She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain

Went on the annual TeacherGirl Family Mountain Getaway today. We drove up the highway, ate a quick breakfast at the Waffle House (which for some reason, BrownBear does not enjoy) and headed for our favorite pumpkin patch in the whole state. This weekend, there were not as many people as we have encountered in the past. We have often had to wait in line for parking, a wheelbarrow and a time to check out. Today, we found a place to park in the main lot, wheelbarrows just hanging around and hardly a line in front of the cash register.
From there, we went up to the state park right around the bend, climbed up to the falls and ate a lovely lunch at the lodge restaurant. It had gotten windy and cold by the time we finished eating, so we talked LawyerBoy into a trip to the outlet mall in the nearby town. Just had to drive through the Moonshine Festival to get there. We had a great time and only broke two candlesticks at Williams-Sonoma in doing so. What's really funny is that when the girls were little, we never broke anything while we were out. Today, we break not one, but two candlesticks.
We get to fall back tonight, so that makes a great day even better.

Sha Na Na Na

PrepGirl cheered her last football game of the 9th grade season last night. The football team was undefeated this season; I believe the Varsity coach is beside himself. PrepGirl was in her element this season. I wonder if she can get a job in the cheerleading sector.

After last night's blow out (42-15), the cheerleaders and football players took pictures together across the field and then something was going on that we couldn't quite see or hear. A few minutes later, the girls ran back across the field and in each of their arms were bouquets of white roses tied with blue ribbon. (School colors..somebody's mom was on top of things) The players had 15 bouquets stashed in their water coolers and presented them to the cheerleaders after the game. I was even a little teary-eyed at the thought of those burly, smelly boys being smart enough and gracious enough to thank those girls for coming out to every game and cheering them on. And the girls... they were over the moon.

Conference Week

Finally, we can put this week to bed.

Our conference week lasts, as you might guess, a whole week. We teach for half a day, and then we conference for half a day. Might not sound too bad, but after two or three days, it begins to wear on you. The kids are completely off their schedules - after all, we have to eat lunch at 10:18 AM and our specials classes aren't at the right times at all. We don't have time to teach all our subjects and everything, just as hard as you try, is just up in the air.

Some teachers schedule all their conferences for the first two days. Those are the lower elementary teachers with 14 kids in their classes. I remember the year I had 29 kids - I didn't think I was ever going to finish. Of course, there was those one or two parents who didn't give a rat's ass about their kids' education and never came to anything. It wasn't because they were working two jobs and just couldn't get to school. These were the people who were too selfish and didn't want to be bothered with their own kids. I've got a mom like that this year. She doesn't want to be bothered about her own child. It doesn't matter what he does or what anyone has to say; she isn't going to be coming to school. She sends her ex-husband. Period. Isn't going to be bothered. Hope she makes it to his trial or whatever because when this kid blows and something really goes wrong with him, she is going to be the first one on the news going "why didn't somebody tell me something was wrong with my baby?"

More Papers To Grade.....

More grades to average....more work to be done.....one more day before report cards are to be completed....danger, Will Robinson!

Coming Down to the Wire

Yesterday, PrepGirl had a project to complete, so I took her to school and let her work her little heart out. I gathered my thoughts, as the first nine weeks are coming to a close. I computerized my gradebook and watched as averages miraculously appeared. Some good, some bad.

Missing assignments were posted on my whiteboard with names attached.

My experiment with personal responsibility is sadly failing with some. Especially with those who plan on applying to private school in the sixth grade.

Conference week is the week after next. I always dread that week because the kids have half days and then we spend the rest of those days talking to parents. Often, parents are not amused. I've got a teachermom coming all riled up already; my question is, if she's so concerned, why is she waiting two more weeks to talk? I've e-mailed her and sent weekly progress reports. I'm putting her son on the TLC list so I can officially track his progress and prove I've done "special" things for him. My question is why hasn't it already been done? Can't wait for this one. But as our principal always says, you can never predict which conferences are going to be the ones which are going to go sour.

99% of the time, things are fine. But once in a while, something goes wrong and you spend your whole conference trying to undo a perceived wrong. Whatever. Forty-five down and 145 to go.

Maniac Monday

The students were in a crazy mood today. I don't know if the moon is full or what, but they were out of control. They walked in my classroom door like that and they didn't stop all day long. I am glad today is over. Tuesday has to be better than Monday. I am so tired, I am ready for bed. Maybe I'll just go. I'll see ya'll later.

Super Sunday

Youth Group had big plans today to go to the Ted to see the final Braves Game. BrownBear hasn't made the Youth Group, yet, and is feeling left out. However, they asked her to go. She was so happy, she couldn't see straight. PrepGirl was good with it. She said she would look out for her sister. You don't know how long I've waited for that happiness to happen. That left me and LawyerBoy alone all afternoon. ALL afternoon. Into the evening.

That hasn't happened in a month of Sundays. Two months of Sundays.

ChoirGuy was a happy boy, too. We sang "The Last Words of David." Not very Baptist but we were hot. Hot, I say.

I love it when an unexpected plan comes together.