Back to the stress!

Just like the rest of you, I am feeling the pressure of our new class. After reading some of the information about the class I had to stop and take migraine medicine. It didn't help. I spent a lot of time just looking for the stuff. I feel better knowing that it was just not me. I actually tried to take the binary test without reading the information. I just thought we should know it. Glad you could save and not submit right away! I am stuck on the timeline but haven't spent much time with it yet...tonight.
Brittany came home for the weekend. We had a blast yesterday...shopping! Neither of us have had any time and it was great just hanging out together. I am getting depressed though because she is packing. I am not ready to send her back.
This week is crazy at school. We have 32 bands (larger than in the past) coming to our school this Saturday for our competition. Please pray for no rain!!! I have a lot of preparation before then. With this class too...I don't know what I am going to do. I am glad to have finished my webquest and plan to start that in a couple of weeks! (if I can get into a library!) Good luck to all and have a great week!

Webquest Success!

Just a quick hello to everybody! I am happy to report that I think I just finished my webquest. I keep adding and changing things so I am not sure it will ever be completely finished. I will probably submit this weekend...what a great feeling knowing that I am almost done. I am also VERY excited about using this in my class. The students seem excited as well about learning more about the Beatles. We have been singing many of their songs in class. I enjoy it!
I also just finished my survey and assessment for our next class. I am feeling a little overwhelmed. I bet you couldn't have guessed that one!
I also wanted to let you all know that our band survived our first competition in Edwardsville, IL. I enjoyed the bus ride...a little time to sleep and put my feet up! I tried grading papers but kept falling asleep. We had great weather until it was time to perform. It rained the entire time but we were very proud of them. The best part of the trip was taking all 200 kids at 11:30 p.m. inside a Schnuck's. The manager almost lost it when we started letting the kids in. We managed to have all the kids back on the bus in less than 30 minutes. It was interesting to see their purchases for the bus ride home! No...not very nutritional at all.
Have a great rest of the week!

Webquest Mishap!

I was too upset yesterday to add to my blog but I have had a day and I can face reality. I hit the stupid backspace button yesterday and lost the 7 hours of work I had done on my webquest. Yes...I was almost done and thought I had been saving it the entire day. I didn't even turn my computer off one time yesterday. I was so excited about it, the way it looked too except I could not add my rubrics. Realizing the program that I had chosen would not allow it, I had started plan B...that is when the mishap took place. I cried for awhile and then went back to work and chose a different program. I am able to save and in fact go back to it the next day. I wanted to add more colors and textures but I think I just figured out that I would have to join. I have to pay for school...mine and my daughters...so I will stick to the freebie. I did find another webquest which I plan to use for my music theory class! I am real excited about trying it out as well. Hopefully I can work some more before I fall asleep tonight. I stayed up late last night because I refused to go to bed without anything done on my webquest!

Well I have a busy week with band. We are traveling to Illinois this weekend after we march the Fall Fun Fest Parade in downtown Blue Springs for our first competition. There is so much left to do before the trip. I have to make sure all the uniforms are ready to go and I always take extras of EVERYTHING! I am actually looking forward to the bus ride so I can sleep! Have a great week and I wish you all the very best. I was also excited to read that soon we will have a new baby girl in the group! Congratulations Amy!

The Fury Begins...

Well...I had looked forward to my long weekend and where did it go? After our first home game ... in the rain without our new uniforms ... I awoke early Saturday morning to head to Columbia. I arrived happily to find my daughter in her adorable dorm room. I am so jealous! She has a fantastic room mate, great meals, and a lot of new friends. She loves college life. By noon though I had a different view of my daughter...she was sick and only getting worse. After visiting 3 different clinic we managed to get a diagnosis... she did NOT have the dreaded "flu". We had a rough night and slept for a good 2 days. I didn't get much homework done but I managed to catch up on grading and all of our grades. We have about 150 band students, 50 campus choir students and 32 music appreciation students. I am almost caught up with them all!

Sunday I am going to dig into my webquest. I think I have all the information I need. I am still trying to decide which way to go though...would love suggestions!!!

I still enjoy reading all the blogs. Glad to know that we were all looking forward to our holiday. Hope you all enjoyed some family time along with rest and relaxation! Good luck with your Webquests!

Ready for the Weekend!

Dear Friends, it was great seeing you in class again. I am still in shock that I can actually say that I have a website. I can't believe I even finished it and was able to go to lunch. Thanks for all the help and support from everybody! After viewing it from home, I see a few things I would like to change or add. I guess I have been bitten by the thechnology bug again!

I am also VERY thrilled about the webquest. I think my kids will really enjoy the project better than their alternative boring assignment. I wish I was farther along with it but hope to use this weekend to get a good start. I plan on visiting my parents in Columbia...I am ready to get out of town and away from work. I also get to see my daughter and I am so ready!

I am VERY behind at work. I managed to fit all the marching band students on Monday after school until 9:00 in their new uniforms. I have a lot more work to do though before our first game on Friday. I am excited about them but stressed. In fact, I have a sub tomorrow but plan on going in to work...that really hurts!

Good luck to everybody with your webquest. Have a great and SAFE weekend!

A New Week!

Happy Monday! Today my daughter started her classes at MU. It was a little stressful and her diabetes was not cooperative. Hopefully she will be able to relax and her blood sugars will come back down to normal. She sounded better tonight so I can relax a little.

Our band received new uniforms this summer. I have uniform checkout next Monday evening. There is a new system for checkout and of course, I am in charge. I have a brand new barcode scanner and I really don't know yet how it works. I have a week to learn. I am really stressing out especially with class this weekend. I have a website which is supposed to show me all that I need to know...just an hour video for the 4 different steps...no problem. I just hope I can stay awake.

I am teaching my music appreciation class in the Women's Dressing Room. Many of our teachers are in alternative classrooms until their rooms are completed. Unfortunately mine is for the entire year. I have 32 students crammed in a little room. I have a tiny spot to stand and take a rolling cart with all my work. Using technology in that situation is getting very frustrating! The room is also very HOT! But I am making the best of the situation and doing what I can!

I am ready to see everybody this weekend. Our midnight madness rehearsal goes until 3 a.m. this Saturday morning. I just don't think I am going to make it until then. I hope to make it for the pancakes that our crazy parents serve at midnight! I will have to bring a large diet coke to help me stay awake on Saturday! I am still gathering pictures and information for my website. Since I am a little slow, I am very nervous about getting that project completed by Sunday. I might have to skip my lunch break for sure! Hope everybody had a great weekend and enjoy your week.

Even Tougher Day!

Well, I actually missed the first day of school because I just dropped my youngest at college. I have been dreading this day for a very long time. Yes...I know I need to let go and let her grow up but it is really hard! I kept thinking of that stupid Walmart commercial that makes me cry every time I see it. I managed to only use 1 box of kleenex (family size)! But now I am home and ready to start the new school year. I am going to use my powerpoint tomorrow for the first time. I am a little nervous but very excited!

I am also very excited about my webquest. This assignment is going to be used in my campus choir class in place of writing a paper which most of them didn't do or just plagiarized. I am really excited to use it and just hope that the computer labs will be ready in October. Our school is still a mess with all the construction.

Our marching band has been working very hard. We have a very young but motivated group of students. They seem to love the show theme and the music. I just found out that are midnight madness rehearsal (6p.m. until 2 a.m.) happens the Friday night before our last class on the 29th. I might have to skip out a little early or I won't be able to stay awake in class.
I am VERY nervous about the website. I have not been able to get to SVMS and I am afraid to go alone. I am not sure I will even remember where to start. If someone plans on going this weekend please let me know. I would feel better with a friend! Have a great week!