Peace Day & Hidden Figures

Today our 8th graders took a trip to the high school.  Our high school looks more like a college campus.  They go there to take a tour, talk to current students, and get a feel for the place before they are there in the fall.  After that we went back to our school for lunch and then to watch the movie Hidden Figures.  We didn't finish it today but we decided to finish it up in math the next two days, which I am excited for, easy days 😃  I also got two really nice notes from students today!

MCA Tests

So we began our MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment) state tests today for math & reading.  I am always anxious when we start testing because I want my students to do well and I know they can but lots of things happen and some students just don't test well.  Our school is being super strict this year about bringing nothing but a pencil, paper book, and water bottle into testing; so I had to give my students their testing goodies last week.  I also made "Rock the Test" t-shirts to wear on the days of testing.  Also today I was trying to be sneaky about it but I went to school early and wrote all over our sidewalks positive messages for the students, to give them that extra little encouragement before starting their state tests.

 

Bad News

So our spring break started today for students and tomorrow for teachers.  I just had a meeting with the principal and assistant principal and found out that I am not back for next year.  They said that with their numbers they are in a position to cut teachers and I was cut.... 😟

What a great way to start my spring break....  I had a feeling this was coming but it still sucks because there were a couple probationary teachers and I was the one cut, so it sucks but nothing I can do.

I am going to go to work everyday and show them that they made the wrong choice.  I am going to keep doing anything and everything I can to help out but I know that it wont change the outcome.

I am going to miss the families I met, along with the students, and some of my co-workers.  I know that I will be stronger because of this but it still sucks right now!

Spring Break

I can't believe it is already time for spring break!  Where has this year gone???  I have enjoyed all my classes this year but I can't believe that they will all be high schoolers soon!!  I have know this whole class since they were 6th graders and now they are 8th graders... seriously where does the time go?

I decided that for spring break I would give each student a sucker and a post-it note with a message on it from me to make the last day before break some what bare-able 😊

Global Festival

So both yesterday (my team) and today (other 8th grade team)  was global festival.  Students had to research another country and do a big project on it.  They had lots to do and make for this project.  They worked on it for weeks and weeks and weeks!  But it all paid off, they did an AWESOME job!  So proud of all of them.  Below are only a few pictures of some of the projects, there were so many to chose from, I only choose a few.

 

News Show

So each 8th grade advisory tapes and does the news show for a couple weeks.  You tape your ending a week prior and some students edit it and then for my class on two Mondays we did the new shows.  Well taping our ending was interesting, we were struggling to come up with an idea and came up with a student was dreaming and all the students were hiding from me, so I would go looking in a spot and not see them and then they would pop out from where they were hiding.  It wasn't bad and the students who edited it did a nice job but if we wouldn't have had only 20 minutes to fill it we probably could have done a better job but it was rushed.  Overall though my group did a great job taping.

Now doing the actual show was another story, it was like pulling teeth to get enough people up there to run the show.  I always had 2 or 3 up there ready to go but I would have to hunt the others down that morning as soon as I saw them to get them to go up there to help out.

I will say it is crazy and hectic but I my group did alright but I am glad we are done with the news show!

Happy St. Patty's Day

Happy St. Patty's Day!!  🍀

I got to wear my new shirt and a student surprised me with a caribou cookies & cream snowdrift this morning!  I had about 20 students in my room at lunch watching March Madness 🏀 and we had cupcakes in every class 😃

Calculator message

I was walking around helping students today and instead of doing the problem a student decided to write a message on their calculator.  Although I should have been upset that they weren't doing what they were suppose to but instead I laughed and took a picture of what they wrote.  My students sure do make my day!

 

Pi Day 2017

HAPPY PI DAY!!
It was a fun, crazy, hectic, busy, and awesome day!  😁 

I got pied two times today (period 4 & period 5) 😆

Spring Conferences

Well conferences are over, and I enjoyed seeing all the families.  All three nights of conferences went great!  I got to talk about each students strengths and talk about how they are doing in class.
I may be one of the few but I truly enjoy conferences!  I love seeing the families and talking about their student and what their strengths are.  I love hearing the stories that my students tell their parents.  There have definitely been some fun things and some silly things going on this year and to hear what students share with their parents is always fun.
I have done conferences with some of these families 5 out of the 6 times they have had them in 6th, 7th, & 8th grade!  I can't believe they are over and I have met with them for the last time.  

Now don't get me wrong I am glad that conferences are over because when we have them it makes for some very long days but I also love conferences.

Sick update....

So it is now Sunday and I went to bed last night around 6:15 and slept till 10 am this morning.  Got up called my mom, ate something and went back to bed at 11:15 and slept again till about 7 pm and then I got back up and ate something again and watch a little TV.  I am finally feeling better, still not 100% but much better than Friday.  It is now 8:30 pm and I am heading back to bed so that I can go to work in the morning!

Sick.... :(

So I never take sick days, for a couple reasons one its more work to be gone then to just be there not feeling the best and also because I tend to try to fight things off right when I feel them coming on but man was yesterday a totally different story.....

I got up yesterday morning and I was super tired and not feeling the best but I just figured it was because I didn't sleep well the night before.  I was struggling in the morning but my nephew came to see me and gave me a donut but because I wasn't feeling well I couldn't eat it.  As the day went on I got sicker and sicker....By the time period 5 rolled around I was shivering, couldn't get warm, had a massive headache, and felt like I was going to throw up but never actually did.  I called a co-worker and asked for them to come take over my class for a bit so I could go up to the nurse and take my temp.  Well by the time I got up there I was worse and eventually talked with the secretary and asked to go home sick because I couldn't hold it together anymore and started crying because I felt so crummy.

I ended up going home and had a few different people cover my period 6 class.  I left school at 1:50 and was home and asleep by 2:15 and I slept till this morning around 9 am, got up for a little bit to try and eat something and then I went back to sleep at 10 am and slept till about 5 pm and got up to eat something again and post this quick and I am going back to bed now and it is only 6:10 pm.