Mingos in the Watah! What in the Wuhld?

[marDgreen88]

Oh wow, all those breakfast options look pretty awesome right now. I guess I'm more hungry than I thought! I would love to have a Mickey or a POP or basically any Disney waffle maker. That would be so much fun.

Good luck! Since a 5 is impossible I'll hope for a 4!

 

[jillyb]

Sending lots of
your way today!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

My husband just called about the dog. Good news is she is going to be ok. They are going to sedate her, clean her wound and stitch her up. The bad news is it is going to cost $1000.00 minimum to fix her up but what else can you do? Yikes!

Whew! But I know how it is - every time you walk through the door to the vet, it's big $$$.

Good luck to all you teachers with those evals and all that junk. Too bad you can't just teach the kids, eh?

 

[Tink9721]

Good luck MeMom!!!

I couldn't find a Pop waffle maker but I did find this on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Mickey...FP2C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320338099&sr=8-1

That's going on my Christmas list

 

[burly]

Good luck today Memom.....

KIM

 

[frazers mum]

I will be thinking of you today as you go through your difficult day. It makes me so cross that the powers that be will not just let teachers teach without having to fill forms in, tick boxes in columns etc.. We all know there will be an element of that when working with children, but it's getting out of hand. Well, whatever they say to you and whatever score they give you, you know (and we know) ,that you are a top class Teacher and anyone here on the DIS would be more than happy to have their child/children under your care.

 

[swwake]

Can't wait to hear how today went, MeMom! I'm sure you and the kids did great.

Poor Matilda - I hate to hear that. I hope she'll recover ok and just know that the whole family is showering her with love!

 

[Megablocks]

Reelmom: I am so sorry about Matilda, I hope she gets better soon. I am the biggest dog person ever so it breaks my heart to think of someone else's furbaby suffering.

MeMom, I don't get time to DIS in the morning before preschool, so I missed that you were having an evaluation. I hope it went well! I can't imagine how stressful that is.

 

[reelmom]

Here is a picture of Matilda wearing her Cone of Shame. This afternoon she was acting more like herself and the swelling has gone down a good bit. She went outside for a few minutes. I'm worried that she is going to dehydrate because she doesn't want any water. I have been trying to feed her popsicles and she has taken a few licks but not much more. But she is doing much better than I expected.

I can't get photobucket to work today. Will keep trying to add her picture.

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Regardless of the score, you are a great teacher who loves her students and does everything you can to help them learn!

We are analyzing visual texts in my room. I thought I'd share:


No Animal Left Behind

Gingrich & Sharpton: Just The Latest Drive-By Education Experts

Fortunately, it only takes one child's remark, smile, or paper per year to help us know that we are really doing a good job!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

I hope your evaluation went well today, I know so much depends on the way your students behave themselves. That in itself can be the most nerve-wracking part of the whole ordeal! Mine is coming up on the 14th and my biggest worry is my students will turn into a bunch of monkeys during my lesson....
I'll give them a good talking to before she comes in and tell them that she is coming to watch THEM!!!

Reelmom, keep us updated on Matilda!

 

[MeMom]

Good morning! Best of luck today. May your classroom be sprinkled with pixie dust!

Thanks so much. The kids really got into one part of the lesson especially. I'll tell more about it at the end of the responses.

Good luck today!!!

Thank you very much.

Best of luck to you today! That evaluation system sounds awful! It's like that at my husband's job...they are only "allowed" to give so many 4's, 3's, etc. so even though he "earns" a 5 according to his boss, he usually only gets a 3 or 4. Makes no sense to me!

We have our school Academic Review today. Basically, clipboard people come and interview us, look at lesson plans, data notebooks, and do classroom observations. Then they keep up after school to tell us what we are doing wrong. Since I am on the leadership team, I am a big part of all of this. So, my stress level is really high today also and we, too, will be trying to put on a dog and pony show that cannot achieve perfection no matter what. So frustrating!

There was a thing on FB that said - I teach like a 5. I am scored as a 3. I get paid like a 1.

Aaaah, the clipboard people! I know very well about them. I am on the leadership team, as well.

I got a call from Brandy this evening, and she is ready to quit teaching and just take an aide job. She's doing all of this with a tough class and then going home to three little boys. She said she has cried in Sloan's arms on more than one occasion lately. This whole thing is just a real mess!

Good luck today. No matter what score they "have" to give you, we all know that you are a awesome teacher. Your students and their families are lucky to have you.

Update on Matilda:

She is ok but it was more than what the doctor first expected to see once he started to clean her up. She did tear some of the muscle in her back and that had to be repaired. Her backbone was showing at another spot, so they had to really be careful and do some deep stitching. She also has 2 drainage tubes. She is pitiful. She has to wear a Cone of Shame to prevent her biting at the wound. She was not happy about that. She just keeps her head on the floor like she can't lift it. She looks like a lamp. I hope she adjusts because she has to wear it for 2 weeks. I will post pictures later this afternoon. Thanks again for the prayers.

You are far too kind. I tried to be awesome once, but now, I am just trying to keep my head above water. According to the higher ups, there is no such things as awesome.

Poor Matilda. Give her some extra snuggling from me. Did you ever figure out exactly what she did? We want to make sure that never happens again.

OH, this just makes me sick It's so hard when your pets are hurting!

I know. The poor girl doesn't understand what all is going on.

Poor baby! I hope she gets better soon.

Good luck today, Memom!!

Thank you. I am so glad this one is over!

Good Luck today, MeMom!!

Reelmom, I wish Matilda a speedy recovery. It's so hard to see our pets suffering.

Thanks. I'll share in a little while how it went.

Good luck today, MeMom!!!

I appreciate the good thoughts. Kristen gets to look forward to joining us in this craziness soon.

 

[Poolrat]

Update on Matilda:

She is ok but it was more than what the doctor first expected to see once he started to clean her up. She did tear some of the muscle in her back and that had to be repaired. Her backbone was showing at another spot, so they had to really be careful and do some deep stitching. She also has 2 drainage tubes. She is pitiful. She has to wear a Cone of Shame to prevent her biting at the wound. She was not happy about that. She just keeps her head on the floor like she can't lift it. She looks like a lamp. I hope she adjusts because she has to wear it for 2 weeks. I will post pictures later this afternoon. Thanks again for the prayers.

I hope Matilda is feeling a bit better and can adjust to her altered state until she heals. When I read "she looks like a lamp", I will admit I giggled a bit. Poor thing.

I hope you found out what did that so you can keep her safe.

 

[MeMom]

Best of luck today, Memom!

That is very much appreciated.

Me!!

Glad to hear your dog is going to be ok. I know we love our babies here & I hate to hear about bad things happening to our babies.


MeMom I am thinking about you today & your big day. I bet you will do fine. I am anxious to hear all about it.

It went okay. I'll find out tomorrow how many of the points I hit and how many I didn't. When I am in the midst of natural teaching, I am not thinking about whether or not I hit choral reading and independent reading and whether I called on every race and every sex and every eye color or whatever else. A seasoned teacher naturally does that, but when you have a clipboard hanging over you making the checks, it's a little more intimidating.

Thinking of you today, MeMom!!

Reelmom, I'll continue to keep your puppy in my prayers. Poor sweetie!

Thanks for thinking of me. I hope your good thoughts bought me some points.

Oh wow, all those breakfast options look pretty awesome right now. I guess I'm more hungry than I thought! I would love to have a Mickey or a POP or basically any Disney waffle maker. That would be so much fun.

Good luck! Since a 5 is impossible I'll hope for a 4!

That's what I will be hoping for, too. I'll find out tomorrow afternoon.

Sending lots of
your way today!

I hope a lot of that was hanging over me and was trickling into the mind of my boss.

Whew! But I know how it is - every time you walk through the door to the vet, it's big $$$.

Good luck to all you teachers with those evals and all that junk. Too bad you can't just teach the kids, eh?

It is too bad that we can't just teach. You are so very right!
I believe in accountability, but they have gone too far the other way.

Good luck MeMom!!!

I couldn't find a Pop waffle maker but I did find this on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Mickey...FP2C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320338099&sr=8-1

That's going on my Christmas list

I have seen that waffle maker before. Hope Santa brings it. I bet it would bring some magic to your mornings. That might be something I could get the girls for Christmas, since they don't need toys. They would probably really like that.

Good luck today Memom.....

KIM

Thanks for coming by to wish me well. It does mean a lot that so many people were in my corner today.

I will be thinking of you today as you go through your difficult day. It makes me so cross that the powers that be will not just let teachers teach without having to fill forms in, tick boxes in columns etc.. We all know there will be an element of that when working with children, but it's getting out of hand. Well, whatever they say to you and whatever score they give you, you know (and we know) ,that you are a top class Teacher and anyone here on the DIS would be more than happy to have their child/children under your care.

When we all get to DIStown, we're leaving the clipboard people behind. No clipboard people allowed in DIStown. No, no, no!!!

Can't wait to hear how today went, MeMom! I'm sure you and the kids did great.

Poor Matilda - I hate to hear that. I hope she'll recover ok and just know that the whole family is showering her with love!

I promised the kids some cookie decorating with my leftover Trunk or Treat stuff tomorrow if they stayed focused. Always gotta have a bribe, and that one was already paid for.

Reelmom: I am so sorry about Matilda, I hope she gets better soon. I am the biggest dog person ever so it breaks my heart to think of someone else's furbaby suffering.

MeMom, I don't get time to DIS in the morning before preschool, so I missed that you were having an evaluation. I hope it went well! I can't imagine how stressful that is.

I think I am ready to go teach at a pre-school. Maybe Jill will hire me at hers?

Here is a picture of Matilda wearing her Cone of Shame. This afternoon she was acting more like herself and the swelling has gone down a good bit. She went outside for a few minutes. I'm worried that she is going to dehydrate because she doesn't want any water. I have been trying to feed her popsicles and she has taken a few licks but not much more. But she is doing much better than I expected.

I can't get photobucket to work today. Will keep trying to add her picture.

I hope she will start licking at some more popsicles soon. I took a dropper and force-fed my cat some water when he was sick and wouldn't drink. I don't know if it was the right thing to do or not, but I couldn't stand the thought of him not eating or drinking for several days.

Regardless of the score, you are a great teacher who loves her students and does everything you can to help them learn!
We are analyzing visual texts in my room. I thought I'd share:


No Animal Left Behind

Gingrich & Sharpton: Just The Latest Drive-By Education Experts

Fortunately, it only takes one child's remark, smile, or paper per year to help us know that we are really doing a good job!

Those scenarios are certainly familiar. I think the people who make our rules should make them at the end of a full month in a classroom. Maybe they would be more realistic.

Thank you for your kind words. I enjoy the teaching. I do not enjoy all of the testing, paperwork, and now this evaluation system. Seems like the bad is beginning to outweigh the good, but there is nothing I can do for at least another five years.

I hope your evaluation went well today, I know so much depends on the way your students behave themselves. That in itself can be the most nerve-wracking part of the whole ordeal! Mine is coming up on the 14th and my biggest worry is my students will turn into a bunch of monkeys during my lesson....
I'll give them a good talking to before she comes in and tell them that she is coming to watch THEM!!!

Reelmom, keep us updated on Matilda!

I tell my kids they are coming to write all the good things and all the bad things, and we want them to have more good than bad.

Being observed is not too much of an issue any more, since we have clipboard people in and out all the time, but I just hope I hit all the points on the very long rubric. I am sure I didn't. I would have had to walk around with a checklist, and that's just not natural.

 

[MeMom]

I hope Matilda is feeling a bit better and can adjust to her altered state until she heals. When I read "she looks like a lamp", I will admit I giggled a bit. Poor thing.

I hope you found out what did that so you can keep her safe.

All of us are thinking of that sweet puppy tonight, and I bet there will be a collective 'Awwww!' when we see the picture of her. She will be one spoiled girl after this, with all the lovin' and attention we're giving her!


*******************************************


Thanks, everyone, for the good thoughts for today. I'll let you know if I still have a job tomorrow evening.

I did a lesson on how a community needs all kinds of workers. I was able to borrow and buy several hats, such as fire, police, construction worker, and train conductor. I borrowed some lab coats and stethoscopes from our school nurse and from Kay, and I got some vehicles - ambulance, tractor, fire truck, tow truck, garbage truck, and helicopter from my old teaching partner. I managed to snag a mini-vacuum cleaner and a toolbox from the YMCA Fun Company, too. We talked about the different citizens who live in a place and make it run. We discussed the vocabulary, and I had to assess in many ways whether the kids were grasping. This will sound familiar to some of you.

I took pictures of the kids in their attire at the end of the lesson. They looked cute, and I think I drove home the point that all jobs are important, so even if I get straight 2's, I still think it was a good lesson.

Tonight, I can really relax a little for the first time in a long while. The two 'big' evaluations are done. The next two are based on environment and professionalism, so there is not a bunch of paperwork involved with those. It feels good to have this weight off of me. I am going to DIS a little, make out a contractions test, and then go to bed. I will check in later to hopefully find Matilda looking very cute and very pathetic and hopefully feeling better.

 

[swwake]

I took pictures of the kids in their attire at the end of the lesson. They looked cute, and I think I drove home the point that all jobs are important, so even if I get straight 2's, I still think it was a good lesson.

Really, at the end of the day, that's what it's all about, isn't it? Are the kids learning and did you do your best to give them what they need to retain.

Sounds like a really cute, well thought-out lesson.

I come from a family of teachers, and I've even done quite a bit of adult instructing in my professional life, so I really appreciate what you - and some of your other readers do for our kiddos and our future.

Enjoy your DISing and your "break" as you wind down!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

We do a community workers lesson too! That sounds like a very fun way to present it!
I'll just bet you got very high marks.
You never give yourself enough credit for the job that you do!

 

[jenjolt]

Sounds like you did an awesome lesson and undoubtedly had a great evaluation! Wishing you all the best on your debrief tomorrow!!!! You are an amazing teacher and I'm sure your evaluators saw that today!!!

I had my big evaluation last month and I told myself as long as I was proficient with some exceeds expectations I would be okay and I met all the criteria!! So I was happy about that!!!! I also had a nice talk with my students before hand and they definitely brought their "A" game that day!!!!!

Enjoy your evening to DIS and relax... no one deserves it more!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Well, I'm sure you're glad it's over MeMom!

All I can say to all of you teachers is
THANK YOU!!!!


I wish my girls had you all as teachers. Don't get me wrong, we've got some great ones too. But I know how you guys are - just amazing. I give you all 10s!!!

 

[MeMom]

Really, at the end of the day, that's what it's all about, isn't it? Are the kids learning and did you do your best to give them what they need to retain.

Sounds like a really cute, well thought-out lesson.

I come from a family of teachers, and I've even done quite a bit of adult instructing in my professional life, so I really appreciate what you - and some of your other readers do for our kiddos and our future.

Enjoy your DISing and your "break" as you wind down!

That is what it used to be all about. Now it is about tests, tests, tests and numbers in boxes and rubrics and checklists and ......

I am of the opinion that everyone should spend at least one day in a classroom to form a better opinion of what this job really entails. Just like I don't know what a legal secretary goes through in a day or a hairstylist or a bank teller, people don't really know what goes on in a school unless they get into it for a while. Every job has its pressures, of course. It just seems like teachers are put under a very strong microscope and critiqued more in the media than other jobs.

Also, some people are strongly anti-teacher, because maybe they have had a bad experience with school themselves or with their children, and they seem to be very vocal about it. It's kind of hurtful when they are constantly putting down your chosen profession. There's that ever-present 'You only work half the year' thing that some people pull out, too. They could have chosen a job that worked only half of the year, too, if they had wanted to, but because they did, and because most jobs are obviously full years with short vacations, that's not a reason to put teachers down. I don't know, it just bothers me when people right ugly comments about teachers when most of the teachers I know are working very hard to make sure their kids (the kids of their future city/state/country) are getting the best education they can give them.

We do a community workers lesson too! That sounds like a very fun way to present it!
I'll just bet you got very high marks.
You never give yourself enough credit for the job that you do!

I took a picture of the kids in all of their garb, and I showed them to them on the camera. They thought they looked just great! I wish I could show the pictures here, but since they are all face-on, I won't. One of my sweet little Hispanic girls looked so cute in her pink construction hat. I could tell she adored it. I would have given it to her, but I couldn't give all of them their things, so I could give her the hat. I am hoping the firemen might give them plastic hats today.

Sounds like you did an awesome lesson and undoubtedly had a great evaluation! Wishing you all the best on your debrief tomorrow!!!! You are an amazing teacher and I'm sure your evaluators saw that today!!!

I had my big evaluation last month and I told myself as long as I was proficient with some exceeds expectations I would be okay and I met all the criteria!! So I was happy about that!!!! I also had a nice talk with my students before hand and they definitely brought their "A" game that day!!!!!

Enjoy your evening to DIS and relax... no one deserves it more!

I bow to teachers who teach the higher levels. You guys are brilliant! I do well to teach intelligently to the ten and under crowd. I have fourth graders for Tuesday and Thursday tutoring, and that is as high as I want to go.

I know you blew your eval out of the water! They are so lucky to have you!

Well, I'm sure you're glad it's over MeMom!

All I can say to all of you teachers is
THANK YOU!!!!


I wish my girls had you all as teachers. Don't get me wrong, we've got some great ones too. But I know how you guys are - just amazing. I give you all 10s!!!

It is nice to be appreciated. Like someone said before, when a kid brings you one of those 'best teacher ever' pictures, it does bring a genuine smile.

If you give us 10's, that will definitely help our scores!