End of the Year Tips

The end of the year is quickly approaching, and it can be overwhelming too. There are lots of information that needs to be turned in, my classroom is usually a mess, and I don’t know what to do first. Here are the things I start to think about and do around one month before school ends.

1.     Make a list of all of the things that need to be done before the end of school. Put this in a place that can be easily seen and not forgotten. I can add things as they are asked of me. These can be checked off as things that get done.

2.     Gather all things that need to be filed in one area. File things that need to be filed. If there is anything that I don’t need anymore, is outdated, or broken. I can give these things away or toss them in the trash.

3.     Divide the classroom into specific areas and then tackle each area separately. Pick an area and decide if there is anything that I don’t need anymore, is outdated, or broken. I can give these things away or toss them in the trash but there is no reason to keep them in the classroom.

4.     If I’m going to have to box things up for a move, then I need to find boxes now. Box things up that I don’t need for the rest of the year.

5.     I need to talk to any parent and student who may not pass my class.

6.     Prepare my final exams, study guides, and answer keys. I can edit this before I give it if necessary.

7.     Take home or get rid of any foodstuff in my classroom that will not last over the summer.

8.     Have students fill out a survey on what they liked, didn’t like, or what they would change in their lessons to make them more interesting. These surveys are really enlightening because students are thrilled to be asked for their input and take this very seriously.

9.     Think about the beginning of the school year and what I might need. Put these things in one area (file cabinet or box) so that it can be easily accessed when I return. This makes my life easier at the beginning of the year.

Do you have any end of the year tips? Please share.

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Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival 2018

Pictures are here.

We left home at 4:45am on Thursday morning which was perfect because we missed rush hour in Spartanburg and Charlotte. But the construction traffic was still miserable! Other than that, we had a lovely drive.

We got to Columbia around 2pm and tried Hotwire HotRates to get a hotel which worked out well. We put in our location and it gave us choices. We picked the quality hotel and price we were willing to pay but we had no idea the hotel or its actual location until after we booked it. Our choice ended us up at the Sheraton across from The Mall of Columbia for $69. Since we booked a room, we headed to Ellicott City and checked out several antique stores. This city was a cute historic city. Then, we checked in and was given a really nice room (almost as nice as Hampton Inn). Then we went to the mall and walked around and had dinner. When we got back to the room we noticed the bathroom floor had puddles, so we called the front desk and they sent someone from maintenance immediately. He wiped up the floor and said maybe the maid didn’t dry the floor after cleaning. About 40 min. later we found new puddles forming and called the front desk. They let me choose whether I wanted a maintenance man to come look at it or move to a new room so we moved to a new room. Apparently, there is a huge rock concert at the Merriweather Pavilion and the bands were staying at our hotel. At 2am, we woke up to an impromptu concert in the lobby and everyone was hanging over the balconies to watch the concert. It was a nice stay and we would use Hotwire again to book a hotel.

We decided to hunt for breakfast but couldn’t find a Denny’s and ended up at Kay’s Diner. It was hidden away in an industrial area and only the locals must go here but it was good and cheap too! Next, we went to another antique mall in Savage and enjoyed that. After we checked in to the Hampton Inn around noon, we went to Wegman’s for lunch. It is a cool grocery store with a food buffet that you pay for by the pound ($9.99/lb). At 2pm, I met up with my friends Wendy and Lois and we went to the Needles Up event held at a local church. I got to meet the podcasters for The Girls from the Yarn Café! There were vendors there and I bought a skein of Fibernymph Dyeworks. We came back to the Hampton Inn and knit until dinner time.  Then the four of us went back to Wegman’s for dinner. After dinner, I went to Wendy and Lois’s room to knit until bedtime.

On Saturday, we headed to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival held at the Howard County Fairgrounds. They didn’t let anyone enter until 8:30 but we got there around 8am and the line to get in was already long. Before it ever opened, the line of people went all the way out to the major highway. You could buy $5 tickets online for an additional $1.27 fee or pay cash when you got there so we paid cash. Our cash line moved faster than the prepaid ticket line because their tickets had to be scanned. As soon as we got in, I went to Miss Babs booth and there was no line! I was able to go to all the places on my list and get what I wanted by 10am! At 10:30, we shared a Sausage dog and drink ($14). Then we met up with Wendy, Lois, and Lisa. Don took my stuff back to the car and waited for me there. I went to the 1pm Podcaster meet up but didn’t really see many podcasters that I knew. After that, we returned to the hotel and I took a nap. Don and I went back to Wegman’s for dinner around 4:30 and when we got back, I went back to Wegman’s with Wendy and Lois just to keep them company. When we got back I knit with them until bedtime.

On Sunday, Don and I went to Six Flags America in Bowie, MD which was only 30 minutes from our hotel. In the evening, I knit with Wendy and Lois again.

We left for home on Monday morning at 7am and got home by 4pm. 

Things I Learned:

1.     Get to the festival early so you are in the front of the line.

2.     Always be prepared for rain, just in case.

3.     Bring a BIG tote bag to carry purchases.

4.     It is good to have online friends but seeing them in person is awesome!

5.     Yarn and fiber purchases made me happy!

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Turkeys

I know it isn’t Thanksgiving time, but recently we were in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and we saw a ton of turkeys. We saw a lot of tom turkeys looking for a mate and seeing their tails in beautiful fans was an awesome sight. So, I thought it would be fun to learn some facts about turkeys and do some activities in the springtime.

1.     Wild Turkey – also known as Meleagris gallopavo

2.     Ben Franklin wanted Wild Turkey to be our national bird, but the bald eagle won out.

3.     It is one of our largest and heaviest birds, but it is smaller than a trumpet swan.

4.     Outside of hunting and predators, the average lifespan of a turkey is 3-4 years.

5.     Turkeys like to travel in flocks and like to eat nuts, berries, insects, and snails. They scratch leaf litter out of the way with their feet. At night, they fly into trees to roost for safety.

6.     Turkeys live in the forest with oak, hickory or beech trees that have open spaces close by. They are also along roads and woody backyards.

7.     Turkeys can see colors a little. Their eyes are on the side of their head which means they can see out of each eye separately and their depth perception is limited.  Hearing allows them to hear when they are in danger or communicate with others.

8.     In the spring, the male turkeys begin courtship by puffing up their feathers. They flare out their tails into a fan shape and walk around giving their gobble call.

9.     Turkeys like to lay eggs into hayfields, woodlot edges, pastures, and old fields so that it is open, and the mother can see any predators. She will lay one egg or more each day until she has about a dozen. The incubation period is 28 days. Once they hatch, she will move them to a new location to avoid predators.

10.  Chicks can be eaten by ants and crows while adults can be eaten by bears, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, owls, and hawks.

Activities (varies depending on age):

1. Coloring sheet of a turkey

2. Cut strips of colored construction paper, attach these feathers to a round plate.

3. Use 100% wool and needle felt a turkey

What other activities would you suggest? Please share.

Accessibility

According to Wikipedia, accessibility  “ refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people who experience disabilities.”

Recently we were in McDonalds when a young girl and an adult arrived. After ordering, they came to the tables and the young girl chose the table labeled for handicapped accessibility. The adult told her that they shouldn’t pick that table when there were so many tables that were unoccupied. I then listened to the adult ask the girl to explain why the tables were different. She pointed out the blue round sticker with a wheelchair on it. They then discussed why that table was special and how it accommodated wheelchairs. What a great lesson to hear!

Later, my husband and I were discussing how people need to be taught this at a young age. I don’t know if I ever taught this in my classroom but maybe it should be. We always hear that we shouldn’t park in a handicap designated parking space, but we don’t really explain why other than to avoid getting a ticket.

It really amazes me how many people will park in a handicap parking space without a sticker or a license tag or placard to allow them to do this. I have heard some people even complain that the handicapped people shouldn’t get preferential parking!

Here are some topics that I thought should be addressed:

·      Handicap accessible seating in restaurants

·      Handicap accessibility in restrooms

·      Handicap accessible parking spaces

·      Handicap accessible areas in event venues such as sports arenas, movie theaters, playhouses etc.

I think it would be important to address what these are, how they are designated, and why they are designated.

Maybe if we start teaching young children about these, they will grow up to be more considerate because they understand better what it means.

What other topics about handicap accessibility do you think should be addressed? Please share.