Actress / Teacher

Back in the Saddle Again

2009-08-02T05:30:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-07-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

New Pastels

2009-07-07T21:21:00.001-07:00

On suede...

My sunflower for my mama...

Pastels

2009-06-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

I finished my first ever pastel painting. I hope I photographed it okay.

A Letter

2009-04-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

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?

Billy and Elton

2009-04-02T06:55:00.001-07:00

Billy Joel and Elton John take on Phoenix 2009--- it was AMAZING! (made the shirts myself)

Non-school related fun!!!

Crack?

2009-03-17T06:29:00.001-07:00

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'."

In the Ghetto

2009-03-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

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.

Crazy...

2009-02-09T05:38:00.000-08:00

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......

Potential Dog Mauling

2009-01-17T14:27:00.000-08:00

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...?

Super Miss Sells!

2009-01-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

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!

Long December

2008-12-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

At about 2:30, after having specials at about noon....
Ricardo: Did we already have P.E.? We DID!? I didn't even feel it!

Four of my kids were tested proficient so will now be leaving my class. It's good news in the way that is means what I'm doing is working if these kids are already proficient by the second quarter, but I don't want them to leave! I know it's greedy and wrong, but my classroom is a little like my family. It's hard to see anyone go.

A little humor

2008-12-02T05:23:00.000-08:00

We were playing a centers game where I'm trying to get them to guess a particular word. This time it was, "A Frisbee".

Me: What often gets thrown over the fence?
Ricardo: A nerd!
Me: It sometimes gets on the roof.
Ricardo: Poop!

2008-11-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

Voting

2008-11-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

I got at my polling place at 5:15 (it opened at 6) and there was already a huge line, like it was the opening of a new Star Wars movie or the release of a Harry Potter book. I voted, and it was my first time voting a) in Arizona and 2) physically at the polls.

I also got my first sticker, but sadly, it doesn’t say, “I voted for your mom”, “Kiss me, I voted” or “Voters are sexy”. I’m really disappointed.

The kids at school are involved in this nationwide campaign called KidsVote, where kids, K-8, are given Voter ID cards and vote at simulated polls. The votes are tallied and compared to the real votes. Pretty awesome, really. (My kids are pro-Obama. One kid calls McCain "McCan't").

A Day Made Better

2008-10-06T13:15:00.001-07:00

To see real pictures of my surprise, follow these directions:
Go to:
http://www.adaymadebetter.com/a-day-made-better.htm

Click on Days Made Better at the top.
Click on Arizona, then Phoenix.
Click on floating picture that has caption of “Maurice C. Cash School” (there are yellow and black balloons).
There are two pictures…. The surprise was serious!

My newly christened throne:

Gift with the recipient:

What I now do in my new chair:

Just kidding!

Super Surprises!

2008-10-01T17:08:00.001-07:00

You won’t believe what happened today! Right after recess, Ms. Sandomir and a bunch of people in black shirts came into my classroom. I was a little scared, but one of the guys had roses for me (couldn’t be all bad) and a plaque. They said they were from Office Max and they had a surprise for me if I followed them. They led me and my students to the cafeteria where there was about four classes of kids and a huge poster that said, “We (heart) Miss Sells”. They said I won an award called “A Day Made Better” that is given to teachers who “make days better.” The office staff nominated me!--- and I WON! They gave me a NEW*** teacher chair (leather!) and two huge boxes (2.5’ cubes!) of supplies for my kids. Hole punches, label makers, pencil boxes for all of my kids--- honestly--- so much I couldn’t even list it right now. They took a million pictures of me and my students and me in my new chair (heehee)! I am SO grateful. During lunch, Shannin gave me a card and a gift, and Lessita made me spinach dip and brought an ice cream cake, plus made a picture frame where people have been writing flattering traits on. Can you believe this? I am so blessed!

Kiss-ups and Cuteness

2008-09-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

Me: It's a good thing you're cute.
Jonathan: I know, right?

Brown-nosing child of the year: You may not have given me candy, Miss Sells, but I win any way. I have the best teacher in the world.

Student: Please forgive me, Miss Sells. A minute ago I spoke Spanish. I know we're not supposed to. Please forgive me.
Me: What did you say?
Student: I said, "please forgive me..."
Me: No, what did you say in Spanish?
Student: Gracias.
Me: I think I'll let you off the hook this time. Thanks for telling me.

Student: Miss Sells. Please forgive me. A minute ago, I played with my ruler right after you told us they were tools and not toys. I'm sorry.

Check out my school on the statewide news! You can't see it, but one of my kids made a sign that says, "I love my school because my teacher teach me English." http://media.myfoxphoenix.com/KSAZ/hilites/whirlybird.html First three videos (M.C. Cash School)

Thank you!

2008-08-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you to my friends who remind me that, though I'm a teacher, that's not all I am. I appreciate knowing that I am a friend, a sister, a daughter, and a teacher. My job is incredibly important to me, but it's not my entire identity.

Time is no friend of mine!

2008-08-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Third year teacher. I should have my ducks in a row by now. I shouldn't be in the classroom on Sunday at 5:00 prepping for the week. I shouldn't be ready to strangle my students (CPS, I am far from the actual action).

I have no time for anything. I have to prioritize my necessary activities and choose only the ones who must be done, life or death. I am taking classes, trying (and not succeeding) in leading the PTO, TEACHING 29 students how to speak, write, and read English, do math, and become effective citizens. I am exhausted. It's only the fourth week of school.

Ugh.

First Week Finished!

2008-08-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

I have officially survived the first week of school, though it's been rough. I really miss my students from last year, and this batch needs a LOT of help- in in-class behavior, focusing, writing, spelling, math- pretty much everything but virtue. Does that make sense? They are all pretty good kids, but they don't know how to keep their hands out of their desk, pay attention to a lesson/story/speaker, raise their hand, stay quiet during independent work, etc.

I have thirty students, as of right now, but it may flop upwards of 35 by September! It's this new ELD structure the state of Arizona has applied this year- I am only allowed to take in ELD students, and the rest of the third grade teachers are teaching non-ELD, which means any new enrollments who are ELD get automatically placed in my class! YIKES!

Ughhhhhh!

2008-07-25T17:05:00.001-07:00

I officially hate teaching! Okay, I don't hate it, but I'm getting really frustrated. I go back to work next week and the following week is the first week of school. Although I worked at home to prepare and this will be my third year teaching, I'm completely overwhelmed and I forgot about all the crap that goes with this: new schedules, changing schedules, new staff members who don't care, new standards, new state mandates, huge class numbers (I'm already at thirty), shortages of supplies, broken promises.... The kids- the real reason I put up with this stuff- aren't here to remind me of my calling, so I'm just becoming embittered- after only one day working in the classroom.

Grrrrrrrrr!

Summer time, and the living's easy!

2008-06-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Wow... this is the time that I really love being a teacher. Though finances are tight, and I still had to teach summer school and get another part-time job to make these distant ends meet, I am loving the lazy days of summer. I can read whatever I want, [technically] get up whenever I want (Karma actually makes sure I get up earlier for our morning walk, but then I just take a nap afterwards, so does it really count?), and basically just lounge around the house, thinking, watching mindless television, etc. Right now I'm in the classroom, just making sure that when I return in the end of July I won't have a million loose ends. My goals for today are: 1) organize all of my overhead paraphenelia (I can't believe how the overhead has changed since I was in school... such a simple piece of technology that can be manipulated in a trillion ways) and 2) file all the papers I decided did not need to be filed right away during the school year.

In educational news, a state mandate was passed that says that all ELD students need to have four hours of reading instruction, divided in specific segments depending on their ranking (Pre-emergent, Emergent, Basic, Intermediate). I don't have the numbers in front of me, but it makes lesson planning a little more difficult, with specific minutes for conversation, writing, reading, verbal, and grammar. Plus, all ELD students are supposed to be in the same class, so I will have only ELD students in my class (which isn't a far cry from my class last year).

Karma after hair-cut:

Non-school related

2008-05-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Here's the newest addition to my household!

Meet Karma!

Summer School

2008-05-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

Day Two of Summer School:

Although I have the largest summer school class in the school (14 students enrolled), this has been my most positive experience yet. I'm finally organized, prepared, and armed for anything summer-school-related. Last year, when I foolishly expected given curriculum and/or general expectations on what I was to teach, I found myself scrambling for something to fill what seemed like an eternal four hours of school. Now, my students are saying, "We go home now?" as if we'd only been in class for an hour.

For those of you on a similar conflict, here is my schedule:
8:00- Attendance and Sonday System (phonics review program)
8:30- Computer
8:55- Journal writing with Mix-Pair-Share
9:30- Centers (while I pull them for reading fluency testing)
9:55- Reading of decodable book, copied so they can take home
10:30- Make Your Own (a time where we make our own flashcards)
10:50- Math (On a stroke of pure genius, I have purchased a set of playing cards for each student from the dollar store. Each day, I teach them a new review game they can play with the cards. Then, they can take it home and practice the games... So far, so good!)
11:30- Lunch
11:50- Review
12:00- Dismissal

P.S. I am picking up my dog at 2:30 today! News to come on that front, I suspect!