Doll hospital.

All the nekkid baby dolls have found their way to the nursery. Also know as doll Gitmo. Children are unkind to the dolls here... Unless there's a new sibling coming, at which time the child in question is very careful about how to hold a doll, and said child will usually be found rummaging in the diapers because 'baby needs change'. (This lasts about a month)

Otherwise... These dolls never stood a chance. From the 'bad' doll who had an arm almost ripped off to every baby held upside down while someone tried to snip off their fake eyelashes with the safety scissors they managed to squirrel away from the supply cabinet. No chance. At all. 

After working there for about a month and a half, I got very tired of nekkid dolls. So one by one they disappear from the nursery for a bath, surgery if necessary, and a fitting. 

 

The dress pattern for the two dolls [left] is from Ravelry; it's the Kaia Baby Dolly pattern by Rachel Evans.

The sweater didn't turn out the way the pattern and accompanying picture suggested it would... this could have been me missing some stitches somewhere. It's called Ribbed Baby Jacket by Debbie Bliss. Both patterns are free ravelry downloads.

certification lines in the sand

recipricocity of teaching certificates

The things one discovers when one is applying for out of state jobs... Aparently, my certification is good everywhere except the state of Indiana. Live and learn. I'm curious to know why, since PA has one of, if not the most rigorous licencure programs in the country. Was there something we missed?

(Almost) 20 things to do while active monitoring

Talk about the state tests is revving up. Test day is looming on the horizon.

Active monitoring is becoming the byword in all faculty lunchrooms. No zoning out, checking messages on a phone, grading papers... Just walking around a room. Watching students take a test. In point of fact, it's a reportable offense to even have your phone vibrate while giving the test. All phones are supposed to be off and making no noise. Whatsoever.

In the spirit of active monitoring, and making no noise whatsoever while walking around the room watching students take tests… And also, in all honesty, the spirit of fun I give you… Not even remotely close to 20 things to do while active monitoring.

1. Imagine who you would be friends with, if you were this age, at this school. 

2. Imagine what each student would be if they were an animal. Not based on personality, but physical features. 

3. Most classrooms have teacher assigned student  jobs. Imagine this group of students got stranded on a desert island... Now instead of paper passer or lunch count, what kinds of jobs would be handed out? Ie: shelter builder, firewood collector, hunter, resident artist...

4. Think about compelling answers to 'would you rather...?' questions, such as:

Would you rather change gender every time you sneezed OR not be able to tell the difference between a muffin and a baby?

5. wear a pedomiter. better still, make it a contest among others also actively monitoring - how many steps can you log walking around the classroom? Winner gets --- and bragging rights.

6. Take your pulse before and after thinking about the most annoying person you know. See if it changes.

7. Look at the items in the room and think about how you might use them in the event of a zombie apocalypse

8. Buy three different flavors of gum. Time them to see which looses flavor fastest.

9. There is a school-wide hide and seek contest with a $1,000,000 cash prize. Think about where on-campus you would hide.

10. ... you could always use this time to whiten your teeth with whitening strips

11. a parade has just burst into the room with all of your favorite animals, people, etc! What animals are in this parade? what song is playing? who isn't there? Are they throwing candy? what kind?

Happy, healthy test taking to you.