The Caffeinated Teacher

More DDI Stuff

2012-02-13T22:11:00.000-05:00

I know I have mentioned my absolute obsession with DDI recently (if you haven't heard of it, you've either not read my blog or you've been living under a rock....or both *wink*). I'm not sure if I'm mentioned that DDI is actually being prominently featured in my E4 for National Board.

Last week when I went to the most recent workshop, one of the suggestions was a "We ROK" display....and I had to run with it. I had my intervention group do some work with it today just to try it and tacked it up after school. It's messy but they thought it was awesome and fun.

I'm featuring my DDI strength/target board, my new We ROK display and our data binders/personal training folders as part of my evidence (the student growth data is just the icing on the cake). I'm super excited.

Fall 2011 DDI Strength/Target Board

Winter 2012 DDI Strength/Target Board

We ROK DDI Vocabulary Display

(totally a work in progress)

I wish I could get it so it wasn't as blurry on the cards...but oh well.

I forgot to take pictures of a couple of our personal training folders and that reminded me that I wanted to do a big post about our Data Notebooks. Not gonna happen in the next couple of days that is for sure. The Husband forbid me from working tomorrow night. He's taking me to Olive Garden for Valentine's. Not the most romantic place ever but it's where I wanted to go. Just a few hours away from the house, school work and National Board will be nice.

I soooo covet Friday. My first Personal Day of the year. I can not wait. I need it.

Sunday Blahs

2012-02-12T16:12:00.002-05:00

I am reminded why I never bothered to do a giveaway before. Very few entries for a blog that has over 200+ readers and neither of my winners emailed within the time frame. *head desk* I shouldn't be sad because really I just saved myself some dough since no one stepped up to claim their prizes....but sheesh, how do people do this all the time? I have WAY better things to do. (Sorry, I know that sounds uber bitchy but for Pete's Sake...ya try to be nice and all.....)

Anywho, today has been more like a Monday than a Sunday. The kidlets and I headed out to pick up Valentine stuff and some more goodies for my prize basket since it has been looking considerably lame lately. We did pretty good. I ♥ Dollar Tree for that kind of thing. The kids are excited about the small gifts and it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg! I got googley eye Valentine's for my class, Valentine pencils for each of them and a couple new ink pads for myself.

For my prize basket I picked out a whole bunch of little stuff: little lined notepads, small mechanical pencils, two pencil bags, bookmarks, some bigger notepads with a pen included, a couple of flip notebooks (can you tell these kids are crazy for notebooks??) and some big erasers. They will be excited I'm sure, especially since we forgot to draw our bingo winners on Friday! It'll make Monday a little more bearable!

We headed over to Office Max next since I am part of the MaxPerks for Teachers and had a rewards coupon. Sadly when I got there I noticed my back tire was flat. Like I have time for that kind of nonsense when I need to be National Boarding! Fortunately The Husband just added Roadside Assistance to our plan since I have never changed a tire in my life (and don't plan to start). I just had to call a number and wait a bit and some nice man came and fixed it. Turns out there was a huge pin stuck in the tire. Lovely. Thank you Roadside Assistance for saving me about $60 today!

I stopped at Bed Bath and Beyond to buy straw lids for my Tervis Tumblers because I am convinced everything tastes better through a straw and it took forever to get through the checkout. I, of course, got into the line that had someone ahead of me with a huge issue. 15 minutes later, I finally checked out and was outta there. Took the youngin's to McDonald's because it was nearly 3 and none of us had eaten lunch. I decided I really don't want to leave my house again today. I'm kind of afraid to with the luck I've had!!!

I need to get going on my National Board work that I wanted to finish up today. Plus The Husband wants me to go grocery shopping with him after he gets home from work. Ugh.

The only positive thing I realized is that I have Friday as a personal day (to work on my NB) and the 20th is a no-kid day....so that was super smart on my part, even if I didn't realize it when I scheduled that day. It will allow me to get back on track and breathe a bit without panicking. Too much to do, not nearly enough time to do it all in.

I just hope I am still sane by June.

Giveaway Winners!!

2012-02-11T09:49:00.001-05:00

Good morning Fabulous Friends! Sorry I did not post my winners last night. Truth be told, I was asleep by 8:30 and the giveaway was the last thing on my little mind! Conferences kind of do that to ya. Who ever thought 8 extra hours at school in a week with no day off was fair? Sheesh! *wink*

At any rate, I'm so happy to announce my TWO winners...(in case you missed my reminder, I had so few entries on a blog with over 240 followers I decided to give away two sets of the stamps because I am FABULOUS =)

Congratulations ladies!!! Send me an email at sunnie1978 (at) gmail (dot) com by 10 a.m. tomorrow to claim your prize :)

Giveaway reminder!!

2012-02-10T18:11:00.001-05:00

I don't know where the text of my giveaway post disappeared to -- it was there and now it isn't. Fortunately all of the comments still show up so head on over there and enter to win! The odds are fan-freaking-tastic....and because I can, I am going to give away TWO sets of the stamps since I have 244 followers and only 20 entries thus far.

Post by 8 p.m. EST tonight to enter to win!!

A Wacky Wednesday

2012-02-09T05:53:00.001-05:00

I have had to kind of instill a little bit of "2nd Grade Boot Camp" in my class recently because my kids still just NEVER shut up. Ever. So, I had to kind of put my "mean face" on...they hate that. But sadly it is the only thing that gets through to them. :( It makes me sad because I don't think I should have to threaten children to get them to do the right thing. I don't yell at them all day or anything but I have to be way stricter than I have ever had to be with any class....and I have had some super rough classes. *sigh*

I like my class a lot this year. But they talk too much and they are lazy. There are about 5 who actually TRY on a daily basis. The rest have already learned that someone else will think for them and so they don't try much. It's very frustrating and upsetting. Especially since they are only 7 and 8!!!

Mrs. Principal basically told us all at our staff meeting on Monday that only one teacher in our whole building is following MiBLiSi because her class is PERFECT...and the rest of ours aren't. Now, no offense to the teacher in question, who does, indeed, rock the house. She's on the first floor, 15 steps from everything and has a bathroom in her classroom (as does the entire first floor). So there are not a lot of opportunities for those kids to be in the hallway and get up to no good with no supervision. Mrs. Principal went on and on about how we're not positive enough, there are too many referrals, blah blah. Morale went right down the toilet.

And before you wave your hand in the air with a snap and say, "Oh, NO she didn't." I assure you that she did. And I can count on one hand, with fingers left over, the number of times she has ever praised ME and I've been there 18 months. Yet she's going to tell us that we have to have 5:1?! People left that meeting in tears...in my mind, an administrator is supposed to pick you up, bring you together and make you feel like a team. Not tear you down and pit you against each other which is basically what she did.

It's been an uber long week anyway since we had conferences Tuesday night and will have them tonight also. Plus a doctor appointment yesterday and then this cloud of her negativity hanging over us. It is SO wrong. Although Mrs. Literacy Coach who is helping me with our research unit told me yesterday that she LOVES how I push my kids to the rigor of the curriculum. She also said she KNOWS that my colleagues don't do that. I wanted to do a fist pump but I thought that might be just a wee bit too self-congratulatory. :)

And don't forget about that giveaway!! Odds are so good right now...only 19 entries at this point! So c'mon over and check it out!

DDI Love

2012-02-06T20:35:00.001-05:00

Today, I got to spend my morning with Kathleen, the DDI guru. Now Kathleen is my pseudo BFF. Seriously. She RAWKS it. Even more than I do. I ♥ her. I am only slightly obsessed with all things DDI. Earlier this year, I even said "please just hire me". (And after school today during our staff meeting, Mrs. Principal said "who likes data?" and I honestly said "I do!")

At any rate, it is always fun to go to her workshops because she just GETS IT. What was even better about today was that a bunch of folks commented on my last post asking me more about DDI. So I teased her that she's going to owe me a commission. She again said she was looking to hire some folks to be the Michigan base for her company and I (very boldly -- and probably a little too bluntly) said, "You mean me. Forget all those others, just me." Fortunately she has a sense of humor!!

I am totally NOT a DDI expert but I know it works when you use it. How do I know? Well because last year I had a kiddo jump 42 points on his MAP test after implementing these strategies (typical growth for him would have been about 15 points). This year so far I've had jumps as high as 15, 17, 19, 20 and 24 points and it's only halfway through the year. Plus, it's easy to implement.

I had a couple of comments/questions about DDI since I posted my strength/target board:

The board has to be updated to reflect our new areas but I will try to answer the questions as best as I can. Again, I am NOT an expert, I just know what works for me.

Tara asked: What kind of fillers do you do that you were talking about?

The beauty of DDI is the range of activities available that aren't just "more work". The kids LOVE them. There are cue cards which provide teachers with ideas in each goal area to implement throughout the curriculum (ie. in the narrative genre, you might ask about character). The ROK cards are vocabulary that is common on the MAP test that the students need to be familiar with in order to be successful. Then there are my personal favorites the target tabs and the quick shots. I use the target tabs mostly during guided reading or social studies (since we have texts for both of those). It's basically targeting strategies from all of the goal areas and finding them in text. I usually select a skill/strategy from each goal area (99% of the time when we do them, we do 4 so we get one from each major area). Sometimes we only focus on 1 or 2 skills. The quick shots are short activities that you can stop reading and quickly do (hence the name). I use the ROK cards a lot for fillers. My kiddos have data binders and at the back we have a DDI Personal Training area. All of their DDI work goes there, including their goal and progress sheets (I promise I will do a big post about our data binders and the Personal Training folders soon!). We also have ROK review sheets in there and when we have a bit of extra time we'll do one or two vocab words.

I can not show all of this stuff at this time because I need to ask Kathleen if it is okay with her for me to put it here. I have to respect her work!

Jodi from the Clutter-Free Classroom asked me if I find the board (pictured above) to be useful after mentioning that she is not allowed to post data boards due to confidentiality. Let me point out that this board does NOT violate confidentiality. Not really. No numbers are posted. The colors represent the goal strands as identified by the MAP test (in K-2 there are 6 areas, but I only use 5 because I don't count writing; in 3-5 there are 4 areas). Every child has a strength area, which is identified by the goal strand where their score was the highest. Every child also has a target area, which is identified by the goal strand where their score was the lowest. Earlier this year Kathleen pointed out that teacher discretion is needed because you really have to ask yourself what you would want to help this child with if you had 10 minutes 1:1 in which to do it. That may or may not match the actual target the test identified. At any rate, since the color codes exactly match the colors of standard sentence strips (bonus!), I simply write each child's name on their two colors and post them under the smile for strength and the target for their target. This board is HUGELY helpful because I am facing it all day and thus I can simply glance up at it and know what kinds of questions to pose to which children based on their target or strength. For example, if you were my student and your target was in Phonics, I might direct a phonics question at you throughout our teaching. It's just something you add into the discussion. It's quite seamless once you do it a bit. I also like it because I teach my students that if Mrs. Sunny is busy and they need some help with anything we're doing with DDI, they can always find someone whose strength matches their target. (ie if my target is phonics, I can look at that board and know that Student X's strength is phonics and I can go to them for help).

That big ole blue bulletin board next to my strength/target board has been empty most of the year because I haven't figured out what to put there. (My student work goes in the hall.) Well one of the handouts today suggested a "We ROK" board for displaying some of our ROK card stuff. BRILLIANT. So that is what is going up on that board starting next week!

I am such a complete and utter nerd about this stuff. I just love it. Love.It. Plus, it has energized my teaching to see my students' scores so up SO much in only half a year and knowing that I can thank Kathleen and DDI for a lot of that.

P.S. Have you entered my giveaway?? C'mon, it'll be fun. Right now the odds are freaking amazing!

A Peek into My Teaching Life

2012-02-05T18:35:00.001-05:00

Bah! How is it already Sunday night?! How is it that I spent a lot of time decompressing and now am a wee bit scared of the amount of work ahead of me?? Oops!

I was out of my classroom last Wednesday and had the worst sub on the planet. I mean, it was bad. My kids are good little guys, but if you put someone weak in front of them, they're going to act up. They're kids. When I have a strong sub, the kids do a great job and make me proud.

Well my team and I "plan" on Wednesdays after school. (You did notice the quotes there, right?) Basically they always make sure their specials are together and whomever happens to team with them gets the short end of the stick. I don't really care because I can hold my own. They plan during their mutual specials and I just show up after school with a plastic smile, pretend to listen and then do my thing. I have said this many times this year -- I refuse to dumb down curriculum. RE-FUSE.

So I knew it was pointless to go back to school after my full day meeting to "plan". They just sent the plans to me via email, which they always do anyway. It's February and I am still dumbfounded that they aren't doing any science or social studies. None. Absolutely zero. I have found a way to squeeze it in a bit here and there (30 minutes of each weekly -- it isn't perfect but it's better than nothing and a lot of our academic Friday stuff is centered around those areas even though the kids don't realize it). As I was writing my lesson plans today, I looked at what they sent me and just shake my head. They still aren't using DDI. Every single one of my SSR lessons ends with something with DDI. I also take 5-10 minutes throughout the week to do ROK cards or other activities as fillers. It's fun and the kids love it AND it is academic!

Interestingly, on Tuesday, when our principals were out at a meeting, the reform specialist did a walk-through. I guess Mrs. Principal was PISSED that she did it without her and it was a "pop-in". I actually taught with her when she was still in the classroom in the last long-term job I did before I got hired full-time. She came in and looked around my room and made some notes. She paid particular attention to my DDI board:

Above the chart are cards that show the goal area by color code and each student has a card under the smile for their strength area (highest score) and their target (lowest score).

Note that neither of my 2nd grade colleagues have anything regarding DDI up in their rooms. Even though it has been a district expectation since September 2010. I could not help but smiling to myself in knowing that Mrs. Reform Specialist isn't going to have anything to critique in MY room. I have tried, multiple times, to help my grade level team implement this stuff and they are always too busy or too overwhelmed or blah blah. Well, whatever. If I can have the worst emotional episode of my entire life and still manage to do my job, then they should be able to implement this stuff too!!

I wish I could share some pics of the kiddos from the museum trip on Friday. It was so fun to watch them be so excited and curious!!

Here's the tree that Mrs. CT gave me. Those little hearts have writing prompt starters on them. I think for Fun Friday this week, we are going to make Conversation Hearts and put them on our tree since we really don't have extra time right now to do the prompts.

Here's a science activity that we did. We've been (very slowly) studying the parts of plants since I can only fit in such a short amount of science each week. We did not have the time or resources to actually grow plants right now, so we made them instead! Each student got two plastic spoons, a yellow napkin for the flower and a green napkin to make leaves. I hung these in the hall. I LOVE how they turned out and how creative the children were in their designs.

All of this coupled with the fact that all but two of my kids really DID make growth on the MAP shows me that I am doing something right! I do miss big 4th and 5th grade kids but I could totally stay in 2nd grade as well. They are fun, they are cute and no stupid MEAP test!!!

Redemption!

2012-02-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

Due to my uber psychotically emotional week, I have not looked at National Board anything since last Saturday. I had mentioned earlier this week that I pulled up data and all of my high readers had gone backwards. I was so disappointed because we have worked so hard.

Well there must've been another data update because I just pulled up a copy since one of my E4 accomplishments is my work with DDI and the MAP test. As I was figuring growth (or lack thereof!), I was startled to see that, in fact, none of my kids went backwards. Not even one!! I had two flatliners. They didn't go up or down but everyone else made growth! My average growth last school year from fall to spring was 14 points. This year, just from fall to winter, my average growth is just under 10 points! For half a year!!!

Can I just brag about how flippin excited I was to see that my high kids did not, in fact, get dumber being in my class?! :) They will be relieved because we're doing Student-Led Conferences and based on that preliminary data that we had last week, some were quaking in their boots thinking about how they were going to explain to their parents that they went backwards.

I can't WAIT to tell them the good news!

500th Post & A Giveaway!!!

2012-02-04T15:03:00.003-05:00

Finding my way

2012-02-03T19:47:00.001-05:00

Sorry if I freaked anyone out with my uber cryptic post on Wednesday. This week has just been very emotional, draining and rough. I unburdened myself from some things I have kept buried inside me for 20+ years. With the guts to finally tell everyone the truth, there comes more emotional baggage and hurt.

I called my therapist, whom I haven't seen since April, and told her I needed to see her. She squeezed me in last night and did a session of Auricular Acupuncture (acupuncture in the ear). It takes about 45 minutes. I was so relaxed by the end of the session that my hands were numb. I spilled the beans to her too, probably because I was so calm.

As it is, it is nothing I am willing to put out there in a forum such as this, but know that I will survive. I will have these emotional meltdowns every now and then. I just have to work through them.

I am taking comfort in knowing that I no longer want to climb out of my own skin or pull out my hair. I will hopefully be back to my super Sunny self soon.

Depression

2012-02-01T19:29:00.001-05:00

I am having an episode. I want to rip out my hair. I want to scratch my skin off. I want to cry.

I feel like I'm not good enough. I feel like I am never going to get ahead and be good again. I feel like I am barely treading water and am about to drown.

I did not feel like this yesterday. Or even this morning.

Depression is real and it sucks. And it does not just go away. :(

We're almost halfway there!

2012-01-31T20:54:00.002-05:00

Can't believe tomorrow is Wednesday! I also can't believe that tomorrow is February 1st! It's 2-1-1-2 tomorrow. That was lost on my students and even The Oldest when I said it to her. I had to roll my eyes and explain. It's the same backward and forward. (I know there is a name for that but darn if I can remember what it is.)

My Monday started out with the snottiest of all snotty kids (not in my class) giving me a big ole 'tude in front of his moms (yes I put the s there on purpose). Did they do anything? Nope. His teacher and the secretary both dropped their jaws. And the secretary (who was translating) said "this is why Mrs. Sunny wrote you up, because you don't get to disrespect any adult". If that had been my child, I would have marched them to a private corner and taught them a lesson. Wow.

I was SUPER disappointed to pull up my MAP data and discover that every single one of my high readers went backwards on that test. I was pissed off! We had a big talk about it at the end of the day yesterday. I said "you mean to tell me you started out as one of the smartest kids in the class and you got DUMBER being in here with me?!" I know they were just being lazy when they took that test. They got cocky and thought they no longer had to try. And it bit them in the butt. I pointed out that conferences are NEXT WEEK. And *I* am soooo not explaining to their parents why their scores went down, THEY ARE.

I wrote a note home to one of my families because their child, whom I just adore, has been on a downhill slide the last few weeks being lazy, turning in sloppy work and just not working to his potential. He told me today that his dad was mad at him about it and he got grounded. I told him that I was sorry he got grounded but he can't afford to get lazy, not as smart as he is.

Despite that disappointment, my basic ELL kiddo went up 30 points! He made 2.5 years worth of growth in half a school year! Yay! When I told him, I thought he face was going to crack from that big ole smile! So awesome. Another one of my low kids already exceeded her yearly growth goal. So that was really awesome. It also solidified to me that the high kids were just being lazy -- because if I can get a child who can barely speak English and a child who likely has a learning disability to make those kind of gains, I'm obviously doing something right!

I have cranked up our work with DDI the last week or so. Tomorrow I have to be out at a training I didn't even know about until last week (!!) and I left two quick shots for the kids to do without me. One is with a Scholastic News article and one is with our social studies text. There is a quick shot template so you can make your own and I LOVE making them to match our stories and/or the strategies we're working on. For example, we've started our informational report unit. The topic is transportation. So far we've really talked about the features of non-fiction text that helps us make sense of the text (headings, captions, etc). When I was planning for my sub tomorrow, I saw one of our Scholastic News articles was about George Washington and had a timeline, captions, headings and more. So I whipped up a quick shot and will have them work on that with the sub. Fun for them because they love the magazines but also fun for me because they can practice what we're already doing anyway!

I got to work early yesterday and completely rearranged my room. The only thing in the same position is my desk. Everything else I moved. I will have to take some pictures Thursday. I like it now. I liked it before but after awhile I just need a change. I get bored easily and most years about halfway through I make a big rearrangement like this. I'm happy with it.

I'm off to read and then head to bed to be rested for my super exciting full-day math training tomorrow. Ugh!

Tag, you're it!

2012-01-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I kind of disappeared there! Whilst I was MIA, I was tagged twice. How can you be tagged if you're invisible? Hmm. A thought to ponder for another time. Anywho, here goes....

Here are the rules:
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post 12 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 12 new questions for the people you tagged.
4. Tag 12 people and link them on your post.
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

My 12 Fun Facts

1. I was the very first granddaughter born on the maternal side. My real name can be a boy or girl's name and my grandpa asked my mom why the hell she gave his first granddaughter a boy's name lol

2. I inherited the "girl dress" that has been passed down in the family since I was the first granddaughter. My oldest wore it home from the hospital too. That little dress is almost 60 years old.

3. I pretend I hate the show Victorious but I always watch it with The Littles when it's on.

4. The ring tone on my BlackBerry is actually "Freak the Freak Out". (Yes, I am 12.)

5. I think everything tastes better through a straw. I have left the house for the sole purpose of buying a fountain beverage.

6. I stopped going to the store in pajamas after the first time I caught a glimpse of one of my former students there. He didn't see me that day, thank goodness. I probably would have scarred him for life.

7. I have watched less than 5 hours of TV total in the last month.

8. I secretly want to rule the world some day.

9. I love learning. Every time something new happens to me, my first instinct is to get a book about it and figure out as much as I can about it. I wish my students had the same passion for learning!

10. There are a lot of single gender sets of kids in our family -- we have all girls and a lot of our cousins either have all girls or all boys. Only a few have children of both genders.

11. At least once per school year, I will completely and utterly rearrange my classroom. I get bored easily.

12. Having a planner makes me feel like a real adult. When you carry around a folio planner like mine, you just look important.

Questions from Kim:
1. What is your favorite Starbucks beverage (in case I'm in your neighborhood and I'm bringing you a treat!)?
Would you believe I have never been to a Starbucks? I am not a coffee person.
2. Book, Nook, Kindle, iPad, book on CD, other? What is your favorite way to enjoy a new book?
I have a Kindle and an iPad but also love the feel of an actual book in my hands. I love to read and will read and reread the same books over and over. Having an ereader has enabled me to bring tons of books with me wherever I go so I'd have to say that the Kindle is probably my favorite just because of its ability to let me take a whole library around in my purse!

3. If you weren't a teacher, what career would be your second choice?
I don't know. I went to business school right out of high school but I hated it. (I was trying to be "practical" since I had The Oldest so young.) I have wanted to be a teacher since I was 8 and I can't imagine doing anything else.

4. What is the first subject you plan for when you start your lesson plans for the upcoming day?
I plan a week at a time usually. I most often start with math because it's what I teach first thing in the morning. Before I leave school each day I set out what I need for the following day and then I plan backwards -- I look at my schedule and prepare from the last thing I am going to teach to the first thing so that all of my materials are in a pile in order, waiting for my students and I to get started. I plan that way for a sub too. I start with the last task and go back.

5. If you have traveled, what is your favorite country to visit? If you haven't had the opportunity (or if you have!) what country would you most like to visit?
I have only been to Canada as a "foreign" country (although it doesn't feel foreign to me!). I would love to visit Ireland some day.

6. Have you been a principal? Would you ever want to be?
No and no. My old principal used to always say to me that I would be a great principal. Hell no....I wouldn't tolerate disrespect whatsoever and would suspend kids left and right!

7. What dessert would you choose in a fancy restaurant?
It would depend on the restaurant but most likely something with chocolate!

8. What's the most adventurous/daring/exciting thing you have ever done (that you can blog about!)?
Hmmm....I don't know. I am pretty boring!

9. If you slept in "late" one morning, what time would it be?
Honestly? 11 or 11:30 on the days that The Husband just lets me sleep.
10. Do you still read magazines? What's your favorite?
Not that often but I do enjoy Self. I have been telling myself I'll renew my subscription but I haven't yet. I wish it was available for my Kindle.
11. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?
Sunsets. I am so not a morning person! :)
12. What brings you JOY?
Feeling like I made a difference!
Questions from Miss Squirrels (aka Staci):

1. When was the last time you talked to your high school sweetheart?
High school :)

2. What is the most important quality in your lovey- dovey?
He has to love children.

3. Do you believe in love at first sight? Has it ever happened to you?
Yes and yes. I met The Husband at a party on June 10, 2000 and we've literally been together ever since. I never felt a connection like that before in my life.

4. Where is the most romantic place you have gone for a date?
When we were still dating The Husband took me to the river and we sat on the banks in the moonlight and just watched the water. It was sweet and romantic just because it was simple.

5. Does your sweetie support you in the blogging world? (The Mr thinks it's silly).
I don't think The Husband really even knows I do it.
6. If you could plan a getaway with your honey, where would you go?
Somewhere with a warm beach!

7. What is one word that best describes you both as a couple?
Geniune.

8. How long have you been with your honey-bunny?
Eleven and a half years.

9. What is the best present you have ever received for Valentine's Day?
A night alone with The Husband when we had two under two in the house!

10. What is best present you have given to someone for Valentine's Day?
A box of "coupons" for things (backrub, etc) with all of the coupons shaped like hearts in different colors. I included one that said "the keys to my heart" because each color heart had a different theme.

11. Where was your first date?
First date ever or first date with The Husband?? First date ever was a movie with a bunch of friends. First real date with The Husband was to dinner and a movie.

12. Why don't you show ME some love and add me to your Blog Roll!?!?!?!? <3 Smooches!!
Done ;)

My Questions for those I Tag:

1. Who is your hero?

2. Why?

3. What is the last thing you ate?

4. When you were a kid, what was your favorite cartoon?

5. What is your favorite fragrance?

6. Are you a righty or a lefty?

7. What was your favorite subject in school?

8. Is that your favorite subject to teach?

9. What would you change in your school/district you could change just ONE thing?

10. What is your favorite book?

11. What color pen is the one you use most?

12. How many siblings do you have?

Tag, YOU'RE IT!

**I know this is cheating but most of the bloggers I actually read have already been tagged so, I am not going to tag anyone but you can feel free to steal my questions if you want!

Survival Saturday

2012-01-28T15:24:00.003-05:00

Not really....but "Super Saturday" just wasn't going to work and I wanted an S word so Survival it is.

I slept 12 hours last night...well, more like 10.5 because I got up super early with Baby Puppy and then went back to bed. Apparently, I was tired. I have never, ever been a morning person and still relish in my sleeping in super late every now and then. Usually I don't stay in bed as long as I did today...but it just means I'll skip my nap because I already technically had it.

I'm bound and determined to make today a WORK day. Which stinks because it's 3:15 and I don't have much to show for it. (Happens when you stay in bed as late as I did.) I have been sort of productive -- I went to the pharmacy. Which means I also showered and got dressed so I wouldn't scare the locals with my "yes it is noon and I literally got out of bed 45 minutes ago" look. I really only went out because I discovered last night that I had one teeny tiny little pill left in my bottle and that is a problem. Because if I don't take those pills, I don't sleep. My legs dance all over the bed instead and then The Husband doesn't sleep either. And he's a big ole cranky-pants without me keeping him up. So sleep is kind of essential. Not to mention that if I don't get enough sleep over several days, I am not a nice person to be around. So. I had to go out and fill that prescription. Or it would be rather unpleasant in Sunnyville. I would have to change my name to "Grumpy" and that just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Why do I care so much about today being the Work Day? Because finally, at the END of January, I am going to implement my goal to take a day off every week. I already told The Oldest that she has to kick my butt if I so much as pick up my cell phone or iPad because they of course have internet, if I even make a step toward the computer or any other device that would allow me to do any kind of productive thing. I can have my Kindle and the TV and the kids. That's it. Nothing else. I honestly don't plan to leave the house. Or get out of pajamas. I am going to be lazy and relax. I need it if I am going to stay sane.

I have been keeping up with NB pretty well. I'm writing a bit here and there about my journey in a separate blog. I'd just rather not have this entire blog begin to be only about that. So I separated it. I'm feeling pretty good about where I am in the process. And thankful I am not doing EC-Gen because it gives me hives just reading the directions for that one. Yikes! I'm happy that I picked the Literacy certificate because a) it is my passion and b) it allows me to grow in ONE aspect of my teaching instead of trying to be fabulously amazing at them all.

I have a big ole pile of crap I have to do today if I want to be able to take tomorrow off for myself. Which means I have to get going on it since time is slipping away. Since I slept late though I will probably be up until 11 or so working. As long as all of the stuff is done before midnight I will not be cheating on my goal of not working tomorrow.

I ♥ DDI!

2012-01-26T20:16:00.002-05:00

Color me the biggest nerd on the planet....but I got my box from DDI today and a huge grin split across my face despite my uber tired and cranky state of being. Considering I ordered the stuff on Monday and I haven't even had a chance to send my check, I was super excited to open that box. I have all of this stuff at school but I wanted my own set. Firstly for planning at home and secondly in the event I ever leave my district I have a set of my own.

I'm probably more excited because I've really been ramping up our use of the DDI strategies the last two weeks to prepare for the winter MAP. We took the reading part 1 yesterday and they squeezed us in for Part 2 today. I'm SUPER excited to see their scores tomorrow. From the preliminary peeks I took, most of my kids made growth (I'm upset that two of my top readers went down from what I saw and I had a private talk with both of them that since they've kind of spaced out on me lately it's probably why they didn't do as well). From the preliminary numbers, my basic ELL went up somewhere between 20-30 points this time around! So awesome. Every time I see their score and go to shut their test down, when the score is definitely higher, I whisper to the child, "Who's the best teacher ever?" and they smile and whisper back, "you are".

So coming home after that and opening that box just had me giddy. I'm sure my colleagues think I'm a freak because I just LOVE this stuff. I get the data side and if I don't understand it, I strive to make sure I DO understand it. I could see myself getting a doctorate in an area where you focus on the data side of the instructional model -- to make it useful and not stupid and pointless.

I am exhausted beyond belief but excited as hell to see my kiddos' scores tomorrow. It'll also be very interesting to see my teammates' scores since they haven't really immersed themselves into DDI and I have.

Wow!

2012-01-25T20:57:00.001-05:00

Whew! What a week so far. I find it unbelievable that I can be this wiped out, on Wednesday, when I've only worked two days so far this week! What's up with that??

Apparently all of the kids went bat-shit crazy over the weekend. Must've been the half day Friday. Holy cow. I guess they were collectively insane (whole school, not just my class) on Monday when I was out and yesterday wasn't much better. I had to have a HUGE talking to with my entire class. It is like they all forgot how to think and that they are at school to learn. So annoying. Add to the fact that we're MAPing and I feel tons of pressure for them to perform well on that test and I was not a happy lady.

Today was better. Not much but some. I have banned one of my kids from recess indefinitely. Every single day by the time I get out to the line to get the kids, I have at least 3 children and/or adults coming to me with something this child has done. I've had it. I even told one of the interventionists that unless they see on the board that I am out on a certain day to send him up to my room when the kids go out at 8, after breakfast. He can do some work in the room or something. Or sit in a corner. (Kidding. Mostly.) That's just the point I'm at with this kid. He is a huge pain in the ass...and it kills me because he is SUPER smart. And before you go thinking he's just bored, he only does this stuff when I'm not around because he knows better than to try it with me. I keep my kids BUSY. And since I've taught 4th/5th most of my career, I definitely have the resources to meet this child's needs. He's just a bully. I have made him cry several times this year. Even in front of his dad. I don't put up with back-sass and attitude at all and took him to task when he back-sassed his dad in front of me. Oh hell no. Dad's jaw nearly dropped in surprise but later he told me he was so glad I said it because he's at his wit's end too. Ugh!

We made it through our first round of MAP and some of my kids made huge gains. It's not official because they have to take the second part of the test but I was super happy to see that some of my low kids made big jumps (30 points!). Although some of my kids went down a little too. That was disappointing to see but I have to remind myself it is only half the test (the phonics part). So if their comprehension has improved, it should allow them all to show some growth. I'm going to be biting my nails over it until I get the results next week.

I am exhausted. I am working on my plans and will finish my grading before I turn in for the night. I want to just crawl in bed and read BUT I know that if I make myself do this work now, I am going to have so much more time at school tomorrow to do what I want/need to do in the morning and then I can head out at 3:30 tomorrow, get my nails done, then head home and enjoy a hot soak in the tub before taking National Board stuff. It'll be worth it to make myself finish ti now.

What is on my mind?

2012-01-23T22:06:00.000-05:00

This is my 492nd post (whoa!). I also noticed I am up to 236 followers which is insane to me. People actually read my drivel?! Wow.

At any rate, now I am thinking....will I reach 250 followers first or my 500th post first? Hmmm.

And just what should I have up my sleeve just in case one, or the other, or dare I say both happen sometime soon?

Oh the little wheels in my head are a spinnin'....

Happy Weekend (A Rambly Jumbled Post!)

2012-01-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

So glad for a SUNSHINEY Saturday today! Last year when I was teaching 5th grade, we did a unit in science on phases of the moon and along with that did some study about cloud cover and whatnot. Even I was shocked to read that our little area of Michigan is one that has mostly cloud cover in the winter. Yeah I know we don't get a ton of sunshine but that was depressing to see it in print! Ever since I rejoice all of my sunny winter days!!!

Yesterday was great. We were taking our Unit 3 benchmark tests this week. Since we only had kids 3 1/2 days, we had to squeeze it in. I decided to give it all on Thursday. It's a 40 question test and while I don't plop it in front of my kids and say "have at it!", they actually prefer to get it done in one day. So we did a little in the morning, a little after lunch and finished it before last recess. I'm excited to see how they did since we kick some behind in terms of what we do in our rooms compared to the others.

Since we got that done Thursday, all we had to do for our half day Friday was our probability quiz in math. Everything else was open for whatever we wanted to do. So we did a ROK review sheet (courtesy of DDI of course!). We did one previously that was a smaller version. This one was a bigger one (3 spaces) and has a spot for the kids to prove to their parents how they know they get the word/phrase. I am going to send it home Tuesday as homework to see if they can remember the words enough to show their parents what the words mean. They LOVE this stuff (and so do I!). I can't believe my colleagues are so blah about doing it. It's what I have learned is the BEST thing about moving grade levels the way I have -- you can't get stagnant!

[For the record, these are the grades I have taught, in order: 4/5 split, 5th & 2nd in one year (long term then full-time position), 4th, 4th, 5th, 2nd.]

After we did our ROK review sheet and I collected them, we did a Chinese New Year Fun Friday activity. Chinese New Year is on Monday and I have the day off to take Middle Child to an appointment. Figured since we had the time free that we could do an art project on that (and I'm super nice and left them a Chinese New Year packet to do on Monday with the sub since we don't have library due to MAP testing). I couldn't get the craft page to print correctly so we could make the masks and I was super disappointed. We just cut and colored printable masks instead and the kids loved them. I will have to snag a picture of them. We also looked at the Chinese Zodiac and the kids laughed when they saw I was born in the year of the Horse...but the last laugh was mine when we discovered that THEY were born in the year of the MONKEY haha! (Except for a few of my kiddos who were born late in 2003 and are the year of the Sheep.)

Then they ate their lunches in the room since it was a half day and I let them finish a movie we had started before break for indoor recess. Then I gave them all a high five and sent them home and had the afternoon to do my thing.

I did not finish my report cards (they aren't actually do until Monday) or get my folders done since I bought new ones but since I am having a sub Monday, the parents will understand. It'll all just go home on Tuesday instead. I got some cleaning done, plans ready for the sub, plans ready for ME and copies made for the week. I put in a big book order too. Even though I didn't finish everything I wanted to finish, I feel like I did get a lot done.

Yesterday afternoon while I was working at my desk, my phone rang and it was Mrs. CT calling me. When I picked up, she says "I don't want you to INFER anything from what I am about to say...but I know that I promised you that I'd give you my tree when I retire. I'm trying to clean things out and since I haven't used it in a couple of years, I wanted to know if you'd like my tree now. But I'm not retiring." It was funny.

I didn't have a spot to put this tree so it is in my bump out right now but I coveted that tree when I saw it last year. She didn't use it but it was in our bump out and I asked her about it. Each month she would hang story starters or writing prompts to the tree in the shape of something that concurred with that month (buses for September, pumpkins for October, etc). They are SUPER cute and I just loved the idea. So she promised that some day when she retired, I could have her tree. I went up to get it and she gave me all of the story starters too. Fun. Since I knew I wasn't going to be there Monday, I just put it in the back room until I find a spot for it but I am excited to find a spot for it in my room. I'm sure I will have to change some of the prompts because I am teaching little kids but what a fun idea!

Several people recently have asked me about how I'm liking 2nd grade. I don't hate it. It is fun and they are silly and cute. But I also do like big kids. In some ways I hope that I am in 2nd again next year because I want to be able to do some things a bit better than I did them this year...although if Mrs. Principal moves me back upstairs, I won't be sad either. I do, for the most part, enjoy teaching my small fries and I have talked with Mrs. A (who was 2nd last year and now is 5th -- we both just kind of switched) and have discovered that my team treated her this way last year too. Never wanted to hear her ideas and whatnot and then are mad when she does fun stuff with her class and didn't "share" with them. It's hard to share when they aren't willing to listen. It's the only thing that has made this year frustrating. But I focus on my kids and know that THEY will achieve because I am pushing them to be the best they can be.

Oh and Mrs. A told me that of all of our students who were announced recently to have won a writing award and will be featured at a local museum, THREE of them were hers last year! So pushing them is not bad. Yes they are little but they aren't babies. They are capable.

Shopping Spree & That Kid

2012-01-19T18:34:00.000-05:00

I can't believe's Thursday! I haven't posted since Monday. This has been a crazy busy week. It's all good though. Just a ton going on with the end of the semester.

On Monday I kind of went on a shopping spree from my dining room table. (I'm sure The Hubby just loves when I do that!) A very good friend of mine, whom I edited a few papers for over the last year, finished her last class for her ESL endorsement with an A. She claims it is because I edited her papers. I know it is because SHE wrote the good content and I just helped her clean up the grammar! At any rate, she wanted to thank me so she bought me a new Kindle 4! I have had a Kindle 2 since May '10 that The Husband bought me for my masters graduation. That sucker was like $250 and about three months later they came out with the third generation (which The Oldest has one of). She bought this Kindle on eBay [brand new - never opened original packaging] for a bit cheaper than getting it from Amazon and I am AMAZED how much less it cost than my original one AND how light it is. It literally does fit in your back pocket (I tried just because I had to see if it was true!).

I am going to regift my Kindle 2 to The Littles so they can play the games I have on it but also since Middle Child has such a hard time with reading, I figured I can get her some books on there that she can have read to her as she practices reading. I just can't get over the size of this tiny thing. Once she told me she was buying it for me, I ordered a case that came with a bonus car charger so I'm looking forward to getting that in the mail soon as well.

In addition to her ordering the Kindle and me buying the case, I ordered some Nicky's Folders. I bought a set in 2008 when I was teaching 2nd grade the first time. I ♥ these folders. They are $1.05 per folder but SO worth it (my original set was 85 cents per folder). You have to buy them in sets of 100 so it's pricey up front....but I got 3 years use out of the first ones I ordered. I just didn't have enough for this year. I decided to try another kind and they fell apart. So back to Nicky's it was. I ordered them Monday afternoon and they arrived already! I got the Nicky's Communicator version. I doubt I will ever use another type of folder ever again. These are that good!

Another thing I remember having from when I taught 2nd before (notice a pattern here??) was a "Completed Together in Class" stamp. So on anything we did together but I still wanted to look over, I could just stamp it so parents would understand that I hadn't graded it. I got it at Really Good Stuff. I went back to their site to get a new one and it was discontinued. Sad. But I found this fun site which has tons of stamps. Not only did I find another stamp that said "Completed Together in Class" but I also got one that said "Read but Not Corrected". I REALLY feel like I need to look over their papers at this age because I want to see if they are understanding. You can glance at it and know if they are getting it (at least at this age level you can) but do I really want to actually grade it all? No. So this will help. Color me shocked when they also arrived today!

I am super excited because we have a half day tomorrow. The kids did their Unit 3 Benchmark test for Reading Street today so I will grade those tonight so that I don't have to do that tomorrow! It'll allow me to put my new groupings together too. I'm looking forward to 3.5 hours in my room to just work and do my own thing!

I have this student that I secretly refer to as Little Princess. She is a spoiled brat who mom enables big time. She complained earlier this year that she was going to pull Little Princess out because I'm so mean to her. Boo hoo. If expecting her to shut her mouth and do her work is mean, then I guess I am! We finally got her tantrums under control but now she refuses to do any work without me basically threatening her. Today as the students were getting their coats from their lockers, Little Princess was walking by me and says to me "my mommy says I am having a hard year because YOU are my teacher". I nearly laughed in this 8 year old's face. Are you kidding me? You're having a hard year because you don't do any work and your mother enables you. One thing that you have to know about Sunny is that I don't pull punches -- what you see is what you get and this mom is in for it when this kid goes to 3rd grade and can't hack it. I didn't say anything really to this child except "well sweetie is it really because of me or because you won't do what I ask you to do?" and she says "Oh it's because I don't listen". Yeah. It is. And we wonder why kids are so messed up today. Wow.

I just come home nightly and thank my stars that MY kids realize THEIR actions have consequences. It isn't always someone else's fault. Speaking of which, both last night and today I saw former students that I had last year. They both told me they getting all As except one B and the gal, whom I saw last night said, "I did tell you in June that you taught me everything I know." ♥

Happy MLK!

2012-01-16T09:25:00.001-05:00

Oh the joys of a Monday off. Love. I think we should start a petition that school should only occur Tuesday-Friday. I would gladly work an extra 90 minutes a day to have a 3 day weekend every week. Oh the glory!

At any rate, this is not really a "day off" (they never are, are they?). Here's my proof:

There are even clothes on the table and fuzzies on the floor from Baby Puppy!

I am bound and determined to get through my stack that I purposely avoided all weekend and saved for today. Of course I would wait and do it all tomorrow but I'd lose my mind and I'd rather not do that to myself. I really want to do report cards today as well so that I can spend my records time cleaning my room, or better yet, working on National Board while being paid to do it! Now that is a great idea! *Mental note*

We'll be off to take Baby Puppy to the vet in a bit for a booster shot. Oh he is going to just love that (or not). Then it's off to the eye doctor for The Oldest, Middle Child and myself. WHY do these places have the worst hours ever? It's taken me forever to get us all an appointment because their hours stink. I work too! Again, this is why we should only work 4 days a week! We'd have a day to do all of the doctor appointments, etc and wouldn't have to miss so much work. Right???

Once we get back from all the doctor stuff, it's game on. I HAVE to finish this stuff today. So I can get to school tomorrow and make copies and whatnot and be all set. Then I can leave right after our collaborative meeting and come home and work on National Board. Or procrastinate. Or whatever.

You did notice that huge diet coke sitting amidst my work piles right? Yeah. I always need a super huge one on marathon grading days! At least the sun is shining.....

No Sunday Blahs here!

2012-01-15T20:21:00.001-05:00

I'm super grateful today that I work where I do. Why? Because we are one of the only districts in my area who has MLK off from school. I always like a 3-day weekend, especially when one of those days is a Monday!

I have been super tired this weekend. I took a nap both Saturday and today which is not like me. Don't get me wrong -- I am all about the naps, but I usually snag one either day, not both. It's bothersome because I went to sleep when I felt tired and I STILL feel tired. Not cool. Not at all.

I hope it's just a bug and not something more serious. If I don't start feeling more energized this week, I am going to try to get into my doctor next Monday. I took the day off to take Middle Child to (yet another) appointment. If need be, I will try to sneak myself into the doctor too.

Due to my all-day grogginess I did not get nearly as much accomplished as I would have liked for National Board. I will get there and my entries will be fine...but I don't like how I feel like time is slipping away so quickly. It's very frustrating! I have to take Baby Puppy to the vet tomorrow for a shot, then myself, The Oldest and Middle Child have eye doctor appointments. By the time I get them back to school and get myself settled in, it'll probably be 1 o'clock and I have a ton of grading to do and want to get my report cards done. So I have two choices--either not do National Board until after 5 tomorrow or stay up late tonight working on it.

Blech. I know I should work on it more. I really wanted to get Entry 2 done this weekend. I hate to keep putting it off -- I need to get my first draft done so I can revise it, send it off to readers and then revise again based on their feedback. Plus I need to start on my other two entries. (Entry 4 is almost done as well -- just a few finishing touches to do there.) You can read all about my National Board Journey here.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Day in my Shoes Linky Party!

2012-01-14T21:21:00.003-05:00

Katie over at Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher is hosting her first linky party!

Here is how it works...
1. Right click and save the button above to put in your post. I
suggest also making the picture a link when you add it so others can
easily find the linky party.

2. Tell us about a typical day in your classroom. You can share as
little or as much as you would like.
3. Go to Katie's blog and link up.
4. Visit the other links to see what a day is like in their class!

Friday the 13th!

5:28 a.m. - Wake up the phone ringing to tell me that The Oldest has a snow day. I grumble for a minute and then roll over and curl back up. Then Baby Puppy starts whining so I admit defeat and get up.

5:35 a.m. -- Freezing outside in the snow to let the furry kids outside. Come back in to another phone call that The Littles have a snow day and wonder WHY. There isn't that much snow on the ground.

5:45-6:20 a.m. -- Shower, dress, prep for school (no snow day for me!). Head out the door and spend 15 minutes cleaning the super heavy snow off the car.

6:20-7:10 a.m. -- The 25 minute commute takes 50 in the snow but no slide offs or accidents so it was fine. Stopped before the highway for a huge Diet Coke to get me through the day.

7:15-8:15 a.m. -- Entering the classroom after having a sub on a snowy day = scary. But my room was perfect, almost like I had never been gone. Great sub note (yay) and I was able to prep for the day by sharpening pencils, changing the schedule and calendar board, putting out morning work, sorting through papers that needed to be graded and papers that can just go home then zipping downstairs to copy the math tests I thought I had copied before picking up the students.

8:20-8:30 a.m. -- Mass chaos, otherwise known as lockers for all 2nd and 3rd graders. It's quite loud no matter if they all are not talking. Too many bodies in an enclosed space.

8:30-8:45 a.m. -- We enter the room, I praise their behavior for the sub, they begin morning work and I take attendance. I'm shocked that only 3 students are absent since we usually have 10 or more on days when all the other districts are closed but us. Only 3 gone meant I could give my tests after all!

8:45-10:30 a.m. -- Tests, tests, tests. Yes, we had a bunch of tests. In 2nd grade. On Friday the 13th. First math test, then reading test, then spelling test. Sheesh. While the students were testing, I sorted through all of the weekly work and made note of who had missing work (it's a lot of kids sadly). I'm trying to train them -- still -- to put all unfinished work in their red folder, not just in their desks because then it's gone.

10:30-11:00 a.m. -- Make up work. Calling one kiddo at a time to let them know what they were missing. Kids who had everything done got to read or color. They think I am amazing when I let them color as a reward.

11:00-11:40 a.m. -- Lunch break...I hit the bathroom since it's my only break all day, heat up my oatmeal (yes I eat oatmeal for lunch), check my mailbox downstairs and decide I should probably be sociable and join my colleagues for lunch. [Truth be told I have been avoiding them because I am feeling bitter and I am trying to be positive, not bitter.]

11:40-12:40 p.m. -- Pick up the darlings from lunch and head to the computer lab. They go to my website and link to games and other activities. I walk around and pretend to be useful and secretly lament that this is our last computer lab until early February due to testing which closes the lab.

12:45-1:00 p.m. -- Practice lines since they have been horrible with them. One at at time they got up, pushed in their chairs and made a line. We practiced going to our lockers SILENTLY, pretended to put on our outdoor gear and line up like we were going to go outside and walked in a line back to the room. We had to do this two times because once they get out of the room, they chat like nobody's business and since we're supposed to have "silent hallways", it's kind of vital that they figure out that it also means them! :)

1:00-1:40 p.m. -- Reading and background building for our upcoming community service project. We read the book "Magic Trash" which is about Tyree Guyton and the Heidelberg project [It's a great book -- well worth checking out!!] and brainstormed what items we might make from the recyclable materials we're collecting. We will be making art from our recyclables and presenting them to seniors at a senior community across town in March.

1:45-2:05 p.m. -- Recess; Friday is my duty day so we bundled up and headed outside in the fresh snow. It wasn't too cold for as snowy as it was and I had fun watching the kids make snow angels, build snowmen and just run like crazy people in the snow. They all think I am super silly because I remind them to be careful so they don't break their eye or their eyelashes or their toenails and they just giggle like crazy (even the students who aren't mine). I have never enjoyed recess duty more than this year teaching 2nd graders because they will giggle over pretty much anything.

2:05-2:15 p.m. -- Trudging back inside to prepare for going home. We got smart this year and after last recess have the students get everything from their lockers so the hallway is less chaotic when it's time to go home. It takes awhile now because of snowpants and boots.

2:15-3:00 p.m. -- Fun Friday; we made a glyph that I found online and did an MLK activity. The students enjoyed it and it was a nice way to reward them after all of the tests in the morning!

At 3 we begin to clean up the room and put everything away and I send them on their merry way at 3:09. It was by far one of the busiest Friday's I've had in a long time but other than having to practice our lines for a little while, they were really good for it being Friday the 13th and having had a sub the day before!

I usually hate to bring work home but since I have Monday off for MLK I decided I could make an exception, especially because I have to grade all of those darn tests! *wink*

Naughty, Naughty

2012-01-11T21:04:00.001-05:00

I decided this morning on my way to work that I would be having a fabulous day off on Thursday. I will miss my art prep but I don't mind so much. I can practically do my lesson plans in my sleep (they are done just have to be copied from Mrs. E's template to my own) and can print some materials from home to be ready for copying for next week. No biggie.

The Oldest has a college visit tomorrow at my alma mater and I decided I wanted to go with her. The Husband has not been able to find a lot of time to work on The Youngest's new bedroom...so since he has tomorrow off and was planning to take The Oldest to her visit, I will take her instead (since I know that campus like the back of my hand) and he can stay home and work on the bedroom. I am SO ready for the little two to have their own rooms. Oy!

I stayed at school until 6:20 today getting ready. I had plans and such done but copying, sorting and cleaning had to be done and I refuse to leave a huge mess for me to come back to (because sadly subs often leave a big enough mess without it adding to any clutter/mess I leave).

After the Oldest's college visit, I will do a bunch of grading and other miscellaneous junk for school and then FINALLY do some work on National Board. I am going to cross everything for the big ole wicked snow storm I keep hearing about and a you-know-what day for Friday. Now that would be wicked awesome. 5 day weekend? Oh yeah!

Of course, our weather people hype it up like crazy and say we're going to have Snowmaggedon and we usually get 43 snowflakes instead (although last year we did have Snowmaggedon and 3 snow days in a row which had never, ever happened in my district before in it's history). But a girl can dream, right?

Currently....

2012-01-10T20:42:00.003-05:00

Today I talked to a former student teacher from our school who also had Mrs. CT as co-op...and once we got started, wow. Her and I should never do lunch because I'm sure we would gripe the entire time. So glad it isn't just me. She is also livid that the same teachers got college students as last semester. She also said she complained about Mrs. CT to the college because she WOULD.NOT. give up control so that this student teacher could really be on her own.

One of my colleagues told me this morning she has had a TA or student teacher every single semester for 7 years. How is that fair? Honestly. I guess I don't suck up enough (or if we're being really honest -- kiss ass enough) to get help. Whatever.

I went to the mall after school, a place I normally avoid like the plague, to pick up the family pics we had taken just before Christmas. My receipt says "pick up January 10th between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.". I got there at 4:15. Is 4:15 after 6 p.m.? No, it isn't. And the portrait studio was closed. Oh I was L-I-V-I-D. Called the manager and left a nasty message because it is seriously inconvenient for me to go there (30 minutes from work and 45 from home). They better either throw in a freebie or ship that stuff to my house for free. Ooooh she better hope I've had some chocolate before I talk to her. Fortunately I was at a mall so I went to Old Navy and bought myself some cute shirts and a couple of pairs of pants on clearance so I can look relatively professional at work. *wink*

At any rate, I am joining the linky party at Oh Boy Fourth Grade...really because I just covet the fabulous pencil sharpener that is being given away to two lucky participants. I may just freaking buy one because a) I never win anything and b) it would not be a bad deal to have two of these suckers.

And Monday it is....

2012-01-09T21:01:00.001-05:00

Totally figures that I left a huge pile of stuff at work Friday because I was an emotional mess...and I got there super early today to get things ready for the day. And the copy machine was being a pain. It would run 1-3 sheets and then misfeed. Over and over. Gah!

Finally we had to admit defeat and give it up. I was able to make due without copies by printing class sets of the worksheets. I hate to do that but I only use what we actually NEED and thus, my copies are kind of essential. Our principal said our copy machine is on it's last legs but the district won't spring for a new one so whatever. I was even able to be slick and finish the essential grading I left behind AND get folders done and sent home today. Woo hoo!

After school we had a flex meeting and Mrs. Principal said "oh by the way, each grade level has $1000, go spend it". Um, come again???

2nd grade decided that we wanted those privacy shields that you use for testing and to look into ordering these fun center organizers to help us with our literacy stations. They are very cool and come with a pocket chart, storage bins and organizers. It would certainly make organizing my stations a bit easier and the organizer is portable which is just fun. I will have to pull it up again and post a picture.

Additionally I got an email back from the local elementary school's principal and he said he would be more than happy to provide some insight if we were looking to move Middle Child. It does sound to me like this school would be able to provide more things in terms of supporting her...but I am not going to make a decision off the cuff. I have way too much going on right now to make any decision rashly. We will see what happens in the next few weeks.

Oh Sunday....

2012-01-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

Anyone else feel like the weekend flew by?! Geesh!

Just when you need some time off...time seems to speed up! I feel kind of bad when I read my blog list and see all the fun, cool stuff others are doing. Not gonna happen on this blog anytime soon unfortunately. It's just not my reality right now.

I am looking forward to this week actually. We have some testing which will allow me a tad bit of downtime and then we have a 3 day weekend for MLK. I'll be busy as ever on MLK but at least I don't have to go to work so I'll have the afternoon to work entirely on National Board.

I need to quickly write up my lesson plans tonight so that I'm ready for tomorrow. I know what we're doing all week, I just have to write it out so they're "official". I don't feel the least bit guilty about leaving my work at work. It was a very draining day Friday and I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten much done anyway. No one will suffer because a few things weren't finished. We'll all be a-okay.

One reason I love blogging so much is because it has brought me in touch with so many fabulous people. I have to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has commented over the last couple of days. It helps me to know that I am not alone, I'm not being irrational and I'm doing what I know is right for my child. I sent a long, heartfelt email to her school and said that when push comes to shove, I don't want to move Middle Child and I meant it. She does not need a small classroom -- she is fine with mainstreaming. They just need to give her some slack on a medical issue that she can not control. One of my colleagues, who teaches children with ASD, told me to stop by her room tomorrow and she would help me brainstorm a plan of action if need be. I am so grateful for the people in my life who support me and my child.

I have read so much about Asperger's since I got the diagnosis confirmed. One of the biggest things I've read that has validated so much for me is that this child is my gift. A few years ago, when I was still teaching at Former School, one of my ASD colleagues was actually the one who got me on the idea that Middle Child was more than likely on the spectrum. I have always thought that there is a reason that Middle Child was given to me. I will advocate for her, no matter what. She deserves nothing less than that. I don't want to change her at all. She is perfect the way she is, quirkiness and all! I love her sense of humor, the way she still calls me "mommy" even though she's 10, how she insists on holding my hand when we go to the store. She is a beautiful person and I won't let anyone interfere with her having the same thing everyone else has.

Again, thank you to everyone who comments and provides some support. You have no idea how much it means to me to be truly understood as both a mom and a teacher. I would never treat my special needs students poorly because I wouldn't want someone to do that to MY child. I know I am 100% a better teacher because I was a mother first.

Perspective

2012-01-07T18:44:00.001-05:00

What an emotionally draining weekend so far. Yesterday took it all out of me I think. I still don't know what to do. I did talk to my principal and she said that she wouldn't have an issue with my kids being at my school except that my first responsibility would be to my class and to remember that (like I don't know already). It isn't like my child would be hanging out in my room all day. At any rate, the more I thought on it last night anyway, I wouldn't want her there. Not because I don't want her with me, but because my district is in turmoil right now and I do not want my kids to be part of that, even for a short while. They would be missing out academically because of the mandates that my district has in place and I can't hurt their education like that. I would feel even more terrible later.

I sent an inquiry to our home district, explaining the situation and asking what kind of accommodations they could provide her. I really don't want to move them at all but I will if I feel like her current school isn't doing what they need to do. I do not think I have asked for anything unreasonable in terms of accommodations. There is no reason why they can't provide what she needs, how she needs it. I think I may well just have to go above her social worker's head on this one. I talked to a few friends of mine and one pointed out that since the school knows she also has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (a manifestation of her anxiety ala Asperger's) that it is 100% against the law for them to deny her participation on that trip. My other friend, who is a special education teacher, told me that I need an advocate and she would come home to Michigan (she's in DC) and do it if needed. I really feel like the problem is, Middle Child's school does not understand what Asperger's really is. I may have to get our therapist involved so they know that they can't willfully break the law and exclude Middle Child because they THINK there might be a problem. It's disability harrassment and they could get in soooo much trouble.

Not really how I wanted to spend half of my weekend -- worrying about this situation. Middle Child was very vocal that she likes her school EXCEPT when they bother her about this stuff. I am just going to cross my fingers and pray for the best resolution to this whole mess.

I haven't even been able to spend any time working on National Board today because I was so upset about this whole situation that I couldn't even drag myself out of bed until nearly 10 this morning. AND The Husband is clueless in regards to this. He has no idea what is really happening here and thus it falls on my shoulders, as if I have no other pressing matters and have all the time in the world to shoulder this alone. :(

Oh, I'm gonna regret this....

2012-01-06T20:59:00.001-05:00

Today was rough for me emotionally. My students were fine but I have seriously got to learn to not check my personal email from work. I always do though because I get emails from my girls' school and whatnot. Well today I got an email that has had my blood boiling the rest of the day. I am SO angry and upset.

Middle Child was just confirmed as having Asperger's Syndrome over winter break. I have known in my heart for years (since 1st grade) that ASD is what is going on with my child. It has taken me a long road to finally get to the point that I don't feel like it is MY FAULT that she is who she is. WHY does my child have to have ASD *and* dyslexia?? I have had varying emotions about all of this over the last year or so (since I put Middle Child in therapy at her school's insistence -- they pushed and pushed me).

So I took her and then we did neuropsych testing and on and on. This child manifests her anxiety in her bowels. She always has. If she has any anxiety, something changes or is off, she has an accident. Nothing horribly bad but it has happened often enough lately that it is becoming a big issue. I feel like her school (a charter school with a great reputation that has always served us well until now) just doesn't freaking get it. I don't think they understand what Asperger's really means for Middle Child or how to address it.

I get this email reminding me that the 4th graders have swim class starting next week and they don't want Middle Child to go because of her recent "incidents". I was immediately livid. You can't just exclude her because you THINK she will have an accident at the pool. Yes, I get it regarding the sanitary aspect. I GET IT. I know, it's a huge health hazard, it's gross, etc. But as a mother, I can not sit back and let my child be alienated even more than she already is because you *think* she might have a problem.

I had a super long talk with her social worker after school. I admitted to him that while I have always loved having Middle Child there, I am honestly starting to question whether or not their school can serve her needs anymore. To the effect that I was school until nearly 6 p.m. tonight talking to a colleague of mine about transferring my girls to OUR school and putting Middle Child in this teacher's class. When I explained to her some of the things that this school has done to Middle Child, in their attempts to "help", she was appalled. APPALLED.

It wouldn't be hard to get a transfer into the district (we take pretty much everyone) and I think it would solve a lot of issues for Middle Child because I would be right there if she had any problems.

As such I was there so long ranting and venting about this that I left a huge pile of papers that I didn't finish grading on my desk as well as my folders undone and I have ZERO lesson plans or copies done for next week...and I left it all at work. I came home with nothing. I just don't care. I know I am going to regret it Monday morning for for now, it is the last thing on my mind. I am more worried about my child than my job. I want to do what's best for her and that is being there for her. I do not want to have to quit my job to be there for her. I also do not know if I really want her in my district because of some of the stupid policies they have. I just don't know...I can think about how much easier it would be to have her there (and I wouldn't move her and not move The Youngest so they'd both be there). They could eat breakfast at school, lunch at school, hang out in my classroom after school until I was done doing what I needed to do, they could get their homework done, etc. I wouldn't have to pay daycare anymore because they'd be with me all day. In the event that we had snow days, we'd all stay home instead of like in the past when they've sometimes had days off and I haven't.

If Middle Child was uncomfortable being outside at recess (she's a big time loner which I've always heard is a big Aspie trait), she could come hang out in my classroom instead or go to the library or whatever. But then I worry about what their school offers that mine does not -- a full year art/music program (and Middle Child LOVES art and we will lose art at half semester), the people she's been in school with for 5 years and the stability that comes with it, a more challenging curriculum that pushes her, science and social studies (can't say she would get them because we have so many other things we are required to do that they get pushed to the wayside).

I just don't know. I am so torn. I want to do what is best for my child. I also don't want to make things worse for her. I don't know what my next step needs to be. I feel like Mrs. 4th Grade GETS IT (turns out she's had many ASD kiddos over the years) and would take very good care of my child and keep her safe and advocate for her. I just don't know that I really want to uproot my kids mid-year and then move them AGAIN for middle school. This is why nothing came home with me and nothing is done -- this is all I have been able to focus on all afternoon to the point that I find myself fighting back tears.

Being a mom is hard.

Paying it Forward

2012-01-05T20:25:00.001-05:00

Today after school I was talking to a parent about an incident that happened with her child yesterday. Her child got written up and the paper came back signed but with a big explanation on it that had nothing to do with the issue at hand. Since I kind of know this child's game, I wrote a letter to mom intending to send it home with the student today in his homework folder. Unfortunately because the end of the day was relatively crazy, I did not remember to get it from my desk before the kids left. When I realized it was there, I decided I better call mom to get to the bottom of this.

There is a reason why I forgot to put that note in there. This phone call was meant to happen. The child lied to mom about the incident and since our behavior reports have very little by way of real explanation, she only knew what Junior told her. When we talked, the truth was revealed and mom was not pleased because Junior is, once again, telling stories to try to stay out of trouble. This poor parent is doing the best she can and trying hard and it's a struggle. She's been very honest with me about that this year.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. EVERYTHING. I'm in 2nd grade for a reason. So far this year, I can say I have changed the lives of at least 2 kids and am about to do so for my 3rd. [For one I got mom to wake up and smell the bacon after calling CPS on her for neglecting her son and for the other I finally got dad to get his child some testing and kiddo will be going on meds. It's a HUGE victory and I feel so good being able to advocate for these kids and when needed help the parents get the help they need.] With this particular child, we've been struggling with some behavior and things and I followed protocol and referred him to our counselor. Well it is through an agency and they want to charge mom a co-pay to have her child see a therapist.

Mom had sent me a note about it in December and I hadn't had a chance to ask her about it so I took the opportunity to do that tonight. She was very honest with me and said it was going to come down to paying the co-pay or feeding her kids. AND the lady at the agency, when handed this mom's insurance card, says to Mom, "Oh I've never actually BILLED insurance before, I usually bill DHS." So basically this family is going to be denied service because mom has a job and supports her family?? OH HELL NO. Not on my time.

I was so angry when Mom told me that. No parent, but especially not one who is clearly involved and cares like this one does, should have to choose between paying a weekly co-pay or feeding their children. And this child is one that clearly something is up with. I'm afraid if we don't figure out what it is NOW while he's young that he will be that child in middle school who ends up in juvie because the crap hits the fan. I can not live with myself KNOWING that is going to happen down the road and know that I didn't do anything to help. So as I was talking to her, the wheels in my head were spinning. I had an epiphany. I told her that I had an idea and I would call around and see what I could do and get back with her by the middle of next week. She thanked me up and down and told me I was fabulous.

So I made a call. I called my therapist and left her a message. She called me back while I was at Middle Child's therapy appointment (how's THAT for irony?) and I filled her in on the situation and my fears. She knows me well enough to know that I would not come to her if I wasn't desperately fearful for this child and figuring out what the hell is going on with him. Thankfully I had the foresight to ask Mom what her insurance carrier is...because Mrs. Therapist accepts it! She said that because she and her colleagues are all in private practice [they simply share a building and resources] that they can do whatever they want whereas the bigger agencies would not allow that. She said they got a new therapist and she's trying to build her client base and Mrs. Therapist is going to ask her if she can take my little guy...and if she can't bill that insurance yet, she said SHE would take him and NOT CHARGE THE COPAY!!

This is why I called her. Her passion is helping people. My passion is educating them. I thanked her profusely and she reiterated that she knew I would not call her for this if I wasn't seriously worried for this child. She is going to talk to her colleagues at their staff meeting to see who may be best suited to work with this little guy but said push come to shove, she would take him herself. I'm sure that none of their therapists will charge that co-pay. I kind of laughed because Mrs. Therapist said that her husband tells her that she is a terrible business woman because she does things like this but she said it makes her a great social worker and she is 100% right! Neither of us went into our jobs to get rich...and since she can still bill the insurance, it isn't like she's really going to be losing out entirely.

I am SO glad I forgot to send that note home so I could make this connection and help this family. Good Karma!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

We're Baaaaaaack!

2012-01-04T21:55:00.001-05:00

Wow. What a crazy start to 2012! The kids were all quiet and good first part of yesterday...and after lunch it was like they'd never been in school before. So annoying. We're a PBiS school so we're required to do behavior walk throughs and everything after long breaks. It doesn't appear to make much of a difference for some of these kids -- they can tell you how to do something but they don't actually do it. It's so mind-bogglingly irritating!! :)

We had a "doom and gloom" staff meeting after school. I don't get why they are always so negative. Our kids are not magically going to start achieving because you said my evaluation will be based on their performance on some stupid test. I don't care if you work in the most affluent district ever, you will NEVER have 100% of kids making benchmark...because you've got ELLs, you've got special education students, you have students whose parents don't pay a lick of attention to them and they are up until 3 a.m. How is that my fault? I was talking to one of our coaches this morning and said if the district keeps going on like this, they're going to have to fire us all! That's how unrealisitc they are.

I just try to do the best I can. It's hard to be upbeat and positive when you feel like you are always being brow-beaten. I know it isn't all fun and games in other districts but I don't believe that it's as negative as it is in mine either. I just want some positive news -- tell me what I'm doing well!

And I spent some time putting together highlights of DDI for my team and they just dismissed my efforts. You know..I'm done with that. I will do it for my class and when your kids don't make the growth my kids do, don't you dare ask me "well how did you do that??" because I have tried to tell you and help you and every time...you don't want to do it right now. Whatever. I will document that I gave them the info when I did and if they try to say they didn't know, I will be able to prove that yes they got that info. It makes me mad.

I miss being upstairs. I want to work with Mrs. M super bad. Her and I would have so much fun together. We think along the same lines and it would just be a real team situation. I shared something I found for MAP and who thanked me? The people I worked with LAST YEAR. They realize that I did not have to do that but I did. They get it. I'm not going to go the extra mile for people who aren't willing to follow through on the work that I did for them on my own time.

I have much better things I could do -- like work on National Board!

Fresh Start 2012

2012-01-02T15:42:00.001-05:00

I am kind of crying about having to go back to work tomorrow. Don't get me wrong. I really do like my class this year...but I have SO enjoyed this downtime. I haven't had to run around like a chicken with my head cut off. I have done NOTHING for work. Nothing. Not even my Fridge Facts for this week (although I will tonight since I need it in the morning).

I'm tired. I've spent a lot of time the last few days immersing myself 100% in National Board (ie, I've done little else) and it takes a toll after a bit. Speaking of which, to better help myself not be too consumed by National Board, I decided to make a separate place to write about my work for that. You can find it here if you are interested in reading about my journey with that.

I think that just like last year, I am going to have the worst time sleeping tonight. I am going to be so paranoid about not being able to get up in time or forgetting something or whatever that I am going to be up half the night most likely. I have to get the girls and myself all around and ready to go before we go to bed tonight so we're all 100% prepared for tomorrow.

Baby Puppy is going to have a hard life tomorrow because it'll be the first time he's left home all day :( I feel sad about it. It's almost like leaving a newborn for the first time. He'll be fine and so will I, but it will be hard to leave him. We decided to put a baby gate up in the kitchen so he can still move around and play and go potty but can't make a big mess in the rest of the house. Plus Older Dog is still not 100% sure on Baby Puppy so I am not willing to leave them alone unsupervised a whole day yet.

It's so hard to believe it's 2012 and we're heading into the 2nd half of the year already. Crazy! There is so much ahead of me and so much to look forward to. I have to be sure I slow down, take a deep breath and do something fabulous for myself every day and DEFINITELY stick to my 1 day off a week resolution or I will lose my mind come the end of the year!

To everyone else returning tomorrow too, I'll be sniffling along with you when my alarm goes off at 5 a.m. (gah!).

2012 Resolutions Linky Party

2012-01-01T12:38:00.001-05:00

There is a 2012 Resolutions Linky Party happening over at A Teacher's Treasure. Head on over and link up!

Professional Goals for 2012:

1. Complete the full National Board cycle and CERTIFY on my 1st try in Nov/Dec 2012!

2. Get even better at implementing all of the new DDI activities I've been learning about

3. Find a better balance with managing my paperwork. I am pretty organized at school but paperwork seems to creep up on me when I am least expecting it and then I end up with piles of stuff to file. I need to find ONE system that works for ME.

Personal Goals for 2012:

1. FINALLY lose this weight I've been dragging around the last 5-6 years (being a teacher has made me fat -- literally! lol)

2. Take time off for MYSELF every week. One day a week needs to be designated a "No Work Day" (no phone, computer, internet, iPad, etc). Just reading, bubble bathing, and *gasp* acting like a mom!

Happy (almost) 2012!!

2011-12-31T16:52:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to take a minute and wish all my fellow bloggers out there a very happy new year! 2012 will be an amazingly busy year for me.

National Board is going to consume me for the next few months but I have been smart and working a bit at a time so I don't get massively overwhelmed. Yesterday I joined an online forum focused on NB that I am already finding to be immensely helpful. I asked a bunch of friends on FB if they would be willing to read one entry for me, just so I have some outside opinions and found when I asked about this practice on the forum that they said they often ONLY read one entry for someone so that the writer's work remains their work and not too influenced by an outside party. So I feel good about my decision to go ahead and pay the fee and join. It's been immensely helpful so far.

I had a dream last night that I was told I will be teaching 5th grade again for 2012-2013. I have to say I would not turn the opportunity down if presented to me. If Mrs. CT retires this year like she has been talking about, it isn't impossible that I would be moved. Plus the current 4th graders are "that class" that everyone has struggled with. One of our coaches said last year that she was mad they didn't put me with the 4th grade because they needed someone "strong" for that group. Way too early to speculate on any of it.

No big plans here in "Sunnyville" for tonight. The Oldest is going to dinner with her boyfriend and his parents and we're more than likely going to hang out just watching TV. Well, the rest of my family will waste their time watching TV, I will more than likely spend it either a) reading or b) workingon Entry 2.

Speaking of reading, there is a fun new blog that was started and I am super excited about it because it's all about books. Oh books. It is called The Best Endings. I did not ask to be a contributor at this point simply because I know I am not going to have enough time with NB. It got me thinking though...currently, I am reading the following things:

-NB standards for EMC Literacy
-Run by Blake Crouch
-Shattered by Karen Robards
-Aspergirls by Rudy Simone *best book I've read so far about girls with Asperger's*
-The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome by Tony Attwood
-Games for Writing by Peggy Kaye
-Your Child's Writing Life by Pam Allyn

Yeah...all at the same time. Can you say ADD?? I am mostly focused on Run and Aspergirls even though I know I should be focused on studying and internalizing my standards!! ;) Run is a thriller along the lines of Stephen King -- it's gross and scary but you just can't stop reading it!! Aspergirls of course is on the top because every chapter provides more validation for what I've known for years about Middle Child. Knowledge is power, no?

So to that end friends, have a safe and book-filled 2012 :D

Math Groups Revisited

2011-12-29T09:06:00.003-05:00

I had a reader ask me if I could repost my Multiplication Group information that I talked about in 2010. Wow, that seems like SO long ago, doesn't it?! I moved some things around here on the blog last summer and apparently that page disappeared.

The Multiplication Groups are not cooperative groups. The students do not work together on these activities. I simply call them groups because the students are working on the same level at that time.

Here is the sheet that explains the 5 different group types. I posted this in my classroom next to the area where I posted the kiddos names under their groups. That way the kids always knew what type of multiplication problems they were working on and which ones came next.

Here is the procedures page that explains to the students (and any guest teachers) how the math groups work. I did this with 4th and 5th graders and they more or less monitored themselves with this. I kept track of where they were on a spreadsheet (and one year I used a big poster grid) but this reminded them that they had to do two sheets and show all work otherwise I would not accept the sheets.

Here are the actual multiplication sheets. There are 5 groups and each group has between 5 and 7 worksheets (most have 6) and there is a "test out" sheet for each group. Students have to pass the test out in order to move to the next group (when I did this, they had to get at least 13/15 in order to pass which is about an 86%).

How in the world do you organize all of this stuff??: I got a file crate, a bunch of file folders and a bunch of hanging folders. I kept everything together that way and it was super easy to manage. Three times per week during math the students could sign up for me to check their sheets and give them a new one if they had passed it or provide the test out sheet if they had completed two. Usually if they made a lot of mistakes on one sheet, I would circle all of the ones that were wrong, use the backside to show them how to do one of the problems and then send them off to fix the rest. If they fixed the rest and got them right, I would give them one more sheet before letting them take the test out because they knew if they didn't pass the test out, they had to do ALL of the sheets in that group before I would like them take the test out again.

I used this last year until December also. The kids caught on so well that after that we didn't need to use it anymore! Some of them would still ask me about the math sheets sometimes so I would allow them to keep going during their individual group time if they wanted to do so.

Let me know if you have other questions about it and I'll try to answer them. It seems like a ton of work but really the only time that it is really time consuming is when you are first setting it up. Once you figure out a system that works for you, it's very easy to manage!

National Board: Portfolio Progress & Scheduling

2011-12-28T18:31:00.000-05:00

Today is my big fat 11th anniversary. Unreal. I can't believe it, although I guess I should be able to since our oldest together is 10!

It's been an interesting day. The Husband almost always has to work on our anniversary so I am used to spending it at home with the kiddos since it also nicely coincides with my winter break! I took Middle Child to the doctor this morning and we had lunch out (which will end VERY soon with my 2012 goal to take care of myself which is going to mean eating out a lot less).

I ordered myself this fabulous DayTimer planner on Amazon (seriously I buy almost everything there!).

Tickle me super happy when it shipped yesterday and arrived today (turns out they have a distributor about 20 miles from me but I'll take it!)! Happy anniversary to me. Oh I LOVE this thing! It is H-U-G-E with a capital Gigantic but fortunately it does fit in my purse. Otherwise I'd just buy a new one of those!

What in the world does this have to do with National Board you might be asking yourself? The planner came with a full year of undated inserts (monthly spread and weekly pages). They were separated with all the monthly spreads together and then the weekly spreads together -- so not going to work for me. I am way too lazy to do that much flipping. I like my month and my week view together. So I rearranged them and then put in dates and information for the rest of the school year (holy potatoes!).

I also decided that I would give myself some deadlines for my National Board entries. I don't feel behind or stressed or anything (at least not yet!) but giving myself an ending time should help me. At least I hope it will. I think I was smart in doing my videotaping first. I read this book called WHAT WORKS!: Successful Strategies in Pursuing National Board Certification and it is super helpful. She says that a lot of people videotape blindly and "hope" they get something useful that they can use. I suppose you could say I did that. I did not plan my lessons out to be anything stellar -- they would see through a Dog-and-Pony Show, you know? So I taught the way I normally would except that there was a video camera in my classroom at the time. After losing my first set, I reread my directions so I knew what I needed to do in terms of the entries and I just went in, told the kiddos what happened and retaped. I taped two small group lessons and a social studies lesson and that was it. I did not tape over and over and over.

I refuse to obsess (too much) about it. I am actually still debating which of the two videos I want to feature for my Entry 2 because there are good things and things I could improve on with both of them. One features of group of young ladies who are on grade level with their reading and one features a group of 3 boys and one girl who are above level. I honestly kind of want to use the latter because I am tickled pink that most of my highest readers are BOYS! =D

That said, I have been working pretty diligently on my Entry 4. I have one accomplishment left to write about and one to finish which I can't do until the end of January when I get my MAP results (I am using last year's and this year's DDI strategy use has helped me to majorly boost my students' achievement on that test). I began working on my Entry 2 today. I have watched my videos several times since I still can't decide which I like best. I also did all of the "forms" work for both of those entries (that in and of itself is time consuming because of all of the labeling and putting into the right envelope, etc).

I will finish Entry 4, as much as I can of it anyway, by tomorrow afternoon. My goal is to have a rough draft of Entry 2 done preferably by Monday the 2nd but realistically by the 8th of January. Then I will have from January 8 - January 31 to work on Entry 3. I am only giving myself until the end of January so that I can't put it off too much. I ordered a keyboard case for my iPad so I can actually work on my entries from anywhere (school, while I'm waiting for Middle Child at therapy, etc). That should make it easier to get that one going. Plus I get MLK off and my kids don't so I will be home all day and can use that day as a work day for NB as well.

Once February hits, I plan to push forth with Entry 1. I have waited the longest on this one because I want to make sure that I have writing samples that show enough growth from point A to point B. I want to be finished with Entry 1's write up by Leap Day.

Once March hits, it's proof-reading, editing and getting feedback from others. Once I have a draft of each entry, I actually plan to print it and pass it along to my readers but I don't plan to necessarily look at their feedback until March. Portfolios have to be postmarked by March 31. I am shooting for a goal of packing mine up and sending it off on the 23rd so it's done and I can breathe a sigh of relief!

I am taking the entire month of April off. I will start preparing for the assessment center in May. Honestly I am way more paranoid about the portfolios than the assessment center exercises. When I took my ESL certification test I thought I was doing so horribly -- and a ton of the questions were procedural (what would you do if....) just like the NB prompts seem to be for this certificate. I will not study for the center over spring break or in the couple of weeks after that. No way. I plan to schedule my center appointment the week after we finish school for the year so I don't have it looming over me when I am trying to focus on my little friends. I believe the deadline for the tests is June 15 and our last day is the 8th so that will hopefully work out (assuming, of course, that they have appointments available when I want them).

I find it mildly ironic that I, the most paranoid/anxious person in the world (okay so that's an exaggeration), am NOT freaking out over this process at this point. I doesn't mean I won't later...and I am already thinking of how I can strategically plan a personal day or two over the next couple of months so I can stay at home and work on my entries, but I feel good. Had I waited and done my videos after Christmas, I think I would be feeling the panic right now. At this point I just need to decide which writing samples to use for Entry 1 but otherwise all of my other materials and evidence are ready. I just have to write the papers. And for a lover of English like myself, it isn't going to be something that kills me. Will it be easy? No. I don't delusion myself to think that. But I do think that because of the work I have done in my short career, I know how to show student impact and that's what it is all about.

Maybe I will do all of this and not pass -- or maybe I am totally on the right track and will do fabulous. I do not have a mentor or really a support group (aside from the Yahoo Group for my certificate area). I am more or less on my own. I don't mind. I am choosing my readers carefully and will just hope that putting my best foot forward is enough.

Taking Care

2011-12-27T20:57:00.000-05:00

My super fabulous blogger friend Amy, over at Juice Boxes & Crayolas (is that not the best blog name ever?) wrote today about the Do's and Don'ts to have a Wonder Winter Break. I am all about winter break. Don't get me wrong. I love my little cherubs but we all need a break from seeing each other's faces every now and then. Everyone needs to recharge, revamp and take a breather now and then. I find this especially important for myself and therefore I know my small fry students definitely need it if I do!

I almost agree 100% with everything she has on her list. Really the only spots I don't agree with are because they don't apply to me (ie I am not a runner and she is). It made me think though...we all know that teachers sacrifice themselves many times over for the betterment of their students. At least the teachers who are still in it for the passion and calling that pulled them into the profession in the first place [I can sadly say in another forum I sometimes read there are MANY teachers who basically state outright that they are only still teaching because it's a steady job and it makes me sick]. How many UTIs have you had in your career from holding it? How many times have you eaten Oreos for dinner because you were too tired and busy grading/planning/conferencing, etc to actually cook something?

Yeah. Me too. But no more. I am not a huge fan of making resolutions because I think they are very easily broken and/or forgotten once February hits and life is hectic again. A super RL friend of mine and I are going to do WW together this year. I just ordered a new 2012 PointsPlus kit on eBay and am excited to get started. Mostly because when I look in the mirror, I want to hurl. Yeah. I didn't use to be this weight. Before I started teaching, I wasn't exactly skinny (no one would ever accuse Sunny of having been skinny at all in her life) but since I have been teaching full time the weight seems to attract to me like flies to honey.

And I know it makes me groggier, more tired and just downright not as healthy as I could and should be. So I'm going to make my resolution to be to Take Care Of Myself in 2012.

--I am going to exercise at least 3 days a week, even if I have to kick my own behind to do it.

--I am going to eat better and follow WW (and it should be a lot easier this time since my RL friend pointed me in the direction of this site which is filled with tons of yummy WW friendly recipes and provides a huge bang for your buck in terms of points -- and you know I am SOLD on this site when the first thing I see is Brownie Batter pancakes that are only 4 points!!!)

--I am going to FORCE myself to DRINK WATER. You know how much I ♥ Diet Coke...but I know I don't drink enough plain water. I want to work up to drinking a full glass of water for every Diet Coke I have every day. I shall be well hydrated.

--Take A Friggin Break already: At least one day on the weekend is mine, no computer, no school work, no anything that resembles "work" (not even on National Board). I have to give myself permission to relax and enjoy my life and I can't do that if I never, ever decompress.

So that's my plan. You might have to remind me that I promised to take care of myself....because sometimes we all forget. Even with the best of intentions. I don't want to forget. I want to be Fabulous, Healthy and Wise. And I have to take care of myself to get there.

How much is too much?

2011-12-26T08:45:00.001-05:00

Good morning bloggers! Wait, I know what you're thinking...it's not a work day and Sunny is not only awake but posting before 9 am, she must have a HUGE diet coke beside her. Alas, I do not...at least not yet! This is the life of having a new baby (or baby puppy in my case) in the house! Baby wants to play at 4 am when Momma wants to sleep and Baby hasn't quite figured out that getting up before 9 on an off day is just wrong ;)

I had a point in posting though...last night, a friend of mine who lives in New York and I were chatting. She is also teaching 2nd grade now. When we both started teaching, we were teaching 4th and now we're both at 2nd (she taught it last year too while I had 5th). At any rate we were talking about Christmas in our classes and my jaw nearly fell off from hanging open when she rattled off what she'd received.

$100 spa finder gift card, gift cards to Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Macy's, CVS, Kohl's and another store local to her, candles, a scarf, some ornaments AND a box of Godiva chocolate.

Maybe it's because I teach in the inner city and always have...but I would feel really weird accepting all of that. It is a LOT of stuff. She didn't think it was weird at all. She lives just outside of NYC so I get that the cost of living is more...but wow.I never expect anything, ever, and usually am flattered when I get anything. Perhaps because I grew up on the very streets my students are and went to the same school...but a mom this year who I know is struggling financially bought me a candle and a tin of popcorn and I nearly cried in gratitude. Because I know exactly where this family is yet the mom thought of me anyway. The thought is worth waaaay more than the collection of stuff my friend got.So weigh in here bloggers, what do you think?

Merry Christmas All!

2011-12-24T20:51:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone out in bloggy-land a very Merry Christmas! Mine will be filled with chocolate chip pancakes, a few extra Diet Cokes and my fabulous family! I'm so excited to see my kids' faces when they open their gifts tomorrow...especially The Oldest because she's been pestering us for an iPod forever and we've always said no, it's way too much, yada yada and this year, we did it.

As I get older, while it is nice to get presents too, it is more about seeing how my girls react to their gifts.

I hope your day is filled with love, laughter and maybe an adult beverage or two!

Merry Christmas!

Mrs. Fit-It

2011-12-23T11:40:00.004-05:00

Alternate Title: Why I Ended up in Therapy

So two years ago I had the worst class of my life. I mean, they were downright naughty children. They didn't like each other, they didn't care about school and they didn't care about pleasing anyone (not even their parents). They are 6th graders now and I feel sad for those teachers every day, but also glad they only have those special friends for an hour each day.

I learned a lot that year. First of all, that I am not Super Woman. I can't do or fix everything, even though I often want to. See, my childhood...in a word...sucked. Yeah. It sucked. Not that I really thought that when I was living it but looking back, I realize how messed up my family was (and still is) and I shudder to think about it. I also praise the Lord that I got myself out of that cycle. One of the things I learned with that class from Hell is that it is not my job to fix everything that is wrong with the world. This is still a battle for me sometimes, especially when it comes to something I feel passionate about.

See, in my childhood, there wasn't a lot of praise. There was manipulation. There were conditions to affection. If you didn't do A just so, you were going to hear about it for weeks, months, possibly even years after it should have been over with. Again, didn't think much of it as a child because it was just the way it was. When I had The Oldest, I was in 10th grade. Suddenly I was thrust into adulthood because while I lived with my parents and they supported us financially, we were more or less on our own. No support from her father and over the years I have realized that was for the best. [You can disagree with me there but I don't want to hear it if you do.]

Once I had her, everything changed. First of all, I developed a huge chip on my shoulder -- the world was my enemy. I had a hard time being around other people. Looking back, I think this was the beginning of my road to being where I am today. I knew something was messed up about my life, but was not old enough or mature enough to pinpoint what it was. The chip was my defense mechanism. I kept a lot of people at bay by being rude and snotty. And it worked for me at that time. A lot of people who know me in real life today can't believe that I was like that. Yeah, I still have an attitude sometimes but only when it is really warranted and 99% of the time it is because I am advocating for someone who can't advocate for themselves.

But along that road somewhere, I picked up some coping skills in the form of ambition, motivation and drive. I'm not sure where they came from. I do know that they changed everything for me. Despite my attitude problem, I somehow knew that I had to push out of the cycle my family was in. I was not going to treat my own child the way my parents had treated me my entire life. No way. So I finished high school, on time, despite having The Oldest when I did. I went right to college. I got an associates degree in business before realizing that this was not really where my passion was. I had wanted to be a teacher since I was 8 years old but went the business route thinking it was "more practical". Once I met The Husband, he encouraged me to do what I really wanted to do and thus I went back to school to get my teaching license.

The problem with the ambition is that I want to do it all. When I learn something new, I want to know everything about it and suddenly I want to "fix it". For example, last spring when I was told that Middle Child IS, in fact, dyslexic, my first reaction was "oh, I need to go get a Learning Disabilities endorsement so I can really understand her". It isn't so much that I wanted to fix her but that I wanted to know as much about her disability as possible in order to make sure she is successful. With her new diagnosis of Asperger's, even though I have known in my heart for years that is what is going on with her, I bought a bunch of books on Amazon because now I just HAVE TO know everything I can possibly know to help her. And you earned yourself a cookie if you thought for a second that I just might have looked up a special education endorsement in Autism Spectrum Disorders because I did. Not that I really would pursue it but that feels like I'm doing something, being proactive and trying to give her the best life possible.

These traits carry over into so much of my life now. When I am especially passionate about something, I just want to fix it if I feel like anything isn't exactly how I would have it be.

Example: I ♥ DDI Teacher Consulting. I do. [You may recall my brazenness in telling Kathleen to just hire me already!] But because I am passionate about their products and the results they provide me, my head spins with ways to "make it better" or "fix it" (and let me add this disclaimer because I know at least one of the sisters reads my blog -- which is just unreal to me! -- I don't think anything is wrong with DDI the way it is. I would just tweak stuff because it's in my fix it nature!). I plan to order materials from them for myself, not through my school because I want my own if/when I move on and there is no easy "online ordering" system. I am all about online ordering. I would totally add that. I would add instant shipping calculators too and ordering by debit/credit card and on and on.

See what I mean? I can't help it. If it means something to me, or is something that makes my job easier, or that I really find passion with, I want to make it as awesome and user friendly as possible.

This is part of why I spent a bit more than a year in therapy -- to learn that I can't fix it all, I don't need to fix it all and I shouldn't try to fix it all. But it's something I still struggle with every day. Probably because of my emotionally abusive childhood. I have to make it the best it can possibly be because otherwise, I won't get praised. It just won't be good enough unless it is THE BEST.

And I will work hard every single day of the rest of my life to make sure that my 3 girls never, ever feel like they have to be the best at everything in order for me to be proud of them or appreciate their strengths. I never had unconditional love. I will make sure they do.

It also translates into my classroom. It kills me when my students try so hard and still don't do well because no one in K or 1st bothered to put the child up before our Child Study team to get the child some help (or worse, they did and the resource staff let the child fall through the cracks). I won't give up. I will give every one of those kids a reason to feel like they are worth something. I have to. No one deserves to grow up feeling inferior and insecure like I did (and often still do). It's why when I really want to be a part of something, I just go after it, often without really thinking about how it might come across to someone else. I just want to help, especially if it means helping a child to have a good life and to make gains when someone told them they would never amount to anything.

Asperger's Syndrome

2011-12-22T14:03:00.003-05:00

Just curious if anyone in the blogosphere has any book recommendations for kiddos with Asperger's?

I have suspected that Middle Child is an Aspie since she was in 1st grade (she's in 4th). Her school psychologist did some testing in 1st grade and told me a) she wasn't dyslexic [guess what, yes she is!] and b) she wasn't on the Autistic Spectrum. Over the last month or so we have been to two specialists who deal with children with Asperger's and both told me that I am not crazy, this child IS on the ASD spectrum.

I love validation! We had our consult with the last specialist yesterday. I kind of chuckled because she was like "well I want to caution you that this diagnosis isn't going to CHANGE who she is and it isn't BAD". I told her, flat out, that I am not out to change Middle Child at all! I love her the way she is! The only reason I am persistent in getting this done is because of the services she will be able to receive in school if her diagnosis is correct. (Currently it is Emotional Impairment because they had to label her "something" to open the doors for resource service since I knew damn well their psychiatrist was off her rocker when she told me that Middle Child isn't dyslexic.)

So I have done what any other awesome parent would do -- scoured amazon.com for some books that will help ME better understand Asperger's now that I really know that is what we're dealing with as well as books that will help HER to better relate to others and certain situations. I found some that I think I am going to order (great reviews) but was curious if any of my readers have books they would recommend.

Disaster!

2011-12-21T10:54:00.002-05:00

There may be one less person in my house by the end of today.

Because someone drank my LAST Diet Coke and didn't tell me we were out!! That is akin to a felony in this house. Ooooh, heads might roll for this one!

Love! (Totally Off Topic of Teaching)

2011-12-19T17:52:00.000-05:00

Can I just gush for a minute about something completely unrelated to teaching?? Indulge me, okay?

I am 33 years old. I had The Oldest when I was in high school and despite that, I have achieved much greatness (and will achieve even more). I married The Husband when I was 22 and had The Youngest when I was 24. I knew at that time that I was done having kiddos.

But recently many of my friends, who are also my age, are having babies. First babies. My youngest turns 9 tomorrow. So lately I have kind of had some baby fever. While I know I don't really want another baby, they are SO cute and it's hard not to want one when all of my close friends are having them.

So Friday night we brought home our new puppy. And I am in love with him. Today, very insightfully, The Oldest asked me, while we were out holiday shopping, if New Puppy has kind of filled that Baby Fever void. He totally has (reminds me why I don't really WANT a baby -- 4:30 wakeups are SO not for me). But I am having fun spoiling New Puppy and getting my baby fix a bit from him, which is good. Best news is that I won't be cleaning up accidents for the next year, just the next few weeks as he learns to go potty outside all of the time. Even Older Dog is learning to like New Puppy.

I couldn't help myself while we were out shopping for The Husband to buy them both new tags (with their FULL names on them -- they both have a "title" before their name) and a stocking for them both. And I could not resist this cute little jumper:

Tell me this is not the cutest thing you have ever seen!

The Husband says I made New Puppy (who is male) look 'gay' but I think he looks cute! Sadly that little jumper is smaller than I thought so it won't fit him for long. Oh well, it will give me an excuse to buy another one!

The only bad thing about New Puppy (well, aside from the multiple midnight wakeups) is that he is distracting me from my National Board work because he's so blasted cute!

Hello, my name is Humble...

2011-12-18T17:31:00.001-05:00

Wow. I am kind of speechless. Which never happens to me. (Seriously, I could talk about anything. For hours.)

About a week ago, I got an email from some lady in the MDE about a National Board grant. I had not applied previously because they said not to unless you really had financial need. Well this gal emailed and said they had on record that I was a first time candidate and there was still federal monies available to cover part of the fee. She sent me the application which was originally due December 1 (and it was after that). So I filled it out, did the work I needed to do (write a page about what NBC meant to me and had a colleague verify that I do, in fact, work at my school and would benefit from the grant).

I got word today that the grant was funded and I will get a refund from NB in a week or so. Cue me with my mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Wow. Just wow.

I am truly humbled that this woman sought me out and told me to apply despite financial non-need because they had the money available and it's a "use it or lose it" thing from the fed government. I am giving it all to our cabin fund since The Husband took money from our cabin repay fund to pay the balance of the fee. When I get my stipend from the district, I am going to keep some for myself (kind of a huge nest egg) and I am going to use some to "pay it forward" since I got money that I really did not need, simply because others did not claim it.

Very awesome.

Vacation is Here & National Board Stuff

2011-12-17T19:12:00.003-05:00

Oh glorious vacation....I ♥ you!

We got our new puppy last night, who is just adorable. See?

We have been having a lot of fun with him today. We bought Wee Wee puppy pads for him since we know once we go back to school, he'll be home all day with our big dog. So far, he's only gone on them once. Every other time he has gone, he's either gone outside (yay!) or on the floor (boo!). He's just a baby though so we're not getting on his case too much. I'm not sure he was ever outside before we took him home last night. He was shivering the whole ride home, poor guy! Our 7 year old dog isn't sure what to make of this little guy quite yet. The Littles and The Oldest are in love and so am I. Sooo cute, fluffy and fun!

The Oldest and I went out earlier this afternoon for pedicures. Oh the joy of having someone else rub my feet! She was tickling me though and I almost accidentally kicked her in the face. Oops! I got the same color on my nails as on my feet and I feel decadently relaxed. Perfect way to start a vacation! And I will get my nails done again the day before we return to school, along with my hair done. I am going to pamper myself while I can!

Currently I am gearing up to working on National Board (finally!). I am going to do Entry 4 first since I have everything I need already for that one. Then I will do Entry 2. I am hopeful to have at least a first draft of both of those done by the time we return to school. That way I can really look hard at my video for Entry 3 and determine if it is what I want to use or if I want to retape it. If I can at least get Entry 2 and 4 done this break, I will feel a lot better. I have everything I need for both of them, I just have to start writing the entries themselves. I know I am going to drive myself crazy with it all because it isn't "normal" writing that you would do for a college paper at all and that is probably going to be hard for me to deal with at first. I already made The Husband promise to be a reader for me -- since he is totally not a teacher, I figure if the entries make sense to him based on the rubric, then I should be good to go. In some ways this kind of makes me miss academia a bit. I'm sad that I haven't heard anything from the community college I had a workshop for awhile ago about teaching a writing class there. I know I have a lot going on anyway but man it would be worth it to add this to my plate. I just figure that if they don't call me this time around, it just isn't my time yet. I am sure in a couple of weeks I won't even have time to worry about the fact that I haven't heard from them!

Happy weekend!

A Whirlwind Last Day!

2011-12-16T17:41:00.002-05:00

Whew! We made it :)

Today was quite crazy, as expected. I did manage to get the kiddos to read for a bit this morning (not quietly but they weren't too loud so I let it go) and I finished my December running records and conferences. Yay! I did not work with my newest kiddo because there is just no point when we're DIBELing the 2nd week we're back and I can just do all of my assessments on him then. Our half time resource came and took one of my kiddos and did some testing for her. She is definitely going to pull her for some Tier 3 intervention. I am so, so glad! This child is cute as a button and so sweet but she is clueless. I can't believe that she was never tested before. I told her mom at conferences that I would gladly lose my job over this child because I am not just going to move her onto 3rd grade (and the MEAP test!) if she can't do 2nd grade work and they WILL test her darnitall. Looks like my pushing is at least getting us somewhere!!

My colleagues did their gingerbread houses THIS MORNING, those crazy brave souls. Wow. No way Jose! We did reading and free writing while I finished my RR, then we prepped for the afternoon. I had planned to do our houses after computer lab and before last recess (and it worked out great!). We got out the plates and whatnot and put the houses on them with frosting on the bottom to stick. I spent my ENTIRE lunch break getting plates out for the candy decorations and dividing up allllll of the candy that they had brought. Both of my colleagues told me that their rooms were IN-SANE during the decorating. I had never done gingerbread houses before in my own classroom but I knew I wasn't going to have a lot of parents helping so I made it as easy for ME as possible. My kids sit at 2 person tables so there was an extra plate per 2 kiddos and I piled their available toppings onto those, trying my best to make sure that everyone got some of everything. Then when it was time to do the houses, I just had to come around with the frosting. It got a bit loud but we had no huge messes or anything on the floor so that was good. One of the moms who helped said that she had helped in the other 2nd grades this morning and couldn't believe how much calmer it was in my room. I don't know how they set up their treats and whatnot but I know that having MY class share their goodies on those plates was the best idea I ever had!

A few of my kiddos brought me gifts which I was NOT expecting (I never expect anything so it's always fun when I do get something from them). One of my boys gave me this wrapped box...I totally played it up and pulled off part so there was still wrapping covering it and said, very excited, "Wow, [student name]! I have ALWAYS wanted paper for Christmas!" The kids giggled and laughed and thought I was very silly. So I unwrapped it all and did the same thing with the box ("wow I always wanted a BOX!"). He gave me these super soft socks and some chocolate. Never been given socks before! *wink* He blushed soooo bad. Very cute. I love them actually. Another kiddo gave me a Santa statue that is all glittery and a Santa lollipop made of those jelly type candies. One of my naughtier girls gave me a picture frame that she made with her mom. I also got the usual cards and pictures that the kids hand draw. I work in a VERY low-income area (over 97% free and reduced) so I don't ever expect anything at all and I am always more than humbled when they think of me in that way. One of the moms who helped brought me a 6-pack of Diet Coke (woo hoo! lol), a beautiful candle and a tin of popcorn for my kids. I know this family is struggling financially so for them to extend that generosity to me is very sweet.

I gave all of my kids a new book (I always do SOMETHING educational), a pop-a-point pencil and a "seed notebook". You'd have thought I gave those 2nd graders the key to the world. They were SO excited! So sweet. I got them something else but they hadn't arrived in time so I promised that I would give those to them when we return to school in January (it's sticky tabs that I am going to use to teach them how to "code" their reading for the DDI stuff). I think they told me at least 12 times today how awesome and fabulous I am. They're so much fun, even when they make me want to rip out my hair! :)

I am super glad for a break though. I love them, I do. But I think we're all a bit worn down. I know I will miss them come the end of our break because 99% of the time they just warm my heart daily and I love it. I just hope the break doesn't fly by...some years it seems like Christmas is over in a blink. We also have The Youngest's birthday Tuesday, then Christmas, then our anniversary on the 28th and then New Year's. So it's always a busy time of parties and whatnot anyway. I am hoping to relax and enjoy it.

I was OUT OF THERE by 3:30 today (kids leave at 3:10). I literally dropped the kids off, went upstairs, packed up my holiday decorations to bring home and left. I don't care that some things weren't put away or taken care of. I was out like a light! They told us the building will be open on Tuesday if we want to go in and I kind of chuckled to myself. No thanks! I need a break, not to work! :)

Going to pick up my new puppy in a bit and I'm so excited! I can't wait to get that sweet little guy home! Have an awesome weekend!

Almost there....

2011-12-15T21:23:00.001-05:00

Here's my positivity for today....Tomorrow is Friday and thus the weirdest week of my career will be over! [and trust me when I say there is a story there!] We get to bring home our new puppy tomorrow, three days early! I am 100% prepped for the week after break so I can leave at 4 tomorrow and be a-okay!I can FINALLY focus myself on NBPTS for two full weeks with no other school work interfering :)Happy almost Friday!

Cranky Pants

2011-12-14T20:25:00.002-05:00

I think my reign of optimism is waning. I've had a really hard time this week sticking with my uber positive outlook. I did not bring up the new kid issue to my colleagues because I really don't care that I got him (and he seems sweet), I just don't like the games. Just be upfront and say "hey Sunny, didn't you just say you lost Kid A? Would you mind if I asked them to switch Kid B to you so we'll all stay at 27?" I wouldn't have cared. To go behind people's backs and then piss off the secretary is just not cool.

But Mrs. Secretary who I adore, sent the people involved an email that basically said she put this child in the other room because when they enrolled, we all had 27 (my other kiddo hadn't been officially dropped yet) and it wasn't my turn to get a new kid since I got the last one. Then the other teacher involved backtracked and sent an email apologizing and whatnot. I don't know. Maybe I'm a bitch. I just don't like playing these kind of games. I don't have time for it. And Mrs. Secretary was offended because she felt like the others thought she didn't know how to do her job. Rule #1 of working in a school, do not piss off the secretary.

Yesterday and today were crazy! I don't think the kids ever recovered from the big field trip. Teaching is such a solitary thing and I often question if *I* have lost my touch that day....then I talk to my colleagues and realize it is definitely not just me or my class. Today my colleague right next door and I were chatting after school and she put it best -- they were just downright naughty today. And they were. I get that they're excited and I know having a rainy day in December (what the heck Mother Nature?!) doesn't help but man! I have been trying really hard to stay on track with my SSR conferences since I know they are going to be hounding us about them come January. The kids think if I am sitting at the circle table with a child it means they can talk instead of work and it is soooo frustrating! Today was our 68th day of school. It isn't like they don't know what I expect. *head desk* I feel like I'm being a jerk but they know how to do it correctly because they've done it!

It's the Christmas crazies! It has just made me feel cranky and that stinks. I don't like being cranky. Plus I am upset that I am, yet again, without any real help and the same people get the help. It's so wrong and unfair. Bah humbug!

That said, I will try to be positive tomorrow. It's a new day, a fresh start and I have a prep first thing which is nice. I stayed after a bit today and did a bunch of filing and sorting that I have been putting off forever. It feels nice to know that is out of the way and one less thing I need to do later. I feel ready to go in early tomorrow, get copying and whatnot all set for the week after break and then get through these last two crazy days!

Observation...what observation?

2011-12-13T20:14:00.002-05:00

I achieved tenure earlier this year even though I wasn't sure if I would or not based on my leave of absence two years ago. Fortunately for me, they count my first hire date (March 2007) as opposed to my official full-time hire date (November 2007) so I became tenured this year after all. Whew! What that means is that I am no longer on the "long process" evaluation system. This year, since the evaluation systems have changed, it means full out lesson plans (like the ITIPs we had to do in college -- ick), a formal meeting, blah blah. When I found out that is what the new process was, I was thanking my stars I did not have to do that!

Observations were due today. So naturally Mrs. Principal waits until TODAY (ie the day of the biggest field trip of our lives) to observe me. Nice. She also came in DURING RECESS. ?! The only reason we were even still in the room is because the kids were being little stinkers and I said we were NOT having recess until I was done with my conferring! How could it count as an actual observation if the kids hadn't been in the room? I guess since it is "informal" it doesn't matter as much.

She checked my walls and whatnot (there are about a million things that we're supposed to have up--and we wonder why the kids *and teachers!* are ADHD!), wrote up a quick blurb and left. They're using a new online evaluation system so I got an email immediately that it was released for my review. The only suggestion was to make sure that I got writing exemplars put up. Well since I haven't taught 2nd grade in years and have had no level 8 papers to display....but whatever. That's easy enough to fix. If that's all she could find to say, I'm not doing too bad!

I bet a million dollars she didn't give suggestions to my teammates, neither of whom have any DDI stuff up (which is also a district expectation). Whatever. They're major behind kissers so I have no doubt she would never give them hell about not doing what they are expected to do. Not to mention that I was told today that while both of them acted shocked to learn I was getting a new kid right before a two week break, the pair of them, in fact, orchestrated this child being put into MY room. I was not impressed. I got the last new kid too. Not that I really care but to act all innocent about it is just bull. I don't have time for fake people in my life, not even colleagues.

I am just sorely annoyed by the whole thing. Add to the fact that The Husband apparently has massive PMS (he's been super cranky all day which makes ME cranky) and a super huge all morning field trip and thus a crazy afternoon....I'm tired and not in the mood for anyone's crap. Just shut up, let me do my job and leave me alone. I don't care that I got the new kid. I knew it would happen because I just lost a kid too. But their game is what is ticking me off -- don't act like you had no idea I was getting a new kid when you orchestrated it. AND they had the nerve to ask one of the lit coaches to complain to the secretary about it like she doesn't know how to do her job. Vacation can not come fast enough!

Holy Potatoes!

2011-12-12T21:24:00.001-05:00

So apparently I am a 2nd grade teacher because I throw around phrases like "holy potatoes" as naturally as I breathe these days (although I almost swore in class completely accidentally today -- good thing I caught myself since I have trained my class to think saying "shut up" is akin to saying "f--- you" and they would have been scarred for life if their favorite person cursed).

I can't believe it's been so long since I last wrote. Time flies and all of that good stuff. I took a big break this weekend and it was soooo needed! I'm glad I [finally] forced myself to chill out and step back. This week's plan is to a) survive and b) get a bit ahead by Friday so I am out that door by 4 with not a care in the world! I am going to spend a majority of my winter break working on National Board. I also want to get back into the habit of daily writing as I did in November for NaNoWriMo. Not to say my writing was anything stellar but it was therapeutic and I miss it!

Tomorrow we have a big whole school field trip. I'm excited about it. Today we made notes for inside of our reindeer that we made Friday. They are cute. I have to take a picture so I can post them. I am SO not crafty but Mrs. E is teaching me well *wink*

This morning I set this up in my room:

One of my favorite things about teaching 2nd grade this year is that they still believe in Santa and whatnot. I've never really done a tree in my room before (lights yes, tree no). But one of my colleagues had a small tree up so I figured what the heck. The kids were SO excited about it. I had to threaten to take the presents back if they didn't stay away from our little tree! :)

I found out last week that both of my teammates are getting student teachers for winter semester and thus far, I am still on my own. I am trying not to be too bitter but they think because they do "so much" for the school that they deserve the help. Um, I am not chopped liver over here. I sent an email to Mrs. CT who coordinates all of the interns and asked her if she could check back with the college and that I would take a student teacher if one is free. I wanted a TA (half day) but would take a student teacher over nothing. TAs are harder to come by because a lot of people like the half-time help. We'll see. I am consoling myself that my data is amazing WITHOUT help. So there.

Something good did happen last week though. I got an email from someone in the Michigan Department of Education saying that according to their records I was pursuing National Board certification and there are still federal grant monies available for Michigan teachers who are pursuing the certificate. Monies have to be allocated by 12/31 so to apply ASAP. So during my mental health day last Thursday, I did all of the paperwork for that and faxed it in. Today I got an email saying my application was received and a request sent to NBPTS to ask them to allocate funds to my account! So that sounds like of like a definite to me. If so, it will be a super Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary in my house!

Gotta hit the hay for a loooong field trip tomorrow. Only 4 more wakeups! If this week goes anywhere near as fast as today did, I will blink and it'll be Friday!

Mental Health

2011-12-07T22:08:00.001-05:00

I am taking the day off from school tomorrow. Notice how I said school, not work. I had to take a day off in order to get caught up on paperwork which is just insane! There is always way too much to do. I plan to make myself a list in order of priority and go right down my list. If I can, I am also going to plan for the week after break so I can get all of my copies for next week and the week after break all set and hopefully be "ahead" for 5 minutes :p I am not going to be able to get behind again because I need to bust behind on my National Board entries come January.

I heard two things today that made my heart hurt. First that a K teacher got a new kiddo who transferred from a Young 5s class which isn't really appropriate...and the K teacher told me that the parent was told it was okay because OUR STUDENTS ARE SO BEHIND ANYWAY. What the heck?! Whomever that was is an ass. I have a ton of respect for our K teachers...I know I couldn't do it! And to me that was a slap in the face for someone to say that. Secondly, another K teacher, whom I adore, told me that she was asked not to voice her opinion at staff meetings anymore. Why? Because she pushes back and has the balls to say what the rest of us are thinking and she was told her questions weren't welcome. That is WRONG (and Mrs. A if you read this, don't repeat it, k?). I feel sad because this teacher is awesome and a huge advocate for our kids. No one should feel like their voice is being silenced :( We get enough of that from the top, we don't need to try to censor each other!

I am glad we are winding down to a break. My heart aches and I hate it. It isn't the kids at all....and I am afraid for their future and my sanity. I swear if I ever win the lottery, I am opening my own darn school!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wow

2011-12-05T20:27:00.001-05:00

Days like today make me wonder why I am a teacher and why anyone would ever want to enter the profession. Don't get me wrong, my kids are great. I love them and they are so much fun.

I am sick of the administrative crap my district does. I know Mrs. Principal feels the same way but to protect her job she just goes with it. It's so lame. I pray every day that when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name (ie superintendent) finally gets the boot this summer that they get someone at our helm who a) respects teachers and b) puts the children's needs FIRST. We will never be able to compete with our suburban counterparts with these yahoos running things.

It makes my heart hurt. And it is why when my 8 year old tells me she wants to be a teacher, I have to bite my tongue to refrain from saying "Oh Hell No, you are NOT going to be a teacher." :(

Sunday Bliss

2011-12-04T10:07:00.001-05:00

I was really horrible last week. If my blog wasn't titled "Caffeinated Teacher" it would be "Procrastinating Teacher". Seriously I procrastinate SO.MUCH. It's kind of ridiculous since I know I do it and I continue to do it anyway! It has always served me well though so I guess that is why I continue to do it (although I will not allow myself to procrastinate with National Board -- that is stuff that you can't just write up on a whim and expect to do well with).

That said, yesterday I planned to get all of my school junk done that I kept putting off all week. It's the only downside to super long weekends--you come back and don't want to do anything school-related! Thus I came home Friday with a HUGE stack of grading to do, plus some MAP stuff I needed/wanted to do so I can be better prepared to present the DDI stuff from Thursday to my team (my nerd flag is flying here people!).

As a perfect sidetracker, The Husband called me and said they had the cutest little puppies for sale at the local pet store. They usually don't have dogs, just cats. A rescue center was there with pit bull/lab mix puppies that a hunter found abandoned in the woods (which is just soooo cruel -- God bless that hunter for bringing them in). At any rate, I have been hounding The Husband forever to let us get a new puppy to keep our 7 year old dog company while we're at school/work (and puppies are SO cute!). So when he called, we hightailed it over there and I made the mistake of picking up the friendliest one and he cuddled up right on my chest and went to sleep. I fell in love. He must have slept in my arms for about 30 minutes. Absolutely adorable. I wanted to just take him home....but the rescue shelter requires a vet reference and since the vets are all closed on Saturdays, it wasn't going to happen. We filled out the application and they said they would hold this one until they heard from the vet Monday. We have been planning to change vets so we're closer to home so I don't know if our old vet will give us a reference or not. I am going to be so sad if we can't pick up this puppy tomorrow. He is adorable!! I told The Husband when we left that I should not have picked up that pup and held him because I really feel like we bonded and I am probably going to cry if they tell us that the vet did not give us a good reference (and let me just point out there is a REASON we are changing vets so I don't know what she will say).

With all of that, I found it very hard to get back into work mode when I got home. I had hoped to bring the little guy home with us. So I shall blame that cutie pie puppy for the fact that I am working on my Sunday morning *wink*

Grading isn't that hard when you teach 2nd graders, it's just time consuming which is the problem! But my team was super behind this week too and I didn't get our team copy of our lesson plans for next week until Friday at 4 (usually have them Wednesday) so I have to make sure I have those updated and ready to go as well. Then I have a bunch of little things I need to print so I will be ready to copy them tomorrow and start my week on the right foot. Fortunately this week is not crazy with after school stuff. Just a staff meeting tomorrow and planning Wednesday.

I need to be better about planning my time so I can either get to school early and leave at 3:30 or get to school later and stay a bit longer. This whole living at school and still bringing work home is not going to cut it much longer! I know it is just because we've been overwhelmed with our new reading series and other directives we've been getting from the district. It's hard to stay on top of all of that and then try to have a life outside of it too. I've got to tighten up how I am balancing my work and personal stuff. I think I am better than I have been....but I need to like PLAN exactly what I will work on each day so I can get it done. Maybe that will help. Then I won't have to worry about puppy distractions because I won't have to bring all of that stuff home and I'll be free to spend my weekends doing whatever I want! :)

Confession

2011-12-03T21:51:00.001-05:00

Um, hi. I have a confession. (You won't be that surprised, I'm sure.)

I am a Gigantic nerd. Why?

Because it is Saturday night and I am digging into DeCarte (ie MAP test stuff). And I'm not bored. And there isn't really anything else I'd rather be doing.

That makes me either a) said gigantic nerd or b) really friggin lame.

I think I would rather be choice A. Just sayin'.

Happy Saturday :)

Oh Friday, how I have missed you so.....

2011-12-02T18:47:00.001-05:00

I got a new kiddo yesterday. When I wasn't at school. Gross.

I hate when that happens. To me, there is nothing worse than having a new student when the regular teacher is not there. Not that it is the child's fault or anything, they don't know my schedule! It's just unfortunate timing. I feel bad for the student because they aren't going to get the walk-through and procedures they would get if the regular classroom teacher was there.

Fortunately, I was notified Wednesday afternoon that the new child was coming so I had some time to prepare. I had to move my classroom around a bit to accommodate another table so I had somewhere to put him. I also made sure I had out a name plate, his books, a pencil box, crayons and all of the other goodies I make sure the other students have. My sub even commented on how well I prepared for him with such short notice, knowing that I wasn't going to be there. Whew!

My class is pretty darn sweet this year so they were awesome in helping my new little guy feel welcomed yesterday. I got a chance to meet him before school yesterday since I was there doing last-minute things for the sub before I went to DDI. He's a cutie pie and very shy but sweet. His mom seemed really nice too and excited to have him at our school. They came from Indiana. It's always a crap-shoot getting a new kiddo this time of year because they might be super low, super naughty or possibly both!

I had a chance to sit with my new kiddo today and squeeze in some testing so I know where to place him when I start my new groups on Monday. He scored above benchmark on DIBELs (almost to the end of 2nd grade benchmark) and when I did running records with him, he scored a 90% on level Q!! So this kiddo will be joining my high group. Holy potatoes. That is SEVEN kids in my high group...I don't think I've ever had that many high kiddos EVER, let alone in one class. Plus the fact that six of those kids are BOYS is really awesome to me.

It was a crazy/busy day today. We got a lot done but not nearly as much as I would have liked. I completely flaked on our weekly reading test and I don't even care!! I'm so tired. I have a million things to do this weekend for work, for National Board and I'm supposed to help a friend edit her paper for a college class. I'm tired thinking about it. Truthfully I would like to crawl into bed right now and it's only 7:30 on a Friday night. Lame! But it is what it is. I am going to go to bed early tonight, sleep in and hit the ground running tomorrow. If I really put the pedal to the medal, I can get everything for work done tomorrow in a few hours and then have Saturday night to relax and catch my breath. Helping my girlfriend won't be hard at all (it'll be fun for a nerd like me!) and she promised me dinner for helping her so how could I say no to that when there is the lure of a cocktail or two in there??

Hope your weekend is as relaxing as I wish mine could be!

But I really DO want you to hire me!!

2011-12-01T20:23:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile, something happens that just makes me think the fates have aligned and I am just lucky enough to be there to be part of it.

Earlier this year, I posted about DDI strategies. It's a program after my own heart because Kathleen, the founder, actually started coming up with these ideas to help her son who was a struggling reader. It touched my heart hardcore when I first heard that last year because Middle Child so fits that profile and I figured if this could work so well for one struggling reader, it could work for mine. Well last year our district implemented DDI and I jumped right in. LOVED it. My district doesn't interpret it necessarily the way they should but that happens a lot everywhere.

In October, I got a blog comment when I posted about how I reworked and arranged DDI to make sense to me for 2nd grade. It was from Kathleen's sister! Ooooh, I'd been HAD! But fortunately, my identity has been safe and life has carried on well. I am slowly but surely bringing DDI into my fellow 2nd grade teachers' classrooms and really hoping to help them rock and roll with it starting in January.

Today I had a PD again for DDI. Very excited was I. I'm not joking. My nerd flag flies VERY proudly at these sorts of things. I get them. They make sense. So during one part I sort of whisper to Kathleen that her sister left a comment on my blog and imagine my shock when she knew exactly who I was. I did not want to reveal my blog identity publicly so we went into the hall a moment and she shocked me by saying that she FRAMED my post about how fabulous DDI is. ♥ Then I told her that I just want her to hire me.

And I wasn't being a behind smoocher either. Seriously people....this stuff just MAKES SENSE for good teaching. And it's easy. In fact, I mentioned it to Middle Child's teachers last year and they wanted to know more. I just let myself fantasize for a moment about how friggin awesome it would be to be the Michigan-based consultant. I have it all planned out in my head because I'm a freak (and I'm not afraid to dream a little). Kathleen even gave me a hug and it was like kindred spirits. Seriously. I gave her my "real" identity information and that's that.

I talked to The Husband after I left and was headed back to school and he said he couldn't remember the last time I sounded so excited. I think that ultimately....my district isn't going to be able to keep me in the long run. I have a TON of ambition and I am afraid that with how they do some things that I will end up way jaded and I am too young for that. I don't think I am jaded right now...but I HAVE BEEN and I had to dig myself out of that. Changing schools helped a ton. But really, I worry about that. If the administration don't start respecting us and treating us like professionals...I am not going to be able to stick around. It's about the KIDS. And really, consulting is the best of both worlds, I think. You still get to be a teacher and work with kids (AND their teachers which is a bonus) but you don't have the data and the other pressures. I keep telling The Husband that some day I am going to just start my own school where teachers can, oh I don't know, teach maybe?!

Seriously. I can't tell you how overjoyed I have been all day to just know that someone like Kathleen has read my lil ole blog and gets that *I* get it. I'm just kind of mad that I didn't think up all of this fabulous stuff myself! Really though, my job is to help children and this work helps children. I know it does because I saw the proof myself last year.

If nothing else, I got my ego stroked just a little bit today and it's always nice to have someone else see the real you and appreciate where you are and what you're trying to do. It's pretty humbling and awesome all at the same time.

Two down!

2011-11-29T20:29:00.001-05:00

Wow....it's already Tuesday night. Life is just flying away from me.

I already miss my long weekend. I am SO tired after just two days back. Blah! We are a PBiS school so after every big break we do a behavior walk-through to review the behaviors and school-wide expectations. Before we went on Thanksgiving break, I had to really drive home to my kidlets that they were letting things slide and I wasn't going to tolerate it since they know the rules.

So we did our walk-through before lunch yesterday and the kids were awesome in lines all day (well except one kid who is a little stinker and is going to end up with zero friends because he's so mean). Today they had a little trouble after last recess and were late to PE by 5 minutes but I have to stand my ground on that one. It makes me feel mean but I know that in the end, the kids will respect me (and themselves) more because that boundary was set.

Only two more kid days for me this week. I'm out Thursday for a training and I plan to use my afternoon to get some work done toward my evaluation plan since the training I am attending is supposed to help me with that. I really don't want to see my students at all that day if I can help it. That sounds mean...but really, when I end up seeing them, I get nothing done and it's frustrating. Our librarian will be out all day for something else so no library classes that day and I plan to kind of hide in the library and get some work done in there for the afternoon.

I got lucky because my lit coach asked Mrs. Principal if we could bump one of my kiddos up to the Child Study team for THIS month (December) and since she is a review, Mrs. Principal said YES. This is wonderful because I can't believe this kid doesn't have some kind of learning disability -- she is SO low. And Mrs. Literacy Coach saw it first hand since she provided accommodations for a test we took and working with this child. I am crossing my fingers, eyes and toes that the paperwork I have and the proof of what I have tried for this kiddo pushes it to the point where they will test her. If I can get her to that point, I will feel like I accomplished something amazing this year. I plan to use part of Thursday making sure I have all of my ducks in a row for that kiddo (and a few others) so that I can get them onto the CST docket and hopefully get them the support they need.

Even though I have a million things I need to be doing, I had my nails done tonight. I have been going faithfully every 2-3 weeks since I found a little place locally in town that is cheap and good. I usually have the guy do my nails and tonight asked him for some snowflakes....and he one-upped me and gave me a snowman on each ring finger, complete with a scarf, a hat and little glittery "snowflakes". Sooo cute! I told him that it will probably distract my class for the next few days! But I love it. Sometimes the simplest things make you feel so good.

National Board

2011-11-27T12:10:00.001-05:00

I have a feeling that by the end of June, I am never going to want to hear (or say) the words "National Board" ever again! hehe

At any rate, I have been doing some digging this weekend. I realize that to show you use the standards you have to internalize the standards. So that has been my task right now. That and really reading through and understanding the Evaluation Guides and Rubrics. Entry 3 seems to be the one that gives most people pause in the case of the EMC Literacy certificate. So I dug right into my standards, made some notes, and then dug right into my evaluation guide and also made some notes. I believe I am going to work on this one the most because it is by far the least clear.

Entry 2 and 4 will be peaches. Really. I LOVE writing and while this kind of writing (for NB I mean) is not like the kind of writing you typically produce as a teacher, I think it will really allow me to focus on my reflection and my analysis. So I am going to really start tackling those two first, but also work on Entry 3 because I have a feeling that will be the one I am banging my head over come March.

I spent a lot of time Friday and Saturday putting notes and information into my National Board file of Scrivener. Love, love, love!!! It is going to make things so much easier to keep organized and it will definitely prevent me from having to print out, proof read then revise, reprint, etc tons of pages. I put all of the questions for each entry into the program, in separate sections just like in the directions. Now I have to dissect my work, analyze my work and reflect on that work which is sometimes the most challenging part.

My goal is to finish my portfolio by mid-March so that I am not killing myself to meet the deadline. If I can pack it up and ship it off by mid-March then I can take a chill for a month before I turn my focus to the assessment center (which means I can ENJOY my own Spring Break). My district gives me up to two days PAID leave time to visit the assessment center so that is super good to know. I can go during the day and just do my thing.

I have been doing a lot of reading about National Board. I also just purchased a book with tips and suggestions (not anything really different from the standards themselves, just put into friendlier language) and I am already getting some good advice from it. I purchased it for my Kindle and got it last night. I've already read the first 3 chapters and made some notes and highlights. It is already changing how I am thinking about some of my entries. That is a good thing!!

At this point I think I am done video-taping (except my 1 minute pan for my small group video) but I am leaving myself open to possibly retaping entry 3. Once I start on my analysis and description I will be able to see if it really is fitting the standards or if I need more. At this point I think I am okay, but we will see as time goes on.

I am excited and nervous about this whole thing. I know my life is going to revolve around NB from now until March when I send off that box. It should be crazy, fun, exhilarating and frustrating all at once! :)

Oh Saturday!

2011-11-26T14:24:00.001-05:00

What an awesome break this has been. What have I done? Not much! And I love it! :)

Wednesday was known as the day of laziness. The Husband worked and the Littles, The Oldest and myself just kind of hung out like huge blobs. I think we all needed that day off from school craziness. Thursday was busy just because it was Thanksgiving.We did not do a big deal dinner. Just the 5 of us and my FIL and SIL. That is fine with me. I am kind of over huge holiday celebrations. Maybe it is because my family is so psychotic (no, seriously!) but I'm super content to just stay home with my little clan.

Yesterday, I didn't do anything except buy myself a fountain diet coke and ice cream (real healthy, no?). Black Friday shoppers are freaks. Well, to be fair, some aren't but many are. I couldn't believe all of the FaceBook posts from people I know who were out from 9:30 Thursday night until 6-7-8 a.m. on Friday. No, thank you. Crazy.

Plus the more the day went on yesterday I kept reading news articles about the crazy things people were doing. Not so much in my area but someone in California got shot at a Walmart because they wouldn't hand over their purchases to a robber, some lady somewhere pepper-sprayed people to keep them away from the item SHE wanted. I mean, come on. Is this what we're teaching our children? That material items are worth hurting others or putting ourselves in harm's way? I was perfectly content to sit in my PJs all day thankyouverymuch. No deal is worth sacrificing my integrity. It makes me sad that material possessions at a discount turn people into such horrible people.

At any rate, my biggest accomplishment is that despite all of the insanity that is November (report cards, conferences, Big Deal Data meetings), I did NaNoWriMo this year. I found that when things were super crazy with work, writing helped me to chill. I definitely think I found my muse. It's pretty awesome. Yesterday I finished with a grand total of 57k words! Now, is the story done? Um, no. Not even close! I have to rewrite the beginning and bring everything to a close, but I WROTE A BOOK. It's very exciting. It is nothing I would even dare let people read at this point but I did it in 30 days....so I can imagine if I just put my mind to it what I can accomplish if I take my time. Although the deadline was kind of fun and challenging. Maybe that's what did it for me. I don't know.

Since that is not on my front burner anymore, I have turned my attention to National Board (uh, where it probably should have been all month!!). I recently found some great resources to help me as well. I have ZERO cohorts to join because there is not a single person on my side of the state that is certified in the area I am going for. Not good. But, I didn't use a cohort with my Master's either and I did fine for that. I am part of a group online and recently was recommended to read a book that has tips and guidelines for the entries. I decided to use Scrivener (of which I got a free trial during NaNo and will be able to get a full version of for half-price since I finished NaNo as a winner) to organize my National Board entries. Mostly because there are so many parts to each entry and the less paper I have to use to print this stuff out, the better! I started organizing my information into it yesterday and I am really glad that I did NaNo if for no other reason than it brought me to Scrivener! I ♥ this program and sincerely wish I'd had it in graduate school. It is that good.

Today I haven't done much. Hubby is working and the girls and I are just hanging at home. In sweatpants. It feels great. And I have one more day of laziness before I have to think about school. How awesome is that? I don't know if we'll do any shopping this weekend or not but I don't mind. I would be perfectly happy to do all of my shopping online honestly. Alas, some time in the future we shall go forth and brave the crazies.

Happy rest of the weekend blog-world!

Thankfulness

2011-11-23T19:05:00.001-05:00

As I am positive I won't be hanging around in blog-land tomorrow, just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and remind you to take a moment and think about what you HAVE, not what you DON'T.

This really hit home for me recently as a mom complained to me at conferences about what the school did not GIVE her (namely coats for her children -- um, are we Walmart? No? Didn't think so either). I had a huge talk with my class about being thankful for what you DO have because I can guarantee that I will be able to find someone who has less than you think you have.

I am SUPER thankful for my husband who puts up with me and cherishes me even when I'm being a bitch and don't deserve it.

I am SUPER thankful for my kids who keep me grounded and have taught me what unconditional love really is and should be.

I am SUPER thankful for Current School for giving me back my passion for teaching -- and with that the 60+ kiddos I have already reached in my short 18 months there who know that they can always come to me, even if they aren't in my class.

I am SUPER thankful for finding the real me, finding my voice and standing up for myself to tell people who should care about me to get out of my life. It isn't an easy thing to do but many, many wonderful things have happened to me since I "took out the trash" in my life and I am forever grateful that I finally found the nerve to do it.

I am SUPER grateful and thankful for being given the gift of being a teacher, following my dream and making someone of myself. Working on National Board has provided me with a chance to really look at my practice, tweak it and work toward being the best I can be for my kids.

I'm also grateful that despite being insanely busy this month, I have taken time to write for myself by participating in NaNoWriMo (yes, I am crazy!). I have less than 15k words to go until my novel is DONE and it's been hugely cathartic and inspiring to do something I have wanted to do for so long.

Lastly I am thankful and grateful for my bloggy friends. Yeah, we'll never meet in real life and share a diet coke, but knowing people share my plight helps immensely. I don't do giveaways and celebrate followers and whatnot but I know you're out there and agreeing with me and that helps me to not feel so alone. So THANK YOU.

Have an amazingly joyful break and remember why you are a teacher. You went into it for a reason and I hope that despite all that drives us crazy in the field of education now, you can look out at your little friends and realize how lucky you are to have them (and they to have you)! ♥

Happy Fruesday!

2011-11-22T20:40:00.001-05:00

I really love weeks where you have Monday/Thursday and Tuesday/Friday! They are the best.

I am astounded that it is almost Thanksgiving. How did this happen exactly?? I think I blinked and the months zipped past. Wow.

I didn't really do any teaching today. Sad! Here was our day:

8:30-Morning Work

8:45-Class Meeting

9:00-Junior Achievement

10:00-Writing (wow, some teaching!!)

11:00-Lunch

11:40-SSR

12:00-Computers

12:45-Turkey Videos

1:15-Read Aloud/SSR

1:45-Recess

2:15-Prep for Home

2:20-Phys. Ed.

3:09-Dismiss

Hard life I had today, no? :) I was sad because the copy machine broke so we could not make our fabulous turkeys! So upset about it. But we will be sure to do some super fun Christmasy stuff in the three weeks before Christmas break (holy potatoes -- only 3 weeks!!). This year is just FLYING and I am not sure I like it much!

I was a good girl today and got my big ole tests graded during JA, my lesson plans done during computer lab and my copies made during PE (thankfully they fixed the copier today at lunch -- whew!). So I am 100% set for next week except for my Reading Tickets for RTI Workshop (takes 2 minutes to copy), my newsletters and my reading tests for Friday. Not worried about it at all. I left at 3:25 with only my purse and keys! I am determined to just enjoy my long weekend. I will be working a bit on National Board stuff but the nerdy part of me LIKES that kind of stuff so it will be okay. There will lots of PJ wearing, diet coke drinking and relaxing over the next 5 days. I hope it goes relatively slowly because I need the down time.

When I got to work today, Mrs. E left me a bag of truffles and a card on my window. ♥ We have really become a team and I am glad. I have never truly felt like a part of a team until this year. When I thanked her for the card and truffles, she said I have truly completed the 2nd grade team because I have helped them change the way they approach certain things with my knowledge of data and DDI. Funny thing is, we usually do our planning on Wednesdays and obviously since we don't have school tomorrow, it wasn't going to happen. So I did my own plans figuring we would more or less be on the same page. She always emails me our plans so I can copy paste to my format when we plan together. This afternoon she emailed them to me after I was already home...and our writing plans were almost identical even though we hadn't even talked about them! I found that amusing. Our data person told us last week that we clearly collaborate because we almost finish each other's sentences. I think we have started to share a brain! :) I do miss big kids simply because they get my humor a bit more than the small fries do but I am LOVING teaching 2nd grade the longer the year goes on. It doesn't hurt that in 2nd grade they are still sweet and cute and want to please you -- and it doesn't hurt that the kids tell me at least 30 times a day how fabulous I am! :)

Sunday already??

2011-11-20T16:39:00.001-05:00

Soooo jealous of all of you who have this whole week off! When I was at Former School, we had the whole week. Seriously the only thing I miss about that school is the schedule (not the staff, not the kids, sadly).

But it will be a relatively easy week, I believe. Mrs. E shared with me a fun Turkey activity that we are going to make tomorrow. The other two second grade classes are watching a Thanksgiving movie on Tuesday afternoon but my kiddos have PE so I'm happy to not do that since they won't be with me anyway the last 45 minutes of the day.

I was driving out just a little while ago to pick up The Oldest from the high school (she went to the fall play). On my way there, I noticed that our downtown area has the lights up on the trees and the Christmas wreaths out. It occurred to me that yes, it really IS getting to be that time of year. It doesn't feel like it. We've had a tiny bit of snow here in my area of Michigan but not much. It stuck once where I am but by the time to drove the 20 minutes to school, there was no snow on the ground at all. So it doesn't feel like it's nearly Thanksgiving and it certainly doesn't feel to me like it's only a little more than a month until Christmas!

This year is just flying by! Last year did too and while it's awesome to feel accomplished, I feel like time is slipping away from me. I want to enjoy things, slow down and take a moment to relish in what we're doing. I feel like that is almost impossible at the rate we have to move, move, move. So I shall take advantage of this short week....I am going to slow it down just a bit. I am going to enjoy as much of it as possible. I know my days will still fly (they always do) but hopefully interspersing some FUN in there will help.

I feel like I blinked and missed Saturday!

Yay for Friday!

2011-11-18T17:53:00.001-05:00

To say I am glad it is Friday is a definite understatement! Whew! What a weird, wild, busy and just plain weird week this was! We worked our little behinds off in class and got SO much accomplished but holy cow, did we have a lot going on. I'm amazed I made it and am still smiling. *wink*

Unfortunately I had to bring a pile of stuff home that I did not get through with conferences but that's okay. I am more than happy to take a couple hours here and there to finish that up knowing that I am not going to have to worry about this next week. We are taking a benchmark test in reading and doing some review stuff in math and otherwise it's all about Thanksgiving crafts and FUN. Plus we have PE at the very end of the day on Tuesday which is so awesome because I am going to have extra time to get myself prepared and ready for the following week and thus I don't have to stick around on Tuesday after school.

Today we had the Big Deal Data Meeting and I am happy to say that I think we kicked ass! The gal from the district who does ours said she could tell our team collaborates a lot because we almost finish each other's sentences. I mentioned how I am kind of the "outsider" (not in a negative way) because I've taught 4th and 5th for the last 3 years and being back in 2nd is so new to me, but that we all share with each other, learn from each other and really push each other to make the best decisions we can for our students collectively. I think that they were impressed. We could easily speak to our data and address why or why not things were the way they are right now. I have no doubt that with what we are doing, we are going to kick some massive ass on the MAP test next go round.

My students also had Junior Achievement today. It was our first one. They were really excited about it and I think they will enjoy it. Sadly we did not go to computer lab because as we were preparing to go, Miss W came and told me that ALL of the 2nd grade classes were once again caught running down the hall at lunch. We go outside first and then they come in to eat. There is a definitive lack of supervision at lunch and they are kids -- they will take advantage of it. And they do. I was so angry when I heard this, however, because my class especially has had to have extra hallway travel practice this week because they just talk so much. It is a school-wide expectation. Period. So we had a big class meeting about this behavior and how upset I am that we're 54 days into the year and they don't show our STAR behavior if I am not right there with them. I have recess duty on Fridays and afterward, I had them go down the long hall (the K-1 hall which is where we come in for lunch) and go out to line up where they line up at lunch. Then I made them WALK down that hall and come back. They KNOW better and I KNOW a lot of it is because there aren't enough adults supervising them. However, it has gotten to the point that even when they leave the classroom, they think they can run. Um, no. Not going to work for me.

We are doing our school-wide walk throughs again the day we get back from Thanksgiving break and it will be much needed, I am sure. It's amazing how you can reinforce the same procedure EVERY DAY and they still just don't do it.

Almost there!

2011-11-17T20:58:00.001-05:00

Only 3 more days until a much deserved and needed 5 day break! I am so excited about it that it isn't even funny!

Tonight we had our last night of conferences. I had a lot of amazing conferences this week but I am so glad they are over! They are tiring! I had several parents who seemed genuinely appreciative that I am pushing their children academically. It feels nice to know that my efforts are appreciated by someone!

I also had a mom (and dad!!) in tears tonight. Their child is VERY low (I mean, we're talking cobwebs here...the child is SO sweet but she is just clueless). I have addressed my concerns to mom before and we talked about it a lot tonight. I said I will fight for this child, I will go to the end of the earth to get her the help she needs and mom and dad both teared up. Mom thanked me for taking care of O like she is my own and that she's so glad she has me as a teacher. ♥

THIS people is why I am a teacher. Seriously. I just know that these kids need me. Everything happens for a reason and I am in 2nd grade because these kids need me. While they drive me bananas because they talk SOOOO much, I love them. I'm so glad that I didn't end up back in 5th at the start of the year because I really think I would have resented leaving these kids. I am hard on them but their parents appreciate it and understand why I do it.

Now we just need to get through the Big Deal Data Meeting tomorrow and we're home free!

Crazy!

2011-11-16T20:10:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it is already Wednesday! Time is flying this week. This is very, very good because it had the potential to be the longest week ever. Tomorrow I have such a hard life (sarcasm) -- the kids are in art from 8:30-9:18 (we start at 8:20!) and then we go to our math tutors from 10:20-11:10 which means I get that time for extra planning. Bonus! We have our second set of conferences tomorrow night so being able to get my data together and whatnot in that hour is going to be great!

My students took the news of Mr. Sunny accidentally deleting our National Board videos well. I did recover them finally and they were crystal clear, but there were two problems. 1) ZERO sound (and it was kind of funny to watch me teaching with no sound whatsoever) and 2) the videos split in the middle for whatever random reason. In the end, while it sucked, I am over it. I went back in with a good attitude about it in that we were going to try our best to make the most out of it and go with it. We videotaped on Monday a small group reading lesson and today we taped a small group reading lesson AND my interdisciplinary lesson for the listening, viewing, speaking entry. I'm actually quite impressed that all three of the segments are pretty darn good. I am going to reanalyze them this weekend to make sure they will work for what I want but I feel confident that these videos can exemplify my teaching practices, especially the interdisciplinary one because we more or less just recreated the one we had already done. I think it turned out pretty darn good.

I just need to do my 1-minute pan and I should be set. [And you better believe I made three copies of those videos -- not taking ANY chances this time!!]

We had our first night of conferences last night. I had 13 children scheduled and only had 2 not show. 1 who is scheduled for Thursday came last night and since they were there, I snuck them in! I wasn't going to send the mom away and make her come back. That means that tomorrow will be a lighter load which is nice. I have one right at 8:30 once the kids go to art but I have two half hour breaks in there because of reschedules. I sent the last two I have scheduled (which I believe are 6:30 and 6:45) that if they are free they can pop in early since I have so many open spots earlier in the night. If they both do that, in theory, I could be all set by 6 which would be awesome. I still have to stay at school (it's contracted time) but I could get soooo much done if I was in my classroom with work time rather than still meeting with parents. So we shall see.

I am exhausted from this crazy week. I can't wait for Friday at 3:30. I am OUTTA THERE and not doing anything for school. Next week is only Monday-Tuesday with kids and we're doing a big test to get it over with (we know they won't do well on it after the break) and having some fun with Turkey type stuff. It will be a relatively easy two days. I am SO lucky too because I have a special on Tuesdays at the end of the day so I literally get 45 minutes to myself before I dismiss my students which means I can have all of my lesson plans for the following week done and all of my copies made. Therefore by 4 p.m. on November 22, I am home free for 5 entire days! I plan to really push forward with my National Board entries and at least begin to flesh them out and plan how I want to write them. I am bound and determined not to touch ANYTHING school-related those days. I just need the break!

I am so behind on things I want to do and sadly there is just not time to catch up on it all. I will have to do a bunch of catch-up on some of it this weekend because my bed is calling me and if I don't want to look like a zombie at my conferences tomorrow, I need to get myself some rest!

Happy Hump Day! We're almost there!!

Bummer!

2011-11-13T20:10:00.001-05:00

I have spent WAY too many hours of my weekend worrying about and trying to recover these stupid National Board files. The software company swore they could recover them to perfection then disappear into the night. Figures! I have given up. I tried all of the tricks, all of the suggestions. I'm tired of monkeying with it. It has eaten up a lot of enjoyment time this weekend and that makes me angry since this coming week is bound to be hell (conferences and a HUGE psych meeting for Middle Child).

I am not going to let this defeat me. I will go to school tomorrow armed with the camera and be honest with the kids. Mr. Sunny did something you never ever do. He messed with files that had not been backed up and we have to start over. Nothing we can do about it except smile and accept it.

I shall reward them, however. I am bringing in a cute turkey activity I found online and will let them spend their time after last recess working on them. We need to take down our pumpkin glyphs from the hallway and put up some new writing and decorations and these are the perfect thing to take their place. If I can really get them to rock it out, we can do two videos tomorrow and then knock out the social studies ones on Wednesday. I am still mad about it but it happened and I can't change it. I am more pissed that said company claimed they were the answer to my prayers when really all they did was steal my money because their software sucks. I shall be disputing that as well.

I'm so ready for the week to be over already and it hasn't even started yet.

Blah :(

2011-11-13T10:05:00.001-05:00

To say I am a depressed right now is a huge understatement. I did not kill my hubby in case you were wondering. He is still alive. Probably only because he feels terrible that he somehow deleted my files. Incidentally as he was trying to save them to a disk so I could watch them on the big TV and thus take notes and prepare to start my big-ole analysis papers, the software wiped them all out. So upsetting!! (I got a dinner out and a promise of a nail fill out of this though so I can't complain too much.)

A few friends told me about a software that is supposed to be able to recover files, even videos. I tried it and found my files but they are distorted beyond belief. They are not usable. After a quick web search I found a company with rave reviews about how their software has recovered all of these pictures and videos to absolute perfection and how great it is and the price was incredible ($20). We did that (not how I wanted to spend my Saturday night let me tell ya!). It recovered the files as well but they are still distorted and unusable. By that time, I was just DONE. I sent an angry email and said I was very disappointed after all of the rave reviews because while it recovered my files, they certainly aren't usable! I have more or less resigned myself to having to start over :(

The ONLY consolation to that is that it's only November. I have plenty of time. Does it make me happy? No. But it also isn't the end of the world either.

That said, I read my email this morning and the company emailed me regarding my complaint and said they WILL help me recover these files. The tech guy who emailed said it concerned him that the scan only went through undelete, not something else like it was supposed to do. So they are working on it, I guess. I will be absolutely overjoyed if they can somehow help me to recover these files. Upon closer inspection it appears that the program split the videos because my last reading group one (the one that was PERFECT) I'm wearing a green shirt and at least 4 of the files show me sitting at my table in that green shirt. So it's very weird. It's almost like the program recovered the files frame by frame instead of in a stream. I don't know.

If I have to do them over, we will. But I will back them up at least 8 times before I let my husband even touch the camera!

S*@$ty Saturday >:(

2011-11-12T14:26:00.001-05:00

I am SO pissed right now. My husband just deleted ALL of my National Board videos. Every.Single.One.

So what does that mean?? I am no farther ahead than I was 3 months ago.

I would REALLY like to throw something right now. Preferably at his head.

I am going to go cry now. Because the last ones I taped were PERFECT. I mean it. ABSOLUTE PERFECTION IN EVERY WAY. The kids were on their game and so was I. They are going to be so upset when I tell them we have to start all over and that our hard work was wasted. :(

Fab Friday

2011-11-12T10:53:00.001-05:00

Wow, yesterday was really quite amazing, weird and interesting. It's a full moon so that doesn't help either! Our entire second grade, headed up by Mrs. E, participated in a Pay it Forward campaign sponsored by Pizza Hut and one of our local TV stations. They gave us $200 and a flip camera to use to show how we would pay it forward. Yesterday was our formal presentation. The kids were wired but it was SO powerful to see them do something like this. I sincerely hope that they will remember this forever. Our students get SO MUCH for free from other people and it is nice to show them that they can repay that favor just by doing something nice for someone else.

After school I popped into Mrs. E's room to thank her for inviting our class to be part of it too (she headed it all) and she told me that the TV station was so impressed by what we did and how we did it, that they want to come and interview us for the news, outside of this contest! Very very exciting.

Additionally my kids started our recycling/trash project yesterday afternoon. We read "The Wartville Wizard" and next week we will make more connections about it as well as learn some vocabulary to help them understand WHY this project is important and how their voices as youngsters can be so powerful, moreso I believe than mine because they are tomorrow's leaders.

I also finally had a moment to review all of the National Board videos I have done and make sure they a) met the requirements and b) were indicative of my teaching. I am so happy to say that the videos turned out really, really good! So I am not planning to do anymore. The kids were asking me this week if I was bringing the camera back in *wink* I think they kind of liked the notion of being "on TV" so to speak. Now I can take a deep breath and really focus my energies on my commentaries and analysis. The writing part and the assessment center exercises are the next big steps but honestly I feel a huge part of it is done just having the videos READY. The only thing I want to redo is my 1 minute scan before my small group reading video. That will not be hard to do anytime in the next two weeks. I like to do them when the kids are at recess or lunch because then the chairs are down and the room looks more lived in.

I'm feeling a lot calmer and more relaxed now that some of our big craziness is over. We have conferences this week which will be insane and our BIG DEAL DATA MEETING on Friday but I am not worried about it. My team is prepared, we ran through the questions, we will be okay. My conference schedule is looking very good. I am less one because I already did Little Princess's so that's out. I also made special changes for a few families who couldn't come in the evening. I have a mom coming in during Art on Thursday and a mom coming in at 3 on Tuesday (the kids are in Gym so it doesn't matter). What's nice about that is, it frees up my late slots so I can leave when I am done. Plus both nights I have a free half hour so I can eat some dinner and take a breather in the lounge. That will be nice. :)

Once this week is over, we're home free. The next week is so short due to Thanksgiving and we're giving our big benchmark test so no real planning has to be done. I am going to be able to RELAX and just enjoy my own family. It will be great!

Terrific Thursday

2011-11-10T19:33:00.001-05:00

Well, today was pretty darn good even with a big (hour-long!!) conference with Little Princess's mom and dad after school. More on that in a moment.

My team went to a Reading Street training this morning. We had been told to expect it to be boring as hell. Thankfully it wasn't. It was actually useful. We got validation that if we don't use the stations as the program says, it is okay. So really, in my mind, that means I can open things up for Daily 5 because the district made it clear that we are to do BALANCED LITERACY and Reading Street is just a resource. Music to my ears! So I feel renewed in terms of what I plan to do with my stations starting next week. We are going to do two a day, but EVERYONE will do the same ones. That will allow me to rotate kids to the computers in my room daily instead of only getting in the lab on Fridays. I'm excited about that. I'm sure the kids will be too!

We stopped at a small deli for lunch. I had a super yummy club sandwich and a small salad. So tasty! I could eat one of those salads every day!!! We got back to school and had our afternoon to go over our data and plan. Interestingly enough, our three classes were almost identical in the areas on that MAP that were high and low, in both reading and math but math was even closer in terms of their similarities. Then we had time to do some things we needed to do. Mrs. E did some RtI binders for a few of her kids, I got my lesson plans done for next week and a good start on my conference folders. I'm really glad to have had that time.

Next Tuesday and Thursday are our conferences. I have already made some changes to my schedule for a couple of moms and that is a-okay with me. I am happy to make it easy for them so they get in the door with me! :) I'm looking forward to most of them because a lot of these kids, it will be the first time I get to meet their parents (sad, isn't it?). For a few we are going to have to have a big talk about responsibility. Not really looking forward to that part of it.

After school today I met with Little Princess's parents. Mrs. Principal took my side and said NO she was NOT moving Little Princess out of my room. Score 1 point for Sunny :D We held the conference in the conference room -- I thought neutral territory would be good for us all. We started by doing the normal conference stuff that I would do with any family. Then we did the behavior stuff. I was out of my room all day and Little Princess was not good. Mom had some time to decompress after yesterday and was a lot more calm today. I also told her it wouldn't help to put Little Princess in either of the other classes because there are kids in there who would REALLY rip her apart. She's very emotional (beyond normal) and we had a long talk about it. We met at 3:20 and didn't end until 4:30. I was very honest and said I was upset that she thought I didn't like her child because I do. There wasn't any yelling or screaming :p I did, however, tell mom that if she wanted me to be on her side and help her child she can't come at me 2 minutes before the bell like yesterday. Part of the problem was too they thought with our behavior referrals that if Little Princess got another referral, she would be suspended. It's not very clear to the parents how to read those forms. So we had a super big talk about all of that too. I got mom to agree to let me do a counseling referral because this child cries EXCESSIVELY. I mean everyone knows her as "the crier". It's why the kids don't like her -- they think she is a baby. I also got mom to agree to at least do an ADHD screening. She said "I don't want to put her on meds." So I had to explain all of that. ADHD doesn't automatically mean you have to drug your child, but a diagnosis gives us A LOT of leeway in terms of what we can provide for her once we have the documentation. We are also going to do a behavior plan so that hopefully Little Princess can better monitor her own behavior. I walked them out since the office was closed by that time and as they left the atrium, I heard dad ask the mom "so are you better now?" and she said "yes". I told both the parents in the conference that I could guarantee there are going to be other times this year that I make them mad -- it isn't my goal at all but it will happen because it always does. They want to advocate for their child which is admirable and fine. BUT we have to work as a team to get there and they need to trust me to do my job. I emailed Mrs. Principal afterward to keep her in the loop with it all and thanked her for helping to diffuse mom AND for backing me up. It makes a huge difference.

I also got a nice surprise tonight. Our district is moving to a new evaluation system. Mrs. Principal emailed us all and asked us to log into the system and select a new password so she can start our evaluations. It's so stupid because the evals are due by Dec 16 and they barely give the principals time to do anything. At any rate, we have had two evaluation systems -- PEP and PLP. PEPs are for teachers who are untenured. You have to do 5 big goals and have two formal observations and it's a huge pain in the butt. Well because I took a leave two years ago, it froze my evaluation so I thought I was going to have to do another PEP even though this would be my tenure year normally. PLP is for tenured teachers. You can do a project or some other such thing to show growth as a teacher. When I opened my new account for the online management o the evaluations, it listed my evaluation type as TENURED PLP!! Which means NO FORMAL OBSERVATIONS and I am qualified to have student teachers now! Woo hoo. I may actually be able to use my candidacy for National Board as part of my PLP too which would be so freaking awesome. We shall see.

Overall, today was fabulous. Tomorrow will be too because a) it's Friday b) it's PayDay and c) our 2nd graders are going to be on TV for a Pay it Forward campaign. I'm so excited about it!!

Wacky Wednesday

2011-11-09T19:44:00.002-05:00

The day after a random Tuesday PD day is always interesting. I have a little lady in my class who is a COMPLETE drama queen. And she's 7. Mom is clueless. Clue.Less. Dad, I think gets its. At least he seems too. Mom just doesn't like me. I don't care. I don't sugar coat anything and she can't stand that.

Well her little princess got an office referral last week. Dad brought the form back and we had a chat about it the next day. He wasn't rude to me. He didn't come at me all ghetto. Well little princess got another referral on Monday because she hit a child with her backpack on purpose. I knew that Mom or Dad would come in today and see me because that's the kind of parents they are.

Sure enough mom showed up but at 8:15 (we get kids at 8:20). She came at me all crazy like it's my fault her kid is naughty. She said she was going to request Little Princess be put in another classroom. I almost laughed in her face. It won't happen and I told her that. They don't just transfer classrooms because you can't handle that someone doesn't eat up your child's bullshit like you do.

Mrs. Principal was out for a meeting this morning but I emailed her and gave her a head's up and we planned to meet at lunch to talk about it briefly. She asked me why I didn't have a behavior plan in place. I honestly answered that it was only her SECOND referral and my plan was to get with mom and dad and conferences (next week) and set that up. It isn't like this kid has had 12 referrals and I've never talked to the parents. Then she told me that mom said she had no idea that Little Princess's behavior has been anything but stellar because I have never told her. I said "really? Well I can go upstairs and grab her folder and prove to you that that is not true." Mrs. Principal knows me better than that and I can prove EVERY SINGLE TIME I have ever talked to this mother. And I send those notes home EVERY WEEK WITH EVERY KID and what's really funny to me is this parent signs the papers. So when push comes to shove and she tries to say that she didn't know, I can prove her lying ass wrong. Love it!

And you better believe that I WILL call the mom to the carpet on that one at the conference. I know she doesn't like me, she has made it plain. My guess is that little princess knows mom hates me and little princess has mom wrapped around her little finger so she makes shit up to get mom upset. Dad doesn't buy it but mom totally does. So I requested a meeting with ALL THREE OF THEM and I am going to put that mom in her place and tell her I am offended that she told Mrs. Principal that she had no idea that her daughter gets in trouble at school. Bullshit. I have it all documented and written down. Nice try though.

The problem is that everyone else cows down to this mom. I won't. She claimed that she has asked me over and over to put Little Princess in a seat alone she's asked me once and I said it was not feasible. I am not moving my entire classroom around because your kid can't control herself. I don't tell you how to do your job, don't tell me how to do mine. The district is all over it because mom called the administrative office threatening to take her kid out of the district. It's her choice. If she thinks life will be peaches and roses somewhere else, she's in for a rude awakening. If she cried excessively anywhere else she'd be put on half days or in an EI room. Period. I am actually looking forward to this meeting because I WILL put mom in her place and I will GLADLY take a formal reprimand in my file over it. No one tells me how to do my job, especially not some parent who has nothing better to do than baby her child. No one likes this child because she is SUCH a baby. Mom doesn't like that the kids pick on her....well tell her to stop being a sniveling crybaby and she probably won't have so many problems.

After that craziness, I did get confirmation that my concerns regarding my other little special friend are not unfounded. I'm SO glad that we have the therapists we have at our school because they agree with me that Mrs. Principal doesn't have a clue what she is talking about in regards to this child and we're getting him set up with a psychologist and a psychiatrist to see if we can go farther with it. The kid almost needs a 1:1 aide because he's SO off the wall. It's sad.

Weird!!

2011-11-05T18:18:00.000-04:00

Today we had Middle Child's big One-Oh party at Chuck E. Cheese. As we were finishing up our pizza lunch, I notice one of my students coming in with his mom and sisters. Oh boy. That is always a weird one for me. I am a huge advocate for separating work and my personal life because too much mixture, for me anyway, causes issues. This child, however, has not really liked me much most of the year. I don't expect every kid to love me every second but his stepdad thinks I'm a jerk who doesn't support this kid so it's been an interesting relationship to be sure (mom likes me though). Anyway so there they were and his little sister says "Oh, it's Mrs. Sunny!" So I couldn't well hide!

After we did cake and whatnot, we had a bunch left so I went over and asked his mom if the kids would like some. I think that she now thinks I am the most amazing person ever. She likes the fact that I push her son (he is really smart) and she gets that her child will try to push buttons if he can. She told me earlier in the year she thought he was a bit intimidated by me because I am upfront with the kids and tell them that while I care about them all, I am not there to be their friend. I am there to teach them and get them ready for 3rd grade.

Interestingly enough though, after I brought the kids some cake, and was chatting with his mom for a bit, she said she thought the tide really turned for this child the day that I brought the girls into my class. She said she really thinks it helped her son to see that I am a real person too. I have noticed that things are a lot different with him since then. He still gets into trouble sometimes but it isn't so bad that I'm calling his mom all the time to tell her that her child is naughty or whatnot. (Although he did get in trouble on Thursday and had to sit on the bench at recess to reflect then was goofing around and fell off the bench and scraped up his eye so his mom thought he got in a fight....sheesh!)

While it always has been and always will be weird for me to see any of my students out in the "real world", I'm kind of glad I saw this one. He's a kid who needs a lot of emotional support and to feel like you care about him. He HATES writing which makes me so sad because he's such a good reader. At one point when I was talking to his family, he said "Mrs. Sunny, you act just like you do at school!" [meaning silly]. I laughed and said "well you didn't think I was someone else away from you guys, did you??"

I'm so glad the big party is over though. Whew! One big thing crossed off my To Do list. I plan to catch up on my grading now and finish up my report cards tonight. I am determined to be all done with that stuff before I turn in for the night so that tomorrow can be my day. I need to do some cleaning because my poor house is feeling (and looking) neglected but if I play my cards right and can get my family to pitch in too, we could clean the whole house in under 2 hours then have the rest of the day to "chillax" as the students would say. We all need days to just chillax!

Better Day

2011-11-03T18:23:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I was very overwhelmed and just wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out. I have way too many after school things happening lately and it is tough to stay on top of all of the things I need to do, still feel like a good mom and get everything done and done well. I know that once November is over, conferences are past us and we're riding high until winter break that I will be okay. This month is just INSANE with the amount of things going on. It is enough to drive a regular person crazy but for someone with anxiety and depression -- it is a huge battle.

I left everything at school yesterday. I am glad I did. Yes, I am behind but who cares? I know I wouldn't have touched it had I brought it home anyway. I had to have Middle Child at therapy by 4 and a hair appointment at 7. The 4 p.m. appointment caused me to have to rush out the second school was over so I could pick up The Littles and get them to the therapy office on time. Middle Child's appointments are more and more overwhelming to me. I have been convinced for years that this child is on the Autistic Spectrum somewhere. She perseverates on things (recently it is Titanic) and she has an incredible memory. It's unreal. I just feel overwhelmed with it all because I sometimes feel like working means I am a bad mom to her. I know I am not. I do the best I can and I am 150% better of a mother to my girls than my own mother ever was to me...but I still feel bad about all that she is going through sometimes. It's a hard pill to swallow. She is going to be seeing a psychiatrist at the clinic and will be seeing a doctor who specializes in working with children with Asperger Syndrome. So many appointments and I am just one person. I feel stretched thin. The Husband doesn't go to these appointments -- it's on me. It's my own fault though. It would drive me nuts not to hear for myself what the doctors/therapists had to say.

I got my hair cut and recolored last night and then came home and did some journaling. I just needed to for myself. I also went to bed early. I kind of need some quality time with The Husband but we're both off in our own little worlds and that's tough too. Plus he's on call and working weird hours so it doesn't allow us much time to even talk to each other. When I get overwhelmed, I just want him to be next to me. It makes me feel safer. When that doesn't happen, my anxiety sky-rockets.

This morning I quickly met with my team to go over report card stuff since I could not meet with them to do our normal Wednesday planning. While we were together the phone rang and Mrs. E said "Oh it's God calling" and I was kind of like "huh??" Apparently some of the teachers have a short prayer group on Thursday mornings. They asked me if I wanted to come. I said sure...I'm so glad I went. I really think it gave me a lot of strength for today. I am not the most spiritual person in the world, but I found a lot of comfort in the words the gal shared with us and the prayer that we did. I told Mrs. E that I was so so glad that they invited me along because I really did feel so much better afterward. It's good to know that so many people in my school are supporting each other and reaching out for help -- both from each other and from God.

We also have math tutors on Thursday for the next few weeks and Mrs. E offered to take my kids over so I could use that time to work on report cards. I swear I owe her so much! Her and Miss W have been amazing the last couple of weeks and I am so grateful for their support. We don't always see eye-to-eye on everything and they do leave me out of a few things but I do think we make a good team. We support each other, we help each other and man, what a difference that makes!! I was also telling Mrs. E that I feel so bad about Middle Child that I am considering trying to do a job-share. I don't know that I would ever really do it (I'm not sure I could give up the control!) but I know the possibility is there and it helps. I think if we get things figured out with Middle Child and start her on a different path, I won't feel so overwhelmed with everything happening with her right now. The Husband even told me if it meant saving my sanity, we would find a way to make it work. We shall see. I truly do think that a huge part of it is just that I have so many things happening this month alone that just looking at the calendar makes me want to freak out.

I am taking it one day at a time. Learning to let go of things I can't control and just praying my way through this time. I know it will get better. I can't imagine not teaching. But I also know that my family is more important to me than a job and I will do what I need to do in order to find balance and well-being for us all.

My tired is tired

2011-11-02T18:47:00.002-04:00

Today I forced myself to sit at lunch even though I knew it was only going to be for 15 minutes before I was on the go again. During a lull in the conversation I said "does anyone else just feel so overwhelmed they want to cry?!"

Seriously. Might be hormones or just the insane running around I've had to do but I am W.I.P.E.D. Seriously, I was near tears when I was returning two calls during lunch. I'm so tired of just not feeling like I have time to do anything well. It sucks!

Mrs. E said it was because I took on so much with National Board. Ha! This isn't even about National Board. I have done my reading group video and will do my other one tomorrow but otherwise, nada. It isn't bothering me. I wrote many a paper toward the end of my deadline and was just fine. I'm not worried about that at all and it isn't looming or stressing me out.

The running around I'm doing, the super full calendar and the data data data are just killing me. I changed my desk calendar to November this morning and added in my new dates and that's when I wanted to cry. I have the following just in the next two weeks and two days:

Middle Child's 10th Birthday Party
Report Cards
Big ole staff meeting
IEP for Middle Child
Conferences for The Littles
Reading Street PD and a half day of just DATA crap to get ready for our data meeting on the 18th
One hour flex planning
2 hour psych appointment for Middle Child
4 hours of conferences after school (Tuesday)
Therapy appointment for Middle Child
4 hours of conferences after school (Thursday)
Big Deal District Data Meeting
Sister-in-Law's graduation from the Police Academy

There's actually probably more than just that. It isn't the paperwork or teaching or grading. It's just all of the STUFF I have to do on top of everything else. I am overwhelmed. I nearly laughed when Mrs. E said it was National Board. Um, no. It isn't. I'm just one person. I feel stretched thin. I feel like I'm being pulled in too many directions and I feel myself sinking into that depression shit again and I WILL.NOT.GO.THERE.EVER.AGAIN. No way.

So I have to take a deep breath. Step back. Focus on what I CAN do. It doesn't help that I have had to rush out of school at 3:20 the last three days in a row to get to functions/meetings/appointments. I feel like I never sit and relax at all from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and it's taking a toll. Tomorrow is the first time I don't HAVE to run out the minute school is over. I can relax. Breathe. Take my time to catch up on a few things. Finally prep for next week (imagine that -- prepping ahead of time!). We have to shop for Middle Child's birthday but even if I stay at work until 5:30 or 6 to catch up on things, The Husband and I can still do that after dinner.

I am going out in a few minutes to my hair appointment. I am going to just relax and not do anything school related. When I get home, I am taking a hot bath and going to bed early. I know I need it. I just have to decompress and let go sometimes. It's hard for me to do so...but I will never, ever, ever go through the breakdown I went through nearly two years ago ever again....and this is how it starts. At least now I know when to pull back and stop. I can not be that psycho person ever again.

Post-Halloween Frenzy

2011-11-01T20:30:00.002-04:00

It's already been a crazy week and it's only Tuesday! I love Halloween. It is one of my favorite holidays. I do not love Halloween on a Monday. At least not when I have school the next day.

Yesterday the kids were great. We had a very low-key party. I brought donut holes for the kids and apple cider for our party. A mom brought Cheez Kurls for the class. I also gave them caramel apples in the morning to use in a writing activity. They were calm, sedate and we actually got a lot done.

Today, the sugar had kicked in. Good Lord, I was very glad to have PE at the end of the day because I needed a break from them. They were just not listening or paying much attention at all. It's only annoying because there is so much to do and not enough time to do it in as usual. We also had a percussionist from the symphony come today to play some music for the kids. It was really fun but it hyped the kids right up too. Oy.

I am hopeful that by tomorrow the sugar will have worn off!!

Today is also the big One-Oh for Middle Child. 10 whole years. We teased her that she was now in the "big time" because she's in double digits. I took her and The Youngest up to my hometown after school so that I could attend my niece's conference with my brother. She is in a self-contained EI room and she isn't being challenged. I was just flabbergasted when my brother told me the stuff she isn't doing. A lot of kids who are EI also have disabilities and she does not. She is smart as a whip. I suspect she's bored and that's when she gets into trouble (and she has mass anxiety just like Middle Child). I was appalled when I found out this teacher has 5 students (5!!) and isn't differentiating because she has "too many levels". Are you kidding me? I have 26 kids at about 18 different levels and I have to meet all of their needs and I'm on my own entirely. It just burns me up. So I talked to her "teacher to teacher" and basically said that she either needs to find a way to mainstream my niece for at least math and science or she needs to get with those 4th grade teachers and have them provide some supplementary work for my niece. I would be anything that her behavior will change if she's feeling challenged and not bored all the time. Hopefully my drive up there ends up being worth it. Oy!

I'm tired, it's 8:30 and I have a pile of grading to get to. I did no school stuff last night so I could take my kids trick-or-treating. Being a momma comes first. I know I won't get it all done tonight but I will do my best to get through at least some of it. It's funny how fast the stuff piles up, even when you teach small fries! Thursday will be the first day I can breathe after school as I won't have anywhere to rush off to the minute the kids are gone. I can sit and relax and (hopefully) get some things done at work for next week so I can take the weekend off from school-related stuff and work on my National Board entries, NaNoWriMo book (yes I am bat-shit crazy for taking that on too) and Middle Child's birthday party. The Husband said it was all fine as long as I don't have a nervous breakdown on him.

Is it bad I was giddy putting up the November calendar and noticing how many "no student" days we have this month??

Say what?!

2011-10-28T19:25:00.003-04:00

Today was my mental health/sick day. I feel a million times better than earlier this week and I am positive it is simply because I didn't run around a germ-infested school all day. I am going to take it easy this weekend and hopefully can finally kick this crud and be more or less "normal" for next week, especially because it's a busy one (Halloween, birthday, meetings and the birthday party, oy!).

I went down to my old stomping grounds, the school I taught at when I first got hired to help my friend who just got placed there (she was at another school and got moved). She is terribly unhappy because she is teaching 4th grade and her classroom is in a former kindergarten room and is WAY TOO SMALL for her students. She is about 2 miles away from her teammates and she just feels out of her depth. I feel bad for her...because it's how it was for me there as well. I was so far away from my team if I didn't make a point to go on our break time, I would never see them! She also got dumped on (ie they gave her the bad kids) which they did to me when I was there too. That pisses me off. WHY would a principal knowingly do this year after year?! I don't know if his game is to try to see if teachers can "make it" and this is his test but it's pretty crappy!

So I went to see her for about 45 minutes this morning before school...shared my behavior plan with her and helped her set up some procedural stuff. I am a big believer that 99% of management issues are procedural ones in that the kids just don't know what you want them to do. Plus she is overwhelmed because she thought she would be teaching 2nd this year like me and now she's up to 4th. This is why my district is so frustrating -- people get moved and shifted around mid-year and it makes it so hard. THEN you have the double whammy of trying to "undo" the procedures of the teachers you got kids from and teach them your own and it's not easy (I know because I had to do it!).

It just upsets me that this principal, who I do genuinely like because he took a chance on me and was good to me for the most part, continues to allow his teachers to dump on newbies like this. Additionally the reason her room is in the kindergarten wing is because he didn't want to "ruffle feathers" of the reading teacher upstairs in the room my friend should have gotten. Um, excuse me? Are you the principal or not?? Grow a pair dude!

I think, however, that I made her feel better. She is so overwhelmed she wants to quit teaching. She is an amazing teacher and I refuse to let her just give up. So I invited her to take a visitation and come and see me at my school. I am also going to ask one of my colleagues if my pal can pop into her room for a bit so she can see the 4th grade reading street in action. I am crossing my fingers that her and I end up teaching at the same school again soon because she has been through so much crap in our district I think she's lost her confidence. It's sad.

And shame on any principal who knowingly allows ANY teacher to dump on someone like that. I have to give mad props to Mrs. Principal on that one. When we got our new teacher last December, she plainly stated that she would NOT allow us to dump on that person (I wouldn't have anyway because it's been done to me but I know Mrs. CT had a few choice kids she was really pissed she couldn't hoist onto the new teacher). Why do teachers do that to each other?? So rude and unprofessional.

Standing up for what you believe in!

2011-10-27T22:06:00.001-04:00

Good gravy. So we got Reading Street this year. People are massively overwhelmed because the stations are STUPID and not developmentally appropriate so we end up spending a ton of time making up things for the kids to do in stations. On Wednesday's we have grade level planning. One of my lit coaches came in for part of it and was asking the team how stations are going. Mrs. E and Miss W are doing 3 days a week and meeting with their groups on those three days also. They are both early childhood people (both have early childhood endorsements) and yet they are knowingly teaching their "small groups" with 8 and 9 kids in them. THAT IS NOT A SMALL GROUP!! I refuse to do that to my kids. Small group is ideally 3-4. My higher groups are 5 and 6 which is as high as I'll push it.

I told Mrs Literacy that I will gladly lose my job over this one. I will NOT compromise my kids' education by making these massively huge groups. (it came up because I have not been working with my kids who see another teacher for intervention time and they said they get through them all because their groups are so big.) I am appalled that my colleagues aren't making more of a fuss about it. I am NOT an early childhood teacher by trade and *I* know those huge groups are highly inappropriate.

So I conceded enough to say I can add a 15 minute block to our time and alternate my small groups and see those intervention kids twice a week...but I refuse to put 8-9 kids in a group when the needs of those kids are so vastly different. No freaking way.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wow!

2011-10-25T19:12:00.002-04:00

Apparently I need to check my gmail a bit more often -- truthfully I don't use it for anything except this blog so I don't check it that much. Imagine my utter surprise when I logged in to my gmail today and discovered someone nominated my lil ole' blog as a Top 25 Teacher Mom Blog.

*excuse me while I pick up my jaw*

It still constantly amazes me that anyone even reads my drivel but there you have it. Someone somewhere nominated me and I feel very humbled! Thank you whomever you are!

I guess I am surprised people visit my little corner of the world so much because I don't do big giveaways or post cutesy things to share all that often -- I'm too busy for that I guess (and why make it when I figure someone else will thus saving me the time!). But clearly people read my blog because I get comments all the time telling me how much the reader can relate to what I am saying. It's good to know I am not alone in my quest to "change the world" as it were.

So again, thank you to all my readers who are out there giving me support. And to the fabulous person (people?) who nominated my blog for this award, seriously, you rock.

If you'd like to vote for me (and please, there is zero obligation here!) you can do so here:

Circle of Moms Top 25 Teacher Mom Blogs .

Ah Monday

2011-10-24T21:19:00.000-04:00

Today was interesting. I shall post my highlights in bullet format for your pleasure:

I was SUPER behind this morning because while I had grading and whatnot done, there are things I can only do from school. I hauled major behind from 7:30-8:18 when that first bell rang and you would never have known that I showed up at 7:20 totally not ready for the day. Go me!

Today during writing I decided to challenge my little friends to BE writers. I have been appalled all year at their lack of stamina, their lack of interest in writing and their inability to be creative when it comes to writing. It makes me sad. They are 6 and 7! Writing should not be a huge boring task, it should be FUN. But the way our district has aligned our writing units, they are VERY boring, way too hard for the students and just developmentally inappropriate. So I gave them a challenge to go to Dollar Tree or some other little dollar store and buy themselves those little composition books (the real small ones you can get 6 for $1) to keep as their "seed notebook") and to take that notebook out on the playground and gather "seeds". We started a seed list in our books to give them ideas. We simply brainstormed some things we do together daily and came up with circle time and recess. So we put these on a list and then I said let's turn it into a bigger idea and our list looked like this:
circle time ------------------> Mrs. Sunny turns into a monster
recess -------------------> it starts raining gummy bears
Wow did they GIGGLE at that last one. They just don't know how to be creative when they write. It is sad and disheartening. So we tried a couple more and then I told them to dig into their "seed pocket" and pull out one of their seeds. Then they turned and told a neighbor what their seed was and I gave them 10 minutes to write about it and most of them wrote more than I think they have written all year so far. I'm not expecting a lot of them to show up with new notebooks tomorrow but I am going to buy some and put them in my prize bin so that the students just make take it upon themselves to live and THINK like writers.

I had a meeting at lunch with our Social Worker to do a Functional Behavior Assessment on my special little friend. She came in for an observation during writing time and got to see what I deal with every day in terms of him doing ZERO work, disrupting others and just being a general pain in the behind. During our lunch period, right after writing, we sat to work through the FBA. She asked me a bunch of questions about what behaviors were of concern and what I was already doing to address them. At the end she said "well, I am going to be totally UNhelpful to you because you are already doing everything I would have suggested you try". Made me want to run right down to Mrs. Principal and rub that in I can tell you! She has made it impossible for me to do my job well and deal with this little guy when he gets on his crazy train (which is often) and I was VERY glad to have the SSW tell me I was doing everything right.

After lunch today we did a video taping. I would love to say it was fabulous but I either can't see the video or hear the video or both lol I can watch it on the camcorder which is not very fun but we're having a heck of a time getting the discs to work properly. I have several fidgeting kids in the back row and two who clearly aren't paying a lick of attention. I am going to point this out of them tomorrow and ask them if they'd like me to show it to their mothers :p The content is okay but I want to watch it all through on a real DVD player again before I decide if its good enough. They recommend you do several videos anyway so you can pick the best. I think I am going to try to do it with one of my small groups tomorrow and see how that goes instead. Then I need to video tape for entry 3 which I plan to do on Wednesday, all the while reminding my little darlings that today's episode caught everything they weren't supposed to be doing plain as day on the video.

I am tired and already ready for the weekend! I just need some ME time! :)

Sigh

2011-10-23T14:13:00.001-04:00

So I'm spending my Sunday catching up on grading since I was so sick at the end of the week and thus got behind. I am just dumbfounded at how many of my students think I am not going to notice if they don't finish their work. It boggles my mind how many of them turn things in half done and think that is okay. Is this really what we are teaching our students?? I sure hope not.

Tomorrow morning we're going to have a huge talk. I already only let 5 kids have Academic Fun Friday last week because they are the only ones who actually did all of their homework. Perhaps this will be another piece of that. I guess I am going to have to take 10 minutes before we start our Academic Friday to see who has their packets done and who don't and that is what they will have to work on. I constantly say to them "work first, play later" and they totally get what I mean. I'm disappointed to think maybe they thought they could pull one over on me because I was sick. I sure hope they aren't that sneaky. On at least half of our station packets I wrote "finish at home" because they just did not do them all. It frustrates me more because all of the work for our stations is review!! They should know how to do it without my help. I am super disappointed in them over this. They know better.

I've dealt with laziness in students before for sure and on Friday I got on several of the kids because they didn't do their spelling homework which was a simple tic-tac-toe they got on Monday that needed to be signed by a parent for each activity and returned by Friday. I think I got 6 back. From 25 kids. It makes my blood boil. At this age, it is more the parents than the kids because they are little but it doesn't make me wonder why the kids are so lazy and uninvolved in their learning when they get older. Their parents tolerate it and there is only so much I can do.

I found a way to sneak peeks into the BlackBoard accounts at the community college I want to teach at. So I got to check out the syllabi of some of the other teachers who have the class I am being considered for. I will admit I was daydreaming last night about having older students who (hopefully) are a little more motivated than some of my younger friends are.

A friend of mine was asking me about teaching 2nd grade and then moving up to the college level and didn't I think that would be hard. Um, no. I have known since I graduated and spent some time working with middle schoolers that eventually I will leave elementary...and when I do, I very much doubt I will ever go back to it. Not that middle schoolers aren't lazy sometimes and don't need a kick in the behind too but I think it's much easier to talk to older kids about shaping it up than someone who is 6 and probably doesn't understand half of what you are saying anyway.

I don't know. I just feel a bit bitter because I bust my ass, go to work when I am practically the walking dead...and I get this crap from them?? So it's game on. They are not going to have their choice time anymore until they earn it by a) doing their homework (which I only send home twice a week and it's EASY review stuff so they should not be having trouble) and b) finishing ALL of their in-class work. If that means 5-8 kids get the Academic Friday activities, so be it.

Belch!

2011-10-22T10:10:00.001-04:00

I am SO sick! :(

I asked a couple of our intervention teachers who only work Monday-Thursday if they could take my class for Friday. I just needed a Mental Health day, well then I end up actually sick. I have a squeaky voice, a sinus issue and my body just aches. I hate leaving my class with an unknown sub because they are good but soooo chatty.

I woke up yesterday feeling like death and broke down and requested a sub. I went in because I needed to prepare for someone...good thing I did because no one took the job! I remember the days when I was a sub, it was hitting "refresh" in the computer system over and over just trying to find anything so you could work that day. And my colleague next door didn't get a sub either! Messed up.

So I taught all day feeling like crap :/ the kids were so good about it when I was honest and said I really didn't feel good. My biggest issue with them right now is hallway. They do NOT make quiet lines quickly. Since I have recess duty on Friday, I made them stand in our line, straight and quiet. They were not happy with me...but I know my biggest pet peeve has always been when I see kids older than mine not quiet in the hall. I don't want my students to be like that some day. And they can't hate me too much because every day I get gifts and trinkets from them or pictures, etc. It's so cute.

My quest to avoid negativity is paying off. Everyone was super sympathetic yesterday and offered help in any way possible. My team volunteered to take my kids who can't be taped for National Board next week AND Mrs. E gave me a card thanking me for helping her and Miss W with our MAP data stuff and how breaking the kids up by their RIT score on the paper has changed how they are teaching their higher groups. I was feeling so emotionally drained yesterday and just crappy that I almost cried reading it. I'm glad to feel like we're really becoming a TEAM and we support each other. It's great,

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Belch!

There aren't enough hours!

2011-10-19T22:02:00.000-04:00

Whew! I know I am not the only one glad we're past the halfway point of the week! Time FLIES yet there is no time to get everything done. It's crazy.

I did not grade the pile I brought home today -- although I have been MUCH better about grading daily instead of waiting and ending up behind. If I can get myself to school relatively early tomorrow I should be able to catch up on that -- although I am not too worried because we have art first thing and then for 50 minutes later tomorrow morning we have tutors for math from a local college. So that's 50 minutes of EXTRA time I get to grade/plan, etc. That will be SUPER nice.

It rained ALL DAY today and is supposed to tomorrow also and that makes for super long and super hard days. My little guy was off the wall today -- spitting on people, poking people, etc. I've just had it. I pointed out to the secretary that my contract states I CAN snap
suspend a child from my classroom for the rest of the day and I WILL make Mrs. Principal do it. There is no procedure in place for kids who take it to that level. And frankly I am TIRED of her not taking it seriously that ONE CHILD makes it impossible for me to do my job. When
he's good, he's awesome. But on his bad days it's hard to like him and hard to get anything else done with the rest of my class. We lost an entire rotation of our stations today because I was dealing with his bullshit. Since I am the one responsible for what happens in those stations and I am the one who is accountable for their progress (or lackthereof), I will be damned if I am going to sit and allow this child to continue to disrupt my classroom. I spoke with dad after school and he is completely on the same page with me -- he's at his wit's end
as well. So I did my homework -- and he can DEMAND testing and they HAVE to do it. So I am going to accidentally on purpose slip him (and another parent) the info they need to demand
these tests for their children. Mrs. Principal tried to tell me we had to follow RTI protocol and she is a liar. If a parent demands the testing, we have 30 days in which to
initiate the tests.

This child's dad even asked me if I thought the child might need a smaller class size. I think his behavior screams Emotional Impairment but I was also honest and said I have zero qualifications to even say that and that I only answered because he asked me. He has always been wonderfully supportive in trying to help me help his child. So we are going to
collectively go over Mrs. Principal's head because she is a control-freak and doesn't realize that she's messing with the wrong lady. These kids are everything to me and I WILL get them the help they need.

I realized this morning why I am 2nd. Everything happens for a reason. EVERYTHING. These boys need me to help advocate for them. Their parents don't know how to bypass the system because I have an emotionally impaired AND dyslexic child. I will help these boys and their families, regardless of what it personally costs me.

Overwhelmed and Surprise!

2011-10-18T16:52:00.000-04:00

I did not post yesterday because the day SUCKED. Seriously. It was just bad. The kids were okay and everything but I got to work late because I had to drop off The Oldest at school and then I was behind and blah blah. I felt like I was rushing around all day and I hate that, especially when I worked so much of Sunday trying to be a good teacher and give the most I can to my students.

Then we had our data meeting. Just shoot me now. Please. This is NOT why I became a teacher. At all. While I am all about looking at my data and making instructional decisions BASED on that data, filling out a huge packet of forms for someone else (of which I will NEVER look at again I'm sure) is ridiculous. And they are changing the form so it's a whole new process of figuring out how to use the new forms and blah blah. Then we were told we HAD to take a full day the day we have our Reading Training so we can do the new data forms with Mrs. Principal. Our coach told us we could take a separate day if we wanted. I put my foot down on that one -- we're already gone a half day on November 10, why not just take the day and get it done?? I am NOT taking ANOTHER whole freaking day to look at stupid data crap that won't mean anything to me the next day!!

So I left last night feeling very stressed out, pissy and just overwhelmed. I didn't bring anything home and thank goodness because I totally forgot that The Oldest had conferences. They only hold them one day of the whole semester and it is always a Monday (ie the WORST day for me to go). I always want to eat naughty food when I am stressed and I wanted The Husband to go to conferences with us, taking the younger two girls also, and then go get nachos for dinner. He wouldn't budge about it and I got upset -- we are not rolling in the dough by any means but he is SUCH a penny pincher and when I feel that stressed and bitchy, I just want my way! So we got into a fight over it which was just stupid. Then I had to take The Oldest to her conferences and I was feeling pissy as it was. Grr. I said something on FaceBook about just wanting to go to bed and put the day to rest and a friend commented that it didn't sound like me at all and was I okay.

Both of my grade level team partners told me today that I am always so positive and "sunny" that they couldn't IMAGINE me being that upset. Mrs. E said "well I don't know you well enough to know how you carry your stress I guess because I think you always have a great attitude and you're SO flexible". It made me feel better to have her say that. Today was MUCH better (except for the excessive freaking talking -- oy!) and I left right at 3:25 and came home. The Husband is even picking up The Littles. I came home early to get some work done (and look what I'm doing -- ha!) and I'm glad he will pick up the small girls too. He is also going to take them to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out their Halloween pumpkins. I am not sad in the slightest that I am not going to be there with them to do that -- they need some quality time with their dad and I need a bit of time to myself. I KNOW he realizes that because I am never bitchy to him over stupid stuff unless I feel super overwhelmed. So I need to apologize to him because it's not his fault that my district makes a mountain out of a mole hill and makes things SO much harder than they need to be.

I got a big surprise in my classroom today -- two actually. We were minding our own business and doing our stations and small group time and imagine my utter SHOCK when Dr. G (aka my boss's boss!) just walks in. Thankfully the whole class was engaged and working. Whew! Secondly just before last recess two fabulous ladies came to my room and brought me a bag of goodies! Our secretary told us when the year started to sign up for this campaign by a local credit union to get school supplies. I did and forgot all about it. Imagine my shock when they come today with a huge (reusable!) bag of goodies -- pencils, glue, post-its, paper, fun crayons, pencil sharpeners, stickers, etc. I was SO surprised and the kids all clapped. They think I am awesome because of all of the freebies we keep getting simply because I ask for them! So cool.

Additionally today I was feeling the love from my kids. I got a plastic ring, a bracelet (that is WAY too small lol), a homemade ring (made with pipe cleaner but it kept poking me), a homemade pipe cleaner bracelet with beads on it and best of all A FROG made of beads! I am going to have to take a picture of it. It's so cute! (I left my phone at home today so no picture.) One of my boys made it for me! Mrs. E said "awww, see they love you!" Definitely makes me feel better when I feel like I'm such a hag to them all the time. I think they get it though -- I can love on them and treat them well but I think they like me more because I DO push them, and I DO hold them to high standards. They will thank me some day, that's for sure!

Well Boo Hoo

2011-10-16T21:26:00.000-04:00

I am reallllly feeling the need for a Mental Health Day friends. Wow. I just feel drained and like I haven't gotten anything done even though I totally have. I hate feeling like I haven't been productive, especially when I work super hard.

I think I upset The Husband. I got home from my college event yesterday and no one started laundry (even though I sent text reminders while I was gone!), no one cleaned up the living room, dining room or kitchen. I've HAD.IT. So I decided if I get offered a position at the community college, that paycheck is going into my "teacher fund" account and I am hiring a cleaning service.

I told The Husband this last night and he kind of scoffed at it but I said I work HARD and I am NOT going to work even harder and then come home and do a mountain of chores because everyone else in the house is too lazy to do it. He realized I had him there and he shut up. Don't get me wrong, my hubby does a lot of outside stuff and whatnot but I work way harder than he does, for way less money and I don't get to leave my work at work. He does. 90% of the stuff he does around the house is because he WANTS to (he makes work for himself), not because it has to be done. And if I relied on this man to do laundry, well we'd all go to school in our birthday suits, let alone getting him to clean up after himself or help the girls clean up after themselves.

The college position pays a nice little chunk of change and would EASILY allow me to hire a cleaning service to come in WEEKLY if I wanted. How wonderful would it be to have a sparkling clean house every week that I didn't have to put any effort into?? I am all about that, especially as I get busier and busier. It's hard not to feel resentment toward hubby who just doesn't get it. He doesn't do as much with or for our kids as I do and it seems like I take on more and more things because its what drives me -- he is content to just do what he does. It makes me insane.

I worked ALLLLLL day today because I had some things I wanted to do that I just feel will make my classroom a better place. That's worth the time (and I did it all in my pjs so it's a-okay!). He doesn't understand. He has no passion for his job. I do. And that passion takes me places (hello National Board....). In my mind, as things get busier, he should step up. But he doesn't. It's frustrating to say the very least.

So that's my wicked little plan. If (when) they offer me a position, I am going to contact a cleaning service for a quote. It will just be one less thing I have to do. Now if only I could pay someone to do my laundry.....

College Event

2011-10-15T15:26:00.000-04:00

This morning I got up at the crack of dawn to attend an adjunct applicant event at our local community college. I applied over a year ago (when I still worked at Former School) and hadn't heard anything so I put it out of my mind. But last week I got an email inviting me to this event and I decided to go and see what it was about. I had to get up SUPER early to attend but I am so glad I did.

They gave an overview of BlackBoard which I have to say has already come a long way since I last used it as a student. You can record and post your lectures (not video but auditory) and it captures any notes or powerpoints you use. Pretty cool stuff. The guy presenting that to my group said that since he is in the computer department, he does a lot of "paperless" classes because of BlackBoard. I am all about that!!

Then we had a short session about the professional development offered at the college. It's pretty amazing what kinds of things they do to support their adjunct staff (which is good since adjuncts are more than 60% of the teaching staff there). And it's all FREE, even to us as applicants. There are some great topics and workshops that they offer.

Finally we had time to meet with departments. I went to two. The first one because the job I originally applied for had that title...and they were informative and wonderful. I mentioned that I only want to work evenings because I teach full time and the dean of that area said they always have a HUGE need in my area of interest for evening instructors. Bonus! After that short session I waited 90 minutes to speak to a guy for about 10 :p BUT it was worth it. He was super friendly and nice and we hit it off very well. He said I clearly have a passion for teaching writing and they have a big need for instructors of developmental writing (ie composition class for students who aren't "up to par" for college standards). I am going to take it as a good sign that he put a check mark on my paper and drew a circle around it.

This wasn't an interview, just a screening, but I feel good about it. If nothing else, I'm glad I went and got to see what it would really mean to work there. I was chatting with a gal while we were waiting and she said I was very well spoken and thought it would be a miracle if I did NOT get hired. That made me feel good that this was someone I had just met and she thought that.

They told us that typically they hire in November/December for winter semester because that's when they know which courses the full-time faculty have selected to teach and which are left. The HR gal who put the event together said that they sometimes get surges of enrollment at the last minute and have actually called people the day the class starts to see if they can take the class because enrollment went up so much and they didn't have anyone else to cover the class. Crazy! I feel confident. I think that I made a good impression and I definitely showed my passion for the profession. The guy I was with has children who are in 4th and 6th grade in my district (one at a school about 5 minutes from mine) so that was also a nice personal connection we made there. I just really want to be positive and think that check and circle mean I'll at least make it to an interview, especially since he said they have such a huge need for teachers in that area because more and more students come to college not prepared to write well.

We shall see if I become "Professsor Sunny" sometime soon.

Yay for Friday!

2011-10-14T18:29:00.000-04:00

Today was great! I slept in because The Oldest needed a ride to school. They are not allowed in their building until 7 and I was not going to make her sit outside for 30 minutes. I figured I'd get to school when I darn well got there. (Fortunately everything for today was already set out and ready to go.)

The students and I rocked it out -- we did TWO math lessons because somehow I got behind on a lesson from my colleagues and we want to test them next week so we all start Unit 3 at the same time. They did a great job and stayed focused. We got through another section of our big unit reading test and then we wrote thank you letters to our donors for our Raz-Kids subscription and our Reading A-Z books. The students then took a break to do some SSR and I snagged some pictures for our thank you package on Donor's Choose and we're all set there. We'll be 2 months ahead on both of our thank you packages. Yay!

I had a parent meeting that went alllll the way through my lunch so I didn't get to eat but honestly meeting with this family was more important. Dad said he felt like I wasn't supporting his son (his child has made some super bad choices lately) and I laid it on the line and said YES, I am going to push your child academically and behaviorally and NO I won't apologize for that. Mom gets it. Her and I have had many talks already this year and I was honest and said I think that this child is just a typical boy -- he wants to be up and moving and running, etc and school is really geared for sweet little girls who sit and listen. I am making an honest effort to incorporate more movement into our day (our "walks in the woods" and our FitBits -- I'll post more about those later) to help. I think that Dad is just feeling like he doesn't know what else to do. He mentioned something about putting the child in another class and I said I could guarantee they wouldn't do it. Halfway through I sent the kiddo downstairs to eat his lunch and continued talking to the parents. I think when they left they felt better and we're all more on the same page. At least the kid admitted in front of all of us that I don't treat him any differently than the other kids and also admitted that he doesn't ask for help. That's the biggest problem -- he is being pushed academically (his lexile is something absurd like 700!) and if he struggles he doesn't want to feel dumb so he doesn't ask for help. We'll have to work on that because unfortunately I am not a mind reader!

After lunch we did the last part of our benchmark test (whew!) and got that all packed up and ready to be graded (yay me.....). Then I threw out the rest of the day's lessons and we made jack-o-lantern glyphs. I didn't snag a picture of them before I left but once I finish hanging them I will post a picture. They are cute. After last recess, we went for a walk. Usually we do a "Walk in the Woods" which is basically just chair exercise. We pretend we're in the woods and we see animals and usually something chases us (a bear, Mrs. Sunny, Scaredy Squirrel, etc) and we pretend to run and then collapse in our chairs so glad we're safe. It's hilarious and fun and the kids BEG me to do it.

But today we took a "field trip" instead. We "walked" to Mrs. Sunny's Theater and the kids enjoyed Aladdin while Mrs. Sunny finished her Nonsense Word progress monitoring. They were SO quiet while that movie was on. It was wonderful. I was so proud of them for dealing with all of the testing and whatnot this week that I figured they needed to do something fun. They all think I am super fabulous (which I am *wink*) because they got TWO Fun Fridays today. It was a nice way to end this weird week!

Tonight is Homecoming in my town so in just a few we're headed to the big game and hopefully we win (we're 6-1). Tomorrow I have a sort-of job interview at a local community college to be an adjunct professor. Gosh I would LOVE that, especially because the class is teaching writing which I love. It's early (8:30!) which stinks but I am so excited to have been invited to the adjunct event. I'm even willing to sacrifice some much needed sleep to go.

Sadly I have a huge pile of work to do this weekend too because I got behind but I will spend a few hours tomorrow afternoon working on it so I have Sunday to be lazy and just "chillax" as my students say.

Freak the Freak Out!

2011-10-13T20:28:00.001-04:00

My girls love the show Victorious and who can blame them? Victoria Justice is beautiful, talented and a good role model for girls. They love the episode with Karaoke Doke where Tori sings Freak the Freak Out.

I think many people in our school are going to start freaking the freak out soon. We have data requirements coming out of our ears and the district has these mandated units of study for writing we're supposed to teach and then smack in the middle of it we're supposed to get the kids a prompt. So today was that day. And the writing is TERRIBLE. Just glancing through to staple them together, I see most of the kids didn't even write on the topic of the prompt and it's just ugly.

Criminy. One of the sunniest, happiest teachers in my school said today that SHE is about to lose it. We feel all of this pressure and we don't get results because the things mandated for these children aren't developmentally appropriate and certainly don't tell us anything about our students. I am sick to my stomach having to grade these prompts today (I can't put it off because I have to have the data by tomorrow). They are just awful. How come everything we teach the kids goes right out the window the minute you have to give them a test of any kind? It is downright discouraging and upsetting.

I had to sneak out of school for about 30 minutes today (thank GOD for my colleagues is all I am going to say) because Middle Child was having so much anxiety at school with the MEAP. That's what happens when the "powers that be" in the state decide that having a 4th grader sit for 80 effing minutes for ONE test is a great idea....and they are supposed to perform to a high standard?? An average 4th grader can't handle that, let alone one with dyslexia, ADHD and massive anxiety. I could have left her at school to deal but I refused to. So I brought her and The Youngest back to school with me. To hell with consequences over it (although the secretary looooves me for whatever reason so I don't think she even told Mrs. Principal that I left and most of the time I was gone was during recess).

I understand why people leave the profession. Seriously. They demand so much and we have less and less every year. It is enough to make the most rational person lose their mind. I just feel gratified to know that all of my colleagues feel the same pressure and that it isn't just me. Mrs. E who watched my class (she has a student teacher) while I was gone AND covered my recess duty said that she thought it must be so hard to change grade levels like I have. Truly I like my class. I do. They are sweet and they do try hard. And with me trying to get through DIBELs and running records on my own, I have had to make them do a lot more sitting than I like.

Today I got out the iPods, the computers in the back for Raz-Kids, the listening stations and my center games I had when I taught 2nd grade before. They were a little loud but after reminding them that I was trying to test, they did a great job. I have to remind myself that developmentally they are still learning what it means to "pay attention", "sit still" and "actively listen". So tomorrow, I am going to bust through the last progress monitoring I have to do so I can input my DIBELs information and in the afternoon we're going to do a craft. Screw it -- I want to be able to have fun AND learn with my kids and I feel like we aren't able to do a lot of that because of all of the demands on our time.

I also felt better when Mrs. E and Miss W told me that they have not done running records except for maybe 5-6 kids total...and they both have student teachers. Considering I have gotten almost half of my class through a running record and I'm on my own, I feel good about that. So I am going to lighten up on myself....I am going to let my hair down so-to-speak and we're going to have some fun damn it.

Weird Wednesday

2011-10-12T21:00:00.001-04:00

Today I did something I haven't yet done this year -- I put a whole stack of papers into the circle file and I don't feel bad about it one little bit! I have literally looked at and graded EVERY.SINGLE.PAPER. that my kiddos have done in the last 27 days of school. I know what they know for our unit 1 test in Reading tomorrow and what they don't. I know that many of them don't bother to check back in the story for comprehension; I know which children don't even read the test, they just write an answer; I know which kids will always do well because they read at home, they work hard and they WANT to learn.

So tonight as I sat at my dining room table with a large stack of papers to look through -- I pulled out what I really cared about: Mad Minutes from today, the Math Minute daily work and a review sheet for language arts. The rest I tossed in the recycle bin. Maybe that makes me horrible. I think it just makes me honest.

Today was weird. It is a full moon and while this year's group is not nearly as psycho during a full moon as last year's group, they were definitely off today. I really raised my voice for the first time with them. I just got tired of asking them to stop freaking talking so I could finish my DIBELs and try to get through my Running Records -- it isn't their fault. They are 6 and 7 and I am on my own trying to get all of the tests done while keeping the kids quiet and engaged in something. It isn't working. Since we have zero para support this year, I don't get a reprieve at all. I feel like a bitch for getting on their case, but it's the 27th day of school. They know the expectations.

I was talking to Mrs. CT earlier today and she mentioned how literally "sunny" she thinks I am this year. She said I have really just rolled with the punches and taken things as they come. There isn't a reason not to. I can't change most of it and I can't control it but I can control my actions and how I react to things. I have realized that if I just let most of the crap roll off my back within a week or so things calm down. I did tell her after school that I think I need to just stop, take a deep breath and take some time out for myself. I need to either make myself get up SUPER early and walk on my treadmill or make my self get to work SUPER early (which I have mostly been doing) and FORCE myself to leave by 3:45 unless there is a meeting or grade level planning. I can not live at that place or for that place. Especially now that I am really getting set to work on my National Board entries. I have to be rested to give it my all. I know this is just a crazy time of year anyway. Things will smooth out and get better.

But I am 90% sure that a Mental Health Day is in my very near future.

Tired!

2011-10-11T19:56:00.001-04:00

I stayed up way too late last night. That happens sometimes. I usually have to read for awhile before going to bed otherwise I have a hard time getting to sleep. I think I fell asleep around 11:30. Considering I am usually out like a light by 10 or just after, it was a much later night than I allow myself lately. 5:40 came way too early and I accidentally hit "off" instead of "snooze" on my phone alarm.

All was not lost. I was ultra productive at school today and got a lot done but alas there is always a ton to do and it gets overwhelming very easily. It is our progress monitoring week and I have 17 of 25 kiddos that I have to PM for oral reading fluency! Thankfully they are only 2 minutes but they take a long time when you have that many kiddos. Fortunately I got through all but 6 of them today so I am really pleased with that. I can take a little longer to do my Running Records if need be. It's just SO much work on top of grading and planning and blah blah.

I tell you that not a day goes by I don't wish I had a TA to help ease a bit of the burden for me. It would be someone to help me for 3 hours a day to grade papers or work with a small group or file or a million other things I can think of. I often get super sad that my colleagues have help and I don't...and yet I am doing more. I just don't get it.

I can guarantee you that a Mental Health Day is in my near future.

Rockstars

2011-10-10T20:54:00.003-04:00

Okay...so I knew my sub on Friday was less-than-stellar. It was pretty obvious when I walked in. But today some of my colleagues really clued me in. Oh my Lanta.

Apparently during our picture time, they were crawling under chairs and acting like general monkeys. And she stood there. Let me say that again, just for affect.

They were crawling under chairs like monkeys and she JUST.STOOD.THERE.

Definitely makes my decision to put her on my "never call this person again" list an easier one. I always feel bad when I do that but truthfully, I am not a teacher who leaves "busy work" when I am going to be gone. I don't leave any new material (unless I really have to) but I leave meaningful work that I want my class to do so that we don't lose a whole day. We can't afford to lose a whole day. I have always been appalled with colleagues who just leave busy work. To me that tells the kids that the sub isn't important and doesn't know how to do a good job. I never want to leave that impression (although sometimes it is true). Oy.

I never had that kind of trouble as a sub. I have always said that if you go in with a take-charge attitude but show warmth, the kids will get it together. They took 90 minutes to do math that should have taken, at most 40. At most. I mean, honestly. I am not mad at the kids. If they were 5th graders, yes I would be because they are older and get it. But barely 2nd graders?? Nope, I blame the adult.

As such, we got so much done this morning (completing the work they should have done Friday for math AND today's work), got through our word work review and finished up our writing in time for me to show them our new Raz-Kids subscription AND for me to do an extra read aloud. After lunch they were a little more squirrelly (which usually happens because they wake up over lunch *wink*) but we still got through our reading review, made up stations from Friday, got through our social studies AND I got 4 running records done and we still had time left! I know my kiddos. I know they are chatty, social little beings but they are kids. They will follow your lead. I praised them for how much we got done today and gave them time after last recess to finish their "All About Me" posters (which they were supposed to do on Friday and -- you guessed it -- they didn't do).

I guess it just makes me realize that, even on our worst days together, we have something going. We get a lot of learning done in a short amount of time and the kids are making gains. Today, with the few children I could get to running records with, all but 1 already went up a level. That makes me feel good since we're only in our 6th week of school. I know my small group time and the extra push of literacy I am giving them is helping, even when sometimes it feels like it isn't. I feel proud of them and proud of myself. No, they weren't on their best behavior on Friday but they were today. Even my special little friend had an amazing day today. His whole chart was filled with stickers and I gave him an extra special sticker on his shirt to show his dad what a great day he had (Mondays are usually the worst for him). When one of the girls saw that I gave this child the special sticker, she said "GREAT JOB [name]!"

He smiled so big and proud. It was wonderful to see him make that progress, even if we'll take a few more steps back before we can keep going forward. I am surely hoping that tomorrow will be another great day for him. If it is, I am going to treat him to something nice on Wednesday. The little guy has SO much going on in his little life that I feel like if we can make it through a day without any tears (on either his or my part!) then we're getting somewhere. This is why I teach. So I can be a rockstar and show my little friends how great it feels to be rockstars too.

What a weekend!

2011-10-09T19:17:00.000-04:00

I don't know who hit the warm weather button in Michigan but I am not complaining! We have enjoyed temperatures in the mid-upper 70s to near 80 for the last several days. It has been glorious. I am sad that by the time I have recess duty next it is supposed to be back to more "fall like" weather. Boo! I would gladly keep the 70s forever (except Christmas -- it HAS to snow then but then we could go back to 70s and I'd be happy!).

Friday I had a training with two colleagues for the morning. One from K and one from 1st. It was very informative and we got a lot of good information about continuing with DDI. Kathleen is a fantastic presenter. She makes me giggle when she says "delicious" like someone would say "awesome". Mrs. Principal is really awesome about giving us the full day for those kind of functions -- we get the other half of the day to do what we need to do (plan, assess kids, etc). It is great.

I spent some time looking at how I would present my learning to my team and then getting some work done for my classroom. I planned to sneak up to my room at 1:45 (recess) and get the homework and folders so that everything would be done and ready for Monday except a few copies (I got super lucky because Mrs. E made ALL of the Reading Street copies we need for review this week, bless her heart!). Imagine my surprise when I get to my room at 1:50 and a) they aren't outside (only matters because I have DUTY and the sub should have had them outside a few minutes early) and b) they were just starting writing. We do writing at 10 a.m. every day. Always. No exceptions except a field trip or special assembly. They didn't do stations and one of the kids told me that she barely gave them time for their tests.

Deep.Healing.Breath.

I was a sub before I had my own classroom. I know it is hard. I get it. Which is why I leave super detailed plans (the plans for Friday were 4 pages long!) so that the subs know how to handle any and every situation. Additionally I have a sub binder which very much outlines how I run my classroom -- everything from our hand signals, to bathroom, to drinks to nurse passes. To say I was a little pissed that I spent all of the time I have to make sure that anyone could run my room without me there and found out that a) she disregarded them all and b) the kids were NOT following our school STAR behavior, is an understatement. I immediately grabbed the things I needed so I could work downstairs (I spent the afternoon in the quiet lounge) and when I got back to my work space I went into the sub system and added her to my "do not ever call again" list. I tolerate a lot. I KNOW how hard it is to show up and try to figure out the workings of a class because I have done it. And I NEVER had that kind of trouble keeping a class in line -- even those who literally ran off their permanent teachers. Yeah some sub jobs just sucked but if you can't handle 6-7 year olds, you probably don't belong in a classroom. I was beyond ticked about the whole thing, especially when I noticed that she did not pass out the lunch tickets for the Perfect Attendance kids (I even wrote their names on the tickets and left a HUGE note so she would see them) so they could get their snow cones at lunch.

I can't even remember the last time I had a sub who sucked so bad. I am going to have a big chat with my kids tomorrow about making sure they help a guest stay on track (as much as you can expect a 6-7 year old group to do) and just talk about what could be better next time. I don't blame them at all. They tow the line when they know they aren't going to get away with messing around and they are good, sweet kids. Putting a directionless adult in front of them is clearly not a good idea. I think that I am going to take a look at our preferred sub list (which I never do) because I can not have another day like that where I worry about whether or not they even learned anything and I have to backtrack so we can cover the things they did not get done (which were things we needed to finish so they are ready for this week).

Fortunately I drank some wine this weekend and am in a great mood so we'll just brush ourselves off and hit the ground running tomorrow. I am going to work those little friends to the bone so we can catch up and move on since we have testing happening this week and I don't want to get behind on any of that.

I think if they rock the house Monday and Tuesday I will reward them with an extra 5-10 minutes of recess on Wednesday.

Happy Friday!

2011-10-07T18:26:00.001-04:00

So much to say, so little time to say it! Training today was great, my sub sucked though. I'll post a real entry later this weekend. The Husband and I are headed off to the cabin alone this weekend. We'll be closing it up for the year which stinks but I am looking forward to a quiet weekend alone, away from kids and work.

Have a safe and happy weekend all!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Donors, Gossip and Almost There!

2011-10-05T20:35:00.001-04:00

I think the only thing I don't like about blogging is trying to come up with creative titles for my posts. I am just not that creative! *wink*

I had a couple of people ask me to share tips on successfully getting Donor's Choose items funded. I don't think I am an expert or anything (I have had 8 projects funded since 2008 which is not a ton compared to what I've heard some people have). I will say that almost all of my projects have focused around literacy and I do think that helps a lot. The more people read about education, the more they understand that inner city kiddos don't have "print rich" lives and therefore they are more willing to help them get there.

Most of my projects involve books for reading and/or writing and I do think that makes a huge difference. In my opinion, how you word your proposal makes a difference as well. You really have to help potential donors see that the project is not just fluff and for fun but really will make an impact on your class. I think that is what has helped me get funding. Again I don't pretend to be an expert -- I think I am a very lucky teacher who just happens to write proposals people are willing to fund.

* * * * *

I truly hate gossip. I do. Last year there was an incident where someone at work told Mrs. Principal about something I said on Facebook and I got in huge trouble for it, even though it couldn't be proven one way or the other. I knew damn well who it was because there wasn't anyone else who would have even known what the Facebook post meant.

Wednesdays after school my team meets to plan. As we sat down, Mrs. E told me that someone had told her and Miss W. that I said I was better than them because I am teaching Reading Street "the right way" and they aren't. Say, what?? No I don't agree with everything they are doing with regards to Reading Street, however, I NEVER said that I thought I was better than them. And I know exactly who said it because I was talking to her and two other teachers that I know would not say that to my colleagues. I was super, super pissed. And I told both Mrs. E and Miss W that if I truly have a problem with what we are doing, I will tell them. I don't necessarily deliver the instruction the same way but that doesn't mean I think I am better than they are. I don't agree with how they are dumbing some of the curriculum down, and no I don't tell them that but it isn't because I think I am better than them or know better than they do. It just isn't how I teach. In fact, after we cleared the air about that we were looking at our review stuff for next week and I made a suggestion based on how I am teaching (my schedule is a bit different than theirs) and they both thought it was great and put it into the plans. Does it necessarily mean they'll end up doing it? No, but they aren't being mean to me and they don't treat me crappy. I wish some people would shut up and mind their own business. We're all adults, this isn't high school and we should not be going behind people's backs and saying crap out of turn. It just makes me mad -- and now I know even more without a doubt that I can't trust this person. It is twice she has done this and I think it just plain sucks. Grow up already!

* * * * *

I am so glad it is nearly Friday! Tomorrow is technically my Friday since I have a PD on Friday morning and get the afternoon to kind of do my thing. I'll be at work but not in my room which rules. I plan to use that time to get things going for next week and for DDI (the training I am going to). I rearranged almost my whole room after school today. Sometimes after a month or so I just realize that what I have isn't working and I change it. I think what I did will make a huge impact and my room actually looks bigger. I do have one table I need to have taken out now but overall I am super pleased with the changes. You can check it out here.

* * * * *

Lastly I am so excited because awhile ago (gosh, maybe even a whole year ago now), I applied for an adjunct teaching position at our community college. I would love to teach writing or reading at that level. I think it would be a blast! Well, tonight I got an email inviting me to an adjunct event as they are hiring new people. I am definitely going to go even though I know that I won't be able to teach anything right now because of National Board. How cool to get my name out there though and maybe teach a class or two in the spring semester. Very fun. The Husband thinks that being a NB candidate is going to make me look even better since that certificate area will be in the areas of reading and writing which is the only thing I would want to teach at the college level. Very, very cool. The meeting is Saturday October 15. I am going to go and just see what it is all about. If nothing comes of it, that is fine. If something does, that would be super awesome. Very, very exciting.

Sunny FTW!

2011-10-04T21:07:00.002-04:00

I love myself. Really. Because I freaking rule.

Okay, okay. Enough of tootin' the ole horn. But really, if *I* don't toot my horn, who will??

Today I got another project funded at Donor's Choose. That puts us at 2 for this year and it's only October 4. So to my colleague who is a hugely negative person -- I just want to say phhhtttt! She told me that Donor's Choose "wasn't worth it" because you aren't "guaranteed funding". I think it burns her up that she didn't get something that she wanted. That's all it boils down to. (Same teacher who told me National Board wasn't worth it because she didn't make the cut for certification.)

I am super excited because my project was a 1 year subscription to Reading A-Z.com and to Raz-Kids.com! The ReadingA-Z I could probably get funded through school but the Raz-Kids is awesome. I can't wait to get access to that for my little friends. So fun. Now I am just hopeful my last live project will get funded also. It expires at the beginning of November so I have my fingers crossed!

The Caffeinated Teacher

More DDI Stuff

Sunday Blahs

Giveaway Winners!!

Giveaway reminder!!

A Wacky Wednesday

DDI Love

A Peek into My Teaching Life

Redemption!

500th Post & A Giveaway!!!

Finding my way

Depression

We're almost halfway there!

Tag, you're it!

Survival Saturday

I ♥ DDI!

Wow!

What is on my mind?

Happy Weekend (A Rambly Jumbled Post!)

Shopping Spree & *That Kid*

Happy MLK!

No Sunday Blahs here!

A Day in my Shoes Linky Party!

Naughty, Naughty

Currently....

And Monday it is....

Oh Sunday....

Perspective

Oh, I'm gonna regret this....

Paying it Forward

We're Baaaaaaack!

Fresh Start 2012

2012 Resolutions Linky Party

Happy (almost) 2012!!

Math Groups Revisited

National Board: Portfolio Progress & Scheduling

Taking Care

How much is too much?

Merry Christmas All!

Mrs. Fit-It

Asperger's Syndrome

Disaster!

Love! (Totally Off Topic of Teaching)

Hello, my name is Humble...

Vacation is Here & National Board Stuff

A Whirlwind Last Day!

Almost there....

Cranky Pants

Observation...what observation?

Holy Potatoes!

Mental Health

Wow

Sunday Bliss

Confession

Oh Friday, how I have missed you so.....

But I really DO want you to hire me!!

Two down!

National Board

Oh Saturday!

Thankfulness

Happy Fruesday!

Sunday already??

Yay for Friday!

Almost there!

Crazy!

Bummer!

Blah :(

S*@$ty Saturday >:(

Fab Friday

Terrific Thursday

Wacky Wednesday

Weird!!

Better Day

My tired is tired

Post-Halloween Frenzy

Say what?!

Standing up for what you believe in!

Wow!

Ah Monday

*Sigh*

Shopping Spree & That Kid

Sigh