clever kids

 I teach in a middle school and my favorite of the three grades is eighth. But, no matter if it is sixth, seventh, or eighth, there are a few things that us middle school teachers say, on repeat, year after year.

Today, a friend and I were standing in the hall during passing period and I had called out to a group of boys about 20 feet away, "Hey, stop touching each other!"

After I said that, Rachel turned to me and asked, "There are just some things we never stop saying, aren't there," as two kids ran by and I called, "Walk, please!"

I looked back and we both laughed, adding that to the list.

Just then, a student from the first group of boys walked up, and said, "Hey, but I had consent."

Rachel and I looked at him, a little confused, and asked, "You had consent?"

This kid, we'll call him JT, replied, "Yeah, you said stop touching each other. I had consent. That's important, and I had it," he deadpanned.

Rachel I just burst into laughter. This kid is so clever and totally can deliver the jokes - we've both taught him and we have this kind of relationship - and it was just the funniest response I've ever heard to the stop-touching-each-other feedback.

Another day in middle school :-)

Rainbow and Butterflies Friend

It's Thursday, July 7th of summer break. It's 2:52. I'm still in pajamas (cool with it) and also have been watching Plan With Me videos on You Tube for the past hour.

I've been buying Erin Condren notebooks for the past few years, but this year (next month when I have some money) I'm going to be upgrading to the Life Planner. So there has been a lot of research - do I want the horizontal or vertical design? (finally decided on vertical.) What cover? What extras?

Then, I'm on You Tube looking at review videos and I come across these "Plan with Me" videos. At first, I was scoffing at the girls putting all this time (prob hours!!!) designing their planner for the coming week. But then the more I watched, and the prettier the pages got, the more I liked it! My fave one to watch is on a channel called Inspired Blush, check her out!

Then I started following links for stickers. First it was this one. Then I went to this studio. So so pretty. I want all the stickers! (I've always loved stickers, collected them as a kid and still love to buy them now, but never considered it with the planner. The options, seriously endless!!)

So I thought I should share this joy with my friends, so I texted them a video of the You Tube. (Honestly, I knew they would make fun of me, but they love me for it.) They had no idea what 'planning a planner' was, so I told them. Here's their response:

Sorry, I'm the rainbows and butterflies friend.

Who's who in your group of friends?

Any other rainbows or butterflies out there?

currently

Well hey there! It's time for my fave linky of the month, Farley's Currently! It's such a great time to share what is going on with each of us and make new blogging friends!

Good, Good Life is new to Currently, but the blogger behind it isn't. You may already know me from BigTime Literacy! What you don't know is that my blogging roots started here - I began writing as I was completing a Whole 30 food challenge. I loved blogging, but after the challenge ended, I struggled with what most writers do: What do I write about now? I realized I wrote a lot about teaching, which is how I started BigTime Literacy, but I wanted to continue to write here too, sharing my personal stories and pictures of my family and friends. And honestly, writing with less of a filter. My teaching blog is linked up with my school district so I need to keep that much more professional, but sometimes I just want to be funny and drop an F-Bomb - I did get my beginnings teaching in middle school, after all!

I just had the blog redesign done by Kassie at Designs by Kassie and I love it! I hope you'll follow my more personal stories here at GGL!

And now, without further ado, let's get on with Currently!

Listening to...Sugar by Maroon 5

This video has made me absolutely LOVE this song. It's so so so so good (and how how cute is Adam Levine with those glasses?) Last weekend Hektor showed it to me and I seriously watched it like 10 times before the weekend ended. Check it out, I promise you'll love it too!

Loving my new blog redesign!
So I love Kassie - and now that she's done two blogs for me, she totally knows my style! I love the pink and gold, I love the Chicago reference with the little heart, I love glitter - totally cute! What do you think?

Thinking about hosting a book club!
So I was thinking about hosting a virtual book club - it will probably be over on BigTime Literacy, but I heard about this great book at a conference a few weeks ago - Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning. Hattie, the author, did a huge analysis of 1,000s of studies and found the highest-yielding strategies that teachers can use to maximize learning. So, anyone interested? I am doing the Slice of Life writing challenge all of March, but maybe in April or May? Or perhaps summer break? I was thinking we'd all read, and then I'd host a linky every week so people can join in with me!

Wanting Chuy Garcia to make Rahm a #OneTermMayor
It's no secret that Rahm is a 1%er guy who doesn't think with the middle and lower class in mind. Kinda like a lot of the people running our government and it's particularly clear with education in mind. The reformsters want to do away with public schools (Rahm closes 50 and then has plans to open 22 charters in their place?) If you've done any reading of Diane Ravitch, you know all about the downfalls of charters and beginnings of the hopes to privatize public education. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, get Ravitch's book, follow her blog, and look up the Badass Teachers Association. And check out Chuy's education platform here!

Needing the weather to warm up!
I'm so over the cold and crappy weather. Days of no sunshine and grey skies - I want them behind me! February in Chicago has been so cold, so I'm hoping for a warm up in March. I feel like spring and summer are so far away...how will I ever make it to Spring Break (which doesn't start till Easter!)

Spring Break Plans
No plans to travel - so I'm happy to be home and relaxing and spring cleaning! Just found out that I'm going to Spain in 2017 with a former student and my best friend and her students - so as far as travel plans, I'll take that!


And before I go, just have to share a super funny meme I found on Instagram:

If you don't follow @teachermisery, get on it. Whoever runs that account posts the most hilarious things! Seriously though, what a complete waste of web space and news! Did you know this made World News last night? Really....there's nothing better going on?

I hope you'll follow my blog! And make sure you head over to Farley's blog and link up your Currently!

Happy Sunday!

Hamburger Proposal

I totally need to be better at this blog! I go back and fourth with BigTime Literacy wondering if I should just put everything there, but I kinda like this personal one for my family and friend stories, too!

I have a story that I just want to get down so I don't forget before it's too late!

Last night I was at H's house and we were making dinner together. First of all, how great is that? Making dinner with the person you love more than anyone?

But, I digress...

We sat down to eat our spaghetti and Entertainment Tonight was still playing. So we're talking about Kim and Kanye's Vogue cover and other celebrity gossip and then a White Castle commercial comes on. In the commercial, a couple was sitting down to eat with their "hamburgers." (Food status of those hamburgers: questionable.)

The girl opens up the little box to her Slider and there's an engagement ring in the bun. I start laughing and say something like, "NoMG" (This is a new term - like no + omg? hahahha)

Anyways, as I'm saying this, Hektor is saying, "Awwwhhh man, they took my idea!" and so here we are joking about engagements.

I say, "You better not!" to which he replies, "How do you know that involves you?"

Touché!

I reply, "It better involve me!" and we both laugh.

We're at a good place. Joking around about engagements. I love it!

sidenote: Told my mom this story and she said, "You better take an engagement and a ring in any bun that he wants to give it to you!" Hhahhaaa. Love you mom!

Even better - a McChicken! I will not be posting this on facebook should it happen to me!