September Currently

 

 

So I've been a little MIA lately. Last week was In-Service week, and it was brutal. I always get really stressed out when we go over rules and procedures because I'm an incurable rules-follower. I even had a great post ready about my classroom and what it looks like, but I freaked out about posting it because I was afraid I would get in trouble by the cops who are helping our school become safer in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy. See? I'm an incurable rules-follower/worst case scenario imaginer. Then we had to take out another loan to buy a new car because my husband's mode of transportation shucked out on him last minute. Ugh! It was a rough week. But, tomorrow starts a new school year...and I'm pumped!

Back to the September Currently...

1. My husband found out recently that the seminary he is attending in hopes of one day becoming a pastor is closing down after this school year. He has about two years of coursework left before he graduates with his Master's of Divinity (sounds weird and spooky, I know). But, with the school closing in a year, they are working with him/piling on the work so he can graduate in May. This is huge for us because it means we can move back to the Midwest to be near family a year sooner. However, he has to eat, breathe, sleep school for the next 9 months. Ahhhhh! Hence, he's translating ancient Greek on Labor Day. I actually find it kind of fascinating because I love languages and linguistics. He always tries to point out interesting translations to me, which I love!

2. I've been wanting a new school bag for a while now. I saw on another teaching blog how you can take the 31 Gifts utility tote and combine it with a file box to make the perfect teaching bag. I don't have any friends nearby who sell 31, and I didn't want to pay $50 for a teaching bag. So, I decided to concoct my own. I scoured several stores for something that would work, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, and then I made it to Target. I found a nice leatherlike bag and a file pocket with a handle that fits perfectly. The best part of this bag is it has a section that perfectly fits my laptop, and a section that fits the file pocket. The two sections are separated by a GIANT zippered pocket where I can store all my other necessary supplies. It actually ended up costing $45 with tax, but I think I like it even better than the 31 bag!

3. Last night I left the grocery store so proud that I was all ready for school now that I had my meals planned and groceries purchased...and then I remembered I forgot toilet paper...and we were on our last roll...enough said. Sigh. Perfection is not within my grasp, I'm afraid.

4. I'm so excited for the first day of school, which is tomorrow. I.CAN'T.WAIT. This is the most prepared I've ever felt. Ahhhhh...(that's the contented sigh kind of "ahhh")

5. Well, I wrote this one before I came up with my brilliant idea of a pasta salad for this picnic. I always have the ingredients on hand for it. It's going to be fantastic. Here's the link to the recipe.

Love to Myself:

1. I really want to spend more of my free time reading quality books. I gravitate towards TV when I'm tired because reading requires effort on my part. I do love to read and want to inspire my students to read more. My "Mrs. Rhine is Currently Reading..." sign should help keep me accountable.

2. I really need to stop stress eating. I did a lot of this last week because it was an awful week. My husband does this too. We were doing really well on our diets, but need to get back on the wagon this week.

3. I tend to neglect the dishes when I'm tired and busy. I don't have a dishwasher, so I have to do them every day...but I don't always...gross I know. I started getting in better habits towards the end of last school year in this area, and have done an awesome job keeping up with the dishes this summer. I've already done two batches today. Yay me! I get really stressed when my house is messy, so if I keep it clean, I will be much happier!

Happy Labor Day!

Simple Sewing Projects

Today I installed my simple sewing projects in my classroom. Neither project was earth-shatteringly awesome or original, I just needed them to cover up some ugly spaces.

The first one was a fabric panel that needed to be hemmed to cover up the back of my now-exposed bookshelf. I rearranged my teacher's desk area to now include the bookshelf of teaching books I have. I don't have space in a closet or cabinet for these, and I certainly don't have space at home. Before they were facing away from my desk, and I had to get up and walk around the corner of my desk every time I needed a book. I also wanted to cut off student access to that side of my desk. Now they have to come around to the other side...at least they will in theory...somehow they always find a way to get to that side of my desk.

I had this fabric leftover from my old dorm room curtains that one of my roommates in college left behind when she went to student-teach. I don't love the fabric, but I hate spending money on something like this. So I just worked with what I had. I did buy some Scotch brand sticky Velcro squares for about $3.67 at Wal-Mart. I affixed these to both the bookshelf and the fabric. I had purchased them for the other sewing project, and thought it would be an easy way to stick the fabric to the bookshelf and still prevent the bookshelf from being permanently altered. I don't really like these little squares because almost all of the sticky comes off the back when you peel it from the plastic packaging. You have to really show it who's boss if you want all the sticky to come off with the Velcro. I probably would avoid buying this brand again.

It's full of imperfections, but I'm a lazy perfectionist and really don't care. I'm also putting a reading chair in front of this to hide some of the imperfections. Here it is:

The second project I just hemmed a skinny panel of fabric to wrap around the computer cords that were now exposed after I moved the bookshelf.

Here's how they looked before:

Once I got back to school, I wrapped the fabric around the cords in a tube-like fashion and then placed the sticky Velcro squares where I thought they would work best to keep the fabric in place. My goal was to make this stay closed without complicated sewing or button-hole making.

Here's how it looks afterwards:

My husband said it's a little lame (after I asked him for his honest opinion), and I sort of agree. It did fulfill my expectations, though, and will work for now. I kind of hate cords. The cords at my desk have been making me crazy for the past few years, but unless I put my desk with my back to the kids, it won't work any other way. So, I will deal with it in the meantime.




I guess there is really no main point to this post. I'm just showing you that projects don't have to be perfect or dazzling or life-changing or Pinterest-worthy complete with caption reading "50 Teaching Life Hacks. Mind=blown" or some other hackneyed Pinterest comment. Sometimes we just have to make do with what we have and focus on the important aspects of teaching...like the reading curriculum binder that is currently shouting my name. Better get working on that...sigh.