teaching

All posts tagged teaching

When it rains, It pours

Published October 4, 2013 by Angela

Apparently, right through my ceiling 😦

 

It is raining here, but that is not my water problem. My kids flushing paper towel down the upstairs toilet seems to be the issue. So where does the water go when it can’t go down the drain? Right through the floor, and my main floor ceiling, and out the light fixture and door frame on my front door. And what happens to wood when it is full of water overnight??  Bingo! It swells up, which in turn keeps my front door from even attempting to shut.

 

So here’s to hoping for a better weekend than my Friday is being, and I hope your weekend is profoundly better than what I may experience 🙂  Happy Friday everyone!

You did not just say that, did you? (PG)

Published October 3, 2013 by Angela

Oh My Goodness. Church was interesting tonight. After several years of teaching youngsters of various ages many lessons, this is the first time I was speechless. Only for about 3 seconds though, then I tried to fix the problem.

The theme tonight? Saying you’re sorry. What do I do? Ask if anyone has had to apologize to anyone recently. All the hands went up, so I gave everyone a turn to answer. The last boy of about 8 or 9 years old? Yeah, he got me good.

Boy: “I had to apologize to my friend when we were playing soccer for hitting him in the balls with the ball.”

Me: JAW-DROP

Me again: “We can’t say that in here, we have to find better words to use.”

You would think I would have kept a closer eye on him for the rest of class, but noooooo, I tell everyone when it’s time to go to their next class to take their I’m Sorry cards they had made for someone with them. Without looking at them.

Thank goodness one of the other ladies happened to see his card before he got out the door and in his parents car because Yep, he made a card with a really accurate drawing of this said incident and wrote “I’m sorry I hit you in the nuts with my ball.”

😦 Let’s see if I can stay one step ahead of them next week. And how was YOUR night?

I have to do What to a chicken??

Published September 30, 2013 by Angela

“Mummify it.”

 

Whaaaaat?

OK, I am sure this is going to be great fun for the kids to watch as the weeks go by, I am just not sure how comfortable I am having it in my refrigerator (or wherever in my house I may need to store it).

Being a bit of a germaphobe (There, I said it out loud!) I am not thrilled about having a rotting chicken next to my grapes in the fridge.

Other than that, the teacher for the Co-op classes is going to get me started, which I am grateful for, and I will post pictures of this incredible experiment as it moves along.

Has anyone done this before? What did you think? It is a surprise for the kids for their ancient artifacts class, but I am going to be the most surprised that I will actually allow this in my house LOL. The things I do for my girls 🙂

Calculators or no?

Published September 6, 2013 by Angela

I am finding myself (OK, putting myself) in a dilemma about whether or not I should let my 7th grader use a calculator for her homeschooled math. I know the public schools definitely allow it in high school, and I believe in middle school as well. I know I wouldn’t have gotten through all of my math and accounting classes for my Associates and Bachelors degrees without a calculator.

She hasn’t asked, but I reviewed her pre-test comprehension skills to see what pace she is at. Any mistakes were fairly simple ones that will take just some practice. As the book goes on, the work gets much harder.

Does anyone have any advice on if they do or don’t use a calculator, and why? I will be honest and say it is likely at some point in the near future I will be giving her my calculator. I also feel at some point as her math advances in future grades it will not be possible to solve math problems without a scientific calculator. Any thoughts on if I am cheating her out of a learning experience if I let her use a calculator?

The Smartest 41 year old 7th grader……

Published September 5, 2013 by Angela

Will probably be me after this year of homeschooling 🙂 I am saying this with complete sarcasm, because after day two, I am actually enjoying going over the work with my daughter and helping her through her problem areas. Some of it comes naturally, some of it I have a distant memory of, and some of it is a whole new way of teaching I have never seen before (like how my local public schools teach basic math a “new” way and asked the parents not to show them “our” way.) Now how am I supposed to help them with math if I don’t know the “new” way? LOL

Right now I am trying to stay a few steps ahead of her setting her assignments, and have had great advice about not stressing out and that it will all fall into place! I truly believe that and am going to try to enjoy every minute of this new journey.

Excited for my meeting tonight for a Co-op that my daughter will be taking 3 afternoon classes at every Friday with other 6,7, and 8th graders. She is excited to make new friends and I know she will not get bullied there.