#geekyteacher

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I’m having my students write a retelling of “The Gingerbread Man”.  Before they write, they need to design their own gingerbread person.  These are some works in progress.  I <3 the mermaid gingerbread princess!

[weesta]

Thor: Ragnorak

I’m a little behind the curve not having seen Thor IMMEDIATELY upon release.  I really enjoyed it.  I didn’t have as intense a reaction as I was expecting, but I think that’s largely due to the hype surrounding the release.  So, in no particular order...my thoughts.

- I really did enjoy the movie, but it took me a bit to get on board with the tone/weirdness.  I liked that the movie didn’t take itself so seriously, but I feel like with didn’t get to sit with *anything* that had any emotional depth at all.  That bothered me a little.

- DISLIKED “Hey can I have your picture? Sorry Jane dumped you...”  In fact, I’m really mad about it.  Mad at the writers.  Mad at the MCU production staff.  No Jane is bad enough, but no Jane also means no Darcy and that really irks me! It was such a LAME way to completely sidestep and diminish address that relationship.  *sigh*

- DISLIKED that The Warriors Three are dead.  [Happy that Lady Sfi was apparently off-planet.]

- I’ve loved the short haired look since I saw the early promo pics.  Chris can rock the short hair! <3  Bonus - awesome Stan Lee cameo!

- When Thor tried the lullabye in the arena with Hulk I had to physically clamp down my fangirl squee.  I was surrounded by people so flailing was not an option.  But I LOVED that it was something Thor knew well enough to try to employ himself.  LOVED THAT!

- When Bruce comes back to himself for the first time in 2 years, I love that the first person he asks for is Nat.

- Hulk & Valkyire and Bruce & Valkyrie were awesome.

- Tony’s voice recognition passwords.  [He loves Bruce the best!]

- I was totally distracted by the fact that the rock monster was voiced by the guy who voices Koran (sp?) on Voltron.  Seriously distracted.

- I don’t like Loki.  Never have.  But...I really admire how much Tom Hiddleston brings to the part.  There’s always so much going on in his face, posture and tone.

- Cate Blanchett was AMAZING!!

- Anthony Hopkins as Loki pretending to be Odin was gold!

- I really liked that Karl Urban’s character is literally a guy just wanting to get by.  He knows he’s in WAY too deep.  I loved his hesitation once he became “The Executioner” and that he had a redemption moment at the end.

- I really like that the stakes are raised.  I was surprised when Hella wounded Thor and took his eye, and that it’s obviously a permanent injury. As saddened as I am by the loss of the Warriors Three, I like that there have been permanent consequences.  Same for Mojlinr - as much as I was hoping it would be reconstituted by the end, I’m glad that it was permanent, because that gives us...

- Thor in his Avatar state.  That was BAD-ASS {You are the God of Thunder, not God of Hammers.}

Overall - lots of fun. Lots of laughs.  Can’t WAIT for Black Panther!

[weesta]

For the record...

I spend easily close to $1,000 on supplies for my classroom every year.  Right now I can take $250 deduction, which I do and the rest I chalk up to wanting to improve my students’ experiences so it’s worth it.  That’s the deduction their taking away because apparently teachers are a drain on the tax system.

This remarkable line of questioning from Congresswoman Suzan DelBene demonstrates just a few of the ways that the GOP tax plan treats corporations better than people.

Under the Republican plan, corporations are still allowed to deduct state and local taxes. Workers are not. Corporations are still allowed to deduct business expenses. Teachers are not. Corporations are still allowed to deduct more than $10,000 in property taxes. Homeowners are not. Corporations are still allowed to deduct moving expenses. Families are not.

And this is on top of a $1.5 trillion corporate tax cut.

Let’s be clear, this is not a “middle-class tax cut.” Working families get the crumbs and the super-wealthy get everything else.

[auromelie]

Creative juices flowing! New things coming soon #geekyswag #beageek #geekyteacherswag #geekyteacher (at Alafaya, Florida)

[timlauer]

Favorite tweets

Hey @geekyteach - This is who I was mentioning on Saturday. And the chapter in the picture is a bit about that work. (Enjoyed learning with you.) https://t.co/rKxK8wkYPF

— Bud Hunt (@budtheteacher) January 27, 2020

from http://twitter.com/budtheteacher via IFTTT

[whatuphere]

coming from my feed

We made a thing that does a thing, @TimothyMBoyle! #picademy @meechele7 pic.twitter.com/3PVUwiipOQ

— Meredith Martin (@geekyteach) June 18, 2018

[weesta]

Merry Christmas to ME!!!!  This is my birthday/Christmas/birthday gift from my sister and I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!

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One of my second grade girls presented me with this drawing when she arrived this morning. :)  I’m not hard to figure out <3

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:(

I had a dream last night that there was an active shooter at my school.  Unfortunately the shooter had a cherry picker, so was able to shoot into my second story classroom.  The drill we normally practice didn’t apply so I had my students lay on the floor.  I couldn’t call for help.  I couldn’t use my whistle because I was so scared I couldn’t get any air into the thing.  I couldn’t get to the door even though I could hear the shooter coming down the hallway.

I woke up in a sweat because this is the world we live in now.

[weesta-teaches-blog]

It’s almost October 15th and I finally feel like I’m getting my feet under me with this class.  Know how I know this?  I started searching on Pinterest for Halloween bulletin board ideas which MEANS...I have the energy and motivation to take down the bulletin board that is currently on display. \0/  [We’ll see if I still feel this way on Monday.]

In other news, I made it through the first round of auditions for our Drama Club production of Shrek the Musical, Jr.  Callbacks are next week.  Here’s my biggest issue - all of the shows we’ve done to this point were either Disney things or very well known shows.  Shrek is not well known - outside of animated movie form - to these students.  And we do not have a musical director.  This show has some complicated music and with only a CD to help the students learn their music...I see struggles ahead.

Pretty sure once rehearsals start in earnest I won’t feel like switching up any more bulletin boards...

[weesta]

The best laid plans...

It's a rainy Tuesday. I was excited because I planned to take my students outside for science and watch their heads explode. They think it's completely scandalous to experience weather! Sadly, just as I was gearing up the admin called a Shelter in Place Drill. Wrecked my whole plan! :(

[weesta-teaches-blog]

The PTA hosted “Trunk or Treat” tonight for preK-5th grade.  I think this is the 5th year I’ve participated.  I don’t go nearly as all out as some of the other folks - I stick with my M&M theme and keep it cute rather than scary.

I love when my students realize it’s me giving out candy - there’s lots of squealing and glee.  Sometimes they don’t know it’s me right away because it’s pretty dark so when they figure it out it’s pretty entertaining.

Some highlights from the evening:

I handed out M&Ms (I love a theme) and the tiniest, cutest Captain America gave me a high-five for his bag.  Seriously my heart melted and he made my whole night.

When I saw my first Iron Man of the night I said, “You’re the first Iron Man I’ve seen” and the young man in all seriousness said, “I’m the only one.”  (I was waiting for him to say “I AM Iron Man.”)

I try to engage with the children and comment on their costumes.  When someone came to me dressed as a Ninja Turtle I said something like “Way to go Donatello” (feeling pretty proud of myself for knowing which turtle it was by the color of his mask) and from behind the mask he responded, “My name is Lou.”  I thought that was so funny!

Two boys showed up in matching inflatable dinosaur costumes. Crazy.

The temperature was well above freezing unlike the past few years where I came home and couldn’t feel my toes.

A pirate came up and said, “Trick or Treat, matey!” and after I gave her the candy her mother prompted, “What do you say next?”  The pirate hesitated for a moment and then gave a hearty, “ARGH!”  So funny!

All in all, a fun and successful night!

[weesta]

Elementary School Teacher Gothic

You list the students alphabetically by last name in your grade book.  When you go to calculate grades for the marking period they are listed alphabetically by first name.

 Every day one particular girl arrives with neatly braided hair.  By the end of the day her hairstyle has completely changed. It is perfectly neat. She says she didn’t touch it.

You have sixteen students in class.  You print twenty notes to go home anticipating some will be lost.  You personally put one note in each student’s folder to go home.  You have six left over.

You sharpen a brand new box of pencils and keep them in your desk for later.  By the time you take them out three are missing, two have no eraser and all have bite marks. 

It is 2:45 and you read a story to the class to fill some time before dismissal at 3:00.  You read another story, and another.  It never gets to 3:00.

You find three more copies of the note to go home.

One custodian only ever appears at the end of the hallway.  He is bent over his broom sweeping the floor.  He never gets any closer.

One student asks to go to the bathroom.  Another student asks to go to the bathroom.  They all ask to go to the bathroom.  You never teach the whole class because someone is always in the bathroom.

Your desk is buried under copies of the note to go home.

You have sixteen students in your class.  When you are outside on a fire drill you count them, there are seventeen students on line.  On a firedrill you always have seventeen.

Faculty Meeting

[weesta-teaches-blog]

First week done.  Each day was a little better than the last.  I’m starting to get my sea legs.

I teach 2nd and 3rd grade in a self-contained class.  Most of the students know me because I either had them in summer school or they’ve been by to visit.  Because my classroom is still under construction I don’t have everything unpacked and not everything has a home.  On the first day of school one of my 2nd grade boys asked where my Captain America shield was and why it wasn’t hanging up.  He and another boy were mad on Day Two when I still hadn’t brought it in.  So I stapled a note to my purse so I wouldn’t forget.

Today the shield was mounted to the wall and the boys are happy.  Honestly, it makes me feel better too.

[weesta]

This morning things were relatively calm in class; I had a guided reading group and the rest of the students were in literacy centers.

Three second graders - two girls and one boy - were in spelling. They chatted as they worked, as you do.

At one point the boy came over to my table with some urgency and asked " Is there a boy in Wonder Woman?"

I answered "Yes" and he turned back to his table, validated. But I couldn't let it end there so I added, "His name is Steve."

A chorus rose up from the whole class "...Steve" and it struck me as so funny. They sounded like Minions.

Apparently the girls were deciding to both be Wonder Woman for either recess or Halloween and the boy didn't want to be left out.

Steee-ve

[weesta-teaches-blog]

Now that the shield in on the wall my second graders have stopped harassing me to hang it up...now they harass me to take it down so they can hold it. :)