Life, as is.

We'll just start with today.  Because of PTConference I get today off of  school (HOORAY).  Sandra and I went to the movies to see "Eagle Eye" with Shia La Boeuf (my personal favorite).  Prior to the movie I  went to the powder room to blow my nose (results of a flu/cold I've had the past week- yuck and mucus).  I walked in and saw the quick glance of some guy and then 2 urinals, delayed, and seemingly in slow motion, I registered that this was not where I was supposed to be.  I quickly turned about and double checked the picture of the little man outside the door- pants not skirt.  YIKES!

I am having a lot of fun with my dance classes.  The boys in my classes are not shy, which makes for good times and hip hop.  The classes love dancing and work hard everyday, something I'm not used to, especially with boys.  I enjoy class daily.  I also enjoy math.  Only teaching 2 classes is nice.  The state of Utah is trying to get rid of me because I got a C- in honors Calculus (in 1994) and not a C.  So, I am attempting to take it again, independent study, HA HA HA!  We'll see if that passes or I guess I won't teach math anymore :(

I have bratty cheerleaders (4 of the 15) that I wish didn't exist.  They used to be nice girls, but no more...I suppose its kind of my fault to let them pretend to be these great cheerleaders.  One girl skipped class one day and got called on it and now she is trying to get everyone to quit if she gets kicked off (and I'm all for that), but she's not getting kicked off so I guess no one will quit (not that they would anyway).  Gotta run, its Ashley's Sweet 16th party and I'm the hostess (with the mostess)!

Get Smart

So I run my jr. high school.  :)  Every year I do a big opening assembly based on a recent movie.  Star Wars was my first and favorite.  It included capes, villians, storm troopers, video appearances of...the bad guy etc.  A few years ago we had a 007 theme and they entered by rappelling off the catwalk into the audience (thanks to a few soldiers from Camp Williams who came and helped).  That one is tough to top...and I've yet to come up with one better.

This year I had no desire to write another assembly, but felt obligated.  Without my inspiration (usually a dream or vision of a great idea) I just hoped the video I had planned in my head was good enough.  It was to the song "4 Minutes" by J. Timberlake and Madonna.  I based the video on getting to class on time ("I've only got 4 minutes to save the world" are the lyrics).  The video turned out to be one of my best (said by others, not myself).  To me, it was just another video...but everyone has been talking about it for days (yeah me!).  Imagine if I actually got paid for these things.  This year they entered on 4 wheelers - revving the engine and cheering - it was loud and fun...and I think a few of us got a little high off the gasoline fumes...

I was going to add the video to my blog, but realized it has my students in it and I would hate to have them exposed without permission.

school days...

This year is going great so far.  The school seems to have an overall mellow feel.  The kids, teachers, hallways, etc. are not as crazy as they've been in the past.  Sure it is still early in the year, but it is still bizarrely quiet.  

I love my schedule.  I have 2 math classes on A days and 1 dance then all dance on B days.  

I love my school.  I love the kids.  I love the administration.  I love the faculty.  I love all the staff. I don't love that we are never one in anything.  There has not been an schoolwide policy on anything since the school began.  Every teacher/administrator kind of rules their own area and it isn't unified in anyway.  

This year is different.  We had a great speaker at our first faculty mtg. that is preparing us to use vocabulary in every class.  We have promised to implement this in every classroom - by raise of hands and then later we signed a paper declaring our allegiance to vocabulary.  I have a word of the day in math (Friday's word: fraction)  and we did movement vocabulary in dance (walk, run, leap...with definitions) and choreographed movement with the words.  Almost every student has their planner in all of my classes (something we have been trying to accomplish for years) and with this unified faculty, it is happening.  I am amazed.

One set back to this school year is the 7th grade students do not understand the concept of homework.  In many of the elementary schools in our area, homework is no longer allowed.  Teachers may not assign students homework (what the....).  So, I am having to explain the concept of homework - where I write it on the board, what "page 4 1-10" means, and that it has to be done at home before the next class.  Weird.