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Mum likes reading, decorating, shopping with the girls, and Starbucks. She also feels funny writing in the 3rd person. Papa (also known as Sparky) is currently looking at me with a blank stare having asked him to add something about himself to the blog. (Now he wants to say something) The only thing he loves more in life than music and Coke is his wife and kids. (Awww...) :) Little Lotte is a genius on the computer and makes me fall over laughing every day with her quick wit. She loves computers and animals. Sweet Pea abandoned her family and moved to Phoenix for work and is now married as of 2/28/06. She is beautiful and smart and the most nurturing person I know. She gave me the greatest gift ever when she made me a grandmother. I am the proud Mum Mum to Andrew Christopher. There are no words to describe the joy of having a grandson!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Anybody Got a Tissue?

Me: Here is the post formative test. Please check your work before you place it in the finished basket.

4th grade girl: Done with 5 formatives in less than 5 minutes. One of them is subtraction across zeros ( 4 and 5 digits).

Me: Let me see your test.

I look at the tests. No work is showing AT ALL.

Me: Where is your work?

Her: I did it in my head.

Me: Softly crying.

I think I may have died a little bit.

I tell these kids over and over and over and over that I can be the greatest teacher in the world but if they don't put effort into it, if they don't apply themselves and "plug in", it just doesn't matter what I say. She didn't use ONE strategy I taught this week. I am so very sad for her. Her work habits will only bite her in the ass as she heads to middle school.

The hardest thing EVER for a teacher is to let one go. Because I am not her regular ed. teacher, I have to let this one go. It will haunt me if I don't.

No Child Left Behind? What if they don't want to come along?

No amount of good teaching can change someone who is not ready to be motivated to learn.

I completely understand "you can lead a horse to water..." If only the president understood this.

On the other hand, I have a little girl who actually used the strategies I taught her and did much better on the post formatives. She saved me for another day.

I need a hershey bar.

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