Christmas Gifts

Andi S. gave me a 2 liter bottle of Coke; Kyndall A. gave me a jar full of hot chocolate mix and marshmallows, and Olivia R. gave me a package of Christmas tree Peeps.  Thank you for your kind gestures.

Exam Review

Students are spending the next two days reviewing for semester exams in all of their classes.  This is the first year exams have taken place before Christmas vacation since I've been working here, 1998.  I think this a better schedule and look forward to starting a new semester when we return from break.

Christmas Rock Friday

Since it's our last Friday before Christmas, I've been working in some Christmas rock videos between assignments and quizzes today.  Check out Stryper's "Winter Wonderland" and Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas in Sarajevo."  Especially fun to watch is the TSO video where the song controls the lights on someone's house. 

Speech Projects

Seniors in SPE 111 have finished their research papers and multimedia projects regarding various aspects of online safety.  Some students did audio public service announcements; some did Power Point presentations, and others did videos.  Keep an eye on the district website to see the finished projects.

Early Dismissal

Early dismissal today!  After the students leave at 2:20, we're headed to the Elementary School for our annual Christmas party.  I look forward to seeing colleagues from the other buildings, the musical entertainment from the Community Cantata, and of course, the junk food!  I'll be contributing some Oreos to the buffet . . .

Verb Tenses

English 1A Students are having an absolute blast learning the twelve different verb tenses.  Did you detect the sarcasm?  Even though verb tenses might not be their favorite things to study, they're learning pretty quickly and should have them conquered by the end of the week.

Christmas Shopping

My family and I went to Champaign on Saturday to finish our Christmas shopping.  First, we went to Target, and it was an absolute madhouse!  Never again!  Traffic was a nightmare as well.  The best part of the whole day was having supper at Outback Steak House.

Smart Phone

I finally made the leap into the society of smart phone users, but I don't know if I like it all that much.  I know I'll dislike the increased monthly bill, but the providers are really pushing you into the smart phones and data plans.  Also, there's a bit of a learning curve involved.  I'm not a fan of Apple products, but I guess I just need to get over it.

Poetry Projects

Students in English II just finished their Poetry Analysis Poster Projects.  In this project, students choose a song, identify poetic elements, interpret lyrics, and provide background information on the band and/or the song.  We heard a lot of good music and learned about poetry at the same time.

Strange Word

In studying principal parts of verbs in English 1A, I've discovered some commonly misused words.  One in particular stands out, and its misuse is not limited to our Central Illinois area.  In fact, I heard an anchor on a national TV morning show misuse this word today before I came to school. 

Snuck.

No, you should say "sneaked" as the past tense of the verb "to sneak."

Snuck.
Snuck.
Snuck.

Sounds strange, doesn't it?

Chuck the Ball

My big Cubs ball fell apart; the Bears football isn't in very good shape; I never liked the Illini football, and Wolfgang is pretty worn too. The condition of these toys isn't surprising, considering how often I play Chuck the Ball with my students.  I recently bought a new baseball from Dollar Tree and another from a store called Rally House in Kansas City.  The Dollar Tree ball is rounder and a little heavier, but the Rally House ball has a Royals logo on it.  I'm not sure which I like better, but I plan to use them both quite frequently.

Freshman Speeches

Students in English IA are doing their second speech today and tomorrow.  The first speech, sharing a personal experience, was a couple of weeks ago.  This speech is about their favorite holidays.  Christmas has been getting the most speeches, but Independence Day is pretty popular too.