Tomorrow is, yet again, the first day of school! I have 17 boys and 7 girls on my class list, and even though that's a LOT of boys, it's my smallest class size EVER. I also have a monolingual Chinese student. I'm really worried about how she'll adjust/pick up the language!
The kids are cuter than ever (I met them Thursday during Meet the Teacher), and I feel like I finally have this ELD thing down. Now I just need God to grant me some more patience and a lot more energy.
I'm going in to school this morning (on a Sunday! bleh!) to do some last minute prep and finish sorting out math assessments for our new math standards.
By the way, teachers. I found this cool website: www.ixl.com Check it out!
Hope everyone's doing well!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
A Letter
I found the following letter in my in-class mailbox:
3/28/09
Dear Miss Sells,
Hi Miss Sells it's ______. Did you know that you are a perfect teacher? Even you are pretty, cool, funny, and so so nice. I think that when you show us twinkie and when you read us books, also when you teach us is awsome. Even when you write me leters you fill my bucket. What is your favorite kinds of flowers? Do you like reading or math? Did you know third grade was awsome but more room 19? Do you like third grade?
Love,
_____
Isn't that precious?
3/28/09
Dear Miss Sells,
Hi Miss Sells it's ______. Did you know that you are a perfect teacher? Even you are pretty, cool, funny, and so so nice. I think that when you show us twinkie and when you read us books, also when you teach us is awsome. Even when you write me leters you fill my bucket. What is your favorite kinds of flowers? Do you like reading or math? Did you know third grade was awsome but more room 19? Do you like third grade?
Love,
_____
Isn't that precious?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Billy and Elton
Billy Joel and Elton John take on Phoenix 2009--- it was AMAZING! (made the shirts myself)
Non-school related fun!!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Crack?
Here's a quote from yesterday.
Child: "Oh my gosh! Look at this picture! I can see his butt crap!"
I THINK he meant 'crack.' Only one child caught it, and I just said, "I think you meant 'crack'."
Child: "Oh my gosh! Look at this picture! I can see his butt crap!"
I THINK he meant 'crack.' Only one child caught it, and I just said, "I think you meant 'crack'."
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
In the Ghetto
An uncle of one of my students, who was just released from prison a few weeks ago, was shot nearby. I don't know the details, but it looks like he was involved in some shady dealings. When he was shot, he was climbing a wall, and he fell, dead, into someone's front yard. That yard belonged to another student of mine, and she was sitting by the window when the body fell into her yard.
I was not taught how to deal with such matters in my education classes. The neice of the killed man is very calm about the whole matter, saying she knows he's an angel, etc. However, I feel like I have some kind of duty as this child's teacher. Unfortunately, I don't know what that duty is.
I was not taught how to deal with such matters in my education classes. The neice of the killed man is very calm about the whole matter, saying she knows he's an angel, etc. However, I feel like I have some kind of duty as this child's teacher. Unfortunately, I don't know what that duty is.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Crazy...
One of my students was listening to an upbeat Disney song before Saturday School and commented, "If I had whiskers, they would move to this song." Hmmmmm......
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Potential Dog Mauling
So, the neighborhood where my school is often has stray dogs running around. These people don't believe in spaying or neutering, leashes, or licenses. Anyway, every now and again a dog will wander on to campus. Usually we can either chase it off campus or our Jack-of-All-Trades, Armando, does this fabulous lassoing and we call the pound. In fact, last Monday, while on duty, a lab puppy was galloping around campus. Ms. Brooks and I tried to catch it and shoo it away, but it wouldn't heed our yelling. Some children told us the dog's name was Noodles. Imagine, if you will, two grown women running around trying to chase a playful puppy while screaming, "Noodles! Noodles! Noodles" repeatedly! The dog's name probably isn't even Noodles.
On Thursday, while at recess, a colleague and I saw two German shepherds on the other side of the fence. Before we could process this, they were on the interior of the fence, squeezing through a hole some escape artist fourth graders were working on. The dogs then decided to chase our third graders, I guess thinking it was playing time. I used my whistle, as the children screamed, and shouted for them not to move. Most of the kids were disobedient and just ran closer to the buildings. Now, only Luis Fernando, one of darlings, was out with the dogs. I told him to freeze, and he did so. The dogs sniffed him and walked away.
Now that our children were relatively safe, I went over to shoo them off campus. One ran away immediately, but the other couldn't seem to find the way out. He ended up next to the gate. I thought I would just open the gate and let the dog out, but the dog felt threatened by my approach and snarled at me. I backed away, but the dog was still angry and he lunged at me. I put my hands up in a gesture that I hope every species recognized as surrender, and plastered myself to the edge of the tree. In my mind I was thinking, "this is how I'm going to die. I will be eaten by a stray German Shepherd while my students watch". Luckily, our other Jack-of-All-Trades, Mitch, came and was able to successfuly get rid of the angry dog. I was really scared! So were my kids.... I got a lot of hugs and "I thought they were going to eat you, Miss Sells!"s when I went back to my class.
All in a day's work...?
On Thursday, while at recess, a colleague and I saw two German shepherds on the other side of the fence. Before we could process this, they were on the interior of the fence, squeezing through a hole some escape artist fourth graders were working on. The dogs then decided to chase our third graders, I guess thinking it was playing time. I used my whistle, as the children screamed, and shouted for them not to move. Most of the kids were disobedient and just ran closer to the buildings. Now, only Luis Fernando, one of darlings, was out with the dogs. I told him to freeze, and he did so. The dogs sniffed him and walked away.
Now that our children were relatively safe, I went over to shoo them off campus. One ran away immediately, but the other couldn't seem to find the way out. He ended up next to the gate. I thought I would just open the gate and let the dog out, but the dog felt threatened by my approach and snarled at me. I backed away, but the dog was still angry and he lunged at me. I put my hands up in a gesture that I hope every species recognized as surrender, and plastered myself to the edge of the tree. In my mind I was thinking, "this is how I'm going to die. I will be eaten by a stray German Shepherd while my students watch". Luckily, our other Jack-of-All-Trades, Mitch, came and was able to successfuly get rid of the angry dog. I was really scared! So were my kids.... I got a lot of hugs and "I thought they were going to eat you, Miss Sells!"s when I went back to my class.
All in a day's work...?
Friday, January 2, 2009
Super Miss Sells!
I received this from a student I had last year.... Isn't it perfect? It actually kind of looks like me. I LOVE the boots!Anyway, Monday I go to back to school after a much-deserved, much-needed break. I'm a little excited (and a little overwhelmed) because of all the important standards addressed this quarter. I have been prepping in my classroom since 11 for my introduction lesson to fractions. It's going to be GREAT (Twinkie, of course, is involved).
Pray that I won't be burned out as quickly as I was last quarter!
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