Sunday, October 25, 2009
Third Place in the State!
Yesterday was a long day of State Marching Band Finals....and we came in third. The kids put on a fantastic show last night and made everyone really proud. The color guard finished second, and the drum line finished first! I think we should have come in second, based on how the other two bands finished in the different categories, but anyway.............here are some shots of my two fabulous color guard girls!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Musings about Teaching
Well, I will start by saying that I realize I have neglected my blog. I apologize to all of my eight followers! LOL
I fully intended my blog to have posts about teaching: my thoughts on teaching, philosophies of teaching, favorite activities, amusing stories from my classroom, etc. I haven't done much of that, because I find it so much easier to post pictures and scrapbook pages and talk about my latest creation or scrappy activity.
Allow me to ponder, a moment, on a comment a dear friend and former school superintendent made to me one time. He said, "Wanda, you know, I have found over the years that the best thing you can do for a good teacher is get out of her way." I believe this to be true. I am a good teacher. My students perform well on their state tests; I have only about a 10-15% failure rate in my class; my students and parents like me and are comfortable talking to me (generally speaking); I work hard in my classroom, I put my students' learning FIRST when I am at work, I am constantly rethinking and refining what I do in order to improve my students' achievement.
I do what's best for each class, even if that means extra work; I spend hours grading papers in order to know what things my students still don't understand. I actually change my plans based on those papers I grade.
I wish that my dear friend's philosophy were embraced by those who are constantly throwing obstacles in my path. Just get out of the way and let me teach.
I fully intended my blog to have posts about teaching: my thoughts on teaching, philosophies of teaching, favorite activities, amusing stories from my classroom, etc. I haven't done much of that, because I find it so much easier to post pictures and scrapbook pages and talk about my latest creation or scrappy activity.
Allow me to ponder, a moment, on a comment a dear friend and former school superintendent made to me one time. He said, "Wanda, you know, I have found over the years that the best thing you can do for a good teacher is get out of her way." I believe this to be true. I am a good teacher. My students perform well on their state tests; I have only about a 10-15% failure rate in my class; my students and parents like me and are comfortable talking to me (generally speaking); I work hard in my classroom, I put my students' learning FIRST when I am at work, I am constantly rethinking and refining what I do in order to improve my students' achievement.
I do what's best for each class, even if that means extra work; I spend hours grading papers in order to know what things my students still don't understand. I actually change my plans based on those papers I grade.
I wish that my dear friend's philosophy were embraced by those who are constantly throwing obstacles in my path. Just get out of the way and let me teach.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Back from the Tally Rally!
Whew! Six days of travel and fun and scrapping can really wear a person out.
I went to Texas to a scrapbooking retreat with 25 friends from Tallyscrapper.com
and had a GREAT time! My friend Pam picked me up at the airport in San Antonio, along with my friend Nicole.
After a crazy afternoon running around San Antonio, we had a delicious dinner at Pam's son's
restaurant, called Ciao 2, outside the city.
After picking up another friend, Dorothy,
we headed off to the Rockin' R Retreat in Temple, Texas. Then we scrapped, and played and partied for FOUR SOLID DAYS!
Pam's husband made us all some delicious TX bar-b-que Saturday night. I scrapped ten pages and made a thank-you card for Christine, our lovely sweet and crazy hostess!
It took me a while to recover, (I ain't no spring chicken, after all, and staying up until 1 or 2 in the morning was killin' me!) but I think I'm good now. Here are a few more pics. They're a little repetitive but, hey....I wanted pics with my friends. What can I say?
Me with Laura Jean, me with Starla, and me with Jenn T. Jenn made us all monogrammed bean bags to play cornhole with.......but then we ended up not being able to play. I love my bag, though.
Me with Staci and Nikki and crazy Rachel in the background. Me with crazy Brandy and me with Christi.
Here I am with my roomies........Susan and Patti. They are sweet ladies!
I'll post more about my trip later. Off to finish my coffee!
I went to Texas to a scrapbooking retreat with 25 friends from Tallyscrapper.com
and had a GREAT time! My friend Pam picked me up at the airport in San Antonio, along with my friend Nicole.
After a crazy afternoon running around San Antonio, we had a delicious dinner at Pam's son's
restaurant, called Ciao 2, outside the city.
After picking up another friend, Dorothy,
we headed off to the Rockin' R Retreat in Temple, Texas. Then we scrapped, and played and partied for FOUR SOLID DAYS!
Pam's husband made us all some delicious TX bar-b-que Saturday night. I scrapped ten pages and made a thank-you card for Christine, our lovely sweet and crazy hostess!
It took me a while to recover, (I ain't no spring chicken, after all, and staying up until 1 or 2 in the morning was killin' me!) but I think I'm good now. Here are a few more pics. They're a little repetitive but, hey....I wanted pics with my friends. What can I say?
Me with Laura Jean, me with Starla, and me with Jenn T. Jenn made us all monogrammed bean bags to play cornhole with.......but then we ended up not being able to play. I love my bag, though.
Me with Staci and Nikki and crazy Rachel in the background. Me with crazy Brandy and me with Christi.
Here I am with my roomies........Susan and Patti. They are sweet ladies!
I'll post more about my trip later. Off to finish my coffee!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Happy Fourth and some Cards
Happy Fourth of July! God Bless America........thank you to all of those who fight and work so hard to protect the freedoms and bounty and blessings that we enjoy in our country, but don't deserve.
So we are enjoying our celebration at home with cousins and grandparents and in the absence of Sarah, who is still in Texas but will be home tomorrow. I took Scrappy walking in the neighborhood parade this morning. It took him 30 minutes to stop panting when we got home. Poor baby. He's sacked out in Randy's chair as I type (and watch the Nathans' hotdog-eating championships on TV).
If you know me you know I don't like the cards I make. Here are some cards I've made that I actually do like:
Just saw where the SEI blog had a great giveaway! Just go HERE to see what it's all about!
So we are enjoying our celebration at home with cousins and grandparents and in the absence of Sarah, who is still in Texas but will be home tomorrow. I took Scrappy walking in the neighborhood parade this morning. It took him 30 minutes to stop panting when we got home. Poor baby. He's sacked out in Randy's chair as I type (and watch the Nathans' hotdog-eating championships on TV).
If you know me you know I don't like the cards I make. Here are some cards I've made that I actually do like:
Just saw where the SEI blog had a great giveaway! Just go HERE to see what it's all about!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Been a Lot Going On!
Some scrappy projects I've done in June! I have scrapped my little head off! I have scrapped a TON this month, participating in the Summer Scrap Fest at Lifetime Moments and doing the monthly challenges at a fun place called Scrapbook Heaven.
June has flown by, unfortunately! One more month of summer vacation. Here's what we've been doing, since the Heatwave earlier this month.
After a trip to her grandmother's in Cleveland, Mary Beth came home and she and I left for Sandestin with Neely, her mother, and her three beautiful children. We had a fun-filled four days, very very hot, and were very glad to get home.
Not long after we got back from Florida we left for New Orleans to take Sarah and Brittany to fly out to Dallas for the International Key Club convention. No pictures of the girls, but a couple of pictures of the Big Easy!
The trip to New Orleans was short but sweet for the Mighty Hunter and me. We stayed at the Monteleone, where we stayed on our honeymoon 23 years ago. We ate at the former Tortorici's Restaurant (now the Royal Oyster House) where we ate 23 years ago. It was a wonderful weekend for the two of us.
July will consist of more traveling - back to New Orleans to pick up Sarah, then Mary Beth back to Cleveland, and me to Texas (for the Texas Tally Rally......where I get to hang out with some of the most wonderful scrappy ladies ever!) and then Gulf Shores (where I get to hang out with my friend, Kim). Sarah and Randy have to work, sadly.
June has flown by, unfortunately! One more month of summer vacation. Here's what we've been doing, since the Heatwave earlier this month.
After a trip to her grandmother's in Cleveland, Mary Beth came home and she and I left for Sandestin with Neely, her mother, and her three beautiful children. We had a fun-filled four days, very very hot, and were very glad to get home.
Not long after we got back from Florida we left for New Orleans to take Sarah and Brittany to fly out to Dallas for the International Key Club convention. No pictures of the girls, but a couple of pictures of the Big Easy!
The trip to New Orleans was short but sweet for the Mighty Hunter and me. We stayed at the Monteleone, where we stayed on our honeymoon 23 years ago. We ate at the former Tortorici's Restaurant (now the Royal Oyster House) where we ate 23 years ago. It was a wonderful weekend for the two of us.
July will consist of more traveling - back to New Orleans to pick up Sarah, then Mary Beth back to Cleveland, and me to Texas (for the Texas Tally Rally......where I get to hang out with some of the most wonderful scrappy ladies ever!) and then Gulf Shores (where I get to hang out with my friend, Kim). Sarah and Randy have to work, sadly.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Heatwave (the event, not the weather)
Hi from beautiful Ridgeland, Mississippi! Wow, what an exquisitely beautiful day we are having today. It is warm, but not hot, with a slight cool breeze. The skies are bright beautiful blue with a scattered cloud or two.......white fluffs, nothing that indicates rain.
Not far from me are 500 men and women swimming, biking and running in this beautiful weather. The event is called the Heatwave Triathlon, and one of the athletes is The Mighty Hunter. I thought I would share a picture or two.
That's just about it. I'm off to enjoy the weather!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Last Day of School Thoughts
Well, I truly love my job almost all the time. I really do. Parents send their children to school with high expectations. They want them to be treated well, to be reasonably happy and comfortable, and to be taught so they can learn.
I take those responsibilities very seriously. We don't do "Free Days" or "Movie Days" or have parties for the last two weeks of school. I teach every day, I smile as often as possible, I try to pay extra attention to kids who need it, and I try to be professional in my dealings with students, parents, teachers, and administrators. The end of this school year has been very trying, and I am glad to see it coming to a close. Today is the last half-day of work for the 2008-2009 school year, and I am happy it is here. I love teaching, but I need a little break.
I found this neat "event" happening over at Divine Digital - 40 Days of Joy. Here is part of what it says:
BRAND NEW CHALLENGE! "40 Days of JOY" with Royanna Fritschmann Get to be the first to be inspired by excerpts from Royanna's new book with a brand new inspirational adapted scrapping series "40 Days of Joy!" Come be part of a brand new scrapbooking journey about learning to in | JOY life! Be in | spired inspite of life’s tough circumstances in a time when many of us are at a low point in our lives! Be in | lightened and discover JOY in everyday things... even in the mundane, silly, and plain jane things. in | fect and in | courage others with what’s important all while leaving a legacy...your legacy, your story! Join us at Divine Digital everyday starting May 18th for something different, inspirational...so needed! In 5 minutes each day you will get inspiring words a quote of wisdom to encourage you throughout the day a FREE Quickpage to help you scrap your legacy in a SNAP! And throughout the challenge earn free scrapkits too! Join us for 40 days....and learn to in | JOY the world around YOU!
I am thinking about joining in for the summer - if you aren't a member at Divine Digital, you might want to join just to participate. Plus, I'm thinking that even though it is digital, a person could do it with paper just as well.
To my daughters (who never read my blog): I love you both. Very much. It may not always seem like it, but it's quite true. No matter what happens with your friends, your school-mates, your boyfriends, your teachers..........I will always love you. Always and forever.
And I will leave you with something truly beautiful to feed your spirit and soul on this Friday, the 22nd of May:
I take those responsibilities very seriously. We don't do "Free Days" or "Movie Days" or have parties for the last two weeks of school. I teach every day, I smile as often as possible, I try to pay extra attention to kids who need it, and I try to be professional in my dealings with students, parents, teachers, and administrators. The end of this school year has been very trying, and I am glad to see it coming to a close. Today is the last half-day of work for the 2008-2009 school year, and I am happy it is here. I love teaching, but I need a little break.
I found this neat "event" happening over at Divine Digital - 40 Days of Joy. Here is part of what it says:
BRAND NEW CHALLENGE! "40 Days of JOY" with Royanna Fritschmann Get to be the first to be inspired by excerpts from Royanna's new book with a brand new inspirational adapted scrapping series "40 Days of Joy!" Come be part of a brand new scrapbooking journey about learning to in | JOY life! Be in | spired inspite of life’s tough circumstances in a time when many of us are at a low point in our lives! Be in | lightened and discover JOY in everyday things... even in the mundane, silly, and plain jane things. in | fect and in | courage others with what’s important all while leaving a legacy...your legacy, your story! Join us at Divine Digital everyday starting May 18th for something different, inspirational...so needed! In 5 minutes each day you will get inspiring words a quote of wisdom to encourage you throughout the day a FREE Quickpage to help you scrap your legacy in a SNAP! And throughout the challenge earn free scrapkits too! Join us for 40 days....and learn to in | JOY the world around YOU!
I am thinking about joining in for the summer - if you aren't a member at Divine Digital, you might want to join just to participate. Plus, I'm thinking that even though it is digital, a person could do it with paper just as well.
To my daughters (who never read my blog): I love you both. Very much. It may not always seem like it, but it's quite true. No matter what happens with your friends, your school-mates, your boyfriends, your teachers..........I will always love you. Always and forever.
And I will leave you with something truly beautiful to feed your spirit and soul on this Friday, the 22nd of May:
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