Wednesday

Today was a lot tamer than yesterday, but sometimes those crazy days can be great b/c the day moves so quickly...

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• MELA-O prepared and ready to go for tomorrow
• almost done with MEPA scheduling
• Cat 2 today after school
• first REAL snow today starting just in time for indoor recess...-.-
• kids watched The Cat in the Hat cartoon during indoor recess
• lorax's feathered truffula trees came out so cute :)
• spirit week meeting this morning

Biggest Concerns:

• Cat trainings
• running records
• MEPA/ MELA-O

CRAZY TUESDAY

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• Today was crazy...no other words can describe it...
• The day began with a stabbing of my finger by a badly stapled journal...gushing...rough. -.-
• Then...administered the first ELA QA2 to an individual student.
• Then...rehearsal for our assembly at 9:30...where I videotaped my students so those not singing could watch themselves being foolish. -.-
• Then...during math, one of my kids had an accident. -.-
• Then...after lunch, I had an informal observation!  but it went well. :) Lorax activity obvi.
• Then...recess duty, and I lifted up my friend to go on the swings...rough.
• Then...assembly where my kids were front and center during a song that they didn't know all the lyrics to...oy vey.
• Then...pictures with my 2 girls that dressed up for our "concert" today...so cute.

Biggest Concerns:

• MEPA/MELA-O/ELA Q2 before March 16th-- super.
• PT conferences in 3 weeks!!! I have to start cracking down on those p/t conference sheets from last time
• DESE

Photos:

getting started on my new bulletin board...

The Cat is Back!

Oh MANNNN....waking up this morning was so R-O-U-G-H.  Even worse than the after Christmas/New Year's break.  My body is so plum-exhausted!

Highlights/ Low-lights today:

• all my kiddos stayed on green today! great way to start the week/ stretch until April vaca :)
• Dr. Seuss kick-off today with The Lorax DVD...they loved it!  And I think they really understood the story!  Still need to work on the whole saving the planet bit, though...
• Horton is on the door :)
• Truffula trees go up tomorrow!  Wish I had crazy feather boas to use for the leaves ;-)
• Category 1 began today...not bad, and it helps to know people in the class! :)
• missed the staff meeting today
• assembly rehearsal was rough today...hopefully the kids will get it...they're pretty good with singing though!

Biggest Concerns:

• acknowledging Leap Day on Wednesday?
• ELA assessments for 2 special friends

Photos:

"A person's a person, no matter how small."

Friday before Feb. break

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• spelling and reading comprehension tests today for both K and Gr. 1... 6 100s for spelling and 3 100s on the comp tests
• new Spongebob certificates are a hit with the kids...individualized and given for each 100 on a test sent home
• my new spelling test score chart is really helpful for me to see how students are doing as a whole and to monitor their scores individually as well.  It's also easier for me to keep track and is visually appealing.

Biggest Concerns:

• priorities--> category trainings or staff PD? hmm...
• pacing for grade 1 with ELA

Thursday

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• Assessment, assessment, assessment time! 2 given to each grade today for ESL
• assembly on safety in the morning
• turned in my QA2 math scantrons
• crazy ESL today...I don't like others correcting my assessments unless they know how I do it.  I don't like red markers being used an x's for incorrect answers!
• ELL team meeting after school today...have to start thinking about family night and MELA-O/ MEPA testing in March

Biggest Concerns:

• my teaching licenses
• transitioning one of my students to his correct grade within the next 2 weeks

Photos:

My kids love this game that I am finally implementing since finding it in September.  I found it at http://firstgradealacarte.blogspot.com/.  Fun and engaging way to practice rhyming and assess who needs help in this area :)

Wednesday

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• first-graders did pretty well on their key words test...only 1 bomb...
• ESL was very slow today-- think we were all tired from the previous day's activities
• subtraction and addition problems went well with K today
• IEP meeting this morning...one of my friends will be getting services and tested into it! mixed emotions...nervous about his ESL instruction

Biggest Concerns:

• getting things done so that I don't have to worry about it Friday afternoon and the Monday coming back

Valentine's Day Craziness

Highlight/ Low-lights:My morning began with making pancakes at 6am and packing maple syrup and bagels and cream cheese

• Loved the valentines I went with today..."you're just write for me" :)
• Goodie bags put togethecomputer was accidently shut down and now I don't know the log in...great.
• Pancake and bagel breakfast was cute and fun
• Last 40 minutes of the day were crazy because we combined making valentines for families with handing out valentines...woah baby.
• Lipgloss in J's eye..poor guy

Biggest Concerns:

• surviving until vacation

Photos:

prepping for my valentines

cutest valentine notepads

Heart-shaped pancakes! I let the kids use cookie cutters to cut out their own. :)

valentines for kids

"I love..." writing prompt-- they were so excited to be using pink paper

[parent gift] foam hearts to frame their individual photos and attach glitter heart stickers to

Valentine rose from my dad :]