Plagiarism

Of course as a teacher, I've encountered plagiarism.  And most of the time, it's pretty obvious. Kids have a certain voice, and it comes out in their speech and writing - even the short answers they give on a quiz shows their voice.  When they go ahead and copy and paste, I have to sigh at their naivety thinking that I wouldn't catch on immediately.

I remember a project I gave my eighth graders my first year.  They could draw, write a story or poem, or make a collage about the short story they liked the most.in the quarter.

Of course- what should have taken the kids a few nights after school took two weeks of class time -- Rookie mistake for sure.

But - well-- live and learn.

I remember looking at the pieces as each student handed in their work and being in awe at the beauty of their creativity - of course there were a few duds - but that's how it goes sometimes - creativity during those two weeks was low for that student or whatever.


One student handed in something he drew at home - but it wasn't the original - it was scanned and printed.  He told me that right after he was finished he had scanned it and set it down - and his pop spilled all over it.

The story was fishy - and yet, for some reason believable.

I held it up and showed it to the para.

He shook his head "Naww... he didn't do it."

I wanted to believe the student.  I showed it to the art teacher.

"No Way..."  she said.

That night, I had volunteered to be on the fan bus.  This kid's parents were signed up to be on  my bus.  I brought the beautiful work with me.

When they looked at me, they said "Oh - he does this all the time."

I knew it!!!  I knew this kid was a prodigy!  I was thrilled.  I was excited that he had shown me his brilliance, and I discovered it!

What I didn't count on was that by asking and validating this artwork the kid wouldn't trust me again for a very long time..  By questioning, he felt I was questioning him.  I think that hurt him.

I never handed back that work.  I kept it in my happy file.  I knew he had a scan of it at home  I wanted it to remind me to trust my own instincts. Hopefully, he'll show off his talent to more teachers so they'll believe him too.  I won't be there to take out his beautiful picture and say - "Well, he did draw this for me that one time."

Weather

One of the funniest things in the world is when people get mad at others for wanting a certain type of weather.

Let's say I tell  someone that I like the rain - bad idea - there may be a farmer out there who's land is flooded, and they want the sun....  And boy - if that farmer didn't get ticked at me.

And I'm confused because me liking it rain doesn't cause it to rain...  so what's it to the farmer that I like the rain?

For some reason, it's like a personal insult.

My grandma once told my step-grandpa, "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow - my emphasyma is acting up."  Ooooo did he get mad.

Didn't she know that there was a drought? And the river was drying up?

She turned to him...  "Well did you know that me liking this dry weather does not create it? "  I think she may have called him a dumbass....   She wasn't very soft-spoken or anything like that.  She was pretty blunt.

Sewing With Bobbi

Today, I got some fabric for a quilt I'm making for Allison for her Birthday?  for Christmas?  I haven't decided.... When I showed Natalie the first bit of fabric I had gotten she had said

"You're not making me a quilt for my birthday are you?"  Well...  I HAD been planning on it.  I suppose she's been thinking - "How many quilts does a girl need?"

Well - girlie as many as your mom and grandma make you.

Anyways..  this quilt is going to be a paper doll theme because Allison likes paper dolls.  

I hope it works out better than the 50s girl's dress I made Allie this morning - I'm not even going to show it to you - because it's that bad -  and a seam ripper is going to visit that project real real soon.

YIKES! 

Braces

Nat is getting braces.  We made the trip eastward to this little town called Fosston...  maybe you've heard of it?  Anyways....
She sat in the front seat - because she's tall enough to sit in the front seat.  And she played with the rodeo while I drove. We ate at DQ with a former co-worker.  Natalie met some of my former students.

Between appointments, we went to the fabric store where we considered fabrics for multiple friends who are having babieeeeessss.....  Natalie helped me with her expert opinion of color coordination.

On our way home, we grabbed a blizzard - she the small, me the mini.


And I realized, how lucky I am.  For the next 18-24 months, it'll be just us two - making our monthly visits to Fosston  - singing along with the radio, eating blizzards, picking out fabric, and maybe sharing a thing or two about our lives.

I survived!

Last March,  my principal came into my room and told me that I was being laid off.  My first reaction was very objective.  I knew that there were four English teachers at the high school and three of all other subjects.  I also knew that I was the last hired and there had been hints of financial difficulty.

My second reaction was anger. 

I wasn't sure who to be angry at.  So,  I was angry at the teacher who kept asking me if she could have my SMARTboard when I left.  I was angry at the teacher who was whining about having class the last hour of the day...  she wrote to mass e-mail to everyone "I feel like the bottom the barrel."  I wanted to write her back - and maybe I should have "I think the girl without a job is the bottom of the barrel."  I bit my tongue publicly and vented to a trusted co-worker.

My third reaction and hardest was sadness.  I was already missing the kids. I couldn't imagine my life without the kids in Fosston.  I really had no clue what to do without driving east every morning.

I'll have to tell you - my summer was amazing.  I worked at the ALC in Thief River Falls - and it's an amazing place.  I loved every minute of my experience there.  I know that if I had not been laid off, I never would have given the ALC a chance.

 So, I'm finding in a weird way that being laid off was a blessing?    I'm not sure how or what to share - but I'm just happy to know that there's a group of adults on the second floor of the district office who care about kids who need caring about - Le sigh - they are true heroes.

I spent many summer afternoons at the pool with my own girls.  I spent many evenings at the pool too.  I didn't do much housework - which is SO evident this fall.

The hardest day was the first day the girls went back to school.  Here's a cliche'  - the silence was so loud.  I didn't even know how to be.  I thought about calling my lovely husband and telling him that I was bored - but to tell you the truth, I hate people who are bored.

I went on facebook - for once I turned the chat button on.  I saw a childhood friend online.  She had been laid off of her non-teaching job in the winter of last year.  As a single mom, times have been rough for her.  She said that she only had two more months of unemployment and had went to a few interviews.  One interview, she had taken her son to Duluth and had slept in the car getting ready for the interview in a gas station bathroom.   When she got there, there were six other people being interviewed at the same time -  It was very intimidating.  She didn't get that job.

She pointed out to me how lucky I was to have a loving husband who made a decent living.  And of course, she is right.  I may have suffered a short personal crisis... but my family is still intact. And within that personal crisis,  I'm thinking that there's a lesson in there somewhere -

After all, I'm a teacher at heart.  There's always a lesson.

Oooooo.....

So anyhooooooo........  Since I can't spend twenty-four hours a day just cleaning - I've decided to sew a bit.  I'm making my daughter's their Halloween costume...


So - just to let ya all know.


I have become the ultimate stay-at-home mom.

 

Subbing

So - today I subbed.

Turns out it's not so bad.

We watched a movie - from the History Channel - and I was glad to see that the teacher had them take notes because that solved a lot of problems for me!

Also,  I must admit - it was nice to get home five minutes after my day at the school was done.

What I noticed at was how small the school was - Lafayette seemed so tiny. And the classes were small.  That was SO nice... I have to tell you.

I brought along some thread and crocheted while I watched the movie with the kids. 

I knew most of the kids from the pool.  And well, I guess - how do you not know kids after living in a town for about thirty years of my life.

I have a few days booked in the next month. Hopefully, there will be more coming up. I can bring my red bag with my crochet hooks and watch movies with kids - just like when I was a teenager.  Babysitting for that $1 an hour.

Well.... my rates have gone up!