Five For Friday June 6, 2014

My first week of summer vacation is over and it is Friday!  Time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

Since I didn't post last week, I felt like I might need to fill you in! Memorial Day Weekend had a rocky start.  I was looking forward to my three day weekend, summer preview when...

Tyler had a baseball tournament this weekend, and Cody asked to play at the park with Luke.  I got a frantic call from his cell phone from another kid at the park saying that Cody had broken his arm.  I ran over there and sure enough his arm was twisting a way that an arm should not twist.  We rushed him to the hospital where they decided he would need surgery to reset it.  He was so brave and such a trooper, but 10 hours at the hospital was rough.  

He is now happily sporting a pink cast.

On the last day of school, I received the best gift ever!

Each of my students placed their hand print along with their name on the fabric, and then a parent helper sewed and quilted it.  I love it!

My third child graduated from high school last week and I can tell you, it hasn't gotten any easier - the tears flow just as hard for the third as the first.

This year he was a T.A. (teacher's assistant) in the special education classroom. He really loved working with the students in that class.  Not only did he want a picture with him and his best friend, but he also wanted a picture with one of his "students" from his class.  He said of all the kids in school he will miss the ones in that class the most!  If film making doesn't work for him, I think he might have a future in special ed!

While we waited for the ceremony to start, Luke played with my cell phone and took a million selfies.  These are just a few!

He also gave me a glimpse into the future later that night...

During our first week of vacation we were able to celebrate Cody's 12th birthday at Dave and Busters.  What a way to honor his last year before he becomes a teenager! Where does the time go????

It is that time of the month again.. time to win a $25 gift card from Teachers Pay Teachers!

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Five For Friday May 23, 2014

This week has been so much better than last week!  I told you about the crazy week I had last week when I found out that my grade level was reducing one position and I would have to move grade levels again!  Originally I was supposed to move to first or second, but luckily one of my co-workers made a trade for me so that I will end up in third which is where I was last year, so I won't be starting completely new! YEAH!  There is a chance that I will roll up again with my class like I did with this current group.  I will also have Luke (my son) in my class as well.  I am excited and nervous about that!  And now, without further ado, time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday!

With all of the craziness of last week, I forgot to tell you the most crazy part of last week which happened on Friday, so I will share this week.  One of my students has a guinea pig who had 2 babies, and he wanted to bring them to class for show and tell.  I told his mom to let me know if she wanted to bring them in the morning or afternoon (assuming a 15 minute or so visit).  They ended up staying the whole day.  I had run to the copy room and when I got back to class the cage was sitting in my room and mom never came back (despite the 100 calls we made).

And while that may seem crazy enough... it wasn't.  Another student showed up that morning with a box of 5 rabbits!  Again, we couldn't get a parent to answer the phone, so my class was officially a petting zoo!

I got the opportunity to spend some time with a few of my students outside of school this weekend because I was invited to a baptism/communion for a family of students at my school.  They have a large extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. that all attend school together. I have one of the boys in my regular class and several of the girls are in my cross stitch club.

Do you ever attend your students' outside activities?

Wednesday was our end of the year trip to the swimming pool.  Our school is about 3 blocks away from the city pool, so we walk down there for our field trip.  About 20 minutes before we were set to leave, it started raining heavily.  Luckily it cleared up just in time for our trek to the pool and the sun was out and shining by the time our soaked kiddos left the pool.

Thursday was our county's Special Olympics.  A few of my students competed and our class was on hand for the opening ceremonies to cheer them on!  I also had a few students who helped out as volunteers.  It was a great time for all!

I am currently working on this book study for 100 Minutes to Balanced Literacy by Lisa Donohue hosted by Thinking of Teaching. 

 I am hosting chapter 3 on May 31, but you can read about chapter 1 here.  I will be posting my chapter 1 thoughts tomorrow.

Five For Friday May 16, 2014

This week has been an absolute tumultuous week and can I just say TGIF with a great big AMEN?  Friday at last and time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.

My week started off with a bang when my principal came up to me 5 minutes before recess was over and said, "We have bad news, we are losing a position in fourth."  I am low man on the totem pole in my grade (since I just moved up this year), so I knew this was going to effect me.  Then she smiled and continued, "We have an opening in first."  

I think first graders are absolutely adorable to look at, but truthfully, I don't want to live there.  If anyone asked me what grade I would LEAST want to teach, first grade would be it.  I have often said, "I am allergic to first graders". It isn't entirely un-true, I spent most of my practicums in first grade (despite requesting 4th-6th) and spent the ENTIRE semester sick!  I have never been so exhausted in my entire life!  I give much props and admiration to those of you who do teach first grade and are amazing at it, but for me, I just couldn't do it!  Add that to the fact that I have now changed grades EVERY year for the past three years, this would be the fourth year at a different grade!  I have no supplies for first grade - I do have an amazing library of chapter books, but I am thinking they would not be useful to the majority of students in a first grade room!  So, my week has been a blubbering mess of me crying (yes I am being a baby about it, but really, how many times should I change grades? When I got my license for K-8 I didn't think it would mean I would teach every grade in that spectrum!  Luckily our contract states that they can't move us more than 2 grades without our consent, so it looks like they will have to juggle around to place me in 2nd or 3rd.  I am hoping for 3rd since I taught that last year, but who knows?  I will keep you updated as soon as I know.

We have managed to get some work done and MAPS reading tests completed in between crying jags (not just about the grade level switch, but the fact that I am losing my kiddos that I have taught for two years in a row is starting to hit me).  They keep coming up to me with little notes that say "I love you, or you are the best teacher ever,"  Every time I get one the waterworks start flowing!

I came in the classroom to see this note of encouragement one of them had written to the whole class today about our school token system.  I couldn't have been more proud!  

It made me want to ask the school next door to create a new position so I could roll up to 5th grade with them!  More tears!

As I said between crying we did manage to get some work done.  We had a Popsicle themed week using this Summer Fun Writing, LA, and Math Activities using Popsicles for Big Kids packet from Cutsey Clickables from Collaboration Cuties.

They each chose one of these prompts and completed a brainstorming graphic organizer. 

Then they were off to write.

After a bit of editing and revising, we completed final copies made to look like Popsicles.

We also did a little math review.

Last night was my third son's last high school theater performance.  It was Senior Night and they all did a brief monologue before the actual play.  Here is a really bad picture of him, but I wanted to show it off anyway, because I am really proud of him!  He will be studying film in the fall at the University of Montana and I am going to miss him a lot.  So, yes, even more tears.

I am hoping this weekend will be a lot more restful with more smiles and less tears!  Hoping yours is great as well!