Shingles Article

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was interviewed for an article about shingles.  It went up on Every Day Health today!  The article is really well written and is informative.  You can read it here.

School- Week 2

Well, we are starting to get settled and into the groove of school.  My class this year is great!  They are really funny, the listen well (for the most part), and they are excited about learning.  This is a group of readers, and they like to share trivia.  We get along pretty well!

This week, their favorite fact came from our social studies lesson.  We are learning about deserts and the adaptations some animals have made in order to survive a hot, dry climate.  The Kangaroo Rat actually doesn't drink water.  It gets all of its fluid from the foods it eats.  Then, the kidneys are designed to not only filter impurities, but to recycle the water that is still available.  By the time the Kangaroo Rat is ready to expel the fluid, it has been so used up that the rat actually urinates little crystals instead of liquid.

I'm pretty sure every boy (and most of the girls) listed this on their exit slip that afternoon as the learning tidbit for the day.  I'm okay with that.  As long as the students are learning and are smiling when they leave, it's all good.  At least the parents will see that our class isn't ALL boring and uninspiring.

I'm kidding about the uninspiring part.  I actually love most of our curriculum.  There is a lot I learn in a day, and our reading program is set up in such a way that the students get to share insights that even make me think differently.  It's incredible!

I got my first "love letter" of the school year.  One of my students wrote me a thank you card, saying, "Thank you for all the smiles."  I guess I must be doing something right this school year.  It's nice to be thanked for just being me.  This year it doesn't seem forced or faked.  I genuinely enjoy this class and the students.

First Week

Well, I made it though my first week back to school.  I have a great group of kids this year, and I think we're going to have a lot of fun.  Culture Week (our first week each year) is always interesting, because the students are getting to know me and each other, and I am getting to know them.  We work on building a classroom community and learn the expectations of the classroom, the school, and the district.

This year, my students are all very excited about the goals we set as a class.  I think they honestly hope to work toward these goals.  Last year my class had a habit of saying things were important to them, but then they would never follow through or show me any excitement in working toward those goals.  This year's class, however, seem to have a better understanding of the 7 Habits and how to apply them to their lives.  Several of them have already logged onto our class math practice, and there were a couple who went on this weekend.  That's dedication!  I am starting to see how several years of instruction in the Covey habits will truly change the lives of students and prepare them for success in college and in the work place.

Next week we hit the ground running with full lessons in each subject area.  I love that we taught math and reading the first week of school, so students are pretty familiar with how I start lessons and expect them to set up their notebooks at the beginning of each.  I think it is going to be a really interesting week since I have many students BEGGING to use their composition notebooks (journal writing) or to start reading their social studies texts.  I kept giving them teasers about what we were going to use those supplies for or what our first unit would be, so I think they are going to be as excited to jump in as I am.

The only thing I'm really not thrilled about this year is my schedule.  Last year our specials (P.E., music, Spanish) were placed perfectly in the day so I taught for two hours, had a break, then repeated the pattern throughout the day with lunch.  This year, however, my specials fall in the early morning.  On Tuesday and Wednesday they actually start as soon as the school bell rings.  It makes for a LONG day, as we've found out already.  Bathroom procedures and policies have had to be changed to accommodate this schedule, but I'm okay with that, really.

I'm glad I had some time to pop in here and say hello.  I hope you all have a great week.  My girls start school on Wednesday, and I think we are ALL  ready to be back on a schedule and routine.

Snapshot Saturdays-Motorcycling

Last week I featured Andrea in my Saturday Snapshot, so today I found a picture of Amber to share.  Last year, my dad got a motorcycle.  Amber is in LOVE!  She says her first vehicle is going to be a motorcycle.  Oh, please start sending prayers now!  Of course, before my dad got his motorcycle Amber was in love with his motor home and said she was going to buy one to drive around in as her first vehicle.  Her idea was to wake up, drive to school, park, THEN shower and dress for the day.  She sure has some interesting ideas!  I'm hoping my dad buys a really cool, fuel-efficient, safe car in the not-to-distant future.  Then Amber can fall in love with that and have her heart set on a vehicle that will make me a little less nervous about the fact that she will be driving in four years.