Unexpected Outage

Today, the internet broke in my class. Not the whole internet, but the website for our reading program. Luckily, I noticed the problem early. While the kids were doing independent reading, I tried to hop on the site so I could look at something. I got an error message and discovered that the entire site was down. I grabbed a kid’s iPad to see if it was just on my computer (which has happened), but, nope. Whole thing. Down for everyone.

The problem is, Friday we use that website to take our comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and phonics tests. And we were ready for this test. We’d read Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type this week and analyzed the heck out of it. It was easy because the story is awesome and all the kids loved it and wanted to read it over and over. In grammar we learned compound sentences, and they were whizzes at combining shorter sentences into compound sentences. I ever remembered (at the at minute) that the program did something shifty and taught that a compound sentences was two sentences combined with the joining words and, or, and but, but TESTED and, but, or, and so. So I made worksheets to review the skill using the word “so” as well. We were ready.

But had no way to test.

So, I pulled my teacher pants up and improvised. We took our spelling test, and then did our close reader in the morning. In the extra time we had, we practiced for the Christmas program that’s coming up fast. That got us through the morning. During math, we started learning how to subtract 2-digit numbers using manipulatives, which is about when the migraine from hell struck. I couldn’t turn my head, I felt like I was going to throw up, it was all very bad. So, I tightened my teacher belt on my teacher pants, popped a migraine pill and continued on.

Then, during lunch, I faced a dilemma. The website was back up and working. I could test after lunch. But I’d planned to do our Thanksgiving turkeys, which I’ve done every year I’ve taught second grade. Sure, it’s gotten a little less elaborate. I used to do them out of construction paper, and spent any free time during conference week cutting out all the pieces. This year, I photocopied some papers I got off of TPT. Still, the concept is the same: the body of the turkey says “I am thankful for” and then they have 6 feathers to write 6 things they are thankful for. They’d then get to color them, and I’d planned to stick them onto the door to replace our monsters.

So. The dilemma. Did I test or did I create?

Reader, I tested. They’re going to be gone a week. Ideally, they’d remember everything when they came back, but they won’t. And I won’t have time to test. Plus, headache. It was easier to get them on the iPads and run around the room helping them than doing turkeys (well, maybe; some of the kids still need a lot of support to navigate the tests). But, I have my grades. And the turkeys will keep. There’s no law that says I can’t do thankful turkeys after Thanksgiving.

Also, every exciting, our book orders came today! I’ve been telling them all month that it would arrive after Thanksgiving, but I checked at lunch, and it was there!

I’m still trying to build up my collection of seasonal read alouds , so I got How to Catch an Elf and the Ninjabread Man (although the second one might not be Christmas themed; I have to check). The rest were free books from Scholastic. I love that they send free books, I just wish those books were better suited for my class. They are just way advanced for my little second graders.

So, now I’ve got a week off. My lesson plans are mostly done, just have to finalize some social studies plans and then do my Power Points for ELA. I am so ready for this week. I get to see my family and do fun things. It will be all good. And, most important, I’ve survived another parent conference week.