Friday Five

Another Friday, another five

1. So my students had practice ISTEP essays to write and several of them were really good. So I decided to make a top author bulletin board to display their hard work. One of the boys comes up to me and informs me that he purposely tried to make his essay suck because he "hates busy work." I didn't know whether or not to take his essay down or leave it up. I didn't think it was busy work. Busy work is doing loads of workbook pages that really don't relate to anything else you are doing in class. Oh well whether or not he tried, the essay was good.

2. Two football players told me at different times this week that they have actually finished their second books this year. I was not really impressed since they have to read outside of my class as a requirement. Then they both told me that they have never finished a book before. One boy even said he liked Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers so much and since his new one Sunrise over Fallujah is never in to check out; he had his mom order it online. Imagine that. It made up for the busy work essay.

3. One of the students I have who was not turning in any work is suddenly turning in his work because his father talked with him. Sometimes parents don't care or it doesn't work for them to talk to kids but this one did. I wish this dad could talk to some of my other students.

4. I'm dreading today because tonight is the big rivalry game between our school and another local school. I know my football players and I have a lot of them, will not be paying attention today. On the day of a football game they are drinking this electrolyte stuff to help them keep from dehydrating during the game. The only problem is that they then have to go to the bathroom all day long. What makes things worse is our team is looking good this year and everyone will be overly stimulated. I just pray the day goes quickly.

5. My son's first tennis match is next week. He is really improving. In 6th grade his tennis team won 1 game and lost 10, last year they won 10 and only lost 1, and this year they are "aiming for perfection" as their tennis shirts say. I hope they do well but they lost several talented 8th graders from last year who are now in high school. This year they all put nicknames on their shirts and my son put big bubba on his shirt. Makes a mommy proud.

Friday Five

Friday is here and here is my Friday Five:

1. No more sleeping in for awhile. Schools starts next week but since I am a new employee to the school I have to start a few days earlier. I am ready to get back to work though because just sitting around the house is driving me crazy.

2. I was watching the Samantha Brown travel special last night about China. She went to a Giant Panda rescue place and she actually got to hold one of the pandas. I would be scared but it would also be so cool to hold a panda. I am not good with names but she also went to a city that still had the original city wall mostly intact from 5000 years ago. The city wall was to keep the attacking Mongolians out of the city. I would love to see the history of China first hand but that would be years from now for me.

3. Laurie Halse Anderson's write for 15 minutes a day challenge has ended. I will still be writing each day because I think this month really inspired me to get in that habit. I will miss her prompts for writing every day but I can think of some things on my own.

4. Monday night I had a work night with the IUSWP for our grant and writing conference next year. At first I was dreading doing all of the work that I had volunteered for but after Monday I feel better about things. It was fun to reconnect with friends. IUSWP stands for Indiana University Southeast Writing Project and it is actually one of the oldest professional development systems for teachers, not the IUS branch but Writing Project in general. Each summer teachers take a 4 week intensive class aimed at improving writing skills for students. You end up making life long friends because we write every day of the class and share our own writings. If you are a teacher or librarian you should check out the National Writing Project on the web.

5. My last item is actually a call for prayer. We need to pray over our schools as kids head back in the next weeks. A prayer of protection from violence but also a prayer that the new president will take a serious look at the No Child Left Behind Law and make the needed changes to help the students. We should really look at the candidates and see where they stand on issues like education and helping the poor. That is as political as this blog will ever get, hopefully.

Friday Five

1. I found myself watching the reruns of Golden Girls this week after hearing about Estelle Getty's passing. I remember watching this show with my grandma Palmer. She loved it and although I hated to admit it at the time I liked it too. Sophia's wisecracks were the best. After hearing about how hard her life had been lately, I hope she has found some peace.

2. I have a training day today at my new school and I am not looking forward to going. I hate those one day training sessions where they throw everything at you and expect you to remember it and use it for years to come. Get real, especially since this is a computer program I will be needing help along the way.

3. My niece went to the Jonas Bros. concert in Indianapolis Wednesday night and called me Thursday full of stories. She is as crazy over these boys as I was over New Kids on the Block and Michael Jackson at her age. It's funny how we get so crazy over someone when we are young and then when we are older we realize that they are not who we thought they were. This is especially true of Michael Jackson for me. I thought he was the sexiest man alive and they way he danced was unbelievable. My dad always tried to tell me that something wasn't right about him but I kept dreaming about marrying him some day. That dream now makes my toes curl.

4. I have to make myself work on the book that I am trying to write because I can't just give up on it. I think because I started at the end of the story and then had the character flashback that is the reason why I am struggling with the story. I don't know the next step or issues to get the characters to the ultimate conflict. Maybe I am being foolish by thinking that I can write. I don't know.

5. I am anxious for our new church to be ready for use but we have had a set back with the front doors. The company claimed that the doors were solid wood but they are sadly not. So now we have to wait on new front doors to be installed before we can move in the equipment for church services. It is a beautiful building and I am so excited to see our first service take place in the new building. We have waited a long time for this to finally happen and here it is just a few weeks away. First we had trouble finding the land to build on, then it was problems with the blueprints, and now the front doors but God is in control.

Have a blessed weekend and I will blog at you on Monday.

Friday Five

Friday Five-

1. It is another Friday closer to school starting here and I am not sure if I am scared or excited. I have most of the work done so far but I could still use another week to be fully prepared for classes.

2. My husband started a myspace for the young adults in our church and he is doing a daily scripture for them to read on his blog. He has people viewing his blogs and I think it is a good tool to use because some of them will going off to college this fall. It seems like just yesterday they were in middle school and we were just starting as youth pastors. Where did the time go? I know they are all going to be just fine because they are a great bunch of kids.

3. My niece has tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert and they were trying to get me to take her. Luckily I have an appointment and cannot take her. It makes me remember going to see New Kids on the Block when I was in school. My friend Stefanie's father got the tickets and drove four wild girls to the concert. We had a blast and lost our voices all in the same night. I hope my niece has as much fun at her concert.

4. Tomorrow I am having some ladies over to my house for a night of fun. I haven't planned everything out just yet but I know we will have fun. The husbands are meeting at another house to watch UFC videos.

5. MOMMA MIA!!!! opens tonight in theatres and I will be there singing along. I wanted to see the play when I went to New York but I was there during the strike so none of the shows were playing. I love Meryl and Colin too so it will be awesome to see the movie. The only thing better would be if it were January because Wicked comes to Louisville and I am so totally going.

Have a great weekend!!!!! Be adventuresome and try something new.