I Realize . . .

. . . I must be the world's most boring blogger. The most interesting thing I'm involved in at the moment, I can't talk about. School is school -- I'm stressing the EOCT next week like I never have before. I'm already making plans for next year, which will surprise no one who actually knows me. Monster #2 and I are both jonesing for a beach trip, but have agreed that once we actually have the pool installed, that might work as a substitute.

There are only twelve more days of school!

Stuff

There are frogs everywhere! Little hoppy mini-frogs. A miniature plague. I'm hoping they grow up to eat mosquitos.

School is sooo close to being over. I'm ready. Next week is EOCT testing -- I'm not confident about it at all.

Turned in assignment one for my last grad course. Connie is laughing at me because now my portfolio has shown up to bite me.

No writing tonight. Grand jury committee meeting, then . . . oh, yeah. I read the new Lorelei James novella.

What's new with you?

Sunday Morning Check-In

I am sooo ready for summer. Only about a month and a half! I would say I'm ready for spring break, but someone has jury duty that week.

What I need to accomplish this week:

1) Make senior board speeches run smoothly (Tues, Wed., Thurs.)
2) Stay on top of junior poetry anthology checkpoints
3) Teach poetry to freshmen
4) Somehow get derailed Canterbury Tales unit back on track (thanks, bad weather!).
5) Grade revised junior research papers
6) Write week 7 and week 8 essays for EDUC 6657 (I'm trying to finish early)
7) Get to proposal point with Gone
8) Maybe begin working on laying out Layla's story . . .???

What's on your plate for the week?

Y'all, I'm Such a Nerd

I really am. I have confirmation from my students. (I'm also a nag, but that's another story . . .)

Anyway, I am a nerd. I love to read, I love to learn new stuff, I get excited about knowing things and I want to share. I'm guiltiest when it comes to stuff I'm learning with my grad degree, and my colleagues are too kind to tell me to shut up when I get going at the lunch table about some new strategy I'm learning. But I can hear the mental, "Oh, Lord, here she goes again."

So I'm showing my seniors a series of documentaries on the history of Britain. Some of it is really interesting (to me, at least -- to them, I'm not so sure). I'd mentioned to them this morning that we were skipping the section on conquests, as when the DH and I were previewing the films, he turned to me and said, "You can't show them this. They'd be out, fifteen minutes, tops."

One of them looked at me, horrified. "You made your husband watch this?!"

Well, yeah. He's a history nerd. He's in the living room now, tuned into the History Channel.

So yeah, I'm a nerd. I'm all excited about going to the charter school conference next week because I know I'll be learning new stuff and that means I'll have more stuff to torture people with at the lunch table.

But y'all will tell me if I become an obnoxious nerd, right?

I'm Here!

Long story, but our DSL has been down forever. It's finally fixed, although I can't say the same for the landline. I'm seriously thinking of just not having a landline, as we don't use it anyway.

Anyway, this is a quick drive-by, as I need to get dressed for school. I have cover art for Chris and pics of the house to show you, though.

Back soon. Missed y'all!

I'm Alive, I Promise!

Life (and house renovations and research papers and teaching and editing . . .) have hijacked me lately.

I won't leave you this lonely this long again (like you missed me. Heh.).

Hey, it's only a little more than a month until Fall Into Me releases. Contest details and maybe some free read info to come!

Jekyll Island, Day 1

Scenes from Jekyll Island -- the beach on a very windy, very chilly day with winds from the northeast. The swells and waves were huge, which is very unusual for this area. Normally, the Atlantic here is lake-smooth.

We arrived Wednesday around 12:30. Ate lunch in the cafeteria -- the food was pretty good and it was nice not to have to cook for the days we were there.

After lunch, Milton took us to the slough. We learned about dunes and swales and sloughs and dissolved oxygen. The first slough we visited was in a park, and Monster #2 saw deer tracks (hunting is outlawed on the island and there are tons of deer). We trekked through the woods to slough number two. Here, the chaperones' job was to watch the alligators, which wasn't reassuring since one alligator wasn't visible. Monster #2 proceeds to slip and almost fall face first into the slimy duckweed-covered part of the slough.

Later, the kids painted T-shirts with rubbery, scale fish models. We created canvases for each homeroom. I so want to do that, for the living room maybe?

As soon as we arrived at the 4-H center, my cell phone stopped working. Everybody but me had cell coverage. That meant no email, no texting, no calls. Talk about being forced not to worry, meddle, etc. On some levels, that was really nice because it forced me to focus solely on what was going on around me, not four hours away.

Coming up next -- day two, with the dock study, fish dissection, marsh trip, ocean study, and the night walk.

We're Back!

Scenes from Jekyll Island -- the bridge between the causeway and the island. (FYI -- I didn't take this photo. I lifted it from Flicker).

I did, however, take these two photos:

Inside the van.

Outside the van.

I think this had to be our most exciting yet most frightening experience on the entire trip. We'd visited the marsh area around the causeway (this was fascinating -- more to come in the next few days) and were headed back to the 4-H center. As we topped the bridge (see first photo), I heard this large "bang" and shattering glass. I turned from the child I was talking to (there were nine children, two chaperones, our guide and me on the van) to see the shattered windshield. At first, I thought something had flown off the roadway and hit the windshield (like a "gator" from a blownout tire). Then I realized our guide couldn't see -- something was blocking the windshield.

Remember, we're atop the bridge. I spun to the children, who are all frightened and big-eyed at this time and said, "Y'all, put your heads down." I was afraid the shattered safety glass would hit someone's eye (we've already had one eye injury in the Winfree household -- didn't want to go through that again!).

Want to know the difference between fifth graders and high schoolers? The fifth graders immediately put their heads down and stayed there. The high schoolers would still be asking, "Why do we have to put our heads down? We don't want to...whine, whine, whine, ad nauseum."

Our intrepid guide (I was already impressed with her skills at the marsh; this closed the deal for me) calmly rolls down the window, sticks her head out, and drives us to safety off the bridge. Kudos to Elise!

Once stopped, we get the kids out and inspect the van. The hood latch had come undone (it was corroded and the winds were incredible that day) and the hood had flown up, slamming into the windshield and shattering it. Luckily, other than a few scratches on Elise and Chad, one of our chaperones, no one was hurt.

I, for one, am glad to be home. I'll share more pics and stories over the next few days.

What have y'all been up to in my absence?

Monday Musings

Scenes from Winfree's life: LaRoix, le kitteh. Originally, when Monster #2 brought her home from the flea market (don't ask), she thought "she" was a "he" and the name was Leroy. By the time we realized said skittish kitten was a girl, she was already named Leroy. So a French bastardization and her name is now LaRoix. She is the best cat ever!

The rough draft of my review of literature is turned in and approved by my professor with very few comments! Whoo!

Now, I'm working on updating grades, then I need to focus on revisions on Chris's book. I have preliminary cover art for Fall Into Me, Troy Lee's book, and it's incredibly beautiful. I can't wait until it's official so I can share it.

Fall Break is this weekend, and I'm very glad. I'm so tired, and I need this break.

How's everyone's week going?

Holding Patterns

Scenes from St. Augustine -- Pretty tame white peacock at the Fountain of Youth. Yes, the displays are a little dated and a tad hokey, but the planetarium is awesome and the grounds (14 acres of them) are beautiful. It's shady and a great place to spend a hot afternoon in the Oldest City.

I know I've been very cryptic lately about being at a crossroads and not knowing where to go. I'm struggling with what I want to do once my masters is finished in June -- do I want to teach at a different school? Do I want to apply for a different position, one that would take me out of the classroom?

I once made a huge, three-year-long career mistake, and I'm terrified of making another one. Sometimes I think I let that fear of change and the fear of making mistakes hold me back from what I'm supposed to do. Then I think that . . . well, I think a lot of things, none of which are making much sense. Lately my head has been this big hamster wheel that goes nowhere. I even started making charts of pros and cons, and still I'm nowhere near being out of the holding pattern (yes, I know -- I'm mixing metaphors everywhere. I told you my brain was on the fritz!). Why, you ask, am I even worrying about this in September? Because if I want to apply at other schools or for other positions, my resume has to go out in January. I'm trying to figure out if my niggling sense of dissatisfaction means I need something different or if . . . I don't know.

See? Nowhere near an answer. I guess I can just get used to this holding pattern for a few more weeks, until my brain decides it wants to work on making decisions.

What are you up to this lovely September Sunday morning?

Total Randomness

Scenes from St. Augustine -- A view at dusk of the cemetary next to the visitor's center.

My cousin is getting married. My sister emailed to say he was sending invitations but didn't want gifts. This might be a good thing, because as said beloved sister pointed out, what does one buy a millionaire?

Do you know how weird it is to contemplate being related to a millionaire?

I'm still working on revising Chris's book. Said revisions are due next week. I'm trying to wrap them up, honest I am.

I've been whining to Joan for the last twenty minutes or so about being at a crossroads of sort and not knowing where to go or what to do. I can empathize with my friend Pam, who was working on her first doctoral paper today, in which she had to explore her personal goals and how they intersect with her educational goals. "Personal goals?" she said. "I don't have any!"

She does, of course. She just didn't see them until we'd talked them out. I'm kind of hoping my current situation is the same -- that the answers or goals are there and that I simply don't see them yet.

Any suggestions for how to puzzle out hazy goals or plans? I'm open to them!

Grumbly -- and Not in a Winnie-the-Pooh Way Either

Hero: Chris Parker. Book: Facing It. Pages left to revise: More than I want to admit to.

I'm very grumbly today. I'm pretty sure Connie is tired of listening to me. I don't even know why I'm grumbly. I just am. I know I'm all grumbly and grouchy when little things that normally don't bother me try to push me over the edge (like kids who don't understand BE QUIET at the beginning of standardized testing situations!).

On the positive side, several juniors came in for extra help with their Post-Modern papers after school the last couple of days. This is a challenging unit, and I can see major progress with their learning. That makes me happy.

But I'm still grumbly.

I've been trying to pre-read the Orwell article my seniors are reading tomorrow, but the office is the family-gathering spot and Monster #2 is in here reading aloud Rifles for Watie, and it's impossible to concentrate on Orwell's rules for the English language while he's reading. So I'm making a chapter two quiz for The Great Gatsby.

Did I mention I'll be teaching 1984, The Great Gatsby and either To Kill a Mockingbird or Lord of the Flies simultaneously? That means 50-60 pages of re-reading nightly because I have to read what the kids are assigned, plus my graduate reading (I'm working on my literature review for my Educational Research class) and my editing and revising.

Yes, I'm still grumbly.

I wonder if I watch Ghost Hunters if that will improve my mood?

Sunday Check-In

Scenes from Winfree's hometown -- This used to be my parents' grocery store. They opened it when I was in kindergarten and retired when Monster #2 as a year old. I have lots of great memories of this place, like playing with the buggies (shopping carts for those of you outside the South) and even spending Saturdays working the cash register as a teenager. One of my really good friends from high school, Vann, was the bag boy then. He was killed in a car accident his freshman year of college; I still miss him.

Not much going on here. I'm working on revisions on Chris's book. We spent a lot of time this weekend working in the yard, and it looks so much better -- not so much like a jungle anymore. Educational Research is going better than I anticipated, so that's good. I have a new man in my life, too -- my new grandnephew who put in his appearance yesterday. From all accounts, mother and baby are doing well.

Anything new with you?

It's FRIDAY!

Scenes from Winfree's Hometown -- A side view of the grandparents' home. Some of my favorite childhood memories -- like spending the night and sleeping on a lawn chair -- revolve around this home.

Is there anything more to say than . . . "It's FRIDAY!"? I'm tired. I need to sleep in tomorrow. We have major yardwork to do this weekend, but I'm looking forward to some downtime, too.

What are your weekend plans?

Sunday Check-In

Scenes from St. Augustine -- The Atlantic Ocean, off Vilano Beach

I was going to post football pics, but left my camera in the car and was too lazy to go back for it. Our boys played so well last night. I'm really proud of them. We actually scored! Final score, 16 to 6.

My first paper for Educational Research is turned in. I have edits due tonight, grades due tomorrow. After today, I need to work on new units and revisions for Chris's book (due the end of September).

I haven't been as active on here the past few days, and y'all I'm sorry, but my life has little of interest going on right now. Hearts Awakened is still holding on at number ten on the bestsellers list, which is nice, but I'm pretty sure you're tired of hearing me yak about that. I'm trying to update my website but have a ways to go on that. I'm at a crossroads writing-wise as I try to figure out what project I need to tackle next.

Other than that, I got nothing. What are you up to?

My Brain Is a Morass

Scenes from Winfree's Classroom: The rejection wall. Those are my rejection letters and current rejection count, overlaid with pithy motivational statements. It's meant to be motivational.

Today? Today I do not have the clue to motivation, teacherly or writerly. I went for a run and my brain is all over this weird crossroads place I seem to be at in multiple areas, but it did little to straighten out the mess.

I'm hoping it's just an off day. I thought about writing out what all was in my head, but it doesn't even make sense completely to me and as I said, I'm not close to figuring out directions, etc.

Snagged a cool British poem that sparked a censorship furor via Smart Bitches. I'm using it and the author's reply poem with my seniors Thursday. It's perfect for Lord of the Flies.

Taking my grumpy, contemplative self off to fix hot dogs for the family. Hey, at least we're eating together as a family.

Sunday Morning Stuff

Scenes from St. Augustine -- A view of the Matanzas Bay from atop the Castillo de San Marco.

What's going on this morning . . .

• Mrs. Giggles does not love the Cookie. But that's okay. I've been doing this long enough to get that what works for one reader (or editor or agent) does not work for another. I think I'm going to post the 69 review on my rejection wall in my classroom. My kids would love that idea.
• However, others do love the Cookie. I have have two recommended read reviews, an A+ at the Good, the Bad and the Unread, and I've gotten some really nice reader feedback. And it's still holding the #1 spot at MBAM.
• More laundry.
• I have to choose my topic for my Educational Research class. I'm afraid, very afraid. What if I pick a topic I can't find enough literature on? I don't have to turn my topic in until later in the week. I think I'm going to read ahead in the course material then do some preliminary library searching to make sure there's info out there on whatever I choose to do.
• I need to plan for next week. I have finally figured out the key to accomplishing things with my ninth graders -- group work. They don't do well with straight instruction time, so I'm trying to work as much as possible into a minilesson followed by practice model for them.
• Edits. I have about 65 pages to go on Troy Lee's book. I should get 20 pages or so done today.
• Continue fiddling with the website. I'm trying to clean it up, update and add new content. I am s-l-o-w with the whole web thing. But I'm working on it.

What's up with you this morning?

Did I Mention I'm a Cult Member?

Scenes From St. Augustine -- The Ghostly Experience walking tour. No, there aren't really dead hamsters buried under the brick street. But yes, the Augustin Inn was haunted . . . until they had it exorcised. That's the DH in the green shirt and the white baseball cap.

Yes, I belong to a a cult, a teacher cult that worships reading guru Kelly Gallagher. It all started a couple of years ago when I went to a workshop on reading strategies for at-risk learners. The materials included two of Gallagher's books and I fell in love. So I've been pushing Wayne (hey, Wayne -- you need a blog and a website. You also need to finish that darn book, but that's a different story!) to read Deeper Reading. He's had it, he just hasn't read it. So at the beginning of the year, he finally gave in to the yummy-teacher-goodness that is Kelly Gallagher's Deeper Reading and now Michelle (the 8th grade LA teacher) and I have sucked him into the Gallagher cult.

Bwa-ha-ha-ha!

Want to know how bad it is? Wednesday morning, I walk by the two having a conversation. Michelle stops me to ask my take on essay-length with middle schoolers. I mention using powerwriting as a teaching technique and Wayne says, "Is that Gallagher?" No, but that starts a whole 'nother Gallagher-worshipfest as we talk about how we're using his techniques and how they're working in our rooms.

Yes, we are sad people.

But if you teach language arts in grades 4-12, you need the Gallagher goodness. Seriously.

(And Anonymous, when you pop by -- all of our ELA teachers in grades 4-12 need a copy of Gallagher's Deeper Reading of their own. We should do staff development with those strategies.)

**

Misc. Notes:

1) Hearts Awakened is garnering lovely reviews and is at #2 on the MBAM top ten list!

2) I'm fiddling with my website. If you pop over there and things are wonky, that's why.

3) Monster #1 is at a middle school dance. Considering how much effort he put into his appearance, I do believe scamming on middle school girls was on his agenda. He was horrified when I mentioned possibly chaperoning said dance. I am an evil mom.

Sunday Check-In

Scenes from St. Augustine -- One of the many bed and breakfast inns in the historic district. but with those palms and that upstairs balcony, doesn't this look like a great place to stay?

My updated TTD for school:

1) Powerpoints for first day (I dreamed last night I'd forgotten to do this)

2) Compile updated senior project packets

3) Turn in my professional development paperwork for the leadership seminar I'm taking in September

4) Find a room mother

5) Seating charts

6) Write second units for the year to round out the first nine weeks and update my gradebook pages to be printed

7) Write rubrics/test plans for 9th and 11th grades

8) Write journal prompts and create exit slips

Tomorrow night is Open House. Wednesday is the first day of school.

On the writing front, I need to finish my blurb form for Fall Into Me. I'm stuck on the section on comparative titles. I also have not yet started a new book.

I need to update my portfolio for grad school (we're required to do so at the end of each class). The only part I really dislike is writing the rationale statements that we are required to submit.

Today's the Day

Scenes from St. Augustine -- More homes on San Marco facing the bay front. I love the one with wood shakes on the right.

Well, that's it. Summer is basically over. I'm prepared-prepared -- room is ready, units are written, etc. Mentally? Not so much. However, I did finish up everything for EDUC 6672 yesterday (except for inserting items in my portfolio), so I have a break from grad school until early September. That will be nice, as the first few weeks of a new school year are always crazy.

Today I have nothing on my agenda. That's right -- nothing. (Although I'm pretty sure I'll end up doing, well, something).

What's your idea of a do-nothing day?