Day 4 of break and my sleep schedule is wrecked. Sigh.

It is 6° outside. There is nowhere that we need to go. Me and this very delicate, older lady are going to read a book.

‘I don’t know what to do!’ cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath ... ‘I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!’ A Christmas Carol, Stave 5

For today's last lesson before break, my coteacher and I planned a debate on the texts we've been reading. They loved it and I have 2 emails asking for this to happen again. From SENIORS. No movies. No parties. No free time. AMEN.

Today is a cupcake breakfast day. It was needed. School ends at 1:30 and the teenager and I need to be on amtrak before 5. Pray for us.

Got a vocal mist nebulizer with some leftover FSA money. Worth it.

Teaching is a profession that often seems to be trying to kill you, but other times that complex, crazy human community we call a school has a miraculous ability to give you exactly what you need to go on. What a strange and trying and absolutely beautiful thing to do with your life.

Every time I pray to St. Anthony, I bet he turns around and prays about me to St. Jude.

This week I had to remind some gentlemen scholars that we shouldn't say "get off my d*ck" to each other, to anyone at school. Now they're saying "get off my reproductive device" and that somehow feels worse.

Having a night where I keep reminding myself that I will find it in the last place I look, but like it would be nice if the last place was right now.

I need clanker as an insult for people who rely on AI/LLMs to take off.

"Rock paper scissors me, miss? If you win, I'll go to class." 😵‍💫😬😮‍💨

I am daily under attack by targeted ads for clothing that I think is for me, but is actually for toddlers.

Ugh, why does remaking this lofted bed always take 30 minutes and a break? 🥲

Honestly, I take a cab home sometimes just so I can get a 20 minute nap in peace

Okay but seriously why am I expected to teach anything in December? I should just come back in January at this point.

I am not and will never be a boy mom, but I still cry every time my grown son calls me with an update because he really is out there taking care of business and I am so proud. Sorry if this gives anyone the ick.

Structured study hall really is one of the best things I've added to our 12th grade curriculum.

I don't want the smoke. Not today, but y'all. Some of you teachers need to remember that it may not be cold to you, but it is to kids. You get to stand and move around your classroom freely, whereas the children are stuck in their seats.

It was an absolute dream. I WILL teach them the skill of Library Time! They don't have to like it, but I think a lot of them did.

Okayyyyy Smoothie Guy

Today is the first day of Senior Study Hall and I cannot contain my excitement.

I'm going to be sad when they finally finish whatever construction is going on at the Bx County Courthouse- the little lights in the scaffolding are magic.

Every single day, I understand why Jesus flipped tables

On an almost daily basis, I think about the member of ny city government who told me he could help me get a grant for a computer lab or technology project before he would ever help me build a library. You know, because reading isn’t trendy or cool.

Pleased to be the recipient of the inaugural FIFA Teacher Just Organized Enough to Get Through Another Week Award Trust me, I deserve it 🏆

So anywaysssss the transit police operation going on today is wild because it is COLD AF. Hope y'all are proud of writing your little tickets for people just trying not to freeze to death and can't pay the fare.

Ever since the summer, we have had a singing lady. On a nightly basis, she does singing/warm-up exercises (badly) for several hours. This still better than Return of the Mack man in our last apartment.

Apparently Questbridge results went out yesterday, so now my ⏰️ app feed is full of happy, first gen kids. Yeah, needed that.

Today's bulletin board- everybody was in their seat and ready by the end of soft start. My poor, broken brain felt so good.

Arcade Fire still makes my heart soar

Why does this whole block smell like turkey?

I mixed up Sheryl Lee Ralph and Cheryl Hines just now, and if that isn't the most Barbara Howard behavior... 😅

Moving home to avoid the loneliness of nyc lockdown and spending the summer reading in the hammock with my childhood dog. She would lay her little head over the edge to bark at the squirrels. She went over the rainbow bridge that summer and I cherish every moment I got with her.

I love coming home from a trip, ordering from our neighborhood place, and immediately doing all the vacation laundry.

Important to keep in mind that people have been saying "kids these days" for as long as there have been days, and "students these days" for as long as there have been schools

We had dinner at 4 for the old folks and now that they have gone home, we can have second dinner.

I don’t know who is ready to hear this but people don’t have to add value Like people should also be allowed to exist for free

I am so sorry for coming on here to complain about it, but after a half hour of struggling to get stranger things to play... we have video and no sound. @netflix.com is a joke

I really wish we'd stop calling them climate "skeptics" or "vaccine skeptics", if you jump off a cliff we don't call you a "gravity skeptic"

Literally buying one copy of a book at your local indie bookstore can mean the difference in whether they buy future books from that author.

Anddddddddddd DONE. All the lessons and activities are planned and scheduled for the remainder of 2025. 🙌🙌🙌

The Christmas teaching resources are already descending. I love Jesus, but for the love of God- stop.

My Brother: I think I'm getting sick... Me, a Teacher: DON'T COME DOWN HERE! I have not made it to Day 53 of the school year for you to stop me now! 😷😵‍💫

In a fit of hyper focus, I have now updated and planned the first 3 weeks of my Just Mercy unit including slides and scheduled assignments. I do not subscribe to working off the clock, but December me is going to love drinking my coffee and chilling on my prep and just going home every evening.

You can’t make me engage in Pie Discourse. I refuse. Y’all need spiritual healing.

Maybe it's me being petty, but I've started putting the exact time down to the second that shared reading will take.

I'm not sorry, I will always call it NPR Book Concierge and it is UP for 2025!