Bus Duty Games

So I may have mentioned that I have bus duty every afternoon. I certainly don’t do it alone. . . We  have been called several things so far this year. One bus driver call us “Mrs. Dennis’ Minions.”  We are usually called the BB’s: either the Bus Brigade or the Bus Babes (we are mostly all females – OK, sometimes we call ourselves that. ).  I think someone has called us  something else that starts wit h a B, but we won't go there. We all work together really well and if everyone would just listen to us, we’d have that bus situation whipped into shape. 
BUT, we are not in charge of the world.  We can’t make anybody do anything we want them to. . . So, we spend a LOT of time together. There are moments of pure pandemonium and chaos, followed by periods of absolute boredom, while we sit and watch for buses to pull in.  So to combat the wait, we make up dumb games. We are not going to patent these or make board games but we make up stuff.  Here’s some of the stuff we do. 
1. We are always on the lookout for cars in the bus loop. Hardly a day goes by when at least one car completely ignores the sign that says “buses only” and pulls into the bus loop. Anybody listening to our radios nearly always hears “Car in the bus loop!!”  Today the car drove in completely the wrong direction, stopped and the driver said “I’m hear to pick up ______” and only said a first name.” There are so, so many things wrong with that I don’t even know where to begin.  A) YOU”RE IN THE BUS LOOP.  B)  You’re going the wrong way. C) There are 1940 students at our school – right off the top of my head, I’ve got no idea who  or where _____ is.  D) How do we know you ‘re allowed to pick up ______?  Do I need to go on?  I think not.
2.  We try to be the first one to spot the buses. We can see them on Highway 27 before they turn onto our road.  Sometimes, the ones we see aren’t our buses.  That’s heartbreaking when we see a bus and it never turns.
3. We play the guessing game with substitute buses.  Every day I get an email from my principal with bus changes. Today bus 847 rides bus 1682.  Those are not really our bus numbers, I’m just making stuff up.  So, we mark it down on our little bus sheet, get out to the bus loop, only to find that that information may or may not be correct – and the buses may or may not have the correct number on them. Last week one of our buses was a different number and the bus driver had a new hair do and she looked just like another one our buses. That was confusing. 
4. We measure how long it takes the bus to pull into the loop and how long it takes to load. One bus takes a long time, because we have to send the kids in groups, because they want to get home so quickly, they run over us. It takes them longer.
5. We make bets on which bus will be last.  We have one bus that is ridiculously late all the time – and it does two runs.  So if  you are really late for your first run, obviously your second run is going to take a while too. . . Apparently our game has rubbed off onto others.  We have one bus driver named Speedy  (obviously, that’s not really his name, but that’s what we call him. . . ) who now “races” another bus. Today he stopped on his last load to ask if the other bus had been back yet. When we said no, he gave us a thumbs up and drove off.
This isn’t a game, but it’s my favorite part. Our school is huge. We have a huge staff and huge number of students. While we wait, we talk to each other and to some of our students. And we get to really, really talk. . Sure, sometimes we have to stop and load a bus, but we finish later. 
Who knew bus duty could be (almost) fun???

Hot water and Free-Spinning Toilet Paper

Here in Polk County, the School Board has a magical mystery place that occasionally, we peons get to visit.  On Highway 98, between Lakeland and Bartow is the wonderful and amazing Jim Miles Professional Development Center.  It has it’s own Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Miles-Professional-Development-Center/244326988996226
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea who Jim Miles is, what he did or why we have a professional development center named after him.  Media Services is housed there, EERS (Electronic Equipment Repair and Support) is there, ESOL may be there, but I’m not sure.  There is some warehouse space and other stuff but I  basically don’t know much about what else is there.  Here’s what I do know. . .
Several years ago, the Polk County School Board bought a warehouse and spent a lot of money trying to make it not a warehouse anymore.  From the outside, it’s still a warehouse. But inside? It’s pretty fancy – shmancy.  There is a huge auditorium that can be broken up into several different rooms, which is where we are sent lots of times for professional development. There is very nice carpet, beautiful murals painted on the walls, great wireless access throughout and the coldest A/C in any place in all of the county.  I am hardly ever cold, but I freeze at Jim Miles.  People wear jackets and boots and bring blankets – it’s that cold. It has a big beautiful sign outside.

 

Here’s one thing that I just don’t understand. . . Jim Miles is one of the few places where you actually get hot water to wash your hands in the bathroom sink. I’ve never had hot water in any bathroom sink at my schools. I think some of the teacher restrooms at my new school have hot water, but I don’t in the media center bathroom.  At my old school, in the media center, I had three sinks and a custodian closet that had a hot water heater but there was no electrical outlet for it.   My old classroom, which used to be part of the home economics suite,  used to have hot water, but the hot water heater leaked once so they just took it out.
Here’s another thing.  At Jim Miles, the toilet paper dispensers are free-spinning.  You can get all the toilet paper you want.  My old school – nope,.  All the dispensers had those stupid little tabs that stop so you only get like 4 squares.  My new school doesn’t have those, thank goodness.  Why you ask does that matter? Well, our county is notorious for buying things from the lowest bid.  Most of the time, you really do get what you pay for – so when you buy toilet paper from the lowest bid, you get pretty crappy toilet paper. (Did you see what I did there? That’s funny, isn’t it!)  If you have toilet paper that is less than one ply, that you can see through, you probably need more than 4 squares.  I’ve heard rumors of some people who have had accidents with their toilet paper dispensers and those little tabs that stop the roll have been damaged and subsequently lost. I can neither confirm or deny that rumor.
Here’s my question.  Why does the professional development center get hot water and unlimited toilet paper? Maybe it’s because it’s where we send new teachers to learn about our county.  (Ha! Fooled you! Don’t think you’ll always get hot water and free spins. . . )  Maybe it’s because when we bring people in to develop us, that’s where we bring them. 
I really didn’t intend to get too political here, but last night I sat at Jim Miles during an impasse hearing.  Our union and our School Board are at an impasse over raises (and several other contractual issues) for the 2016-2017 school year.  Yes, that’s correct.  That’s not a mistake.  We are still trying to negotiate a contract for a year that is already DONE!  I sat there listening and looking around that building, noticing things I’ve noticed but never really noticed before. I’ve never been to that building where there hasn’t been a custodian on duty, and usually more than one.  My school of almost 1900 students and well over 100 staff members has fewer custodians during the day than that building.
I started thinking about respect and/or lack thereof.   I don’t think it’s disrespectful to not have hot water, but it sure would be nice to have it.   I don’t think it’s necessary to have free spinning toilet paper dispensers, but it would be nice.  I mean, after all, we are adults. Certainly, we ought to know how much toilet paper we need. Of course, I must be careful, here. In the unlikely event that anyone actually reads this, besides three people who tell me they do, instead of raises, the school board might just offer us hot water and toilet paper. But on the other hand,  that’s more than they are offering now. . .

Things that I dislike about College Football

I generally love, Love, LOVE college football. I really do. It’s just exciting. I start with College Game Day,  and I watch football all day, even games and teams I care NOTHING about. . .
However, I don’t love EVERTHING about college football. There are some things that just annoy me. And since this is my blog and about 5 people read it, I can do what I want. Here they are:  a few things about college football that annoy me!.
1. Obviously, I don’t like it when my team loses.  I am NOT a good loser.  And honestly, I’m a little bit spoiled.  Being a FSU fan has been pretty easy for a while.  Although some wins haven’t been pretty, there has been a lot of them. It’s easy to get used to your team winning more than they lose.  I have a lot of respect for those who stand by their team after year after year after year of losing seasons.  I just don’t want to be one of those people.
2.  I really don't like people who talk trash.  To be perfectly honest, in my heart, I’m not a good winner either. My sarcastic, snarky mind can come up with a LOT of things to say to people. However, being an ADULT  who enjoys having friends, and realizing that this is just a GAME that I have no control over (more about this later!) I don’t say them. I try really hard not to brag about winning or whine about losing where others can hear or read it!  I don’t enjoy people who do.
3.  I don’t like it when I can’t figure out which FSU shirt is the “lucky shirt.”  Don’t give me grief – my logical mind KNOWS that I really don’t have a lucky shirt and that my FSU flag flying at my house has no impact on the game,   Someone once told me that I have control issues – I know that  I have NO control over the game, but, I have been known to change to another FSU shirt if the ‘Noles aren’t doing well at halftime
4.  I don’t care for it when the players I’m trying to help don’t listen to me.  Coach Fisher never listens, no matter if I yell, whisper or send brain waves.   . . And my trying to warn our quarterback when people are coming for him doesn’t help either.   Why don’t they listen????
5.  I’ve never quite understood why 60 minutes of football can take 4 hours on TV.  I know I’m not a math person, but still, four 15 minute quarters is 60.  60 minutes turns into four hours? How does that even work???
6.  3:00 or 3:30 games annoy me.  I don’t know about everybody else, but Saturday afternoons are PRIME napping time at my house. I “watch” games I don’t really care about while I doze on the couch.   But, sometimes MY game comes on at 3 or 3:30. . . How am I supposed to get a happy nappy when the Seminoles are playing??
7.  Teams who change uniforms all the time – what’s up with that? It should be simple. Most teams have 2 main colors and we switch black and white, period.   Please, please just STOP with too many “costumes.”
8.  This is not about college football, but about being a fan in general.   Those trash talking people that I referred to in #2. . . Here’s what they miss:  Do not ever think that my love for Florida State is based solely on how well a group of 18 – 20-something-year-olds play a GAME.  I love FSU, but I keep my eye on USF too and always want them to do well. Why you ask? Because the diplomas on my wall have both of those schools on them.  My Bachelor’s degree from USF made my career and the life I live now possible.  My Master’s degree from FSU changed my life in so, so many ways.  Occasionally stupid ignorant people ask me dumb questions like “How can you like Florida State?” or “Why would you go to FSU?”     Here’s my answer:  I’m a school media specialist.  Why would I choose any other school than the college ranked #1 in School Library Media Programs?   When your school is ranked # 1 in the thing that you do EVERY day. . . that means a lot more than a football record. I’ve said it before. . . Diploma trumps fan every single time.
9.  This one is just ridiculous. . . I dislike the way that reporters get right up in players and coaches faces the very second that the game is over.  I think when teams win, they need a little time and when they lose, they need a little more time. If you shoved a microphone in my face the very minute that something I liked or didn’t like was over, there is no telling what might come out of my mouth.  For coaches and players, every word they say is examined at a microscopic level. . . That’s just wrong.
10.  Hair.  I really, really dislike all that hair hanging out of helmets.  I just don’t like that.  I also wish that all coaches had hair like Kliff Kingsbury as opposed to Matt Gundy.  Honestly, choose one:

Oh, wait,  maybe that is just not the hair. . .

My Newest Solution to a Problem

So, I try to fix things. Part of my job as a teacher and media specialist, as well as just part of my personality is to want to try and solve problems.  Sometimes, my warped brain sees thing and fixes them, but not like anybody else.  Here is an example.

I’ve gone to bus duty every day since school started.  I am not assigned bus duty, but since the media center isn’t open yet, I voluntarily do bus duty. Bus transportation  is a mess, especially this first bit of school  and the more  hands on deck, the better.  Well, here’s the problem. in case  you haven't noticed, if you’ve been outside from say 2:45 – 4:30 lately it is HOT outside.  And when you’re holding a sign or running kids back and forth or shouting “Look for your bus”  it’s even hotter. (Today we shouted “Don’t look at the sun!”)  The heat index last Thursday before bus duty was 106. 

I love the AP that I serve bus duty with – she’s got the same sense of humor I do and we think a lot alike.  Out testing coordinator and our Kindergarten grade chair both do bus duty every day as well.  It’s like a little club. (If everyone would listen to us and do what we say, it would be better, but they won’t.)

So anyway, we stand around waiting and talk about how hot it is. They laugh at me and can’t figure out why I don’t look so hot. One ladies face turns really red and her hair gets all sweaty and they say I don’t look like that! I say it’s because I’m hot and sweaty all the time, I just don’t look any different.  Here’s something else people don’t know.  My job is a LOT more physical than most people think. I know, most people think I just sit around and read books all day but that is so not true. Since school started, I have averaged over 14000 steps a day – and that doesn’t count when I push a book cart around.  Thursday and Friday, I moved/climbed over 111 boxes of textbooks!   Today  over 1400 pounds of books were delivered and I’ve gone  through and moved the first pallet already. I do real, physical work.  So, all that work and book moving and bus duty make me hot.  Really, really sweaty hot.  Not to be too gross, but sometimes so hot it makes it tricky to use the bathroom, because your underwear don’t behave like they are supposed to, because they are wet with sweat.  So Friday morning, I noticed something, I had climbed over the boxes of books, ran from a cockroach and moved lots of boxes. I was hot and had to use the restroom.  Again, at the risk of sharing too much, when trying to use the restroom, I almost slipped off the toilet seat, because I was so sweaty.  So,  my brain came up with this.  

TA-DA!!! I call it “Slip-No-More.”  It’s very simple actually.  Two strips of shelf liner, one on each side of the toilet.  I thought about just one strip instead of two, but I was afraid of a skid.  It’s brilliant isn’t it? It keeps you from slipping off the commode onto the floor.  It would be horribly embarrassing to fall off the toilet and hurt myself and either A) have to call an ambulance or B) explain that to the Workman’s Comp people.

I use shelf liner in the media center frequently (not those two strips. obviously.) I use it to keep books from sliding on book carts, to keep bookends from sliding, and to keep my document camera from sliding,It  only makes sense it would keep ME from sliding as well.

I think I should patent it. Maybe I can make enough money to retire. What do you think?

10 Things I’ve Learned (or RE-learned) This Week

So, I love videos by this guy named Gerry Brooks. He is a principal, but he makes these hysterical videos about teacher stuff. You can find him on YouTube. This is one of my favorites:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtUQfeCkMjg
His bathroom etiquette one is pretty funny too. And the Grinch one about assessments -  you may wet your pants!
He manages to take the things that are annoying about education and make them funny. . . I wish I could do that.
This week I’ve discovered some things. Some of them are just annoying. Maybe sharing them with you will help me get over it. So here we go.
1.  Very small children do not belong at Orientation, unless you can or will control them.

On Orientation Day, there were all sorts of parents in my media center.  I had two boxes of books out on tables that children could look at and read. .  Every time I went in from the hallway, un-attended children were pulling random books off the shelves and just carrying them around. Really??  Why? I had a 3 year old who decided to completely un-shelf and reshelf the A section of my middle school section. Not just unshelf, but she’d rather see the pages out than the cover.  Oh and by the way, some  kids  need to be on a leash.

2.  Schools, not matter how hard they try, cannot fix bad parenting.

Buses at our school are  a problem. We are working on it, transportation is working on it, everybody is working on it. But here’s the problem:  sometimes parents do not do their part!  For example, if parents drop off a kindergartener in the car at school, but haven’t taught/told that same baby or (that babies teacher) how they are getting home  - that’s bad parenting.  If  a family has moved from one home to another and haven’t changed the address  on all the school paperwork, annd haven't figured out yet that a new address = a new bus to ride – that’s bad parenting.  When a parent comes to school and parks a car in the bus lane and gets out to go do something and clogs up the entire bus line  -- that’s bad parenting. 

3.  People who can’t or don’t read traffic signs.

I turn from I4 to Highway 27 every day.  The turning lane has a sign t hat says “Right turn on red after stop.”  That means exactly what it says. . . You stop, look and if you can go, you go! You DO NOT have to wait for the red arrows to turn green. DO NOT JUST SIT THERE! The whole line of people behind you all want to go. We  can’t go until you go!

4.  Parent volunteers can be both a blessing and a curse.

My school has many, many more volunteers than my old school. Some are wonderful – they will do what ever you ask and even ask you for things to do. My book fair last year only worked because of our volunteers.   Some of ours put together a Student Talent Show last year that was fabulous, just fabulous!   But some are a pain – they think being a volunteer means they get to be the boss. . . And some gossip.  I have a volunteer who is a brother of one of our students – I adore him! He does so, so much for me and I love him. 

5. Some teachers only want what they want and don’t care about anybody else in the whole entire school.  They definitely don't get the idea of TEAMWORK or "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one." They mostly are NOT bad teachers, just not good teammates. (And that’s all I’m going to say about that!)
6.  People need to learn the difference in “Reply” and “Reply All.”  They also need to learn how to fix their email settings to spell-check before they send things.  We don’t look like professionals when we send emails that have things spelled all wrong. I think they often use their phones instead of outlook on their computers and write it like a text message.
7.  Some teachers would send me their children to laminate if those same children would stand still long enough. . . Everything that you touch or that ever comes in your classroom door does not need to be laminated. (And if you make signs and posters to hang on your wall, check your spelling before you get it laminated.  And one more thing - if it's made to "write on/wipe off - it doesn't need to be laminated - it came that way already!)
8. School supplies – new pens and pencils and notebooks make me happy.
9.  For every teacher like # 5 up there, there are two or three or 10  that are just wonderful and kind and appreciative and understanding. Those make the #5 ones bearable. There really are a WHOLE lot more of this kind than the #5 kind.
10.  I really, really love my job, even though I haven't done much of “my job” this week.  Seeing my little kids again at Orientation and them running up and hugging me is just the greatest thing.  Hearing my sweet little boy say “Hi Library” again just made my day.  The little girl who cried all the way to the bus for months last year who said “Look, I’m a big girl now” is just fabulous.  My bigger ones who looked around and said “Wow – look at all the new books” – priceless!

Anyone want to be KIND?

So, one of the very, very best books I’ve ever read is “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio. I read it several years ago, and I instantly fell in love with it.  In November, a Wonder movie is being released. I’m terrified!  I love books but most often, when they turn them into movies, they mess them up.  I have TWO signs that say “The book is always better.”  I have high hopes, as it seems to have a great cast, but I’m still worried.
My library bulletin boards this year are  Wonder-themed. I chose blue paper for the background, as the Wonder books are a unique blue color. I’ve actually had students come to the circulation desk and ask for “the blue book.”  My board says “It’s going to be a WONDER-ful year” and has a place for a precept from Mr. Browne, who is a character in the book, a precept from me and a precept from my principal.  I hope it works!

R.J. Palacio has also written a book for younger students called “We’re  All Wonders.”  It is really good too! I already bought a copy for myself that is going to end up in my media center. . .

Wonder is all about being kind.  The first precept that Mr. Browne shares with his class is this: 

“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. - Dr.  Wayne W. Dyer”

I hate being wrong. I hate it with a passion – it’s part of what makes me a bad loser when I play games.  I want to make it my goal to always choose kindness instead of right. I think the world would be a lot better if we all did that.
I have two copies of Wonder in my media center – one on the middle school side and one in the 3rd to 5th grade section.   I’m going to make this book a big deal, so  I'd like to have a few more copies.  I’d also like a few more copies of  “We’re All Wonders.”    I have seen copies of Wonder on sale at Walmart, Books a Million and of course, Amazon.com.  If I had an unlimited budget, I’d buy a copy for every teacher at my school to add to their classroom library – but I don’t have an unlimited budget.   Would you like to be kind? How about buying a book for our media center?  I know a LOT of people who do LOTs of good for LOTS of people. If any of you could spare roughly $10.00, I could have plenty!
If anybody is interested and would like to buy a book for our library, our school address is 1775 Sand Mine Road, Davenport, FL 33897.  You could have it shipped directly to us!  I have cute little stickers that say “This book was donated to the  Citrus Ridge Media Center by our friend ________________.”  You could be part of our school’s history!  I’ll even put you on our “Friends of the Library” list!
In a perfect world., media centers would always have enough books.  We don’t live in a perfect world, but maybe we can make it a world that is a little more kind!
(If you happen to be a member at www.firstbook.org (which is free and you should be if you ever buy books for children) you can get it for $6.20

I take it back, sort of. . .

A while ago, I wrote a post about my feelings about stick people and stick families on cars.  You can read that here, in case you missed the joy of that post.

http://jim-merson.blogspot.com/2017/02/you-know-youve-seen-them.html

This week, I’ve been in Daytona for a church conference. (Brace yourself, there’s more about that coming too!) Right before I left, I got a surprise package in the mail. It was from my friends, the Everharts. Dr. E was my professor at FSU, her husband Harry is a retired school teacher and now, we’re friends.  Inside I found this:

I have to say this may be one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. I know what I said, but. . I may just have to put this one

on my car.  And look, that could be my Bubba-cat on there too!  Isn’t she just absolutely adorable? I love her! 

It makes me laugh every time I see it!

I’m back. . .

For several years I used Windows Live Writer to write my blog posts. It was easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy. But a while ago, Windows Live Writer quit working, it wouldn’t send my posts to my blog. I could still do it, it just took some extra steps. I miss my blog. I like ranting and raving like a lunatic.  So, since it’s summer and I have a little more time than during the school year, I have been looking for some replacement.  I found it – OpenLiveWriter. It’s open-source, which makes me happy. It looks like Windows Live Writer used to, which I like.  (It may be the exact same thing, which I don’t care, really where it comes from.) This is my test to see how well it works. If it works like I hope it will, brace yourself. I’ve got LOTS of stuff rolling around in my head.

If You Give a Curvy Girl Curly Fries. . .

If you give a curvy (feel free to read that as fat) girl curly fries. . .

                She’s going to eat them. She will also eat the broccoli, because it’s good for her, but she’s going to eat the curly fries.  Then, she may ask the server for cheese sauce for the curly fries.

                After she eats the curly fries with cheese, she’s going to feel guilty, so her friend will talk her into a bicycle ride.  She will try to ride the stationary bicycle and watch her friend on the elliptical, all while trying not to gossip. (Although this fat girl may begin to wonder how it is she even has a friend who can ride? Use?  Whatever the word is for what someone does on an elliptical. Honestly, most of her friends prefer cake.)  After she rides the bicycle for 5 miles, she will feel like her legs are jelly and she will be all sweaty. . .

She will hobble back to her room covered in sweat. Because she’s so sweaty, she will need a shower.  After she takes a shower, she will be exhausted, because she didn’t sleep well for the last two nights. So, she’ll try to take a nap. Because her hair is wet from the shower, it will get flat and dry funny because she’s lying on it.  She will get up, and have weird hair from both the attempted nap and because she has ridiculous baby fine hair that won’t do anything when it’s freshly washed anyway. . She will try and fix the weird hair, by wetting it and trying to dry it properly.  It won’t work.

Because she rode the bicycle and attempted to take a nap, she won’t have time for dinner.  She will go to her meeting with weird hair and feel strange the whole time. She will go to dinner after the meeting with her friends, still feeling strange about her hair. It will be late, so they will have to eat at the IHOP.  She will want pancakes, because DUH it’s IHOP. She will eat half of her best friend’s pancakes, which will make her feel guilty and think about a bicycle ride. . . 

You know you’ve seen them. . .

I know you’ve seen them. I don’t know how you feel about them, but I know you’ve seen them.  I don’t like them.  There, I said it. I don’t understand them and I don’t like them at all.  I don’t hate them with a white, hot burning hate, but I just don’t like them. It’s none of my business if you want one, but I don’t even like looking at them.
What, you may ask, are these items of my distaste? Think about it. You’re driving down the road and all of a sudden on the vehicle (read mini-van) in front of you, appears a family.  A stick family on a car.

 One day, I was with a bunch of ladies from church and I’m not lying, the entire back of the van was COVERED with stick people. It must have been grandchildren.  They were EVERYWHERE on the back of that minivan. 
There are all kinds of stick families. Superheroes.  Zombies. Families with Disney ears. Feet. Flip flops.  People with hobbies – golfing dads, soccer playing kids, cheerleaders. . . You can find any kind of stick family you want.

If I were forced at gunpoint to pick one, I’d pick this one:

 This one makes me laugh.

I saw this one the other day:

But, I think my all time favorite is this one:

 And then there’s this:

I bet I could really find this one in Polk County!

For some reason, the stick families just creep me out.  I get it, it’s not really my business. You may not like my JoyFM sticker or my AWANA “Kids Matter to God” sticker but hey, that’s my thing. Your stick family may be your thing.   But, every time I see one, I cringe!

This one made me snort: