One without the universe, teachers without classrooms, lessons without plans…Oh wait, this isn’t a yoga site…It’s everything I ever learned about learning…read at your own peril…
I'm not exactly sure what happened to the entries this go-around. I apparently did something wrong with the carnival scheduling, so if you submitted something, I didn't get it.
Did you think that little snafu would stop me? No, siree, Missy. We're going with Plan B. There's no stopping this fun-filled extravaganza.
So welcome to My 12 Favorite Bloggers Christmas Edition of the Education Buzz--Life's a Carnival. Instead of our normal eclectic smattering of things buzzing about the EduSphere, I thought I would give you 12 of my favorite education bloggers. If you have a favorite blogger who wasn't included, please post a comment.
Well that's it for this edition for the Education Buzz. I sure hope you sang along to my Teacher's Twelve Days of Christmas posted below.
Join us here again on Wednesday, January 4 for the next edition. (I thought I would take a break from the carnival over the holidays.) Please submit your posts by Saturday, Dec. 31 by 5 p.m. CDT. Use this handy dandy form for your submissions, and this time, I think I did everything correctly so I should get them.
If you would like to host a carnival, let me know by emailing me at mybellringers@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to let me know if you find any broken links or problems with this edition of the Ed Buzz.
It's officially Week 16 of the "I'm-Frying-In-My-Own-Fat" Weight Loss Challenge. You can read my latest update Week 16–Taking a Breather in Skinny Jeans on Technorati.
Every teacher knows the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas break is an educational No Man's Land. Many a good teacher has fought the good fight here and lost. Some have opted to declare a truce. Others just give up until the New Year revives them with a breath of hope.
Whichever category you find yourself in this holiday season, trying to keep the kiddos on task or teach them something during this time would even have tried the patience of Mother Teresa.
Times like these call for a festive song of our very own. So raise the white flag, hunker down, grab some emergency chocolate and sing along…
Richie's Special Twelve Days of Christmas for Teachers
On the first day of Christmas
my school gave to me… one more required state exam
OK, so maybe the week off for Thanksgiving made me a bit lazy. And, maybe I spent this past weekend trying to catch up, and as usual, time seemed to run out.
So-o-o-o-o, wait a few more days for my post and if you want to submit to the Holiday Edition of the Education Buzz–Life's a Carnival, please do so by filling out this handy, dandy form.
The holiday carnival will appear back here on Wednesday, Dec. 14, so what are you waiting for? Get your submissions in by Sunday, Dec. 11!
And if you hail from the great state of Texas, to say anything remotely negative about Friday night lights and high school football, well, that's akin to trying to yank the buckle off the belt in the South. (And if you don't know what that means, then maybe you need to dust off the Good Book.)
So before we go anything further, let me just say I do like football, and I'm even the proud owner of season tickets to my town's high school football games.
But while I may be a football fan, I am first an educator. So I read with interest (and a touch of dismay) an article in The Dallas Morning News about how high school football revenue rarely generates a profit, and, in fact, sustains pretty hefty losses.
Of the 31 schools the newspaper surveyed in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, only three schools generated revenue over a five year period. The rest lost between $132,000 to almost $11 million over those same five years.
Of course, that kind of loss had to have been absorbed somewhere in all those school district budgets.
You know, the budgets that cut funding for classroom supplies. The budgets that cut teachers. The budgets that cut field trips. The budgets that cut electives.
Yep, those budgets.
What's even a little more disconcerting is I'm pretty sure Texas isn't standing alone on this one either.
For those of you who care, my ankle now shows a wide blend of CMYK colors and appears now only to be roughly twice the size of my other ankle. (You can read about the entire forlorn tale here.)
And since my right ankle still hurts like the dickens, I've had more than just a tad bit of trouble being my normal chipper, funny, quirky self.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure you find all of that hard to believe.
Having a big, fat ugly boot hasn't helped my sunny disposition either--although it has given rise to certain fantasies involving kickboxing certain people through walls like a Ninja fighter.
But that probably wouldn't bode well for Ninja teacher or that whole flying under the radar thing. In fact, kickboxing certain people through walls like a Ninja fighter would probably put Ninja teacher smack dab on someone's radar.
And I'm thinking it's probably a radar we don't want to be on. No siree, Missy.
So since this ankle injury has relegated me to couch potato status, I've had time to think about things. And we all know how I feel about those darn tootin' things. And, of course, when I think about those darn tootin' things, I whine. And since this has more or less been a no-whining blog since its creation in 2007, perhaps now is a good time to come up with a list of 5 Things Teachers Wished They Didn't Have To Whine About.
How about a festive drum roll pah-leese…
5 Things Teachers Wished
They Didn't Have To Whine About
No. 5… Printing out grade validation sheets even though grades from sea to shining sea are entered on computers and stored on servers and backed up onto other servers hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. Wasn't all this technology stuff suppose to save us time, money and trees?
No. 4… Being told from fields of amber waves of grain to those purple mountain majesties that we are using entirely too much copy paper printing out stuff. Hmmmm wonder if that has anything to do with No. 5?
No. 3… Assisting PBs (as in Powers That Be) with their new technology gizmos even though we don't have those gizmos, but would like to have those gizmos, and maybe have even requested those gizmos, but alas, there is no money for those gizmos for the lower case pb's (as in peons that be).
No. 2… Having to embrace newfangled technology, software or trendy new educational panaceas that are suppose to save us time, but actually add time.
No. 1…Stories that claim that teachers are overpaid. I'm not exactly sure where these teachers work or what school districts employ them. And, I'm not sure exactly how many hours they log in. What I do know is that they obviously haven't taken a peak at my paycheck or yours either.
It's enough to make you want to kickbox certain people through walls like a Ninja fighter.
But then that probably would put Ninja teacher smack dab on that radar.
And that, my fellow lowercase pb's, would be a very, very bad thing indeed.
Welcome to the Smorgasbord Edition of the Education Buzz--Life's a Carnival, an eclectic smattering of things buzzing about the EduSphere.
Smorgasbord Edition? Let me explain. I've spent the better part of the past week or so trying to recover from what I like to refer to as my "Mike Napoli World Series" incident. After seven days, the swelling in my ankle has abated somewhat, and I am now the proud of owner of one fashion-challenged black boot. So, I'm sure you can understand why I haven't felt particularly funny or clever or inspired. Thus, the need for a Smorgasbord Edition. I merely just tossed a bunch of interesting posts.
If you face a constant barrage of PA announcements at your school, then make sure you check out Mr. Teacher's ideas for curtailing classroom interruptions.
Old Andrew from Scenes From the Battleground has an interesting take on inspiration and whether it's good to be an "inspirational teacher."
And finally, if you haven't read my post yet about giving up on happy, you can do so here.
Well that's it for this edition for the Education Buzz. Join us here again on Wednesday, Nov. 23 for the next edition. Please submit your posts by Saturday, Nov. 19 by 5 p.m. CDT. Use this handy dandy form for your submissions.
If you would like to host a carnival, let me know by emailing me at mybellringers@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to let me know if you find any broken links or problems with this edition of the Ed Buzz.
As always…
“I’ve got this feeling that there’s something that I missed…” –Snow Patrol
In case you were wondering why there isn't a new post this week, I've been busy getting the Education Buzz–Life's a Carnival ready. The Carnival will appear here Wednesday, Nov. 9, so please make sure you check back here for that.
For those of you who are keeping up with my "I'm-Frying-In-My-Own-Fat" Weight Loss Challenge, my latest post appeared on technorati as Week 11–New Calorie Counting App on the Horizon on Technorati.
Apparently, if I give up on happy, I stand a better chance of obtaining happy. According to studies and experts, capturing happy stands about as much of a chance of one obtaining Nirvana. Unless of course, your idea of Nirvana is the band, not the bliss.
My sense of happy crumbled after reading this little piece by syndicated Boston Globe columnist Gareth Cook who writes how recent studies show that the more we try and obtain happiness the more disappointed we grow and the more elusive our little smiley kingdom becomes.
Cook writes: "…there is gathering evidence that happiness is not what it may appear. A string of new studies suggests that the modern chase after happiness–and even happiness itself–can hurt us…The more you value happiness, it turns out, the more unhappy you will become. The problem a team of psychologist reports, is that when you focus too much on happiness, you are disappointed when happy events–your birthday party, say–don't deliver a bigger boost."
I guess that makes us all a nation of Clark Griswolds forever setting standards that no one can match.
I don't really see how all this is new. Since the dawn of time, teachers hear students complain, "That's not fair." To which our mantra has always been, "Well, life isn't fair."
Over the years, I've changed that, though. Instead, I tell my students, "Life is not a Disney movie. Things don't always end happily ever after. Conflict can't always be resolved in a 60 minute time slot…blah blah blah…"
I get a lot of blank stares.
So now when my students grumble about this thing or that thing, well, now I can tell them that it's good to be negative.
Unless saying that makes it a positive, which then would be, well, bad.
Welcome to the World Series Edition of the Education Buzz--Life's a Carnival, an eclectic smattering of things buzzing about the EduSphere.
First up to bat, Nancy Flanagan from Teacher in a Strange Land, and trust me, she smacks this one out of the ballpark. Hails bails, I think she smacked it clear into the next state. "Discouraged from Dreaming" is probably the best post I've read in a long, long time. You've got to check it out.
Pat over at Successful Teaching hits a line drive with her 10 suggestions for confronting difficult parents. While you may have heard some of them before, we're all probably due for a reminder.
Next up at bat, Darren from Right on the Left Coast. Sometimes he's best when he can just walk us through it.
There's our science guy, Steve Spangler, warming up in the bull pen. He's got some "awesome Halloween Dry Ice experiments" for us. Now, if he'd only supply the candy.
Jane Goodwin over at Scheiss Weekly thinks this generation is striking out and she's a bit worried about the future. And after reading her post, I'm worried, too.
It's time for that 7th inning stretch and time to check out the "15 most butchered phrased in the English Language."
Well that's it for this edition of the carnival. Oh, just one more thing left to say:
Go Rangers!
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Join us here again on Wednesday, Nov. 9 for our next edition of the Education Buzz. Please submit your posts no later than Saturday, Nov. 5 by 5 p.m. CDT. Use this handy dandy form for your submissions.
If you would like to host a carnival, let me know by emailing me at mybellringers@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to let me know if you find any broken links or problems with this edition of the Ed Buzz.
As always…
“I’ve got this feeling that there’s something that I missed…” –Snow Patrol
Also, in case you were wondering why I haven't yet posted something new this week here, well, I've been busy getting the Education Buzz–Life's a Carnival ready. The Carnival will appear here tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 26) so make sure you check back here for that.
Once again I find myself on the outside looking in.
At 54 years old, you would think that sort of thing wouldn't bother me anymore. After all, I managed to chart a pretty good course through 75 percent of my life span undeterred and undaunted by my quirkiness and without an overriding need to fit in.
Except this time, I think I would rather like to. You know, fit in.
You see, I am the only one in my family and circle of friends without a smart phone.
My youngest daughter just got to trade in her gnarly, antiquated, unsmart phone for Steve Job's last hurrah, the iPhone 4S.
I must admit there's some serious pangs of longing going on here. At first, I just thought those pangs were from that stupid "I'm Frying In My Own Fat" Weight Loss Challenge, and I needed to visit my emergency chocolate drawer. But after further introspection, I realized it was that darn tootin' phone.
Even my technologically challenged hubby has an android. He's always telling me how blazing fast the thing is, and how he has this app and that app.
Apps? My phone is too dumb for apps.
Oh, and I'd love to see what those QR codes can do, but again, my phone is too dumb for that.
Sadly, it will be June before my phone carrier, Sprint, allows me the requisite $150 rebate so I can afford a smart phone. That delay might have something to do with that unfortunate time my dumb phone leapt from my hand and scuttled willynilly onto the concrete garage floor and then randomly started to turn itself off and on.
Still, you would think Sprint would take some pity on me and let me blend in and join the smart ones.
Hails bails, I feel like the last kid to be picked in gym class for dodge ball.
I think this borders on bullying. I'd report it, but my phone's too slow.
Welcome to the Occupy Anything Edition of the Education Buzz--Life's a Carnival, an eclectic smattering of things buzzing about the EduSphere.
Whether you are a 99 percenter, a 1 percenter or a 53 percenter, I'm a 100 percent sure you will find something worth reading in this edition of the the carnival.
My personal favorite this time comes from
Sarah Garb who has no problem with her unemployment rate in her classroom. She's got a job for everyone over at Dead Class Pets.
And while we're checking off lists, check out the to-do list over at Epic Adventures Are Often Uncomfortable.
And if you are in need of a little truth detector, check out our favorite science guy, Steve Spangler, and his "lie detector" experiment. Now we're having some kind of fun.
See why some people are flipping out over flipping. Check out what education guru Joanne Jacobs has to say on this new trend.
We're all had them. Two sections of the same class but with noticeably different children and results. Check out Mr. Teacher's classes over at Learn Me Good.
And, of course, if you didn't read my latest post, "Surviving Newspaper Deadline, Keeping Promises and Bootlegging," you can do so by going here.
Well that's it for this edition of the carnival, but that should be plenty to occupy your time.
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Join us here again on Wednesday, Oct. 26 for our next edition of the Education Buzz. Please submit your posts no later than Saturday, Oct. 22 by 5 p.m. CDT. Use this handy dandy form for your submissions.
If you would like to host a carnival, let me know by emailing me at mybellringers@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to let me know if you find any broken links or problems with this edition of the Ed Buzz.
As always…
“I’ve got this feeling that there’s something that I missed…” –Snow Patrol
In the world of amazing things, let's toss last week in there.
The fact that somehow the journalism gods smiled and the school newspaper went to press (minus all the things that will get you fired) and without the arrest of a certain crazy adviser (that would be me) who was nanoseconds from setting her hair on fire, smacking the children upside their little pointy heads and driving off into the sunset in true Thelma and Louise fashion.
Yep, it was that kind of deadline. Now, I get to concentrate on all things yearbook. Oh, joy. And finalize my six weeks grades. Oh, more joy. And update Blackboard. Oh, geewillikers, more joy.
So instead of re-hashing, re-living and re-igniting those set-your-hair-on-fire-moments of last week, I thought I would honor some commitments I made before school started. I promised Karen Blumenthal, a former Dallas Morning News coworker, former Wall Street Journal editor and Dallas journalist, that I would read her two new books and provide a little review (which I would have done earlier but that pesky newspaper deadline got in the way).
She sent me two books, Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years of Prohibitionand Mr. Sam. Both nonfiction books target adolescent type readers, which is why I love these books. They are even perfect for someone old like me because they are filled with interesting information in an easy to read format.
Of course, I read the Bootleg one first, and now her book is particularly timely since PBS just started airing a documentary on prohibition. With only 127 pages and filled with all sorts of interesting photographs, this book provides a quick, interesting and informative read for all age groups. I actually learned all sorts of things that became fodder for dinner conversation. Stuff about Morris Sheppard, Al Capone and Henry Ford among others. I never knew that one of the founders of NASCAR racing had his beginnings in bootleg running.
Yep, all kinds of interesting stuff.
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't as thrilled to pick up the Mr. Sam book which chronicled how Sam Walton built Walmart and became one of the richest men in America. The book surprised me though when I became interested in it after reading just a few paragraphs. It's a fascinating read. Like all of Blumenthal's books, it's well-written and filled with all sorts of interesting stuff. Particularly helpful were the infographics that broke down how families spent their money as the book progresses through Sam Walton's life.
Probably the best compliment I can give any book is when that book gets you to look at something from a different perspective, and this book did exactly that. I can't walk into a Walmart now without looking at the store and its founder in a different light.
I highly recommend both books and encourage school libraries to get these two titles on their shelves speedy quick. And, if you don't already have Blumenthal's Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929, well shame, shame, shame. That, too, is a great book–informative and easy to understand even for those of us who struggle with understanding financial matters.
Welcome to the Bare Bones Basic Edition of the Education Buzz–Life's a Carnival, an eclectic smattering of things buzzing about the EduSphere.
I was going to do a clever Homecoming theme for the carnival, but I got sidetracked with all the madness from Homecoming stuff last week at my school. If you're interested in that, just check out my post below, "Gummi Bears, Pumped Up Kicks & Things That Will Get You Fired," and you will see why we're just going to have the Bare Bones Basic Edition of the Education Buzz–Life's a Carnival this go around.
So here are some interesting posts, that were buzzing about the EduSphere…
Seventh grade reading and writing skills is all you need to enroll in community college in Arizona. Yep, you heard that write right. Check out education guru Joanne Jacobs' post.
While ICE.Teacher wanders and wonders about on Walking Wednesdays with her third graders, perhaps the rest of us should join her in pondering, "What if…"
J.M. Holland over at Emergent Learner talks about the importance of having foster grandparents in the classroom.
If you're a chemistry teacher (or even if you're not), check out the latest explosive post from our favorite science guy, Steve Spangler.
Tim over at AssortedStuff has an interesting post on "Fixing the Middle Mess" (as in Middle Schools).
Mr. Teacher over at LearnMeGood discovered that sometimes when we answer the question, we have to question the answer in "Um, that wasn't the question."
That concludes our Bare Bones Basic Edition of the Education Buzz–Life's a Carnival.
Join us here again on Wednesday, Oct. 12 for our next edition of the Education Buzz. Please submit your posts no later than Saturday, Oct. 8 by 5 p.m. CDT. Use this handy dandy form for your submissions and please keep in mind our submission rules…
No spam
Must be education related
Since the carnival may be organized around themes, not all submissions may run.
Please remember to post and link back to the carnival.
If you would like to host a carnival, pah-leese let me know by emailing me at mybellringers@gmail.com. Also, don't forget to let me know if you find any broken links or problems with this edition of the Ed Buzz.
As always…
“I’ve got this feeling that there’s something that I missed…” –Snow Patrol
I knew last week would have a certain tinge of craziness to it. After all, it was Homecoming Week.
Let's just say, there was more than a just a tinge of craziness. In fact, that little tinge morphed into a full-court-press-5-alarm-commit-me-to-the-nuthouse kind of crazy.
Jeepers creepers, by the end of week, the helicopter parents landed, my principal made it on YouTube, I had not one, but two things to put in "My Things That Will Get You Fired" folder and the newspaper staff couldn't meet their deadlines.
I can't tell you about those helicopters buzzing about, but I can show you this little video of our principal that circulated around school and found its way on to YouTube. For those of you, you have access, the video is embedded below…
For those of you who don't, I guess you'll have to wait until you get home. Until then, here's a brief description: Our principal roller skates around school. He took a rather nasty spill in the hallway which, of course, was captured on the school's surveillance cameras. Apparently, he says he was felled by a wayward gummi bear that was stuck on the hallway floor.
If that's true, I think I had my share of wayward gummi bears sabotaging me and apparently stealing logic, reason and sanity.
During our current events discussion in my Journalism I class, one of the kiddos brought in an article about a guy who plead guilty to trying to smuggle baby pythons and tortoise hatchings in his pants. When it came time for questions, here's how that conversation went…
Student… "How do you fit a tiny horse in your pants?"
Me… "What?"
Student… "Isn't that what she said? A tiny horse in his pants?"
The class… "Tortoise. She said, 'tortoise."
Student… "Oh, I heard tiny horse."
Me… "Oh…"
I'm not sure how we can blame those gummi bears on that one.
Then, of course, let's examine Exhibit #1 and Exhibit #2 for this year's "Things That Will Get You Fired" folder.
One of the editors showed me a photograph they wanted to run in the first issue of the school newspaper. The editor particularly liked how the dominant element was framed. Great. Always love it when they use those composition elements I taught them.
Unfortunately, the frame showed not one, not two, but three shots of cheerleaders jumping up in the air at a less than flattering angle. You know the kind I'm talkin' about. The kind that brings those angry mom calls. The kind that makes you have to stand on the carpet in the principal's office. The kind that goes into the "Things That Will Get You Fired Folder."
Yep, those kind.
And as if that wasn't bad enough, I decided to check out the entertainment page and read the critiques for our first issue.
One of those critiques was over that really popular song, "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People. Yes, it has a snappy, catchy beat. Yes, it comes in at No. 3 on Billboard's Top 100 for the week of Sept. 24. And yes, I even bought the song. (I'm fond of any song that contains a line about "your hair's on fire.") But…
Well, here's just a taste of the lyrics, "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet."
How's that working for you?
Guns+Schools+Shootings=Things That Will Get You Fired
Do you see why this staff can't seem to meet their deadlines? I have a feeling it's going to be a long year. A very long year.
Oh yeah, in the midst of all of that, somewhere along the way, a camera turned up missing.
Missing as in no one is quite sure where it's at.
I'm hoping it will re-appear on Monday along with some sanity.
This week marks Homecoming Week at our school. Yes, another fun-filled extravaganza. Can't you just feel the excitement?
Yeah, I thought so.
Each day this week is designated as a specific dress up day with a specific phase. Monday is Twin Day (Make 'Em See Double), Tuesday is Decade Day (Turn back the clock on the Indians), Wednesday is Super Hero Day (Show 'Em Who's Boss), Thursday is Favorite Team Jersey Day (The Warriors Can't Compete) and Friday is Panther Spirit Day (Make them see Black & Blue).
Well, all of that got me to thinking about how we could have our own little teacher dress up week complete with catchy little phrases. You don't even have to completely dress up for this. All you have to do is print out little stickers and wear them. It'll be our little secret.
Monday…Super Star Day Sticker
We could call it Teacher Spirit Week. It would go something like this…
Tuesday… Stupid Head Day
Monday… is Super Star Day Grab one of those stinky starfish and toss 'em back. Yep, we're saving public education one stinker at a time.
Tuesday… is Big Fat Stupid Head Day
Highlight one educational policy/politician/bureaucrat that pushes an agenda that doesn't work. (I bet you can't pick just one.) On this day only, you have a free pass to say "Big Fat Stupid Head" all day and it won't stop my little timer. (Check out the counter on the right side of this blog.)
Wednesday… Double Trouble Bubbles Day
Wednesday… is Double Trouble Bubbles
Concentrate on just one thing that pops into the bubble above your head today. Repeat it like a silent mantra, and if it won't get you fired, actually say the bubble above your head just once. I bet you'll feel better.
Thursday… ECD Day
Thursday… is ECD Day–Emergency Chocolate Day
Bring some chocolate goodness to school and share it with a colleague or two. I bet you single handedly improve staff morale 110 percent.
Friday… Ninja Day
Friday… is Ninja Day
Today you'll actually have to semi-dress the part. Wear all black. Slap on your sticker and start your day saying, "I am Ninja Teacher. You can't see me. I fly under the radar. I am better, faster and smarter than you. When I shut my classroom door, the magic happens."
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Don't forget the next edition of the Education Buzz–Life's a Carnival will appear here Wednesday, Sept. 28. Please submit your posts no later than Saturday, Sept. 24 by 5 p.m. CDT. Use this handy dandy form for your submissions.
Woo-hoo! This blog was named as one of the best Education Blogs for 2010 by—drum roll pah-leese—The Washington Post.Bellringers was also named as one of the 7 Best Teacher Blogs by the London Time’s SchoolGate.
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A rubber chicken?
Doesn’t everyone need a rubber chicken? Click here to find out why.
Books I Am Currently Reading…Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson
Recently Read Book(s)… The Inferno by Dan Brown Recommended reading--I would recommend both recently read books as well as anything and everything written by my sister M.H. Bonham
Favorite Poet…T.S. Eliot
Favorite bands…Counting Crows, Snow Patrol, Rolling Stones, Modest Mouse, Leon Russell, Kirby Brown
remotely negative about Friday night lights and high school football, well, that's akin to trying to yank the buckle off the belt in the South. (And if you don't know what that means, then maybe you need to dust off the Good Book.)
day, I've decided to give up on happy.
My sense of happy crumbled after reading
