Picture Free Post

Another week has flown by; I only have eleven days plus two exam days left in the school year, which means lots of stuff is due all at once. A new thing called a SMART goal (gotta love the acronyms) was due Friday at noon, but with being out two days last week for Meredith's graduation, and a dentist appointment, a concert, and an end of year function one night this week, I knew the only time I would be able to finish my report would be Friday afternoon, so I didn't stress out about it, even when I got the "we noticed you missed the deadline" email at 4:30 pm. I finished up at 8:30 pm, left it on the secretary's desk, and headed home without bringing anything work related with me.

My Honors 10 class has been fantastic and I'm really sad to see my time with them coming to an end. I've used two Civil Rights videos and the materials/activities from Teaching Tolerance and it's been so rewarding to discuss with them the reason why I think teaching English is so important: that reading and writing well are the most powerful tools we can have to effect change in our society. The first video I showed, The Children's March, highlights the fact that it was people the same age as my students who really helped get the ball rolling in Alabama. The second one, A Time for Justice, is more of an overview, or timeline of events. The activities include reading primary sources, writing, and working in small groups, which is the only way to end the year, in my opinion. And they have matured so much since January, that it is great fun listening to their discussions. I've been writing down my observations and thinking about how to incorporate other texts into an even larger unit of study, including research, which is normally my bugaboo.

Steve spent the day with his daughter, helping her seal her garage floor, so I had the day to myself. It feels like it's been ages since I have been home, so I spent the time puttering around, doing laundry, washing the kitchen and bathroom floors, and sweeping up cat hair. Tomorrow we are planning to work in the yard, and then I'll have Monday to sit on the beach and relax.

I got a book in the maiL today too, so I also spent some of my time reading, which was pure luxury. It's the sequel to Shirley Jackson's book, Life Among the Savages, titled Raising Demons, and it's every bit as enjoyable as the first. I don't know why I didn't buy it when I was at The Strand last weekend, but I ordered it from them on Tuesday and it arrived today. I'll definitely order from them again, as their prices are competitive, even with the shipping cost added.

I also was thinking about summer projects while I was scrubbing the floor, and I'd really like to strip my kitchen cabinets; there must be 80 layers of paint on them. I know it's a big job but we don't have that many so it might not be too bad.

No pictures this time, but I'll probably take some of the yard tomorrow after we finish, so I'll share them next time. Hope your Memorial Day weekend is a good one!

 

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