Next Years To Do and Not to Do A-M

I've been making a mental list the past few weeks of all the things that I want to change about next year. Things that I didn't see coming until they were flying up my nose with no way out. Just to make sure my lazy brain doesn't forget them over the summer, I've decided to keep the list here. Or at least start one. A-M to get me started and N-Z coming after I make it through the last day because I'm sure there will be more.

A. Limit and/or ban the use of markers: They only cause fights and have everyone trading away their crayons and no one ever having the right color when they need it.
B. Make students repeat back rules that they are breaking in an effort to make sure they know what they did wrong and how to fix it: I was good at this in the beginning but not so much anymore.
C. Make sure everyone is picking up after themselves. All the time. Every scrap of paper. Every napkin. Every snack wrapper. It's just polite and civilized.
D. On the same note, PUSH IN CHAIRS. Do you know how hard it is to walk through a classroom with 20 chairs blocking your every path?!? Fire hazard.
E. Do not tolerate it when kids pick on each other. I don't remember this being an issue when I was little, but I have 5 year old bullies telling each other their mothers, dads, and siblings are ugly. I don't even really know how it started but it's a lot harder to fix than prevent.
F. Keep scissors and glue in a separate location that is accessible but not readily accessible. This is something I've already done for this year but it will continue.
G. Don't let even one student do ANYTHING you don't want your entire class to be doing all at the same time.
H. Start working on "quiet, inside, working voices" on day 1. My class is LOUD. All the time. Being productive, but yelling. Whoops. The first grade teachers are going to hate me.
I. Repeat the expectations more. Lots more. Make them say them to me. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
J. Use transitions.
K. Watch out for table desecrators. Do you know how many of my tables are scratched? All of them. Sad face.
L. Make them take work papers home. Every day. No more shoving three weeks of finished work into a drawer the size of a notebook.
M. A tutorial and demonstration on "How to Clean Free Choice." Otherwise, it's an hour of my weekend. Boo.

Spring Has Sprung!

This bulletin board now brightens up our hallway and is a great reminder that more warm days are headed our way. Thanks Mom for the cute froggy border. It's hard to notice in a picture but it's 3-D! Very fun but maybe not worth the effort and extra time it took to put up. The third quarter is over and there are only 9 weeks left this year. Wow. Spring break is this week, but I don't really have any plans. I spent yesterday spending my tax refund on spring clothes and will try to do grades this afternoon. Then, it's back to school later this week to pack some things up and ready myself for the home stretch. Looks to be a relaxing and enjoyable spring break. 70 degree weather will probably help a little bit too.

Ag Expo

On Wednesday, we took the students to the HS FFA Ag Expo. Since I recently had a student look at a picture, point, and then ask, "Is that a cow?" you might say that I was looking forward to it and the chance for my students to experience a little of what I love. Of course, they thought it smelled bad and the tractors were boring but they quickly warmed up to the idea when they saw the animals. We learned about dirt and made some dirt cake, rode pedal tractors, and petted horses, chicks, piglets, goats, sheet, and a bull. They probably could have stayed to pet the animals all day if we had let them but we only stayed an hour.

Funny!

Let me set the scene: Student walking down the hallway with his book bag over his face. I ask him about three times to put it down so that he doesn't trip and fall on his face but he keeps holding it up and peeking over the top. Finally, he gets close enough for me to realize that he is crying. At this point, I stop him and pull him aside.

Me: What's wrong? What happened?
Student (Crying and sniffling): My mom's going to sell me!
Me: What? Why?
Student: She's going to sell me. She is.
Me: Who told you that?
Student: My mom. She said she was going to sell me.
Me: Tell me what happened.
Student: She said she was going to sell me. We were getting ready and she said she had to sell me.
Me: Your mom loves you. I think she was probably kidding.
Student: NO. She really is going to sell me.
Me: I think your mom just wanted you to hurry up and she didn't really want to sell you. You know your mom loves you right?
Student (tearfully): Yes. Mmm mm.
Me: Okay, then it's okay. You'll be okay and she isn't going to sell you. I promise.
Student: Yeah. Okay. Okay.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"I'm not white! . . . . . . I'm tan!? Right Ms. Lock?" Hmm.

It's not nice to pinch people! That's what I kept saying but it seems like this funny green holiday creates exceptions to standard rules.

I probably wouldn't have posted today except for the story I have to tell because it's just to good to leave for the weekend. As I was coming down the hall with my arms full of papers during my prep, I see the principal and custodian talking about a stopwatch and I realize that they are getting ready to do a "surprise" fire drill. We knew there would be one sometime this week just not when. I stand in the hall and help the music teacher with the other K class since they are transitioning from music to PE. I see that my class is sitting in the gym and figure they'll meet us out there. When my class doesn't immediately come out the door, I go back in and look through the little square window into the gym to see if for some reason they are still in the gym. I don't see them and assume they went out on the other side of the building. There is a sub so I just figured she didn't know what door to use. I went back outside until we are told to go back in and didn't think any more about it. THEN, I pick up the kids from music and they tell me that they were "keeping our heads safe from the tornado" during PE. AHHH! My students all "DIED." The substitute didn't know the difference between a fire alarm and tornado bell so she kept the students in the gym thinking it was some kind of lockdown. The craziest thing was that no one even noticed! An entire class was left in the school during a "fire" and I was the only one who noticed they were missing and even I didn't realize that they were actually not outside just that I wasn't sure where they were. We were only outside for about a minute so I guess no one was too concerned about actually checking for everyone but still. My class is metaphorically dead. Good job new teacher.

Weekly Wrap: March 8-12

On Thursday, one student asked me, "Do we come to school tomorrow?" Yes, we do. Crazy but we actually have to come for 5 days and learn something each day. I for one am glad to be back to "normal" even if it's a little more tiring. Let's finish this year off going full throttle. I'm ready. Go.

Monday-Friday: I can't think of anything eventful and post worthy that happened this week. The most exciting part was the beautiful weather that allowed for extra recess bribery a couple of days. : ) Nothing like the promise of extra recess to get those kiddos in ship shape in a matter of seconds. Even after the rain rolled in, it stayed dry enough for our regular recess at lunch. I'm still trying to get them to pay better attention and listen a little more attentively but I'm pretty sure that's just going to be a theme for the rest of the year so not much to add their either. Keep on keeping on as they say.

The construction plans for this summer are going to create a bit (read a lot) of havoc the closer it gets to the end of the year. At this point, we may not even have access to our rooms over spring break as they start some of the projects. It hasn't happened for us yet but we might even have to vacate our rooms (with students) for a day or two while school is still in session to allow them to start a few things. Don't really know how that will work out but I'm pretty sure it won't be pretty. Therefore, I'm taking advantage of these "slow" weeks to jam pack as much in as possible before things really get interesting. I'm sure there will be lots to post about as the time gets closer.

Fifty on Friday!

I'm not actually sure that the temp hit 50 today but it felt about right so we'll just go with it. Sunshine is a pretty great mood booster.

My evaluation went fine. Not much to say about it. The biggest thing he wants from me is my wish list for next year; : D Since their not cutting staff, they'll be taking out just about any and all "extra" spending money so I'm to request it while I can and be surprised by what I get. The hardest part will be deciding because there is just soooo much stuff. Luckily since I'm new, I get first choice. Ooh lala.

Today was also the last time that I got to skip what everyone else was doing for the SIP day and spend my time with the Literacy Coach learning about Gretchen Courtney with the other new teachers. It wasn't always the most interesting and engaging part of the day but it was always useful and applicable. Which is all you can really hope for in a school improvement day so you won't find me complaining. Now, I'll have to spend my SIP afternoons smiling and nodding . . . and being Facebook blocked. Perhaps there are more blog updates in my foreseeable future. : P