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

Hay, Diddle, Diddle... The Class and the Fiddle...

     Hello, Friends!  Long time, no speak!  Thank you for all of your prayers for my first week back at school! They were greatly felt!  I am starting to get to know my "new family" and how they operate. We have covered a milestone this week- we went on our first field trip!  We went to the Hay Creek Festival held at Joanna Furnace.  Friday was "Student Day", so students entered free.  We learned some fascinating lessons about machinery, crafts, history about the Colonial time period all the way to the 1800's and the Civil War!  It was very fun, but extremely hot, day!

Here are some things I learned about my new class:

• The boys are like a bunch of old men, sitting on every bench while the "women" shopped (HELLO!  There were prim items for SALE!),
• My one little guy is a business card collector for his mom, since she likes these kinds of crafts too (Isn't that cute!?).
• The class was fascinated by rug hooking (and I was LOVING what the woman was offering!)  The boys kept saying, "Look at how expensive it is!"  All the while, I kept saying, for the millioneth time, to stop touching everything!  They are a very tactile class (Note to self for designing lessons).  After the girls and I "yelled" at the boys that it was expensive because of the craftsmanship involved, I got them setttled down.  Except for one little guy, his remark was, "That's why I like massed produced stuff."  Needless to say, he got part 2 of my lesson-"The importance of craftsmanship and supporting local businesses" with a bonus of "Cheaper is Not Always Better". Silly kids!!!!
  

  

  "So, let me tell you about the lice..."

• Some of my kids apparently can't read signs that say "Do Not Touch," although they are in large print with a grumpy guy standing beside it!  My biggest "tactile" learner picked up the antique knife and promptly got yelled at by grumpy guy.  Which I was fine with.  Apparently his voice was much scarier than mine.  However, seriously, the knife was sitting smack in the front of the table.  HELLLLOOOO!  What boy is NOT going to be tempted to touch it!  It's Kid's Day!  Good grief! Well, he got yelled at by the guy and the girls in the class.  They sounded like little mothers, "Uh, there's a sign!" LOL!
• My students aren't great auditory learners or at putting 2 and 2 together (They were a little dehydrated, so I will cut them some slack.Seriously).  There was this HILarious, Colonial man who played many different instruments.  He started talking about the different countries that the instruments came from.  Well, he started rattling off "Do you speak...?" in different languages. So, most of the students started catching on a bit as to what country the phrase was about and that the phrases all asked if you could speak that language.  Ok.  Remember that part of the story. So, the man says, "Sprechen sie deutsch?"  I nicely added, "Ok, that's German."  The man turns to my one little guy, again after it has been established that the phrase is repeatedly asking if you can speak a certain language, and asks," What did I just ask in German?"  My student replies,"Do you have beer?"  He wasn't joking.  We all just starred at him.  I had to walk away because I was going to die laughing. Well, I guess he was dehydrated.
• My class is very verbal, but this can be good!  They were bold enough to ask questions and were pleasant and said thank you to all they talked to.
• They are a giving class.  They weren't supposed to bring money so they wouldn't lose it (Who brought money and lost $7?  The girl with 2 thumbs and is a teacher- this gal! )  Kids were lending money freely back and forth.  2 girls bought everyone drinks because we were DYING of thirst.  (I owe her $3.50 myself.  She took pity on her teacher because the teacher lost her own money.)

"Do you want beer?"

It was a lovely trip, really.  They are a really fun group! I learned a lot myself.  I learned about the job of a wheelwright.  I learned a lot about antique instruments.  One tidbit I found facinating, and I guess I just never thought about it, was that instruments were smaller and made to have a mellower, softer sound because they were made to be played in someone's parlor. I should start using that- "Parlor voices please, students!"

     Hmmm, well, here are a few more pictures of my classroom this year including my new "command center". The trend in teaching now is not to have a desk. Yeah.  That's not a trend I will be following  any time soon!

     God is such a gracious and loving God!  He has surrounded me with family and friends, new and old, that are covering me and my class in prayer.  He has blessed our school with almost 150 students, including a Middle School now.  2 years ago, we barely had 50 students and thought we would close.  God taught us that HE is in control.  It is not us, our curriculum, or our facilities. IT IS HIM! It brought tears to my eyes to see a chapel on Tuesday that was half full of students!  I have been there 12 years.  I was the first 4th grade teacher they had.  Let me tell you, it was a sight I never dreamed of seeing.  Please continue to keep our growing school in your prayers.  We are out of space!  We really need a new building for next year.  Please pray for funds and also wisdom on the parts of the School Board, Church, and others who work with facility needs.  What an exciting time!   

Thank you for listening and praying, Dear Friends!

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."