October 2009
4 posts
Exhaustion
Today was my first full day of teaching on my own. My feet are tired. My voice is tired. My brain has pretty much shut itself off. I don’t know how effective I was at teaching them anything. But, we all survived, and no one got hurt. I’d say that was a successful first day.
Forgiveness
Kids are so forgiving. Yesterday I made a student cry. Let me clarify that I made her cry only because I asked her to go back to her seat and stay on task because she was not getting her work done. Today during our praises and recognitions she praised me for being caring and said “Ms. X is so patient with me and always helps me at my locker.”
I sat there in pure amazement. Yesterday...
September 2009
16 posts
Obama/Arne Planning Big Education Changes? →
Obama wants to level the playing field on an international level when we can’t even close the gap here at home. I am torn, because our current system isn’t working. I agree that a long summer vacation isn’t best for students. At the same time, I don’t want to add 3 hours to my work day and I can’t imagine what that would do to my planning time as well. I want to do...
Seasonal flu shot may increase H1N1 risk →
I think I already got the H1N1…I guess September is early to get the regular flu, so most cases now are the swine. Yes, THE swine. Sad!
Crabby....
I was so crabby to my kids this week as I recovered from the flu and totally hated life. They responded by being really good when I was REALLY strict. Maybe there’s something to this.
I was also really excited when my lead teacher felt comfortable enough to leave me with the kids for almost 2 hours when she had an appointment to go to. The assistant principal came in at a moment when they...
Flu Part 2
Today 9 of my 27 kids in the a.m. class were sick. Three more went home throughout the day. If that’s not an outbreak then I don’t know what is. Praying for vitamins, rest, and healthy thoughts….
Flu
One of my little lovelies gave me the flu. Not that I’m holding a grudge here but it could have been one of two kids or their carriers. I had two go home last week with temperatures of 102 degrees…does this just come with the occupation? Thank the lord I had a mild case and hoping it protects me from later issues…boo carriers.
Brass Knuckles?!
Today I took brass knuckles from a sixth grader who had the balls to ask me if brass knuckles were allowed at school. Awesome.
In the course of the first month of school I have taken candy, gum, ipods, a bullet on a necklace, etc. Brass knuckles are a new one.
“The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough....”
– President Obama
Tears
Today we had tears. Not the first time in sixth grade, and certainly not the last, but this little girl struck a chord with me. She was crying because she said kids were making fun of her when her name was called for SPED. Some of the sensitivity is brought on by sixth grade hormones, as kids weren’t really teasing her, but her tears were real.
She begged and pleaded to not go to SPED as...
“I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I...”
– Michael Jordan
“No one’s written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write...”
– President Obama
Coffee
I’ve never been a coffee drinker. Love me some tea, hot cocoa, etc…but coffee nada. That was until I began working with sixth graders at 7:30 a.m. I don’t even own a coffee maker. Today I was so desperate that I found instant coffee tea bags that expired two years ago and sucked one down. Christmas list is starting now: coffee maker. (And tips on how to make coffee!)
Parents
We had Back to School Night at my elementary school last week. Out of our 60 students there were about 12 who came. The parents who came obviously love and care for their children, but it was my first real experience with where our kids come from. I was instantly tongue tied.
One of our brightest students also comes from one of the most challenging backgrounds. She has had several family members...
Obama Speech to School Children
Thoughts on this? Next Tuesday Obama is speaking to school children. He’s also distributing lesson plans for ideas on discussing it. I am so appalled by the public outcry against it. Children in this country need to understand the value of education in this country and that it can help people of all backgrounds get ahead in life. That is a fact that is lost on many of the children and...