Christmas Music Interlude #1

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I officially began my Christmas music binge. I loaded 235 songs onto my MP3 player. Jingle Bells comes in at #1 with 14 different versions, #2 is Winter Wonderland with 11 versions, #3 is a tie between White Christmas and The Christmas Song, with 10 versions each, #4 is Let it Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! with 9 versions, #5 is another tie between Sleigh Ride and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, with 8 versions each, #6 is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas with 7 different versions, #7 is Silent Night, #8 is the last tie with What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? and Blue Christmas, with 5 versions each.

Sadly Waiting

I thought it was time I posted the poem whose title I borrowed for this blog. A couple of years ago I taught a poetry lesson, the sestina, and had my students write poems in this style. After that we worked with Susan Sibbet, through California Poets in the Schools. She came in once a week for eight weeks or so and taught poetry writing to my students. I have worked with Susan for several years and each year I ask her back because I love how she brings out another side of my students that as their regular classroom teacher I don't always see. Well, every few years, the poets, like Susan, are able to nominate poems to be published in their yearly anthology. Well, that year, one of the poems she submitted was Matthew's poem, Sadly Waiting for Recess, and it was published in that year's anthology. This gives you some idea of what kind of person Susan Sibbet is. She chose a poem to submit from a lesson that she did not teach; I took it as a high compliment and a sign of her generous nature, that, and the quality of Matthew's poem.

To find a review of Susan's latest book, No Easy Light, you my go to Verse or to NewPages. You can also find more information about her and her book at Sixteen Rivers Press.

Sadly Waiting for Recess

Recess is ages away,
when will it be recess?
I wait and I wait.
Walking in circles.
Just waiting for recess to come.
Now I just want to smash clocks

Circles remind me of clocks.
I really just can't wait!
To get outside running huge circles.
Please let recess come!
Now I need to get away.
Come, recess!

I need to fast-forward time so I don't need to wait
Clocks need to be faster so recess can come.
We all need recess.
Why do I hate clocks
Is it because I want time to go away
The teacher is yelling at me because I'm walking in circles.

Why wait?
I could just sneak to recess.
Who cares about clocks.
We don't need to learn shapes that look like circles.
Let recess come!
I wish I could fly away.

Who am I kidding? I must wait
If I need to get away
The decorations look like clocks
They're all in shapes like circles
I must go to all my classes before they come
Look, it's almost recess!

5 minutes before recess!
I almost can go away!
I LOVE YOU CIRCLES!
COME, RECESS, COME!
No more waiting!
Goodbye clocks.

by Matthew Lau

Last ACR Picture

Just for fun: Can you see the spider?

More from Audubon Canyon Ranch

Here is another picture from Audubon Canyon Ranch. I just like this one. I think it's framed really well. I like all the colors, layers, and textures in this photo. I like pictures of nature as my screensaver; I find them relaxing and pleasant to look at. Hope you like it too.

Audubon Canyon Ranch

A week or three ago I took my class on a field trip to Audubon Canyon Ranch. It was the best field trip I've ever been on as a teacher. I took my digital camera and took quite a few pictures. I decided to share some of them here.

I like this one because of the moss hanging from the trees. It has a very southern feel, and yet it's on the coast of northern California. 

Battle Cranberry

I am such a food geek. I have been looking forward to (and am now watching - 9:24 p.m.) Iron Chef America with Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay versus Rachael Ray and Mario Batali.

I really wish the Food Network had a vegetarian and/or vegan show, but that doesn't stop me from watching all the time and picking up cooking tips.

Election Day

I voted yesterday. Did you?

I still don't know all the election results. I know some things went the way I wanted and others did not. Oh well... our democratic republic in action.

I vote in every election. And because I am a teacher, I make sure I talk it up with my students. Especially since I teach fifth graders, who study American history. We teach them the basics of our government as established by the founding fathers. I want them to see that voting is living history, and that when they are of age, they will be able to vote. Too many don't take the right to vote seriously, and I want to do what I can to make sure my students won't be like that when they're adults.