Tuesday

Notes:

• driving from Kingston has been super brutal for the past 2 school days-- what a long commute!  Makes me tired and groggy in the morning...also, the cold weather makes me grumps.
• no Reach song this week is kind of stinky...but it lets us read a story in the morning so that we have more ESL time :)
• 100s on all key words tests today for K and 1-- holla holla!
• must remember the assembly tomorrow for first graders...
• one of the first-graders got stuck in his jacket today and I almost DIED laughing while my para tried to help him.  He was sobbing, and I felt bad for laughing-- but the whole situation was ridiculous..oh boy. poor kid.
• Do I assess my kids too much?
• I'm confused about which kids to do DRAs on...
• What should I be doing for progress monitoring?
• must remember to do letter ID tomorrow
• glad my little K friend is happy with his new grouping during ELA :)
• parent meeting on Friday
• must read article for math course by Thursday--boo.

Monday

Notes:

• My para and I were in the worst moods EVER today-- super cranky...the poor kids were at the end of that mess...
• pre-tests for spelling are so interesting because the kids do so horribly...at least it shows that they are studying during the week and learning something...
• compliments on my new duck bulletin :)
• kids were super excited to take home their cat in the hat story maps today-- finally done with Dr. Seuss haha
• intense parent meeting today-- glad I survived...
• let the longest week ever begin...especially because we're doing testing all week.

Friday

Notes:

• During storytime, we read Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you see? by Eric Carle.  The kids LOVED it, and my para went on to ask them what animal they wish they could be (since 1st graders have been learning about different animals).  One of my K students said "A zebra because it has [a] mohawk."  awee, so cute!  I love him! :)  We will be reading more Eric Carle stories next week.
• 8 100s on spelling tests--almost all the K, holla!
• Writer's Workshop type model= "What do you like to do in the spring?"  We brainstormed "Spring" words with a T chart that listed nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
• writing project led to our new bulletin board-- I was so excited to take down the Lorax bulletin b/c I get tired of things so easily...
• worked the kids in math...not the usual on a Friday, but they needed more push
• first-grade kids did horrible with long a sounds in spelling and with word hunts...need to take things down a notch
• bubbles in the courtyard
• one girl wrote in my books -.- super annoyed.

Photos:

Thursday

Notes:

• planning with other teachers for my student that is signed onto a plan now...schedules are so confusing!
• 2 students were observed by the school psychologist today to help me with data
• informal observation in math today-- the director said that I had the perfect class-- WoW

Photos:

posters from The Inspired Apple blog

under construction

Spring P/T Conference night

Notes:

• P/T conferences tonight...so many parents thanked me, and it was so nice to hear.  I get so stressed out that I sometimes forget how much my kids have progressed and how far they've come since September! :')
• ESL FLEWWWW by today...those journals have been a doozy lately
• categorizing assessment completed 
• went home for 20 minutes before conferences today...that woulda been the craziest thing ever back in November ;-)
• one no-show for conferences
• reminder for next year-- it is so important to explain kindergarten and first-grade rating systems on report cards to avoid confusion!

Photos:

Tuesday's paintings after reading Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

Happy Spring!

Notes:

• Grade 4 Long Comp day in MA...dun dun dun! Good luck, 4th graders!
• journal writing took sooo long today-- and handwriting with one of my students was painful today
• read Old Bear by Kevin Henkes-- kids loved it, and it was a cute way to introduce Spring
• parent conference this morning at 8...only the rest to go tomorrow night :-/
• found out that one of my students is moving...eek!
• painted scenes from spring at the end of the day today

Photos:

Spring flowers that I bought for the classroom :)

Monday

Notes:

• Last Cat 1 training today and one more assignment to go-- woohoo!
• missed another staff meeting :-/
• ESL went really well today-- the kids are super motivated by BINGO and it's really helping them to learn their vocabulary words
• Just found out that the other K classes DO NOT give spelling tests-- oops...
• began my "weekly" fluency checks today...hope they end up working!
• began long a with the first graders...don't know if I'm rushing it...
• Not able to fit in storytime that often!
• Finally gave the kids those National Geographic magazines-- gee whiz...
• one of my K students banged his eyebrow really hard against a chair during mid-morning exercise-- womp womp :(
• just bought flowers to show the kids tomorrow and have them paint!  maybe we'll try to be in the courtyard...
• nervous about my PT conference tomorrow morning...
• lost in translations.

Photos:

Synonym Snake

Good Luck cards for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders taking the MCAS

Spirit Week- Day 5

Notes:

• Today was Lucky Green Day for St. Patty's Day...I bought my kids green mardi gras necklaces (just in case someone didn't wear green-- which two of them didn't!).
• We had a class picture photo shoot today-- woohoo, gotta love those.
• hunting for Lucky the Leprechaun today in my mentor's classroom--the kids were so excited!
• Irish soda bread snack with our kindergarten friends
• report cards for Grade 1 went out today
• kids were SOOO chatty today
• dismissed original ESL plans for Writers' Workshop-- it was so much fun! "What would you do if you caught a leprechaun?"  We answered this with a TPS and writing prompt and picture.  They came out so cute!
• Lucky Charms graphing activity this afternoon
• Scholastic freebie with "Have you see my pot of gold?" Kids were so excited that they could actually read it!

Photos:

Spirit Week- Day 4

Notes:

• Today was the 4th day of Spirit Week-- character day.  I dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood, and thankfully, a lot of kids knew who I was.  I read the story to my class just in case.  The librarian was also dressed in the same costume-- womp womp.
• MELA-O and MEPAs are officially completed-- holla holla!
• mentor observed during ESL today-- lots of good things said :)
• new hire meeting after school today-- was superrr tired

Spirit Week- Day 3

Notes:

• AND THE CRAZINESS COMMENCES!!!  gee whiz...
• ELA QA2 data due tomorrow
• MELA-O needs to be bubbled in on the back of MEPA tests...blahhh
• my behavioral suspect is out of control!  trip to the principal's office AND a call home...ending with him saying "yo thirsty"...SERIOUSLY?!?!!? ughhhhh
• Cat 2 training after school today
• staff breakfast this morning
• Math course homework due tomorrow
• new match and BINGO games made for my kindergarten kiddos
• observed by my mentor today during ESL

Spirit Week- Day 2

Today was Crazy Day for Spirit Week.  That is all. -.-

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• HANDS OFF POLICY...ugh...GET IT TOGETHER, kindergarteners!!
• skipped by 11am observation-- boo to me
• went to afternoon gr.1 OTL today
• wore my Halloween top hat for crazy day today-- some of the kids were really cute with their outfits!
• read a St. Patrick's Day book with our kindergarten friends in my mentor's classroom.  Then the kids drew character pictures from the story during snack...it was an optional assignment!

Biggest Concerns:

• parent/teacher conferences

Photos:

Spirit Week- Day 1

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• Today was Spirit Day, and I was obvi on the committee for planning the week.  rocked out my powderpuff jersey today after dusting it off a bit!
• Cat 1 training after school
• haven't been feeling so hot these past 24 hours...
• handed out pencils for spirit week
• trying really hard to get at least 4-5 running records accomplished every day so that I can send books home with the kids to practice reading...just need to begin keeping a book list for what they've read so they can see their progress!
• interviewed a student from Mexico for my Cat 1 homework...soo interesting!!
• finished report cards on Saturday-- holla holla!
• bringing up students to OTL again

Biggest Concerns:

• observation from my mentor tomorrow
• finishing MELA-Os
• when is my next formal observation?
• P/T conferences
• parent phone calls
• forged signatures and declining student effort -.-

Friday

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• guest reader returned to my classroom-- such a nice lady!! She brought the kids teddy grahams and didn't seem to agree with my "You get what you get..." policy ;-)
• 2nd day of MEPA testing for Writing-- kids were WIPED OUT.
• HANDS OFF policy needs to be reinforced in the classroom and around the school
• principal popped in during the read aloud this afternoon

Biggest Concerns:

• report cards
• projects
• graduate work piling up

Thursday

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• It was nice to have a normal day after the hectic MEPA-Reading day yesterday...
• ELL team meeting after school went until 5:30; poo -.-

Biggest Concerns:

• formal observation
• report cards
• p/t conferences in 2 weeks

Wednesday

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• was freaking out all day because of beginning MEPA testing
• Cat 2 after school

Biggest Concerns:

• report cards for Grade 1
• homework for categories, graduate course, and math course

Tuesday

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• Half day today! regular ESL times and getting started with MELA-O 
• new bulletin board up with cats

Biggest Concerns:

• accommodating for different students for the MEPA
• MEPA is tomorrow--- freaking out!!

Photos:

 

Dr. Seuss, continued

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• I am continuing the Dr. Seuss theme this week because my kids love the books so much...We finally finished our story maps of the Cat in the Hat today and our -at rhyming hats.  I had a last minute idea to use the handouts as the stomach of a cat and make a kid-size display of information-- came out super cute!!
• Informal observation AGAIN today-- first one done by my assistant principal...I thought the kids were crazy, but she didn't write anything negative-- just saying that they were engaged and methodical...lovely.
• Spirit Week flyer checked out with the committee; so it's off to be copied!
• Cat 1 training after school today...I love knowing people in my class! But coffee took FOREVER to get..ugh.
• MEPA practice tests took longer than expected today, and we ended up working on a lot of handwriting practice instead...

Biggest Concerns:

• MEPA
• report cards due next Wednesday

Photos:

4 ft. tall Cat in the Hat

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

I would be lying if I told you that Friday wasn't crazy.  I would say that it is in my top 5 craziest days of the year-- for sure.  Oh well, it was Seuss-tastic!

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• spelling tests today were rough-- only 5 hundreds!
• Seuss hats with peppermints and Oreos-- one little guy tried to eat his!! oh geez...
• Seuss rhyming hats
• Cat in the Hat story maps
• Thing 1 and Thing 2 impromptu puppets
• Read Across America storyteller LOVED my class and wants to come back next Friday! :) It's nice when someone comes in and thinks your kids are totally awesome (which they are, but they are also totally crazy).  They loved Marvin Mooney.
• green eggs and ham from our kindergarten friends downstairs!
• bathroom was out of commission for 2 hours today-- rough.
• pajama day throughout the school today

Biggest Concerns:

• lessons and scheduling next week with MEPA testing
• four classes are in full swing! ay caramba!!

Photos:

Thursday

HOOOOORAY-- tomorrow is Friday!  Thank goodness.

Highlights/ Low-lights:

• ESL= flying duet, and of course Vern had gone off the master plan..
• printing machine this morning
• MEPA schedule tentatively set 
• M started transition to 2nd grade
• indoor recess= no real recess until the end of the day
• Lorax story maps finished and last-minute Cat in the Hat prompt began
• b-m-e for Cat in the Hat for tomorrow
• principal's newsletter with MOI in it for mailboxes tomorrow...
• after school program's parents asking to go my room is getting a little tiresome -.- SUPER frustrating

Biggest Concerns:

• What will our special reader read to the kids tomorrow?
• ESL planning for next week...thinking about throwing it out the window to do MEPA practice and take the test for Wed./Fri.
• math course homework
• getting college credits for the 2 category trainings I'm taking-- woohoo
• MEPA scores from October
• parent conferences
• Grade 1 report cards

Photos:

overall bulletin board :)

the last truffula tree