Duct Tape is My Best Friend

Duct tape is my best friend.  The main reason that duct tape is my best friend is that duct tape goes wherever I tell it.  I told my friend duct tape that I needed help holding down the classroom carpet.  My friend duct tape went around the carpet and held the carpet down.  Now my carpet is easier to step on and easier to sweep or vacum.  In addition, I told my friend duct tape my internet cables were getting dusty on the floor.  Duct tape took them off the dusty floor and stuck them up under the table so none can see the cables or pull the cables or trip on the cables.  In conclusion,  duct tape is the one of the best friend's a teacher could ever have!

Read 180 is working Ok

So far Read 180 is working ok.  There are some good resources for working with students who need extra help.  We are going to work extra on expository writing.

Brain Toys

We actually take a break and play in class.  Awesome!  Can you say recess?  I love this stuff!  Different kind of school now.  Different kind of students.  Very few behavior or discipline problems.  We have time to actually teach.  What a concept!

Should Be a Good Year

We are recognized and on our way to exemplary.  Hold on tight.

School's Over but Not the Learning

School is over.  One of our students passed away.  May Jose Hernandez rest in peace.

More Peter Block: Acting on What Matters

Joyful moments are happening now!  But don't let the good taste fool you.  Be vigilant.  I want all my students to pass on to the next grade level.  I am keeping a close eye out.  I am acting on what matters.

Keep My Students Out of Trouble

It is challenging, difficult, time-consuming and painful to try and keep my students out of trouble with me and with all of their other teachers for these last few days of school.  3 suspensions, 2 detentions, several parent calls and a parent meeting we are almost there.

We are almost there.

Thank you Jesus!

Technology with my Students

We are going to work on some mini research projects with my students.  We want to research the BP oil spill, energy drinks, the summer teen job market, and starting our own business.  We are using a gist template and a limited amount of time.

We Are a Recognized Campus

Wiggs Middle School is a Recognized Campus for the first time ever.  Yeah!  I feel real good about that.  I am very proud of our efforts and our kids.  I remember overhearing those negative people who said, "...no way in hell we're going to be recognized this year..."  I can't help but laugh out loud.  God has blessed our campus and our students.

We still need to work on a lot of different areas, but we are Recognized.  Thank you God!

Online Dictionary Assignment

My students are trying out some of the online dictionaries as a review for a vocabulary test.  We are using the sound files to hear what the word sounds like and to practice using the words in sentences.  We are having a blast listening to the different voices saying the words. Good way to practice vocabulary.

Acting on What Matters - Peter Block

I am Peter Blocking everyday.  I am too busy counting my blessings to be worried about anything anymore.  I need to plan more and visualize and actualize.  Of course I am still watchful and peaceful.

The After TAKS Party After the Test

After the TAKS tests, the kids that passed are having an AFTER TAKS party everyday.  Most of them have mentally shut down, but I am keeping it real. Busy.

NexStar3 Hard Drive Enclosure

I got a new hard drive installed into my Dell GX280. I still had stuff on the old hard drive which was starting to flake out. So I got a NexStar3 Hard Drive Enclosure. I hooked it up and got it to run on the first try. The NexStar3 was not too expensive, about forty bucks total including tax, from Comp USA. I will copy my stuff over and then I can recycle the hard drive. Happy Earth Day! Here is a picture!

Good Docs - Presentation Slides "Can I listen to music while I work?"

The questions are: "Can I listen to music while I work on the computer?" How do I allocate resources? How do I share time on the computer when I only have 7 computers and 24 students?

Solutions: "Yes you can listen to music after you have completed half of the presentation slides."

"You have a time limit of 20 minutes to complete as much as possible. That way we all get to use our limited resources."

Good Work Today!

My students took their time today and doublechecked everything! I hope and pray they do the same thing tomorrow.

What is Learning All About?

In my HO, learning is about giving students something that no one can take away from them. Once you teach a child and he or she learns it, no one can take it away. More on this later.

If learning is fun and valuable to the learner, then the learner will keep that knowledge.

Do I need to research this? I am an educator and I have a wealth of experience as an educator. This is just my HO.

After We Go

After you are gone, they will remember you for a day.

Many good people have passed this way. We pause. We reflect for a moment, and then we move on.

Some not so good people have passed this way also. We pause. We give thanks that they have, somehow, also moved on.

After we are gone, they will remember us for a day.

Renew and Refresh: Purpose and Commitment

To fully benefit from questions of purpose and commitment, we need to be grounded in certain qualites that help us hold to our personal intentions when we engage with the pressures of our job. Peter Block

In other words, we need to remind ourselves of what our purpose is and what we are commited to regardless of what happens.

The Answer to How is Yes

Happy New Year! I have had a chance to rest and to renew. Things are still different, but like Peter Block says, the answer to how is yes.
I have some interesting stuff to try with my students. I think the results will be well worth it.