Wow were does time go? I ordered Rachel's science fair project. She is going to raise frogs from tadpoles. Well the kit I ordered comes with different stages of the frog, so there will be a tadpole, a hind legs developed, a front legs developed, and a fully developed frog. Each frog can be seen through and she will be able to observe the inner workings of the frog without dissection. That will be cool for her to watch. We plan to allow her classroom to enjoy them after the science fair. Rachel has her camera ready and the display board also. I guess when we go on our trip we will be taking them along. I am excited about this project also as I love frogs.
Our trip seems so close. Actually it is really close. Just 19 days, counting weekends till spring break. I know the girls dad will try to see them over the break, however he will be lucky if he gets to. I don't think the judge is very happy with all the lies he has told, or the fact he has neglected to pay his child support, and to pay the settlement money he owed. Some people will never learn and they think they can get by with anything they want.
My class is making robots. They have completed their designs, gathering their materials, and making the cuts. Now it is time to build them. This activity will probably take us through spring break. My math group is playing monopoly. They are so excited that they come to class and start setting up the game from where they left off the day before. Right now the girls are ruling. Maybe those miserly boys will get the hint they need to purchase a few properties in order to have more money. They keep having to just pay the girls as they are buying up properties like they are gold. My American History class is doing a webquest on Reconstruction Era. It should be completed next week. The STEP classes have been involved in the testing this week so they are on hold until Monday. Our project will be starting a week behind schedule. I hope we can finish before spring break. Life skills is finishing their power points. We will be previewing them on Monday or Tuesday. Yeah. It is so great to complete a project.
Well I had better get off as my free time is finished and it is almost time to go home. James will post sometime. So long for now.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
A Great Weekend
A few weeks ago two of my daughters, one of my daughters' husband, my granddaughters, and my grandsons and I went to the science central. It is a great place for kids to go and learn about science. Each of them were fasinated with all of the various displays and the interaction. They learned about broadcasting the news, electricity, force, walking on the moon, rocks, water animals, bubbles and much more. These kinds of adventures bring to life family sharing. As a family we have a tendency to go and enjoy things together. The next week-end we all headed to the dance competition. After the girls performed we met up at the local Chuck-E-Cheese. The kids played (even the big ones) 500 tokens spent, well almost, One grandson likes to hored his so he only spent a few, and we were ready to head to the kids favorite pizza place. Since my one daughter's husband had to work and miss the other activities he met us there. Filled with pizza, bread sticks, and drinks we all headed in our own directions home. One had a 2 hour drive northeast, one had a 2 hour drive northwest and I had a 2 hour drive southwest. These drives are well worth it as we can all spend time together, laughter is abundent, smiles glow, and everyone looks forward to the next time we will all met again.
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Weather and Just Stuff
The weather is suppose to be bad this weekend. Not to worry though I do have lots to do. I am looking into finding a place to start practicing my newest schooling skills. I don't know exactly what I am looking for, except I know what I expect it to do.
I am just about finished with scanning all of the pictures of the family that I own. If any of my family members need me to help them let me know.
The family tree information is just about all back in the tree. I will never ever get a new computer and forget to get the information saved. This has been a long journey, however the end is in sight. I have new information to enter into it. Thanks to my wonderful relatives in Wales and England I am gathering more information on my mother's family.
I hope to be able to create a new recipe this weekend and to try one that I have found for a candy my children really love. If we get the weather like they think, then I will only be staying in this weekend.
Okay I know you are wondering when will I get to the family advice... I am ready for another tidbit right now.
What is a family day? It is a day when only your family spends time together. Plan games, art projects, cooking but stay away from the TV and computer. Be creative and concentrate on only the family. The TV and computer take time away from them. While my children were growing up, we each had our own deck of playing cards. Then we would play war. We made the jokers the most powerful card of the deck. Many times we went to the park and went hiking or fishing. The grandchildren love this also. The only problem was my husband's work schedule. He could only go with us or share this time once in a great while. However he did make up this time when he was at home and so were the children.
By spending time this way with your family you create a bond of togetherness. Think back to the early days of this country, how much time was spent doing things with the family? Most of your time was spent with your family if you were not working.
I challege you to turn off the TV and computer one day per week, maybe not all day if you really "have to" watch or play on the computer. I know that many people have jobs that require the use of their computer, however can't you turn it off for a few hours and spend them with your children. Those card games we great, the fishing trips - even if we didn't catch one fish - are rememberable, and all days we spent going to parks and on small trips - memories float in your brain of happy times. I love my family. The time we spent together and still spend together means more than anything else in the whole world. Money can't buy anything like the good times. I wish everyone in the world could enjoy life with their family - without hurt or worry.
All for tonight.
I am just about finished with scanning all of the pictures of the family that I own. If any of my family members need me to help them let me know.
The family tree information is just about all back in the tree. I will never ever get a new computer and forget to get the information saved. This has been a long journey, however the end is in sight. I have new information to enter into it. Thanks to my wonderful relatives in Wales and England I am gathering more information on my mother's family.
I hope to be able to create a new recipe this weekend and to try one that I have found for a candy my children really love. If we get the weather like they think, then I will only be staying in this weekend.
Okay I know you are wondering when will I get to the family advice... I am ready for another tidbit right now.
What is a family day? It is a day when only your family spends time together. Plan games, art projects, cooking but stay away from the TV and computer. Be creative and concentrate on only the family. The TV and computer take time away from them. While my children were growing up, we each had our own deck of playing cards. Then we would play war. We made the jokers the most powerful card of the deck. Many times we went to the park and went hiking or fishing. The grandchildren love this also. The only problem was my husband's work schedule. He could only go with us or share this time once in a great while. However he did make up this time when he was at home and so were the children.
By spending time this way with your family you create a bond of togetherness. Think back to the early days of this country, how much time was spent doing things with the family? Most of your time was spent with your family if you were not working.
I challege you to turn off the TV and computer one day per week, maybe not all day if you really "have to" watch or play on the computer. I know that many people have jobs that require the use of their computer, however can't you turn it off for a few hours and spend them with your children. Those card games we great, the fishing trips - even if we didn't catch one fish - are rememberable, and all days we spent going to parks and on small trips - memories float in your brain of happy times. I love my family. The time we spent together and still spend together means more than anything else in the whole world. Money can't buy anything like the good times. I wish everyone in the world could enjoy life with their family - without hurt or worry.
All for tonight.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Somethings I Have Learned as a Parent
Some of the things I have learned as a parent are that it doesn't pay to worry about small stuff. A great book is "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." I use it in my classroom when I have students that seem to fix on something and cannot get over it. I apply much of its suggestions in my own life.
Another thing I learned while raising my great (most parents believe they have great kids) is that limit your rules to the important things. While at work one day I was sitting there think what to do about the fact when I get home I had become the neighborhood babysitter later and later into the evening. When my kids had lessons of some kind or a game we needed to go to the other parents didn't seem to be around for their kids to go home to. Yes I did like the fact I knew where my kids were and what was going on, however it was becoming a challenge for us to be a family. I sat there and wrote some rules. (1.) all kids that did not belong to me would be going home at 6 PM, or when we needed to leave. (2.) Homework needed to be completed by 8:30 PM
(3.) Sundays were family days and no-one was going with us or going to be at our home...only family. These were the only rules. My one child, the one most likely to protest these rules went to her room to think them over. Soon she returned and said, "Mom we need to talk about these rules." I told her fine, but they probably wouldn't change. She then preceeded to state her case. She did not believe that 6 PM was early enough for everyone to leave. She just didn't believe she could get everything done if people were around after 5 PM. I called the other kids in to the family room and told them what she had proposed. They agreed that 5 PM was better than 6. We did change that one rule. When she became an adult I asked her why she wanted the time change. To my surprise it was a relief to her to not have others at our home so many hours each day. She didn't have to ask or tell people she didn't want to play any more because she had homework, but Mom got to send everyone home and then she was the "bad guy." We did allow one little boy to spend more time with us since we were more of a family to him than his own. When he graduated from high school he thanked me for being such a good parent to him.
All for today. Good night.
Another thing I learned while raising my great (most parents believe they have great kids) is that limit your rules to the important things. While at work one day I was sitting there think what to do about the fact when I get home I had become the neighborhood babysitter later and later into the evening. When my kids had lessons of some kind or a game we needed to go to the other parents didn't seem to be around for their kids to go home to. Yes I did like the fact I knew where my kids were and what was going on, however it was becoming a challenge for us to be a family. I sat there and wrote some rules. (1.) all kids that did not belong to me would be going home at 6 PM, or when we needed to leave. (2.) Homework needed to be completed by 8:30 PM
(3.) Sundays were family days and no-one was going with us or going to be at our home...only family. These were the only rules. My one child, the one most likely to protest these rules went to her room to think them over. Soon she returned and said, "Mom we need to talk about these rules." I told her fine, but they probably wouldn't change. She then preceeded to state her case. She did not believe that 6 PM was early enough for everyone to leave. She just didn't believe she could get everything done if people were around after 5 PM. I called the other kids in to the family room and told them what she had proposed. They agreed that 5 PM was better than 6. We did change that one rule. When she became an adult I asked her why she wanted the time change. To my surprise it was a relief to her to not have others at our home so many hours each day. She didn't have to ask or tell people she didn't want to play any more because she had homework, but Mom got to send everyone home and then she was the "bad guy." We did allow one little boy to spend more time with us since we were more of a family to him than his own. When he graduated from high school he thanked me for being such a good parent to him.
All for today. Good night.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Just what am I thinking?
Here I sit in front of this computer. I have been teaching for 30 years. My students and I have discussed the No Child Left Behind act. They are of the thought that the composers of this bill do not understand education and that they do not understand that NOONE can make them learn if they don't want to.
I know many great teachers and I know many young people that woud be great teachers, however faced with an act such as NCLB education cannot recruit qualified people to take on the task of educating our students.
You see not everyone in the United States is going to college, nor do they have the desire to go. Without individuals to cook and serve food, we would need to close all McDonalds, Pizza Huts, Papa John's, Red Lobster's, and every other food service business as everyone would be over educated to want to work these lower paying jobs. That would mean that women or maybe men, will need to stay at home and COOK. That wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact the cost of goods and services, electric, gas, water, etc. keeps increasing in cost, which means one earner families cannot survive.
Further more I ask each member of congress that passed this act..."How would you like for your job as congress be judged by a test given to the American public as to what you are doing in Congress?" It is a matter of just how well you can educate the American public of what you are doing. When I watch c-span I notice that most congressional members are not there participating in discussions, not are they listening while another person is talking. I watch as the camera pans the room and notice all of the empty seats. This leads most to believe you are overpaid and much underworked. If you really want to help education, pass an act that holds the students accountable and not the teachers. You are using teachers to get elected into office because it is easy to not like teachers because of the institution they work in.
Parents how can you help your student? First become actively involved in what your child is doing in school. Require them to do their homework. Provide them with a home life that will show them you care what they are doing. Too many times I have had students tell me about being in the Walmart parking lot at 2 AM visiting with their friends on a school night. How can they come to school and be successful if they are out at 2 AM? How much can they learn in school the next day when all they can do is function enough to move from class to class. Sleep comes to them during the school day. If you don't believe this I am sure you can pick up just about any school in this country's yearbook and you will find many pictures of kids sleeping during class.
Enough of my rantings for tonight. Good night.
I know many great teachers and I know many young people that woud be great teachers, however faced with an act such as NCLB education cannot recruit qualified people to take on the task of educating our students.
You see not everyone in the United States is going to college, nor do they have the desire to go. Without individuals to cook and serve food, we would need to close all McDonalds, Pizza Huts, Papa John's, Red Lobster's, and every other food service business as everyone would be over educated to want to work these lower paying jobs. That would mean that women or maybe men, will need to stay at home and COOK. That wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact the cost of goods and services, electric, gas, water, etc. keeps increasing in cost, which means one earner families cannot survive.
Further more I ask each member of congress that passed this act..."How would you like for your job as congress be judged by a test given to the American public as to what you are doing in Congress?" It is a matter of just how well you can educate the American public of what you are doing. When I watch c-span I notice that most congressional members are not there participating in discussions, not are they listening while another person is talking. I watch as the camera pans the room and notice all of the empty seats. This leads most to believe you are overpaid and much underworked. If you really want to help education, pass an act that holds the students accountable and not the teachers. You are using teachers to get elected into office because it is easy to not like teachers because of the institution they work in.
Parents how can you help your student? First become actively involved in what your child is doing in school. Require them to do their homework. Provide them with a home life that will show them you care what they are doing. Too many times I have had students tell me about being in the Walmart parking lot at 2 AM visiting with their friends on a school night. How can they come to school and be successful if they are out at 2 AM? How much can they learn in school the next day when all they can do is function enough to move from class to class. Sleep comes to them during the school day. If you don't believe this I am sure you can pick up just about any school in this country's yearbook and you will find many pictures of kids sleeping during class.
Enough of my rantings for tonight. Good night.
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