Upper Level Dressage

      Dolls happen around here sometimes. Last week was finishing up some dolls that carried over from the week before, and getting a couple more order dolls finished. One of the dolls that carried over was this upper level dressage doll. It now occurs to me, I don't own a dressage saddle. I also have no idea really how to do anything but lower level dressage, but whatever. Anyway, I don't make a lot of dressage dolls, but I really do like them a lot. They always look so polished. That makes me happy. I have been a shipping slacker  taking it easy on myself when it comes to shipping and have really only been shipping on Mondays at this point. I am not pushing myself to try to ship after school every day. So I ship on Mondays when we are out doing laundry and errands. It's very convenient. 

     Have I mentioned that I hate Tic Tok? I have friends that send me links to Tic Tok videos, and they are funny, but as a whole I kind of hate it. It is a time suck that I definitely don't have time for. It is a complete distraction to the kids at school (that and snapchat, texting their friends, and their parents, and so on and so on), but I especially hate those stupid Tic Tok trends. Steal large things from your school, steal from your teachers, punch a teacher, and the latest was Friday's shoot up a school Friday challenge. Really? Are people that desperate for likes and followers (or views? How does Tic Tok work?) that they feel the need to make up these ridiculous challenges? And how is shooting up a school considered cool at all? Or any of the other destructive or violent things that are on these challenge lists? I am really good with people, but a lot of times I really don't understand people. 

     So Friday a lot of kids were out. I had not one, but two emails (one from the superintendent and one from the principal) making us aware of this nationwide threat against the schools. We had more police outside the schools and I know we were not the only district like that. I had to explain to a class, at length, that our classroom is actually very safe. The door was locked, and we have a closet we can all fit in (and lock). The kids were convinced a shooter would just shoot the handle off. So I had to explain about the mentality of mass shooters and how they are not going to take the time breaking into rooms that may be empty. And I reassured kids. Teaching is hard enough without having to deal with the anxiety of kids who are convinced they are going to get shot because their parents made them come to school. I hate that the kids are scared. I hope that I maybe reassured them a bit. 

      On a good note, I think my lamps have been making a difference in the mood of the classes. Things have been a lot calmer, even in my most difficult classes. Not perfect, but we are getting there. When they get out of hand and get, yet another, talk on respect, I get some mildly shamed looks and mumbles of "sorry miss". But we can do better. And I tell them that. We can always do better. My kids are learning it, and if we could get the Tic Tok creators of stupid trends to do better we'd really be getting somewhere.