Reading Challenge

Our librarian posted this challenge for the New Year:

I love it, although I'm not sure I'll be able to finish it all.

Week 1 (01/01-01/07):  
Alexander, Who's Trying His Best to Be the Best Boy Ever by Judith Viorst. 

 I literally just discovered this sequel to Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and am using it in my class on Monday (1/08) to talk about goal setting and behavior.

I shall count it as the book with a name in the title:

So on to week 2!
 
Week 2 (01/08-1/14): 

The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan. 

I'm currently over 100 pages into it with high hopes of finish it soon (ya know, by the 14th).  Since it's the third book in the Magnus Chase series, I'll check off the trilogy box when done. 

Any suggestions for the other 50 books?

Done...finally!

It took a bit of time, but my teacher guide for The Sword of Summer is finally done and available {here}.

The matching chronological order sort, which my students use to check their comprehension, is available {here}.  

My goal is usually to get a novel guide out within days of finishing a book, but I've been a little distracted by these helpers:

Sydney, who we're pet sitting for the weekend:

Crookshanks, who likes to help me type:

Waffles, who is very excited about her new toys:

I love them. I just don't always love their help. Thanks Chloe for letting me work with minimal distractions!

Thankful November, day 13

First and foremost, I'm thankful it's Friday.  Even though it was only a four day work week, having Wednesday off (in honor of Veterans' Day) threw everything out of schedule.

My students are getting antsy for a break and the number of write ups is increasing. I've got a parent-teacher conference this morning, but luckily I'm optimistic.  This parent is honest enough to know her son can be a stinker, but I approached it as a problem solving meeting so we could figure out some strategies that will help him be more successful.  The student is also coming to the meeting, which I think is important.  He needs to be accountable for his actions, but also know we're on his side and want him to do well.

I'm thankful for the weekend.

 B has a bye week for softball, so we're trying a new restaurant and ice cream place with some of our friends (and bridal party).  Tomorrow brings a joint birthday party for some of the cutest three and seven year old munchkins.  Sunday we're participating in a cut-a-thon:

Nothing major (don't worry mom!), just getting hair cuts and supporting a good cause.  I also plan to finish my teacher's guide and chronological order sort for The Sword of Summer to post on TpT.  Fifty pages and counting!

I'm thankful for my coworkers and their activism.  One penned an amazing letter that's going viral.  Because of that letter, two more were on PBS last night.  They did an amazing job of not placing blame, but rather talking about how these teacher shortages and money mismanagement is impacting them personally.  I'm quite proud and eager to see how the school district and union respond. I'm thankful my admin is totally on board, otherwise that could be uncomfortable at work.

What (or who) are you thankful for today?

Again? Yes, again.

So many feelings, so many days until the sequel.

Rick, you did it again.

Currently in November

Reading... The Sword of Summer.  I've got to meet my {challenge} and not wear Denver Broncos attire (gasp, the horror!). I'll also be reading 31 essays this afternoon and chapter 1 of my book for my most recent grad class.

Playing... "give" with Waffles.  She's found a sock. We just got done playing tag. 

Watching... Nothing. My brain, despite it being a weekend, still decided to wake up early.

Trying... to decide what {Jamberry design} to do next with my nails! I rocked a solid purple for about two weeks, so thinking maybe it's time for a pattern.

Cooking... nothing.  We've got premade shredded chicken for sandwiches for lunch and I haven't decided what will be for dinner.

Eating... nothing. I don't like to eat when I first wake up.  Plus I'm multi-tasking with work and eating right next to the laptop is frowned upon.

Drinking... nothing, that would require getting up from my work fort at the table.

Calling... friends later.  It's been far too long.

Texting... no one. It's far too early to contact anyone. I will be texting work wives later, but at an acceptable hour.

Pinning... teaching ideas, always.

Tweeting... gosh, about nothing! It's been a while since I've been on instagram and twitter.

Going... to nap later. There is most definitely a nap in my future.

Loving... how smart my puppy is! She's going to graduate from obedience school soon and just learned "place" this week.  She's got a special blanket that we'll take with us to dog parks and that's her safe zone.

Hating... that the students got a five day weekend and I only got a three day weekend.  The next two days will be staff development days...and my excitement level is about a zero because I anticipate a lot of wasted time and no new information.

Discovering... subtle connections between Riordan's books.  This man is a genius. I also get irrationally angry at him for what he does to characters.

Thinking... about that nap.  Goodness I love naps.

Feeling... a bit chilly and loving it.  We're finally experiencing fall temperatures, so the air is off and the back door is open.  The cats are loving getting to smell outside through the security door.

Hoping (for)... an easy fix for my car.  She's going into Carmax tonight because the center console is displaying low tire pressure, despite tire gauges reading differently.  It's under warranty, but I hate being without a car.

Listening (to)...a quiet house.  B and the animals are sleeping, which leaves me to be productive without distractions.

Celebrating... it's November.  How'd that happen?

Smelling... nothing. Thank you allergies.

Thanking... a lot of things. I'm trying to 

Considering... options. Teaching is hard. Teaching where there's an attitude of disrespect and blame is even harder.  I'm not talking about my school specifically because it's amazing, but this entire district doesn't value veteran teachers.  It's hard to be passionate about my job when my district doesn't treat professionals with respect.  I shouldn't have to fight each year to keep the raise I earned.  I shouldn't get pay cuts while new teachers get bonuses.  I shouldn't be continually asked to do more, with more students, for less money and less benefits.  We are reaching a tipping point very, very soon.  The next rally for teachers will be on November 10th (payday) before contracted time.  Over eighty schools participated last month and with the union and district going to arbitration, again, even more are angry (rightfully so).

Starting... to grasp this "daylight savings time" situation.  As someone who spent her first two decades in Arizona, the whole change yo' clocks thing is still a bit weird.

Finishing... grading.  It's an endless, daunting task.  Then finishing lesson plans.  Sigh.

What are YOU up to currently?

Teacher vs. Student

One of my students has been working on The House of Hades for about a month now.  He's on page 188 and has read other books in the mean time, but he's stalling.

I only have one copy of this book and two other students are ready to read it.  

Instead of demanding that he finish the book over the long weekend, I game him a challenge.

If he finishes his book (The House of Hades) and I don't finish my book (The Sword of Summer) by Wednesday, the class gets to pick my outfit for Thursday.  They voted on a Denver Broncos jersey and a San Francisco 49ers hat.  As an Arizona Cardinals fan, this is hurtful and they are so excited about the idea of me wearing my rival team's attire.

If I finish my book and he doesn't finish his, his table team gets to pick his outfit for Thursday.  They voted on a pink tutu.

If we both finish, there is no public embarrassment.

On a side note, he started on page 188.  I was on page 20.  I've got a lot of reading to do before Wednesday!

Revisiting October goals

Since it's October 31st, I should probably revisit my {October goals} that I set earlier this month.

1)  For the love of all things holy, I need to finish this dang book:

 Um....nope. I did read The Crossover for Battle of the Books though! 

2) Purchase and start this highly anticipated book:

In the middle, must finish by Wednesday because of a {competition with a student}!

3) Work on our wedding website.

4) Buy a new computer.   We just need to order a case for it.

5) Make the second {DEN ambassador meeting} even more awesome than the first!  I've already got a few more teachers interested in attending, which is great. I have to upload some videos and complete homework by December, but I've got time!

6) Attend a cultural event.  We're actually going to Greek Fest tonight, so this one will be easily accomplished!  One of the great things about Vegas is that there are lots of fun things like this.

Done.

7) Visit the {Bellagio gardens}. 

Nope.

8) Make something with apples.  It might be an apple pie.  It might be apple cinnamon sangria.  Okay, it will probably be the sangria.  A friend just sent me a video of a new recipe and it looks fairly easy.

Nope.

9) Have a girls day.  We had a {Jamberry} and {Younique} make up party, so I'm counting it!

10) Catch up with old friends.  Yes and no. I have some calls to make.

11) Start Battle of the Books!   We've had our first few meetings, we got the kids notebooks, we've got our system structure set, we've got our first fun activity (Paper Slide videos) planned, and I've read my first book {The Crossover}.  The goal is to read all 8 by April.  

12) Catch up on grading (almost done), finish the next two regions for social studies (the West Region is part way done), and maybe even get ahead in terms of planning (a girl can dream).

I have 33 essays left to grade and enter. The West Region and Great Plains regions are done, I'm just working on the Midwest.

13)  Continue to be extra patient with my students.  Some of them have a lot going on at home and act out in school because they're having trouble coping.  This is totally understandable, it's just taking some additional patience on my end.  Patience that I quickly feel I'm running out of.  It's hard with 34 students.  It's hard when some of them are able to focus for thirty seconds at a time and constantly shout out.  It's hard to continue to be patient when I have ten different private hallway conversations with a student on a daily basis about class norms.  But...it's necessary.  

Yes.  I even added another, putting me at 35.

14) Figure out my school costume.  We're doing a theme for fifth grade...and the theme is balls.  We're not the most appropriate ones, I know.  It's more of a joke for the adults.  I'm thinking of being a disco ball or a bowling ball.  Totally fine costume by itself, but then when the teachers realize that all of the fifth grade teachers have something to do with balls...hilarity will ensue.  The kids won't get it.  But it makes us giggle. 

I was fantasy football.  I wore UNLV grad robes and carried a wand and a football.  Mrs. H wore a jersey, pink witch hat, and carried a wand.  Together we made sense to some.  Not everyone got it, but we're so punny.

The rest of the grade level was a magic 8 ball, an eye ball, and a gumball machine.

So apparently my "top ten" got a little over zealous and I now have 14 goals for the month.  But...overplanning is how I live my life.

Then life changed, goals changed, and I got only part of what I needed to accomplish.  Good thing November starts tomorrow!

What did you accomplish this October?

Is it October 6th yet?

My dear friend Rick is releasing his newest book, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (book 1, The Sword of Summer) on October 6th and I'm even being close to patient about it.

I'm not quite at this level, but close...

Captain A is with me!

(Disclaimer one: I don't actually know Rick Riordan, but I have nothing but the highest respect for the man.  I love his books and he's easily my second favorite author, ever.  Sorry Rick, no one tops JK Rowling, ever.)

In the spirit of my excitement, I'm pleased to announce I'm having a:

All 39 of my products that are related to any of Rick's books are 15% off from October 5-7th!  That's right, anything related to Percabeth (Percy & Annabeth), Jason, or the Kane siblings will be on sale to celebrate the newest book's release.

Stock up {here}!