tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95713512011-07-07T22:18:13.352-04:00i am jetJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.comBlogger711100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-38590172561062465832008-01-14T18:45:00.000-05:002008-01-14T21:45:17.226-05:00

http://jetfuellines.wordpress.com/So I finally moved over to WordPress. This move comes primarily because some of the topics I want to blog about are not things I want the general public to read, particularly students who happen to be wandering around the world wide web. WordPress allows me to password protect individual posts. Those of you that I know and know visit my blog will be emailed the

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-63643774334682958412008-01-02T23:09:00.000-05:002008-01-02T23:19:37.522-05:00

It is amazing to me how one day can fly by without a single nod to sanity. That sentence came to me and stuck with me on my drive home. The day really didn't fly by. I have to readjust all over again to repeating myself 5 times every day. The repeating really wears on me, but I supposed preping for two classes would be just as hard. By period 3 I was wondering when it would end and asking myself

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-61369852688700375792008-01-01T18:58:00.000-05:002008-01-01T19:49:11.950-05:00

Hello 2008!I cannot believe I have not blogged in over a month. I took a break from blogworld due to lack of time and trying to be more present on Etsy. I made my first Treasury on Etsy but keep missing the openings since then. I got some shirts screened this week, so hopefully I will have more on the store soon. Back to The Mayhem tomorrow. I was really worn down leading up to vacation. I pumped

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-73686402562281070922007-11-28T11:58:00.000-05:002007-11-28T17:31:47.395-05:00

Balance. I once read or heard that balance in your life is more like keeping a pile of tennis balls on a tennis racket rather than juggling, because in juggling you are throwing and catching and only holding them for a short while where as keeping balls on a racket involves careful attention focused on each ball as they are all in your grasp. I often think of this analogy but find it difficult to

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-79899091925800553092007-10-31T22:15:00.000-04:002007-10-31T23:59:30.687-04:00

I have been steadily chipping away at my grand plans for a Gothic/Poe, slightly creepy bathroom. My goal was to finish by halloween, but that is not the case (this will have to do for GPP Street Team Crusade #13). There are some small decorating details that need to happen and the sink and faucet on the vanity must be replaced still. I found an old marble vanity top that fits perfectly and went

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-6239112270828185192007-10-30T21:56:00.000-04:002007-10-30T22:40:53.394-04:00

My last 2 weeks: (in no particular or cause and effect order)Shelter building, essays, globe lab, sparking more interest in rock climbing, new routes, knives, expullsion, worry about students, simplifying my goals, frustration, whining, working my butt off on field trip, always the complaining, feeling used, no new shirts, just 3 days with kids this week, dancing with a giant puffy globe, caving

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-12637939022082240972007-10-21T02:30:00.001-04:002007-10-21T02:35:49.722-04:00

This is a beautiful film collage my cousin made as part of a class. It makes me smile and feel contented. It also makes me long for the new life and hope of the spring season. It will come fast enough...and a lot of other beautiful weather before then. Take a minute to see how cute and pretty it is!

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-57839224256995976242007-10-10T06:47:00.000-04:002007-10-10T07:00:48.491-04:00

Spent some of this weekend working on my gothic/Poe themed bathroom. I'm very excited about it. Here are some sneak previews of the work.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-4753942884342447102007-09-26T22:59:00.000-04:002007-09-26T23:38:36.854-04:00

Finally in the middle of the moving, renovation, and starting school year I got the b+j greene Etsy store up and running. I will be adding new things soon...including some furniture! Thank you to my models for helping me get the photos to show everyone how wonderful the shirts are!Brief note about school...took the kids outside for the first time today. So much smoother than last year, of course.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-24110127745526864082007-09-06T11:56:00.000-04:002007-09-06T14:35:59.719-04:00

At the beginning of school last year my approach to my job was "Middle school students can accomplish more than people expect them to and if you just hold them to a higher standard and explain things well they can complete any task." That was my attitude. Not quite sure where it came from (maybe because my top strength according to Gallup is Achieve). That attitude combine with the demanding,

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-86015678771597717102007-09-02T09:33:00.000-04:002007-09-02T09:49:05.978-04:00

The house is still in progress but these represent our hard work so far.Kitchen BeforeKitchen after...but still in progress.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-27916697506611853222007-08-19T07:52:00.000-04:002007-08-19T07:56:06.083-04:00

Not much time for blogger this week. I've been playing with my wrecking bar!

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-82501709689302647322007-08-13T02:08:00.000-04:002007-08-13T02:13:49.374-04:00

The winner of my shirt giveaway during ArtsyMama's Artful Blogging Party isLINDA SONIA!Congratulations!Thank you to everyone who commented on my tutorial. It was very uplifting, especially those who said they look forward to my Etsy store. I hope to have shirts listed by the end of the week! I will keep you posted!

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-49184297719598876662007-08-10T15:41:00.000-04:002007-08-10T15:55:27.614-04:00

I am headed off to the Cape for the weekend, but before I go I wanted to share a few photos (to start) from my kayaking trip last week. My sis-in-law and I went to Lake Champlain and island hopped. It was fabulous and very relaxing. We didn't do much more than kayaking, eat, sleep, swim, repeat.I fell in love with this tree. It will probably make it onto a future shirt.Julie is always up for a

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-74946038255064962672007-08-09T08:37:00.000-04:002007-08-09T09:10:33.951-04:00

Finally getting back to posting about the July Create a Connection Swap, which was all about your hometown.This is the lovely box I received from Kelly. All about her hometown of LONDON! Very fun. Love the pop song mix. :-) Thanks, Kelly!And this is the altered book I made for Nina about my hometown of the Pioneer Valley in Masschusetts. She posted about it on her blog too.And a slideshow of the

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-53885125927342215682007-08-08T20:27:00.000-04:002007-08-08T21:27:07.606-04:00

Kari is hosting a fabulous blog party over at http://artsymama.blogspot.com/. The party is to celebrate the new Somerset Special Publication Artful Blogging, so the theme is crafty tutorials and posts. So I decided to show a little about my thought process in how I make the shirts that have become a hot seller here in the Pioneer Valley.My husband and I order the shirts wholesale through American

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-33020408952151624532007-07-31T17:23:00.001-04:002007-07-31T17:41:17.412-04:00

So I killed two birds with one stone with the GPP Street Team Crusade No. 10 and the Create a Connection Hometown Swap for the month of July.I will post pics of my hometown swap stuff SOON (although you can see what I made here). When I sent out my swap item to Nina I stenciled and spray painted the box for the GPP Street Team Crusade No. 10. Here are pictures of my box. I just love mail art and

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-54315751536992984372007-07-31T11:35:00.000-04:002007-07-31T17:23:01.809-04:00

I have set up my etsy store and as I get this next batch of shirts ready for the Artisan Gallery I am getting a batch ready for Etsy. I am very excited about the success I have had in the Artisan Gallery and so I am launching into the online sales world. It will be very exciting. So here is a sneak preview of some new, some older designs that are coming soon! Stay tuned for the launch.Our newest

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-7640645262229977212007-07-13T23:47:00.000-04:002007-07-14T10:42:42.844-04:00

We have a mortgage! Yes! I am so very excited to be buying a house. So much work to be done but at least all the work to get the house is almost over. Thank goodness. Buying a house is like trying to disarm a bomb...if you don't cut the wires in the right order you're screwed. So since it is actually happening here are some of the photos you all have been waiting for:The house.The view from the

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-52175881114168295152007-07-07T10:08:00.001-04:002007-07-07T10:25:02.136-04:00

I am so thrilled! Not only are my shirts selling well, but one is in the front window at The Artisan Gallery. I love this store and used to spend time just hanging out and being inspired by all the beautiful items collected together. This makes it even more exciting to have my stuff there!The display of my shirts.Another one on the dressing room door!

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-64959275668576257162007-07-04T00:29:00.000-04:002007-07-04T00:41:28.798-04:00

I have been longing to return here since my first trip about 10 years ago. My mom and I went last weekend and it was wonderful.This is my favorite part. Hard to capture, but there are winding small staircases and secret nooks and crannies to explore. I love hidden passageways and stone walls. I love not being able to see the next part of the garden until you find a way in and suddenly emerge into

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-61330497149207849762007-07-03T22:51:00.000-04:002007-07-03T22:57:46.802-04:00

Kari over at Artsy Mama is doing a series of challenge. The last one was about what colors you are...this is what she got me thinking about:Colors...right now my life feels like a choppy sea of blues and turquoise. More grey sometimes, brighter other times. I always want my summers to be sunny yellow with my vibrant red hammock and berries and green green grass and life. But it always seems to be

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-15536000942417626852007-07-03T22:11:00.000-04:002007-07-03T22:21:23.068-04:00

Well, I have been out of school for 2+ weeks and still have not blogged...ridiculous! Highlights of the last month:caving with outdoor clubend of the year fun in classlast day of schoolfinishing cleaning my classroomlifeguarding againdeMeng class in Topsfield and Todd Farm Flea Market 3rd wedding anniversaryoffer accepted on house14 more shirts to the artisan gallery in noho (all the rest sold)

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-7644253748337348172007-06-06T11:34:00.000-04:002007-06-06T11:43:24.164-04:00

- Buy house- Plan and prepare for 3 field trips- Plan, cook for, and host 2 parties- Finish giant art piece- Finish year-long Community Service Learning project- Prepare PP presentation of inquiry project...this is ridiculous.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-32916771456100592582007-05-29T23:04:00.000-04:002007-05-29T23:15:04.922-04:00

This is what I just asked Ben in my half asleep state...long weekends are great, but they make going back harder. But we did go see a wonderful house last week. It floats in my dreams as I pray it doesn't disappear like one. It is a small cape, last house on a dead end street where you can park and hike the mountain that it is on the side of, views across the valley, 1/2 acre of sunny undeveloped

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-30201281265896560352007-05-21T23:04:00.000-04:002007-05-21T23:30:45.655-04:00

Last week I brought 14 3/4 length sleeve shirts embellished by us to the Artisan Gallery in Northampton and the owner of the store LOVED them. It was so exciting and uplifting. She tried one on and loved it. So here are some pictures of them before they went off to be loved by others and pictures of the beautiful tags that my mom helped me with.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-24049754197909565192007-05-01T22:04:00.000-04:002007-05-01T22:24:12.657-04:00

This is the beautiful May Basket that my swap partner, Heidi, made for me! Flowers and lots of collage goodies! I was so excited. I've already used some of it. Everything was wrapped up in pretty little packages with beautiful tags, which were very inspiring. Thanks, Heidi! And many thanks to Kari for hosting!

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-61573706638980851842007-04-25T20:52:00.000-04:002007-04-25T20:52:42.530-04:00

I wrote a comment in response to a post by Misty and I wanted to share it because it is a lot of what I have been thinking about lately and kind of sums up my day:I wonder similar things often about children. I teach 8th grade science and my students can irritate me with their irrational behaviors and brighten my whole entire grey day with their jokes and antics. I love them in the end and with

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-83893120417466624212007-04-23T22:22:00.000-04:002007-04-23T22:23:58.046-04:00

I had to go back today. I had to sit at my desk working and wondering why on earth the students were coming down the hallway 2 minutes and 30 seconds before they were supposed to. But I did leave at 4:15 and sit in the sun for 1 1/2 hours reading and working on a project for a class I am taking...while drinking esselon herbal ice tea. Now I really need to sleep...it was painful to wake up this

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-24684609348876957282007-04-18T10:42:00.000-04:002007-04-18T11:04:43.942-04:00

This is part of a larger project for the May Basket Swap, but I liked the connection to tears and thinking about tears as watering growth in our lives.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-37498057799308738412007-04-16T11:27:00.000-04:002007-04-16T12:23:42.821-04:00

I have neglected to post about the various art I have been working on. Now I can't quite remember all that I was going to post about but here is some at least.This is quite old. These are the sweatshirts I embellished for "the girls" for Christmas. Now I have two that I am working on for myself.I added more workspace to the office my husband and I share, with the help of my mom. It is very full

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-67460150271312587242007-04-12T21:11:00.000-04:002007-04-12T21:18:34.929-04:00

Just one more day...can I take it? I don't know, honestly. Migraines and dizziness have plagued me the last few days. My back hurts right now and my head is fuzzy. Time to sleep. But wait, I came on here to celebrate the coming of April vacation, not whine. Yay! A solid week of whatever I want to do. Goals? Get out the Women of the Opera collaborative altered book (I will post pics before I send

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-56547801908236418952007-03-24T22:20:00.000-04:002007-03-24T22:28:29.488-04:00

I suddenly was inspired last night to overhaul the colors and appearance of my blog. I had been wanting to make a header for a while and then the header didn't go with the background so I gave that a bit of freshening up too. My current color of choice is turquoise. I have this image stuck in my head of a black chandelier in a turquiose room and I'm not sure where I saw it...Lucky mag or

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-22886231112132383542007-03-07T08:07:00.000-05:002007-03-07T16:15:48.400-05:00

Monday and Tuesday morning I almost feel asleep driving to school. And not just nodding off one time, I mean the entire 30 minute commute struggling to keep my eyes open. It was ridiculous, flying down the highway and falling asleep at 7:00 am. I tried cold, loud music, and my Spanish CD. Nothing helped. I dragged myself into school and started my long day of five classes of students who don't

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-3727280204271072222007-02-22T21:09:00.000-05:002007-02-22T21:30:08.563-05:00

I can feel now that the end of my blissful vacation is near. My days of creative freedom are over. It is a paralyzing thought sometimes, but I am trying to make to best of it and keep the energy up. I have had so many ideas and felt so relaxed to pursue whatever I wanted this week. A nice feeling in the midst of winter and the school year. Here are some photos from my trip to Rhode Island at the

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-73147778893031127762007-02-22T15:52:00.000-05:002007-02-22T15:59:45.376-05:00

This is A's chair, as of last night, dry fitted and propped up so you can get an idea of what it longs to be. It will have feet and a cushion seat. I went to the local woodworking shop today and picked up a bunch of ends and scraps of nice wood for very little money. I am so excited to play around with some ideas I have. I have to go get it from the car now...through the wet falling snow.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-69191901254693031032007-02-22T01:29:00.000-05:002007-02-22T01:41:52.474-05:00

This is not my typical mode of art, but is fits this week's Inspire Me Thursday prompt. This is a dress I started making 2 1/2 years ago. It was cut out in pieces as of last week and now is much further along, but still not complete. I have decided to make it more funky so I bought ivory cotton lace (old fashioned type) and ivory satin ribbon for the hem and the neck line, respectively.

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-75515104940950304372007-02-21T10:33:00.000-05:002007-02-21T10:45:10.685-05:00

This is a painting I started a couple weeks ago. It has a ways to go still...more mixed media and finish the cars and trees. It represents me staring out my window (it is the view from my desk in our home office) and dreaming of escaping the winter grey and sometimes feeling delusional and seeing things that I am actually imagining. Yes, there is a map in the sky.So I have decided to deviate from

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-58485968888111002722007-01-31T20:01:00.000-05:002007-02-01T11:43:40.482-05:00

Covering sexual and asexual reproduction always has very funny outcomes. Today was such a day. Throughout the day students had fun having the opportunity to yell out SPERM! When well-timed this lead to many laughs. Kids will never get over the idea that plant "have sex" or rather reproduce sexually with two half cells combining. One of the funniest things I tell kids is that pollen is a plant's

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-91994180322842137852007-01-31T19:46:00.000-05:002007-01-31T20:00:29.094-05:00

I am so ecstatic right now! I just sat down and looked at the chaos that spring and MCAS bring and came up with an awesome plan that uses all the pieces I have lying around. See, my husband is making a movie with my class, I have units to complete, I am supposed to review all science before MCAS, through my new teacher's group I have to do an inquiry project on a topic of my choice (

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-42417739403648093902007-01-23T20:01:00.000-05:002007-01-23T20:20:34.207-05:00

My first class now has 26 kids in it, which feels big compared to my others, but this is better because I have a really good aide in that class. Good help makes all the difference! My second class of the day is improving daily. And afternoon classes remain incorrigible and hillarious! After lunch today one boy started singing "Hey Baby, Hey Baby, Hey" by No Doubt. I just stared at him in

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-16391157912265330932007-01-22T21:56:00.000-05:002007-01-22T21:57:34.020-05:00

I want to do things alternatively. I want to shape my students into people more successful than previously thought possible. I want to get kids engaged in real science. I want students to work hard and learn more. I want to make school more creative and less systematic. Lately what I find most discouraging is that my students are so used to using textbooks and doing easy assignment that they ask

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-51610515623266133652007-01-21T01:35:00.000-05:002007-01-21T01:58:17.482-05:00

This sounds mundane and very non-original, but I can't really believe the year is half over...and 4 weeks until February vacation. On the other hand, I have covered so much ground both in curriculum and experiences with my classroom. At this time in the year, and my life, I mainly feel the overwhelming sense that I have so much started and not enough finished. I long to finish something and feel

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1165374093440399942006-12-05T21:36:00.000-05:002006-12-05T22:01:33.520-05:00

You know you've been at school too much when......you walk into rooms expecting a sensor to turn on the lights for you....the only contents of the freezer in the science closet at school is your 2 days worth of frozen meals....you see stars in the sky on your way to school and on your way home....your ipod shuffle needs to be recharged every night (and you can only play it after school)....you

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1162926526507955162006-11-07T14:03:00.000-05:002006-11-07T14:08:46.713-05:00

So Friday was an AWFUL day, but then again the whole school had an awful day. The kids were just insane and rude. The quote on Friday that made my made my day...bouncy ball having lunch in my room, turns to me and says "You're really fair Mrs. Greene." I said, "Thanks, I try really hard." That made the whole day better...even though today he was bouncy pens off the ceiling...sigh.Today and Monday

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1161274256967320782006-10-19T11:57:00.000-04:002006-10-19T14:18:47.680-04:00

Everyday I am exhausted by endless resistance. Every new idea, every different approach, and especially every time I tell them to go use what we've been studying. "I can't do it!" "I don't get it!" "I don't want to do this!" My students fight me almost everyday. Even the things that I thought they would embrace and enjoy they fight! Some examples...Dentention: I asked a kid "What do you want me

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1156729894616446912006-08-27T21:41:00.000-04:002006-08-27T22:00:53.040-04:00

So tomorrow is my first day...without students. The students come Wednesday. I feel like I have so many things flying through my head. So many things to pack in my car to take to school. Wednesday I take my first step, and knowing me, I want it to be perfect. I want to start every management practice I have found works on the first day. I don't want to go back and try to change something that I

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1153791850736583562006-07-24T21:34:00.000-04:002006-07-24T22:17:02.146-04:00

I have often planned on blogging over the last three months, but it just hasn't happened. But I did finish my year well, took 7 of my kids backpacking, and am now working at an adventure camp and lifeguarding. So much work leaves me little time to blog even though there is so much to say. But tonight I am finally sitting down and writing due to an interesting conversation I had today. Shortly

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1145846766015242622006-04-23T22:29:00.000-04:002006-04-23T22:46:06.026-04:00

Something occurred to be out of nowhere today that made me laugh and shake my head.When I did TeenPact (conservative Christian week-long camp at the state house in Boston) learning about the government, how to make a law, etc. our assignment before we went was to create a bill proposal for anything we wanted to change in the state. Mine was on having bilingual education for all children from

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1143239223956900552006-03-24T17:18:00.000-05:002006-03-24T17:27:03.966-05:00

Written 28 February 2006I have a belief that the eyeliner girls (those girls who wear too much eyeliner and have experienced more crap than any person should have to handle) are able to go to college and be so much, but when I think of my college experience I wonder if there is a place for those who have been homeless, done drugs, been on probation, etc. Part of it is: Is there hope? Part is: Is

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1141745416935776692006-03-07T10:28:00.000-05:002006-03-07T10:58:12.180-05:00

This conversation made me so happy.I hear one of my fav students shouting in the hall.Me: (Kid's Name!),what are you doing?She has a silly excuse. We chat a little.Me: Where are you supposed to be?C: In the computer lab... So what do you do in the teachers' room anyway?Me: I do my homework.C: Can you get me a soda?The only soda machine is in the teachers' room.Me: No.C: Come on!Me: Go to the

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1139279723620974032006-02-06T21:32:00.000-05:002006-02-06T21:35:23.633-05:00

A paper I wrote for class tomorrow...sensored for the web.I always have the voice of the masses in my head when dealing with teenagers. They tell me that teenagers are annoying and difficult, some are beyond hope, some cannot be tolerated, some will never succeed, and some are less than desirable. Even worse is when students believe these voices themselves and then these messages come from their

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1137538842052189272006-01-17T18:07:00.000-05:002006-01-17T18:10:25.873-05:00

I had the nice experience of working after school with a girl in my class that is pretty learning disabled. She is sweet and is not a behavior issue at all. Working one-on-one with her was great. I think she really started to understand the concepts of weight and mass more. I think she also appreciated the attention since I think she gets little at home. She is so quiet I confess I also lose her

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1136509463617171172006-01-05T20:40:00.000-05:002006-01-07T16:12:07.993-05:00

So I was thinking more about this vague thing I call my future plans and research interests. I want to pursue a PhD and so I was doing more research into schools, which turned out to be great because it got me thinking more about what I am interested in on a larger scale (larger than surviving the next time C+I decide to start a mutiny). Every time my ideas get a little clearer and a little more

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1133921291014723072005-12-06T21:09:00.000-05:002005-12-06T21:08:11.026-05:00

Written 28 Nov on the back a homework assignment in a moment of enlightenmentWe are often comfortable with our position but when we are stretched our density changes too. We just feel the stretching and uncomfortableness but then when we look around we see that by expanding and being pulled and moving forward we are less dense inside and what we have known to be then seems like a thin broth in

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1132018981128825452005-11-14T20:44:00.000-05:002005-11-14T20:43:01.143-05:00

So before today I had never thrown students out of my classes before. But today I kicked 5 people out of classes. Three from skills, one from science (actually one of the ones from skills), and one from a math class I subbed. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I think I went on a power trip...but maybe it was more like a collision of odds. In Skills they were taking a test and these kids

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1130602121586057732005-10-29T12:08:00.000-04:002005-10-29T12:08:41.616-04:00

Ben and I went to the Halloween Dance at Great Falls last night. WE are green crayons at the suggestion of one of my students. I couldn't think of anything better. Students were having so much fun. I guess a few years ago they decided that since lots of kids don't like to dance the teachers would provide other activities. So the teachers opened up the classrooms and kids can decorate cookies,

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1127266848432052512005-09-20T21:40:00.000-04:002005-09-20T21:40:48.443-04:00

I sat in on a meeting of the 8th grade teachers, 2 interventionists, adjustment councelor, principle, and the parents of a 8th grade boy today. Teachers had been observing disruptive bahavior in the classroom even though the boy can do all he work and is mainly successful. Everyone expressed how bright he is and how much excess energy he has. The teachers also said that the football coaches

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1126574673702570742005-09-12T21:27:00.000-04:002005-09-12T21:24:33.710-04:00

Written during Silent Reading time today...Barbara said in class: "The way to improve students' self esteem is to be really specific about their strengths; avoid language like "good" and "smart"Why is it that come kids don't listen or know what is going on in class? What are they thinking about? I would feel better if they were day-dreaming about fun and exploratory things, but it is more likely

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1121814395413655532005-07-19T18:51:00.000-04:002005-07-19T19:54:49.286-04:00

I haven't been able to think about the Peer Leadership Program without wanting to cry and sinking into completely dismal thoughts of my own injuries. But I tried to stop that today. I was reading educational research articles about science education approaches. The teenagers were being asked to reflect on scientific principles and their own understanding of the world. Very interesting thoughts,

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1119672077333512932005-06-24T23:00:00.000-04:002005-06-25T00:01:17.340-04:00

Alexia made a great point. What about foster kids and kids who have no opportunities? Along similar lines, I had been thinking about the cost of the school (as a starting point). I'd love for the school to be free. But that is unrealistic. So I thought about making tuition be a percentage of parent's income. That could work. I'd also like to offer bartering options. So parents who

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1119145916952865852005-06-18T20:44:00.000-04:002005-06-18T22:00:14.293-04:00

Original thought: middle school/high school mainly boarding. But then you have to deal with all the boarding crap that comes from that. Rich parents without any connection to their children and kids without enough supervision. Maybe this is too intense for middle/high school. Maybe it should be a college. But, no. There are lots of creative options in colleges…the whole point is that there

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1119145487593999182005-06-18T20:40:00.000-04:002005-06-18T22:00:31.736-04:00

Foundation of the School: ChristianityPillars of the School:EnvironmentalismSocial JusticeTechnologyInternational ConnectionsServiceBeautyPeople

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1119145169967581692005-06-18T20:33:00.000-04:002005-06-18T23:48:17.073-04:00

I call this the Statement of Being, which is like a belief statement for the faculty community and of course will trickle down into the mission statement eventually. It is meant to be humorous and I want it to stay that way, but we will see what is practical in the end.We are evangelical, but not necessarily conservative.We are artists, philosophers, construction workers, historians, social

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1119145980650553872005-06-18T20:30:00.000-04:002005-06-18T22:21:34.506-04:00

I envision full page ads in magazines using these sets of words and definitions. Like Refridgerator Magnet Poetry or something.Gen•e•sisNounThe time or circumstances of something’s coming into beingThe formation of somethingThe first book of the Bible, in which the story of the creation of the world is toldSchoolNounAn institution for educatingOrigin: Old English, via Latin from Greek skhole:

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1119144781285199622005-06-18T20:27:00.000-04:002005-06-18T21:33:01.290-04:00

So I am now in Whitewater, Wisconsin (the end of week 2) doing a biology research experience internship here for the summer. I have 8 weeks left. I decided to go to Athol with the Bridges to the Future program in the Fall. It is a small rural school about 40 minutes from Amherst. I am looking forward to it and also slowly realizing how crazy next year is really going to be.Today I have been

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1115736129916372512005-05-10T10:42:00.000-04:002005-05-10T10:42:09.933-04:00

I went to Athol Middle School yesterday to interview for te Bridges Program for next year. I am leaning towards going there. There are so many opportuntities to go outside. Plus Seeds of Solidarity Farm is already involved there.But the rural kids don't realize how well off they really are. They have woods to explore. Urban kids can barely walk around outside without being in danger. Rural

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1112308720195734272005-03-31T17:03:00.000-05:002005-03-31T17:40:02.623-05:00

We are talking about using blogs in the classroom in Educ 604 here at UMass Amherst. A thought: have a class blog and give extra credit for every post over 50 words. I think I want to use Task Stream and the internet in general in my class as much as possible, even down in Springfield. I know I expect too much of the kids right now...I really don't know what they can handle, but I am really

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1110573233272148432005-03-11T15:33:00.000-05:002005-03-11T15:33:53.273-05:00

Kids need to take on their own problems and claim their responsibility for themselves. I learn about this conference tool from Four Rivers Charter School. Instead of parent-teacher conferences, the parents meet with the teacher and their child. The child does the presentation on how they are doing and why they got certain bad grades and what needs to happen to improve their grades. It puts

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1103426294204954242004-12-18T22:17:00.000-05:002004-12-18T22:22:16.370-05:00

I have a sinking feeling that my youth minstry inspiration is disappearing. Let's just say I'm not really inspired right now. I used to have so many ideas for curricula and talks, but now Josh, Carrie, Ben and I have a retreat to plan and my mind is stuck. We'll find something, but I feel like the desire to create youth ministry stuff is dying. Or actually it is being suffocated, gasping for

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9571351.post-1102813267393748272004-12-11T19:59:00.000-05:002004-12-11T20:02:58.846-05:00

The name jetfuel just came to me like a flash of light. I am jet and this blog is a place for me to put writing and thoughts. It fits and it says what I want it to. I think mainly acedemically now. My thesis is my brain right now. My defense is on Thursday so I'm a little stressed. Setting this up is part distraction from the stress, part wake-me-up tool, and part procrastination. Anyway

Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15895611891233742307noreply@blogger.com0