The Small Moments

Last day of school

June 1st.  Last day of school.

This year has zoomed by.  I have really enjoyed my kids this year.  And as I will be moving to the 8th grade with them I will get to enjoy many of them next year as well.

I am ready for summer.  Of course I will be teaching summer school.  That starts week after next and lasts until the end of June.  But it isn't the same as regular school.  It only lasts for 4 hours a day.  And it is only 4 days a week.  Too bad regular school can't follow those hours!

All in a day

Thursday afternoon my world changed.

We received word that the woman who was offered the job for one of our science positions had accepted a job at Nathan's school.  It makes sense...she graduated from there.

Then right before the retirement reception for one of our school counselors our science department head tells me that she had turned in her resignation and accepted a job teaching elementary science in the district.

I have known for awhile that I will get to move up to 8th grade science next year.  I am happy about that because I have always wanted to teach 8th grade science.  But now I will also be in charge...head of the department.  Which means I will be in charge of the science part of a grant our school is writing.  We have at least 3 out of 6 positions to hire for next year now.  And there may be a 4th position if one of our other science teachers gets a coaching job. 

It seems to me that gradual life changes are very uncommon.  Most changes in life are sudden and surprising.  The gradual part comes in adjusting to those changes.

Pied again

Friday was our 2nd annual May Fest celebration at school.  We have food and a dance and tons of carnival games.  There is a cake walk, a ring toss, a balloon toss, a dunking booth, several bounce houses, and the pie-a-teacher booth.

I am the teacher who gets pied.  For two hours I heckle and tell them they don't have aim.  For two hours kids throw shaving cream filled pie pans at my face.  It is a great time.  Most people think I am crazy.  But I love it.  It is fun and messy and the kids really like to throw shaving cream pies at me.  And the LOVE it when someone hits me dead center.  They think it is hilarious!  :)

Someone took some pictures....but here is a link to my old blog with a picture from last year.

If only I could clone myself

Today was a hectic day.  Rina (the other 7th grade science teacher) was out at a meeting today.  She was actually in the building, just not in class.  She had a sub. 

It started bad.  Her first two classes are honors and were horrible.  I went in at the start of lunch and he was ready to leave right then.  I convinced him to stay by saying I would come in at the first of each class and help get them started.  4th period seemed to be going better.  But at the end of 4th something happened.  I am not sure of the details but it involved a female student.  He did make the point to come into my room and tell me his side of the story.  His side sounded weird to me...the student he was talking about would not act in such a way.  I know, I taught her for a semester last  year.

5th period was so bad I sent an 8th grader for a principal.  At the beginning of 6th a different administrator came down the hall.  He was being asked to leave.  The issue from 4th had exploded and his strange story appeared to be a farce.

So two teachers split 6th period, each covering half.  The 7th period came.  Rina's meeting was over and they were going to ask her to come back to class.  Only no one bothered to tell her that.  There was no one to cover.  So I taught her class and my class.  Well...actually I made sure her class was working and taught my class.  I just walked back and forth.  Both classes were amazing.  They really were on their best behavior and it was so easy for me to do both.

However, it would have been nice to clone myself for the afternoon.  Oh well, I survived.  Thank goodness for my chiropractic appointment today!

Saturday morning

It is 5:33 CST on Saturday morning.

I should NEVER have to get up this early on a Saturday. 

But this morning I have cheer tryouts.  I am nervous.  I hope I have the multitude of dics, papers, and materials that we are requested to have.  I am nervous for my 21 girls.  It is funny how quickly I take ownership of the girls.  I have only worked with them for 3 days.  But I feel uniquely protective.  I want them to do well.  I am nervous for them.

Yesterday as we were giving last minute instructions and reminders one of the girls raised her hand.  She asked if the other coach and I were going to be there.  For just a moment it made me feel realize that they need us...me...I provide support and reassurance.  I have wiped away tears.  I have given hugs.

This morning I am sure I will wipe more tears, give more hugs, and offer more reassurance that they will be great.  I will pump them up and send them in.  I will hope for them.  I will feel relief for them.  I will feel elated for those who make it and my heart will break with those that do not make it.  I wonder if this is how I will feel when I am a parent.  It is amazing how much being a teacher and a coach parallels being a parent.

In a few hours...

It will be Saturday morning.  Cheerleader tryouts.

We have been working hard all week.  Things are ready.  Tomorrow morning I arrive at the tryout site at 6:45.  I am nervous for the girls.  21 are trying out.  14 for 8th grade and 7 for 7th grade.

I am going to miss them. 

In a few hours my role as cheer coach will be over.

I am unexpectedly sad.

Two drills and a little song

Recipe for an extremely distracted 6th period.

One tornado drill.
+
One fire drill.
+
One singing student on our afternoon announcements advertising tryouts for a school musical.
=
overly distracted students and an annoyed science teacher

Welcome to my world.

Ear Connections

I have had afternoon duty all week.  This is a fabulous duty where you stand out in front of the school for 20-25 minutes and watch the kids to make sure they don't fight and to shoo them home.  An amazing thing happens at 3:50...kids who didn't want to be in school all day now suddenly don't want to leave. 

I prefer afternoon duty.  You are outside.  You can interact with a large number of students past and present.  And I get to observe teenage actions.  I love to people watch.  You can see some amazing and funny things by watching people.  But teenagers are the most interesting group to watch to me.  You see a completely different side of their personalities.  They are silly.  They run around like elementary kids (well the 6th graders do).  The flirt and try to sneak in kisses and groping when you turn your head. 

But the most interesting thing I have seen this week concerns ear buds.  You know...those in ear head phones that were made extremely popular by ipods.  Most of them have the white apple ipod ear buds.  But having the white ear buds does not mean they have ipods.  But that isn't the funny part to me.  The funny part is to see big tough 8th grade boys sharing ear buds.  Each boy will put in one ear bud.  They have to walk close together because the ear buds don't stretch that far.  So here you have two big "tough" 13-15 year-old-boys walking abnormally close to each other and trying to act cool about it.  It is the funniest thing I have ever seen. 

I would take a picture but I cannot post pictures of my kids online.  Well I guess I could but I would rather like to keep my job.  So there is my observation for the week.  More about our week of frog dissection coming soon!

Frog Dissection Begins Today!

<edited after comment...IBS is In Building Suspension>

Frog Dissection.  My favorite part of the year!  The kids are SOOOOO excited.  Here are a few of the comments I received yesterday.

"YES!  I am going to be at school all week for this!"  (This said by a student who has only been in my class 5 days out of the 11 so far this six weeks.  Said student skips quite a bit.)

"I hope I get a group that doesn't want to do much because I want to DO IT ALL!"  (Female student)

Upon talking to one of my kids who is in "In Building Suspension"...called IBS for short at our school.  I find this time quite ironic.  "What??!?  Frog dissection is THIS week?  Is there some way I can skip IBS?"  The answer to that question is no.

I love that they are so excited.  More to come on this topic this afternoon.

Spring Break is over

As quickly as it began...it is over.

Back to school tomorrow.  It is all downhill until TAKS (our state test) now.  From there it will be a month until school is out for summer.

I really don't want to go back to work tomorrow.  I enjoyed my week and I am not ready for it to end.

But this week is frog dissection so it will go fast.  Next weekend we will be out of town on Saturday for my cousin's wedding shower.  Sunday we are celebrating my brother's birthday and one of my other cousin's birthday.  So next weekend will be a blur.

Time slowed down for spring break...but now it is speeding up.

Only 5 months until we start trying to have a baby again.  Boy that is random....oh well.