..:::Oh Christmas Tree.::.Oh Christmas Tree::..

I like the holidays...for the most part. Okay, I could do without the sale-crazed people, the outrageous consumption of the masses, and I could definitely do without the Christmas music before Thanksgiving.... However, the generosity of the season outweighs the cons. The unselfishness always amazes me.

Well, back to the music...

I'm not one of those people who listens to Christmas music in July. I find it odd and somewhat irritating. I hate it when the radio starts playing it before Thanksgiving. It's just irritating. BUT, when I DO start listening to festive music, I just can't stop! In fact, they're playing in my classroom right now!

Apparently I'm not the only one who enjoys the season's songs. My second graders have been singing along all afternoon. I LOVE hearing them sing along to the songs (even if they're not all the right words) haha

xxOOxx

Oh, YOU!!

In mass this morning, the priest was offering up the eucharist (as they are wont to do during every mass). During a brief pause a small voice from the side of the church exclaims: "Is that REALLY God's body?"

There is humor everywhere

xxOOxx

Working Together

In a perfect world...

Unity
By Cleo V. Swarat

I dreamed I stood in a studio
And watched two sculptors there,
The clay they used was a young child’s mind
And they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher:
the tools she used were books and music and art;
One was a parent
With a guiding hand and gentle loving heart.

And when at last their work was done,
They were proud of what they had wrought.
For the things they had worked into the child
Could never be sold or bought!

And each agreed she would have failed
if she had worked alone.
For behind the parent stood the school,
and behind the teacher stood the home!

Happy Birthday to MEE!

I have had an absolutely fabulous birthday weekend. Aside from the fact that the weather was suuper cold, It was definately one of the best birthdays Ive had in a while :)

So... when i came to work this morning and two cute kindergarteners ran into my room breathless and said, "Ms. D! Ms. D! We NEED you in kindergarten riight NOW! Hurry!" I was kinda worried. I followed them to their room and was greeted with a huge "SURPRISE!!!!" form the rest of the class! They sang me Happy Birthday (complete with the Cha-cha-cha's) and gave me a beautiful new plant for my room. What a perfect way to top off a perfect weekend :D

Thank you KA & KB!!

xxOOxx

A riddle

Written by a first grader earlier today:

i see a anmol that is brwn and white kut

you, no the anstr? oooooo

i no the anstr, it is a der, aaaaaaa

So, How are your powers of deduction? Did you figure it out?

here's a hint...

.

..

...

....

.....

.......

I see an animal that is brown and white. could

you know the answer? Oh Oh Oh!

I know the answer, it is a deer, hahahaha

I knew you kut do it!!

xxOOxx

Silly Girl!

Conversation of the day:

While talking to one of the twins in kindergarten this morning, I confused her with her sister. I quickly self-corrected and called her by the correct came.

Her: "It's okay Ms. D. I Like my sister."

Me: "I hope so silly girl."

Her: "Wanna know why.?"

Me: "okay"

Her: "because i like her face!"

Me: "Well, thank goodness, because you have the SAME face!"

Her: "I know, huh?!"

xxOOxx

Facebook and Teaching

Okay. I have a serious question for you...

Would you send a friend request to your child's teacher?

...

...

Weird, huh?

I thought so. I got a friend request from a parent I met at back to school night about a month ago. I was kind of shocked. I had never met this person before and wondered why she wanted to be my friend on Facebook. I let the request sit in my inbox, in fact, it's still there.

I don't want to be rude, but at the same time, she doesn't need to know what I did over the weekend or that I played hooky from work to go to the beach. I post random stuff and I don't think its professional to befriend students OR their parents (apparently) on social websites. I mean, do they REALLY need to see me dressed up as a lion for halloween? I don't think so.

What do you think?

xxOOxx

Any Questions?

After teaching a phonics lesson to a kindergarten class and going over a worksheet they were to do at their desks, I automatically asked if anyone had any questions. Immediately, four hands popped up. This is what I got:

"What do horses eat?"

"Did you know its my birthday in June?"

"What are you going to be for Halloween?"

"Do you know how much five plus five is?"

Lesson: When asking a group of kindergartners if they have any questions, be prepared for anything!

xxOOXx

The funniest joke...

So, the other day my six year old neighbor comes up to me and wants to tell me a joke...

me: Okay, go ahead.

him: Why did the egg sit on the counter?

me: umm, idonno. why?

him: Because it wanted to crack!

me: uhhhh... (i know kids jokes aren't ever really funny but this was so weird that all i could do was smile and give him a confused stare.)

him: after about 30 sec... Well, sometimes yokes don't make sense!

me: HahahHHHHahhhahahahahahahaHAhah!

His comedic timing was spot-on!

xxOOXx

Halloween Time!

Here are some pictures of my room all spooked out :)

xxOOxx

In my Opinion

One shouldn't use certain things as a punishment. Some of these things include reading, writing, and physical exercise. I'm also not limiting this to the classroom. I believe that the types of punishments where a child must write standards, read silently, run a lap, or do push ups are counter-productive to their development.

As teachers, we spend our entire lives trying to get our students not only to read and write but to LOVE reading and writing. We want them to WANT to read books and write stories. However, by using these as punishment, they begin to believe that theses tasks are boring, monotonous, and a punishment (go figure). The same goes with physical exercise... we want kids to learn to LOVE exercise, to enjoy the feeling of physical exertion. But when we tell them to "go do a lap" and are surprised when they are in fifth grade and despise PE. C'mon people, I'm just asking for a little common sense!

*sigh*

xxOOxx

One Disadvantage to Catholic Schools

One thing I remember from being in Catholic school was free dress day. Those wondrous and magical days in which we were allowed to shed those HORRIBLE plaid uniforms and show off the clothes we never got to wear. These days were usually reserved as a reward of some kind and they were received as such.

Although I was always suuuper excited to show off my "weekend clothes" to my friends, there was also a sense of anxiety. "WHAT SHOULD I WEAR???!!!" Haha

Uniforms are convenient, easy, and create a sense of equality among students. One thing they do not do is create any kind of fashion sense whatsoever.

This past week, due to the excessive heat, our school has had free dress. During these past three days, I have noticed that there is no saving the majority of my students from the fashion police. Choosing your favorite articles of clothing is fantastic. Pairing stripes with polka-dots...not so much. While it's endearing to see students walking around with orange shorts and pink tops, I don't think they are quite up to par with their public-school counterparts. Albeit, they get to practice dressing themselves everyday, but still...

xxOOxx

Yummy!!!

And so... the treats begin...

It's Official!

I'm a teacher!

...it says so on my teacher ID!!

I feel so official now. AND I can now get discounts at Barnes an Noble and Michaels!! YAY!! haha

xxOOxx

LMFAO!!!

I just LOVE when a child takes you off guard and kicks you in the gut! Kids say the darndest things, but today has topped the charts! Actually, you probably wont believe it, but its 100% true and i'm going to tell you anyway :)

Today, one little kindergartner totally made my day. He was walking by and decided he wanted to tell the aide something. So, he waited his turn and then he said (get this..) "Do you know how much I love pussy?" HahahaHAhahahaHAhaha.

Oh my goodness. The aid, bless her heart, turned BRIGHT red and looked up at me. Im sure I was the same color. He, however, seemed confused, so I asked "What!?" To which he replied, "I love pussies so much. They're so cute!"

Now, as I was about to implode from holding back laughter, all I could do was smile. Then, because obviously we still looked confused, he deemed it necessary to clarify further, "You know, PUSSY CATS?!" (which was promptly followed with a "my teachers are crazy" look)

Aaahhhh.... marvelous.

xxOOxx

Welcome to Ms. D's Class!!

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while, but I've been busy. Well, busy and kinda lazy... haha. But no I'm back in a school. In the rhythm of the new year, so you can expect more blogs and anecdotal stories soon! Until then, here are a few pics of MY classroom!! Enjoy!

This is my tree. I <3>

My tiny bulletin board! lol

xxOOxx

A Necessary Risk?

So, is an office job in the hand worth a sub job in the bush? This is the $1000 question of the night.

For those of you who don't know, I've sold out. Yup. I got an office job :/ Well, it's AT a school at least... but it's in the administrative part... the LOWEST administrative part- secretary (EEK!) Yeah, it sucks, but i'm good at it! Who knew there was so much to do behind the scenes of a school? Not me. On the up side, I get to add many new skills to my resume on top of secretary, including but not limited to: lunch maid, personal assistant, nurse, supply distributer, and go-fur (as in "Hey Ashley, can you go for stamps and envelopes at the postoffice?").

Now, as the school year is starting up again, I'm wondering if I should leave this sedentary but stable job for the joys of subbing. There might be a part-time sub position opening up for 2-4 weeks. Then, I'd be back to subbing, which wasn't a bad gig- just not very reliable. I'm at a crossroads. I donno what to do... what do you think?

xxOOxx

can you keep up??

FIVE YEARS

of classroom experience for a minimum wage preschool position?!?

RU 4 REAL???

Status Update

I feel like I am running in circles with no destination. No, more like a cook without a kitchen. A cowboy without a horse. An actor without a stage..? Well you get the idea. I have been applying to jobs for almost a year now- ummm, yeah, don't get me started.

Aaaannyyyyway, I went on a fantastic interview two weeks ago. It was great. The principal was fabulous. We laughed. I had superb answers to all of her questions. The school was nice and had a family atmosphere. It was the perfect interview. As I left the office, I actually did a little hop and skip routine! Well, as you can tell the ending isn't a happy one. I got an email stating that there were over 500 applicants for the position and (of course) I wasn't chosen. 500 teachers applying to a Catholic school. Of course they were exaggerating right?!? Until I got this from the South Pasadena USD:

Dear Ashley,

Thank you for submitting your application to our district for one of the elementary teaching positions. We were overwhelmed by the response as we received over 1,000 applications. For us, this is a mixed blessing... blabittyblahblah...

Personally, I don't like those odds. How am I even supposed to compete? Things don't look good. So, I've done the only thing that a sane person would do. I sold out. Yup, I took an office job at a preschool. I guess it'll have to do. For now.

xOOxx

Smell the Roses... or the Shirt

I was just thinking about our senses. While we're teaching we try to stimulate them in order to get our little ones engaged and thinking. We obviously use sight and hearing a lot. When we bring in realia we use touch but rarely do we use taste and smell in lessons. Come to think of it, the sense of smell is one of those things that we take for granted every day.

I always stop to smell the pretty flowers growing outside our apartment building and absolutely bask in the smell of fresh bread from my bread machine, but otherwise I don't consciously smell things. I like knowing that I don't stink and that there is dog poop nearby (so I don't step in it) but I can't say that I use my nose for anything constructive (except maybe determining if the milk is expired).

Welllll....(you had to know a story was coming) when I was teaching pre-K I found a sweater on the floor and no one would would claim it. Of course it had no name on it, so after a couple days I decided to send it to the lost and found. When I gave it to a little girl to bring to the office she stuck her nose in it. She said that it was Peter's*. I gave her a questioning look so she handed it to another boy and he smelled it and said, "Yeah, it's Peter's. It just smells like him." So of course I had to give it a sniff and sure enough, I smelled it and it was his!

xxOOxx *Names are made up... as always.

Take one!

Alll righty then...

I've landed an interview for a fourth grade position. Can you believe that it is the first teaching interview that I've been offered? I can't. In the real world, I should've been on at least 20 interviews with the amount resumes I've sent out. Well, I was really happy when I read this in the email today:

Although we are really looking for teachers with a few years of classroom experience, I was so impressed by your portfolio and recommendation letters, I would like to invite you to our school for an interview.

So, I got an interview despite the fact that I am under-qualified! I donno, because in the email she informed me that the school is Jewish Orthodox. While I'd LOVE to learn more about the religion and culture, I can't think that my being Catholic will help get the job :_Oh well, she must've seen something she liked right?! FINALLY! It's nice to know that SOMEONE took the time to look at my portfolio! haha, sometimes I think that all the energy I put into it wasn't worth it... Well, wish me luck!

xxOOxx

Twinkie Books

It's summer!! (insert cheering children here) This is DEFINATELY my time of year. There are probably a billion reasons I love the summer but here's my top 10...

1. It's time for Dodger baseball :)
2. I get to shrug out of those huge sweaters and slip into shorts and cute sundresses
3. I get to shop during the week so I don't have to deal with the crazy crowds
4. It's finally warm enought to hit the beach
5. Summer blockbusters (am I the only one holding my breath for Eclipse?!)
6. Friends always come home during the summer
7. vacations
8. bbq's and water fights
9. hanging by the pool with a margarita ;P
10. and like John Travolta said....Oh ohhhh those Suummer niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiights!!

What I like most about summer is that there's time for twinkie books! During the school year, it's all about broccoli books, you know... books that serve an educational purpose. Text books, classics, assigned readings- all broccoli books. I like broccoli books. They're great...in moderation, but who doesn't love the 'i can't put it down,' 'don't talk to me right now,' complete indulgence of a twinkie book?! Twinkie books are the essence of reading. As teachers we try to assign twinkie books to instill the love of reading in our students, but there's nothing better than finding that one book you can't put down.
I love that feeling and have just found my twinkie book series for the summer :)

Caution: The following books are FOR ADULTS ONLY and I'm DEFINATELY not recommending them for your classroom- only for your personal mental health ;P

If you are like me, you have totally fallen for the blood sucking-epic love story-vampire trend as seen in the Twilight series. Maybe, like me, you have read all of the books. Twice. If so have I got the series for you. The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward is an adult Twilight. I found the seven-book series by recommendation of a few different friends and have already devoured the first four in a matter of two weeks. They are the ultimate twinkie books so don't start them unless you have some extra time to indulge- it's TOTALLY worth it. Lemme know if you agree! (but I know you will)

xxOOXx

Aaaaaand...it's over.

Tomorrow is the last day of school. There will be graduations and parties, goodie bags and good bye hugs. The students who I have been fortunate enough to get to know and teach will be chomping at the bit to get out of school and set up play dates throughout the summer. Teachers will be packing up their classrooms and getting their mental faculties in order to take on a new class in two months. There is a tangible sigh of relief this time of year on every school campus as everyone is ready for a sybaritic vacation from reality.

I, on the other hand, will be job hunting (as ever) and praying to God that I get a position like the one I had this year. I was very fortunate to have been accepted into this school's family. What began as a six-week maternity leave coverage, turned into a six-month position. I have learned so much and have met many fabulous teachers and I am sad to give it up so easily. There is no position for me anymore because none of the teachers want to give up their classrooms (geeze! the gaul... haha). I thank them for letting me in for just a little while, and hope that there is something for me next year.

xxOOxx

Over their Heads

It was Kindergarten's turn to plan the all-school mass and they did a FANTASTIC job. Only one froze up on us and the rest sat patiently in their pews. So, as a treat we had popsicles after nap time.

They had those popsicles with the really corny jokes on them...

What did the dentist say to the marching band? here's a tuba toothpaste

What smells funny? A clown

What do vegetables say at church? lettuce pray

What part of the computer was the elephant scared of? The mouse

What do you call cheese thats not yours? nacho cheese

Oh, theres tons and I find them funny, but the kiddies... not so much. They're not skilled in satire and rhetoric enough in their mere five years of existence. They always ask me to read their sticks, but look at me oddly when I start laughing. But today one tried making his own. It was something like Why did the duck cross the road? To eat a teacher!! OMG. haha

xxOOxx

Summer Vacation

Isn't it crazy how fast kids grow? You blink, and they're another year older. I have only been with these little children only since January, but I have seen them grow soo much! Not only physically, but academically. These now-six-year-olds are taller and smarter with less teeth, but better reading skills. I am amazed when they create entire stories and write them down. They came in babies, but left first graders. Simply amazing.

Forget Shorty... It's all about Shawnee!

It seems as if I'm catching all of the crazy kiddie talk that is going on around me lately. Today after lunch, I overheard a little boy singing to himself a song that went something like this: "Charlie is a memory in my head da ma deeda do..." He repeated this line over and over.

When I stopped to ask him what the words were he said that he didn't know them all but san it again anyway. Then another boy heard and said that the name wasn't Charlie, it was Shirley. They debated it a moment and decided to call in a third party. When a little girl got into the mix, she convinced everyone that the song went like this: "Shawnee is a melody in my head got me singin...." (she didn't know the rest either). So, for the rest of the day this is what they were singing. Over and over and over...

xxOOxx

Teaching Art

Here's something cute I found and thought I'd share with fellow teachers and art lovers!

xxOOxx

Do More

“Do more than belong: participate.

Do more than care: help.

Do more than believe: practice.

Do more than be fair: be kind.

Do more than forgive: forget.

Do more than dream: work.”

—William Arthur Ward

(1921-1994); writer

xxOOxx

A-Tackk!!

You might think that I'm making this stuff up, but I really couldn't. I'm not that funny. Seriously.

L: Ms. D., do you know what you say when you're holding a tack?

Me: No. What?

L: You know, when you go to poke someone.

Me: But you shouldn't poke people with tacks.

L: Yeah, but you could say a-tack. Like ATTACK! Get it??

Me: HaHaHa. Silly girl!

xxOOxx

Celebrity Status

Today the PTA "Surprised" us with a Teacher Appreciation day. It was actually REALLY cool. They decorated the whole school like a Hollywood Award show and started the day with our celebrity stars. They also had a school-wide ballot and gave us each "personality awards." Here's mine :)

It turns out that I am "Wonderful, Beautiful, and a Good Helper!" Nice. Then, when the kids were coming in, I was given a lovely pink boquet of roseswith the most adorable card and a cup of hot coffee! What a way to start the day!

In her own handwriting, a student wrote this in the card:

Ms. D

Roses are pink,

apples are red.

I know you like apples

and this is your card

Sooo cute!

Then, we were told that there would be parents to cover our lunch! OMG. That was the best gift EVER. (I haven't had a lunch in over four weeks...It was heaven.) So I go upstairs to the faculty lounge to eat lunch to find that they've decorated up there too. We even got a red carpet and everything! I was expecting pizza but no, we had a full-out buffet for lunch. There was so much food that we'll probably have some left over for tomorrow (yess!!!).

It was a fun day, and the school really got into it. The older girls even came up with the idea of asking us for our autographs! haha. Well, I wish everyday was teacher appreciation day. However, then everyone would want to be a teacher! We can't have that!

xxOOxx

Alice in Wonderland

Something I overheard during lunch. Enjoy!

L: I Know who that is. On the front of your lunch pail.
M: Yeah, it's Allison.
L: Allison? No! ... Her name is Alice.
M: Yeah huh. You know... Allison Wonderland!

xxOOxx

My Little Pity-Party

Dear Ms....,

Thank you for your recent application to _______ School District for the position of Elementary Teacher. The difficult job of screening applications has been completed. There were many fine candidates however not all applicants could be chosen for an interview. This email is to inform you that you have not been selected for an interview at this time.

..USD sincerely wishes you the best in all your employment endeavors,

Sincerely,
Blah Blah Blech!

I get at least one letter like this a week. After about 20 weeks, I'm about to break down! Every time one comes into my inbox, I cringe. I don't deal well with failure. Normally, I push and push until I get what I want however, it doesn't seem to be working thus far. I'm so done.

Yeah, yeah... I know what you're saying "but Ashley, It's a hard market for EVERYONE right now...There are just too many displaced teachers....just wait it out...you'll get a job, don't worry!" Well, thanks for the encouragement, but I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. How am I supposed to get a job if they won't even give me an interview?? Gahhhhhhhh!!!!! It's just that after months and MONTHS of job searching, I'm coming up empty-handed. I don't see a light at the end of this very long tunnel.

You know what kills me most?? Do you? It's the fact that I KNOW there are teachers out there who hate what they're doing. They give the kids worksheets all day and don't have the passion it takes to be an above-average teacher. They're sitting in their classrooms, biding time, waiting to retire and I'm on the outside banging on the door until my hands are bloody. Why do I try so hard?

Thanks for indulging in my pity-party... more upbeat posts to follow...

xxOOxx

My Kingdom for a Doughnut

It has come to my attention that I haven't shared this delightful little story with you all. Be forewarned, it's pretty funny (or at least I thought so when it was happening!).

A couple weeks ago, I was given yet another delightful, if not diabetes-causing, doughnut for one birthday or another (see Teaching is a lot of Calories post) . Seeing as it was the middle of class, I put it on my desk. About ten minutes later I caught one of the girls scoping out my snack. I was sitting at my desk talking to a few students about their work when, out of the corner of my eye, I see her grab a piece of my doughnut!! My doughnut! Right off my desk! Right in front of me! I was stunned into non-action.

It took all of three seconds to execute this well-thought out plan. She snatched a piece, stuffed it in her mouth and ran off in record time. When I finally realized what had happened she was already five feet away. I called her name and she froze. She turned slowly and looked at me with her big brown eyes. When I saw her, I almost laughed. She looked as guilty as a cat who has just eaten a canary (especially because there was a0 little doughnut peeking out of the corner of her mouth).

I called her over and she started crying.
Me: Why did you do that?
Her: It was an accident.
me: (almost laughing again) How was that an accident?
Her: I donno. I'm soooorrryyyyyyy!
Me: Why did you do that?
Her: I like doughnuts. I wanted it.
Me: Okay, but I think you need to move your stick and have a time out for touching something on Ms. D's desk.
Her: okay.

Later that day she had to tell her mom why she wasn't on green. When she finally whispered the reason in her mom's ear, her mom's eyes became HUGE! Ahh... it was such a funny situation, I almost didn't punish her, but I had to... funny girl!

xxOOxx

My FAVORITE Story Book EVERRR!!

I love picture books, and I enjoy reading them to kids. The simplicity of the books and their fun stories make them so enjoyable to read. I have many in my own collection that range from classics and fairy tales to newer books and contemporary stories. However, when it comes to reading a picture book to a class, I have one ultimate favorite!!



The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

This book is the most fun "fairy tale" book to read to a class. It's narrator, Jack, has no clue what he's doing. He puts the table of contents before the title page and skips pages in the book. Century-old tales are cut up, ripped apart, and thrown back together haphazardly to create a menagerie of new tales. It is witty, sarcastic, and hilarious.


Caution: this book does say "stupid"(gasp!) several times and the class goes wild. I wouldn't really use it for a read aloud for classes under second or third grade because they might not understand the smart-aleck anecdotes throughout the stories!


xxOOxx

::..Oh, the Sings they Sing..:::

Every morning we sing "America the Beautiful". I thought you'd enjoy their rendition of it :)

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For ever wave of gray;
For purple mountain majesty
A-BOVE the fruity plain!

AMERICA! AMERICA! (shouting)
God shed His grace on dee,
And crowned my good with bro-ther-hood,
From sea to shining SEAAAAAA.!!

Haha... you should hear them in the morning. They make me laugh! I mean, ever wave of grey, what is that?... and why is dee so special in God's eyes?? Silly kids!

xxOOxx

Marble Painting

Marble Painting: Not as clean as I thought it would be, but A LOT more fun!

I've always wanted to try marble painting, but just never have. So, I decided to try it with preschoolers :)

Wow, was it messy! I thought, "What a great project. Marbles. In a box with paint. Contained= no mess." Boy, was I wrong! Little marbles with black paint went flying almost every time. As I type, there are little black stripes across the project table and on a couple chairs. Good thing it's washable!

In spite of the mess (actually because of it), we created BEAUTIFUL zebras. I love how they came out and now I just want to do another marble painting project... but what?! Any ideas?

xxOOxx

ATTN: Awesome new BLOG!

I LOVE photography. It has always been a passion of mine as an art and as a hobby. I have a couple GREAT blogs on my blog-roll on the right of this page but today I have to plug this totally awesome new site.

Its from a budding new artist who has a unique eye for photography. His vision and composure inspires me daily. He has a passion for the art and holds himself to ridiculously high standards, and it shows. Besides the fact that he is incredibly talented, he's cute to boot!

haha

Check out his site here!

Added bonus: you just might see a familiar face :)

Tell me what you think...

xxOOxx

LA Zoo Craziness!

Ahh... the zoo with lots and lots of marveling minds! So much to see and sooo much do do. We had a fun-filled day with a picnic lunch and a lot of walking.

I'm exhausted.

Field trips are hard work.

Thank goodness my BFF was able to come :) Love you Alisa!

The day was fabulous until we went into the aviary.

CAUTION: the rest of this story is not for the faint of heart...

So, we were tired and ambled into the aviary.

We were looking at the baby flamingos when we saw a mommy and daddy duck and their little ducklings. See how cute they are?!

Anyway, so Mommy and Daddy duck walk on this rock and run into a bush. They decide that the only way down is to jump maybe five feet down. The first two ducklings are pushed down, but make it just fine. Then, the whole family leaves two little ones up on the rock.

The last one jumps and they all seem to be ok when one starts spinning on the floor. I think it broke its neck. Mommy and Daddy then started attacking it (to put it out of its misery?). By then, I had pushed the two little ones I was with to the next exhibit. Thankfully they didn't catch on, however Alisa and I are now scarred for life. It was the most depressing thing I have ever seen.

xxOOxx

Music to my Ears

These five year olds are soooo LOUD! I mean, how can 18 tiny children make my eardrums bleed? I have no idea. We have a quiet jar (aka- ice cream party bribe jar) that encourages them to be quiet when they're on the rug. But during their activity time, I'm at a loss. I am constantly shushing them (you know, that low but ever-present "shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...") to no avail. It was even to the point that some of the kids started telling ME it was to loud.

So what's a poor teacher to do? Play music! I guess I got this genius idea while sleeping or something, but this morning I grabbed my favorite Mozart CD and an instrumental guitar one as well. I thought that maybe the Mozart would lull their kiddie brains into a learning oasis or at the very least the background music might put a cap on the noise level. While it didn't work as well as previously desired, there was a marked difference. I only had to quiet them down twice today! Although, this may have been due to my more relaxed mental state because I was listening to the relaxing music, but whatever works right?? Well, seeing that it was my first day trying it, I'll keep you updated on further testing.

xxOOxx

Teacher's Prayer

Technology and the President

I bought my first Mac on Saturday!! WOOHOOO!!!! (oK, thank you for sharing in my excitement.) I LOVE technology. I feel like it brings us closer and opens the door for us to access not only information, but new ways of learning that information.

I absolutely adore the use of technology in the classroom. There is something about it that draws in attention to your lesson. In my student teaching and various sub jobs, I have been fortunate enough to get to play with the smartboard. It projects your computer screen onto an interactive whiteboard so that the students (or you) can write, draw, and move images for the class. It's AMAZING and I really hope that I can use one in my own classroom soon. Actually, all I really need is a projector. I love bringing images and animation into the lesson and projecting images from the web onto the board makes it soooo much easier. Imagine having the technology to answer ANY question at ANY time in front of the class. Imagine pulling up millions of images of ANYTHING across the history of mankind in seconds. The possibilities are just mindboggling! I'm so glad that I'm a teacher in this wonderful age of technology.

However, apparently our President doesn't feel quite the same way:
"And meanwhile, you're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank that high on the truth meter. And with iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it's putting new pressure on our country and on our democracy."

While I agree with him in that Xboxes and Playstations aren't the most wholesome way to spend our free time, I completely disagree that information could be a distraction to us and our country. I think that this new age of Wikipedia and online information overload teachers can begin to create good researchers even earlier. We can show our students how to find true, reliable sources that support our own arguments. Maybe because President Obama doesn't know how to work these new-fangled contraptions he is a little scared of the possibilities that they hold. I, for one, can not believe that our president cannot see the benefits to new technology since he is the first President with a Facebook page...

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Happy Mommy's Day!

So, I'm not a Mommy...yet... but I'd like you to meet my beautiful Goddaughter, Vanessa!

I think that in some ways, being a Godmommy is better than actually having one of my own. I get to spoil her and give her anything she wants without having to worry about the meltdown later. We have had a couple of slumber parties where we got to hang out ALL WEEKEND! We go to the zoo, take train rides, have picnics and tea parties, and stay up late watching cartoons. She is just so much fun to hang out with! Vanessa is the best because not only does she love me more than she loves her Nino, she loves the dodgers as much as we do too!

She has bled Dodger blue since before we took her to her first game. Now, she knows the player's names and loves to cheer "Lets go Dodgers!!" On my Facebook, there's my favorite video of her and her Angel-loving Daddy at a Dodger/Angel game last year. It's HILARIOUS... go check it out!

Thank you Nessa for making it so easy to be your adoring Godmother!

xxOOXx

Parents, Babies, and Marriage...oh my!!

The kids were full of questions today about my life...awkwardness abounds...

Parents
Me: "Who knows what Sunday is?"
kids: "Mother's Day!!"
M: "Do you have a mom?"
me: "yes, of course I do."
M: "Whats her name?"
me: "uhh... Mrs. D." :P
M: So you're Ms. D and your mom's name is Mrs. D."
T: "And your dad's name is Mr. D."
Me: "Haha.. that's right!"

Babies
Me: "So, on Sunday we celebrate all of our Mommies and tell them how much we love them."
S: "Do you have kids?"
Me: "No. why?"
S: "Because you're too young!"

Marriage
P: "Ms. D., are you married?"
Me: "No."
P: "Thank goodness!"

Geeze. What a Friday!

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Mischief Makers

Kids get into the darndest situations! OMG... I don't even KNOW how many funny situations I find them in. They get stuck in their sweatshirts daily and I am constantly running over to the jungle gym to untangle their little pretzel bodies. Today was a topper though!

After lunch, a little boy runs up to me and is just about crying. He wines, "Ms. D! Ms. D! My leg is stuck!!" I was thinking... how can your leg be stuck if you're running?? Nevertheless I look down. I almost choked due to stifling a laugh. This little monkey had found a zip tie and attached it to his leg during lunch. Then, he panicked because it wouldn't come off. I told him we'd have to cut off his foot. He didn't believe me. So, I cut off the zip tie and saved his life all in the course of a day's work!


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Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." -Henry Adams

I know that this is true because teachers in my life have affected me greatly, even to this day. So, on this very special day that is dedicated to the teachers that love, care for, and teach us more than textbooks ever could... THANK YOU! So, in chronological order:

Thank you to my very first teachers, my parents. You taught me more than I could ever write down or even count. You taught me how to be a good student.
Thank you to my second teachers, my two younger sisters. You both have built my character and taught me how to be a teacher.
Thank you to my favorite fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Stevens. Your wacky ways and love of books has inspired me from my first day in your classroom- I bet you don't even know how much I strive to be like you as I am becoming a teacher on my own!
Thank you to my favorite seventh grade teacher, whose name I forgot but who's actions live on in my memory. Thank you for always expecting the best and never settling for less- It's helped me expect more from myself.
Thank you to my very first above-par college professor, Professor Turner. You were outspoken and clearly a bit insane, but you inspired me to take a stand. To believe in something. To DO something.
Thank you to my favorite professor, Dr. Marchevsky. Your belief that my writing could be better, that my argument could be better, that my structure could be better helped me try harder and write better.
Thank you to my two wonderful credentialing professors. Dr. Persiani, you continually inspire me withwords of encouragement and your willingness to go 1000% for your class, whether it be elementary or university. Dr. Beltran, by leading by example you taught me that everyone can be an exceptional teacher with the right tools and attitude. Thank you for giving me both.

There are tons of teachers in our lives, even students are teachers many times. These are just the ones that I want to thank today for making me who I am.

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Book Review: Olivia Kidney and the Exit Academy

This is the second book in a three book series. It was actually re-named Olivia Kidney Stops for No One. It's a great story for those classes that say "We want something scary!!" They all do. I was never a fan of goosebumps and you can't give them anything actually scary because they're still kids (event though many do watch horror movies with their parents, but that's another post altogether..)

Olivia Kidney is able to talk to spirits! This book is a great big mystery and is written in a way that both adults and students will enjoy the humor! I would say that it is a good read aloud for grades 3 and up and that by fourth grade, students could read it by themselves.

What's really convenient is that if you used it as a read-aloud, student's would be inspired to read the rest of the series on their own!! Way to go you inspirational teacher you :)

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Field Trips are the Craziest way to Spend a Day!

Getting paid to spend the day at the movies?? What an awesome day! Well, if you don't take into account the 18 crazy kids, the 14 crazy parents, and enough popcorn to feed a small village... then yeah!

Today I took this mob to the movie theater to watch Oceans. It was actually a great day and the kids were very good (for a group of 18 five year olds). Luckily, there were only four other people in the theatre this morning! The kids got into the movie and are now enamored with whales. I think I might have to teach them the different types because during the movie, I heard them calling a Beluga whale an Orca. Lol. They are full of new questions and wonder of the sea. It's so exciting! Despite having a fun time, I am totally exhausted. I think I over thought the whole fieldtrip thing and let myself worry too much. Not too bad for the first time though! Next fieldtrip...ALBERTSONS!

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Rubrics are for Everyone!

Through my credentialing program I had this one professor... she knows who she is... who used to make us practice writing rubrics. She would make us do it over and over until we got it right, and then we would have to include on in EVERY lesson plan. She kept telling us to use them and claimed that they were the only way to salvation. haha. Okay, so a little dramatic, but she used to say that they were the only fair way to grade everyone. To tell you the truth, I used to think she was overexaggerating a little. Then I realized she wasn't. Go figure.

A while ago I met a teacher who had never made friends with grading rubrics. One day this teacher asked me if a paper looked like a B paper. I don't know WHAT a B paper looks like! According to my standards or yours?? Geeze people. I didn't even know what to say. I was flabberghasted that a teacher would actually grade like that.

All I can say is "Thank you Dr. PB for enlightening us and not letting me be one of those teachers!!"

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Ouch My TOE!!

Okay, so this story relates to a post from about a week ago that had to do with injuries at work.

This past week, my toes have nearly fallen off due to the large amount of people stepping on them. Albeit, they aren't large people, but after a while it gets old. I swear that when we are five years old, our personal bubbles must only extend one inch from our bodies! Anyway, one boy stepped on my toe bright and early one morning
Me: "Heya! Don't step on me!"
Him: "Sorry Ms. D!"

About twenty minutes later, his feet find mine again
Me: "Peter*, you're on my toe again. Can't you feel my feet?"
Him: [smiling]"Yeah Ms. D., I can feel em."
Me: "Then gerrof!"

After Recess, his feet actually make it under the table i was sitting at!
Me: "Peter, I'm going to charge you a quarter every time you step on me from now on! Okay?"
Him: "Then you won't have to teach anymore."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Him: "I'll give you so many quarters you won't have to be a teacher!"
Me: "HAHAHAHA!"

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*Names have been changed just in case.

Happy Earth Day!

One thing I love Love LOVE about working in Pre-K is that I can do arts and crafts till my fingers stick together! I found this really cute art project online and decided to try it today... I think it came out suuuper cute.

I painted their hands blue with a little green for the land, then pressed them on recycled paper. Then they were able to see that the world is quite literally in their hands :D

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Hallelujah!!

Thank God. Literally. Thank you, God! I thought I was making no progress. I feel like it finally clicked with her :) I thought I might as well have been talking to a brick wall for the last two weeks but then... oh. You have no clue what I'm talking about!

Ok, So I've been tutoring a kindergartener in English for the past month. When we first started, she could barely say the sounds of the letters let alone read anything. So, we practiced and she slowly picked up all the sounds of the letters. Then, we kind of hit a block wall. She didn't want to try, she started ignoring me, She made ZERO progress. I was discouraged to say the least. Colleagues said to keep at it. That it would click. Eventually. I was starting to doubt it. She understood that letters made sounds, but not that sounds made words. Nothing I did made it any better.

Then, out of the blue, she sounded out /car/!! All by herself. I didn't even have to prompt her :)) I almost jumped for joy in the middle of the library. You don't even understand my joy. I still get a smile when I think about it!

So, this is why I teach. I almost forgot.

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Over it

I'm over
...the search engines.
...the lack of openings.
...the "in-house only" openings.
...the "we regret to inform you..."
...the unanswered e-mails.
...waiting.
...hoping.
...dreaming.
...job hunting.

I am over it and I want no part of it. I guess I'm going to live on the street now. I'll make a sign that says: "Will teach for food" or maybe "I'm here because of budget cuts" I'll probably get more money with that one!

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Teaching is a lot of Calories

No, I didn't mean that teaching burns a lot of calories, I mean that there is a lot of calorie intake! Especially in the lower grades I think. Parents think it is imperative to bring in lots of sweets for birthdays and the like or else the kids will be disappointed. Case in point: yesterday a parent brought in twenty those individual clown ice cream cones from Baskin Robbins. They were delicious. Last week we had these scrumptious cupcakes with LOTS of icing. On top of the birthdays in OUR classroom, whenever a student in the school brings in sweets for their birthday, they bring one for every teacher too! I don't even want to think about it.

Today we're making upsidedown cake for the letter U. It's endless. But hey, I guess I'll take one for the team. ;P

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Caution: Hard Hat Area

I don't think that non-teachers truly realize the hazards of the teaching profession. No, I'm not talking about crazy parents or insane students bringing guns to school. Yes, these are very real but I was talking more about the daily risks that we take.

You're laughing. I know you're thinking... "What do teachers do that is so hazardous? Get glue in their hair?" Well, YES! and glitter under my nails! Haha. Okay, but seriously, I almost broke my neck today tripping over a five year old! They have this way of getting underfoot and seriously causing accidents. One of my colleagues almost had her nose broken when a little boy bashed his head into it. Another shattered her ankle after falling off a chair while trying to hang up artwork. I've had a couple of serious stapling incidents and a few massive bruises from tricycles. Maybe we should wear shinguards...Okay, so it's not THE MOST dangerous job in the world, but I'm tired of people laughing when I tell them I got injured at work ;P

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HaaHa!

“Successful teachers are effective in spite of the psychological theories they suffer under”

U is for Umpire

So, it's baseball season and I am uber excited to see my Dodgers play once again. I think the only reason I like the off season (and I do mean the ONLY) is because I can get excited when the season begins again! The first home game is tomorrow and I think I have baseball on the brain so it's no surprise that this excitement followed me into the classroom.


This week in school we are studying the letter "Uu." Can you imagine how many words start with u? Let me tell you, not many. Can you imagine my excitement when one of the word cards was "umpire"? Let me tell you, it was great. So, that spurred a fifteen minute conversation with four and five year olds about baseball, their favorite teams, the purpose of an umpire, and their experiences with sports. One little one said, "Ms. D., I loobe the Dodgers too! My favorite player is Manny. He's so dreeamy." Ahh... Life is good.

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Ok, Just Rub it In...

So I was job hunting...again... and I was so lost as to where else I could look for a job. So, as in all situations where I don't know what to do, I googled it. I typed teaching in California (Nice right) into the search engine. Well, I didn't get any new sites for job hunting but I did find this article on the CA Dept. of Education website: http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr10/yr10rel34.asp

It was dated April 7, 2010 and is all about me! Haha. Not really but almost. It's about budget cuts and the impending shortage of teachers. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O'Connell basically restates everything that I am living right now. He said that the budget cuts are pushing the dedicated and true teachers away from the profession and are discouraging new, brilliant, and fantastic teachers from even wanting to enroll in a credentialing program.

O'Connell said that we have to come up with a better strategy to deal with our issues:
"To get out of this recession and for California's economy to thrive we must have an education system that helps all students gain the critical skills necessary to compete in the global economy, to reach this goal, we must find a stable, long-term solution that will encourage the best and the brightest to become teachers and to keep them in the classroom."

Although it seems like O'Connell was restating the obvious, maybe someone will listen for a change. Hey! A girl can dream can't she?!

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It's an art

Teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theatre.

-Gail Goodwin

Toothless smiles :)

It seems like everytime I see this one little girl, she's missing another tooth! Now, she has a beautiful smile with three gaps. It's gorgeous! she always gives me the biggest grin when she sees me so that I can see her missing teeth. She thinks it's funny that I make a big fuss over it.

I can remember when I lost my baby teeth. It's such a weird right of passage, isn't it? Pieces of your body falling out. Weird but oddly amazing. Feeling a little wiggle, then it wiggles more, and even more until it feels like it's hanging on by a thread. When that stubborn tooth FINALLY falls out (or is pulled out in many cases) it's such a relief! Then, you get to feel that gap in your mouth where a new tooth is timidly poking out. I had completely forgotten about the mystery of this experience until I started working with the little ones.

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It's like a retail job...but not...

On my quest for a career, I have filled out EVERY online application I can find (which isn't many to begin with). These positions range from part time preschool teachers to full time sixth grade teachers. I hadn't gotten any calls back until last week.

I was called to interview for a preschool lead teacher position. I bring my portfolio, print out my resume on pretty paper, make sure I'm a little early for the interview just to have my hopes crushed and then stomped on... There was a form to fill out with the regular interview info (name, prior experiences, references etc.). When it came to that little box where it says "How much do you expect to make?" I put a good figure, because they always try to pay you less anyway. The director took it and started laughing. She said, and I quote, "HaHa! I make waaay less than that. Like waaaay!" Following this, I was regailed with her life story and it turns out that she has a BA and works two jobs because she can't find a job that pays more than $12 hr. Geeze. I make more than that subbing!

I am going to have to start asking how much these places pay before actually going on an interview from now on!!

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Website Review: Toon Doo

http://www.toondoo.com/

Okie, this is a website with endless possibilities for the creative teacher. On this site, you can make your own cartoons. Yup! Your very own personalized cartoons :D WooHoo!!

Can you see the possibilities?! Can you? I sure can! You can make cartoon strips to illustrate new vocabulary words, science concepts, or geography like the one shown above. They can be used to show relationships between characters in a novel or play. Students can make their own as part of a report or review lesson. You could also use them as part of a PowerPoint or even on a smart board! Geeze, so many possibilities! Let me know if you use them, I'd like to see what you come up with.

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HUGGGSS!!!!

Hugs, Hugs, and MORE HUGS!!!! Oh ,how I love Love LOVE hugs! This is easily one of the best perks about working with the young ones. Not one day goes by that I don't get a gentle squeeze from out of the blue. There is something so genuine and honest about these hugs. They come from the simple desire to show someone love. Unlike adults, who sometimes hug out of respect, simple greeting, or some other ulterior motive, children seem to have this uncomplicated compulsion for hugging. I have noticed that there are a few different types of hugs that I recieve throughout the day

1. The "Oh My Goodness, I Haven't Seen You In Almost Ten Minutes" Hug: This hug is quick and usually has a small velocity due to the running start. It is usually followed by a breif upward glance and a warm smile. It makes me remember that they really do like me :)
2. The "Sneak Attack" Hug: This hug is usually unexpected and comes from either the back or sides. I don't know what triggers this hug, but I don't really care either. There is nothing more lovely than realizing that you have a kindergartener (or two) sqqueezing the life out of your legs for no apparent reason.
3. The "I'm Hurt" Hug: This hug is usually paired with tears due to a fall or hurt feelings. It usually follows a nice pep talk and maybe an ice pack (in extremely life threatning situations). I like this hug because it makes me feel like I have magical healing powers.
4. The "I Miss My Mommy/Daddy But You'll Do For Now" Hug: This is the saddest hug because sometimes it comes with tears and it always contains the strongest emotions behind it. Unlike the "I'm Hurt" hug, this one isn't fixed as easily. Many children never need this hug, but when they do, it's the most important one of all!
5. The "I Love You Miss D." Hug: This one is obviously detected. The child will walk up to you, look you in the eyes, and say "I love you Miss D." and give you the biggest hug ever! These always make me smile because of the unabashed declaration of love.

There are more, but these are my favorites.

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Culture Shock

As most of you know, I am currently an employee of a solidly middle-class suburban private Catholic school. The class size in kinder was less than 15. The students are not 100% Caucasian but I don't think there are more than 10 students in the whole school that English is not their first language. It is my first real long-term job and the entire campus has welcomed me with open arms. I am flabbergasted everyday by the amount of knowledge in these young minds. Seriously. Today, I over heard two preschoolers (about 4 years old) discussing a bible story and one little boy pointed to a group of people in the illustration and correctly identified them as Philistines. Really?! Geeze, it's amazing. Most of the kindergartners can read first-grade level books and write simple stories. The assigned math book seemed too easy for them so we practiced mental addition and even some subtraction daily.

As some of you might also know, I recently began tutoring after school for a company that has a government contract with LAUSD in compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act. Three days a week, I do one-on-one tutoring with a kindergartner in a low-income district. Her mother speaks very little English and she is in a classroom with more than 25 other 5 year-olds. She is very smart but has a language disadvantage that we're working on adamantly.

It is culture shock in the truest sense of the word as I go from interacting with my classroom to the one student. She cannot read. She can barely write. She cannot express herself in coherent sentences. It is actually mildly frightening. For Dr. Seuss Day I read Yurtle the Turtle to the class and they thought it was the most hilarious book ever. I read the first two pages while tutoring today and she was so lost that I decided that maybe we should get through Green Eggs and Ham first. I enjoy the change of pace that a 1:1 provides and she tries so hard during our sessions, I know she'll learn very fast. Its weird to think that I might be making a bigger difference in this one little girl's life than in all the kinder class combined. Still, the culture shock is extreme.

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World Poetry Day

In honor of world poetry day, here's a suuper funny poem I found :) Enjoy!

Lovely Teacher
by Linda Knaus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(sing to the tune of “Clementine”)

Lovely teacher, lovely teacher—
eyes of periwinkle blue.
You are such a pretty creature,
and I’m so in love with you.

How I long for your attention,
so I’m acting like a fool.
Put me down for some detention,
just don’t send me home from school.

Oh, I’m filled with pain and sorrow,
for my teacher is so cute,
but she won’t be here tomorrow,
’cause she’s just a substitute.

Did you sing it in your head? haha... I KNEW it!!

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Just Do It

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered,
LOVE THEM ANYWAY
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives,
DO GOOD ANYWAY
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies,
SUCCEED ANYWAY
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow,
DO GOOD ANYWAY
What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight,
BUILD ANYWAY
People really need help but may attack you if you help them,
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth,
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY.

author unkown

I was having a discussion with a few brilliant minds today and I was once again overwhelmed with teaching as a profession. I asked them a simple but unanswerable question: How do you immerse yourself in teaching without it taking over your life and burning yourself out after a couple years? I don't know the answer. Neither did they. They were NO help actually. However, I don't know if anyone can answer it. Teaching is a profession that can consume you body and soul. It takes over your life and before you know it you're looking up play-dough recipies at 1 am because you might want to use it next week. It never ends, but thats the fun of it!

Teaching is a wonderful profession because it can take you anywhere you want to go! The effort you put in is tantamount to the rewards you'll recieve in return. That's what draws me in. Teaching children about the lifecycle of a beetle is fine.. well, kind of boring. If you bring in some little worm looking things and have the students discover the cycle on their own, it's not so boring.

I found this poem online today and it really speaks to me. It gently encourages me to be a good person/teacher no matter what gets in the way. Sometimes we feel like nothing we do will ever matter in the long run, but it does.

So, even when you feel like you don't matter and it's taking over your life...TEACH ANYWAY

xxOOxx

Book Review: Everything on a Waffle

Everything on a Waffle
by Polly Horvath

I believe that you should NEVER assign something to your students that you haven't and/or wouldn't read yourself. Therefore, I have begun to indulge in fun elementary level books for my future reference (much more fun than Dostoevsky for sure!)

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I picked up Everything on a Waffle yesterday and just finished the 150pg. novel about ten minutes ago. It is a Newbery Honor Book and I would say it is good for the end of third grade/ beginning of fourth grade. Heck, who am I kidding, it would do as a read aloud in any grade actually!

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The story is written in the first person and is very engaging from the very first page! It's about a little girl whose parents are lost at sea. She goes through a very rough time trying to get the little town to stop telling her that they're dead, because she knows deep down that they're not. She tells of her misadventures in the little town and how she lost two digits in the process. The book is littered with recipes that sound delicious and little anecdotes on life. Definitely worth a place in your classroom library at the very least!

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