Swinging and sadness

Swinging is wonderful.  Today C, one of my adopted kids asked if I wanted to go swing.  The kids thought it was hilarious that Miss Neal was swinging with them.  C turned to me and said, “Dunnit feel good to be a kid?”  It was so cute.  D didn’t have his meds again today.  I didn’t realize this, but when he doesn’t have his meds, he has so much more personality!  I hate it that this medication helps him in some ways but destroys part of who he is.  I tried to help him with math, but he had a hard time staying with me because he was so fidgety.  It was so sad because he got really discouraged and said he was dumb.  I was so sad!

New post!

I haven't posted in two months... I've been indescribably busy. And I still am. Things are going okay. I'm alive. Barely, but I am.

That's all, folks. Bye. :)

HAAAAAAAAAAA

Oh the things that happen at school!  There was some noise coming from Mrs. S’s classroom so Mrs. T went to check on it.  Mrs. S. wasn’t there.  There were two kids who’d been put in charge because the teacher left and the sub wasn’t there yet.  HELLO!!??  They were playing a game, and were fine, but with that particular class of kids, I’m not sure how long that would have lasted.  Mrs. T asked me to sit with them for a little bit until the sub came.  We read for a little while, which they liked and listened well.  I didn’t really know what to do then, so I just taught them what I was teaching my class in science.  Mrs. St was in with me, so she yelled at the kids when they got loud.  At one point she leaned over to me and asked me if I really wanted to do this every day.  I told her that I really did.


Miss Neal 

WELL…I haven't written in a while but just thought I would say hello to you all! :) 3rd grade is VERY different than kindergarten and I realized very quickly that I thrive much better with the little bitties. I am doing a unit on rocks should be QUITE interesting. haha Things are a little too serious for me up on floor two. Let's go back to songs and dances and fingerplays!!!!

Luckily I have a job as a first grade teacher and can sing and dance it up everyday in my future! I am so happy! Hope you all are doing well!!!!

3rd grade

Whew.  Those days in 3^rd grade fly.  Yesterday we started reading The Westing Game for our before lunch read aloud.  I read it last summer, and loved it.  It’s a mystery, so I thought it would be a good change of pace from Winn-Dixie.  Yesterday we had a staff meeting with a webinar.  We conferenced with a reader’s workshop expert.  She works for the company where we get our curriculum.  It was interesting.  I really like how they emphasize meeting with your kids individually to talk about their reading and writing.  I haven’t seen the teachers do it, but I think it would be an effective way to improve literacy and writing, as well as meta-cognition.

Miss Neal  

Green green everywhere!

Better day today than yesterday.  I sat with the kids at lunch part of the time and went upstairs and got things done the second part.  Those kids are so funny!  I hate how they make them be so quiet at lunch.  It’s lunch!  It’s social time!  What’s a little noise?  Maybe I just feel that way because I’m a loud person.  Maybe not.  The teachers get so cranky when the kids talk, then they threaten them with “quiet time”.  Ick.  The teachers are talking and laughing away at their table.  Maybe I’m just being harsh.  I think the kids are ready for their science test tomorrow.  We did a little science war to help study for it, and they did pretty well.  We’ll see!  I got to help J with his math.  He said he didn’t want to take it home for homework, which made me think that maybe home isn’t a good place to do homework.  D came in with a green mohawk today.  I loved it.  I’m excited for Spring Break.  

Case study kid?

I may have found my case study kid.  I need to look back over the rubric to make sure of what would qualify, but this may be it.  His name is D and he is not dumb.  He might not get good grades, but it’s not for lack of ability.  He just can’t focus and get his work done.  When I sit with him and walk him through it, he’s fine.  At lunch today, the special ed teacher was there and they were talking about getting him tested and put in special ed.  THAT’S NOT WHAT THAT KID NEEDS!  Hello.  He just needs a little extra help.  I think putting him in special ed would just make him get behind and discourage him.  Bah.  We'll see what happens. 

Miss Neal