First grade finger play and verses

after we say our first grade verse I go into saying small poems or songs that play with your fingers.

so I thought I would share my monthly poem rotation with you.

My first one for Aug/ Sep was

Pea Pod
Seed Pod
Bean Pod and
Poppy Pod
Split when they ripen and
open with the pop

take thumb and pointer and touch them together and rob them together in a circle.
then thumb and middle , rub in a circle. kind of like rolling a small piece of wax between your fingers.
go to thumb and ring and last thumb and pinky

change hands.


two first graders meet in the lane and bow most politely and bow once again
How do you do
and how do you do
and how do you do again. etc......
(I think i put this song in a post about a month ago)



late september:

A Knight and a lady went riding one day
far into the forest away, away
The Knight said oh lady pray have a care
this forest is evil beware beware,
A fiery red dragon it lay on the path
the lady wept sourly alas alas
The Knit slew the dragon the lady was gay
they road off together away away



October:

Five little witches on a Halloween night
Made a very, very spooky sight.
The first witch danced on her tippy tiptoes.
The second witch tumbled and bumped her nose.
The third witch flew high up in the air.
The fourth witch combed her fuzzy hair.
The fifth witch sang a Halloween song.
Five witches played the whole night long!
- Anonymous

Thank you fairynest for the poem

farting shoe

So I walk into 8th grade and shake the 8th grade teacher's hand and my berks fart!

Yah they fart! My heel and the sole of my shoes makes a pocket of air and FAAAART!

I look around at my shoe and .....I didn't say what I should have said "my shoe farted!"

I just say "good afternoon 8th grade"

Yah.......so what to do? new shoes?

Michaelmas time

As Michaelmas is right around the corner I see that our community needs the courage and strength that this time of year brings.

The symbol of St. Michael taming the dragon really means that the human needs to go within and find the inner strength that lives with in each of us. Fear, depression, and hate is the dragon. Strength, courage and joy is the angel light within each of us.

This past week our community has been struck by different very challenging and sad events. 3 beautiful souls passed away. One was a teenage girl and the other was a pregnant mother and her baby.

We had a child diagnosed with cancer

and another child broke his arm.

It has been a very challenging week for our community.

a funny moment

yesterday as I was walking 4th grade to the Handwork room the line leader asks me, "Do teachers go to the bathroom?" I told her of course we do. She said. "you must have SUPER bladders. My main lesson teacher hasn't gone to the bathroom once this year."


I got a good laugh out of that

3rd, 2nd, and 1st grade updates

This is more a note for me to see how the year is going so that next year I can look and see where we were at this time.

We are exactly 4 weeks into the school year. My 2nd graders re sanded and waxed their needles, we plant dyed yellow wool for lions and I told the story of the lion and the mouse. They finished their mice....except 2 children who are new to the class. And they have started on their lions. 20 children in 2nd grade. 1/2 are on their second leg....first leg is 11 stitches and 9 bumps (2 rows per bump).

The mouse was 10 stitches knitted until you make a square. sew together and stuff. add felt ears and sew them on.

I have a story teller in 2nd grade and she is reading Stuart Little....perfect for the mouse project. they were really into it!

3rd grade is continuing crochet from the second half of last year. 26 kids in this class.
in the picture you can see my fast crocheters have almost finished their recorder cases.
next we move to the Stone soup puppets.

1st grade: They made their needles, they finger knitted they draw stings for their handwork bags (I make handwork bags for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. In their class colors. Pink, orange and yellow)
They wound their balls of yarn from small skeins that I made. They learn to cast on and caste on enough stitches to fill the needle.
Most have knit 2 rows at week 4.

that 's all for now

7th grade wet felted renaissance hats

I think that we should all throw in some ideas on craft ideas.....if you have an idea let it out!

I just got a question on how to wet felt hats. we wet felt hats in 7th grade.

So I use the book "Felting by Hand" by Anne Einset Vickrey

http://www.snoods.com/hats.html

http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_elizabethanhats.htm

http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_feltboots.htm

http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_feltapplique.htm


these sites will help too.

life was different 100 years ago!

Picture taken in Culver city in 1912

Rule for Teachers, 1915

1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM unless attending a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
5. You may not travel beyond city limits unless you have the permission of the chairman of the board.
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with a man unless he is your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colors.
9. You may, under no circumstances, dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least two petticoats.
11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankle.
12. You will keep the schoolroom neat and clean, sweep the floor at least once daily, scrub the floor at least once each week, clean the blackboards once a day, and start the fire at 7 AM so the room will be warm at 8 AM.

-Cabell County, West Virginia
Board of Education, 1915



Rules for Teachers, 1872

1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys.



2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day's session.



3. Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils.



4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evening each week if they go to church regularly.



5. After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.



6. Woman teacher who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.



7. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a good sum of his earnings for his benefit during declining years, so that he will not become a burden on society.



8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity, and honesty.



9. The teacher who performs his labor faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of twenty-five cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.