It Matters!

Why yes...yes it does!

Everything we do, as educators, is so extremely important. Not just the teaching part, the imparting wisdom, but the other stuff as well. 

The listening...to every child. Each one. As they tell about what happened to their dog, or the fight mom and dad had, or how their brothers don't play with them, or where they went on Saturday.  

The understanding that yes, it was lonely when dad went back to his house, or exciting that they the tooth fairy came, or sad when sister said you were dumb, or fun when you got to go to Chuck E. Cheese!

The consoling when Mom forgot to put the library book in the backpack.

The empathizing that yes, I'm  hungry, too and lunch will be very soon, I promise.

The praising when you get that shoe tied tightly, and the encouraging that it's ok to make mistakes, that is how we learn....just don't give up!

With 25 littles in my first grade class, it's HARD to always listen to each and every one. There is so much "educating" that has to be done to meet the standards and stay rigorous...

Sometimes we might lose the child in all the demands of the day.

Taking time to stop and look at what is before us is so important.

These are not just students we spend our day with.

They are people.

Whether little like my firsties, or more grown up high schoolers with a completely different set of needs and problems.....they are still people first.

And people need attention.

More than they need an education sometimes.

We teach to the whole person.

We build relationships.

And the rest will fall into place.

The Day after Labor Day

Well, it's been 2 weeks since I updated this blog. I can see I'm going to have to make a more conscientious effort to come here and write.

Things are going well. I've got a full class...and by full, I mean FULL..maxed out. 25 first graders, our state's legal limit. There's barely room in my classroom for all the bodies and desks. But they are a great group of kids.

We are still in the process of our BOY testing (Beginning of the Year) with Dibels, Mondo (mClass/Reading 3-D..whatever they are calling themselves now) and Bursts Assessments. It takes forever to do all these!  I'll be glad when I can actually start teaching ALL day...and not have to do small spurts and then keep them busy while I test one on one. 

We ARE doing some learning.

Working on addition sentences in Math... CCSS 1.OA.6  This week I will turn some of the learning over to the kids, using dominoes. Pulled out this fun independent activity for them to do.

Also taught them how to play BUMP. These "games"/learning activities let them practice skills we are working on in a fun manner, independently or with a partner.

 

(I know it looks valentine-y, but my room theme is the Trend Monsters, so it works!! )

Anyway.... Things are moving along. We are off to a great start. Labor Day is over and now we are "really" in school! The first two weeks of adjusting should have us more settled into routines and procedures. 

I just look forward to having all my testing done so I can get back on my schedule!

I NEED my schedule!

Day 1: Don't Worry, Be Happy

My goal this year is....less stress.
The last couple of years have been very hard on me. I don't deal with change well.
There was lots of change---CCSS, administration, new hires....
I am a leader who was having to sit back and follow.
This was hard on me---I felt devalued, unimportant.....

Not this year.
Once again there is change---administration, new hires....
But I'm stepping back up. 
I'm going to have a great year.

There is too much going on in the rest of my life to let school get me down.
It's a new year, a new group of kids, a new team of co-workers.

I'm ready to face it all!
Let's get this party started!!

In the Beginning

Decided I was going to try and do a school/classroom blog this year. It's been awhile since I kept up with a blog, so I hope I don't get to far behind.
I'd like to post fun things we do, things I find, inspirational thoughts/quotes...and probably ask for help for time to time.

A little about me:
I'm a teacher in Hope, Arkansas..home of the biggest watermelon ever, a former president, countless politicians, and more wonderful people than I can list!
I'm starting my 25th year in education. 
All I've ever taught were "littles".... 4 years in kinder, a year in preschool, a year subbing (I took a leave of absence when my first child was born), and the other 18 years in 1st grade. That's where I'll be again this year.

Trying to get ready is hectic....you'd think after all these years I'd have my act together. But no. I tend to do better flying by the seat of my pants. My best lessons have always been those that just popped up from an idea or something a student has mentioned. I'm very impromptu/impromptive?  

I'm looking forward to a wonderful school year. I met my new firsties the other night at Open House and I think they gave me the cream of the crop!
We've got a change in administration in our building, and a change in co-workers in my grade...
more about all that later. 

Guess I better get back to work...the first day of the new year is tomorrow...hence the title of this post.
Lots to do and time is running out.

Wishing anyone out there reading this a wonderful school year, too!