What a great day!!

Nudged someone to give of themselves and help out so she can begin to feel how great it can be to help someone just because.....Have my posse that have to check in so I don't call out the search party to snuff 'em out of hiding...*giggles*.....or beats 'em outta the bushes!! ROFL..okay exaggerating a bit, but you know who you are..*smiles*

You guys make it so worth the ride!!

Let's hope that I feel the same way about my commute come wintertime...LOL!!

senza pietá....NO MERCY!!

Tutti voi sapete che io sono un sacco furba!

Non credere che ci cascheró per tuttle le vostre balle e promesse di far del vostro meglio...Fate me lo vedere....caspita!!

Ho dovuto cedere e dinnunciare che un ragazzo ha saltato la mia classe di nuovo...quanto mi scoccia dover farlo...ma non vi adzartate a pensare che io coprirei il fatto che qualcuno abbia fatto una cosa che non doveva!! Vi guardo sa!! Atenti!

Non mi fermeranno le paludi o la neve,
la tua capitale oramai s'intravede,
giorno dopo giorno verso la tua vita cavalco...
Sono il generale più crudele del fronte,
non faccio prigionieri e la mia spada è lucente,
terra dopo terra ad ogni tua fortezza io assalto...
Ti troverò...
Ti prenderò...
Ti porterò...
Per sempre con me...
Ti stringerò...
conquisterò...
proteggerò...
E senza pietà
io ti amerò con tutto questo amore mio...
E senza pietà
diventerò una fonte
nel deserto...
ti disseterò...
Le mie mani, le tue mani in questa battaglia,
è un agguato a tradimento in questa boscaglia,
rotolare insieme lungo il fiume dei sentimenti...
Ti troverò...
Ti prenderò...
Ti porterò...
Per sempre con me...
Ti stringerò...
Ti conquisterò...
proteggerò...
E senza pietà
io ti amerò con tutto questo amore mio...
E senza pietà
diventerò una fonte
nel deserto...
ti disseterò...
Non avere paura di me...
anche il buio più fondo
può valere un azzardo...quel brivido in più...
che sei tu...
Senza pietà
io ti amerò con tutto questo amore mio
e senza pietà
diventerò il tuo regno
dolce sogno...
io ti vincerò...
io ti darò me stessa e questo cuore mio
e senza pietà...
ti bagnerò le labbra
con le labbra
ti disseterò...

are you a fighter??

How easy is it to just not care anymore? How easy is it to not face the challenges the new day brings? How easy is it to not want to do any work because it is Monday and you want it to be the weekend still? How many of you guys will think about skipping school, or not participating in class only because it is Monday and you are still in the weekend swing? Or even better how many of you will try and do their math homework in MY Spanish class tomorrow?? Or tell their English teacher that we have parties on Fridays in French, then tell me they went to hand in the English assignment you fixed and NEVER EVEN GO to the class!!

It all goes back to how much of a fighter you are??

Do you fight for what you want and need, or do you just expect it because you breathe and occupy space in society....it is hard to reflect on all the challenges I face on a daily basis just living true to myself, and then it dawns on me that there are folks that freak out if they get gum on their shirt during class...and they are upper class men...OMG!! Am I old or is it REALLY the end of the world??

Was it only in MY generation that assignments were to be handed in and there WAS NO OTHER OPTION!!! Well again, I still wait for packets from some of you and have had to integrate it into class time because you guys think when I say something is due....YOU decide if it is important enough to do or not!!! I will just make it a zero sooner or later by default.

SO....are you a fighter?? or not.....another thing to make you go Hmmmm......

up with the birds...

yep, it is Saturday and I am up at the crack of dawn, dogs have been out, fed, and I am on my second latte. I have my Teacher Certification exam today, the Content Specialty Exam in Spanish. Funny how little anxiety I have about sitting for this test, when I took my Language Arts and Sciences portion of the exam, I swear I was a wreck!!

I guess it is all about confidence. The thought of taking a three hour long standardized test that ascertains your abilities for success in the field of teaching, with a content base as vast as EVERYTHING I LEARNED IN SCHOOL, shook me to the core to a point of immobility!!!

Today I sit and sip my latte, looking out into the morning darkness, watching the light of day break through over the horizon....and quietly thank the powers that be for my just knowing. Do I feel smart?? Heck NO!! But I do feel fortunate that my head just works that way, and happy that I figured out how to make it work in my favor. :))

High Ho...High ho...it is off to Syracuse I go.....exam starts at 1 o'clock and is three hours long...so send positive vibes to the universe that your Miss Ridikas doesn't have a major meltdown when she looks at this thing...and doesn't blank out and tank the exam....old habits die hard guys....remember I mentioned my profs giving me oral exams??? *giggles*

Hope I outgrew that habit...LOLOL

¡Saludos!

when will you know that you are rising to the challange???

...I forget that you all are still so new....or maybe I have to realize that I am getting old...but I asked of you today and some rose to the occasion swimmingly and others didn't fail to show their conventional hard headed nature....was it that hard to shine??

...it shouldn't be that hard for me to wrap my brain around though, seeing that each and every one of you thinks that you are the first ones to invent that type of reaction and response....well...ummm....NOT!!

...I think even those that came before me laughed when I attempted it...and I am now in their shoes...go figure!! Karma is a great thing...or can it be the action and reaction thing Einstein came up with...whatever be your take on it....trust me...been there...way done that....and it don't fly in my learning environment....okay I am off my soapbox....and Monday is a new day...and there is no handing in old work from the first five weeks...ZEROS will be put in by default in all the holes in your personal assignments portion of your grades and there is nothing I can do about it!!

Happy Weekend!!

how cool is that????

As the days meld into weeks and the end of the first marking period begins to show itself on the horizon....I feel more and more a teacher than just a person who speaks a slew of languages....and I have all of you guys to thank for that.

From the official visit for an unofficial dip into my candy cabinet, to the habitual walk through after last mod to just chat, or wait for friends....all the way to having my name be the answer to the who is your favorite teacher question in the lesson packet...it all adds up to personal validation of a major life choice!! Thank you.

Being your teacher is the second best job that fate has given me....the first is being my girls' mom!! :))

...every action has an equal and opposite reaction...

Credo che a quest'ora sia meglio che vi scrivo in italiano perche i pensieri mi scorrono cosi stasera. Se vi interessa sapere ció che ho da dire, trovate un dizionario!! LOL!!

Certe volte noi siamo messi alla prova nella vita, e ci tocca affrontarla punto e basta. In questi ultimi tempi credevo che le mie responsabilitá fossero un po meno complicate....ma ora me ne rendo conto che nella mia vita le cose belle non venganno senza tanti sforzi....beh ragazzi...mi tocca sforzarmi anche a me da oggi in poi....perché é vero che le cose piú belle che abbiamo nella nostra vita....ci vengono soltanto dopo TANTI SFORZI!!! Chi lavora sodo sempre ottiene ció che merita....buona notte a tutti!!

Non vedo l'ora di rivedervi domani a scuola :))

Brain teasers...eso es lo que me pasa por la cabeza ésta noche. Mi tarea cada día es preparar para mis clases del día sigiente....y cada noche, me pregunto siempre la misma cosa...¿Qué hago mañana?

Yo estoy trabajando con mucho querido para todos Ustedes y quiero qué lo sepan...es un papel muy importante para mí...que Ustedes me dejen en junio más cultos y sabios que antes deconocerme. ¡Hasta pronto! :))

what wonderful weekend weather!!

I remember watching these kinds of sunsets every night in Europe...these past few evenings, as these holiday weekend nights came to an end, I was fortunate enough to be out and about at just the right time and witnessed such breathtaking panoramas here at home.

In moments such as these I find myself teetering on the border of existentialism...these natural phenomena make me just stop a minute and just think....makes me realize just how small I really am in the scheme of all things...and eventually in the end, it makes me think deep and hard about making each and every day count for something!!

So as we begin another short week together....let me just say again...how happy I am to be able to share what I know with you guys!!

check y'all mañana...lol!! :))

Some food for thought...

I found this on the Net and figured it worthy to post here
for you guys to review.  I mean after all this is what
"they" say is what you should be able to do
after studying foreign languages since Junior High School

STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

The 5 C's:

COMMUNICATION

Communicate in Languages Other Than English

Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations,
provide and obtain information, express
feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.

Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret
written and spoken language.on a variety
of topics.

Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts,
and ideas to an audience of listeners
or readers on a variety of topics.

CULTURES

Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures

Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding
of the relationship between the
practices and perspectives of the culture studied.

Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of
the relationship between the
products and perspectives of the culture studied.

CONNECTIONS

Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information

Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their
knowledge of other disciplines through
the foreign language.

Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the
distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the
foreign language and its cultures.

COMPARISONS

Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the
nature of language through
comparisons of the language studied and their own.

Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the
concept of culture through
comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.

COMMUNITIES

Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & Around the World

Standard 5.1: Students use the language both within and
beyond the school setting.

Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming
life-long learners by using the language
for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

Happy long weekend

Ahhh...the first long weekend of the school year could not have come at a better time!! I think you all would agree with me...N'est pas?

I plan on staying on the ponderosa all weekend and just catching up with life's duties and chores. I hope that you all enjoy the beautiful weather that is in store...I know I will!! :))

See you on Tuesday!

Oh lay your hands...lay your hands on me!!!

On a personal note....My little man came through his surgery okay and is recovering....phew!!

Happy hump-day...and what makes it better is that it is a short week!!  Yippeeee..For YOU...LOL!!  We guys have schoolie-duty Friday, so we have a regular work week.  I look forward to seeing my peeps from ACS as well as mixing with all the educators from our area to learn from each other and to be the best we can be....ALL FOR ALL OF YOU!!!

On my way in today as I drove over hill and dale, I wondered if you guys wanted to do something to cheer up Mr. Reed....lets put our thinking caps on and start brainstorming about how we can make him feel among us even though he is not???    LAYING ON OF THE HANDS....your hands....they are our future!!  Okay getting sappy time to say good night!!  :))  

How much do you show YOUR teachers that they are valued??

How many of you go through your day at school not wanting to be there....and letting EVERYONE that surrounds KNOW that you that you hate it???

I think that people give off a vibe...and I feel that negative vibes really resound longer and harder than positive ones. Ever notice that if you are in the presence of someone in a bad mood, or a "glass half full" type....you kinda catch their drift...and have very few positive things to say??

Where does this fit in with my title of today's blog you ask??? Well I offer yet another Pearl of Wisdom to you all, and that is....I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.... again it is a swiped pearl....not my own but belonging to a wonderful lady named Maya Angelou. I had the pleasure of witnessing her speak at Hunter College, and once she made this declaration I have quoted here....it STUCK.....like that proverbial light bulb that goes off in your head when you finally "get it".

I have tried to be a feel person much more than a said or a did person....and I hope that, what is sometimes misconstrued as being hyper...is interpreted by you all as nothing more than my enthusiasm and my love of what I do, exuding from every pore of my being....and hope that you kids can feel it!! :))

Getting back to the title of today's blob....I was shown today.....and it FEELS great!! Thank you :)

Yet another week begins...

And so another Monday among you great leaders of tomorrow has come to an end.  I was asked how I am today and honestly, it was Monday and I was so glad to be there!!  Who could ask for anything better???  I feel very lucky to be your teacher and thank the powers that be for my good fortune!!

My wish for each and every one of you is that you find that niche in life where you can feel as much exhilaration as I do at the mere thought of making a living doing something so satisfying. 

5 Mondays down, 35 to go!!  :))  

Happy Homecoming

...well guys....I just can't figure it out on my own...I have all your stuff ready on paper, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around posting them virtually before Monday. My apologies!! But on the other hand...patience is a virtue....or even better, think of it this way....it is like Christmas Eve and you are waiting for morning to come so you can finally unwrap your presents....lol....let's equate that fun feeling to getting my grades....okay?? ;)

As for my civic engagement here in this neck of the woods...I was out in the morning fog, filling the dunk tank, taping flyers all over, buying ice and ice cream for the root beer floats booth, blowing up the jump house and slide, and well, just plain ole doin' a whole bunch of stuff...Ms. Decker needed the help and I couldn't let one of my old classmate's sister down now could I???!!

The MOST fun part of the day was running the dunking booth...we had athletes, teachers coaches, even the Dean of Students up there on this brisk autumn day offering themselves up for the dunkin'.... all for a good cause!!

I had them buying balls BY THE BUCKET...3 for a buck was too little for such a priceless opportunity....COME ON....dunk the man who won't believe you when you say that you really DIDN'T DESERVE THAT DETENTION????.....or the man who made you do those extra laps for giving backtalk???.....Wooo Whooo....glad I work at S-E now....LOL!! It was all in good fun...the most dunked was the Middle School Science teacher...her children got a bucket full....and hit the bulls eye on almost every throw!! Wonder if Mrs. Jump will be feeding them tonight...I think I heard her say something about that between squeals as she took yet another plunge for the greater good.

Afton's bonfire/dance was fun....BUT THE SILENT RAVE and the parade was mo' betta!! :))

Well guys...I just got home...and my grades are ready and on paper, but my brain is not in any condition to tackle a new software program and trying to click willy nilly through it, to learn as I do kinda thing.

So...I decided to bring my laptop with me to ACS and find a hot spot to input the numbers into the system for you, as I watch over the dunking booth, or sell raffle tiks....or whatever it is that Ms. Decker will have me doing tomorrow. 8 AM roll out...hope they have COFFEE there for us volunteers....*note to self* BRING YOUR OWN!!! LOLOL

Over all you ALL are getting out of my class (in numbers) the same amount as the effort that you put into it...do any of you expect an A if you do D effort??? UMMMM...REALITY CHECK....NOT!!!

The files are posted in downloads for any of you that want to better your grade...if you are happy being "average" or "proficient", well so be it....for those of you that want to be proactive about their education...you have until Saturday evening to get me your attachment....a blank attachments will not get you anything but your original grade...*cough, cough* HIT SAVE before you send... : S

I wanted to get all this administrative work done for all you grades hungry kidlin's...but life happens....and I ran out of hours in the day. :( Anybody know where I can get a few extra hours...cheap???

So...my numbers oriented youngins...I am gonna try and squeeze some rest into my honey-do list. I really enjoyed sharing in the festivities and the parade with you guys...P.S.....between you me and the rest of the Internet world...I think the Junior Class stayed closest to the theme of this years parade...and made their float not only pollution free....but completely out of recycled materials....so KUDOS from me....and all Juniors can hit my candy cabinet on Monday....

¡Que pasen un buen fin de semana!

Feelin' a bit cross-eyed after correcting all your exams, while I listened to the vice presidential debate...not forgetting to take the time to interject my own "two cents" at what I heard on TV....just like my grandfather used to from his chair. Multi-tasking, you see!! :)

Grades will be up for you guys by the end of my day tomorrow....so hold tight just a bit longer :))

I must say that I can tell who is doing what with the tools I have tried to give you over these past five weeks.

It is obvious to me where your personal disconnects are...I can see from how you answered the questions on the tests, who out of you actually took my test taking advice....who cares to know some of what I have learned while acquiring all these languages I have categorized in my noggin....and who it is that still needs to wrap their brains around all the information you have taken in over time, and who out of all of you still just doesn't want to do nothin'.

I am looking forward to connecting the dots for you....reinforcing your scaffolding.....and watching you develop as critical thinkers!!

I BELIEVE IN YOU :))

Tuesday's used to be a soda float at Jahn's Ice Cream Parlor

Yes...it is Tuesday, and I enjoyed yet another day among you great citizens of the world!!

I imagine you all have allot going on and many expectations to live up to, and I just wanted to let you all know that it is AWESOME to be among such great minds at work.

If there is a pearl of wisdom I can give you all as these first five weeks comes to a close, let it be this.....accept the challenges so that you can FEEL the exhilaration of VICTORY. Actually it isn't my pearl...it belonged to George Patton.

As you move up and through life you will be faced by challenges and find yourself in competition with people who were, for a lack of better terms, breed to succeed. Those ones from Bronx Science, the same ones who attended a French Immersion School on the Upper West Side of some metropolitan area..*giggles*...but you ALL should walk tall and proud...because you have S-E to get you ready for FUTURE CHALLENGES. You will make us Shine!!!

STUDY HARD!!!

Spirit Week Is Upon Us....

Seeing all your faces pop into the doorway of the auditorium today made my Monday!! I hope you all enjoyed yourselves...totally worth breaking a sweat for I'll say.

I do hope that you all walked away with a little somethin' somethin' to practice in the comfort of your own private space. :) All I know is that while trying to pump y'all up, I overdid it and pulled something in my hip...*note to self* you are older than you feel...LOL.

I hope that more of you gather this week, take advantage of the space the School has made available to us and use the time available to dance it off!! It is allot of fun to get the sheer utter silliness flowing before the end of the day...thanks guys!!

You ROCK!!

Rainy Sunday...full of laughs

Jeff Dunham is brilliant and has quite and entourage of, well let's say colorful characters....my 14 year old turned me on to him today...so this is what the freshman in Afton are watching.

I was laughing so hard at watching them laugh!! Can it be that such a "heavy" reality can be accepted and made okay through laughter??

How would you feel if you had to leave your country because if political unrest and instead of finding open arms you find bias??

My grandparents HAD to flee Lithuania because of fear of persecution because of their involvement with the Lithuanian Self-Defense Movement...and btw....they WALKED out of Lithuania with only what they could carry.

Life here wasn't easy but they worked hard, educated themselves and settled down after retirement in Afton.

Imagine how it is for the people immigrating to the US today...from places like the Middle East and Asia...looking for a better life. They don't look like we do, act like we do, eat what we eat, and maybe don't even speak like we do.....how out of place they must feel.

So if you happen across someone who is different.....SMILES are UNIVERSALLY UNDERSTOOD!!!

Peace!!