Lunch with new friends :)

I am really getting to know my students pretty well now. I think it is so neat how fast they open up to you, especially over lunch. I have been sitting at the kids table instead of the teacher table and I think it is a very wise decision. I was talking with the Perritt girls (Casie and Lindsay) earlier and we decided that gossip is everywhere amongst the teachers. So eating at the kids table helps me avoids all that drama and has made me form relationships with the students that are hard to build when they have so much to get done in the classroom.

Today I was given the job of responding to their communication journals. My CT has not really had time to reply back to the students so they haven’t really written in a while. I hope that they will be motivated to write again when they know someone will respond.

Oh and I was so excited today about a student who usually is a handful. This kid had a bubble in his mouth the majority of the day and I kept telling him that he didn’t have to be quiet ALL day, but he was so determined to win who was the quietest. He also read over 7 books during browse book time. This is amazing because usually he has to be told over and over again to “open up your book” and “stop talking to your neighbor” and he responds with “ I don’t like to read!” It was the most exciting thing to see. Now I know to make everything a game (he is very competitive) and to praise him in front of the class (biggest smile ever when I did that today). Every day I am trying to find what motivates the students and make a mental note.

Just a side note, I miss seeing everyone!