Welcome!

It has been a long time for this blog. I didn't want to start over, but I will be revamping. Hopefully my readers will come back!

I now teach third, fourth, and fifth grade reading and language arts in a small rural town in Texas. I also sell several items on the website Teachers Pay Teachers. This website is fabulous! I will be using this blog to give ideas, share other fabulous blogs, and tell you a few stories from time to time.

Welcome!

More Response to Tiger Mom

 Okay, so I seriously can't let this go.  The Tiger Mom intrigues me, what can I say!  (Yes, I am using more big words again that I have trouble spelling.)

The list of no-nos the Tiger Mom has really interests me.  Some of them, I completely understand.  Some of them make no sense at all.  Some of them are just plain un-American.  But I guess that is the point.

Tiger Mom's List of No-Nos     plus my comments
• attend a sleepover     Totally justifiable.  I think children could live their whole lives without this.  It is a  bit harsh, but really, there are a lot of crazies out there, and some of them are disgusted as perfectly normal looking parents.  No big loss here. 
• have a playdate  Sorry, I'm from the sticks I guess.  Who makes dates for their children.  Really?  Send them over to a neighbors house, have the kids come over for a while after school, but don't call it a play date. 
• be in a school play   Don't really understand this one.  Don't understand the evil behind theater arts.  It was my favorite class in school.  You don't want them to be confident, entertaining, and have to memorize long bits of literature.  : P  is all I have to say.
• complain about not being in a school play  All for it!  You shouldn't complain!
• watch TV or play computer games  And now you have brought up your child to be completely out of touch with most other Americans, but that's okay.  You can live without theses too!
• choose their own extracurricular activities   Boo!  Obvious, since they can't even be in a school play, but, of course, parents should approve all these things.
• get any grade less than an A  Yeah, well, I have to say okay to this one.  What happens if they don't?  I worry about the answer.
• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama  Shouldn't this depend on the class and the classmates therein.  You can't expect to be best at everything, especially with competition.  What if they were twins?
• play any instrument other than the piano or violin  What exactly is wrong with other instruments.  Many of which are much harder to play.  I like a good trombone solo.
• not play the piano or violin.   Yeah, okay.  Fun times.

Spring is Coming...I Promise

           Hello, and welcome to Spring!  I promise it is coming, and I know we are all wondering when it will exactly show up.  Our school has now been out of school for 4 days in a row.  And, no, we did not receive two feet of snow, or blizzard conditions.  We simply live in an area which doesn't usually get large amounts of snow, and our whole area was quite unprepared for the whole event.  Most towns in the area own no snow plows or salt trucks.  So, here we are on day four, completely cooped up in our house, watching Netflix.  

   I am thankful that we are all safe and hope it continues this way.  Thanks to all of the workers who didn't get 4 days off, but instead worked overtime to keep our electricity, water etc...running and kept people alive and healed them in hospitals.  Thanks!!!

   Truely hoping that we can get the work we are missing made up.  We now have just 3 weeks until our big test.  So, we will double up on writing for the next few.  Great thing about having a self contained classroom is that you can be flexible with your scedule.

   I have also been working.  Well, working my Scentsy business.  I have been working the internet trying to get new Scentsy recruits.  I have such a blast selling it, I just want to have my friends and family in on it too.  Here are some pictures of the newest WOM for February.  I personally love this one.  It's called Celtic Knot.  

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My Thoughts on the Tiger Mom

"Tiger Mom" has been all over the news.  I know!  People are either deeply offended by her, or completely outraged.  Maybe a few are curious.  I am one of the curious.  I have not read her book, but would like to.  The idea that we are too "nice" to our children intrigues me, because for many years, I have seen this in action.  As a teacher, I see it a lot, and I know we are not doing our children any favors by giving them everything, and telling them they are terrific at everything.  I tell my students the truth, no one is terrific at everything.  No one is perfect.  Today, we were working on some corrections and I had to spell check a few words to make sure I was right.  (I don't want to teach them the wrong spelling because of MY pride.)  Some of the kids asked why I had to check them and I told them that I have never been a strong speller, and that I know from time to time I have to check myself so I don't make a mistake.  Some mistakes you can avoid!  (Lets hope I found them all in this post.  If not, the world will still keep turning!)  We need to tell our children it is okay to make mistakes, and it is okay to ask for help and it is okay not to be the best player on the team.  But still, everyday I hear and see more examples of how our society is rewarding mediocrity . (Yes, I had to spell check that!)

Our junior high basketball team attended a tournament recently.  I am sure they played their little hearts out, but unfortunately lost all three games they played.  Guess what they came home with?  Can you guess?  I know you did.  Yes, it was a trophy.  They got a trophy for losing every game they played.  And, it didn't even say "Most Losses" or "Biggest Loser"on it.  It said "Consolation."  I am sure they were consoled in their losses by this wonderful trophy.  I just pray they didn't really put it the trophy case. Might make a good candy dish.

Don't know what I'm talking about.  See and article about Amy Chua here.

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Uncreative!

Well, that last post  was very uncreative!  I apologize for that. 

Just read an article in a nearby newspaper online that says the state legislature is going to cut school budgets, again!  This will lead to loss of jobs etc...  Well, in our small school, that will not help.  We already a limited staff.  We do not have a nurse, a curriculum director, or even a full time secretary.  All of our employees either teach all day, or they do double duty.  Examples are, secretary-peims director-teacher's aide,  librarian-iss-cafeteria accountant.  Even our business manager cleans tables after breakfast, answers the phone, and takes care of sick kiddos.  So, what are we to do to cut costs.  I shutter to think what will happen.  Maybe the congress will reconsider!

Early Mornings

So, our school is starting at 7:45 this year.  That's really early!  Everyday I walk down the hall and teachers are yawning.  One of the teachers actually made coffee in the lounge this morning!  Aw, the powers of caffeine.  Maybe it will keep me going for a while!  Still sleepy though!  Maybe I should teach Kindergarten so I could take a nap with the kids.

Bye, Bye Summer

Wow!  What a crazy summer this has been!  We have moved and are starting work in a new school on Monday.  I am going to be teaching middle school English and Spanish!  Crazy.  As for the kittens, they are all happy and healthy.  Three were given to good families and three still live with me...well, sort of...in my neighborhood at least.  They are enjoying the freedom this small community gives them to wander about and climb trees!  (Did I mention there are trees here!)  They come to see us about chow time and one, Feebee, loves to pretend to be an inside cat.  She will quietly get on the couch or in a corner and take a nap for hours.  Curious has turned out to be a favorite of my new friend and next-door neighbor.  Hollis is so beautiful it is beyond words.  Oh, and bonus, my sister-in-law has given us another kitten.  She is a tiny marble calico who was called Pumpkin for a while, until we learned how crazy she was.  I now call her Loquita.  She is sweet, but you have to watch your toes around her, and make sure you have on sufficient clothes!