A Goat and More

Lately, there have been several posts whose titles include words like "random" and "bits and pieces."  A quick look will reveal how many posts have multiple nouns collected in the title.  I think it is because this is a cRaZy time of year and many of us are struggling just to put one foot in front of the other.  Our mind is filled with "bits and pieces" because that is as close to a complete thought (yet alone a complete post!) that we can get!  This "Odds and Ends" post is like that.

I.
So I'll start with my favorite chuckle of the week.
One of my students had written something partially-decipherable in his journal.  I was able to make out something close to gowdtcard.  Just for fun, I'll leave his spelling in the conversation.

T:  Can you read me this part?
S: We went in my friend's gowdtcard.
T: {still trying to decode} Was that fun?
S: Yes.
T: Hmmm.  Can you tell me more?
S: We went in the gowdtcard at his house.
T:  Oh... Ummmm.  There was... um... a goat?
S: No! There was no goat.
T: Can you read this part again.
S: {Sighing} We went in my friend's gowdtcard. 
T:  Did you say goat cart?
S:  Yes.
T: {Biting my lip at this point} We went in my friend's goat cart?
S:  Yes!
T:  Sweetie, we write that word like this: go-kart. And it starts like go...
S: Oh! Go.... Cart!

 

II. 

I'm pretty crazy about caring for my textbooks. Knowing they may need to last forever, I expect my children to take care of their materials.  In truth, we don't use textbooks daily (or sometimes even weekly--except for math), but I still want them to look pretty on the shelf!  

My students are numbered alphabetically (that makes no sense when I type it--yet I know any teacher would understand the reference) and the books are numbered on the front and the spine. Kids are assigned books according to their number in line.  I have found that neon labels make it easy to find your books when you work at three different tables in one day!

On Thursday, however, our room looked like this. These are social studies and reading books. The math and science textbooks were piled on top of the adjoining bookshelf.  Yep, those shelves are empty.  Why?

A group of people went from room to room to do this...

If you've ever "lost" a kid (Hi BlogFriend!), you may wonder why we don't bar-code the kids instead of the books...

Oh.  Did I mention this happened DURING school?

III.
Some people had last Monday off.  I sure was jealous.  Our district moved Lincoln's birthday to tomorrow/Friday...Sorry Abe.  Like most folks, we have Monday off (Sorry, George, we've redesignated your birthday too!).  My four days of bliss will be even more blissful due to this collection.  My kids know me so well.  They rarely bring their homework, but on Valentine's day, they brought lots of chocolate.  Some of it is not pictured.  I bet you know why...

IV.
I'm still trying to figure out how to fix my numbered comments.  First, there were no comments.  And then there were a few comments, but no numbers.  And then there were numbers AND comments. I was happy. Comments make my heart sing. And then there were no numbers--but I had threaded comments (which I never asked for... they just appeared).  Then a friend tried to re-number the comments... and now every comment has TWO numbers.

Why does this matter?  Because...

V.
I am getting ready for a giveaway.

               Not  a little giveaway.

                                A BIG giveaway.

A BIG, THANKFUL giveaway.

                                         

And I am really, REALLY excited.

I like teaching math, but trying to pick a winner when each comment has two numbers is like an algebra problem gone wrong.  I have to fix that first.

So be watching...

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 Hey!  Maybe I can bar-code my entries!