three on thursday

 

Thing one:  school was let out at 11:30 due to a wicked storm with mixed precipitation. The roads were icy-slushy, and there was dense fog.

Thing two:  a student complained to the administration about her grade in my class.  On the third quarter report card, the grade is 99.22 because she had a missing assignment.  The LMS was not syncing properly and she wasn't able to "see" the missing assignment so she assumed I had made an error.  When confronted about it by the admin, I may have sent a snotty email sign-off.

Thing three:  I gotta think of something so snap me out of this foul mood brought on by both the weather and the situation from thing two.  😠

ten things tuesday on wednesday

This is the first week of the fourth quarter of school.  I don't know where the year has gone.  I thought I would revisit the goals I set for the year in August and see how I'm progressing.

1)  Nominate students for even more opportunities for them to grow and learn, especially on a state-wide or national level. I have done this with great results!

2)  Lead my department to teamwork.  Instead of four people in the same department, I want to be a four-part unit, working toward common goals.  This is going to be a major effort since the three people have very different classroom experiences and expectations. *sigh* this has not been easy, but I'm working on it

3)  Keep up with my grade book and make materials accessible to students online and in physical copy. I've done this!

4)  Have a successful school-wide Mock Election. This was a huge success!

5)  Put a cap on letters of recommendation.  I will write fifteen. I wrote more...

6)  Submit the revised Advanced Placement US History syllabus I wrote over the summer before Christmas. uh... nope

7)  Empty one tall and one short file cabinet.  Out they go! one short one is empty and I'm almost done a tall one

8)  Reorganize the bookcase next to my desk so it holds materials I use instead of being a repository for stuff I never touch. this is done!

9)  Try one activity or strategy that is far out of my comfort zone.  I have done this with every class!

10)  Build stronger relationships with administrators, work besties, and my mentee.  Foster relationships with teachers of other departments. I've done surprisingly well with this!

finished reading

I don't remember how I found out about this little gem.  It's filled with lots of funny characters that are typical of any small town.  It's farfetched but charming and I neeeeeeed to visit Tuscany!

From the publisher:

A fantastical and endlessly funny story featuring a cast of colorful characters in a dying Italian village and a giant truffle that changes their fate forever.

After nearly losing the election to a geriatric but wildly popular donkey named Maurizio, newly installed Mayor Delizia Miccuci can’t help but feel like the sun has finally set on the rural Italian village of Lazzarini Boscarino. Tourists only stop by to ask for directions, Nonna Amara’s cherished ristorante is long shuttered, and the town hall is disgustingly overrun with glis glis poo—even Postman Duccio has been disgraced. All that’s left is Bar Celebrità, a rustic establishment where weary locals gather to quibble over decades-long disputes, submit their poor stomachs to bartender Giuseppina’s volcanic espresso, and wonder what will become of the place where together they’ve spent their entire lives.

Little do the villagers know that, mere miles away in the forest, local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpazza has just happened upon something that could change everything. Swollen to massive proportions, soaking the atmosphere in its pungent fumes, potentially worth six figures in certain international circles, a truffle—un tartufo, that is—sits beneath the soil with the power to either be the greatest gift or the foulest curse the village has ever seen—they’re not completely sure which since Giuseppina’s psychic was a bit unclear on the matter.

Tartufo is much more than a charming romp through the foothills of Tuscany. Written in the same enchanting style and raucous humor that defines Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures, Buxton’s newest story is a reflection on the interconnectedness of life in all its manifestations—and how holding on to harmony in the face of hardship can grow something beautiful and rare beneath the surface.

currently

I am...

Reading:  Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton

Listening to:  nothing, I'm eating something crunchy 

Loving:  today was a 2-hour delayed start for school because of heavy, mixed precipitation, and the roads were slushy and awful--the classes I did have were ready to share their presentations!

Thinking:  about therapy

Feeling:  hungry--there's delicious smelling chicken cooking in the crock pot

Celebrating:  I need to get a congratulatory card for one of my students who received the Principal's Award for her academic and extracurricular achievements

Grateful for:  funny friends

Enjoying:  Hippeas

Weather: currently 41° and light snow or rain

A quote I want to share: 

sunday stealing

 

Click the icon to play along

Stealing from Shannon

1. What book are you currently reading? Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton

2. Have you ever smoked? my last cigarette was December 27, 1998

3. Do you own a gun? what type of gun?

4. What is your favorite candy? Reese's peanut butter cups with Snickers being a close second

5. Hot dogs: yay or nay? yay, but only Maine's famous red skinned hotdog

6. Favorite movie? City of Angels

7. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? iced coffee

8. What do you drink throughout the day? water

9. Do you do push ups? I have a push up bra

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? a pinecone necklace given to me by a student

11. Current worry? buying a car

12. Current annoyance? I don't have one right now

13. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? no

15.  Can you whistle? yes

postsecret

 

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

saturday 9

Can't We Talk It Over

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, The Andrews Sisters plead for verbal communication.  Is there someone you'd like to engage in a heart-to-heart conversation? not necessarily

 

2) They want to sit together for this talk. Think about the most recent personal conversation you had. Was it in person, over the phone, or via Zoom? it was with my sister and we were in person

 

3) This week's tune was written by Victor Young. He was prolific, earning 22 Oscar nominations in 18 years. (His one win came after his sudden death at age 57.) Think about your friends and family. Who is the most active, productive person you know? my bestie, by far--she juggles more than I can imagine

 
4) The lyrics were written by Ned Washington, who is perhaps best remembered for "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Disney's Pinocchio. Do you believe, like Jiminy Cricket, that dreams come true? sometimes--it kinda depends on the dream (for instance, I will likely never win the lottery no matter how I dream)

 

5) This week's song is performed by The Andrews Sisters -- LaVerne, Maxine and Patty. Do you have siblings? If yes, are you the oldest, the middle child, or the baby? the baby

6) With more than 80 million records sold, the Andrews Sisters remain one of the most successful female vocal groups of all time. Name another girl group. the Indigo Girls, The Chicks, The Spice Girls, the Supremes

 
7) In 1950, the year "Can't We Talk It Over" was released, we were introduced to the Peanuts comic strip. Without looking it up, do you know who created Peanuts? Charles Schulz

 

8) In 1950, most suitcases were hard sided rectangles, with no wheels and a small handle at the top. They came in colors like tan, copper, green and blue. What does your luggage look like? I have two sets--one is soft-sided orange and black, the other is soft-sided blue

9) Random question: Who was the last person to phone you? Did you pick up, or did it go to voice mail? it was a spam call and I did not pick up

finished re-reading

Experiencing this book for the second time was a trippy experience.  I knew what and how, but had forgotten a lot of details.  It's going to be a fantastic book group discussion!  

My original recap:

What a rollicking debut novel.  It's a time travel, spy thriller, and romance, wrapped in a workplace farce.  Truly a genre-bending book.  The unnamed narrator adds a quirky element to the story.  The British government hires the main character to be a "bridge" for time travelers who have been rescued from various periods.  She is to assist Commander Graham Gore as he acclimates from Victorian England to the present (or near present).  I loved other travelers or ex-pats: Arthur and Margaret--but we don't get many of their stories or interactions with their "bridges."  As the ex-pats learn to live in our modern world, they explore themes of racism, sexuality, colonialism, duty, and a heavy exploration of how some historical events could possibly have happened.  There are a few twisty parts that I won't spoil.  And a few steamy parts that I won't spoil. 

There's an awful lot going on.  Plus, in the background is the question of what is actually going on within The Ministry.  Why were these ex-pats brought through time?

The audio version is excellent.

From the publisher:

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts.

Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.

An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.

three on thursday

 

Thing one:  one of my students enjoys cleaning and organizing (LOVES to do it) and I have let her loose in my classroom.  She has completely decluttered and reorganized everything.  We went through one of my piles that had paperwork from 2014.  2014! She's amazing!!!!

Thing two:  I will get a coffee gift card for her as a thank you.

Thing three:  now I am motivated to keep it clutter-free.  Plus, we keep jokingly asking, "Will I use this in the next two years?" and if the answer is no, then it goes!