http://teachermama.today.com reflections on my life :-) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:52:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It's my job. They don't want to work--of course they'd rather play, mess around on the computer, even look at books. There's daydreaming and self-stimming, whining and arguing. They challenge me at every turn. But it's my job. My job to help them learn. My job to show them how their choices ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/11/04/its-my-job/ When I'm lying in bed at night, waiting to fall asleep, I have tons of ideas to blog about. And now, in the light of midday, I can't think of what they are. Maybe I should put a notebook and pen on my nightstand...but then I would probably be up ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/07/26/what-to-say/ Sarah has some anger issues. Recently, she got upset because one of the neighbor kids was trying to follow her into the house when she didn't want him to. I told Sarah that the boy could come in for a minute, and that caused her to redirect her fury at me. ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/07/01/thats-what-you-get/ April is National Poetry Month! Poetry is one of my passions in life, so I love having a whole month to celebrate it. A few years ago, I went to a week-long workshop for English teachers where we learned about teaching writing by actually writing. One activity we did was based ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/04/07/where-im-from/ When I left work on Friday, my birthday festivities were not over; I still had family fun waiting for me. Later in the evening, I took the girls to the bowling alley where Jeff bought me a drink while he finished his last game. We went home to presents before ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/03/30/happy-birthday-to-me-part-two/ On Friday (March 27) I turned 35. As London Tipton would say, "Yay me!" (The girls have definitely been watching too much "Suite Life of Zack and Cody" lately...) Since it was a Friday, of course I had to work. This really wasn't so bad as co-workers showered me with birthday ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/03/29/happy-birthday-to-me/ So I'm taking classes that will allow me to add an endorsement to my teaching license in blindness/visual impairment. I was fortunate enough to get into a program funded by a grant so all of my 24 credit hours are paid for--without a penny out of my pocket. I don't feel passionately ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/03/14/beginning-braille/ Recently the Washington Post ran a review of Hands of My Father by Myron Uhlberg. Unlike other reviewers of this book, Carolyn See did not have much positive to say. If Ms. See had simply criticized the book--the writing--I could have tolerated her review. But I felt that she attacked ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/03/07/letter-to-the-editor/ Recently a young man who I once taught in middle school was arrested for murder. He was indicted on eight counts of aggravated murder, four counts of kidnapping, two counts each of aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery, and single counts of gross sexual imposition of a child under 13, receiving ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/01/25/broken-boy/   Let me be upfront and honest about my bias: Myron Uhlberg is one of my favorite authors--and people--in the world. If our ages didn't differ by 40 years, my husband might need to worry. Based on Myron's five children's books and the stories I'd heard him tell in person, ... http://teachermama.today.com/2009/01/18/book-review-hands-of-my-father/