Snow Day...in October!

There are only a few things that are greater than hearing this phone call at 7:30pm last night,
"Hi! Guess what? We don't have school tomorrow!"
It is totally worth the foot of snow that is covering my car and my newly carved pumpkins. Or, as my kids say, my punkins.

Cock-Roaches......

My room is infested with COCKROACHES!!!! GROSSSSS!!! Mold as well...maybe the explanation as to why I have been sick for so long! Someone is suppose to come spray my classroom tomorrow and I pray they do! But as for now they are all roaming my room, reading books, snacking on boxes, typing on my keyboard, and whatever else they fancy! Ugh!

Next year I would like to stay in one grade level all year, have no mold, have no cockroaches, more students for job security, and maybe be inside the building where I can interact with others more easily. I'm sure my list of wants will grow as the year continues!

Real Life Questions From Real Life 5th Graders: Part 1

"Miss, do we make you go home and drink wine everynight?"

The answer is no. You make me drink beer.

1 Step Forward and 2 Steps Back

Well---I'm sure we can all relate the to post title. This ebb and flow of behavior and instruction is such a battle! We have a good afternoon, which leads into a great morning the next day....and something happens at lunch. This something is figurative- but SOMETHING happens. They come back from lunch a possessed lot of evil do-ers. All plans for the afternoon are then shot. My kids flat out cannot be in groups. This roller coaster ride of student behavior is enough to make me.... I think there is a home MSU game this weekend...anyone in town for a tailgate?

In other news- Very weird thing happened the other day. Last week my worst student in terms of disruption and behavior was suspended for 2 days. For some reason he shows back up without serving the 2nd day. He was is a great mood too-- ya right. Well at about 11am I get a call from the office saying tell "lil johnny" to pack his things, he's leaving. I was like okay...our secretary was like: all of his things, he's not coming back.

A bit of a wow for me. Never had this scenario play out in my imagination--- the mom and I have only talked a couple of times-- she gave me no warning, and now in front of my whole class I have to announce that "lil johnny" needs to pack up EVERYTHING. I had an empty spot in my stomach-- felt awkward and very quickly came up with a new mentality---now maybe--- just maybe....yes....of course! All will go on perfectly now!

Things have been much better the past two days. I have learned, however, that because the mom wants to ship the kid off to live with dad----8 hours away--- that she would have to sign over custody, which wasn't in her plan. I have been warned that there is a slight possibility he will return. Philosophically I am at a loss on this one!

For the record- on average my daily distance is about 7 miles, about 10,000 steps or so. I don't know that they make men's shoes for this.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but..."

"You're classroom flooded over the weekend."

Excellent.

I think the saddest part, besides the fact that someone left the water running in my room all weekend, was the fact that I thought the bad news was we couldn't find the science book.

F for FRANTIC

The worst feeling in the world is putting failing grades into the gradebook. It is a double whammy because it means I am failing too!

Gosh, what am I doing wrong?!

I get an "N" for 'Needs Improvement'

Yes, report cards have come and gone. Parent-teacher conferences flew by as well...now it's time to count down until Thanksgiving Break! (38 more days!)
Things are going well in CO, my kids are finally falling into the routine (after 41 days of school) and they are finally starting to understand that I will only talk when no one else is talking.
Hint, hint, zip it!

(Change of subject.)

I do find myself wanting more though, which scares me a little. I've only been a teacher for 2.5 short months and I'm already I'm thinking about what else I can do. Unless you consider switching grades a promotion, I'd say the teaching profession is lacking something...
Sure we earn more money each year, but I know that won't be enough for me. It's odd to think that already I have my dream job. Most of my friends are struggling to figure out what they want etc and here I am. Settled. When you think of it like that, it's funny-I've already accomplished the goal I've had since I was seven. It's frightening and yet inspiring-

I think maybe it's time to check out some grad schools. I need another goal!

...and I could walk a thousand miles...

Ok- challenge to all. I bought a pedometer the other day. I wore it for the first time today. You wouldn't believe how many steps- and what the milage was...well maybe you can- but try to guess. After you guess- go out and buy one and try this out. Lets see how many miles we can all put together.

Closest guess wins a drink when you all get your asses back here sometime soon! Guesses must be either labeled steps or miles....

This might sound uber-creepy but...

I love watching kids read...like REALLY get completely lost in a book.

I went out and got the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book after school yesterday and the kids were basically mauling eachother apart to be the first on to read it. The kid who ended up with it this morning finished it by the time the PM bell. A 214 page book --albeit there are plenty of doodles in the book--in one day.

That kid was hooked! And I bet I loved watching him enjoy the book as much as he seemed to like reading it.

Why can't they all be like that? : )

Meap Meap!

Yes- it is that wonderful time of year where students in our lovely state prove their teachers worth! MEAPing is abounding- stressed teachers- over-tested students- and haywire administrators unite during this time to truly delve into the inner workings of education. It is by these test scores, after all, we will be able to gauge the best of the best, the elite-- and those who just need to find a new line of work.

Not at my school. Its our "baseline" year. We have no progress to report being a brand new school. it is interesting, however to explain to the kids 5 times how to fill in a bubble. It is also a weird trip from a student desk to mine to find my birthday sheet because one...or two of my 4th grade students do not know their own birthday- so I have to look it up for them.

What an interruption to a daily flow that has really just begun to take on some traction and grip!

inner city........gotta love it

so the other day i had a few minutes left at the end of class so i let the kids have a dance party...i noticed about 3 girls doing this dance, very similar to each other...so i asked them what they were doing and they replied "the stanky leg"  One of those moments where i put a book in front of my face and laughed my ass off.  Lets not forget these are KINDERGARTNERs...

It's cool to say OMG

boy 1: OMG

boy 2: What does that mean?

boy 3: It means oh my god, but it is the cool way to say it.

All 3 boys now say OMG every chance they can get, even though 2 of the 3 do not know what letters O M and G are

3rd times a charm!

I had a five year old run out of my room three times yesterday! But on a funny note today I gave my students plastic zip lock baggies to put their abc cards in. After the instructions a little boy who I am afraid doesn't understand everything I say said "is this to put my sandwich in?"

Straight from the Horses Mouth

"A lot of you are choosing to say the word poop to be funny. Remember that's not a word we use in this classroom."

Fact: This is my job. I am 'technically' paid to say those words.

Myth: The word poop can't be used in the classroom. I say it all the time under my breath, but in another form, starting with the sh- brothers.

"Miss Patterson, Do you know who Harry Potter is?"

He is a wizard and he can fly around just like Cris Angel.

Weekend Shmeekend

Where did my weekend go? I'm sitting at my table filling out report cards (already?!), planning for next week and thinking about sub plans. When does it all end??
Sometimes I wonder why I chose the only job that requires work on the weekends.
With that said, I had an excellent weekend and I hope that all of my planning etc pays off...ahhh, another week.
How do you all spend your weekends?

Attack of the Hormones Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

I didn't think that the day would come that I would have to take student break-ups and make-ups into consideration while making a seating chart. 5th grade "boy/girl" relationships are crazy.

Let's hope they are not fornicating on the desks by the end of the year...