The Bow Tie Teacher

Why this teacher prayed for an extra snow day

By now you've heard of the horrible event known as "SnowJam2014" that happened here in Atlanta. As someone who was trapped in an 9 hour commute I can tell you with all seriousness. It was way worse than you can know. 

Let me address a matter that most people don't know about. Here is some inside baseball for you. Ready? Here it is. "Most teachers are praying for snow days". Let me explain using this most recent debacle here in Atlanta. I'll use a time line and my own experiences for fun. 

12 pm- Tuesday snow is starting to get a little thick, but you know you can make it home. 

315pm- you realize EVERYBODY in the metro Atlanta area must be going to your house for an unannounced cookout! What gives. 

316-1145pm you want to just DIE! 

5pm - Robo call goes out that school will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday). Well if these people don't get out the way we'd have class on the side of the road! 

1146 pm - 3am you debrief the crazy adventures you and your wife just experienced. You're glued to TV and social media to check on others that you know. You're sad that so many people you know are literally sleeping in their cars on the highway. Nothing you can do, but pray. 

11 am You roll out of bed realizing that you've slept most of the day away. You immediately try to find out the status of your friends who were sleeping on highway. Nothing has changed. You make calls and do what you can to help. 

12pm. Where's my wife's car? Oh yeah she abandoned it in a subdivision near by. Guess it's time to brave the elements. A friend comes over with her two girls. They had to sleep in her school last night. Stopped by your house as a midway to going home. 

5pm Robo call goes out that school is cancelled Thursday. Dancing in the streets ensue. 

511pm *Pretty long dance break. Then it hits you, "I have a free day to catch up on somethings"

520pm You start making a list of what you want to get done on this most wonderful day, Snow Day # 2. 

The rest of the day you're just doing life, enjoying family, texting co-workers about not seeing them tomorrow. The bets start on if we'll have work Friday. You don't care you know you have Thursday off and that's all that matters, now. 

The rest of the night is spent enjoying the new national pasttime, cleaning out the DVR. Who recorded this stuff anyway!?

7 amThursday, you wake up LATE! You jump out of the bed. You only have so many precious hours today to get all your things done. 

703am "Those streets don't look cleared"

                    "I guess that's why God created DVRs"

Noon you've done all your house work. Even taken the time to feed the kiddos. Boy, they eat a lot! 

2pm I haven't been outside yet to get some of my other lists done. I wonder if we'll have work tomorrow? Naw, they can't close another day...can they? 

4pm You do venture out. These streets are crazy! It sure would be nice to not have ro risk my life to have to go to work. Oh well, it is what it is. 

430pm Your phone rings. It's the same number that's been calling you all week about the weather, the Blessed Robo Call. You fall in to a snow drift and make a snow angel. God has heard your plea Snow Day #3

In an attempt to show thankfulness  for a third day off you start promising "today I'm going to grade papers, fill out progress reports and do those anchor charts".  What really happens is;

You run to the super market, pick up dry cleaning, meet some friends at Starbucks, hit the gym, run errands. You look up and it's 10 pm! Where did your snow week go?

Do they expect me to come work Superbowl Monday? 

Recap

Snow Day 1 mental health day "That was the worse day ever"

Snow Day 2 relax from mental health day "I need to just chill"

Snow Day 3 Errands and to-do list day "I got so much to DO!"

*This formula usually applies to any vaction time as well. 

Telling time is important

 

 

Been busting my hump trying to get the concept of time into my student's heads. I ran across this video and thought it would be helpful. As I type I'm trying to get a group of kids to do a version of this for our kids here at CAES. Let's see if I can get it done. 

 

 

Another fantastic week is underway

I'm so excited most of my students are getting time and elapsed time. That's HUGE for this group of jokers. They're good for a few gray hairs every lesson.
Now subject verb agreement is another game all together. 

Hey, Mr. Whitaker! Where are your blog posts?

I've been super slack at blogging since returning from the Christmas break. The last couple of weeks have been whirlwind inside and outside of the classroom. So much going on and not nearly as many hours in the day as I'd like. 

Let's talk really quickly

My girls (wife and children) are perfect. I do think God is showing me .00001% He loves me by giving me these great women in my life. 

I'm on my 8th book of my 2014 reading goal. The book of Martyrs is a HARD read. 

Just finished 10 day juice fast.

Starting 3 week heavy lifting course in a few hours. 

If I change my attitude totally upside down guess what my students do? Look at me strange. 

Actually, I'm excited about the balance of this school year. It's going to be tough and there is A LOT to get done, but I feel like it's going to be rewarding. 

Ok, I have to scoot. I'm checking into the Smolov school of heavy back squats at Crossfit South Cobb at 8. 

Happy MLK Day! 

Week in review

The week in review

No goals left behind

I like this time of year, December-February. I enjoy planning, thinking and setting goals for the year. I always set aside time during this season to just think, dream and plan. 5 out of 7 years I set and accomplish the goals I set. This year I'm going BIG. I'm going to accomplish 100% of my goals. And, I'm not going to set only 2 goals so I can get it done. I have 9 good, strong, SMART, life changing goals set out with a plan to get each of them done. There are 2 elusive goals, however that have evaded me for YEARS. This year the year I turn 40 I will see them accomplished. No goals left behind. Here we go. Want to know what my goals are for 2014? Just watch...you'll see them soon enough. 

Here's my plan. I will share my goals at the end of January. 

1. Research my goals. I like to know what I'm getting myself into. I'm not GREAT at research, but I'm pretty good. 

2. I Decided that either I'm going to obsess over this or not. If I'm not going to obsess over it, then I'm not going to do it. 

3. Reduce the picture. Small bite sized pieces, daily steps, weekly steps, monthly steps you get the point. 

4. Make it public. I chose to blog about it. You can ask me questions about my goals. I'll gladly share where I am. 

5. Seek accountability. I LOVE to surround myself with people doing stuff. I want them to intentionally and unintentionally prod me on. 

6. I now expect it to be hard, but along with the struggle I expect, seek, look for the strength to get this thing done! 

7. Encourage and seek encouragement. 

8. Visualize the goal completion. I spend a little time daily thinking what it will be like to be as fit as I can at 40, to be debt free, to make my job the career I never hat to work at ever again, to be a multi book author. I like the picture now I need do it so you can see it, too.  

9. Learn from failures. If the goal is worthy of my time then failure isn't a STOP sign. It's a This ain't the way sign. 

10. Focus on 1 goal at one time. I need help on this. I tend to keep my goals in a family so I can do more than 1 in at a time cause they're related. 

11. Practice walking goal out every single day. I have to obsess about being the man God wants me to go. It has to consume my thoughts, words, actions and deeds. Then it will become easy.

12. Take responsibility for all of it. It's all mine. The success, the failures, the set backs the set ups. They are all mine. 

Lucky Number 13. Celebrate cause the journey was well worth it. 

Merry Christmas!

It's here! Christmas break is finally here what took ya so long. This school year has gone so slow fast.  I can't believe it's only Christmas break. So much to do. So much done. 

Christmas is a great time to reflect, relax and recharge and not see your students for 2 weeks. The 1st Sememster has been good in a running a triathlon with a brick tied to your head kinda way. My students are fantastic in a herding cats kind of way. I'm really going to miss them over the break dear Lord, don't strike me for that blatant lie. 

Can't wait to just kick back on the couch with some hot chocolate and catch up on some grading, paper work and grades. No seriously most of us do school work on our breaks, that's not cool at all. For most of us this is a real time to breathe. The year sometimes goes so fast that it's hard to catch a breath, think and figure out what in the world am I doing fine details of life. 

Got my list of Christmas wishes, too

• That each of my students want to do better than they did the 1st part of the year. A full book bag would be nice, too! 
• Better organization system. Less paperwork in general, please
• Consistant parent involvement. Ok, I'll settle for working phone numbers
  
• Fewer meetings. No joke there. Fewer meetings, dear Jesus! 
• The perfect lesson plans. Just kidding my lessons are the best
  
• A steady stream of iced coffee pumped into my class at an ideal 40 degrees. I'll take freshly squeezed green juice in January and February, tough
• Some means to squeeze 2 more work home hours into the work home time
• A new pair of work running and lifting shoes 
• To be very comfortable with all my body weight workouts by dropping some bodyweight!

Ok, the last two had nothing to do with work, but they help me relax, relate, release so I can do my job. In all seriousness this school year's been a hoot and a holler. I expect some great things to happen in 2014 like Spring Break and Summer. 

I pray everyone has a safe and restful Christmas break. May all teachers experience 30 days worth or rest, relaxation and family. May every second of rest be better than 2 hours of work. Keep your head up and we'll see you in 2014. 

Merry Christmas I ain't politically correct and Happy New Years! 

 

I DON'T FEEL LIKE BLOGGIN'!

The post Thanksgiving drive to Christmas has been tough. Really this year has been a bit of a struggle and now my blog is paying for it. I don't feel like blogging! Give me a few days to get out of this funk, to get amped up about '14 and I'll be back. 

I am looking forward to next week. Get it over with and roll out! I don't have any plans for Christmas, but to relax and read. That should recharge me up just fine. Oh, yeah and hit Crossfit. 

See you in a few. 

My first book review

 

I'm a HUGE sucka for books with characters that look like my kids or students I teach. So you know I went all in on this book. It's very fun. The illustrations are fantastic. Just watch our family review of and and let me know what you think. 

4.5 bow ties for sure!