The Apples Really DON'T Fall Far From the Tree

The apples really don't fall far from the tree....and to be honest with you I'm glad they don't! I have also heard that cliche' phrased like this, "rabbits make rabbits!" And that is SO true too! Open House is tonight at middle school, and we will meet various parents some for the first time and some we've met or talked to several times! =) However, I always leave events like these feeling enlightened and simply more aware of how my students came to be or are coming to be the individuals that they demonstrate each day.

I am sure as we delve into ourselves, we would all agree that we all have qualities about ourselves that we would love LOVE to change, and we all also have some really unique and wonderful characteristics. It is fun to watch these develop and unfold in the MIDDLE SCHOOL years. Many students come to mind when writing this blog, and usually after meeting their parents and/or hearing their stories suddenly those students make so much more sense to me.

I myself have so many inherited qualities that make me who I am, and I for one would not change any of them. So maybe I run a little late...all of the time. I got that from my grandma. So maybe I worry too much...I got that from my grandpa. So maybe I am an intellect who loves to learn new things...I got that from my mom. I could go on and on about the good and bad things about myself and try to think about teachers/peers/adults who may have had personalites which whom I did not click or vice versa, but in the end these qualities make me who I am.

So at the end of a long, sarcastic, quick-witted, funny, and exciting day of teaching MIDDLE SCHOOL, I am happy to go home to the kids that hopefully won't fall far from the tree either. If my own children have flaws that drive people crazy, then that's ok because I know that my children also have qualities they have inherited that make them so incredibly unique. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I literally said outloud, "I hope that she's way cooler than us!" And I was serious while I was saying it...to which my husband burst into laughter and made fun of me relentlessly! We were in hysterics for a while over this, only to realize that our daughter is the new and improved version of us. She has so many great qualities that are just like her parents, but she also has flaws. My son, who has since come along has inherited every bit of energy that we never remember having, while being the kindest, most loving and tender-hearted rambunctious little boy you have ever laid your eyes on. So in short (pun intended). I can't wait to hear all of the GOOD and BAD things my own children will do in school that make them who they are!

Check out these YouTube videos that remind me of my own kids!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCLz2H6g6sg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLS0Y40WwlA

Humans, Vampires, & Warewolves...OH MY!!

I am getting so excited about New Moon hitting the theaters in 2 months from today!! If you haven't seen the newest (or newest to me) trailer yet for New Moon, check it out!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgIRSfuOUNM&feature=player_embedded

I know! I know! It's from YouTube, but it gives you a snip-it into the movie which makes me even more excited!

GO TEAM JACOB!! Which team are you on??? Howler Back! =)

If you are a student enrolled in my 8th grade reading class, this is not an assignment, but get started reading the books Twilight and New Moon by Stephanie Meyer if you have not already! Last year's 8th graders took it upon themselves to read Twilight prior to the movie release, passed a test, and were able to go on a field trip to see the movie during school. I plan to do the same thing this year with the release of New Moon! However, this year you will be required to pass both the test for Twilight and New Moon! For those of you saying you'll just watch the movie, Good Luck! I am going to try to design the test so that by just watching Twilight will not be sufficient! Plus, these books are AMAZING (in my opinion), so START READING! New Moon comes out in 2 months! =)

Here's a site that keeps up with updates on the movie as well:

http://www.ryanseacrest.com/blog/twilight/bella-and-edwards-new-moon-promo-pictures/

There's also an interview with Taylor Lautner, Jacob Black, if you click around on this site! =) There is information regarding celeb new in general on this site, so pick and choose the things that interest you!

So Many Ideas...So Little Time

There comes a time when I feel like my brain comes to a screeeeeching halt! The ideas just run a million miles an hour like the lights of the taxis that you see in a still picture at night in Manhattan... Some are running toward you--bright, white lights with somewhere to go, and the others are running away from you fiercly red like they've run right past you. The ideas that I have for my students are like this in my brain. I can see them all whirling past in every direction, but time is the only enemy to making some of these ideas reality.

• How to BETTER use the SmartBoard
• Student Led Conferences -- What a SUCCESS...TRY IT!!
• WebQuests: to use previously created or create my own?
• Authentic Teaching/Learning Experiences
• Gifted and Talented
• Shakespeare for Middle School Students
• Inclusion...Least Restrictive Environment
• Genres...a fun way to learn them/remember them
• Figurative Languate - how to identify and use
• Twitter in the Classroom
• Utilizing this Peace Love Middle School Blog
• Giving the students an inch without letting them take a mile
• Characterization
• Plot
• Providing effective feedback for both students and parents