Today - my buddy T fell asleep as soon as he got to school.
Princess friend threw SIX tantrums - many of them "I Don't WANT to THROW A TANTRUM" "GIVE ME A STAR I WANT A STAR I DONT GOT A STAR" (seriously?)
Rodney fell asleep on the floor in front of the bathroom - he went over there having a tantrum and crashed... oops.
Nailah also fell asleep.
My friend got a tiger sticker - yup the one who has a "pet" tiger - she also had beans and rice for Thanksgiving.
Rodney refused to wear shoes all day - they hurt.
Bobby's pants still had tags and he threw his body at several people today - seemingly unaware.
Dashahn? rolled in at 10:30am - after our puppet show and phonics. awesome.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Her's Taking away my learning!!
T yelled at Princess Tantrum today as she rolled on the floor for the 6th time...." You is taking away my learning - 'top it!!" I had to laugh. This is the kid who would sit in the kitchen and reek havoc now yelling at my trantrumer to stop taking away his learning....his learning may be modified and look different than the other 20 kids but he recognized that he couldn't possibly learn with that noise. Thank goodness! I love to hear grown up words coming out of their mouths - "I don't like when you do that...." "I'm sorry" "Please stop bothering me on the carpet, I'm trying to learn" "My friends are bothering my learning" Make me smile - they are serious matters but they get it - they are little humans (sorry Grey's Anatomy) and they really are getting it. Today they happened to define the word "Problem solvers" and they totally understood. They also understand unity, craftsmanship, and perseverance - WOW.
They learned about a number line today....and they talked about being thankful. They read books today and they practice sight words: the, we, is, and, see - and they did their letter sounds - which we now know very well...but the consonants are hard "B" "P" "T" "C" 'D" we add a vowel to them and I can't correct it now. They helped me make a checklist - to "check their bodies" and they used it today, we really worked on looking at the talker - and having only 1 voice on the carpet. I felt mean at some points but they have a lot ahead and the smoother these little things are, the more we can accomplish!
I am exhausted and achey and just ready to sleep....but despite little ant hills in my way today, I loved my little humans - all 20 of them (C was sick).
Funniest moment? Taught them how to play pirate booty .... which I promptly renamed when they burst out hysterically at the word booty....the last round I was the pirate and they stole my bells...Bobby stole my bells and when I opened my eyes to guess I looked around, making eye contact with the kids - as soon as I looked at him, he burst into peels of laughter, trying so hard to contain himself but he wasn't able - it was adorable.
Sweetest moment? J - singing you are my sunshine and Katrina attempting to sing jingle bells : ) I video taped on my phone. I love them - I do....most of the time, when I don't feel like I'm going to gauge my ears out if I hear Princess scream or wine one more time.
They learned about a number line today....and they talked about being thankful. They read books today and they practice sight words: the, we, is, and, see - and they did their letter sounds - which we now know very well...but the consonants are hard "B" "P" "T" "C" 'D" we add a vowel to them and I can't correct it now. They helped me make a checklist - to "check their bodies" and they used it today, we really worked on looking at the talker - and having only 1 voice on the carpet. I felt mean at some points but they have a lot ahead and the smoother these little things are, the more we can accomplish!
I am exhausted and achey and just ready to sleep....but despite little ant hills in my way today, I loved my little humans - all 20 of them (C was sick).
Funniest moment? Taught them how to play pirate booty .... which I promptly renamed when they burst out hysterically at the word booty....the last round I was the pirate and they stole my bells...Bobby stole my bells and when I opened my eyes to guess I looked around, making eye contact with the kids - as soon as I looked at him, he burst into peels of laughter, trying so hard to contain himself but he wasn't able - it was adorable.
Sweetest moment? J - singing you are my sunshine and Katrina attempting to sing jingle bells : ) I video taped on my phone. I love them - I do....most of the time, when I don't feel like I'm going to gauge my ears out if I hear Princess scream or wine one more time.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Another First....
Haven't taken the time to journal and it kills me because yesterday was a terrible day...wanted to journal was too tired to do it. The old T was back .... his brother and sister are gone and he was a wreck - chairs and tables a mess, on the floor, throwing things, and not responding to anything. Today he was cute and listening again. I am wiped - it's a roller coaster.
But TODAY was parent conferences and that is an exciting first. My amazing coworkers are fun - we ate dinner all together and our principal served us food (how incredible is that?!) and they were very supportive. One eventful conference dealing with a parent I had to report to DCF and she was ready to rip a new one but I got the principal who did the conference for me and kept it very academic - so grateful. One family laughed hysterically the whole time because she couldn't believe how spot on I got their daughter and the things I've picked up on - not to glorify what I do, but really? I mean we are together 8 hours of the day....good and bad we all know each other really well....kinda hard not to! Loved meeting some new parental figures and sharing what delights their children are because truthfully they are, a lot of the time.
After my principal came in and picked up blocks - yes cleaned my room - which were thrown about because of children who came with parents and congratulated me on my first parent-teacher conferences. I did 12 of 21 in 2 hours - averaging about 9 minutes each - some a little more, a couple a little less but I wish we had more time, I want to get to know families and share more with them, hear more from them. Because they were so short I had to do all the talking - they just want to know from me what they need to do, what their kid is good at and bad at. my voice hurts.
This week's highlights:
5 yellow counters 4 red counters
If these are cookies - which cookies would you rather have?
Ter: The red ones
Me: Why?
Ter: I like red cookies.
haha. Trying to get at more and fewer - cute answer.
Reviewing nonfiction text ....
M: I still have a tiger you know.
interesting. I need to go back and see if I already blogged about this incident - my uncreative, academically low, and unengaged student who has me believing 100% that she has a pet tiger......if I haven't written about it yet, I will.
Today I took off my flats and sprayed them with Lysol - T said " What you doin?" Me "Cleaning my shoes" T "They 'tinky?" Me "Yes" T "So you put those on?" Me "Yes, what are they called?" T "'lippers - I have froggy 'lippers" How cute! : ) Time to start the academic push with him now but he just is so precious. I need to be careful how much patience and exception I dish out for him ... when my expectations are so high with the other kids - sometimes when I come down on him he can do it, but sometimes it makes him mad.
67% of the entire kindergarten class is proficient in LID!! : ) based on January standards - that's so much growth! It's still so far to go but it's exciting, it feels like we're doing something right.
Data is fascinating to me - it gives me the growth I need to see in order to keep doing what I'm doing and keep me believing that I'm effective - or change when I'm not, but it forces useful collaboration as well and keeps our meetings on task and overall just a great stretching/growing experience.
Did I mention I am feeling like fried squid tonight and cannot think straight? Time to stop, this post will make no sense tomorrow.
But TODAY was parent conferences and that is an exciting first. My amazing coworkers are fun - we ate dinner all together and our principal served us food (how incredible is that?!) and they were very supportive. One eventful conference dealing with a parent I had to report to DCF and she was ready to rip a new one but I got the principal who did the conference for me and kept it very academic - so grateful. One family laughed hysterically the whole time because she couldn't believe how spot on I got their daughter and the things I've picked up on - not to glorify what I do, but really? I mean we are together 8 hours of the day....good and bad we all know each other really well....kinda hard not to! Loved meeting some new parental figures and sharing what delights their children are because truthfully they are, a lot of the time.
After my principal came in and picked up blocks - yes cleaned my room - which were thrown about because of children who came with parents and congratulated me on my first parent-teacher conferences. I did 12 of 21 in 2 hours - averaging about 9 minutes each - some a little more, a couple a little less but I wish we had more time, I want to get to know families and share more with them, hear more from them. Because they were so short I had to do all the talking - they just want to know from me what they need to do, what their kid is good at and bad at. my voice hurts.
This week's highlights:
5 yellow counters 4 red counters
If these are cookies - which cookies would you rather have?
Ter: The red ones
Me: Why?
Ter: I like red cookies.
haha. Trying to get at more and fewer - cute answer.
Reviewing nonfiction text ....
M: I still have a tiger you know.
interesting. I need to go back and see if I already blogged about this incident - my uncreative, academically low, and unengaged student who has me believing 100% that she has a pet tiger......if I haven't written about it yet, I will.
Today I took off my flats and sprayed them with Lysol - T said " What you doin?" Me "Cleaning my shoes" T "They 'tinky?" Me "Yes" T "So you put those on?" Me "Yes, what are they called?" T "'lippers - I have froggy 'lippers" How cute! : ) Time to start the academic push with him now but he just is so precious. I need to be careful how much patience and exception I dish out for him ... when my expectations are so high with the other kids - sometimes when I come down on him he can do it, but sometimes it makes him mad.
67% of the entire kindergarten class is proficient in LID!! : ) based on January standards - that's so much growth! It's still so far to go but it's exciting, it feels like we're doing something right.
Data is fascinating to me - it gives me the growth I need to see in order to keep doing what I'm doing and keep me believing that I'm effective - or change when I'm not, but it forces useful collaboration as well and keeps our meetings on task and overall just a great stretching/growing experience.
Did I mention I am feeling like fried squid tonight and cannot think straight? Time to stop, this post will make no sense tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
New Haven Promises.....
New Haven Promise
This is what threw off our routine - who knew they mattered THAT much. It took a good chunk of the morning and fail on New Haven's part - it didn't play over the slow bandwidth and naturally the whole district was trying to watch. So I announced to my kids and the 1st graders in the room we were using, that New haven was promising money if they are good students and go to college. Well that's *kinda* what New Haven promised - it's actually a really big deal and I am VERY pumped about it....but those are not the words they used.
Oh so highlights today?
T played peek-a-boo. T also got a foster placement in Hartford : (
"I gonna go to treasure box" - B after the day from HELL
Playing school during dismissal "SIT ON YOUR BUTT RIGHT NOW!!" Me: "We don't talk like that" (right?)
F- drinkable strawberry yogurt. Really. DRINK it - do NOT put it in your backpack open. Just don't. Trust me.
We read a non fiction story about tigers....and a girl informed that "some people gots dogs, but I don't gots a dog, I gots a tiger - it sleeps at the end of my bed....and we have a pool for it to swim." Now before you dismiss my concern with a laugh - consider the child, a simple, easily distracted and very below proficient student - not creative as far as I can tell, and lacking in initiative/common sense. Overall not showing any signs of creative genius. She did not "invent this story" as you might assume - I did talk to mom, I expressed concern - with a laugh- and mom awkwardly laughed back - "We don't got no tigers - just a dog named Sparky" all too textbook - I really am concerned! If you could the intense belief and excitement about her connection to the book, you too would wonder..... My para had at first dismissed it as a stuffed animal but soon became as concerned as myself....hm.
I send home food with a child who appears to be hungry all the time - today he said "I brought you food Miss Stowe!" What did he pull out of his bag midway through the day? A small microwaveable cup of instant Minute Brown Rice - COOKED and partially open. How sweet! I didn't ask any questions, I simply said, thank you! I love Rice! And I do....but I prefer to make it myself and not place it in backpacks .... which frequently are covered in wet clothes, left on buses, coated in drinkable yogurt, and thrown about in the room.
This is what threw off our routine - who knew they mattered THAT much. It took a good chunk of the morning and fail on New Haven's part - it didn't play over the slow bandwidth and naturally the whole district was trying to watch. So I announced to my kids and the 1st graders in the room we were using, that New haven was promising money if they are good students and go to college. Well that's *kinda* what New Haven promised - it's actually a really big deal and I am VERY pumped about it....but those are not the words they used.
Oh so highlights today?
T played peek-a-boo. T also got a foster placement in Hartford : (
"I gonna go to treasure box" - B after the day from HELL
Playing school during dismissal "SIT ON YOUR BUTT RIGHT NOW!!" Me: "We don't talk like that" (right?)
F- drinkable strawberry yogurt. Really. DRINK it - do NOT put it in your backpack open. Just don't. Trust me.
We read a non fiction story about tigers....and a girl informed that "some people gots dogs, but I don't gots a dog, I gots a tiger - it sleeps at the end of my bed....and we have a pool for it to swim." Now before you dismiss my concern with a laugh - consider the child, a simple, easily distracted and very below proficient student - not creative as far as I can tell, and lacking in initiative/common sense. Overall not showing any signs of creative genius. She did not "invent this story" as you might assume - I did talk to mom, I expressed concern - with a laugh- and mom awkwardly laughed back - "We don't got no tigers - just a dog named Sparky" all too textbook - I really am concerned! If you could the intense belief and excitement about her connection to the book, you too would wonder..... My para had at first dismissed it as a stuffed animal but soon became as concerned as myself....hm.
I send home food with a child who appears to be hungry all the time - today he said "I brought you food Miss Stowe!" What did he pull out of his bag midway through the day? A small microwaveable cup of instant Minute Brown Rice - COOKED and partially open. How sweet! I didn't ask any questions, I simply said, thank you! I love Rice! And I do....but I prefer to make it myself and not place it in backpacks .... which frequently are covered in wet clothes, left on buses, coated in drinkable yogurt, and thrown about in the room.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Best job in the world?
Remember that? Oh when was it....Just 3 days ago?
WELL then there was such a thing as the day after Halloween when children come in on very little sleep, toting candy bags secretly in their backpack and sneaking candy at all times. And our smiling, heart-melting friend T that I love so much? He came in double fisting middle fingers - "what up yo" he announced in the face of one of my quietest boys. I asked him to fix it and look like a kindergartner....which he did not do. And my usual "What are we working for today" gave me a "nuttin, I ain't workin for nuttin today." Lovely.
Happy Monday what can I expect from a day that starts like that?
Ringworm for 1 - and I happen to have the treatment for it at home - lucky me.
A 45 minute recess - because they needed it.
no writing - math was about all we could tackle in the afternoon.
30 minutes of puzzle groups - literally got out 3 floor puzzles (new ones from my grandma!) and let them go at it until dismissal.
A bad report from art - no wonder.
T got sent home - with an accident and bad report.
a late night at school. 8pm to be exact.
disinfectant all over my tables
oh and an an evening of making cinnamon rolls to share with my staff - who though I love them, I have to see tomorrow while my kids are home sleeping so we can talk data....which is thrilling considering the academics we accomplished today.
Yes. It was indeed another Manic Monday. And they just don't stop.
Thank goodness for chocolate chip cookie pie left over from this weekend...and for kittens because mine is laying beside me purring reminding me that sometimes all you need to be happy is a cozy bed. : )
WELL then there was such a thing as the day after Halloween when children come in on very little sleep, toting candy bags secretly in their backpack and sneaking candy at all times. And our smiling, heart-melting friend T that I love so much? He came in double fisting middle fingers - "what up yo" he announced in the face of one of my quietest boys. I asked him to fix it and look like a kindergartner....which he did not do. And my usual "What are we working for today" gave me a "nuttin, I ain't workin for nuttin today." Lovely.
Happy Monday what can I expect from a day that starts like that?
Ringworm for 1 - and I happen to have the treatment for it at home - lucky me.
A 45 minute recess - because they needed it.
no writing - math was about all we could tackle in the afternoon.
30 minutes of puzzle groups - literally got out 3 floor puzzles (new ones from my grandma!) and let them go at it until dismissal.
A bad report from art - no wonder.
T got sent home - with an accident and bad report.
a late night at school. 8pm to be exact.
disinfectant all over my tables
oh and an an evening of making cinnamon rolls to share with my staff - who though I love them, I have to see tomorrow while my kids are home sleeping so we can talk data....which is thrilling considering the academics we accomplished today.
Yes. It was indeed another Manic Monday. And they just don't stop.
Thank goodness for chocolate chip cookie pie left over from this weekend...and for kittens because mine is laying beside me purring reminding me that sometimes all you need to be happy is a cozy bed. : )
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