So the past week has been full of food. Lots of food. First Christmas dinner, then another Christmas dinner at Peter's place, then another Christmas dinner last night at PRi's, and tomorrow is New Year's Eve and there will be yet more food. I can't feel my stomach muscles...
Actually, that last paragraph more or less sums up what I've done since last posting. I guess I went shopping. I got a long hoodie from the Gap for $13 yesterday. I was surprised and very happy. :-) I'm trying to decide what to get myself now that I've returned the Gilmore Girls Season Five DVD set Peter bought me. I love that show, but if I have one seaon of it, I'll feel compelled to have all seasons of it, and that would be a little over my budget in terms of money and DVD storage space. I'm considering buying a couple of the X-Files Mytharc boxsets, since I can get two of the four with the credit from what Peter got me along with the gift card from Chris. But they seem rather redundant, even though I'd love to hear any attempt at explaining the incredibly twisted conspiracy plot that show had. Seriously. It just doesn't make sense. I love that show dearly, but it doesn't make sense.
Wow, I can ramble. I think I'll do laundry today. I really need to do that. I've been extending my time between ddoing laundry by wearing new Christmas clothes, but I've kind of run out of those now. Oh! That's what else I did this week! I went to Vermillion for Jenilee's grandmother's funeral. Not that that's directly related to laundry--I was going to remark that I'd even gone through a lot of my fancier clothes, and I remembered that I'd dressed up for the funeral. I think half the population fo Vermillion was there. Apparently, four people died on the same day, and so the bizarre and morbid part of me imagined a bunch of people going out and buying new outfits for a couple days' worth of funerals. You can always use a nice black dress or skirt. ^_^
I don't think I mentioned my grandfather, either, come to think of it. A couple of days before Christmas, he fell and fractured his neck. He's not paralyzed or anything, but he's very sore, especially since he fell five times in two days and had to wait about an hour each time for something to hear him calling for help so that he could get up. My aunt who lives out in Winnipeg is making him stay in the hospital until we can get him into a nursing home. We're trying to get him into the same one as my grandmother's in, but there's still red tape and such to deal with. And now my mom and her sisters have to go clean out the apartment in the retirement complex my grandfather was living in. A year ago, they had to clean out the house they'd finally decided they could no longer stay in. My grandmother stayed in the retirement complex for only a few months before needing to go to the nursing home. I've been saying that they'll die any time now for the past three years, and it just keeps getting more and more likely. *sigh* I hope it doesn't happen during my APT, because then I wouldn't even be able to go to the funeral.
This is depressing. I think I'll got play with my dog.
12/30/2006
12/25/2006
Merry Merry!
'Twas the evening of Christmas
And all through the house
Five creatures were stirring
Having gotten rid of the mouse
The bottles were placed
In the recycle with care
In hopes that the garbage man
Soon would be there
And I puzzle and puzz
Though my puzzler is sore
Then I have an idea I haven't before
Maybe Christmas, I think
Isn't so much a snore
Maybe the Champagne, perhaps
Does it a little bit more
Ok, so i'm vaguely buzzed on Rose Champagne and I'm feeling silly. It is 8:54 pm on Christmas Day, according to my computer clock, and I send everybody the best and such! I got a 3-in-1 printer with which I can do flatbed photocopying. It made me happy. :-) My brother went the simple route and got me an American Eagle Outfitters gift card and an HMV gift card. Very nice. :-) My mom liked all the gifts she got, and my dad is willing to try all the gifts he got. My Christmas pajamas are bright pink with polar bears opening presents on them! ^_^ And I got new slippers, which is good, because I haven't been able to find my old ones for the past couple of days. ^_^
My brother and my dad are upstairs watching Monday Night Football, because it is still Monday, after all. My mom is letting Farley lick all the plates as she finishes cleaning up. We did the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and veggies (broccoli, in our case) with cranberry sauce and gravy for dinner. I am very full. And warm. It's really warm upstairs and I haven't quite cooled off since coming down into the basement to use my computer. Maybe it's the slippers and the angora sweater I've got on. I should think about changing.
My sister and her wife sent out parcels with Christmas gifts for us, and one of them was great--a box of four candy canes, each with a gummy Care Bear attatched to it! My sister and I share a love of Care Bears. I gave her a Champ Bear a while back. She's one of those "kidult" types, if you can a 30-year-old an adult these days. ^_^ Anyway, I think I'm going to give Jenilee the Friendship Bear one when I meet her for lunch tomorrow. We tried to go for lunch yesterday, but she had to go to Beaumont. I think we're just going to Joeys tomorrow--I was only somewhat awake when I talked to her. In fact, I slept for a couple of hours this afternoon. It was very nice. :-) That's the way Christmas Day should always go: Get up, open presents, have waffles for breakfast, futz around with gifts, take a nap, wake up, get dinner ready, eat, relax, eat dessert, do something fun. Jenilee wants to go Boxing Day shopping tomorrow. I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I've done it a couple of times, but since there's nothing I really want to go look for, I don't see any reason to subject myself to the insanity. We'll see, though, I guess...
In any case, pumpkin pie awaits. I hope you all are having very good evenings! I'll see many of you on Friday for PRi's dinner. Yay, more turkey!
And all through the house
Five creatures were stirring
Having gotten rid of the mouse
The bottles were placed
In the recycle with care
In hopes that the garbage man
Soon would be there
And I puzzle and puzz
Though my puzzler is sore
Then I have an idea I haven't before
Maybe Christmas, I think
Isn't so much a snore
Maybe the Champagne, perhaps
Does it a little bit more
Ok, so i'm vaguely buzzed on Rose Champagne and I'm feeling silly. It is 8:54 pm on Christmas Day, according to my computer clock, and I send everybody the best and such! I got a 3-in-1 printer with which I can do flatbed photocopying. It made me happy. :-) My brother went the simple route and got me an American Eagle Outfitters gift card and an HMV gift card. Very nice. :-) My mom liked all the gifts she got, and my dad is willing to try all the gifts he got. My Christmas pajamas are bright pink with polar bears opening presents on them! ^_^ And I got new slippers, which is good, because I haven't been able to find my old ones for the past couple of days. ^_^
My brother and my dad are upstairs watching Monday Night Football, because it is still Monday, after all. My mom is letting Farley lick all the plates as she finishes cleaning up. We did the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and veggies (broccoli, in our case) with cranberry sauce and gravy for dinner. I am very full. And warm. It's really warm upstairs and I haven't quite cooled off since coming down into the basement to use my computer. Maybe it's the slippers and the angora sweater I've got on. I should think about changing.
My sister and her wife sent out parcels with Christmas gifts for us, and one of them was great--a box of four candy canes, each with a gummy Care Bear attatched to it! My sister and I share a love of Care Bears. I gave her a Champ Bear a while back. She's one of those "kidult" types, if you can a 30-year-old an adult these days. ^_^ Anyway, I think I'm going to give Jenilee the Friendship Bear one when I meet her for lunch tomorrow. We tried to go for lunch yesterday, but she had to go to Beaumont. I think we're just going to Joeys tomorrow--I was only somewhat awake when I talked to her. In fact, I slept for a couple of hours this afternoon. It was very nice. :-) That's the way Christmas Day should always go: Get up, open presents, have waffles for breakfast, futz around with gifts, take a nap, wake up, get dinner ready, eat, relax, eat dessert, do something fun. Jenilee wants to go Boxing Day shopping tomorrow. I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I've done it a couple of times, but since there's nothing I really want to go look for, I don't see any reason to subject myself to the insanity. We'll see, though, I guess...
In any case, pumpkin pie awaits. I hope you all are having very good evenings! I'll see many of you on Friday for PRi's dinner. Yay, more turkey!
12/22/2006
*Christmas-y Title*
So I promised I'd write more, and here I am, doing so. *proud smile*
Christmas preparations are coming along, though I'd prefer they be finished. I still have a handful of gifts to buy. And then I have to wrap them all. I really like wrapping gifts, though, so that won't be a problem. Peter is apparently going out to search for a gift for me today. I wonder if he'll succeed. I still have no idea what to get his dad...
I went skiing on Wednesday night at Snow Valley with Peter, Jenilee and people Jenilee works with. They have cheap lift pass/rental deals from 7-9, which was nice. I spent the first while tying to snowboard. Yeah, that didn't go so well. I hurt my knees rather much. :-( But the rental shop let me trade inthe snowboard for a pair of skis, so it was all good after that. I was a reasonable competant skier when I was 10 or so, and I got most of that back in a couple minutes this time. :-)
I met up with Joyce last night. I was a couple of minutes late, and when I arrived at the Starbucks on Whyte Ave, she hurried me out of there and around the corner to Perugia Salon and Spa for a surprise manicure! Apparently, she'd tried to book a massage as a "you're done your IPT!" thing, but they didn't have any openings, so she booked me a manicure instead. I am now sporting festive red nails. :-) I felt kind of bad that my nails were short, because it gave the girl very little to do to them, but the hand massage was very nice and the lotion she used made my skin all soft. :-) Later, Joyce and I went back to her place and had a reminiscing night. We went through the notes we wrote eachother in high school, which we still had. Most of the ones I wrote were during either Etudes Sociales 10 or English/World Lit 20. In the former, I complained a lot about the teacher, M. Farley. *shudder* In the latter, I talked a lot about how I was cold, hungry, tired, bored or any combination of the above. Joyce's notes were mostly from English 10 or Bio/Chem 20, and they involved a lot of talking about this guy with a goatee whom she strongly disliked, and her vaguely disorganized, quasi-existant love life. Ah, to be 15/16 again...
Because I know there are people who read this in the hopes of also knowing what Peter's been up to, I'll mention it: The usual. He's been spending time reading microfilmed Uruguayan newspapers, playing World of Warcraft (though less now than previous weeks) and attempting semi-fuitlessly to buy people Christmas gifts. ^_^
Anyway, it's after noon now, so I should get my butt in gear and go do holiday-esque things. Merry, merry, and I'll see people tomorrow night!
Christmas preparations are coming along, though I'd prefer they be finished. I still have a handful of gifts to buy. And then I have to wrap them all. I really like wrapping gifts, though, so that won't be a problem. Peter is apparently going out to search for a gift for me today. I wonder if he'll succeed. I still have no idea what to get his dad...
I went skiing on Wednesday night at Snow Valley with Peter, Jenilee and people Jenilee works with. They have cheap lift pass/rental deals from 7-9, which was nice. I spent the first while tying to snowboard. Yeah, that didn't go so well. I hurt my knees rather much. :-( But the rental shop let me trade inthe snowboard for a pair of skis, so it was all good after that. I was a reasonable competant skier when I was 10 or so, and I got most of that back in a couple minutes this time. :-)
I met up with Joyce last night. I was a couple of minutes late, and when I arrived at the Starbucks on Whyte Ave, she hurried me out of there and around the corner to Perugia Salon and Spa for a surprise manicure! Apparently, she'd tried to book a massage as a "you're done your IPT!" thing, but they didn't have any openings, so she booked me a manicure instead. I am now sporting festive red nails. :-) I felt kind of bad that my nails were short, because it gave the girl very little to do to them, but the hand massage was very nice and the lotion she used made my skin all soft. :-) Later, Joyce and I went back to her place and had a reminiscing night. We went through the notes we wrote eachother in high school, which we still had. Most of the ones I wrote were during either Etudes Sociales 10 or English/World Lit 20. In the former, I complained a lot about the teacher, M. Farley. *shudder* In the latter, I talked a lot about how I was cold, hungry, tired, bored or any combination of the above. Joyce's notes were mostly from English 10 or Bio/Chem 20, and they involved a lot of talking about this guy with a goatee whom she strongly disliked, and her vaguely disorganized, quasi-existant love life. Ah, to be 15/16 again...
Because I know there are people who read this in the hopes of also knowing what Peter's been up to, I'll mention it: The usual. He's been spending time reading microfilmed Uruguayan newspapers, playing World of Warcraft (though less now than previous weeks) and attempting semi-fuitlessly to buy people Christmas gifts. ^_^
Anyway, it's after noon now, so I should get my butt in gear and go do holiday-esque things. Merry, merry, and I'll see people tomorrow night!
12/21/2006
I'm Alive and Such
Just a note because I haven't posted in about a week. I'm alive and well, though sore from skiing last night. I have been trying to catch up on my blog reading, but haven't gotten through everybody's. I hope I e-mailed everybody who might want to come on Saturday for wings and (*sigh*) pool. If not, yell at me! Man, my ex had a pool table and after nearly two years of dating him and trying to learn to play, I still can't always hit the cue ball.
Anyway, I will post more later. I promise!
Anyway, I will post more later. I promise!
12/14/2006
3... 2... 1...
So here I am on my second-last day of my IPT. Sitting next to me is a box of animal crackers that have been made into vaguely Grinch-spahed designs (a stocking, a wreath and a house) with holes in the top and a bag of "Finger Paint Decoration Frosting" in the box so that they can be billed as "Decorate-it-yourself Edible Ornaments." There are two more boxes in the cage upstairs. At least I know that they were a gift.
Also upstairs is my final evaluation, which says that I pass and which I have signed. Not that there was ever a concern that I wouldn't pass, but now it's official. Or, it will be once my mentor teacher and facilitator sign it and it gets put through the University beurocracy so that I can be officially assigned a mark of "Credit." Today was my deadline for handing in the script analysis assignment for any mark whatsoever (which was due a week ago, and which my mentor teacher is still making them do for a mark of ) if they haven't done it yet), and today were the last performances of the Reader's Theatre/Radio Plays scenes. So now all I have to do is a bit of marking, some tallying and some recording while I host detention this afternoon. Tomorrow, we play games. You can waste a remarkable amount of time playing Space Jump. I really wish that I didn't have to host detention this afternoon, but there are a dozen or so kids who still haven't handed in their assignments (!) and a few kids who were being ridiculously disruptive during performances today. The former just need to be supervised while they worth, and the latter will just be lectured for five minutes or so, though, so it won't be that troublesome, but it means I have to stay here until at least 4:30, which I've been trying to cut down on.
The School Co-ordinator (and VP) organized a little catered lunch for the three student teachers and their four mentor teachers today. Yay, free food! ^_^ We talked about Inclusive Education for part of it, and it turned out that, if I am as horrible a person as my prof would probably have considered me, then at least I wasn't the only one in that room. ;-) My mentor teacher says he's buying me lunch tomorrow, too, which is nice. There was supposed to be a pizza party for the cast of The Grinch tomorrow, which I would then partake in, but that had to be rescheduled because the student "Fear Factor" eating competition is in here every lunch hour this week. The stuff they have to eat isn't all that gross, though; today, it was oysters and cranberries. That actually sounds like it could be pretty good, what with the saltiness of of the oysets, and the sweet/tangy flavour of the cranberries. Apparently, the contestants didn't much mind it, either. So, anyway, my mentor teacher said that he'd buy me pizza from the cafeteria, since it's Pizza Friday tomorrow, and we'd have that instead. ^_^
A very odd thought just crossed my mind. All the emoticon faces that are used in typing are always leaning to the left. Nobody ever types (-: or q-; Actually, the second one there looks rather better than ;-p, I'd say. The wink looks happier, rather than just being a closed eye. I guess the reason for the left-leaning thing is probably that seeing ( or ) before other text is visually much more suggestive of actual brackets. Hmmm...
35 minutes until the bell rings for the end of the school day. Maybe I'll take a nap on the love seat. I forgot my glasses and don't feel like squinting at marking sheets right now.
Also upstairs is my final evaluation, which says that I pass and which I have signed. Not that there was ever a concern that I wouldn't pass, but now it's official. Or, it will be once my mentor teacher and facilitator sign it and it gets put through the University beurocracy so that I can be officially assigned a mark of "Credit." Today was my deadline for handing in the script analysis assignment for any mark whatsoever (which was due a week ago, and which my mentor teacher is still making them do for a mark of ) if they haven't done it yet), and today were the last performances of the Reader's Theatre/Radio Plays scenes. So now all I have to do is a bit of marking, some tallying and some recording while I host detention this afternoon. Tomorrow, we play games. You can waste a remarkable amount of time playing Space Jump. I really wish that I didn't have to host detention this afternoon, but there are a dozen or so kids who still haven't handed in their assignments (!) and a few kids who were being ridiculously disruptive during performances today. The former just need to be supervised while they worth, and the latter will just be lectured for five minutes or so, though, so it won't be that troublesome, but it means I have to stay here until at least 4:30, which I've been trying to cut down on.
The School Co-ordinator (and VP) organized a little catered lunch for the three student teachers and their four mentor teachers today. Yay, free food! ^_^ We talked about Inclusive Education for part of it, and it turned out that, if I am as horrible a person as my prof would probably have considered me, then at least I wasn't the only one in that room. ;-) My mentor teacher says he's buying me lunch tomorrow, too, which is nice. There was supposed to be a pizza party for the cast of The Grinch tomorrow, which I would then partake in, but that had to be rescheduled because the student "Fear Factor" eating competition is in here every lunch hour this week. The stuff they have to eat isn't all that gross, though; today, it was oysters and cranberries. That actually sounds like it could be pretty good, what with the saltiness of of the oysets, and the sweet/tangy flavour of the cranberries. Apparently, the contestants didn't much mind it, either. So, anyway, my mentor teacher said that he'd buy me pizza from the cafeteria, since it's Pizza Friday tomorrow, and we'd have that instead. ^_^
A very odd thought just crossed my mind. All the emoticon faces that are used in typing are always leaning to the left. Nobody ever types (-: or q-; Actually, the second one there looks rather better than ;-p, I'd say. The wink looks happier, rather than just being a closed eye. I guess the reason for the left-leaning thing is probably that seeing ( or ) before other text is visually much more suggestive of actual brackets. Hmmm...
35 minutes until the bell rings for the end of the school day. Maybe I'll take a nap on the love seat. I forgot my glasses and don't feel like squinting at marking sheets right now.
12/11/2006
Four More Days!
I feel much better now that I have spent the weekend sleeping. Friday night, I went to bed at 12:30 and I woke up at 3:30 Saturday afternoon. I had a pounding headache, but I really needed the rest, it seemed, since I slept from 11:00 to 9:00 that night, too.
I have just recently been realizing that I have a lot of students with learning disabilities. I really wish someone had told me. I have also just recently been realizing that I have kids coming to class high. These two realizations are getting in each other's way in terms of classroom management. Bah...
Hmmm... What can I talk about that's not related to my student teaching? Peter and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary by going out to Jack's Grill last Tuesday. It was a nice evening. :-) Peter had been fretting over what to do next year for the majority of the day, so a good meal and some wine were what he needed. ^_^ As for that, he's probably going to stay around and take some interdisciplinary courses, like Stats, Polisci and more Spanish, just to round himself out in preparationg for his PhD. He recently discovered that the application deadlines for a lot of the places he was considering have either passed or are coming up really quickly, so an extra year gives him time to get that organized, too, and really decide where he wants to go.
I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet. I've been way too busy. I have ideas of what to get most people, though, so it shouldn't be too hard. Plus, my parents took pity on my and gave me allowance, now that I'm unemployed, so I can actually afford to buy gifts for people. Yay!
I'm thisclose to being fully moved in. Of all the things to not be able to find places for, I'm down to the following: picture frames, my CD wallet and an old Care Bears calendar (it's from 2005, but it's all retro-y) that's really cute and I don't want to get rid of just yet. And my slippers, I guess, but I don't know if those really need a place to live. I also have some school stuff from this past semester that I need to sort through so that I can file what I want to keep, but I at least know what I'm going to be doing with that stuff once I get through it. And there isn't really much I want to keep, except my Drama "Handbookes."
Christmas will be a quiet affair this year, which saddens me greatly. Peter is going to Calgary, and my sister and her wife are staying in Vancouver, so it'll just be my brother, my parents and I. I've always wanted busy Christmases with lots of people, but my parents aren't so fond of it. :-( Maybe that's why I've always wanted it. I remember saying to my mom many years ago that I wished that I could spend Christmas with my friends, and her very discouraging reply was "But do they want to spend the time with you?" I guess I just like the focus to be on spending time with people, rather than the food or the ceremony, which my parents are big on. Anybody want to come to my house for Christmas? There'll be more food than you can shake a stick at, and you can come check out my new and rather spiffy house! Anyone? Anyone...? Ohh... :*-(
I have just recently been realizing that I have a lot of students with learning disabilities. I really wish someone had told me. I have also just recently been realizing that I have kids coming to class high. These two realizations are getting in each other's way in terms of classroom management. Bah...
Hmmm... What can I talk about that's not related to my student teaching? Peter and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary by going out to Jack's Grill last Tuesday. It was a nice evening. :-) Peter had been fretting over what to do next year for the majority of the day, so a good meal and some wine were what he needed. ^_^ As for that, he's probably going to stay around and take some interdisciplinary courses, like Stats, Polisci and more Spanish, just to round himself out in preparationg for his PhD. He recently discovered that the application deadlines for a lot of the places he was considering have either passed or are coming up really quickly, so an extra year gives him time to get that organized, too, and really decide where he wants to go.
I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet. I've been way too busy. I have ideas of what to get most people, though, so it shouldn't be too hard. Plus, my parents took pity on my and gave me allowance, now that I'm unemployed, so I can actually afford to buy gifts for people. Yay!
I'm thisclose to being fully moved in. Of all the things to not be able to find places for, I'm down to the following: picture frames, my CD wallet and an old Care Bears calendar (it's from 2005, but it's all retro-y) that's really cute and I don't want to get rid of just yet. And my slippers, I guess, but I don't know if those really need a place to live. I also have some school stuff from this past semester that I need to sort through so that I can file what I want to keep, but I at least know what I'm going to be doing with that stuff once I get through it. And there isn't really much I want to keep, except my Drama "Handbookes."
Christmas will be a quiet affair this year, which saddens me greatly. Peter is going to Calgary, and my sister and her wife are staying in Vancouver, so it'll just be my brother, my parents and I. I've always wanted busy Christmases with lots of people, but my parents aren't so fond of it. :-( Maybe that's why I've always wanted it. I remember saying to my mom many years ago that I wished that I could spend Christmas with my friends, and her very discouraging reply was "But do they want to spend the time with you?" I guess I just like the focus to be on spending time with people, rather than the food or the ceremony, which my parents are big on. Anybody want to come to my house for Christmas? There'll be more food than you can shake a stick at, and you can come check out my new and rather spiffy house! Anyone? Anyone...? Ohh... :*-(
12/04/2006
Hooker/Forwards... Tip?
So I figured I'd write an actual post instead of a list of things I should have all ready known. Well, that and I'm procrastinating writing my mid-point self-evaluation. I wonder if I should mention that when I write it?
Things are going well, though I'm really tired. I sent a kid to the office for the first time today. I didn't actually mean to send him to the office, but he was refusing to work and I finally had to tell him to either work or go to the office, and he went to the office without even batting an eyelash. he was having a bad day, I guess--at the beginning of class, he took a 0 on his scene presentation rather than attempt and fail it. Maybe he was in a bad mood about his low mark in Math.
Ok, so that was not a necessary remark. ^_^
The performances of How the Grinch Stole Christmas are this week, and since there are morning shows for school field trips, classes are being messed up. I have to teach my classes in the Music room tomorrow and cover my mentor teacher's CALM class. I have no idea what the 6 Drama 20 students who aren't in the play will be doing during second block. As long as they don't hurt themselves, damage equipment or tick off an administrator, though, I'm not too worried, and I doubt they'll do any of that. Or, well... They're a lot better than my Drama 10s, at the very least. ^_^
I've got my kids working on a script analysis assignment right now. One kid so far has questioned its validity. I was honestly expecting more, but I haven't gotten any. For some reason, though, the concept of writing a Character Bone Structure seems to really confuse them. For example: "But, the scene doesn't say what colour his hair is!" He's a man in his 30s; his hair could be brown, black, blonde or even red. Choose one that occurs naturally with the eye colour you've chosen for him. I guess it would be easier if they knew how to interpret information from the script, eg, the character who talks about hating to pay property taxes that support social programs for the poor is probably more of a Conservative, economically speaking. Apply that to the parts of the Bone Structure that ask about his political bent and economic status. I worry that this may be me being a "bad teacher," but past a certain point, the only way to learn how to do something is to do it. After having gone through the script with the class and answering every question the students had about the assignment sheet, they need to work on their own. They have to be able to follow instructions, rather than only answering a question when they're sure they've been given the right answer, lest they waste time thinking or writing stuff they don't need to. Ok, getting a little bitter now.
In news outside of my student teaching, Wednesday is Peter and I's three-year anniversary. We're celebrating tommorrow (Tuesday), though, since on Wednesday Peter will be playing WOW and I'll be scrambling to get my next assignment organized to give to my students on Thursday. Reader's Theatre. I don't know how they'll like that. Anyway, we've decided to go to Jack's Grill to celebrate. I should think of a gift to get him, I guess. I mean, I have gift ideas for Peter for Christmas and such, but for an anniversary, I want to give him something to which his reaction won't be "Very Nice!" or "Great Success!" (Have all you guys seen that movie? It's so wrong, but so, so funny. ^_^) But I guess I've procrastinated long enough and now I shall go work. :-(
Things are going well, though I'm really tired. I sent a kid to the office for the first time today. I didn't actually mean to send him to the office, but he was refusing to work and I finally had to tell him to either work or go to the office, and he went to the office without even batting an eyelash. he was having a bad day, I guess--at the beginning of class, he took a 0 on his scene presentation rather than attempt and fail it. Maybe he was in a bad mood about his low mark in Math.
Ok, so that was not a necessary remark. ^_^
The performances of How the Grinch Stole Christmas are this week, and since there are morning shows for school field trips, classes are being messed up. I have to teach my classes in the Music room tomorrow and cover my mentor teacher's CALM class. I have no idea what the 6 Drama 20 students who aren't in the play will be doing during second block. As long as they don't hurt themselves, damage equipment or tick off an administrator, though, I'm not too worried, and I doubt they'll do any of that. Or, well... They're a lot better than my Drama 10s, at the very least. ^_^
I've got my kids working on a script analysis assignment right now. One kid so far has questioned its validity. I was honestly expecting more, but I haven't gotten any. For some reason, though, the concept of writing a Character Bone Structure seems to really confuse them. For example: "But, the scene doesn't say what colour his hair is!" He's a man in his 30s; his hair could be brown, black, blonde or even red. Choose one that occurs naturally with the eye colour you've chosen for him. I guess it would be easier if they knew how to interpret information from the script, eg, the character who talks about hating to pay property taxes that support social programs for the poor is probably more of a Conservative, economically speaking. Apply that to the parts of the Bone Structure that ask about his political bent and economic status. I worry that this may be me being a "bad teacher," but past a certain point, the only way to learn how to do something is to do it. After having gone through the script with the class and answering every question the students had about the assignment sheet, they need to work on their own. They have to be able to follow instructions, rather than only answering a question when they're sure they've been given the right answer, lest they waste time thinking or writing stuff they don't need to. Ok, getting a little bitter now.
In news outside of my student teaching, Wednesday is Peter and I's three-year anniversary. We're celebrating tommorrow (Tuesday), though, since on Wednesday Peter will be playing WOW and I'll be scrambling to get my next assignment organized to give to my students on Thursday. Reader's Theatre. I don't know how they'll like that. Anyway, we've decided to go to Jack's Grill to celebrate. I should think of a gift to get him, I guess. I mean, I have gift ideas for Peter for Christmas and such, but for an anniversary, I want to give him something to which his reaction won't be "Very Nice!" or "Great Success!" (Have all you guys seen that movie? It's so wrong, but so, so funny. ^_^) But I guess I've procrastinated long enough and now I shall go work. :-(
12/03/2006
Things My Very First PD Day Taught Me
1. PD Days are pointless.
2. Free breakfasts are nice.
3. Budgetary concerns are omnipresent and not worth picking apart--work with what you have while working to get more money. Grousing does nothing.
4. Free lunches are also nice.
5. Deparment meetings are unpleasant.
6. My mentor teacher is argumentative.
7. All kinds of people become teachers, and that doesn't change the kinds of people they are--sycophants, misanthropes, cowards...
8. Respect is an odd thing.
2. Free breakfasts are nice.
3. Budgetary concerns are omnipresent and not worth picking apart--work with what you have while working to get more money. Grousing does nothing.
4. Free lunches are also nice.
5. Deparment meetings are unpleasant.
6. My mentor teacher is argumentative.
7. All kinds of people become teachers, and that doesn't change the kinds of people they are--sycophants, misanthropes, cowards...
8. Respect is an odd thing.
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