Hm.

Today was busy, I think.

The homophone thing actually didn't get finished in Class A and B; here I'd thought it would be too quick. But once again, I talked too long. However, cheers to me shutting up in the reading workshop so that the students actually got 15 full minutes of reading time. Class C got reading time and finished the homophones.

I had meetings during two of my preps. Ms F checked with the AP about my bulletin board, and he confirmed that I have to take it down. I also asked Ms J, the literacy coach, and she thought it was just fine. Since my lesson objective was to write a paragraph, not an essay, she argued, there was no need for a four square. That's what I thought! She also suggested I talk to the AP myself and let him know my side. I'm a little scared though, because I feel like every time I talk to a supervisor, I might sound whiny and woe-is-me, since I have no materials and no advance notice of anything at all. Argh.

Ho hum, let's see. Oh, yes. My failed bulletin board. So I'll take out my fun game tomorrow and have them do perhaps an extended writing workshop, so that I can get some material for the thing. I have until Monday (hey, that's the day parent-teacher conferences start--what a coincidence!). I'll just have them do a four square about fall, and make sure they use alliteration in the details. Then they'll write it out into essay form. Dude, that sounds boring. Poor sixth graders.

I'm still working on using positive reinforcement. Last week, or was it this week? who knows, I started using two fingers up for quiet after the clapping thing or just whenever there was noise. If only one or two do it, all I say is, "thank you, so and so," and most of the rest shoot right up. Whee! Fun with students. I must work on doing that more often so that I can train them to shut the hell up. As if my lessons aren't lame enough, now they will be interrupted even more. Blurgh.

I went grocery shopping on the way home. Spent less than $20, somehow. By the way, it's really freaking cold all the time. Seriously chilly. I like to read during the walk to and from the subway/bus or whatever, but this week it's really so fucking cold that I lose feeling in my hands. So I put on my trusty smiley-face gloves and have to just walk like a normal automaton.

Is there anything else? My brain isn't working very strongly at the moment. I came home and didn't do too much of anything. I filled in new grade books, and that's always a little exciting for a school supply nerd like me.

Okay, so I'll go now. Yay, Scrubs is on!