The Sandy Hook tragedy really hit close to home. I teach first graders, 6 and 7 year old children. Young, innocent, loving, trusting children who look at me with wonder and amazement at the simplest of things. Children who tell me their dreams and look at the world in a wonderfully innocent manner. I love seeing the look in their eye when they accomplish something. I love that they are (for the most part) sweet and loving to others. I love and care for my students and the fact that someone could take the lives of those precious kids hurts me to my soul.
I am praying for those in Sandy Hook, the parents, teachers, students, families, and all others involved. I pray that God will provide comfort to them and they will feel His arms around them in this sad time.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Teaching My Heart Out
Well I had my first observation today! I think it went well, I go have my post observation meeting tomorrow. I did a lesson on making ten when you have an unknown number and a part you know. The kids accomplished my goals for the lesson and they had lots of fun because I used Goldfish. That is a secret to any good lesson...have goldfish or some other snack ;-). I am just kidding of course, but the kids really do love it.
My life is so different now that I am teaching. I am working lots of hours and it is a really big adjustment for me to not be home as much as I was. I hate not having my house as clean as it use to be and getting home too late to cook a good dinner, but I truly feel my job is worth it. I absolutely love teaching! My kids are great and I love my school and the team I work with. I truly am blessed.
I am loving all of the holidays! First Halloween and now Thanksgiving and then Christmas!!! At our Halloween party we did so many fun things. We did leaf rubbings, BINGO, pumpkin bowling, pin the face on the pumpkin, and made witches hat and drank witches brew. Our Thanksgiving party is coming up next. For it we are making Pilgrim hats, making a turkey out of oreos and candy corn, doing handprint turkeys, and making a Thanksgiving story bracelet. I am really excited about Christmas though because two wonderful members of my family bought me an Elf on the Shelf! My kids are going to be so excited when the Elf shows up this year! I am still planning out all of the things I want my Elf to do (his name is Peppermint Paddy by the way...how cute is that?). Pinterest of course has a ton of ideas, but if you have any suggestions on fun things that my elf could do in my classroom leave a comment and let me know!
My life is so different now that I am teaching. I am working lots of hours and it is a really big adjustment for me to not be home as much as I was. I hate not having my house as clean as it use to be and getting home too late to cook a good dinner, but I truly feel my job is worth it. I absolutely love teaching! My kids are great and I love my school and the team I work with. I truly am blessed.
I am loving all of the holidays! First Halloween and now Thanksgiving and then Christmas!!! At our Halloween party we did so many fun things. We did leaf rubbings, BINGO, pumpkin bowling, pin the face on the pumpkin, and made witches hat and drank witches brew. Our Thanksgiving party is coming up next. For it we are making Pilgrim hats, making a turkey out of oreos and candy corn, doing handprint turkeys, and making a Thanksgiving story bracelet. I am really excited about Christmas though because two wonderful members of my family bought me an Elf on the Shelf! My kids are going to be so excited when the Elf shows up this year! I am still planning out all of the things I want my Elf to do (his name is Peppermint Paddy by the way...how cute is that?). Pinterest of course has a ton of ideas, but if you have any suggestions on fun things that my elf could do in my classroom leave a comment and let me know!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Fall Break is Here!
Well today I am on the third day of fall break. So far this fall break I have: gone to the dr.'s and dentist's office, slept in every morning, caught up with the friends I haven't been able to see lately, and just sat on my couch relaxing. Today I went and spent a couple hours in my room preparing for next week. It has been awhile since I posted so let me tell you about what has been happening in my room.
1. Apple Celebration: Along with 12 parent helpers, we had a great apple celebration in my classroom. We sampled apple pie and apples dipped in caramel, tried apple juice and apple cider, compared red, yellow, and green apples, tried apple chips, and read the story The Little Red House with No Windows and a Star Inside. The kids, parents, and I had a great time.
2. Reading in the Schools/Book Character Dress up Day: Our first grade team dressed up as the "If You Give a _____ a _____" books. I was the pig and my cubbie buddy was the party (check the picture out on facebook, it ended up being pretty cute). The kids also dressed up as a book character and they were really cute. I had three Pinkalicious characters, some Batmans, a spiderman, a ninja, Belle, and a princess. We also had parents volunteer to come in and read to our classes. I was very blessed to have 10 parents show up to read to us! The kids were so excited to hear new books and listen to their favorites read over again.
3. Field Trip!! We went on a field trip to a local farm/pumpkin patch. We went on a wagon ride, fed the cows pumpkins, went through a maze, looked at the animals, and played in a barn full of centers. And we all were able to bring home a pumpkin at the end of the day!
What is coming up next in this teacher's life?? Parent Teacher Conferences, Report Cards and my hubbies 30th birthday!
1. Apple Celebration: Along with 12 parent helpers, we had a great apple celebration in my classroom. We sampled apple pie and apples dipped in caramel, tried apple juice and apple cider, compared red, yellow, and green apples, tried apple chips, and read the story The Little Red House with No Windows and a Star Inside. The kids, parents, and I had a great time.
2. Reading in the Schools/Book Character Dress up Day: Our first grade team dressed up as the "If You Give a _____ a _____" books. I was the pig and my cubbie buddy was the party (check the picture out on facebook, it ended up being pretty cute). The kids also dressed up as a book character and they were really cute. I had three Pinkalicious characters, some Batmans, a spiderman, a ninja, Belle, and a princess. We also had parents volunteer to come in and read to our classes. I was very blessed to have 10 parents show up to read to us! The kids were so excited to hear new books and listen to their favorites read over again.
3. Field Trip!! We went on a field trip to a local farm/pumpkin patch. We went on a wagon ride, fed the cows pumpkins, went through a maze, looked at the animals, and played in a barn full of centers. And we all were able to bring home a pumpkin at the end of the day!
What is coming up next in this teacher's life?? Parent Teacher Conferences, Report Cards and my hubbies 30th birthday!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
First Day of School, Parent Night, and Freezer Meals.....whew what a week!
First Day of School!!!
The first day of school was amazing! All 19 of my little 1st graders came in with their backpacks and school supplies. We did get to know you games and talked about the rules and the day flew by. We also put away our supplies, and although I thought I was prepared for the flurry of supplies headed my way...I wasn't. I had bins set out for each supply and would ask the students to get out one item, set it on their desk, and then put it in the bin it went in. The problem was that 10 minutes after we did things I would find more supplies in their desks or they would find more in their backpacks. I am thrilled to have so many school supplies...but I sure am glad that part is over!
Parent Night:
Last night was parent night. It is amazing how I can feel so at ease speaking to a room full of children but can go into cold sweats and a racing heart beat at the thought of speaking to a room full of adults. Overall the night went well, even through my stammering presentation on school policy and letting the parents know all about their child's day. One fun part of the evening was when I read the Who is My Teacher? book. I read this book to my class on the first day of school and although it is written for little ones, I think the parents liked getting to know me a little better through it.
Freezer Meals:
After 2 hours of grocery shopping, 14 lbs of meat, a huge grocery cart of vegetables and supplies, and 4 hours of cooking I made a total of about 14 freezer meals!!!! YAY! I got all of the recipes off of Pinterest (of course). I made Chicken Spaghetti, Diving Chicken, Meatloaf Meatballs, Twice Baked Potatoes, Baked Ziti, and Broccoli Chicken Casserole. I also bought a 4 lb frozen thing of bbq from Sam's. That will be for sandwhiches and to put over the baked potatoes. Needless to say I am proud of myself for giving it a shot and thrilled I won't have to cook unless I feel like it for a week or two.
If you have done freezer meals before...what recipes do you like to use??
The first day of school was amazing! All 19 of my little 1st graders came in with their backpacks and school supplies. We did get to know you games and talked about the rules and the day flew by. We also put away our supplies, and although I thought I was prepared for the flurry of supplies headed my way...I wasn't. I had bins set out for each supply and would ask the students to get out one item, set it on their desk, and then put it in the bin it went in. The problem was that 10 minutes after we did things I would find more supplies in their desks or they would find more in their backpacks. I am thrilled to have so many school supplies...but I sure am glad that part is over!
Parent Night:
Last night was parent night. It is amazing how I can feel so at ease speaking to a room full of children but can go into cold sweats and a racing heart beat at the thought of speaking to a room full of adults. Overall the night went well, even through my stammering presentation on school policy and letting the parents know all about their child's day. One fun part of the evening was when I read the Who is My Teacher? book. I read this book to my class on the first day of school and although it is written for little ones, I think the parents liked getting to know me a little better through it.
Freezer Meals:
After 2 hours of grocery shopping, 14 lbs of meat, a huge grocery cart of vegetables and supplies, and 4 hours of cooking I made a total of about 14 freezer meals!!!! YAY! I got all of the recipes off of Pinterest (of course). I made Chicken Spaghetti, Diving Chicken, Meatloaf Meatballs, Twice Baked Potatoes, Baked Ziti, and Broccoli Chicken Casserole. I also bought a 4 lb frozen thing of bbq from Sam's. That will be for sandwhiches and to put over the baked potatoes. Needless to say I am proud of myself for giving it a shot and thrilled I won't have to cook unless I feel like it for a week or two.
If you have done freezer meals before...what recipes do you like to use??
Friday, July 20, 2012
Working away
I have been slowly working on my room and I am really starting to feel happy with where it is going. I still have a ton of stuff to do before school starts in 3 weeks. Yes, we are only 3 weeks from school starting, which seems insane because I swear summer just began.
Yesterday I went to an all day training and signed my contract! yay for being offical!! :-) We also got to learn a lot about insurance and internet safety and all that good stuff.
Well here are some pictures of the stuff I have been working on in my room:
Yesterday I went to an all day training and signed my contract! yay for being offical!! :-) We also got to learn a lot about insurance and internet safety and all that good stuff.
Well here are some pictures of the stuff I have been working on in my room:
My "How do we get home?" board. I will add the students names to the ribbon.
"Words are a Hoot!" word wall and the computer area.
Reading corner for paired reading.
Front carpet and bookshelves.
I am sorry about the mess :( I am still have all my projects and stuff laying out, but I just had to show a picture of the curtains. I made them myself!!! I was so excited with how they turned out. And I didn't have to sew a thing on them. All of them are done with that Stitch Witch stuff and hot glue :)
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
A Few Pictures!!
Yesterday was our first team meeting to discuss curriculum. We had a great time, but it took a lot of time and hard work. I am really lucky to have a great team of girls to work with!
Some pictures!!
Some pictures!!
Shelf that me and the hubby spent Saturday in the 104 degree weather painting...but it was totally worth it. I love the way it turned out.
ABC and Numbers carpet area...thanks Uncle Mickey!
Still haven't put up the calendar or done the bulletin board but this is the best looking part of my unfinished room right now.
Well that is all for now I just had a ton of people asking for some pictures so I thought I would post a few. I will try to add more later.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Fun in 1st grade!!
I am so excited to be teaching next year...and school starts in only 5 weeks!!! AHHH! I have so much to do! There are so many things to do in my class right now I am overwhelmed...but I know I will get there eventually. Right now I am working on some shelving and some crate seats. The shelving is all getting a fresh coat of outdoor paint to make it look nicer and to help it hold up to 25 first graders.
For the crate seats I bought a cute green and blue polka dot outdoor vinyl tablecloth. That way I can spray it down and clean it every so often and (again) will hold up to 25 first graders :)
A few very wise people told me that I should not be trying to get everything ready for my class all by myself but that I should ask people around me who might find that what they consider "junk" or something they don't want anymore I might find useful in my classroom. There also might be someone who would just like to donate a few items to a new, very excited to be teaching 1st grade teacher. ;-) So here it goes....I am making a wishlist in this blog.
Items so far:
magnetic letters (like the type that go on fridges) Can check this off the list!! Thanks to some great friends and family!
alphabet stamps
playdoh
unused books (even if they are not kids books I can trade them in for some kids books)
scrabble letter tiles
Lego's
yarn
puzzles
That is all I have thought of so far, but as I continue to work on lessons and centers I am sure I will think of more. Most of the items above will be used during the word work center I plan on having in my class. Word work will be a center where kids can create or practice words kinesthetically. I want them to move and touch as they make the word because this better connects their brains to the activity. Well I better get back to work on classroom stuff but try to check back occassionally because hopefully I will keep blogging about my adventures as a new classroom teacher.
For the crate seats I bought a cute green and blue polka dot outdoor vinyl tablecloth. That way I can spray it down and clean it every so often and (again) will hold up to 25 first graders :)
A few very wise people told me that I should not be trying to get everything ready for my class all by myself but that I should ask people around me who might find that what they consider "junk" or something they don't want anymore I might find useful in my classroom. There also might be someone who would just like to donate a few items to a new, very excited to be teaching 1st grade teacher. ;-) So here it goes....I am making a wishlist in this blog.
Items so far:
alphabet stamps
playdoh
unused books (even if they are not kids books I can trade them in for some kids books)
scrabble letter tiles
Lego's
yarn
puzzles
That is all I have thought of so far, but as I continue to work on lessons and centers I am sure I will think of more. Most of the items above will be used during the word work center I plan on having in my class. Word work will be a center where kids can create or practice words kinesthetically. I want them to move and touch as they make the word because this better connects their brains to the activity. Well I better get back to work on classroom stuff but try to check back occassionally because hopefully I will keep blogging about my adventures as a new classroom teacher.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Ok I am trying here....
Ok, I know I keep saying I am going to keep up with this blog but I haven't been....but I am trying. Student teaching just ended and boy was it a long, but wonderful, semester. I learned more in this past semester than I ever thought I could in a short 4 months. I loved every minute of it, even the stressful minutes and it made me even more excited about teaching next year. Speaking of which...I HAVE A JOB! It isn't 100% official until paperwork goes through and everything but I have the offer and it is at a wonderful school close by.
Graduation was great! Family and friends all came out to a party at the park after the 3 hour (yes I said 3 hour) ceremony. I was late for my own party because of how long the ceremony lasted but it was worth it to walk across that stage and to be recognized for achieving Summa Cum Laude. I am so blessed to have such great family and friends. They all showered me with love and gifts and I can't wait to start getting my classroom ready for some kiddos!
Graduation was great! Family and friends all came out to a party at the park after the 3 hour (yes I said 3 hour) ceremony. I was late for my own party because of how long the ceremony lasted but it was worth it to walk across that stage and to be recognized for achieving Summa Cum Laude. I am so blessed to have such great family and friends. They all showered me with love and gifts and I can't wait to start getting my classroom ready for some kiddos!
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