I found out less than two weeks ago that I'd be teaching a combination first and second grade class this year...less than one day before students and parents were scheduled to come in for the annual back to school meet-and-greet. Needless to say, my initial response was one of shock and disbelief. Then, it transitioned into doubt....and finally into panic. How on earth was I supposed to make sure that I could be ready for the following day?
After a lot of hard work, fast thinking, and help from my colleagues and my wonderful husband, my classroom was finally ready to go by the meet-and-greet. I met the majority of my students and their parents, and my first response after that initial encounter with my kids was, Holy cow, they're so cute and little! After teaching 4th and 5th grades for the last 5 years, coming down to the primary grades was somewhat of a culture shock. Yet, they grasped onto my heart strings immediately. :)
I have now officially been with them in the classroom for one week. I am truly loving every minute of it, despite having to learn entirely new curriculum resources, district assessments, and train myself to align my thinking more with 6 and 7 year olds. I think one of the most endearing moments as a teacher is when a student comes up to you at the end of every day and says, "I love you, teacher!" I haven't even known "my kids" for that long, and we're already creating meaningful relationships. I am so looking forward to working with them this year, and growing in my own professional development to meet their needs!
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Rough week...AWESOME Friday!
So, after a rough week of TCAP testing, working with students who were a little "off" because of being stressed (and the full moon, maybe), Lucas and me having colds, and getting rear-ended on Thursday morning, I was VERY ready for Friday to be here.
When I woke up Friday morning, I was just thrilled that the week was finally over. I honestly think that TCAP testing is just as hard on the teachers as it is on the students. Then, I walked into school and the specials team had brought Santiago's burritos to school for the staff! I had one and it completely cleared my sinuses! Then, my kids did a really great job on their test. Most of them kept it for the entire 60 minutes! Yay! Afterwards, I had a surprise visit from a student I had three years ago at my previous school. She came all the way to my new school just to say hi and give me a new school pic of her for my wall. :)
THEN, to top off the good day, I got some incredible news from my principal! After being in 4th/5th grades for the last five years, I am finally getting the opportunity to teach primary kids. :) I have been beginning to feel a little burnt out from the CSAP/TCAP testing, and struggling with the same issues with my students over and over again. I am SO SUPER excited to be given this chance to open myself to new challenges. A change in pace is never a bad thing, especially when it will help motivate and refresh me, and aid in picking me up out of the rut I've felt stuck in...therefore making me a better teacher in the long run.
While I have LOVED teaching the older kids...doing fun work with technology and being able to do higher-level projects, I am ready to go back to working with the younger kids. When I worked with the younger kids in church ministry, that's where I really felt my calling. I am so excited that I now have this chance to go back to working with them!
When I woke up Friday morning, I was just thrilled that the week was finally over. I honestly think that TCAP testing is just as hard on the teachers as it is on the students. Then, I walked into school and the specials team had brought Santiago's burritos to school for the staff! I had one and it completely cleared my sinuses! Then, my kids did a really great job on their test. Most of them kept it for the entire 60 minutes! Yay! Afterwards, I had a surprise visit from a student I had three years ago at my previous school. She came all the way to my new school just to say hi and give me a new school pic of her for my wall. :)
THEN, to top off the good day, I got some incredible news from my principal! After being in 4th/5th grades for the last five years, I am finally getting the opportunity to teach primary kids. :) I have been beginning to feel a little burnt out from the CSAP/TCAP testing, and struggling with the same issues with my students over and over again. I am SO SUPER excited to be given this chance to open myself to new challenges. A change in pace is never a bad thing, especially when it will help motivate and refresh me, and aid in picking me up out of the rut I've felt stuck in...therefore making me a better teacher in the long run.
While I have LOVED teaching the older kids...doing fun work with technology and being able to do higher-level projects, I am ready to go back to working with the younger kids. When I worked with the younger kids in church ministry, that's where I really felt my calling. I am so excited that I now have this chance to go back to working with them!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Feverish...but sweet as ever
One of the worst parts of being a mom is not being able to do anything to help when your little one is sick. Lucas felt a little warm yesterday, and threw up last night...but seemed fine, otherwise. Then, when I got home from work today, he felt really warm. So, I took his temperature and it was 101.6! He was so lethargic and threw up again today during his lunch. It's so hard not knowing what is wrong with him. I will be so relieved when he is able to communicate where he hurts or why he doesn't feel good. (Chances are, by then, I will be missing the days when he just 'nonsense babbled' though. Can't have it both ways, I suppose.) Both times he got sick yesterday and today were when he was eating, but when you combine that with his temperature, I can't tie it back to the food. So, I'm definitely thinking some sort of bug (but not the flu, since he got the flu shot) or maybe an ear infection. And I am hoping that with a dose of ibuprofen he'll feel much better in the morning. He didn't even cry when I put him to bed. Lucas is seriously one of the most easy-going and happy babies ever!
On the bright side, I haven't had such a cuddly little baby in a long time! He was just really clingy all afternoon/evening, wanting to sit in my lap the entire time and read books or just snuggle. As he is growing up, I'm getting less and less of the cuddle time with him. He is wanting more and more to play by himself or with the puppies. He still likes the attention and loves it when we read with him, but he is easily able to entertain himself for an hour or so at a time. It seems like he is just growing up so fast, that if I blink I'm going to miss something. I am so looking forward to watching him grow up and develop into the unique little guy that I'm sure he'll be. But for now, I am loving every second of "baby" (minus the pain and discomfort he is feeling, and helplessness I feel, when he is sick).
On the bright side, I haven't had such a cuddly little baby in a long time! He was just really clingy all afternoon/evening, wanting to sit in my lap the entire time and read books or just snuggle. As he is growing up, I'm getting less and less of the cuddle time with him. He is wanting more and more to play by himself or with the puppies. He still likes the attention and loves it when we read with him, but he is easily able to entertain himself for an hour or so at a time. It seems like he is just growing up so fast, that if I blink I'm going to miss something. I am so looking forward to watching him grow up and develop into the unique little guy that I'm sure he'll be. But for now, I am loving every second of "baby" (minus the pain and discomfort he is feeling, and helplessness I feel, when he is sick).
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
It's the little things in life...
...that make me feel fulfilled and happy. That's basically what this blog is going to be used for: Sharing the little things that are going on in my life. This is going to be a place where I talk about my life in general and whatever is on my mind at the time. Chances are, a lot of this is going to revolve around what is new with Lucas, since he seems to be constantly growing and doing something new and cute on a daily basis!
I've never been the type of person to write in a diary...I have owned at least a half dozen of them, and they got written in for a week; two at the most. So, I am not sure how well this is going to work out. But, with all the time I spend on the computer, it seems like this may be a better outlet of my opinions and feelings. :)
The little thing that made me happy today was that I finally got the dates nailed down for the wax museum I'm doing with my students at school. It's a HUGE undertaking, and a LOT of work, but it is something that I'm looking forward to later this spring. Plus, it gives the kids something to work towards as the school year winds down to a close. "What is a wax museum?" one might ask. It is basically where the kids choose a prominent historical figure and they compile a ton of research on that person. Then, using the information gathered, they create the following items which will all be posted on a display board (or used in a presentation): poem, timeline, outline of their life, written research report - 3rd person, speech - 1st person, portrait, bibliography, and costume/props. Over the next two months, my kids will be creating the above items, based on the person of their choice, and then they will actually BE the "wax" figures who will "come to life" when people visit them in the gym on the day of presentations, and give the speech they wrote before returning to their wax-like pose. I would love to take credit for this idea, but I got the idea from an amazing teacher at my previous school. After seeing it done so well for the last four years, I figured I should give it a shot with my class this year! Wish me luck! :)
I've never been the type of person to write in a diary...I have owned at least a half dozen of them, and they got written in for a week; two at the most. So, I am not sure how well this is going to work out. But, with all the time I spend on the computer, it seems like this may be a better outlet of my opinions and feelings. :)
The little thing that made me happy today was that I finally got the dates nailed down for the wax museum I'm doing with my students at school. It's a HUGE undertaking, and a LOT of work, but it is something that I'm looking forward to later this spring. Plus, it gives the kids something to work towards as the school year winds down to a close. "What is a wax museum?" one might ask. It is basically where the kids choose a prominent historical figure and they compile a ton of research on that person. Then, using the information gathered, they create the following items which will all be posted on a display board (or used in a presentation): poem, timeline, outline of their life, written research report - 3rd person, speech - 1st person, portrait, bibliography, and costume/props. Over the next two months, my kids will be creating the above items, based on the person of their choice, and then they will actually BE the "wax" figures who will "come to life" when people visit them in the gym on the day of presentations, and give the speech they wrote before returning to their wax-like pose. I would love to take credit for this idea, but I got the idea from an amazing teacher at my previous school. After seeing it done so well for the last four years, I figured I should give it a shot with my class this year! Wish me luck! :)
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