Make Sure to Stretch

I'm hosting a student teacher from now until April. Fortunately, she seems like a person who can roll with whatever comes her way, which is good, because middle school and its denizens demand flexibility. This week was a perfect example:

Her university orientation was scheduled for Monday to prepare her to start in my classroom on Tuesday, but both days were canceled because of the snow. Wednesday we were back on time, but it was a scheduled early release, but she started anyway and went through the professional learning with me and my CLT. Yesterday was a full day, but today there was a 2 hour delay because of light snow overnight. 

"I think I've seen every possible schedule in the last 3 days!" she laughed this afternoon. "And it's been awesome!"

News that Matters

Today was the first day of my new intervention period group, comprised of eight kids who struggle not at all with disruptive behavior, but rather with organization and efficient use of class time. We began with a review of a few tools they might use to know what was coming up in their classes so that they might be prepared, a concept which seemed completely foreign to all of them.

"This is the weekly newsletter," I said pointing to the screen, "Both your parents and you get it every week."

This was news to all but one. He scratched his head thoughtfully. "I think my mom prints it out and gives it to me," he conceded.

His friend chuckled. "You actually read a newsletter?" he asked incredulously.

I moved on. "Take a few minutes to look over it on your iPad," I directed, "and then I'll ask you to share with everybody anything important or interesting that you notice."

A little later I did just that.

Crickets.

"Really?" I asked. "Nobody sees anything that might be good for us to know about?"

The silence stretched on.

Finally I broke it myself. "What about this science test?" I pointed. "Or this social studies project? Or this essay in English? Did you know about those?"

Everyone shook their heads, but they did not seem dismayed.

"Doesn't that worry you?" I said. "These are for tomorrow."

"Nope!" answered one guy cheerfully.

I looked at him in surprise. His tone was open, and not disrespectful in the least. I didn't get it.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because it's going snow tonight!" he told me.

Speed Teaching

After 2 snow days, today was a planned early release day for professional learning, so the kids went home at 11:54. In my opinion, it was just the way to ease us back into the swing of things. And, it may be counterintuitive, but 24 minute classes might actually be as productive as the 43 minute sessions we usually have. With such an abbreviated time, students and staff alike are focused on getting the lesson and activities done, and no one has any time to lose interest. Plus, the way the sixth grade schedule is set up, I see everyone between 8 and 10, and then my teaching day is over and the meeting, planning, grading, professional learning begins.

Works for me!

Unprecedented

After the snow day yesterday, we expected our school system to call a 2 hour delay and call it early for today. With melting snow during the day and sub-freezing temperatures through the night, the roads were sure to be treacherous in the early morning hours when everyone is getting to school. Sure enough, the word came down right around three yesterday afternoon: there was definitely a delay, but with the caveat that they would look at conditions in the morning.

How shocked was I, then, when my friend Mary texted at 9 o'clock last night to report that we were closed again today. As it turned out, we were the only system in the immediate metro area to cancel-- everyone else went with the delay.

Oh, I'm not complaining, but?

THAT

never happens!

Like a Good Neighbor

Heidi had an appointment to meet a friend at the gym, so I cleaned off the car and shoveled it out before 9 this morning. As the day wore on, I looked out at our quiet parking lot several times with some concern, taking mental inventory of the still-buried cars and their owners.

The Audi belonged to a young woman who lived alone upstairs with her long-haired Dachshund, Charlotte. The red Rav 4 was the family's who lived below her, a single Mom and her 7-year-old son. The blue and white Hyundais were the cars of a woman a little older than us and her disabled husband. The pair of Priuses with the handicapped hang tags belonged to our neighbor down the way with the bum knee and his wife who was recovering from a hip replacement.

Just then there was a knock on the door; another neighbor came by to borrow one of our shovels. Of course! we said, putting on our coats, too, and heading out to join her. A little less than an hour later, everyone was dug out.

Breathing Room

We woke this morning to several inches of fluffy snow and the promise that it would continue through nightfall, and even though it was many more hours until it was official, we knew that there would be no school tomorrow.

Knowing that I wouldn't have to rise in darkness for the first of five busy days at work gave me an extra burst of energy to get things done today. The car was cleaned off before nine; the Christmas tree was restored to a simple (if very dry) fir, and all the holiday decorations were finally organized, packed, and stowed away until next year. The house was vacuumed and the laundry washed and folded. I even split some of the dry firewood into kindling to keep our hearth warm and crackling.

Now, dinner is on the stove, and I'm ready to relax for the evening, knowing that I'll have time to work on grades and paperwork for school at my leisure tomorrow.

Well-Provisioned

We had planned to go to Wegmans today long before the weather forecast included a few inches of snow. We stuck to our schedule, but we were joined at the grocery store by about a bazillion other shoppers.

It could have been ugly, but everyone seemed to be in pretty good humor. It might have helped that there was plenty of bread and milk and eggs and toilet paper (and wine and beer), but there were a few shortages. Jostling for produce shoulder to shoulder with my fellow shoppers, I snagged the last bulb of fennel, as well as the final bunch of cilantro

Judging from the limited quantities of a few other non-essential items, I'd guess that people are going to be eating pretty well if they're snowed in.