Mirror mirror on the floor. I love this picture, and felt like sharing. Enjoy.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Today on this addition of KRAP (Katie's Random Advice Post):
How to catch the bouquet:
How to catch the bouquet:
1) Show up for the wedding and wedding reception.
2) Be sure to wear a stunning short red strapless dress with laces up the side.
3) Shmooze with significant other's family and friends.
4) Dance.
5) Listen for the announcement "All single ladies to the dancefloor."
6) Stand on the dancefloor, waiting patiently while the bride chooses that exact moment for a bathroom break.
7) Hide yourself in the very back of the group of excited girls, as far away from the bride as possible.
8) Stay complete still while the bouquet flies through the air.
9) Stare dumbfoundedly as the bouquet falls into your open hands.
10) In vain, try to hide the bouquet from the signifcant other's family who has been anticipating our marriage since the first day my name was mentioned, take a picture with the random garter-catching man, and blush until your face matches your dress.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
I think I'll put the bed over there, next to the chalkboard
I may be exaggerating things, but I'm beginning to think I'd be just as well if I moved into my classroom. All of my school stuff is already there, yes, but why not just put my bed and favorite reading chair there too?
As it is, I've been spending more time there than at home (WITH SLEEPING!). I just can't seem to get ahead at any point. Whether someone sticks something in my mailbox that I have to handout, discuss, or fill out; whether my students make life difficult for me by making me have to plan different activities for different classes to account for SPED and new incoming students; whether my computer decides that it must fuck up my MS Word documents by implementing a mandatory 2.87 in. bottom margin on everything I print off; or whether I am completely stumped as to what I can do with my Basic Reading Skills students when there are 30 kids cramped in a small room and my only goal is to "stall" for the next couple days while their data is being entered into the computers.
I learn at least 5 new things every day. 5 new responsibilites. 5 new students. 5 new ways not to teach a lesson. 5 new ways for a student to piss me off. 5 new reasons not to wear a wrap skirt. 5 new reasons why chalkboards should be eliminated. 5 new objects in the room that the custodian needs to fix for me.
Oh, there's plus sides to be sure. Some of the students are total sweethearts and make me smile when they say hi to me in the hall or in the lunchroom. The staff has been nothing but helpful and they're a cool bunch to hang out with too (especially with a margarita on the side). I love having my own classroom, own desk, and basically being my own boss with the primary duty of bossing around young ones ;) And there's the compliments like this one, "I have to do the most work in your class." ::sigh:: Like music to my ears.
I may be exaggerating things, but I'm beginning to think I'd be just as well if I moved into my classroom. All of my school stuff is already there, yes, but why not just put my bed and favorite reading chair there too?
As it is, I've been spending more time there than at home (WITH SLEEPING!). I just can't seem to get ahead at any point. Whether someone sticks something in my mailbox that I have to handout, discuss, or fill out; whether my students make life difficult for me by making me have to plan different activities for different classes to account for SPED and new incoming students; whether my computer decides that it must fuck up my MS Word documents by implementing a mandatory 2.87 in. bottom margin on everything I print off; or whether I am completely stumped as to what I can do with my Basic Reading Skills students when there are 30 kids cramped in a small room and my only goal is to "stall" for the next couple days while their data is being entered into the computers.
I learn at least 5 new things every day. 5 new responsibilites. 5 new students. 5 new ways not to teach a lesson. 5 new ways for a student to piss me off. 5 new reasons not to wear a wrap skirt. 5 new reasons why chalkboards should be eliminated. 5 new objects in the room that the custodian needs to fix for me.
Oh, there's plus sides to be sure. Some of the students are total sweethearts and make me smile when they say hi to me in the hall or in the lunchroom. The staff has been nothing but helpful and they're a cool bunch to hang out with too (especially with a margarita on the side). I love having my own classroom, own desk, and basically being my own boss with the primary duty of bossing around young ones ;) And there's the compliments like this one, "I have to do the most work in your class." ::sigh:: Like music to my ears.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Happy Birthday to The Tricia!
Happy Birthday Tricia! Let me take you away from your grad school worries and carry you to a world of fun, pizza, and hard cider! A world called Old Chicago.
Happy Birthday Tricia! Let me take you away from your grad school worries and carry you to a world of fun, pizza, and hard cider! A world called Old Chicago.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Desire to draw first blood
Yeah, I've got a big sword. And I KNOW how to use it. Dammit.
Today, I'm ashamed to say I REALLY wished I was as rash as Inuyasha and could just bash a kid on the head for saying something annoying or stupid. My first two classes were fine, but when the third set of English students came around, something must have been in the air. There were a few of them that were unbelievably obnoxious. It took all the restraint I have (and that's saying a lot) not to just kick them all out of the room.
As it was I did kick one student out for a few minutes. He just would NOT shut up! I wanted to scream it at him: "SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU LITTLE TURD!" Thankfully, I held my temper and kept class going as smoothly as possible. I felt sorry for the other kids that were behaving; it must have been really boring to hear me repeatedly asking/telling the chatty corner to be quiet. Tomorrow I'll have to make some changes.
Change #1: New seating arrangement. I told the kids they could pick their spots, and if they didn't work out, I could move them. Well, one day into the seating arrangement and I'm already moving kids. I could have just assigned this chatty group seats to begin with, but I thought I would give them a fighting chance--that way I couldn't be called unfair. Shyeah right, that ends now. These kids are moving to the far reaches of the room (though I wish it could be the far reaches of space).
Change #2: Now that I know these kids better by name, you can bet I'll be curtailing their rude behavior ASAP. I can't let them get to me, and I can't let them disrupt the class, keeping us from getting into the material. So, time for a boost of confidence, and a boost of guts. These kids are going to know I mean business. It's funny that the rest of the classes, even the ones with kids in basic skills classes and the special ed kids, all seem to understand my limits and when to listen. I guess a few kids just haven't learned that lesson. Oh, they will. They will. Grrrrrr. Blades of blood!
Yeah, I've got a big sword. And I KNOW how to use it. Dammit.
Today, I'm ashamed to say I REALLY wished I was as rash as Inuyasha and could just bash a kid on the head for saying something annoying or stupid. My first two classes were fine, but when the third set of English students came around, something must have been in the air. There were a few of them that were unbelievably obnoxious. It took all the restraint I have (and that's saying a lot) not to just kick them all out of the room.
As it was I did kick one student out for a few minutes. He just would NOT shut up! I wanted to scream it at him: "SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU LITTLE TURD!" Thankfully, I held my temper and kept class going as smoothly as possible. I felt sorry for the other kids that were behaving; it must have been really boring to hear me repeatedly asking/telling the chatty corner to be quiet. Tomorrow I'll have to make some changes.
Change #1: New seating arrangement. I told the kids they could pick their spots, and if they didn't work out, I could move them. Well, one day into the seating arrangement and I'm already moving kids. I could have just assigned this chatty group seats to begin with, but I thought I would give them a fighting chance--that way I couldn't be called unfair. Shyeah right, that ends now. These kids are moving to the far reaches of the room (though I wish it could be the far reaches of space).
Change #2: Now that I know these kids better by name, you can bet I'll be curtailing their rude behavior ASAP. I can't let them get to me, and I can't let them disrupt the class, keeping us from getting into the material. So, time for a boost of confidence, and a boost of guts. These kids are going to know I mean business. It's funny that the rest of the classes, even the ones with kids in basic skills classes and the special ed kids, all seem to understand my limits and when to listen. I guess a few kids just haven't learned that lesson. Oh, they will. They will. Grrrrrr. Blades of blood!
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Enter the world of fantasy. Lately my free time (when not shopping or working on teacher crap) has involved nothing but fantasy. Book of choice: Star Wars: New Jedi Order: Destiny's Way. Game of choice: old school Secret of Mana (with Tricia) though I did just buy Dark Cloud and Champions of Norrath (more fantasy). Movies of choice: Inuyasha 1 & 2. ::sigh:: I'm so hopeless. (P.S. I saw this castle as part of a generic teacher poster display in one of the teacher's rooms and was like, HEY! I've BEEN THERE!)
