Yesterday I skipped school. I did have an appointment but that was over before 9 a.m. The morning started out with a haze and cloud cover. Once the clouds broke it turned into the perfect pool day. I am not sorry I didn't get back to work because it was just the afternoon I needed to recharge my batteries. Do you ever play hooky?
Today is the reading test, ahhh the words! I'm actually jealous of my students because once they're done testing they can take a nap or read a book. I just walk around the room all day watching them read and test while singing songs in my head and making mental checklists. Which words will be scrolling through your head today?
Today the big state test comes and scares all of the kids into submission and fear for their future. Not really. In order to make my classroom test ready I had to take down or cover every word posted on the walls of my classroom. This even included the labels on my calendar. This no-word policy is so staunch that custodians lined the hallways after school covering bulletin boards and even the posted school rules in the corridors. No words. Not even the label on the counseling office was safe. The only poster I have left is of a surfer, that is where I will be casting my far-off glimpses when I am board of pacing the rows of testing students. I will imagine I am in the ocean of no words. Where will your boredom take you today?
I am not exaggerating when I tell you that the weeds in my back yard were almost as tall as my fence. I spent a good couple of hours tackling those monsters. Now you can laugh at my expense because I even got a little sunburn where my shirt rode up above my shorts. Yeah, I have a striped sunburn right above my butt - fantastic. Next time I'll just garden in my bikini to avoid all of the funny lines I now have. How do you deal with weeds in your yard, or are you lucky enough not to have to fight this battle?
Tonight at midnight fans will gawk at the big screen to see this wonderful book on film. I hope that they stayed true to the plot and didn't take too many liberties. I have tickets for Saturday. Are you going to be watching?
Next week my students will be taking the new standardized test here in TX, the STAAR. In order to be motivational or clever some teachers are using Star Wars quotations to inspire greatness in students. I think I'll go with the ever so pun-y 'let the scores be with you' from a bulletin board in the hallway. I would love to walk in on test day brandishing Darth Vader, but I think that Yoda would be much more kind. Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
My students are really starting to fall in like with Shakespeare, and it's pretty exciting. In the past 2 years of teaching it has been a while since I've seen students get excited about something. No, not everyone loves it. but they understand the play and they can have active discussion. I have not been excited about teaching something in a while and this feels invigorating. I want to keep this feeling around. My fingers are crossed that this time next year I'll be teaching in a high school. What has you excited and energized lately?
This is what the weather in TX looks like right now. We had a tornado drill at school yesterday just in case, tornado warning last night. Flash flood warning is still on for the morning and water is pounding down from the sky. I'm glad I just had a week in the sun, maybe the rain will help the kids focus now that they're back in school. I hope that school trumps weather this week, especially considering that some of my windows have been expertly sealed with duct tape. Any storms on your horizon?
Happy birthday to my favorite Green Bean Queen! Hope that you have a splendid day today and that you celebrate by enjoying the outdoors and eating something fantastic. Happy Birthday!
This is what a vacation should be about. Fine white sand, sea shore, warm sun, relaxation. That is my kind of vacation (not to mention a margarita or a cold beer on the beach to top it off). Are your spring breaks about a trip to the tropics or are you headed to the mountains to catch your last bit of snow?
*Image & print by SoundsLikeRain
