Amateur Extraordinaire

I have been in my classroom for one and a half days this week. Yep. I had high hopes for my substitute, too. I was told it would be Mrs. K. Mrs. K is funny, friendly, and takes no crap. Well, Tuesday I got back to school after an all day workshop to find that my sub had been Mrs. H. EVEN BETTER! She followed my plans beautifully and handled the kids perfectly. This one good day made me think that the next half day I had to be out for yet another workshop would be just as good. Again, I though...
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I hate a worksheet. Though some serve as awesome review and summarizing lessons, I pretty much only do them when I am desperate for a grade. I inherited an awesome book called Alternatives to Worksheets when I was a first year teacher and, boy, have I dog-eared those pages! Well, when you get a class whose number one question is, "Can I draw now?" and your number one answer is usually, "N.O." then it's time to break out the boredom busting foldables book.
Most of my Book Clubs (what we call o...
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We hear a lot of things from our students. Fart noises, curse words, what their mamas and daddies did last night, you name it, there is absolutely nothing that can't be said... until they get in trouble and realize that they shouldn't have said it in the first place. Then, there's the funnies: "What do you call those brown tomatoes that grow in the ground?" "You mean potatoes?" "OH! Is that what you call them?!" Or "Why do zombies eat brains?" "Oh, I know! It's 'cause they're DUMMIES!" Sheesh...
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Remember the other day when I said I still feel like a new teacher? Well, today I feel like a blessed new teacher. My wonderful school family decided that measly little ol' me should be Teacher of the Year. *insert squeal here* I am beyond honored. I could barely eat my congratulatory cake for shaking and crying. (I am quite a blubber-er) I still don't quite know how to feel or act or what to say. I am just so very thankful and so very proud. Being a teacher is the hardest thing anyone can do...
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I have a confession to make. I h... I ha... I HATE grading. I hate grading anything. Not that I don't believe in grading because I do. I just absolutely despise the task of spending my evenings, weekends, lunchtime, you name any other free time, grading papers. However, I have lately been on a checklist frenzy. I love checklists. When ever you've done a bunch of cutesy projects in class and realize you have no Social Studies or Science grades for all those projects you've done. You then reali...
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This is my fifth year teaching. Although it still FEELS like I am, I can now say I am not new anymore. I have my own set of routines and procedures that are unique to my little room, I can run with the "big dogs" on my team (aka veteran teachers), I know what I want to keep and throw away each year, etc. BUT with that said, I still love to try new things. Even better, is the addition of a for real new teacher on our team last year. This is her second year now and she, too, has become comforta...

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I have to say, one of my absolute favorite things about working with kids is seeing their art work. Sometimes the end of the school day consists of our team meeting in the hallway to giggle at our sweeties' artistic endeavors. I have a few to share with you today. Yesterday, we made pumkin glyphs. Each student got a leaf and then, according to what their leaf was like, that's how they drew their pumpkin. The size of their leaf determined what color they would use to draw their mouth, eyes, an...

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About two weeks ago I had to delete my blog page and build another due to techy stuff I wasn't quite smart enough to figure out. It made me very sad as I started that blog the beginning of last year. Let me tell you, last year was H-E-A-V-E-N. The best class I had ever had. All but for "that one kid." But even now I see him in the hallway and think, "What I wouldn't give to have him back." I see my kids from last year and sigh and wish... which may be why that stupid problem happened that mad...

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As much as I would like to be a crabby negative teacher, my incurable optimism always wins out (thank goodness). So, no matter how many times I rolled my eyes and growled at the stupid Red Ribbon Week Schedule, I have still found myself going right along with it with a smile. Today was silly/mix-match sock day. Actually, I kind of like this one since it gave me the opportunity to wear my two favorite socks in the whole wide world. And wear them I did... with a dress... for everyone to see.
Inc...
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