Miscellaneous Missives

My first hour class sometimes proves to be frustrating.  Today was one of those days.  I often try to figure out if their apathy, confusion, and/or spaciness is a result of my teaching, the time of the day, or their lack of attention and/or motivation.  My frustration was heightened this morning.  After discussing why I chose the colors for the three note sheets and showing the above notebook slide, I asked the students to hold the first sheet of notes in their hand.  Five student held up either red or yellow.  Really?  After explaining first place was typically blue, second place red, and third place yellow (sometimes white) and showing the sheets in order with the picture of the ribbons, five people could not hold up the blue note sheet.  Honestly, I don't know where to go at this point.  How will seventh graders that can't figure out the first sheet is going to be blue after the explanation be able to comprehend and paraphrase informati...

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S2915006.shtml?cat=12196 "Yep, sometimes I even surprise myself" was my status update on the way to the gym.  I spent at over and hour debating whether or not I was a strong enough person to deal with the weather (below zero wind chills) and make the trip across town to the midtown gym for class or merely go to my gym (closer) and hit the treadmill.  While some Minnesotans embrace the cold weather, I merely tolerate it.  Finally, I decided that tomorrow was going to be colder and that I needed to work my core, so I headed to Midtown.  As I drove home, I was rewarded for my efforts.  A text from my neighbor stated that we were without power.  From the time of the text, it appeared that it had been out for at least thirty minutes.  When I sent a text to see if it was still out, the answer was affirmative.  The extent of the outage was also apparent as I realized most everything west of Hennepin was also out. ...

A couple of days ago when I checked in at the YWCA with my card (25 times in January win a prize), the guy behind the desk said, "You're almost there."  I asked about the prize.  Although I don't remember his exact words, he reminded me that they were a non-profit.  Honestly, I appreciate and embrace the non-profit status, but it helped me to realize the my prize probably wouldn't be a million dollars as another desk attendee had told me a week ago.  The mixed messages did not keep me from making sure I made my twenty-five visits.  Tonight was my twenty-fifth visit to the gym.  I handed my card to the attendee and asked for my million dollars.  Mr. Tattoo (This super nice guy even has tattoos all over his head.) told me I could exchange my card for a water bottle at the back desk.  Even though I was a bit disappointed in my prize, I had noticed more water bottles around, so I had a feeling it would be my prize.  When I received my water bo...

Although I still have to make two trips (tonight and tomorrow) to the gym to collect my prize for attending twenty-five times in January, I'm considering January finished.  I've been listening to my December Mix for two months, so I made a new mix for January February yesterday.  Obviously, January has gone a bit too fast for me since I entitled the mix January Mix instead of February Mix.  It is, however, the February mix, and I'm looking forward to it.  I even found my Spin Doctors CD for one of the songs. Kryptonite                            3 Doors Down Let's Go                                Calvin Harris (feat. Ne-Yo) Paint it Black      ...

This trailer is a bit of a spoiler. As I was leaving church, one of my favorite church members told me I had to watch this documentary.  I'm not a movie person.  In fact, I'm not sure that I can remember the last movie I watched.  When he told me I had to watch it, for some reason I wrote down the title and looked it up.  Since the movie was only 90 minutes (or so) long, I decided to rent it via iTunes and watch the first half while on the treadmill.  Before I left for the gym, I rented it from iTunes.  My account said that I had downloaded it, but I couldn't find it on my iPad.  Obviously, I don't rent movies very often.  Finally after at least thirty minutes, I called a friend for help, "I can't find the movie I rented."  Of course she was able to tell me how to find in less than thirty seconds.  Thanks to the help, I was able to watch the first half at the gym on the treadmill, now that's how to watch a movie.  The movie was g...

cokesbury.com I'm on the adult nurture committee at my church which is a bit interesting since I rarely attend the classes we plan and talk about.  Occasionally I will join a writing class or meditation class, but I basically show up at the monthly meetings and share my ideas about classes and events I don't attend.  Last Sunday we met to talk about the upcoming Lenten season.  We talked a lot about prayer and how it fits the Lenten theme (which I think has to do with breathe?).  I talked about having something that was more creative and kinesthetic.  Of course I also expressed once again that I wanted another devotion like we had a couple of years ago that we could color.  S mentioned that she had a book called Praying in Color that might fit the creative and kinesthetic functions.  At the end of the meeting, I asked if there was anything we could do.  Honestly, I think I was merely trying to be supportive and wasn't suggesting that I wante...

The seventh graders finished their "Moment in Time" (mini-memoir?) today.  Part of the assignment was to color code aspects of the Six Traits (basically sentence fluency and word choice).  While some students struggled to finish their assignments, others finished early.  My classes that sandwich lunch (sandwich, lunch, hee hee) are the most difficult.  Both classes struggle with behavior.  I often feel as though I spend most of the hour asking them to pay attention, sit down, be quiet, listen, be quiet, listen, pay attention... It is tiring having to "be on them" all the time.  I'm sure there's a better way to handle this class, but I'm also sure it's not in my personality.  Today during this class, one of my tough students (hot and cold) finished early.  When she finished, I asked her to either sit quietly and/or read.  Of course, I felt the need to follow up, "What did you decide to do now that you're finished?"  I asked.  She ...