Too Much Snow..

As beautiful is the snow is when it first falls, I am ready for spring! We have been to school 6 days since Christmas break began. Last week, we went a full day on Tuesday and Wednesday, a half day on Thursday, and snow day on Friday. Week before that it snowed on Sunday night and kept us out all week. When we went back last Tuesday, my kids had completely forgotten what they were doing. I mean who can blame them being that they were basically out of school for a month. Nonetheless we must press on. Just so happens when we went back it was time testing. This fell at the worst time. I hadn't had a chance to review skills, and they were just plain wild! There is snow in the forecast this week, but I hope it simply comes as rain. As I complain about the snow, and having to teach until June possibly- I try to remember those that don't get paid unless they work. School bus drivers, aids, crossing guard, and that is just school related- not any others that cant get to work. So as hateful as I would be about going in June, at least as I sit home on my snow days, I am still getting paid and I am thankful for that. I pray that we get to school for 5 straight days this week, and then I am sure I'll be ready for another snow day :)

Snow Day!

Well I am enjoying snow day number 3 for the year. I think we have 13 built in days, but I am not sure. Regardless, I am enjoying today. My husband teaches at another school and they are out today as well so that is nice! We are expected to get a few more inches tonight so I am thinking we will have at least one more day at home. Today we have been fairly lazy! Last year on our snow days we spent them doing homework for our Masters program..no fun! This year, we are just enjoying them! We slept late, had coffee, watched several episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond, played on our new Droids and ate. The most effective thing we have done today is a kickbox workout and an ab workout we found on Demand. I go to the Y a lot, and that TV workout kicked my tail. We have chili in the crockpot to enjoy as we watch the National Championship. I cant cheer against the SEC so for tonight and tonight only..WAR EAGLE! (whatever that means)

Long time, No see!

Well, I noticed it had been since Sept 8, 2010 since I had a post. I had several family members ask where my blog was, my apologies on being a slacker! I created a facebook acocunt for my class, and I think that was taking over my extra online time. I am hoping to do a little better the second half of my semester. We have just recently started back to school getting in three days last week. Now, we are bracing for what could be the biggest snow we have had in a few years. It is expected to come in tonight and last until Tuesday. I teach in a rural county so we are out for several days following a winter system due to all the back roads. If this comes like they say, I could be out all week. As much as I enjoy a snow day or two..five is a lot. We have some testing coming up after MLK day and I want my kids to be prepared. It is also difficult to get them on track behaviorally when we are sporadically there. They basically had forgotten how to act when we came back last week. Luckily, my kids are significantly ahead of where my kids were at this point last year so I feel like the testing will go ok. I am actually starting to pull first grade material because they are getting bored. In happy news..I got a projector in my room!! I have used it for absolutely everything! They love playing games, seeing videos, watching me type..anything! It has made such a difference in what all I can do! Now, if I just had an ELMO! Well, again sorry for nothing to post in a while. I am going to do better!!

I pledge allegiance..

I don't know if all of my teacher friends feel the same about morning announcements as I do, but they are near the worst part of my day. By the time we recite three different things, have school announcements, and birthday announcements, it is almost a 6 minute ordeal. 6 minutes of total silence for 5 year old's is torture. Anyway, a lot of my kids have been learning the pledge of allegiance just from repetition. Sooo...today we are having circle time, and I have finally gotten everyone focused on letters and sounds. A little girl raises her hand and says she needs to tell me something. I normally don't allow this during teaching so I am not sure why I let her. I think she just started before I could stop her. She proceeds to put her hand over her heart and recite the entire pledge right there in the middle of carpet time. I tried so hard not to laugh, but all I could think about was the grandmother saying it in "Christmas Vacation".

Mice.

As if Monday's are not bad enough...
I was totally prepared. I made my lunch, put it in the fridge, and fell asleep at approx. 9:00 which gives me ample amount of sleep to conquer my Monday. However, my Monday had other plans. This morning I woke, showered, and began blow drying my hair. Might I mention that I have just enough time to do what has to be done in the mornings, and no time to spare. Especially this week because I have to be at school at 7:15 for A.M. Duty. So as I am drying my hair, my husband is taking his shower. I look out the bathroom door into the kitchen and there is a fairly large mouse running through my kitchen. I began screaming in a panic- of course my husband barely cares. After about 10 minutes he gets out of the shower. At this point, the mouse is back out in the yard telling all his friends about the stash he found. Great. I simply can not continue fixing my hair, so it looks awful. No way am I going out into the bonus room to iron my clothes. So my sweet husband irons my clothes while I sit on the bed yelling antics at him about why we have mice, how long has it been here, will it go back outside, is that the only one, how do I kill it...you can imagine. I quickly dress and frantically run through the kitchen- grab my bag and out the door. Already running late. Get to school and realize I have no lunch. I vow not to eat in the cafeteria because it is nasty. Which of course today I had to. It was some form of meat, cornbread, turnip greens, and sweet potatoes. UGH! So I was starving. Left school and went straight to Wal-Mart. Had to call the husband four times to get the right type of trap. Since he would not be home as soon as I arrived, my mother-in-law came over to lay out the traps for me. If the mouse is still here- he will be gone soon. So to say the least, my Monday was basically a failure..I hope for a better Tuesday.

Is it fall break yet?

The first of the year is crazy. If I had remembered how crazy it was, I might not have been interested in returning. However, I just keep thinking that in just a few weeks my kiddos will know what they are doing. I am sure that at every grade level the first of the year is a little challenging. The kids have to get used to you and your procedures. It could take some adjusting. With Kindergarten it is multiplied by thousands. These kids have to get adjusted to school, sitting still, writing with a pencil, working, staying in their chair, not talking whenever they want, walking in a line, walking period, doing things for themselves, and on top of all of that learning skills to read! By May of last year, I had those kids right where I wanted them. They knew how to do everything, and what I expected of them. I forgot they didn't at the beginning :). Today I had about nine little friends drop a slip. That is almost half. Bless their hearts- they cry and complain and ask all day to change it back. I do feel bad, but they have to learn. I have some super sweet kids this year. 11 boys and 9 girls, and they are super cute! I am ready to get them to the point they are able to learn..

A few funny things that have happened so far...
-A sweet little boy asked if he could go home with me, I said no that kids don't live at my house and I don't know that my husband would like that much..Another sweet little boy next to me said "What! You don't have kids, you know HAVE to HAVE kids right?!" Right. Thank you.
-Today a little girl came in a panic to me that the boy next to her had bitten her. Not something that should be funny really. However, she had such a scolding look on her face I automatically thought it was funny. So I tried to control myself and asked the little boy if he bit her. He said "well I didn't really bite her, I just did this..and he bit his shirt and made a little growling noise. I lost it right there- probably did not prevent biting in the future...

Hoping for good days the rest of the week!

The joys of K Testing...

We decided this year to test all of the Kindergartners before we put them into classes. We each tested four or five kids a day..whew. To say the least I am glad that I am done asking which picture begins with "p" and so on. We decided to test first to even place the students between classes. Last year, some of the classes were higher than others. So to be fair, we tested first. Today our principal spent the whole day making the class roles. I got 20 new little ones! Some of them I had tested. One in particular, was the precious, spunky, good ole country boy! His personality was adorable! I was hoping all day that I would get him, and I did! Last year, I had met my kids before them coming to school, so I am a little apprehensive about getting them on Tuesday!

I have changed a lot of things this year, and I am so excited to see what my kids are capable of! I am implementing some techniques from my Quantum Learning training, and I am excited to see how my kids will adjust to those routines. I feel better being a second year teacher, and knowing what to expect. I need to start praying for my school year, and my kids so next week we can have a great first week! Hope all of you other teachers out there are enjoying your new group!