properly anymore. The phone was very floppy. It would open or close freely. And if I wasn't careful, the two halves would fall apart ( Read more... )

I thought it appropriate that this question was asked on Presidents' Day - "Can the president outlaw broccoli?"

We had a snow day last Wednesday, and now it looks like we could possibly have another one or two in the next few days. It depends on what happens with this "storm" coming in. I'd be OK with another one, though I'm content to have just had the one. That's unusual enough. I've never had more than one in a year ( Read more... )

Our third grade reading story today is one that gives me a hard time every year. It's called "Lon Po Po" and it's a Chinese version of Little Red Riding Hood. Apparently Po Po is the Chinese word for grandmother. It also happens to be a slang word for your rear end in German. It's hard for me to listen to the whole story, hearing things like " ( Read more... )

I've decided it's time I learn Spanish. Yeah, German's great and all, but it's pretty rare that I have any occasion to use it other than the occasional email and reading some German books. Once in a while a good WWII movie comes along with a German phrase or two, but that's about it. So I'm moving on ( Read more... )