It's here!

I thought this day would have come and gone prior to Baby Sneaker's arrival, but let's be honest--things take longer when you're pregnant and even longer when you have a baby...

So even though it has taken a little longer than I originally planned for...my big day is here!

Today at 3:30 I defend my dissertation proposal! 

I am excited, nervous, anxious, hopeful, and just a bit stressed.

Basically I have 20-25 minutes to present my power point which is a brief summary of the 80-something page paper I wrote that include a problem statement, literature review, and proposal for my study. Then my committee comprised of my two advisers and two other professors has the chance to ask me questions....hence the reason why it's called a defense because I have to be prepared to dominate those questions!! Then the floor is opened up to anyone else in attendance who has questions. Finally, the committee asks me to leave the room and they deliberate and decide whether or not I pass. 

If I pass then I am officially advance to doctoral candidacy. 

I have worked SO hard for this and although I can't wait for it to be over, I also can't wait to be in the moment because this has been my work for the past three years and I am really excited to share it with my committee! 

My research questions are:

• R.Q.1 What do teachers report regarding the ideas and behaviors they have developed as ways to better understand their culturally and linguistically diverse students and their families as well as to connect instruction to students’ funds of knowledge? 

• What factors influence elementary classroom teachers’ willingness to conduct home visits as an avenue to better understand culturally and linguistically diverse students and their families?
• In what ways are the impacts of home visits reflected in the classroom? 

•  R.Q.2 How do teachers who implement scripted curricula describe the experience of creating culturally responsive lessons intended to specifically connect with their culturally and linguistically diverse students? 

• How do teachers perceive the impact of culturally responsive instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students in their classrooms?

Rough Day

Today is June 7th, which means that little Miss Baby Sneaker is two months old today. Wow, how times flies! Because Baby Sneaker is now two months old, she needed to go to the pediatrician for a checkup today and get three, yes three mean old nasty shots.

not. fun.

She was so cute when we first got there while the nurse was measuring her height, weight, and head circumference. She was all smiles and coos until shot time and then oh my goodness did she scream. Poor thing! Needless to say Mama Sneaker was not a happy camper either because it's really hard to watch your baby in pain.

After we were finished with the appointment I fed her a bottle in the waiting room and she fell asleep and slept for several more hours once we got home. She was tired out after all that screaming. I was hoping she would be okay when she woke up, but there was definitely some more screaming and crying (and I was right there crying with her because I felt so helpless). After what felt like a long bout of her alternating between screaming and whimpering, she finally fell asleep on my bed and I felt like I needed a nap as well so I decided to lay down next to her. At some point I fell asleep in between emailing my mom and texting my friends to let them know that no, I still had not heard from school regarding whether or not I will be reassigned to a different school next year.

As I drifted in an out of sleep half listening to Kathy Griffin on Bravo (I have become obsessed with Bravo, but usually any of the variety of Housewives are on), I heard the phone ring...

Now, let me tell you that I felt sick to my stomach and stressed all morning. Having Baby Sneaker's shots coincide with this news made for a pretty stressful day.

So, I looked at my phone and recognized the principal's number. As my heart started beating faster and my stomach felt like it jumped to my throat, I answered the call and got the news...

I GET TO STAY!!!! (followed by the two little words "for now")

But, I am not going to focus on the "for now" and just revel in the fact that I made it through this round of switcheroos and I still have my spot at my current school. Wahoo!

I immediately texted, emailed, and called all of the people who I had shared my dreaded news with yesterday and many "yaaaays" were exchanged.

Baby Sneaker woke up from her nap in much better spirits and we were able to finish out our day on a much better note than it started!

Not Feelin' It

I received a call yesterday from school informing me that because I decided to reduce to half time status that I am potentially being moved to a new school next year. I knew that was a possibility when I decided to go half time, but I didn't think it was likely given that I previously taught two sessions of half day Kinder and it's quite easy to just teach one instead of two in order to be half time.

So, I am sick to my stomach waiting to hear the decision that is being made this morning. I decided to go part time so that I could have time with Baby Sneaker and take some pressure off of my plate for next school year because I am a new mom and I will be doing my dissertation research next year, so the idea of having to move my classroom and start fresh at yet another school is making me feel just a bit overwhelmed.

I told my principal that of course I am a team player and will do what I have to do, but I am *really* hoping that I get to stay at my current school. Fingers, toes, and eyeballs crossed! I would be particularly bummed (to put it mildly) to miss out on the iPads that the grant team I am a part of will be getting next year. I think that is the only saving grace for keeping me there because logistically it does make sense to shift me to the other school.

::sigh::

stay tuned....

Kinder Assessments

Oh the joys of assessments...

It's hard enough to fit in all the instruction, but then we have to use ample amounts of time to check in with kiddos one at a time in order to assure they are mastering the skills we are teaching. I actually really enjoy those 1:1 check-ins, yet of course working with one child at a time means finding something for the rest of the kiddos to do that they can do independently and quietly...

My team uses a Kindergarten Assessment to check in with kiddos with regards to what we are teaching and we also do assessments that go along with our phonics program. 

Now, the state of OR is going to add a Kindergarten assessment to evaluate incoming Kindergarten students with the aim or improving Kindergarten readiness skills in pre-K programs. We received an email a few weeks ago about an information session that is going on this evening so Mrs. Bee and I are going to check it out. Apparently the assessment will be piloted next school year in 10 or 15 schools and then it will be state wide in 2013. 

I am not really sure what info we'll get tonight, but I really like the idea of assessing the kids prior to placing them in classes as a way to ensure that there is a mixture of academic levels in each class. I am not sure if the intention is to assess prior to placement or not, so I am really interested to listen at this session tonight and find out the plan.

I'm curious...how do you assess your incoming Kindergarten students and when? 

I can't imagine having to complete a required assessment in the fall as one of the first tasks in Kindergarten. That time should be spent teaching routines and procedures and getting into the groove with the class. I can't imagine having to pull kids one at a time and leave the others to work on something else when expectations and routines are not yet in place. I like the idea of somehow conducing the assessments prior to the start of the school year and it seems like that would be a great way to meet kids and their parents on a more individual basis. Our supply drop can be so crazy (especially with two classes) that I never feel like I get to have an actual conversation with anyone, yet that is the first time we get to meet each other.

I will be sure to fill you in on what I learn tonight!

Heidi

You all have heard of Heidi, right? As in Heidi's Songs? LOVE her. This year I purchased two more of her sight word song CD's so that we now have a song to accompany almost every sight word we cover throughout the year. I LOVE how the kids take to the songs and sing them when it's time for writing. I am by NO MEANS musical myself, but that's one of the benefits of teaching Kindergarten--they don't judge!

So last night I got an email advertising Heidi's new CD with Classroom Management Songs.

::swoon::

Just by reading the titles of the songs, I am already in love with this CD and plan to order it as soon as I finish this post.

Check out these gems...

Music titles include:
1: Back Pack Boogie
2: Follow the Rules
3: When the Bell Rings, Freeze!
4: The Tattling Song
5: No Interrupting
6: Outside Voices, Inside Voices
7: Please and Thank You
8: Is It a Question or a Story?
9: Cover Your Mouth
10: Blow Your Nose
11: The Potty Dance
12: Potty, Potty, Flush, Flush
13: Right Hand, Left Hand
14: Red, White. and Blue
15: The Days of the Week
16: Months of the Year
17: Criss Cross. Applesauce
18: The Tracing Song
19: The Cutting Song
20: The Glue Song
21: Snap That Cap
22: Just Try Your Best
23: The Smarty Pants Dance
24: Line Up
25: I Love My Lunchbox
26: Bonus Track: We Don’t Fight!


I just love the title of Track #8..."Is it a question or a story"...HAHAHAHA. That cracks me up. How many times does a Kinder kiddo raise his/her hand and tell you they have a question...then they roll into this detailed account of seeing a squirrel at their grandmother's house or something....I envision some *kind* redirection with that little ditty next year.  

But seriously, when I read through the song titles, I can just tell that I will use many of them next year (provided I am teaching Kindergarten).  When the Bell Rings, Freeze! Yes please! For some reason, if it's said in a song, it is remembered, so I am all over that one!

Speaking of next year, I just found out that we will no longer be using Fast Track Phonics next year.... I am SO sad about this and a bit annoyed too. Apparently our contract with the company is up so in order to continue using their products we need to renew with additional training which is expensive and with ensuing budget cuts we can't afford it. So, I am not sure what we will be using, but apparently we have to let go of FT. My team LOVES that program, so there may be some secret "unofficial" program usage. It is such a great program and the kids are so successful with it. It sucks that money stands in the way of our students getting educated with a great program that works!

In other news I have an official date for my dissertation proposal defense. June 8th is the big day! I am beyond excited for this presentation/defense and cannot wait to do it. My power point presentation is pretty much ready and so basically at this point I have to submit my paper to the committee two weeks prior to the defense (this Friday) and then they have a chance to read it before my presentation. Then I present a summary of the paper to them and they ask me questions about my intended research and if they like what I say, I pass!

YAY!

I found out the other day that the paperwork to appoint my dissertation committee was processed a whole lot faster than I was told it would be. Woo hoo! I was told it would take 6 weeks minimum and it only took about 1. Thank goodness because I was getting really worried about not being able to start collecting data until the fall. This way, I can utilize my free time over the summer! My proposal draft is pretty much done so all that needs to happen now is my committee needs to agree on a date and time for me to present. Hopefully everyone will be available to do it in early June. It's so weird that now I have to take childcare into consideration when planning my defense date! I am hoping that I get a 3-5 PM time slot and then Mr. Sneaker can just leave work early that day (if he is in town) and be with Grace while I get my academia on.

Baby Sneaker was a champion napper yesterday and allowed me to get a lot of work done. Mr. Sneaker has been out of town for business so I have been doing the single mom thing this week. I feel very lucky to have a great baby that is a good little sleeper, but obviously it's much harder to get stuff done when taking care of her is a priority. Her long nap in the pack and play yesterday was clutch and I feel like my proposal, my Human Subjects application, my abstract, and my power point presentation are all pretty much done. Woo hoo!

I felt so accomplished after all that work that I was motivated to go on my first post baby run. I ran 26 minutes with the BOB stroller and Baby Grace slept through it all (even after that other long nap!). I love my jogging stroller and feel like jogging with baby in tow is the only way to get in exercise these days. My goal is to work my way back up to a 10K by my birthday which is June 26th.