How is it possible that on day 19 I was already home sick??? I know every teacher is guaranteed to get sick at some point throughout the year and I seem to have a non-existent immune system, so it should come as no surprise with how sniffly nosed my kiddos have been, but really? I couldn't even make it to day 20? And not only sick, but in bed for 2 days and on the couch for the 3rd and missed a day of school sick. Luckily it hit me on a Friday so I didn't actually miss that much time with my kids. Remember that 3rd teacher I told you about? Totally a life saver since she already knows what happens in my room so I didn't feel the need to write down every last detail on my sub plans before leaving to go home for some R&R. Yes, I drove all the way to school on Friday with determination to make it through the day. I was 5 minutes into my 35 minute drive when I realized there was no way that was happening
Big thanks to my loving fiance who made multiple trips to the store to get supplies for every last home remedy cure I could think of and yet another trip for orange juice and candy pumpkins. Nothing will make you feel better faster than candy pumpkins! And in case you're wondering, the only thing putting garlic and olive oil on your feet will do is make your mouth taste like garlic and make your house smell so bad you want to throw up. I don't recommend it.
The good news is I was finally able to upload a couple more things to Teachers Pay Teachers! One is a reading log. I'm trying something new this year and giving my kiddos a bingo board each week. Each square has a different fun choice on it for a way to read. Completing a bingo will earn them a prize. There are also boxes at the bottom for those who don't want to participate but still need to read. They can check off the boxes instead. The other item is a different list of ways to practice spelling words for each month. The best news of the weekend? I already made 60 cents! WOOO HOO. Ok, I laughed too BUT it's 60 more cents than I had on Thursday!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Off and Running
We are off and running in first grade land and loving every minute of it. My kiddos are settling into our normal routine and seem to be loving everything I put in front of them. I LOVE that first graders are young enough to still think that their teacher is one of the coolest people they know no matter how dorky I act. At least that's what I tell myself. :)
I am feeling super lucky this year to have a third teacher that floats between our 2 classrooms. Our enrollment was high enough to put us over the class size limit for the SAGE program we receive funding for. It is SO nice to have that second pair of hands and eyes in our classrooms to help out. I'm afraid we'll be a little spoiled and won't know what to do with ourselves next year! It's amazing what just one more person can do to help your classroom run smoothly. Do you think I can convince her to be a full time volunteer next year???
I've stumbled across a few things this year that are totally saving me from total classroom chaos. Minor things that are making a HUGE impact in keeping my kiddos engaged and our classroom running smoothly. Not that my classroom was chaos before, but these few things definitely help to keep us moving along.
The first one is our Smarty Pants awards. I think this came from Babbling Abby. Each time a kid gives a super smart answer they get a little slip of paper that says "I'm a Smarty Pants!" and get a Smarties candy. I think she prints hers as stickers, but I decided to save my labels. You want to see 19 little hands shoot in the air with an answer? Start handing out Smarty Pants! I don't use them every time I ask a question, but often enough to keep it exciting.
Whole Brain Teaching has been another life saver. I'm not even going to pretend to be an expert in this since I really only watched a couple of You Tube videos, but the mirror, teach, smiles/frowns, class, and hands and eyes have become a huge part of our day. They keep my kiddos on their toes and engaged. I'm loving it! Check it out.
I have more, but I'll wait until I have some more pictures to share. Enjoy your weekend!
I am feeling super lucky this year to have a third teacher that floats between our 2 classrooms. Our enrollment was high enough to put us over the class size limit for the SAGE program we receive funding for. It is SO nice to have that second pair of hands and eyes in our classrooms to help out. I'm afraid we'll be a little spoiled and won't know what to do with ourselves next year! It's amazing what just one more person can do to help your classroom run smoothly. Do you think I can convince her to be a full time volunteer next year???
I've stumbled across a few things this year that are totally saving me from total classroom chaos. Minor things that are making a HUGE impact in keeping my kiddos engaged and our classroom running smoothly. Not that my classroom was chaos before, but these few things definitely help to keep us moving along.
The first one is our Smarty Pants awards. I think this came from Babbling Abby. Each time a kid gives a super smart answer they get a little slip of paper that says "I'm a Smarty Pants!" and get a Smarties candy. I think she prints hers as stickers, but I decided to save my labels. You want to see 19 little hands shoot in the air with an answer? Start handing out Smarty Pants! I don't use them every time I ask a question, but often enough to keep it exciting.
Whole Brain Teaching has been another life saver. I'm not even going to pretend to be an expert in this since I really only watched a couple of You Tube videos, but the mirror, teach, smiles/frowns, class, and hands and eyes have become a huge part of our day. They keep my kiddos on their toes and engaged. I'm loving it! Check it out.
I have more, but I'll wait until I have some more pictures to share. Enjoy your weekend!
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