Last Bit of Color and End of Week Psalm

                                      These are actually leaves.  The flowers have been long gone.
                                           The leaves change color in the fall and stay this way
                                                     until the cold comes and stays.

I don't remember what the flowers are called.

 They bloom from early until late summer.

 Thank you for all your comments to my last post

and for your support.

Thursday and Friday were better.

I changed the direction of the seats.

Now my desk is in front of the seats

instead of in the back. 

I have a wonderful first period class.

They moved the furniture

and the big screen for the overhead. 

There is only one place the desk can be

because of other factors,

 so everything else

had to change.

Now the boys are in the middle of the back

 near the heat register.

They are not near my air conditioner (I had to buy it and it stays even if I don't).

They are not near the books

or the bulletin board

so they cannot easily vandalize when I'm not looking.

But most importantly

they are not near me.

Because the seats are spread out by width,

there is a buffer of empty seats around them.

This helps the other students ignore them.

They can no longer directly bother me.

They can even talk amongst themselves

and the rest of us can ignore them.

This is bugging them, because they want to bug us,

especially me.

Will it work in the long run?  I don't know.

I just know Thursday and Friday were better days.

On Friday, I gave out Tootsie Pops to everyone

but them.

Everyone else had been reading the story

and working on the worksheet.

'They' had been talking with each other

and generally goofing off.

After realizing they were not being offered any

 one boy immediately read two paragraphs

and insisted that should warrant a sucker.

I didn't argue; didn't engage.

I simply said that those who had been consistently working

throughout the entire period would get a sucker.

Now, "I'm mean."

I can live with mean.

It's the f work flung at me

that

I can do without.

Here's the end of the week Psalm.

Psalm 61

To the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments.

1) HEAR MY cry, O God; listen to my prayer.

2) From the end of the earth will I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting;

lead me to the rock that is higher than I [yes, a rock that is too high for me].

3) For You have been a shelter and a refuge for me; a strong tower against the adversary.

4) I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever;

 let me find refuge and trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

5) For You, O God, have heard my vows'

You have given me the heritage of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name. . .

(The next verses relate directly to David as King)

Last verse:

8) So will I sing praise to Your name forever, paying my vows day by day.

May you have a wonderful weekend.

     
[A footnote: Folks have been wondering about the grade level of these boys.  It's freshmen or 9th grade as we call it in the U.S.  These boys are 15 and 16.]

Most of the leaves are gone now.  Fall has winter holding onto its tail.