To play "catch up"

Now, I have to say that even though I haven't actually PUBLISHED any blogs since July, that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking of topics and jotting down thoughts in scattered Word documents here and there!

So, in an effort to play "catch up," I'm going to post-date my blog entries so that they'll show up when they were intended to be written or when they were originally begun, rather than when they were actually posted... which is, um, now.

To start off, let me tell you the story of my life for the past four months...

WAKE UP.

Go to SCHOOL.

TEACH.

Stay at SCHOOL for a very long time to get ready for MORE SCHOOL.

Go HOME.

SLEEP.

Sad, but more or less, true. Honestly though, it's been a blessing to be able to come back to California, get a job, find a nice apartment, and enjoy the work that I've been given. I know that it seems like a lot of work (and it doesn't just SEEM that way, I guess... IT IS!!) but I am thankful to have a job, and I'm also really glad that I can make a difference in these kids' lives for the better: to better prepare them for high school and college, to help them see what life is like outside this small city, and to help them learn to believe in their dreams (and for some of them, to HAVE dreams) regardless of family situations or other people's opinions.

Some of my kids' stories are heart-breaking. The way they're working to overcome what's happened in the past, their present circumstances, and even simply having to learn to desire success for themselves... I have a few kids who I admire tremendously for their gumption and their drivenness to do their best, even if that doesn't mean getting an "A." But they do their best and are really proud of what they have learned, and what they're learning to accomplish.

Anyway, I have 21 students (which makes me say "yippee!" and "whew!" all at the same time!) - 13 of whom are 7th graders and 8 of whom are 8th graders. I have 10 girls and 11 boys, which makes for a nice break-down. Many of the kids have gone to school together for 3-5 years, so they know one another really well, and treat each other like siblings do. Yes, they try my patience (especially these weeks before big holidays!) but I really enjoy them. They're funny kids, but most of them understand the difference between "fun" and "work" in the classroom, which makes for veeerrry interesting off-topic conversations that can be brought back in a second to our lesson material.

I've started making a list of "Funny-isms," dumb things that the kids say that I think are hilarious. Maybe they're not to anyone other than teachers, or quite possibly just to me, but every time I reread them, I still giggle.

Most of the "Funny-isms" have originated since I use a lot of idioms when I teach. I didn't realize that this was something I did until going to Uganda last year, where lots of kids had never heard of "holding their horses" or anything having to do with "the price of tea in China" in their lives. Particular favorites of my students this year are: “over my dead body,” “playing the devil’s advocate,” “put a sock in it,” and “hit the hay.” Do you see a pattern with the first couple?!? J

Here, too, my students weren't used to my silly idioms or they just didn't understand some of the "big" words I was using, which made their comments in response pretty entertaining.

I said, "Mum's the word."

"What does that mean?" asked one student.

"It means she's going to tell your Mom," answered another.

"Now, I don't mean to be morbid, but just be clear that if we get a class pet, we're not going to go to any extraordinary measures to save it in case of an accident." - me

"Miss Fuller, I'm sorry, but I just don't get what our guinea pig has to do with being Mormon." - one of my brightest students.

"Nyabo, please. Stop doing that." I said to one of my girls.

"Huh?" she said.

"It's Aftican for "Be quiet." " said the boy next to her.

After I got my flu vaccination, I put my sticker on the wall that said, "FLU FIGHTER."

One of my kids said, "I don't get it."

"It's a band," said one of the boys.

"No, that's the FOO FIGHTERS!" said another boy.

In studying Life Science and diffusion across the cell membrane...

"Ok, now what about diffusion that occurs involving water across the membrane?" - me

"Ooh, ooh! We're on the Moses one!" - one of the girls

(correct answer: OSMOSIS)

And now, for a few pics of my classroom. Keep in mind that these are from the beginning of the school year, so many things have gone up (and come down) since then, but I haven't taken any more recent pictures - sorry!

The 'theme' I was going for in my classroom was a kind of "highway/road signs/road" theme... I was really happy with the way that most of it turned out!

Before anything happened, this was my blank slate...

My PROMETHEAN!!! A wonderful, innovative piece of technology that has been SO much fun to play with and use as a tool to enhance my kids' learning!

(P.S. Note how CLOSE the teacher let the kids sit to the board! My kids KNOW that I have a "bubble" that they have to stay out of... I would have been so claustrophobic!)

This project took a few hours to get done, but it was worth it!

I'm a big fan of this Eleanor Roosevelt quote and it fits so well on that wall over our class library and big 'ole bean bag chairs! (No, they're not there in this picture...)

And we've got the ever-popular "Get your kicks on Route 66!" that was stapled up on the wall above our map of America. (yay US History!)

... along with some homemade signs for all the states that are a part of the real Route 66...

I have to say that this was partly inspired by my road trip with Danielle this past summer when we stopped on Route 66 in Illinois and saw the "World's Largest Rocking Chair." So ridiculous!

Unfortunately, those are all the pictures I have so far! I'll be getting a new Promethean lamp thing, since mine is (apparently) very old. I'll make sure to take some new pictures of the new writings and bulletin boards I'll be putting up for the New Year!!