Whoops

Sorry faithful friends.  I am in the time vortex right now.  It should clear up in the next couple of weeks, and we will return to our regular programming...

[Student Behavior] Lamby-Pie

One of my little lambs does not know how to ask for attention--from anyone.  To get attention from his peers he has done any number of the following (singularly or in combination):

• throwing pencils
• tearing up paper and sprinkling on their head
• tearing up paper and throwing it at them
• clapping loudly each time they try to speak
• coughing repeatedly if they try to speak or work
• knocking their pencil off of their desk
• kicking their chair or table
• calling them names (ranging from stupid to full-scale racial slurs)
• accusing them of bullying him
• accusing them of calling him names (usually the name he just called them)
• twirling multiple pencil erasers or caps on the table (his own little flea circus)
• biting his own lip and accusing someone of hitting him
• getting hit or punched by another student for sympathy
• asking people to be his friend (multiple times)
• asking people why they don't like him
• making fun of the teacher in the hopes that someone will think it's cool

Now, none of this by itself is that odd (ok, maybe a couple of them).  What makes this kiddo stand out is the CONSTANCY of his actions.  If he is not getting attention (positive or negative) in any 60-second period of time, he will try one or more of these tactics.  We've tried to teach the other kidlets to ignore, but after days of this, they often lose their cool.

The positive side?  The kidlets are learning good ignoring skills.  The difficult side?  Our little attention-seeking lamb is constantly getting exactly that--attention.  We watch him every second but he still manages to get the attention he is seeking. He's been yelled at, kicked, punched, slapped, tripped.  He has been bandaged, ice-packed, separated, counseled, sent home, and even suspended when necessary.  He's been counseled, punished, talked to, ignored--everything I can think of.

Yesterday I resorted to the Offside Rule.  More to come on that.

[Friday Free-Day] Procrastination

It turns out I have a super power I didn't know about.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I knew I was good at it, but I think I've crossed into the boundaries of "super" lately.  I have managed to procrastinate to a level that amazes even me.  This, my caped wonders, is why you have not heard from me.  I've had spice bottles to clean, bathrooms to paint, coffee to drink, closets to organize, mice to hunt, and sitting to do.

It is all going to come to a head though, and I will have to do the work I have been avoiding.  In fact, it has and I am swamped.  Thus, the lack of blog entries.

Quote of the Week #18

One of my sweet-niks will sometimes say "based on a true story" after an announcement, or a story, or something funny. It cracks me up. He does it in a kind of announcer voice, and his timing is perfect. I will finish a free lecture (I think I keep telling you I'll explain the free lecture, but then I don't.) with a kiddo that needed one, and I will hear him say, "Based on a true story."  Funny stuff.

[Friday Free-Day] Day Off

Yes, teachers get vacations. Two weeks here, two weeks there. Oh, and the "summer off"  as everyone points out.  I'm not going to get all preachy about this "time off." At least not today. I'll link a couple of articles here and here if you feel like getting your dander up or your panties in a bunch about it, but I don't want to discuss it. I want to talk about one day off.

I took my birthday off this year. I planned ahead, I used one of my two allowable personal days, I prepared for it. In my entire teaching career (ahem... over 15 years, folks) I have never taken a personal day just because I wanted to.  I have always saved them for a family event that required a day off, a day to get some work done that was required but no time was given, or saved them and then lost them at the end of the year.  This year, I took one.  And it was fabulous.

I think I crammed the feelings of an entire vacation into one day.  I felt rested, rejuvenated and free.  What a lovely, lovely thing a day off can be!  I highly suggest it!

[Friday Free-Day] Oatmeal

I loves me my sisty-ugler. I don't tell her that because somewhere along the line I decided it was a good idea to keep it to myself,  but I loves her. I do.

We were our first best friends for those early years, and that can't be matched by anyone else in the world.

Here are the twenty things that make me think of her and either laugh, or giggle, or snort, or get boiling mad, or gassy, or sumfink. There are more than twenty, but these are the twenty that I came up with off the top'n my pointy little head.

oatmeal

the color green

The Frog Prince

farting is always funny (in fact, my dog just farted and I giggled)

"Don't you ever get tired of being so ugly?"

the LOTTD

"You smell."

Def Leppard

"Stop singing, you're ruining the song."

curling irons (and severe burns from them)

closets full of clothes

"...and I got a scratch on my elbow..."

babysitting the boys

hitting each other on the way to school, promising not to tell anyone, and then both telling everyone

a cake made to look like a fish with frosting so bright it turned my tongue colors

cheerios

swearing I wasn't copying everything she did, but secretly wondering if I was

21 Jump Street

buying the same blue and white polka-dot shirt even though we lived across the state from each other

"THEY'RE COMING RIGHT AT YOU!!!!!"

Oh, and did I mention it is her birthday today?  It is. And you wanta know something evil? For once I'm glad she's older than me. Heh.

Oatmeal,

B

[Article Review] Read This, Would Ya?

Click here for an article I want you to read.  I also want to hear what you have to say about it.  If you haven't told me yet, or chatted it to me, or commented it to me, please do so.  Send an email, an airmail, a carrier pigeon, or an unladen swallow.  I'll get the message.

[Teaching Ideas] My Oh My

Well my virtual friends, it has happened.  Last week (or was it the week after?) I was called a b****.  What's that you say?  Haven't I been called that a gabillion times?  Yes.  Yes I have.

This time though, it was a parent.  I was shocked. Flabbergasted. Gob-smacked. So much so, that I said nothing. Me.  Saying nothing. What's up with that?

I did, however, accidentally press the "hang-up" button on the phone instead of the "transfer-call" button I was meant to press.  Oopsie.