Rocking Large Group Today

So my day started with this---
KIDS ARE FUNNY!!! I love being a teacher.

I also co-created and developed a rocking large group today to about 550 freshmen with my friend Steph. Check it out.

This is about "Exploding the Moment" in narrative writing. Unfortunately you do not get the benefit of hearing the lecture that accompanied and explained much of what is represented here, but many of the concepts still stand alone.

For some reason the audio is messed up, but just mute it and watch.

Surgery

Scott went under the knife today. We just met with the doc about 1 hour ago. I am blogging in the waiting room while he is in recovery. Mom and Dad are here. Proof that some people are enjoying surgery more than others.

Scott's surgery went well. The doc said that the tear was bigger than the MRI showed. Two of the four muscles that make up your "quad"ricep were torn. They decided that since (and I quote) "he is a big boy, and his legs are like tree trunks" they should put him in a full leg cast to insure that he will not bend his leg and rip out their repair.

More Fun to Come!
D

Prognoses

So H.D. has the fracture arms, his prognosis is good. He is to wear his splits for the next 4 weeks, although he can take them off around the house when he is resting and not bumping around, sleeping, and eating. They will be sore if he over does it, but he will be fine!

Scott's prognosis for the short term is surgery. He will go on Monday for out patient surgery to repair his torn quadricep muscle.

I am luckily quite healthy. Aside from the fatigue taking care of all for a week or so and my ragweed allergies. LOL :P

More to come on the outcome of Scott's surgery on Monday! Think about him and wish him good luck on Monday.

D

The Mayor Blowing Smoke up my Dress

Ok so I am disappointed with our recycling services in town. Seems asinine to say that you have a progressive system and regress by removing glass recycling from your services. See for yourself.

From: Denise Wegener [mailto:
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:33 PM
To: Fahey, Mayor Mike
Subject: Recycling Question

Dear Mr. Mayor,

I noticed an article online about the Elkhorn Sanitation Department's partnership with RecycleBank at http://earth911.org/blog/2008/05/14/omaha-sanitation-service-to-offer-recycling-rewards/ . I was curious to see if there is any plan in the future for Omaha to participate in this program. Additionally, I must say that I am disappointed that glass recycling was removed from our recycling services. This removal of services is recycling regression and is promoting waste and furthering the pollution of our earth. Please consider changing the city's position on recycling glass, and please consider following Elkhorn's lead with a progressive recycling program.

Thank you for your time.
Denise Wegener

______________________________________________________________________

Dear Denise,

I received your recent email. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions with me.

We are in the process of determining if the Recycle Bank program is possible in Omaha. In addition, our recycling program is more efficient, more environmentally friendly than ever before, and supported by the local Sierra Club.

Thank you for writing. Please continue to contact this office with issues that are important to you.

Best wishes,

Mike Fahey, Mayor

City of Omaha

*cough* B&@*$417 *cough* If you get my drift.

Disappointed...d

I've had better days...

Weeks even.

Friday I had a great day at school. I was helping my student teacher and feeling good about our day. I got to H.D.'s school to pick him up and he was crying and hurt. He apparently fell off the monkey bars and landed on his arms. After 2 hours in the ER he has a buckle fracture in both of his forearms. Fun times.

He is in splints and is uncomfortable. Yikes times are tough at our house right now.
d

First Day of School

I hate and love the first day of school.

Hate:
All the paperwork they expect us to keep straight.
That I can not take my own child to school on his first morning.
Too many forms.
All the downed trees to make the 90-bajillion handouts we have to keep straight.

Love:
Seeing scared freshmen, they are so cute.
Seeing students that flock to my desk to check on me and say HI!!!
Seeing students in the hallway that scream "WEGENER" from far enough that I can not make out who they are.
Hugs from silly students that make me smile.

Are you noticing a trend here?

It was a good day. I got be silly in front of new students and have them look at me like I am from Mars. Good times.

Today we were waiting for the results of Scott's knee MRI, no call. UGH. He is able to walk on it without the crutches a bit so that is good. I think he will call in the morning and hound them to get the 411 about his gimpy leg.

All for now...I need to get a couple of things ready for school tomorrow.

d

p.s. if anyone reads the comments on this blog you will know that I was contacted to review a black and white picture book of Omaha history. I got it in the mail today. I will be reading and reviewing. I had it sent to school. I opened it and got SO excited to thumb through. It looks BEAUTIFUL! I am so excited to see what is really in there more than just a glance. Keep watching for "The Review." I feel so important. d

Last Hurrah...?

We decided to have a fun family outing this weekend. Our final playtime in the sun. We went to Mahoney today to the water park. We were there for probably an hour when H.D. and Scott decided to try out the diving board. H.D. jumped. Awesome. Scott jumped. Not so Awesome. He bounced on the board and heard a pop in his knee. He took a long time coming up and the lifeguard was almost off her chair when he finally popped up out of the water. He was in agony and could not straighten his bent knee. After about 2 hours in the E.R., and lots of x-rays he is in a straight leg brace, and on crutches and vicodin, and was ordered to make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. It was not broken but the ER doc says it might be an ACL injury but we will have to wait and see.

So much for a hurrah!

d

Off to an Amazing Start...

Well this year like every new school year for the last few has been a mix of excitement, frustration, physical, mental and emotional challenges. I am beginning my third year of teaching at WHS and I am LOVING it. I am starting to feel comfortable in my own skin as a teacher.

I have a student teacher this first semester, and she is a talented and bright young lady. She got her bachelor's degree first and then went back to complete a teaching endorsement much like I did. She is about 5 years younger than I was when I student taught. :) I am really looking forward to being her mentor and learning from her as well.

I have rearranged my room, recycled, reviewed, and realigned my grading policies and philosophies, cleaned my desk, purged my file drawers and much much more already in my first week back.

Every year our district has a big kick off and this year was no exception. They brought in Erik Wahl, a phenomenal speaker and gifted artist to speak to use about fostering and encouraging creativity and pushing the boundaries of "the conventional" with our students. I LOVED his message. I had goosebumps and tears in my eyes all at the same time. He was able to put words to my feelings about teaching. He presents to educators, but usually it is business people. I believe this clip is the latter, but you can witness his focus and amazing passion for creativity.

Enjoy!

BACK TO SCHOOL!

First day back to school today. Usual first day meetings, spiced up by our principal's sense of humor. She started off by telling us that she seeks out vacations that take her away from the "BS of daily principal life." I love her!

Tonight's activities at my house...one guess.

H.D.--Aerosmith Guitar Hero (of course)

Denise-- Begins with Bordeaux ends with Rose.

The Coveted H.D. Birthday List

Star Wars Legos
Indiana Jones Legos

Guitar Lessons--(Talk to Mom for details)
Hip-Hop Dance Lessons--(Talk to Mom for details)

A Nintendo DS

Wii Games:
Lego Star Wars the Complete Saga
Lego Indiana Jones
Endless Ocean
Super Mario Galaxies
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Sonic Riders Zero Gravity
Rock Band

Movies on DVD:
Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones Last Crusade
Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal Skull


This is just a few of the things that he has expressed an interest in. I will update the list if I can think of something else.

D

Last Friday of Summer

Well today was officially my last Friday of summer. I spent the day relaxing with H.D.. We have been playing Wii, researching options for H.D.'s birthday, I weeded part of the terrace and Scott planted a big beautiful Hibiscus for me to start phase 2 of our terrace planting. It is time to start thinking about working on that some more now that I am home, and it is going to start to get cooler in the next month or so. I am tired of looking at weeds, baked dirt, and a smattering of plants few of which are flowering anymore.

I am looking for some drought tolerant, partial shade/sun, all seasons plants that would do well in poor soil for zone 5-6. WOW sounds like I am asking for a miracle plant! I am going to fertilize and compost so the mostly clay soil should improve. It is really too hot to do anything serious out there in the next couple of weeks. It was 90-ish today.

I haven't had much to blog about the last few days. H.D. and I swam Wednesday at the park and Thursday at my friend Steph's apartment. He is a FISH!

I think that tomorrow we might try to go to the water park, or maybe just the pool again.