March is almost here...

Today I wanted to be totally ready for March. I got started, had an after school meeting...stayed at school till 5. Then...I just wanted to go home. I want so bad to be one of those teachers that is powerful, and passionate. Maybe one day! 

Vocabulary Acting

My most favorite way to get my students understanding key vocabulary is to have them create skits about the vocabulary words.  Today we had "trade" and "barter."  I just sat back and examined how different they are now then when I came in October.  Watching kids that tend to have a quiet voice speak out, and watching those that normally are the leaders being turned down.  I do enjoy seeing kids speak up for what they want.  Watching them compromise....seeing their strengths blossoming right before my eyes.  Its pretty amazing! 

Interviews and waiting...

This past weekend I had 2 interviews...now comes the waiting part.  The first interview I felt pretty good about until I totally bombed the last question.  The second interview...well lets just say that I can feel pretty confident that I will not be offered another interview there.  It is so crazy to me how two interviews can be completely different.  I mean...when the person interviewing you doesn't even pretend to smile, well that's when you kind of just give up.  I know the perfect job is out there.  But the waiting well that is the hardest.  Especially when you hate the place you are doing the waiting.  Ugghh..waiting!  

A little creation

Last week I got publisher downloaded on my computer...it's not the latest version, but I work with what I have. Since it's Wednesday we have reading buddies, and we really needed something to do with the kids after the "reading" part of reading buddies. So, here it is...my first publisher creation. It's not fancy, and it was super easy to make, but I'm proud. That's what it's about, right? Making things to enhance participation and learning.

Patience....will I ever really have it?

Why is it that even when I repeat myself 20 times, show them exactly what I want them to do on the board....I still get blank stares?  It's like I am speaking a foreign language...oh wait...I am! 

I am always amazed how easily I forget that when my students walk out the doors of our school they are no longer speaking English...

I do forget, everyday I forget.  I shouldn't forget, but I just want the concepts to be easy to understand.  Like how to use "to be" correctly.  Or that you MUST put a capital letter at the beginning of every sentence, and you MUST end your sentence with punctuation. 

I love my students, I really do, but seriously....somedays I have the patience of, well whatever animal has the least amount of patience possible. 

I'm not proud of it...but I'm human and working on it every single day. 

A Good Monday

Today was one of those days that I managed to be pleasantly surprised by what a good mood I was in.  I'm not always in a bad mood, but I am surprised by how quickly I can get upset when things don't quite go my way. I'm always amazed when teaching second language kids, the things that just come naturally to us native speakers. For instance the difference between have and has. Who knew it could be so tough!

A new week...a new attitude...

Tomorrow I head back to my classroom of amazing second graders...ready for another week of adventure. Can't believe it's the middle of February. Time is flying by...here we go...cheers to another week.

Making the Most of Teaching

It's taken me 10 years of school, work, and contemplation to finally realize what I really want to do with my life.  I had sort of a "crisis" a couple months ago, where I honestly just had to question if I really wanted to be a teacher.  Do I really make a difference?  A lot of the time I feel like I am unhappy with what is happening in my classroom.  But it is not that I am unhappy with teaching, it is that I am unhappy with the resources, and circumstances that I have found myself in while teaching.  I love seeing their faces light up when they look at something new.  I love seeing them interact with each other and learn to just be.

Believe it or not what made me realize that I am in fact destined to be a teacher, and that I do in fact love it was an episode of New Girl.  Ha!  I never would have thought...but as Jessica Day had a realization I thought about it and had a similar realization.  I am a teacher, I have known that since I was in third grade.  I was born to teach, to lead, and to open up my heart to keep kids safe and engaged.

So, I decided that I needed to dive into teaching.  I need to invest in becoming the best teacher I can be.  Investing means, reading blogs, reading books, and spending time writing.  I want to land a job that I can keep, to be in a classroom, and know that I will be able to stay there for years and years.  I am a teacher.  It is my calling, it is my life.  There is so much pressure, but you know what?  I am excited to excel under that pressure.

So...this blog will be about that...my teaching and my learning!  :)  I'm excited for this journey.