Dear Facebook

Friday's prompt was:

 An anonymous letter to your Facebook friends. Be as snarky as you'd like. (but don't include people's real names.) 

People on Facebook are sometimes a bit annoying...or over share a bit.  So I am going to do a bit of a Dear Boys style to it.

Dear Oversharers,

We don't really need a "good morning world this is what has happened to me so far".  You don't need to be telling me what you're doing all day long...I am sorry we don't care :)

Sincerely,
Tired of Reading your Statuses

Dear Drunk Picture Takers,

Taking a pic with your phone with your eyes all blood shot and holding glasses definitely full of alcohol. You try to make it look like you are having so much fun. You are setting bad examples for everyone around you--especially to children.  And what employer will hire you now?

Sincerely,
Close to Just Deleting You as a Friend

Dear Long Status Writer,

So this is just to you....you write novels in your statuses...and honestly I do not read them all anymore because I just don't have the time. Don't know how you have the time to write all of that.

Sincerely,
Tired Friend

This video was the last thing I wanted to share today....because all of this is so true!!!

Public Letter/Dear Boys and Girls

Today's prompt is:

Write a public love letter to someone in your life. (It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.)

This prompt is actually intimating me today, because I honestly have no idea who specifically to write to. I don't want to pick on anyone in my life. I have thought about writing a general letter...but I want it to be a little bit more specific too.  So I am actually thinking I will do a Dear Boys/Girls (idea courtesy of Elise's Pieces)....I haven't done that in awhile.  The beautiful thing about this is that it just changes people's names :)

Dear Fellow Teacher,

We work hard everyday.  I have been in your shoes, and I know what it is to grade all of that! I admire that you have seemed to be able to keep up, and I am so glad that you are here to help us out.

Sincerely,
A Grateful Colleague

Dear My 13-Year Old Friend,

Often drama comes into your life--sometimes because we create it and sometimes because life hands it to you. Recently you had a little bit of both.  But just because life hands you drama doesn't mean we have to create it. Continue to try to listen to other people and be patient with others around you. But you teach me a lot about what it means to be a good friend despite the drama.

Sincerely,
Your Adult Friend

Day 22: The Rant!

It's really too bad that this wasn't yesterday's prompt...I did a pretty good one all about work yesterday.

Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)

But since my work is a good place and I try not to trash-talk it on here. I do a lot of work for our SEO with Google through work things and supplement it on here....my "boss" and co-workers actually know quite a bit about my blog and are always proud when my Cedar Ridge Academy posts make it into high parts on Google!

So.....I have an idea.  My good blogger friend Elise does Dear Boys on Wednesdays....they are a great way too get rants out and leave them relatively anonymous (people can just try to guess). I do these occasionally...the nice thing is that you just assign them a name.  My sister does this sometimes and sometimes I know the boy that is flirting with her or she likes by their blog name not their real name! Check Elise out with her buttons and my sister on the side (SillyWorld)!

Dear "I Would Sue" Obsessed,
Hmm....you have a tendency to say that so-and-so should sue...or I would sue if that happened to me.  Well...I'm getting sick of you not doing your job, leaving it for me to do, and not respecting me.  So maybe I should just sue you.
Sincerely, I Have Had Enough!
Dear Barely Old Enough to Be On Facebook,
Don't add me on Facebook two days after you basically call me a B**ch....that makes zero sense!
Sincerely, Twice Your Age
Dear Sweetheart,
I love that you take care of me with this ridiculousness going on....I couldn't do this without you!
Love, Your Sweetheart
Dear Slow-Poke (who appeared here too),
So you bug me to give you the chance to take your quiz a third time...and then get made when I take you back an assignment because that's why you are failing your quiz.  Surprisingly it is because you are not asking questions when the story doesn't make sense! You are trying to go fast...but you should go a lot slower because that is your name! Amazing how you and I going over the story together you finally got it...
Sincerely, Losing Patience

Dear Boys

K...so I know its not Wednesday....but it was one of those days that I need to anonymously vent and I read Elise's post tonight so its on the brain!

To The Man,
Ok so my gag reflex is not that great...in fact it sucks--so can you please leave my classroom while you throw up?  The smell was still lingering when I left...I really hope its not their tomorrow.
Sincerely,
The "mom" of the school

Dear Slow-Poke,
You like to hear yourself talk, so you can't be quiet enough to listen--so then I have to spend time going over it with you one-on-one.  I wonder if you would be so much more successful if you would just shut your mouth sometimes!
Sincerely,
Losing patience

Dear Anger Management,
A and B are having a conversation so C your way out....but apparently you have to get offended.  Really?! Wow, you need to get more control.
Sincerely,
The authority figure whether you like it or not

Dear Snow

You are very pretty sometimes and very white and wet.  But trying to drive from Provo to Salt Lake City should never take three hours....but you made it be that way.  And then I couldn't go home last night.  And you are still around this morning when I wake up.  At least I was finally able to get home but you prompt a couple of other dears...


Dear Black Pickup with the White Trailer,

Tailgating me because I'm going 10 mph under the speed limit with the snow is NOT okay.  Yes I was in the left lane and you couldn't "legally" pass me...but the right lane was covered in snow and not plowed yet.  So excuse me for taking the one lane that seemed to be the safest. If you're going to follow so close you can pass on the right...

Sincerely,
Girl who was very grateful when you finally did


Dear Snow Plow,

Thank you for plowing in front of me today as I climbed the mountain...I think I would have been okay with out you but it was very reassuring.

Sincerely,
Girl who is home safe and sound

Thanks Elise's

Grades are Earned, Not Punishment

Have you seen this?

Thanks: http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2011/02/12/bad-grades-1960-vs-2010-cartoon/

This went around Facebook for a long time, a while ago.  And the other day I saw this link: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/01/why-teachers-secretly-hate-grading-papers/266931/ which is an article explaining why teachers don't like to grade papers.  The author gives six reasons that made sense to me.  Today I was reminded of reason 7: parents expect you to give them the grade they think their student deserves based on the effort that they see, not what the kid earned.

This is on my mind today because I had a parent rudely tell me today what I had done wrong with his student's grade.  I don't want to be negative about it, but I do want to say a few things that I feel like all parents need to hear.

Dear Frustrated Parent,

Teachers (the good ones) have expectations for their students.  They make these expectations very clear, and to a certain extent these expectations are common sense.  We are not out to "get" your student, and we have a lot of better things to do then to come up with ways to trick your student.

If your student leaves questions blank, they will be marked wrong.  If your student puts down on an inaccurate answer, it will be marked wrong.  If your student does not follow the expectations, their grade will go down despite what they might get on tests.  It can also happen that way even if they spend a lot of time on their assignment.  I am willing to work with your student to improve your grade, but that is tricky to do if your student does not come to class or ask for help. So, I am not punishing your child--I am simply trying to teach them that they EARN their grade and to put in effort in all of their assignments.

In addition, if you come to me to advocate for your student that is one thing. I am happy to discuss that with you, because we both want what is best for your student. However, if you come to argue about what you think should be right instead of having an open mind about what might be my perspective, that is just insulting.  We don't blame doctors for the diagnosis they give us, and tell them it is their fault we are dying.  Why are you doing it to me? Please just let me do my job.

Sincerely,

Me

Dear Boys

So...my sister does this on her blog sometimes (which is great btw..see button on the side).  I think it is technically a Wednesday thing for the linky party with the original poster Elise (see button below) but it fits my mood today.  I have kind of promised myself that this blog will not be a complaining/life sucks/ranting/venting kind  of blog---it goes against the whole Inspirefly idea that I have.  I want to be able to inspire people to do something BUT mostly inspire myself to do something.  So today, I decided that I needed to be clever and cheeky about my not so great day.

Dear Whiner,
Though you think that you can talk to your only female teacher like you are the best thing since sliced bread and get me to be super nice to you....not writing your assignment correctly as I have already told you five times...will not get you your way--you have to do it right no matter how much you try to talk me out of it.

Love, your patient teacher ;)

Dear Essay in a Dayish,
Really?! You read the whole book yesterday, did the prewrite today, wrote an essay today, and will give me a final tomorrow because Mom and Dad decided to transfer you? In addition...you expect me to read it right away....ugh you have not learned anything about respecting teacher's time! And you spent about two weeks on your first essay for me about two-three months ago?  I find it very hard to believe that this paper will pass....Good luck!
Love, your skeptical teacher

Dear Men at Work,
Yes I know that I am like the only female professional in the whole building--that does NOT mean that I have super powers of being able to get everything done---but I know what matters and most of you aren't doing it!!! Please just give a girl a break :)
Love, exhausted teacher

K so can't figure out how to get the link to work so it is:
http://www.elisespiecesblog.com/2012/12/dear-boys-its-been-while-no-54.html