Who are all these kids and why are they calling me TEACHER???

It's official...no single gender for me this year!

2010-08-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Don't let the graphic throw you..I am not exactly going over to the Pink side (you know- going all Mylie Cyrus/Hannah Montana on y'all). While I love my boys to death, and have enjoyed teaching an all boy class for the last 2 years, I found out yesterday, I will not be teaching all boys this year. There will be boys in my class, but there will also be girls too! Scandalous!!

WT-fill in the blank, you say! Yeah, I was bummed too, for about 1 minute than I saw my roster. Now, in case my principal (or more likely my AP) is reading this blog...I know my roster is going to change between now and next Thursday...but back to my original thought...I am really excited for a number of reasons:
1. I love my team....the 4 other teachers I will be teaching with are awesome (and yes, I know many of them will read this)!
2. The new year always excites me (I love the smell of a freshly opened box of crayons)
3. It will be refreshing to have not one, but 3 sets of students, all traditional classes. I am teaching Reading and Social Studies on a 3 person team (we also have another 2-person team on our grade level that will be teaching inclusion).
4. Boys, as wonderful as they are, tire me out, and I think for my sanity, a little bit of a breather is in order.
5. Most of the kids I will be teaching, I had taught last year, either as part of a team in 3rd grade, in our Math Flex groups or in Bubble Groups right before PASS testing. They are awesome kids and I look forward to teaching them this year.

With that said....I am going to have to change the name of my blog (and my page on Facebook) to reflect this change...gotta get on that right now!!

Pay it Forward with Elmers & Adopt a Classroom

2010-07-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

Whether you are a teacher or a parent (or both, like me), you know this time of year strikes fear in your checkbook. Back to school time is expensive, and even doing the bare-minimum for the first week of school can bust your budget. With the current economic situation, most households in the US will struggle to buy supplies for their kids in preparation to send them back to school.

Having a 4th grader, I am prepared to shell out some big bucks to get him ready to go back to school. I will also teach 16-18 4th graders this year and many of them will show up on the first day with very few supplies to start the year out. I have already begun picking up staff whenever I go to Walmart. The other day I practically filled a my cart with glue sticks, paper, pencils, pen and notebooks. When they put their school supplies out, they always have great deals on stuff (as love as 15 cents on some stuff) so I try and stock up. My wallet is wailing just thinking about buying even more. But I am not alone! My fellow teachers across this country (many of whom have had their salaries cut) will be doing the same. As teachers, we won't let our students do without, even if their parents will. And in the district when I teach, in the past, we have received $275 to purchase supplies. But this year, due to budget cuts, we will not get that money. That means even more will come out of our own pockets to stock our classrooms.

Mrs. Mimi, one of my favorite bloggers EVER, posted today about this. The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward is charity blog meme, bloggers are able to raise $10 per blog post for Adopt-A-Classroom by writing a blog post and donating a virtual bag of school supplies . Elmer’s will donate $10 per each post written to Adopt-A-Classroom, up to $10,000.

In an effort to spread the love, I'm going to send a virtual bag of school supplies to:

Mommy Mumbo Jumbo C'Mon Tara..help me spread the word!!!

But you can join in too:

Help Elmer’s Help Adopt-A-Classroom

Helping classrooms in need this back to school season is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3

1. Write a post about this charity blog meme

2. Send a virtual bag of school supplies to another blogger and challenge them to join the #bagitforward movement

3. Link up your post at BagItForward.org

Easy peasy! Elmer’s just donated $10 for your post to Adopt-A-Classroom!

HOW CAN YOU JOIN? It’s easy.

Participate in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward and by giving away a virtual bag of school supplies and creating a blog post with specific rules described below.
Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom.
You can give as many virtual bags as you want.
The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward will officially begin at 12 AM EST on July 22, 2010 and end at 12 PM EST on August 12, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted.
The blog post link has to be submitted in the comment section below for your participation to be counted.
In addition copy and paste the following text into your blog post:

ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES

Copy and paste these rules into your blog post.
Create a blog post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.

Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by August 12, 2010).

Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.

Ok, I admit it, I miss them....

2010-07-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

Was up at the school yesterday for a meeting and summer school is going on. As I walked by the cafeteria about noon time, I spotted them...three of my little friends from last year. I was immediately sad for them that they were spending the last 2 weeks of their summer break at school (um..then I remembered WHERE I WAS!).
Thier little faces lit up as I came over to their table (they still haven't figured out that they are 4th graders now and at some point it is way uncool to act excited to see your former teacher)...hugs ensued and we spend a few minutes chatting about their summer so far, and I asked them if they were excited for school to start and to be 4th graders. They were (that will probably change!)
It was good to see them and it has me excited for school to start. I really do miss them!! There--I admitted it!!!

Anyone remember this book???

2010-07-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

I remember reading this book in elementary school and it is one of my favorites! I cam across it in the audio book section of the library today as I was looking for an audio book of How to Eat Friend Worms for my son..he is reading the book and I thought it might be fun to mix things up a bit an alternate reading and listening to the book...with the temperatures outside in the high 90s, I am looking for indoor activities for him aside from video games and the TV.

So back to Mrs. Piggle Wiggle....I looked for the book in the library but could not find it. So I grabbed the audio version. I could barely wait to check out and get to the car and pop it in the CD player....I even took the long way home to listen to a bit more. I am a bit nervous about introducing to my son....he is not always eager to take my recommendations when it comes to books. But I loved this book so much that I just want him to enjoy it as much as I do....they are filled with stories of her magical cures for making boys and girls behave...so much fun!!

I remember reading all the books in this series multiple times...hopefully he will get hooked on them like me. They are written a little below his current reading level, but I think it is okay for him to go ahead and read them if he enjoys them.

I think I may even buy a set for my classroom for my struggling readers....or an audio book for the listening center. I "heart" Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle!!!

I Never......be careful what you say you'l never do..it will come back to bite you!

2010-07-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Lydia & Kate from Rants From Mommyland and Amy from Pregnant Chicken, awesome Mommy Bloggers who posted lists of things that they swore they would never do before they became parents. Well, mine is about things I swore (or at least thought) I would never do as a teacher...stay with me for the connection...because being a teacher is a lot like being a Mom, you just have more kids (unless your last name is Dugger) but you do get to send them home at night and on the weekends and you don't have to pay for their braces/ wedding/bail bond.......

Here's my list....and feel free to add one if you are a teacher....would love to read all your comment awesomeness!!!

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that….plays favorites….

Let’s face it, you are not going to love every one of your little friends…..some of them, have the innate ability to work your last nerve, while others are just so cute you want to take them home forever. I have my favorites every year, and while I try to hide it, they know…they all know….

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that….uses worksheets….

There are days (more than we want to admit) where is my little friends were in my home instead of at school they would so be sitting in front of the TV watching Phineas and Ferb with an open box of Lucky Charms in front of them. Sometimes you just gotta pull out the old busy work so you can save your sanity.

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that….pretends to listen to a student like what he/she is saying is the most exciting/interesting/important thing in the world….

I have to admit, I am a great actress…I can pretend to listen to one of my little friends, and all the while I am planning my escape/what I am having for dinner/weekend….c’mon, how interesting is it to hear every sordid detail of how their uncle’s cousin’s friend’s dog ran away and joined the circus?

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that….gives a student an unearned grade….

While there have been many times I would have liked to have given a student a lower grade than they earned, especially when it is glaringly obvious that Mom/Dad/Grandma/Older sibling did their project….I have yet to do that. What I have done however, is boosted the grade of one of my little friends who tried real hard on that quiz/paper/project, but did not quite meet the expectation…I believe in rewarding effort, and while I have plenty of kids who don’t give a rat’s behind about school, or give it the slightest it of effort….I have plenty who try so hard…and let’s face it, their 9…there is plenty of time for others to crush their spirit later in life.

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that….bored my students to death with stories of what life was like when I was their age….

Admit it, kids today have it way easier than we did….they never had to walk to school 5 miles, up hill..both ways…lol! Seriously they have X-Box, the internet and cell phones…how hard can life be? I do tend to bring up the past a bit, especially when they start thinking they have it so rough!! Deal with it friends!!

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that…raises their voice (i.e. yells)…

I’ve done it more times than I care to remember ..not proud of it, but I have admitted it, so that’s the first step!!

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that…..lies to parents about how wonderful their child is…..

Everyone (including me) likes to hear how wonderful/smart/beautiful their child is, whether it is true or not…but sometimes when you are sitting there across from a parent and you really want to tell them that their child reminds them of the spawn of Satan (okay, that was a little harsh)…you gotta take one for the team and tell them A BIG FAT LIE!!!!

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that….gives up control (or lack of it) in her classroom and calls in the big guns (i.e. the Principal or AP)…

Despite the fact that they tell you in Grad School that your classroom will be all lollipops and roses as long as you have a great Classroom management plan…thinks do go awry…and fast. No matter how great your plan is, there is going to be that one kid who was genetically engineered to push your buttons…SO..you have to call in the big guns. You hate to do it but for your own sanity and the other kids in your class..you gotta make THE CALL…,and get the little bugger out of your room. Of course he sits in the principals office and draws pictures of the ways he plans to torture you as soon as he is paroled, and returns to your classroom. But at least you and the rest of your little friends have a few minutes of peace.

I’ll never be the kind of teacher that…tries to fool your students by bluffing when you don’t know the answer….

All the teacher books (you know the ones written by people who have never actually taught) say it is okay to admit when you don’t know the answer to a question one of your students asks. But I am here to tell you …NEVER…admit you don’t know something in front of your students. WHY? Because,…while they will forget their homework, their pencil, their name, the classroom/school rules and occasionally the answer to the question they just asked you and you answered (for the 100th time)…they will NEVER forget that you admitted not knowing something. It is emotional capital to them and they will use it every chance they get. Oh, and they will be certain to tell their parents that you don’t know ANYTHING!!

So what have you sworn you would NEVER do as a teacher, but have ended up doing..do tell!!!

Almost Back-to-School time...looking ahead.

2010-07-22T06:58:00.001-07:00

Wow, summer is ending soon and it is time to face reality that school will be starting soon. I have to report back to work in 18 days but will be going in this coming Monday to begin unpacking and organizing my classroom. Part of me is excited at the newness of the new school year...new students, new gradebook, new supplies, new curriculum (although I have taught it all before), new opportunities to build relationships...but I have REALLY enjoyed this time off. It has been the first summer since I began teaching 4 years ago, that I have not taught summer school. I have had the summer to do with as I wish, which meant sleeping late, reading lots of books, time at the pool. All that will end soon, but I plan to enjoy every last minute of it.....

I wonder if my students are thinking the same thing. I know that many of my students don't have a lot of structure at home, and have way too much responsibility put on them for such a young age (caring for siblings, cooking their own meals, cleaning up after themselves, no supervision, staying up late or all night, watching tv/playing video games as much as they want). I honestly think they crave the structure that school provides. And at our school, they are guaranteed two meals a day...which I sometimes wonder if they get at home over the summer.

Someone once told me, the positive attention they get at school may be the only positive in their lives. While that is sad, it also made me happy that I can give that to my students. Honestly, I think I could do a better job of building them up, and that is something I plan on working on this year. In the past I have gotten caught up in the negative behaviors, and honestly, taking them too personally. Will try using the 5:1 ratio of positives to negative...I'll let you know how that goes.

Another worry I have, especially for my boys, is this is the year (grade level) that they significantly drop off in their reading..and if they are already struggling with reading, tat they will give up. I have found some cool books for read a-louds and novel units. Hopefully I can instill in my struggling readers, that reading opens doors and takes you places you may never be able to go, except through a book.

Regardless of the fact that my summer is almost over, I really am looking forward to the new school year. One last goal...I am going to blog a lot more, and I would love to start a blog with my class(es)...I think it is a great way to get them writing, and take ownership in what is happening at school.

I "Heart" Books!!

2010-07-12T11:29:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: My 1st summer OFF from teaching is going FABULOUS!! Really enjoying having some down-time. So what have I been doing, you ask? Well....I have been reading... A LOT!! I absolutely love books...even when I was in the corporate world, many,many moons ago, and would go to a conference..I would buy books!! Love them!

So even though I am technically on vacation for the summer, and I am spending A LOT of time reading...I am also going to classes about reading and BOOKS!! This morning I went to a summer session on the SC Book Award nominees.....why, because I had a sneaky feeling they would be giving away..you guessed it.....BOOKS!! And they did...I snagged a copy of this book- The Golly-Whopper Games by Jody Feldman..which was described to me as a cross between "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" (love Roald Dahl) and "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. I can't wait to read it!! Gonna start it as soon as I finish this post!! The other book I picked up, I actually got for my son...it is called by G. Brian Caras. It is a cute picture book about, you guessed it, Zeus, you know of Greek mythology fame. My son has been fascinated with Zeus, and Greek mythology since reading the Percy Jackson series....but I will snag it to use in my classroom at some point this year.

Because of my love of books, I have been toying with the idea of getting my Masters in Library Science and becoming a Media Specialist (Librarian!!). What cooler job could there be (aside form teaching all boys, of course).....?? I will be investigating some Masters programs in the coming weeks...

Also...asked today how I could become involved with the SC Book Awards as a committee member. Just finished typing my application to email off...hope they pick me. What better way to meld my love of reading and teaching then getting first crack at tons of great books... to help find nominees for next years awards!

Well, I better end this here and post it...The Golly-Whopper Games" is calling my name...and YES, I will post a review when I am finished!!!

Summer Reading....

2010-06-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

My stack of books it getting taller as I try and read as much as possible during my carefree summer days....not all of them are kid-friendly, if you know what I mean. I did sign up for an online class and they recenty sent me a reading list....I will try and post some reviews as I get them finished. So far I have started these two (one for my class library and one for this online class)..these will be my first reviews...hopefully I will be able to post the reviews by the end of the month.

The Red Pyramids..the first in the new series by Rick Riordan (of Percy Jackson fame) and Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

I'll keep you posted...and if you are reading something that you think I should check out, feel free to post a comment below to suggest it!!

12 Hours and counting...

2010-05-31T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, that is all we have left of the 2009-2010 school year. Just 3 1/2 days! Yes, I still have to work full days (including a full day Friday). I was thinking about it this morning as I watched the rain pour down (and normally I would have dreaded it because rain=inside recess)...and with nothing better to do as I sipped my morning coffee I started to fantasize about the perfect 12 hours a la the show "24!"

What will it look like...chaos of course. So much to do in 12 short hours (did I really type that?)

Tuesday....Class Auction and lunch. I am cooking for my boys---Lasagna and Bread..YUM! Our auction will be a lot of fun. I have been collecting stuff all year (dollar store stuff, etc) for this. The boys will use their SOAR bucks (this is a school wide behavior system..kids get them for doing good things)...to bid on these items.

Wednesday...3rd Grade awards. We will have a grade level assembly in the morning to give out awards for the end of the year, then back in the classroom, I will give out 9 week awards. This is always a fun day because the kids love getting recognition for their hard work all year.

Thursday...Class Party and Multiplication Ice Cream party. The 3rd grade has been working hard to learn their multiplication facts through 12..they will earn their ice cream based on how many facts they have learned....everything from their bowl and spoon, to the right to sit with their friends during the party. Then we will have our class party..more food and goodies. The boys will also be allowed to bring in game systems (DSI, PSP, or Gameboy). Then at noon....adios, little friends and hello summer. Well for the record, I can not welcome summer until 3pm Friday!! But it will be so sweeet!

To 4th Grade I go.....and All Boys Again!!!

2010-05-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

2010-2011 assignments came out yesterday and I can honestly say I am SO PUMPED about my assignment for next year. I am moving back to 4th grade and taking about 1/2 of my current class with me!! Some of the parents of my little friends decided that the Single Gender classroom was not the place for their son, and we (me, my grade level team, AP and Principal) decided that the Single Gender classroom was not the place for some of my little friends. Right now my roster looks awesome!! 19 boys...make that 19 amazing young men ready to leave South Carolina history behind and tackle Social Studies from a more global perspective! And I love the stories we read in 4th grade (I taught 4th for 2 years prior to moving to 3rd last year) and I have some amazing read alouds ready to introduce them to...including Rick Riordan's newest series the Kane Chronicles- The Red Pyramid....based on Egyptian mythology!!

I had another possible assignment in the hopper, and at the time, I thought it would be a sweet deal, but now that I know where I am going next year...and that I will be teaching what I consider to be the dream class (someone remind me that I said this next Spring when they are almost 5th graders and driving me a little crazy!) I am super excited. At least I will not be spending my summer learning a new program/curriculum...instead, I will be lounging by the pool reading a new stack of "boy books"..shopping on Amazon for books for my class library...and getting ready to have a fabulous year with a fabulous group of boys!!!

The Fat Lady is getting ready to sing....

2010-05-08T14:54:00.001-07:00

The end is near...and NO I have not been watching 2012!

This week coming up we have PASS testing...our version of CYA for No Child Left Behind. My little friends have been reviewed-to-death and most of them are ready! The ones who are not, there is nothing more I can do. I cannot possibly analyze one more poem, do one more math problem involving division, give one more example of a simile (or metaphor, personification, alliteration or hyperbole), recall one more fact about Native Americans, Explorers, the American Revolution, Civil War, World Wars I & II or the Civil Rights Movement from South Carolina's perspective. Their cute little heads will explode if I try and cram one more fact in there. We'll just have to see where the chips fall (and their scores).

This week our school sent home intent letters for single gender, to see if parents wanted their children to continue in the single gender program at our school. I have only gotten about half of the letters back from my boys' parents and for the most part, the ones who are thriving in the program will be back. The ones who have caused a little craziness this year (and feed off of it) won't.

I know I have a job next year, and at my current school, I am just not sure what grade I will be teaching and if I will be looping with my current class (at least the ones who have signed on to continue single gender). Hopefully I will have a better idea in the coming weeks.

I have a lave/hate relationship with the 2 1/2 weeks of school following our PASS testing. I love it because testing is over. We talk about this test from Day One of the school year , and quite frankly I am a little tired of talking about it (and I am certain my little friends are too). I am ready for it to be done with!! BUT...once the testing s complete, we still have 2 1/2 more weeks. We are still required to teach, and IMHO is it just busywork. Why not hold off giving the test until the last week and then just send them home to their parents for 10 weeks? We do have fun things going on--SOARfest (a day where we have giant inflatables on the playground for the kids to climb, jump and slide on)...Awards day, Field Day, Class parties....lots of things...And they are turning on books the week after testing so....what' a teacher to do? I am planning a novel unit on An Indian in the Cupboard (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that book!!)....and we are going to review and test our final Unit in Social Studies (we did not get to the test before PASS review began).

But the end is so close I can smell the suntan lotion and taste the margaritas!!! At noon on June 3rd, I will be doing the Happy Dance and waving farewell to my little friends for the summer. 27 hours later and it will be celebration time!!!

Sunshine Award

2010-05-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

What a special surprise! I received this Sunshine Award from my friend, and fellow blogger, Tara over at http://mommymumbojumbo.blogspot.com/ . Tara is the Mom of two of the most adorable children on this planet (aside from my own sweet boy). She and I met, when I first started teaching and she has been on of the biggest fans of my blog, and a big encouragement. Thank you Tara! You are awesome!!

In accepting this blogging award, I also have to follow the rules and send it on...The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world. course, awards come with rules…

1. Put the logo on your blog and/or within your post.

2. Pass the award on to twelve bloggers.

3. Link to the nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award

It's Not All Flowers and Sausages
Ms. Mimi ROCKS! Her blog is according to her tag line is "for teachers who rock." She makes me laugh, and that helps me to laugh at myself. Let's face it, teachers today have a tough job, and her blog is a little slice of heaven when it comes to venting about some of the frustrations we face trying to educate children. She is a little obsessed with picture books, shoes and schools supplies, but heck, we all have out little idiosyncrasies, don't we!

Stories of Life: One Writer-Mom's Odyssey
Kris Meldrum, this blogger, is a dear friend of mine. She likes to credit me for inspiring her to blog, but she has been a writer all her life. Her perspective on things is refreshing--check out her entry on the 40th anniversary of the Kent State shootings here and because I have known her for a while, I can spot her wit, sarcasm and amazing humor from a mile away. She makes me laugh and I enjoy keeping up with her life. We were once neighbors in Virginia, then she left me and moved to Ohio, so in retaliation, I moved to South Carolina...a state she visits every year for vacation, but some how avoids visiting me...just kidding Kris! Check out her blog, your won;t be disappointed!

A Teacher's Life
Another teacher blog I follow...Jen is honest and real! I laugh at her insight on her students, as many of them remind me of mine. She lays bare the issues she is facing in the classroom, which I can truly relate to. And most of all, she shares a love of great books and reading as I do. I get great book and lesson ideas from her.

Just a Bunch of Nothin
I don't remember how I found this blog...but Suzanne the Homeschooling Mom who writes this blog and I have a few things in common: we both scrapbook, we have both lived in Virginia (she still does) and in Alaska (she is returning there soon), are both politically conservative...and since she homeschools her children we are both teachers. She is very funny, an awesome photographer and is frugal. I love reading her posts because one day she is talking about some cool new gadget she wants to get (but is holding off until she a) has enough Swagbucks B) it goes on sale or C) she has a coupon for it, lol! She is the one who turned me onto SwagBucks after posting how she has earned enough to purchase a Wii for her family!

Life with Briana
I started following Lisa's blog a few years ago when my husband and I were planning on adopting a little girl from China. I found this blog right before Lisa and her husband Doug left for China to get their daughter Briana. I followed their trip and have been reading her blog regularly since they brought Briana home. When our family made the difficult decision to discontinue our adoption journey, Lisa was a huge source of comfort to me. She has recently been though some tough personal issues, and I reached out to her in hopes of returning some of the compassion and comfort she had shown me. Her Daughter Briana is adorable, and I love all the great pictures Lisa posts. Lisa is honest about the challenges of parenting a pre-schooler, and of being an adoptive parent.

Hope4Peyton
People say God never gives you more than you can handle...I like to think God gives all the tough stuff most of us can't handle to the truly strong! That is who this family is...truly strong and they are such an inspiration to me and hundreds (maybe thousands) of people who read this blog! They have been through so much--youngest daughter Peyton was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was 2, and last year, Anissa, Peyton's Mom suffered two strokes. Dad has been full-time caregiver of the kids and Anissa since then. Anissa survived, thankfully, but still faces a long road to recovery. Her husband has since taking over Anissa's blog (and is doing a fine job). Even as the family dealt with Peyton's Leukemia and now Anissa's strokes...they have continued to remain positive, while keeping it real. Besides being awesome for what she has survived..Anissa rocks because she has been on Oprah!!!

Mommy Needs A Cocktail
Kristen has, hands-down, one of the funniest blogs I have ever read. If you are a Mom you will love her blog! She is so real...as the mother of 3 boys, trying to run an Internet-based business, also named Mommy Needs a Cocktail, she takes life's everyday moments, like finding her child riding on the riding lawn mower --ALONE...or eating day old pizza, she makes you take a step back and find the humor in the challenges of parenting. Along with her sisters, Kristen also blogs for PBS on a blog called Supersisters.

Stretch Marks
This is another blog, I came across totally by accident. Actually, there are no accidents in blogland, and I think I found this blog from a link on another blog I read. This is another funny Mom who blogs about her life and her kids, and more recently her move back to her hometown. She has a wicked sense of humor, and despite some of the curve balls that have been thrown her way in life, she keeps on going, and tries to find the humor in it all. She has adopted two beautiful children and her husband, who she refers to as the Attorney General. She is as funny as it gets...and reading her blog can get me out the the worst of funks!!

Okay, I could only come up with 8...

I'm back.....and boy has life gotten interesting!!!

2010-04-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a while since my last post...and boy has the world of education been rocking!!! Lots to post about but first just an update on school, and my boys, since, HELLO, that is the whole purpose of this blog right?

We are in the final stretch of the 2009-2010 school year and testing is right around the corner...we are all feeling the pressure. So the other day, we took a much needed break and played a game. Yep, we put aside the books, and the review materials, and the tests, and we played...and it wasn't even recess time. Do you remember school being as high stress as it is today when you were a kid? I sure don't. It is no wonder these kids act out..they are way over tested and way over stressed. So back to the playing....yes, we needed a little respite so we played "I am going on a camp out...and I am taking an A_____ (insert a word that begins with A here)" My little friends really got into it (and it was a great memory game). I am going to try and do this at least a couple times a week between now and the HSTE (high stakes testing event)...in a few weeks. Gotta let them have a little fun, right?

Well speaking of fun, they are all working so hard to earn super SOAR bucks for the upcoming end of year events. We have 3 big events coming up, each spaced apart by two weeks. I told my little friends if they stayed on a "3" (a true three is NOT turning their card at all) for the whole day, they would get one of these super SOAR bucks which is actually worth 5 SOAR bucks. They need 50 SOAR bucks to attend each event, so in theory, if they stay on a 3 each day, they automatically have the amount they need to attend. Oh, and they cannot have received a referral of any type during the 2 weeks leading up to the event (1/2 sheet, office or bus referral). Sadly, 4 of my friends have already "blown it" for the first event- Spring Fling (carnival) coming up this Friday). But everything "re-sets" the following Monday, so they can work on the 2nd event on May 14th which is a Karaoke Dance Party( again they must have 50 SOAR bucks to attend and no referrals). The final event, May 28th is SOARfest, which includes giant inflatables and ice cream treats. I am hoping they all get the opportunity to attend at least one of these events...and most of my little friends will get to go to all 3!!

On another note, I did get a contract for next year, and will be at my same school. Just not sure what grade level I will be teaching and if it will be single gender. Keeping my fingers crossed about looping with most of these boys to 4th grade...I will keep you posted.

NEXT POST- the Enough is Enough Rally against cuts to the education budget.....

Kielbasa...its not just SAUGAGE anymore!!!

2010-03-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

Before I get up on my soapbox again, I had to share a few tidbits about my BOYS from this week. Bear with the bullets--I am in a hurry to post so I can get back to reading about health care reform, teachers being fired en masse and other things that will eventually make their way onto my blog!!

Well phase one of our state testing is over...can't talk much about it. But suffice to say, me and my little friends let out a collective sigh of relief Wednesday afternoon after Day 2 of testing was in the bag. We still have 3 more days of tests in May but Spring Beak is coming and we have decided to focus on that (with a little reading, math, social studies and science sprinkled in everywhere!!)

The following were overheard in my classroom this week (I swear, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!)

"Good Morning Mr. E, Kielbasa Mr. W" (This one needs a little explaining...we greet each other at the start of morning meeting...Good Morning Mr. D, Good Morning Mrs. Barker and shake hands. The boys have changed things up a bit by greeting each other in different languages...Hola, Bon Jour, Ni Hao..they looked a bunch of them up on Google. Anyone want to take a guess at what "Kielbasa Mr. W. should be, Yep, you guessed it..Que Pasa. Obviously my little friend is not a native Spanish speaker!

One little friend to another- "Do you want to be in an all-boy class next year?" Boy 2: "Nah, I need to be with the ladies"

"Mrs. Barker, did you know they wrote a book about the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid?"

Me: "In less than 50 days you all are going to be 4th graders!" Look of horror comes over one of my little friend's face: Him: "You mean they canceled summer vacation?"

"The reason we are not allowed to bring toys to school is because they don't want us to have any fun at school"(this was after I had taken Bakugan cards away from a student for the 2nd or 3rd time in 2 weeks)

Me: "Mr. K, what time did you go to sleep (I meant, last night). Mr. K: "Just now I guess, because you just woke me up."

They crack me up...

Is "Race to the Top" actually a federalization of education?

2010-03-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: To my followers...I promise to get off this education reform tirade I have been on recently and get back to humorous stories about my little friends soon! It just pisses me off that people in Washington want to tell me how to run my classroom. If they are so interested in what I am doing, I invite them to join me this Monday afternoon at 2:30pm as I break every school rule (and probably my own neck) to get on a chair, climb on shelves and such and cover the walls of my classroom and rearrange all the desks in preparation for state testing Tuesday and Wednesday. Until then.....

Lately, I have been spending way to much time reading articles and blogs talking about education reform. Why you ask..because I am a geek like that. When I was in the corporate world, I bought and read books by the dozen on organizational management, change management, organization effectiveness, and the like.

These days it seems the media has made teachers the scapegoats for a failing education system. In addition, I am reading up on proposed budget cuts in our state and attending meetings where it is discussed that we (South Carolina) are viewed as having a low-performing education system all because of the way we report our standardized test scores. At this aforementioned meeting it was announced that we (again, South Carolina) are one of 16 states (well DC is not a state but they are one of the finalists) in the running for "Race to the Top" grants. I ignorantly applauded like the rest of the lemmings at the meeting and dashed back to my classroom when the meeting was over and googled "Race to the Top." I was appalled to read article after article outlining how acceptance of these grants requires stated to adopt a federally drafted national standard for curriculum. Among other things.....Uh..Shut The Front Door~~~! WHY would anyone agreed to this?

This is opens the door even wider to let the federal government come in and take over. States like Texas opted not to apply for these grants after they found out that these national standards would undo all the reform in state curriculum standards they had been working hard to improve.

And guess how many teachers were on these panels who wrote the grant requirements (and the draft for the national curriculum standards)....ummmm...NONE!! Big shocker there!

This article from the Washington Post lists 10 False Assumption about Race to the Top. It's worth the read.

In addition to the requirement to adopt national standards, many states have been basically selling their souls to qualify..like lifting the cap on charter schools and agreeing to tie test scores to teacher evaluations and pay. This is wrong on so many levels that I want to scream "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS? How is this going to help them? 100% of these funds apparently have to go to reform of standards and curriculum, and can't be used to make up the millions of dollars many of these states need to close the gap in their education budgets. No teacher salaries (saving teacher layoffs) no supplies, computers and other technology, textbooks, etc.

This p_sses me off so much!!! What's next? Fire all the teachers and replace them with robots..I mean if we totally remove the human component in the equation....we're bound to get the result we are seeking, RIGHT?!?! Morons!!

$121 Million...are you freakin KIDDING ME??????

2010-03-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

Yes friends, I am fired up once again.....this time by an article in the Blackboard Jungle section of Newsweek Magazine....this article to be exact...titled "Why Teachers Can't Control Their Classrooms" I am still scratching my head as to why no one at Newsweek called me..because I would certainly have given them an earful...and set them straight.

While I agree with most of the article (the gist being that teacher education programs are not equipping new teachers for the reality of classroom management and bad student behavior), I came across this gem...."Education Secretary Arne Duncan has acknowledged what a huge issue classroom management has become. To help improve the situation, the federal government recently dedicated $21 million to a fledgling network of 28 teacher-residency programs (modeled on medical residencies) to give new teachers hands-on training in a real classroom. Later this year Duncan plans to distribute another $100 million in grants to expand the idea further."

HELLO---Secretary Duncan...we have that..it's called STUDENT TEACHING!! So this genius is going to throw $121 million into a program of 28 networks modeled after medical residencies. LOVE it..so when these teachers graduated from your program Secy Duncan..will these teachers (and their hard working, battle scarred colleagues) then be PAID like Doctors? Or treated with the same respect for their profession as Doctors?? When is the last time you read about a patient throwing a chair at their doctor?

Don't get me wrong..I think there is definitely a need to better support first and second year teachers, especially those who have students with behavior issues. Many schools, including the one I work at, have mentor programs where a seasoned veteran helps a newer teacher, shows him/her the ropes, assists them when they are struggling whether it is with classroom management, curriculum, etc. If Secy. Duncan wants to keep teachers from leaving the profession within the first five years, he needs to work with teachers, administrators, etc, to see what suggestions they have to make the situation better. Throwing money at yet one more program will not solve the problem. Some of these students need to be removed from regular classrooms when the behavior escalates to the point where it is impacting the ability of the teacher to teach and the other students to learn. Spend the $121 million on closing aging schools and building new ones, teacher mentoring programs, new technology, remediation programs, gang education programs, and YES, teacher salaries.

Much better investment in my humble opinion!! And while we are on the topic of "Why teachers can't control their classrooms"..the answer is because many parents don't discipline their kids at home, they have no expectations for them and when they get in trouble it is always someone else's fault....however, there are good parents, no there are GREAT parents out there that do the right thing, that set expectations for their children and that realize the importance of going to school, getting an educations and listening and respecting the teacher and administrators....I LOVE parents like THAT!!!

And the WINNER is....

2010-03-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

.....drum roll please!! I got busy at the beginning of the week and totally forgot to draw a winner for the contest!!! So today I put the names of all my followers who also left a comment (and some of you commented more than once..thank you friends!!!) on my blog last month during my challenge in a bowl and Noah picked a winner.

The winner of an all expenses paid trip to ...oh, wring contest! The winner is Tiffany J!!!

Tiffany you get your choice of a $10 Starbucks gift card or a $10 Target gift card!! Let me know which one you want and I'll pick it up this weekend and bring it to you!

NEWS FLASH...I will be doing another contest later this month so keep reading the blog and keep an eye out for details on this new contest!!

Thanks again for all of you who became followers of my blog last month, those who read regularly and those who left me comments!! You guys ROCK!!!

If we had a Million Teacher March, would anyone come???

2010-03-01T17:18:00.001-08:00

Wow, I was over at Ms. Mimi's blog a few minutes ago and girlfriend is STILL fired up about the situation in Rhode Island. She asked, what can we (teachers do) to show these teachers who were unfairly fired, that we support them.

My suggestion was a Million Teacher March on Washington! I have a few choice words for Arne Duncan, myself! Organizing it would be a snap...we teachers are great organizers. Getting the word out, no problem! Teachers talk to other teachers who talk to still more teachers. Word would spread like wildfire.

What do you say friends...anyone up for a road trip to DC??

PS- Look what I found when I googled Million Teacher March....this and this ( I am a little ticked they already have the rights to the website!!), and it is even mentioned here (although it it not exactly as it is advertised).

#28-- I did it!!! a whole month of posts.....

2010-02-28T17:42:00.001-08:00

Wow, when I started this challenge 28 days ago I was not sure I could do it. When would I find the time? Would I find topics worth blogging about? Well I made it..and I think it turned out pretty well. Only one day, when I was really having some severe back pain, did I skip, but I made up for it the next day! And I have to admit..it was fun. Especially logging on each day to see if I had new followers or any comments. Speaking of both, I am going to draw the winner of my contest tomorrow. I will post the winner Tuesday morning!! There is still time..if you have not left a comment...leave one by midnight tonight and I will include you in the drawing.

So what am I going to do now?? Well, I am not going to make any promises, but I am going to try and continue to blog 2-3 times a week. I am sure there will be lots to write about with testing coming up...and as the end of the year approaches, and all the fun that comes with that. I am excited that I am taking this summer off from teaching (I have taught summer school the last 2 years!)...I am taking some classes, and will be trying to organize things for next year. Oh, and there is that grant I said I wanted to write.

I am still not sure if I am going to loop with my current class to 4th grade..but that is my plan. I hope that it all works out. I know I will lose a few students and gain a few but I am looking forward to keeping the core group of boys. If not, I will start with a new group if boys. Either way, the adventure will continue and so will this blog.

I LOVE reading everyone's comments and I have tried to reply to most, and will continue to do so. I would also like to have a few guest blogs in the coming months so any of you teacher friends of mine who ware interested in being a guest blogger...let me know.

Thanks friends, old and new, for reading. Continue to, and feel free to suggest topics you would like for me to cover. I am happy to oblige. And who knows, I may try another one of these challenges in the coming months.

#27- Let's just fire all the teachers....

2010-02-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

Hold on---I am jumping on THIS bandwagon......

It seems like everyone is talking about the firing of an entire staff at a Rhode Island high school. I watched the coverage on the news and have read quite a few articles on this particular incident. I know that school systems "clean house" from time to time. In fact I remember reading this article in the Washington Post last summer about the firing of 250 teachers by Chancellor Michelle Rhee in Washington, D.C. But never before do I remember an entire staff of a school being terminated. As I read these articles and posts on other blogs I see that it is not just an issue of a poor performing school...one of the options (aside from being fired) was to require these teachers to work extra for little or no extra pay. This is the part that, quite frankly, pisses me off!!

This is what the school district proposed to the teacher's union:

The conditions are adding 25 minutes to the school day, providing tutoring on a rotating schedule before and after school, eating lunch with students once a week, submitting to more rigorous evaluations, attending weekly after-school planning sessions with other teachers and participating in two weeks of training in the summer. (according to the Providence Journal). The union refused. (BTW I am not a fan of unions however, I do think in some cases they do where they protect teachers RIGHTS!)

First of all, I DO realize that the school was failing...horrible graduation rate, low test scores etc. But I refuse to believe that EVERY teacher in that school was ineffective. 50% of the students managed to graduate. You show me a school where 50% of the student body is THAT self-motivated and I'll be waiting with baited breath to see what their next miracle will be...walking on water?

This article says the firing drew praise from parents (and Sec. of Education Arne Duncan....I am not even going there....YET!). So let's talk about these parents...I am assuming they were the parents of the 50% who graduated (or were on the correct path to). Why isn't anyone blaming the parents? Last time I checked, it was part of a parents responsibilities to see that their child got an education. Why aren't they being held accountable? Granted, we can't fire the parents as much as we'd like to ...(this is good, can I get an AMEN!!!) So they know their kids are failing...are they helping them (assisting with homework, getting them a tutor, etc)?

What about the kids? Surely (yes I am calling you Shirley), they should have just as much responsibility in this as the teachers. I have met some apathetic kids in my day and I teach elementary school...so I can imagine the kind of apathy that exists by the time they are in high school.

What this situation really boils down to is money...and I am not talking about money for teachers, believe me. At stake is $13 million in federal funding to reform failing schools...the Federal Government (again, our "friend" Arne Duncan). To get the $$$$, schools have to choose one of four paths laid out by the Feds (including mass firings). I read today that the teachers were appealing the firing. We'll have to stay tuned and see how this turns out. I hope that they can find a way to keep these teachers and still make the necessary changes to turn the school around academically.

I can't help but take these situations personally because I can't for the life of me realize why some people in this country (and in our government) do not value the job that I, and millions of other teachers do everyday,....for very little money. And yes, I could throw in the cliche that we don't do this job for the money...in reality we do in fact do it for the money we need to live, but more importantly we do if for the kids so they can live out the hopes and dreams we have instilled in them. And if that is wrong, oh well, then FIRE ME!!

#26- WANTED: More parents like this.....

2010-02-26T18:53:00.000-08:00

This one is gonna be on the short side..it is late Friday night. I just got home after leaving my house 15.5 hours ago. I picked up Chik-Fil-A biscuits for the PTA biscuit sale at 6:30am, helped sell them until a quarter to 8, taught all day, rushed home, picked up my little guy, headed to the National Guard Armory, help set up for his Cub Scout Blue & Gold Banquet, attended the banquet, helped clean up , and now I am home, and ready for the craziness to start all over again tomorrow morning with a 6am wake-up, in order to head to Clemson University for Clemson Day with Scouts.

What a crazy week it has been. Rumor has it all the kids were crazy this week...acting out, lots of referrals, just crazy. It certainly can't be spring fever because we are still in the 30s and 40s here in the Upstate, where is usually a balmy 55 or 60 degrees this time of year. Can you say HURRY UP Spring Break??!!??

I need some shut-eye but before I go I wanted to share one brief bit of wonderful that happened in my class today. Remember my little friend who got caught with the Pokemon cards in class yesterday, and decided to yell at moi because he was angry/frustrated/terrified of getting in trouble? Well his mama must have done a number on his backside yesterday evening. Little friend came in to class today full of remorse. He was so sly about it too....he waited until I went to the back of the room by myself to retrieve something and he came back and said "Mrs. B I am so sorry about the way I acted yesterday. I was wrong to yell at you and it won't ever happen again." I gave him a little hug and said you know Mr. G, what you did yesterday broke my heart because that is just NOT like you to get in trouble. You are one of my shining stars." And then I thanked him for his apology and told him I would accept it.

A few minutes later I was checking agendas and found a note from my little friend's mama telling me to call her if he did not apologize today. She said that she told him he needed to be a man and take responsibility for his bad choice, and apologize to me for both his decision to play with the cards in class and to yell at me. She also said she explained to him that men never raise their voices to women, especially not their mama or their teacher. SCORE for little friend's Mama! She ROCKS! But i have know that all along..she had definitely been one of the most supportive parents I have ever had. What I admire most is that she is raising her sons (little friend has a 4 year old brother) to be responsible, respectful young men! Wish all my student's parents were like that!!

#25....I am not YELLING!!! I am talking loud...

2010-02-25T17:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am not going full tilt-vent tonight. Mostly because I am afraid to relive the day I had!!

I got yelled at by a parent and a student today. Not fun. The parent...well, I am not even going there. The kid, although it got him in even more trouble with me, did provide me with a bit of comic relief.

Today at (indoor) recess...or as I call it, day 100 of the hostage crisis...two of my little friends were bold enough to pull out Bakugans and some Bakugan and Pokemon cards and thought they were going to play with them. We (as in me) have a very strict NO TOY policy in my classroom and the school has a NO TOY policy at school. I had seen a few of my little friends pull out toys the day before but then I got distracted (ie: overwhelmed) and forgot about it.

So today when I saw the contraband toys, I went over and reminded my little friends that we do not bring toys to school even to play with at recess because someone "forgets" that toys are for recess and decides to play with them during instructional time. I thought I was pretty rational and convincing...they put the toys away and that was that. Until a few hours later when my class was returning from switching with my team teacher for Math/Science instruction. As we lined up in the hall, my teammate informed me that she had taken a stack of Pokemon cards away from one of my students (yes, one who I had talked to about this very thing at recess). I send all of my little friends into the classroom but asked the "guilty party" to remain out int he hallway with me.

Before I even got the first question out of my mouth my little friend starts yelling at me..."they weren't mine..they we ______________'s cards." I calmly (at least in my mind) asked him to lower his voice and asked if the other student put the cards in his hand or in any way forced him to take the cards. Little friend continues to yell at me, "But, but, they were not mine." I (again ) calmly asked my little friend not to yell at me, to which he relied "I am not yelling, I am talking loud!"

I stepped back for a second, speechless. I tried to hide a smirk, and had to turn away as to not show him that I was about to burst our laughing. I wish I could say that my little friend repented and things turned out great for both of us. However, since he broke a rule, defied me and TALKED LOUD to me, little friend went home with a discipline referral (as did the little friend who gave him the cards in Math/Science class).

Maybe I am being a hard @ss...but nobody TALKS LOUDLY to me and gets away with it!!!

# 24 You want to write a grant for WHAT??

2010-02-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

Has anyone out there ever written a grant? I have never done it, but I really want to write one for yoga balls. Yes, you read that right....yoga balls. They were all the rage a few years ago. C'mon admit it, you have on stashed away in your closet somewhere...you bought it because it promised you a miracle workout to give you abs of steel..you used it for a week then stashed it in your closet with all the other abandoned workout equipment. Oops...I am getting off track.

This post is not about abandoned workout gear..it is about the grant I want to write.. FOCUS Mrs. B!! Okay, I'm back!

I first heard about using these yoga balls to replace chairs in classrooms a few years ago. I was at a single-gender training class and one of the teachers said she had them for her students and it really helps them focus and pay attention more. REALLY? I was not convinced. All I could imagine was kids falling off of them and hitting their heads on the hard classroom floor (not that a few of them couldn't use a little bop on the head!!) So I googled it and found out that a lot of schools are doing this. And I found out that there had actually been studies that showed that it helps kids because they can bounce, which is something they can't do on a chair. I think you would definitely have to lay down some ground rules (especially with boys) about how to sit on them, etc. But don't I already have to do that with chairs anyway?

So I just started researching costs, and it looks like these are going to run between 18-25 per yoga ball. Since I have 16 students (and it could go as high as 20 next year), I am looking at an investment of about $500. Let me remind you all that teachers don;t make squat, so I will have to write a gran tot get part or all of the money. I have even considered buying a few to start and using them with my little friends who REALLY have a hard time sitting still. Then I would add more to my class as I could afford it.

I am looking into using a site like Donors Choose. However, I just looked at their website and currently there are several current proposals for yoga balls, and none fully funded. I may still go that route but I am also looking at other organizations offering classroom grants. If any of you know of grants out there or organizations who might be able to help out, email me and let me know.

I think this will be a great addition to our classroom and I think it will really help my boys focus a bit more. I'll keep you all posted on what happens....

PS- My Dream Class book did not arrive today..hopefully tomorrow!!

#23- There is a reason why it's called RETIREMENT!

2010-02-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

Warning- I am going to vent a little on this post today...stepping away from my boys for a moment, because quite frankly, they did nothing blog-worthy today. We did go on a field trip to the see a play about Harriet Tubman and they were great. They acted so well-behaved (compared to the little animals that sat down from us who were either hitting each other , playing rock paper scissors or getting up and changing seats--all during the performance.). I was so proud of our entire 3rd grade..they rocked at behaving in public. My boys are SO GETTING a treat tomorrow!!

Now on to aforementioned venting. Okay, so you have taught 20+ years and you decide to retire. WAY TO GO sister....you have earned it. Sell your house, buy a condo at the beach, read that stack of books you been accumulating for the last 10 years. Go on a cruise, take up knitting, get a puppy...but PLEASE don't become a substitute teacher..I BEG YOU!! Back the truck up..right, No she didn't just say that!! Yes, I did.

First of all, the kids are way different than when you started teaching 20+ years ago...and you are no spring chicken, so you know you can't honestly say you can keep up with the youth of today. Everything has changed. We do grades on computers now...the kids don;t write on stone tablets....Promethean what? You are just torturing yourself, the kids and the other teachers who have to A) answer your ridiculous questions B) Hear about how the kids have changed (see above) since you were in the classroom C) Hear how long you taught BEFORE you retired (we get it, you taught George Washington, okay!)

Now before all you retired teachers out there start flaming me, let me just add, it is not all retired teachers turned substitutes that I have a problem with...just a few (and my Grove Peeps probably know who this is aimed at!). There are a few great ones and I try to utilize their services whenever I need a sub...its the other group of you I am talking about.

"Why the anger, Mrs. B?", you ask. Today, one of the other teachers on my grade level was out and called in a sub...well not just any sub, we'll call her the notorious Ms. D (her name rhymes with cure-em). On a good day Ms. D is a train-wreck! And today was no exception. In fact, a field trip day is probably the last day you want to have Ms. D as a sub. We were having a team meeting before the field trip and Ms. D barges in and starts ranting about name tags...c'mon, how hard is it to figure out name tags? Then she walks out of the room. We all just sat there shaking our heads. Fortunately, our principal had the best idea- switch teachers for the field trip. So Ms. D stayed behind with a small group of students and one of our resource teachers came on the field trip with us. But, no, the fun doesn't stop there. When we returned, the infamous Ms. D. decided to be a one-woman welcoming committee in the main hallway as we headed back to our classrooms, all the while firing off random questions that everyone pretended not to hear.

Yes, Ms. D needs to hand in her chalk and erasers and head for the nearest Active Adult community. Her glory days are behind her and that is where we would all like them to stay!!

#22- I "heart" my job...really I do ...and NO I am not being sarcastic!

2010-02-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE MY JOB and my boys?!? Yes, I was a little miffed at a few of them last week when they misbehaved for the sub, and I am still frustrated that some of my little friends continue to "forget" to complete and/or turn in their homework.

But I can honestly say I love my job!! I get to be a kid again every day with a great group of boys who are evolving into great young men before my eyes. I look at them and I see the future...and yes, I realize than many of them will continue to struggle academically. They also have many obstacles in their personal lives to overcome. But, I am so lucky to have these boys in my life. They keep me young. And they are so full of life, and excitement and energy.

Let me share a little bit about what I got to experience today. First, let me start out by saying that Mondays are always a little crazy. Throw the fact that our related arts time got changed today into the mix and we were waaaay off schedule today. But my little friends took it in stride...in fact I think they were a little too happy that they got rid of me for 45 minutes right off the bat today when I took them to Art. When I came to pick them up, they were so excited to show me the pencil drawings they had worked on. And I will admit, I had a hard time identifying what some of the things they had drawn were ("Oh, that's a cat wearing sneakers. Yes, I see that!"). But they were so proud of their work and I was proud of them!!

Next we headed back up stairs to have a quick morning meeting before it was time to switch classes (they go to another teacher for Math & Science, and that teacher's class comes to me for ELA and Social Studies). We started out our morning meeting in typical fashion..greeting each other with handshakes and "Good Morning Mr.___________." Then, since it was Monday, it was sharing time....where we all got to share about what we had done over the weekend. I love this time because it gives me a glimpse into their lives when they are not with me. So I shared about the stray dog that had wandered into our neighborhood and how my son wanted to keep it, but that our dog Ella was so jealous, she would not have liked a intruder staying with us. They love to hear my stories (or at least they humor me and say they do!), and many of them know Noah from when he was at our school last year so they like hearing stories about him too.

So we're going around the circle...its funny when one student shares, and several of the other students that follow have stories that are remarkably similar. I chalk that up to the stage they are in..it is not so much jealousy that makes them share a story they hijacked from their classmate..I think it is really just them wanting to have connections to one another. So we humor them...even when the story changes from one child falling off their bike after going over a bike ramp, to the next student who jumped a small canyon over a creek and fell and had to get stitches (which have miraculously healed and dissolved overnight, leaving no trace or scar!!!)

So anyway, back to my story...so today The Sweenster (pretty much the closest thing to the perfect student..if one exists!!) decides to share about his weekend. He was beaming! I thought maybe he had gone to Great Wolf Lodge or the beach for the weekend, or got a new bike or skateboard. NOPE! Guess what he did..he came to school on Saturday..to our PASS Writing class. And he was SO EXCITED about it!! He talked about the fun things they wrote about and how next Saturday they were going to write an entire paper. I could have kissed his little face right there in front of all my little friends. I make a big deal and said "Wow, you are so lucky that you got to do that! Isn't he friends?" Yes, there were a few confused looks and my little friend A-Mac, even had a "What you talking bout Willis" look on his face (I'll have to blog about A-Mac sometime..he's a Naughty Boy but he's coming around to my way of seeing things!!). But for the most part, my little friends looked a little jealous that The Sweenster got to come to school on Saturday to WRITE!! And it was FUN!!!

Later at recess I heard a few of them ask him how he got to come to school on Saturday for PASS Writing. He replied.. "Well you have to be a sort of good, well, okay writer, and you have to be willing to try hard so you can be a better writer for the PASS. Oh, and you have to give up playing video games and watching cartoons for 3 Saturday mornings. But its just 3 Saturdays and you'll have like a bazillion more before you die."

AGAIN..I could have kissed his little face right there in front of all my little friends.

#21- I am SO BUYING this book!!!

2010-02-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

I was perusing a few education blogs this afternoon (yes, I do read other blogs!! They are great ways to get ideas) and came across one that advertised this book. The title, Dream Class- How to Transform Any Group of Students into the Class You've Always Wanted, caught my eye right away. I mean, c'mon, ANY GROUP, ALWAYS WANTED...those are some big guns there!!

I immediately began reading review after review of this book...and then headed over to Amazon for a little sneaky-sneak!! Wow! Could it be true...or is it another flash-in-the pan educational theory...or worse yet, a GIMMICK to sell books? Well I am not going to waste any more time pondering that..I just jumped right in with both feet, and ordered it.... AND paid for 2-day shipping...I am so cheap I NEVER pay for 2 day shipping...so you know I gotta be really excited about this book.

Now you know I am going to read it from cover to cover and give it a review right here on the blog, but in the mean time, let me share a little bit about what is in the book (a la bullet format)

According to the Author's website...here is some of what you’ll learn…
if you buy AND read the book of course.

The single most important trait all great teachers share.

How to build leverage with your students so they’ll want to behave.

Exactly (step-by-step) how to transform a difficult student.

How to create a memory map for your students so they’ll know exactly what to do and how to do it well during every minute of the school day.

How to eliminate the distractions that cause misbehavior.

How to build influential relationships with your students.

Why a certain segment of students (40%) require learning strategies most teachers are unaware of.

How to give praise that inspires, uplifts, and motivates.

How to get your students do exactly what you tell them to do.

How to raise test scores dramatically without teaching to the test.

The single most effective teaching strategy.

How to develop mature, independent students.

How to get students to take responsibility.

How to lower your stress and get more enjoyment out of teaching.

How to improve learning, retention, and performance.

How to build confidence and academic self-esteem.

How to reduce tattling to almost zero.

How to strengthen your authority.

The one thing every teacher should do to get students to love school.

Why most teachers rely on strategies and techniques that actually increase bad behavior.

How to dramatically increase parent involvement.

A simple change that will improve student behavior immediately.

Why most teachers are undermining their own success.

How to be a teacher that fellow teachers, parents, and students respect and admire

Wow, that seems like a magic potion or silver bullet of some sort...and there is really only one way to find out if it will work. Yes, I am going to read the book, try what it says to do and see if any of it works. I hope I am not disappointed!! It does say it has a 100% money back guarantee...and don;t you worry...if it don't work..I will be getting my money back!!!

DISCLAIMER- I am not being encouraged, paid, coerced, bribed, threatened or otherwise influenced to promote this book. I am doing it of my own freewill and curiosity.

#19 & 20- The DOG ate my homework....

2010-02-20T06:07:00.000-08:00

Sorry friends...I could not post yesterday because I was truly in a lot of pain....I have done something to my back...either it is from doing reverse butterfly exercises in Kim's Class of Pain on Tuesday or getting a little crazy on the drums playing Wii Rock Band with Noah earlier in the week (I can rock out on the drums..just for the record). So that is my excuse....which is the perfect segue way to my topic for today's post, which will be extra long (not) since it is two posts combined!! And by the way, I looked up the word segue way here and it still doesn't look right!!

Anyway...on any given day one of my little friends comes to school without his homework completed. So let's chat about this shall we.....this conversation is either going to go swimmingly, or it will end badly...let's proceed and see what happens.

As teachers (and parents) this is a topic that brings a range of emotions...love, hate, anger, tears, joy, pain...you name it...we see it.

Let me take you down the teacher path first. I want out start out by dispelling the myth that giving homework is a time-honored tradition, and that is why teachers give it. Let's face it, we have all had to do our share of homework in our educational years...and even out in the "real world" of jobs/careers...there is still homework..they just call it something different. When I worked out in the corporate world they like to wrap it up in "this client really needs this report tomorrow" or "we are facing a tight deadline and we really need these numbers for tomorrow morning's meeting" paper. Even when I owned and ran my own business, there were always last minute orders that you had no choice to take, because you needed the business or the client would go elsewhere, so it meant a last minute rush out for supplies and a late night!

But back to homework in the school setting. The real purpose is to allow kids to practice skills they are taught in school...pure and simple. The reality is, that the school day only contains so many hours to introduce a concept, with limited practice. So the real practice has to take place at home, which is where homework comes in. On a typical night, I give my students about 45min-1 hour worth of homework, not including the 30 minutes of required reading nightly. It seems reasonable to me, but many may disagree that 90 minutes (with 1/3 of that being reading) is too much for a 9 year old. And I do understand that with multiple children in a family, that can lead to several hours a night being spent on homework. I only have one child, and he is very self motivated, so aside from monitoring his reading minutes, I only have to check over homework to make sure it is complete and correct.

Herein lies the issue with homework that I have as a teacher...many of my students do no complete and turn in homework. I know I posted about this already this month but it really is hot button with me. Everyday I check homework, and everyday there are several of my little friends who do no complete and turn it in. When I ask them where it is and why they did not turn it into me, I get a myriad of excuses. Everything from "I forgot," "or "I left it at home" or my favorite "I don't know (how can you NOT know where your homework is..you either did it or not..C'mon people!!! Can I get an AMEN???) The one that gets my blood boiling (yes, I know I am taking this WAY too personally) is when they just give me the blank stare or shrug their shoulders. I think the reason this last response gets me so worked up is because I grew up in a house where if you were asked a question by an adult, you answered. No answer, or shrugging your shoulders was not acceptable. UPDATE: Another issue for another post...but another thing that gets me even more worked up is when they complete their homework, but fail TO PUT THEIR NAME ON IT.....yes, I can usually figure out who it belongs to by the handwriting....but c'mon..why do all the work, then forget to put your name on it so you can receive credit for said work? I have gotten to the point where if it comes in with no name on it, it goes in the trash...I know that sounds harsh. But I'll post about this later and you can all FLAME me then!!!

So what should the consequence be?? I usually have them complete any missed homework at recess. But since we only have 15 minutes of recess time, rarely do they complete it during that time. So I ask them to take it home and complete it and return it tomorrow (along with their new homework for that night)...and guess what...it still doesn't come back the next day. It is a vicious cycle.

I have talked to other teachers in my building and they face the same dilemma. Many of them have given up the battle. Other say that in the scheme of things in these kid's troubled home life, homework is the least of their worries. And I get that, really I do. I know the kind of chaos these kids live in. Many of them say they did not have paper or pencil at home to complete their work...to which I reply, "then take it home with you from school." (there is always a box of pencils and loose leaf paper on the table in my classroom for them to freely use). But the pragmatic side of me says that my job is to teach them responsibility. I found myself telling a kid "If you grow up and you become a carpenter, and someone hires you to fix their house. Will they accept the excuse that you did not have a hammer and nails to complete the job they asked you to do? Will they still pay you even though you did not complete the job?" I want them to see that when they grow up they have to take responsibility, despite their circumstances. I truly believe there is a correlation to school and the real world. If we make excuse for them all their lives, will they grow up and be productive members of society?

I guess homework is just one of those issues, that as a teacher, I am always going to struggle with. I hope that I am not being too legalistic with it..but I feel strongly that it has a purpose and that my little friends need to do it...and that hopefully one of them will grow up, become the CEO of a major corporation, and secretly thank me for making him do his homework, because it made him the man he is today (okay I will stop dreaming...because my nightmare would be to be mentioned at a parole hearing....."Well the reason I committed this crime was because in 3rd grade....well, it all started with homework...")

#18- Note to self...NEVER take a day off....

2010-02-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

It is 8:20pm and I just got home! So let me whine a little bit to you about my day! Let me start by saying I took a sick day yesterday. Not because I was sick (although I seemed to have pulled some kind of muscle in my back and I am having a hard time breathing)...but I had a sick child. As parents, we use our sick days not on ourselves but on our children and their various doctor and dentist appointments. Anyway, but to the point....

So I had a substitute while I was out....and we all know what happens when there is a sub!! It was like throwing chum to the sharks and my boys knew it. They misbehaved like nobody's business. I walked in this morning to a disaster of papers and notes on my desk, including a 4- pager from the sub outlining the various offenses my little friends had committed in my absence yesterday.

So we had a "come to Jesus" meeting right off the bat. Of course to hear them tell it, none of them did anything wrong.Yes, little friend, WE ARE allowed to hit the person walking in front of us in line in the head repeatedly. Oh, and yes, little friend, WE ARE allowed to drum on our desk while everyone else is reading in their Social Studies book, its OK because you were BORED!!! And by all means, little friends, it is ABSOLUTELY okay to NOT sit in your assigned seat, because the sub doesn't know where you are actually supposed to sit (too bad a resource teacher came in and BUSTED you, and ratted you out to the sub!!) And yes, little friend, it certainly IS OKAY for you to call another little friend the MF word because he took your pencil without asking. IT IS ALL OKAY, because your teacher is not here today, and it is 100% OKAY to treat the sub with disrespect....but tomorrow is another day. And your teacher is BACK...and she is writing half-sheet referrals and calling home.

Yes, today I spent an hour and a half after school calling parents to A) inform them of their child's behavior referral that I stapled in their agenda that may or may not have made it home B) that their child was failing one or more subjects and progress reports were going home on Friday or BOTH!!

But I have to give a shout out the the six of my little friends (Blondie, Mr. D, Mr. V, G-Man, The Sweenster, and Camo)...they brought their A-game yesterday, like they do everyday...kept their noses clean, did their work, helped out the sub. For that they will be treated to Rice Krispie treats (store bought of course) and will be dining in "The Cafe" tomorrow for lunch! These little friends are my shining stars....always!!

So anyway, after that glorious 90 minutes of phone calls this afternoon, I had to rush across town to pick up my own child, hit the drive thru at McDonald's to feed him, and rush back to school so I could present at a PTA meeting, help out with Math Night, and then help serve a hot dog supper to our students and their parents.

Yes, it has been a long day. A REALLY long day!! But tomorrow is Friday. And progress reports go home. So, between progress reports and behavior referrals, some of my little friends are going to have a VERY long weekend at home with their parents!!!

#17- Looking Back

2010-02-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, so a few days ago I was looking forward (as in next year), so today I am looking back. Inspired by Ms. Mimi's post from yesterday I am going to relive my first year of teaching. Well, not exactly. I am going to actually relive my second year of teaching, because compared to my 2nd year, my 1st year was a walk in the park.

Well, here comes the obligatory disclaimer....my 1st year really was not a walk in the park. But for a 1st year I can honestly say I was in the best place with the best administrator and colleagues...I could not have asked to be better supported. And I still think I had an advantage going in that your average 22 year old, fresh from college 1st year teacher did not have...I had the experience of being a parent. And with that comes wisdom, gray hair and the ability to pick your battles. Yeah, I was still overwhelmed (and underpaid-nuf said!). But I had people to help me when I asked, some decent parents who supported what I was trying to do, and a great principal.

Fast forward to year 2! I survived year one and was getting a little cocky. Plus I was on top of the world because I was going to have an all boy class this year, I was more comfortable with the curriculum because I had already taught it once through (yay ME!!) and had survived standardized testing! I had taught summer school and had even taught some of the boys I would have in class that year. I was ready to take on the world...or so I thought. However, I was not prepared for the emotional roller coaster my little friends and I were about to board.

Our school was already reeling from the brutal murder of one of our 2nd grade students over the summer. So the school year started out under a dark cloud. Then about 4 weeks into the school year, the father of one of my boys was murdered. You see we all think we are signing up to teach--you know reading, math, science, et al...but as teachers we are more than just teachers. We are parents, counselors, disciplinarians, coaches, and sometimes judge and jury. As I tried to help this child maneuver the "new normal" in his life, following the death of his father, I found myself maneuvering a new normal myself. Did I really sign on for this. And it didn't stop there. I had a little friend who had extreme anger issues, another who wanted to hurt himself, another who no matter what I did, his Momma called me out on it. Everything from asking him to pay attention rather than play in his desk to requiring him to actually do his homework.

But we weathered those storms, (thanks to the help of our fabulous school mental health counselor..shout out to Ms. Katie!!) and established a routine....Christmas break was right around the corner....and then IT happened. We got a new student! So what, you say, it happens. Well yes, you are right. In fact we had gotten several new students already that year. But this one, he was different. I could tell on day 1. He was a Naughty boy (to coin, i.e., steal Ms. Mimi's phrase).

He turned our classroom upside down in a matter of days and continued to do so for the remainder of the year. I should have taken it as a bad omen when he got suspended, for defiance, and interrupting class, the first week we was with us. I did everything I could to return our class to normal, despite this new little friend's intentions. I separated him. He still bothered people. I even put him in a cardboard box (okay, let me explain, it was actually a cardboard study carrel that went on top of his desk). He drilled holes in it with his pencil ...when he wasn't throwing his pencil, drew on it, ripped it. I moved him to the back of the room , he bothered people. I moved him to the front of the room, he bothered people. He stole things, lied, cheated, threw things, yelled, pick up things and threatened to throw them, ran away (well down the hall)....all of this and more.

So how did I handle him? Honestly, I didn't! Not very well. This kid got under my skin. He knew what buttons to push. And despite being a parent, I was first and foremost an inexperienced teacher. I had him removed from my room, he came back. I threatened to call his parents, they could have cared less (and so did he). I ignored him, he acted out even more. I raised my voice (okay, I yelled) and he yelled louder.

As a teacher, you never want to say out loud where you think this kid is headed in life, but I did. Yes, I made mistakes...lots of them. I was ill-equipped to handle this child and his magnitude of issues and problems. So I just survived and counted the days until the end of the year. And a few days before the end of the year, for an incident that pales in comparison to the other stunts he pulled all year, he got suspended for the remainder of the year. What did he do, you ask? He threw a pencil at me. Why, you ask?..because I asked him to take his spelling test.

Despite the fact that he threatened, he yelled, he ran, he stole (including over $50 worth of stuff from our school book fair)....he got suspended for throwing a pencil. At me! Even though it didn't hit me (I had gotten pretty good at ducking at that point in the year)....I could have cared less if it had. He was gone and that meant we could enjoy the last few days of the school year in peace, like we had before our naughty boy arrived.

# 16- Panic is starting to set in....or how Mad Libs saved the day!!

2010-02-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

One month, or exactly 4 weeks from today my 3rd grade students will take the PASS (Palmetto Assessment of State Standards) test. For two days in March they will take the writing portion, and then in May the remainder of the content area tests (reading, math, science and social studies) will be given.

I have known since August that this date was looming. We have been writing our little hearts out...editing and revising and even publishing at least once every two weeks. Quite frankly, my little friends are a little burned out on writing. But since the test is 4 weeks away...I have to keep reinforcing the writing process, grammar, spelling, punctuation, great topic sentences an staying on task.

Today, I was just not ready to start a new piece of writing. I was also not ready to do any more editing/proofing practice. And I could sense that my little friends were not either. SO I reached into my back of tricks so that we could honestly say we were working on something that would help us prepare for said upcoming writing test. I decided we were going to do some Mad Libs....you remember Mad Libs don't you? I remember as a kid, whenever we went on a car trip, my Mom always bought a pack or two of these to keep us occupied in the car. And at the school book fair, I always bought some. To this day, I owe my amazing use of adverbs and adjectives, singular and plural nouns to Mad Libs.

Well, to be fair to the Mad Lib people, we really did not do real Mad Libs...we did these....called Wacky Web tales. The cool thing about these, vs. Mad Libs is that the Wacky Web tales website does not show you the story with the fill in the blanks like Mad Libs. What you get is a list of types of words, such as clothing (singular), or present tense verb. You fill in the blanks without seeing the story, so you are not tempted to influence the quality of the end resulting story, like you can (and I did ) with Mad Libs. Then with the click of a button, your story appears with the words you provided. There is even a button for parts of speech help, in case students are stuck and can;t remember what an adjective is or a present tense verb.

The whole class got really into it, shouting out ideas for musical instrument (singular) and verbs ending in -ing. It was great to hear their laughter as we read the story aloud together (ah-ha! snuck in a little reading practice too!). They were practicing reading and writing and didn't even realize it because they were having so much fun!

Here is one of my favorite stories we created together today...
A Crazy Night at the Library
One night something really mean happened at the library. The characters in the stories started hopping from their books!
Harry Potter climbed into Charlotte's Web and started whistling with Wilbur the Pig! Captain Underpants wandered into an encyclopedia and ended up lost in Greenville!
The craziest part was when Percy Jackson wandered into Diary of a Wimpy Kid and said, “Oliver, I don't think we're in South Carolina any more.”
Then Mrs. Case walked in and said, “Wowza!! Everybody back in place!”
The characters burped around the room. Just in time! The students in grade 3 came in to get books for their reports, but it was safe. All the characters were back in the books where they belonged.

Lesson learned...even with pressure from standardized tests looming- I can still make learning interesting and fun and my students don't even realize that this was my intention all along!!!

#15- Hooking Boys on Reading

2010-02-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of any book that will make my boys head to the school or closest public library in search of a copy. This is the phenomenon that is happening in my classroom right now. As soon as I heard they were making a movie of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, I decided to grab a copy of the book to do a read aloud in my classroom. I figured many of them would go see the movie, so I decided to use this as a way of introducing them to the series. My boys were hooked by the time I had finished the first chapter. Within a few days, several of them had borrowed or purchased a copy (the whole series is available in paperback at Kmart) and were reading along with me. And by the end of the first week, two of them had finished the book on their own. SCORE!!!

The same thing happened both this year and last year when I read James Patterson's The Dangerous Day's of Daniel X. And this year I read and reviewed the second of series, Daniel X- Watch the Skies. But it is a little intense for my 3rd graders so I didn't read it to them. I do have my copy in the classroom and several have borrowed it.

But good books for boys are not as easy to find, especially books in a series that boys will go back for time and time again. Sure, my boys love the Captain Underpants books and Diary of A Wimpy Kid series. But real books that they can get lost in, are harder to find. So I am always on the lookout for great books to introduce to my boys. Aside from the ones I have already mentioned, I would also recommend several series by Andy Griffiths such a The Day My Butt Went Psycho and Zombie Butts From Uranus. Now, I know what you are thinking....they sound very inappropriate for elementary school boys, but you are wrong---that is who they are written for. They feed right into that boy humor and the boys love them.

And nothing gets me more excited than reading to my boys and seeing them on the edge of their seats waiting for me to read the next page, and the next, and the next. When they actually groan when I say it is time for me to stop reading, I know I have planted a seed in their hearts and minds that will hopefully grow into a love of reading. Sadly, most of my boys were probably not read to as children, like most of us read to our own children. Statistics show that boys are far less likely to pick up a book than girls. And while it has since been proven unfounded, I once read that prisons are built based on the number of boys who are failing reading in the 4th grade. This should make us all very uneasy.

I love reading...I always have. In fact friends often tease me because I am always reading something. Since I became a teacher, I have made it my personal goal to hook kids on reading....to show them the places they can visit and explore through a book. This is crucial to helping them become lifelong learners and readers. And it all starts with just the RIGHT book....and they are hooked.

#14- How do you do it??

2010-02-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

I get this question alot when people find out that I teach all boys. It is not that they are asking "How do you survive it", but rather..how is it different. I usually give them my pre-packaged spiel, "boys like movement" "my class is loud and active" or "boys want to do, then talk about it later."

That is really not all there is to it..so I thought since tomorrow is a holiday, and I have run low on fodder form my boys for this blog, I will share with you what I know (I am not an expert, but I do play one on TV) about educating boys in a single gender environment. Here is my disclaimer--this is what has worked for ME...take it at face value, and if your school is considering starting a single gender program, email me and I will put you in touch with the gentleman who heads up our program in the State of South Carolina...our , by the way, have the largest number of single gender classrooms in the country.

Movement- if you are not moving, they will create movement. They think better when they are moving. Some classes have even written grants for yoga balls for the boys to sit on rather than chairs. I have not gotten that brave yet....maybe next year.

Be Brief- the fewer words, the better, when it comes to instruction. Those of us who are married know that men tune you out after about 3 minutes. But be clear and to the point (even consider writing instructions on the board rather than give them orally)

Speak loudly- boys hearing is not as well developed as girls so if you are soft spoken, they are going to miss a lot of what you are saying. I don't mean that you have to shout or yell, but speak in a louder voice to be sure that they hear you.

When you are talking, especially when giving instructions, pause, and make sure they understand. You may need to stop every few minutes and ask them to summarize what you have said.

Wait a few extra seconds when asking boys to answer a questions. They need the extra think-time.

Manipulatives, manipulatives, manipulatives....boys like to do, and they process by doing so give them as much hands on time as possible.

Most boys tend to pick non-fiction books to read...make sure your classroom library is well stocked, and rotate the books every few months if possible. Find out what they like to read, and put this books in your class library. This website is a great resource for finding books for reluctant readers. And this blog shares book reviews and ideas for getting the right book in the hands of boy readers.

Competition- boys are raised to compete (sports, etc) , and if you make things a competition, you will get buy in from them right away.

Be careful when using sports themes, analogies or metaphors. Not all boys are into sports, so you want to avoid stereotyping

Call them by their last name, as in Mr. Barker, Mr. Smith, Mr. Williams...this fosters self-respect and raises the level of responsibility in the classroom.

Boys are not as good as girls at interpreting non-verbal cues so be careful when using facial expression or signals as non-verbals cues to re-direct them when they are off task.

If possible, use tables rather than desks in your classroom. Boys need room to spread out, and a desk does not provide that.

Boys like to memorize facts so use this to your advantage (dates, names multiplication facts)

Boys can't multi-task effectively so allow them to finish one task ("get out your math book) before starting another (turn to page 24)..wait until the majority of the class has completed task # 1 before giving the information for task # 2.

Make learning fun---your boys will thank you for it!!

Oh, and that isn't really me in the picture, haha!!

#13- Looking ahead to next year...

2010-02-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

I know, this school year is't even over yet. But it is never too early to start planning ahead for next year. It is hard to beleive that we only have 71 days left in this school year. It is even harder to believe that PASS testing begins in 4 weeks (our state standardized tests)--at least its just the writing part for now.

Contracts for next year are coming out soon so I have been looking ahead to next school year and trying to decide what I want to do. Here are my choices: A) loop up to 4th grade with my current class or B) stay in 3rd grade with a new class of boys. Both have their advantages.

Since I taught 4th grade the past two years, I am comfortable with the curriculum. And I do LOVE my current group of boys! If I looped with them we would already have rules and routines established (just need to do a refresher at the beginning of the year, and bring along side the new studetns to our class). Many of the kids and parents have already asked me if I would consider doing it. And of course I would love to be back teaching with my best buddy, Beth!

On the flip side, this was my first year teaching 3rd grade, and I LOVE my 3rd grade team. I would also like to have another year of teaching the 3rd grade curriculum under my belt. I know that my little friends coming up from 2nd grade are going to be a challenge...but I have never been one to back down from a challenge!!

I have a lot to think about, and I am leaning towards looping. But I don't have to make any decisions right now. Either way, it will be fun, either continuing down the road with my current group of boys or starting fresh with a new group. In the meantime...I am starting my countdown to Spring Break (6 weeks and 6 days!!!)

#12 ---I "heart" Valentine's Day!!!

2010-02-12T16:33:00.000-08:00

Being a teacher of all boys definitely has its privileges...and this never more evident than on Valentine's Day (or the Friday before!!).

My little friends showed me lots of love today!! I received flowers (tulips AND roses), boxes of chocolates (yes, multiple, including a HUGE Hershey's Kiss), cards (homemade and store-bought), balloons, even a stuffed skunk (as in stuffed ANIMAL, not the taxidermy kind)..still scratching my head at that one, wondering if that student was trying to tell me I stink, my teaching stinks or both!!!

They were so proud of themselves as they came in the classroom this morning, carrying their gifts. One by one, they came to my desk and said "Happy Valentines Day!" and presented me with the gifts they had brought me! Of course I made over each one and gave out lots of hugs! I even felt a little guilty after posting yesterday about the frustration they have been causing me over homework! And while we were not "officially" having a Valentine's Day party, they also brought lots of cards and candy for their friends.

I had a few treats in store for them, so later as we headed to lunch, I grabbed the box of homemade cupcakes I had made for them. They LOVE getting treats at lunch (especially homemade cupcakes and cookies). So we enjoyed our strawberry cupcakes with strawberry icing and sprinkles and went about our day! We would exchange cards and candy right before packing up later in the day.

Last year, when I taught an all boy 4th grade class, they just were not into the whole Valentine thing...I wondered if it was the age...and their concern about how they are perceived by their peers (the whole giving another dude a Valentine card thing must be SO 3rd grade!!) But my 3rd graders genuinely were excited about giving and receiving Valentines today. It brought back wonderful memories of my own elementary school days. You remember, when we all decorated a shoebox like this to collect all the valentines from our classmates. I guess kids don't do that anymore because my son came home today with his all collected in a brown paper lunch sack.

But enough of that trip down memory lane....today like all days, I am proud to be the teacher of 16 of the cutest, funniest, sweetest, mischievous, some times aggravating, always motivating 3rd grade boys in all of South Carolina!! Maybe even the whole world.

Yes, I "heart" Valentines Day!! So today, even the runaway hamster got a treat!

#11- This homework "situation" is driving me crazy!!

2010-02-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

Before I start, I really want some feedback from both teachers and parents and teachers who are parents, etc. on this issue....

This is my 3rd year teaching and with each passing year, homework seems to be the one issue that can get my blood boiling very quickly. Not assigning it, not grading it, not going over it, but getting kids to complete it AND turn it in!!!!!

First off, our school system will not allow us to grade homework. I am not really sure what the rationale is behind that policy, but I have been told it has something to do with parents helping kids complete the homework, etc.

So here is my beef...on an average weeknight (Monday-Thursday) I assign 10-15 math problems and a spelling assignment (writing sentences or an editing/proofreading passage). They are also required to read 30 minutes each night. Of the 16 students I have in my homeroom and the 15 in my co-teacher's class (we team teach on our grade level, so I have her kids for ELA and Social Studies), I have at least 6-7 kids each night that do not turn in one or more assignments. Many of these same students also fail to have their reading log signed nightly.

I have tried all kinds of rewards as incentives to get them to turn in their homework. But I seem to have the same core group of repeat offenders and they don't seem to care that their peers who do complete assignments get these rewards and not them. We tried taking away recess, but many of them figure it is less of a hassle to miss 10-15 minutes of recess than it is to complete 45 minutes worth of homework. In addition, I am pulling my hair out keeping track of who owes me work, when it is turned it, etc.

Today I had reached my boiling point so I decided to try a new approach. I called my habitual homework offenders out into the hallway during indoor recess for a little pow-wow. I started off by telling them that I needed their help solving this problem (making them take ownership). They seemed receptive to that. I then asked them what were some of the reasons they did not turn in homework. I got a few mumbles then a few fessed up to the fact that no one was there to check at home to see if they did it, or to help them if they didn't understand the assignment (okay, now we are getting somewhere). I asked them what they thought would be a fair consequence (notice I didn't say PUNISHMENT) for not turning in their homework. Surprisingly they offered up loss of recess, silent lunch and a few others that did not seem like consequences at all.

Then I turned the full-tilt child psychology on them and asked if they thought if you "forgot" your homework, you deserved a 2nd chance...this is where I was going to hook them.. They said "YES" and I said so if you lose recess for forgetting your homework, can we agree that if I give you a 2nd chance, you will complete the homework that night and turn it in the next day? Again, the response was astonishingly "YES!" So then I left the other shoe drop..."So what happens if you don't turn it in the second day?? WHAT..more consequences???? SO I suggested..."Don't you think your parents would want to know if I gave you a 2nd chance and you still didn't complete the work???" Blank stares....finally, a few "Yeah, I guess" and "Sure"...not as much enthusiasm this time around. So I thanked my little friends and sent them back into the classroom.

I then proceeded to call a class meeting so we could get the buy in of the rest of the class. Surprisingly, everyone was in agreement that this was a fair way to handle it...so this is the newest "non-negotiable" in room 226.

No, it is not going to lessen my workload as far as keeping track of who owes me what, and I am certain I am goign to be callign home a few times in the next few weeks, but I think I showed them a little lesson in democracy and hopefully it will motivate them to get that work into me by the 2nd day....I am certain not many of them want that phone call going home about missed homework.

I'll keep you posted on how things work out.....

#10- Writers Guild Celebration

2010-02-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

One of the challenges I face as a teacher is the fact that my students don't have the same life experiences as some of their peers in other schools here in our county. I teach in a school where 90% of our students live in poverty. Most of these kids don't get fancy birthday parties, vacations to the beach or mountains, they don't go to sports -themed summer camps or have private tutors. As educators we teach the whole child and that means doing whatever it takes to help these children overcome some of the obstacles they face due to being born into poverty. The lack of life experiences is very evident when it comes to their writing. They don't have a lot of background and life experiences to draw on when they are brainstorming ideas to write about. What we try to do is help them take the small moment (a trip to Wal-Mart, an afternoon playing basketball in the neighborhood, a trip to the park) and write about what they do know.

We teach them grammar and punctuation, how to to use an eyeopener, and when they can think of nothing else to write about to end it with "As you can see!"

And on days like today, we celebrate their ability to communicate, to be a storyteller, to tell their story in written form. Today was Writers Guild day and even though this is the second time we have done this, this year, I still get choked up listening to the writing of our students being read aloud at an assembly of their peers and parents. Each teacher on every grade level from kindergarten through 5th grade selects a piece of writing-- one that stands out above the others. Parents are secretly notified so they can attend the assembly, but are encouraged not to tell their child that he or she is being honored so it is a big surprise. Once the writing is read aloud (and by this time the child recognizes their story), the student comes forward, is presented a Writers Guild sash, a certificate and a journal to encourage them to keep writing. The applause from their peers is deafening. There are hugs, high-fives, cheers and tears. It is one of the greatest things I have had the privilege to be a part of as a teacher. And for one moment, we are able to stop and honor these children and celebrate...their story!

# 9 SHE'S BACK!!!

2010-02-09T16:40:00.000-08:00

This morning as I headed into school, I was a little scared/nervous/anxious about whether my little furry friend had returned, or if she was even still alive. Shortly after arriving this morning I ran into Bobby, our building engineer. You have to know Bobby (and some of you do) to truly appreciate this story. You see Bobby is a man of few words but has a wicked sense of humor. He was grinning yesterday morning when I told him my hamster was on the loose. I know this is not the first time he has been called in to located a wayward class pet. And from the look on his face, the outcome is usually not good...

So this morning when I ran into Bobby I told him I was headed up to see if my furry felon had returned. He laughed and said "I found him"--apparently Bobby was confused about the gender of Sweet T! I cautiously asked is she was dead or alive. He grinned and said "Alive!" I almost kissed him, I was so excited. He told me that he had gone in my classroom at about 5am this morning and heard her scurrying around. He started lifting up things and discovered her stash of food that she had carried out of the open cage I left on the floor. And a few minutes later, he discovered her hiding in my bookshelf (see picture below).

Needless to say, my boys were very excited to see that our little escape artist had returned this morning when they arrived at school. I know I am going to have to be extra careful whenever I clean the cage to make sure that I get the lid back on securely...I am thinking about buying an aquarium to put her in, so I can put a brick on the top to keep her from escaping. I really enjoyed reading some of the responses I received on Facebook when I posted about the hamster escaping. The best one was from my friend Mo, who sent me this link....http://www.whenhamstersattack.com/index.php. Enjoy!!

#8- This, boys and girls, is what we call foreshadowing...

2010-02-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

If you read this post on Friday, you remember me joking around about whether I remembered to close the lid to the hamster cage before I left on Friday. Note to self: never joke about leaving the lid to the hamster cage open over the weekend!!

Now, let me back up a bit. When I got our little furry friend, a colleague of mine told me that in the winter they turn the heat off in the building and she had a hamster freeze to death last year. So since she shared that little tidbit I have nervously entered my classroom every morning, fearing that out little furry friend would be dead.

So this morning I came into my classroom and immediately went over to the cage. Cr@p! No hamster..where was she. I looked all over the cage....in the wheel, under all the shredded paper...everywhere. As I moved the cage around I noticed the top was not securely snapped. Cr@p! When I cleaned the cage on Friday I must not have closed it tightly. She squeezed her little hamster behind through the opening at the top of the cage. As I surveyed the counter, thinking she might be hiding behind something, I noticed a pile of hamster food on the counter. That little fur ball genius, not only escaped, she went back and forth in and out of the cage bringing out food to fuel her little adventure!!

I quickly went across the hall to another classroom to get some help in hunting for our Houdini hamster. We searched my room (the opening under my classroom door is so small, we are figuring there was no way she could slide underneath it to escape. Of course I didn't think she could slip out of the cage either. After searching for about 30 minutes we decided to notify the front office that a rodent was on the loose in the 2 & 3rd grade hall.

A few minutes late our building engineer, Bobby J came in, grinning from ear to ear. Apparently this was funny to him. He poked around, lifted up a few things, but no hamster. Surprisingly, my boys did not notice the furry one was missing until lunch time when they were lining up to go out of the room. S I broke the news to them. Being 8/9 year olds, they are optimistic that she will return...me, not so much. But just in case, I put fresh food and water in her cage, and placed it on the floor with the door open. If she comes to eat, she is going to have to eventually, do you know what, so she will leave a little evidence behind. At least we will know she is still in the classroom somewhere.

#7- Preparing for the inevitable...Monday morning!!

2010-02-07T17:01:00.001-08:00

There is just something about Sunday night that bring joy into the hearts of parents (at least parents who are not teachers) and fear and dread into the hearts of students and teachers. Now tonight is a little special because most parents, a lot of teachers and probably just as many students are preoccupied with some sporting event that is going on tonight...oh year, the Super Bowl.

Since I teach an all by class, and many of them play football on local rec leagues and have dreams of playing in the NFL, I am expecting a bunch of sleepy boys in the morning. That will not phase me..I will be ready with my amazing lesson plans, dreams of molding their young minds and enough enthusiasm for the whole bunch of us. Remember I will have had MANY cups of coffee before my little friends even cross the thresh hold of my classroom.

I am ready for them. And to assure that they don't just tune me out and go back to sleep....I have some sports themed morning work, some Superbowl trivia AND if I can pull it off...some clips of the Superbowl ads from tonight (which is really the only reason I watch this over promoted event between two teams of players who are over paid and have the morals of a .....okay, I will keep it in perspective.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE teaching boys?!?!...they are full of energy, enthusiasm, energy...well you get the point. Yes, they can be a bit rambunctious...but as long are you have control of the room, and you are genuinely showing that you are passionate about their education and want what is best for them, you can have them eating out of your hand.

So tomorrow I go in there, hyped up on coffee, wearing my "Is it Monday Already" hat and ready to rock their world. And they are never going to know what hit them!!!

#6 Allow me to hit the pause button for a moment...

2010-02-06T20:24:00.000-08:00

It is almost midnight and in order to fulfil my contractual obligation (okay, there really is no contract ), I have to post every day in February. And since it is almost midnight and I have not posted (not to mention the fact I just got home from a party and had WAY too much wine)..I need to stop procrastinating and post before the clock strikes midnight! The problem is, I am not feeling the creative juices flowing (which is strange, because after drinking the aforementioned wine, you would think they would be!)

So I figured the best thing to post about was reflections of my week. And here it is short and sweet in bullet form...gotta love bullet form when you are trying to pull ideas out of you know where!!!

My week started out with a snow day..can it get any better than that?

Finished up 2nd round of N & O Math flex groups this week. We rocked fractions...Boo-Yeah!!

It is less than 6 weeks until PASS writing and I am starting to freak out a little bit, but I am trying not to let it show to my little friends or they will REALLY freak out!

We are reading some great stories and my friends are really getting the reading comprehension skills...they could fill out a story map in their sleep!

It is so hard to believe that we are reaching the mid-point of our 3rd 9 weeks grading period. Summer is going to be here before we know it. Yay!!

I still get excited when I break out a new pack of dry erase markers...brings back memories of the start of the school year.

I am getting better at working on my lesson plans throughout the week so that I am not overwhelmed on the weekend trying to finish them up. I can actually say I have not spent an early Saturday morning writing lesson plans since early January. Yay Me!!

I love the fact that I tried some new stuff this week and it worked....especially our new greeting and handshake at morning meeting.

And even though I also wanted this week to end with a snow day also, that didn't quite work out in my favor. But I had a great Friday anyway.

And last but not least, I just wanted to mention how blessed I am to work with such an amazing, funny, sweet, smart, kind group of 9 year old boys and the greatest colleagues in the world. You guys ROCK and you know who you are!! Love ya!

#5- Freaky Friday

2010-02-05T17:46:00.000-08:00

So, I will admit here in Blogland that I was a wee bit disappointed not to have a snow day today. I know, I know...all we got was rain. But I was hoping the snow and ice fairies would swoop down last night and sprinkle a little magic around and that when my Blackberry alarm went off at 4:45am this morning, and turned on the TV I would see the fabulous words "G_____________ County School -Closed!"

But NO...not even a delay. As I slumped back into my pillow I could hear the pouring rain outside. Well at least I could wear jeans today!! So I decided to put on my Happy it's Friday hat and get my day started.

From the time I left the house, I could tell something was not normal about this day. But not in a bad way. Traffic was not bad (surprising for a rainy day). When I arrived at school and parked, I tried to figure out how I was going to juggle an armload of books , my teacher bag, my coffee AND my umbrella that is so big my entire class could gather under it and not get wet. Before I could formulate a plan, my colleague's middle school teenager appeared and I quickly coaxed him into carrying my books. I would say that I convinced a boy to carry my books but that sounds way creepy!. Score!

Making my way upstairs, I had 13 happy campers waiting for me...two of my boys were absent unfortunately. It was then that I remembered today was "Writing Flex Day." Cr@p!! What was I going to do for 40 minutes with my boys that was writing related (and differentiated by writing ability). I quickly pulled some editing and proof reading practice together. As soon as I began the lesson hands went up. Cr@p AGAIN...they are not getting it, I thought. But they DID! In fact they rocked it. Of course it helps that we have been doing this for homework practically every Wednesday night since the beginning of the year. I decided to reward my little friends with a little tech time on the hand-helds. The hand-helds are these little devices resembling orange cell phones that allow them to interact with moi, the computer, and the Smartboard. SO I pulled out a little multiple choice quiz-thingy and we had a little fun. Again, shocked that this too did not tank my day!!

The rest of the day went swimmingly...with lots of victories to celebrate, including J-man getting a 100% on his spelling test today (he has averaged a 54 all year long). And we had a great discussion about the events leading up to the Civil War including the election of Abraham Lincoln (or as one of my little friends refers to him, that dude with the tall black hat and beard...this friend and I later had a little chat about showing respect and reverence to dead presidents) My little friends didn't even mind when recess was replaced with a chaotic 15 minutes of buddy reading with a 1st grade class (for most boys reading in itself is torture...but reading to a bunch of 1st graders...pure torture). They took it in stride..perhaps because they knew with the monsoon happening outside, we were destined to have indoor recess anyway.

The only blip on the radar of my otherwise freakishly perfect day was when my little friend Mr. L (who resembles the kid Chris from Everybody Hates Chris), got sick at lunch..not at the table, mind you, but in the bathroom. We called Mom, sent him home for a little rest...and went on with our day. I kept pinching myself to make sure I was awake....Fridays are usually crazy (kids --and I are ready for a few days away from each other)...someone usually gets in trouble for breaking a rule for the 112th time, etc. But not so much today...thankfully.

I even got out of work at a reasonable time. It was a great day...we had fun, learned a lot and now its finally the weekend. So I am kind of glad we didn't have a snow day. Who knows if all the stars and planets will align just so ever again for us to have another day like this. But as I replay all the wonderful events of the day..this thought comes to mind. Cr@p!! Did I remember to close the hamster cage before I left today!!!!!

#4 Some days I can really relate to Charlie Brown's teacher!!

2010-02-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

I know..I know...they are 9 years old and they are boys..but some days I have to repeat myself so many times that I feel like Charlie Brown's teacher...you know..mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah!!!

Today I could have recorded my voice saying the following: get your pencil out, stop talking, make sure you write your name/number on your paper, stop talking, turn around, stop talking, open your book, stop talking, copy down your homework, stop talking....you get the message.

I have tried everything and I am open for suggestions. I have tried writing instructions on the board (they don't read them), waiting until I have every one's attention (this takes FOREVER, and you never truly have every one's attention), giving rewards, giving punishments, trying to not to talk too much or too long (those of us who are married KNOW that men tune you out after about 90 seconds). Nothing seems to work.

After another frustrating day of it I was not sure what I was going to do, short of showing them a clip of Charlie Brown's teacher and asking them if that is what I sound like...but I am not sure my self-esteem can handle it...9 year old boys can be brutally honest. So I did what all good teachers do...I Googled it! And this is what I found....How to Get Elementary Students to Pay Attention eHow.com. There are a few really good ideas in here...oh, and I have tried the circus ticket thing...and it does work for a while but then the novelty wears off (and you go broke buying rewards). I do think I might try the clapping thing or the flashlight idea.....hopefully we'll have some success..I'll be sure to blog about it if we do. In the mean time...enjoy a little clip of Charlie Brown's teacher and think of me!!! Charlie Brown's Teacher Video

#3- We're getting what? Goats? Seriously?

2010-02-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

Today was Mega-Meeting Wednesday..once a month, I have meetings from 12:30pm until oh, 4ish or later, depending on how long our staff meeting runs. I am the interim PTA President for out school, and on the School Improvement Council so once a month, both groups meet on Wednesday which happens to be the day we have staff meetings. Long day...for sure.

So today, after I had already chaired a PTA meeting and sat though SIC meeting, our Principal announces in our staff meeting that we are getting goats. Yes, you read that right....GOATS!! So, there is a program in our county where they are supplying goats to school ...we're not exactly sure why. And apparently, they're good lawn mowers (and fertilizers) so some time this year we are getting three goats. Of course, being the mature adults that we are on staff, it lead to tons of questions like who is going to milk them, or better yet, clean up after them? These questions continued when laughter and chuckles broke out and the next question was what happens if the kids are out on the playground and the goats get a little frisky (with each other, not the children, mind you)..we are around children all day so it is inevitable that eventually our maturity level takes a hit!!! The conversation took a downward turn from that point, but it sure was a good way to let off some steam after a long day!!

Now I can't wait to share the news of the goats with my boys...if they were excited about the hamster, imagine how excited they are going to be about goats!!

#2- A smile, a handshake and a good morning to you!

2010-02-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

Here goes post # 2 for February--so far, so good.

Okay, so I know a few of you are curious about this all boy class thing. Let me start off by saying I love it, and it works for me, and it can be very rewarding IF you have the right mix of personalities. Last year was my first year teaching all boys, and it was a challenge, and not just because it was my first year doing it. This year, it is so much easier, fun and rewarding and by boys are great. They get long for the most part (as well as can be expected for 8 & 9 year old boys). I love them..I really do!! And many of them were together last year in an all boy 2nd grade class. This is where I give a shout out to my friend Lisa G....she trained these boys right, so it makes my life easier.

So not onto the topic I really meant to write about...the excitement of trying out something new and it going well --the thrill of VICTORY (because we all know how it feels when we try something new and are met the agony of DEFEAT!) Over the weekend a colleague of mine sent me this link about morning meeting. For those of you who don't know what morning meeting is, it is a time you gather your class together to have community-building time..sort of like carper or circle time in the lower grades, but with some added extras. So I watched the video and it had some great ideas. One that stood out to me was about starting morning meeting by greeting one another. EUREKA!! Who would have thought????

All my boys arrive at different times in the morning, and I greet them as the come in. Some greet each other informally as they unpack, make their lunch choice or sharpen a pencil. Our class' equivalent of the office water cooler is the pencil sharpener..trust me, if you want to put your finger on the pulse of what is going on in your classroom on the bus, around the school, hang out and eavesdrop by the pencil sharpener. Oops, I have gone down a bunny trail....

So I decided to try this today at our morning meeting. So I gathered my friends in a circle at the start of morning meeting and I explained to them what we were going to do. I went first to model it for them. I half expected them to look at me like I was insane, or even for some of them to refuse to participate. But I put on my Enthusiasm Hat, and modeled it by turning to my friend to my right, smiling a big smile, reaching for his hand, shaking it and belting out "Good Morning Mr. Carter*" as loud as I could. In return Mr, Carter turned to Mr. Roberts* and repeated the process. And this went on around our circle until it got back to me. NOTE: I address each of the young men in my class as Mr.___________, rather than their first name. This was recommended int he single gender training I attended , and is supposed to instill a sense of respect for each other and themselves.

I discovered a few thing by doing this exercise: 1) some of my friends don't know each other's first names but they certainly know each other's last names...and most of them know both. 2) they made eye contact with each other as they did this--which tells me they are becoming very confident in doing things like this and 3) they really enjoyed it!!!

Okay, what shall I do with my little guinea pigs tomorrow.....????

Can I do it??? February 28 day Blogchallenge

2010-02-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

I have been inspired by Ms. Mimi who blogged every single day last month. SO I am going to try it..I am going to try and blog everyday in February. Heck there are only 28 days (right? right!). I can't promise that they will be fantastic and exciting posts every day..but we'll see!!

To encourage me...I would like to get some more people following me. So sign up on blogger (or if are already a member) and then sign up to follow me and comment at least 5 times (even if it is to day HI. I will do a random drawing on March 1st of all those new followers. And the winner will get.....well you will just have to sign up, comment 5 times and wait and see. It will be good...so go tell your friends!!

#1 Snow Day? Seriously?

2010-02-01T05:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we got a little snow (well, ice) here in the South over the weekend. Not nearly as much as the weather guy said we would. I want his/her job. Where else can you be wrong 90% of the time and still keep your job? Heck, my boys call me out if I call one of them by the wrong name. To which I wittily reply, "Hey, I have to remember all your names, you only have to remember mine!" Okay, there I go down a bunny trail...back to the snow.

So the weekend progresses, the temps rise yesterday, I finish grading every last paper for Monday. Plans are done...yada, yada. My phone rings at about 5pm and it is M, my next door neighbor at school. She is eager to inform me that we have the day off today. WHAT? There is not a flake of snow left in my yard...even the streets are clear. Meanwhile, my 9 year old and his friend are eavesdropping from the playroom (they really can hear you even when they are playing wii, and the volume is on 11--but only when it involves a day off from school).

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I thank M (well, after we chatted for a while about how ridiculous a snow day is/and wondering when we'll have to make it up)..hang up and then call my actual neighbor-neighbors who are also teachers and let them all know there is no school today. I can hear their kids doing the happy dance in the background.

After that I decide to hop on the computer and verify (now that I have let the cat out of the bag) that we do in fact have a SNOW DAY today through official channels and look up the employee calendar to determine when we will have to make this day off up. I am happily surprised to see it won't be until May. Happy now, I'll be complaining later when we actually have to make it up. Then I head over to Facebook to spill the beans to my teacher friends on Facebook (most of whom have already heard) ..and reply to a few dozen posts about how ridiculous a snow day is, how we plan to enjoy it, and discussions about when we have to make the day up. Then I just sit back and relax in the reality that I can sleep in on a non-holiday Monday--- SWEEEEEET!

Oops- speaking of sweet...wonder if SWEET-T our class hamster has enough food to last until Tuesday! Guess I'll find out in the morning.

Hi I am Mrs. Barker and I am a slacker....oh, and we got a class pet!!

2010-01-18T17:22:00.000-08:00

Wow..4 months is a long time without posting. I know...I am a slacker. I actually think about posting a lot but it seems to fall to the end of the list. Well, since I have some classroom news, I thought I would blog about it...and post a picture. Maybe that will inspire me to keep writing. Ms. Mimi, one of my favorite teacher/bloggers and now author...is doing a challenge this month to post every day..maybe next month. Now about that class pet....

Right before Christmas I got an email (well everyone in our building did) about a program called critters in the classroom. Usually the word CRITTER has me breaking out in hives thinking of rodents and bugs and such. But this program, sponsored by Petfundango , is pretty cool. they send you the hamster/gerbil cage, and supplies, plus continue to send you coupons for more supplies, and they reimburse you up to $20 for the pet.

So today, my son and I headed to PetSmart to find a critter. We decided on a Chinese Dwarf hamster. They only had females, which is fine. SO we got one and Noah promptly named her Sniffles. I had to remind him that Sniffles was going to school with me tomorrow, not staying at our house (much to the chagrin of our two cats--who thought I had brought home a new play toy for them). Meanwhile, my son has been working on my husband to buy him a hamster of his own... great, now I will have a critter in my classroom and one at home. Anyway, here are a few pictures of Sniffles....

Wow..where does the time go?

2009-09-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

September is flying by and it is hard to believe that we started a new school year a month ago. We have been busy in room 226 getting to know each other. We have already completed a novel and a unit in social studies. We are done with Place Value and moving on to addition and subtraction (yes, the already know how to do this, I am assuming it is a refresher!). We have survived our first two fire drills and fall MAP testing.

And this Monday we will begin FLEX Groups. This is a touch subject in our school..FLEX groups. Mostly because you hear complaints that it is just one more thing we have to fit into the school day. Personally I like them. I feel confident that they are working...we did them all last year and out MAP scores went up in Math...WAY UP! In my all boy class last year, I had several students who had double digit growth in Math. And as much as I would love to take the credit for being a FABULOUS math teacher...I know that most of that growth came from FLEX groups.

So our schedule will change up a bit starting on Monday and I will have to figure out how to get everything done with 40 minuted less time with my boys in the classroom. We'll manage...and it will be worth it.because I know they will ROCK THE HOUSE between now and next Spring n Math on MAP.

Interim reports go home on Monday and I have conferences to plan for, the start of Student Council, and before you know it, it is going to be Thanksgiving break.

Aside form that, I am LOVING my boys. Friday they showed me just what they can accomplish...we had an A+ day...everyone was in attendance (first time in several weeks thanks to the flu bug going around). They brought their A Game to school and we got a lot accomplished. I am going to bake them some treats tomorrow to bring in on Monday. They deserve it. They just do!!

This is why we must never forget....

2009-09-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Many of my boys were born the year of the 9-11 attacks or the year before. But they don't remember what happened. They have seen news clips, heard people talking about, and so on. Today I wanted to share with them my experiences on that September day 8 years ago...the day that changed the country, our sense of security, renewing a spirit of patriotism.

I planned on reading them the book "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers." It is not about the September 11 attacks but because the story is about the twin towers, there is reference made to them and the fact that the towers are no longer there. I planned to read the book, then talk about that day, allowing them to experience it through me.

Here is my story- My day started like any other Tuesday. I had an early meeting at work so I dropped my 11 month old son off at the babysitters, and headed to my office. When my meeting let out, a guy who worked for me dropped by my office and asked it I had heard that a plane had hit the World Trade Center in New York. I had not, so I turned to my computer to Google it, and about that time, a crowd of people in our office began coming down the main hallway, headed towards our multipurpose room where there were several TVs. I stopped someone and asked what was going on and they told me a second plane had hit the World Trade Center. Immediately I knew the first plane, nor the second were an accident. I followed the crowd and watched as the Today show staff talked about what was going on in New York and speculating about the nature of the crashes. A short time later reports began to come in about something happening at the Pentagon, about 25 miles away. A short time later, it was confirmed that a third plane had hit the Pentagon and a fourth plane might be headed to Washington DC. In a matter of an hour or so, 4 planes had been hijacked and crashed, and both the North and South towers of the World Trade Center collapsed.

I watched the boys faces as I re-told the events of that day. It was not my intent to scare them, but to let them know how that day changed my life and our country. We talked about the men who hijacked the planes, and how our country had changes some rules about what you could bring on planes so it was safer for people to fly. We also talked about the police and firemen who rushed into those building to help save lives and how many of them lost theirs. We also talked about the people that got up and went to work that day but never came home. I also talked about leaving my office that day and driving home and how there were very few cars on the street because people were at home, where they felt safest, hugging their loved ones a little tighter that afternoon. I also told them about the surge of patriotism that followed in the days and weeks after the attacks, and how people flew their American flags, and wore ribbons to remember. And how each year on the anniversary the names of the 2,974 people who lost their lives that day are read so that all of America can pause and remember.

I told them about the twin beams of light that would shine this evening in New York city in remembrance of this day, and encouraged them to talk about this with their parents. My hope was that although they were too young to know first-hand what happened, hopefully by me sharing my experiences, they will be able to remember as the years go by, those who paid the ultimate price that day.

I remember growing up hearing my Mom talk about how she can remember where she was what she was wearing and what she was doing the day Presidetn Kennedy was shot. I will always remember where I was that day that changed my life and also our country.

I had forgotten how tenderhearted my boys can be...one of them came up to me this afternoon as we were packing up and said "Mrs. Barker thank you for telling us about the towers and the people that died. I thought you were going to cry when you were telling us, and I almost did too. Have I mentioned how much I love my boys?????

We survived the first full week!!!

2009-08-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

I started to type "I" but changed it to "we" because we are all in this together. Just me and fifteen 8 (almost 9 as they constantly remind me) year old boys. This was our first full week of school and boy was it long. I think we got a lot accomplished though.

And as I was glancing at my assessments from today (fancy word for tests for you non-teachers), they looked pretty good. But even without them, I could tell there was some good learning going on this week. We read four chapters of our novel...and we learned all about maps and the planet/continent/country/state and city we live on/in.

I feel like we are finally getting in a groove with the schedule and I am starting to learn their personalities and get to know them better. They are really a funny, sweet, smart group of young men and I really look forward to teaching them this year.

I am also adjusting to the new grade and the new principal. Lots of changes at our school this year. But I am always up for a challenge.

Well it Friday night, and I am out of school mode and ready to enjoy a little down time before I have to get working in finishing lesson plans for this week.

Later.....

Daniel X- Watch the Skies!!!

2009-08-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

As a teacher, I always look forward to the start of a new school year, and a fresh set of young readers to teach. I also look forward to keeping up with my students from previous years and seeing how they are doing as they move up in school.

Last Friday, throughout the day I had visits from 4 of my boys from last year in 4th grade. They did not stop by to tell me about their summer, or ask how my group of 3rd grade boys was doing this year...nope...word had gotten out that I had a copy of the new Daniel X book by James Patterson (okay, I sort of let the cat out of the bag to one of my former students).

You see, last year I had read and reviewed the first Daniel X book (click here to read that review). And it was so good I used it as a read aloud in my 4th grade all boys class. They LOVED it! And when I say LOVED I mean LOOOOVVVEEEDDD! Several of them borrowed it and read it on their own.

So I was very excited when I heard the newest Daniel X book was out, and I was given the opportunity again, to read and review it here on m blog. I read the first 30 pages immediately after the Fed-Ex guy delivered it to my house this summer. And quickly polished off the book within a day or two, and decided to read it again. It is THAT good!!

In this latest book, Daniel, a young Alien Hunter, continues to take on wildly interesting characters from other planets who come to Earth to destroy the human race. Daniel has superpowers which he uses to defeat these unsavory characters, including the ability to conjure up a group of friends who help in in the fight, and his parents (who were killed by the infamous Ergent Seth in the beginning of Patterson's first Daniel X book).

Daniel tries, sometimes unsuccessfully, to fit in among his peers on Earth bu attending school, ad dating, but these attempts often fall short as Daniel's battles with aliens must take precedence.

Patterson uses vivid language and descriptions, along with lots of action to hook his readers. What 9, 10, or 14 year old boy can resist a story packed with a plethora of outlandish aliens, out of this world weaponry and references to the electronics, language, food and places of today's pop culture.

Research shows that around grade 3 o 4 boys began to lag hind girls in reading. When asked why they on;t read as much as they play video games, listen to iPods, text their friends, etc. most boys will s it is because there is nothing interesting for them to read. Daniel X provides a great reading experience for boys from grade 3 on up.

As a teacher, I think one o the greatest benefit to reading these books to my students and getting them hooked on this series, is that the chapters are short(usually 2-3 pages) and boys can get a quick sense of accomplishment after reading less than 20 minutes.

I am already reading the first Daniel X book to my current class of 3rd grade boys, and plan on reading the second book to them as well. That is when I get it back from my 4 students from last year who are already lined up to borrow it!!

Day 1 down....179 to go!!!

2009-08-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

Just kidding..it is going to be a long year if I am already on the countdown (after Spring Break is another story!)

Today actually went pretty well. I keep having to remind myself, my boys are sorta still 2nd graders. I have 17 on my roster but I think I will end up with 15. Two no-shows today. That means the next few new male 3rd graders will go directly to me.

We will ease into instruction between now and next Monday. Today we did a little writing, some reading and lots of ice breaker/getting to know you activities.

Today we played "Big Fat Liar"....I bill this as they only time I will let you lie to me and get away with it. I start out by telling them 4 things about me (I also write them on the board). I intentionally select one thing of the four that is un-true. For instance I told them:
1. I have a dog named Ella
2. I was born in Greenville
3. I have lived in Alaska
4. Before I became a teacher, I had my own bakery

So, can you guess which one is the lie? It is #2- I am not a Greenville native..I was actually born in Virginia. Two of the 15 boys actually guessed correctly. Most of them thought that #3 was the lie.

Next I had them come up with 4 things about themselves (and one had to be a lie). They came up with some great ones...I will be reading them to the class over the next few days and see if they can guess which one is untrue. I also did a "getting to know you" scavenger hunt. They had to go around and find a class mate who matched the description/statement, such a A person who visited Mexico this summer or A person whose favorite ice cream is vanilla. It forced them to get up and move around. talk to their class mates , and find out new and interesting things about them. I think it was very successful.

Dismissal was a bit crazy, but all in all we had a good first day. Tomorrow we have school-wide procedures day. We'll also give some math, reading and social studies assessments. It is going to be a busy one.....

Signing off...will check in later!

Back to School.....with 17 Boys!!

2009-08-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

The first day of school is only 2 days away...YIKES!! I would love to say I am ready for my boys, but that would make my nose grow! I am excited about a new year, and new classroom, and working with my new 3rd grade team....and yes, my 17 little 3rd grade friends, all of the male gender!! I love the first days of school, new books, pencils, clothes, routines....it is going to be a great year! I can feel it!

I saw my roster Friday. And while it is still subject to change, I saw lots of familiar names. Many of the boys I will have in class this year were in the single-gender program last year. And they were in class with my son Noah. Noah will be going back to our neighborhood school this year. But I feel like I already have a bond with many of these boys because I know them through him. I am also excited to have the brother of one of the boys I taught last year in 4th grade in my 3rd grade class this year. I already have an established relationship with his family and while I know both boys are different, I know this one already from having his brother last year. They have a younder brother in 2nd grade and hopefully I will get him next year as well.

So ready or not...the school year is started. It is ging to be a wild ride, so bookmark my blog and follow us on our adventure....

The One Where I Get To Read More Daniel X....

2009-07-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

I am so excited!! Why?, you ask. Hang on..I am getting to that part...

Today I checked my school email account and found out I was picked to read and review James Patterson's next Daniel X book. I read and reviewed The Dangerous Days of Daniel X last summer and it was fabulous (click here to read the review I wrote on my other blog). I read it for the review then decided to read it to my then 7 year old son. When school started that fall I read it to my all boy 4th grade class and they were on the edge of their seats waiting for each chapter. I also suggested to several of the teachers I work with and they read it their class..and the kids were hooked.

The new book is called Daniel X- Watch the Skies. I am excited to read it and share it on here with other teachers and parents who are looking for new ways to get their boys hooked on reading. Check back next month to read my review!

The One Where I Get A Do Over....

2009-07-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I had great intentions last fall when I started this blog...little did I know how much of my time would be consumed by trying to adjust to having an all boy class of 4th graders.

Well, I survived year one. Learned a lot, cried a lot, screamed a bit, hair got grayer. And still I decided to go for year 2. The only change will be that I will have 3rd graders (again all boys)...and I know a lot of them.

I am exited, nervous (all new curriculm), and ready to get this show on the road in a few weeks. I am about to start working on my Social Studies and Reading integration plans....

Trying to come up with a classroom them (last year I did Pirates)...and goign to try out a classroom econmy plan I read up on. Also busy finding, borrowing, reading and borrowing boy-friendly books.

Again my goal for the upcoming school year is to post once a week. Maybe more.So, we'll see if I do a better job this year with the blogging.

See ya....

The One Where I Am Feeling Guilty For Not Posting More Often....

2008-10-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, has it really been almost 2 weeks since I posted last? It has been a crazy couple of weeks, I can guarantee you that! We are nearing the end of our 1st 9-weeks and I am starting to look back and wonder where it went. I need a break too..so much going on. We are moving on and trying to help our friend "D/Mario" deal with his Dad's death. He is back at school but struggling. The police caught and arrested a suspect..so at least that is done.
We are right int he middle of a big Social Studies unit project too. My boys are struggling a bit with the research, so to take the heat off, that is what we are focusing on. We are talking about sources and how to write bibliographies and trying to find alternatives to G@@gle (we use Nettrekker a lot) ...since it typically doesn't filter out all the junk when they search. They are enjoying it (I think)..and learning a lot about the Explorers. We have a 4 day weekend coming up too (at least the students do..teachers will be working both Friday and Monday). My plan is to organize my classroom and de-clutter. I also want to Lexile my class library. We'll see how much gets done. I am excited about the in-service on Monday because we have a consultant coming to begin training us on 6+1 Traits for writing. I have been doing a little research on my own and it looks so cool. I admit it, I am not a good writer and I suspect I am an even worse writing teacher..so I can use all the help I can get.
Well, I better close this for now..Monday folders, and lesson plans are calling my name.....until next time.

The One where I am at a loss for words...

2008-09-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

Last night the father of one of my students was murdered. It was random, as if that is supposed to make me feel better. And he was sent to school today. WTF?? We were getting ready to start our day and he said "Mrs. Barker, guess what happened last night." I was half-listening as I passed out papers and checked agendas...."Did he just say his Dad was shot?" I asked him to repeat what he had just said. The cynical teacher in me was wondering if he had seen this on TV this morning and was somehow trying to understand it by making it his own...then the parent/mother cub/protective teacher kicked into overdrive. I hugged him and said let's go take a walk. I asked a colleague to keep an eye on my class and we walked together down to the office to find someone who could handle this way better that I could.
AT the same time my principal was looking for me because she had already heard, knew it was one of our kids, and knew he was one of mine. Not finding a counselor (or social worker, or mental health counselor--we have all three in house)...I headed to find one of our ESOL teachers. That was when my principal found me. Immediately she activated the Crisis Team from our school district and took the student back into her office. I headed back to class to check on the rest of my boys who were in mid-discussion about this, as many had either heard about it on the bus or in the car line.
Without going into much detail let me tell you this is the second time in 3 months that we have had to deal with a senseless death (an 8 year old student from our school had been raped and murdered in July by a 14 y.o. neighbor).
The crisis team came and talked to my class, the student was still at school when we went to lunch so he came and ate with us. And afterschool I made a home-visit to the student and his family (they were at an aunt's house) with our translator, an ESOL teacher and one of our counselors. My principal and the office staff kept a close tab on my class and I all day...for which I am very grateful. My Principal also insisted that I talk to one of the grief counselors. I am fine..I have not processed it all yet, so I am not sure when I will really deal with it...I just need to know that this boy is going to be okay...that is all I want for all my studetns. But his life is now changed forever...he will come back to school a diferent kid, beause now he has no Dad.
It certainly puts things in perspective...and make some things like handing in homework and having their agenda sign nightly, seem so trivial.

The one where I have 14 Parent Teacher Conferences in one week!!

2008-09-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

Yes friends, its coming..the week where I have to meet with all the parents of all my boys. So you know what I am doing this weekend...looking at standardized test scores from last year, looking at grades, behavior charts, writing samples..and trying to get everything together. I am also putting together some FAQs about Single Gender education, including the latest research and some data from our state to educate my student's parents on the program their child is enrolled in.

I have a love/hate relationship with Parent Teacher conferences. Yes, they take a long time to prepare for, yet we are supposed to keep each meeting under 30 minutes (I have a sneaky suspicion they will go long). A lot of the data I present (test scores, etc) goes over these parents heads...all they really want to hear is how cute, sweet, smart, well-behaved their child is. Hell, that is all I REALLY want to hear when I go to a conference with my son's teacher! But I love telling a parent how cute, sweet, smart and well behaved their child is...problem is not all my students are. So I try to keep the 3 to 1 ration of positives to negatives and suggest some ways to improve their grades and/or behavior.

Goody-goody...it is going to be a fun week!!

The One Where I Found The BEST Survival Book...

2008-09-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

This summer I went to a seminar given by Dr. Paul Slocumb. If you ever get the chance to hear him present--GO!! He is very knowledgeable about educating boys, especially boys growing up in poverty. Alot of his teachings dove-tail with Ruby Payne's research about the effects of poverty on children.

The book he teaches from is his own called Hear Our Cry, Boys in Crisis. I highly recommend it, especially for teachers in Title I schools, or anyone teaching children growing up in poverty.

Needless to say, I was having a rough week so I pull out this book the other night to see why a few of my boys were not responding well to me...I have been journaling each day (to document things for a variety of reasons) and I came across a passage in the book that I had underlined during the seminar....I was teaching in my parent voice alot this week and the book literally says " Boys perceive female teachers with a strong parent voice as just one more "bitchy" mother." WOW!! What an epiphany that was....the book also talked about a great strategy called H.E.A.T. which stands for Hear, Empathize, Apologize, Take Action.

So that is what I am going to try next week and see if I can turn things around!!!

The One Where I Seriously Think I Was On Something When They Asked Me To Do This....

2008-09-04T19:09:00.001-07:00

...whew...Week 3 is almost over. We are actually getting things done...little things...but things none the less. This week we started MAP testing, and we started with Math. I explained the instructions for the test a zillion times (bring a book, pencil and scratch paper with you)...and only had to remind them again what to bring oh, half a zillion times. I was starting to think it was me...maybe I am a bad communicator..then I pulled out my trusty "Gender Matters" book and to my amazement...boys don't follow directions as well as girls. And I already know they don't hear as well as girls. I am considering buying an old fashioned tape recorder, recording my instructions for the day, then they I can just re-wind and push play and voila----I don't have to say everything a zillion times. Seriously, I am going to experiment with some things including having them echo back the instructions to me.
I also wrote my first two referrals today....one kid threatened another while they were in the bathroom. I got a note from Kid A's Mom- the threatenee, had a talk with both Kids. Kid B--the threatener denies any involvement. Mom also called my principal who came running out of the office as we were leaving the cafeteria- relayed the conversation she had with Kid A's mom, assured me Kid A's Mom LOOOOVED ME (we had a long conversation last week about her child--totally different topic).
That was one referral. The second was for a boy who cannot handle discipline in any form. If he is not following the rules and I ask him to turn a card (after several warnings) he completely WIGS OUT...lots of eye rolling, hands on hips, sucking the teeth, BIG OL ATTITUDE. This happens about every other day so I had finally had enough and I wrote him up...We'll see what kind of note I get from his Momma tomorrow.

Back to the Lesson Plans.....

The One Where I Sum Up Week 2.....

2008-08-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

WHEW.....I have survived the first 9 days of school...and now I am being rewarded with a 3 day weekend (unfortunately, not at the destination in the picture above!)

Whatever will I do?!?! Uh, lesson plans, putting together literacy centers, reading two books I am considering adding to my classroom library, grading papers...oh, and putting together "Monday Folders" which will actually go out on Tuesday next week due to the Labor Day holiday(try explaining that concept to a bunch of 9 year old boys..uh, Mrs. Barkers..if our Monday Folders go home on Tuesday, then when do we bring them back???)

So here is my week in a nutshell...we actually started instruction this week (Day 5) and got textbooks assigned on Day 7. I am not a fan of teaching from the book, so I actually go a lot accomplished. Our team is still making some modifications to our schedule and the lesson plan template we are all going to use (each team member writes plans for the entire team- for one content area).

I actually held our "Morning Meeting" 4 of the 5 days and the day we were not able to fit it in, my boys asked for it (GREAT SIGN).

I have begun to figure out the personalities of each of my boys and have figured out what roles they will play in the classroom this year. I have one boy "J" who doesn't play well with others"...he has been a challenge this week but I already have him on a behavior plan (yeah me!!) I have a few who are just plain clueless, a cryer, and one who told me he didn't have to respect me, I was just his teacher ( a note home with calls from BOTH Mom and Dad solved that one...and he gave me a hug Friday and told me he was sorry)

The highlight of my week was having my boys begging me to keep reading (HUGE...because it was time for us to go to lunch and they wanted more Treasure Island). I have been doing tons of reading this summer...lots of Boy Books...and I just finished reading the book "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys". next up...Ralph's Fletcher's "Boy Writers- Reclaiming Their Voice" I know from all the research that 4th grade is SUCH an important year for boys when it comes to reading..if they are struggling to read fluently by 4th grade and we don't fix it...this will greatly impact their future, and there is a greater chance they will drop out once they reach HS. This is my MISSION this year...to instill in these 13 boys a love of reading and writing.

I am saddened to hear a few of my colleagues who are also teaching all boys say they won't do it again next year. Trust me, I have wondered out loud why I said "YES" when they asked me to do this. Some days are better than others but it is only the
9th day of school for crying out loud!!!

I became a teacher to make a difference, and right now..this is the first step.

PLEASE...leave me a comment, tell your teacher friends about this blog...now I am off to grade papers!!!

The One Where I Come Home Exhausted Every Night...

2008-08-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

okay, so it was a short week that felt like three weeks. Maybe I am just too old for this!! We started back to school on Tuesday and I went to be at 8:30 Tuesday night (after 2 beers, mind you!) Wednesday, ditto, early to bed. Thursday, you guessed it. Here is is Friday (night) and I should be relaxing but all I can think of is all the work I need to do to get ready for next week.
I do have an interesting class...all boys...13 of them. I know, I shouldn complain when I read blogs from teachers who have 30 kids. My roster started out with 15. One dropped out (not out of school, just our of my class--Mama didn't want him in an all boys class), and two never showed...I guess they took their business elsewhere.

All I can say is that it is going to be an interesting year...most of the boys are good, well they are all good kids, but a few of them will be providing me with some patience training, and if I end the school year with the tip of my tongue and my sanity, it will have been a good year.

The One Where I Am On The Countdown....

2008-08-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

....in three days my young men will return for what will hopefully be a great 4th grade year. Ha!! Who am I kidding, when the bell rings on Tuesday morning I will be staring down 16 9-year-olds who would rather be ANYWHERE than in a school building. As cynical as I am, I am also excited about this year. Maybe it is the thrill of the unknown...who knows.

I did get to meet a few of my little darlings and their parents on Thursday night during "Meet the Teacher." Since this Single Gender program is new to our school this year, I was not sure how receptive these parents were going to be to having their son in an all boys class. Surprisingly, many of the parents I talked to had requested it (and after meeting their boys, I know why).

So this weekend I will drive myself crazy wondering if my room ir ready, if my papers are in order, and the dreaded "What am I going to do with them on the first day!!!" Our school promotes textbook-free week the first week to develop comunities within the classroom, learn (or re-learn) the procedures of the school, classroom, etc. So this will fill some of the time...but I think we are going to do some brainstorming about things we want to do this year.

And I am excited....only 68 more hours!!! Hooray!!!

The One Where I Realize I Have to Go Back to Work In One Week!!!

2008-08-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right sports fans...summer is officially over. Well almost. I have to be back to work next Monday. I am actually going in later this week to survey the disaster that is my classroom. When I last left it, the furniture was all askew as they had just finished stripping & waxing the floors.

Maybe the Classroom Fairy will visit and reorganize my files, set up my gradebook and do my bulletin boards.....not likely!

T-Minus 15 days till the young gentlemen return.

Until next time.......

The one where I start my new blog.....

2008-08-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

If you are a fan of the show "Friends" like I am ("how you doin"-Joey Tribiani)...you will "get" my post titles. If you're not...maybe you will....let me explain:
You see, each episode of this sitcom has a title that started with "The One...." such as "The One with Two Parties" or "The One After the Superbowl'' You get it now, right?

So the posts on my blog...sure to have quite a following, will follow a similar format (gee, wonder if that title-thingy is copyright-protected?)

Anyway..follow along as I chronicle my crazy, exciting year, with a classroom full of 9 year old boys....and don't worry, the names will be changed to protect..well my job.... I mean the innocent (and not so innocent!!)

I promise lots of laughs, maybe a tear or two (mine), and a lot of fun!!! Join me won't you....