"I don't play games with strangers, only strange people." - Diana
"Don't blame me, Miss Sells! You know me- I'm just lazy!" - Alex
Me: "Plug in the word into the sentence and tell me how it would sound."
Steven: "Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"
In writing, comparing me to their last year's teacher:
Arnulfo: Miss Sells is not bore, but my last teacher man was she a bore.
Aranza: Miss Sells looked nice when I first saw her. Ms. ____ looked evil when I first saw her. Miss Sells is fun. Ms. ____ is annoying.
Luis: Last year's teacher was well I would said she was a little fat. Miss Sells is skinne.
Alexis: Now I have a teacher who dances all the time. I have never seen such a thing.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Valentine's Day: The Happiest Time of the Year for Eight-Year-Olds
Happy Valentine's Day!
Since the beginning of the year, I've been stressing how much I LOVE fractions with my kids. They responded at first with, "Why don't you marry them?" and I, in the most serious of all voices, said, "I would if it asked."
At about 7:30 this morning, I got a call from the office. Linda (our secretary) told me that there was something waiting for me in the office. When I got there there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Linda said, “They’re from fractions. That was what I was told to say. I have no idea.”
Isn’t that hilarious!? One of my colleagues had bought me flowers, and knew that I had been telling my students, practically daily, of my love. Some of the kids still don’t believe me, but I’m actually not lying when I tell them that Linda had said they were from fractions.
Also, I've received more than I ever have from Christmas or my birthday. Chocolates, stuffed gorillas, bears, dogs, singing frogs, fake flowers, coffee mugs. I joked with, "Is this give Miss Sells presents day?" One of darlings responded with, "Yes. Yes, it is."
This morning, our journal topic was "What is love?" Joe read it and started singing: "What is love? Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more..." complete with head bobbing.
Alexis' response was "Love is when a boy gives a girl something with the word 'love' on it." Well, hopefully that's not all love is!
Spread the love, people!
Since the beginning of the year, I've been stressing how much I LOVE fractions with my kids. They responded at first with, "Why don't you marry them?" and I, in the most serious of all voices, said, "I would if it asked."
At about 7:30 this morning, I got a call from the office. Linda (our secretary) told me that there was something waiting for me in the office. When I got there there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Linda said, “They’re from fractions. That was what I was told to say. I have no idea.”
Isn’t that hilarious!? One of my colleagues had bought me flowers, and knew that I had been telling my students, practically daily, of my love. Some of the kids still don’t believe me, but I’m actually not lying when I tell them that Linda had said they were from fractions.
Also, I've received more than I ever have from Christmas or my birthday. Chocolates, stuffed gorillas, bears, dogs, singing frogs, fake flowers, coffee mugs. I joked with, "Is this give Miss Sells presents day?" One of darlings responded with, "Yes. Yes, it is."
This morning, our journal topic was "What is love?" Joe read it and started singing: "What is love? Baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more..." complete with head bobbing.
Alexis' response was "Love is when a boy gives a girl something with the word 'love' on it." Well, hopefully that's not all love is!
Spread the love, people!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Parades, pushing, pooped
A couple of things:
First, the red half circle outside of classroom doors are NOT A SUGGESTION. One of my students split her head open on the doorknob when a child whipped the door open from the inside (she was also being pushed by someone behind her).
Second, when you think of a "brilliant idea" of how to teach letter writing, make sure the prep time and money doesn't outdo the acutal influence of the project. Our root beer float taste contest (writing to the company we thought had the best root beer) was fun, but it took me a total of an hour to prep, and I had to purchase cups, ice cream, and root beer.
Two of my students and I got to walk in a parade today! Our community, Laveen, had a parade where the principals of each school rode in classic cars and students handed out candy. It was really fun!
I'm exhausted, once again, and lonely again, too. I'm in my classroom and it's nearing 6 p.m. on a SATURDAY. I'm pretty sure there's another teacher here, though, because he promised he would call before he left... My life is sad.
First, the red half circle outside of classroom doors are NOT A SUGGESTION. One of my students split her head open on the doorknob when a child whipped the door open from the inside (she was also being pushed by someone behind her).
Second, when you think of a "brilliant idea" of how to teach letter writing, make sure the prep time and money doesn't outdo the acutal influence of the project. Our root beer float taste contest (writing to the company we thought had the best root beer) was fun, but it took me a total of an hour to prep, and I had to purchase cups, ice cream, and root beer.
Two of my students and I got to walk in a parade today! Our community, Laveen, had a parade where the principals of each school rode in classic cars and students handed out candy. It was really fun!
I'm exhausted, once again, and lonely again, too. I'm in my classroom and it's nearing 6 p.m. on a SATURDAY. I'm pretty sure there's another teacher here, though, because he promised he would call before he left... My life is sad.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Flying balls!
Poor Jose!
Dropping my kids off at music for specials on Friday, we had to wait outside until the teacher finished with the last class. The bathroom is around the corner from the music classroom and it happened to be unlocked for Coach's kids. I let Jose go to the bathroom while we waited. A few moments later, Coach appears saying, "Miss Sells! I'll watch your class; one of your kids is hurt."
I run around the corner and Jose is against the wall next to the bathroom, crying his eyes out.
"Jose, what happened!?"
He just bluthered through his tears. Coach, who was standing at the corner so he could watch his kids and mine said, "Miss Sells, I keep tellin' those kids not to throw the balls against the wall..."
Apparently, the kids at recess were playing with small rubber balls against the wall. One student missed the wall and the ball went flying into the bathroom, hitting Jose in the head as he prepared to do his business.
I walked Jose to the nurse's office (the nurse was absent), tried to find him an ice pack in the adjoining teacher's lounge, but only found an Otter Pop. When I returned to him, the secretary had found him an ice pack, so I gave him the OtterPop to help calm him down. He sat there, and we looked at a book of rattlesnakes together as he told me all he knew about snakes.
Man, I love that kid. Hopefully, he's not scarred for the rest of his life against using the school bathroom. He has a welt to prove the trauma of the experience.
Dropping my kids off at music for specials on Friday, we had to wait outside until the teacher finished with the last class. The bathroom is around the corner from the music classroom and it happened to be unlocked for Coach's kids. I let Jose go to the bathroom while we waited. A few moments later, Coach appears saying, "Miss Sells! I'll watch your class; one of your kids is hurt."
I run around the corner and Jose is against the wall next to the bathroom, crying his eyes out.
"Jose, what happened!?"
He just bluthered through his tears. Coach, who was standing at the corner so he could watch his kids and mine said, "Miss Sells, I keep tellin' those kids not to throw the balls against the wall..."
Apparently, the kids at recess were playing with small rubber balls against the wall. One student missed the wall and the ball went flying into the bathroom, hitting Jose in the head as he prepared to do his business.
I walked Jose to the nurse's office (the nurse was absent), tried to find him an ice pack in the adjoining teacher's lounge, but only found an Otter Pop. When I returned to him, the secretary had found him an ice pack, so I gave him the OtterPop to help calm him down. He sat there, and we looked at a book of rattlesnakes together as he told me all he knew about snakes.
Man, I love that kid. Hopefully, he's not scarred for the rest of his life against using the school bathroom. He has a welt to prove the trauma of the experience.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Some musings
Yesterday we had a Pretzel Party in class to celebrate all of the students passing their Binky words (the first set of sight words they practice; they are categorized by Arthur characters- the lowest is Binky, the highest is Bionic Bunny)! It was a proud moment for me, since the last one to move from Binky to Prunella was my resource student. The other members of his group worked with him daily since the day he came (about two weeks ago) to help him pass. It warms my heart!
So, my life revolves around school, as you all know. But--- the date of my dog-getting is fast-approaching. I want to make sure I have enough time to bond with him/her, so I'm going to get her the day after the last day of the school year: mid-May! Thanks for asking, Melissa!
Super-embarassing moment: Before school yesterday, I was in the office and the secretary (a woman who's been working at the school for forever, and speaks very bluntly) asked me if I had a boyfriend. When I answered in the negative, she asked why. What am I supposed to say? I do nothing but work? I don't have a life? Guys don't find me attractive? Well, I forget what I mumbled out, but then she asked if I was interested in anyone "around here." At first I thought she meant the Phoenix-area, but she meant within the school! First of all, even if I was interested in someone, how unprofessional would it be to tell our school secretary that? She began to list through the men at our school (most who are either married or in some other form of relationship). Those few minutes seemed to last FOREVER. Why must it be so hard to be single in a life of people who look down on singlehood?
So, my life revolves around school, as you all know. But--- the date of my dog-getting is fast-approaching. I want to make sure I have enough time to bond with him/her, so I'm going to get her the day after the last day of the school year: mid-May! Thanks for asking, Melissa!
Super-embarassing moment: Before school yesterday, I was in the office and the secretary (a woman who's been working at the school for forever, and speaks very bluntly) asked me if I had a boyfriend. When I answered in the negative, she asked why. What am I supposed to say? I do nothing but work? I don't have a life? Guys don't find me attractive? Well, I forget what I mumbled out, but then she asked if I was interested in anyone "around here." At first I thought she meant the Phoenix-area, but she meant within the school! First of all, even if I was interested in someone, how unprofessional would it be to tell our school secretary that? She began to list through the men at our school (most who are either married or in some other form of relationship). Those few minutes seemed to last FOREVER. Why must it be so hard to be single in a life of people who look down on singlehood?
Monday, January 14, 2008
Frustrating
The new law that forces employers to have correct papers on their employees is making our school dwindle. Unable to put up the needed paperwork, families are leaving for Mexico by the truckload. It's very upsetting to me, as I see my students (present and past) leave after making such growth in their English, only to know it will soon go to wayside after being immersed in the Spanish language daily. Right now, I only have twenty-four students, and a few other students are telling me their parents are planning on moving soon. Stupid rules and regulations.
This job is so frustrating! Unlike other jobs where it is actually possible to do everything right and be a complete success, teachers never really know how much of a success they are, or sometimes even what they may be doing wrong. There will always be room for improvement, especially since a lot of teaching is conjecture. Are cooperative learning groups better than the traditional school setting? Should 8-year-olds be taught completely differently than 9-year-olds should be taught, since they are technically at different developmental levels? More technology in the classroom or less?
And yet... I love it!
This job is so frustrating! Unlike other jobs where it is actually possible to do everything right and be a complete success, teachers never really know how much of a success they are, or sometimes even what they may be doing wrong. There will always be room for improvement, especially since a lot of teaching is conjecture. Are cooperative learning groups better than the traditional school setting? Should 8-year-olds be taught completely differently than 9-year-olds should be taught, since they are technically at different developmental levels? More technology in the classroom or less?
And yet... I love it!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Back to School
Though my sleep pattern is in shock from having no pattern at all over the last few weeks, coming back to school has been a relatively smooth transition. My kids were tired, but amiable yesterday, and even though it was a rainy day schedule (a rarity in Phoenix), they were on their best behavior.
Unfortunately, my monolingual (or should I call her my "quasi-monolingual" since she was picking up the language?) had her last day in my classroom yesterday. I'm very sad to see her leave, but it seems to be a positive move for her. She's moving from her cousin's trailer into a rental home with her parents. If she was moving to Mexico, I would probably would have torn my hair out- all of that work in vain! Anyway, I hate to call her my favorite, but she was close to being that. After losing Cipriano last year, in the middle-to-end of the year, I'm trying not to grow too attached with any of my students, knowing that this community is very mobile and the new laws are causing families to move back to Mexico. Now I'm down to a small 25 students, but I'm sure those two spots will fill up quickly; they always do!
Unfortunately, my monolingual (or should I call her my "quasi-monolingual" since she was picking up the language?) had her last day in my classroom yesterday. I'm very sad to see her leave, but it seems to be a positive move for her. She's moving from her cousin's trailer into a rental home with her parents. If she was moving to Mexico, I would probably would have torn my hair out- all of that work in vain! Anyway, I hate to call her my favorite, but she was close to being that. After losing Cipriano last year, in the middle-to-end of the year, I'm trying not to grow too attached with any of my students, knowing that this community is very mobile and the new laws are causing families to move back to Mexico. Now I'm down to a small 25 students, but I'm sure those two spots will fill up quickly; they always do!
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