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| For the first time since January 27, 2004, NYC public schools are closed for snow.
While I was eating breakfast and drinking coffee this morning, I heard my phone in the other room receive a text message. I assumed it was the regular Monday morning text from Chris, so I figured I'd catch it later. Considering the state math test is this week, I did not believe for a SECOND that we'd have a snow day.
Then I heard my roommate's phone go off. Then I heard my phone go off again.
At this point, I dove for my phone and saw several messages: "SNOW DAY!!!" "WE HAVE OFF TODAY!!!"
I ran for my roommate's door. Also positive we would never have a snow day, she freaked out when I woke her up, assuming someone must have died.
We cheered and danced and turned on the news and texted everyone and went outside to take pictures. Merriment throughout Apt. 3R. Now, she and her visiting friend are back in bed, snoozing happily, while my caffeine buzz is preventing me from doing the same. My hair and half my makeup are done, my bed is made, and I have a full tummy. Can't sleep. Darn my responsible and way-too-early morning routine.
So here is a picture of my street:
(I'm not much of a photographer, but you get the idea.)
And here is the wonderful wonderful news report where Joel Klein explained why he closed schools today:
Have a wonderful day, everyone. =) Stay safe and warm!
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| I'm the queen of unfinished projects. However, here is one I finished
more or less by accident. I decided to use scrap yarn to practice
making a tube scarf, and then I just kept going. By the time I added
the second pink stripe, I realized I had wasted a LOT of time making a
"practice" scarf, but I didn't have enough of either color to finish
it. At this point, my roommate suggested I let the dog try it on.
Since it pretty much fit her perfectly, I added arm holes and tada!
Tattoo's new sweater.
I have to admit -- it was kind of fun.
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| This week, I finally had to accept the fact that summer is over and start preparing for Year Two of being a teacher. I dragged myself over to the teacher store (which, irrelevantly, became the 2987434th place where I got recognized as my sister's sister by a complete stranger), bought a bunch of goodies, and went into work to prepare.
Mistakes NOT to Repeat from Last Year
1. I will not waste valuable decorating time staring helplessly at blank bulletin boards.
2. I will not hide in my empty classroom on the first day as soon as I hear screaming kids coming in.
3. I will use an actual lesson plan book to plan my lessons. I will NOT use random scraps of graph paper to plan my lessons and try to gather them in a panic on the administration's "random lesson plan book check" day.
4. I will not have student work from December hanging on my bulletin board in March -- especially not during my observation with the assistant principal.
5. I will not feel guilty for taking a sick day when I have a fever, the chills, body aches, and fatigue.
5.b. I will not attempt to drive myself home when I have a fever, the chills, body aches, and fatigue.
5.c. If I do attempt to drive myself home, I will not stop at Best Buy on the way to buy a new coffee maker because I'm panicked about not having coffee the next day because I broke the old one that morning.
5.d. I will not drink coffee when I'm sick.
6. I will not neglect my personal health, appearance, and general well-being just because I'm too tired.
7. I will under NO circumstances accept a microphone at the staff end-term party just because "I looooove this song."
Things I Should Change (But I'll Probably Need Some More Time)
1. Be more social. At least TRY. (To be fair, this was my third job in three years. I just didn't feel like it anymore.)
2. Decorate and dress up for holidays. Apparently, this is a must for elementary
teachers, but I don't really like doing it, except on Christmas, and if I decorate for one holiday, I probably have to decorate for all the holidays. As a side note, I can't believe how many teachers own an adult-sized witch's costume. Apparently, ALL of them do.
3. Stop making fun of everyone's Brooklyn and Staten Island accents. (You would do it too if they called you "Hanner".)
Things I Did Last Year that I Intend to Continue
1. I will be as creative as I feel like being in straying from the standard-but-not-mandatory E.S.L. curriculum.
2. I will read lots of great children's books out loud, no matter how much class time I use up to finish them. I have a borderline-obsessive love of children's books for a reason, and I will use it in the classroom.
3. I will force my students to journal on a regular basis, no matter how much they complain, because eventually most of them will grow to enjoy it, and it will improve their writing. Also, the shyer kids tend to open up a bit more.
4. I will be calm and collected during my observations, because I know I can be a capable teacher, and I know my students will come through for me with flying colors. Also, I will throw my students a party when they come through for me during my observations. I will not be above bribery, because bribery makes the world go round.
5. I will get involved in as many extracurricular activities as I can. I was scared to jump in at first, but those were the parts of the school year that I enjoyed the most by far (the after school program, keyboard club, playing piano for the fifth-grade graduation, and the library committee).
6. I will surround myself with a strong support group (family, friends, grad school classmates, roommate) -- but realize that ultimately I'm the one responsible for everything I have to do.
7. I will LOVE my students as unconditionally as my imperfect heart possibly can.
(The song was Sweet Caroline, by the way.)
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| I'm taking a class right now about technology in the classroom. Our first three-hour session consisted of "how to post a blog entry" and the difference between a podcast and a Youtube video. In the next class, we learned how to embed video in blog entries. I wanted to bang my head against the wall, but on the plus side, it made me want to update Xanga again, even if it is dying.
*****
I have a camera, but I never remember to carry it with me. This is the best shot I could get last night off my cell phone.
Movies with a View, Brooklyn Bridge Park.
You have to look really closely to see it, but they played "Stand by Me" last night. Best movie ever. Best soundtrack ever.
http://brooklyn.about.com/od/artsentertainment/a/Summer_Movies.htm
They played some pretty weird shorts before the movie started - a news spoof about a cancer kid wishing for more wishes from the Make-A-Wish-Foundation and thus driving it into bankruptcy, which was mildly offensive, and then another one making fun of a fat woman who can't get away from Hostess cupcakes and ends up engaging in sexual activity with a human-sized one, which was more than mildly disgusting.
Otherwise, it was a nice time, and there weren't many people in the audience who could help lip-synching along with or at least bobbing their heads to every other song in the movie.
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