TGIM?

Well, not quite.

Today was a good day, though, which was important because it's the first first-day-of-the-week since Christmas break that has gone well. I thought I'd lost my touch for Mondays. There's nothing like a little sunshine (reflected off snow!), a little exercise, and not being sick to make you feel competent and emotionally stable once again. Although, science tells us that January 24th is the worst day of the year. Personally, I have good arguments to make for several other days in January...

Thanks to the snow, after school PD was cancelled, which meant an unexpected free afternoon. The only thing to do, really, was to sit in my classroom and finish grading the science exams. In the end, I'm pleased with the results, though still aghast at some of the things my student did not manage to learn - or that I did not manage to teach them. Density is apparently a really, really hard concept. I knew it was hard. I just didn't know HOW hard. Anyway, the performance section of the test was worth a total of 50 points, and we averaged about 40. The highest score was 49, the lowest 24. I have no idea how this stacks up against other schools in the city or state - these results get buried in the overall ILS exam results - but if any of my NYC science readers know, please speak up in the comments.

After work, I went out!

Before I tell you where, and for what, I have a confession to make: I have a bit of a history with spelling bees. I did this one. Twice. I didn't do fabulously, but I was there. And until recently, I'd put that chapter of my life behind me. Spellbound brought me back, but honestly I love that movie because of everything it had to say about America, not so much because of my own experiences. And then I was surfing the web looking for music one day, and I found the Williamsburg Spelling Bee. It sounded fun. So my friends and I met up there tonight and I entered the Bee. It was three-strikes. The words were hard. There were 11 contestants. I spelled 11 words right and three wrong. I don't remember most of the correct words--it all happens so fast--but I do remember the ones I got wrong:

cunctated - procrastinated (throw that one into everyday conversation, why dontcha?)

plexor - the little rubber hammer with which the doctor taps your knee. I spelled it plexer. Once I knew the correct spelling, it was so obvious. Isn't that always the way?

hippogriff - all right, all right, I know this one is inexcusable for a middle school teacher to miss... and yes, I HAVE read Harry Potter. But surely hippogryph is a reasonable alternate spelling? (Actually, it is).

Anyway, a couple of really good spellers came in first and second. It was friendly, nerdy fun. I might go back in a month or so and try my luck again.

And finally... I got a letter from the US Dept. of State:

"The peer review committee has recommended you for an exchange if a match is found. We are currently in the process of matching U.S. and foreign applicants and will notify those candidates for whom we find matches beginning in March and continuing through the end of May."

One step closer to teaching in Turkey. Or someplace. It doesn't feel real.