Different English Styles (by Mrs. Styles)

For those of you who may have known me in high school, you may remember that I wasn’t an A+ student.  I probably could’ve been, but I had other interests at that time and my classes were just so ordinary.  I loved my English classes, my creative writing classes and my journalism classes.  I didn’t mind Social Studies and found Government and Economics very interesting.  However, I really could’ve done without Math and Science.  The thing is, now I find learning fascinating.  When my students come to my classroom for studyhall, I want to do their math homework.  I want to read their social studies packets and learn about cell reproduction and all that cool stuff that I really don’t remember.  This leads me to my next topic.

One of my favorite sounds in all the world is the sound of cicadas making their rattling call from the trees in summer.  I love that sound.  I don’t know why, but I always have.  The other day we found one on the ground in our backyard and my kids and I were amazed at how big it was.  For the next hour and a half I researched cicadas online.  That’s right.  I think I learned more about bugs and locusts and grasshoppers in that hour and a half than I ever would have during a biology class in school.  The reason, I realized is that I took the learning into my hands and was truly interested in the topic.  Which leads me to my next topic.

At a conference this summer, we learned about preparing our students for the demands of the 21st century.  The changing of the global workplace, the attributes employers are looking for but are noticing that new graduates are missing.  One of those big attributes is self-directiveness.  This is something I see in the classroom everyday.  Students want to know exactly what the teacher is looking for and do just that.  New employees, apparently, want to know exactly what their employer is looking for and do only  that.  Nothing innovative, nothing new and exciting, nothing creative.  Just what is expected and what they are told  to do. 

So, the big revelation for me watching the big cicada climb up our firepit in the backyard, was that I need to find some way to promote self-directed learning and  connect it with the standards for my content area and  find some technology-based assessment in which to monitor the learning.  I came up with the most kick-butt unit of all time. 

Stay tuned for the rest…

So, we’re down to four weeks until school starts.  That means that in four weeks I have to start my usual routine of waking up at the God-awful time of 4:40 and falling asleep on the couch at 9:30 with little conversation between Keith and I other than, “I’m so freaking tired (snoring within minutes).”  I have to start cooking regular cold weather meals and my summer laziness will be a memory packed away nicely in the back of my mind.  When I’m cold and pale and yearning for sunshine in November I will be able to think back to this summer and remember bike rides and Marco Polo and Popsicles.  I’ll remember how great this summer was and that having no plans is sometimes the best plan of all.  I’ll remember jumping up and down when the garbage truck turned onto our street and running into the driveway to wave to the garbage guys.  I’ll remember sitting on the deck at dusk and watching the kids play football in the backyard.  I’ll remember staying awake past 9:30 and actually having meaningful conversation with my husband.  Summer is like a two-month long memory making period where the most colorful memories are made. 

With that being said, I have a crapload of work to do in the next four weeks…

This is a small list of phrases that have recently come out of my mouth.  Seriously, I really had to relay these messages:

1) Who peed all over the shower curtain?  No, it wasn’t me…that would be impossible. 

2) Watch out for that hot dog in the middle of the sidewalk!

3) Put your brother’s underwear down and eat your lunch.

4) If you want to play with your backhoe in the backyard you need to at least put on some underwear.

5) I’m your mother and you don’t have  to like me. 

6) That was a seven dollar corndog, you better eat that whole thing.

7) There are no monsters in the toilet.  Monsters don’t eat poop.

Those are the cutest butt cheeks I have ever seen…I want to dip them in honey and munch on them.

9) No, you will not call the baby stupid when we come home from the hospital.

10)  You will make an excellent American Gladiator and I can’t wait to watch you at Gladiator Arena.

11) Of course I love daddy!   Well, that’s just because daddy does things that mommy doesn’t understand.  I still love him though, don’t worry. 

12)  Ooohh, just three more days until garbage day!  How exciting!

13) If you would just please  put on your shoes, I promise you I will buy you a milkshake from McDonald’s.

**Note to reader: I have no idea why that little smiley face is there, but I don’t know how to get rid of it.  Just disregard it, please.**