Angry Students are Better Than Mean Students

After yesterday (and the 5 weeks preceding it), we cracked down hard on the 6th graders today. 

The day began with me picking the kids up from outside.  I told them they were to walk in silently and remain silent until their teacher told them otherwise.  If they chose to not do this they would be missing all recess for that day.

Three students began the day by having their recess taken away for the day. 

Whining, complaining and being disrespectful led to pulled cards and Think Times.  I had a kid in Think Time within 5 minutes of the day starting.  This same kid spent about 90% of his time in Think Time today. 

The rest of my students were terrified.  No one spoke in more than a stifled whisper until lunch.  We got a lot done. 

Hopefully tomorrow we won't have to be as crazy Nazi as today.

But...I'm sure we probably will. 

Carry Your Weather

So today was a horrible day.  My first instinct was to pout and feel sorry for myself.

Then I remembered that I can choose my own attitude (Thank you 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). 

I'm carrying my own weather today.



Here are some things I'm grateful for:

1. Husband
2. The fact that I have a job
3. A principal who supports me
4. Carbs
5. Good friends who look out for me
6. Funny movies (Revenge of the Bridesmaids...still that funny)
7. A reliable car
8. All of my senses
9. Babies who didn't come from my womb
10. Curry (for real, make it, you won't be sorry)
11. Crazy awesome thunderstorms

Seriously, my life is great.  Yeah, my class is crazy and difficult and disrespectful but that's not horrible and I have lots of people on my side to help me through this year.

Choose your attitude my friends (but let your friends cry on your shoulder occasionally when life gets rough.)

I miss last year's class.  Today was a truly horrible day.  

Tomorrow will be better.

Two Gingers, a Giant and a Pregnant Lady

Jaynee put Jenny and me in charge of finding dresses for Jenny, me, Kandace and Amy.  Here's a few things: 1) Kandace is about 6 feet tall 2) Amy will be 8 months pregnant 3) Jenny and I have red hair

I went shopping for about 5 hours on Saturday.  Finding a dress to fit all these specifications and then some is a difficult thing.  Finally, at Sears of all places ("Put on your Sunday best kids.  We're going to Sears!"), we found a dress.  It's an okay dress.  I think it looks like we're heading to a Ball put on by Harley Davidson but it works.  It will even work for pregnant Amy.  How do we know?  Oh, this is how:

Those are my jeans...rounded in to a pregnant-esq ball and shoved up the dress.

7 Months

Holy Cow!  If our marriage was a baby, he would be:

• beginning to crawl
• eating "adult foods" (aka crackers)
• getting his first teeth

but he's not a baby, he's a marriage.  And he is doing great!  Much better than a baby and his cracker.

Love, love, love...we're in love.

Those Resource Room Walls Just Jump Out of Nowhere

I ran into a wall today...in front of my students.

Defiantly not my proudest moment.

I'm a Real Teacher

I just got my scores back from the PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching) Test and I PASSED!!!  

Hallelujah!  

Go team Highly Qualified!

Netflix Makes Me Happy

Husband has been MIA because he's been helping a friend paint his new house.  This has lead to me finding and watching very lame things on Netflix.

Today, I watched Revenge of the Bridesmaids.  I found it hilarious! (note: I was also sick and had a bunch of Nyquil in my system.)  My favorite part was the pillow fight.  Holy cow.  I laughed so hard I cried and silent laughed all over the couch.

Here's the clip...it starts a bit early.  Go to 7:14 if you want to wet your pants after laughing your guts out.



Really ladies.  After you watch this you're going to want to send your hubbies/boyfs/etc. out for a boys night so you can enjoy this beauty.  It's that good.  It's obviously that good because it's on demand on Netflix...only the best movies are on demand.

P.S. I just watched the clip...still just as funny.

What's in a Name?

I've spent the past two hours looking up baby names.

No, I'm not pregnant.  No, I'm not planning on becoming pregnant in the near future.  The truth is, Husband isn't home. I am less than productive when Husband isn't home.

However, I now have a list with over 30 baby names that I am in love with...now if I can just talk Husband into loving those names too...and narrowing it down to about 5 names.

6 Out of 7 Days a Week

I learned today that I get to spend about 86% of my week with 12-year-olds.

That's right...I'm now the second counselor in our ward's Young Women's program. 

Aside from the fact that I will always be with preteens, I'm super excited out this new calling.

I sure am going to miss the babies in the nursery though.  I am quite attached to those 2-year-olds.  It will be sad to leave them.

You Know You're a Teacher When...

...you get seriously excited about a new class set of text books.  

Seriously guys, these are awesome...I hope.

I Had Great Taste in Movies

As I was watching Willow (a movie I l-o-v-e-d as a child) I realized a few things about my favorite childhood movies.
 
Things that made a good movie for the child version of Ash H.:

• Babies
• Little people
• People with red hair
• People with curly hair
• Singing
• Accents/Funny voices
• Scary animals

Now, let's look at the favorite movies of my childhood and see how they stack up against my list of good movie qualities:

• Annie (red hair, curly hair, singing)
• The Little Mermaid (red hair, singing)
• The Wizard of Oz (singing, little people)
• Willow (little people, baby, red hair, curly hair, accents, scary animals)
• The Princess Bride (accents, scary animals)
• The Chipmunk Adventure (funny voices, singing)
• A Christmas Story (scary animals--those dogs that eat the turkey? Scary to 4-year-old me)
• Curly Sue (curly hair)

If someone could make a movie with all of these elements they would make a bajillion dollars from the four-year-old that still lives inside me.

Day Seven

It blows my mind how much difference one kid can make in a classroom.

Yesterday, beautiful day.  I LOVED every single one of them.  Mostly because my super naughty kid who causes trouble with EVERYONE was gone.  It was pure bliss.

Today, not so much.  Kiddo is back and more fired up than ever (yes, I realize it's only day 7 and I don't have much to compare it to but fired up none the less).  I've already taken away recess indefinitely.  But that's a story for another day.  (I may be a horrible teacher.) 

Wow.  It's going to be a crazy year.  It may not be crazy good either.  Cross your fingers, say a prayer, find a four leaf clover all for me.  Thanks.  XOXO

Really, Mother Nature?

An inside recess day on day 5...Really?

Not a fan.

August Videos

First, I love this song no matter who sings it.  Second, I love Ellie Goulding (and you should too).  Third, Those things combined make a great first video for this month.



I want these guys to sing me to sleep every night...I don't know how Husband will feel about that though.



The little boy...oh, my.