photo challenge - february

I'm thinking - why not?

I already love using instagram

feeling like a little fun for february - join in too!

thanks to chantelle @ fat mum slim for creating this little project
I'm excited to pick up my iPhone and start clicking and filtering away!

confessions of a first year history teacher

well, where to start?

ummm...I don't know everything

and sometimes, this year, I feel like I don't know anything

at least when it comes to the nitty gritty specifics of the history that I am teaching

I've learned how much I didn't learn in the past

and I must say that it scares me from time to time

today as I was "learning" so much while planning

I started thinking that maybe having a history supplement

(which I was qualified for because of my history concentration in college)

 should not really qualify you for teaching middle school history

but I'm thankful that it did, because it pretty much saved my job

and thankfully I've gotten teaching logistics under control before starting this

so now, it is just learning for me

examples of my new found - should have already known facts:

#1 the Star Spangled Banner was originally written as a poem

during the War of 1812

#2 and while we're on that topic - I learned what the War of 1812 was all about

#3 and finally, you know when you've heard something, but have no idea what it means, well, that was me with the Monroe Doctrine, until this afternoon

whew, I feel better now that I've gotten that off my shoulders
and I am really grateful for the opportunity to get a whole year to really learn more history
something I really do enjoy - but come on - there is SO much of it to know

and, putting history aside

I've also learned that this is what happens when you give a teenager a stapel gun

sunday's "so they said"

this week we discussed censorship with free speech

finally began to understand political parties and how they were created

had a flash mob come into first period

and after my suggestion - we now have an entire 8th grade flash mob in the works

for their graduation

and had such a simple compliment really brighten the week

"Mrs. Lewis - I just wanted to let you know that your class has really been the highlight of my day...well actually, it is always the best part of my schoolday."

if they only knew what part they had in making our days awesome

and while we're talking about awesomeness - here was my lunch date yesterday...

thrifted it thursdays

now I have a hard time passing up little random pieces of pyrex when thrifting

especially when they are great deals

it you are in great shape - and under $1, you will be coming home with me

recently I was having to do a major pyrex re-arrange session

and these little guys just kept getting stacked

and it turns out - I'm pretty into it

what I'm not into right now - having a sore throat from teaching today

I was in quite the energetic/silly mood today

my kids quickly noticed

and I think they appreciated it

I guess strained vocal chords are worth it

and hey - tomorrow's friday!

what teachers make

why you may ask do I share this with you?

#1 It is hilarious 

#2 It is so true

#3 Watching this video last night was actually part of my homework

#4 And I haven't gotten a paycheck since December 16th

so I'm feeling a tad punchy at the moment

enjoy.

sharing v. stealing

well, like I said earlier - I was pretty excited for this week

having the students once again jump into some historical roles

this time they have joined either the Federalist or Republican party

and tomorrow we will be having our own little political rally

for the election of 1800

so here's my dilemma:

when are you sharing a lesson, and when are you stealing?

because right now, I'm pretty sure that my lessons are being stolen

in person, right under my nose

now before I go further, I am all about sharing, and planning together

because from years past, I know that collaboration truly yields better teaching

so, with that being said

I'm in a situation where I will be teaching, and another teacher will come in

see what I'm doing, and then either take whatever direction sheet or handout I'm using

or ask for a copy

and that's that

and yes, I have talked to this teacher about this very situation

and yes, it stopped for a while

but today kicked things right back into the swing of things

I pride myself on being strong & outspoken

but being in this situation is just no fun

so my quick fix solution - emblazon my name on any project sheet I create

that way I know my projects are getting credit, even if  it is in just a small way

so yeah, I'm not one to buy birthday gifts at the mall...

in December my best friend celebrated her birthday

(yes, I realize I'm a tad late on this post)

and I knew that I wanted to have my ridiculously creative friend to help me with her gift

so I helped with the concept

but the rest was all miss Jaymee Srp from Retro Menagerie

I was SO happy with the final product & how perfect it was for my friend

seeing as how she has a thing for books, the way I do about pyrex

I knew exactly the direction we were going to go with the print

and it seems like she liked it too - you can see here where she posted about it on her blog

Confessions of a Book Hoarder

so yeah for spreading the love - it's a pretty good thing

thanks again to...

sunday's "so they said"

earlier this week I shared the worksheet I made for my very first lecture of the year

and let me say, it turns out, just like chocolate cake

everything is good for you...in moderation

and as I now know, this can include a little lecturing here and there

my biggest issue with lecturing is the amount of engagement of the students

and the thought of me doing all the talking for 55 minutes sounds like

 the last thing I would want to do

well, my kids proved that we could turn that type of lesson into more of a conversation

and I'm so glad we did - they had so many amazing questions and talking points

here are a few of my favorites:

"So, at the Presidential Inauguration, 

they are sworn in on the Bible.  

What happens if they are an Atheist?" 

Talk about a great way to start a conversation about SO many things.  And this question didn't just come up in one of my classes, but in all of them, and from so many different students, asking about different faiths and backgrounds, hypothetical situations, and the general progression of politics in our nation.

  I exclaimed my excitement by telling them what amazing questions they had - and that most adults have probably never even stopped to think about any of them.

I really do think they are getting it.  

I really do think they are starting to realize why we should study history.

I really love how quickly they "got" the significance of having President Obama

choosing to be sworn in on Abraham Lincoln's Bible

Oh, and I'm so in love with our lessons this week...

campaign rally for the Federalists & Republicans

with rally signs, buttons, and all - yes please.

it's pretty, and shiny, and not new

seeing as how the bowl is pyrex, I've had it for quite some time

and the husband uses it everyday for his pancake mix

but I never found the Hamilton Beach Mixer

that is, before today

now I have the complete set, and I'm pretty into it
also posted over at the Pyrex Collective II

hey, what's that falling from the sky?

oh wait, it's rain

something we haven't seen in so long I almost forgot it existed

sounds like a good excuse for my favorite type of friday night

home, husband, movie, dessert

done and done.

if you have to take lecture notes...

might as well make them interesting to look at

well, for the first time this year I am actually planning to do a few mini-lectures 

on the up-coming chapters

me talking and them listening isn't really my style

but looking at pacing, and some really DRY material we have to cover

I've decided to pull a few sections out for what my partner calls "storytelling"

hopefully my not so ordinary handout will help spice things up!

trying to see the positives

even though the antiquing was very disappointing today

and the $90 parking ticket for having 2 inches of our bumper

apparently blocking a driveway

was for sure a bump in the road

but besides that - here are the positives:

the city was brisk - but so clear and beautiful

we had great company to help us keep our cool through the ticket fiasco

and had a beautiful lunch with my sister

and tomorrow is looking up too - "teacher work day"

no offense, but a day of work sans kids is always ok in my book

because those don't happen too often in my field

and those lesson plans don't seem to get done on their own!

sunday's "so they said"

well this week I must say my favorite words that came out of my middle schooler's mouths

were them singing the lyrics to a Bill of Rights song

we sang this song every day this week

and I truly think my evil plan is working

I bribed them with some extra-credit on their next test

for every day they sang the song they got a stamp on their song lyrics

each stamp gets them a point

win win

and even though they liked to gripe before we started singing

 they sure did chime in pretty quickly

especially once I started obnoxiously with the first line

now no, this isn't my class

it is actually my aunt's class picture from back in the day

look at those rows and perfectly folded hands

priceless

and because my district is pretty old

several of my classrooms have been laid out just like this

sink, cabinets, and bulletin boards in the exact same position!

tomorrow I'm off to the city with great friends, antiquing, & a visit with my sister

three day weekends are truly the best

friday friendship find

well, friday the 13th was a pretty lucky day for me

I have NEVER found one of my favorite patterns in a thrift store

until yesterday

and it wasn't just one bowl, but all four of these beauties

and lucky for me, the little lady who had them before me

took extremely good care of them

Friday the 13th

Luckily I'm not superstitious, just amused when I noticed what street I work on. Now for a very lazy Friday night and a very well deserved three-day weekend.

days are like a sprint lately

so this year I have been swaying a tad on the multiple personalities spectrum

one week I LOVE teaching middle school

one subject to prep

once I teach a lesson, I get to perfect it four more times that day

-and-

my kids are old enough to let a little of my natural sarcasm slip out

well, this week my dry sense of humor has been coming out left & right

image here

however, I've finally decided my biggest gripe with middle school...

and no, it's not the kids

even though some of the questions they ask do kill me

one day they will realize it is just easier to listen to the person talking to them

the first time

or the second time

you choose

instead, my issue would be the 55 minute class periods

it is like I am always running an hour sprint

and always losing to the clock

there is no down time when you have to get out everything in that one little class

elementary lends you so much more flexibility

now, please, don't get be wrong

I was ALWAYS going in my elementary classrooms

but when the bell rang, they were mine again in ten minutes

and I could just keep going

so...with all that being said...maybe still an elementary teacher at heart

however, I could just need a day off

ten on ten - january

happy ten on ten!

Out of the Files - Remembering Dr. King

so if you have been reading this little blog long

you are probably feeling a tad bit of deja vu right about now

but, seeing as how this week many amazing teachers are going to be introducing 

their students to Dr. King, I figured we could always dig this one out of the files

and since I am on a bit of a crunch with my own curriculum

I'm not going to be doing it with my students (slight tear for my elementary days)

so, maybe you will be inspired to try it!

Last year when I came up with this project I went here to learn how to do

positive/negative space art

and this was just about the only place that explained it in a way that made sense to me!

To make my stencil I used my smart board to outline an actual picture I found of Dr. King
split the image in half and then copied one half onto the white construction paper
This project is a little time consuming to plan - you want to make a few trial runs at it yourself
before actually teaching it
but I really do think it pays off - the kids LOVED this project
and it looks so striking in the room - I kept this bulletin board up extra long!
and of course to really finish off this project I would suggest
some poetry writing for students to really dig a little deeper
Last year we created poems where the students compiled
 their own dreams for the world/society
repeating the historic line "I have a dream..."
they were pretty touching - but you could go just about anywhere with the written piece
good luck - if you have any questions please just ask!!!
oh - and tomorrow is our first ten on ten of the year - so grab your camera - and go!

sunday's "so they said" - hashtag

image here

turns out the first day back to school made my 4th period a little...

interesting

so right before class the kids starting saying "hashtag" before anything they said

I mean anything & everything

I heard "hashtag - good morning mrs. lewis" so many times before the start of class

that if they were actually tweeting all these #'s I would have definitely been trending

and really - who was this little game of theirs hurting?

well, not me, because by fourth period I really needed something to keep me interested!

and come on - getting the answer "hashtag - the judicial branch" works for me

hashtag - what the kids are doing these days

thrifted it thursdays

this year I've decided to try out a few more regular "weekly" postings

I've enjoyed my "so they said" on sundays

so why not add another day of the week for another passion of mine - thrifting

and more specifically, thrifting pyrex

this week I picked up this turquoise bowl from the  Hostess Oven and Table set

and the funny thing was I was in one of those thrift stores that have the "collectible" section

where they put ALL their pyrex, and it is almost ALWAYS overpriced

you just have to get lucky that you are there on the right "tag color" discount day

however, this bowl was in the regular kitchen section

maybe a fellow thrifter was hiding the piece until the discount day was even higher?

well, sorry, not going to chance it for my first piece of this kind

I'll take the 25% off gladly

oh, and it is hard to hide pyrex from a true collector hoarder of pyrex

now you may notice the interesting stacking I've chosen here

yes, I do actually love this combination with my set of Designs bowls

but truly, things are having to get very creative in my collection display

now while I'm on the topic of thrifting, I actually did thrift the large Designs bowl

at the very same store I found the Turquoise Hostess!

Just about five months apart from each other,

clearly they were meant to be together

Now the littlest guy was not thrifted, but found in an antique mall in Ohio

at a very thrifted price!

so there we go, enough about that - happy thrifting!

they're like heaven, no, wait, willy wonka

at least that's what I've been told
and they work pretty well in that little starburst pyrex too!

cake pops were a hit this new year's eve

and even though they are a bit of a process

they are kind of fun

let me say that out of a whole boxed cake mix

the ones you see are the only ones finished

there were many "oops" in the process

but we really didn't need 24 cake pops for our little group

and I can't wait to try lots of different colors 

and the best part - sprinkles are a must when decorating these guys

and that is one of my favorite parts!

back to school insomnia?

well, I thought that I had outgrown it

but last night proved otherwise

for some reason teacher's seem to be plagued with back to school insomnia

or sometimes worse - back to school nightmares

I really was not dreading going back to school

but man, I sure wasn't falling asleep

so the remedy?

left work way early - like 45 minutes after the bell rang

and it felt pretty good

goodnite.

post holiday decoration blues

well, tomorrow it is back to the grind for me

and knowing I need to start off 2012 fresh

it meant it was time to take down all my christmas decorations 

and well folks, that makes me a little sad

sure my house seems clean & clutter free

but coming home with no twinkly lights to turn on = sad face

so in order to not totally de-festivize the house

I left up my new year decorations for now

and I guess that will just have to do

for now I am going to enjoy my last night of freedom

celebrate the fact that I did not do a SINGLE bit of school work over break

(besides masters homework!)

and try to remember what I am supposed to be teaching tomorrow

I'm thinking something about the 3-branch government system

is ringing a bell

and very quiet bell.

ringing in with cheer

we ended our year together with friends

we look forward to all this year will bring

our goal as a couple is to buy our first home

my goal professionally is to continue to vary & improve my craft with even more awesomeness

and artistically I will continue to challenge myself in photography

and that means actually learn how to use that camera of mine

and on the collection front - pyrex, pyrex, pyrex

the end.