Life as a Country Schoolmarm... The Untold Story

Good morning!

It is an untold story because well, I haven't posted about classroom happenings for a while.  Of course there is always that untold stories should remain untold.  There is that.  Oops.  Well, you're in it now, but feel free to turn back at the happy toast dudes.  Really.  I won't be offended.  Now, okay, so here is another confession.  It is not all about school.  I may or may not have gotten sidetracked when telling my tale.  Sorry about that.  Well, okay, you go ahead and read.  I am going to stop talking now...

Chapter 1: People

This was a Medieval Assembly. I teach US History in Fifth, but hey, I'll go ahead and listen to a man in tights (yikes). See the table that is covered?  Wait for it.  Now, he starts off playing and talking about various instruments of the time period.  That time period is okay, but I always think "Black Plague" and throwing chamber pot contents into the streets.  You aren't eating dinner are you?  Sorry.  Anyhoo... The boys were bored, the girls ohhhh'ed and ahhhh'ed. Until the guy pulled back the cloth and showed swords, bows, cross bows, spears.  The boys sighed like girls watching a fashion show.  It was HILarious!

This was a science project a few weeks back- Simple Machine Rube Goldberg Machines.  Some of the designs had a lot of thought, design, worked, and were sturdy.

Others were LITERALLY held and strung and supported by string braces that at one point, they had attached to my desk and cabinet.  None of those children should EVER be allowed to do any kind of building project, home improvement projects, or allowed into any mechanical engineering program.  Truly.

Chapter 2: Plants (or another title- What-in-the-world is Spring doing?)

My Kalamancho plant that I don't water all summer break, but it always comes back.  I got this at a teacher's luncheon oh, 5 years ago? I get cuttings and propagate them for my porch at home too.

     Okay, so my little man in charge of feeding the animals fills the dishes by the sink.  Well, a bean or corn kernel must have fallen in the sink drain.  I pulled it thinking it was a piece of plastic (you never know what you are going to find.  Their poor parents' sink disposals...) Well, the seed germinated!  The plant was growing out of the drain.  It had a HUGE tap root.  So, I planted it.  I don't know that it is corn, but it looks to be some kind of monocot. Shhh.  I found another one in there the other day, just starting to germinate.  Ugh.

     Okay, well, these aren't my classroom.  But I wanted to show my clover growing... Pardon the interruption.  Oh, and my tree.  And, daffodils.  All of my daffodils are white.  The droopy ones are from the paperwhite family.  I though I'd bring some in, because they were so pretty.  I am glad that I remembered to smell them.  Paperwhites do NOT have a good smell...

Chapter 3: Oh, the places we go (AKA- my classroom.  And Roanoke.  And Jamestown).

Just laugh, don't ask.  Got it at Goodwill on the perfect day for such a book.  Leave it at that... ;)

Like my curtain?  I do NOT pull it during class.  I would like to, but that would be frowned upon. It tucks well behind my talk science cabinet.  It is for my planning period.  It helps me to focus by deadening sounds, cuts drafts, and allows me to not get distracted by the things around me.  Yes, I know, I should cover the whole desk if we are talking distractions, but truly, LOVIN' the curtain.  The Great and Powerful OZ...

Here's my desk... Same.

Our dear principal got us a Keurig at school.  A lot of coffee is consumed during the day by the staff.  It might explain the rapid talking or manic laughing.  Or that could be because we have a little over a month of school left...  I bring my own K-cups, because everyone else likes weak coffee.  I bring my Italian and French.  Just trying to be a bit multicultural.

I don't have this bulletin board the way I want it.  The students have to earn money and purchase ships, supplies, crew, and convince settlers to live in their settlements.  I think that I showed you their pizza box islands/colonies in a past post.

Hmmmmm, can you guess our topic?  One of my favorite time periods to teach!

 

     This is their pay.  Gold coins and peals.  Gold coins for doing their jobs.  Pearls are on hand for fines.  You can trade them for coins at the end of the weak.  Money is needed for your journey.  The goblet, a Goodwill find, is the "kitty" for the fines.  Trying to figure a way to use that.  The students are broken up into classes- Upper, Middle, and Lower.  They receive more money and rights according to class.  Some students really like this.  Some hate it.  Wonder who?

This book, Blood on the River, is a great book for students to get a feel for the settling of Jamestown from start to finish through the eyes of a boy their age.  It is also wonderful to watch the changes in the main character through his ordeals.  Love it! The chains are a project to make connections between different events from Roanoke to Plymouth!

Finding awesome books at Goodwill!  I am buying multiple copies because the kids started up (on their own, no prompting from me) their own book clubs. Oprah would be proud!

Epilogue: Puppies

I think someone else has been hitting the Keurig...

Caffeine Crash...

Murphy says, "Hey!"

Tried to block my drive to school, then yelled at me, and gave me the stink eye.  What turkeys...

     Charlie did not care for my Christmas issues of Country Living or Country Sampler. Marie (Old Lady Morgan) suggested others. Please pray for Marie as she has a lot going on in her life right now, as you know from following her blog.  Bailey and Charlie requested a magazine about dogs and personal grooming.  Does it have bad breath tips too? All for that...

We are such pals.  Unless food is around. Then, well, they asked me not to share... I will honor their wishes.

     Well, that's all folks!  Thanks for stopping by my house and classroom.  Charlie said he would like to do another house tour, but his schedule is booked.  He said you can just look at the other one for now.  He may be back later this Spring if his schedule opens up.  Chasing rabbits and robins just is consuming his time right now.

Blessings and hugs, dear friends!

Heather & two looney dogs