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!

Project Green Update

Well, I have now given away 34 bags and made a total of 57 (16 last night). Our trash group actually went to pick up this morning without me reminding them. A step in the right direction. We also have three very full boxes of old plastic bags to take to walmart for recycling. Already had volunteers to help. The recycling group is also working on a contest to see who can bring the most cans for recycling.

I Think it's Fixed

Well, I didn't get any sewing done this weekend, but used the machine a little on Thursday and I think using the correct oil finally helped. It seems okay. The true test is when I run it for a couple of hours tonight. Almost through with all the reusable shopping bags I am making for our class project. I will post pictures of the piles of them tonight.

PS...My mom came for a visit to see my daughter play volleyball. We had a good, but short, visit. Wish she lived closer!

My Poor, Poor Old Sewing Machine!

Yes, I made most of the rice bag innards last night. Still have the covers to make and about 20 reuable shopping bags to finish. My class is working on an ecology project and my part is to take recycled materials and make shopping bags. But, after all of this continuous sewing, my machine is starting to rattle a bit and I am not going to use it until I locate the oil and get it nice and oily on the inside. From the diagram, it could take from 2-8 hours for me to figure out where it all goes. I haven't used my machine much in the past few years.

Stop Me If You Have Heard This One

This is an old one but it really happened. In fact, I think it has happened more than once, but never to me.

My husband was on playground duty one day. The kids know not to come tattle all the time to him, but if something really bad happens they should let him know. So, one of the more well behaved children comes up to him and says "B said the F-word!" Suddenly, this child has my husband's full attention. This is a pretty big transgression for an elementary student. Before he set the punishment in motion, he wanted to be sure that this student had heard B clearly. After interviewing her for a minute or two he asked her to repeat the word.
"You won't be in trouble," he told her, "I just need to know exactly what B said."
"Well...." the little girl hesitated, "He said fart." After my husband stopped laughing he actually called B over and told him not to say fart again.


BTW: The S-word is shut up!

Elementary Teacher Predictions

You know, when you spend eight hours a day for 138 or more days a year with a group of kids, in your head you start making predictions about what they will be and who they will become. It is inevitable! One year I had a class so wild, so unruly, and so defiant, I could swear that some of them were destined for Huntsville! I kept this to myself of course. I didn't really want to think ill of them. Most of them were sweet souls with no self control at all. Well, I don't know much about what happened to this class. I do know that one of the worst of the bunch is now happily married with....get this....six children! I am so glad he is not in jail. Now, as for the teachers who work in that area....prepare yourselves!

My Favorite Story

I've got lots of funny and sad stories. This is my favorite.

Teachers don't have favorites. Teachers don't have pets. I will always stand by this as true. But if I did have a favorite it would have to be one of the most rambunctious, rowdy students I ever had. This is the kid that you had to tell twenty times a day to sit down or be quiet. "D, don't drum on the desk...pay attention...leave them alone." And yet, this kid has a special place in my heart. It didn't take me long to see once the year started, that D was not what he seemed. He wasn't the troublemaker that I had been led to believe. Instead, I saw what should have been obvious. I beautiful heart inside that constantly moving body. Also, what I soon determined, was that the other boys in the class would constantly pick at him and try to make him mad. Especially at PE class. They soon learned though, that I saw right through them. By the end of the year I hated to see D go. I hated to think he was going to another classroom. Who would be teaching him? Would they understand him? Or would he end up constantly in trouble? Constantly being yelled at? Put down? It broke my heart to see him go. My class has never been quite the same since. The best part of the story is the next year. I would see him in the halls and he would always give me a big hug and talk to me for a minute. One day, before school he handed me a folded piece of construction paper that he had made into a card. It said, "I love you. Thanks for taking my side against J and C." That is one piece of paper that I will always treasure as much as anything my own daughter has made. I still think about and pray for him. I hope that he is surrounded by people that understand and support him. Someday I hope to travel across Texas to see him play football. But, of course, I don't have any favorites. Never! I love you D!

My 100th Heart Celebration!!!!

Hey out there! I got my 100th heart today!!!! Yay me! Anyway, to celebrate, I am going to promote that shop here.

YeOleSuppyShop

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5552210&order=&section_id=&page=1

They sell supplies for all you wonderful jewelry makers out there! Buy some and make me some fabulous jewelry!

Here We Go Again!

Still only one student. He was late and I was afraid he wasn't coming either. So, I sent him with fifth grade to CEI, got my summative conference done, and now he is going to read to me as soon as he finishes his spelling. He also brought money for me to make a scarfette for his mom. What a sweetie! Anyway....if your reading this, thanks! I hope you have a great day where you are. Best wishes!

Hers will be blue and baby blue, but alot like this.

Today's Craziness

It has been a long year. I'm talking school year. I teach fourth and fifth grades in a very small rural school. Now, when I say very small, I know some people probably think I mean just a few thousand people. No, small to me, since I started the fifth grade myself, is about ten kids per class. My school has a total population of about 130 students, in grades PK to 12. OKay, do you believe me. My fourth grade class started out as the smallest in the school and has now dwindled down to just four students. Luckily, they are all fun, interesting kids.

Now to the crafts. I started watching and shopping etsy last fall, mainly because of some of my favorite sellers from ebay. Poppy and Turtle. I will talk more about my inspirations later. So, I said, I can do this. I am always making stuff, and then it just lays around the house or I end up giving it to someone. So I started making things with the intent of selling them and started my own store. So far, I have sold five items. I am hoping for more though.

Oh, but there has been more to my year. I will talk more about it another day. I wrote a novel in a month. Yes. I wrote over 50,000 words in the month of November, and many of my students wrote novels too!

Let me know if you see and read this. In other words, is there anyone out there?