Almost had an UNwanted Anatomy lesson today...

Who knew Reading groups could be so funny?  I had a boy student that kept getting up during my reading group (needed a pencil, dropped pencil, etc).  It was my highest group of readers.  I told the boy student that I guess I need to put some glue so he will stay seated.  Then I said that will make walking really hard and lunch would be hard since they are benchs.  He said yeah that would be tough and laughed.  Another student said it would be like a high chair for kids.  I laugh.  Then, I tell the first student it would work when you are waiting in line for the bathroom though you'll have a seat right there.  REMINDER-my high group, brightest of the bright with this group because my next GIRL student oh he won't be able to go to the bathroom.  Then, I said yeah he would.  Luckily I thought for a second and said okay let's not go there.  The original student laughed and said yeah let's not go there.  I was so happy that we were finished with our group!  PHEwww!  This is why I don't teach above 3rd grade!

"I wrote a prompt about you"...

Today, with no voice, I created a game to get the students on track and listen to me with NO VOICE or read for me.  Wow!  It really became a fun game.  I think that I may be on to something.  I would clap, they would clap, then if not everyone clapped, I clapped again, and they would clap.

I had a student give me a card today saying I hope you get better.  It had a picture of me coughing and a student saying Get Well Soon.

At the very end of the day, a former student says "I wrote a prompt about you this week".  My first thought ut oh...nervously I asked "What was your prompt?".  The former student says "My favorite teacher...I'll bring it to you."  AHHH that made my day!  I told her teacher later, and she said it was "Your teacher that rocks"for the writing prompt.  Put a smile on my face, can't say anything, but I can smile and clap.

That is why I teach :).

Real Housewife of....

After church today I went to the beach.  I've been meaning to go for some time now.  I truly needed to remind myself why I love living down here.

As a child, I would go to Put-in-Bay once a year with my family.  I loved hearing the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.  I also laugh whenever I see seaweed because Grandma would yell at my friend Carrie and I when we would go out too far on the lake 'get back here "the seaweed will pull you under".

I love having the windows and sunroof open with the wind in my hair.  I also love the smell of salt in the air.  Over the summer I'd go to Fort Walton Beach a lot since Bob has a practice there.  With the oil spill, I got a little sad because over the summer I'd see men and women walking up and down cleaning the waters.  This is quite disheartening when your peace and tranquil place is covered with yellow vested people.

Today renewed my hopes for a peaceful beach year.  The water is so green and blue that I wish that I could take a snap shot with my eyes and share with everyone that doubts our beaches.  The only thing that had me wondering was how high the beach seemed.  Is this how much sand that they have added to our beaches?  In some cases, I don't want to know.  As I smell the sunscreen still on my hands, I remember something that I haven't thought about yet.  HOW MANY DAYS UNTIL JUNE 7th?  I'm just asking that's all.  lol

Boy, I'd make a wonder Real housewife of....  Going to the beach, keeping the house and yard clean, just having time for me without worrying about lesson plans, updating websites, collecting data.  Hmmm if only money grew on trees.  BUT as Bob's mom would remind me over and over again when I would mention in a phone call to her that maybe I'll just be a housewife.  Donna would say something to the effect of--- ha ha ha ha I could never see you not teaching.  You love those kids.  Then, I say yeah you are right.  Then, she would remind me ALMOST VERBATIM of a story that I told about one of my students.  Hmmmm maybe we need to be doing some work outside this week.  We are studying shapes.  Hmmmmm mental note charge the batteries.  I think that we are going to be exploring with the camera this week.

They broke into her classroom?????

Ahhhh what?  Back track, okay here I go.  I sent an e-mail to a fellow teacher, Ms. Q, because Student A wanted to help her out in the room today and had earned a coupon for this.  I realized right before our lunch that she probably won't get the e-mail in time, so I told this Student A and B (2 girls) to go and give her a post it note that asked if she would want her to come today at Archer Time.  They come back in the room a few minutes later laughing. They said that they heard another door in the room close.  No one was in the room and Ms. Q's door was closed.  Then, they say that they opened the door (even though it was closed) and put the note on her desk.  Student B says (without missing a beat) we broke into her classroom and left her a note telling so she will know that we broke in her classroom.  She thought this was sooooo funny.  I did too.  Hopefully, she uses this sense of humor in her district writing test.  I should make sure that they understand the true meaning of "broke" into rather than opening a door.

God has a sense of humor...

I feel that rather than a story this time I was bullet my day.  Here goes.

• Helped students that threw up everywhere in bathroom.
• Student A tried to start something (again) with student B.  Luckily Student B held his own and ignored him.
• Student C cried on a dime every two seconds.  I actually wanted to ask her if she got her period.
• Student D wouldn't stop talking.
• Student E wouldn't sit still today AND wouldn't STOP EATING PAPER.  Yes, I teach 3rd grade.
• Student F talked ALL DAY LONG.  I ended up saying that he needed to go across the hall for the last 5 mins. (It was best for my career) .  As I'm telling all of the above to Melissa while they were at PE, I'm NOT kidding when I hear his voice.  "MS. Smith...."  I ran into Melissa' room and hid.  I couldn't stop laughing.  "I came to take Student G to the clinic."  Melissa said okay Student F take her Ms. Smith needs a break right now.  I told Melissa.  Yep, that is exactly how my day went.
• Finally I just heard that it is a FULL MOON.  All the above know makes complete sense.

Yep, ha ha I get the joke God, thanks.  Now please help me out tomorrow.

Education Crisis Solved!

I promised a less serious post this time, and I'm going to deliver.  Today we took our Mid Chapter Math test over Polygons, angles, and other geometry stuff.  They all KICKED BUTT!  I'm so proud.  We worked REALLY hard yesterday to do some major review and reviewed A LOT more first thing this morning.

They got it!  Anyone watching yesterday (or today at that matter) has heard me say make a right angle turn and use the same vertix as the person before.

Also today we had our Curriculum Coordinator come and do his FCAT strategies discussion for me today. He starts his talk about how all choices are _____.  And my class say "plausible".  He, in surprise, says yes with a HUGE smile on his face.  I wanted to go around and high five all of them.  Then, a large group were getting all the answers right.  Phew!  However this continues for another 2 plus months and remains with them through 4th grade.  Fingers, toes, etc are crossed!

My fav story of the day:  One of my current students, who was in 3rd grade last year, was getting ALL the practice questions right.  I was sitting with his group and was seeing this.  I couldn't believe it.  This is from someone who I told if he can get a high score that I (and another co-teacher) will do cartwheels down the hall (anything for motivation).  Anyway, I point how well he has done to our CC.  I then told him that he must want to see me make a goof.  I tell his former teacher.  "Ms. Smith stop embarrassing me".  I told him that I didn't mean to embarrass him...I'm just SOOO proud of him.  He laughs.  Then, I said you can do it.  He (thinks I'm not listening) says to another student.  Ahhh man, my mom is going to figure this out and if I keep having trouble in school mom won't figure it out.  THAT LITTLE STINKER!   I KNEW IT!  As I write this I think, darn I forgot to call her about something today too!

Well here's hoping for him to want me to do cartwheels down the hall.  When others heard of my thought, they said hey I want to see that.  I said I need 3's, 4's and 5's.

NOTES TO SELF:  Call the President and media-- This whole education thing can be solved with cartwheels.  Who knew?

Crying and Chocolate: My day in a nutshell

So today, after finding out that several of my boys had a fight on Friday (while I was home sick), I had a "Come to Jesus" Meeting.  I explained how disappointed that I was with their behavior.  I had never had to talk to this class this way in what I refer to as my "Meanie head Ms. Smith" voice.  It went something like---I get in today and hear that I have several students fighting.  Are you allowed to be angry?  Yes.  Can you touch someone when you are angry?(the class responds)   Am I angry right now?   Am I touching you?  I'm telling you why I'm upset and truly disappointed.

I then tell them to look to their left and look to their right, you are not alone.  I know each and every one of your stories.  You are each going through things.  If you are angry about something happening at home, please put a note in your folder or something and say I'm angry and need to talk to ____ (our Guidance Counselor).  I then tell them getting very close.  Dr. Bob dealt with his dad in jail for a time.  He had people pick on him and look at where he is now?  Did he let that get him down?  No he became a doctor.  I believe in each and every one of you.  I work REALLY hard.  When I'm not here, I'm mad because my job is not to stay home.  It is to teach, so I was coming up with some great things on IPAD to bring to you today.  Then, I hear this.  Am I going to stay angry all day?  No because that is what happens you talk about it then you move on.  You explain why you are going and go on with your day.  So let's move on with the day.  I grab 2 boxes of tissues and pass them around.  (Yes, I had several crying at this point).

Will they know that I care?  I hope.  I told them over and over again how I think about them.   I told that they are my family.   Will we have other problems?  Of course, they are kids!    Will they remember this conversation?  I think maybe.  What I never told them before was that they are all going through big things, but I wasn't lying.  This group of students is going through more than ever in my history of teaching.  I hope that they know that they are not alone.

As I show them my new app about angles, I notice as we go through the last few days to review.  They aren't arguing they are working.  I point it out.  Hey look how much we did!  I said we have 2 more months for me to teach as much as I can.  I'll jump all over this room to help you learn something.

We did have a good day!  Got some great work done on their projects and such.  Hmmmm I'm now seeing a bigger link between the ears thing today.

I look forward to my new post about funnies hopefully for tomorrow, but I will end with my fav funny moments from today.  One student comes up to me with his hands behind his back.  Ohhhhh no!  I think.  He says Ms. Smith, I want you to NOT show this to Dr. Bob.  He hands me a HUGE box of chocolates.  I LAUGH. Later another student says Ms. Smith I forgot to get Dr. Bob a card.  Ummmm tell Dr. Bob the card's for him too.    I guess that chocolate does help!

Please just let me teach.

You would think that I shouldn't just notice that my most popular things and the name of this blog have the long e sound. Is it sad that this is something that I think about? OR, is it just the teacher in me? Not sure.

I've been pondering the whole thing about teaching effectively in a world that wants to bash teachers and education. This has become quite the thought bubble in my head for some time. It disappeared for a brief period after the VETO of Senate bill 6, which then my thoughts were focused on the Oil Spill. Constant worrier as my father says (takes one to know one, dad). :)

Currently, I have been thrust back into it by the numerous reminders on Facebook and other forms that our new "Wonderful" Governor surprisingly didn't do what he said he was going to do within his race for governor. Hmmm, some may not be too surprised with given my gigantic chunk of sarcasm with my next statement of...someone in the government saying something that isn't true. Shocking....please envision me throwing my hands to my face with an expression that resembles a Home Alone expression.

I am struggling with the thought of having to work in an area that views Education as a factory. If you give a lesson on A, the students will understand ALL at the same rate. HMmmm...I think not.

As many of you know, I'm a planner. (Shocking huh?) I need to have a budget to plan on pay off my bills. I have an agenda so I know what I am doing. I have place things in certain labeled places so I know where to find them. Otherwise, I'm scattered brained and can't focus worth a lick.

I go off on this wonderful tangent to explain how my brain can't fathom to wrap around the complexity of mathematical data to link my PAY (what I plan my life around basically) with my TEST scores. Along with how our school districts suppose to budget for something so random as test scores. Hmm what happens if everyone does well. I can see it now, I know what it says but we don't have enough money to pay all of you, so good job but you don't get more money. And we all know that as I just mentioned children are robots who all work on the same level and when you teach them something they are all there learning at the same rate, etc. Oh wait, they are not. They don't show up to school until AFTER you teach the lesson. They are surprised that they don't get it when you tell them that they will have to work on it on their own for right now, because you can't reteach this right now. Or maybe they come to school but haven't slept through the night so they are half a sleep in class. Or (and this one anyone who knows me knows that I'm not one to say take the quick fix and give that kid medicine so when I say...)don't show up to school with the medicine that they are prescribe to focus. I'm not talking about the kid that stops talking so that makes the teacher happy, but rather the student who can work on his/her work consistently and you can see when they get it because they are able to focus on it.

Teachers are not just teachers. They are guidance counselors, cheerleaders, motivational speakers, IT people, mediators, and often someone to listen to them. This year I have students from all walks of life. They each have major things going on in their life as do we. I'm not talking about students with so and so hurt their feelings. I'm talking about money to pay bills, health issues, parental problems, etc. Stuff that kids in the 3rd grade SHOULDN'T have to worry about because they SHOULDN'T be told this because they ARE NOT the adult. I am struggling with in the next few years how if this new bill is passed linking my students to my pay will I begin to see these students as $ bill signs rather than individuals with different needs and understandings. I am planner and a teacher. I am working on PLANNING to prepare myself to be a teacher and focus on teaching. If it doesn't work out to a bigger paycheck, so be it. I need to focus on what matters most...the children. Once others in power focus on the children rather than what looks good on paper, maybe just maybe we can come to understanding until then please just let me teach.