#TMC17 Post 4: My Favorites, PM Presentations, and Keynotes

#TMC17 Post 4: My Favorites, PM Presentations, and Keynotes

Note: This one really should be separated into 3 different posts but I wanted to keep all my posts to 8.  I will try to be short here but there are a lot of pics.  Also note, I am usually a spelling geek but man, I made some spelling mistakes.  Sorry.

My Favorites:  I really think these are my favorites.  It is a 5 or 10 minute presentation about something favorite from the year.  They give us a taste of greatness. 

Thursday PM:
Lisa: Thursday Lunch
Sam: Ring the bell when you feel joy in math class
John: Who is the MTBos and all the ways you can search us
Mattie: DeltaMath for math practice:



Friday AM:
Here I was supposed to present 2nd but my computer choose to freeze, so I spent Tony's trying to get mine to work, then someone went and I missed them, then me, so no notes, and then Karim on Greece, but I was just breathing after my presenting:
Tony: Distraction box in the classroom
Me: 2 uses for Google Slides see My Presentations here
Karim: Greece



Friday PM:
David Petro: Geometer's Sketchpad and his site: engaging-math.blogspot.ca with cool dynamic web sketches.  I am going to be using this in Geometry this year!
Joel Bezaire: Tinkerplots
Pam Wilson: Make a Difference Monday - find and read articles of good stuff kids are doing = 5 Fingers



Saturday AM:
Jonathan: Let's Buy a House: Adulting Project
Kat Glass: Group student interventions
Bob Lochel: how-old.net - give it a try, collect data and analyze it

  

Saturday PM:
Joey Kelly: Playwithyourmath.com  So excited to check these out!
David Petro: Deliberate practice
Benjamin Walker: Peer to Peer Math Partnership



Sunday AM:
Deb Boden: Mixed spaced homework
Anna Scholl: Good things coming to LearnZillion in August
Connie Haugneland: Update on this year's trip to Rwanda
Alli George: How to review for 3 straight hours - brain break - take 90 seconds to draw straight lines across a piece of paper, at least 4 lines, then pass out crayons and start coloring but the same color can't touch.  Ask questions, collect and analyze data.  How cool!  I want to color!
Anna Blinstein: Desmos AB Entrance Ticket asking about last night's homework
Sean Sweeney: Marbleslides.  I have used these but wow, so powerful to challenge the students to create their own.  He also has weekly challenges.
Elissa Miller: Two Nice Things - when someone says 1 mean thing, then must say 2 nice things, also Ask questions on Twitter - don't be afraid to ask or embarrassed.  It's a strength, not a weakness!
Sandra Miller:  Lesson planner at planbook.com
Anna Vance: Difference of Squares original rap (with a beat by Benjamin Walker)
Candace Bell: Designing superhero capes and the entire process
Glenn Waddell, Jr: Words Matter - change "students" to "learners" Change "guys".  Change "all" to "each".  Changing your words can change your behavior.

 



PM Presentations:

Thursday PM 1: Kathy and I went to Max and Malke's presentation.  We thought it was going to be dancing, but we were given rolled up newspaper sticks and tape and told to create.  We made the thing on the left below and when we picked it up, it surprised us all by turning into the shape on the right!

 

We learned about teacher moves.  We analyzed the geometry our groups used and then brainstormed new things to try and were given time to make another.  We made the sea urchin on the left.  So fun!  Going to try this in Geometry class this year.

  

Thursday PM 2:  I went to Mary William's presentation on Informative Formative Assessment.  I did know a lot of it already, but it was fun to learn new things in Kahoot like Jumble mode.  Going to check it out.



Friday PM 1:  I presented.  See this post. 

Friday PM 2:  Time to play math with Jamie, Molly, and Rachel.  They started with the "regular" two special right triangles and then gave us a 36:72:72 triangle and we got to play and discover some pretty cool trig things! 



Saturday PM 1:  I presented.  See this post.  I offered to post twice this year which I really enjoyed but it also meant I had to miss 2 sessions and a lot of goodness :(

Saturday PM 2 (really a flex session):   #clotheslinemath with Chris Shore.  I have used the clothesline in my room but mostly just to put things in order - fractions, decimals, logs, exponents.  He showed us it can be much more powerful and our minds were blown as he shown us vertical angles in geometry.  I couldn't help but think: It was the last Saturday of July at 4:30 pm and there were a roomful of math teachers with our minds being blown. So cool!  This will become my #1TMCThing  to merge it with my #1TMCThing last year of using #VNPS.  I am very excited to spend some time with this and blow my "learners' " minds.

 

4 Keynotes:  

Annie Fetter during Desmos precon:"Using Tech to Increase Conceptual Understanding in Algebra and Geometry".  Teach math as "things to experience" not just a telling of properties.  We looked at an interactive applet with 4 triangles and noticed and wondered about them.  Things do not have to be modern, but instead thoughtful.  First we should make sense --> reason --> communicate!



Grace Chen:  "The Politics ?? of Mathematics Teaching"
Grace's speech was inspirational and I was trying my best to be present and take it all in.



Graham Fletcher:  "All I Really Need to Know I Learned from the MTBoS"
Some of my take-aways:
Surround yourself with people smarter than me.
Adapt.
Be vulnerable.
Size matters.
We looked at the length of an apple peel and played with that a bit.
We looked at the spinning lady (I see clockwise, what do you see?) and he reminded us that my students might see math the other way.
All of us are smarter than one of us.



Carl Oliver: "Hitting the Darn 'Send' Button"
I first met Carl mid July as we were both new Desmos Fellows in San Francisco.  I had just received my mentee's name, Benjamin Walker, and he told me he was rooming with Carl.  So, I introduced myself and told him that Benjamin - his roommate - is my mentee.  Small world.  This was Carl's first time at TMC and I was impressed he was doing a keynote.  I know he was working on it while we were at camp and it was done purposely because it was so up-to-date with the #mtbos/#iteachmath debate and he used his new Desmos computation layer to do an AB activity with estimating how many people tweeted using the #mtbos hashtag.  He even went ahead and made a Roll Call of all people and when they first used the hashtag.  I was so excited to see I jumped on this train early on - in October 2013.   He spoke about "when" are we part of the #MTBoS.  He suggest preMTBoS people wanted to get better, wanted to put stuff together, wanted to be part of the conversation, wanted to open a window their classroom, and wanted to get feedback.  I do remember that feeling - am I part, am I not part.  And, then YOU just decide.  I AM part of #MTBoS.  I love part of his conclusion: "By making himself more vulnerable he actually feels less vulnerable." 



Thanks for reading!

#TMC17 Post 5: My Mentee

#TMC17 Post 5: My Mentee

Note: Feels funny to talk about Benjamin like this, but here goes:

Last year, at my first TMC, they had a 1st timer's dinner.  We were invited to a great pizza place and told to sit with whomever we wanted.  Kathy @kd5cambell and I jumped in and sat with Connie @chaughland and Sam Shah @samjshah.  We had the coolest dinner.  We were fast friends sharing stories of drive in movie theories, favorite foods, and my favorite - musicals!  Sam recommend us to go see Dear Evan Hansen which wasn't even on Broadway yet.  We went home and bought tickets right away and saw it as soon as it came to Broadway in December.  Great insider tip.  It was amazing!  I will always remember this dinner because it was so fun and welcoming!

This year, TMC went a step further in involving 1st time attendees.  They got to wear a #1 pin made by the thoughtful Sam Shah and they all proudly wore it.  Prior to this TMC, they set up a mentor/mentee program and assigned people.  I was paired up with Benjamin Walker.  We were asked to email them and introduce ourselves in June and to reach out again in July.  Benjamin and I did this.  Just surface talk via email, answering a few questions.  I suggested he look at all the presentations and have some sort of rough plan as to what he might attend because it gets overwhelming.  And, I did highly suggest he narrow down the morning session.  I gave him my cell so he could text when he got there and he had at least one connection.  I was busy touring on Tuesday when Benjamin arrived and he didn't have dinner plans.  I tweeted out and helped him get connected.  He even had 2 dinners that night!!!!!  He was learning fast how powerful the Twitter connections can be.


We finally met that night in person as we did that - "do I know you/recognize you/is that you - blind date awkward - kind of thing" and then a big hug!  And, instant friendship!  So fun!

I asked him what his goals were and I can never state them as eloquently as he did but along the lines of discussions in the classroom.  I asked him which morning session he was planning and he said Chris and Mattie's Talk Less, Smile More session.  Perfect!  I attended it last year and they work so well together and are dynamic speakers and this would be right up his alley.  I pointed them out so he could meet them before the morning.  Benjamin is very outgoing and jumps right in.  He took full advantage of all the goodness TMC has to offer.

Thursday night, TMC and Sam Shah arranged a 1st timers dinner at Maggianos.  I am guessing there may have been about 80 people there!  We have a Maggianos in Boston, so I knew we were in for a great dinner.  I always get the seafood fra diavolo and was going to get that, but Benjamin wanted to do the secret pull out family style meal.  It was $32 per person so I balked at first.  He needed to get at least 4 people to do it.  He had Eric and Ben across from us.  He went to the other end of the table to try to sell it, but nope.  Then, Christie, next to me jumped in.  They started building this amazing menu.  I had no chance but to join because I was going to be surrounded by all the different food, so I joined.  Then, the waitress told us it had to be half of our party.  Benjamin worked his magic and she bent the rules for us.  Pictures of all food to follow, and it was fabulous but it was more the journey than the inn in this situation.  There was Tara, seated at our end of the table, listening and watching in awe.  Benjamin orchestrated a feast for us.  We got to know each other - talked about favorite movies, learned about Chef's Table on Netflix from Eric who ate at a 3 Michelin restaurant in Chicago a few weekends ago.  (Benjamin is from Chicago and loves Chef's Table, too!)  There were laughs like we were all old time high school friends, except when I realized Benjamin and Christie didn't know who Ron Howard was and I said, "You must have been born in the 80??"  Yep.

And, our 10 course meal, see link to Dinners


Thank you Benjamin.  I hope I helped you!  It was such a pleasure getting to hang out with you and show you the ropes but I really just handed the rope to you and you were ready to jump.  Good luck with your school year and continue spreading your amazingness!

#TMC17 Post 6: My Dinners and Evening Fun

#TMC17 Post 6: My Dinners and Evening Fun

Wednesday night started us off with the Desmos Happy Hour and the Rose and Crown Restaurant for drinks and yummy chicken wings and veggies.  I was a bit concerned I might still be hungry later, so I added my own dessert: Brownie Explosion:

Thursday night was our amazing Mentor/Mentee 1st timers dinner at Maggianos.  I explained Benjamin's Walker menu building process in his post here.  Here are the pictures:

Round 1: bruschetta                                                     Round 2: salad
 

Round 3: calamari                                                 Round 4: mussles

 
Round 5: mushroom and pasta                                 Round 6: something like ziti-D

Round 7: salmon                                                    Round 8: veal parm

  

Round 9: cheesecake                                                 Round 10: creme brulee

Our dinner group:                                                     Don't cry, Bob.  Just keep eating.
  

The Holy Innocents Episcopal School brought in different food trucks each day.  Yummy and thank you!

Here are our Massachusetts #TMC17 teachers representing.  Notice a new addition?  Hi Meg!  Welcome to MA!

David from Australia sharing his "Fairy Bread".  This is a treat at children's birthdays party.  Note David's shirt.  What's up with his clock?

What do teachers do at night at Math Camp?  Play with circles, triangles, and crochet:

 

Friday night dinner took us to Tupelo Honey.  Oh, my, Southern Food done right.  We shared some brushetta like thing but with avacado and another one of grilled brussel sprouts.  The five of us (Pam, Mary, Wendy, Kathy, and myself) shared 2 dinners of pancakes with buttered fried chicken on top with an egg on the side of course.  Delish!  I had a rosemary lemonade.

   

We made it back just in time for Trivia.  Thanks to Nicole, Nicole, David, Tara, Anna, Jasmine, Venetia, Kathy, and Mary.  We set a goal and we made it.  Above 50% correct.  Here's to 21/40!

Saturday night: Dinner at Under the Cork Tree.  This was Mediterranean food.  So scrumptious.  I had an amazing watermelon shrimp salad and shared a veggie pizza with Ali Grace.  Meg Craig swore by the churros and chocolate for dessert.  Kathy ordered the rice pudding.  The joke was it was "just okay but needed a chaser of churros".  Such a fun night out.  Thanks to everyone involved!

Saturday night was also game night.  I led our table in two games I brought - Crazy Letters and Linkee (a trivia game with 4 questions and you must figure out how they are linked).  I read (screamed) for 3 games and then played the last one and learned I was terrible at it.  But, so much fun!

#TMC17 Post 7: My Presentations

#TMC17 Post 7: My Presentations

When I went to my first TMC last year, I did not offer to present.  I wanted to take it all in and was a bit nervous about the whole thing.  After I attended, I knew I wanted to present this year and I took advantage of other conferences throughout the school year to practice and prepare for TMC.  I submitted two proposals:
Making Review and Practice Activities Fun   and  additional google slide
Our First Year Experiences with #VNPS, co-presenting with Kathy

As we got closer to TMC, the opportunity came up to present a My Favorite and I jumped on that too with:
What Else Can Google Slides Do?


I have included my links above.  They were a success, if I say so myself.  I was very prepared for my Friday morning My Favorite but when I went up to plug in the cord, my lovely computer froze.  Good thing I have had plenty of practice with technical difficulties in class and I wasn't too flustered.  Lisa Henry was a big help with smoothly transitioning to another My Favorite so I could reboot.  I shared two more uses for Google slides - creating a scrapbook (an idea from my colleage, Lorelle) about getting to know our students and creating an ebook for review for the midterm and final exams. 

My Review presentation was good.  I go from low tech to high tech and I need to freshen it up a bit because a lot of teachers have heard of Kahoot, Quizlet, and Quizizz now.  I introduced my low tech ones slowly and we had conversations about each.  It is different presenting at TMC rather than other conferences.  At others, I feel the need to sell what I have.  At TMC, I am sharing what I have and hoping my audience will contribute and teach me as well.  And, that happens!  It is more of a conversation than a lecture.  I love this!

And, the VNPS - vertical non-permanent surfaces.  Kathy and I made this our #1TMCthing last year.  We committed to making our room have VNPS and bought them with our own money.  We changed our teaching style and loved it so we wanted to share the goodness.  Kathy added that we should add a poll to our presentation to see where people with it.  Most of our audience had heard about it but no one was an "expert".  It was perfect.  We had them do an openmiddle problem to experience what it is like to work in a group of 3.  I showed them video of it in action in my class and we noticed and wondered.  We showed the set up of how we transformed our room.  We share Alex Overwick and Peter Lilijedahl's work.  We shared some of the links to the problems we did in class this year.  And, we shared the fact that we received a grant to get brand new fancy, permanent boards in our rooms.  We are so excited.  This talk really was a conversation.  There was so much sharing and Kathy and I walked away with great ideas from the teachers in our room.  Thank you!  Use the hashtag VNPS when coming up with even more great ideas.

#TMC17 Post 8: My Takeaways

#TMC17 Post 8: My Takeaways

Phew!  I blogged for a bit after my run on Monday.  I have been blogging, airdropping pictures, and adding links for 2 hours today and my computer is at 10% so I am going to have to get up and get my charger but I just need to get all this goodness "on paper" and out of my head.  Once it is out of my head, then I will have clarity and the foam will rise to the top.

As I am taking my colored notes on the right page of my notebook, I flip it over and write highlights on the left page.  These are things I need to stand out so I will remember to use them.  Here are some of my "side notes":

I attended a Desmos preconference session by Annie Fetter.  I loved watching and listening to her teacher moves.  She was not familiar with the new Desmos Geometry tool but she stepped right in to offer us a lesson.  I will use this in my geometry class on transformations.  I love that she started with the more restrictive first - construct a square and then to the rectangle.  Really important when working the program and constructing to make sure as soon as you connect two pieces, you drag it around all crazy to make sure it is the construction you want.  A lot of mine "broke" but I stuck with it.  So cool!

I want to use Deltamath more.  I have used it and it has a lot to offer in terms of practice and providing detailed feedback.

I loved Sam Shah's #1 and Undorkably Shy buttons.  I am thinking about making Math Team buttons.

Instead of a "Do Now", call it a "Try Now".

Take more pictures of student work to use with students and on my blog.

Check out George Mason Complete Center

Give crayons out

Look into participation quizzes to "teach" how to work in groups.

Check out David Petro's website for the mini dynamic sketch lessons.

Saw a quote on the back of a tshirt that might be perfect for our Math Team's shirt: "Not everything that can be counted counts.  Not everything that counts can be counted." ~ Albert Einstein

Try to fit in 36-72-72 triangle.

I like to present, so find more times to present.  I like doing math in presentations so add that to them.

(6% on computer, charger added)

Have students analyze worksheet problems.

Check out 100 Factorial puzzles and add to my bulletin board.

Check out Play with Your Math and add to Geometry.

Add Clothesline to Geometry -->  My #1TMCthing this year!

Have students create marbleslides.

Other miscellaneous thought, pictures, and thank yous:

I will find a way to get to Cleveland next year.

Thank you to Kathy, Anna B, and Lisa B for finding the river trail to run on:

Thank you to everyone who offered Kathy and I a ride.  We are so grateful!

Thank you to the hotel shuttle and the school shuttle.

Thank you to the TMC leaders who planned a terrific conference and we appreciate everything you do!

I think that is the end of my Scrapbook Story.  If you made it this far, thank you!

Jennifer

Summer of the Traveling Math Teacher

Today (June 22nd, 2017) is my first day of summer vacation and it is perfect - 78 degrees and just gorgeous! 

I started today with catching up on all my errands including taking two sons for physicals plus the usual - get gas, go to the bank, and finally the library.  The library is my most favorite errand.  I didn't really hit the jackpot, but I got a few.  I have a huge list but my library didn't have many of them. 

I am blessed to be traveling a lot this summer.  I am a little concerned that it will be too much for me to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate, but I am hopeful to make the downtime really relaxing by reading a book or fishing.

On Sunday, I head to the Adirondacks with our church's youth group for a week of mission work.  We get home on Friday.

Then, I travel up to Burlington, VT for a cousin's wedding and our traditional 4th of July festivities at my grandmother's house.  It is my favorite holiday (after Christmas).

Next up, I was chosen as a Desmos fellow and will be traveling to San Francisco in mid-July to learn more about Desmos.  I am thrilled to have been chosen for this opportunity and so excited to see my friends from Twitter.  I have never been to San Fran and have been warned that it will be colder than I think.  I can't wait, but as with all my trips, I don't want to hurry them up and wish summer away.

At the end of July, I will be traveling to Atlanta (yes, that's right Atlanta in July) for my second Twitter Math Camp for a week!  I am going with my colleague and again so happy to be meeting up with great Twitter Math Teachers. 

Finally, we will take a family vacation to the Rehoboth Beach area in Delaware for golfing, fishing, swimming, and reading.

I am also taking a class to get credit for Twitter Math Camp and have received curriculum hours to work on Geometry which I haven't taught in a while.

I think I am gone for 28 days!  That's crazy, but I will find a balance work and play.  Bring on summer!

#DITL Post 12: The InBetween Ending and Beginning

This is the 12th blog post in a series called #DITL - Day in the Life of a Teacher.  My day is #8 and it is June 8th.  We are #stillinschool.  We have classes until next Wednesday then start exams.  We are at the end of the school year.  It has been an easy spring to teach because the weather has been miserable.  Today is finally sunny and it is supposed to get warm.  You can tell summer is coming because there is a big carnival set up in our school front parking lot.  It starts today.  All the cool kids are going :)

I don't think of it as an end, wrap everything up, put it away and kick back and relax.  I wish I did.  I see it as the "in between".  Things are wrapping up for the year.  I am testing on our last unit today which means more grading to do. I have two projects just collected to grade.  The final exams need to be made, edited, copied, along with a few days of review (luckily I have all this done).  But, it is also a time to look forward.  I just looked at next year's school calendar.  I typed it all out with early release days, days off, special events.  This is my road map to planning my year.  I need to see it all.  I don't know what subjects or periods I am teaching next year.  Usually we do know by now, but we switched grading programs and have run into some problems.  I will roughly plan things.  I will open a new google doc and as I see cool things on blogs and Twitter over the summer, I will link to them. 

This morning I actually slept until the alarm.  I usually wake up at 5:30 am but set it for 5:40. I am tired.  I am ready to be done for now.  I have a busy day ahead of me.  It looks like this:

1st block: Quest (in between quiz and test, not a fun scavenger hunt thing) on Stats in Alg 1
Advisory: students voting for next year's positions
2nd block: prep
3rd block: Quest in Alg 1
4th block: Alg 2 Test on Trig Identities
5th block: prep

A pretty good day besides all the resulting grading.  We have a fall sports' meeting on Tuesday night and I coach cross country, so I need to get ready for that today - look at the schedule and make a plan.  Our girls' coach is moving so we have a new coach, so I get to show her the ropes to our season. 

After school will be extra help for one more class having their test tomorrow. 
A goodbye party for our Assistant to the Principal.
Hopefully squeeze in a run to keep up with #fitbos and train for a road race on June 17th.
3:15-5:15 - Last fishing club.
Dinner
6:45 pm Judge Battle of the Bands.....is it Friday yet?

Into school by 7 and a few kids were in for extra help.
1st block takes their quest - no problem.
Now advisory then a prep so that means 8:30-10 am (precious, valuable time) to listen to my Algebra 2 ebook problems.  I love this project!  I did it to review for the midterms and now for the final exams.  I create 55 different problems and give my students each a different problem.  They do it out on paper and have me check it.  Then, they use AdobeSpark (free voice recording program where they choose their own font, background, music, and add pictures - so easy to use).  Finally they upload this link to a google slide I shared with the classes and they have it as a way to review for the final exam.  I shared this idea with Wendy @wmukluk and she kicked it up a notch and add her kids add pictures and memes to their google slide.  So, I challenged my students to do the same - make it like an advertisement to try and entice the other students to want to listen to their problem.  I love listening to the kids speak through a problem.  It really gives everyone a voice.  They do a great job using all the correct vocabulary and terminology and they even make note of the tiny yet important details I keep reminding them of.  This term we learned about conics, right triangle trig, graphing trig, trig identities, and solving trig.  They sound so sophisticated in their videos.  I am impressed.  One student did add a video of her beautiful color coded work.  As I am listening, I jot down some notes for feedback.  I will email this to some of the students, not all.  I will let them know in class.  Some of them did not include a name, so it became of game of determining the author according to their voice or their handwriting and I was able to do it! Most of them were about 1 minute long and I got through all!
Here is one example screenshot of their slide and work:

Time to switch gears... Next up is 3rd block of the day, so Alg 1 taking a Quest.  I just sent 24 emails to my ebook students, now, I will sit and grade 1st block's assessment.  It is a lot of sitting today which is unusual.  Hope I can get my run in.
11:05 am check in.  I graded one test, now to start another.  My 4th block of the day is here testing.
11:55 am.  Graded second set.  Now onto lunch.  I have been working in fast forward.  I need a breather.
12:35 back to class, hand out study guides for the final exam - 3 more classes to prepare.
Prep for the rest of the day so I will grade this Alg 2 test.
1:26 pm done grading.  I am tired!  Graded 50 ebook projects and 73 tests!  I thought it was going to be a nice easy day but I was motivated to get this done so I don't have to take it home!  Normally I would grade at home while watching tv and then prep during prep or assessments, but I am prepped for the year, so I was able to grade. 
Time to breathe, read and respond to emails, and watch the carnival out front test its rides as they get ready to open tonight.(Taken later at night)

1:50 pm 2 kids for extra help
2-2:15 stop in at Goodbye party
2:15 pm drive home, change into running clothes and treat it as a speed workout to get done quickly.  I am not used to the 80 degree weather and it was a challenge to breathe

3:00 pm jump in the shower and change into fishing clothes (long pants to avoid ticks, have to have pockets for my phone, hat, sneakers)  Grab my worms and on my way.  (I live 1 mile from my HS and 2 miles from the fishing lake.  Very convenient.)

Only my two regulars showed up.  I will call them Robin Hood and Little John.  They are freshmen boys.  Robin  Hood knows everything about fishing and has no fears.  Little John is used to ocean fishing and is trying to learn about freshwater fishing.  We have learned a lot this spring - how to tie a hook, how to untie your fishing line when it gets in a massive nest, how to cast, how to set the hook and actually hook the fish.  We are still working on putting the worm on the hook. They don't want to touch it.  And, taking it off, nope, they don't want to touch the fish either.  Robin Hood does it all though, so it is good to have another helper.  It was two hours of heaven!  Makes my rushing around during the day worth it to be in my favorite place on a 75 degree day (a little cooler at the water).  We caught about 20 sunfish among us but no great fish picture worthy.  So, here's some other pictures:

Here's my favorite spot:
 

Here's my fishing stuff:

Home by 5:30 to change clothes again into Battle of the Band clothes - jeans and a sweatshirt and make dinner.  I was going to grill chicken but came up with an idea during fishing.  I decided to bake the chicken with pesto on top, then added some chunky chili, and balsamic vinaigrette. Baked it for a bit then added some mozzarella.  It turned out great if I say so myself.

Here's dinner:

6:30 pm back to school to get computer so I can blog (now) as I wait for the Battle of The Bands to start.  It is tough finding parking as the carnival and carnival goers have taken over the school parking lot.  And, there is an Elder Tea in the middle school next door, so their parking is full.  We have about 10 people in the audience, but these kids will have fun.  Let the show begin...

There were 5 bands. All so good, so talented.  Here is a picture of the winners - Escape!

Home around 8:15 pm, type this up, add some pictures and one more clothing change - my favorite - my jammies!  And, a Klondike bar!

Too tired to reflect on teacher things, so I will recap family milestones:

It was a busy month with my family and I am so proud of all of them:
My #4 made his Confirmation and got his driver's permit:

 My #2 graduated from UMASS Dartmouth with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

My #3 graduated from high school and will be going to Westfield State University in the fall. 

 My #1 is just plan busy with work, umpiring baseball, and getting his master's.  He lives in Western MA.

 Good night!