Link to WordPress with pictures.

Is it just me, or are pencils getting worse? They break so easily, at least in the hands of my second graders. Last year and this, it seems like I sharpen a bunch of pencils and ten minutes later, they’re all broken. And half the time, I sharpen the pencil and then can pull the point right out. It’s so frustrating. It doesn’t matter what kind I use, either. I try to use only Ticonderoga pencils, because they’re supposed to be the best, but, really, they’re just as bad as the Target brand. Maybe it’s my pencil sharpener. I don’t know. I used to manage pencils using The Wise Owl’s Winning the Pencil War, but even with giving the kids seven sharp pencils, I was constantly sharpening. Now, I have a sharp bucket and dull bucket and just try to keep up with them throughout the day.

I was going to take pictures of my class and post them today, but, honestly? My room isn’t that pretty. I try, but I’m just not good at decorating. I wish I was better, but I don’t have the interior design eye.

All in all, it was a good day. I still felt rushed for time, but I had library today and was expecting to feel rush. I did get a chance to take pictures of the kids at library and playing math games, which I posted to Class Dojo. The parents really liked that. It made me feel like I was doing something to connect with them without having to step out of my comfort zone. I really need to work on connecting with parents. That’s my goal this year.

What’s your goal for the year?

WordPress post with a rare picture of me in a dress.

I’ve watching some videos on Youtube under the #iteachtoo tag, and I wanted to do it. However, I don’t vlog and I’m too embarrassed to try. What I do, however, is write. So, I’m doing this blog style.

( Questions and Answers )

Clean ALL THE THINGS. Seriously, my place is a mess and it's driving me crazy. I was going in to the SPCA today, but now I'm thinking I just want to clean. The box situation is bad, the litter box situation is bad (the boxes are cleanish, but I have a pile up of bags that need to be carted to the trash can), I need to vaccuum, declutter, get rid of recycling.... It's all bad.

But, after that's all done, I get to play with my laminator. It's a lot smaller than I expected it to be, and I didn't think it was going to be big to begin with. Can't post pictures because Photobucket is a dick and I don't know where to host images for free. Do any of you?

If I really need to, I'll post it on my WordPress site and link it. (Because I know y'all are dying to see the laminator. It's probably the only thing you're thinking about.)

Okay. Off to clean.

Today I introduced Class Dojo as a new management system. Up until now, I've just been giving out Eagle Dollars, the school incentive system, to encourage good behavior, but I wanted something more specific. I used to use BUGs (Being Unusually Good) as my incentive program. If kids were on task, I gave them a card with a bug on it. If they got five, they could turn it in for a reward. If they weren't being good, they lost their bugs. It was simple. However, last year, I found it really hard to do. The class was good and didn't need as many rewards, so I slacked on giving them out. And then I did it really unevenly, so some kids got a lot and others, not so much. I couldn't keep track of who I'd given them too, either.

( More under the cut )

I have no idea why I'm so tired, but all I want to do is sleep. However, I can't because it's book club night. I don't know why I bother with book club, because I'm the only one who actually reads the books. No, scratch that. I bother because I'm interested in the books. I don't know why anyone else bothers because they don't read the book, so why are they even doing it? I just don't get it.

Post office finally delivered my dress. Yay. And, even more yay, IT FITS!!!! There were all these warnings about how the sizes run small, and I think I know what dress size I am, but am not totally sure. So, I did my best guess, but got all worried when looking at another dress by the same people and customers were complaining that it really really ran small. But, it fits perfectly and looks great. I'm going to wear it for picture day.

Oh my God, I just put in a new ink cartridge in my printer, printed one thing, and the printer says the cartridge needs to be replaced. I got the store brand instead of name brand, but still.

I got roped in... well, no. I volunteered to be on a committee for the Next Generation science standards even though it's chaired by someone I hate. We have to come up with a lesson plan based around a piece of children's literature. My partner and I are going to do something from the science program they bought us and use the book "Too Many Toys" by David Shannon as our lit piece. At least, we hope we will as neither of us has read the book. But it looks like it should be what we need. The lesson is on properties of matter (hard, soft, fuzzy, smooth, rough, etc) and then the kids will build a toy and describe it using the properties. The book should tie in by using the pictures of the toys and stuff. At least I hope so. Otherwise, I have no idea what to do.

In bigger news, I ordered my laminator today! Since I had to order the book and some adhesive magnets, and I'm in a bad mood, I decided to do something to get it off my mind. It says it'll arrive by September 15, so I imagine it'll be here sometime in October. I was going to use an Amazon Locker, but the one by me isn't open right now. Of course.

Someone must have recced my "Man from UNCLE" (the movie) fic, because I got a bunch of kudos on it today. I love when that happens, but I want to see the rec!

I went to Office Max today and they had reams of assorted colors of cardstock for $10.99. And I want to start building my collection, so I thought it would be good to get all the colors in limited amounts, see which ones I use the most, and get more based on that. I got two reams. But, when I got the receipt, the reams were $16.99. Usually, I wouldn't say anything, but I pulled up my big girl pants and did. So, they priced checked it. Turns out, the reams were on sale last week, but they hadn't removed sale price, so they honored it. Go me!

The third Target did have the laminator, but I think it cost more than Amazon, so I didn't get it. If it's the same price, I might go back to Target tomorrow, even though it's the far one. Or I'll just get it on Amazon because 2 day shipping and all. IDK.

ETA The laminator is about ten dollars cheaper on Amazon. I'll get it when I feel that I'm not just spending money constantly on Amazon, which I feel I have been.

My car is so full of crap for my classroom. Good thing that tomorrow is Monday (something I never thought I'd say).

I really enjoyed seeing Wrath of Kahn on the big screen today. It's such a good movie. I've seen it a million times, but my heart was still pounding during the tense scenes. And I love Bones so much. So, so much.

Unless teaching is a fandom. But in the past few days, I've become obsessed with watching this one teacher's youtube videos. She Pocketful of Primary (although she's not a primary teacher anymore), and I cannot stop watching her vlogs. I won't watch anything on YouTube that's more than a minute usually (except for BohoBerry's bullet journal vids and, rarely, Fresh Baked Disney), but now I'm eating hours watching this teacher. And she's insane! She stays up until two and three am working and then gets up to go to school and teach. I can barely make it until 10. In fact, this school year, I've been going to bed at 9:30 (but I've added in going to the gym, so I'm more tired). This woman is a working machine.

She's made me want to get a laminator, and I don't laminate anything. But, maybe I would if it wasn't such a hassle. And it's only $20 at Target.

This is what I do to fill the void. Watch people who do my job better than I do talk about it. It feels kind of pathetic when I put it that way. Oh well. Off to watch more videos.

I'm not sure if this is season 5 or season 1. IMBD has it as season 1 and Previously TV says season 5, so... I don't know.

( Kaniel Outis )

First, I dreamed I had to go back to high school because I never passed some essential class. I was very annoyed that all my years of teaching and college didn't matter and I had to go back. Plus, my mom had to enroll me, which was embarrassing.

Then, I dreamed that Sea World tried to release their killer whales back to the ocean by opening the tanks directly into the ocean. The whales swam out, but when they hit the dirty water, the noped out and turned back around. Also, for some reason, they had legs. It was a strange dream.