Whew! I am spent! I am having a great first week with my kiddos, but I feel like I have tons to do and even though I have a decent amount of time before school, between sessions, and after school, it seems like there is always something that is left undone when I leave at the end of the day. I spent way too much time this morning trying to print out labels for the new students I have gotten since the first day in order to make sure they have their name on all the different little things that I had already labeled prior to their arrival.
I got a lot done after school today and I decided that I just need to get into the habit of school "to do" lists. I love me some to do lists and sometimes I feel like I am not as efficient as I could/should be at school, so I need to fix that. I was adding up all the time I have and it's a lot. I have been getting to school at 7, so that gives me an hour and ten minutes before school. Then I have an hour and 10 minutes in between sessions, which includes my lunch time (but I never actually sit down to take a lunch, so I consider all of that planning/prepping time). Then, I have about an hour and a half of contract time after the kids leave.
That is a lot of time, right?
When I think about that, I realize I need to change some of my work habits because I should be able to get a lot more accomplished than I have been. I also need to designate a day for planning out the following week. My first grade team used to meet every Thursday for a long time to plan everything out for the following week. Now, I find myself with an empty plan book on Friday afternoons that gets thrown into my bag to take home so I can map everything out while I watch TV on Friday evening. Our schedule is pretty routine, so it's not like our planning is hugely innovative or different from week to week, but it still takes time to figure everything out and get everything organized and prepped. Obviously waiting until Friday leaves me very little time to make sure I've got everything ready to go. I am thinking maybe Wednesday would be a preferable day, but we often have staff meetings on Wednesdays. Tuesday could work, but then my mind is all wrapped up in what will happen next week and I lose track of this week.
Can you see why I need to incorporate some to do lists?
I still have a lot to do in the morning, so I am going to head in at 7 again, but starting next week, I think I need to give myself 15 more minutes to sleep and head in a bit later. I shouldn't need that much time in the morning, so hopefully once I start being super efficient with daily lists, I will waste less time and therefore need less time prior to school.
PS I really need a new planner/calendar too. It has been on my mind to get one for weeks and I just haven't. I am not really good with keeping a calendar on my computer so I need something I can write appointments and important dates on. Any ideas of where to get a good one??
Relief
Wow, I feel so much better after having successfully navigated through the first day of Kindergarten...twice. After the AM session I went into Mrs. Bee's room and told her I was so jealous that she was done for the day. I kind of forgot how deflated I feel sometimes about doing everything all over again on the first day. Once I get into real teaching and actual lessons, it's not bad to be on repeat everyday, but all the beginning of the year stuff can get old the second time around.
I. Am. Tired.
For the most part, I instantly fell in love with the majority of my students. They are so little and oh so cute. I was really impressed with how smart they are (or seem) and how most could already write their name. A few were quite shy and a few obviously need some good training in how to behave, but so far, I think both classes are going to mesh really well. I am getting one more boy in the AM which would make 19, but one boy didn't come and apparently moved, so the class actually stays at 18. Not bad. I'll take it for one more day. I haven't gotten notified that there are any additions to the PM class.
I have one little boy, out of all of my kiddos, that I am a bit concerned about because he really didn't seem to tune into what I was saying or the routines at all. He peeled the paper off about 8 crayons even after I told him not to, wasn't able to make transitions based on being called by table color or by name. I think there may be some receptive communication issues so I need to figure him out.
I had success with the behavior management system and I loved introducing it from day one (as opposed to mid-year like last year) because I think most kids caught on really well. I had to be tough and take sticks away for very small things, but I have to do that in order to bring the point home that it's good to keep all of the sticks and not good to have some taken away. This system was beyond my friend that I am worried about, but I think he will need some special accommodations, which I will have to figure out. I think he is going to need some picture cues to help him understand what he needs to do. I just need to know him a bit better before I can figure out what he is going to need.
I really felt like a ROCKSTAR when I walked through the cafeteria during First Grade lunch. Many of my friends from last year were shouting my name and waving frantically. They are so cute. There are some that I will really miss this year and I actually emailed several parents from last year's classes when I got home to say that I hope the first day in first grade went well for their kiddos.
I need to sit down and plan out tomorrow....but I need to put my feet up first. I like to take it one day at a time at the beginning of the year because not all the kids come the first day and I always need to reflect on what happened in order to plan the following day.
I hope anyone else whose first day was today had a great one!
Here are some classroom pics that I have been promising. Everything doesn't look entirely done because I haven't started my instruction with the reading and math walls because my carpet still hasn't come, but the basic areas are there....
Around the World Wall where we'll focus on learning about a different country for each letter of the alphabet. The green board on the right will display the word and letter of the week for daily review during our morning circle.
The blue wall is the Fast Track Phonics wall, which the kiddos will face when I am teaching Fast Track lessons.
Math wall that still needs some love. I might post shapes above and label them or other math vocabulary.
In front of the yellow and blue walls will be my awesome new carpet where the kids will have their own assigned carpet spots. I have never done assigned spots before, but I've also never had a rug with specific squares on it, so I am excited to try it out once it comes!
Overview of the morning greeting carpet area. This is where we'll meet in the morning and where we'll have story time. I scored two nice rocking chairs at the end of last year, so I have one for each carpet area.
First Day Jitters
So you all know that I just moved (again), which means locating both my camera and my camera cord in order to upload pics of my classroom is proving to be way too challenging at the moment. I will be happy if I can keep my head on straight tomorrow. I will try to post pics soon, but I still feel like my room isn't totally ready since my awesome new carpet is not arriving in time for school....BUMMER!
For some reason, I always have extreme anxiety and worry about the start of a new school year. Perhaps it is the result of having two entirely new classes full of kids I don't know yet, but for some reason, I tend to assume to worst and worry that it will be a really hard year. Most of the kiddos I did get the chance to meet last week were very sweet and many seemed really shy, but of course there were a few--those charming few--who can totally make or break your entire year. I am trying to be rational and think about the fact that they simply are über excited to start school and don't know (yet) what is expected of them. When I clearly explain the rules and procedures, most of them should settle in and settle down just fine.
Here's hoping.
I still have really good numbers (18 in the AM and 19 in the PM), but as I said before, I don't anticipate those numbers staying the same despite my continuous finger crossing, praying, hoping, wishing, and begging. I know we'll get more kiddos registering tomorrow and as of now, our numbers are pretty even which means for every new kiddo that Mrs. Bee gets, I will get 2 (1 in the AM and 1 in the PM). I kind of wish I could just have everyone on the first day, but then again, I will be happy with these smaller numbers for as long as they last. And I will reteach routines and procedures over and over and over in these next few weeks, so any newbies won't miss out.
What's on tap for tomorrow...
If you are starting tomorrow I hope you have a great first day. Many of you have already been back for what seems like weeks, but I hope you have a great day/week as well!
For some reason, I always have extreme anxiety and worry about the start of a new school year. Perhaps it is the result of having two entirely new classes full of kids I don't know yet, but for some reason, I tend to assume to worst and worry that it will be a really hard year. Most of the kiddos I did get the chance to meet last week were very sweet and many seemed really shy, but of course there were a few--those charming few--who can totally make or break your entire year. I am trying to be rational and think about the fact that they simply are über excited to start school and don't know (yet) what is expected of them. When I clearly explain the rules and procedures, most of them should settle in and settle down just fine.
Here's hoping.
I still have really good numbers (18 in the AM and 19 in the PM), but as I said before, I don't anticipate those numbers staying the same despite my continuous finger crossing, praying, hoping, wishing, and begging. I know we'll get more kiddos registering tomorrow and as of now, our numbers are pretty even which means for every new kiddo that Mrs. Bee gets, I will get 2 (1 in the AM and 1 in the PM). I kind of wish I could just have everyone on the first day, but then again, I will be happy with these smaller numbers for as long as they last. And I will reteach routines and procedures over and over and over in these next few weeks, so any newbies won't miss out.
What's on tap for tomorrow...
- a little morning work followed by an explanation of my quiet signal (red bell who I am naming Buddy Bell this year).
- explanation and practice of transition to the morning meeting carpet with the good morning song as a cue.
- more practice cleaning up morning work and transitioning to carpet.
- morning greeting circle with some name games so I can get to know the kids. I am being brave this year and not putting name tags on them because I hate how they start peeling off after 5 minutes.
- visit to the bathroom to teach bathroom expectations and etiquette along with a chance for a potty break.
- story time with The Kissing Hand followed by a project based on the book.
- explanation of behavior management system (which I will be altering for the first month so I can be more on top of calling out the unwanted behaviors and kids can get used to it). I will transition to the actual system in October.
- review of bell, morning routine, and sticks.
- maybe another story if there's time.
- practice lining up (with a cute song I have) and then buses.
If you are starting tomorrow I hope you have a great first day. Many of you have already been back for what seems like weeks, but I hope you have a great day/week as well!
still here...
I'm alive, I promise.
I haven't posted in over a week because I have been busy trying to get my classroom ready and wrapping my mind around the fact that I have students joining me in said classroom on TUESDAY.
In the past, we have had the Tuesday after Labor Day as a final prep day and the first day of school has been on Wednesday. This year, our schedule changed and we no longer have that one last day of scrambling on Tuesday. So, I did a lot of scrambling yesterday.
Finally printing my labels for folders, attendance chart, tables etc. only to see that a new student had been added. And that was after I had already reprinted several labels to account for the nicknames that I learned about when families came for our supply drop off.
Trying to get the room ready while silently cursing myself for not having anything written in my plan book for the first week.
Worrying about making sure I have the correct info for how kiddos are going to get home from school so I don't put anyone on the wrong bus or keep anyone waiting at school if they should be taking a bus.
I'm exhausted.
Not to mention we moved again today to our second temporary housing location and toured around Portland with our relocation agent trying to pick out the apartment we will move into next.
I will try to post again this weekend with some pics of my classroom and some teachery stuff but I have to get back to unpacking the numerous bags we have so our new place can feel more like a home than a hotel.
Happy Labor Day weekend! It's supposed to be 90 degrees here all weekend, so I am hoping to enjoy some sun, to sleep late, and to calm myself before the big day on Tuesday!
I haven't posted in over a week because I have been busy trying to get my classroom ready and wrapping my mind around the fact that I have students joining me in said classroom on TUESDAY.
In the past, we have had the Tuesday after Labor Day as a final prep day and the first day of school has been on Wednesday. This year, our schedule changed and we no longer have that one last day of scrambling on Tuesday. So, I did a lot of scrambling yesterday.
Finally printing my labels for folders, attendance chart, tables etc. only to see that a new student had been added. And that was after I had already reprinted several labels to account for the nicknames that I learned about when families came for our supply drop off.
Trying to get the room ready while silently cursing myself for not having anything written in my plan book for the first week.
Worrying about making sure I have the correct info for how kiddos are going to get home from school so I don't put anyone on the wrong bus or keep anyone waiting at school if they should be taking a bus.
I'm exhausted.
Not to mention we moved again today to our second temporary housing location and toured around Portland with our relocation agent trying to pick out the apartment we will move into next.
I will try to post again this weekend with some pics of my classroom and some teachery stuff but I have to get back to unpacking the numerous bags we have so our new place can feel more like a home than a hotel.
Happy Labor Day weekend! It's supposed to be 90 degrees here all weekend, so I am hoping to enjoy some sun, to sleep late, and to calm myself before the big day on Tuesday!
meet the teacher
Who doesn't love a good blog hop? I have seen many bloggy friends linking up to this, so I am jumping on the bandwagon!
Now it's your turn. Check out Blog Hoppin' and link up! Thanks for playing along!
Tell us a little something about you...
I am Mrs. Sneaker, or KT as I always sign my bloggy comments, and I currently (as of two days ago) live in Portland, OR. I spent the summer in Germany with my husband, who was working there for the past two years. I lived there with him during the 2009-2010 school year and worked at an international school as a SPED teacher, but returned to Oregon this past school year to keep my spot in my district (teaching jobs are a wee bit hard to get right now) and to continue working on my doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. I am SO happy to be back in the US with my husband and reuniting with all my girlfriends! This will be my second year teaching Kindergarten (two half-day sessions) and I am excited for another year!
How long have you been teaching?
This will be my 7th year teaching. I started out teaching in a bilingual Head Start for migrant families when I first moved to Oregon. That year provided me lots of practice speaking in Spanish with my wonderful colleagues, so the following year I was able to snag a spot teaching first grade in the district I really wanted to work for since relocating to Oregon in 2005. I taught first grade for three years and then Mr. Sneaker and I moved to Germany where I worked first as a classroom assistant in third grade and then as a Support Services (SPED) teacher with kids in grades 3-9. I loved the opportunity to assist in so many different classrooms and watch fantastic teachers in action, but I really missed having my own classroom and my own group of kiddos. When I gave notice to my district in OR that I would be returning for the 2010-2011 school year, I was placed at a different school in Kindergarten. At first I was so sure about the assignment, but now I am hooked. Kindergarten is a special year and I am happy to be a part of it for so many kiddos.
You might not know...
Right now I am living in a hotel. Since we just moved back from Germany, Mr. Sneaker's company provides us temporary housing until we find a place. We own a home in Portland, but it is currently occupied by renters, so we have to wait until the lease is up in March to move back in. We are staying in a Residence Inn right now and will move to a different short term furnished apartment on Sept. 2nd. We'll stay there for 6 weeks and then we'll move to another apartment for the duration of our renters' lease. Lots of moving...We are living out of suitcases and awaiting our belongings which will arrive on a boat sometime in October.
What are you looking most forward to this school year?
I'm really looking forward to the consistency that this year brings--same school as last year, same grade level as last year, same team as last year. It takes a year to figure things out, especially when joining a new staff and teaching a new grade, so I am happy to be returning to something I have already done rather than starting new again (which I did the previous two school years). I have been brainstorming all summer, so I am excited to put some new ideas into action!
What do you need to improve?
One of my big goals is to more effectively recruit and organize parent volunteers. This year I plan to write up some descriptions of weekly jobs that I need help with so that I can have parents coming more routinely for specific tasks. I know that not all parents can commit to coming weekly, but for the sake of being organized enough to actually benefit from the time the parents put in, I feel like having specific jobs will be helpful. I have a hard time asking for help, so I need to be better about really clarifying (for myself) what I need help with so I can ask for it. Sometimes I get frustrated when parents come in and don't really know how to effectively help, so I want to be more proactive about "training" them to do the jobs I want done. I suffer from the "I'd rather do it myself because it's a hassle to explain what I want done to this parent who arrived in the middle of my lesson," but truly, parents who help are so wonderful and it's nice to not do everything myself!!
I also would like to get better at moving my kiddos towards working more independently. I have visions of Daily5-esque classrooms with quiet children busily working, yet there always seems to be a bit too much noise pollution in my neck of the woods. I am tired of everything being whole group so that every kid is doing the same exact thing at the same exact time and I want my kiddos to have more opportunities to think for themselves and problem solve.
What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?
Teaching Books (picture books, idea books etc.)
Post-its
Sharpies
Document Camera (!!!)
White
BLOGS! (Not really a supply but a resource I heart!)
* * * * *
10 Questions
Today for my last post from Germany, I am copying Kelly's 10 Questions from yesterday:
What are you really good at? What are you really bad at?
I am good at writing, being thoughtful, baking, being a perpetual student, working hard, and teaching.
I am really bad at decorating, navigating/finding my way around, team sports, and being spontaneous.
Have you ever been in a car accident? What happened?
I have been in a few car accidents, but nothing serious. One time my brother and I were driving to school on the narrow back roads of CT and we slid on some ice and hit another car. Another time, I was in the car with my friend Lauren and we got rear ended. Another time, I was turning right on my way home from class in college and I rear ended the driver in front of me. To be honest, the most damage I have done is hitting stationary things....my husband will never let me live down the fact that I drove into a telephone poll when I was taking him to the train station early in the morning. Not proud of that one because I did it in my brand new car.
Why did you attend your college?
Having grown up in Connecticut, Villanova was the perfect distance in order to be "away from home" but to still be close enough that I could make it home without a lot of hassle if I needed to be home. I didn't really have a lot of guidance when selecting a college and I actually applied to 2 other schools that were strictly business schools (didn't really have it figured out that I wanted to be a teacher until after I was accepted to the Villanova Business School, so I requested to transfer to the School of Arts and Sciences a few months before school started). Looking back, there were aspects of Villanova that I didn't really love, but I honestly think it was fate that I ended up there because that is where I met Mr. Sneaker.
Describe your morning routine today.
Woke up to Mr. Sneaker's alarm around 8. Usually I go back to sleep when he leaves, but I got up this morning because he needed me to sign some tax papers. I wanted to go back to sleep after he left, but I was starving, so I made myself some scrambled eggs which I ate while checking email, facebook, and reading blogs.
Have you ever snooped through someone else’s things? Did you find anything interesting?
Right now I am staying at someone's house who is not here, so it's kind of hard not to "snoop" through his things in order to find what I need. It's not like I am looking through his closet or his desk or anything, but I have done a lot of searching in the kitchen to find utensils, plates etc. I have to say, one thing I am really looking forward to is having my own kitchen again. There is something about using someone else's stuff that I just don't care for.
What do you think happens when you die?
That is a really interesting question. I don't really think about that often. I guess it's one of those things I figure I will find out when I get there....
Are you superstitious?
In some ways, yes. I definitely fear the jinx. For example, I worry that if I ever called out of work and said I was sick when I wasn't truly sick, that I would then get sick for something important in return. I am not too worried about breaking mirrors or black cats crossing my path, but I do worry. I guess I could call myself more of a worrier than a superstitious person.
Do people think you are younger or older than you actually are?
I've never really had people comment either way. I think I look pretty much my age, but I hope I continue to look my age now as I get older. ::wink::
How did your parents’ relationship influence you?
1. I believe in the value of hard work.
2. I think family meals are important for the sake of good communication and family bonding.
3. I think marriage requires a lot of give and take, which means it requires effort and shouldn't be taken for granted.
What were the three happiest moments of your life?
This is really tough to answer.... I have to alter this a little to make it the three happiest moments of this year because I can't process my entire life right now.
1. Passing my core paper/defense
2. Reuniting with Mr. Sneaker after being apart for so long
3. Crossing the finish line of my first half marathon
Answer one of the questions in a comment!!
We fly for a long time tomorrow. Wish us luck!!
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