Book Buddy Present Day

After weaning ourselves off the glitter, we continued making books for our 2nd grade book buddies. Each 5th grader is making his buddy a "Twas the Night Before Christmas" book. They are adorable but it was painful getting them to finish. Maybe I am just impatient (do you think?) but I need to get some grades together, some teacher presents finished, and my DESK CLEANED OFF. Please. For the love of all that is holy, I need to see the wood finish on my desk.

I have assigned my students regular work for the week - I am not sure what they expected because one of them actually asked me why I had given them so much work on a holiday week. I had to explain that the holiday really wasn't until next week. Precious angel.

The chorus will be gone most of tomorrow -yea!!!!!!!!!!- and that means that a lot of my talkers will be with them. I love it when a plan comes together, even when it isn't my plan.

Oh, and our district superintendent is coming for a visit tomorrow. Sounds like he's just showing us who's the boss. Someone needs to call me if he's bringing the Christmas bonuses. If not, I'll be in my room with the kids who think it is a holiday week.

And at my house, we are half way through exam week with two more tests to go. I don't know which of the three of us will be happiest.

Twas the Week Before Christmas

This week before Christmas is always a tough one for a teacher; being the mother of two upper school students makes it doubly stressful. At school, we have secret projects for parents, gifts to make for our book buddies, parties, and programs. They are already so off task they can't breathe - the next five days are the charming ones. (sarcasm, of course)

Bob Marley is so ADHD, he can't function. (That, of course, is my personal diagnosis. Perhaps wrong, but perhaps not.) He wandered off to the library last Friday and returned without the book he had asked to go get. He couldn't ( or wouldn't - can't figure this one out) tell me what he had been doing in the time he was gone and this isn't the first time this has happened. Stammered, stuttered, hemmed and hawed around my desk for forever. I still don't have an explanation. I don't know if he knows, either. He talks just fine when he isn't answering a question for me. He doesn't follow directions and after I give directions, he is the only person in my face, asking me what to do. Multi-step kills him.

A return e-mail from his home wanted to know if his mom could spend three days a week in the classroom with him, straightening him out. I need some parental help, but I don't know if this is it. Three days a week with him and his mom? In my room? I am a little territorial; this is bothersome to me. Must think hard on the return reply to this.


Back to exam week - I now have two getting ready for exams. The steady sixth grader and the hyper tenth grader. The Western Civ teacher (for PrepGirl) gave everyone a 90 on the only paper they have written this semester because he didn't have time to grade it. He said to talk to him if there was a problem. Prep said, "Party on!" I would have been irate. That is the difference between us.

Prep's and BrownBear's Varsity football team went to one of the state championship games this weekend. They had their hats handed to them. Their clocks cleaned. Oh, yes, and thank you for asking, it rained like it must have for Noah. I sent them on their way in thunder and lightning.

So, by Wednesday, we'll be all ready for this to be over. They get out Thursday and I still have to muddle through Friday.