tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69359192011-08-12T15:10:53.017+01:00reading, thinking, writing, and occasionally tilting at windmillsJenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comBlogger2001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-80953461211216219852009-02-06T16:50:00.002Z2009-02-06T16:53:31.311Z

So, ahem, I have been seduced by the flexibility of wordpress. Also, the templates. I can now be found at this site. come visit! come berate me for the still slightly amateurish looking edits I have made!And here is the rest of it.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-30956845095523601912009-02-03T14:33:00.002Z2009-02-03T14:40:08.472Z

Hmm, for some reason, all of my posts seem to be truncated on the front page. Nope, not any more, I fixed it! It's important, I think, to play around with what you can do on any one platform. I've been looking to liven up the template though, and, for awhile, it looks like I may have broken things.I'm sure it's because blogger figured out I was considering cheating on it with wordpress. But

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-40783351800413903592009-02-03T10:45:00.005Z2009-02-03T14:32:09.310Z

Ngaio Marsh, and Agatha Christie, and John Dickinson Carr, occupy a special place in my childhood history of reading. Sometime in between The Hobbit and Foundation, I went on what can only be described as a British mystery reading spree and attempted to read everything these people had ever written. Along with,of course, everything Arthur Conan Doyle had ever written. Ngaio Marsh, though she

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-23818610631372747652009-01-30T16:38:00.007Z2009-01-30T22:03:45.938Z

The past few days have been a mess. Today, I made a mess. A burnt, smokey, stuck to the sides of the muffin-tin mess. I got distracted by the content I was helping a friend write for her website, and I had forgotten several things about the oven in our flat. The first, it's convection, which means I need to subtract time and temperature from the recipes I thought I knew by heart; second, well,

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-52960605786854742002009-01-28T16:00:00.002Z2009-01-28T16:06:57.052Z

Well, I have had my second UK riding lesson, and I have to say that this one went much better. Of course, once again, it decided to rain just while I was trying to walk to and from the bus stops, but it was only rain and not the sleet that greeted my last week, so things were looking up, all told.My last lesson had been a bit complicated by my being completely out of shape,and the instructor

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-66525643814717158742009-01-28T12:29:00.007Z2009-01-28T13:00:15.938Z

While trying to explain how very cool it is that Neil Gaiman won the Newbery (which mostly consisted of me naming other books and sighing: The Hero and The Crown! The Tale of Desperaux! The Witch of Blackbird Pond! A Wrinkle in Time!) I also starting blathering on about Coraline, another book of Gaiman's that was very, very popular in my classroom. To begin with, it had the three magic elements

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-12301703463457624162009-01-26T21:41:00.002Z2009-01-26T21:45:28.407Z

The first is the book that won it: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. As always, the man's books are gifts to his readers, but this one was something else.The second? His delightfully overwhelmed twitter message, and this fantastic blog post.Congratulations, you've joined quite the group, and you look to fit right in.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-18259643315281298672009-01-25T22:41:00.004Z2009-01-25T22:55:05.538Z

I thought I should try and record the books I have read. I'm interested to see how much I actually do re-read. I think it might be as often as every-other book, and I might try and make it every third, instead. It's not that I have anything against re-reading. In fact, as a teacher, I encouraged and embraced it, but I have found so many new "favourite" authors as an adult that I want to keep

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-79427901588631666692009-01-22T10:06:00.003Z2009-01-22T12:42:30.540Z

I've got a new review up at bookgeeks on David Peace's Tokyo Year Zero. It was a difficult review to write. The first time I read the book, I found myself distracted (and occasionally confused) by Peace's oblique writing style. The second time around, I had an easier time of it, but the book still seemed to fall apart in my hands. I don't want to repeat the review...(bookgeeks is a cool site to

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-84626050304467285792009-01-19T23:20:00.004Z2009-01-19T23:33:55.583Z

The beginning of something new. And, as we look back and we remember what it was like to watch *that guy* become the President-Elect of the United States, there is a sense that tomorrow, tomorrow, when he takes the oath of office, it will be a moment unlike any other. With his eloquence, his passion for justice, his determination to create change, and the very fact that he made Americans feel as

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-85348714179515137942009-01-19T22:19:00.003Z2009-01-19T22:44:38.440Z

So I have now, officially, gone horseback riding in the U.K. Well, where in the world shall I start? I think I will start with the weather. After TWO DAYS of sun (a record! in a row!), I woke up this morning to a downpour that was going sideways so fast it was making the windows vibrate. After deciding that the prospect of changing in a bathroom at the stables in the freezing cold was...lame..

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-78720043502762354022009-01-15T17:05:00.003Z2009-01-15T17:07:41.824Z

My husband, a physicist at Manchester University, passed his viva today. So, now the job he had is official, and the stress level of the household is much lowered. yay.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-46950746156403090162009-01-14T14:12:00.003Z2009-01-14T14:34:07.215Z

I knew that getting a job in the U.K. would be different and difficult. I knew that trying to leave teaching and try something new when the economy seems to be in free-fall was....problematic. Plus, trying to get a new job, any job, for which you have few contacts (and all of your references are a continent away) is always more difficult. I knew all these things. But, I don't think I had realized

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-68116644364177212272009-01-13T17:49:00.004Z2009-01-13T18:33:04.732Z

So, I've just spent two fun days pretending that I owned an e-reader. I converted some books I owned to a file that my little XO (the OLPC laptop) could handle and cheerfully sat on the couch reading away. I can tell you that the four hours I spent reading two books far exceeded my tries at the Kindle and at the Sony E-Reader in both length and pleasure. It's not that I have anything, at all,

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-492850438262050682009-01-12T23:20:00.004Z2009-01-12T23:31:59.838Z

IM conversation between me and a friend:Me: Hey!! I haven't heard from you in awhile!Friend: Yeah, I keep calling you, but you never call back!Me: Eh? That must be expensive, but I've never had any missed calls.Friend: Why would it be expensive? It's a local number!Me: Uhhh, England, no England is not local to L.A. Hollywood is far, far away from Manchester.Friend: Oh, you LIVE there now?Me: Yes?

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-70849581111349729642009-01-10T12:51:00.003Z2009-01-10T13:00:58.039Z

The Penguin Book Blog is doing a fun "around the world in 80 books" journey through literature. It started with Great Expectations, and I must admit that it caused me to pause and wonder whether my dislike of that book was born of a not-so-great teacher and if I shouldn't read it again. The post is definitely worth checking out. I posted one suggestion, and I then spent the next half-hour

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-44086764384749472702009-01-09T17:17:00.006Z2009-01-09T19:17:43.120Z

The title above links to a fun, short, blog post on how to read, basically, a book a day. Well, it's not "how-to"--more of a "how she". And, really, a "how-I". When students, and friends, ask me how I read so much (it usually comes up when they see me packing for vacation--I have been known to bring only one pair of shoes in order to have more room for books), I usually just answer "I've been

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-89668907229813193502009-01-08T17:17:00.002Z2009-01-08T17:47:28.646Z

I've worked, well, forever, it feels like. Certainly since the moment I was old enough to have a work-permit from school. I was a waitress, a cafeteria manager, a horseback riding trainer, a teacher, and an editor. So, now, to be without a job--it feels odd. I've noticed, though, that getting a job in my new country may not be the easiest task. Especially in the current economic climate, the

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-68370375273825057722008-12-22T21:54:00.002Z2008-12-23T17:36:30.097Z

At college, I once had a (rather drunk) acquaintance of mine explain, very carefully and in great detail, why there were no coincidences in life. It was a lengthy monologue, but the basic gist was that the human mind creates connections in order to comfort itself in the vast, random, emptiness that is life. (He was more cheerful when not at a party). If he had asked, I would have told him that

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-50574607058634114902008-12-19T17:11:00.001Z2009-01-26T13:06:01.879Z

So, in California I rode a lot. Three or four times a week, sometimes more than one horse a day. I thought I would be good with a break--I often took weeks off at a time to visit Pete, and I was looking forward to slowly starting my life in the UK--and I tend to get very busy, very quickly, with the riding and didn't want that to happen too fast. However, in the last two weeks I have dreamt

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-61561097226128168902008-12-17T20:31:00.000Z2008-12-17T20:37:12.080Z

The legend that is Dr. Horrible's Sing Along-Blog is now for sale on DVD (region free). If you missed it when it first appeared on the web, get it now. And make sure to check out the official website as well. Just in case you may need further convincing; here are a few reviews that speak to how amazing this entire project was.Review in which the DVD is laudedReview in which the DVD is lauded

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-41055024385698214992008-12-17T18:31:00.000Z2008-12-17T20:23:50.487Z

My family (much to my mother's annoyance) somehow avoided creating any real/lasting family traditions associated with the holidays. The one thing we stood firm on, as a family, was the Thanksgiving Dinner menu, and the one thing I've done each year since I was eight was read (or, now, re-read) the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. Luckily, with all of the traveling I've done over various

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-89527564502647457452008-12-11T19:52:00.001Z2008-12-11T21:34:41.498Z

Now that I am walking, well, everywhere, I have become even more enamoured of my iPhone. I really do appreciate only having to carry/deal with/find one device to carry my music, some notes, and also act as a phone. I hadn't really ventured much beyond some music and audio books for listening to at the gym until I moved to Manchester.With that move, and the resulting walking to the office, and

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-69781978803877674332008-12-08T19:35:00.000Z2008-12-08T19:54:34.048Z

While perusing one of the random book oriented websites I sometimes read, I came across this article on the availability of some free books on an iPhone e-reader. Immediately, (after my heart-rate had gone down at the thought of free books), I checked out the Stanza application on the iPhone and downloaded this book. I have two things to say. One: the Stanza application (from Lexcycle) is one

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-82244531691779231462008-12-08T18:29:00.000Z2008-12-08T18:49:14.398Z

Well, if you haven't just received Fable II and Oblivion as birthday gifts, and you are me, you read. If you have received the above mentioned Xbox 360 games, you read and play the games. Sometimes simultaneously.But for now, the books. I've been on a British mystery kick. Possibly inspired by my current location--and at least partially inspired by the fact that I now have access to my books

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-45271814450069921842008-12-03T22:16:00.000Z2008-12-03T22:23:48.731Z

How is it that I haven't heard of this before? They are "Oblique Strategies": created by Brian Eno and Peter Schimidt. I have friends who, in college, would have attempted to live their lives following these maxims. And even more friends who would have encourage them, just for the fun of watching. They range from the sublime of a simple command to reverse to the post-modern The tape is now

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-55737315358561947792008-12-01T16:50:00.000Z2008-12-03T21:57:07.982Z

Which means, of course, that I really should call it autumn. I still would say it with an American accent and thus not be completely correct, but I believe in making the effort. Of course, autumn lasted about three weeks. It was a picturesque three weeks, full of flame coloured leaves and dripping trees after the autumn storms. Now, I believe, we are officially in winter. Do you want to know

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-2025615860000465132008-11-20T20:38:00.001Z2008-11-20T20:41:30.500Z

So we've been home, in Manchester, for two weeks now. It's actually been great, once we recovered from the smack-down from the jet-lag. Normally, only one of us is experiencing jet-lag at a time and sort of drags the other into the correct time zone. Not this time, this time we both wandered around zombie-like for a full week before feeling vaguely normal. I think the short days at this time

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-55857726372704689772008-08-13T19:41:00.000+01:002008-08-14T19:27:27.880+01:00

Thirteen Random Things I have realized this month...1. My anxiety levels go from zero to sixty and then slowly throttle back, so it is best for me to wait until the panic subsides to try and fix the problem that set it off.2. After calming down, I can be quite efficient. Even when my HOUSE has FLOODED, and I am across the world in England.3. The people at my insurance company were really, really

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-89235191021604596942008-08-12T13:59:00.000+01:002008-08-12T14:07:19.933+01:00

There is a lot of stress around the household right now. Pete is busy writing his thesis, and I'm trying to figure out how to move over here with the minimum of stress on both our parts. Now, I am not an "everything in its place" sort of girl, but I do like cleaning when I'm stressed. It combines procrastination and instant gratification in a most satisfying way. Don't want to write the letter

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-23964837099733104732008-08-10T16:44:00.000+01:002008-08-10T16:54:17.989+01:00

So, my hand and the television got in a race, to see which of them could hit the ground first. My hand won! Of course, the television duly came in second, and in its final push to the finish managed to mash my hand as well. The picture doesn't really do my green/yellow finger justice. For some reason, the Iphone seems to take unusually healthy photos--it refused to capture my bruising in all of

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-57995975200198152642008-08-09T14:27:00.000+01:002008-08-09T14:37:15.712+01:00

One of the days of the writing project, we all made our way to the Carlsbad beaches to spend a day in the sun writing. I will freely admit to doing more reading (I had a new to me Kage Baker book; it was good) and watching others than writing. One of the most amazing sights that day was what must have been an entire pod of dolphins playing in the surf. They were within feet of the shore (and

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-43021021542216765102008-08-07T16:51:00.001+01:002008-08-07T16:54:35.239+01:00

Pete's flatmate and I were staring out the window, contemplating the rain.Suddenly, he saidYou know, I didn't mind the weather. And then I realized it was August, not October.I don't mind the rain either, but it is weird to think that school hasn't even started yet. It certainly feels more like October than August. Although, after that heatwave here two years ago, I prefer the rain. At least we

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-71075189882877122322008-08-05T16:29:00.000+01:002008-08-05T16:43:17.495+01:00

So there's going to be a wedding, umm, my wedding, in October. And after that, as I've mentioned many a time, I'm going to move to Manchester (in England...). After that, I've been strenuously not thinking about what will happen next. Part of this is because I nearly imploded from the stress/anxiety/sheer hard work of packing up most of my house before heading to the UK for a short holiday,

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-90961469002504848272008-08-04T16:36:00.001+01:002008-08-04T16:51:50.931+01:00

Do you know everyone? Probably because I have a habit of connecting two people who need similar things (in this instance, I think it was a friend who needed somewhere to stay and another friend who needed someone to rent)--and I do know quite a few people--one of the results of having moved a lot--jobs, houses, countries--you end up with a number of acquaintances.I am however several orders of

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-42109429219860347802008-08-01T14:31:00.000+01:002008-08-02T17:15:52.663+01:00

P.C. Hodgell's first two books are available again! Here! And here! And, well, everywhere around and about, I would assume. I know that I have been continuously mentioning these books for the last few days (I just re-read all of them for...well...at least the tenth time?), but they really are unique. Hodgell has created a universe that must be described as epic...and humorous. It has

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-89935034013089463062008-07-31T17:41:00.000+01:002008-07-31T20:42:12.959+01:00

...that's what they'll say when they find me entombed with all of my books. I know it's not unusual (well, not that unusual) for someone to own a lot of books, but from the reactions of my friends, family, and Pete, it is apparently not exactly sane either.What am I going to do in response?Buy more. That's the beauty of being *not quite sane* (although, now that my home will be in England, do I

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-80032641528494961052008-07-28T13:00:00.000+01:002008-07-28T13:28:15.268+01:00

After packing all of my moderately warm clothes (thinking that I could then leave them here as it's been hot in SoCal), I then arrive in England to 70 degree weather and gorgeous sunny skies. I managed to get a tan yesterday. It's almost surreal, this weather.Pete and I spent the weekend down in Devon, (Tavistock to be exact) at the wedding of some friends of ours. It was a truly lovely event,

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-59673360919709380242008-07-22T22:42:00.000+01:002008-07-22T22:50:24.512+01:00

I was reading one of my favorite author's blogs (Robin McKinley--oh, the love--and the love for the internet that makes all this wonderful stuff available to groupies like me). And I realized another author-favorite of mine (PC Hodgell) has a place where she writes. So if you never hear from me again, at least you know that I am reading good stuff. Especially as I had to pack up my last batch of

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-62269890193351843332008-07-22T19:26:00.000+01:002008-07-22T19:58:06.386+01:00

I got this meme from Mildly Melancholy"The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed."1) Bold those you have read.2) Italicize those you intend to read.3) Underline the books you LOVE (I'll use asterisks)4) Reprint this list in your own blog.1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen-**2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien***3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-72972163693354954692008-07-22T18:08:00.000+01:002008-07-22T19:18:48.705+01:00

..attempted to weigh a suitcase by the old "lift and guess" method? I spent last night dead-lifting two large suitcases, trying to figure out whether or not they were over the fifty-pound limit for my flights. I would buy a scale, but then I would have to pack that as well.There's a funny part of packing, the leaving behind, that always sets off weird nostalgic feelings in me. Even about shampoo.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-49049635529739878872008-07-21T21:22:00.000+01:002008-07-21T21:59:56.515+01:00

Mondays are tough.I'm definitely an over-committer. I wish there was some sort of over-committer anonymous where we could all stand up, and list the things we have agreed to do, and practice saying "no" or "maybe next time" or "sure, but I have to finish X first."It would certainly simplify my life--as obviously merely being aware of the problem does nothing except make me stressed out that I am

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-58642109199339641752008-07-21T02:47:00.000+01:002008-07-21T02:53:26.189+01:00

I may have effectively burned myself on packing. I just cannot bring myself to pack another item. Any item. I'm staring at the mess that is my house and squinching my eyes in an effort to make all of the stuff I still need to pack disappear.It's not working, so I decided to write a post about it instead. Think it's gone now?As a teaching aside, I just bought "Greater Expectations". It looks

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-87309261581234165612008-07-18T22:40:00.000+01:002008-07-18T22:46:55.395+01:00

Even though my hair is (a lot) longer...this is still my basic life.If there was a horse (and Pete)(and my classroom) in the background, that would be it. And I love my life.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-72351086105575573292008-07-18T18:21:00.001+01:002008-07-18T18:25:18.995+01:00

I've been asked a few times what 'magic' I use to match my kids with books. It's not really a trick, I just have a large store of books in my head, and I basically shuffle through them in a effort to match maturity level, interest, and possibilities to spur further reading.It's not much use just sitting there in my head though, so I turned to Web 2.0 And created a wiki at pb wiki for just this

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-35959177726867948602008-07-17T17:18:00.000+01:002008-07-18T18:19:12.074+01:00

Thirteen Things I was doing yesterday instead of being online1.We went to the beach to write!2. Horseback rode--horse was a bit crazy.3. Read two books (newest in the Kage Baker series and "Lectures on Don Quixote" by Nabakov)4. Watched dolphins playing in the waves.5. Texted everyone I know to tell them I was watching dolphins playing in the waves.6. Hung out with those friends who were also at

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-40868590083636964172008-07-15T19:20:00.000+01:002008-07-15T19:36:46.935+01:00

And, we are learning about technology again. It's too bad that teachers only get this sort of thing in one day snippets. I feel as if there is no way to get anything really accomplished when people have time to really explore and then come back and ask questions. One of the greatest things about teachers is that they are (usually) eager to learn new things. One of the most difficult parts of

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-10409358284662254852008-07-14T19:36:00.000+01:002008-07-14T20:03:03.743+01:00

All of my books are gone. All 1,187 (or so) of them. And I miss them. They are all wending their way to Manchester on a pallet, wrapped in shrinkwrap, in a container, stuffed into some giant boat. I know I'll get them back, but it's really difficult to have all of them out of my reach. I'm glad I found a (relatively) cheap way to ship my books. I do need them with me, not merely because I'll

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-1775464654758793112008-07-10T21:58:00.000+01:002008-07-10T22:03:06.149+01:00

I own a lot of books. And to answer the most common questions--yes I have read most of them; yes I re-read them all the time; yes, I know I could (possibly) get (most) of the from the library; yes, I need them. Don't worry, I spend the rest of my life with few possessions. And thank you librarything for helping me organize the library into shape to get across the Atlantic!

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-47451799933751190182008-07-09T20:38:00.000+01:002008-07-10T21:57:57.868+01:00

Thirteen books I'm planning on reading this summer!1. Adolescent Literacy: Kylene Beers (et. al)I am such a teacher-nerd. I can't wait to read this book!2. One Hundred Years of Solitude: Gabriel Garcia Marquezjust because it's been awhile.3. Sunshine: Robin McKinleyI re-read this book every few months, so it's pretty much a guarantee.4. Breaking Dawn: Stephanie MeyerMy former-students and I have

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-11284076101833337632008-07-09T19:42:00.000+01:002008-07-09T20:36:50.786+01:00

It's hard not to love the writing project. There are so many amazing ideas that get floated around, and teachers are so generous with their time and energy that it really feels like we are getting a lot done. It's fun to watch people who have never been exposed to the writing project "model" get excited about going back to their classrooms and trying something new.One of the new fun things that

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-81461125310316252942008-07-08T22:25:00.000+01:002008-07-08T22:33:33.341+01:00

This year at promotion a number of my students were honored. As we were handing out the diplomas, a teacher-friend of mine noticed me stuffing some extra paper in a few of them."Whatcha doin?""Oh, I'm stuffing their nomination sheets into their folders. Even if they didn't win, it's nice to read nice things that someone else wrote about you.""Hmmm"I thought the conversation ended there, but

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-10473227654196123622008-07-08T17:15:00.000+01:002008-07-08T17:56:16.604+01:00

We had a fascinating speaker at the writing project yesterday. Erick Gordon of the Student Press Initiative spoke to us of the power of publishing and audience for student writers. Most of it was old news (the idea of publishing being motivating has been around awhile), but Erick was an engaging speaker and the most important part was not necessarily that publishing would be motivating. It's

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-35193342266061538412008-07-03T19:12:00.000+01:002008-07-03T19:25:31.067+01:00

Because of various things (marriage! moving!), I won't be starting the school year in a classroom come September. This is the first time since kindergarten (since I was in kindergarten) that I won't be "in school" in some form or another. At the end of June (with 8th grade promotion fast approaching), I hopped around with renewed energy. I would have time to myself! I would read! I would

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-1079996063813583102008-07-02T21:19:00.000+01:002008-07-02T21:21:29.928+01:00

Wordle. Play. Create. Enjoy.Here is one I made out of a poem I wrote.enjoy!

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-24812077070371560432008-07-02T19:41:00.000+01:002008-07-03T08:03:21.649+01:00

thirteen ways my life is changing this year1. I'm getting married!2. I graduated my first "looped" class--two years with them was wonderful, painful, invigorating, exhausting, and something I'd love to do again.3. Got back to reading in French!4. Gave up on reading in French--and then tried again.5. Got quite, quite close to thirty.6. But not too close.7. I really improved in my riding.8. I am

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-67322946921725965062008-07-02T18:17:00.000+01:002008-07-02T19:16:04.408+01:00

I love to read and write. I love learning. I think it's out of sight. I love the kids I have. And the ones I'll have next year.(boom de yadda)(boom de yadda)(boom de yadda)(boom de yadda). I love that Discovery ad--if you haven't seen it, it's here. I think videos like this showcase one of the most positive aspects of you-tube and other sites like it--their ability to pass the positive and

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-51466973768102679442008-07-01T17:34:00.000+01:002008-07-01T18:07:15.522+01:00

It seems as if, every six months, I'm apologizing for stopping the posts. I'm not sure why it is I don't keep up, a lot of it has to do with my not being sure about sharing the stories. Maybe now that those students have exited my class and cheerfully (or with terror) skipped off to high school, I will be able to speak about them. Of course, the fact that I am also fleeing the country might

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-11922429372568258572007-11-22T18:05:00.000Z2007-11-22T18:22:48.596Z

Ahhh, so sorry about the lack of posts! (My one reader must be very disappointed :) ). Life leading up to the vacation, and away from the fires, has been absolutely crazy. Here's a short update:1) Am organizing a HUGE field trip (entire 8th grade) to the Museum of Tolerance. Now, we are dividing in half by "village" but I am somehow in charge of both my village and the other 8th grade one. I

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-73796884428643893842007-11-12T17:56:00.000Z2007-11-12T17:58:45.337Z

After the rush to squish in all of the curriculum we missed during our "fire vacation", I admit to neglecting my house. I made sure to sweep up the ash and debris outside, but inside...well...I haven't invited my mother over lately. :) But today I woke ridiculously early, and I thought I'd knock out the chores. I got my room all clean and then made the mistake of looking at my bookcase (I keep

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-90189879673493639492007-10-30T01:30:00.000Z2007-10-30T01:57:38.976Z

We spent the day today prepping for our students' returns tomorrow. Most of the conversation was about what we could do for the kids who had lost homes (all told, about six) and how to help the kids through the anxiety of the entire situation... Most of the time though, I wasn't thinking about the kids who needed help, but about how to help the kids give back. I am so grateful to all of the fire

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-2113927744745164652007-10-25T13:39:00.000+01:002007-10-25T13:43:22.317+01:00

It's nice to be in my own house, although the air quality here is definitely worse than San Marcos. From what I can see, much of the town is back to business--as--usual mode, although it's still impossible for several of my teacher friends to make it to their homes.We drove around the Vineyard golfcourse yesterday to take a look at some of the damage. Several houses were burned to the ground,

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-16923966449052913252007-10-24T07:57:00.000+01:002007-10-24T08:00:25.896+01:00

...about all of the volunteers at our evacuation centers. The staff at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and Horsepark have really been amazing considering how many horses, people, and other animals descended on them within a few hours of the start of the fires. This entire experience has been horrible, but the organization and kindness shown by everyone in the crisis has been truly amazing.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-27471841924128537942007-10-24T04:24:00.000+01:002007-10-24T04:30:00.423+01:00

The air here, in San Marcos, seems clear. It probably helps that the sun has gone down, and the glow of the fires is far enough in the distance to fade. It's been a wild few days. I'm hoping that tomorrow most people in Escondido can return home.It's been a surreal experience: packing up, locking up, and leaving. Although it never felt permanent or really dangerous, it was amazing how easy it

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-80714737551562985822007-10-24T02:05:00.001+01:002007-10-24T02:06:52.096+01:00

I, along with my father, gave a talk on helping students learn to be independent readers. It went well. I'm sure I'll revisit it, and the ideas it prompted, when the world seems less at risk. It was great to meet with fellow-teachers and have a fun Saturday learning about some best practices. The next day some of those teachers lost their homes.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-65197186547258559132007-10-24T01:56:00.000+01:002007-10-25T13:39:30.253+01:00

ordering evacuations from Ramona to Lakeside and on DelRio road. We've gone back to seeing "stock" footage on the news instead of the few live shots we got earlier today. The live shots are fairly frightening. One shot looks like lava flowing down a hillside.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-22670690015578765622007-10-23T22:43:00.000+01:002007-10-23T22:51:40.637+01:00

Just went back into Escondido to check things out and make sure the house is still standing. House is still standing. We did take a tour around the Vineyard golf course near the 78 and saw at least a half dozen homes burned to the ground. It was awful. I know that at least one of those houses belongs to a student at my school. Swung by the school to see what it looked like--covered in dirt

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-30733855037765170302007-10-23T19:05:00.001+01:002007-10-23T19:05:43.524+01:00

School has been canceled throughout the district (Escondido) for the rest of the week. And here is the rest of it.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-10872438542700631142007-10-23T18:00:00.000+01:002007-10-23T18:01:31.358+01:00

Downtown Ramona seems to be okay... which is good. Apparently there was/is a fire north of the Airport, but in Ramona proper things look okay... And here is the rest of it.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-25656186931473390122007-10-23T17:17:00.000+01:002007-10-23T17:23:02.892+01:00

I just heard some news. Right now, it seems like the Witch fire has backtracked a bit towards Escondido--and is now traveling down Del Dios highway. All of the large animals at the Del Mar Horsepark seem to be okay.A number of teachers at my school are directly impacted by these fires. My principal couldn't get into work yesterday, but she may have an easier time of it today. The custodial

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-91216326890904059392007-10-23T17:11:00.000+01:002007-10-23T17:15:04.140+01:00

Well, we've evacuated to San Marcos and at least the air quality is a little better. My little house was near the predicted burn area, but I think it's okay. It's amazing how *much* information I have through various media, but how little information I have that actually affects my house. No school today. I would assume no school tomorrow. I know some of my kid's homes are in the path of the

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-24718775288951050852007-10-22T19:12:00.000+01:002007-10-22T19:32:07.619+01:00

The fire is now burning very close to my school. School has been canceled for today, and I can't see that we will be back tomorrow unless there is some sort of miracle, and the fires get contained. As of now, I am at home under a brilliant orange sky. All of our windows are shut tight against the ash, and we're just waiting.I worry about my students and friends in the paths of the fires. I

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-60662952806772874702007-10-10T02:57:00.001+01:002007-10-10T03:04:30.874+01:00

I love teaching a Humanities block (one period reading, one language arts, and one social studies). It's always fun to blend the subjects, and the social studies curriculum really gives me a lot of interesting topics to add to our Writer's Workshop. Of course, it never gets better than a day when you get to cover King George III and The Road Not Taken with a recording of Frost reading his poem.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-79887597798084296442007-10-10T02:57:00.000+01:002007-10-10T03:03:44.470+01:00

I love teaching a Humanities block (one period reading, one language arts, and one social studies). It's always fun to blend the subjects, and the social studies curriculum really gives me a lot of interesting topics to add to our Writer's Workshop. Of course, it never gets better than a day when you get to cover King George III and The Road Not Taken with a recording of Frost reading his poem.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-52308649149570943362007-10-07T04:05:00.000+01:002007-10-07T04:30:29.740+01:00

My students turned in their Writer's Workshops today. Well, yesterday, but I've been grading them fairly constantly since yesterday afternoon, so the days have blurred together. As usual, my students have delighted and surprised me.One of my favorite aspects of Writer's Workshop is that it allows so much student choice. A colleague of mine just gave his first ever assignment that allowed students

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-34878043202407395172007-10-03T03:55:00.000+01:002007-10-03T04:03:34.482+01:00

Total exhaustion is setting in this week. I'm not sure why. But, just as I think that I can only stumble through the day, I get this entry in one of my students' reading journals. Dear Miss S---Hey! Guess what! I finished that book! [Perfect by Natasha Friend] And I'm starting to get this reading thing! Now, when I get home I actually want to read! And I do! My mom thinks I'm crazy!

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-36046902140147988682007-09-30T02:59:00.000+01:002007-09-30T03:10:47.420+01:00

The iconic image of an apple on the desk of a teacher is interesting on so many levels. It's interesting because the idea of teachers imparting knowledge (or a sense of self) is one of the most important parts of the profession. But, on another level, it's interesting because the idea of food and the idea of love are so connected. Often, we crave the very act of feeding those we love (in my

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-35234279837598024342007-09-30T02:50:00.000+01:002007-09-30T02:58:48.435+01:00

I had a good day Friday. We all stayed on task (even me! I am, on occasion, the most distractable person in the room); we all finished our work (okay, I couldn't enter my grading because they shut the system down, but the grading is DONE), and then we all went to the first school dance of the year.It was great! Each dance, one village is in charge of chaperoning and can sell food at the "snack

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-53595520580971015562007-09-27T21:07:00.000+01:002007-09-30T02:50:38.761+01:00

My entire district is *focusing* this year on reading comprehension. We are supposed to cross content, cultural, and literary lines in our quest to make sure our kids comprehend what they're reading.But what does this mean?Does it mean, as it often does, that we are really looking for a better product instead of looking at the process?Does is mean that I can, finally, just teach my kids to enjoy

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-41457550403647956232007-09-26T04:53:00.000+01:002007-09-26T05:00:38.859+01:00

...my resource co-teacher has run out of patience, and I am just running around.Wow, the end of September is way, way busy! One of my very good friends teaches math at the school, and she just had yet another student added to her class (a class that was already over the contract-mandated limit). So, now she's one desk short.We have a new "resource" teacher this year. His job is to follow the

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-22230277616755332412007-09-25T04:27:00.001+01:002007-09-25T04:32:28.675+01:00

Our school has begun to have more formalized "roles" for committee meetings and the like. You know, it's much like literature circles, only without the fun of books. So, we have a "facilitator," a "timekeeper," etc.. etc.. One of the jobs is "recorder." Now, I have normally ended up being the notetaker/secretary of every committee I'm on because taking notes is how I force myself to focus.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-70192312192829174842007-09-24T02:22:00.000+01:002007-09-24T02:24:04.194+01:00

I teach quite a few second language learners. I teach quite a few kids who just don't have a lot of exposure to the variety available in the English language. Luckily, we all have a few things in common, including a sense of humor.Apparently, during math class, the teacher mentioned that she was "going to kill two birds with one stone." Now, these kids are very literal and very funny so this

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-33081705179040629182007-09-24T01:42:00.001+01:002007-09-24T01:51:31.530+01:00

Has hit a snag. The snag is one of two things: either groups just don't work for my first block, or my first block just doesn't work for groups. Either way? They're kaput.I've learned from the experiment though. First off, never, ever, ever, ever (see how important this is) convince yourself that that you will be able to focus completely on the eight children who are supposed to be with you

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-40186686897666539392007-09-17T02:29:00.000+01:002007-09-17T02:45:23.428+01:00

We have been commanded by our district to begin a new program to help out struggling readers. I've spoken of this before, and it's great to focus on reading and reading comprehension, and I *love* that it's not a "canned" program. But...there's always a catch in education.The catch here is that, almost because the program isn't canned and scripted, it is, instead, disjointed and impossible. I'm

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-42835046449503111812007-09-13T06:11:00.000+01:002007-09-13T06:16:31.984+01:00

My life has crossed into an all new level of insanity this week. Hence, the lack of posts. Needless to say, tonight was Back to School Night, yesterday I drove a friend to the airport, tomorrow I have to get ready for a sub, and Friday I have a series of all day meetings.Oh, and I forgot, tomorrow we have a fire drill (one period), a bonding activity (one period), and a shortened day (so, you

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-77094226661048628672007-09-05T02:12:00.000+01:002007-09-07T04:40:44.849+01:00

Thirteen Things about the first weeks of school!1. We all agree, Eclipse is an excellent book.2. My 7th graders are not quite all grown up--but they've mellowed some.3. The new seating arrangement seems to be working.4. Having the AC controlled at the DO is not a great idea--my room gets direct afternoon sunlight, and when the temperature hit 104 at lunch last week, my room was toasty!5. I'm much

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-40940186185986302172007-09-05T02:03:00.000+01:002007-09-05T02:12:02.169+01:00

So, first day in groups. Groups that (according to the "Mcleod Reading Test") we are supposed to be in all year.And, you know, except for some of the pandemonium that the song I quoted above leads one to expect, it worked okay.We had one group doing a guided reading exercise with me (we practiced taking a close look at the characters in the Giver), one group working on spelling sorts, one group

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-21148995915913146832007-09-04T04:16:00.000+01:002007-09-04T04:24:36.495+01:00

A million things left to do....Next week should be good. We start our groupwork--I am a little (okay, a lot) worried about the behaviour of my first block--but the reality is that they will behave the way they do whether they are in groups or not--so maybe it will all work out. They aren't bad--just noisy--and a little immature.It's fundraising week (magazine sales)--which I hate--but it's only

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-30441361034197009322007-08-30T04:52:00.000+01:002007-08-31T04:55:25.956+01:00

Thirteen Things about Miss S1. I startle very easily. As would be expected, middle schoolers find this hilarious.2. I don't remember learning how to read. I do remember a librarian taking a book away from me because it was "too difficult." If I remember correctly, I then made my dad go check it out so I could finish it.3. I am a very insecure confident person. Once I feel comfortable with a

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-19108083301982880282007-08-29T03:00:00.000+01:002007-08-29T03:09:50.955+01:00

Like how absolutely exhausting it is to teach six periods a day--especially at the beginning of the year when you are out of shape, out of practice, and lacking the materials (does anyone else have to wait till nearly October for all of the materials they need?). Of course, I still loved it--teaching is such a fun job in spite of all of the "extra duties" that it entails. My favorite part so far

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-7815986309365660902007-08-26T04:29:00.000+01:002007-08-26T04:37:23.609+01:00

I thought I would make myself and my students a few promises. There's nothing like putting something out in public where everyone can see it to keep you honest, so I'll stick them here.I promise....1) I will do my best to keep my classroom organized this year. Every year I get a "little" bit closer to a workable system.2) I will get enough drivers for us to make our trip to the Museum of

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-28345581169240769292007-08-24T06:57:00.000+01:002007-08-24T07:06:02.128+01:00

I am just now home from work. I took a break in the middle to go horseback riding--but I still put in a good ten hours today. Am I ready? errr, no. Am I excited?Getting there!Am I tired?Oh, yes.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-34335806254577412302007-08-23T04:18:00.000+01:002007-08-26T14:47:14.365+01:00

Thirteen Things you would see in my classroom right now1. Stacks of books (lots!)2. Boxes of books (lots!)3. Books neatly tucked away in bookshelves. (sigh, not so many..)4. The entire contents of my cabinets--I somehow thought it would be great to take *everything* out to "get a fresh start." Dear god.5. A countdown to Monday--when the kids show up!6. My "teacher" books slumped on my desk--oof,

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-67667726321631031152007-08-22T03:02:00.000+01:002007-08-22T05:57:00.170+01:00

Well, less than a week until school begins. eek.To follow up from my "garageband" caper (aka "seminar"), I have just taken part in two days worth of "structured/guided" reading training. My district has suddenly decided (realized?) that a large segment of our kids who score 300-349("Basic" (meaning not quite up to grade level) in California State Exam-speak) is being under-served. They think,

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-24492616864068840782007-08-17T06:43:00.000+01:002007-08-17T06:59:56.150+01:00

Well first, a disclaimer: I'm not actually in the O.C.--I just liked the rhythm of the title. However, I am sure at some point all of California will turn into a giant Sim City 2000 type megalopolis. Hopefully, there will be arcologies--because those were very cool.That digression aside--I've been in to my classroom a few times this week, but I haven't been as productive as I would like. The

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-13417495375561717982007-08-16T05:18:00.000+01:002007-08-18T00:20:59.642+01:00

Thirteen Things I want to improve this school year1. Organization--I say this every year. But, this year I have bought an agenda that (I hope!) will be big enough to include the meetings and lesson plans for the year. I have also "penciled in" specific days where I will re-organize myself. I've got a fairly well-established guilt complex, so I can usually get something done as long as I

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-62111359635352313862007-08-15T20:54:00.000+01:002007-08-16T06:19:59.834+01:00

I'm sure quite a few other teachers are in my shoes--or in my chair, rather--and in a "professional development" seminar of one kind or another. I've already had one meeting to go over our new benchmarks for the year, have two full days of "guided reading" seminars next week and right now I'm sitting in a class to learn more about Apple's Garageband. Although I've already used the program quite

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-81875975436446413122007-08-11T23:47:00.000+01:002007-08-11T23:52:41.468+01:00

If you don't read xkcd--you should. I was flipping back through the archives, and I found that comic. And you know what I'm going to do tonight? Read.**we will be back to our normal school-centric blog starting Monday. I'm going in to set up. Summer is pretty much over. Sigh.

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-6379363937337673862007-08-09T02:01:00.000+01:002007-08-09T17:17:46.584+01:00

A small selection of thirteen things on my IpodI'll admit it...I'm a fan of the Ipod (and the Iphone...sigh)1. "I Can't Decide" by the Scissor Sisters from "Ta-Da". I first heard this song on Doctor Who, and I thought it was hilarious. I really like the rest of the album as well.2. "The Dress Looks Nice On You" by Sufjan Stephens off of "Seven Swans". It's just a lovely, lyrical song. His

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935919.post-25956714708246236862007-08-08T08:52:00.000+01:002007-08-08T18:43:09.658+01:00

shh...I'm reading again! And, dear god, it is good! It'll be another all night read. I'll review it in the morning :) ... One of the best parts of it all is that our local Barnes and Nobles ran out of books! I love it when reading is this popular--especially when the books are this good!***Okay, so I finished it, and it was wonderful. I cried. Bella was a bit whiny (as she was in New Moon,

Jenniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18151262932309043192noreply@blogger.com