I was at some library/half price book store. (Think the library on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv show) Jeff and I were looking for books with neat quotes in them about music or food. We couldn't find any and we kept looking everywhere.
Then we go into the next room which is like a salvation army store. But off to the side is a small room with a bed. Someone was sleeping in the bed. All of these backpacks and bags were piled in the corner. A little girl told me that the homeless people come in and sleep in that bed. She wished she was asleep in that bed right then. The person was covered in a comforter so I never saw them.
In the bigger room were racks and racks of clothes. I was looking at a rack and saw a small button up Christmas sweater with gingerbread men all over them. (My mom has them all over her kitchen during the holidays) It was originally a $120 marked down to $10. It was tiny and not cute. But I had to have it for her. I was folding it over my arm and some old lady came up and asked to see it. As she was looking at it, she tried to take it from me. She told her old lady friend that it was the one she wanted - as I was standing there holding it! I wouldn't give it to her because I wanted it for mom (even though it wouldn't fit her - she could use it to make a pillow or something!) The old lady kept telling me she found it last week. But she didn't get. Finders keepers right? I finally yanked it out of her hands. I woke up after that.
Moral of the story? One bed for all homeless people, I don't need more neat quotes, I'm mean to old ladies. :)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
What teachers make
I've seen this before but I really like it...
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Barbara . Be honest. What do you make?"
Barbara, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't
everything.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life ( Barbara paused one last time and then continued.)
Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.
You want to know what I make?
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE
What do you make Mr. CEO?
His jaw dropped, he went silent.
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Barbara . Be honest. What do you make?"
Barbara, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't
everything.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life ( Barbara paused one last time and then continued.)
Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.
You want to know what I make?
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE
What do you make Mr. CEO?
His jaw dropped, he went silent.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
99 Things I Ought to Have Done...
Found this interesting from Minivan Mom and thought I would give it a try.
Instructions:
Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower - saw one. Does that count?
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain (grew up in East Bay outside of San Francisco. Used to go with my dad all the time)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - I attempted to
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - pretty sure that is Texas :)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - from a picture
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury - just last Monday!!
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit - was threatened
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - on the back of the neck on the way to drill team practice
Found this interesting from Minivan Mom and thought I would give it a try.
Instructions:
Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower - saw one. Does that count?
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain (grew up in East Bay outside of San Francisco. Used to go with my dad all the time)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - I attempted to
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - pretty sure that is Texas :)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - from a picture
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury - just last Monday!!
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit - was threatened
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - on the back of the neck on the way to drill team practice
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Passing Notes
My student aids have used their sign in book as a way to pass notes to each other. Little phrases to one another just to say hi.
That reminded me of my days in high school. I used to have spiral notebooks with certain friends. We would pass notes back and forth with those notebooks. And when we finished, we would trade off who got to keep it. I still have quite a few of those. I loved those. We got to decorate them how we wanted and we got to say whatever we wanted in them. It was better than email!! :)
I also had a friend who lived out of town. We would actually send letters. I would wait not so patiently for his letter to arrive 7 or 8 days after I sent mine off. Sometimes we would race to see who could send it back the fastest. I loved going to the mailbox and seeing that he wrote me. I loved seeing his handwriting and noticing what all he scratched out and what he drew. I liked trying to see what he scratched out and what he was trying to write. I would dissect each letter while waiting on the next one. He sucks at email these days. Maybe we should go back to letters. Ha.
The other thing I remembered was in English class. I think 10th grade year? I wrote a little Hi! in the corner of my desk. A few days later, there was a hi back. I couldn't believe it. So me and this un-known person would leave little messages for each other on the desk! (shhh... don't tell my teachers. OR my students now!) Those little notes got longer and soon we were leaving notes inside the desk for each other. I think it was a while before we knew who each other was. It was kinda fun. A secret game and something to look forward to in English class :) He had the best handwriting in a boy I had ever seen!
Just some things I was thinking of today after I saw those little messages in the sign in book. Which of course, they are not supposed to do. Bad students :)
That reminded me of my days in high school. I used to have spiral notebooks with certain friends. We would pass notes back and forth with those notebooks. And when we finished, we would trade off who got to keep it. I still have quite a few of those. I loved those. We got to decorate them how we wanted and we got to say whatever we wanted in them. It was better than email!! :)
I also had a friend who lived out of town. We would actually send letters. I would wait not so patiently for his letter to arrive 7 or 8 days after I sent mine off. Sometimes we would race to see who could send it back the fastest. I loved going to the mailbox and seeing that he wrote me. I loved seeing his handwriting and noticing what all he scratched out and what he drew. I liked trying to see what he scratched out and what he was trying to write. I would dissect each letter while waiting on the next one. He sucks at email these days. Maybe we should go back to letters. Ha.
The other thing I remembered was in English class. I think 10th grade year? I wrote a little Hi! in the corner of my desk. A few days later, there was a hi back. I couldn't believe it. So me and this un-known person would leave little messages for each other on the desk! (shhh... don't tell my teachers. OR my students now!) Those little notes got longer and soon we were leaving notes inside the desk for each other. I think it was a while before we knew who each other was. It was kinda fun. A secret game and something to look forward to in English class :) He had the best handwriting in a boy I had ever seen!
Just some things I was thinking of today after I saw those little messages in the sign in book. Which of course, they are not supposed to do. Bad students :)
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