Thank you, Mandy!

After reading Mandy's last post, I decided to steal one of her strategies. This year I have forty-eight sixth grade cubbies in my room. It's not that bad, but trash is beginning to be a problem. Papers (and books) fall out of their cubbies and land on the floor. So, I decided to adapt one of Mandy's ideas with her first graders.

Did you know that the Clean Desk Fairy has a cousin? Her name is the Clean Cubby Fairy. Someone told me she is visiting my classroom tonight. Sadly, only three children will get a sparkly pencil from the Clean Cubby Fairy. Three out of forty-eight. That's sad.

This never would have worked with eighth graders. But, sixth graders? They're more easily enthused. And these students can't pass up a little competition.

Death by Fruit

It's funny how such a small and beautiful fruit could kill me. OK, well, maybe not kill me. Just give me the worst case of hives ever seen by mankind. Who ever heard of being allergic to figs? (Not the best fruit to be allergic to in North Africa.)

I'm curious...does anyone else out there have any strange allergies?

Season 1

A good friend of mine bought me the first season of one of my favorite TV shows, Everwood. I began watching Everwood my second year of teaching. I watched it faithfully for two years. Then, during the third season, I got mad at some of the characters and situations and quit watching. (Real mature, I know.) At the end of the fourth season, last spring, I watched several episodes with my mother (who had continued to follow it). I was reminded just how much I liked the show, and just how much I thought one of the characters was cute. I'm enjoying watching the first season again, and hope to somehow, in some way, get the other seasons.

The real reason I watch Everwood -- Chris Pratt, AKA "Bright Abbott"

He's no Orlando, but he's close.

Weekend (working) retreat

This past weekend two friends and I went south towards the Sahara. Before going that far, we drove up into the Atlas Mountains towards a small town with a retreat center. We were there to provide crafts, stories, and games for the children of the adults attending the retreat. It was definitely one of the most "local" cities I've seen. Dirt streets turned into gullies of water when it rained, and it had a very conservative atmosphere. The retreat center wasn't lavish; we couldn't even flush our toilet paper! But it is amazing how God refreshed me on a weekend where I thought I'd be exhausted by the end. Even traveling four hours there and back, helping take care of children, and staying up late didn't completely wear me out. He refreshed me and gave me some wonderful time getting to know two other girls. I'm so thankful for that. Ramadan did officially begin while we were there. I knew this because I heard the trumpet sounds at three in the morning when the man walked around the streets blasting the trumpet to wake the locals up so they could eat before the sun rose. It was a very neat experience!

View of the Atlas mountains

The mosque in the foreground

Local men and sheep in the street

Typical North African light fixture

Us with the kids -- our goofy pose

Inconveniencies and Delicacies

Ramadan begins this weekend. It will begin a month of "inconveniencies" -- a word that I thought my brother-in-law made up in one of his band's songs, but upon researching it, Meriam-Webster online dictionary proves what he's known all along: I'm right, but he's righter. The good thing about this month is all the traditional goodies that my student's mom's make and send to me. They may be fasting during the day, but they chow down after sundown!

On a funnier note, in my sixth grade life science class yesterday we were brainstorming all the diseases they could think of. It is amazing how much my students know since English is the third language for most of them. After we had listed all they could think of on the board (and I'd listened to stories about their mom's aunt's cousin's dog's bout with rabies), I thought we were finally finished. Thought. But sweet Haitam raised his hand. I had been watching him flip through his book looking for one more (he wanted to find one no one else had). He said -- with an unsure and high-pitched squeaky sixth grade boy voice -- "I'm not sure, Miss, but I think maybe sexual reproduction?" Some of the more advanced English speakers chuckled, and I couldn't help but chuckle along with them. Add that to the list of stories for my book.