chatter from the Library Monkey

Big Thursday

I continued my classroom management experiment with the fifth graders today and it worked better than it did with the third graders. Not only did it worked, it worked beyond expectations. And the very best part is when the student gets to four points and doesn’t have to stay over and they they do something where I take a point away.

There were points when the typically troublesome kids were doing hand gestures to others to be quiet. That is right, the kids that were usually starting trouble with gestures were trying to maintain decorum.

balance — I worked out for about 40 minutes and made peanut butter cookies.

Took a nap and that made time for exercise and more, might get to bed early enough to finish my book.

Another Jean day tomorrow…whoppeee. I found out that we raised $300, which is about 1/3 of what we get from the Operation Santa ‘foundation,’ Not sure if the $300 included the extra $27 I contributed. I think it will only be $5 tomorrow for me.

Made a very delish Rice and Chicken Dish. Well time to roll on.

Gratitude (3)

gotta pick it up

I need to get back into a rhythm. I was riding my bike some and exercising. Tonight was dinner night and last night I didn’t feel good (upset stomach).

Tonight is worse, I ate too much pizza, after a big lunch…and it didn’t help that I overslept and rambled into work. I ate a bagel and apple for breakfast, and some candy…ugh I am going to blow up.

The sad thing is I feel hungry no matter how full I am. Good day at school. I tried this new thing with the third graders. I started the class with the statement that they all owed me time after school — one hour. Then I went on to explain that if they did four things right — answered a question right, they would get a pass out. But if they wasted my time by not paying attention, they could make up the time after school. It did a several things, mainly it established my time was not to be wasted.

It made them — mostly — pay attention. I took points away, if they were asking stupid questions, like “how many points do I need?” It also made for work for me, because I had to make sure 12 kids got called on at least four times in 40 minutes, but for almost all they needed more than four chances to get four checks. Some kids, needed about 10 chances. Partially because they jammed up, but mostly because they would not pay attention. Another really great thing is it made everyone WANT to answer questions to get their four checks.

I am going to use this on the fifth graders tomorrow. Not sure if their won’t be some after school time with them.

I have a feeling I might be coaching modified softball again. It sounds like they are going to be hurting for coaches, especially if what I hear that my replacement is pregnant and due in May. Plus I get along with the Athletic Director.

The English teacher is going to use my skit, though she professed to not understanding it. At least it isn’t going to waste. time to roll on

Gratitude (3)

Technorati Tags:
Classroom Management, coaching, Learning, librarian, library, playwriting, Students

Holiday over

ugh,

I wrote a skit, hope they use it. I found some interesting stuff on Winter Carnival on line. More interesting I think about 90 percent of what is out there is wrong — the wrong first date. I hope it doesn’t keep me up worrying.

I keep wondering if it is my history that has the wrong date, but I found the right dates on the NYT site, though I have to say they have contradictions in the articles.

If anything, there needs to be a definitive history, since it is so elf-ed up.

I got some exercise in, that is good. If I could quite eating after 9 p.m. I would be great

Gratitude (3)

closing up

Spent the night in the home town. The Winter Carnival secretary…

Next day, did some shopping and did some more winter carnival history.

Going to pack and close up tomorrow and head back to the home town.

I just found out that Bud who I worked with at the Chamber is retiring. On Dec. 12, they are having a mixer in his honor. I want to come back and wish him good luck. Imagine, beging able to retire at age 76…or something like that. i wonder what his plans are…he was a great guy to work with and I think about him from time to time.

Now it is two night later and I am in the school town. It has taken a lot out of me to load up the truck and hump it up a flight of stairs. and I keep it cold here with no fire place. Tried a nap, but no luck.

This weekend I listed to “Love, Star Girl,” on audio book and am reading “Finding Alaska.” I was able to close up the house. it took about 15 minutes to drain the hotwater tank. So I am here with another day to rest and maybe write a skit for my school. I have a pretty good idea of where I want to go.

Did a lot of listening to achive.org either when I had the internet, or downloaded concerts.

O and I did some shopping. Most of the time was spent working on the Winter Carnival History — it didn’t help me find a theme for a fable, like I thought it would

The history was a little frustrating, since there was a couple things that the village historian did or didn’t do. One was thee was little or no attribution where she got her information. She didn’t explain much. Like she would say that there were not as many winter carnivals as people think, but there isn’t a criteria what a ‘winter carnival’ is… I came up with a belief that a Winter Carnival the winter event if it had three of five activities: Parade, Coronation (i.e. royalty), an Ice Palace (sometimes called an Ice Fortress), multiple sporting events, fireworks

I believe that probably all Winter Carnivals had all five, but the history didn’t list some of the criteria, like maybe there was a king or queen (both), but that wasn’t listed.

The key might come down to ‘multiple sporting events,’ since I think there were many skating festival events that might have had a parade and even some kind of royalty.

In the modern era, the Winter Carnival not only has all five of those “A” list items, they also have what I consider “B” list items as well. B-list would be: Rotary Show, Woodsmen’s Exhibition, skating show, Children’s Parade
and/or dance

The Woodsmen have been one of the most active organizations, but because it has been low key.

Gratitude (3)