happy halloweenies

a cute little punkin...


AND

from hermione & harry

and

a sassy cat

AND

a cute witch and her green faced goblin


AND

fred & wilma

quotes of the day

student #1: you do have nicely sculpted man-boobs.
student #2: you just took that too far.

and

dear student: cuz we be mobbin up in here.
me: yep. (nodding, smiling as i walked to another kitchen)
dear student: ms booth know what we talking 'bout. (walking away)

quotes of the day

student 2 slaps student 1

student 1:  did you see that?????????

student 2:  i'm sorry.  it had to happen. 

 

and

 

(after watching some birth video clips)

community educator: alright guys what did you think?

students:  (groaning & giggling)

community educator:  OK, what was the most shocking thing?

student 1:  it gets HUGE.

student 2:  i din know the placenta look like THAT.

student 3:  bleh. 

community educator: which part?

student 3:  the head. (dramatic pause)  it just....slips out......horrible. 

 

and

 

(after a discussion about recent uses of the cord blood, stem cells and how different cultures treat the placenta)

dear student:  so, like the placenta.  can you sell it? 

some things.

-i am less interested in being a "liked" teacher and more interested in facilitating growth. i think that kind of makes me like the human form of a vegetable.
-witnessing someone waver in their faith is difficult. it seems like it would feel like watching a child flail & splash around in some really strong ocean currents. and not be wearing a life jacket or water wings.
-we were recently informed that we have 40 active gangs on our campus.
-the show "hoarders" makes me so anxious i start biting my nails (which is a disgusting habit i ditched long ago)
-some chiropracters are miracle workers.
-i'm still shocked that all the chilean miners made it to safety. flabbergasted, really. i was SURE something awful was going to happen during the rescue.
-it is very important to make every child you come in contact with know that you are aware of them, and that you are happy to see them. even when you really aren't, it isn't important that they know that.
-having the football coach on my side legitimizes my purpose and efforts in many sets of eyes.
-the a&e series "teach" with tony danza warms my heart.
-and most of all....i married an absolute gem of a man. i thank my lucky stars every day that he waited for me.


story: today we were holding the sophomore class meeting in my room during lunch, going over all the specifics for the dr. seuss themed spirit week that is fast approaching when i heard, "jacqueline booth, report to your car immediately. jacqueline booth, report to your car, immediately." i grabbed my keys and stormed out my back door expecting the worst (like all the bashed windshields from my days on nicolet.) i found my security gaurd and AP next to my car, with the trunk open. no broken windows. ahhhh. relief. i accidently left it open after having kids help me haul in bags of groceries during first hour. my security guard motioned toward a corner-dwelling posse about 50 ft away and then motioned to my car and just said, "be careful." i shut my trunk and walked back inside. i knew of few of the corner posse. one was a boy that missed the first couple of days of class because of court, and parole meetings, etc, and one has really bad adhd and is disruptive both in my class, and also with the law, i believe. the first boy has turned out to be an absolute dear. he is helpful, respectful, kind, hardworking and concerned about his grades. i have been so please and so, so impressed by him. the second boy is working hard also, but still gets easily distracted. the first boy was absent today. the second boy was back in class after a week long stint of absenses because he was still. we had the following conversation today.

me: hi, (dear student's name) do you hang out in the corner on the blacktop?
dear student: yah. how you know i be over there with them?
me: oh, i thought i saw you over there.
dear student: yup.
me: will you do me a favor?
dear student: sure.
me: will you keep an eye on my car? its that white one behind the classroom.
dear student: yup, i know. your trunk was open today and one of my friends said we should get it in it and go through stuff. i told him we could get arrested for stuff like that, and so he didn't.
me: thank you so much.
dear student: i got you ms. booth. ill watch it back there.

i got very lucky today. thank heavens he was there.

quotes of the day

dear custodian:  annd NOW they're saying it'll be thursday or friday.  for the rain. 

 

and

 

this sh#t go.  --dear student complimenting the creamy tomato basil soup

and

he goes. --dear student commenting on the art teacher's crepe making abilities.

quotes of the day

dear custodian:  you know, it was supposed to rain today?

me:  oh really?

dear custodian:  yes, and now look at it.  there's rays of sun. 

me:  there is.

dear custodian:  i wouldn't want to be a meteorologist.  the weather will make a liar out of you every time. 

and

dear student 1: ms. kohl cooks?
dear student 2: yah. she a wife.

i am in the midst of my "guest chef" program at school. its a fun thing i started last year where i invite other staff members to demonstrate how to make their favorite recipe for my students. some come on their prep periods. some come with their classes. its a win-win either way, because the students get to see that "everybody cooks," including science teachers, PE teachers, english teachers, etc, and its kind of free advertising for my program when the teachers bring their classes. either way, its super fun.

quote of the day

you have a super-sonic dog nose. --my dearest george

quote of the day

i gawchu.--dear student

fridays we have football games on campus. and when we have football games, the campus gates all get locked, so parents, buses etc can not park in certain areas. well, i park in the back of the campus, and so when i go to leave i have to stop the car, unlock the gate, drive out, stop the car, re-chain and lock the gate. and avoid all the spideys and their webs that are all over that nasty gate. anyway, i started this whole rigamaroll, and after i got out of the car to re-lock the gate, one of our dear football players waved me on and said this. i waved, and thanked him and turned to get in my car. in my rear view mirror i tried look a little closer. he was familiar, but with football helmet on, its super hard to tell who anyone is, from a distance or not. but then i realized it was student A. it was interesting.

quotes of the day

i think we'll have some rain this weekend.  --dear custodian who cleans my classroom (he says this same thing to me every day.  sometimes i wonder if he's testing me or if he really forgets that we've had the same exchange the day before.) 

 

and

 

this be smackin.--dear student on the 6 can chicken tortilla soup

quotes of the day

sidenote: we were called as the CTR 7 teachers. and 7 year olds are frightening sometimes. way scarier than thugged out teenagers. i told my mom what a hard time i was having with them, and the following conversation ensued:

me: man, being a primary teacher is the quickest way to scare someone into waiting to have kids.
mom: how old are they?
me: 7.
mom: bummer. i swear 7 is the adolescence of childhood.

on sunday, our class was particularly small, and the sunbeams were all present, and their teacher was not, and so i left george with our boys and went to sit with them during sharing time. no sooner had i sat down than the most darling little child came and plopped himself on my lap. i asked his name, and the name of the little boy sitting next to me. he answered and then said:

i have a wast name TOOOO. (he was very serious, and intense)

the one on my lap told me he liked my necklace and pointed to my eyelashes, but told me that my hair was a mess. he snuggled into my arms for the rest of sharing time. annnnnd, i absolutely melted. the one next to me would pat my leg periodically throughout the lesson, and the one on my lap just continued to snuggle.

apparently, children are not always scary.

quotes of the day

yah. because apparently dreams are possible in UT --jules (ps--if i quoted this wrong, please correct me. =) )

and

yah....i'm about ready to go. i think we've got everything we need. --dear george, nonchalantly looking over his shoulder. i looked in our cart to find a ceramic cat-shaped toilet brush holder, a stuffed rabbi and a menorah, all at different points during our BBB shopping excursion.

quotes of the day

i farrrrr-ted. i farrrrrr-ted i farrrr-ted. --dear student as he was skipping through my classroom.

and

don't make me bomb you. --dear 9th grade student to another

upon my starting to laugh and asking for an explanation he told me that another student told him that he "spoke good terrorist," and that he should, "be a terrorist for halloween."

veggie quesadilla lab

today i had my kids make veggie quesadillas. this is one of the most rewarding labs that we do. when i tell them we will be shredding up home grown veggies, namely zucchini, carrots & a leek, mixing it with cheese & chopped cilantro, and squirting lime juice over the top before melting it between a folded tortilla, they are ALWAYS skeptical. BUT, they always LOVE the result and end up asking for seconds & thirds. it is so fun to watch.

here is some beautiful produce from the THS farm on the south side of campus

and

the taste testing of tomatoes set up.

every lab they have to compelte a "nutrition check" where they practice reading the food labels, and listing the most prominent nutrition factor. this nutrition check is a little different....the kids had to try the different color tomatoes and compare and judge the flavor. the red one was store bought, and the beautiful orange, yellow & green zebra tomatoes were grown on site.

makes me want to garden real bad.

(ps, i wish i could post photos of my students, but that is illegal. so, photos of our produce will have to do.)

quote of the day

Splurge on experiences, not stuff.-- this darling girl whose site i stalk.  i've never met her, but read her blog.  her name is gail.  (don't judge me.  or do. whatever)

quotes of the day

peek-a-boo --dear albert (or elmer, as me, mom & george had been calling him) he was my grandpa's dear old, feeble roommate at the care facility, who sometimes sleeps with his sheet and blanket pulled over the top of his head. this was his greeting for the nurses when they came to give him some medication when I was watching conference with grandpa.

and

grandpa: thats a nice hat.
me: what did you just say?
grandpa: this is a good set.
me: ohhhh (laughing)
grandpa: what?
me: i thought you said "thats a nice hat"
grandpa: quiet giggle.
me: and i didn't know how to tell you that president monson was not wearing a hat at all.

quote of the day

i wonder if this be what heaven smell like up in here.  --dear student on the lovely smell of baking cinnamon rolls

quote of the day

me:  i'm passing around bags of wheat, wheat flour and cracked wheat for you to see the difference

dear student:  hahah.  crack. 

witness to sweetness.

student A:  last week, "student A" was added to my class.  he was a senior football player, who had a smart mouth, and questioned every single direction i gave him.  he was expectant and somewhat arrogant.  NOT my favorite type of class addition. 

 

student B:  she has been in my class from the beginning. her mother is schizophrenic and bi-polar.  her father is autistic.  she is smart and dilligent and a talented cartoonist from what i hear, but also has very few social skills.  her hygiene has been problematic in the class, and  her ability to interact with and communicate effectively to others is not "normal."  she doesn't talk much at all, unless she is whispering or laughing to herself as she is staring off in the distance. 

 

last week, after repeatedly asking to put his drink away, put his phone away, get his belongings under the table and having to hear his snide excuse and argument for every request, i had about had it with student A.   

 

i was talking with student B later, and as I walked away, student A quietly mentioned I mispronounced student B's name.  i thanked him and carried on. 

 

TODAY i was buzzing around each kitchen as they made their banana crumb muffins.  after student A learned that this was NOT an "easy A" class, he visited his counselor to put in his class change request.  he kindly let me know that he'd be officially  transferred out later that day.  we both seemed to tolerate one another much better after this information was out in the open.   

 

i helped student B stir some ingredients, and then her group members continued with the recipe.  i brought her some towels to fold and continued helping other groups.  there were a few students sitting down as they waited for their muffins to bake.  students A & B were sitting close to one another. 

 

i kept a curious eye on student A as he started small conversations  with student B.  he mentioned something about her outfit, and motioned to her jeans that were tucked into her socks.  a few students looked as though they'd start laughing, but student A wasn't laughing.  i casually came by the table and gave some cleaning instructions to the others, to get student B out of the spotlight and kept an eye on them as I walked away. 

 

student A kept quietly speaking with student B, when the audience dispersed.  poitnting to her shoes socks.  someone must have questioned what was going on, because student A answered, "what.  me & (student A's name) go way back."  everyone else got preoccupied with their muffins at this point.  

 

and then i saw a sweet, quiet moment.  student A started tying student B's shoes.  inconspicuously.  not together, like i feared at first.  but just tying them.  so her laces wouldn't be all over the place.  he might have untucked her socks a little too, i don't remember.  all i know is he finished one shoe, and she walked away without saying anything.  then when she came back to the table, she patted her chair, motioning for her to put her other foot up there.  without looking at him, or really acknowledging him, she put her other shoe up.  he tied it neatly in a bow, and tucked the laces in so they won't flop all over the place.  and then patted the top of her shoe and she walked away again.  

 

i don't know if anyone else saw.  i don't know how well these two know one another.  i dont really know much.   but i saw a sweetness and a kindness where i had only seen obnoxious, smart-alecky arrogance, before.  

 

i don't really know what to say.  im just glad i was a witness to it. 

quotes of the day

me:  that looks beautiful! on a perfect, golden waffle, with a sliced tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of syrup

dear student #1:  aww, miss.  YOU taught me how to make it beautiful.

dear student #2:  you are such a F&$%#*! kiss a$$.

dear student #1:  SO?  that be my grade, right there. 

and

MISS!! can i help you with that? --dear student whom i've never met, but that saw me struggling with an armful. she took half the load from my arms and opened the door for me at my classroom. (sigh.)

and

miss...can i have a paper plate? i want to take this home for my mom. --dear student on his fresh, golden brown waffle

quotes of the day

me:  and then put some parchment paper on there before you put the biscuits down.

dear student:  WHERES THE PARKING PAPER???

 

and

 

this BANGIN!!! --dear student on his honey mustard salad dressing\

 

and

 

i done with the terms and it aint even 11 yet. --dear student on his work progress 

 

and

 

dear student:  ms. petty, did you hear about the robberies that have been happening at atms?

me:  no, whats been happening?

dear student:  a guy, wearing a black hoodie & mask been walking up behind people and robbing them at night.  you should be careful.