PUMP-kins

Too funny today! I gave a group of students a book called "Halloween" during guided reading yesterday to read for homework. One of my students (a wicked Hispanic cutie) had trouble saying the word "pumpkin". She said what some kids do; "PUN-kin". I had the group look carefully at the word and repeat it after me. She was laughing while trying to do it because it felt funny to her. I explained that she wasn't reading the whole word or saying all of the sounds in it. She got it then. :) She came up to me this morning and said, "I practiced last night, maestra! I can say PUMP-kin now!" She was very proud of herself and I am proud of her determination to say it correctly, too!

Now on to REALLY important things...SHOES! I bought a new pair of shoes today at Woldruff's Footware.  They are sexy Dansko clogs.  I got the inspiration from one of my fellow teachers who just bought them the other day.  I left school to go get them and hers was the first room I visited when I got back to tell her that I copied her.  They are hott!  (Yes, I meant to write 2 "t's".)  Here is a photo for your viewing pleasure.

Dansko Grey Prism Patent Stapled Clog

NOTE:  I am thinking that I did my citing correctly.  If I did not, please leave me a KIND message and let me know what I should have done differently.  Thanks! 

Are We There Yet?

It's only Wednesday, isn't it?! Sorry about the slacking last week! This week has gone well at school. I had professional development last week on Thursday and had to leave early on Friday, which meant that I didn't get much done those days. I decided to come in on Sunday and ended up planning my entire week and staying 6 hours. That helped a TON! However, I can't do that every weekend. I need some time away from this place, you know?!

So, I arrived home last Thursday to find an envelope addressed to me on the counter. As I picked it up I thought to myself, "This is a nice envelope! It feels like the ones I sent my resume in." Then...I saw the name of the law firm in the corner. My stomach dropped and I did a quick inventory of any lawsuits filed against me...there were none. So, I decided to be brave and open it. THAT was a mistake. I started reading and got as far as, "You have been subpoenaed to appear at a deposition on October 4th at 10:00 am..." I started bawling. All I could think was that I had to miss ANOTHER DAY away from my students. I have already been out of my classroom during instructional time for 17 hours this year.

Let's just say that I ran pretty hard that night.

I feel a little more sane this week. I told my students that when they get too loud I didn't want to have to yell to get their attention back. I want my voice to be used for learning, not yelling. So.........I have started keeping my recess whistle on my all the time. :) I give it a little toot when they get out of control to bring them back so that I don't have to yell. It's worked pretty well so far! I told them that my goal was to not have to use it by Christmas. HA!

Let's hope Friday comes quickly! Plus, now that I have found out that I can write here at school (AFTER SCHOOL HOURS ONLY!!!!) I will update more often. Happy Wednesday!

Can You Pass The Tissues?

Oh what a week, what a week. I know that most teachers feel the same way I do, but I've got to get it out! My school is working on implementing learning goals in place of grades and a couple Wednesdays a month every team gets to meet for 3 uninterrupted hours. Some of those hours are filled with information for us and things that we are working on while the other hours are spent meeting as a team. This is done so that we don't have to meet after school. They are greatly informative but there is so much handed down to us to take in that I regularly get overwhelmed.

Our principal was walking around and visiting each table group that morning and when she got to my table was the point where my overwhelmed brain decided to let my eyes leak. When I am tense or overwhelmed it tends to come out in tears. I'm fine, but I need to let it out. The man on our team (Princess) looked at me and said, "You're doing on the outside what I am feeling on the inside." My team is super supportive and amazing. God has done some wonderful things this year and has placed some spectacular people in my life.

I told Spaceballs today that I think I need to have a sign strung around my neck (like they did in 28 Days with Sandra Bullock which was about rehab) that says "I need to remember to ask for help instead of trying to do it on my own." She laughed and said I was right. It's not that I don't need help. The thing is ASKING. I love help. I relish help. I just forget that I CAN ask for it. I'm allowed to need help. What a revelation, huh??

The Honeymoon's Over

What a week, what a week. My students have been nutso this week. Let's start at the beginning...MONDAY: I woke up on Monday with a wicked bad head cold. I could barely breathe and felt awful. (Puffs Plus with Vicks tissues are AMAZING!) I managed to make it through the day, but the kids could tell I didn't feel well no matter how hard I tried.

TUESDAY: Things started to loosen up on Tuesday, but I still wasn't 100 percent. This was the day that my students forgot how to listen. (They totally reverted back to first graders.) I had to take a time out and repeat "If you cry in front of them you will never live it down." I was thisclose to having a freak-out on my class. I managed to make it through, but it wasn't pretty. I told my boyfriend about my day and he said, "Well, your 13th day can't be any worse than MY 13th day. 9/11 was my 13th day during my first year." That helped.

WEDNESDAY: I felt better this day, but my students were even MORE rowdy. Ugh! I had to make them back up and said "You're popping my bubble." They LOVE to be at my elbow all day and I know that I have to get used to it at this point in the year. We are beginning a chess program this year for our second and third graders and all the classroom teachers had to attend a webinar for 2 hours. Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh...I'm keeping it mum. I made a really good to-do list, though!

THURSDAY: I sent my first student to the office today. He has been hitting other students at least once a day. I sat down with him to discuss it and gave him two options. Either he could fill out a social contract with me or he could go to the office and discuss what was happening because this was happening every day. Well, he rolled his eyes at me and said "Whatever", which was when I told him that he just made his decision and he was going to the office. I kept my cool with him, but was ready to flip my lid. I feel like the most awful and incapable teacher in the world because I couldn't deal with it in my own room. Tomorrow is a brand-new day and I make it positive or negative.