A New Toy

I needed a pick-me-up today.  Badly.  I've been feeling a little deflated (a little may be an understatement) because of some things going on in my whole teaching life.  Then, just when I thought it couldn't get any more down in the dumps, I found out there is a case of scabies somewhere in our school.  I don't know what scabies is exactly, but it makes me feel like I have worms crawling under my skin.  I picture the symptoms to be foaming scabs... although that is probably completely inaccurate.  I'd google it but I'm pretty sure that would make me feel worse, not better.  I am instituting a strict no hugging or high five policy until further notice (one teacher suggested just giving kids a Jersey Shore fist pump instead).

Anyway, on top of the scabies, it was Wednesday.  And we had a staff meeting.  And a training.  And then another meeting.  It was 3:30 before I got something to eat- a long time to wait when my lunchtime is 9:45 (yes, in the morning).

Like I said, I needed a pick-me-up.  So at 4:20, I left for UNCC on a mission.  I bought a brand spankin' new MacBook Pro at 4:50 and made it to class at 5:00.

Now I'm home and get to play.  The only problem is that I don't know how to do anything.  I never realized how much I use backwards delete until a time like now (how DO you use backwards delete on a Mac?  If it's not possible I might have to take it back).  I'm just hoping I don't spend the whole night exploring the trackpad shortcuts and finally being as cool as all those people with the photo booth pictures (see below).

Note: I am already in bed at 9:30.

A New Kind of Aromatherapy

This week is crazy.  I have school and TFA meetings pretty much until 8 pm every night and I'm banking on my quick reflexes to get me through the day.  One thing that is managing to ease my stress is my kids' insistence lately that I smell them.

Yes, more than one child has asked me to smell them.

The first one happened when they were lining up after lunch, when the smiling caboose of my line said,

"Miss Fiorillo, smell me!"  He was sniffing his arm.
"No, thank you.  I don't smell my students."
"But I smell good!"
Well in that case...

Then, the next day, a very soft spoken girl tried to talk to me during morning work:

"Miss Fiorillo, my mom put mumblemumblemumble."
"What's that?"
"Mango."
"Oh, do you like mango?"
"No.  There's mango in my hair."
What are you supposed to say to that?  "Oh... that's nice."
She looked at me, wide-eyed.  "Do you want to smell it?"
I never thought I'd have to say "No thank you, I don't smell my students" twice in one week.

And finally, during reading workshop, one of my students with a farting problem let a few go, causing me to stare her down to cut it out.  "Can you smell it?" she asked.

Just then another boy raised his hand to tell me that someone had passed gas and the stink was making it very difficult to work... no kidding.

My Double Life

I like to make myself into a new kind of person for my kids.  I wouldn't exactly call it lying, but I do take advantage of the gullibility of young children and stretch the truth.

Cases in point:

• Telling them how old I am.  This year, for some reason, I have decided to convince my kids that I am old.  Not older- old.  I want them to tell their parents that their first grade teacher is a decrepit old lady that can barely get around without having to pop her hip back into its joint.  It started involuntarily when one of my kids asked what all the black under my eyes was.  At first, I thought she meant I had makeup running or something, but quickly realized she was talking about under eye circles.  After that I was determined that they attributed any sign of me looking tired or irritated as an effect of my old age.  I think it makes them take me more seriously.
• Making them believe I'm the next Beyonce.  I rap the alphabet song and sing pop music, then casually add comments about how good I am and that I should be on the radio.  They don't really do much besides agree, so it's a real self-confidence booster.
• Convincing them that I am best friends with any adult they might ever come in contact with.  The other first grade teachers, their mom, the principal, Santa Claus- I may even go as far as to edit myself into fake photos.

 Short post, but I'm very tired.  After all, I'm pretty old for a teacher/pop star.

Playing Catch-up

I've been terrible at life lately.  Or maybe it's just blogging.  At any rate, I've been super busy going between, work, grad school, and LSAT stuff.  It's EXHAUSTING.  Then this weekend (which would have been my blogging catch-up time to reveal all the hilarious little details from my babies) I took an impromptu getaway to the Rappahannack (sp?) River to my roommate's house there.

We did nothing.  We woke up late, had her dad make us delicious breakfasts, lunch, and dinner, and then alternated between napping on the beach and closing our eyes while laying out on the beach.  There's not much of a distinction between the two, FYI.  See picture below to get jealous of me and my very impressive tan.

Looking out towards the Chesapeake Bay

School?  It's great.  I'm actually LIKING it.  Feeling like a teacher, minus the fact that we have been testing so much these first weeks that I've barely gotten to teach at all.  But soon that will be over and I will be in the zone.  More to come later- I promise.