Friday, August 18, 2006

Made It Through The First Week

Well, I have successfully made it through the first week of another school year. So far, most of my classes are pretty good. I have a wonderful student teacher, and a great student assistant. If every week goes as smoothly as this one, it will be an awesome year!

Since the last post, I have truly made an effort to readjust my attitude. It has helped. I’m still not happy, but I’m functioning well. I’ve also started trying to look more at the positive things going on in my surroundings. That alone can make a world of difference. Along those lines, I’ve begun to notice the good things that many of my co-workers are doing. The polite “good mornings” and the smiles. I see people working together, and really trying to help each other. We also have a lot of new faces in our building, and it is nice to get to know new people.

Amy also wanted me to let people know that she thanks all of you who called and asked about her. She is doing good. As many of you know, she has been seeing a nutritionist in McCleansboro for some time. She again did well this week. I’m very proud of her for taking such a strong initiative to be healthy.

Things seem to be going slow with the sale of the house. The people who have put a bid on our house still have not gotten an offer on theirs. It is supposedly in a great neighborhood, and priced to sell. They just reduced their price, so hopefully it will move soon. If it does, things will all change for us quickly. We are hoping it will work out just right so we can move out of our house and into the next one. If it doesn’t, we will have to rent for at least a month.

Let me end this post by giving a little Earth Science lesson (don’t worry, there will not be a quiz). I try to encourage my students to appreciate the Earth by letting them know some of the amazing facts about the place we call home.

Fact No. 1--Our planet is positioned at just the right distance from the sun to allow liquid water to exists. A little closer, and it would all evaporate away. A little farther, and it would all freeze. If this were not so, life as we know it could not exist.

Fact No. 2--We have a yellow sun. Some research suggest approximately 80% of the stars in the universe are red stars. A yellow sun supports photosynthesis (the reaction plants need to produce food). If this were not so, life as we know it could not exist.

Fact No. 3--Our sun is just the right size to enable the Earth to rotate at a fast enough speed to have discernable day and night in a relatively quick amount of time, thus preventing a scorched side of the planet, and a frozen size. If this were not so, life as we know it could not exist.

Fact No. 4--Our planet happens to have a solid inner core, and a liquid outer core. The spinning of the outer core around the inner core creates a magnetic field which shields the earth from harmful cosmic radiation. If this were not so, life as we know it could not exist.

Fact No. 5--Our planet has a breathable atmosphere with the right amount of gasses that holds in the heat at night so we don’t freeze, and also protects us from the bombardment of asteroids and comets. If this were not so, life as we know it could not exist.



1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
----Psalm 19

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