Sunday, March 8, 2009
PAPER MANIAC MY NEW ETSY SHOP
Check out my new Etsy shop, Paper Manic. I have spent all day Sunday adding new items and taking the paper creations out of my Lil Spotted Dog shop.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
BACK ON TRACK
Okay, the tone of my last post was definitely not a cheerful one. I'm more on track today, though. I just came in from a fun time out in pasture with all the horned ones. We let the triplets outside for the first time today, and as always happens, they were comically fabulous to behold! They ran and leaped, and bleated, and generally had a rousingly great time investigating everything in the goat yard.
We have some "toys" for the goats to play on. These include a great big street sweeper's rotary brush, a Little Tikes play scape, and a large igloo doghouse. All these are in constant use: The doghouse and play scape are both sleeping space and king-of-the-mountain climbing places, and the rotary brush is where much of the personal grooming takes place. Imagine a person who can't reach that itchy place in the middle of their back leaning back as far as she possibly can and ruuuuuubbing that itch on a nice, rough corner jutting out. Then you'll you get a visual of what it's like seeing a goat leaning over and just ruuuuubbing herself along the entire length of the brush.
The babies checked out the house by going inside, so of course when they do that, Mom can't see them and starts panicking. She grunts her special "come here" grunt that brings them all running. When one of the babies gets too close to a larger goat, sometimes the big one butts them a little (not hard - usually they are pretty gentle with the little ones), and when they are scared, they have to go running back to mama for a little quick nurse of milk. This is like a pacifier to them and Mama seems to allow this.
She has been regulating the nursing activity. I suppose because they would nurse all the time if she didn't. Right now it looks as if our fears of her abandoning the little doe are unfounded since Daisy is full of energy. But we are still keeping a watchful eye because it takes a very short period of time for these little ones to go downhill. We keep feeling her belly to see how full it is.
No new babies yet, though! Oy Vay! The size of that nanny! I hope she is a better mother than her twin, Psycho. Psycho (real name LuLu) was sold with her baby earlier this winter. She only had one good teat, and she kept having twins. That is not good. She actually managed to almost raise twins after her first pregnancy. She quit feeding one of them, and we almost lost that baby, but luckily, she was just starting to eat grain and hay a little when Mom stopped feeding her. We had to give her supplements, and she was the one who was sick in February, so she has become very tame and loving. New issue with her (Little Sister): I saw Birthday Boy mate with her yesterday. I think we will have to watch her very carefully because she is so small from all her tribulations that she may have a hard time carrying a baby.
Thank goodness the weather has turned a little warmer for the weekend. I know I'm not the only one this winter has begun to wear down. My students are tired, too. Wednesday I felt incredibly tired all day, like I could just lay my head down, thunk! on my desk and go to sleep. On Thursday, one little boy who was still suffering the effects of this stuff going around fell asleep twice back at the reading table. It was around three-ish, he was sitting by the window, where miraculously the sunlight was streaming through, and he had on a hoodie. All these things conspired to make him just so drowsy he couldn't stay awake. Which says what about my instruction?
The year has flown by in a blur, as usual. After the Achievement Test at the end of April, for all intents and purposes, the year is over. We go to camp in mid-may for three days and boom! the end of May arrives and we are out of school. Too soon! I'm not done! I still have tons to teach!
We have some "toys" for the goats to play on. These include a great big street sweeper's rotary brush, a Little Tikes play scape, and a large igloo doghouse. All these are in constant use: The doghouse and play scape are both sleeping space and king-of-the-mountain climbing places, and the rotary brush is where much of the personal grooming takes place. Imagine a person who can't reach that itchy place in the middle of their back leaning back as far as she possibly can and ruuuuuubbing that itch on a nice, rough corner jutting out. Then you'll you get a visual of what it's like seeing a goat leaning over and just ruuuuubbing herself along the entire length of the brush.
The babies checked out the house by going inside, so of course when they do that, Mom can't see them and starts panicking. She grunts her special "come here" grunt that brings them all running. When one of the babies gets too close to a larger goat, sometimes the big one butts them a little (not hard - usually they are pretty gentle with the little ones), and when they are scared, they have to go running back to mama for a little quick nurse of milk. This is like a pacifier to them and Mama seems to allow this.
She has been regulating the nursing activity. I suppose because they would nurse all the time if she didn't. Right now it looks as if our fears of her abandoning the little doe are unfounded since Daisy is full of energy. But we are still keeping a watchful eye because it takes a very short period of time for these little ones to go downhill. We keep feeling her belly to see how full it is.
No new babies yet, though! Oy Vay! The size of that nanny! I hope she is a better mother than her twin, Psycho. Psycho (real name LuLu) was sold with her baby earlier this winter. She only had one good teat, and she kept having twins. That is not good. She actually managed to almost raise twins after her first pregnancy. She quit feeding one of them, and we almost lost that baby, but luckily, she was just starting to eat grain and hay a little when Mom stopped feeding her. We had to give her supplements, and she was the one who was sick in February, so she has become very tame and loving. New issue with her (Little Sister): I saw Birthday Boy mate with her yesterday. I think we will have to watch her very carefully because she is so small from all her tribulations that she may have a hard time carrying a baby.
Thank goodness the weather has turned a little warmer for the weekend. I know I'm not the only one this winter has begun to wear down. My students are tired, too. Wednesday I felt incredibly tired all day, like I could just lay my head down, thunk! on my desk and go to sleep. On Thursday, one little boy who was still suffering the effects of this stuff going around fell asleep twice back at the reading table. It was around three-ish, he was sitting by the window, where miraculously the sunlight was streaming through, and he had on a hoodie. All these things conspired to make him just so drowsy he couldn't stay awake. Which says what about my instruction?
The year has flown by in a blur, as usual. After the Achievement Test at the end of April, for all intents and purposes, the year is over. We go to camp in mid-may for three days and boom! the end of May arrives and we are out of school. Too soon! I'm not done! I still have tons to teach!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
NOT FEELING IT
Tonight I am feeling very ambivalent about things. I don't feel bad, but I'm tired of coughing. I don't feel tired, but I don't feel like doing anything. I don't feel like going to bed, but I don't have anything I feel like doing. So, here I am. Just here. Doing nothing. Much. I was going to write an update on the babies, but there is really nothing to update. No new ones. Yet. Not much new with the little ones- except mom seems to be trying to abandon the little doe. So. That's too sad to think about or write about.
I know what's wrong with me. I think. I'm feeling let down because my surgery hasn't been scheduled yet. I am waiting on emails and phone calls that haven't materialized yet. Testing for the Ohio Achievement test is coming up soon, and I'm anxious about how my students will perform (and, by extension, how I will be evaluated). So. That's what I feel like. I need Spring.
How about you?
I know what's wrong with me. I think. I'm feeling let down because my surgery hasn't been scheduled yet. I am waiting on emails and phone calls that haven't materialized yet. Testing for the Ohio Achievement test is coming up soon, and I'm anxious about how my students will perform (and, by extension, how I will be evaluated). So. That's what I feel like. I need Spring.
How about you?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
WANTED: LOVING HOME FOR LIVING LAWN MOWERS
In answer to Jan's question, "What do you do with all your babies?" The answer is, "I dunno." This is becoming a very puzzling problem for my husband and me. We started raising goats in the first place so we could keep our agricultural use real estate tax designation. We bought this house about three and a half years ago, and the previous owner raised alpacas. We could not afford alpacas, so for a year or so, we didn't have any livestock because we're not farmers. Or weren't farmers, I should say. But one day we received a notice from the county auditor telling us that our real estate taxes would be rising by $600.00 dollars per year, and they were going to reassess for the prior three years because they had sent someone around to see if the property was being used in accordance with the agricultural use guidelines. Which it wasn't. So, in order to save $600.00 dollars a year, my husband and I are now spending about $200.00 per month to feed our growing herd of goats. I'm glad I'm not a math teacher because I would be very disappointed if there was something strange about our tax savings.
Most people who know anything about raising livestock also know a little about the birds and the bees. I'm thinking Richard and I are kind of dumb on that subject because we just keep getting more little goats. I guess there is something in the goat manuals about keeping your buck penned separately. I think I also read somewhere that female goats will allow mating through fences too, if they can figure out how to do it. Well, after having so many babies born that our barn was bursting at the seams, we figured out a way to stop having so many babies: We got rid of the buck - except - before he left, he decided to leave behind a couple of departure gifts - and- we kept his son, Birthday Boy - and - I think BB has now reached puberty because I saw something - blush - yesterday that I think . . . So we're not really any smarter now than we were a year and a half ago.
We have sold some goats. Out of necessity, of course. Because of the barn. But doggone it, how do I know these buyers are feeding and watering the babies enough and giving them enough head rubs. And calling them by the names they were given? And I know Gary Bradley went into the soup pot after we sold him. That's the only thing a neutered male is good for. Except for Buddy, out little pygmy-Boer mix, who is the friendliest little guy on the planet and who won't be going anywhere ever because what can you do with a neutered male except - rub him and scratch behind his ears and wiggle the little wattles that hang down on his neck and feed him circus peanuts and apples and, well, I guess you get the picture. Even though I ain't Zsa Zsa Gabor, our little tax-saving enterprise probably should go by the name of Green Acres!
Most people who know anything about raising livestock also know a little about the birds and the bees. I'm thinking Richard and I are kind of dumb on that subject because we just keep getting more little goats. I guess there is something in the goat manuals about keeping your buck penned separately. I think I also read somewhere that female goats will allow mating through fences too, if they can figure out how to do it. Well, after having so many babies born that our barn was bursting at the seams, we figured out a way to stop having so many babies: We got rid of the buck - except - before he left, he decided to leave behind a couple of departure gifts - and- we kept his son, Birthday Boy - and - I think BB has now reached puberty because I saw something - blush - yesterday that I think . . . So we're not really any smarter now than we were a year and a half ago.
We have sold some goats. Out of necessity, of course. Because of the barn. But doggone it, how do I know these buyers are feeding and watering the babies enough and giving them enough head rubs. And calling them by the names they were given? And I know Gary Bradley went into the soup pot after we sold him. That's the only thing a neutered male is good for. Except for Buddy, out little pygmy-Boer mix, who is the friendliest little guy on the planet and who won't be going anywhere ever because what can you do with a neutered male except - rub him and scratch behind his ears and wiggle the little wattles that hang down on his neck and feed him circus peanuts and apples and, well, I guess you get the picture. Even though I ain't Zsa Zsa Gabor, our little tax-saving enterprise probably should go by the name of Green Acres!
Pregnancy update: The mama is still growing! I don't know what she's holding out for now. Richard's birthday is past, mine isn't for months, and Christmas is a long way off. 
Fritz and Freda received mail from Wales today. I was in a swap for a personalized matchbox on Swap-bot, and I received mine in today's mail. My matchbox was too cute with a little dachshund deco and my initials and lots of goodies inside, but all wrapped up in polka-dotted paper, complete with a card addressed to them taped to the outside was a yummy package of soft doggie treats. When I told them they had mail and showed them the package, they immediately demanded I open it up and divvy round the treats. I'm making them write thank you's right away!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
DOES EAT OATS
And hay, and so much water is required to make all that milk! I'm constantly thirsty. And I can't begin to even tell you how hard it is to keep track of all these kids. They don't give me a minute's peace! They are into everything they can put their little noses into. They climb on me and butt my udder a thousand time a day. And manners? They have none! They grunt and cry while they eat, and talk with their mouths full! If they're not grunting and crying while they eat, they're playing with their food! Wagging their tails and showing off - not paying a bit of attention to me. I'm constantly licking noses and wiping , well, you know.
I can barely sleep at night. Every few minutes I have to stick my head into their room and see if they are still in bed asleep. And nobody is ever asleep at the same time. It seems as if I just get comfortable, and the next thing I know, someone's head is stuck or their brother steps on them. Oh, and running in the house! Did I tell you about all three of them running at the same time? It's like they constantly are having some kind of track and field day. I just don't know what I'm going to do. Just wait 'til their father gets home!
The babies are three days old now, and this is when they really start to become comical. They act like they are spring-loaded. It usually starts like this; first a drink of milk, then a funny little stutter step and a shake of the head. Then suddenly, s spring straight up into the air. Upon landing, a stiff-legged stance and a startled look around as if to say, "Whoa, what was THAT?" And then it's on - crazy races around and around the pen (now in the big one) and tastes of all kinds of new things. A blade of hay being mouthed, a sniff of grain, a tickling first sip of water - now that is pretty darn scary. Then of course come the head rubs. Those little, just-barely-there nubs of horns are itchy, and chins are itchy and ears are itchy and well, when you're a little goat, just about everything itches! And that human that rubs me, I like that pretty well. I like to chew clothes, too. In fact, baby goats mostly like everything if you start holding and making over them when they are very young. They are loving, playful, inquisitive, and just plain cute! There's nothing like baby goat love!
Update on the other mama-to-be. Just that - no news yet. She is holding out on us, and getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger . . . I'm telling you, I'm going to run her around the pasture! She's never had more than one baby at a time, and I know this time she will be in for a big shock. I know she has at least two in that huge belly and maybe three. Does anyone know of anybody looking for goats?
I can barely sleep at night. Every few minutes I have to stick my head into their room and see if they are still in bed asleep. And nobody is ever asleep at the same time. It seems as if I just get comfortable, and the next thing I know, someone's head is stuck or their brother steps on them. Oh, and running in the house! Did I tell you about all three of them running at the same time? It's like they constantly are having some kind of track and field day. I just don't know what I'm going to do. Just wait 'til their father gets home!
The babies are three days old now, and this is when they really start to become comical. They act like they are spring-loaded. It usually starts like this; first a drink of milk, then a funny little stutter step and a shake of the head. Then suddenly, s spring straight up into the air. Upon landing, a stiff-legged stance and a startled look around as if to say, "Whoa, what was THAT?" And then it's on - crazy races around and around the pen (now in the big one) and tastes of all kinds of new things. A blade of hay being mouthed, a sniff of grain, a tickling first sip of water - now that is pretty darn scary. Then of course come the head rubs. Those little, just-barely-there nubs of horns are itchy, and chins are itchy and ears are itchy and well, when you're a little goat, just about everything itches! And that human that rubs me, I like that pretty well. I like to chew clothes, too. In fact, baby goats mostly like everything if you start holding and making over them when they are very young. They are loving, playful, inquisitive, and just plain cute! There's nothing like baby goat love!
Update on the other mama-to-be. Just that - no news yet. She is holding out on us, and getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger . . . I'm telling you, I'm going to run her around the pasture! She's never had more than one baby at a time, and I know this time she will be in for a big shock. I know she has at least two in that huge belly and maybe three. Does anyone know of anybody looking for goats?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
NEW BABIES
Okay, here are the new babies and some of the old ones! In the mob scene I have candy circus peanuts in the pocket of my sweatshirt. Peeking over the top of the gate is a little female goat that was sick earlier in February, and she became accustomed to getting hand fed all the time. Now she thinks every time we have treats, she is supposed to be the sole recipient of the goodies. We actually gave her probiotics from a syringe fitted with a small rubber hose, and she thought that was pretty good stuff! Just after we took these pictures, we gave the new babies their overeating disease shots, and Little Sister thought she was going to get some more soda pop when she saw the syringe! The picture of the single baby is the only doe of the triplets. Take a look at her pretty ears; they're all speckled! Her face is marked just like her mommy's, and her mommy is a really pretty goat. New names are: little doe, Daisy; big male, Thor, because he has a lightning bolt down the back of his head; small buck, Clem.
It's still March first, and the doe who had her buck on Richard's birthday last year is still holding out. I'm going to take her out and chase her around the pasture just so she'll give him another birthday gift this year. Okay, I'm not really, but I do think she will have her baby(ies) tonight yet just because her belly is dropped down really low in front of her udder. Now, you have to bear in mind that I'm still working on that veterinary diploma. If we get new babies yet tonight, I will upload birth announcements then!Saturday, February 28, 2009
Still Here and With More Babies
Yes, I am still among the living. Both my husband and I have been ill this week. I took two days off school, and should probably have taken a third day off. Richard is just now getting the stuff I had a couple of days ago, but now I'm wondering if we aren't just cycling it back and forth. Our school was in the news this past week. We actually had Channel Ten News come to the school and do a story on our absentee rate. We've consistently had about 20 percent of the student body absent this week. Of course, they came on one of the days I was out sick, so I heard all about it from my students, who were excited about being on T.V. for any reason! We are shutting our school down on Monday so it can be completely disinfected. This will use up our last calamity day, so if anything else happens, we will be making up time.
We have babies! This afternoon about four I was lying down when my husband came in the front door and shouted, "We have twelve. Get out here and help!" In my fog I'm thinking 12? That's impossible, no goat can have twelve babies at a time! Then I realize he's talking about the size our entire herd has become. Duh! But he was wrong, anyway. It wasn't twelve, it was thirteen! Our girl had triplets! We got out there and started helping get everyone dried off. They are all good sized, but right now all three are walking on the ankles of their back feet. Their hooves are bent under. I hate to see that because I'm always afraid their little legs won't straighten out. Heidi's (momma goat's name) last little one was born on our anniversary, and one of her legs was bent pretty badly. It straightened up the next day, though, so that's what I'm hoping will happen with these guys. There are two little males (not good), and a little female. One of the males is a real chooch. He's got a big fat belly on him. All of them fed within half an hour of being born, and that is wonderful.
Heidi is such a good mommy! Last year she had her first set of twin kids, and tragically, they both died. The male was stillborn, and her little girl - so cute - fell into her water bucket and died of exposure when she was three days old. If you've ever been around baby goats, the third day is when they really start jumping and playing and trying out their legs. Those were our very first babies ever, and both of us cried buckets over the second baby dying. I had gone out to check on her around eleven P.M. before going to bed, and I found her. Heidi's next baby was Annie, the anniversary baby, born on August 11th. She is so sweet - and ornery! I think this is really going to get her nose out of joint, since she is used to being joined at the hip to her momma. She is already climbing onto the pen where Heidi is penned with the new babies. I think this will turn her into a real juvenile delinquent!
After the first accident, Richard and I changed practices immediately! No more open buckets around babies, and we put an infrared camera system in the barn. I was actually talking to my mother-in-law on the phone one day when she was enquiring whether or not we had gotten new babies, standing at the counter looking at the monitor telling her no, no new babies yet, when I saw one being born! I screamed, "Hey, call you back, one's being born right now!" I ran out to the barn in time to see it drop to the ground. Babies are so much fun, but I'm just not cut out to be a farmer. I cannot inure myself to the dying that inevitably occurs. I just came in from cuddling all three of the new little critters inside my coat, and getting them used to being petted and handled, and I already have images of one of them dying before morning. This is our third set of triplets, and of the three sets, one died out of the first set, and we sold the mama and the three babes of the second set, so I don't know about them. I wonder, though . . .
So anyway, life is exciting and we are getting better at the goat stuff, and we still have one more mama ready to drop a kid any time. This goat, Bessie, had her first baby on Richard's birthday last year, March 1 (tomorrow). So that kid became Birthday Boy. Really - that's his name! Then Bessie had a little girl, Trixie, this summer. So now, maybe she will give us another birthday gift for Richard, but I hope it's a girl. After all, we can't have two Birthday Boys, now can we? That's another bad thing about me; I name all the babies, and then when it comes time to sell them, I have a hard time because they have become family. Like I said, we're not cut out for this farmer stuff.
We have babies! This afternoon about four I was lying down when my husband came in the front door and shouted, "We have twelve. Get out here and help!" In my fog I'm thinking 12? That's impossible, no goat can have twelve babies at a time! Then I realize he's talking about the size our entire herd has become. Duh! But he was wrong, anyway. It wasn't twelve, it was thirteen! Our girl had triplets! We got out there and started helping get everyone dried off. They are all good sized, but right now all three are walking on the ankles of their back feet. Their hooves are bent under. I hate to see that because I'm always afraid their little legs won't straighten out. Heidi's (momma goat's name) last little one was born on our anniversary, and one of her legs was bent pretty badly. It straightened up the next day, though, so that's what I'm hoping will happen with these guys. There are two little males (not good), and a little female. One of the males is a real chooch. He's got a big fat belly on him. All of them fed within half an hour of being born, and that is wonderful.
Heidi is such a good mommy! Last year she had her first set of twin kids, and tragically, they both died. The male was stillborn, and her little girl - so cute - fell into her water bucket and died of exposure when she was three days old. If you've ever been around baby goats, the third day is when they really start jumping and playing and trying out their legs. Those were our very first babies ever, and both of us cried buckets over the second baby dying. I had gone out to check on her around eleven P.M. before going to bed, and I found her. Heidi's next baby was Annie, the anniversary baby, born on August 11th. She is so sweet - and ornery! I think this is really going to get her nose out of joint, since she is used to being joined at the hip to her momma. She is already climbing onto the pen where Heidi is penned with the new babies. I think this will turn her into a real juvenile delinquent!
After the first accident, Richard and I changed practices immediately! No more open buckets around babies, and we put an infrared camera system in the barn. I was actually talking to my mother-in-law on the phone one day when she was enquiring whether or not we had gotten new babies, standing at the counter looking at the monitor telling her no, no new babies yet, when I saw one being born! I screamed, "Hey, call you back, one's being born right now!" I ran out to the barn in time to see it drop to the ground. Babies are so much fun, but I'm just not cut out to be a farmer. I cannot inure myself to the dying that inevitably occurs. I just came in from cuddling all three of the new little critters inside my coat, and getting them used to being petted and handled, and I already have images of one of them dying before morning. This is our third set of triplets, and of the three sets, one died out of the first set, and we sold the mama and the three babes of the second set, so I don't know about them. I wonder, though . . .
So anyway, life is exciting and we are getting better at the goat stuff, and we still have one more mama ready to drop a kid any time. This goat, Bessie, had her first baby on Richard's birthday last year, March 1 (tomorrow). So that kid became Birthday Boy. Really - that's his name! Then Bessie had a little girl, Trixie, this summer. So now, maybe she will give us another birthday gift for Richard, but I hope it's a girl. After all, we can't have two Birthday Boys, now can we? That's another bad thing about me; I name all the babies, and then when it comes time to sell them, I have a hard time because they have become family. Like I said, we're not cut out for this farmer stuff.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Creeping Epizootey
My title reflects my current condition: I'm sick. The creeping epizootey, the creeping crud; whatever it is, I've got it, and so do a bunch of my students. I began getting sick over the weekend after a big fifth grade feast of dishes inspired by the children's heritages. This morning I actually got up and went to school, but on the way there I started coughing so badly I couldn't get my breath, so I called for a sub. Luckily they were able to find one on such short notice, and I was able to come home a little later. Before I left, I took attendance and I had seven children absent out of my class of eighteen. Seven! I have never had that many students absent - ever! I'm beginning to think that Friday there was a huge germ sharing going on along with the food sharing. I'm taking tomorrow off, too, and I plan on not doing anything too strenuous. Maybe a little reading, a little blogging, a little Etsy-ing. To all my friends, I hope you are avoiding the creeping epizootey! I'm off to bed - just me and my cough syrup.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
CHALLENGES
A recent jaunt to one of the blogs I follow has once again inspired me. I am not a very disciplined person, and that is one of my biggest shortcomings. It is probably the single biggest issue my husband and I argue about. He has a specific laundry day, and all his laundry gets folded and put away immediately. My laundry day, however, is whenever I run out of clean underwear! And, it doesn't bother me a whit to rummage through a basket of once-folded clothes to find something to wear. Our closet is a huge source of dissension - his wire clothing drawers feature short stacks of neatly folded clothes arranged by type; my drawers are an explosion of straps and piles that were once folded, with splots of color escaping over every basket. My shoes are a mound that requires extensive excavation on a daily basis. My hanging clothes are neatly hung, but there is no rhyme or reason to their arrangement. This contrasts sharply with his arrangements of work shirts and pants, long-sleeved shirts, etc. All this about laundry is just one example of my approach to life - probably not a very good one, but it's all mine.
A long winded wind-up for what I really meant to say, but a blogger I follow, Jan Mader, is a children's author and writing coach, who has now extended her expertise in writing to those of us who struggle with that. Jan's posts challenge us all: students, authors, bloggers, parents, teachers, anybody or everybody with something to say. She challenges us to think about why and how we write, and she doesn't just throw down the gauntlet. She gets us actively involved in reaching into our heads and pulling out the seeds that we already have within. She encourages by asking questions and creating involving writing exercises. For me, a fifth grade language arts teacher, these activities are a goldmine! I am "creatively appropriating" (stealing) her ideas for use in my classroom. Not only do I think these exercises are valuable tools for getting kids to write; they are immensely helpful to me in getting my own thoughts into words. One of her recent posts, I Promise (http://ignitetowrite.blogspot.com/), seemed like it could help me become more disciplined, so I'm going to try it. Here goes:
I promise to do my laundry more often.
I promise to get to work earlier in the morning.
I promise to grades papers in a more timely manner.
I promise to help out more with the goats.
I promise to keep my studio area cleaner.
I promise to email my friends and family more frequently.
I promise to weed out my clutter of books and magazines in the living room more often.
I promise to keep my nails looking better.
I promise to unload the dishwasher more quickly.
I promise to differentiate my instruction more.
Now, the part Jan promises is easier: Pick the one of these that "jumps out" at you, and write for five minutes about just that one. And she is right - one does jump out at me, and that is the last one, my promise to differentiate my instruction more. So . . .
My promise to differentiate my instruction is something that I have been thinking about my entire teaching career. I always say that school teachers see a very narrow slice of someone's life and abilities. We have a consigned set of activities that we value, and that slice, many times, does not coincide with an individual's talents and abilities. I am not a huge advocate of the talented and gifted programs in schools because I believe that everyone has something they are better at than someone else and that all children should have opportunities for enrichment. I think every child should have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) designed just for him or her. BUT - once again that culprit, time, is the issue. So, I just began attending some classes being offered by the ODE for gifted education that I think will help in differentiating instruction for all students in my classroom. The concept I'm studying is called compacting, and it should help by letting students show me what they know, and allowing me to skip reteaching those concepts to them. Also, compacting involves more student choice in assignments through the use of interest inventories and learning modalities, which should increase student motivation.
Okay, I've written for more than five minutes here, but see - Jan was right! When I chose the promise that jumped out at me, it really was easy to write about because I am passionate about it! If you are reading this, I encourage you to visit Jan's blog to see what she has to say. It may be just the spark you are looking for to jump start your own writing or to help a struggling child begin to communicate more freely. Now, for me? I'm going to investigate those other promises, one at a time, to see what I can figure out to do about them!
A long winded wind-up for what I really meant to say, but a blogger I follow, Jan Mader, is a children's author and writing coach, who has now extended her expertise in writing to those of us who struggle with that. Jan's posts challenge us all: students, authors, bloggers, parents, teachers, anybody or everybody with something to say. She challenges us to think about why and how we write, and she doesn't just throw down the gauntlet. She gets us actively involved in reaching into our heads and pulling out the seeds that we already have within. She encourages by asking questions and creating involving writing exercises. For me, a fifth grade language arts teacher, these activities are a goldmine! I am "creatively appropriating" (stealing) her ideas for use in my classroom. Not only do I think these exercises are valuable tools for getting kids to write; they are immensely helpful to me in getting my own thoughts into words. One of her recent posts, I Promise (http://ignitetowrite.blogspot.com/), seemed like it could help me become more disciplined, so I'm going to try it. Here goes:
I promise to do my laundry more often.
I promise to get to work earlier in the morning.
I promise to grades papers in a more timely manner.
I promise to help out more with the goats.
I promise to keep my studio area cleaner.
I promise to email my friends and family more frequently.
I promise to weed out my clutter of books and magazines in the living room more often.
I promise to keep my nails looking better.
I promise to unload the dishwasher more quickly.
I promise to differentiate my instruction more.
Now, the part Jan promises is easier: Pick the one of these that "jumps out" at you, and write for five minutes about just that one. And she is right - one does jump out at me, and that is the last one, my promise to differentiate my instruction more. So . . .
My promise to differentiate my instruction is something that I have been thinking about my entire teaching career. I always say that school teachers see a very narrow slice of someone's life and abilities. We have a consigned set of activities that we value, and that slice, many times, does not coincide with an individual's talents and abilities. I am not a huge advocate of the talented and gifted programs in schools because I believe that everyone has something they are better at than someone else and that all children should have opportunities for enrichment. I think every child should have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) designed just for him or her. BUT - once again that culprit, time, is the issue. So, I just began attending some classes being offered by the ODE for gifted education that I think will help in differentiating instruction for all students in my classroom. The concept I'm studying is called compacting, and it should help by letting students show me what they know, and allowing me to skip reteaching those concepts to them. Also, compacting involves more student choice in assignments through the use of interest inventories and learning modalities, which should increase student motivation.
Okay, I've written for more than five minutes here, but see - Jan was right! When I chose the promise that jumped out at me, it really was easy to write about because I am passionate about it! If you are reading this, I encourage you to visit Jan's blog to see what she has to say. It may be just the spark you are looking for to jump start your own writing or to help a struggling child begin to communicate more freely. Now, for me? I'm going to investigate those other promises, one at a time, to see what I can figure out to do about them!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Nothing New Under the Sun
Yesterday I thought I had a wonderful new idea about making journals and sketchbooks from old books I had chosen for their wonderful covers. I was absolutely crushed when I looked at journals on Etsy. Guess what? It's already being done! Here I thought I had come up with such an original idea. I am now, more than ever before, convinced that there is absolutely NOTHING new under the sun! The only thing original about everything we do is put our own stamp of individuality on things.
I guess what really bothers me about this discovery is that I would not want to be seen as stealing someone else's special design. I did think of it - just not before someone else. I am still going to make these journals because I made my first one last night, and it turned out beautifully. I used deckle-edged paper and it looks really handsome. Very masculine with an eagle and e pluribis unum on a scroll under the eagle. So that is my stamp of individuality and my interpretation of an upcycled, repurposed book!
I also had a new comment on my blog today. I have a friend who lives about twelve miles away, and for whatever reason, we don't see each other often. She's been blogging for several years, and I read her blog often just to keep up with what is going on in her life, since I don't seem to be be able to keep up with her by telephone. Anyway, I am one of her "followers," and I guess she didn't realize I was following her until today. Anyway, she commented on one of my posts that she couldn't figure out who this "Glue Girl" person was that was stalking her. When she looked at my blog, she knew the cat was out of the bag. Now she is making some kind of blackmail threats about stories of glue messes and hot soldering irons and other sordid affairs. Whatever you may read concerning any glue stories or anything else along those lines, DON'T BELIEVE IT! I BEG YOU! NOT TRUE! I NEVER MADE A GLUE MESS! I NEVER . . . well, maybe a little of it is true, a tiny piece, just a corner of the truth. Maybe a spot of glue might have been somewhere it shouldn't have been. Once. Only. I swear . . .
I guess what really bothers me about this discovery is that I would not want to be seen as stealing someone else's special design. I did think of it - just not before someone else. I am still going to make these journals because I made my first one last night, and it turned out beautifully. I used deckle-edged paper and it looks really handsome. Very masculine with an eagle and e pluribis unum on a scroll under the eagle. So that is my stamp of individuality and my interpretation of an upcycled, repurposed book!
I also had a new comment on my blog today. I have a friend who lives about twelve miles away, and for whatever reason, we don't see each other often. She's been blogging for several years, and I read her blog often just to keep up with what is going on in her life, since I don't seem to be be able to keep up with her by telephone. Anyway, I am one of her "followers," and I guess she didn't realize I was following her until today. Anyway, she commented on one of my posts that she couldn't figure out who this "Glue Girl" person was that was stalking her. When she looked at my blog, she knew the cat was out of the bag. Now she is making some kind of blackmail threats about stories of glue messes and hot soldering irons and other sordid affairs. Whatever you may read concerning any glue stories or anything else along those lines, DON'T BELIEVE IT! I BEG YOU! NOT TRUE! I NEVER MADE A GLUE MESS! I NEVER . . . well, maybe a little of it is true, a tiny piece, just a corner of the truth. Maybe a spot of glue might have been somewhere it shouldn't have been. Once. Only. I swear . . .
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