Did you know that there’s a wasp that looks like a panda? A snake that can run over the water? A fish that seems to be wearing lipstick? Discover these unique animals and many more in Weird and Wonderful Animals (Sterling). In fact, you can win my copy!
To enter this week’s random drawing, submit a comment to this blog by Thursday, May 7, to share one weird or wonderful thing that’s happened to you this week. It can be serious or silly, factual or farcical. No rules! (Update: congratulations to Melanie, who is hte winner of our prize.)
Take a look at these helpful diversions, too. You’ll be glad you did!
Advancement Courses has several free online micro courses available, and each comes with three PD hours at no cost. Choose from Launching Online Learning, An Exploration Into Social and Emotional Learning, Building a Leader, and more. Sign up here.
Parents will be glad to know about Bright by Text, which sends free literacy-related texts a few times per week. Designed for children up to age 8, families receive free activities, games, and resources targeted to their child’s age. The service is available in English and Spanish. Click here to check it out or text READ to 274448 to sign up.
Keep students current on STEM topics with Science News for Students. Designed for grades 3-8, students learn about science jobs, experiments, competitions, and more. Visit sciencenewsforstudents.org.
Looking forward to hearing about your weird and wonderful incidents!
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| Karen |
PS: Speaking of wonderful, I’m sure you agree that prizes are wonderful. The latest issue of Learning magazine has 128 prizes for teachers. Enter here.
100% of 3rd graders at Jamesville Elementary School no know that “Mexican” is not a language!
I was invited to serve on a steering committee to help families dealing with mental health issues.
The weird thing that happened to me this week is 2 different chairs were shipped in the same box that were supposed to match! It was crazy!
I scheduled Zoom meetings with 9 – 4th grade students. Three joined and we had meaningful conversation. One emailed me the day after asking me why she was waiting for me. I told her it was yesterday and there was no reply back. The other 5 children never responded??? So much for technology!
Three of my families sent me photos of my students on Classtag! It was so wonderful to see their smiling faces!
I have found out that Zoom learning, while not perfect, works pretty well!
I saw humans in my neighborhood. I live at the end of a dead end street. Throughout this stay at home shelter in place time I began to realize I don’t see my neighbors at all. This week taking the trash out I finally saw a human neighbor. It was so nice.
My husband usually had our afternoon meal waiting for me when I got home. Now I have the meal waiting for him. He’s an Essential Worker and I’m on lock down. So I’ve been able to make his all times favorites, plus make some old family recipes and some new ones. He’s enjoying being on the recipient end.
The staff of my school did an Earth Day roadside cleanup. While working, a man yelled out,
“What are you looking for?” When I explained what we were doing, all he could ask was, “Do you want any bags?” We had the usual blue ones filled up and down the road. HHMM…wonder why he didn’t come out to help.
I discovered that the best surprise is a hand made card tucked into a class work packet, telling just how much my student loves and misses me too.
I was out doing yard work and saw a large beautiful yellow butterfly and a big yellow bumble bee flying around my azalea bush. The two were feeding on the nectar in close proximity of each other. The two yellow insects really stood out on the bright fuchsia flowers!
My daughter decide all those mailboxes need to go to good use and started making cars to play with and in.
It snowed in Ohio!!
The weirdest thing ever happened to me this week. I discovered that ants can enter your house through an electrical socket. Creep me out!
It’s wonderful that I’ve been able to chat without 17 out of my 21 students on Zoom! Hoping the rest will join a chart one of these days!
I was making dinner, and glancing out the window at yet another snowstorm, wishing it would be warmer outside and I might get to see some bugs and butterflies. I pour my egg noodles into the boiling water, and at the bottom of the bag are these random pieces of green, bug-shaped pastas pieces! There were only about a dozen or so, obviously a processing/packaging error. But, nonetheless, I got my wish…I got to see some bugs in April!
That’s really quite amazing, Liana. Good for you!!!
I discovered if the top of your pajamas looks like real clothes and you angle your web cam correctly, you can basically stay in jammies all day without anyone knowing. Shhh! 😉
It’s been in the upper 90s already here in South Texas. Tomorrow it’s supposed to reach 101. It’s only April! Ugh!!!
One weird and wonderful thing that happened to me is that my little blended family have been bonding over playing board games every night for almost two weeks! It’s been a fun learning experience for us 🙂
Zoom meetings!
My friend kept hearing a cricket chirping in her hallway. She looked for it for two days but couldn’t find it anywhere. I didn’t know anything about her struggle, but when I went to her place to drop something off for her I casually mentioned how it sounded like one of her smoke detectors had a low battery. Mystery solved! Haha.
In line with animals, a beautiful hawk has been visiting the pole between my two bird feeders! Amazing what you see when you’re working from home. Shared pics with my students online.
The neighborhood rabbits have returned.
It’s been wonderful weather and I could do some work outside. I also got to facetime with our grandson.
I did not realize how oddly persistent chipmunks could be… my husband moved a bird feeder to our porch and hung it from the post above the railing. He hoped it would prevent the chipmunks from emptying it every day, as they had been doing while it was hanging from a wrought iron shepherd’s hook in the yard. Once they discovered to where it had been moved, they tried unsuccessfully to climb the wide beams that support the roof. Then it was “aim and Jump!” 2 1/2 feet straight up, trying to grab the wooden platform at the bottom of the feeder. It was absolutely hilarious watching them jump and miss, often dropping to the ground, over the edge of the porch. Undaunted, they returned again and again.
The most wonderful thing that happened to me this past week is that I have gotten reconnected with my cousins in Denmark. I had lost touch with all of them after our Father’s deaths and it has been years. Now, thanks to Facebook, we have reconnected. We are sharing stories and pictures..
Seemed like so much time had passed but, it was really a short time.
Family dinners have become a wonderful time again of catching up and telling about the funny things that happen to us daily!
Playing games online with friends has been a totally different and a little wild experience!