Wow. All I can say is wow. The past few months have flown by. At the end of this week it will be March 1st! This part of the school year goes much faster than what I expected. And things have been very busy both in and out of school.
This post I am deciding to talk about something besides my teaching. I decided to talk about my time that I am not teaching and taking more of that time back. I am still putting much time and effort into teaching (I still am at school about 50-60 hours a week) but it is getting closer to the 50 range instead of 60. I am slowly taking back more time for me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE teaching and I am fine with the hours it takes because I love it and my students so much, but at some point to be a good teacher I also have to take care of myself. Set myself some goals and make myself relax. So.... I decided to run my first 5K. I am so excited!! I am running the Special Kids 5K and then the Color Run with my 1st grade team mates. The Special Kids run is of course, for Special Kids and will be my first ever 5K. I am in the training process and I am almost up to the 3 miles (which is what a 5K is). The 2nd run I am doing is the Color Run, which is a fun run where every kilometer you get colored powder thrown on you. That run is what got me started running. My 1st grade team at school decided to run it together. So I started training and then I saw the Special Kids run and thought that would be a fun and worthy cause to run for. So here I am with tired legs and feet after running this morning feeling on top of the world as my runs get longer and longer.
Ok, I can't go a whole post without talking some about teaching! I mean that is where I spend the majority of my time. So here is what has happened lately. We did a dental health unit where we talked about teeth and properly taking care of them. We also did a science experiment where we soaked one egg in soda and one egg in water to show the effects of soda discoloring our teeth. (YUCK, but I still love me some coke) Then we brushed the egg that was stained with soda to show how brushing our teeth helps keep them clean. We also had our Valentine's Party....so much fun! We made hats, Sweetheart Punch, Lovebug cookies, played Valentine's BINGO, and tasted fondue. The fondue was really fun since this was the first time many of them had ever had it. We also passed out Valentines cards. I gave the students a little bag with a KoolAid squeeze and Hershey's kisses that had a little tag on it that said "A SQUEEZE and a KISS just for you!" I also received lots of sweet Valentine's gifts like balloons, cards, chocolates, and tulips. Last week we studied George Washington and Abraham Lincoln for President's Day. (on a funny note I was asked quite a few times if these presidents were still alive :-) and each time I had to say no everyone looked sad...love 1st graders. Next week we are studying penguins and other animals that live in cold climates. I am really excited because I found this idea on pinterest to show students how blubber keeps animals warm. My kids are going to love sticking one of their hands in shortening and then in cold water to feel the difference!
Well I hope everyone has a great week this week. And remember to make sure you are taking some time for yourself!
