Fall commences, maybe

This was posted Friday: 

I had grand plans to write something poignant about 9/11 or about our anniversary last weekend on 9/12. Nope. Here we are. Last week was days 386 through 393 of summer weather and I've had only a few days where I feel like I can breathe in a relaxed way --below 80 degrees in September. 

See, the problem is that the a/c in my classroom is broken and it's undetermined as to when exactly it'll be fixed. I mean, they said a certain number of weeks but I have no control over that so here we are. Usually, my classroom is always my respite from the chaos (ironic?) but I can't even spend one more second in there at the end of the day when it's 83 with full sun at 3:00pm. To make it even more sure I'm getting the message of This is for your sanctification, Kristin, it's only my a/c. The rest of the building is fine. 

It's like, there is no respite. Our a/c at our new house is so-so and Scott is waiting for cooler weather to do major repairs. The pool, ironically, is too cold most evenings because of all the rain. We've already entirely replaced a heating and cooling system in the last 3 years. I don't want to go through that again. 

The good news is that it kind of clicked and I figured out why I'm so disappointed in everything all the time: We had just finished our house in Missouri. We did all these repairs. We spent all this money. We had made it the way we wanted it and then we moved. The rental was what it was and that was temporary. But now, NOW, we've started all over again. It's very disheartening. Like, didn't I just finish painting everything gray? Now I have to paint everything gray all over again! Didn't we just finish the kitchen? Now I have a subpar kitchen all over again.

 

It's a first-world problem, but it's draining and heavy. 

Scott says "that's military life". And he's right. But most military families live on base and never buy a thing in their own names (which might be worse..having no ownership over anything). 

Adding to it: We want to make sure over the next few months we won't be back in Missouri in 2 years, before selling. So two mortgages and all. 

Here I was, trying to plan for this school year (for me, the kids) and the next and so on and Scott throws out "we could go back in two or three years maybe if there's an opening". 

Makes you realize how little control you have, you know? 

The one thing that, also ironically, never lets me down is football. There are games almost every night/day and that puts some pep in my step. I do think we should take Wells to a local football game this fall....I can hear the announcing from our yard on Friday nights. 

 

I won't spend $55 on a sweatshirt for myself but this is happening at Abercrombie:

Scott went to Japan for a few weeks and brought back an entire suitcase of Japanese candy for the kids. We've eaten a lot of European and Asian candy this last year with his job and it really does taste different!

And then he brought me back a fan and I was like "ha ha ha, I'll take that to school" because this is what my classroom was like when I walked in the other day at 7:24 am:

...and then I got home and was like "what's this thing in my bag?"

He really did put the fan in my bag for me to take to school. 

Telling time, say "no", and memes

We covered parent complaints about school supplies and then parents complaining about recess being taken away from their, no doubt, perfect angels. 

This week: telling time. 

"They wanted to work it out for themselves." I cannot stop laughing at that. 

I have no less than 5 conversations a day about the clock. 

These are 8-9 year olds though so I can almost understand. But, in reality, I have two analog clocks in my classroom and every time someone asks when _______ is (lunch, recess, etc), I say "the same time it is every day" and they say "no how much more time until _____?" and I say "there's a clock* on the wall" and they genuinely try to puzzle it out before someone else will yell out the answer or they give up. "It's my job to teach you, it's not my job to be your personal reminder of elapsed time" is going to be my new tagline. I have a schedule with times on the wall. I have the clocks available for them to see. To be honest, the most visible learning I see is when they work out elapsed time by themselves. Not being able to do this by 9 years old, it's almost a travesty. 

*My first several classrooms had analog and digital clocks on the wall. I used to cover up the digital clock in Alaska because it didn't do us any favors; they needed to understand the dang clock face and hands. Years later, my classroom in Missouri didn't have a clock. Just no clock. I spent $12 on one and we used that clock all day long. Especially because we switched classes, keeping track of time was important. I didn't teach math, but my students could use a clock by the end of the year simply because it was there. I took it with me when I left. Looking at the current classroom photos I've seen on Facebook, there's no clock on the wall. 

Speaking of: ^^^

The other day, Wells was like "remember when we went to that summer school thing?" "huh?" "yeah it was like a camp or..something...at a church". He described the location. 

"OH YOU MEAN THE CO-OP!?" 

"oh yeah that. that was boring, remember?" 

lol

But my point is: the kids were out of control there at the co-op with their parents around, in the same way they'd be in any school setting. And some of the parents had very strong opinions about not wanting their kids in a school. 

There were also 12 yr olds who couldn't spell and printed like 2nd graders. A school didn't fail that kid, the parent did. 

So that's how I know it's a parenting problem. Everything is a parenting problem. It doesn't matter if your kid is in school, can tell time, can't tell time, or homeschooled: it all comes down to parenting. Every kid is parented in some way or another and the "how" makes all the difference. 

Recess and memes

Last week, I went at the parents griping over school supplies. This week, let's look at recess. More specifically, the idea of recess being taken away. 

 

PA must be really behind the times because Colorado required 30 minutes of recess a day by law in 2014 when I was there. Same in Missouri the last few years and now in Kansas. It's 30 minutes of recess a day and 30 minutes of P.E. per week, even in private school. 

Point is: you're not gonna hear me argue this. 

But Ashley and Heather here are having a lively discussion in which they spell everything wrong and talk about how the schools aren't good enough for them. Sorry your Title One school that provides you with everything for free (childcare, food, education) isn't quite doing it for you. 

I also glean that their kids are probably the problem. You can picture them after reading these comments. 

News Flash: Kids don't get their recess taken away "for any reason". Kids get their recess taken away because they exhibit no self-control or have no obedience to authority. It's a parenting problem.

And even in states where it's mandated, you can still take away their recess. Most schools have them walk laps. 

Few things bother me more than a couch in the classroom. 

Okay, the meme: 

The caption:

Can you imagine how proud Amerigo Vespucci's parents must be?

I would spend full minutes waiting for Disney on channel 43 and then miss it. 

I still use this every single day. Best money I've spent. It's 10 years old. Ngl: all the good colors are gone but I'm making do. 

^^Saturday AND Sunday for me this weekend

It's one or the other. 

And most important: