Monday

[velvetpage]

I hate coming back to work after a holiday.

My kids are either way too quiet or way too hyper, depending mostly on how much sleep they got last night. I've sent two of them to the office for speaking out, and also the rude nature of what they were saying. My desk, which was spotless on the afternoon before the holiday, is once again covered with stuff, some junk, some important, some needing attention they're unlikely to get.

I've just found out that I have to rework my literacy plans for the whole week because lit groups are cancelled tomorrow. If I have enough warning, this can be a good thing, but this is not enough warning. I'll dig something up to do with the social studies lesson from today. (I taught them about pre-history, hunter-gatherer societies, and how nomads became settled peoples. It was a really cool lesson, actually. The problem I left them with was interesting: Imagine you're a herder in the ancient world, before the invention of writing. You've received a messenger from another herder three days' walk west of you, asking to buy eight cows. The problem is, you don't trust this messenger, and you don't have anyone else you can send. It's too far to go yourself since you have no one to leave with your herds. How can you make sure the messenger isn't cheating you? I'll be interested to see what they come up with.)

I've been asked by my principal to become the lead literacy teacher for the junior division. This is good; added responsibility, yes, but also added professional development which will mostly occur during the school day. I think I got chosen because one other person turned it down, but I can't be sure. In any case, I would be going to most of the inservices anyway because I'm not up-to-date on a lot of the literacy initiatives; so much stuff was released during my mat leave or while I was teaching a different age group. So this simply means I go to in-services I wouldn't normally be eligible for.

One of my kids went on Ritalin or something similar today. I haven't been told this by anyone; the difference in his behaviour today was so marked, I asked two other teachers who know him to watch him during the assembly, and they both confirmed that he was much, much more settled than usual. The parent is testing me to see if I'll notice a change, probably. So about Wednesday, I'll call home and let her know how happy I am with his behaviour - he's working so well this week! I wonder if she'll come clean about the meds? Frankly, whether she does or not, the fact that they're there will be a positive change. It's enough to know that SOMETHING has changed.

I have to figure out what kind of busy work to create for the non-lit period tomorrow. *sigh* I've got a chapter clamouring to get out of my brain, but I'll have to tell it to be quiet for a few hours yet.

Comments

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

re: cows problem.
I wonder how many will answer with something about smoke signals?
For tomorrow, get them to design a prehistoric signalling system :D

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Tomorrow, they're making models of early communications about trade from modelling clay. Basically, that paranoid herder decided to make one little clay ball for each animal and encase the balls inside one bigger ball, which he then baked to harden it. The second farmer broke the ball and counted the little pellets to find out how many head of cattle had been sent. The progression to writing from that point was not too difficult.

If the ancient nomads of North America had decided on clay balls instead of smoke signals, civilization would have developed here first. :) Still, it would be a good solution. The problem had them talking all day.

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read "Pretender" by Piers Anthony? re scribes and sealed tablets?

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I don't recall it. What was the punch line?

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

Difficult to describe. It was one of the ones where he's taken historical fact and woven SF/fantasy into it.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I would almost certainly enjoy it then.

I have an absurd number of books being added to my to-read list at the moment. I guess it just got one longer. :)

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

I suggest you add his "Hasan" and "Steppe" also.

His "Tarot" series is stronger meat than "Xanth"...possibly PG/R .... but if you want to see politics in action try the 5 novels of "Bio of a Space Tyrant"