A Fervent Prayer

Dear God,
Please help me have patience this year. I know You have given me a class that will help me grow as a teacher and I thank You for not giving them to me as my first class! Help me to be the type of teacher they need and one that will help guide them to following in Your ways. I am scared that they will get out of hand and that I will not be able to teach the way I would like to. Please help me teach them self control this year.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Sneak Peek

This is the computer table in my room. It used to be a little station, but now it's pushed against the wall because I have no room to spare :( oh well! My bulletin boards look awesome this year! Here's a sneak peek...

Rules Schmules

Last year I had TOO MANY rules. I didn't go over them with the students and I didn't make it a priority. I feel like this was on downfall of my classroom management. Don't get me wrong, there were rules and the kids were good for the most part, but I could've done better.
Sooooo... This year we're going to have a class motto as our 2 rules:
WORK HARD & BE NICE TO PEOPLE
easy. simple. catchy.
Hopefully this works better. I even ordered a poster :D I let you know how it goes.
xx00xx

29 + 6 more= chaos

My perfectly spaced room has now gained six more desks. SIX. Six more students to add next year. Do I even have that many spaces in my grade book?? It is going to be crazy having 35 students. I'm not even sure how I'm going to incorporate the desks into my room, let alone 6 extra students. That's like a whole new row...they're going to be so far away :(

Okay. Everything will be fine. Just freaking out.

Check back soon to make sure I'm still alive.

xx00xx

Pinterest A.K.A. Internet Crack

It started with a "Hey! Check out this new site," and it ended with me staring with bloodshot eyes at the computer screen until midnight. This website is like a drug for teachers, moms, athletes, fashionistas, and well...everyone else. Even my hubby is addicted to pinning.

I will say that I have gotten about 100 new ideas for next year already. It's amazing. It has everything. I'm not joking... there are resources for math, literature, science, classroom management, organization, social studies projects, classroom set ups, and lots of free stuff (and who doesn't love that?).

So, are you on the pinterest bandwagon yet?

xx00xx

Summer Plans? What Summer Plans??

To the general public, a teacher's summer is filled with trips to the beach and vegging out on the couch. *le sigh* If they only knew what really happens behind the scenes.

So far this summer I have totally revamped how I will teach math this year, set up a reader's workshop for my class, wrote 60 mini lessons for writer's workshop, and went to a 2 day conference. After the conference I had to go add all of these new ideas to my previously completed lessons. yikes! All of this is in addition to the hours I've spent researching new ideas online *cough, pinterest, cough*

I still have to look up new ideas for historical novels seeing as my students didn't really like Island of the Blue Dolphins last year :( bummer. There are really a thousand things on my to do list except the summer is half over and I am running out of time!!

Here's to the new school year
xx00xx

End. Year One

There was so many things I wanted to post about this year and so many things I wanted to do in my classroom. However, I think that I was just too busy living my dream that time got away from me.

I learned so much this year. SO much. It's true that your students are your greatest teachers. Here's a small reflection on the knowledge I've acquired over the past 9 months...

-There will NEVER be enough time for everything...but try to get the important things in.
-Fractions are hard.
-I need to emphasize the importance of memorizing times tables.
-Breathe.
-Sometimes decor becomes irrelevant due to learning.
-Getting out of the classroom is imperative.
-Lesson plans, classroom layout, policies, relationships, and students themselves evolve. So deal.
-Take pictures.
-Ask the students what is working...and what's not. They're pretty smart.
-Be prepared for anything.
-Breathe.
-Have fun on field trips.
-Read aloud. A lot.
-They will always fight. Teach them to fight fair.
-Nurture their interpersonal relationships.
-Sometimes that really cool lesson doesn't really help.
-There is nothing a reading anthology can do that a novel can't do better.
-Plan ahead.
-The end of the year is much harder than the beginning.
-Parents can be a true blessing or a heavy burden.
-Most parents are neither.
-The end of the year will come too fast.

These are things that no university could ever teach you. Class of 2011-12.... you will always have a special place in my heart. I love you all!!

xx00xx