Friday, September 16, 2016

Friday's Fave Five, 9/16/16

LINK to Friday's Fave Five host blog

1. After running a fever and having a mild cold, and also Mike being sick with a cold for several days, we're both back on our feet, and he happened to be off when he was sick.  That's always nice--hard to be sick when you've got to work.

2. A feeling of success in the classroom this week.  I have a very enthusiastic group of sophomores - they love learning.  That's a delight to begin with.  This week we finished the literature of the ancient Greeks - the Odyssey, Antigone, etc. - and they were disappointed!!  But they know the Romans and Julius Caesar are next, and they can't wait until we finish the grammar unit, get through the teachers' convention next week, and then come back to read that lit.  They've already got plans to have a lunch after finishing that unit - they want to order Little Caesar's Pizza and eat Caesar salad!  It's really a challenge, a good one, to teach a group like that.

And my junior class is covering Objectionable Elements in Literature.  I love to see a group think seriously, and hopefully get something useful for life, from a discussion like that.

The seniors are doing Great Expectations, and appear to be enjoying it.  They're following closely and staying with me as we make progress each day.  And my eighth and ninth grades--both bright groups, both hard-working groups, and have been great to teach so far.

Sometimes I think it's time to hang it up - and then weeks like this make me think, Stay at it!!

3. Gratitude for a hard-working husband.  He works so hard at his job and has been a great provider.  But when he's off and I'm working, I come home to hear things like "The sheets are back on the bed - I washed them today" and "I went to the dump today, so the smelly trash is gone."  I appreciate him so much.

4. The computer crash that wasn't.  My school computer died yesterday in the middle of the day.  (Fortunately, I had just backed it up last week.)  I thought it was gone.  The computer guy figured out it was only the battery.  Easily fixed!

5. And finally - this.  We went to get something to eat at our favorite place yesterday, where the manager is our neighbor.  At the end of our meal, the server told us that the pumpkin cake was really good - but we resisted. And then - our friend and neighbor, the manager --  brought us a piece on the house.  So what do you do?!! This is not our piece, but is a picture of the actual cake, pulled off the website of queencitypastry.com, which is the bakery where the restaurant purchased it from.  Oh, it was so good.  Just what I didn't need, but worth it!!

6 comments:

Barbara H. said...

Glad you're both doing better! I van imagine it's much better in many ways to teach a group willing and eager to learn and excited about the subject matter. Glad your computer crash was easily fixable. That cake does look good. You have a very nice husband. :-)

Faith said...

Your husband sounds like a gem!! and NO ONE should go to work when sick...ugh....it just spreads the germs around...at the school where i was working the last 8 years I saw this happen all too much...so silly when we have an awesome sick leave policy!!....so glad you got to stay home and get well.

Teaching children who WANT to learn and to whom learning comes easily is a true blessing!! Both of my girls did the Honors English track at our high school and so by the time they were seniors they were allowed to take electives. My youngest this year is doing Creative Writing and then Film Crit. Both classes are taught by excellent teachers so we are blessed. Sound like you love your teaching job too!! :)

Yay for splurging on sweets...once in awhile that's ok!!

Wendy said...

My hubby is quite helpful but he would need a to do list in big letters pinned up where he couldn't avoid seeing it to do jobs around the house when I'm not there. Glad you are both feeling better.

Willow said...

I love it when computer problems just disappear!
That cake sounds--sinfully delicious!
I'm glad you are well, again.
Isn't it great when students are enthusiastic about their subjects? (It helps to have a great teacher, too!) I have to agree with them that the Odyssey is a bit of a let down when you've heard of it all your life and then you realize it's not as interesting as you thought it would be. (And yes, Julius Caesar is better with pizza and salad!)

Susanne said...

Glad you guys are feeling better. So hard to work, especially a physically demanding job, when one is sick. Very sweet acts of service your hubby does for you. And now I am craving a slice of that pumpkin cake!

Deb J. in Utah said...

As a teacher, it was really fun to read about what you are doing in your classroom. I always love good "teacher ideas."