MOVING

     Earlier this year, my principal sent out an email asking everyone where they would like to be next year, and if they were happy where they were at.  I replied that I was happy teaching 3rd grade Math/Science, and would like to stay in my current position.  Sadly, my position ended up being eliminated thanks to the cost-cutting measures of my district:  Let's make a combo class out of 3rd and 4th grade and cut a teacher.   The hardest part is putting 3rd and 4th graders together in one room, and still requiring the teacher to teach EVERYTHING the state and district says they have to know to both sets of kids, AND still expect both sets of kids to pass the STAAR (which is actually five different STAAR tests between the two grades).  It will be very difficult for the students and the teachers.

     So where am I to go?  I was told I was moving to 3rd grade Dual Language, where I would teach 3 classes of Math, and one class of English Writing.  This idea was not very exciting to me.  Sure, it would have been an easier year with a lot less prep.   But once you're in Dual Language, it's hard to go back to Regular Program because they have spent money training you for the position.  I have a Masters Degree in Science Education, so the thought of never teaching Science again was actually depressing!   But, I love my school and need a job, so I figured I'd just have to go with it.

No more Science for me??

     Then Friday happened.  Friday, Friday, crazy Friday.  The district got involved and said some changes had to be made, so some major changes were made.  We were originally supposed to have 6 Pre-K classes next year, thanks to the Universal Pre-K program our district has started (hence the massive construction going on at my school.)  Later they came back and said we only get 4 Pre-K classes due to numbers, but on Friday they said only 2, although we know it will be more than that by August because of late enrollment.  This caused a lot of movement among the teachers.  Some good, some strange, and some downright terrible.  It was a rough day for a lot of teachers. Some who were told they could stay in their current spot have to change grades, some who were told they were moving to one grade are now moving to another grade, and one very dear friend has to be moved to the "surplus" list until a position can be found for her.  It was a bad day.

     For me, however, things turned out ok!  I wasn't expecting this change, but now I welcome it!  I am going back to First Grade!  First Grade is my first love.  I taught First Grade for 12 years.  My last year in First was the crazy 1/2 combo class and I needed a change after that.  I went to 3rd grade Math/Science for the past 2 years.  I believe that First Grade is the hardest grade to teach.  Yes, 3rd grade has the STAAR test and the extreme pressure of that, but team teaching means you can focus on just a few subjects, which is really nice.  First Grade not only teaches all subjects, but is the core of helping a child learn to read.  Teaching a child to read is a skill that will last a lifetime.  It is a privilege and an honor to teach a child to read.  It is also a lot of very hard work!

    I am looking forward to the new year.  I met my new team (which is also partly my old team) at school on Saturday and we will work very well together, so that is good.  Someone has already offered to take me on a shopping spree to Mardel's!  New classroom needs new, fun things!  It's going to be a busy summer getting back into the First Grade Life.

 

MEMORIAL DAY

In March, I had the opportunity to visit Washington DC.  While we saw many incredible and wonderful things during our trip, the War Memorials and Arlington National Cemetery were sobering.  The theme of our trip was "Freedom is not free". 

Today we remember and honor the fallen. You are not forgotten.

   

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."  John 15:13 NIV

REMODEL 2

The first week of the big master suite remodel looks like it went pretty well!  The new vanity has arrived, just in time to pick out matching tile for the bathroom and hardwood floor for the bedroom!

The new vanity will actually hang from the wall instead of standing on the floor!  

Here is what it will look like when it's ready.

The old toilet is being replaced with a new touchless toilet!  Just wave your hand over the sensor and it will flush itself!  How cool!

The floor is ready for new tile, which will be picked up today!  

Things are moving right along at home!  

FIELD DAY

Today was Field Day!  Ok, today was supposed to be Field Day, but the thunderstorms had other ideas.  We are unable to reschedule it for several reasons, the main one being there is rain in the forecast for the next ten days.  So Field Day was cancelled.  The children were understandably disappointed, the teachers were less so...  This year's Field Day was already a logistical challenge due to our school construction projects.  It was already planned to be half inside and half outside so there was no way to make it all inside.  So, we went to plan B.

Plan B was to return to our regular schedule. I didn't have regular Math and Science lessons ready, so I figured I could use the time to catch up on Social Studies and Health.  Sadly, that didn't happen.  We did watch a Brainpop Jr. Video on the parts of a computer to get some tech instruction in!  My morning class needed to finish their rough drafts of their big Writing project for their ELA teacher. It worked out great!  It kept them occupied for awhile!  We also went to the Library for a Digital Citizenship class.  My afternoon group fared a little better in fun. They enjoyed making Cootie Catchers on the basic food groups for Health (something I had found at Mardel's for 90% off!), and read our Science Magazine for May.  After a long indoor recess, we let the kids relax with a movie: Muppets from Space (my favorite muppet movie, which is also rated G!)  I loved hearing the students laugh out loud!  It is a pretty funny movie!

There were several more crazy things that happened today, but I'll spare you my rant on the slowness of multiple bodily fluid cleanups in elementary schools...  ;)

I am really looking forward to this holiday weekend, though I can't believe today is only Thursday.  There was enough craziness in today that it should have been Friday!  Oh well, one more day to go and then a 3 day weekend!
 

REMODEL DAY 1

My school is currently under construction, so why not my house too?  Today was Day 1 of the master bedroom and bathroom remodel (aka The Mother-in-Law Suite, or M's Girl Cave, or Grandma's Room).  We have the best contractor ever!  Ok, I might be a little biased seeing as how he's my uncle, but he's still the best!  Uncle K and M have some very creative and exciting ideas to transform these rooms!  I took some "before" pictures: 

The first day of the remodel was a busy one!  Here's one view:

It's going to be an interesting 4-5 weeks around here!  I'm looking forward to seeing how it progresses and how it all turns out!

SATURDAY

I love Saturdays!  I love being able to sleep in a little, spend time with family, and spend time at home!

However, I didn't get to sleep in today.  I woke up just after 6:00am worried about the class lists that I needed to type up and email to my principal.  I've been fretting over these lists for weeks now.  My team and I have talked, fretted, emailed, texted, and worried about these class lists like no other year.  Every once in a while (maybe once a decade even), the stars align and you just get a group of kids who do not mix well, a group of kids with many big personal issues.  This is that group. To make matters worse, my district will not allow class sizes of 16 and 17 next year, so we have to create a combo class to ensure at least 22 in a classroom. If you've followed my blog awhile, you may be aware that I taught a 1st/2nd grade combo class two years ago. Because of the way it's done in my district, I wouldn't wish that on anyone, no teacher or student. So my heart is already heavy for my students with their big issues, and now they will receive a poorer education because some will be in a 3/4 combo class, and some will be in a regular class with too many kids with big needs and not enough staff to help them.  So, I got up early, typed up the lists, and emailed them out to my team for proofing. After a bevy of emails back and forth, and a few phone calls, we agreed on a final draft.  None of us are happy about it, but it's the best we can do given the limitations of staffing.  We pray that either we get a lot more 3rd and 4th graders to enroll to justify hiring another teacher, or that our district will see how ridiculous it is to have a combo class in two testing grades (that's five STAAR tests between the two grades!).

Then it was time for some fun!  My family and I went to a birthday party at Putt Putt Golf and Games!  We had a great time!!

Afterwards, we stopped in at my school.  On a Saturday?? Yes!  I had four empty boxes in my trunk so my goal was to pack four boxes in my classroom today!  Mission accomplished!

When I got home, I doubled checked and then emailed the final draft of the wretched class lists and did my lesson plans for next week.

Then it was time for birthday party #2: Nerf War!  The kids had a great time!

 I still have some things to do in my teaching bag, but it's just not going to get done this weekend!  I'm taking a break tomorrow!  I need some rest!

THREE MORE WEEKS??!!

Part of me can't believe there are just three more weeks of school!  The other part of me can't believe we still have three more weeks of school!  It's a crazy time!

This afternoon my students were so crazy, arguing and yelling at each other for the most ridiculous reasons.  After I calmed them down and sorted through some of the drama (like why a student would choose today to call two girls "robbers" because one borrowed his pen several days ago, and had already returned it, was beyond me, but those girls were sure upset about it!), I looked around the room in a moment of panic and thought "Oh no, is it not really Friday??  I can't do this again tomorrow!"  Then I relaxed when I remembered that it really was Friday.  I was going to make it out of this classroom alive today, though probably without my sanity, but I would get out!  And I made it!

I have a very challenging group of students this year, with a lot of emotional baggage.  It is exhausting to wade through on a daily basis.  I wish I could wave a magic wand and make all of their outside troubles disappear, which would make our classroom a pleasant and happy place.  But I keep on.  I keep on caring about them, keep on trying to get them as much help as I am able, keep on trying to get them ready for 4th grade...

Very true!

I am also packing my classroom very slowly, one box a day.  I will miss my large classroom with lots of storage (built in the early 2000's), to move into a much smaller classroom built in the 1950's.  I've moved classrooms 4 out of 5 years at this school, so moving really isn't a big deal anymore.  I guess I was really lucky to stay in the same room for the past two years!

Ok, my classroom doesn't really look like this anymore.  It's so clean and neat in this picture!  Right now it's a huge mess!  But this is how I will remember it!   Only three more weeks!

THE RIVER

When I pack up my classroom for the summer, I usually play a Garth Brooks CD while I work. I've done this for years now. I don't listen to country music regularly, but something about his music gives me the energy and motivation to pack and prep for summer!

Garth Brooks- Blame It All On My Roots

I was taken by surprise when the counselor came in to do a guidance lesson on making good choices, and her entire lesson was based on the lyrics to Garth Brooks' "The River".  I seriously doubt any of my students had ever heard of Garth Brooks before that day, and very few of them have probably ever heard country music at all.  But the lesson actually went very well!  The students were unusually attentive, and seemed to enjoy the vocabulary lessons that went with the discussion of the song (vessel, rapids, etc...). When I mentioned that I had the CD at home, they asked me to bring it.  It was nice to play the song again the next day and hear the students discuss the meaning behind it and how they need to make good choices to have a long and happy life.  (Necessary conversation in a community where not all kids finish high school due to gangs, drugs, crime, etc...). We've had this conversation before, but using music made it more meaningful.

Now that the Garth Brooks CD is at school, I was motivated to pack 3 boxes today!  Ok, so there's still 26 days left of school and I really don't want boxes all over the place, but I had my motivational music on, so why not get started!  3 boxes down, and plenty more to go. I've moved classrooms so often, it's not a big deal to move anymore.  Though someday it would be nice to stay in one classroom again.  But until then, I have my Garth Brooks CD to motivate me!

The River by Garth Brooks

You know a dream is like a river

Ever changing as it flows

And a dreamer's just a vessel

That must follow where it goes

Trying to learn from what's behind you

And never knowing what's in store

Makes each day a constant battle

Just to stay between the shores and

I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Like a bird upon the wind

These waters are my sky

I'll never reach my destination

If I never try

So I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Too many times we stand aside

And let the waters slip away

'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow

Has now become today

So don't you sit upon the shoreline

And say you're satisfied

Choose to chance the rapids

And dare to dance the tide, yes

I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Like a bird upon the wind

These waters are my sky

I'll never reach my destination

If I never try

So I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

There's bound to be rough waters

And I know I'll take some falls

But with the good Lord, as my captain

I can make it through them all, yes

I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Like a bird upon the wind

These waters are my sky

I'll never reach my destination

If I never try

So I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Yes, I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

'Til the river runs dry

Songwriters

Shaw Victoria Lynn; Brooks Troyal Garth

Published by

UNIVERSAL MUSIC-MGB SONGS