Yes, I’m counting the days until the end of the year. Yes, I am all countdown/tested/retesting’d out. The kids are checked out as well. We need to get through the next week and we’re home free. We’ll get to finish our dinosaur unit and start on our physics unit. The kids are looking forward to it, and I’ll just be glad to get back to some creative teaching instead of all this test prep.
On another note, one of my students might have gotten a girl pregnant. As of yesterday, it was just a rumor, but he came in today and stated something along the lines of “I’m going to be a father.” I didn’t pay much attention to him as we were in the throes of test prep, but he mentioned it in passing several times. I am going to ask him what’s going on tomorrow. Did I mention he’s…
I lost two students today…two of my favorites. C was a GT phenom. He was. by definition, the perfect student: well-behaved, quiet (but particpiated in everything), super smart, polite. I couldn’t have asked for anything else from this boy. He had missed a few days three weeks ago, but when he didn’t show up this…
read more »It’s almost the end of the 1st 9 weeks. I am counting the days toward Thanksgiving break already. I have taken 1 1/2 days off as mental health days. Normally, I don’t take days off until February, but this year is different. While I’m enjoying some aspects of teachig 5th grade, I’m not where I…
read more »Tomorrow, I begin my third year in the classroom and my first year teaching in a testing grade: the ever-challenging 5th grade. I feel as if I am starting all over again. My room is done (the computers are not hooked up yet, but I’m not in a hurry to do that). My plans are…
read more »..in my brain. It’s the middle of summer vacation and I am already starting to get antsy about this upcoming year. My third year in the classroom feels like my first year, since I am changing grade levels. I pretty much have to start from scratch, but I’ve built a great little network of…
read more »On Saturday, as I was getting ready to head out to my school to get some packing done, I received a call from HR telling me that my placement choices for next year were a) 5th grade bilingual at a school where I was interviewed by the most professional, business-like person I’ve met since I’ve…
read more »I received “the call” today…HR notified me (without really saying anything at all) that I was being excessed. My placement school will be undergoing construction for the next two years and since the 3rd through 5th graders are going to another campus, our enrollment numbers for next year are going to be really low. That…
read more »After spending three days trying to get my classroom in some kind of order (moving rooms was not fun..but on the plus side, I now have my own bathroom, sink, and lots of storage space. On the negative side, I only have 1 bookshelf), I am truly exhausted. Doing the teaching thing and making sure…
read more »I’ve been reading a lot of the new 2011 CM’s blogs on this site. Reading all their posts full of apprehension, expectations and excitement reminds me of being in their shoes approximately 1 year ago. I was apprehensive and excited, and had no idea what to expect. How would I manage a classroom? Exactly how…
read more »School lets out in exactly 1 month from today (or tomorrow…I’m not really sure). I have 1 month left to continue doing right by my kids. I “lost” one student because of a family trip to Mexico (he withdrew but I sent work with him so he won’t be too far behind when he returns).…
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