Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine

I recently read Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman and it was so good I had to read the second book Ghost in the Machine. The two stories center around two kids, Ryan and Sarah, who live in a small town full of secrets. One of these secrets revolves around the old dredge left over from mining days. After Ryan gets hurt he is housebound and forbidden to see his best friend Sarah. The two secretly email, leave notes, and even meet up to solve the mystery of old Joe Bushes ghost in the dredge. The really cool thing about these books were the videos you could watch. Sarah is a video fanatic and throughout the books she sends videos to Ryan and all he has to do is log onto a website and enter a password. Students can also do this and follow the videos Sarah has made. The story is written in a journal format and what you are really reading is Ryan's thoughts and feelings. I won't tell you the ending but it was surprising! This is another really good young adult book series!

In the Elementary....

I am in the elementary for two days. I am substituting for special education. It is hard but rewarding. I was trying to explain a concept to a kid today and I had to try three or four different ways until he understood what I was trying to teach him. It was a great feeling when I knew he finally "got" what I was explaining! Some days working as a sub it is easy to forget why I wanted to be a teacher. Today I was reminded :)

Reading Time :)

I recently read I, Q by Roland Smith. The book was about Quest, who goes by Q, and Angela, who recently became step-siblings. The two are followed on their journey as Q and Angela travel with their singing parents on tour. What is surprising is the mystery that unfolds regarding Angela's believed dead mother and a terrorism plot. This was a fun read with plenty of intrigue to keep a person interested. This is just the first book in the series with the second book to come out soon. I visited Roland Smith's website and the book even had a curriculum guide which I thought was pretty cool. Anyways, that's what I just read :)

Report Card Time!

Students got report cards on Thursday and it was parent teacher conferences. I had a lot of students asking me for help on last minute assignments. As a teacher it must really be hard to know you need to take the papers because students aren't doing so well in your class but students should have been more conscientious and turned the assignment in on time instead of the last minute before report cards were due. This is one area I hope I can be strict on and maybe I won't have as many last minute papers being turned in, I am not naive enough to think there won't be any but hopefully I can get my students motivated enough to at least turn in something to me. My first year is definitely going to be interesting I am sure!

Substituting once again...

I have been up at school all this week. While I am glad to be in the school atmosphere it is still frustrating not having my own classroom (as I know I keep saying..sorry!). However, I have been in a couple of classrooms where this is the teacher's first year at Wickes. It is nice to be able to learn from them to a degree. I can see different teaching styles and learn from the kids what really works. If nothing else I have been able to form a quick rapport with the students even if I am not their regular teacher.

A moment in the life of a substitute....

One of the biggest problems I have as a substitute is keeping students on-track. It is hard to get students to take me seriously some days and to actually do the assignments left by the teacher. I hate having to get mad and yell but this one class I have substituted in regularly it seems to be the only solution! I guess the more they see me the more likely they are to behave..I hope!!

Substitutes are high in demand :)

It's always nice to be wanted! I am kept pretty busy especially with the flu season upon us. It is good for me to be able to see the different classroom set ups and instructional strategies. I feel my substituting experiences are helping to prepare me for my own classroom, which I am SO ready for!