Chillin on Turkey Day

The weather is variable around these parts in late November. Over the years, some Thanksgiving days have been practically balmy, others gray and rainy, but most are around 50 degrees.

This year we have my favorite type of weather-- sunny and crisply cold. Oh, it's beautiful, for sure, with the last of the leaves burning bright beneath a pale, winter blue sky, but the real reason I like it so much? Is that with temperatures in the low 40s, the world becomes my walk-in refrigerator.

The Directions

Years ago around this time of year I designed a lesson for the sixth graders that involved reading the ingredients on traditional holiday recipe cards and guessing what dish it was and then making up a set of directions for cooking it. The objective was for them to use analysis and sequencing strategies, but the results were often hilarious. Most memorable was Fill turkey with water and boil in the oven for an hour. After I while I realized that there were more age appropriate ways for them to practice those skills, but I still have that pecan squares recipe, and it’s a darn good one. In fact I made a batch today for our own Thanksgiving Feast. 

You're Welcome

In a gesture of giving thanks and expressing appreciation at this time of the year, there were stacks of little orange cards in the main office. The idea was for students and staff to jot a few lines of thanks and put them in our mail boxes. As simple, or even saccharine, as it sounds, I was very moved by the notes I got, and I made sure to slip some in my colleague's boxes as well.

As nice as they all were, my favorite none was penned a student from last year: Thanks for not ripping my head off! 

Model Student

“How was school today?” my mom asked when I picked her up from the airport.

“It was pretty good, but the kids were crazy! As you can imagine they would be on the Monday of a two day week,” I answered.

"Even Franny?" she asked in mock alarm.

"No," I laughed. "Franny was very good. As always."

Name Sakes

As I mentioned in my last post, I have known

a

lot

of

kids

in my teaching career.

A lot of kids means a lot of names, and although there are definitely some common ones, (Caitlyn, Anna, Zachary, and Jack) every year brings a few new names, too. This year, I have a Damaris, a Serenity, and my first ever Tracee, which is admittedly a little weird.

But more importantly, I also have a Franny, who shares my mom's name. And I have found that I L-O-V-E taking attendance and calling on her, because I get a warm little feeling every time I say her name. Oh, it helps that she is a model student, for sure, but now I'm hoping for not only a few more Frannys, but also a couple of Bills, Courtneys, and maybe even a Bob.

Experience Shows

"How did you know that???" a student asked me the other day when I predicted exactly what he was about to say.

"I've known a lot of sixth graders," I shrugged.

He was unconvinced. "How many?"

"Maybe 2,000?" I guessed.

"What???" another student exploded.

"No way!" someone else said.

I shook my head. "You guys know how long I've been teaching," I reminded them.

"Twenty-five years," someone piped up dutifully.

"Right," I said. "Let's do the math. I have 85 students right now; let's say that's the average." And I wrote the multiplication problem on the board. Solving it together, they were momentarily impressed.

Then the statistic flew out of their 11-year-old brains, which was fine, because I knew it would.

Brrrr

There was more than a little tension when I showed up for my semi-weekly meeting this afternoon. Just 2 out of the usual 5-7 of us were there. “Where’s everybody?” I asked as cheerfully as I could muster.

“I have no idea,” my grumpy colleague huffed.

I ignored her tone. “Well,” I said, “let’s look at the agenda and get to work.” I could see I was alone on the shared document, but still I pressed on, asking questions and taking notes, until at last one other person showed up, followed by our administrator. Things were a little more cordial after that, but not much.

“Wow! It’s cold in there!” the reading specialist said as we walked out.

“Yeah it is!” I agreed a little too heartily.