Piano Party #1

Emily had her first "Piano Party" tonight. Her piano teacher does these sort of family get-togethers where the kids each play one or two songs for everyone (less nervousness and vomiting than the big ol' formal end-of-the-year recitals). Em goofed a few times (OK, quite a few times), but she was darn cute playing alongside Mr. Raudenbush in their duet.

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Not Sure What to Title This One

Had a rough day at school today, but I'm not sure how to really categorize it. I mean ... no one got seriously hurt. Nothing was broken. And, at least a modicum of learning occured. But, I had a raging headache at the end of the day, and I felt crummy for not getting the relationship between pennies and nickels through to these kids.

They just don't get it.

And they insist on counting out tally marks one-by-one.

I'm sure it didn't help that we did arts and crafts for the first hour and a half of the day. And my aide wasn't there to help keep things in line. And, Tyrell decided to be a crazy lunatic for awhile.

I mean, what sort of kid comes into class flapping his arms like wings?
"Go back out and try coming into the class the right way, Tyrell."

Reenters skipping.
"Go back out and try it again, Tyrell."

Reenters walking backward.
"Go back out and try it again, Tyrell."

Reenters stomping, smile gone from his face.
(I decide to let it slide a bit, since he seems to be actually heading for his desk and starting his day with some semblance of normalcy.)

Then at Morning Meeting, he's all elbows and knees and sly comments.
"Go back to your seat and think about how you should behave at Morning Meeting."
"I can't."
"What? Why not?"
"Because I tied my shoes together."

You've got to be kidding me. I point. He goes. Big show of "tripping" and "stumbling."

I move his name to red on the behavior chart.
"Yay! I'm on red! Finally! Look, everyone...red! Whooo!"

I point out the door to the Bench Outside the Principal's Office. My room is blissfully quite and cooperative for a full hour. :)

But after lunch they were crazy. And loud.

I'm sure Crazy Hat Day had something to do with it. It's awfully hard to take anyone seriously when she has a cake on her head. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6568758415&category=35842)

Or maybe they were really able to focus on lessons and ignore the hat. Maybe.

A pirate in my classroom

My substitute teacher is a bit off-beat. I haven't seen him this year, but last year he wore his hair in a mohawk and occasionally dressed like a pirate. Apparently, he does some sort of piratical reenactment or somesuch now and then. He even taught the kids a pirate song, which they sang for me today. Cracked me up ... picture fifteen 6-year olds belting out "What do you do with a scurvy pirate? What do you do with a scruvy pirate? What do you do with a scurvy pirate earl-eye in the morning!"

Off to Brownies now with Emily. And then, you know what? I may just spend the next hour at home on the couch reading a book. See if I don't.

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It turns out, I'm funny ...

Just spent the weekend at a Digital Crafts (mostly scrapbooking) convention in Valley Forge. Hung out all weekend with my sis-in-law, Kristin, as well as, for a large part, a new friend Alix ("al-leeks").

Had a fabulous time. And, though I know fatigue and ennui had more than a little to do with it ... I had 'em really laughing a few times. We were busy playing the parts of the disenfranchised not-caring-but-really-caring-so-much-it-hurts unpopular girls. It's complete bizzare how the same clique-y stuff goes on with adult women as it does with girls in school. And, Kristin, Alix and I ... definitely not in the "in" crowd. *sigh*

But, what's funny is that we formed our own little clique. I mean, don't get me wrong ... anyone who wanted to could join us on our hunk of carpeting at the back of the room. But, we had a good time kind of disdaining the cute "in" girls (sorry, sometimes women shouldn't be called women ... sometimes it's "girls"), kind of scorning the mismanaged, disorganized chaos of the convention.

Though, I had a great time and really enjoyed having some adult conversation for a nice long block of time. And, I always enjoy getting together with Kristin.

In fact, it's because of the convention that I'm blogging in the first place. I'm going to try to do more journaling of all sorts ... my teaching reflections journal, and this personal blog. Going to store memories, moments, thoughts, quotes from my kids. All that stuff that slips through the cracks, otherwise.

Now, I just have to go wake-up Joe (who chaperoned a sleep-over with the kids and their two friends last night), so we can go get a pizza.

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