Open House and Fevers

WINS:  At Open House last night more than the needed number of chaperones signed up for our upcoming field trip to the Flagstaff Hut, part of the Huts and Trails system.  Also, my team mate and I talked with all the 8th grade parents at once rather than having them wander from one room to the other and repeating ourselves and just mingling, trying to politely say that Open House isn't the venue to discuss their child's progress.  It was much more productive this way.  New (for me)Classroom Management Strategy:  This one happens outside the classroom:   the "two-minute relationship builder".  You spend two minutes every day for 10 days talking with a student about non-school things.  You target kids who have had a lot of undesirable behaviors in the past.  I've been doing this with two students in particular.  It's easy because they are in my homeroom, but I need to make time for one student in particular who is not in my homeroom.  

LOSSES:  Only about 1/5 of our students attended Open House.  The numbers seem to get lower and lower the higher the grade level.  My son is home sick...possibly with hand foot and mouth disease (what a wretched name).  Seven students in his class have been out this week, some with this diagnosis.  Sore throat, body aches, fever...watch out!