Valentine Surprise

We're in full swing with the FCAT writing test. The students have to take the writing test about a month before the reading, math, and science tests because it takes so long to grade, so this little mini-testing period is preview for the real deal. It's going ok, but it's so tedious to give to special kids. They get all the time in the world, and I can read them the questions on the multiple choice part if they ask for it, and most of them ask. Makes for a long few days.

I have a homebound student who is such because he broke his leg and has to say in bed most of the day. I went over to his house this afternoon to drop off some more school work and to give him the essay part of the test. He finished his test, so before I left I asked if he had anything to give to me to take so school. I was thinking something along the lines of schoolwork or assignments to be turned in. He told me he wanted me to give something to a girl. I was still pretty clueless, still thinking it would be some kind of book or homework or something. He gets out this big Valentine's day gift. He tells me to give it to Jani. I asked him what her last name was, just to be sure I was giving to the right person. He did a little headshake and said wistfully that he never knew her last name. At this point I'm already about to crack up, but to make sure I knew who he meant I asked him to tell me what she looks like. He said she's short. That's all. Just short. Like being out of school has made him forget what she looks like? I knew I had to leave right at that moment because I was about to burst out laughing!

All I know is tomorrow, I have to find this girl and deliver the gift, and I just hope that she has some kind of good reaction I can tell him about, and doesn't decide to act in the typical middle school way, which is to act too cool for everything. Even if she does that, I already decided I'm going to lie and say she liked it. He's going to be out of school for at least 4 more weeks, so this whole situation will be long forgotten. One little lie wouldn't be so bad, right? I mean, afterall, he is kind of gimpy. That's enough to deal with without an 8th grade broken heart.

2 Posts in 2 Days

I think this is some kind of record for me.

There is always a lot of talk about gangs and gang violence in Okeechobee. I don't really see it, and I don't think that this is another case of me being naive. It just seems like too small of a town for that many gangs to be running the streets. What is it like, oh I have 5 people in my gang so I can whip your 4 person gang any day of the week. What.

I just don't see it, but for the sake of keeping the peace with the strong believers, I just agree to it. A teacher came up to me at school the other day telling me about how this one student is in a gang and was flashing signs and all that. I just agreed, oh yeah I could see it. The funny thing is that if I was a strong believer in gangs, this would be the student I would pick to be in one. He's what you might call rough around the edges. He's in full-time special ed for both academics and behavior. He always sees me in the hall and comes up to tell me all about the trouble he's in or causing. I guess I should be glad that he seems to like me, because if there is ever a gang invasion in school, he would probably have my back. Oh that's Miss Lammers, she's cool. Miss, you don't have to duck and cover anymore, we're not going to shoot YOU.

We had a tornado drill in school today, which I guess is kind of fitting because of the recent tornados in Tennessee and Alabama. It's good to be prepared. In Indiana, we used to have to leave the classrooms and get into the crouching hands-over-head position in the hallways. In Florida, we just make the kids crawl under their desks. I get the feeling that Floridians don't take tornados quite as seriously as those who live in Tornado Alley. Not that people down here have any reason to be passive as I have heard that there have been tornados here before. But reason aside, the kids get under their desks, and I guess they're supposed to start praying that none of the random objects found in a classroom become projectiles during the violent winds. I just think it's a valid concern.

Litmus Paper

Today I was in science class, and I started thinking about litmus paper. I know this sounds random, but I'm at least 65% sure that the class was learning about acids and bases. If they weren't, then I'm not really sure how a thought like that happens. The students were doing partner work, but since my fellow teachers apparently have a problem with how my job is going, I decided to just sit in there and get some other paperwork done. So I wasn't really paying attention, because yeah, I could sit there and help them find the answers to the directed reading sheets, but it's really better for them to interact with their peers than with me. Anyways.

Litmus paper. So the red paper turns blue if what is being tested is a base. And the blue turns red if it's testing an acid. But why? I mean, I understand what it's used for and everything, but it's not like the blue paper will turn MORE red if the substance is more acidic. So really what's the point? Why not just use those other little tiny pieces of paper that turn a variety of colors depending on the substance? I think litmus paper is just something I don't understand. This is something I've been dealing with for a long time. I can use the paper. I can report the results. I just don't know why it IS.

It's been really warm in Florida these past few days. Like in the mid-80's. I don't really mind except for the obvious downside: the smell of sweaty students. All the kids get to go outside for 25 minutes a day around their lunch period, which (conveniently for lunch) falls in the middle of the day. It means that after about 11:30, the school smells like sweat. I'm used to it and have grown to expect it in, say, May. Or October. But this is February. In my opinion, it should really be a sweat-free month, even in southern Florida. Although, I could pull out some litmus paper to see if sweat turns blue or red. I guess that's the upside of the situation.