School Supply Season

Its almost that time again, yes! I'm sure most of you have noticed that your local Walmarts and Targets are setting up for the new school year. When I was a kid, ok...actually this still applies to me...I used to love this time of year when everyone was getting ready to go back to school. Crazy, I know. I guess its a good thing I ended up a teacher!

This summer really has flown by though! I finished teaching summer school at the beginning of July, then escaped to the lake for the 4th of July and just a few days later left for my 2 week trip to Mexico and Belize. I've been home for about a week now, and still trying to adjust! Silly I know, but its so different being in another place, especially another country for two weeks its hard to come back home and just pick back up. In the mean time this last week was my first week of "summer break" where I was actually home and bored out of my mind! I know, I should enjoy my time away from work. But I guess I love my job more than I thought. I guess I could get used to it, but whats the point now! Only 2 weeks until I have to go back for professional development and one of those weeks I'll be in Dallas. I am excited for school to start back up and to meet my new class and see what this year will be like. Every year is so different so i'm excited to find out what this school year will hold!

Countdown to summer!

Alright, I know what most of you are thinking...its June 28th, isn't it already summer?! Technically yes. But for me, no. I've been teaching at and ESL camp for the last 3, almost 4 weeks and we finally have 3 days left, yay!! Its been a good experience for me and the money was just too good to pass up. But I'm definitely ready to sleep in and stay in my pjs until noon if I want :-)

Believe it or not, I miss my kids. I think I miss them more this summer than I did last. I just had such a great class this year. Of course, I did have alot of children that had a lot of issues and I did have my fair share of "crap" to deal with this year, but I miss them. Its almost like they really do become a part of me, or at least a part of my life and I just feel better when I get to see them everyday. When they're with me I know they are safe, well fed, loved, happy, and hugged on but when they're not with me I don't know what they're going through and if they're safe, etc. One of the little boys who was in my class is attending a different summer camp in our building and i've seen him alot. Whenever he sees me walking down the hallway he blows me kisses. Its seriosuly the sweetest thing ever.

In the meantime, its a busy week trying to finish up summer school, finishing taking things down in my classroom and get ready to be gone for a few weeks. I'm going to a friends wedding in Mexico and then go straight to Belize to meet up with the group from Highland. This will be my 8th trip to Belize, and i'm so excited. I get to go this year with my dad and my best friend, Bethany! So even though summer is almost here, I guess i'll have to wait a little longer for the whole sleeping late thing!

Memory Lane

Today I was home sick. And yes, I was actually sick. Strep...thanks to my kids and a sinus infection...thanks to allergies from living in the south and I guess genetics. With that said this is not a post related to teaching, my career etc...its just a random post. So, you've been warned.

While home sick today and bored out of my mind, I found myself searching through old photo albums and boxes with cards and letters. And wow, I may only be 24 but I feel like so many of those things were from a lifetime ago. A good chunk of things were from college, which is hard to believe that next week it will have been 2 years since I graduated! So much has changed since then. So much has changed in the last few months, let alone last few years! Looking through all of those pictures and things was just a big reminder of how different I am, how much I've changed. When you're in college you think you're so grown up, etc. But low and behold that's just the beginning of "growing up". I was such a different person then. I guess that's the beauty of getting older, you learn to appreciate the changes in your life and are able to look back and see where you came from. I guess its also makes me hopeful for the future. I would like to think that I've been hopeful and happy all these years, but I think part of that is learning that our definitions of hopeful and happy change along with us and that's ok to. Its ok to change and grow, its all a part of this little adventure we call life.

I say potato, you say potato

One of the biggest things I've learned in the last year and a half of teaching first grade is that first graders lose a lot of teeth. This really impacts their speech, most of them to the point where I can't understand them! Right now I have 6 children that are missing both of their front teeth. Honestly, those are my favorite smiles, the ones with no teeth. But its making it almost impossible to understand them!

But then I have the stubborn children who can speak perfectly fine but insist on saying things like pack pack...which really means backpack. The one I hate the most is "I gotta use it." This is usually how our conversation:
1st grader: "I gotta use it."
Miss. Wenner: "Use what?"
1st grader: "use IT"
Miss. Wenner: "Whats it?"
1st grader: "you know, it!"
Miss. Wenner: "No, I don't know what it is. Once you can tell me what it is, then I'll let you use it."
1st grader: "Miss. Wenner, I really really need to use it. I'm gonna pee on myself!"
Miss. Wenner: "Oh, do you need to use the restroom?"
1st grader: "Yeah...I need to use it!"
Miss. Wenner: "You need to use the restroom?"
1st grader: "no it"
Miss. Wenner: "We do not refer to the restroom as it. If you need to use the restroom, we say...Can I please use the restroom?"

Seriously, I swear to you that's how it goes every time with all of my kids. We have talked about this since the first day of school, and we are still saying "I gotta use it." Ughh...sometimes I think they keep doing it because they know it drives me nuts!

I may be the only one who has spring fever...that can't be a good thing when the teacher does before the kids!

"eww...look what I found in my ear!"

I really wish I was better at writing down all the crazy, funny, random things my kids come up with because there is never a dull moment in 1st grade! One of my little friends was "pulling" things out of his ear today...so we had a mini lesson on ear wax and why its important to clean our ears! He was also the one who came to school with his shirt on backwards today. Oh my goodness, I'll just add that to the list of things I didn't think I would have to teach!

Its been an interesting last few weeks, we have testing this week so we've been trying to cram in all those last minute things. As well as covering everything in our classroom. Every word, letter, number, etc must be covered. Its kind of funny that I spend weeks up here in the summer decorating the room and then it all has to be taken down or covered for 2 days of testing...ugh!

We are on the downhill slide for the school year, with only 8 weeks and 2 days left! I think I'm the only one keeping track...my kids haven't caught on yet :-) Its been a good year though, and its gone by so fast! I'm ready for summer. Although it looks like I may be teaching summer school for 4 weeks, its just too good to pass up $25/hr!

its been a while...

I honestly don't know why I thought I would actually be better this year at "blogging" but I guess that's just life, always busy!
Well here is a quick update on the last few months at school. We made it through the holidays and our much needed break. Getting back into the swing of things certainly was a lot easier this year than last. Enjoyed a few snow days, really most of them I wouldn't count as "snow" days but then again I'm not in charge so I don't make those calls. February marked the 100th day of school, which of course is a big deal in elementary school! And the usual Valentines Parties which at the time I threatened to boycott next year, mostly thanks to a few children in my class who thought out carpet need to be stained with pink and red cupcake frosting...lets just hope they actually shampoo the carpets this summer. Our school has been collecting plastic sacks as part of Walmarts recycling program. We had a contest among the grade levels for the month of February and my class (with the help of my parents and friends) brought it over 1,000 bags! Sadly, we did not win. Another class beat us by about 300. And here we are counting down the days until spring break...its 12 days just in case you were wondering! I have been better this year about taking picture so I'll try to add some later this week.

I can't believe its already March, this year really has flown by. As the end of the year is approaching I'm starting to get sad. Not because of my current kids moving on to 2nd grade...at least not yet. I'm getting sad that my kids from last year will be leaving Chicot. Our school only goes to 2nd grade so they will be moving on to the intermediate school next year. One of my girls from last year came up and found me this morning and was telling me she didn't want to go to 3rd grade, and I'm horrible for saying this but I told her I didn't want her to either! Of course I do want her to, but I'm just going to miss not being able to see them. Yes, it was not the perfect year, but those were my first group of kids, they will always special to me and I just feel like its not fair that I have to say bye to them yet.

Things have been so strange this year, so different from last year. In so many ways this year has been so much better but I guess there are just different struggles this year. So much has been happening the last few weeks with one of my kids. Lets call him Jay. This little boy has changed my life as a teacher this year...well him and so many others to be honest. But him I've been fighting for all year, since the very first day of school. Jay has several special needs, and to be honest hes not getting what he deserves, not from me! Lets just make sure that's clear. I really do feel like I am doing everything I possibly can for him. I have done everything that everyone has told me to do but yet I still feel like I'm stuck and it just SUCKS!! I think I've really learned this year what my job really means and that I really do have to be an advocate for these children. Now in Jay's situation of course there are a lot of other factors, but a big one is the school psychologist who just wants to say he doesnt have any problems when there is PLENTY of documentation that says he does. She has a reputation for doing this but its just not right. I honestly don't know how she sleeps at night. I've made a decision today though, I'm done being the nice little teacher...ok, well I'll still be the nice little teacher but i'm done just sitting there and not loudly voicing my opinion. It has to be done, I will fight this until the last day of school if I have to because its whats right, and whats fair for my kid.

Sometimes I think if people only knew what goes on in schools, school districts, etc they would be so shocked. I know I am and I work for the school district. I thought as educators we were supose to be changing the lives of these kids for the better. To love and teach them everyday, no matter what. Thats why I became a teacher. No one tells you how hards its going to be. Not in college, not in real life. I know, life is hard. Being a grown up...or becoming a grown up is hard. I know all jobs have their own struggles and problems. But as far as education and teaching is concerned, I can honestly say I had no idea it was going to be like this. Some days it really does suck. It is getting easier, but I really am thankful for all the teachers I've had in my life. I guess now I know what its like. But unless you've worked in a classroom and been in these type of situations you really have no idea what its like. No idea about the emotional, physical and mental stress that effects everypart of who you are. Just like I dont know the stress of so many other occupations out there. I am so thankful for my "teacher friends" they know what its like and without them I'm not sure what I would do. Oh, and let me just clear something up...dont say to any teacher that you know how easy his/her job is and comment about getting the summer off. Because I promise you if you tried to come and do my job for 1 day you would think differently. And for all the overtime we put in every single day, we deserve 2 months of summer. And usually there is professional development or meetings in the summer!

Well on a more personal note....haha, if this hasen't been personal enough. Which is really werid because I did not plan on "spilling my guts" like that ever in this blog. Its also kind of ironic today, as I was talking with our counselors I kind of started getting upset because we were talking and talking about this kid and I just couldn't help but tear up. One of them said, you should journal or workout or something to release all this stress. And I'm thinking...well I already go to the gym for a hour every afternoon! Yes, part of I guess you could call it my new years resolutuion or I just go because it really does help with my stress! So here is my journaling I guess. Back to the personal note....I've decided to stay in Little Rock for at least another year. Which is a change in plans since I had decided to move to Texas....lets just hope that is still in the near future.
I'm moving into a house with a friend from my Harding days, I'm really excited about the next year!

Now its almost 9pm, which most nights would be my bedtime....yes, I know. I really do miss the days of going to bed at 11pm and calling that early, but 5am comes too early for that. But tonight, is the 2nd night of the Bachelor after the final rose special...and don't even get me started on that!

Fingers crossed that I will get better with the updates! and pictures!