My First Pink Slip

Today I gave my first Pink Slip. What is a pink slip you may ask? It is the worst thing that can happen at Snow Springs besides going to the principals office. Fighting, goofing off, messing in the bathrooms, swearing, stealing, and other things like that qualify you for a pink slip. Oh and playing by the trailers during recess also can get you a handy dandy pink slip. There are 3 copies, one is white, you give it to the principal, the pink one goes home and you have to have your parent sign it and then the yellow one the teacher keeps. Anyway now that you have all the background info, here is the story.

Today I pulled out some spelling board games that I made this weekend. I was really excited to use them. The kids are in 5 groups for spelling so I was going around taking pictures for my class blog and when I got to one group, the kids were like, Michael bit Isaac. And they both agreed that it happened and then Michael turned it back to Isaac and said he bit him back. So the group continued their game as I pulled Michael and Isaac to my desk for a little chat. Michael told me that it was a "play bite" and did an example on his arm, where he didn't bite, just put his lips on his arm. I told him I didn't care if it was play or not, "WE don't put our lips on other people's bodies!!!!" Then I turned to Isaac and his little eyes were filling with tears. He told me that when someone does something to him, he automatically does it back.--- "I've been working on it though!" So I told them they weren't going to be able to go back to the game, and they would have to write their spelling words 3 times each at their desk. Michael turns to me and in the brattiest voice tells me that he doesn't care that he has to do it and that basically it wasn't a punishment. I snapped right there and told him he had a pink slip for talking back to the teacher and biting Isaac. Don't worry that I didn't even have a pink slip in my classroom and had to send my aide to get one later.

Biting in 3rd grade? Can you even handle that? What are kids thinking? Oh and by the way, the kid that told me he thought I was pretty and he liked me I guess that was Michael too. One day he is sucking up and then next he is biting kids.

"I am so Embarrassed!!!"

Last night I went to a class to learn more about writer's workshop. There were a lot of good ideas presented and I decided to try a few today. I had my kids tell stories verbally to a friend before they wrote them down. But... before they could tell, they had to write down 3 choices. I was wondering around the classroom and saw one kid who was having a hard time. I sat down and started to have a conversation with him. We started talking about his summer to generate ideas. He moved from Shelley elementary which is also in Lehi. He was like, oh it was so sad, I loved that school so much. I told him that would be a great thing to write about. I then asked him if he liked Snow Springs and me as a teacher. Hoping he would say he kinda liked me. He sometimes acts like he hates class and me. He then turns to me and says, "Of course I like you Miss Hales, your so nice and so pretty! Oh my gosh I am so Embarrassed that I just said that." ----- Can I say that it was the cutest thing in the entire world and I loved it. These moments make you love being a teacher!

Look what I got...

I finished week 5 today and it was so much fun. I may have said this last week, but the week's have been going by so fast. I couldn't believe that today was Friday, I feel like it was just last weekend. Crazy I know. This week was a lot of fun. We are working on addition in math, mostly double digit regrouping and today we did a little bit of estimating. We are reading Ella Enchanted for our read aloud and the kids are loving it. It has been fun to read. We are putting read aloud on hold for a week because we have to do this IOWA state testing. I am not excited for the testing, it stresses out the children. Today we had this guy from a Karate place come and teach this respect lesson. It was so much fun and the kids were freaking out. One of the girls in my class got picked to break a board and it was so fun to watch. She didn't really think that she was able to do it, but she did. I would be so nervous if I had to do it. The instructor asked who wanted to do it and I raised my hand, sometimes I forget that I am the teacher and not the student.

Today I inherited this cute little monkey. Ooops sorry kid that you were just playing with it during class and I had to take it away.
I also made 3 kids cry this week. I had a girl who wouldn't stay on task. She seriously sat at her desk for 20 minutes and didn't do a thing on her worksheet. I told her she would have lunch with me and do her worksheet during lunch. She quickly got to work. Then the next day she was dawdling again and I held her back in read aloud. Then she and I had to have a little talking. She cried but hopefully she learned that she shouldn't waste time.

Incident number 2 came with another girl who wrote a story during writer's workshop. I had her come back to do a teacher edit and she told me the story. She said she went to California and her best friend came with her. One night her friend was shot and killed. She knew this because her Dad slept with one eye open. I had a feeling that girl was telling a lie. I told her it was inappropriate to lie. She looked at me with the most serious face and told me it really happened. My instinct told me she was lying, but she just seemed so convincing. So then I asked her again and she denied lying. I emailed her Mom to ask her about the story and she replied saying it was a lie. The next day I talked to her and told her I was really sad she lied. She tried to explain that it was her imaginary friend and that it really happened. (How is this 3rd grade girl just thinking about her imaginary friend being shot. Oh man, I feel so bad for this girl.) She held her own while we talked but after she fell apart.

3rd friend was boy in my class who never brings his homework folder back. So I didn't let him go to fun friday today. (Which is just a 20-30 minute activity for kids who do their homework and don't get in trouble during the week.) I gave him a paper with addition facts on it and had him do that while the rest of the class was having free time. He started bawling because "it's not my fault, my Dad wouldn't let me bring my homework folder to school today." SURE..... Haha. He told me that I was punishing him. Well hopefully he hated the math facts this week so next week he will bring his homework folder back.

I have an aide and she is awesome. Michelle has been doing so much for me including grading and helping my students who need some extra one and one time. Thank you so much Alpine School District for letting me have an aide since I have 32 kids in my class.

I got my new computer. It is so much nicer than the old ones we were sportin. I have the new MacBook and it is just so speedy and clean and fun. Everyone should have one. I have almost been converted to a Mac. I'm just lovin it.

Well, Thats a wrap. I am sure there is tons more, but at this moment, I can't remember.

I have survived!

I just finished week four, and I couldn't believe how fast the week went by, even with a head cold. I was constantly blowing my nose or coughing, and it was hard at times.... but getting a sub is so much work and not worth it when you just have a cold. I am now taking vitamin C pills and drinking OJ every morning.

This week there are going to be some new changes.... I am starting to do Words Their Way which is a spelling program that I used during my student teaching. I also learned about it during my college classes and was sure I would use it in my own class. When I was hired I found out that none of the teachers on my team were using it, and I decided to opt out and do the same thing they were doing. But, I soon realized (after my first spelling test) that my kids were on completely different levels. Some were getting 100 without even practicing and some were struggling to get 5 our of 15. Individualized spelling lists, are the way too go. It's a little more work, but so much more rewarding. The 2nd grade and 4th grade use this program, and hopefully the 3rd grade team will adopt it along with me.

Tomorrow we have an assembly, it's from Ken Garff for their reading program. It's like the one where you win a car, except at the elementary level you win a bike. I am excited for the kids to have another incentive to read each night. Oh how I love to read, I hope that I can pass that on to my students.

I got my first book order back. And can I just say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE book orders. They are so amazing. How did I not know how many free books you get when your a teacher. My class ordered over 100 books and being a new teacher I got a lot of bonus points. With those points you can buy books. I got 49 free books with my points, and I only spent half of them. I got the Magic Tree House series, book 1-35! The kids loved them and were reading like crazy on Friday.

On Friday in the afternoon, I was about to read my kids a book and the power went out. I decided that we were going outside. It was a nice day and it was too dark in the class to read. I read the story, and the power was still off. I let the kids get their own books and for 10 minutes we all laid on the grass and read. It was so much fun. Sometimes I forget I have to be the teacher and observe, I wanted to just lay there and read my book along with them.

In library the librarian showed the kids pictures of the faculty from high school. For some of the older teachers, it was fun to see what they looked like 20+ years ago. I turned in my jr. picture instead of my senior, because I looked a lot different. I feel like I look the same as when I was a senior... minus the extra 20 pounds. haha. I had short hair that had blonde and red highlights. The kids were freaking out. It was so fun.

I just have to say, I Love teaching. I seriously can't believe how blessed I am. I have a great class and my school is awesome. I was a little worried that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I go to school everyday and love being there. I don't mind bringing things home to work on either. I am so glad I made the correct career choice!

cold season, a little too early!

So I have a cold, already! I have a soar throat, stuffy nose and my voice is leaving.... quickly! Today I am feeling better, but my voice is in the gross stage where it's half manly. So I was explaining to my kids this morning that they were going to have to be really quiet so they would be able to hear me, since I was loosing my voice. One kid in my class raises his hand and says, "Well I think you should just leave for a couple days until your voice comes back." I thought it was cute and said do you really want me to leave, and he thought about it for a minute, "well just for a few days." Apparently, my student isn't too fond of me. Haha.

Oh and it is pooring rain outside and it is so loud in the trailer. It does sound cool, but all of the kids are getting distracted and keep hoping for inside recess. Please, don't let it get bad enough for inside recess. If so, I have to spend my lunch in my classroom letting my kids bounce off the walls.

Well my break is over.

And then there were 32

Today I lost a student. One of my smartest kids in the class, Dillan. He was so darling and when he came to Back to School night he was so excited to tell me that he already knew most of his times tables. He was very helpful and always had a comment to share. He was one of those kids where if you were looking for the right answer, you could always go to him. He told me on Monday that he was moving Friday after school. He was so cute, "Teacher, I have something to tell you, and I don't think you are going to be very happy about it." I figured he had forgotten his homework folder or something. I was planning on making a class book with letters saying why we loved him in our class. He is on the early track so we took some class pictures so I could print them off for him. The office buzzed during the late track hour and said he was leaving today. So I didn't get to say goodbye, nor did the class. So sad!!!! But, the one good thing about it is that I only have 32 kids in my class now.

Next Monday we start getting aides in our classroom because our numbers are so high. I will have an aide in the morning during my math which will be amazing to have some extra help. Then I have an aide in the afternoon but it is during my rotation time, so not too much help, but I can have her file papers and make copies if I need. Or help me with whatever I am teaching. I can't wait, except I hope that I can get things together for her by Monday. Woo Woo! What else can I tell the blogging world???? I have loved this week because it has gone by so fast. My class is doing great and I am loving teaching my writer's workshop!!!!! My friend Mary got some freebie stuff from UVSC's library and I am so grateful for the books and cd's! Thanks Mary!

Until the weekend! Hopefully I will have my pictures ready to update. I want everyone to see my new baby..... aka my car, the camster. (I guess thats the new nickname for the Camry.)