backyard and bubbles.

This lovely yard is where I am happiest.  The bubbles make it even better. 

I am sorry, it seems I have forgotten how to make my pages more pleasing to look at.

I will endeavor to remedy this. 

~J

 

June 2024

  It has been a long time...

I started teaching in 1998.  The world has changed.

2024:  Students do not know how to tear tape of a tape dispenser  (It is horrible to watch-- they pull straight out and straight down, sometimes cutting their fingers on the cerated edge of the dispenser.  I know this is not their fault, but it is a real deficiency.)

Also, many students do not know how to use land-line phones.  They can dial them, often know they should say hello, and then it gets dicey ( most have to be prompted to tell the person on the other end of the call who they are.) Once they are finished talking many do not know what to do with the phone receiver.

Example (true story):

Call has ended.

Student: what do I do with this now?

Me: <not understanding and looking confused> What?

Student: How do you hang it up?

Me: Just put it down.

Student (eyeing me skeptically): On the desk?

Me: On the receiver.

Student looks confused.

Me: ... where you picked it up.

Student (slowly putting the phone on the receiver): Like that?

((Yes, this was a painful as it sounds.))

~ You're welcome

So this is a hundreds chart.  Yes, like you saw in elementary school, but waaaaaaay better.  1 is in the upper left hand corner and 100 in in the lower right hand corner.  The colors totally have meaning!

I don't want to ruin the surprise for anyone so I will post the meaning later.

My mother is knitting me my very own version of this.  I am so excited!

So, these make me happy.  Two places that make me just feel, "ahhhh, so, it is good." This feeling is one of the best feelings!

Other super amazing feelings:  (to be added to as I think of them.... feel free to suggest)

     ~"This is sooooooooo FUN, (possibly embarrassing) and Silly and I am going to keep doing it because I want to!"

     ~"What is going on?... I am laughing but I am not sure why..... but seriously what is going on?"

     ~ "Ummmm what?.... I love you but what???"  (so fun to feel like this.... crazy as it seems)

Be amazing!


~Be more than you thought you could be.

~Be more than anyone expects.

~Be kinder that you think you can be.

~Be thoughtful.

~Be the person you want to be friends with.

~Be the person you hope will be there if you ever need someone.

~Just be amazing.... whatever that means to you.

Goats on top of things... that's where they like to be.

So, I am seriously talking to you about goats standing on things....


I heard a podcast a few years back about a guy who was driving along through the countryside.  At some point he glanced out the window saw a goat standing on top of a cow.

Wait, What?...
He pulled over to be sure of what he saw, because that is crazy, right?

As he gazed out into the field he was passing he saw, that's right, a goat standing on the back of a cow.  And in fact the cow was just happily grazing on the grass in the field.  he watched for a while longer and because nothing changed he decided he needed to get back in his car and just keep driving.

I LOVE this!!!!!!!

Because I love this so much, I have done my own "google image research" on this subject and here is what I have found:



GOATS love standing up on stuff:

So, I am seriously taking with you about homework in middle school:

I find this funny.  I am not sure everyone will find it as amazing as I do but, as a middle school math teacher, I have students ask me almost daily, "can I do extra credit to raise my grade?"

The answer is "NO"
But... there are options.

If you do not want to do the assignment I gave you, you can instead do any of the following for full credit on any assignment you choose:

• Master Kung Fu
• Switch religions for a week (and practice all parts of your new religion) and report back to me what it was like and how it did of did not change your perspective on the world.
• Wear a fake mustache, without mentioning it to anyone, for 24 hours (see above about reporting back on the results)
• End world hunger
• Find your nemesis, earn their trust, then turn them to your way of thinking
• Find the next unknown digit of Pi.
• *suggest something to equal caliber*

Thank you to the picture below for my inspiration :)