Changes

Wow, it's been a while since I wrote! This year has been crazy so far. The grant I was working under ending last year, leaving about 20 people in our district needing jobs. My campus (let's call it L) also combined with another campus (M), leaving some teachers needed to be placed somewhere else. I ended up at a different school (F) teaching pre-k. I packed up everything and spent several weeks (and hundreds of dollars) getting my room ready at F. I loved it! I had a great class, wonderful colleagues, and a friendly principal (what a change!) Then the principal got hired in another district. Ok, interim principal was great! Still happy! I bought 2 guinea pigs for our classroom pets. The kids loved them! Then one day (the 4th week of school) I was called back to campus from a training. I found out they needed another 1st grade teacher and had to lose a pre-k teacher. The teacher hired after me volunteered to go because she liked older kids. I lost my planning partner, but she was still next door so we were happy no one had to move. Last Monday, the 5th week of school, I was called to the office after lunch. Found out they needed a bilingual pre-k teacher and I was going to have to move. I ended up back at my old school :( teaching ESL as a pull-out. I had 1 day to pack up. I was devastated. I got to my campus (now called M) and the principal really doesn't want me because I'm not bilingual. That was a mess. So now I'm trying to learn another job and get settled. Until we move to our new school over Christmas break. I can't bring the classroom pets because I'm in a portable that has terrible insulation and I can't keep the temperature even. None of my friends from M have even bothered to come see my classroom, much less see if I need any help. Guess I better get back to getting settled. Still waiting on all my stuff to be moved and the teacher that was here just got her stuff out yesterday. There's a mess in here! I have no energy left to make this room look good! Hopefully I get trained on all the paperwork that is required soon. Sorry for the long rambling post! I really hope everyone else is having a better school year!

How Sweet

We're closing in on the end of the school year! Hooray! Of course that means we're super busy. I don't know what I'll be teaching or even what school I'll be at because the grant funding my position is ending. Hopefully I'll hear soon where I'll be next year!

I had a picture laying on my table of a 1st grade teacher, a 2nd grade teacher, a retired teacher who subs, and myself. One of my students saw it and said, "My favorite teacher!" I had to ask, "Which one?" Sweet boy answered, "2nd grade teacher and you." Aw, smart boy.

Eyes

I work with a few students who are next door with a 2nd grade teacher (we'll call Mrs. Blue Eyes). The other day one of these students told her she had "scary eyes." Mrs. Blue Eyes asked why they were scary and he just shrugged. So she asked what color they were. He responds, "blue." As she was trying to convince him that blue eyes aren't scary, another darling yelled out "Mrs. Z has red eyes!" I do? Really? I know they change colors, but I always thought they were green or bluish-gray. Hmmm. Do I turn into demon teacher when they're in here?

I Love Free Stuff!

Oh, how I heart free stuff!! Over at Confessions of an Untenured Teacher, she's giving away this awesome pocket chart from CSN stores!


Here's more info, copied from her blog!

Up for grabs is this pocket chart, perfect for your classroom, your home office, or as a gift to your child's teacher (did you know National Teacher Appreciation week is May 2-8?):

This pocket chart has 27 pockets that hold standard sized file folders. It also includes 27 dry erase cards so you can reuse it year after year!

All of us out there could use a bit more organization in life! But because I practically live in my classroom, I thought of some potential uses:

1. Student mailboxes
2. Student portfolios
3. File folder center storage
4. Storing extra work for independent activities
5. Storing teacher memos and random paperwork you can never seem to find a proper place for!

So hurry over and enter!

Maybe we need some work on /i/ and /e/. . .

Yesterday I had a group of 1st graders. We have a part in their lesson to practice spelling with sounds we've learned, so sometimes we make a game of it on the white board. They love this! I had two students at the board racing to see who can spell the word correctly first and the loser picks who goes next. Here's a small part of our game -
Me: OK guys, your word is "tent"
Spacey Boy swiftly wrote "tit" and was so proud for finishing first!
Challenger got it right (thank goodness) and I quickly made sure no one was peering in the window to see what I was teaching!

Usually I have them sound out incorrectly spelled words so they can hear the difference, but I hurriedly moved along!

Art Museum

I went along with 2nd grade on a trip to a local art museum. We were divided into groups, so I was with 11 kids and a docent. She stopped in front of a picture of a covered wagon on a trail with snow tipped mountains in the distance. She asked the children what season they thought it was. In our part of Texas it hardly ever snows. So they saw snow and answered winter! The docent frowned and asked if there was snow on the grass - no. Well there's no snow on our green grass either. Last I checked it is still winter though! She told them the mountains her higher up and could have snow year round. So she asked again what season it looked like. Now the kids are confused! Finally someone guesses spring. She asks what else. Fall? OK, what else? Summer?? Puzzled looks were on every one's faces. She said, "The only season this could NOT be is winter!" Poor kids!
We continued walking and one girl excitedly pointed at another painting, saying, "Look! A pot bellied pig!!" The docent looked and replied, "No. That is a wild hog."
The docent brought us to another painting with four men in it. She asked what they noticed about the faces. One child said, "PIMPLES!!" I couldn't help it, I snorted! She asked for it!! Of course, the ever positive docent replied, "No. Those could be moles."
Thank you docent, for encouraging these young minds!

When I Grow Up

This week my kindergarten class I teach at church thought about what they wanted to be when they grow up. This is always entertaining!
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: A police!
Me: Oh good, and how about you E?
E: Um, a dentist?
Me: Oh, wow, that's great! How about you C?
C: I don't know!
Me: Ok, think for a minute and I'll get back to you. How about you N?
N: A police man.
Me: That's good. L, how about you?
L: A football player
Me: Alright! C, have you thought of something?
C: Yes! I want to be one of those people at Toys R Us that puts the toys out.
Me: That would be a fun place to work with all the toys.
C: Yeah, I just love that place.

Lol, I bet he does!