afraid to write

So much has changed since I last wrote and it was overwhelming to think about let alone process in writing.

Coming back from vacation was ....exhausting and a disaster. Kids got taller and I missed them A LOT but they forgot A LOT of things that we are just getting back now. I pretty much told them now we start getting ready for 1st grade and it is very serious business. Then T was placed in a foster family (YAY!) and we were told he was gone (after he had gone home already - OH NO!) I cried...yes I did. So did my para. Then the next morning he showed up 45 minutes late with a DCF case worker (YES!) We grinned like idiots as we met them at the door and were told that his social worker will drive him to and from school every day (WOW!) AND that he would be having surgery to fix his eyes (INCREDIBLE) which now are straight and though puffy and red, watery, and easily infected, are already helping him write. It's amazing.

I'm pushing through some last minute Letter ID and sound review because the testing window opened this week and by February 2nd all LID, LS, Concepts About Print, and DRA scores have to be done. So naturally my highest kids are bombarded this week - giving the lower set time to soak up some more skill before they get tested. Already seeing positive growth in LID and CAP - kids know about words and letters, also 1:1 match, periods, commas, and even quotation marks. They are ALL able to identify "We" which is great.

This week I laminated 25 sight words (or star words as we call them) and taped them to each child's seat (well all but 6 who received modified words). The children practice their words when they think they are done. It's great!

Also a new rule - no more saying "I'm done" not only is it my pet peeve but it's not true, I taught them to say "Our learning is never done!"

Added journals to our writing experience, added science to our weekly schedule, and made centers SERIOUS working times.

Just redid my groups and also made groups for my para to see so that they are getting read to and oral language more often.
I LOVE my job....now I'm anxiously awaiting the results of all our testing to see whether I'm DOING my job!