Today I was teaching my class how to fold and cut paper to make a book that does not require staples. While I was in the middle of explaining the instructions one of my students called out (with an attitude):
"Mrs. Thornal! Can't you please just be quiet so I can think!"
WHOA! If I had been quick on my feet I could have responded to the usually chatty girl with, "Can't you please just be quiet while I try to teach?" Good grief! When I talked to her about this later, she responded with, "Well at least I said please."
Looking back on the situation I can laugh, but at the time I didn't find it so funny.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
My Kids Made the News
Today my fourth graders participated in a video conference with a local weatherman. In their eyes he's a celebrity. One of my students told me how nervous he was about meeting someone so famous. :)
The video conference went surprisingly well and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. After all, who doesn't like to learn about tornadoes and thunderstorms? The weatherman even spent 20 minutes answering questions that the students had prepared for him. One of the questions that the kids thought was most important to ask was "What do you do if a tornado is coming towards the news station?"
About ten minutes into the conference, the weatherman asked us to wait just a second while he listened to the information that was coming to him through his earpiece. He then announced that our county was just put under a tornado watch. It was serious, not just a part of his show, and the wide-eyed look on some of the kids' faces was priceless. How appropriate for a conference named Project Tornado!
At the end of the video conference a group picture was taken so it could be aired on the evening news tonight. Let me tell you, that's a pretty cool thing when you're in elementary school.
Here's a picture of the group, all 60 of them, holding up their weather booklets during the conference. Below the picture is a statement the weatherman put on his website in regards to our group. I must say that I am quite proud of them!
Super job! This was a well-prepared group of 4th graders. I am always impressed with students who come to the session so well prepared. Thank you so much for sharing these students with me. I have to get to the studio now and check on the latest updates on the weather system that is moving into our area. Kudos!
The video conference went surprisingly well and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. After all, who doesn't like to learn about tornadoes and thunderstorms? The weatherman even spent 20 minutes answering questions that the students had prepared for him. One of the questions that the kids thought was most important to ask was "What do you do if a tornado is coming towards the news station?"
About ten minutes into the conference, the weatherman asked us to wait just a second while he listened to the information that was coming to him through his earpiece. He then announced that our county was just put under a tornado watch. It was serious, not just a part of his show, and the wide-eyed look on some of the kids' faces was priceless. How appropriate for a conference named Project Tornado!
At the end of the video conference a group picture was taken so it could be aired on the evening news tonight. Let me tell you, that's a pretty cool thing when you're in elementary school.
Here's a picture of the group, all 60 of them, holding up their weather booklets during the conference. Below the picture is a statement the weatherman put on his website in regards to our group. I must say that I am quite proud of them!
Super job! This was a well-prepared group of 4th graders. I am always impressed with students who come to the session so well prepared. Thank you so much for sharing these students with me. I have to get to the studio now and check on the latest updates on the weather system that is moving into our area. Kudos! Sunday, March 15, 2009
Uh-oh
I'm experiencing buyer's remorse :( This is normal, right? I'm so used to being able to take things back if I'm even the slightest bit doubtful. Returning a house isn't so easy. . . .
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Quick Update
Not a whole lot has been going on, but I thought it was about time for an update:
Eric and I went to Houston for Valentine's weekend. It was so nice to get away! We saw Coraline in 3-D, hence the above picture. The movie was a bit on the strange side, but I still enjoyed it and Eric stayed awake the majority of the time. We also visited the Bodyworlds exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The exhibit featured numerous displays of plastinized cadavers. Romantic, I know! It was also on this weekend that I officially become a Banana Republic fan.
Eric and I went to Houston for Valentine's weekend. It was so nice to get away! We saw Coraline in 3-D, hence the above picture. The movie was a bit on the strange side, but I still enjoyed it and Eric stayed awake the majority of the time. We also visited the Bodyworlds exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The exhibit featured numerous displays of plastinized cadavers. Romantic, I know! It was also on this weekend that I officially become a Banana Republic fan. I received this lovely arrangement at school on Tuesday. It was from Eric just because he was thinking about me. :) By the way, he has a blog now. The more you comment, the more he'll write.
And finally, we are beginning to see progress on our new house. It was "released" today, whatever that means. We will be meeting with our builder next Friday for the first of several meetings that we will have throughout the building process. Yay!
Friday, February 6, 2009
What to do with a Wedding Dress. . .
Even though Eric and I have been married for a year and a half, we STILL haven't gotten all of our stuff moved out of our parents' houses. This summer when we move into our new home, I plan to finally get all of our belongings under one roof.One thing that is still at my parents' house is my wedding dress. As soon as the wedding was over, it was zipped up in its bag and hasn't seen the light of day since then. I haven't even had it cleaned! That's awful, I know. . . .
Anyway, I've been thinking about what I should do with my dress, aside from getting it cleaned, of course. I hate for it to just take up closet space, but I don't think I can bear to part with it either. What have you done with your wedding dress? Or, what do you plan to do with it?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
No biggie, there's just ice on the road.
Issued by The National Weather Service
Bell County, TX
5:31 am CST, Wed., Jan. 28, 2009
... SLICK AND ICY ROADS AND WALKWAYS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE MORNING...
Did TISD delay school?
No.
I was counting on the ice for a couple extra hours of sleep. :(
Update:
Eric just went outside to see how much ice was on his truck. He can't even get his truck door open. Haha! I told him he should call his principal and tell her he'll be late. :)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Praying for Patience
It's been the same prayer every morning for quite some time:
"Lord, please give me patience with these kids!"
Apparently I should have been more specific like:
"Lord, please give me patience with the students I already have. Please do not add a wild one to the mix in order to teach me what patience really is."
A couple of weeks ago Jemerril* joined my homeroom. Prior to him my biggest problems were a few chatty students, one disrespectful girl, and a couple of unmotivated boys. My, my how things have changed! God must be trying to teach me patience with Jemerril.
Jemerril seems to think that he does not have to follow our school's expectations or any teachers' instructions. This means that it is okay for him to leave the room (or the building for that matter!), walk around the classroom calling out student answers on a quiz, talk when no one else is supposed to, and be generally disrespectful.
In moments when Jemerril is out of the room, I realize that I have much more patience with the students that used to get on my last nerve. I suppose that's the patience I was praying for.
Listen! I think God is laughing. . . . Not really, but I do think I've had about all the patience training I can take!
*Name changed to protect privacy. :)
"Lord, please give me patience with these kids!"
Apparently I should have been more specific like:
"Lord, please give me patience with the students I already have. Please do not add a wild one to the mix in order to teach me what patience really is."
A couple of weeks ago Jemerril* joined my homeroom. Prior to him my biggest problems were a few chatty students, one disrespectful girl, and a couple of unmotivated boys. My, my how things have changed! God must be trying to teach me patience with Jemerril.
Jemerril seems to think that he does not have to follow our school's expectations or any teachers' instructions. This means that it is okay for him to leave the room (or the building for that matter!), walk around the classroom calling out student answers on a quiz, talk when no one else is supposed to, and be generally disrespectful.
In moments when Jemerril is out of the room, I realize that I have much more patience with the students that used to get on my last nerve. I suppose that's the patience I was praying for.
Listen! I think God is laughing. . . . Not really, but I do think I've had about all the patience training I can take!
*Name changed to protect privacy. :)
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