anya_of_faerun

How Relaxing..........

2008-04-21T04:40:34Z

My color is extrememly Ironic.......

2008-02-28T06:11:33Z

you are yellow
#FFFF00

Your dominant hues are red and green, so you're definately not afraid to get in and stir things up. You have no time for most people's concerns, you'd rather analyze with your head than be held back by some random "gut feeling".

Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right.

Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

(I hate the color Yellow)

Sick and Blahhhh

2008-02-11T15:28:46Z

Right now I should be teaching reading and soon transitioning into writing. Unfortunately I woke up this morning with a fever of 101. I had to go into work to straighten out the classroom as it was still a disaster area after the winter carnival last Friday night. And of course I had to get the lesson plans together. I HATE missing work. The kids do not get what they need when I am not there and it totally stresses me out more to be home than to be at work. I can't stop thinking things like they aren't going to pass the EOG and writing tests.

So here I am in my bed with 2 kitties sleeping on me, I should go to sleep too but I am just feeling very listless. I am hoping very hard that I am not getting the flu. This has been an unusual year for me in that I've had 2 colds already since January. I don't normally get sick so often. Blahhh

When there is no teacher in the computer lab.....

2007-12-14T17:55:07Z

I get to sit here with my kids and play.

http://kimsborough.myminicity.com/

Hey everybody be fruitful and populate my mini city ;-)

This Saturday

2007-12-06T13:31:15Z

If anyone is in the neighborhood and wants a good laugh, I'll be Jazzercising in the Cary Christmas Parade this Saturday, 2:00.

;-)

Really? I never would have guessed.....

2007-11-15T03:57:38Z

Greed:	Very Low
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	Low
Envy:	Low
Lust:	Very High
Pride:	High

The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com

....I see your true colors shining through

Another Day On The Playground

2007-09-26T21:05:25Z

I was having a perfectly normal day until 3:00, when Recess was 1/2 over.
Three of my little 4th grade girls come wandering up to me with shy grins on their faces, here is the conversation.

Madison: Ms. Coughenour, we found an item of a personal nature on the playground.

Me: (Thinking What are they talking about) What is it?

Madison: (looking at her two other girl friends) We don't want to say it.

Me: (Thinking its a feminine product fallen out of one of the girls purses) Oh, show me where it is

Madison and crew start walking to the playground equipment with me behind them when one of my little 4th grade boys (Who is academically gifted) enters the scene.

Sebastian: Ms. Coughenour! There is a weird looking water balloon over there!

Me: (OH MY GOD IT ISN'T!) Show it to me.

Madison: Umm, Sebastian that isn't a water balloon.

Me: (AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!) Madison don't say anything else just show me where it is.

Madison: (to her girl friends whispering) Sebastian doesn't know what it is! (Insert giggles here)

At this point I see the thing and indeed it is a used condom, draped over the side of the sliding board, away from the teachers view.

So I ask you what is worse.....

The fact that it is there, or the fact that it has been there all day with the whole school's worth of kids playing all around it, OR the fact that 9 year old girls know what a condom is and can be almost mature about the knowledge. The only problem I have now is that my whole class is going to know what a condom is.

So what did you learn in school today?

"I didn't know teachers could run!"

2007-09-14T02:56:27Z

I have had a a quiet year for "You won't believe what my student did!" stories.

Today was one of the scariest.

To better understand this story there are a few things you need to know.

1. Another 4th grade teacher I work with, Ms. D. She is in her mid 50's, and she had major surgery on her digestive tract this summer. She is not exactly athletic in the first place, and this has definitely set her back in general mobility.

2. There is a student in her class, Jacob, (9 years old) who tried to commit suicide last year.
I do not know the details, that is sealed in his file. I just know that his parents are divorced and fighting over custody rights...something about restraining orders. We are all supposed to keep an eye out for him, should he seem to be doing something out of the ordinary.

3. Jacob thinks its funny to run away from his parents. (Hmmm...could we say attention seeking behavior?)

Today at recess, all the fourth grade students are on the playground...we are sitting at about 100 kids in the fourth grade right now.

Ms. D. happens to see a group of kids huddled together a good ways across the playground. This is the type of thing we get out of our chairs to investigate...ya never know..it could perfectly harmless or it could be the dreaded Pokemon Cards! (Oh My God, the horror!)

Indeed Ms. D. discovers the group of boys are covertly trading the contraband Pokemon cards and a bit of a disagreement is taking place over a missing card. Ms. D., is not one to "Put Up With That Mess" aka.......any type of trading card game, and confiscates all the Pokemon Cards....including those belonging to Jacob.

I was sitting in my chair on the fourth grade stoop scanning the playground, muttering under my breath about some adults I work with that are not seeing the potential benefits to trading card games in our math classes that utilize strategies....but I digress.....

When all of a sudden I hear over the Walkie Talkie..."Office! Jacob is running away!"
I look out at the playground and see a kid running as fast as he can across the playground. Anyone who has ever seen my school knows that there is a HUGE field that runs up to a pretty busy road. Ms. D., can't run..I see her barely tottering along, so what do I do?

I threw off my shoes and went running after him thinking "Oh My God, he's running for the road!"
I caught up to him, because he turned around and looked back to see if someone was running after him. That is when I got pissed. I immediately thought of the times when Chester(our dog) would get out of the house and run around the neighborhood all the while playing the game as Ben chased him between houses and through the woods.

When Jacob turned around, he stumbled and I caught him. It took ALL of me not to grab him by the collar and yank him back to the building. Instead I said one word to him, "March!" and pointed in the direction of Ms. D. and the kids that had come running around the side of the building to see what was going on. As I was fuming behind him, one of my sweet little girls came up to me and said, "Ms. Coughenour! I didn't know teachers could run!" (She was obviously proud, in the "My Teacher Can Run Fast! sort of way). I just looked her in the eye and said, "He could have got hit by a car."

When I chased Jacob today, I was wearing a bright red shirt. I ran past the windows of the kindergarten wing. I did not realize I had become famous until I was at bus duty. I had all kinds of kids asking me why I went running past the school. And the ones that saw the whole thing were telling my story like I was some kind of action hero.

I do not feel like a hero.
Jacob is obviously mentally & emotionally abused. If you talk to him for five minutes you will be able to tell something isn't right. He has a very negative self concept and he will get highly upset and rant about things that don't make sense. When we got him back to the play ground the school counselor and the principal were there. The counselor asked him why he ran away and he yelled at the top of his lungs "I AM STUPID, and EVERYBODY KNOWS ITS TRUE!"
As she was trying to calm him down because he was yelling and he kept on going, "The people in the computers just keep pushing buttons and they are going to crash the world! And they know I'm too stupid to make them stop."
Now Jacob is clutching his ears and screaming like there are voices in his head.

Parents....

Do not degrade your children to their face, and do not degrade each other in front of them.

Tales from the Wake County Court house

2007-09-07T15:28:34Z

As of 9:15 this morning cougheno and I were officially divorced.

While I was there, the people amazed me. They only do divorces on Fridays, so there were a lot of people crammed into the few rows of benches provided. When you opt for a "Do It Yourself" divorce you get a packet of papers that clearly explain the procedures you must follow to get the job done.

#1 Be at the courthouse in courtroom 9B before 9:00 AM
#2 Bring the appropriate paperwork filled out in advance
#3 Make sure the proof that papers were served is filed BEFORE your court date

Simple enough right? Apparently not.
Before the judge can start proceedings, he has to have the proof of service papers from everyone who didn't submit them BEFORE the court date. There were about 20 different cases who had that problem. One man said, "I brought the wife with me and she ain't arguing, so why do I need that?"

Once this was all settled, the judge told us that while tears were permitted in the courtroom all manner of loud celebrations should be confined to the hallway once the doors to the court room were properly closed.

The first eight people the judge called up were not there.
The ninth person, went up and said, "I didn't file the paper work my husband did."
The judge said, "Then we have to wait for him to get here."
She said, "I've been waiting on him for fifteen years and I ain't waiting no more."
The judge said, "I'm sorry, but if you had filed the paper work you wouldn't have to."
"Now lets see if we can find someone here who actually wants to get divorced TODAY."

The woman sitting beside me had been smiling and quietly animated in her happiness the whole time she was there. The judge started calling people up, four at a time, and when she went she didn't walk she literally bounced. Each person then had to state who they were and where they lived etc....and then go up to the judge to have things signed. The judge could not help but notice her obvious elation, and said, "He must of been something to deal with if your so happy right now." and she said, "Oh, its not that, I'm getting married on Saturday and I'm so excited!"
(Insert shriek of delight here)

The rest of us were in shock......
The woman behind me said "Oh, hell no, I need a good long breather!"
At that point I had to laugh.

My Soul

2007-09-07T14:36:16Z

You Are a Newborn Soul

You are tolerant, accepting, and willing to give anyone a chance.
On the flip side, you're easy to read and easily influenced by others.
You have a fresh perspective on life, and you can be very creative.
Noconformist and nontraditional, you've never met anyone who's like you.

Inventive and artistic, you like to be a trendsetter.
You have an upbeat spirit and you like almost everything.
You make friends easily and often have long standing friendships.
Implusive and trusting, you fall in love a little too easily.

Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

I'm So Excited!

2007-08-21T01:18:59Z

Three things!

1. My classroom pirate ship is looking very awesome. I'm sorry I can't post pics I don't have a digital camera.
(The one on my phone sucks btw...)

2. I bought a new car! Hyundai Tiburon: Sky Blue (I have been assured by a few people that it is NOT Carolina Blue)
I have really loved it so far. I got an awesome deal since it is a 2007 and the 08's are going to be a bit different and significantly more expensive.I was pleased with the whole buying experience. I will admit I was sad to see the Escort wagon go.....I did actually shed a few tears over it. (What can I say, it was a good car that lasted well for 10 years).

http://www.hyundaiusa.com/vehicle/tiburon/gallery/photofullshot.aspx

3. I now have a class size of 23 students! Much better than the projected 31. There were five teachers in third grade with class sizes from 15-18 students. Mr. P asked one of the third grade teachers to move to 4th since we had too many and we are not getting enough growth in our school to support hiring another teacher. ;-) This makes me very happy, I will not have to start out the year with a room too full and then spend the rest of the year reorganizing.

Oh! So I saw my class list. I had a girl named Tuesday Kevanna as her first and middle name. Every year there is at least one kid with a name you have to wonder about. Apparently she already moved to another school since she was crossed off my list this afternoon.

;-)

Classroom Pirate Ship

2007-08-07T10:54:59Z

Yesterday I went in to school (I just realized I can say that now without people getting confused as to where I mean!) to discover that the work crew had been very busy over the weekend finishing the floors with a new wax coating. So I spent the afternoon rearranging furniture.
Every year I have to change the arrangement because by the time Spring Break comes around I absolutely hate it and I spend the next few months deciding how to set it up for the next school year.

Mr. P (The Principal) said, " You know its still summer, right?"

This year, I am feeling super creative. I want to turn my classroom into a Pirate Ship.I know I am not the only one out there that has built model pirate ships so any suggestions would be welcome! I am not allowed to hang anything from the ceiling AND anything like the mast or crows nest has to be at least 2 cinder blocks below the ceiling. (Otherwise the Fire Marshall will make me take it all down)

I've had thoughts of making the ship dock out into the hall way......so that there would be water outside the door and I could put a cardboard plank across the threshold for students to walk in on.

I've had some good ideas thrown my way so far. Right now I'm trying to decide how to build the mast in the center of the classroom. I do not have any support beams in there to make it easy. So this is what woke me up at 5:30......and my brain won't let it go.

I have a science workshop this afternoon and I have a feeling my early morning may come back to bite me in the butt around 2:30 when they make us break up into groups and discuss " So what does Animal Habitats look like in your classroom?"....Yawn...

TTYL

-Kim

You would know all about this if you read Live Journal

2007-08-03T18:30:21Z

"What?!" I gasped. "No Way!"

"You would know all about this if you read Live Journal" said an exasperated Ben for the hundredth time.

So Here I am!

I am making no promises but I will try to stay better informed via the LJ.
I may even post something!

-Kim