Our spring break is coming up in only three weeks which means spring conferences are on the horizon. We have Thursday and Friday the 17th and 18th off from school in order to do our conferences/have some professional development. For some reason (which is kind of nice) my principal is asking us to stay later earlier in the week so we get out at noon on Friday. We have training in the morning on Friday, so we are being asked to stay until 6 on Wednesday and Thursday. I always stay after school hours for my conferences because I feel like it's very important to accommodate the parents who work and need to come in the evening. I don't think I can say I want parents to be involved and then only offer conferences during my normal working hours. Because I have class on Wed. and Thurs. I can't stay late those days, so I am doing a late day on Tuesday instead.
After school today I was going to get the note ready to send home and then decided to just call all the parents instead. Yes, that is more time consuming considering I have 41 families at this point, but each call was pretty quick and everyone I talked with was so friendly and happy to hear from me.
I did all my calls in Spanish first since that takes more mental effort and I got them all scheduled easy peasy. Then I started on the rest of the list and got about half of my families scheduled. I emailed a few more parents and then hopefully I will just have a few remaining to schedule by the end of this week.
This time instead of just talking with each family separately, we are doing student led conferences with three families at a time. The students will get a checklist and will show their parents various activities that we do in class. I will also be a station so that each parent has a chance to talk with me at some point while they are visiting. I have never done student led conferences before but I really like the idea! I think the kids will enjoy showing off for their parents and it will be more beneficial for parents to see their children in action rather than just talking to me.
I feel like as I gain more teaching experiencing calling families becomes less of a big deal. I used to take deep breaths before ever calling anyone in Spanish because it was HARD, but now it's a little easier and I don't struggle as much to understand over the phone. It was also nice to get some warm greetings when I said who was calling from many of the parents. I got a few more parents to volunteer for our Teddy Bear project (which I don't think I have posted about!) and I feel like I got a lot accomplished!
I can't believe there are only three more weeks until spring break (which means 19 days until I see Mr. Sneaker!!) He is coming to visit me and I cannot wait! I have a few more papers to do and two presentations next Wednesday. It seems like March 9th is the deadline for EVERYTHING, so once that date passes, I will be a lot less stressed.
Now, it's time for some homework....
100th Day!
Wow it's been a long time since I last posted! With three weeks until the end of Winter term, I am buried with papers and am struggling to get everything done! I know it will happen, but I can't tell you how happy I will be when it is March 19th, Winter term is over, spring break is in effect, and I am on my way to the airport to get my cute husband!
We reconvened at school today after a snow day and celebrated the 100th day. I was a little leery about what was going to happen given that we had snow in Oregon (which doesn't happen that often), and the kids were totally amped up for the 100th day, and it was Friday. I was kind of expecting a pretty chaotic day, but it was awesome. The kiddos had a ton of fun and I was told approximately 100 times that I am the best teacher and I am awesome. The best part of the day was the 100 day snack.
We reconvened at school today after a snow day and celebrated the 100th day. I was a little leery about what was going to happen given that we had snow in Oregon (which doesn't happen that often), and the kids were totally amped up for the 100th day, and it was Friday. I was kind of expecting a pretty chaotic day, but it was awesome. The kiddos had a ton of fun and I was told approximately 100 times that I am the best teacher and I am awesome. The best part of the day was the 100 day snack.
I set out 10 different kinds of snacks which included mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, Cheerios, Fruit Loops, corn nuts, Skittles, popcorn, jelly beans, oyster crackers, and Goldfish.
Each child got an egg carton that had two of the egg cups cut off so there were 10 little compartments. They also got a list with each of the snack items on it.
They went to one snack item at a time and put 10 pieces in their egg carton, then brought it back to their table and put it on a 100 chart.
Some kids even added to the activity by making patterns with their colored candies and Fruit Loops.
Once the kiddos had all of their snack items, they got to slide their snack into a plastic baggie and enjoy it!
The kids also had some other 100 day things to do once they were eating their snack. They had a jumbo 100 dollar bill and they wrote what they would buy with $100 and a certificate that said, I am 100 days smarter that they could color. We had more activities planned, but since we missed school yesterday, I just didn't get to everything. We had planned for them to draw a picture of what they will look like when they are 100 and to write/draw on a page that said I can eat 100 ______.
During our daily math routine we also counted to 100, clapped 100 times, jumped 100 times in groups of ten, then stayed quiet for 100 seconds. Staying quiet was the hardest one! There was a lot of giggle stifling going on. Overall, it was a really fun day.
Dare I say that's what Kindergarten really should be like all the time!
My Heart Smiles...
Both my husband and I graduated from Villanova University, so of course it has a special place in our hearts because that is where we met. It is also where we spent many hours serving on the student committee for Special Olympics because Nova hosted Fall Games in PA. I would love this video even if I didn't have a special connection with Villanova because it is just plain awesome... but I especially love it because Villanova is where my interest in special education came about and this video s a tribute to the kind of community that exists on campus.
7 Facts
Sunny over at The Caffeinated Teacher tagged me in "7 Facts" over the weekend, so I wanted to make good on my tag and join in. The idea is to write 7 random facts about yourself and then tag 15 other bloggers. Let's see if I can come up with a list of 15, if not, I encourage anyone who reads this to play along!
1. I have not thrown up since I was 10. Let's keep it that way!
2. I am a crazy fear of frogs and get total heebie jeebies even thinking about them. Oddly enough, I LOVED teaching about frogs as part of my First Grade science curriculum. Thankfully, my kiddos were never the ones to bring in tadpoles because my neighboring classroom always got some and I would send the kids in to see them, but always got creeped out when I walked by the tank. ::shudder::
3. I am really bad at first impressions. When I first met Mr. Sneaker I thought he was obnoxious (he did have his hair dyed platinum at the time....) Obviously, my first impression was inaccurate because he is a wonderful person and an awesome husband.
4. I am really clumsy. I walk into walls and doors and sometimes people. I am always rushing, so that might be part of it, but it happens a lot. I personally think I have issues with perception because I feel the same way when I drive. I think cars are closer than they really are, but the eye doctor couldn't find any problems. I do have glasses for driving, but my roomie teases me and says they are just clear lenses. I tell her that it's just the power of the mind, so when I wear them, I think I can see better.
5. I have really bad reading comprehension. It has gotten better since I have been teaching reading, yet I still have a quite a hard time remembering what I read (more so with novels than material I read for class). Often when we discuss our books in book club, people talk about parts of the book and I have zero recollection of what they mention....working on it....
6. I try to be really healthy yet I have a crazy sweet tooth. CRAZY. I love chocolate and anything desserty.
7. I got published for the first time in September 2010 and I hope that is the first of many. I really want to write a book (sooner rather than later). I would love to write a children's book or a book about teaching. I'll let you know if that dream ever comes true!!
Tag, you're it!
Following the Footsteps
According to Ashley
First Grader at Last
First Grade Fun
She Wears a Red Sox Cap
All the Weigh
Laugh Until you Cry
Meghann
Ginger Snaps
Ok, that's all I got...but if you want to play along, leave me a comment and I will check it out.
1. I have not thrown up since I was 10. Let's keep it that way!
2. I am a crazy fear of frogs and get total heebie jeebies even thinking about them. Oddly enough, I LOVED teaching about frogs as part of my First Grade science curriculum. Thankfully, my kiddos were never the ones to bring in tadpoles because my neighboring classroom always got some and I would send the kids in to see them, but always got creeped out when I walked by the tank. ::shudder::
3. I am really bad at first impressions. When I first met Mr. Sneaker I thought he was obnoxious (he did have his hair dyed platinum at the time....) Obviously, my first impression was inaccurate because he is a wonderful person and an awesome husband.
4. I am really clumsy. I walk into walls and doors and sometimes people. I am always rushing, so that might be part of it, but it happens a lot. I personally think I have issues with perception because I feel the same way when I drive. I think cars are closer than they really are, but the eye doctor couldn't find any problems. I do have glasses for driving, but my roomie teases me and says they are just clear lenses. I tell her that it's just the power of the mind, so when I wear them, I think I can see better.
5. I have really bad reading comprehension. It has gotten better since I have been teaching reading, yet I still have a quite a hard time remembering what I read (more so with novels than material I read for class). Often when we discuss our books in book club, people talk about parts of the book and I have zero recollection of what they mention....working on it....
6. I try to be really healthy yet I have a crazy sweet tooth. CRAZY. I love chocolate and anything desserty.
7. I got published for the first time in September 2010 and I hope that is the first of many. I really want to write a book (sooner rather than later). I would love to write a children's book or a book about teaching. I'll let you know if that dream ever comes true!!
Tag, you're it!
Following the Footsteps
According to Ashley
First Grader at Last
First Grade Fun
She Wears a Red Sox Cap
All the Weigh
Laugh Until you Cry
Meghann
Ginger Snaps
Ok, that's all I got...but if you want to play along, leave me a comment and I will check it out.
EHW
On Jersey Shore (yes, I watch it) they use lots of acronyms such as GTL (gym tan laundry) and DTF (let's not even go there!). Today my acronym for Valentine's Day is EHW
Effort
Hugs
Words
I so appreciate that a few of my students gave me hand made Valentines like this one...it takes a lot longer to make something like this than to write your name on a store bought card and that makes it all the more special...
I had 8 moms come to our party in the morning session to help out. Well, they actually planned the whole thing, brought all the supplies, gave me a gift card to a local spa with an additional gift card for Peet's coffee, and cleaned up the entire room before leaving. And they had all the kids join in at once to say they love me. They even cut out the hearts I needed for the afternoon party since they knew I didn't have as much parent help and they knew it would take them a lot less time to do it collectively than for me to do it alone.....EFFORT
At the end of the day as we were lined up for the buses, my adorable little Alberto said, What about hugs for everyone? Which prompted me to make my way down the line of cuties giving each one a special Valentine hug. Then several kids embraced each other. Little kid hugs are the best...HUGS
This morning I woke up to find e-cards in my inbox from both my mom and my husband. Despite the distance, I know they were both thinking of me today and that makes me smile. My husband chose the funniest card that was such a tribute to my personality and I love him for that. He can always make me smile. He addressed the card to me by name and then in parenthesis wrote (future Dr. Sneaker) because he knows how much I have been busting my buns with my crazy workload...WORDS
These are the things that are special to me...not the candy (although I do love me some chocolate!), not the flowers, not the store bought character cards, but the effort, the hugs, and the words are what made me smile the most today (and my pink feather boa) :0)
Effort
Hugs
Words
I so appreciate that a few of my students gave me hand made Valentines like this one...it takes a lot longer to make something like this than to write your name on a store bought card and that makes it all the more special...
I had 8 moms come to our party in the morning session to help out. Well, they actually planned the whole thing, brought all the supplies, gave me a gift card to a local spa with an additional gift card for Peet's coffee, and cleaned up the entire room before leaving. And they had all the kids join in at once to say they love me. They even cut out the hearts I needed for the afternoon party since they knew I didn't have as much parent help and they knew it would take them a lot less time to do it collectively than for me to do it alone.....EFFORT
At the end of the day as we were lined up for the buses, my adorable little Alberto said, What about hugs for everyone? Which prompted me to make my way down the line of cuties giving each one a special Valentine hug. Then several kids embraced each other. Little kid hugs are the best...HUGS
This morning I woke up to find e-cards in my inbox from both my mom and my husband. Despite the distance, I know they were both thinking of me today and that makes me smile. My husband chose the funniest card that was such a tribute to my personality and I love him for that. He can always make me smile. He addressed the card to me by name and then in parenthesis wrote (future Dr. Sneaker) because he knows how much I have been busting my buns with my crazy workload...WORDS
These are the things that are special to me...not the candy (although I do love me some chocolate!), not the flowers, not the store bought character cards, but the effort, the hugs, and the words are what made me smile the most today (and my pink feather boa) :0)
Swoon
I just had the best day with my kiddos--both classes. I don't know what it was, but I was just seriously in love with them today.
It started with our journal writing. They were writing in response to the question, "Who do you love and why." I just adored what I saw.
I love my mom because she makes me macaroni and cheese (all spelled correctly)
I love my dad because he takes me to Chuck E. Cheese
I love my mom because she helps me make Valentines (with the cutest little picture of two stick people sitting at a table making cards)
I love my teacher because she teaches me good stuff
I love my brother because he gives me hugs.
Too cute.
Then I listened to my teeniest most adorable Dianita read her first take home Bob book to me and she did awesome. We shared a big hug and such a sweet moment. I heart her and her smile was so big and she is so tiny that it was just precious!
The kiddos were SO pumped to celebrate Fun Friday with choice time and the kids who kept their three sticks all week and got "Yay I made good choices all week" certificates were just on cloud nine.
At the end of the day I realized I needed to give Anna the star of the week backpack. Anna doesn't say much, but she is the one who just asked me to go to the bathroom in English for the first time a few weeks ago and usually says everything in Spanish. When I told her she was going to be star of the week I literally jumped up and down. And, so did she. It was awesome.
I thought that if the morning went so well that the afternoon wouldn't because that's just how my classes role, but the afternoon was great too! Love it! Love it! Love it!
They earned their 30th gumball (class incentive) and so they got to have an outside recess for their Friday Fun activity. Plus, they had PE in the big gym today so it was just a rockin' day for them. I really enjoyed spending time with kiddos in both groups during writing today. For some reason, it just felt productive and not crazy/hectic/rushed like it usually does. I just love reading what they write and I really need to post some of their work because it is great.
I really heart Kindergarten right now.
It started with our journal writing. They were writing in response to the question, "Who do you love and why." I just adored what I saw.
I love my mom because she makes me macaroni and cheese (all spelled correctly)
I love my dad because he takes me to Chuck E. Cheese
I love my mom because she helps me make Valentines (with the cutest little picture of two stick people sitting at a table making cards)
I love my teacher because she teaches me good stuff
I love my brother because he gives me hugs.
Too cute.
Then I listened to my teeniest most adorable Dianita read her first take home Bob book to me and she did awesome. We shared a big hug and such a sweet moment. I heart her and her smile was so big and she is so tiny that it was just precious!
The kiddos were SO pumped to celebrate Fun Friday with choice time and the kids who kept their three sticks all week and got "Yay I made good choices all week" certificates were just on cloud nine.
At the end of the day I realized I needed to give Anna the star of the week backpack. Anna doesn't say much, but she is the one who just asked me to go to the bathroom in English for the first time a few weeks ago and usually says everything in Spanish. When I told her she was going to be star of the week I literally jumped up and down. And, so did she. It was awesome.
I thought that if the morning went so well that the afternoon wouldn't because that's just how my classes role, but the afternoon was great too! Love it! Love it! Love it!
They earned their 30th gumball (class incentive) and so they got to have an outside recess for their Friday Fun activity. Plus, they had PE in the big gym today so it was just a rockin' day for them. I really enjoyed spending time with kiddos in both groups during writing today. For some reason, it just felt productive and not crazy/hectic/rushed like it usually does. I just love reading what they write and I really need to post some of their work because it is great.
I really heart Kindergarten right now.
moms' night out
Today during math we did a fun little activity to practice making up story problems, making the equations, and saying the equations out loud.
I used a big blow up die so the students could roll it to see what numbers to use in their equation. One student rolled the dice and then started to tell a story problem using that number. Then a second helper came up and rolled the die again to see what the second addend would be for the equation and then the rest of the kiddos showed the answer to the problem with their fingers. We used magnetic numbers on the whiteboard to show the equation and then we read the equation aloud to practice the math vocabulary (plus and equals).
We had many repeats of the sample problem I had given involving children who went to go play at the park.
Then it was Michael's turn....
He rolled a 2 and started his story problem:
2 moms went for a moms' night out at the Olive Garden....
SO cute!
I used a big blow up die so the students could roll it to see what numbers to use in their equation. One student rolled the dice and then started to tell a story problem using that number. Then a second helper came up and rolled the die again to see what the second addend would be for the equation and then the rest of the kiddos showed the answer to the problem with their fingers. We used magnetic numbers on the whiteboard to show the equation and then we read the equation aloud to practice the math vocabulary (plus and equals).
We had many repeats of the sample problem I had given involving children who went to go play at the park.
Then it was Michael's turn....
He rolled a 2 and started his story problem:
2 moms went for a moms' night out at the Olive Garden....
SO cute!
Even Better
So as if my little friend Danny Boy didn't make me happy enough yesterday, today he did even better.
As part of our Fast Track Phonics lessons, we practice writing words that contain our sound of the day. Since we blew through the entire alphabet and the digraphs before Christmas break, we are not onto what I refer to as the "First Grade Sounds" such which include learning about the silent helper e and other sounds like /oo/, /ar/ and /ing/.
Today we did the second day of our lesson on /oo/ as in moon. The kids are doing really well with these more advanced sounds and I am just so proud of how much their skills have improved.
So, back to Danny Boy who wrote his name independently for the first time in class yesterday....
Today, he blew me away.
This is the same kid who always writes tiny little swirl marks on his papers instead of letters.
The child whose work I identify by those swirly marks because he was not able to write his name.
Well, today something clicked because I witnessed greatness.
Not only did he write letters on his page, but he used the little alphabet cards I have on their tables to write the correct letters in the words. I assisted him, but he totally rocked it out.
Same thing with my friend Anna in the morning class. She barely speaks at all and up until recently, she spoke Spanish to me when she would ask to use the bathroom or get water.
Just last week she asked for permission to go to the bathroom in English for the first time all year! When it was her turn to be the Math Master, she asked the math question without any prompting and today, she had the same success that Danny Boy did. As I helped her locate the letters for each sound, I asked her what letter makes to /oo/ sound. She pointed to the o and I asked her how many? She replied, "two."
I am just so happy to see these huge changes taking place. I have kept my expectations high for these kids in hopes that things would start clicking and all of a sudden they have.
As I helped Danny Boy this afternoon, I crouched down next to him and said Danny, you are filling my bucket and a BIG smile spread across his face.
:0)
As part of our Fast Track Phonics lessons, we practice writing words that contain our sound of the day. Since we blew through the entire alphabet and the digraphs before Christmas break, we are not onto what I refer to as the "First Grade Sounds" such which include learning about the silent helper e and other sounds like /oo/, /ar/ and /ing/.
Today we did the second day of our lesson on /oo/ as in moon. The kids are doing really well with these more advanced sounds and I am just so proud of how much their skills have improved.
So, back to Danny Boy who wrote his name independently for the first time in class yesterday....
Today, he blew me away.
This is the same kid who always writes tiny little swirl marks on his papers instead of letters.
The child whose work I identify by those swirly marks because he was not able to write his name.
Well, today something clicked because I witnessed greatness.
Not only did he write letters on his page, but he used the little alphabet cards I have on their tables to write the correct letters in the words. I assisted him, but he totally rocked it out.
Same thing with my friend Anna in the morning class. She barely speaks at all and up until recently, she spoke Spanish to me when she would ask to use the bathroom or get water.
Just last week she asked for permission to go to the bathroom in English for the first time all year! When it was her turn to be the Math Master, she asked the math question without any prompting and today, she had the same success that Danny Boy did. As I helped her locate the letters for each sound, I asked her what letter makes to /oo/ sound. She pointed to the o and I asked her how many? She replied, "two."
I am just so happy to see these huge changes taking place. I have kept my expectations high for these kids in hopes that things would start clicking and all of a sudden they have.
As I helped Danny Boy this afternoon, I crouched down next to him and said Danny, you are filling my bucket and a BIG smile spread across his face.
:0)
Success!
Danny Boy wrote his name for the first time today without any help.
I have never seen him even come close before without letters to trace.
Usually he just makes little squiggles instead of letters.
Not today.
Today, he wrote his name.
So proud!
I have never seen him even come close before without letters to trace.
Usually he just makes little squiggles instead of letters.
Not today.
Today, he wrote his name.
So proud!
Where did it go?
The weekend, that is.
But sadly, I know where it went. It speedily went by as I sat doing homework hour after hour.
Fortunately I got to enjoy dinner with friends on Friday night, Legally Blonde the musical yesterday with Jill, and a solid 8 miler this morning with my running group. Other than those few fun interludes, I spent the rest of the weekend reading and trying to get my work done. I am glad I got so much done in my classroom on Friday, yet I still feel like Monday morning is coming way too soon and I didn't get to look over my math plans like I intended to.
There is just not enough time in the day! Is it too early to start counting down the days until Spring break?
I feel like I have a good handle on my workload and I am resigned to the fact that the majority of my weekends are spent doing work, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I can honestly say this term has been the most difficult and stressful of my life and it's only halfway done! Yikes! I think a new day needs to be invented and added to the week between Saturday and Sunday. Anyone with me?
This weekend I had to conduct a 45 minute long interview and then transcribe the entire thing which took hours. HOURS! Then I had to finish the second half of my book on case study research in order to write an annotated bibliography about it. I threw in part I of Catching Fire for my book club and tried to finish the summary of my weekly reading for my Organizational Theory class, but gave up in order to take another look at my grades in order to finalize them before tomorrow. I intended to thoroughly look them over just in case I made any mistakes or had second thoughts on certain grades, but after looking over just a few, I decided that on Friday I put in a lot of work and surely they are good enough to submit. It's after 11 and my bed is calling, so in the grand scheme of life, the choice between needs more time (o), satisfactory progress (v) and consistently displays (+) on the reports is not going to make or break anything for my kiddos (and hopefully not for their parents either!)
Things that sound REALLY good right about now....
1. hugs from hubs
2. shopping
3. putting my feet up and watching movies all day
4. a snow day
5. becoming a bear and hibernating
6. going back in time and starting the weekend fresh in a reality where my homework is already done and I have free time ( I kind of forget the true meaning of free time...)
7. a pedi
8. a tropical vacation to a warm island
9. yoga
10. hugs from hubs (yes, it's on the list twice...he's awesome and really far away)
But sadly, I know where it went. It speedily went by as I sat doing homework hour after hour.
Fortunately I got to enjoy dinner with friends on Friday night, Legally Blonde the musical yesterday with Jill, and a solid 8 miler this morning with my running group. Other than those few fun interludes, I spent the rest of the weekend reading and trying to get my work done. I am glad I got so much done in my classroom on Friday, yet I still feel like Monday morning is coming way too soon and I didn't get to look over my math plans like I intended to.
There is just not enough time in the day! Is it too early to start counting down the days until Spring break?
I feel like I have a good handle on my workload and I am resigned to the fact that the majority of my weekends are spent doing work, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I can honestly say this term has been the most difficult and stressful of my life and it's only halfway done! Yikes! I think a new day needs to be invented and added to the week between Saturday and Sunday. Anyone with me?
This weekend I had to conduct a 45 minute long interview and then transcribe the entire thing which took hours. HOURS! Then I had to finish the second half of my book on case study research in order to write an annotated bibliography about it. I threw in part I of Catching Fire for my book club and tried to finish the summary of my weekly reading for my Organizational Theory class, but gave up in order to take another look at my grades in order to finalize them before tomorrow. I intended to thoroughly look them over just in case I made any mistakes or had second thoughts on certain grades, but after looking over just a few, I decided that on Friday I put in a lot of work and surely they are good enough to submit. It's after 11 and my bed is calling, so in the grand scheme of life, the choice between needs more time (o), satisfactory progress (v) and consistently displays (+) on the reports is not going to make or break anything for my kiddos (and hopefully not for their parents either!)
Things that sound REALLY good right about now....
1. hugs from hubs
2. shopping
3. putting my feet up and watching movies all day
4. a snow day
5. becoming a bear and hibernating
6. going back in time and starting the weekend fresh in a reality where my homework is already done and I have free time ( I kind of forget the true meaning of free time...)
7. a pedi
8. a tropical vacation to a warm island
9. yoga
10. hugs from hubs (yes, it's on the list twice...he's awesome and really far away)
Report Cards
Today we did not have school because it was our grading day. We are allowed to sign out and access our report cards online from home, but I opted to go into school since all of my assessments and materials are there. I got to sleep in a little bit, which was really nice, and I got a lot done while I was at school. Today was one of the rare times that I wished I only had one class instead of two. I love all of my students and I would never be able to choose one class over the other, but 42 report cards is a lot. I particularly have a hard time with the subjective behavior parts because I want to be realistic so parents are well informed about what their children are doing at school, yet I always tend to give kids the benefit of the doubt and I have a hard time deciding whether to be tough on them or go a little bit easy on them...they are only five, yet at the same time, it doesn't benefit me to indicate that their behavior is better than it truly is.
I spent probably about 4 hours doing reports and then I organized and cleaned my classroom. I rearranged table groups and reassigned table spots. I know the kiddos will be excited when they get to school on Monday and see the froggy name tags that mark their new spots. I like to move groups around about every 6-8 weeks and a term quarter seemed like the perfect time. The groups they were in were not that great and I had a few really really chatty groups in each class. I tried to separate kids the best I could so that the talkative kids are spread out, the kids that don't focus are spread out, the kids that distract each other are spread out, the kids who go to ELD are spread out, the kids who don't get along are spread out, and the kids who get along too well are spread out, but that is really tough. We'll see how the new groups work out on Monday. It's funny how sometimes a group will seem okay on paper and then when the kids are actually together it becomes glaringly apparent that they do not mix well.
It felt so good to have an entire day in the classroom without kids just to get organized and get things accomplished. It would be awesome to have a day like that once a month, but that's not likely, so I will just enjoy the fact that I had the opportunity today. I didn't think that I would stay all day, but I ended up doing one thing after another and before I knew it, it was 4:00. I met up with some friends for dinner and then came home to begin my long to do list of homework. I already got a lot of reading done, so I am congratulating myself with a little bit of Catching Fire before I go to bed. Since I am reading it for book club, it's actually officially on the to do list, which means I am being productive by getting it done and I will have one more thing to cross off.
Oh, how I love the feeling of sliding my black Sharpie over something on the list.
Feels.Good.
Tomorrow Jilly and I are going to see Legally Blonde on stage and I am excited! I am trying to do one fun thing each weekend in addition to running and then focusing the rest of my time on getting work done. I need to do an hour long interview this weekend, record it, then transcribe it, which is pretty time consuming according to my classmates who already got it done. I consider myself an overachiever, so it's definitely crazy that people in class are ahead of me on assignments. At least the crisis of thinking I lost my calendars where I mapped out all of my big assignments in order to know what my time lines are is over because I found them and avoided the heart attack that would go along with actually losing said calendars. I have so many things to keep track of that I would have been a very unhappy camper to have to re-create them.
Happy Friday (almost Saturday at this point!)
I spent probably about 4 hours doing reports and then I organized and cleaned my classroom. I rearranged table groups and reassigned table spots. I know the kiddos will be excited when they get to school on Monday and see the froggy name tags that mark their new spots. I like to move groups around about every 6-8 weeks and a term quarter seemed like the perfect time. The groups they were in were not that great and I had a few really really chatty groups in each class. I tried to separate kids the best I could so that the talkative kids are spread out, the kids that don't focus are spread out, the kids that distract each other are spread out, the kids who go to ELD are spread out, the kids who don't get along are spread out, and the kids who get along too well are spread out, but that is really tough. We'll see how the new groups work out on Monday. It's funny how sometimes a group will seem okay on paper and then when the kids are actually together it becomes glaringly apparent that they do not mix well.
It felt so good to have an entire day in the classroom without kids just to get organized and get things accomplished. It would be awesome to have a day like that once a month, but that's not likely, so I will just enjoy the fact that I had the opportunity today. I didn't think that I would stay all day, but I ended up doing one thing after another and before I knew it, it was 4:00. I met up with some friends for dinner and then came home to begin my long to do list of homework. I already got a lot of reading done, so I am congratulating myself with a little bit of Catching Fire before I go to bed. Since I am reading it for book club, it's actually officially on the to do list, which means I am being productive by getting it done and I will have one more thing to cross off.
Oh, how I love the feeling of sliding my black Sharpie over something on the list.
Feels.Good.
Tomorrow Jilly and I are going to see Legally Blonde on stage and I am excited! I am trying to do one fun thing each weekend in addition to running and then focusing the rest of my time on getting work done. I need to do an hour long interview this weekend, record it, then transcribe it, which is pretty time consuming according to my classmates who already got it done. I consider myself an overachiever, so it's definitely crazy that people in class are ahead of me on assignments. At least the crisis of thinking I lost my calendars where I mapped out all of my big assignments in order to know what my time lines are is over because I found them and avoided the heart attack that would go along with actually losing said calendars. I have so many things to keep track of that I would have been a very unhappy camper to have to re-create them.
Happy Friday (almost Saturday at this point!)
Meet the Teacher
Babbling Abby linked up to a Meet The Teacher linky from:
and I wanted to play along!
About Me:
Ta da! I don't post a lot of photos of myself, but here I am...
I grew up in Connecticut, went to Villanova University in PA where I met by bff and my hubs, and I currently live in Oregon. I teach Kindergarten and I am also working on my doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction so I can teach at the college level someday. I taught 1st grade for three years and worked at an international school when my husband and I lived in Germany. He is still there working and I returned to OR for the school year to continue taking classes for my degree. I am working full time right now in addition to taking 14 doctoral credits, so life is pretty busy. Did I mention I am crazy very driven? I don't like being apart from my man, but it definitely makes me realize what an amazing guy I have in my life. He's pretty cute, huh? Thank goodness for Skype!
A: I would love to be a baker!
Q: What are your hobbies?
A: reading, working out (pilates, running, yoga etc.), baking, writing, and being crafty!
Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I remember wanting to be a doctor when I was little and then at one point I wanted to be a chef. I don't remember ever wanting to be a teacher...that desire came about in college after I taught tap and ballet to the most adorable little girlies.
Q: What are your guilty pleasures?
A: Jersey Shore, Diet Coke, frosted animal cookies, and sleeping late
Q: What is your biggest fear?!
A: frogs
Q: When you’re on vacation, where do you like to go?
A: I never used to think of myself as a huge traveler, but after living in Germany for a year, I am all about traveling around Europe. I want to go to Italy, Greece, Spain, France...etc. etc. etc. I also want to go to Hawaii, Alaksa, and Canada.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
Q: What do you value most in others?
A: Loyalty and honesty. I want to know that you will tell me the truth and stick by me through thick and thin.
Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass down to your kids, what would it be?
A: Diligence. I am really hard working and I hope my (future) kids are too.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone in the world….living or dead…who would it be?
A: My mom. She lives in CT and having lunch with her would be a special treat since we don't get to do it too often.
Now tell us one random thing about yourself:
I consider myself to be a smart person, yet I could get lost in a paper bag. I have no sense of direction and as a result have a tough time driving and talking to a passenger at the same time because I get distracted and can't pay attention to where I am going.
Now it’s time for YOU to join the party!!!! Here’s what you need to do: Write a post titled “Meet The Teacher”. Start with a brief “biography” and then copy & paste the Q&A {using your answers, of course!} Copy the web address of your “Meet the Teacher” post and come back here & link up! It would be GREAT if you could visit at least 3 other teachers…get to know a little bit about your fellow bloggers…and leave a comment!!!! Don't forget to grab a button when you link up!!
Random
Today we had a lock in drill at school which required me to explain the concept of a lock in while avoiding the true explanation of why we would actually go into a lock in situation because I didn't want the kids to get scared. I told them that our school is safe, but just in case there was a time when it was no longer safe, we need to kind of play hide and seek and be really quiet. They did a great job sitting quietly for close to five whole minutes (which is a really long time for Kinder kiddos to be totally silent and still). In the past any mention of a "bad man" results in the kids coming up with all kind of crazy scenarios and ideas and I didn't think it was necessary to get their kids' imaginations reeling thinking of bad men coming to get us at school.
My book club met after school today and we are absolutely loving The Hunger Games. We already finished it, so we decided to read the other two books in the series as well. I heart book club, but these days it's mostly because I get to see friends and the snacks rock! I also feel like I need to schedule myself to read at least one book for pleasure because I love to read and I have to much to read for class that if I didn't somehow commit myself to reading for pleasure, I just wouldn't get to it.
I realized recently that I have a total addiction to frosted animal cookies. I have been craving them a LOT lately and I can seriously down a whole bag in just a few days. I finally took a look at the nutrition label and decided that perhaps it's not such a good idea to buy them all the time because they are not exactly all that healthy. I prefer getting them from the store where I can buy them in bulk because I actually buy a smaller quantity when I get them there.
I did a lesson today that used a balance and the kids were so into it. I used my Boardmaker software to print pictures of the items that we would be comparing and also some images to them understand the vocabulary words that were part of the lesson (heavy, heavier, down, light, lighter, up, balance, and predict). They did such a good job predicting and explaining why they thought a certain item would be heavier. Some kids reasoned that two markers would be heavier than one pencil because there were two markers and only one pencil. They also noticed that the markers were bigger (fatter) which was another reason they would be heavier than the pencil. It was really fun seeing how excited they got and reminded me just how important is to make lessons really visual and interactive for the kiddos.
It's February already! I can't believe it, but February is a short month which means before we know it, it will be March and that means spring break!! I miss my hubs and I can't wait to see him over break.
My book club met after school today and we are absolutely loving The Hunger Games. We already finished it, so we decided to read the other two books in the series as well. I heart book club, but these days it's mostly because I get to see friends and the snacks rock! I also feel like I need to schedule myself to read at least one book for pleasure because I love to read and I have to much to read for class that if I didn't somehow commit myself to reading for pleasure, I just wouldn't get to it.
I realized recently that I have a total addiction to frosted animal cookies. I have been craving them a LOT lately and I can seriously down a whole bag in just a few days. I finally took a look at the nutrition label and decided that perhaps it's not such a good idea to buy them all the time because they are not exactly all that healthy. I prefer getting them from the store where I can buy them in bulk because I actually buy a smaller quantity when I get them there.
I did a lesson today that used a balance and the kids were so into it. I used my Boardmaker software to print pictures of the items that we would be comparing and also some images to them understand the vocabulary words that were part of the lesson (heavy, heavier, down, light, lighter, up, balance, and predict). They did such a good job predicting and explaining why they thought a certain item would be heavier. Some kids reasoned that two markers would be heavier than one pencil because there were two markers and only one pencil. They also noticed that the markers were bigger (fatter) which was another reason they would be heavier than the pencil. It was really fun seeing how excited they got and reminded me just how important is to make lessons really visual and interactive for the kiddos.
It's February already! I can't believe it, but February is a short month which means before we know it, it will be March and that means spring break!! I miss my hubs and I can't wait to see him over break.
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