FanTABulous day!

I had an amazingly wonderful first day back to school!  Everything seemed to go so smoothly.  Except for our new student information system program.  iNot, I mean iNow, is not the greatest, to say the least.  Why the state is having us change over is beyond me.  The previous program (STI) had its problems, but so far, iNot seems to be one huge problem.

We aren't having a daily advisement (aka homeroom) period this year, so the daily attendance will be recorded during 3rd block.  For some unknown reason, some teachers were able to post while others weren't.  I think I was one of the "weren'ts."  Even though I marked the students who were absent and clicked on the POST icon, nothing ever showed up indicating I had posted.  So for this week, we have to send down our 3rd block attendance at some point during the day.  Maybe this will be a problem that will be straightened out soon.  A few systems piloted this program last year, so hopefully one of them will be able to tell our powers that be what to do.

My class numbers are AWESOME!  I have 19 in my 2nd and 3rd block classes, 29 in my 4th block class, and 13 in my 5th block class.  I wish about five of the 29 in 4th block could be moved into my 5th block, but I'm happy if everything stays as it is.  My 3rd and 4th block numbers have fluctuated all day long...one time I would have 18 in 3rd and the next I would have 19.  Then it would be 18 again, and then back to 19.  Fourth block has gone from 27 to 28 to 27 to 29.  I really don't know what to expect tomorrow, but hopefully everything will be sorted out by then.

I always have my students do an activity so I can get to know a little about them.  In the past, they have written 1-2 page essays, answered questions about themselves, or done a fill-in-the-blank form.  This year, I took Georgie's blog post from a couple of weeks ago.  The RHOK (Real Housewives of Oklahoma) had done a McLinky that Georgie participated in, and I just took the idea and ran.  (Hope I did violate anything...)  Anyway, bloggers who participated had to complete the following:  "If you really knew me, you'd know that I..."  I thought that would be a fun way to find some things out about my students.  I want to share a few of their answers.

LB said "If you really knew me, you'd know that I am kind of shy until I get to know a person.  Then I don't shut up."  (I had her last year.  I can say she's right about that.  LOL)

MH said "IYRKM,YKTI hate the feel and the sound of cotton."  (I love to find out the "odd" likes/dislikes of people.)

BS said "IYRKM,YKTI have 2 sisters, 3 dogs, and a sloth."  (Hmmm...I'm gonna have to ask about the sloth.)

RS said "IYRKM,YKTI do not like green eggs and ham, and my name is not Sam."  (Hahahaha  I love it when students tell me goofy things like this.  It makes me laugh.)

TJ said "IYRKM,YKTI don't like pickles, but I love pickle chips."  (I can relate to this.  I don't like onions, but I love onion rings."

Some of the common things were a fear of spiders, a strong hate of cockroaches, having to put the radio volume on an even number (I do this), and of course, a love of food.  Keep in mind that these are teens!

One thing that I am really excited about is that one of my former students is doing her observation hours with me for her one of her education classes.  She'll be here only this week,but I was thrilled that she came to see if she could do them with me.  :) 

I have the usual first-day-back achy legs and feet, but I have them propped up on the ottoman, and unless I have to, I'm not moving.  My wonderful hubby has ribs on the grill.  YUM!  They are smelling SOOO good, too!

OK...I've got textbook forms to do, so that's it for this post.

Have a GREAT day tomorrow!

It's getting close!

Katy and Sam came down yesterday to spend the night with Jessi and Lance.  They were going to go on to Wayne and Kay's so Sam could swim for a while, but the weather wasn't very cooperative, so Katy called to see if they could just run by here and then we'd all go over to the Caldwell's at the same time.  Naturally, I told her to come on!  John had just gotten home when they got here, so he had a nice surprise.  I didn't call him because I wanted him to be surprised.  :)

At first Sam was too busy with a ball to pay much attention to us, but after a bit he started "showing out" for us.  He is one funny kid!  He is extremely ticklish, so all anybody has to do to make him start giggling is to act like you are going to tickle him.  He would crawl on Katy and start saying "tickletickletickle."  LOL

We got to Wayne and Kay's and had Wayne's delicious grilled chicken for supper.  Oh my!  I love John's chicken, but Wayne's is to die for.  I've told John that if they were in a throw down, I'd have to vote for Wayne's.  hahaha 

After we ate, we were getting Sam to say this and to say that.  It is so funny to hear him say his own name.  He starts out with a Shhhhhh.  And then his little voice goes up for AAAAMMMM.  He has gotten "Jessi" down pretty well.  The "j" sort of has a "sh" sound to it, and there is a "sh" sound at the end (Shesshi) but it is clear that he is talking about Jessi.  He's been saying Pop Pop very well for most all of the summer, but I wasn't even trying with Grana yet.  I knew that one would be a little harder.  BUT last night, he did come out with "Nana" when we were trying to get him to say Grana!!!!  I was so excited!!  Sure, he says "nana" for banana, but hey, I'll take it.  I'll be whoever he wants me to be.  :)

We were talking about names last night.  One of my friends, Rita, is called Lulu by her grandsons.  Nobody knows where Nolan came up with it, but it stuck.  Another of my friends is Momo to one of his grandsons.  He is grandpa to the others, but Teddy started calling Mike Momo.  Again, nobody knew why until he pointed at the TV one day and said "Momo."  His mom looked at the TV and said, "Well, it sure is."  There was a cartoon or something with a King Momo on it, and it looked enough like Mike that Teddy started calling Mike Momo.  Kay said that an aunt (I think) always said, "Hot dog!" about things, so her grandkids called her Hotdog.  I think it is cute when kids come up with their own names...names they relate to that person.  So even though I'd love to be Grana, if Sam sticks with Nana, or even something else, that's fine by me. 

I'm about to go do a Girls' Day with Kristen and Sam...pedis, lunch, some tax-free shopping...a very nice way to spend one of the last "free" days before our babies (yeah, high schoolers are still babies in many ways!) show up on Monday.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Let the games begin!

Fortunately, teachers did not have to go to work today unless we just wanted to or needed to.  I have everything done for Monday (I think), but even if I don't, I have first block planning, so I can take care of anything I've forgotten.  If I have forgotten anything, it is something minor.  If we had HAD to go to work today, I would have survived, but all day long I would be wondering if UPS had made that all important delivery.

Yep, those are my football tickets for the 2010 Alabama Crimson Tide!  I got the email last week saying that tickets would be shipped by two-day UPS on Wednesday and expected delivery would be the 6th, 9th, or 10th.  I figured they'd be here today, so wild horses wouldn't have gotten me to leave home today.  Now...yes, there are a FEW things that would have taken precedence--work or a family emergency--but luckily I didn't have to work and we had no family emergencies. 

As soon as the tickets arrive each year, I rip open the envelope to see what the graphics are.  I LOVE the tickets for this year.  As you can see, each ticket has a significant fact about the Tide.

• 
  
  101 Thousand Fans in Bryant-Denny -- BDS is now the fourth largest stadium in the country and the largest in the SEC.  Of course, according to UT's math, BDS is the fifth largest stadium.  Recent reports from Knoxville list the stadium capacity at Neyland Stadium instead of the seating capacity.  Bryant-Denny will seat 101,821 fans.  Neyland Stadium will seat 100,011 fans. 
• 
  
  57 Bowl Appearances -- This is the most of any college football team.
• 
  
  22 Southeastern Conference Championships -- Many from other conferences may disagree, but the SEC is, in my opinion, the premier conference.  Of the ten BCS National Champions, six of them are from the SEC.
• 
  
  31 Bowl Victories -- Alabama and Southern Cal are tied for the most bowl victories.
• 
  
  97 First-Team All-Americans -- Following the 2009 season, an NCAA-record six Alabama players were named First-Team All-Americans.  Not too shabby, eh?
• 
  
  1 Heisman Trophy Winner -- So yeah, we don't have a huge number of Heisman winners, but the philosophy at Alabama has always been about TEAM records and achievements instead of individual ones.  Don't get me wrong...All Bama fans are SO proud of Mark Ingram, but IF it had come down to either a national championship for the team or the Heisman for Mark, I think all of us would choose the National Championship.  I think Mark would have too.
• 
  
  13 National Championships -- OK, so we got BOTH the national championship AND the Heisman last year.  (And any true crimson-blooded fan hopes for a repeat of both this year.)  The actual number of national championships varies, depending on who you talk to.  Most opponents of Alabama say we claim too many.  The NCAA lists four that Bama does not claim.  There is the case of "The Missing Ring" from 1966 when Bama went into the season as the pre-season #1, finished the regular season undefeated and untied, and completely blew out Nebraska in the bowl game.  Instead of being named national champs for an unprecedented third time, Notre Dame, who finished with a tie on their record, was named national champions for that year.

I think it's obvious that Alabama football is filled with tradition. Anyone who criticizes us because of it doesn't understand what "tradition" means.

Many people poo-poo Alabama fans and our talk about tradition and our past.  We are who we are BECAUSE of our past, and we are very proud of each player, coach, manager, and trainer who was a part of that past.  Yes, that means Coach Bryant.  Do Bama fans today want to "resurrect" Coach Bryant?  No, but we do pay homage to him and his dedication to Alabama by wearing our houndstooth (which I do proudly!)  I always laugh when I'm listening to one of the sports talk shows because 9 out of 10 people who bring up Coach Bryant are the fans of Auburn, Tennessee, Florida...our rivals.  I think they are more afraid that we somehow WILL resurrect him.  LOL

Just because we talk about our past doesn't mean that we aren't looking to our future.  Bama fans are always thinking about the next bowl victory, the next SEC championship title, the next national championship title.  Even when the season isn't going very well, we are thinking about the next year when "things will be better." 

I don't remember "becoming" an Alabama fan.  I only remember "being" an Alabama fan.  There was never a moment when I had to decide between Alabama or Auburn.  I've been there when the season was a bust, and I've been there when the season was magical.  I'll continue to be there for whatever is ahead.

Now, if the next 29 days will go by quickly...

ROLL TIDE! and have a GREAT day!

Can I do this again?

Today was our first day of inservice/professional development.  I got up about 4:45 when John came in the bedroom to give me bye kiss.  Why so early you ask.  Well, I honestly like getting to work EARLY because everything is still nice and quiet.  I can focus on what I need to do for that day.  I get my PowerPoint presentations loaded up and ready, and I make sure I have all of the copies that I need. 

But Trina, you didn't have students today. So why get up that early today???  I figure that I'm going to be doing it next week so I might as well go ahead this week and start getting in the groove.  So I was up, ready, and at school by 6:20, and we didn't have to be there until 8:00.  And yes, I did get some things done.

We had Billy Coleman, a former teacher and coach at Ben Russell, give our convocation message.  As he began talking, I realized that he and I have TONS in common, so afterward, I introduced myself to him.  His first teaching job was at BRHS, and even though that wasn't my first "true" teaching assignment, the semester I spent at T. W. Martin didn't feel like a teaching assignment as much as it did a baby-sitting service.  In addition to teaching and coaching at BRHS, he also worked at Dora High School, which is in Walker Co., where I'm originally from.  He went from Dora to Brewer High School in Morgan Co., where John is originally from and one of my cousins went to school at Brewer.  Billy is currently in the running for superintendent for the Cullman Co. system, and even though our lake place is officially in Winston Co., our address is Logan (Cullman Co.) and we have a Cullman phone number.  When I introduced myself, I told him that when he wins the superintendent's job, I'd love for him to hire me. Hey...I'll do WHATEVER it takes to move to the lake.  LOL

Once the system-wide meeting was over, the rest of my day was really easy.  I had no meetings to go to, so I got everything else done for Monday.  Of course, I keep going through my mind trying to think of anything I may have forgotten.  I'll do this constantly between now and Monday morning! 

Even though I wasn't on my feet ALL day long, my feet and legs are aching so badly tonight.  That's why I ask if I can do this--the start of a new school year--again.  The older I get, the harder it gets and the longer it takes me to get over it. Thank goodness I can see the light.  I may not be able to afford to retire in 7 1/2 years, but that is my goal. 

I need to get through this year, though.  I've already got one day down.  Only 186 to go.  :)

Have a GREAT day!

I am ready to go!

I spent most of the day at the school today doing some of those odd and end things that we usually don't have time to do on the inservice/professional development days.  You know...important things like checking all of the highlighters and markers to see which ones need to be thrown away, writing important dates for bus duty in my calendar and putting them in my phone--with reminders.  Yeah, important stuff like that.  Actually, the bus duty dates are kinda important because if you miss one of your days, you get a mild reprimand, and I don't like those.  :)

I did actually do a couple of things that are necessary.  I got my first-day handouts and my syllabus for next week revised, I set my password for the new Information Now program that we're going to, and I created seating charts for my classes.  I still have a ton to do, though.  I need to make copies of my handouts, make new copies of my diagnostic test, make copies of my Anglo-Saxon handout...sounds like I'll be spending a LOT of time in the copy room.  My intention for today was to get all of my copying out of the way, but by the time I did that really important stuff (highlighters and markers), I decided to just do it tomorrow.  For some reason, I was thinking that we wouldn't have much "free" time until Thursday.  Maybe that's because we usually don't.  We're usually "stuck" in some session listening to some high-dollar speaker tell us what we NEED to do (and it is rarely anything we don't already know.)  They just don't tell us HOW to accomplish what we need to accomplish with the limited funds and resources that we have.  This year, however, we have our system-wide meeting in the morning, and then we are at our schools doing what we need to do.  Sure there are meetings--department, curriculum, etc.--but we aren't ALL involved, so whenever we aren't involved, we can WORK IN OUR ROOMS.  GASP!!!!!  We have sessions all day Wednesday, but they are school based and should be interesting.  Thursday we have one session, and the English department will have our meeting.

Speaking of limited resources and funds...until last year, the state always provided every instructional unit with money to be used for classroom supplies and materials.  Unfortunately, proration hit, and last year, the state did not provide ANY instructional supply money.  Fortunately, our system managed to find money so that every certified employee had $180 to use.  I'm not sure we'll have that this year.  I will be very surprised if they can give us any.  So, like most of my colleagues, I will spend money out of my own pocket to provide basic supplies.  I have already spent over $200 on new highlighters, markers, pencils, pens, correction pens, construction paper, rulers, etc.  I ask my parents to send a ream of paper, a box of facial tissue, and either markers OR highlighters or I give them the option of making a tax-deductible donation, but since my class is a required course, I cannot require it.  And besides, Alex City is a mill town that has lost most of the mill (thanks to sending so much of the work out of the country!), so many of my parents are struggling themselves. 

So tomorrow begins a new year for teachers.  I'm excited to get started (even if I'm NOT excited about having to get up early.)  A week from today, I will be greeting my seniors.  I have 90 first semester.  I hope I can encourage them to do their best, to work hard, and to SLOW DOWN.  I hope I can instill in them a love of British literature.  I hope...

So, that's it for today.  Have a GREAT day!