Custodial Moment

A kid crapped in a urinal. I don't know what else to say.

Teacher, "The word is corn. Say corn."

Kids, "P-orn!"
Teacher, "No, you're saying the sound "p" at the beginning. If you say "p" instead of "c" you're saying porn."

Thank goodness there were no other adults around. *





*Story courtesy of my friend, the kindergarten teacher.

Attack of the 5th Grade Hormones

If you've known me for a while you know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE when the word "french" is used as a verb. Which is why this little tidbit makes me all the more delighted.

Our class is finishing up a novel study of the Sci-Fi classic A Wrinkle in Time. At the end of the book, our heroine (Meg) and the boy she had been pining for the whole story (Calvin) finally kiss.

When this happened, one of the young men in my class sheepishly raised his hand and asked:

"Miss, did Meg and Calvin just kiss? Or did they French?"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

To which I replied "I guess you will just have to use your imagination..."

Kids these days...

Miss Booth, how do you spell W?

So far so good in Colorado! A quick update:
I went to the job fair at EMU and stood in line to talk the Cherry Creek school district. It's a posh area in CO with money and fantastic schools. After they rejected me because I didn't have a degree in Special Ed, I went to the table next door.
Hello future career.

Moving across the country has been a change, however, the biggest adjustment has not been moving, instead it's the feeling that I am responsible for these children.
I can no longer pass the buck to my CT or to anyone else. If they don't know their math facts or know how to read etc- it's all on my shoulders. Sometimes I think about the fact that the kids are 'mine' and that I am responsible for their learning and it scares me!

(p.s. thanks for inviting me to the blog, I'm exited to read/post!)

Saving lives...one stick figure at a time.

Dismissal at our school is crazy. CRAY-ZEE. There are 900 kids and there are only 2 busses, which means that the majority of the kids have to get home via parent pick up or by walking home. As you can imagine, the tiny parking lot is a complete zoo come about a quarter to 3.

Although the bell doesn't officially ring until 3:05pm, there is a gradual release of kids starting at 2:45pm. Which means my instructional time is over just a bit before that. This means that everyday I am left with a hand full of 5th graders to entertain for about 20 minutes. Naturally, hang man has become a favorite for the kids. Except for the fact that we don't play hang man, we play "rain man".

Let me explain. One of the first days of school, a student in my class mentioned that he doesn't like hang man, because by the end of the game, there is a good chance that the little stick man will perish. So, as a class, we came up with an alternative. Instead of noosing our man, he just suffers through a really bad rain storm. We draw a big cloud, big droplets, a big frowny face, and if we are feeling nice...an umbrella.

This is why I love teaching...the fact that some kids actually cared enough about our little stick figure that they wanted to save his life...although they still enjoy seeing him get a little soggy.

PS- The kids have no idea that this game shares a name with the 1988 Dustin Hoffman classic. I already asked.

Paper comes from logs...

Here I sit typing to this blog- when I have enough papers to grade they would make up an entire log.

There I added something to be laughed at---even if it is myself.

But really. Teaching 4th grade thus far has been an enduring task. I am amazed at the hours I have put in, and the apparent lack of effort my students will put in (well about 5-6 of them anyways). Last week alone I stayed Monday night until about 6:30. Tuesday night was about 5. Wednesday night was 10:10 and I still felt buried. Thursday- about 5:30 and then again on Friday night. I arrive at the school usually no later than about 7:05am. I was extremely exhausted. Monday was the worst day of teaching for me. I left a kid out at recess because he was pouting and I had a kid at the front of the line trying to get everyone muddy that I was dealing with. Whoops. Okay so then the weekend comes: go in Saturday at 8am. State game at noon. Back to the school until about 8:30. Sunday morning back at it 10 am. I left at 11am thinking F this.

All this is not to say: "look at what I can do" I mention this because tonight I came home at 5pm. Yes I have papers to grade, yes I should refine some of these lessons- BUT I had the best day of my year today. I do not think I can put in another week like last, but in that week I pressed myself to get some things organized, "reflected upon" and planned some things that I had just overlooked thus far. Today I felt the payoff. I sense that this pattern may continue to occur with less hours of input- and more positive outcome. The time is well spent. We are a devoted lot. The frustrations are real, no doubt- and the tunnel is long. Don't let yourself think for one minute that the light at the end of it is the train.

Last point- I felt very prepared to teach. The program had its um...things but I was very confident in my ability- as should all of you. But wasn't it an odd and somewhat scary feeling to look out at those kids and realize that you are the responsible party. Responsible for so much. I seriously freaked out a bit. But since have decided to embrace it. It's part of why I won't let them settle for less.

Miss you all.

It's good to be happy

All last week I was sick with the flu. Being my first year I sucked it up and went to work almost everyday. As much as you try, the way you feel on the inside does effect the way you act on the outside because one of my Kindergartners mentioned today, "Miss Gold you are happy today." in a tone of shock. Don't forget to take care of yourselves. It doesn't help you or the students to go to work sick.

So I obviously have those 2 or 3 kids in my classroom that if they were gone, things would run a lot more swimingly.  So I have devised a master plan.  I sit those kids with the students who are sick on a regular basis in hopes they would spread the wealth...Its a shame they dont teach you this in college, because it actually works!  Things will get better, im not sure what life is like in 4th grade but i can definately relate to what your saying, ive thought about switching to almost every profession available, and ive only been in school a month!!!  Your problem is universal, im sure every first year teacher feels the same...and so many teachers stick around for so many years so it obviously will get more rewarding as you go.

Miss Candybar?

One of my kindergarten students called me Miss Candybar the other day! :) Oh, so precious!

This is a blog for sanity's sake.

I need to re-adjust my thinking, to reframe my attitude. As a first year teacher, I find myself coming home each night wondering if I am doing it all wrong. I am finding it easier to dwell on the negative things that happen during the day than those things that are going right. I hate to see those moments of sheer triumph get lost in the shuffle. A wise man once told me that 20% of the people you know will account for 80% of the stress in your life. I find this to be especially true in the classroom. I am sure you can name those "20%" students without even a second thought.

I certainly don't want to get burnt out in one year. I certainly don't want to question why I chose this career in the first place.

I love teaching and I love kids. I think the most important thing I can do to combat the negativity is deligently record those little moments of joy that flicker in and out of my day. You know those moments in which a kid says or does that is so utterly ridiculous, or utterly adorable, or utterly astonishing that you can't help but stop and smile.

How wonderful would it be to have a collection of those moments documented to look back on during those times when you question yourself "Wait, why am I doing this again?"

This is a blog for venting. Unlike the classroom, profanity is acceptable.

This is a blog for celebrating. Tell me what is going right in your world.

This is a blog for encouragement. I promise that it will all be okay.

I hope you will join me in blogging those joys of a 1st year teacher.