First Day of School Excitement

So, in the true spirit of the nerd that I am, I have had one whole day away from summer school and I've found myself googling new activities for the first day of school. They have no cure for this illness of mine so I thought I'd just go with it. I actually found some really cool ones. Here are my favorites.

1. From Kim's Korner, make it all about you. Make a bulletin board about yourself. Include pictures.
2. Also from Kim's Korner, especially if some of the kids will already know you, have them fill out a KWL chart on you as you introduce yourself. (For those who have lived under a rock, this is a 3-column chart with the K column for things they KNOW about you W is for WHAT they want to know and L is for what they LEARNED.
3. KK continues with having the students "illustrate" free-form maps about her and a quiz the next day. It helps them learn how to map!
4. From Education World, use a variation of telling the students about your expectations about them to have them tell you their expectations for their teacher.
5. Also from EW, have the students fill out a questionnaire that becomes a time capsule that they compare at the end of the year.
6. How about laminating a large piece of paper and having each student sign in with one fact about them. During free time, the students can read the chart. Another EW jewel.
7. My TTF got a good one from her teacher...as each student enters the classroom, have them take as much "toilet paper" as they need...no other explanations. Now, they must write one fact about themselves to share on EACH square. Can be done with candy, too, but be careful of allergues. And TP is pretty cheap!
8. More HERE
9. And HERE for the new teachers on your staff
10. And finally HERE but skip past the ones you have to pay for to the links below

So, for all you teachers out there, enjoy.

I Was Almost Killed Yesterday

I'm still shaking. Seriously. Here's how it all went down.

I was turning into a local mall. It has a divider and then splits into a circle around the mall. I look up and in the distance police lights caught my attention. And then, I saw it. A black car was driving right at me and the police were in hot pursuit.

Here are my thoughts in order.

1. Am I on the wrong side?
2. Maybe I should turn hard and block him for the police followed by jumping out of my car, aiming my cell phone at him and screaming, "Freeze. Citizen's Arrest!"
3. MOVE OVER!

I chose #3. Wise choice. I moved over and safely made it to the mall. My heart was pounding so hard I could hardly breathe.

Shoot. I could have been on the 6 o'clock news.

What Monica Needs....Ordered by Julie

1. Monica needs a job. Does teaching not qualify as a job anymore?
2. Monica needs new holes in her skin? Um, what?
3. Monica needs another dress washed. Fitting. I don't wear dresses. However, I do own them.
4. Monica needs more scrubbing. I promise I took a shower this morning.
5. Monica needs a Bicycle Master Plan. That's just what I've been saying all along. I haven't ridden one in decades, but wouldn't riding a bike be just like falling off a bike? Something you never forget how to do?
6. Monica needs forgiving. And there it is. All the others were just softening me up for the real suggestion.
7. Monica needs to die her hair a darker shade. I made that suggestion myself, but the summer months are not the ones to do that. Besides, blondes don't have to work as hard. Like, OMG, right?
8. Monica needs new PR. See #6.
9. Monica needs to eat something. You know what? I am hungry. Wow. Google does know everything.

So, I'm off for a PB&J! Do you think Google knows it's apple jelly?

The End of Summer School

I can't believe it's finally here. Summer school is over. We give the exams to the non-exempts tomorrow and then it's over. But not really.

Then we have to haul a truckload of materials and supplies back to our high school and haul them into our rooms. I've already informed Nik that she's getting up to help. In the 100+ degree heat, it should be good times.

Then we will drag ourselves home and hope for a short nap of exhaustion. Funny thing about those kinds of naps. You never feel refreshed after them. Nope. You just feel like another nap.

And a kid actually told me today that it was "not my job" to call his father when he didn't show up. Are you kidding me? Not my job? So, when I don't call, I'm wrong. Thank you, oh thou wise teen. I am so glad you are enlightened enough to know MY JOB! Hmmm. I guess no one would have called if he'd been in class.

Ah, but I digress.

Speaking of ... my new background

I don't know what to think. Love it? Hate it? It's from Leelou like Julie's, but I have no clue how to make it have a link. Julie? Next tutorial? It is really hard to believe I actually minored in computer science for two semesters in college.

Speaking of....Daughters

My daughter has a boyfriend and I turned the Big 40 all in one summer. Could there be a crueler combination? I think not.

Now, don't get me wrong. She's 15 so I guess she's old enough to have one of those. And he seems to be a sweetheart (but I'm not holding my breath). But she's still my baby.

And I've known all my life that eventually I'd turn 40, but there's just something about it that I don't like.

I think it's the fact that my eye doctor also told me, with a smirk, that my eyes were aging so he'd adjust my contacts so I wouldn't have to hold things so far away from my face to see them. And at my yearly my doctor suggested I buy stock in Premarin and Tylenol PM. The bottoms of my feet have no padding left...it's all gone to my hips. Need I say more?

I guess I should be thankful. My hubby will ALWAYS be WAY older than I am! HA! I win!

Now, I'll just grab my walker and scoot into the kitchen for sugarfree jello and pudding. Yum!