Funny Pictures from the Week

Here are the kids wearing their new "Life is Good" shirts. You can't see in the picture, but Grace's has the stick figure writing in a journal and says, "Write On." The teacher in me just couldn't pass that up!

Mandy, the child prodigy leading her life of leisure!
I want you to look not only at the handsome 8 year old in this picture, but at the structures on the table next to him. Those are geometric shapes made out of gumdrops, toothpicks and coffee stirrers. As a parent, seeing them, made by my oh so proud 2nd grader, I think, "what a clever teacher!" However as a young college student I watched my mom, a 33 year elementary school teacher, fill baggies with toothpicks and raisins to do this very activity with her students. I had watched her do hundreds of projects like this with beans, tongue depressers, bubble gum, and a million and one other things. I chose to teach high school so that I never had to teach with beans or raisins! Although, I never did use toothpicks or gum drops I did once teach the three monotheistic religions with lemons, limes and oranges. I also used to make my government students stamp their hands in red, white and blue and take them home to their parents the last week of their senior year. (I still bump into kids and sometimes parents that mention this!) I guess even though I chose to teach high school having a mom and an aunt who taught elementary school rubbed off on me anyway!!! I am continually amazed at the creativity of elementary school teachers. I can remember struggling with how many pints were in a quart and how many quarts in a gallon etc. I kinda still do! I think that's why I felt compelled to take a picture of this "Gallon Guy" in Thomas' classroom during the Valentine party. I mean how smart is this?! When his teacher saw me take a picture of this she just died laughing. She also showed me a neat trick of making a big letter G and putting four Q's inside it....I'd be happy to show you sometime!

I have many elementary teacher friends and I know I tease you all a lot over this stuff. But really I am terribly impressed! Not only is your patience with all those little people that of a saint, but your dedication to finding creative ways to teach them is amazing and a huge credit to our profession.

Anyway, we had a nice uneventful week at the Milder house. Grace's last basketball game is this weekend and we are campaigning on Saturday.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Leslie