It’s just been one of those days, where the minute I stepped out of my apartment, I dropped my thermos cup filled with soymilk. I proceeded to stand there, glazed eyed, as a milky, white geyser exploded. Then I closed my car door in such a way as to get my bangs trapped in it. My tongue got all tied up as I commanded, "Take out your paypels and penshils". On my way to lunch I got the living daylights scared out of me by a squirrel scrambling out of the bushes. And now I see dried soymilk spots dotting my black skirt.
Just one of those days.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sweet and sour
My students will soon read a novel called Beacause of Winn Dixie. In the book, there's a candy that has a peculiar taste.
I was worried about the concept of a candy embodying both sweetness and sorrow being too abstract and romantic for my monkeys to grasp. But I was wrong, very wrong. Here are some quotes I've uncovered from their life journals:
"My sister got my parents mad and moved out. They are nice to me but if I do anything bad at school or something they get furious at me because they have no one else to be mad at." - Kate
"I like I have no one to go to. Inside of me everyday is like hell for my heart! My heart needs love and it's dieing without it."- Evelyn
"Well I am doing good right now. PS. but WOW! some of my classmates are going through a lot of things." - Jose
Lesson plan: Describe a food that symbolizes something more than just food, like in Winn Dixie. It can be a meal that reminds you of a person, another time, or place.
Extra Credit: Bring enough of the food you wrote about for everybody in the class to sample, including Ms. Won.
"There's a secret ingredient in there,"Miss Franny said.
"I know it," I told her. "I can taste it. What is it?"
"Sorrow," Miss Franny said. "Not everybody can taste it. Children, especially, seem to have a hard time knowing it's there."
"But how do you put that it in a piece of candy?" I asked her.
"That's the secret," she said. "That's why Littmus made a fortune. He
manufactured a piece of candy that tasted sweet and sad at the same time."
I was worried about the concept of a candy embodying both sweetness and sorrow being too abstract and romantic for my monkeys to grasp. But I was wrong, very wrong. Here are some quotes I've uncovered from their life journals:
"My sister got my parents mad and moved out. They are nice to me but if I do anything bad at school or something they get furious at me because they have no one else to be mad at." - Kate
"I like I have no one to go to. Inside of me everyday is like hell for my heart! My heart needs love and it's dieing without it."- Evelyn
"Well I am doing good right now. PS. but WOW! some of my classmates are going through a lot of things." - Jose
Lesson plan: Describe a food that symbolizes something more than just food, like in Winn Dixie. It can be a meal that reminds you of a person, another time, or place.
Extra Credit: Bring enough of the food you wrote about for everybody in the class to sample, including Ms. Won.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Meditation
My usual morning walk to the main office consists of navigating through a swarm of 2,000 students. But on a rare day like today, I come early enough to see the hallways devoid of crowds and activity. The already warm morning embraces me with the promise of a blisteringly hot day. The pale, yellow green leaves show off their neon glow when the sunlight hits them. All I hear is the rhythmic clacking of my heels in the hallway.
In the quiet, I could hear my hopes whispering. That today may be a memorable day. That the lesson will go according to plan, or wonderfully, magically veer off course. That I waste not a drop of opportunity with my kids. As the searing sun lifts the morning mist, the silent prayers evaporate also. The day unfolds and begins.
In the quiet, I could hear my hopes whispering. That today may be a memorable day. That the lesson will go according to plan, or wonderfully, magically veer off course. That I waste not a drop of opportunity with my kids. As the searing sun lifts the morning mist, the silent prayers evaporate also. The day unfolds and begins.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Quick Fix
If Thursday is the new Friday, then why does going out on Thursday night always lead to inevitable regret? Friday morning found me baggy eyed and half zombied. And of course that is the day that all middle school students decide to join forces and be on their craziest behavior.
Friday is also the day that I have a weekly raffle. Popsicle sticks with students' names written on it are picked randomly and given a prize if they've been good. Problem was that I was completely out of candy. Zip, zero, not even a tiny jolly rancher rolling around in the cabinet, nada.
With period 1 commencing in mere minutes, I bolted out of my classroom in heels and knocked on every nearby door.
"Do you *gasp* have any candy in your classroom? Sorry, sorry for bothering you."
"Uh, candy, like what kind?"
"Oh my god, anything, any old easter or valentines candy. Maybe 10 or more if you have it. Anything please!"
"Let me check," says a teacher, eying me strangely. I hear the bottom of a drawer being scraped. "Thank you! Thank you! I REALLY needed this!" I say as I grab a handful of old, crusty tootsie rolls.
Today, I found this teacher and thanked her for her generiosity. She nodded understandingly and shared, "You know, sometimes I just need candy badly too. Just one of those days, and you feel like you'll die without that sugar rush. So, did you enjoy it?"
Friday is also the day that I have a weekly raffle. Popsicle sticks with students' names written on it are picked randomly and given a prize if they've been good. Problem was that I was completely out of candy. Zip, zero, not even a tiny jolly rancher rolling around in the cabinet, nada.
With period 1 commencing in mere minutes, I bolted out of my classroom in heels and knocked on every nearby door.
"Do you *gasp* have any candy in your classroom? Sorry, sorry for bothering you."
"Uh, candy, like what kind?"
"Oh my god, anything, any old easter or valentines candy. Maybe 10 or more if you have it. Anything please!"
"Let me check," says a teacher, eying me strangely. I hear the bottom of a drawer being scraped. "Thank you! Thank you! I REALLY needed this!" I say as I grab a handful of old, crusty tootsie rolls.
Today, I found this teacher and thanked her for her generiosity. She nodded understandingly and shared, "You know, sometimes I just need candy badly too. Just one of those days, and you feel like you'll die without that sugar rush. So, did you enjoy it?"
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