It seems like time is flying by because I have so much to do and nowhere to start. I am caught up on all my classes. I guess that's the good news. Yet, as the end of the semester draws nearer, I feel like I'm having a panic attack. I have so many papers to write, papers that will be in my portfolio. I can BS a paper like no one else but I figure that any paper that will stick in my portfolio should probably be well written and something I am confident about. I need to find some time to start on these even though they aren't do for several more weeks.
Let's see....Whats new? Well, I went out Friday night for the first time since summer break. I met up with several of the masters students for pizza and then we watched a band play at The Alaskan. It was funny to see how the majority of us teachers were leaving as the actual bar crowd was starting to arrive. A full day at school is an exhausting job. Some of these masters students have under twenty students in their class and they complain about how tired they are. It makes me feel good to know that our class is approaching thirty students and I'm hanging in there.
Speaking of my host classroom, things are going really well. This past week we got our first snow of the season. It was something like 8-10 inches and the students were CRAZY. Three recesses a day, on snowy days, means three recesses to get completely soaked and wild! With the arrival of snow, I felt it necessary to change the tree outside of the classroom. Here are the pictures so far of the seasonal tree:
I have to say that I'm impressed by my creativity here. It's not amazing but at least it looks like a tree! HA! The students really loved it and I had a few helping me. They put "holiday hats" on each bird. We also made a snowman that stands right beside our classroom door.
Parent teacher conferences are coming up and my host teacher likes to have the classroom nearly sparkling with student creativity. Their work is going to be hanging all around the room and we both think that the lovely tree (which most parents don't even notice) is a good addition. If there is one thing that I have learned from this entire experience so far (and there are many things I have learned) it is that teachers do SO much for their students and parents.
Not only do they keep the students safe at school and teach them, but they support them in extracurricular activities, they push them to do better at whatever they are involved in, they really take on the role of a second or third parent. To top it all off, they put a TON of work into their classrooms to make the classroom a safe, fun, place that can foster learning. Sadly, much of this goes unnoticed, even by the best parents. Half of the parents hold some sort of grudge against the teacher who MUST be out to get their child, and they don't even care that while they are at work, you are taking the time to sit one-on-one with their child (a 4th/5th grader) in order to get her reading above a first grade level (which is of course the schools fault to begin with). I truly believe that if parents were to completely support teachers and work with schools, the world would be a better place. But that is a soapbox I could write about forever.
So my week....well, I have to get in a literacy lesson plan sometime. So far, my host teacher has shot down a few of my ideas. We just don't have very much time in the day to work in new routines. I also have an assignment due tomorrow where I have to update my resume, answer interview questions, and fill out job applications. It's pretty exciting and a little unnerving that I don't have any idea where I want to end up after this year. I guess that means I can fill out applications from all over. Why not, right?
The school district has Friday off for veterans day this week. I'm very excited for the three day weekend. Thus far, anytime we have had a three/four day weekend, I have been in the classroom for teacher work days. Not this time. We all get a break and it is MUCH needed. I'm going to work my hardest to catch up on Everything so that I can really relax. I'm not sure if it will happen, but can't hurt trying.
Parent teacher conferences are coming up and my host teacher likes to have the classroom nearly sparkling with student creativity. Their work is going to be hanging all around the room and we both think that the lovely tree (which most parents don't even notice) is a good addition. If there is one thing that I have learned from this entire experience so far (and there are many things I have learned) it is that teachers do SO much for their students and parents.
Not only do they keep the students safe at school and teach them, but they support them in extracurricular activities, they push them to do better at whatever they are involved in, they really take on the role of a second or third parent. To top it all off, they put a TON of work into their classrooms to make the classroom a safe, fun, place that can foster learning. Sadly, much of this goes unnoticed, even by the best parents. Half of the parents hold some sort of grudge against the teacher who MUST be out to get their child, and they don't even care that while they are at work, you are taking the time to sit one-on-one with their child (a 4th/5th grader) in order to get her reading above a first grade level (which is of course the schools fault to begin with). I truly believe that if parents were to completely support teachers and work with schools, the world would be a better place. But that is a soapbox I could write about forever.
So my week....well, I have to get in a literacy lesson plan sometime. So far, my host teacher has shot down a few of my ideas. We just don't have very much time in the day to work in new routines. I also have an assignment due tomorrow where I have to update my resume, answer interview questions, and fill out job applications. It's pretty exciting and a little unnerving that I don't have any idea where I want to end up after this year. I guess that means I can fill out applications from all over. Why not, right?
The school district has Friday off for veterans day this week. I'm very excited for the three day weekend. Thus far, anytime we have had a three/four day weekend, I have been in the classroom for teacher work days. Not this time. We all get a break and it is MUCH needed. I'm going to work my hardest to catch up on Everything so that I can really relax. I'm not sure if it will happen, but can't hurt trying.
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