Feeling Successful!!!

Finally I feel like I have accomplished something in terms of getting ready for school! After our two days of PBIS training it reminded me of the CHAMPS training and how I wanted to have clear CHAMPS expectations in place for all of the activities that go on in my class before school started. I had started some in our May meeting so it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I'm proud to say that I now have my classroom guide sheet ready to go - with my Heart expectations and my classroom rules (developed in the CHAMPS training) in there. I also made cute (emphasis on cute after all I am a girl) signs with the CHAMPS (communication, help, activity, movement, participation) expectations for all 7 of the different transitional activities we will do in mr room from test/quiz to lab to teacher directed activity.

All in all I feel pretty good. What really stinks is now that I have spent three hours typing I have no way to print them off since our printer died its long and dramatic death this summer. When I send things to school I lose my cool fonts I have here at home. Oh well - Maybe I can convince my husband a new printer in necessary for my sanity. He usually seems to be willing to shell out money if I mention it will help my sanity - I wonder why?

Feeling a little out of shape!

Okay - just got back from Colorado and while there it seems I was with the "running" group. Now, back in April I did do the Memorial Marathon (yes, the full one) and I felt thrilled with myself. Thrilled enough in fact that I had my bib number and medal framed (dorky I know). So.. to get back to the point I was feeling like I was in pretty good shape - I go to the gym 6 out of 7 days and always walk 4-5 miles on the treadmill among other things. But in CO I was up against Pete - the 10 mile runner, Dana the 5 mile runner, Emily the 5 mile runner, Jennifer the 6-8 mile runner - you're seeing the pattern here - runner right. I'm a walker - usually I'm proud of that, but up against all of those runners it sounded, well, a little wimpy.

So...just got back from the gym where I'm proud to say instead of walking on the treadmill I ran for 25 minutes straight - no pauses. Now I don't know the milage, I was afraid to look I thought it might depress me! I came home to brag to my 14 year old - who didn't seem too thrilled - oh well!!

Just wanted to let you runners know - I'm coming for you - at this rate it may take a year or two...but I'm coming!!

Summer's Over

Okay - its 8/30 and we just finished day 2 of PBIS training and it is now clear that summer is over. Between typing up CHAMPS stuff from May for my class and getting ready for our Nuts and Bolts Presentation and trying to have my classroom looking decent and doing enrollment next week - its gone!!!

Somehow on my husband's paycheck (principal) there seemed to be a distinction indicating he really didn't have a summer and had to work - but I guessed I must have missed that pay increase on my check!!

Don't get me wrong - I'm excited about getting things started and getting ready for kids. New ideas always get you in the mood. I'm just a little worried about running out of energy.

I have just a few things I've missed this summer - I didn't make it to the pool with the kids (having one in a cast does put a crimp in your swimming style!). We didn't check out White Water - again the cast thing - what a pain he's turning out to be. Vacation-wise - Galveston for a weekend - I would have liked more, but dragging the "principal" away from his job was like trying to take the sugar from a southener's "sweet" tea! Oh well - I guess I will just revel in the wonderful meetings I have attended and gear up for another awesome school year (that is if having both my kids there doesn't kill me)!!!!!

What do you do?

What do you do with a 14 year old in a thigh high cast that REALLY needs a shower? The doctor said no showers or baths AT ALL as long as the cast is on so we have been doing the washcloth and soapy water thing and washing the hair in the sink. But let's face it he's 14 and REALLY needs a showers! If I tape a trash bag around it am I really breaking some cardnial rule of "broken bones"? Will the "Cast Gods" curse me? At this point I'm thinking of taking him outside and turning on the hose!

School starting in two weeks - am I ready or not. With an 8th grader and a 6th grader at my school its hard to say. My oldest - Mitchell was ready for his 8th grade year to be the best year ever until he broke his leg - slowly football, basketball (and everything else according to him) has slipped away. My youngest - Peyton is not sure he wants to go to his brother's school.

Its always been very easy for me not to compare siblings that I have taught since as a student I was always compared to my over-achieving and my over-comedic brothers. Will it be as easy not to compare my own to boys? One who is so quick to please and one who doesn't give a flip about pleasing?

Who knows???

Okay...I'm new to this, but I figure if Peter Liesenfeld can do it, than anyone can. Just home from Nuts and Bolts conference #3. As always it is good to be home, but it was great to be around other middle school teachers. This yesr I felt that some of the information I had heard before had actually finally sunk in enough to really make sense. Maybe not expert level sense but enough sense to have a true impact on my teaching this year.