Wednesday, October 22, 2008

UGH! But oh so happy!

First I want to apologize to those readers who were faithful readers that were not able to read my blog entries. I hit something and well when I was on another blog of my friends I noticed that it said last updated 1 month ago and I knew that was not true. . So if you are one of those readers that was wondering if I fell of the earth I'm back and please take a moment to read the posts you have missed! There are some great kid stories from student teaching!

Well, this week is almost gone and I just realized Tuesday night when I was writing my lesson plans for next week that I only have one more week after that to write lesson plans. How this semester has flown by. I can't believe that next week is Halloween already. Am I ready for the chaos on Thursday and Friday with party days and what not! I don't think so, but this will be the real test for me to see how a teacher handles the kids and part days. Although today you would have thought that was a party day the way the kids were bouncing off the walls. YIKES!

All in all school is going great. My University Supervisor was in on Tuesday to see small groups and left me with a great report and all the paper work to go with it. She will be coming the next two Wednesdays and then well, I will be on the home stretch! My main concern right now is with these two big projects that are due the second week of November. I think I have the one figured out with the lessons and how I am going to collect the data and the other one is an e-portfolio and well I am not too good with PowerPoint yet, but am learning. I did talk to the one professor at Walsh and she said that she would help me put it together as long as I have things on my Flash drive, which believe it or not, I do have one of those and I even know how to use it! Moving up in the world I am!

This Thursday (23rd) is my birthday and I am looking forward to the four days off from work. I am in need of rest and relaxation and a girls day with my mom. I worked ahead on lesson plans for next week so I don't have to do them this weekend....good planning on my part because I was also invited to a cookout with friends from my Sunday School Class and I will be attending that and enjoying the relaxation a fire brings and the friendship too.

No kid stories this week. Maybe the next post. It has been a very chaotic week, like there was a full moon or something. I wish there was, but there isn't...so whatever is brewing in the air is sure brewing my room.

Till next time.............

Saturday, October 18, 2008

2 down 3 to go

I have successfully completed two weeks on my own with student teaching and being the lead teacher. I can't believe that my first two weeks are over and I am all ready for my third week. This has gone so fast. This past week was "M" week and next is "T". All things went well and I am feeling more and more comfortable talking over the classroom and the lesson plans are getting easier and easier each weekend when I plan for the following week. I seems like I just get started on Monday with the new letter of the week and I have to think ahead for the next week and plan it. Our planning time is on Thursday mornings but I like to have the majority if it ready for when I go the meeting and then fill in the holes where needed.

This coming week is my birthday and I will be turning 29, but in Matt's terms I will be turning 21. I love him for that! :)

In general things are going well. I am on the countdown with school 5 1/2 week to go. All the sudden though when I looked at the syllabus I realized that there are three projects due with in the next two weeks. I guess I better get started on them and start typing the one that I have been working on! I am halfway finished with the one and another will be completed Tuesday night because it is a presentation. Then I have an e-portfolio due and it is really hard to to when you don't have Internet access at home. So I guess I will be spending some nights at the school and working on it! After that...everything will be turned in and done and I all I have to worry about is the mock interview session and the final which is a banquet...I wonder if I can handle that kind of banquet?!?!

Kid conversation:

Student: Miss Lashley you have white hair
Me: I know
Miss Turner( K Assistant): Do you know why she has white hair?
Student: No
Miss Turner: Because you are all driving her bonkers this week.
Students: Oh well

Needless to say we both starting laughing and Miss Turner left and went to lunch and I was still trying to not laugh, but it was hard.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

So far So good

Things seem to be going well since I have taken on Full Classroom duties this week. I will continue will this responsibility until the first Friday in November and then I will start to hand things back to my cooperating teacher. The students have been very accepting to my voice and listening for the most part to the instructions for the day. Today I had a great day will all the students. There ins one young man in my class that likes to yell at all the instructions and to me, but I have learned to ignore it to a point and go on with the rest of the class.

Today's math lesson was going not as planned until I looked over and saw the one small group working together and making a picture with the shapes that I handed them. I was shocked and at the time I stopped the entire class and showed them what the group had done and all the sudden the light bulbs went on and I was seeing bicycles, robots, giraffes and so much more with 5 shapes. It was amazing and now I am glad that I did it. I did take pics and I even hung them on the wall for all the parents and principal and other teachers to see.

Work is going well. Story time are great. I heard that my co-worker had 24 Tuesday for toddler time and I think that is the new record! Go Amber!

There is not much more happening at the moment. I am still fighting what I guess would be a cold/sinus infection. right now the area above my right cheek is swelled a little and it is pushing on my teeth. UGH! I hope that it clears up soon and if not I guess I am going to have to break down and call the doctor. I am hoping that is sinus that is causing the pain in my mouth and not a tooth problem!

I hope to have stories or conversations to share the next time. I think I said it this time, but I am too tired to remember any of them right now. So until then.....

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Another week, another day

That is how this week has been going. It has been a rough week thus far and it is only Wednesday. On Monday I found out that I was getting yet another student. This student is yet another boy. So I am now up to 19 boys and 8 girls. He is a nice young man and very polite. Lets hope his politeness rubs off on the other students in the room.

This week is midterms for me, which means that my University Supervisor is coming tomorrow to have the midterm "talk" and review and go over any other things necessary as well as set up the last three evaluations for the semester. I can't believe that I am over half done with my student teaching. That is just scary in my mind.

With that being said, I will start taking over the classroom on Monday the 6th and have it until the beginning of November. I am a little nervous but then again I think that i will be OK. Thursdays are planning days, so I have done a lot of it on my own just to see if I am on the right track when I meet with the other Kindergarten teacher at planning time. The Kindergarten team teaches the same thing everyday at the same time, give or take a little on the time frames with Bathroom breaks and specials, but otherwise when the other class is on the carpet we should be too or on our way to being there. It is kind of nice because I can feed off the other teacher, as well as have my cooperating teacher there win the room to assist me when needed.

Work is work, and it is going well. I just wish that I was there a little more with all the changes that are happening in the department again with Children's. My department head will still be in the building which is GREAT, but then again she also took the job of our Staff and Services Manager (Assistant manager) and I know that she will be great at that too. So at this moment in time, I feel like I am back to square one but I know it will all work out in the end and when school is over and I can fully concentrate on work, but then again I have to decide if I want to teach my first year out or just sub....Teaching sounds better, but with God helps I know I will be guided in the right direction.

Out of the mouth of babes and the conversations that I have:

Student: Miss Lashley why are you wearing stockings"
Me: Because I wanted to keep my keep my legs warm today
Student:Well I thought only my grandma wore stocking's.
Me. That is true, but I think that I am allowed too
Student: Yep your old too.

Hopefully more next week.