ISS stands for In School Suspension....

This is going to be quick because I am determined to go to bed early!
A quick recap of the last few days....last thursday, I had a little girl bring matches into my classroom, play with them on the playgroud and gave some to another boy, of course they got caught and spent the next 2 days in ISS. Last friday, one of my little boys got smacked in the face by the stop sign on the bus on his way to school, his face and his eye swelled up and now he has a lovely black eye. Monday, nothing too exciting. Tuesday, within 15 minutes I got 2 new students. Thankfully they are really sweet and so far very well behaved, its just thrown the last 2 days off trying to get them settled and caught up with procedures and making sure their name is on everything, etc. Then Tuesday afternoon I spent almost half an hour on the phone with a very upset mother, then the assistant principal and principal spent another hour on the phone with her. She now says shes going to take him out of our school, so we'll see. First thing today I get a phone call from and upset mother because apparently a boy in our class was hitting her on the bus, I pull the kids aside and he admitted to it and to hitting another kid in our class too! So, he'll be in ISS tom and so is another one of my kids who was sent home today because he is on his 3rd behavior document...wow, so now 6 of my 16 children have been in ISS....
I cant wait to find out whats going to happen tom :-)

don't take cold meds before school...

Well I made it 5 weeks of school without getting sick....mostly because I am constantly using hand sanatizer and I am also constantly spraying my entire room (and sometime my children) in lysol! I guess I was bound to get sick sooner or later. I decided I would still try to go to school today, yeah not such a great idea. I took my "daytime" cold medicine, which apparently can still make you sleepy, I wont ever do that again because it pretty much made me feel like I was in a cloud all day. During small group time I had a group of 2 kids at my table reading, I laied my head down just for a sec and about a minute later one of my little boys tapped my on the shoulder and asked if he needed to go to the office to call an ambulance they could make me feel better. So, I stopped things right there and called the doctor. It was pretty much pointless for me to go to school today, it just wore me out even more and its not fair to my kids for them to be stuck with a sick teacher. So the diagnosis is....bronchitis! Well, im certainly not suprised. For those of you that dont know, I had that in college about 7 out of 8 semesters that I was there, there is just something in this Arkansas air that does not agree with my system.
Needless to say, Im feeling a little better now that I have meds. Still havent decided if Im going to call in sick tom or not...I really dont want to because I hate having a sub and missing a day, I think it makes me feel more out of wack than it does my kids.

Sorry for the lack of updates....basically I have no life now and I guess im starting to get used to it. I never thought I would bring stuff home and work all night and still not have things done like I want. Im honestly looking forward to next year because I hope I will feel so much more prepared. Hey, I guess thats a good thing, that Im looking forward to next year; so after this year I will actually want to teach again.

I'll try to update again soon this week, with more pictures too.

i've made it to week 4!!

Again, Im sorry for not updating this weekend. Im just waiting for things to slow down a little bit so I can finally feel like I can get some things down, but Im beginning to realize that I dont think that is ever going to happen...oh well! Things are going well though, despite this very busy week. I have spent the entire night since I got home working of interims and sub lesson plans. Tomorrow night is our first PTA meeting and Open House. Then I will be gone all day Wednesday for ELLA training, Im not even sure I remember what that stands for but it has something to do with Early Literacy. Then I will be out again on Friday because I have to go to Memphis to go to the dentist, but I am really looking forward to coming home for a few days! So this is another busy week.

My kids and I are still adjusting, I guess that is the best way to put it. Overall things are getting much better, but I think I can say that now because I myself, is actually getting used to teaching and to the routine. Its really weird, I still feel like this is something that I go do everyday, not really like its a job. I enjoy it, although some days my kids do drive me crazy and their are still many days when I just want to cry but I think Im finally getting used to being a teacher so that makes things easier. The whole transition into being a teacher is very differently that I thought it would be, and honestly I cant even say why. Student teaching and all the experiences I had at Harding were great, but I really believe that NOTHING can actually prepare you for having your own class. And as wonderful as Harding is, the kids you work with in that part of the state are TOTALLY different than the children I work with, but I wouldnt have it any other way, I love my kids! And they are mine, I guess thats part of the reason why I do love them...and its not always easily, trust me...some days I have to try really hard to love them!

Im going to try to put up some pictures from our Book Character Day parade. It was a lot of fun, the kids really enjoyed. Their mask turned out really cute. I posted the other day saying that we all dressed up as the girl in the Book, Bad Case of Stripes. Basically the story is about a girl who wakes up one morning covered in stripes! Its a cute book. So I actually painted my face and arms with stripes, I never thought I would do that, but all the other teachers were doing big things so I felt the pressure! I looked crazy of course, but my kids reaction was totally worth it!
We also have grandparents day this week...see, I told you it was going to be a busy week!

Overall things are good. I had one student transfer to another school and then 2 of my problem children were moved to another class, thanks goodness! So we are adjusting to our new class of 15, which is a good number I think!
I still keep thinking that im going to go back and start classes at Harding soon, but im not...its werid! But im loving life in Little Rock, Im thankful for my school and all the people I work with! If I didnt have such a great group at school, Im not sure I could handle the problems i've had! I dont really feel like I have much of a life anymore but I do get to see my favorite people :-) and if it wasent for them I may have never ended up staying in Little Rock.

A bad case of the stripes!

Im sorry for not updating over the 3 day weekend but I'll update tonight and this weekend, alots beeing going on!!

As I speak my kiddos are making mask for our favorite book character parade tom. We read David Shannons, A Bad Case of the Stripes and now we are making mask to wear tomorrow. They are cracking me up with the masks! I'll have to take pictures tom and put them up. And if you havent read that book, you should...its too funny!!

Oh, and to Amy Smart....thank you for your comment :-) and yes, i know myspace has a blog section, but I cant log into myspace from school, you know....they like to block some of our internet sites like the good ole days at HU!

i hate ants!

this will be a short update because I am really wanting to get in bed early. Well today, to sum it up...one of my children was suspended, another spent the whole day in the principals office and 3 others were removed from my room and spent the rest of the day with other teachers because they were so out of control in my room. And on top of everything else going on, my room has been taken over my ants!!!! That was actually my breaking point today believe it or not, I was holding it together until I saw the ants all over my bag and then came the tears! So I called my mother during lunch and told her I wanted to quit (for the 10th time im sure) and she of course told me I couldnt. The day got a little better and my fingers are crossed for tom!

Better late than never...

Im sorry Im just not updating but this last week has been a busy rollercoster!! I added a few pictures, since im just now finding out how to work this blog thing out so im not sure how the pictures are going to post so I couldnt really figure out how to add captions. But, you get the idea. There are a few from before and some of after. There is one I took this week, its of the kids from my class and my friend joannas class next door. We got out classes together and read the book chicka chicka boom boom and then we had all the kids color and cut out letters to decorate the big tree outside of our rooms and then we went out in the hall and sat under the tree and re-read the book, the kids loved it!

Well, week one! Well let me just start off by saying the first week of school was so much different than I thought it would be! One of the biggest things i've learned this week is no matter what I learned in college, experienced during student teaching etc...NONE of that can actually prepare you for your first day of school when you're sitting there with 18 little kids around you looking up to you to see whats going to happen next! Oh my goodness, im still trying to figure out this whole teaching thing and its still weird for me to think that this is my job. That these are my kids and will be for the entire year, and to them I am an adult and when I send letters home for their parents its actually real! But at the same time its pretty exciting bc it doesnt really feel like a job to me, its just something I get to wake up and do every morning. The first few days were pretty tough. I'm not going to lie. My first morning of teaching was so overwhelming, during the lunch break I walked into the room with my other first grade teachers and couldnt help but start crying, thank goodness I wasent the only one! But out of 5 days I only cried 3, and im sure tihs next week will be better. The first day was just rough, not that anything bad really happened but I think it was mostly overwhelming, I remember just sitting there thinking, what have I gotten myself into! I dont want to come back tomorrow, and is it too late to get out of this! Now looking back it was a little silly, im sure though some days I will feel like that again. But through out the week things got much better!

Let me just tell you a little about my class....I love them, but they are a handful!!! Oh my goodness, Im not just making things up, just so you know everyone thats come into my class has told me, "wow, you've got your hands full!" and do I ever!!!! I've got about 6 of them that will prob cause me to have no hair by the end of the year! I also have 4 ESL (English as a Second Language) kids which is a little difficult for me because I've never had any training before with ESL kids. I think this year is going to be a big challenge for lots of ways! But I know i'll make it!
I should be getting in bed soon, but hopefully I'll be able to update again soon. This week should be alot less stressful, I hope! I hope everyone has a good week!

im sorry for the lack of updates this week...needless to say, im not sure i have ever been more exhausted in my entire life. Things are going ok though, the first day was much harder than I thought it would be. I've got some pictures and lots to tell, just not tonight. Its 9pm and im going to bed! I promise I will update soon, if not tom or fri for sure this weekend.

P.S.

I know I said I was going to post pictures, and I really did have every intention of doing that. But when I got to school yesterday I took my camera out and realized I left my memory card at home, but dont worry i've already fixed that so I'll take plenty of pictures tomorrow and post them asap!

Twas the night before the first day of school

Im sitting here at my computer writing my first day of school letter that will go home with my kids tomorrow. We had to write one of these in college, so I pulled it out of a box and read it thinking it sounded great (afterall, I did get an A on it!) as I'm typing Im thinking that its a bunch of crap. I mean it does sound great but I was basically writing it because I wanted to get a good grade in school, now that Im actually typing it because Im going to send it home with my kids tomorrow, Im thinking it needs a lot of changes. One weird thing in all of this, I've talked alot about this with my parents and friends, is that i've spent a lot of time in student teaching and working with kids etc, but its all been doing it someone elses way. But now its the real deal! Its crazy to think that I actually have my own classroom, I have my own students and this letter that I'm typing is actually going to go home with my kids tomorrow and their parents will (hopefully) read it, so it needs to be important!

This afternoon my co-worker Joanna, who you will hear a lot about im sure, came over so we could work on lesson plans together for this week and pick out books to read etc. Joanna is such a blessing in my life right now! Its actually kinda funny how we've gotten to be such good friends the last 2 weeks. She is a brand new teacher as well and our classrooms are right next to each other. The more we got to talking when we first met, its kinda crazy how much we have in common...or really its a God thing. She is from a town close to where a lot of my moms family lives, she married a guy from Harding, she lived in Searcy this past spring and she student taught at the school I did my pre-student teaching at in Pangburn in the classroom right next to mine! Her husbands best friend and old roomate is my dads best friends son...does that sound confusing? One of the things I was worried about when starting to work was that I was going to work with a bunch of older ladies that I wouldnt have anything in common with, which made me very nervous because I wanted to have some close friends that I work with and I didnt want to be the only first year teacher. And not only did I get Joanna, there are 4 other first year teachers just in 1st grade!

I got a little sidetracked....Yesterday was our back to school back. I'll admit after working 2 weeks straight I didnt want to get up on Saturday and go to school, but it ended up being a good time. I only met about 4 of my students but the whole day just flew by and seemed very surreal. In some ways I feel like its hit me but then again yesterday just seemed like these kids were visiting, not like they are coming back on monday and are going to be in my class everyday until July! Yikes!!!

Things will be fine though. All my friends here are wonderful and supportive and im pretty sure if it wasent for them I would have never stayed in Little Rock and gotten this job, which Im feeling more and more like everyday is going to be a great first school for me to work at! I love life here and Im excited about starting this new chapter tomorrow and did I mention that this chapter starts very early, like Im going to be leaving my house at 6am! oh my goodness, my summer life of sleeping until 10am and laying by the pool all day is really over tomorrow. But thats ok, its a pretty good trade off. I just have to keep telling myself, as a teacher you only have one first day, ever!!!

Here it goes...

For years now I've hated the thought of blogs and here I am making one of my own...who would have thought?! So many big things have been happening the last few months and the last few weeks with the beginning of the school year right around the corner that I thought a blog might actually be a somewhat decent way to keep in touch with family and friends and keep you updated as I begin this journey of becoming a first grade teacher. Im not going to lie, ive had this job since June 18th and even though i've been attending meetings and working on my room the last 2 weeks it still hasent hit me. Is that bad? I mean considering the fact that school starts on monday!

I guess maybe I should back up a little, just in case some of you didnt hear how I got this job...
A few months ago I went in for an interview at Chicot Primary School in southwest Little Rock. After showing up 10 minutes late because I got SOOO lost, I had the shortest interview of my life: 15 minutes! I also thought it was the worst interview! I met with the vice principal and 2 other teachers, they asked lots of questions then gave me a writing prompt and told me to wait to meet with the principal. After talking with the principal for a few minutes she asked me if I could teach whatever grade what would it be. I responded with 1st and 2nd grade. Next she said that I looked like a first grade teacher and offered me a job!
Chicot Primary used to be Chicot Elementary but has been going through a lot of changes this summer. It used to be a PreK-5th grade school but now being a primary school it is PreK-2nd grade. And this just isnt any normal school, its a huge school! This year they will have over 700 kids between the ages of 4-7! The last few weeks getting to know a lot of the teachers, im starting to get excited about being a part of this new adventure for everyone, not just me being a new teacher. And thank goodness, I am not the only new teacher! There are 11 first grade teachers, 5 of which are first year teachers. I believe there are 6 PreK classes, 11 Kindergartens, and 10 2nd grade classes, so there are a lot of names to learn!

So, the last 2 weeks have been super busy attending meetings, meeting people, and oh yeah...trying to set up my classroom! I always knew being a first year teacher would be hard and there is a ton of stuff you have to get etc, but I honestly didnt think it was going to be like this! But suprisingly, Im loving it! Its been a lot of fun doing all of this and even though im really nervous and VERY overwhelmed and exhausted, Im getting excited and I know that this is what Im supose to be doing, although 1 or 2 times the last few weeks i've doubted my career choice! Im still working on organizing and setting up a few things but i'll take some pictures and post them soon with another update.

Thanks for all your support and encouagement...please keep it coming! Im sure there will be many stressful and overwhelming days to come but I also know there will be a lot more fun days!