A spooktacular Halloween post

This coming weekend we'll have lots to celebrate. Saturday is, of course, Halloween, and then (in case you stayed out to late...not that that ever happens on Halloween night!) Sunday is daylight savings time, so you get an extra hour of sleep back! Even if you don't like Halloween, everyone loves extra sleep, and it's the one day a year you actually get a bonus hour...so even if you don't use it to sleep. Use it to do something worthwhile!

I'm exceptionally thankful (next month we get our holiday for thankfulness, but it's good to be grateful year round) for this extra hour of sleep, and for the fact that, for at least a little while, it might be light on either my rive to or my drive home from work. More likely this will happen on my drive to work, which is good, because this morning I slept through my alarm clock, and when I finally woke up AN HOUR LATER, I was completely disoriented because it was still VERY dark outside, and WHY ISN'T THE SUN UP EVEN WHEN I'M RUNNING RIDICULOUSLY LATE?!!?

But I digress. Back to the weekend and Halloween. Since I've started teaching, Halloween has become semi-enjoyable again, mostly because students find it amusing (or really weird) when teacher's dress up for Halloween. As I always enjoy amusing (or weirding out) my students, this is a wonderful opportunity!

Also, students dress up on Halloween, which is sort of fun and gives everyone a chance to be silly. This year with Halloween on a Saturday, Friday is that designated dress up day, and our new principal is actually promoting and encouraging kids to dress up, so that will be interesting. But like I said...also totally fun...maybe...I think! ;)

Student Halloween costumes have provided me with many fond memories, including one particular girl who came to school wearing a crushed cardboard box, colored purple, with patches of tin foil and colored construction paper glued all over it. When she finally came to my class that afternoon, I made a couple of (what I thought were) admirable guesses before she sighed and rolled her eyes and said, "Good grief, I'm a robot! Everybody knows that!"

In truth...nobody knew that. But I'm proud of this student for using her imagination and not being afraid to think outside of the box...or inside of the box as the case was that day!

Last year I went to school as Waldo from 'Where's Waldo.' My "adult," "real" Halloween costume was also Waldo, so I pretty much just dressed like Waldo all day which was great, but did make my after work trip to Target a little awkward and interesting. This year I'm going to school as a girl scout. My "adult," "real" Halloween costume is not a girl scout. I won't be shopping at Target in either outfit I think.

One last thing about Halloween that used to be fun at school but no longer is was my passing out of candy for my students. Unfortunately, new, really strict rules about what I can and can't give them now make it impossible for me to do that (wouldn't want to upset anyone's peanut, soy, lactose, gluten, sugar, allergies). Sometimes, there are loopholes around this, but the hassle has really kind of taken the fun out of it.

That said, I will show them this catchy infographic about the most popular trick-or-treat candies by state.

And then I will share with them my following observations:

1. Really Minnesota? 100 Grand? We like those here? I would never really call that my favorite candy but it does beat...

2. REALLY WISCONSIN?? Laffy Taffy?? The sad thing is I know it's true because I used to get dozens of these while trick-or-treating, but I don't like chewy, fruity candies, so I was never a fan. I know they sell these in bags of 1000 for like $5, so I'm sure people get them because they're cheap. But oh man...it was a bad night if I dumped my trick-or-treat bag and saw 100 of those little guys on the carpet!

Of course, anything chocolate was the big trick-or-treat score. We give out Reese's Peanut Butter cups at our house because they're gluten free. And...if it happens like last year and we get no trick-or-treaters...J Word and I don't mind emptying the bowl ourselves.

So there's all your need to know for the Halloween weekend. Make plans...stay safe...have fun...and as always...

Happy Trails,

Four Thoughts for Friday

It's Friday! TGIF to that! Last week was fall break week...just two days with students, a wonderfully inspiring inservice, and then FREEDOM! J Word and I headed down to Wichita to see Oz, spent a fun and restful weekend exploring the city, spent far too much time in the car, so I balanced that out by taking Monday...and suddenly Tuesday felt like I hadn't been to work in AGES (because, well, I kind of hadn't!) Thus, Friday feels like a welcome relief, not because I haven't had off in a while, but because I'm trying to get myself back in a normal routine...and I feel like I need a weekend and a regular Monday to help "reset" out of vacation mode.

Yes...I said I need a Monday morning...but let's not rush into things! First...Happy Friday! Some thoughts as you head into your weekend.

1. This looked like a good idea on HGTV - Admittedly, I like HGTV, and J Word and I watch it together and talk about how reasonable or unreasonable people are being. J Word has great insight into this because he does home renovation and flipping houses, and understands what it really takes to get some of the projects people undertake, finished. HGTV has a lot of cool ideas...but it's also a little bit like Pinterest in that it gives you unrealistic expectations about what your home could (or should) look like. Enter this list CLICK HERE of vocabulary you should understand before watching any HGTV show. It's not to say you CAN'T have what they show you on Love It or List It...it's just to say you should go in eyes wide open!

2. Public Service Announcement - JK Rowling is writing a play, and it's the sequel to Harry Potter Book 7. Ummmmm....what!!??!?!

3. Prop Master - This week I've been creating all kinds of random things for the school play. I generally like playing 'Prop Master,' and occasionally I come up with something kind of cool that I sit back and look at and think, 'Wow! That looks pretty legit!" I felt that way when I found this list of foods that had been "Giantized." CLICK HERE. I feel like, if I made one of these foods I would feel it too was "Pretty legit!" Oh boy...I'm starting to sound like my students. But really...check these out!

4. Who do you cheer for when your team is on a bye week? - These week, my favorite football team is on a bye, and that means I'm left cheering for a host of other random teams on which I have players from my fantasy football team. Consequently, I also get to cheer against certain teams that my players are playing. So football continues to be the king of Sunday at the Laack house. 

I have two fantasy football teams. Our family league is called "Border Battle" because we're split between MN and WI, and because I'm on the wrong side of the border for the team I actually cheer for, my team is named 'Behind Enemy Lines.' The other league J Word and I play in with friends has a bunch of random team names in it, and my team is called "Rodgers That" (despite the fact that J Word - a Vikings fan - drafted Aaron Rodgers before I could). 

If you don't play fantasy football, you may be wondering what all this fuss is about. But here's the funny thing. Last year I chose a "clever" team name, and only about a 1/3 of the league did. This year, most of the rest of the league followed suit, and we have wonderfully creative names like "Madison Rabid Honey Badgers" and "Space Sloths." Our other league has also had funny names...and they're not all hyper-appropriate. The point is, people think about this stuff. People think about this stuff so much that there is now a fantasy football team name generator. CLICK HERE. And they're actually kind of funny. I clicked around it for a while and came up with 'One Season Too Favre," "I got 99 problems but my Kicker's not one," and "Fire Breathing Rubber Ducks." I'm seriously considering using Fire Breathing Rubber Ducks next year! 

  

:)

Happy Trails,

Is hindsight still 20-20 if you're blind? (And other weird questions.)

I thought I was so clever in naming this post...until I Googled looking for an image to accompany the post, and found out it had already been turned into a meme!

If something has already been memed it is not original, and it may have been clever at one time, but it's not clever anymore. Darn it.

Nevertheless...I'll press on to the 'other questions' part of the subtitle, as that's where the real focus of the post is supposed to go (and not on my inherent lack of cleverness). There has been a prevalent question in my class of late that I've gotten better at answering, but has left me wanting to roll my eyes and take a deep breath before answering.

Did you get my mom's email? I love it when students ask me this because I'm never 100% sure what kind of response they're looking for. Sometimes I go with, "Yes...did your mom share with you the response I wrote?" Other times I go with, 'No...why don't you tell me what's going on." Then there's the ever popular, "Yes...and I told your mom I would talk directly with you in class." Which always seems to scare kids. I don't have a problem with parents emailing me at all. I even encourage it if they have questions. But when kids ask questions about their assignment and grades through their parents, it's time to start learning to have their own conversations.

For example, I recently received a variation of this:
          "Dear Mrs. Laack, Little Jimmy doesn't understand why he got a D on his project. Can you please explain. Thanks, Mom" 

To which I responded to the student, and cc'd the mother...because clearly it's the student's question and not the mom's.
          "Dear Little Jimmy, You received a rubric that explained your point breakdown for the assignment. If you have specific questions on the rubric, please bring it back to class tomorrow and I can discuss it with you. Thanks, Mrs. Laack" 

The aforementioned parent then responded (just to me and not to their student).
           "Dear Mrs. Laack, Thank you. I was unaware there was a rubric on this assignment. I'll have Little Jimmy bring it back to school tomorrow. Thanks, Mom." 

End of conversation...kind of. Little Jimmy never did bring his rubric to talk about it in class. When I asked about it, the student seemed suddenly content with the grade and didn't want to discuss it.

I can imagine what the backend of the conversation looked like at home. The parent likely had no idea there was a rubric, just heard their student complaining about the grade...maybe not understanding some aspect of the assignment and therefore not understanding the grade, and so they email me, and then reassure their student that they're finding an answer for them.

But I'm trying to teach communication, so being asked "Did you see my mom's email?" when the student could have used the same breath to ask me the question they had themselves is a totally teachable moment! And I'm subtly, if not slightly passive-aggressively trying to use that moment. My parents used to make us make our own phone calls to schedule appointments, ask questions, etc. I HATED it. I think email is WAY less scary, but I see in today's 21st century world, kids hiding behind the keyboard of their parents much like I preferred my parents to make calls on my behalf. I needed to be taught, and at some point, it became less scary.

I can't imagine I'm that scary of a person...but if I am, then I'm the perfect person to practice on!

So yes students...I got your mom's email. Did YOU get my response?

Happy Trails,

Four Thoughts on Friday...

This week...was not great. Sometimes life comes at you from every angle and by today, when people were asking what they could do to help, my go to response became, "Can you make it Saturday? Because that's all that's going to help right now!" But in between the chaos and burnout and beating my head against the wall were small slivers of "everything is going to be OK." (J Word likes to follow that up with, 'You know why? Because it has to be!" This week didn't necessarily feel that way all the time...but like I said, there were small glimmers.

For example, have you ever read the book 'The Giver"? If not, you should...here's the quick rundown without giving away any of the ending. The book is set in a "utopia" where all things have been regulated and equalized. People don't see in color, don't remember pain and suffering, relinquish all decision making to committees and the government, and entrust all past memories of the world as it used to be to a Keeper of Memories. In the book, a new Keeper of Memories is selected and has to receive all the memories from "The Giver." This transfer happens through a kind of "dream" where the experience is passed between the old guy and the new guy.

Ok...that's not a very good summary...but here's where I'm going with it. These "dreams" are memories...just pure experiences. So it's not so much that he wakes up remembering a whole story that happened, but more that he wakes up suddenly remembering what it feels like to have sun shining on his face, or what it would be like to run through dewy grass. They're experiences.

So...back to my small, glittering hopes from the week. This morning I woke up at about 4:30 dreading the day ahead, and I tossed and turned for a while before finally dozing back off. And after dozing off I had a "dream." But it's not like I normally dream...which is to say it wasn't a little story that played out in my mind. This dream was very much just being part of a moment/experience part of dream. From 5:00AM to 6:00AM as I lay in bed asleep, I dreamed I was sitting on a sandy beach, wrapped up in a blanket with J Word, and we were watching the northern lights. That's it...the whole dream. That's all we did for the whole thing. No talking...nothing going on in the background...just us sitting and watching the northern lights. And when my alarm clock went off at 6:00AM, I woke up and thought, "That is the best dream I've ever had!!!"

The rest of the day was kind of a nightmare, but that dream was super perfect! And it was a small glimmer in what's been a ridiculous week.

1. I'm just trying to understand: J Word has been exceptionally understanding this week as I've ranted and raved and sometimes just decided not to talk because I was sick of talking to people in general. In fact, I will say beyond even this week, he does a pretty good job of understanding me on the whole...which is probably a good thing to say about the person you married. (Somewhere he might be sitting and reading this thinking I'm the most confusing person in the world and make absolutely no sense...in which case, he pretends to understand me really well!) ;) In any case, despite all that, along came this list this week that CLICK HERE identified 23 parts of the female experience that men will never understand. And I laughed because all women know #12 is true...and #14 was an active discussion at our house this week. So there is, at least, a little bit of truth to be told here!

2. Revealing your true self : It's almost time for Halloween, and that means it's almost time for Halloween costumes!! After abandoning the necessity or desire for a Halloween costume for most of my college years (I just never embraced the 'Slutty __(insert nurse/police officer/fire fighter/kitten/etc.) ____ trend), I've come to like it again now that I get to wear something goofy to school and be silly with grown-up friends. (And by grown up I mean past the slutty college costume phase.) This year J Word and I are doing a couples costume...stay tuned for that big reveal. And if you're still stumped as to what you might want to wear, then CLICK HERE for a few ideas for you/your significant other/the two of you together.

3. We need a 12 step program for this: Today there was another school shooting, bringing the total to three for the week. Today we also participated in an active shooter training for our district, and while it's good to be prepared, I couldn't help but think that it's insane that we need to be doing this. We have a gun problem in the US. Some people will say the guns aren't the problem, it's the people with the guns that are the problem...but the fact that those people have guns is a problem too...so really we have a problem with people and guns and...yeah...it's just all very messed up! Every time something like this happens, politicians and community leaders and activists and lobbyists all start screaming about whose fault it is and what we're going to do. Today I'll add my voice to the cacophony. We can't keep pretending that, because we need "good guys with guns" we should do nothing to keep "bad guys from getting guns." If the government has the right to tell a woman what she can/can't do with her body...they have the right to tell people who can/can't have a gun!

4. This song's been in my head all week. Then I read the lyrics and thought, this might be my anthem this week. So this one's dedicated to J Word, and here's to a better week ahead!

Happy Trails,