Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
It's a....
Hi Ames Friends,
Keith and I just got back from the doctor and we are having a....GIRL!!!
She looks good so far...2 legs, 2 arms...ect!!!!
Now the only question is...will she be an Ohio State fan or a Colorado Buffalo fan??? (Just kidding she will be a BUFF!!!)
Miss you all,
Janae
Keith and I just got back from the doctor and we are having a....GIRL!!!
She looks good so far...2 legs, 2 arms...ect!!!!
Now the only question is...will she be an Ohio State fan or a Colorado Buffalo fan??? (Just kidding she will be a BUFF!!!)
Miss you all,
Janae
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sick Sick Sick
So, I guess we are having an epidemic here at Alice Terry... 103 kids out today sick. In my class of 18... I have only 6 kiddos here today. I started with 3 so my class has DOUBLED in the past 3 hours. DONT FORGET TO WASH YOUR HANDS! Miss all of you!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
When You Think You're Done, You've Just Begun
a year of songs: number 21
- Thursday, May 21st (from the Denver Airport): In Littleton, CO the powers that be are closing Lewis Ames Elementary School. In a time of too big to fail, we also have too small to save, I guess. So this sweet little, high performance school asked me to come and mark the final days in song. This song took shape in a meeting with teachers and staff and was recorded in a classroom. Here's number 21, "When You Think You're Done, You've Just Begun".
- I love this song and had to post the site. I hope it works...if not , here is the address to the site---http://www.reachwithme.com/52songs/number21.html
Educational Stunt Men
I watched a video online today about a gentleman that is a stunt man for his chosen profession.
He speaks at length about the rigors of his job such as rappelling down buildings, planning how to explode different types of vehicles and being lit on fire. He also talks about a couple of his risk-taking role models who worked with less safety equipment than a table chef at Gasho's. Eventually he plans on skydiving from the edge of space (after a corporation sponsors him). You can even track his progress visually here if you're interested.
While he was explaining his job and how it has changed/evolved over time, he message intertwined with what I perceive is our shared experience as former teachers at Ames.
I feel like an educational stunt man this year: The best of what I/we have created and experienced so far as a teacher is constantly tested in my new environment. What worked for me in Room 17 and was reliably effective in the intermediate hallway does not always work for me in my new space. An experience (Mr. Sprat) or positive reinforcement ("Gimme five!") that resonated with past classes has been shelved in favor of Mr. Time Efficiency (let's enter through the gym and save ten minutes) and "Pound It!" (when the knuckles of my hand impact another students' knuckles gently). More on the "fist bump" here.
These moments are great and definitely keep my differentiation/adaptability skills sharp, but they also remind me how much I still need to learn in order to provide the best instruction possible for kids.
Thankfully, just like Steve Truglia (the stunt man), I've discovered that I can lean on my new colleagues at my new institution for guidance and support (just like I did at Ames).
(insert virtual fist bump here)
By the way, click here for the stunt man video, then skip to 14:39 and watch to the end. You're the orange one on the left... :)
He speaks at length about the rigors of his job such as rappelling down buildings, planning how to explode different types of vehicles and being lit on fire. He also talks about a couple of his risk-taking role models who worked with less safety equipment than a table chef at Gasho's. Eventually he plans on skydiving from the edge of space (after a corporation sponsors him). You can even track his progress visually here if you're interested.
While he was explaining his job and how it has changed/evolved over time, he message intertwined with what I perceive is our shared experience as former teachers at Ames.
I feel like an educational stunt man this year: The best of what I/we have created and experienced so far as a teacher is constantly tested in my new environment. What worked for me in Room 17 and was reliably effective in the intermediate hallway does not always work for me in my new space. An experience (Mr. Sprat) or positive reinforcement ("Gimme five!") that resonated with past classes has been shelved in favor of Mr. Time Efficiency (let's enter through the gym and save ten minutes) and "Pound It!" (when the knuckles of my hand impact another students' knuckles gently). More on the "fist bump" here.
These moments are great and definitely keep my differentiation/adaptability skills sharp, but they also remind me how much I still need to learn in order to provide the best instruction possible for kids.
Thankfully, just like Steve Truglia (the stunt man), I've discovered that I can lean on my new colleagues at my new institution for guidance and support (just like I did at Ames).
(insert virtual fist bump here)
By the way, click here for the stunt man video, then skip to 14:39 and watch to the end. You're the orange one on the left... :)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Just checking in...
Thought I'd check the blog to say "Hi" and let you know I'm thinking about you all. I imagine you're all busy as can be with school and families. Conferences are coming up and I feel like I don't even know my students well enough yet to say anything of value. Does anyone else feel like that?
There's been more sadness--unfortunately, a 5th grade student at Franklin became very ill from pneumonia (not H1N1) and passed away last night. It was terribly sad for the staff and students who knew her. For those of us who didn't know her, it broke our hearts to see the pain that everyone is feeling. Why is it that grief seems to be reoccurring far too often lately?
I think it's about time for another get together; maybe after conferences are over we could figure out something fun to do.
Take care of YOU!
Debbie
There's been more sadness--unfortunately, a 5th grade student at Franklin became very ill from pneumonia (not H1N1) and passed away last night. It was terribly sad for the staff and students who knew her. For those of us who didn't know her, it broke our hearts to see the pain that everyone is feeling. Why is it that grief seems to be reoccurring far too often lately?
I think it's about time for another get together; maybe after conferences are over we could figure out something fun to do.
Take care of YOU!
Debbie
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