This was my second summer without my family around me. Don, JoHanna, toddler nephew Joseph, & baby girl niece-to-be are in Hawaii; Andrew is stationed in North Carolina; Mom & Dad are in Anniston; and niece Anna Kaitlyn is in Gulf Port with her mom & family. Last summer, I was too busy to notice. I had so much to do before my first day of teaching... and there was a lot I didn't do that needed to be done. This summer, time slowed down. I noticed my brothers not hanging around, my niece not being around to babysit & entertain, & my parents being 3.5 hours away.
It's not that it's bad. It's just different.
My ninth grade year, there were 10 people living in my house. 10! Now, we're in 100 different directions, doing our own things, & it's different. We also didn't vacation this summer which was hard. I think when we're apart like this, we need to at least vacation for a few days.
When I get back from Super Summer next week (in 9 days), it will be "get my classroom ready" time. August 3= Welcome back to school Kindergarteners! I cannot believe the time has come. I saw Wal-Mart employees putting out school supplies tonight, & I thought, "OH NO! I haven't sent my school supply list to my students yet!" I'm doing it tomorrow before I leave town. :)
I spent $101.72 on food for Super Summer, a turquoise comforter for the twin x-L bed (which was unnecessary but made me feel better), toiletries, & CANDY for my family group. CANDY is the way to open up a group of 16-17 year old strangers to talk about God. Not just any candy, mind you. Forget the dum-dums & Blowpops that work so well for 5-year-olds. I got the good stuff: Snickers, Reese's, & Starbursts.... not to mention a cute HUGE candy bowl that matches my comforter. So unnecessary...
I did not get cute notecards this year for the family group's encouragement notes. I am writing it on plain paper. That's the resourceful Kindergarten teacher in me talking.... I did get pretty stickers to liven up the notebook paper though. :)
If I could find my camera... it's probably chilling in room 109 at my school with the "before" pictures of my classroom stored so nicely in it... I would show you a picture of my amazing packing job. I packed 16 outfits into a red suitcase. 8 pairs of shoes into a Vera Bradley medium tote. $40 worth of snacks (awful food at Super Summer) in Wal-Mart sacks (that will later be used to store dirty clothes... again so resourceful). My new turquoise comforter rolled in its package. My jersey twin x-L sheets from freshman year that I have missed. They feel like a t-shirt; they are so soft! and my North Face backpack with the aluminum water bottles attached to the zippers, a bottle brush to clean the bottles while at camp (OCD much?), family group's candy, notebook paper for encouragement notes, my camp Bible, & my prayer journal. It would be an amazing picture. You'd be proud of my packing skills. They're legit.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
mentors
I have several amazing mentors who helped me successfully complete my first year of teaching.
(Side note-- Some of these adults I don't call by their first names in real life, but I'm choosing to in this post so my blog won't pop up when their names are Googled. Yes, it would happen. So, don't think I'm being disrespectful to my 2nd mama, my supervising teacher, or my professor. It's just for privacy purposes.) :)
1. Kym-- She's my principal-chosen mentor, and I know for a fact God was totally in on that decision. Kym & I are complete opposites at times, but we work perfectly together. She tries my ideas with me. I observed her lessons the first week of school and was able to see a good Kindergarten class and try her strategies on my students. Kym is so patient with me. I would call her mad, upset, crying, happy, excited, or scared, and she would listen and fill me with good advice & encouragement. During the school year, we talked multiple times each day.
I think the purpose of principal-chosen mentors is to keep new teachers from feeling isolated & alone. I never, ever felt that way this year. Whenever something would happen, like... Open House night, 12 hours before the students arrived on the first day of school, when I was about to have a nervous break down over what on earth I was going to do with all of those school supplies, she was in my room boxing things up and shelving crayons and scissors. In no time at all, she was finished & making plans for us to eat at El Torro so I could get my mind off of being nervous about the next day. She was like this all year! If I had a bad day, she would not let me leave without talking to her about it first. So many times, I would just come in & sit for an hour after school and listen to her wisdom, and you can't leave her classroom without feeling better. Seriously, she can make you laugh and laugh until your sides hurt. She knows me better than I know myself, I think. She gives me advice beyond just teaching... advice on dealing with the family, relationships, and learning to prioritize my life. She encourages me to think outside of school, and I am prepared to put this into practice my second year of teaching. :) I don't think I would have survived my first year without Kym.
2. Rebecca-- She is another co-teacher of mine who teaches across the hall from Kym. She has amazing control over centers. Like, you haven't seen centers until you see Rebecca's class during centers. It's intense. She & I are known for being at the school late into the evenings together... mostly because we talk so much after school. She shared every single thing she owns with me this year. I was constantly coming in and snagging big books, word games, flash cards, cold Cokes, and Lakeshore games. I was able to be somewhat calm in the evenings after school because of Rebecca's funny stories and ability to listen to my rants so well. She is also my prayer warrior. I can tell her what's going on with my family, & she's talking to God before we're off the phone. I don't think I would have survived my first year without Rebecca.
3. Chryl-- She is my Amory mama. She wrote me a beautiful letter the night before school started last year telling me to give it to God. He would be in control of my first day of school. That letter is still hanging on my fridge, and I'll be rereading it in a few weeks when school starts back once again. She drives me to school when my car won't start, she has been known to clean my classroom for me when I have paperwork coming out of my ears, and she knows how to make me laugh at school and at choir practice on Wednesday nights when I'm absolutely exhausted. She knows when I'm weak and will "mama" me when she knows I'm not taking care of myself. I truly believe she held me accountable from sliding back into old habits that come when I get stressed, and for that, I am so grateful! I don't think I would have survived my first year without Chryl.
4. Paulette-- She was my fifth grade supervising teacher when I was student teaching. She laughs at my Kindergarten stories when we talk on the phone. She tells me her fifth grade stories in a way that almost makes me wish I were teaching upper grades again. (almost is the key word). She taught me everything I needed to know about classroom management & guided reading. She was the first teacher who let me teach whatever and whenever I wanted to under her guidance, and who has heard of a fifth grade teacher teaching Guided Reading? She did this ahead of the trend... I know this is the way TPSD is going now, but she was on top of it before it was required of 5th grade teachers!! She modeled good teaching, good planning, & good management of a wild group of ten year olds! They weren't wild in her classroom though. If I had not student taught under Paulette, I don't think I would have survived my first year as a teacher.
5. And finally.... the mentor who has been there for me since Fall 2008: Alice -- I'm getting teary just thinking about how I've grown in the time she's mentored me. She was my math strategies professor. I absolutely loved her class... she taught in a way that I had never seen modeled before. We (students) were in charge of our own learning, and she facilitated. I have used so many of the ideas from her class in my own classroom this year. It took me the first four months to get into the groove of school before I realized, "I'm not teaching math!!!" I was teaching some skills during Calendar Math, but I was missing a lot. Thank goodness, Alice and I talked it through & got it straightened out before the start of second semester. :) The January I started student teaching, we began e-mailing back and forth. She was willing to hear my stories about "teaching" and in turn, would e-mail me back advice & encouragement. Sometimes, she would send me lesson plan ideas, and she loaned me materials for some of my math lessons. We would get together to talk in person in the summers and during Christmas breaks, and she was the 2nd person I called when I was hired at EAES. Of course, I was hired a few days later for Kindergarten, and again, she was the 2nd person I called. (Mama came first.) :) I couldn't have asked for a better second person. She was as excited as I was about the jobs!
This year, I put our e-mails in a notebook, & that became my reflection notebook for my first year. Seriously, my stories from the year were intense.... everything from "my students don't know how to use a public restroom" to "HOW DO I GET IT ALL DONE????" to "I think I'm getting the hang of teaching.... " and the next day, "I was lying yesterday. I don't know what I'm doing!!!" I don't think I would have survived my first year without Alice.
Thank goodness for good role models and mentors. I'd love to be a happy combination of all of these women when "I grow up!" They are reflections of Christ in the way they live their lives, and you can hear Him in their stories & words of encouragement. At times this year, when I made teaching #1 & put God aside, I was encouraged by each of these mentors to make changes.... and I thank God for placing them in my life this year. He knew what I needed, and He provided.
"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:19
(Side note-- Some of these adults I don't call by their first names in real life, but I'm choosing to in this post so my blog won't pop up when their names are Googled. Yes, it would happen. So, don't think I'm being disrespectful to my 2nd mama, my supervising teacher, or my professor. It's just for privacy purposes.) :)
1. Kym-- She's my principal-chosen mentor, and I know for a fact God was totally in on that decision. Kym & I are complete opposites at times, but we work perfectly together. She tries my ideas with me. I observed her lessons the first week of school and was able to see a good Kindergarten class and try her strategies on my students. Kym is so patient with me. I would call her mad, upset, crying, happy, excited, or scared, and she would listen and fill me with good advice & encouragement. During the school year, we talked multiple times each day.
I think the purpose of principal-chosen mentors is to keep new teachers from feeling isolated & alone. I never, ever felt that way this year. Whenever something would happen, like... Open House night, 12 hours before the students arrived on the first day of school, when I was about to have a nervous break down over what on earth I was going to do with all of those school supplies, she was in my room boxing things up and shelving crayons and scissors. In no time at all, she was finished & making plans for us to eat at El Torro so I could get my mind off of being nervous about the next day. She was like this all year! If I had a bad day, she would not let me leave without talking to her about it first. So many times, I would just come in & sit for an hour after school and listen to her wisdom, and you can't leave her classroom without feeling better. Seriously, she can make you laugh and laugh until your sides hurt. She knows me better than I know myself, I think. She gives me advice beyond just teaching... advice on dealing with the family, relationships, and learning to prioritize my life. She encourages me to think outside of school, and I am prepared to put this into practice my second year of teaching. :) I don't think I would have survived my first year without Kym.
2. Rebecca-- She is another co-teacher of mine who teaches across the hall from Kym. She has amazing control over centers. Like, you haven't seen centers until you see Rebecca's class during centers. It's intense. She & I are known for being at the school late into the evenings together... mostly because we talk so much after school. She shared every single thing she owns with me this year. I was constantly coming in and snagging big books, word games, flash cards, cold Cokes, and Lakeshore games. I was able to be somewhat calm in the evenings after school because of Rebecca's funny stories and ability to listen to my rants so well. She is also my prayer warrior. I can tell her what's going on with my family, & she's talking to God before we're off the phone. I don't think I would have survived my first year without Rebecca.
3. Chryl-- She is my Amory mama. She wrote me a beautiful letter the night before school started last year telling me to give it to God. He would be in control of my first day of school. That letter is still hanging on my fridge, and I'll be rereading it in a few weeks when school starts back once again. She drives me to school when my car won't start, she has been known to clean my classroom for me when I have paperwork coming out of my ears, and she knows how to make me laugh at school and at choir practice on Wednesday nights when I'm absolutely exhausted. She knows when I'm weak and will "mama" me when she knows I'm not taking care of myself. I truly believe she held me accountable from sliding back into old habits that come when I get stressed, and for that, I am so grateful! I don't think I would have survived my first year without Chryl.
4. Paulette-- She was my fifth grade supervising teacher when I was student teaching. She laughs at my Kindergarten stories when we talk on the phone. She tells me her fifth grade stories in a way that almost makes me wish I were teaching upper grades again. (almost is the key word). She taught me everything I needed to know about classroom management & guided reading. She was the first teacher who let me teach whatever and whenever I wanted to under her guidance, and who has heard of a fifth grade teacher teaching Guided Reading? She did this ahead of the trend... I know this is the way TPSD is going now, but she was on top of it before it was required of 5th grade teachers!! She modeled good teaching, good planning, & good management of a wild group of ten year olds! They weren't wild in her classroom though. If I had not student taught under Paulette, I don't think I would have survived my first year as a teacher.
5. And finally.... the mentor who has been there for me since Fall 2008: Alice -- I'm getting teary just thinking about how I've grown in the time she's mentored me. She was my math strategies professor. I absolutely loved her class... she taught in a way that I had never seen modeled before. We (students) were in charge of our own learning, and she facilitated. I have used so many of the ideas from her class in my own classroom this year. It took me the first four months to get into the groove of school before I realized, "I'm not teaching math!!!" I was teaching some skills during Calendar Math, but I was missing a lot. Thank goodness, Alice and I talked it through & got it straightened out before the start of second semester. :) The January I started student teaching, we began e-mailing back and forth. She was willing to hear my stories about "teaching" and in turn, would e-mail me back advice & encouragement. Sometimes, she would send me lesson plan ideas, and she loaned me materials for some of my math lessons. We would get together to talk in person in the summers and during Christmas breaks, and she was the 2nd person I called when I was hired at EAES. Of course, I was hired a few days later for Kindergarten, and again, she was the 2nd person I called. (Mama came first.) :) I couldn't have asked for a better second person. She was as excited as I was about the jobs!
This year, I put our e-mails in a notebook, & that became my reflection notebook for my first year. Seriously, my stories from the year were intense.... everything from "my students don't know how to use a public restroom" to "HOW DO I GET IT ALL DONE????" to "I think I'm getting the hang of teaching.... " and the next day, "I was lying yesterday. I don't know what I'm doing!!!" I don't think I would have survived my first year without Alice.
Thank goodness for good role models and mentors. I'd love to be a happy combination of all of these women when "I grow up!" They are reflections of Christ in the way they live their lives, and you can hear Him in their stories & words of encouragement. At times this year, when I made teaching #1 & put God aside, I was encouraged by each of these mentors to make changes.... and I thank God for placing them in my life this year. He knew what I needed, and He provided.
"And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:19
Friday, July 2, 2010
grateful for the summer
I think summer has been so good for me. Actually, it's a fact. Summer has been so good for me.
1. My house has been clean for longer than 2 hours. I've been maintaining it rather than mistreating it & then spending an entire day cleaning it back up.
2. I've gotten to house-sit & babysit some... which rarely happened during the school year.
3. I've been able to reflect (BIG TIME) on the good of last year & the not so good. I have read so many different books that have changed my thinking on teaching reading, & I have a plan for 2010-2011.
4. I have been able to take my time organizing my classroom. 30 minutes here, an hour there.... last year, I spent my entire summer decorating alone. This summer, no decorating was needed. I'm in the same classroom. Rather, I've been able to organize in a way that will be useful during the school year. It's wonderful to have some experience under my belt.
5. I have been able to stop & rest. Yes, I used the word "bored" a few weeks ago, and that felt so good! I love being at home & deciding, "Hey, I think I should take my dogs on a walk!" and being able to just go. I have not had a freed-up schedule to do that in many months. Whether I was going, going, going, or flat on my back after teaching my little learners all day, I did not have the will to do anything.
6. Christ is showing me new things as I'm growing in Him. I hate to admit it, but I'm going to be real. My relationship with God plateaued this year. I made teaching my god, & that absolutely breaks my heart looking back. I went to church on Sundays, taught preschool choir on Wednesdays, & I felt like I was just going through the motions. That is no way to love my Savior who gave his life for my sins so that I can spend eternity with him. This summer, when that god was put aside for summer vacation, I saw what I was doing to the real God. He didn't wash his hands clean of me. He could have. He should have. I don't deserve his gift of salvation; however, he waited on me. He knew I'd turn back to Him, & His grace covers me. Next week, I'm leading Super Summer camp, & I'll be working with incoming 12th graders & college freshmen who have never been to this camp before. I'm thrilled. This is my 5th year... spent two years as a student, now three as a leader. I pray the Holy Spirit speaks through me to these teenagers as they begin these new seasons in their lives. I also pray that I will learn more about living my faith on a daily basis. I see my ministry at my school, yes. I see my opportunities within my church, yes, but I feel God tugging on my heart for something more beyond school & teaching preschoolers to sing out to God.
7. My grandmother has had several strokes in the past few weeks & is in the hospital 30 minutes away. My grandfather, who is a wonderful reflection of selflessness & patience, has also gotten sick & will have to be in surgery next week. I have been able to go & be with them, sit with them, & learn through their stories this week. I have always been close to these grandparents, but these struggles that are going on have really put a new perspective on our relationship & how I need to be treasuring these moments I have with them. They are precious, & I am going to try to spend more time visiting with them this year.
8. Boot Camp. Yes, I did it, & I have two more weeks to go until I can say "I survived Boot Camp!!" I have to miss the last week b/c of Super Summer, but I'll be doing my thing in my MC dorm room. :) Boot Camp has gotten me off the couch & into a healthier frame of mind. I thought it would kill me after those first three classes, but it really has gotten better. I have grown stronger (I can start my lawn mower now!) & I am so much more motivated to walk & eat healthier foods. It is also nice to be around the women who are in my class. They are precious & have fantastic stories. :)
1. My house has been clean for longer than 2 hours. I've been maintaining it rather than mistreating it & then spending an entire day cleaning it back up.
2. I've gotten to house-sit & babysit some... which rarely happened during the school year.
3. I've been able to reflect (BIG TIME) on the good of last year & the not so good. I have read so many different books that have changed my thinking on teaching reading, & I have a plan for 2010-2011.
4. I have been able to take my time organizing my classroom. 30 minutes here, an hour there.... last year, I spent my entire summer decorating alone. This summer, no decorating was needed. I'm in the same classroom. Rather, I've been able to organize in a way that will be useful during the school year. It's wonderful to have some experience under my belt.
5. I have been able to stop & rest. Yes, I used the word "bored" a few weeks ago, and that felt so good! I love being at home & deciding, "Hey, I think I should take my dogs on a walk!" and being able to just go. I have not had a freed-up schedule to do that in many months. Whether I was going, going, going, or flat on my back after teaching my little learners all day, I did not have the will to do anything.
6. Christ is showing me new things as I'm growing in Him. I hate to admit it, but I'm going to be real. My relationship with God plateaued this year. I made teaching my god, & that absolutely breaks my heart looking back. I went to church on Sundays, taught preschool choir on Wednesdays, & I felt like I was just going through the motions. That is no way to love my Savior who gave his life for my sins so that I can spend eternity with him. This summer, when that god was put aside for summer vacation, I saw what I was doing to the real God. He didn't wash his hands clean of me. He could have. He should have. I don't deserve his gift of salvation; however, he waited on me. He knew I'd turn back to Him, & His grace covers me. Next week, I'm leading Super Summer camp, & I'll be working with incoming 12th graders & college freshmen who have never been to this camp before. I'm thrilled. This is my 5th year... spent two years as a student, now three as a leader. I pray the Holy Spirit speaks through me to these teenagers as they begin these new seasons in their lives. I also pray that I will learn more about living my faith on a daily basis. I see my ministry at my school, yes. I see my opportunities within my church, yes, but I feel God tugging on my heart for something more beyond school & teaching preschoolers to sing out to God.
7. My grandmother has had several strokes in the past few weeks & is in the hospital 30 minutes away. My grandfather, who is a wonderful reflection of selflessness & patience, has also gotten sick & will have to be in surgery next week. I have been able to go & be with them, sit with them, & learn through their stories this week. I have always been close to these grandparents, but these struggles that are going on have really put a new perspective on our relationship & how I need to be treasuring these moments I have with them. They are precious, & I am going to try to spend more time visiting with them this year.
8. Boot Camp. Yes, I did it, & I have two more weeks to go until I can say "I survived Boot Camp!!" I have to miss the last week b/c of Super Summer, but I'll be doing my thing in my MC dorm room. :) Boot Camp has gotten me off the couch & into a healthier frame of mind. I thought it would kill me after those first three classes, but it really has gotten better. I have grown stronger (I can start my lawn mower now!) & I am so much more motivated to walk & eat healthier foods. It is also nice to be around the women who are in my class. They are precious & have fantastic stories. :)
Friday, June 25, 2010
free days of summer :)
These are my last free days of "no plans" (well, not including helping at Excelebration for 0-5 year old Monroe County kids Saturday & church Sunday) until school starts back.
That makes me pretty sad. I love summer even more now that I'm an adult in the working world than I did as a child. I love sleeping late, watching my shows, & keeping my house clean. I love walking around downtown, taking pictures, hanging out with my girls, lunches at Yummy Yogurt, and dreaming of new ideas for next year.
I am going to miss Dr. Oz in August.
I love visiting with neighbors in the front yard, walking and discovering new streets (off of my own street... who knew???) with my iPod & dogs, and boot camp classes at B-Train (personal trainer's business in Amory).
I especially love shopping, jumping in my car and going to visit family, and reading in the sunshine. :) I cherish the summer days.
and guess what's coming up? I have been helping Sue Mc prepare for this for a few weeks now.....
Super Summer 2010.
This is my 5th year of Super Summer. I went two years as a student, and this year will be my 3rd year as a team leader. I love it! I don't want to ever out grow it.
I am cherishing these free days from now on this summer because it's about to start getting busy! No more using the "b word" (bored). I am resting in Him.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
what summer?
I do not know where this summer is going!
One week off, Vacation Bible School, Kindergarten orientation, one week off, professional development, working for MS Southern Baptist Convention (Super Summer Prep), trip to Chattanooga to see Anna, more working with the Baptists, lead SUPER SUMMER camp, one week off, and.... two weeks of professional development, and school starts.
This doesn't even include the to-do list I made of things needing to be completed before school starts, & I've only checked two things off of it.
JUNE
__ Collect environmental print for word wall
__ Write school supply lists & welcome letters to parents of incoming pre-1st graders.
__ Write scope & sequence for next year's transition to 1st grade class
__ Write curriculum map for first semester
X Set-up my annual notebook (that will contain lesson plans, ideas, evalutations, data, graphs, copies of newsletters) (DONE!!)
__ Make newsletter for first week of school
JULY
__ Mail welcome letter/school supply lists to parents of incoming pre-1st graders
__ Organize/inventory classroom library
__ Set-up Reading Wall
__ Write lesson plans for August
__ Set-up grade book
__ Organize furniture in classroom (was moved out so custodians could wax floors)
__ Buy extra school supplies
AUGUST
__ Set-up students' FISH (Family Involvement Starts Here) notebooks
__ Schedules for paraprofessional & myself
__ Make copies of August poems for notebooks; write August poems on chart paper
__ Make name tags/tags for coat hooks with students' names
__ Make desk name plates with students' names
X Make website list for computer center (DONE!!)
__ Copy first day of school book for each student's personal libraries
I deserve this extra stress for making a to-do list this early in the summer. I knew better!! :) Actually, I'm trying to avoid what I did last year. Last year, I had NO IDEA what to do to prepare for the students so I spent weeks organizing/decorating my classroom & no time on the little things that all piled on me the day before school started.
I am so blessed this year to have 16 sweet come-back kids. These are my students who have had a year of Kindergarten & need one more year to catch-up/get ahead before first grade. I am blessed to be getting a paraprofessional to help me, and I am praying for her every day because we will have quite a group on our hands. :)
Our year will be divided in half. August-December will be Kindergarten Math/Language skills; January-May will be 1st grade math/sight words/Language skills. Guided Reading will begin after we cover our 26 letters & sounds the first six weeks of school. Kindergarten is getting leveled books for the very first time this year, and we are excited!!! I am also bidding for a few sets of books to keep in my classroom for students to read independently or check-out to practice at home.
This year is very experimental. We have never had transition classes. They may work. They may not be as successful as putting these children in a regular Kindergarten classroom, BUT nonetheless, we're going to be learning in Miss Hurst's classroom and making the most of every day. My goal is to reflect more & write more down so this time next year, I'm not thinking, "What did we do last year?" I literally cannot remember the first six weeks of school last year because they were so CRAZY! Good thing I have my old lesson plan book & my e-mails to my mentor teacher to jog my memory. I'm making a lot of changes to the year, too. Obviously, something did NOT work in the way we taught Kindergarten to my students, so I'm taking more of this mentality as I teach this year....
Of course, a teacher cannot make changes to the system, but if I continue to teach these National & state standards & am preparing my students for these "standardized tests," I am "doing my job" according to everyone.
However, my students' parents want their children to not only show growth on test scores but to show growth in other areas of their lives. A child should come to me with talents, abilities, & strengths, & I, as his/her teacher, should take these areas and strengthen them further. I should also take their weaknesses & struggles and show the child how to make small goals for him/herself to work towards until weaknesses turn into areas of growth and mastery. The first project I have planned for the new year is to discuss one thing each child wants to learn this year. They will draw their dreams for our year on a star & "write a sentence" (in their sweet Kindergarten writing) & these stars will hang around the classroom. We will revisit our dreams & when a child has mastered his/her goal (ex: learning to write numbers to 100), the star gets put on a "Super Star" bulletin board & a new dream goes up. Oh, and Miss Hurst gets a star, too. I think my first goal for the year is to learn how to use a grade book properly!!! :o)
My ultimate goal for this year is not to have the highest Terra Nova scores on Kindergarten hallway, and it's not to have the perfect group of students all reading on Level J. My goal is to have students who LOVE coming to school every day because they love to learn new things. A successful year for me would be a year where every student discovers a strength & talent he/she did not know existed, and where every student experiences growth in a weak area he/she DID KNOW existed.
Bless them, many, if not all, of my students know they're in my class because "you can't read yet" or "you were bad last year." I pray every day that these labels can be torn away as we begin our school year and as my students unite together as a community of learners.
One week off, Vacation Bible School, Kindergarten orientation, one week off, professional development, working for MS Southern Baptist Convention (Super Summer Prep), trip to Chattanooga to see Anna, more working with the Baptists, lead SUPER SUMMER camp, one week off, and.... two weeks of professional development, and school starts.
This doesn't even include the to-do list I made of things needing to be completed before school starts, & I've only checked two things off of it.
JUNE
__ Collect environmental print for word wall
__ Write school supply lists & welcome letters to parents of incoming pre-1st graders.
__ Write scope & sequence for next year's transition to 1st grade class
__ Write curriculum map for first semester
X Set-up my annual notebook (that will contain lesson plans, ideas, evalutations, data, graphs, copies of newsletters) (DONE!!)
__ Make newsletter for first week of school
JULY
__ Mail welcome letter/school supply lists to parents of incoming pre-1st graders
__ Organize/inventory classroom library
__ Set-up Reading Wall
__ Write lesson plans for August
__ Set-up grade book
__ Organize furniture in classroom (was moved out so custodians could wax floors)
__ Buy extra school supplies
AUGUST
__ Set-up students' FISH (Family Involvement Starts Here) notebooks
__ Schedules for paraprofessional & myself
__ Make copies of August poems for notebooks; write August poems on chart paper
__ Make name tags/tags for coat hooks with students' names
__ Make desk name plates with students' names
X Make website list for computer center (DONE!!)
__ Copy first day of school book for each student's personal libraries
I deserve this extra stress for making a to-do list this early in the summer. I knew better!! :) Actually, I'm trying to avoid what I did last year. Last year, I had NO IDEA what to do to prepare for the students so I spent weeks organizing/decorating my classroom & no time on the little things that all piled on me the day before school started.
I am so blessed this year to have 16 sweet come-back kids. These are my students who have had a year of Kindergarten & need one more year to catch-up/get ahead before first grade. I am blessed to be getting a paraprofessional to help me, and I am praying for her every day because we will have quite a group on our hands. :)
Our year will be divided in half. August-December will be Kindergarten Math/Language skills; January-May will be 1st grade math/sight words/Language skills. Guided Reading will begin after we cover our 26 letters & sounds the first six weeks of school. Kindergarten is getting leveled books for the very first time this year, and we are excited!!! I am also bidding for a few sets of books to keep in my classroom for students to read independently or check-out to practice at home.
This year is very experimental. We have never had transition classes. They may work. They may not be as successful as putting these children in a regular Kindergarten classroom, BUT nonetheless, we're going to be learning in Miss Hurst's classroom and making the most of every day. My goal is to reflect more & write more down so this time next year, I'm not thinking, "What did we do last year?" I literally cannot remember the first six weeks of school last year because they were so CRAZY! Good thing I have my old lesson plan book & my e-mails to my mentor teacher to jog my memory. I'm making a lot of changes to the year, too. Obviously, something did NOT work in the way we taught Kindergarten to my students, so I'm taking more of this mentality as I teach this year....
Of course, a teacher cannot make changes to the system, but if I continue to teach these National & state standards & am preparing my students for these "standardized tests," I am "doing my job" according to everyone.
However, my students' parents want their children to not only show growth on test scores but to show growth in other areas of their lives. A child should come to me with talents, abilities, & strengths, & I, as his/her teacher, should take these areas and strengthen them further. I should also take their weaknesses & struggles and show the child how to make small goals for him/herself to work towards until weaknesses turn into areas of growth and mastery. The first project I have planned for the new year is to discuss one thing each child wants to learn this year. They will draw their dreams for our year on a star & "write a sentence" (in their sweet Kindergarten writing) & these stars will hang around the classroom. We will revisit our dreams & when a child has mastered his/her goal (ex: learning to write numbers to 100), the star gets put on a "Super Star" bulletin board & a new dream goes up. Oh, and Miss Hurst gets a star, too. I think my first goal for the year is to learn how to use a grade book properly!!! :o)
My ultimate goal for this year is not to have the highest Terra Nova scores on Kindergarten hallway, and it's not to have the perfect group of students all reading on Level J. My goal is to have students who LOVE coming to school every day because they love to learn new things. A successful year for me would be a year where every student discovers a strength & talent he/she did not know existed, and where every student experiences growth in a weak area he/she DID KNOW existed.
Bless them, many, if not all, of my students know they're in my class because "you can't read yet" or "you were bad last year." I pray every day that these labels can be torn away as we begin our school year and as my students unite together as a community of learners.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
finished :)
My first year of teaching is complete! I had NO IDEA what I was getting into this time last year when I signed my contract at my school.
It was a fantastic year looking back. August 5, the evening before our first day, we had open house. When the last student/parents left, I looked around my room overflowing with school supplies & broke down. I had no idea what to do with all of the school supplies before the kids came back the next morning. There was no where for the kids to sit.
Lucky...no, luck had nothing to do with it. Blessed by God was I.. because I had an incredible mentor teacher assigned to me. Kym Buskirk came in to check on me right away & called in reinforcements. In 15 minutes, Kym, my principal, 2 other Kindergarten teachers, & an assistant teacher were helping me put finishing touches on unpacking/putting away. My principal hugged me for five minutes & has continued to mother me since that day.
I've come a long way since that day. No amount of education prepared me for organizing school supplies, teaching students with 21 different levels of ability, teaching boys how to use a urinal, teaching a student with a DD ruling (developmental delay), tiering 6 students, keeping up with paperwork, using assessments/data to make instructional decisions, wiping away tears-giving away hugs-putting on band-aids-teaching character education within the same 35 seconds, & teaching 21 sweet five & six-year-olds how to read, write, & count to 100 (& beyond).
and Ole Miss School of Education was good. My student teaching experiences were realistic, but there's nothing like being on your own to teach you how to really do this job.
My first class of students will always have a special place in my heart. Always, & they will be missed.
I have begun a new journey. Instead of teaching another year of Kindergarten, I have taken on the job of transition to first grade teacher. This will be the class for students who need an additional year before moving on to 1st grade. I will be teaching Kindergarten & first grade skills to prepare them for 1st grade. I have quite a group. It is diverse... still 17 different levels, but I get to add a new challenge this year... dealing with learning disabilities, 17 tier notebooks, & a few students with severe behavior problems.
Instead of being the sweet new teacher like I was last year, I have a new persona to take on.... serious, strict, & organized. Also, I have my first Jehovah's Witness student this year. No more lunch time prayer & Bible stories. I also have to be careful around holidays; I can't teach skeletal system at Halloween, Christmas, & Easter lessons.
Even though these things may seem negative, I am THRILLED about next year. I already love my seventeen students, know about their strengths & weaknesses, & can't wait to learn even more about teaching. :) If I'm going to teach a class like this, it needs to be during the season of my life I'm currently in... when teaching can be my focus.
I'll talk more about next year's group after Monday -- their orientation is Monday morning, & I have a parent meeting at 10 am. :) I'm planning to give them a taste of what we'll be doing in my class & teach them how to help their children with homework. These are seasoned parents.... they know how to do "big school" now. I think it'll be a better use of time to work on good study habits & answer their questions about next year. :)
WHAT SUMMER VACATION?
It was a fantastic year looking back. August 5, the evening before our first day, we had open house. When the last student/parents left, I looked around my room overflowing with school supplies & broke down. I had no idea what to do with all of the school supplies before the kids came back the next morning. There was no where for the kids to sit.
Lucky...no, luck had nothing to do with it. Blessed by God was I.. because I had an incredible mentor teacher assigned to me. Kym Buskirk came in to check on me right away & called in reinforcements. In 15 minutes, Kym, my principal, 2 other Kindergarten teachers, & an assistant teacher were helping me put finishing touches on unpacking/putting away. My principal hugged me for five minutes & has continued to mother me since that day.
I've come a long way since that day. No amount of education prepared me for organizing school supplies, teaching students with 21 different levels of ability, teaching boys how to use a urinal, teaching a student with a DD ruling (developmental delay), tiering 6 students, keeping up with paperwork, using assessments/data to make instructional decisions, wiping away tears-giving away hugs-putting on band-aids-teaching character education within the same 35 seconds, & teaching 21 sweet five & six-year-olds how to read, write, & count to 100 (& beyond).
and Ole Miss School of Education was good. My student teaching experiences were realistic, but there's nothing like being on your own to teach you how to really do this job.
My first class of students will always have a special place in my heart. Always, & they will be missed.
I have begun a new journey. Instead of teaching another year of Kindergarten, I have taken on the job of transition to first grade teacher. This will be the class for students who need an additional year before moving on to 1st grade. I will be teaching Kindergarten & first grade skills to prepare them for 1st grade. I have quite a group. It is diverse... still 17 different levels, but I get to add a new challenge this year... dealing with learning disabilities, 17 tier notebooks, & a few students with severe behavior problems.
Instead of being the sweet new teacher like I was last year, I have a new persona to take on.... serious, strict, & organized. Also, I have my first Jehovah's Witness student this year. No more lunch time prayer & Bible stories. I also have to be careful around holidays; I can't teach skeletal system at Halloween, Christmas, & Easter lessons.
Even though these things may seem negative, I am THRILLED about next year. I already love my seventeen students, know about their strengths & weaknesses, & can't wait to learn even more about teaching. :) If I'm going to teach a class like this, it needs to be during the season of my life I'm currently in... when teaching can be my focus.
I'll talk more about next year's group after Monday -- their orientation is Monday morning, & I have a parent meeting at 10 am. :) I'm planning to give them a taste of what we'll be doing in my class & teach them how to help their children with homework. These are seasoned parents.... they know how to do "big school" now. I think it'll be a better use of time to work on good study habits & answer their questions about next year. :)
WHAT SUMMER VACATION?
Monday, May 3, 2010
Kindergarten, Calvary, & QU wedding!
School is winding down! :) I love my students so dearly & will cry when I have to say good-bye, but I am worn out. Trying to finish scrapbooks for them + end of year tests + teaching 1st grade skills to prepare them for next year = very tired, first year teacher.
I have prayed over a very important decision the past several months. I joined my church in Amory to help me become a part of this community I'm living & working in. I have taught preschool-Kindergarten choir, sung in the adult choir, & attended church regularly at this church. My pastor at Calvary, Bro. David, called me last Sunday to tell me he was praying for me & my decision... that it would be clear from God where I should be attending -- the place where I'm growing spiritually & socially.
That was God's answer... I am not growing as I should be at the new church. I feel lonely instead of feeling a part of the church. God's ministry for me has always been youth ministry... I've known this since 12th grade. I can't really do youth ministry here though without second guessing what other people could be saying about me. Questioning my integrity & rationale for working with youth, as a teacher in the schools. No one has ever said this aloud, but I can't help but to wonder if they're thinking it... maybe because I would think it? I don't know.... but I know my integrity & character was not questioned at Calvary. My purpose for working with youth ministry is to teach/minister, help the students see how they can live Godly lives as young people, & to encourage them when times get tough. I've been welcomed by so many dear people in this new town & church, but it still doesn't feel like coming home.
The past 3 weeks at Calvary, I have thoroughly enjoyed the drive to & from church (great thinking/praying time), the Sunday School lessons (Young Adult/Career Sunday School), the worship services, and being around those who love me & understand me. God is making his answer for me as bold & clear as a neon sign.
Friday was my class' Q&U wedding. It was so much fun! I didn't do it the traditional way... with one bride, one groom, & lots of wedding party. Every little girl was a bride, every little boy was a groom. Girls wore veils; boys wore Q bow-ties. They walked down an aisle with QU words all over it... written by two little girls in smocked dresses I was afraid to let go to PE. :) Their vows were to promise to follow each other at the beginning of words forever. Our reception was "homemade" cupcakes & Kool-aide. The kids in my class .... this kills me to even say it, but they have NEVER had real cupcakes. You know, the ones you make with cake mix that are so easy! I baked these cupcakes in literally 30 minutes, & as sweet Riley said, "She didn't even burn them!" On birthdays/parties, we get cupcakes, but they are store-bought (Wal-Mart) cupcakes... and trust me, I understand... it was tempting for me to just go buy those Thursday for the reception, but after I saw those kids devour the ENTIRE cupcakes (not just the frosting), I was a convert. Many said they had never had a cupcake so good, & sweet Reese told me to bring more Monday! :) Ask to see pictures from the wedding when you see me in person... they're in my purse, & the kids are darling! The owner of a ballet studio here in Amory, Sally, taught a manners lesson Friday, too. She taught the kids how to eat soup properly (with punch), how to introduce themselves to others, how to pay someone a compliment, & how to write a thank-you note. The kids wrote thank-you notes to their parents for letting them attend the Q&U wedding. Days like Friday make teaching Kindergarten SO much fun!!!
I have prayed over a very important decision the past several months. I joined my church in Amory to help me become a part of this community I'm living & working in. I have taught preschool-Kindergarten choir, sung in the adult choir, & attended church regularly at this church. My pastor at Calvary, Bro. David, called me last Sunday to tell me he was praying for me & my decision... that it would be clear from God where I should be attending -- the place where I'm growing spiritually & socially.
That was God's answer... I am not growing as I should be at the new church. I feel lonely instead of feeling a part of the church. God's ministry for me has always been youth ministry... I've known this since 12th grade. I can't really do youth ministry here though without second guessing what other people could be saying about me. Questioning my integrity & rationale for working with youth, as a teacher in the schools. No one has ever said this aloud, but I can't help but to wonder if they're thinking it... maybe because I would think it? I don't know.... but I know my integrity & character was not questioned at Calvary. My purpose for working with youth ministry is to teach/minister, help the students see how they can live Godly lives as young people, & to encourage them when times get tough. I've been welcomed by so many dear people in this new town & church, but it still doesn't feel like coming home.
The past 3 weeks at Calvary, I have thoroughly enjoyed the drive to & from church (great thinking/praying time), the Sunday School lessons (Young Adult/Career Sunday School), the worship services, and being around those who love me & understand me. God is making his answer for me as bold & clear as a neon sign.
Friday was my class' Q&U wedding. It was so much fun! I didn't do it the traditional way... with one bride, one groom, & lots of wedding party. Every little girl was a bride, every little boy was a groom. Girls wore veils; boys wore Q bow-ties. They walked down an aisle with QU words all over it... written by two little girls in smocked dresses I was afraid to let go to PE. :) Their vows were to promise to follow each other at the beginning of words forever. Our reception was "homemade" cupcakes & Kool-aide. The kids in my class .... this kills me to even say it, but they have NEVER had real cupcakes. You know, the ones you make with cake mix that are so easy! I baked these cupcakes in literally 30 minutes, & as sweet Riley said, "She didn't even burn them!" On birthdays/parties, we get cupcakes, but they are store-bought (Wal-Mart) cupcakes... and trust me, I understand... it was tempting for me to just go buy those Thursday for the reception, but after I saw those kids devour the ENTIRE cupcakes (not just the frosting), I was a convert. Many said they had never had a cupcake so good, & sweet Reese told me to bring more Monday! :) Ask to see pictures from the wedding when you see me in person... they're in my purse, & the kids are darling! The owner of a ballet studio here in Amory, Sally, taught a manners lesson Friday, too. She taught the kids how to eat soup properly (with punch), how to introduce themselves to others, how to pay someone a compliment, & how to write a thank-you note. The kids wrote thank-you notes to their parents for letting them attend the Q&U wedding. Days like Friday make teaching Kindergarten SO much fun!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)