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.