A little reminder that it isn't so bad after all.

NEWS IN BRIEF
In the next 24 hours, 200 million people will make love on this planet, as they do every day of every year.

*Wired* magazine reports that vast supplies of frozen natural gas lie beneath the oceans, harboring more potential energy than all of the world's oil reserves.

China and India, which comprise one-third of the earth's population, have more than twice the wealth they had in 1989.

Rising rates of intermarriage are helping to dissipate ethnic and religious strife worldwide.

Death rates from cancer are shrinking.

Acreage devoted to organic farming is increasing rapidly.

Levels of literacy and education and political freedom are steadily growing all over the world.

If forced to decide between having a bigger penis and living in a world where there was no war, 90 percent of all men would pick universal peace.

With every dawn, when first light penetrates the sea, many seahorse colonies perform a dance to the sun.

An average cloud is the same weight as 100 elephants.

There are always so many fragments of spider legs floating in the air that you are constantly inhaling them wherever you go.

A river requires a million years to move a grain of sand 100 miles.

Diamonds rain from the skies on the planets Uranus and Neptune.

The five most beautiful words in the English language are luminous, crucible, melody, undulates, and gratitude.

---Rob Brezsny's weekly horoscope delivered this to my inbox today. My two favorites are in bold.--

It was bound to happen...

Yesterday I became attached to the class I'm subbing in.

I even had started re-arranging the desk that I work from for part of the day, when it hit me.

This isn't my class.

It was so depressing for a while to think that soon, after all this work together, I'd have to leave them. In the beginning, I kept telling myself that this wasn't permanent and on bad days that was really helpful.

But now, even though yesterday wasn't a stellar day, I know I'm going to miss them a lot.

Children have such interesting lives and personalities. They fascinate the hell out of me.
More later but I'm fighting my first cold of the school year. Ugh!

So it finally works...

I have been struggling with this class of mine. We have had our moments and if you know me well, you'd know I rarely yell or really get mean, but I have gotten mean with this group. So, today I went in with a new energy, I was taking names and something else as an old friend of mine would say. And I stopped by the other 4th grade class to talk to the teacher and she changed my world. She told me about sticking post-it notes on their desks and having them give themselves checks or stars based on behavior. Then, depending on your set up, corresponding stars and checks meant certain things. For me, it meant no checks, full extra recess. Each check was a minute off of extra recess. WHAT A DAY!!! We had the best day ever, since they were self-monitoring and the ones who hadn't been rewarded before finally received recognition. I came home and actually had energy! God bless you post-it note! And thank you for new beginnings!
ps. Thanks Alisha for the blog advice. I'm new to this whole thing, obviously!

Bloggers! Help!

how do I get rid of that stupid screwdriver and wrench thing that seems to be on my blog?
The little annoying icon that repeats every so often...I don't get it. Help me please!

First few days survived, more to come...

Well,
I am subbing again this year at a school that I love for nearly a month, maybe more. In the 4th grade with a class that so far has been quite the group. There are 25 of them and many personalities. I'll discuss the students more later but first some background info needs to be set up.

The district changed their Math standards this last year and that of course means different curriculum, different plans, etc. Last year, they had in place a very easy to follow program that you could modify and add to ( well good teachers did anyways) and if you were a sub this gave you flexibility as well as one less thing to worry about. Not any longer! Apparently, the goal is for all students to reach Algebra in 8th grade. Which means everything before this has to be re-adjusted to get those students there. (Side note: Why 8th grade I do not know. I took Algebra in 8th grade but I'm a freak. Look at this blog!)

What does this mean for your friend hdt? LOTS AND LOTS OF PLANNING. Don't get me wrong. I know teaching is hard work, good teaching especially but I was not prepared for the level of dedication I would be giving to this particular job. Especially since I will have to leave in a few weeks.

I know, I know. I'm looking at it the wrong way. It really has nothing to do with me. It is all for the students! Who are taking Algebra in 8th grade! Woo-hoo!

On the more positive side, I am working with fabulous people. The other 4th grade teacher is so good it is scary. And she is good in a "working hard to make sure the kids get it and do well" kind of way. Not the bad way.

I know I will have more as time goes on and this blog will once again be filled with my misadventures in teaching but right now I have to go plan Math.