Two Faced

It has been a couple of crazy days. Since we do not have an administrator of our Charter School some boundaries have been crossed from teacher to staff. My husband will be starting part-time to help out, I think that it will really help out and do wonders for the school.

This weekend has been far from relaxing. I think things build up and then home life seems to go to the back burner. I have been trying to find out how to do the things that are needing attention at home but seem to be postponed to the next week and so on and so forth.

Well, I am going to finish some extra home work, maybe sit down for 10 minutes reading a nice book and then putting kids to bed and hitting the pillow.

Phone call

I'm listening to my husband talk to his friend on the phone. I don't know if I would call it talk though because he is mostly laughing through the whole phone call. It is good to hear him laugh but I'm also curious to the origins of the hysterical laughter. He is talking to out good friends and knowing them it has got to be a great conversation.

I feel like I am less like a rock and more like a slow sea turtle in the pool tonight. That was nice next wednesday I am going to try to beet my record of 26 laps in an hour. I know speed has little to do with my swimming right now but we are on a up hill battle.

I have been thinking a lot about how I am going to add more writing time in my Kindergarten classroom. So, I have some ideas that I am going to start implementing tommorrow. I will get back to you on how it is going.

Tonight during class we had some great conversations. Some of the points that I got out of the classroom were:

If you have a concern say "I'm concerned" or "I have noticed" instead of the negative observations that you can have with students.

Phone call....more later

Time managment

I've been thinking a lot about time management. What is priority and what is not priority. It has been difficult trying to juggle life. I spent quite a few hours today at work going through assessments, planning and cleaning. My husband has a difficult time with the hours I put into school, work and exercising. So I ask myself how do I balance the things I feel need attention, the things that I want to work on and still have time for family. I look at this year as a test trial. New classroom will take hours of figuring out and working towards.  So, I hoping that next year will be less planning. On the other hand I will probably be the schools special education educator and that will be another learning curve that I will need to occupy. I feel a little frustrated even my summer seems to be occupied with many different objectives and goals and how to meet all of them is a question I haven't quite figured out yet. However I am staying optimistic and trying to work on time management. Ang

Looking forward to this next weeks assignment

I'm looking forward to this next weeks assignment because I have been trying to contemplate how I could more writing time into the Kindergarten classroom. I almost wish that I had a full day Kindergarten class however, I do know that it is difficult for many of them to be in the classroom for a whole day.

Today was nice I went to church with my family. We are going to a temple prep class and it was nice to be there as a couple uniting on a common goal. I have a calling to teach the 4 year old group which is right up my ally and time I can spend with my second son. However, on the other hand it feels like I get a lot of time with the little people and not so much time with the bigger people. lol

Today I feel like my hunger has not been satisfied. I have eaten like 50 points today which I have already taken 20 of the points I get for this week. I feel a little down that I didn't make my 5 percent goal today. Weekends are difficult and result in more eating than the rest of the week.

Well, I am going to look at other posts and comment on them since I haven't had a chance to do that yet.
Cheers, Ang

Friday Night

I am so excited for the three day weekend. This week had some exciting highlights. My husband got the counseling/admin part-time job at my school. This will feel weird with him working with me. He will start in a couple of weeks.

Now that we are getting closer to the end of the school year I am looking at assessments and trying to determine what additional things I need to do to prepare my Kindergarten students for First grade. I have two students that I worry about. I have one that I am requesting an evaluation for additional assistance. I wouldn't be surprised if he qualifies for an academic IEP. He needs more assistance than what I have been able to help him with in the classroom.

Well, it is Friday night and my husband and I are heading to bed at 8:30. Sometimes I feel like an old fuddy duddy. But, I suppose you can just call it the case of working parent fatigue. Well, I am going to check what are new assignment is and head to bed.

Goodnight, Angela

Responsive Classroom Class

We have been learning ways to incorporate responsive classroom into our class. It has been eye opening how some teachers feel towards their students. One teacher said that she could not see the goodness in students anymore after we talked about a quote from "Teacher Langauge rests on a deep abiding faith in the goodness in children, a belief in thier desire and ability to learn." The Power or our Words by: Paula Denton.

We had a deep conversation about how she could not see the goodness in her 6th graders. I was deeply sad inside for her and her students. Then another teacher that teaches 6th grade with her talked about the similar belief about the students. I wouldn't want to teach anymore if I felt those feelings. I think that the students would pick up on those feelings and the community of the classroom would diminish and falter. I think that this class on responsive classroom will be good for everyone involved and I hope that these teachers can find the goodness in their students again.

I guess I have been thinking a lot about "What make a great teacher?" What characteristics are found in a person to make them a great teacher. I have been in many classrooms, some I just want to stay and contribute to the working environment and other I want to leave as quickly as possible. I am sure that the students feel the same way. That question intrigues me, and I find myself reflecting upon the question and my positive and negative contributions in the classroom. I would hope that the students know how much I care about them as a group and as individuals. I think that is the foundation to a great teacher....Ang

Blessed Routine

Well today was somewhat norm, had a pretty good day with the Kindergartners (even if they were a little chatty). I did my afternoon work with the teachers and workout in Mrs. Dumonts room. She has Turbo fire and so Mrs. Sarman, Dumont were  kicking it in her classroom doing Turbo fire. It was funny because next door they had the chess club and so all of the students were coming in to see why three of the other teachers were rocking out in their classroom.

It is relieving to be able to have some coworkers striving for the same goal. Tommorow we have a few teachers that are heading to the swimming pool. I suppose I'll need to shave my legs tonight..I have some what of a forest growing. 

Charlie had an interview at my school for the Administrator position. This will be interesting to see how things will pan out. It is a partime position that could possibly be a full time position in the future. I think that he would do really well in the position, however, things at the school are still new and not everyone is on the same page. I'm interested to see what they offer him and how it will work out with the temp admin that is currently helping out at the school.

Well, I'm going to try and finish my assignment and they take a shower and put kids to bed and then will come the fun part....sleep. I do love my sleep. Ang

On my feet again...

Well, I took Charlie to the Hilton Garden Inn where he could have a jetted tub to finally get rid of the Kidney Stone. I think it a thing of the past now. This stone has been bugging him off and on for over three weeks. It was sort of nice to get a room over Valentines Weekend, even if Charlie was hurting for some of it.

I got a lot of work done today at school. I feel like I've missed so many days when really I was only sick for a few days. I was able to get things ready for Valentines Day. Anyways, I'm getting ready for starting my next assignment and maybe getting some precious sleep. Ang

Sleep oh blessed sleep

Well, not much to say about today except that I slept and went to the doctor. I have meds to get rid of my sinus infection and so I'm excited to no more headaches and more energy.

I am also excited that my work is paying for me to get my special education endorsement. I think it will be nice to me able to have a morning Kindergarten class and then work with special education students to help them gain additional tools to help them through their school years.

Anyways, I'm headed back to sleep after I spend some time with my honey. Ang

Out of the dumps and back into the sunshine

Well, I just have to tell about my day yesterday because they don't come around that often (thank goodness in my case).
First of all I have been sick since last Saturday with a nasty viral infection that has its teeth latched into my lungs. Then I get a call from my husband that he is driving himself the the ER because he hasn't gotten rid of his Kiddney Stone. So, I am in the ER and we are trying to find out who will go and get Caden from Grandpa (babysitter) because now he is sick. So, as I am trying to call my mom who isn't picking up phone (convenient) we find out that the bill for teh ER is 12K and none of it is covered because my husband doesn't qualify for medical for another 3 weeks. I finally get out of the ER to pick up my son at school (just in time) and I am headed to Walmart to pick up prescriptions. One of the prescriptions is percaset which I need my liscence for and (of course I don't have on me) so I am headed home with a dead chicken and cold medicine for grandpa. I get home (haking all the way...because yes, I'm still sick) and find my license (with little complications, thank the you know who) and I am back on my way to Wal-mart (clear on the other side of town). I get there and they said that it would be filled in one hour (lucky me) so I'm in Walmart sicker than a dog, wanting sleep and worried about my family. I get the prescription head home (it is 6:00) had of the prescriptions put the kids to bed and jump in bed without a second look back.

I'm still sick today, but I have a docs appointment tomorrow and the day off to rest. Yeah!!!!!!!!

Feeling more like myself...yeah!

Tis a sunny day, I was able to get out of bed (rather awkwardly) and head to class for a half a day then the rest of the day I came home to my sick kidos. They are feeling better though. We had fun blasting the bad bugs away, we cleaned, took showers, brushed teeth and took a nap with mommy. I feel it still in my lungs but am hoping that with my essential oils and remedies that it will go away soon. There is nothing like being sick that makes you want to clean the house.

It was a welcome to see the students faces today. We had 4 out today with sickness. I hope the nasty bug is like the seasons and leaves with the warm weather. I have been thinking about a fun activity and fund raising event for the school. They have these adjustable roller skates and the school is located by a rink (that does not supply roller skates) so I though it might be fun to fundraiser so that we can use them as an incentive. Anyways, I am always looking at new ways and incentives for the students.

I have also been looking into getting my special education endorsement. The school is willing to help me get my endorsement. If I got my endorsement it would be something that I would do after my Kindergarten class in the afternoon. It is something that I have been tossing around.

Lots of thoughts, lots of ways one could go...Ang

The Black Plague

Well, I came down with the flu on Saturday. It was different then most flu's that I have had in the past. This one is in your head and chest. You feel like you can sleep all day and it makes little difference. I had to take my first day off of work. Then, as I am starting to feel a little reprieve my sons and my husband come down with the nasty stuff. I had a dream last night that I was watching my sons getting sick with the black plague that I brought home and could do nothing for them, I couldn't even go get them some water because I had it too. When I woke up I thought about how lucky we are to be in a society that has science and drugs. Even though I am really into natural cures I am thankful for medicine. Anyways, I am gearing up for tomorrow. Hopefully I'll feel more myself in the morning. Ang

Paper logged and water logged....

I feel that I have tones of papers that need to be gone though on my desk before I can even start with filling out report cards that are due my Monday. I am wondering how our professional teachers day is going to go. It is on special education and the presenter is someone from the state. I am hoping that we get some time to work on our classrooms.

The kids are doing really well this semester. We had a new student named Brynli who has Autism and joins our class a few days a week. It is neat to have him in the classroom he is full of life and wants to participate with many different things and in many different ways. We had a guest speaker bring Hermit crabs into the classroom and we had 3 students (all boys) that were very nervous about the crabs. Brynli was all wide eyes. After the presentation we had them draw what they learned. In his drawing he mentioned the eyes. He had these very big eyes attached to lines on his paper. It was really cute.

Went and worked out tonight. Feel great and am ready to settle down with the fam and get reacquainted with my boys. I sure do miss them...Ang