Whoever coined the term "Sunday Funday" was not a teacher. Sunday's are not fun for me, ever. In fact, I've recently discovered how utterly lame I am becoming. I spent ALL of Friday night getting work done. That included staying up until 12:30 (wayyy past my bed time) to grade, track, plan and organize all of my stuff for professional saturday the next day. And now it's Sunday and I have to spend the entire day studying for a test in Curriculum Development...snooze...I have to keep telling myself that this grad school business will be worth it in the end, because right now, I only have 1 night a week open and spend most of my weekends doing work. Well betcha wanted to hear me complain about that, huh?
Quote from the kiddos...Kayla counting aloud for me, "one....two...three...September." "No Kayla, September isn't a number." "August." "What comes after 3?" "B." "okay, you can go back to your seat." This was last week. This week (Friday) the two kids that cannot count past 3 made it to 10 with some assistance. They are SLOWLY starting to learn what number comes next, it's about time, we count no less than 15 times a day. One funny note...one of the kids that cannot count past 3 was listed as proficient in math according to the district test they were given weeks ago. Um...I think something may be wrong with your results. He is OBVIOUSLY minimal in math. This week is another district testing week which means 3 days of no instruction happening. However, this is the last time that Kindergarten and 1st grade have to deal with the district tests and curriculum, HALLELUIAH!
So, while the leaves are changing colors and the nights are getting cooler, Mississippi is getting DRENCHED. Literally. It rained ALL last weekend...to the point where I was cringing thinking about how wet it was and how the playground was not going to dry out for a month. That makes me very unhappy. Well, Friday night I woke up a couple of times before my alarm and it sounded like ship loads of water were being dumped on the house. I guess that's what 10 inches of rain sounds like. Anyway, the streets were flooded. There was at least a foot of water in some portions of our street. Don't worry, I know you're not supposed to drive down a flooded street, but I had just watched a cop car come through it and he said it would be fine! Well, Ruleville didn't have school, parts of the school had water damage. I swear to you, all I want is a rain/snow day. Here's a link to an article from the Cleveland newspaper. I live on Floyce.
http://www.bolivarcom.com/index.cfm?event=news.view&id=D4E327C5-19B9-E2E2-67FB4DF991DFD6EB
Write it on your calendar...September 20, Jeannie's already asking for the Christmas letter...after I just vented about hating my lack of free time. mehhhhhh. Don't worry, I'm only writing this while my soup cools....
Uh, an update about my class....I have 12 kids that have mastered all of the letters we have covered and I have 7 kids that have hardly mastered any. My class is either doing REALLY well or REALLY poorly. I only have 3 kids in the middle. Pretty unusual, but means that I'm now going to have new centers for those tactile and kinesthetic learners...someway, they'll learn it, I hope. My principal has spent the last two weeks cleaning out our book room which was in complete disarray and soooo jam packed you couldn't even want in there. So, each day someone brings more CRAP for us to have in our classrooms. I asked her one day when the new cabinet was coming to keep all of this stuff in, she laughed; I was being serious. I mean, thank you for all of the mix matched social studies workbook/leaflet pages. Can we get some copy paper so I don't have to keep buying my own? We are going on week 7 and we still have not gotten ONE package of paper. Soooo annoyed. We finally got math curriculum 2 weeks ago, so we could stop copying those work sheets. And now last Wednesday we got the phonics program, so there are a few more pages we can stop copying. But really...who gets their phonics program almost a quarter of the way into the school year? The first 9 weeks test are right around the corner...meh (again!).
Okay...back to studying, the day is getting away from me and this stuff isn't memorizing itself.
Here's to rain and recess-less school days.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Fleeing the fleas
I am updating this because my mother is a nag...apparently her only hobby is reading my blog, someone please help her out :) Kidding Jeannie...
Speaking of Jeannie, Happy belated Anniversary to Bruce and Jeannie on the 5th...I'd tell you how many years, but I've been trying to figure that out myself...28 I think.
Oh cripes, what on earth do I have to tell you. Well, being that I haven't updated since the first week of school...I guess I SHOULD have a lot. Let me just say...I said this before and I'll say it again, 2nd year is SO MUCH BETTER. Cripes...I'm not walking on rainbows and sunshine each day, but I don't hate my life or bite my lip incessantly each day. My class has some naughties....but overall, their biggest problem is that they are like little babies thrown into a swimming pool and expected to swim. They are SO, SO, SO, SO (I'll say it again) SO L.O.W. Like, absurdly low even compared to the other class. This all happened by chance, no one really knows much about these kids coming into Kindergarten, but I ended up with a batch of kids that are behaved for the most part, but just don't know a darn thing. The school administers a test on them three times during the school year to assess progress and growth and pinpoint who needs to be tutored and have interventions done and whatnot. Well, out of my 21 kids, 12...TWELVE children are considered at risk or some risk. This is not good. Like, fa real, not good. The other class has one at risk and three some risk students. Oh my gracious. No wonder so many of them cannot write their name and are constantly getting caught staring out the window during phonics, they are lost beyond all belief. I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what half of them did during an ENTIRE year in headstart. If they aren't writing their names, learning even the first letter of their name or practicing counting, then what the crap are they doing for 9 months, SERIOUSLY. The other day I made two kids count my fingers (only to 5) at least 10 times...couldn't do it...needed help with each number beyond 3. This is my job. This is my job. This is my job. This is my job. If I keep repeating it to myself I'll eventually get over being bitter at headstart and parents.
Happy Labor Day weekend! I love SMU but equally love not having to go to school or work on Labor day :) I spent all three days doing work, lame I know. But I had put off A LOT :) We also spent something like 6 hours cleaning our house from top to bottom...it was a chore, tell me tell you! I was thinking about it today and couldn't remember if I left the house all weekend. But I realized I had....I set off a bug bomb on Saturday morning and had to leave for two hours. We have a flea problem. No, we don't have any pets. Just some fleas. WTF. We think they were in a rug that is in our living room and just hatched because they all of a sudden became a problem. Oh well...set off the fogger and probably will do another one tomorrow (yes...there are still some around). Bahhh...
Let me tell you about another pest I hate...you guessed it...ROACHES. This afternoon, Lois and I went to our old house to FINALLY move my fire ring and firewood. Well...we packed everything up and realized we had left a box of paper out still that we should get rid of so the new renters don't hate us. As we are packing the paper into the garbage, monstrous roaches starting running out of it. I mean, these are like dinosaur sized. Lois ran towards the house screaming, I was screaming at the top of my lungs halfway to the neighbor's house...we were a hot, hott mess. Finally, we changed our pants and realized we have to do something about it. Don't worry, we really didn't wet our pants...so, Lois took a stick and started spreading out a few pieces of paper at a time across the cement to rid those pages of roaches, when they were clear, I would pick them up and put them in the garbage. We literally did this for the entire box of paper and probably for 1/2 hour. You might be thinking...what a couple of dumb girls, just get over it. Well ma'am or sir...there were NO LESS than 40 roaches coming out of that box and some were the length of my index finger, chew on that. grosssssssss us out. Anyway...we finished doing that and were headed back to our house...I pulled in the driveway slowly as my jeep was full of firewood and all of a sudden Lois's car comes flying by me on the side through the grass, I was like, "boy she must be in a huge hurry." Well, no, she wasn't...she had just gotten rear-ended and just ENDED up in the yard. She was fine. The car only has minor problems to the bumper, the other lady left her headlight in the street...but whatever, it was her fault. She tried to tell the police officer that my trunk door was open and Lois didn't have hear blinker on. Well, my backend WAS in fact shut and Lois was stopped waiting for me to turn. This lady needs to get over it that it was her fault and get ready for her $500 deductible.
Ahhhh...rewind to last weekend....the amazing,wonderful weekend that I spent in MINNESOTA!! I flew out of Jackson at 6 a.m. and as I walked through Memphis to catch my connecting flight had the BIGGEST grin on my face because I was going to the STATE FAIR. No lie. In fact, by the time I got to Minnesota, I was practically running people over on the movable walk-way trying to get to the car. Jeannie, Julie, Ali and Sara picked me up, even though I was screaming and all :) We spent a GLORIOUS day at the state fair filled with food, animals, Joe Mauer on a stick, 4-H wonderfulness, and other fair fun sans H1N1. Then it was to Amboy for Ingrid's wedding...another wonderful, mildly chilly event. It was beautiful ...in fact, I personally think *RED's song should be posted on youtube...if it ever makes it there I'll post a link...oh.my.frickin.wonderful. The reception was fun but also bittersweet knowing I had to turn around and head back to the 'sip the next day, when I would have loved to stick around and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Congratulations to Sheldon and Ingrid though :)
Okay...I'm posting a blog and Cody's doing school work...I better be productive...Happy September...got out the long-john's yet? Bet you'll need 'em soon!! Hahaha....it was only 85 here today, brrrr ;)
Peace and pests.
PS...don't worry, I went the first 12 days of school having a crier EACH and every morning. And it wasn't even the same kid each day. Oh my gracious :)
Speaking of Jeannie, Happy belated Anniversary to Bruce and Jeannie on the 5th...I'd tell you how many years, but I've been trying to figure that out myself...28 I think.
Oh cripes, what on earth do I have to tell you. Well, being that I haven't updated since the first week of school...I guess I SHOULD have a lot. Let me just say...I said this before and I'll say it again, 2nd year is SO MUCH BETTER. Cripes...I'm not walking on rainbows and sunshine each day, but I don't hate my life or bite my lip incessantly each day. My class has some naughties....but overall, their biggest problem is that they are like little babies thrown into a swimming pool and expected to swim. They are SO, SO, SO, SO (I'll say it again) SO L.O.W. Like, absurdly low even compared to the other class. This all happened by chance, no one really knows much about these kids coming into Kindergarten, but I ended up with a batch of kids that are behaved for the most part, but just don't know a darn thing. The school administers a test on them three times during the school year to assess progress and growth and pinpoint who needs to be tutored and have interventions done and whatnot. Well, out of my 21 kids, 12...TWELVE children are considered at risk or some risk. This is not good. Like, fa real, not good. The other class has one at risk and three some risk students. Oh my gracious. No wonder so many of them cannot write their name and are constantly getting caught staring out the window during phonics, they are lost beyond all belief. I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what half of them did during an ENTIRE year in headstart. If they aren't writing their names, learning even the first letter of their name or practicing counting, then what the crap are they doing for 9 months, SERIOUSLY. The other day I made two kids count my fingers (only to 5) at least 10 times...couldn't do it...needed help with each number beyond 3. This is my job. This is my job. This is my job. This is my job. If I keep repeating it to myself I'll eventually get over being bitter at headstart and parents.Happy Labor Day weekend! I love SMU but equally love not having to go to school or work on Labor day :) I spent all three days doing work, lame I know. But I had put off A LOT :) We also spent something like 6 hours cleaning our house from top to bottom...it was a chore, tell me tell you! I was thinking about it today and couldn't remember if I left the house all weekend. But I realized I had....I set off a bug bomb on Saturday morning and had to leave for two hours. We have a flea problem. No, we don't have any pets. Just some fleas. WTF. We think they were in a rug that is in our living room and just hatched because they all of a sudden became a problem. Oh well...set off the fogger and probably will do another one tomorrow (yes...there are still some around). Bahhh...
Let me tell you about another pest I hate...you guessed it...ROACHES. This afternoon, Lois and I went to our old house to FINALLY move my fire ring and firewood. Well...we packed everything up and realized we had left a box of paper out still that we should get rid of so the new renters don't hate us. As we are packing the paper into the garbage, monstrous roaches starting running out of it. I mean, these are like dinosaur sized. Lois ran towards the house screaming, I was screaming at the top of my lungs halfway to the neighbor's house...we were a hot, hott mess. Finally, we changed our pants and realized we have to do something about it. Don't worry, we really didn't wet our pants...so, Lois took a stick and started spreading out a few pieces of paper at a time across the cement to rid those pages of roaches, when they were clear, I would pick them up and put them in the garbage. We literally did this for the entire box of paper and probably for 1/2 hour. You might be thinking...what a couple of dumb girls, just get over it. Well ma'am or sir...there were NO LESS than 40 roaches coming out of that box and some were the length of my index finger, chew on that. grosssssssss us out. Anyway...we finished doing that and were headed back to our house...I pulled in the driveway slowly as my jeep was full of firewood and all of a sudden Lois's car comes flying by me on the side through the grass, I was like, "boy she must be in a huge hurry." Well, no, she wasn't...she had just gotten rear-ended and just ENDED up in the yard. She was fine. The car only has minor problems to the bumper, the other lady left her headlight in the street...but whatever, it was her fault. She tried to tell the police officer that my trunk door was open and Lois didn't have hear blinker on. Well, my backend WAS in fact shut and Lois was stopped waiting for me to turn. This lady needs to get over it that it was her fault and get ready for her $500 deductible.
Ahhhh...rewind to last weekend....the amazing,wonderful weekend that I spent in MINNESOTA!! I flew out of Jackson at 6 a.m. and as I walked through Memphis to catch my connecting flight had the BIGGEST grin on my face because I was going to the STATE FAIR. No lie. In fact, by the time I got to Minnesota, I was practically running people over on the movable walk-way trying to get to the car. Jeannie, Julie, Ali and Sara picked me up, even though I was screaming and all :) We spent a GLORIOUS day at the state fair filled with food, animals, Joe Mauer on a stick, 4-H wonderfulness, and other fair fun sans H1N1. Then it was to Amboy for Ingrid's wedding...another wonderful, mildly chilly event. It was beautiful ...in fact, I personally think *RED's song should be posted on youtube...if it ever makes it there I'll post a link...oh.my.frickin.wonderful. The reception was fun but also bittersweet knowing I had to turn around and head back to the 'sip the next day, when I would have loved to stick around and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Congratulations to Sheldon and Ingrid though :)
Okay...I'm posting a blog and Cody's doing school work...I better be productive...Happy September...got out the long-john's yet? Bet you'll need 'em soon!! Hahaha....it was only 85 here today, brrrr ;)
Peace and pests.
PS...don't worry, I went the first 12 days of school having a crier EACH and every morning. And it wasn't even the same kid each day. Oh my gracious :)
PPS...my kids took their "district tests" which turned out to be ridiculous and didn't even assess the skills in the way you are supposed to teach in kindergarten...don't worry, we bombed a lot of them. I'm not concerned...if the skill is developmental, I'm not going to push them. We're going to read by the end of the year...I'll promise them that.
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