Modify that puppy!!
One of my student’s dad is a teacher project dream come true. He came last year and cut foam bricks for our castle walls on a Saturday. At the beginning of this year he told me to call him for any projects I need help with. I knew he would respond when I sent an email out to all the parents of the school asking for help to dig out the area we need for our simulated archeological dig site. It’s a pretty big project and there was no way I was going to finish in time without help.
The email went out today. I was pleasantly surprised when the school secretary came to my room to let me know that this dad was on the phone and was very excited about the new project. Did I have a shovel at school and could he come dig right now?
He came on out and borrowed a shovel from the produce store that backs up to the school’s backyard/playground. When school was over I went out to where he was digging to come up with a battle plan with him and to show him what I needed.
Later, when I had been home for a while he called me to further stragegize. I had thanked him several times for being a life saver and I was opening my mouth to close the call with another thank you when he said,
"Thank you so much for letting me dig!"
There was a pregnant pause and I answered, "Your……welcome?"
We both cracked up laughing. I think his occupation is more of a thinking job. He works out at the gym to stay fit but would rather do physical labor that has a purpose.
Class over the last two days has been a blast.
Sent from my iPad
Modify is not a word that kids really use much. So when I you start talking about words modifying other words I might as well turn the Peanuts teacher voice key, cause the ones that don’t get it can’t hear words anymore.
Yesterday the solution came to me and my kids easily learned to be comfortable with the word modify.
"I am going say a word, when I say the word you are all going to automatically have a picture of it in your head but everybodies picture will be different. When I point to you I want you to say one word that will modify everybodies picture."
"Puppy."
"C—, change the picture that is in everybody’s head, modify that puppy!"
"Huge!"
"How many of you had chiuaua’s? C—- just modified the picture in your head. She changed it, right? Modify just means to change."
They lit up my room with their radiant brilliance. One girl was physically affected, she jumped in her seat as though hit by lightening, "OH! I get it!!" Her hand shot into the air in hopes of getting a chance at our new game.
"D—–, modify that puppy!"
"Soft!"
We all felt the mood in the room shift as we imagined burying our hands in that huge soft puppy’s fur.
More hands.
"A—–, modify that puppy!"
"One-eyed!"
There was actually a collective "Oooohhh" for our poor puppy.
I can’t believe none of us thought of miraculously healing our puppy with a simple modification to his eye. Ah well, another day.
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In Sandy soil I plant this seed, If even only I do heed.
In death is life; won’t be denied, grown by tears of sorrow cried.
The truth is harsh, the babes are dead, I’ll hold mine closer in their stead.
It’s all I have and know to do. I don’t admit those lives are through.
I will not waste this plot of land, it will not wither ‘neath my hand.
Come here my Love, look in my eyes,
Do you know how dear you ar
e to me….?