Joy in the Journey

Break Almost Over

2009-01-02T15:45:00Z

Ohhh part of me is so sad that break is almost over. These 2 weeks have been the most relaxing weeks ever and it has been truly amazing to have this break. I feel refreshed and excited about teaching again. I am even looking forward to seeing all my students again![:D] I have been working hard over break to try and get my lesson plans done and include some new and exciting things in them! Starting on Monday, I am doing a couple of new things. -Guided Math. I have been on http://www.mandygregory.com/ and have gotten some AMAZING ideas from her about how to implement it and how to become more organized, not just in math but in the classroom. She is just AMAZING! I someday hope to have a neat website just like her! :) -Cursive. It's 2nd semester and that's when we start cursive. I'm a little nervous because i personally hate cursive and never use it so I have some doubts in my ability to teach it. I also think that my kids' handwriting in print is unreadable so I am concerned in how their writing is going to be in cursive. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen! haha -Mandy and Randy Savings Program. Even tho we have already done our money chapter, I am starting this program from CEFCU. I think they are really going to enjoy it and I taught it during student teaching and really loved it! It's something easy and relaxing but still teaches the kids math & savings skills. I think that's all I'mdoing. We shall see. It might change. I had hopes to start a classroom economy system w/ money/checkbooks and whatknot but it didn't happen; too much work. I had also wanted to start doing a poetry of the week thing w/ poem folders but that didnt happen either. Oh well, you can't do everything I guess!!! :)

God Created Teachers

2008-12-19T19:22:00Z

God Created The First Teacher On the 6th day, God created men and women. On the 7th day, He rested. Not so much to recuperate, but rather to prepare Himself for the work He was going to do on the next day. For it was on that day - the 8th day - that God created the FIRST TEACHER. This TEACHER, though taken from among men and women, had several significant modifications.In general, God made the TEACHER more durable than other men and women. The TEACHER was made to arise at a very early hour and to go to bed no earlier than 11:30 p.m. - with no rest in between. The TEACHER had to be able to withstand being locked up in an air-tight classroom for six hours with thirty-five "monsters" on a rainy Monday. And the TEACHER had to be fit to correct 103 term papers over Easter vacation. Yes, God made the TEACHER tough... but gentle, to! The TEACHER was equipped with soft hands to wipe away the tears of the neglected and lonely student... of those of the sixteen-year-old girl who was not asked to the prom. And into the TEACHER God poured a generous amount of patience. Patience when a student asks to repeat the directions the TEACHER has just repeated for someone else. Patience when the kids forget their lunch money for the fourth day in a row.Patience when one-third of the class fails the test.Patience when the textbooks haven't arrived yet, and the semester starts tomorrow. And God gave the TEACHER a heart slightly bigger than the average human heart.For the TEACHER's heart had to be big enough to love the kid who screams, "I hate this class - it's boring!" and to love the kid who runs out of the classroom at the end of the period without so much as a "good-bye," let alone a "thank you." And lastly, God gave the TEACHER an abundant supply of HOPE! For God knew that the TEACHER would always be hoping. Hoping that the kids would someday learn how to spell... Hoping not to have bus duty ... Hoping that Friday would come ... Hoping for a free day ... Hoping for deliverance ... When God finished creating the TEACHER, He stepped back and admired the work of His hands. And God saw that the TEACHER was good. Very Good! And God smiled, for when He looked at the TEACHER, He saw into the future. He knew that the future is in the hands of the TEACHERS. And because God loves Teachers so much, on the 9th day God created "Snow Days" and "Summer!" ~ Author Unknown

Yay!

2008-12-04T03:09:00Z

I just had a fantastic day! They progress monitored my kids w/ DIBELS today and they did FANTASTIC. I got a congratulatory email from the pyschologist and principal. I am sooooooo happy and thankful. I'm not really sure how much this actually shows about my student's reading level because I haven't seen a huge improvement in that area, but oh well, their phonics skills are getting better so I'm pretty darn happy! To see these improvements after just 2 months since they orginally tested them makes me happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [:)] So you know those times where kids are bad and you know you shouldn't laugh, but ya want to really bad?! I had one of those today. . One of my boys comes into my room from the drinking fountain sobbing saying so and so punched him..so I go and talk to this chronic puncher and asked him why he hit this child (also a chronic puncher) and his response was "He was drinking all the cold water and I needed it!" I just about lost it!!!! [:D] That's what I love about teaching, is the cute funny stories that i would never get if i worked in an office!!!!!!!!!!! (not that I condone punching! haha)

To Do List..

2008-12-01T01:06:00Z

I have definitely enjoyed this Thanksgiving break..however, it's 7pm on Sunday night and I'm realizing how much I have to do in the month of December. Thank goodness there are only 15 days of school until Christmas break! Not that I'm counting or anything! :) Here is my list of things to do in the next few weeks: Send notes home to room parents about party and put together treat bags for students. Also, wrap extra books for our book exchange Come up w/ gifts for class volunteers Submit scholastic book order- this one's going to be big! (check out this link on proteacher..this website is amazing, I am totally addicted to all the wonderful tips and ideas that other teachers give! http://www.proteacher.net/discussions/showthread.php?t=23200) Plan polar express activities Think about whether I want to do Gingerbread Houses or not? Plan and implement Literature Circles Laminate Literacy Games Print out Snowman Contraction Activities Put up Christmas Decorations Chan ge Bulletin Board to Christmas! Print out stuff for "Naked Gingerbread" Activity Buy presents for my secret santa Phew, I think that's it. I am exhausted just looking at this list! I have decided that being a teacher really just doesn't stop. I keep thinking, ok, once PT conferences are over, once halloween is over, once grandparents day is over, but as soon as something is over, another thing takes it's place and requires my full attention and energy. It also usually requires me to spend a great deal of time at home researching and working on stuff. I don't mind it, it just is very time consuming. I think I would mind it a little less if my class was better behaved. I feel very frusterated when I spend lots of time working on things and then my class totally just misbehaves and misses the whole concept. GRRRR. Oh well, only 15 more days until break. Then I get 16 WHOLE days off! I haven't been this excited in a LONG time about a break!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Too high of expectations?

2008-11-26T02:31:00Z

When i went to my principal's office to inform him of a student who had punched someone else (AGAIN) and who'se mom was mad at me because of it (AGAIN), he basically told me that I have too high of expectations for my students and I needed to realize that things were never going to be that good and what was my other school experiences like?!??! I almost fell over I was so shocked. TOO HIGH OF EXPECTATIONS?!??! This is the PROBLEM with children of America these days! When we have people making excuses for our students and their atrocious behavior! I've heard a lot of excuses this year (and it's only the 67th! and this is my first year teaching, what on earth will I have when I've been teaching for 3 or 4 years!?I don't think i can think about it!!!) " He's just having a rough time" "Their not getting along with you" "Keep him away from so and so because it's so and so's fault that they are getting in trouble" "He has a bad home life" "He has ADHD" I am sick of them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Parents, get a grip and raise some responsible, respectful children who will someday be productive member of society!!! End of rant :)

Schedule Changes

2008-11-09T02:33:00Z

Can I just say that October was crazy!!!!!!Ddue to Halloween, PT conferences, assemblies, community presentations, Teacher Institute, workshops, and other random days off I feel like I got NO teaching done or anything accomplished!!!! It is already the 55th day of school for us..and we only have 170 so I am like a third of the way through the year- YIIIKES! My kids have not made near the progress that I want them to be making. My principal , during my eval meeting, gave me some really good advice. I will not be able to take some of my students who are at a K level up 2 whole grade levels and have them reading at a 2nd grade level. It's just not possible and I know that but I want them to do well so badly. I know it's there last chance to really catch up before they are behind forever. So there is that constant stress and nagging at the back of my mind at all times... I want to rearrange my schedule because I feel like my current one is not good enough. I kind of want to start doing math in the morning because I feel like I don't have a good chunk of time to do reading in. I have PE from 8:20-8:40 and Music from 10:30-11 and I also have my TItle kids gone for a half an hour in there so I can't do any reading during that either. I have an almost 3 hour block in the afternoon in which I currently do DEAR time, Math, and Writing Workshop. Any suggestions/comments from anyone who knows more about this?!?!! [:)] Hmmm..lots more thinking to do. I always get lots of thinking done late at night!! [:P]

This Week

2008-11-01T13:14:00Z

It never ceases to amaze me what weeks can turn out to be! This one was no different- totally insane and I couldn't have been prepared for any of it! I had to call DCFS and report one of my students. It was really tough and I did not enjoy it one little bit. I also know their mom is gonna know it was me and be MAD! But I did the right thing and I feel better. I had an IEP meeting for my insane problem child and basically, according to them, the plan is working (because he is getting 2 rewards each day if he earns 60% of his tokens) so there is no reason to work on placing him in an alternative setting. He hasn't thrown a huge temper tantrum since we started this program. GRRRRRRRRRR. Of course now its working because he is getting prizes. It's not gonna work forever, he's getting bored with the prizes already and the psychologist told me I'm supposed to "mix it up" for him. Yeah like I have time and money for that. I refuse to reward this boy with stuff after what a terror he has been. However, I am a professional so I will do what I have been asked but certainly not willingly. Who knows now if he will ever get removed from this school. That's what is mom despearetly wants and so does the principal and I. But what do we know?!!??! GRRRR Halloween- Nuts. We'll just leave it at that. I'm so glad it's over. I also made some of my kids miss out on some of their party because they were inappropriate this week. I am pretty sure that sooner or later the kids are going to start realizing that I mean what I say. We shall see. I have a sub on Monday becuase I'm going to training and the sub is their first grade teacher last year, who taught for about 40 years and didn't teach THEM anything. I have kids that don't even know their vowels. It's insane. So it will be interesting to hear how the day goes when I come back. I am hoping they don't give her too hard of a time. They probably will because that's what they did last year I heard. Oh well, at least i get a day off! haha. Happy Halloween! [:)]

Parent Teacher Conferences

2008-10-25T13:22:00Z

Thank goodness those are over! I survived! I had 14 on Thursday night alone..I was the last person to leave the school and then had to drive an hour home! I didn't get home until 9:30 and had to be back at 8am for more. Needless to say I am so happy they are over! I think overall they went really well. I prepared a LOT for them, had a form that I filled out for each child talking about stregnths, weaknesses, suggestions/comments, etc etc. Of course I also gave them their report card and STAR reading results. The kids each decorated a folder to hold their stuff so the parents thought that was cute. I also had the students do a self reflection on how they are doing. I was shocked at how honest they were with it. It was excellent. I had a couple of parents, of course, be rude and make excuses. One parent complained about how her child had too much homework and when I told her that I give about 20 minutes of homework a night (10 mins/grade level and I'm 2nd grade) and how long did it take her precious son to complete it? Well she goes, oh 20 minutes usually but he just hates doing it so much and it's hard for him. Let me preface this by saying her son is the most disruptive and immature student in my class..his bday is Sept 1st and the parents INSISTEd that he come to Kindergarten then, oh how I wish he would have waited a year. Basically, I told her I was not changing my policy and that in 3rd grade they have even more. I also told her that part of the reason that he is getting more work at night is that because during our working time if he does not get something done because he is goofing around, it is homework for him. He needs to utilize his time wis ely. All she could do was make excuses for him. UGH that's not helping him at all lady!!!!!! Get over it. Can you tell I am still annoyed by it even now??!?! [;)] Oh well, at least I don't have to see some of these parents again until February (because of course, even though they claim to be all concerned about their child, they really don't do squat for them..) Such is life I guess!!!![:D]

Sunday Reflections

2008-10-19T18:04:00Z

Sundays are a good time for reflection and gearing up for the next week. I am beyond thankful to start a fresh new week, with no mistakes in it. These past 2 weeks have been a nightmare. I truly am trying to reflect on my teaching and see what I can do better. I want my students to succeed so badly and make up all the ground that they lost in Kindergarten and 1st Grade. After getting my DIEBELS results, the principal bought me the yellow Michael Heggerty book on phonemic awareness. I am also going to an all day training in November. From my limited experience with it, it seems to be a wonderful thing and I can't wait to use it. I also am going to start doing more guided reading. I was doing mostly the basal with a little guided reading but I really don't feel that the kids are learning anything from it. It is more of something that I felt that we had to do (curriculum from the district) but I feel that I can teach them so much more as well as do differentiated learning while doing guided reading. I'll still do some activities with it and the weekly story, but I won't do as much. Don't ask don't tell is my motto I guess! :) I also have parent teacher conferences this week and I am very nervous. I have some really tough conferences to do with some parents that aren't going to like their child's grades. 2nd Grade is the first time that students receive a letter grade instead of meets, exceeds, etc. So many of them do not realize that their little darlings are failing numerous subjects, even though I send home notes. It is going to be a rude awakening. I also worry that parents are going to question my assessment. I do a fair amount of assessment (not excessive, we do a lot of things together in class and grade them together in class) but for phonics, for example, I only have maybe 10 or 11 grades (tests, quizes, practice pages, etc) and I just worry that that is too little for 9 weeks. Maybe I am just worrying to much. Parents are a huge part of stress for me in teaching. I feel like they know that I don't know what I'm doing! Well I'm doing the best that I can and that's all I can promise right now with the hope that I will keep doing better! :)

A Week From You Know Where....

2008-10-11T01:51:00Z

This week has been AWFUL to say the least. I don't think it could have been any worse. Here's the rundown: Monday- IEP for my PROBLEM student and I have a stupid idiotic behavior plan created my a stupid psychologist and social worker who don't understand that I cannot spend all my time with this student. Mom, Principal, and I were all trying to stress and make him understand that he needs to be in a special school..but he wouldn't believe it. So I am now stuck doing this until heaven knows when..I also now have to reward him twice a day (with BIG prizes too!). THe other kids don't understand it and get really mad because he is still bad but gets a reward for it now!!!!!!!!!!! UGH I was supposed to have my evaluation on Wednesday and at the last minute my principal cancelled on me.. Wednesday was also Grandparents day from 10-1 (TO LONG!!!!!!!!!!) and then they decided to have DIBELS meetings so I had to be gone and a sub had to do part of my grandparents day activities and it went terrible With the DIBELS results, I found out that 80% of my kids are at the red/yellow portion on the RtI graph...depressing. All the suggestions that I had for the psychologists were met with "That's not what your kids need.." oh, I'm sorry, since when did a psychologist , who is at our school 1 day a week, know more about reading instruction then their teacher?!? I was told that I am supposed to be researching new phonics curriculum because ours isn't good enough. And I have nothing better to do. Thursday- Field trip from h***!!!!!!! My kids were atrocious. They were disrespectful and rude to others and me. I was mortified, especially when my problem child said a very vulgar word during a presentation to the presenter. The presenter I could tell thought I was the WORST teacher ever. I wanted to shrink down and die. After this day, 3 of my students are not going on our next field trip because they were so bad. They will sit in the office instead. I am actually looking forward to my next one now.. I am seriously trying to figure out what I am doing wrong because I have consistent consequences for the students when they misbehave and always follow through with them. WHAT am I doing wrong??! WHy must they constantly misbehave and act like brats?! Friday- My principal decided to have my evaluation today when I had nothing "cute/good" planned. It went terribly of course because my kids are evil. I don't want to know what he is going to say about it. He left 20 minutes int o the writing lesson. I seriously don't care though. I am so frusterated with it!! Ok enough venting now! Seriously though, a week from you know where!! I'm exhausted !!! Thanks for listening! I love 3 day weekends!!!!!!!!!!!! [:D]

Testing

2008-10-01T00:21:00Z

It's Testing Week. UGH Today, I watched as 4 of my low low readers (we are talking K or 1 st grade equivelent) did not even attempt to read the questions and randomly filled in bubbles!!! I made them erase and at least TRY and answer the questions but they did not do any better that time around either. I am absolutely appalled at their lack of knowledge of the most basic things and their huge lack of even trying to answer things! They have no motivation to even try and I seriously don't know what else to do. I have tried lots of things but none of it works. I still have 2 more days of testing and I am totally dreading it. The kids hate it and are grouchy and so am I. I also have no voice from all that darn reading! I'd like the people who created this test to come and read the 40 pages outloud to these kids!!!![:D]

Training is Over! :)

2008-09-25T00:27:00Z

Thank goodness training is over. It is soooo pointless in my opinion! Someone asked our principal today how school was yesterday with 5 of his teachers gone and he goes, oh it was really good, all the classes were fine except for...*turns in my direction* 2nd grade....*GROAN*[:$] Why does that not surprise me though!?? I actually just laughed because I was expecting it, just hoping and praying for better. I guess some of my students spent the afteroon in the office. Heaven knows what happened today. I did have a funny story though about a 7th grader, he was seen peeing on several other students' lockers with their clothes in it and of course the kids reported it. Well, our poor secretary has to deal with all of this while everyone is gone, so she makes him come into the office and wants him to confess to the crime (he has along long history of doing bad things like this and then lying about it!!) . He denies even doing it blah blah, you know the story. She then goes, gets some tongs and puts the pieces of ruined clothes in a plastic bag, marks it evidance [:D] and marches back into the office and tells this little liar that if he does't confess, when she has it sent away for DNA testing and it comes back and matches his, she will have him suspended for 10 days..shockingly enough, he confessed immediately!!!!!! I got the biggest kick out of that!!!!!! LoL. It's amazing how good alittle fear will do some of those junior high kids who think that they know everything!! I have my pre-evaluation meeting as well as a Iowa Basic Skills Testing Planning meeting tomorrow, should be lots of fun. That and dealing with the long notes that I am sure my sub left for me on the attrocious behavior of my angels!!! [;)]

PBIS

2008-09-23T21:50:00Z

I attended my first day of PBIS training today. My school wants to begin this lovely program, which I think is a great idea. It is desperately needed. However, now, they want all of the K-4 to use the links behavior management system. Something about where the kids earn links (little plastic pieces) at lunch, specials, morning, and afternoon and the goal is to get it to touch the floor (it hangs on the ceiling). However, if some students are not following directions, then the entire class lose their link. I think it is a dumb idea! My plan is finally starting to work on them and I seriously do not want to change it after we have been in schoool almost 7 weeks!! GRR!! And I know that 3 or 4 of my kids will ruin it for the rest of them. Right now, they are on a individual plan so the good kids are rewarded, not punished!!!! I am so annoyed because it is more work for me and I finally found something that works so why change it, ya know!?!?!?!

Smart people don't know anything

2008-09-18T00:49:00Z

We ll after doing some serious thinking and talking, I spoke with the school psy. about my problem student. He and I talked for about 30 minutes to which I explained everything. At one point, I flat out asked if there was a chance that he would be placed in another school setting (which is what his mom wants since his brother is already there) because I cannot give him all the help that he needs, to which he replied "Well, you obviously are not very positive/hopeful." Well, genius with the doctoral degree, what kind of hint did I, first year teacher who is in WELL over her head, GIVE YOU!? Of course I'm not hopeful!! I get no support whatsover from anyone at my school, why would I want him in my room!? I wanted to shake some sense into him. After a long and pointless meeting, I know have to document each and every little thing that this student does using this form so he, the man with the power, knows what is going on. I really don't see how a solution for my problems is going to come from this but whatever. I am going to document EVERY SINGLE one of those darn problems that I have (about every 30 mins) if it kills me!!!! So next week when he comes I am going to hand him about 25 pages of papers and see what he says..I'm already looking forward to it!! lol [:D] Cute part about today, ok rather gross too, my students are all in an uproar at breakfast about something and one of the other teachers tells me I need to go down and talk to them so I did, and I hear them all saying, is it dead, where'd you get it and lo and behold , one of my little cherubs had brought in a bat's skull!!! It was gross!!!! I was like, uh, we don't bring stuff like that to school! He seemed to be clueless to why I was so repulsed by it and took it to the office! Oh the joys of kids! It was nice to have a bright part to my day!!!! [:)]

It gets worse!!!

2008-09-12T00:54:00Z

During lunch today, I was explaining to a few other teachers why my student was suspended for a day, and the secretary chimes in, "oh no, that's not why he was suspended.." and I go, excuse me?! He punched me in the stomach, what more does it need?! Well apparantly, he was suspended AFTER he decided to throw everything on principal's desk on the floor (phone, calculator, etc). Obviously his stupid old phone has more value then his teacher. I wanted to burst into tears. I feel so unvalued right now. I want to quit. I am going to be talking to the principal tomorow I think about filing a report. Even if he feels like it is no big deal, I feel like it is and I am concerned about my safety if the kid ever does this again, what if this time he hits me with a chair or something ya know!? I just don't know with him!!! Even with my problem student gone today, it's like the other kids decided it would be a good day to be a little brat so I spent my day dealing with other behavior problems. I lost my patience with them more then once and feel horrible about that. I just don't know what to do. Before this, I have spent years preparing for and dreaming about having my own class. Before the year started I was on stars. I could hardly wait. I was SO EXCITED. And today, on my drive home, I spent the entire hour trying to figure out and remember why on earth I ever had wanted to be a teacher. i can't remember because right now all the bad outweighs the good. I feel like a horrible teacher. All I can say is THANK GOODNESS FOR FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)