Happy Birthday, sumi!!!!

Tracking is definitely valuable in high school, and I can see it's value for math as young as 7th grade. Earlier than that, though, I think it's generally a bad idea.

Totally agree with this. My school starts math tracking in 7th grade and our math scores show the advancement by both gifted students and not-so-gifted students. The gifted ones really soar and the struggling students get more individualized attention and grow faster. Seems to work.

t headdesk

I cannot even begin to express how profoundly uncomfortable school has become. I feel a rant coming on, but I will try to restrict it to my LJ.

Rant away Kristin! It will distract me from having been here forever and yet still having over an hour to go.

I'm going to fight my way home through traffic now, but I will rant concisely when I get home. Thanks for the ear, though. {{{DJ}}}

Also, I know that I've missed important things in here today. I will try to catch up when I get home.

I do this, though not with tests: homework only gets half credit if it's in pen. There are some students, like you, that obviously don't need such elementary school tactics, but a pretty significant portion of my students thrive on the structure, and it leads to much less messy and more useful (for me AND them, come study time) work.

My issue with the pen on tests was that I had algebra second period. First period was either gym or band. Either way, it was a class that didn't require me to bring a writing implement. And then there wasn't time to go to my locker in between, and even if I did remember to bring a pencil to first period, I would forget to pick it up at the end of class and bring it to second period, so I just had to borrow something from someone else, and everyone else was already using their pencils, so I ended up with a pen. (I.e., I was a flake. But I didn't think that being a flake deserved being marked down a letter grade on every test.)

In elementary school, I was always in the middle math group. (Well, we only had math groups in second and third grade.) They put me in the top math group at the beginning of second grade, but I was getting so frustrated with it that my mom asked them to move me down to the middle one. I was much happier there.

P_C, 70% juice is better than many (which tend to be 27% juice or less), but it's not that hard to find 100% juice. If you're going to drink juice, drink 100% juice.

You'll probably have to go to the grocery store to find it, though. You usually can't find 100% juice at the gas station or 7-11.

And you might have to get it in bigger containers, rather than handy single serving sizes.

Liv just used her first sign language sign! She brought her milk cup over to me and used the sign for "more." She's not been using many words so this is exciting (to me).

Go Liv! More!

I'm finally out y'all!

See you tomorrow! I have a birthday dinner and drinks! Have a great evening.

who has the bubble wrap? I'm in need of a big bunch. My head is hitting desk something fierce. Ya. fun!