You know? Sometimes here … in this apartment … I feel that I have been removed of any responsibility. I can have another glass of wine … I can do … or not do … dinner. I just bought three pairs of capri pants … all white … $9.00 each … from JCPenney. I have plenty jeans … but really no summer pants. We did summers in Wisconsin … and I wore jeans!!! I do have my second glass of wine here on my desk!!!
Haven’t told y’all how last Wednesday (the 15th) went. You may have heard about the students shot at a school named “STEM” school … in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. This school is very close to us … so I expected evidence of something at “my” school. There were substitute teachers … and more security … but nothing else that I was aware of. So, at 9:30 … the little ones came into the teaching room. We immediately began to work on perimeter and adding fractions. Time was supposed to be over at 10:00 … but the next four students did not come in … we checked their classroom … and it was empty. I guessed that they had a substitute teacher, and our arithmetic was not on his/her schedule. The four early students “came back to our room” — and we continued working. We had been doing one student at the board ,,, now, they wanted to work in pairs. You know that was OK with me. At 10:45 that morning… some bell rang … and they finished. During all the time … from 9:30 until 10:45 ..those 4 students were adding fractions at the board … two girls at the board … two boys at the board …one girl, with the other monitoring .. one boy. with the other monitoring. We finally ended up with all four students at the board … adding fractions. It was wonderful. I am thinking they will surely remember their work on perimeter and adding fractions. We have area … and, obviously … multiplication of fractions … beginning tomorrow. I do think I will spend time on perimeter and adding fractions with those who missed the class last Wednesday.
You do know … I related the story of my students adding fractions … for 1 hour and 15 minutes … at the board every time some one was nice enough to listen!!!
Honestly, the rest of this week has been filled … but seems so quiet now. Wednesday morning “class” was, again , just my one group. I tried an introduction to area … mentioning multiplication of fractions. They were “Oh, yes” … but “we” could not multiply fractions! Lovely Amy, the person who has put together these 5th-grade penpals group activities … and my “teaching” … had arranged a picnic with the 5th graders and the Assisted Living people … “us” … and my little darlings were more interested in the picnic than in me and fractions!!! The picnic was really good … loved seeing my “class” play!!!
Thursday afternoon got my hair frosted. Have found a wonderful person here … but I do think it just looks as if I am covering up gray hair. I keep telling myself to let it grow out!!! Friday morning was Bridge … and Saturday afternoon. there was a party for a couple here who were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. The wife, Katheryn, was suffering from past strokes, and John, her husband, was taking care of her. I always felt a “kinship” with them.
Lori and Mike are due in tomorrow afternoon. Mike will cook dinner for us … including Craig … in their “bnb” tomorrow night. It will be lovely wine and conversation … I am looking forward to it!!!
Love y’all.