Letter Q

  

It was letter Q week at school.

I like to read this book aloud.

It has too many words for most of my kinders,

so I don't read all of them.

It has a great message.

The quilt maker is the heroine. 

She doesn't sell her quilts, but gives them to people who really need them.

The King is unhappy, even though he has everything.

He learns that by helping others you become a happy person.   

Great story.

School Shootings

It would be a lie to say that school shootings don't effect every school in America.
It kinda takes the wind from under your wings and it takes a day or two to recover.

Do I have thoughts?  You Bet.  Here are a couple. 

1.  We have got to get the NRA out of the pockets of our lawmakers.  They own them.  Nothing resembling common sense will ever happen until this happens.  Like guns or hate them, the truth is, countries that don't have school shootings, have gun control. I've said it before and I'll say it again, no one needs a gun that was designed for mass shootings.

2.  Mental Illness....it is fascinating.  I have done considerable reading on why there is so much anxiety, depression and other forms of mental illness in this country. My conclusion is there in no end in sight.  We can't blame school shootings on mental illness, it is, however, a component.  Kindness, empathy and compassion are important qualities in any civilized society.

3.  I heard this week that school shootings have something to do with people not liking schools. ?????  To that I say, let's stop making kids who do not excel feel like they are failures. Not everyone is going to be above average.  It is okay to be average.  In fact, average people are lovely people who do most of the work in our world.  Unrealistic educational expectations are a waste of time.  Let's celebrate every victory.

I'll go into my classroom tomorrow without fear, with love for each student, and do my job. 
God bless all those who are dealing with the loss of their friends and family. 

Parent -Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences keep me up at night.

There is the good:

Showing the parents of your autistic student that they can write their name,

Going from the bottom of the class to the top of the class,

No behavior problems,

Showing them that they are retaining what we have learned.

and

There is the bad:

Parents telling me their child is tardy because she is so tired when she stays up too late

???????????????????????????????????????????

No growth

Your child acts like a monkey in the zoo.

Okay, I can't and haven't ever said that,

but I have wanted to.

I know the good out weighs the bad

and look forward to what happens next.

La Luna bella

On Wednesday morning I really wanted to see the Lunar Eclipse.

It was happen around 6:30 - 7:30 in the morning here.

Wes went out and said he couldn't see anything,

so I let it go.

When I went outside at 7:00 to go to work, 

I could see  the moon, 

or at least the shadow of a moon.

I got in my car and got on the freeway

when in the corner of my windshield sat the moon.

It was just starting to show a bright light.

I was amazed.

I was on a dark freeway in Idaho

so I could look at it.

It was beautiful.

-This is not my picture-

I can't help but ask myself why it was so important to me to see the moon.

And to be perfectly honest,

I love to see the moon every night.

To me, the moon is a gift from God.

It makes me think of Him and the love He has for His children.

At school I read this book

The kids love this book.

I really don't think they have the same feelings about the moon as I do,

but I can't help but wonder what their feeling are.

Whatever they are, I'm glad to share some moon talk with them.