Report cards go home tomorrow. Which is sort of great because then they (and all of the accompanying pieces*) will be out of my hands and I can relax until the end of the quarter. Not so great is that fact that the local weathermen are calling for another winter storm. We are supposed to get several inches of snow tonight, which is then supposed to be topped off by about an inch of freezing rain at some point during the day. And if that isn't enough, the rain/snow/icy wintry mix is supposed to slow down and then reappear with a vengeance tomorrow into Wednesday. Which means that, while we are finally caught up with our work, we may just be pushed back again because of the weather. That also means that depending on what happens, these report cards may not be leaving me for another day or two. Ugh.
*Oh yeah. Those extra pieces. I had my report cards in front of me this evening because I like to arrange them in the order I will meet parents during conferences. I also like to have an extra copy of everything that goes into the envelope in case there is a question about anything. (Call me obsessive, but I like to be ready and there is just no way I can remember every single detail about every child.) In the envelopes (this time) I am to put the following: the report card, the comment form, the math checklist for the quarter, the most recent Guided Reading/DIBELS results, and a health sheet from the nurse. All in a regular business-sized envelope. Oh, and the students who have IEPs, 504s, or GIEPs (gifted) have extra documentation. Some of these children take home two envelopes. I actually toyed with the idea of putting in my quarterly newsletter, but I think I may burst the seams of the envelope. I think I'll just save those until Friday.
Let's all hope for a quick thaw.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Day 94: Report Cards--Again!
Oh, it's that time of year again. The time when most teachers are scrambling to get their report cards finished. If you are hyper-organized and already have yours done, I applaud you, I envy you, but this post is not for you. For the rest of us who are pretty organized to somewhat organized to "Organization?"; this post is for us. (Nothing against you hyper-organized folks, but we just can't breathe the same air as you. We aren't worthy.)
That said...
I neglected to post last night (Thursday, January 27) because I was working on those blasted report cards. I had a meeting with my assistant principal the other day and she was asking how things were going. I made a comment that things will be fantastic once these report cards are finished. She agreed with me, as she had a taste of them at the end of the first marking period; she was covering for a colleague. (One of my colleagues was out on extended leave with a spouse who was battling cancer.) I asked her when the report cards were going to be redone. (These were supposed to have been redone quite a few years ago.) Or at least made digital for the elementaries (middle and high schools already have this capability). She had no idea when. So until then, we are forced to work with these unclear, unusable report cards that most people don't understand anyway.
I can't wait to have the report cards updated. The process of getting report cards done should be so much easier. (I say, "should," because we know how things sometimes get done.) I can only wait and hope.
I'm curious. What are report cards like in your districts? Do you still use the carbon paper like I do? Are they as confusing or--gasp!--worse? Or are you fortunate enough to have a district that has joined the digital age (in all grade levels) and do yours online? Share, won't you?
Well, it is that time again. I feel like the guy on the donuts commercial: "Time to make the doughnuts." I have as much enthusiasm, too. Somebody save me! (Or at least recommend a good chocolate or pastry...)
That said...
I neglected to post last night (Thursday, January 27) because I was working on those blasted report cards. I had a meeting with my assistant principal the other day and she was asking how things were going. I made a comment that things will be fantastic once these report cards are finished. She agreed with me, as she had a taste of them at the end of the first marking period; she was covering for a colleague. (One of my colleagues was out on extended leave with a spouse who was battling cancer.) I asked her when the report cards were going to be redone. (These were supposed to have been redone quite a few years ago.) Or at least made digital for the elementaries (middle and high schools already have this capability). She had no idea when. So until then, we are forced to work with these unclear, unusable report cards that most people don't understand anyway.
I can't wait to have the report cards updated. The process of getting report cards done should be so much easier. (I say, "should," because we know how things sometimes get done.) I can only wait and hope.
I'm curious. What are report cards like in your districts? Do you still use the carbon paper like I do? Are they as confusing or--gasp!--worse? Or are you fortunate enough to have a district that has joined the digital age (in all grade levels) and do yours online? Share, won't you?
Well, it is that time again. I feel like the guy on the donuts commercial: "Time to make the doughnuts." I have as much enthusiasm, too. Somebody save me! (Or at least recommend a good chocolate or pastry...)
Day 93: More Hours Gone
I. Am. SO. Tired. Of. SNOW.
I know there are many of you out there who have been reading my posts and wondering what I am complaining about because your cities and towns and school districts have been endlessly pounded by the winter storms that have been coming through since December. I heard on the news that there have been eight major storms since December.
While we have had several delays and one snow day, I know countless others have had many snow days (and may have already reached your allotment for the year). I know I should be thankful that I am not in one of those areas (and I am thankful), but I am tired of the snow. It's just enough to be a nuisance.
Today we had another two-hour delay. The kids are getting used to the routine, seeing as this is the fourth in four weeks. (Add that to the snow day and early dismissal and the hours just tick away.)
My students know that on delays, there is no morning recess, no independent reading time before lunch, and the rest of our day is squeezed a bit or adjusted and carried over into the next day. We managed to finish all of language arts, social studies, and half of math. That lesson will be carried over into tomorrow. The kiddos know we are about business and have managed to try and calm themselves before entering the room in the morning. I have really appreciated that.
Friday is supposed to have flurries all day with another inch or so of precipitation. We are also supposed to get another storm toward the middle of next week; right before conferences. Joy. I remember a few years ago, conferences had to be rescheduled and done on teachers' own time because the snow was so bad. (If you've been reading a while, you know our conferences are usually done during a school day while the students have off.) A lot of unhappy people that year. I just want to have the snow pass early or late. No rescheduling, please!
Next Wednesday is Groundhog Day. I wonder what ol' Phil is going to tell us...as if we can't already guess. An early arrival of spring, if that were actually possible, would be truly appreciated right now.
I know there are many of you out there who have been reading my posts and wondering what I am complaining about because your cities and towns and school districts have been endlessly pounded by the winter storms that have been coming through since December. I heard on the news that there have been eight major storms since December.
While we have had several delays and one snow day, I know countless others have had many snow days (and may have already reached your allotment for the year). I know I should be thankful that I am not in one of those areas (and I am thankful), but I am tired of the snow. It's just enough to be a nuisance.
Today we had another two-hour delay. The kids are getting used to the routine, seeing as this is the fourth in four weeks. (Add that to the snow day and early dismissal and the hours just tick away.)
My students know that on delays, there is no morning recess, no independent reading time before lunch, and the rest of our day is squeezed a bit or adjusted and carried over into the next day. We managed to finish all of language arts, social studies, and half of math. That lesson will be carried over into tomorrow. The kiddos know we are about business and have managed to try and calm themselves before entering the room in the morning. I have really appreciated that.
Friday is supposed to have flurries all day with another inch or so of precipitation. We are also supposed to get another storm toward the middle of next week; right before conferences. Joy. I remember a few years ago, conferences had to be rescheduled and done on teachers' own time because the snow was so bad. (If you've been reading a while, you know our conferences are usually done during a school day while the students have off.) A lot of unhappy people that year. I just want to have the snow pass early or late. No rescheduling, please!
Next Wednesday is Groundhog Day. I wonder what ol' Phil is going to tell us...as if we can't already guess. An early arrival of spring, if that were actually possible, would be truly appreciated right now.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Day 92: Early Dismissal
I awoke to an inch or so of powdery snow blanketing my car, the street, the yard, and the sidewalks. It looked quite peaceful. I was very happy to see on the news ticker that my school district did NOT have a delay, NOR did it have a snow day! Yes! The storm that was supposed to dump several inches on the area overnight before a second storm front arrives had been merciful; we caught the edge of the front (hence the inch or so of snow when I awoke).
I went to school, began my day, and began feeling optimistic about the remaining part of the day. (The minor flurries stopped around 9:15.) My class is just about caught back up (minus a day's work) and we were cruising along. We did Daily Edit, reviewed singular and plural possessive nouns, practiced how to write a comparison response question, reviewed inferences, read, and began centers. Life was looking good.
And then...
"Teachers, please check your e-mails for an important announcement. Thank you," blared over the P.A. system around 10:40. I knew instantly what it was: early dismissal notice.
We were dismissed an hour early today to allow buses enough time to make their routes safely. So beginning at 2:40, children were leaving the building in droves. I left the building after checking the radar online so I would have an idea of how to proceed for tomorrow. (FYI: It's looking like a delay or possible snow day.) I wrote my morning work on the board, sprayed my desks and other surfaces with Lysol, and walked out into a sleet/rain/snow mixture. (Wet. Heavy. Precipitation. SO not like the powder I woke up to this morning.)
In the near two-plus-change hours I have been home, the precipitation has gone from sleet to light rain back to sleet. Actually, a quick peek out the window just now has revealed that the sleet has given way to giant snowflakes (or snowpuffs? They look like shredded cotton balls). We are supposed to get snow throughout the evening, stopping around 1 a.m.
While I don't like the idea of a delay, I really don't like the idea of another snow day. I know districts do make-up days differently. My current district takes days off of breaks already on the calendar, like Easter/Spring break. My old district added them onto the end of the school year, up to a limit. Our first snow day will be made up in March. No days off that month, not even an inservice. If we have a snow day tomorrow, that day will more than likely be made up during our Easter/Spring break (which, at this moment consists of the Thursday before Easter through that following Monday. Aside from Winter break, it's our longest of the year.) It will be interesting to see what happens.
I'd rather have a delay--if anything--and use that time to finish up report cards. (You remember my issues with those on an earlier post.)
*Sigh.* I guess we'll find out in the pre-dawn hours.
I went to school, began my day, and began feeling optimistic about the remaining part of the day. (The minor flurries stopped around 9:15.) My class is just about caught back up (minus a day's work) and we were cruising along. We did Daily Edit, reviewed singular and plural possessive nouns, practiced how to write a comparison response question, reviewed inferences, read, and began centers. Life was looking good.
And then...
"Teachers, please check your e-mails for an important announcement. Thank you," blared over the P.A. system around 10:40. I knew instantly what it was: early dismissal notice.
We were dismissed an hour early today to allow buses enough time to make their routes safely. So beginning at 2:40, children were leaving the building in droves. I left the building after checking the radar online so I would have an idea of how to proceed for tomorrow. (FYI: It's looking like a delay or possible snow day.) I wrote my morning work on the board, sprayed my desks and other surfaces with Lysol, and walked out into a sleet/rain/snow mixture. (Wet. Heavy. Precipitation. SO not like the powder I woke up to this morning.)
In the near two-plus-change hours I have been home, the precipitation has gone from sleet to light rain back to sleet. Actually, a quick peek out the window just now has revealed that the sleet has given way to giant snowflakes (or snowpuffs? They look like shredded cotton balls). We are supposed to get snow throughout the evening, stopping around 1 a.m.
While I don't like the idea of a delay, I really don't like the idea of another snow day. I know districts do make-up days differently. My current district takes days off of breaks already on the calendar, like Easter/Spring break. My old district added them onto the end of the school year, up to a limit. Our first snow day will be made up in March. No days off that month, not even an inservice. If we have a snow day tomorrow, that day will more than likely be made up during our Easter/Spring break (which, at this moment consists of the Thursday before Easter through that following Monday. Aside from Winter break, it's our longest of the year.) It will be interesting to see what happens.
I'd rather have a delay--if anything--and use that time to finish up report cards. (You remember my issues with those on an earlier post.)
*Sigh.* I guess we'll find out in the pre-dawn hours.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Day 91: There's Something Going Around
My poor custodians. They have been shuttling back and forth these past few days dealing with various issues from sick children. It seems that no room is immune. In my own class, I have one out with pneumonia (and another that sits in her group who is sounding about the same way). I also have a student with a double ear infection and another out with the flu. I have still two to three others who are in various stages of coughing/hacking, sneezing, and stuffy noses. Needless to say, I have been even more frantic about my students using tissues and washing their hands--as if my usual frantic-ness about all that isn't enough! I have also been spraying down desks, tables, carpets, etc. with Lysol before I leave each day this week. (My favorite scent is Vanilla and Blossoms. Smells good and isn't too strong.)
Of course, I'm sure the crazy weather has not helped matters. Yesterday was 8 degrees when I left for work; today it was about 24. By the end of the day, the temperature had dropped again, thanks to yet another cold front that is moving into the area. By dismissal tomorrow, the local meteorologists have forecasted 3-4 inches of a slushy wintry mix. The evening is supposed to be topped off by snow.
So what do I do? Seeing as I don't know what my district is going to do yet, I have two sets of plans for tomorrow: one for a regular, full day and one for a day with a possible early dismissal. I also have a backup in case there is (dare I say?) another delay on Thursday morning.
Ah, the joys of winter.
Of course, I'm sure the crazy weather has not helped matters. Yesterday was 8 degrees when I left for work; today it was about 24. By the end of the day, the temperature had dropped again, thanks to yet another cold front that is moving into the area. By dismissal tomorrow, the local meteorologists have forecasted 3-4 inches of a slushy wintry mix. The evening is supposed to be topped off by snow.
So what do I do? Seeing as I don't know what my district is going to do yet, I have two sets of plans for tomorrow: one for a regular, full day and one for a day with a possible early dismissal. I also have a backup in case there is (dare I say?) another delay on Thursday morning.
Ah, the joys of winter.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Day 90: Back in the Saddle
It's Monday and we have gotten back into a routine! Yay! We reviewed spelling words, defined vocabulary, read and discussed a story, reviewed how to spell plural words, did Daily Edit, and read independently. We learned how to read a land and water map and create our own. We began our math test.
My kiddos seemed like their old selves today, working hard and eager to learn. It's a shame to think that this might go out the window come Wednesday; we are supposed to get yet another massive snowstorm depending on where the front falls. I really hope this one misses us; I just don't think I can take another one at this point!
I would like the front to move out all of this cold air, though. This morning I left the house to a balmy 8 degrees. The temperature did not get above 13 degrees. Sometimes I wish it were spring already because I hate being cold!
Ah well. We will be inside and working hard. We're back in the saddle, again!
My kiddos seemed like their old selves today, working hard and eager to learn. It's a shame to think that this might go out the window come Wednesday; we are supposed to get yet another massive snowstorm depending on where the front falls. I really hope this one misses us; I just don't think I can take another one at this point!
I would like the front to move out all of this cold air, though. This morning I left the house to a balmy 8 degrees. The temperature did not get above 13 degrees. Sometimes I wish it were spring already because I hate being cold!
Ah well. We will be inside and working hard. We're back in the saddle, again!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Day 89: Another Delay
Today was yet another snow delay. In the past three weeks, we have had three 2-hour delays and one snow day. This week alone was a snow day and a delay. It's very hard to catch up on things with all of these interruptions.
Case in point: Second quarter ends Monday. But we still haven't gotten in our unit 6 test for math, which is supposed to be included on this marking period's grades. So my kiddos had to take home the unit review for homework this weekend so we can take the test next week. I usually do not give weekend homework aside from the required reading. But seeing as we only had 2.5 days of school this week, I don't feel too bad about it, especially since we have been reviewing this unit since last week.
Our writing projects are finally finished. (Yes!) We are extending our end of the unit review in language arts through next week. These 2.5 days was just not enough to read and compare two stories, do some test prep questions, review phonics from the unit, review vocabulary, and do spelling. Some of that just had to be pushed to next week. So we will be closer to our goal of being caught up there. The nice thing is that our theme tests for language arts do not follow a quarterly guideline due to the way the units are set up. Which is nice, because then I would REALLY be freaking out.
No more snow is forecasted until the end of next week, and I'm okay with that. I feel like I can finally breathe and get some things done. I'm sure the children appreciate it, too, because they will have a sense of normalcy/routine again.
On to the weekend!
Case in point: Second quarter ends Monday. But we still haven't gotten in our unit 6 test for math, which is supposed to be included on this marking period's grades. So my kiddos had to take home the unit review for homework this weekend so we can take the test next week. I usually do not give weekend homework aside from the required reading. But seeing as we only had 2.5 days of school this week, I don't feel too bad about it, especially since we have been reviewing this unit since last week.
Our writing projects are finally finished. (Yes!) We are extending our end of the unit review in language arts through next week. These 2.5 days was just not enough to read and compare two stories, do some test prep questions, review phonics from the unit, review vocabulary, and do spelling. Some of that just had to be pushed to next week. So we will be closer to our goal of being caught up there. The nice thing is that our theme tests for language arts do not follow a quarterly guideline due to the way the units are set up. Which is nice, because then I would REALLY be freaking out.
No more snow is forecasted until the end of next week, and I'm okay with that. I feel like I can finally breathe and get some things done. I'm sure the children appreciate it, too, because they will have a sense of normalcy/routine again.
On to the weekend!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Day 88: So...How'd It Go?
So...how'd it go? I'm sure some of you are wondering how my observation with the Scholastic representatives went today. If you've been following me, you know I've been a little nervous about it. Not like a "my-principal's-coming-TODAY!" nervousness, but an "I-don't-know-these-people-and-they-don't-know-me-gee-I-hope-they-don't-think-I'm-a-nut" sort of nervousness. That said, here it is:
8:00 a.m.: I get a buzz from the office telling me that my guests are here. Gulp, deep breath. Up the hallway to get them.
8:00-8:45 a.m.: I show them my room. They take pictures. They look over my class library, the "extra" book bins, and my personal library. (You remember that discussion from an earlier post.) They ask questions about what kinds of books would supplement the curriculum (mainly social studies, like types of government and things like geography skills--landforms, map skills, etc.), what the children enjoy reading, and how my ordering has changed this year (I have several more boys than girls this year!). I also tell them about my schedule, and how today is not a normal Thursday because we are usually reviewing for a comprehension quiz and doing other activities. (If you've been reading, we are still catching up from three delays/snow days in three weeks.) So I explain that we will be finishing the first of two comparison stories for the end of our reading theme, doing our mid-year review of grammar skills, completing Daily Edit, having read aloud (during snack time), finishing writing projects (you know, the one that should have been done LAST WEEK!), and centers for those who are finished with the writing projects. There were no skills groups this week because the data wasn't compiled yet (We just got that this afternoon.). I also explained the independent reading program, which they really seemed to like.
8:45-11:00 a.m.: The students come in, get unpacked, and begin morning work. After announcements at 9:00, we are off and running. See above list of things that I planned to do with the class. We did them all, except for the Independent Reading; that's after first recess.
11:00-11:15 a.m.: Recess
11:15-11:45 a.m.: Independent Reading--The students' routine after recess is to put their things away, get their book, find a spot, and get reading. They did that. I put on the music (We are currently listening to Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite".), grabbed my Kindle, and got reading. About 10 minutes before the end of the period, I call students to their seats to fill out their independent reading logs and response sheet for today. Then we get ready for lunch.
11:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Lunch. The representatives eat with us in the lounge and talk to the other teachers who join us over the staggered lunch times (Grades K-3). We are treated to Atlanta Bread Company, which is along the same lines as Panera Bread. (I think they are owned by the same company. There are just too many similarities.)
12:20-12:35 p.m.: The children open a package that contain what I think was every book from the most recent Scholastic catalog. (When the box was delivered--and hidden until today--the packing label said it weighed 31 pounds.) There are sets of things and books on every topic: 39 Clues, Junie B., Geronimo Stilton, National Geographic readers, the Black Lagoon, Dairy of a Wimpy Kid, Babysitter's club, Music Fairies, and Flat Stanley. There are BFF books, animal books, sports books, reference books, classic stories, math stories, grammar/phonics books, and so many others. (After school I had to rearrange my bins in the class library because I couldn't fit everything with the old configuration. And I still have books left over to give to my students.)
12:35-1:15 p.m.: I drop my students off at library, then go back and finish up with the reps, answering any extra questions and such.
Throughout the day, they took notes on what I was doing and took pictures of the students working. They are going to take this information and create a video to be shared with the other staff members at Scholastic. Some of the same pictures will be used in a slideshow of all of the new members this year to be shown when we are in New York next month. (I just hope my hair wasn't sticking up too badly from the static in the air today! I also secretly pray that they didn't get back on the road and think they made a mistake!) You know what I mean: You have so many neat things you do that you can't possible do all in one day (or one subject, necessarily), so you worry that you haven't done "enough" to show how brilliant a teacher you are. Or maybe that's just my neuroses speaking right now!
Overall, they said they enjoyed my classroom organization and decorations, my students were organized and well-mannered (and no, I didn't bribe them or threaten them before the reps came), and thought I was creative. That's good, right? Right?
So now I'm one step closer to New York.
Breathe...
8:00 a.m.: I get a buzz from the office telling me that my guests are here. Gulp, deep breath. Up the hallway to get them.
8:00-8:45 a.m.: I show them my room. They take pictures. They look over my class library, the "extra" book bins, and my personal library. (You remember that discussion from an earlier post.) They ask questions about what kinds of books would supplement the curriculum (mainly social studies, like types of government and things like geography skills--landforms, map skills, etc.), what the children enjoy reading, and how my ordering has changed this year (I have several more boys than girls this year!). I also tell them about my schedule, and how today is not a normal Thursday because we are usually reviewing for a comprehension quiz and doing other activities. (If you've been reading, we are still catching up from three delays/snow days in three weeks.) So I explain that we will be finishing the first of two comparison stories for the end of our reading theme, doing our mid-year review of grammar skills, completing Daily Edit, having read aloud (during snack time), finishing writing projects (you know, the one that should have been done LAST WEEK!), and centers for those who are finished with the writing projects. There were no skills groups this week because the data wasn't compiled yet (We just got that this afternoon.). I also explained the independent reading program, which they really seemed to like.
8:45-11:00 a.m.: The students come in, get unpacked, and begin morning work. After announcements at 9:00, we are off and running. See above list of things that I planned to do with the class. We did them all, except for the Independent Reading; that's after first recess.
11:00-11:15 a.m.: Recess
11:15-11:45 a.m.: Independent Reading--The students' routine after recess is to put their things away, get their book, find a spot, and get reading. They did that. I put on the music (We are currently listening to Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite".), grabbed my Kindle, and got reading. About 10 minutes before the end of the period, I call students to their seats to fill out their independent reading logs and response sheet for today. Then we get ready for lunch.
11:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Lunch. The representatives eat with us in the lounge and talk to the other teachers who join us over the staggered lunch times (Grades K-3). We are treated to Atlanta Bread Company, which is along the same lines as Panera Bread. (I think they are owned by the same company. There are just too many similarities.)
12:20-12:35 p.m.: The children open a package that contain what I think was every book from the most recent Scholastic catalog. (When the box was delivered--and hidden until today--the packing label said it weighed 31 pounds.) There are sets of things and books on every topic: 39 Clues, Junie B., Geronimo Stilton, National Geographic readers, the Black Lagoon, Dairy of a Wimpy Kid, Babysitter's club, Music Fairies, and Flat Stanley. There are BFF books, animal books, sports books, reference books, classic stories, math stories, grammar/phonics books, and so many others. (After school I had to rearrange my bins in the class library because I couldn't fit everything with the old configuration. And I still have books left over to give to my students.)
 |
| These are the books that were in the box. I tried to spread them out, but I ran out of room on the table. |
 |
| These are the extra books. I already have these in the library, so I told the children I would take out the duplicates and pass them out for the students to keep. |
 |
| My bins are now turned to fit in the new sets of books. Those that weren't in sets are in the blue bins here, in the green "extras" bins on the shelves, on the shelf waiting rotation, or in my personal library waiting for the corresponding unit to be introduced. |
12:35-1:15 p.m.: I drop my students off at library, then go back and finish up with the reps, answering any extra questions and such.
Throughout the day, they took notes on what I was doing and took pictures of the students working. They are going to take this information and create a video to be shared with the other staff members at Scholastic. Some of the same pictures will be used in a slideshow of all of the new members this year to be shown when we are in New York next month. (I just hope my hair wasn't sticking up too badly from the static in the air today! I also secretly pray that they didn't get back on the road and think they made a mistake!) You know what I mean: You have so many neat things you do that you can't possible do all in one day (or one subject, necessarily), so you worry that you haven't done "enough" to show how brilliant a teacher you are. Or maybe that's just my neuroses speaking right now!
Overall, they said they enjoyed my classroom organization and decorations, my students were organized and well-mannered (and no, I didn't bribe them or threaten them before the reps came), and thought I was creative. That's good, right? Right?
So now I'm one step closer to New York.
Breathe...
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Day 87: Recovery From Our First Snow Day!
Wednesday, January 18, was supposed to be Day 87. However, due to several inches of snow and an extra coating of ice, we had our first snow day. So Day 87 was today.
Can I just tell you how much I don't like snow right now? In the past three weeks, I have had one interruption a week--two snow delays and one snow day. We are forecasted to get another 3-4 inches tomorrow night into Friday morning. So I could literally have a 2-day week this week. The kids are excited over this prospect; I am not.
You know how hard it is to catch up on missed work. Compound that by three (now possibly four, depending on the forecast). I am three days behind in language arts now and am having a hard time catching up. Case in point, the first day back from a long weekend (today) was a crazy day. The children came back after a three-turned-four-day weekend. They had an assembly this afternoon. On top of that, I had two IEP (special education) meetings--one in the morning, one in the afternoon--covered by a sub. There was no recess today, and I had computer lab. Breaks today: 1, and that was lunch. What did we accomplish today? We began a story, defined vocabulary, did two days' worth of Daily Edit, read aloud, reviewed nouns, and independent reading. We talked about landforms and did a math sheet. There was no real time for a full math lesson today. And then it was time for dismissal.
Tomorrow is the day the Scholastic staff members are visiting my room. I am praying that I can actually get some real teaching in during the day while they are absorbing. We have no scheduled interruptions--thank goodness! I'll let you know how it goes!
Can I just tell you how much I don't like snow right now? In the past three weeks, I have had one interruption a week--two snow delays and one snow day. We are forecasted to get another 3-4 inches tomorrow night into Friday morning. So I could literally have a 2-day week this week. The kids are excited over this prospect; I am not.
You know how hard it is to catch up on missed work. Compound that by three (now possibly four, depending on the forecast). I am three days behind in language arts now and am having a hard time catching up. Case in point, the first day back from a long weekend (today) was a crazy day. The children came back after a three-turned-four-day weekend. They had an assembly this afternoon. On top of that, I had two IEP (special education) meetings--one in the morning, one in the afternoon--covered by a sub. There was no recess today, and I had computer lab. Breaks today: 1, and that was lunch. What did we accomplish today? We began a story, defined vocabulary, did two days' worth of Daily Edit, read aloud, reviewed nouns, and independent reading. We talked about landforms and did a math sheet. There was no real time for a full math lesson today. And then it was time for dismissal.
Tomorrow is the day the Scholastic staff members are visiting my room. I am praying that I can actually get some real teaching in during the day while they are absorbing. We have no scheduled interruptions--thank goodness! I'll let you know how it goes!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Day 86: Long Weekend!
A long weekend awaits me. I can't wait! It will be busy, but a good kind of busy, you know?
Tonight we are hosting a sleepover, tomorrow I am attending a bridal shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Sunday we have a get together with some folks from church, and Monday I hope to hook up with my best friend for some shopping. (Really need some new work pants!)
I will try my best not to think about school this weekend, except for the hour or two I am going in Saturday morning to clean my room a bit. I don't know about you, but I am always surprised at the amount of dust that accumulates on surfaces in such a short amount of time. My room's not gross, but I know it's there and I can't stand it.
I am also going to rearrange my class library by level because I've discovered that some of my kiddos have been taking the easy way out in regards to choosing their independent reading books. They are supposed to choose books on their reading level in accordance to our school-wide reading program, but some of them have been choosing the same book more than once or are choosing books below their level because they are easy reads. Never mind that I have reminded them of the five finger rule over and over again. (Although I have modified it to three fingers because I think it is more accurate.) I called the class on it today and told them that a change is a-comin'! I am also implementing a weekly tracking guide to keep them accountable.
Why on the weekend you ask? Why on a LONG weekend? Simply put, it's when I have a bit of time. I've had something after school every night this week, and I want it done by Tuesday. So there it is.
So aside from that minor inconvenience, I am going to have a good weekend and I wish the same to all of you!
Have fun!
Tonight we are hosting a sleepover, tomorrow I am attending a bridal shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Sunday we have a get together with some folks from church, and Monday I hope to hook up with my best friend for some shopping. (Really need some new work pants!)
I will try my best not to think about school this weekend, except for the hour or two I am going in Saturday morning to clean my room a bit. I don't know about you, but I am always surprised at the amount of dust that accumulates on surfaces in such a short amount of time. My room's not gross, but I know it's there and I can't stand it.
I am also going to rearrange my class library by level because I've discovered that some of my kiddos have been taking the easy way out in regards to choosing their independent reading books. They are supposed to choose books on their reading level in accordance to our school-wide reading program, but some of them have been choosing the same book more than once or are choosing books below their level because they are easy reads. Never mind that I have reminded them of the five finger rule over and over again. (Although I have modified it to three fingers because I think it is more accurate.) I called the class on it today and told them that a change is a-comin'! I am also implementing a weekly tracking guide to keep them accountable.
Why on the weekend you ask? Why on a LONG weekend? Simply put, it's when I have a bit of time. I've had something after school every night this week, and I want it done by Tuesday. So there it is.
So aside from that minor inconvenience, I am going to have a good weekend and I wish the same to all of you!
Have fun!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Day 85: WhisperPhones Are Here!
Yay! My WhisperPhones have arrived! I shared with my class today what they were and how we are going to use them in class and they are just as excited as I am!
Before I can use them, however, I need to label them and put them into individual Ziplocs. I don't like the idea of the students sharing them because of sanitary reasons, so I requested enough for all students (plus a few extra to allow for new students and possible breakage). I hope to have them ready for next week.
The next step in the process is to create a Thank-You package to send back to Donors Choose. If you are not familiar with this, once a teacher's project is funded, the materials are shipped to the classroom. Once the materials are received, the teacher has about a month to create the package. This basically consists of pictures of the students using the requested materials along with a few thank-you letters written by the students. I think it's the website's way of making sure people aren't just taking materials. Whatever the reasoning, I will be using the website again.
Anyhow, I'm excited, the children are excited, and we're ready to roll!
Before I can use them, however, I need to label them and put them into individual Ziplocs. I don't like the idea of the students sharing them because of sanitary reasons, so I requested enough for all students (plus a few extra to allow for new students and possible breakage). I hope to have them ready for next week.
The next step in the process is to create a Thank-You package to send back to Donors Choose. If you are not familiar with this, once a teacher's project is funded, the materials are shipped to the classroom. Once the materials are received, the teacher has about a month to create the package. This basically consists of pictures of the students using the requested materials along with a few thank-you letters written by the students. I think it's the website's way of making sure people aren't just taking materials. Whatever the reasoning, I will be using the website again.
Anyhow, I'm excited, the children are excited, and we're ready to roll!
Day 84: Second Snow Delay
I know it's the season, but geez. We just HAD a snow delay last week! I have been trying to get caught up on my language arts, particularly the project I told you all about, well, since last week!
The schedule for second grade is set up so we have language arts first thing in the morning. We go from 9:05 to 11:00, then we have recess, and finish the block with Independent Reading until lunch. On Fridays we typically have our spelling quiz and weekly comprehension quiz and the remaining time is used to catch up on writing projects. With the delay, those had to be moved, which then squeezed the work to come for next day or so. We were almost caught up and--WHAM!--another delay! So now we are about two days behind on a project that should have been finished by Friday (the 14th). Ugh. My other subjects are fine. But you know as well as I do that language arts is one of the hardest to catch up because of all the components, especially if you are in the middle of a writing project. With a long weekend ahead of us, I'm thinking we will probably be done by the middle of next week.
Stay tuned for pics. And hope that we can get through next week without another snowstorm stopping by.
The schedule for second grade is set up so we have language arts first thing in the morning. We go from 9:05 to 11:00, then we have recess, and finish the block with Independent Reading until lunch. On Fridays we typically have our spelling quiz and weekly comprehension quiz and the remaining time is used to catch up on writing projects. With the delay, those had to be moved, which then squeezed the work to come for next day or so. We were almost caught up and--WHAM!--another delay! So now we are about two days behind on a project that should have been finished by Friday (the 14th). Ugh. My other subjects are fine. But you know as well as I do that language arts is one of the hardest to catch up because of all the components, especially if you are in the middle of a writing project. With a long weekend ahead of us, I'm thinking we will probably be done by the middle of next week.
Stay tuned for pics. And hope that we can get through next week without another snowstorm stopping by.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Day 83: An Adventure
Today was an adventure. Which is to say, it was one of those days.
My morning began with a raging migraine that nearly caused me to call off. (I used to get migraines for a while and even had a prescription to treat them for a while, but they had gotten better over the years so I haven't needed it for a long time. That's not to say, however, I'm not hit hard by one from time to time--like this morning.) I took a quick rest while my son ate breakfast and went in anyway. I took my Extra Strength Excedrin as soon as I got in the building, and the pain was dulled for most of the day. I kept the nausea under control by snacking when I could.
We were inside again today, with snow on the playground, bitter temperatures, and more snow forecasted--up to six more inches. Needless to say, it was noisy in the room today during recess time.
The students did work well today, with only two kiddos needing to move their clips for shouting out or talking when they weren't supposed to be. I usually don't have more than one move.
One of my kiddos had an accident and the custodian had to be buzzed twice before he got to my room to sanitize. (I think he was salting the walks at that time.) Meanwhile my students had to move their seats so no one would step in it before it was cleaned up. Of course, this is the time that most of the students reached the part on the math page that requires a ruler. And where are the rulers kept? Near the desk of the student that had the accident. So then I have students trying to get their rulers without stepping in the puddle. I finally handed to rulers to someone to pass out--after I put a trashcan in front of the mess so no one would step in it. The good thing is that the students didn't make a big deal out of it. I simply said "It happens" when I found out and went along with what we were doing. I figured the student was embarrassed enough without everyone making a huge deal.
My husband sent me a text to say that he was home early because he isn't feeling well--low-grade fever, stomach ache, and the blahs. I'm hoping he didn't catch what one of our students over the weekend had. That little one was sent to the health ward with a fever of 103 degrees on Saturday afternoon after waking with a fever that went down and then rose dramatically right before lunch. My son is also complaining of not feeling well, but he has no symptoms as of yet. I'm praying that he doesn't develop any.
In the midst of this I had to leave early to get to a doctor's appointment so I had to split my kids for the last 15 minutes of the day and rush to the office. I made it with three minutes to spare. Then when I got back in the car I realized I'm down to an eighth of a tank of gas and one of my tires must be low because I got a warning light. This means that when I take my daughter to dance tonight, I need to stop and take care of those things. In the snow.
I just want a nap.
My morning began with a raging migraine that nearly caused me to call off. (I used to get migraines for a while and even had a prescription to treat them for a while, but they had gotten better over the years so I haven't needed it for a long time. That's not to say, however, I'm not hit hard by one from time to time--like this morning.) I took a quick rest while my son ate breakfast and went in anyway. I took my Extra Strength Excedrin as soon as I got in the building, and the pain was dulled for most of the day. I kept the nausea under control by snacking when I could.
We were inside again today, with snow on the playground, bitter temperatures, and more snow forecasted--up to six more inches. Needless to say, it was noisy in the room today during recess time.
The students did work well today, with only two kiddos needing to move their clips for shouting out or talking when they weren't supposed to be. I usually don't have more than one move.
One of my kiddos had an accident and the custodian had to be buzzed twice before he got to my room to sanitize. (I think he was salting the walks at that time.) Meanwhile my students had to move their seats so no one would step in it before it was cleaned up. Of course, this is the time that most of the students reached the part on the math page that requires a ruler. And where are the rulers kept? Near the desk of the student that had the accident. So then I have students trying to get their rulers without stepping in the puddle. I finally handed to rulers to someone to pass out--after I put a trashcan in front of the mess so no one would step in it. The good thing is that the students didn't make a big deal out of it. I simply said "It happens" when I found out and went along with what we were doing. I figured the student was embarrassed enough without everyone making a huge deal.
My husband sent me a text to say that he was home early because he isn't feeling well--low-grade fever, stomach ache, and the blahs. I'm hoping he didn't catch what one of our students over the weekend had. That little one was sent to the health ward with a fever of 103 degrees on Saturday afternoon after waking with a fever that went down and then rose dramatically right before lunch. My son is also complaining of not feeling well, but he has no symptoms as of yet. I'm praying that he doesn't develop any.
In the midst of this I had to leave early to get to a doctor's appointment so I had to split my kids for the last 15 minutes of the day and rush to the office. I made it with three minutes to spare. Then when I got back in the car I realized I'm down to an eighth of a tank of gas and one of my tires must be low because I got a warning light. This means that when I take my daughter to dance tonight, I need to stop and take care of those things. In the snow.
I just want a nap.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Day 82: Old Man Winter
Today was so COLD! We didn't have outdoor recess, which meant I was in with the children for both recesses today. I had duty for the first recess, but not the second. I was there anyway, because our recess aides were short staffed and had to split times between two classrooms. I also had computer today. (We don't have a computer teacher, so on computer days, the homeroom teachers are the computer teachers.) My only break was the time I had to eat lunch. Needless to say, I had a massive headache by the end of the day. I'm still waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in.
On a high note, I had my meeting with my principal regarding my formal observation. He was impressed with my student's behavior and engagement in the lesson, my classroom organization, and delivery of the material to be taught. Overall, I had very high marks. The only place he had a recommendation was to have more writing during the lesson instead of doing a workbook sheet, but we were doing a review lesson to prepare for our comprehension quiz. My children usually write quite a bit during the day, between daily journal, reading response, and throughout each subject, even math. We are in the middle of a project for our current story; I will post that information this week so you can use it if you wish.
Tonight my daughter has a concert, so we have to venture back out into the cold. Brrr. Send warm thoughts our way!
On a high note, I had my meeting with my principal regarding my formal observation. He was impressed with my student's behavior and engagement in the lesson, my classroom organization, and delivery of the material to be taught. Overall, I had very high marks. The only place he had a recommendation was to have more writing during the lesson instead of doing a workbook sheet, but we were doing a review lesson to prepare for our comprehension quiz. My children usually write quite a bit during the day, between daily journal, reading response, and throughout each subject, even math. We are in the middle of a project for our current story; I will post that information this week so you can use it if you wish.
Tonight my daughter has a concert, so we have to venture back out into the cold. Brrr. Send warm thoughts our way!
Day 81: First Snow
Friday, January 7, was Day 81. It was also the hallmark of things to come this season.
Unlike some of you who have already gotten a measurable amount of snow this winter season, our first snow fell Thursday night into the wee hours of Friday morning. I had seen the forecast and wasn't sure we were going to get much of anything, as we sit in a valley and most storms pass us by. Not so on this occasion. Enter a 5:15 a.m. call from the school district's automated call system announcing a 2-hour delay for that morning. Picture me blissfully snuggling under the covers to sleep in just a bit. Picture my husband, who didn't have a delay, silently grumbling under his breath because the phone call woke him up fifteen minutes earlier than his alarm.
I enjoyed a leisure morning at home with my children before going out to school and getting prepared for the morning. And oh, what a morning (and subsequent afternoon)!
You know how little children get when it's almost Christmas? And how they get when it's almost their birthday? AND how they get when it's almost the last day of school? Take those three and wrap them up and you have what my kiddos were like when they entered the door Friday morning. I also like how children think you are unaware of what has happened in the world the last time you saw them. "Mrs. _____, it snowed!" Yes, yes, I know. (chuckle)
We did our best to get through everything. Only Social Studies had to be moved to Monday. Somehow we made progress, all while I tried to keep their minds focused on their work instead of snowballs and sleds.
The snow has started fading away, but there is still a bit of ice and the temperature is downright cruel. We are forecasted to get up to another four inches between tomorrow evening and Wednesday morning.
Oh, the joy of winter!
Unlike some of you who have already gotten a measurable amount of snow this winter season, our first snow fell Thursday night into the wee hours of Friday morning. I had seen the forecast and wasn't sure we were going to get much of anything, as we sit in a valley and most storms pass us by. Not so on this occasion. Enter a 5:15 a.m. call from the school district's automated call system announcing a 2-hour delay for that morning. Picture me blissfully snuggling under the covers to sleep in just a bit. Picture my husband, who didn't have a delay, silently grumbling under his breath because the phone call woke him up fifteen minutes earlier than his alarm.
I enjoyed a leisure morning at home with my children before going out to school and getting prepared for the morning. And oh, what a morning (and subsequent afternoon)!
You know how little children get when it's almost Christmas? And how they get when it's almost their birthday? AND how they get when it's almost the last day of school? Take those three and wrap them up and you have what my kiddos were like when they entered the door Friday morning. I also like how children think you are unaware of what has happened in the world the last time you saw them. "Mrs. _____, it snowed!" Yes, yes, I know. (chuckle)
We did our best to get through everything. Only Social Studies had to be moved to Monday. Somehow we made progress, all while I tried to keep their minds focused on their work instead of snowballs and sleds.
The snow has started fading away, but there is still a bit of ice and the temperature is downright cruel. We are forecasted to get up to another four inches between tomorrow evening and Wednesday morning.
Oh, the joy of winter!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Day 80: Observations
Today I had my second formal observation of the year. (I had one between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but so many other things were going on during that time.) As of this writing, I am finished with observations for the year. (Except for my observation by the Scholastic representatives. More on that in a moment.)
My former principal did not announce her observation times. She just came. My current principal gives a time frame. Sometimes he also tells what subject he wants to observe; sometimes not. I think they (my principal and vice-principal) do this so they aren't seeing the same subject every time they come in to observe.
Anyhow, I gave my principal my time frame (yesterday) and he was in my room first thing after announcements this morning. He stayed for about an hour while we went through the first two pages of daily edit, talked about suffixes, and reviewed for our comprehension quiz tomorrow. He seemed to enjoy his time in the room, but I won't know what suggestions he has for me until the post-observation conference.
I don't necessarily get nervous when I'm observed; my main concern is making sure I stick to what I've written down for the day. You know what I mean. Sometimes the students ask questions that require more detail, you see that the kids need a bit more so you ask them to demonstrate an idea or concept, or there is an interruption of some sort (ex.: a student who gets sick in the room or has a nosebleed).
There are some teachers out there who go all out and put on a dog and pony show when they know they are being observed. I don't know why. If your principal is paying attention s/he knows it's a show anyway.
One observation I AM a little nervous about is the one by Scholastic. If you remember, I told you in December that I have been selected as a Scholastic Teacher Advisor. As part of the process, two representatives from Scholastic will come and observe my classroom for a day. They will take pictures of my room, inspect my class library to what things my students read, see how I incorporate books and extra reading into my day, etc. They will then take this information back to the powers-that-be at Scholastic and talk about it.
I spoke with one of the reps yesterday and they will be visiting me January 20. I'm excited but a little nervous at the same time. I think about weird things, like:
1. Do I have ENOUGH books? I have a LOT of books. I have some on my "personal" shelf--you know, the books you let your students borrow, but not keep because you don't want them to get messed up and/or are saving for later units--but all of them are not out right now. I like to rotate mine with my reading units, science themes, math units, and social studies concepts. I really try to have books for everything we will study over the year, in addition to the class library the students use.
2. Is the class library diverse enough? I have twelve bins of various subjects, from Junie B. to magazines, sports to fairy tales, animal books to I Spy, etc. I also have three additional bins to supplement what we are doing in class: one for the reading theme, one for math, and one for what we are doing in science--this one gets switched to social studies books when we are in that rotation.
3. Is my room organized and clean enough? The pictures they take can potentially be placed--gasp!--online via the Scholastic web site. Do I want thousands of people looking at pictures of my room and saying "Oh my gosh, WHAT is THAT?" (Not that they would, but you see where I'm going here!)
I'm sure everything is fine, but once in a while I get those feelings. Once the 20th is over, I'll be sure to give you a front-row seat experience of the day...even if it includes near-fainting or an unannounced nosebleed.
Stay tuned!
My former principal did not announce her observation times. She just came. My current principal gives a time frame. Sometimes he also tells what subject he wants to observe; sometimes not. I think they (my principal and vice-principal) do this so they aren't seeing the same subject every time they come in to observe.
Anyhow, I gave my principal my time frame (yesterday) and he was in my room first thing after announcements this morning. He stayed for about an hour while we went through the first two pages of daily edit, talked about suffixes, and reviewed for our comprehension quiz tomorrow. He seemed to enjoy his time in the room, but I won't know what suggestions he has for me until the post-observation conference.
I don't necessarily get nervous when I'm observed; my main concern is making sure I stick to what I've written down for the day. You know what I mean. Sometimes the students ask questions that require more detail, you see that the kids need a bit more so you ask them to demonstrate an idea or concept, or there is an interruption of some sort (ex.: a student who gets sick in the room or has a nosebleed).
There are some teachers out there who go all out and put on a dog and pony show when they know they are being observed. I don't know why. If your principal is paying attention s/he knows it's a show anyway.
One observation I AM a little nervous about is the one by Scholastic. If you remember, I told you in December that I have been selected as a Scholastic Teacher Advisor. As part of the process, two representatives from Scholastic will come and observe my classroom for a day. They will take pictures of my room, inspect my class library to what things my students read, see how I incorporate books and extra reading into my day, etc. They will then take this information back to the powers-that-be at Scholastic and talk about it.
I spoke with one of the reps yesterday and they will be visiting me January 20. I'm excited but a little nervous at the same time. I think about weird things, like:
1. Do I have ENOUGH books? I have a LOT of books. I have some on my "personal" shelf--you know, the books you let your students borrow, but not keep because you don't want them to get messed up and/or are saving for later units--but all of them are not out right now. I like to rotate mine with my reading units, science themes, math units, and social studies concepts. I really try to have books for everything we will study over the year, in addition to the class library the students use.
2. Is the class library diverse enough? I have twelve bins of various subjects, from Junie B. to magazines, sports to fairy tales, animal books to I Spy, etc. I also have three additional bins to supplement what we are doing in class: one for the reading theme, one for math, and one for what we are doing in science--this one gets switched to social studies books when we are in that rotation.
3. Is my room organized and clean enough? The pictures they take can potentially be placed--gasp!--online via the Scholastic web site. Do I want thousands of people looking at pictures of my room and saying "Oh my gosh, WHAT is THAT?" (Not that they would, but you see where I'm going here!)
I'm sure everything is fine, but once in a while I get those feelings. Once the 20th is over, I'll be sure to give you a front-row seat experience of the day...even if it includes near-fainting or an unannounced nosebleed.
Stay tuned!
Day 79: Split Classes
Today a colleague was out. His plans were on his desk; all student work, overheads, read alouds, etc. were ready to go for the substitute.
Only there was no substitute.
Seems we couldn't get one to cover his class (or another in an upper grade), so we had to split his students among the remaining five of us. (Sometimes being a large school can be a good thing, especially when it comes to something like this. I have been in schools where there is no sub for a class and either the students were cobbled together to watch a movie and do busywork, the class was split between maybe three other classes and given "split packets" to do, or the teacher tried to teach a class that had grown by perhaps 10 children. None of these is a good scenario.)
My class grew by four today, so I had 22 bodies. (One of mine was absent.) Overall, it wasn't bad. The students joined right in with my class and we worked on our assignments with no problems. Things may be a little hairy for my colleague when he returns tomorrow (Thursday), because the students did slightly different things with each of the other teachers. While we are all on the same story in reading and just about the same lesson in math, the social studies and science curriculums are all different. (We have to rotate the science kits, so whoever is not doing science is working on social studies.) I'm sure he'll work it out.
What do you all do when there is no substitute to cover your class? Does your principal pull someone from another class or area? Do you split? What happens? Drop me a comment and let me know.
Only there was no substitute.
Seems we couldn't get one to cover his class (or another in an upper grade), so we had to split his students among the remaining five of us. (Sometimes being a large school can be a good thing, especially when it comes to something like this. I have been in schools where there is no sub for a class and either the students were cobbled together to watch a movie and do busywork, the class was split between maybe three other classes and given "split packets" to do, or the teacher tried to teach a class that had grown by perhaps 10 children. None of these is a good scenario.)
My class grew by four today, so I had 22 bodies. (One of mine was absent.) Overall, it wasn't bad. The students joined right in with my class and we worked on our assignments with no problems. Things may be a little hairy for my colleague when he returns tomorrow (Thursday), because the students did slightly different things with each of the other teachers. While we are all on the same story in reading and just about the same lesson in math, the social studies and science curriculums are all different. (We have to rotate the science kits, so whoever is not doing science is working on social studies.) I'm sure he'll work it out.
What do you all do when there is no substitute to cover your class? Does your principal pull someone from another class or area? Do you split? What happens? Drop me a comment and let me know.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Day 78: Half Day and Substitutes
Today was a half day for me. Not because of a district day (We have one half day all year.), but because I had a doctor's appointment this morning to review my right knee. The same knee I have been having problems with for the past few months.
Seems I injured my knee, or rather one of the tendons in my knee, and it hasn't had a chance to heal properly. With children at work, children at home, and children every other weekend at my live-in job at the group home, it's no wonder. I have to go back Monday to see a sport clinician for treatment options. Some of the options already given to me are: complete immobilization of my leg for a period of time (SO not practical at this point in time), consultation with an orthopedic surgeon (not quite feeling that one), or steroid injections in the joint (This seems the most likely; had them when I was younger for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.). I've already been doing everything else I can think of, from icing the joint, taking ibuprofen when my stomach can handle it (although I was given a neat little patch to try today), elevation, wearing flats or sneakers (no heels for a while), and wearing a knee support when it's really painful. I even teach part of the day sitting. With all that said, I'm just frustrated. I'm in some state of continual pain, I haven't been able to exercise in months, and I've gained five pounds (and I am not a person who gains weight easily. I miss my Pilates! And my running!).
Anyhow, my students have been very patient with me with all of these appointments and keep asking for updates when I come in after one. It's sort of sweet.
I came in today during lunch, so I checked in with the sub, then picked them up from lunch. You would have thought I was a rock star or something. As I approached the cafeteria, my students were already lined up and I heard, "Mrs. _____'s back! She's here!" When I got into the doorway, I was mobbed by my second graders, each of whom tried to squeeze some part of me for a hug. (I actually did feel like a rock star for just a minute!) After I got them calmed down enough to walk down the hallway like civilized people, we went on with business as usual. Not that the sub was mean or anything; she used to teach in the same building I teach in now. She is often a sub for me. As the kids put it, "We had fun, but it just wasn't the same."
Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Seems I injured my knee, or rather one of the tendons in my knee, and it hasn't had a chance to heal properly. With children at work, children at home, and children every other weekend at my live-in job at the group home, it's no wonder. I have to go back Monday to see a sport clinician for treatment options. Some of the options already given to me are: complete immobilization of my leg for a period of time (SO not practical at this point in time), consultation with an orthopedic surgeon (not quite feeling that one), or steroid injections in the joint (This seems the most likely; had them when I was younger for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.). I've already been doing everything else I can think of, from icing the joint, taking ibuprofen when my stomach can handle it (although I was given a neat little patch to try today), elevation, wearing flats or sneakers (no heels for a while), and wearing a knee support when it's really painful. I even teach part of the day sitting. With all that said, I'm just frustrated. I'm in some state of continual pain, I haven't been able to exercise in months, and I've gained five pounds (and I am not a person who gains weight easily. I miss my Pilates! And my running!).
Anyhow, my students have been very patient with me with all of these appointments and keep asking for updates when I come in after one. It's sort of sweet.
I came in today during lunch, so I checked in with the sub, then picked them up from lunch. You would have thought I was a rock star or something. As I approached the cafeteria, my students were already lined up and I heard, "Mrs. _____'s back! She's here!" When I got into the doorway, I was mobbed by my second graders, each of whom tried to squeeze some part of me for a hug. (I actually did feel like a rock star for just a minute!) After I got them calmed down enough to walk down the hallway like civilized people, we went on with business as usual. Not that the sub was mean or anything; she used to teach in the same building I teach in now. She is often a sub for me. As the kids put it, "We had fun, but it just wasn't the same."
Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Day 77: It's Over. {Sigh}
Happy New Year!
My holiday break has already come. And gone. {sigh.}
Not that I didn't enjoy my break. I spent some much-deserved time with my family, both in town and out of town. Several hundred miles out of town, to be exact. All with bitterly cold weather (but NO SNOW! YES!). My children enjoyed their holiday, and I had a chance to catch up on my leisure reading (Amazing how much of that doesn't get done during the school year...)
Then...
The clock read 6:30 yesterday evening. Being the slightly anal-retentive person that I am, I began to immediately count down the last few moments of freedom I had until I needed to return to school this morning. I desperately wanted at least one more day. But alas, that was not to be. (Slight confession/question: Does anyone else out there secretly set their alarm a bit later in the hope to squeeze out just a few more minutes of vacation? Or am I the only one? It's okay. You can admit it. We'll join a support group together.)
Apparently, I was not the only one feeling this way this morning. My own two children were dragging. My students were dragging (when they first got into the classroom, anyway. Then they perked up and revved along like they had caffeinated coffee with their breakfasts.). We did get a lot accomplished, but they were SO CHATTY today! Of course they wanted to tell all about their break, presents, who they saw, what they ate, etc. I gave them a period of the day to talk about those things (outside of recess and lunch) thinking it would help squelch some of that. Nope. Not at all.
Hopefully tomorrow they will be a bit better, but I don't know. (I have a sub for the morning. I'm going to have my knee checked out again. My doctor only had a 9 a.m. appointment available for the next two weeks after being closed during the holiday, so I took it. This is not something I would normally do to a sub, but I need to be sure I'll be able to get around.) I hope they will be decaffeinated by then!
For those of you still on your break, enjoy the time! For those of you who have started back with me, repeat as often as needed: four more days, four more days. (Or if you are a foodie like me: chocolate, chocolate...)
My holiday break has already come. And gone. {sigh.}
Not that I didn't enjoy my break. I spent some much-deserved time with my family, both in town and out of town. Several hundred miles out of town, to be exact. All with bitterly cold weather (but NO SNOW! YES!). My children enjoyed their holiday, and I had a chance to catch up on my leisure reading (Amazing how much of that doesn't get done during the school year...)
Then...
The clock read 6:30 yesterday evening. Being the slightly anal-retentive person that I am, I began to immediately count down the last few moments of freedom I had until I needed to return to school this morning. I desperately wanted at least one more day. But alas, that was not to be. (Slight confession/question: Does anyone else out there secretly set their alarm a bit later in the hope to squeeze out just a few more minutes of vacation? Or am I the only one? It's okay. You can admit it. We'll join a support group together.)
Apparently, I was not the only one feeling this way this morning. My own two children were dragging. My students were dragging (when they first got into the classroom, anyway. Then they perked up and revved along like they had caffeinated coffee with their breakfasts.). We did get a lot accomplished, but they were SO CHATTY today! Of course they wanted to tell all about their break, presents, who they saw, what they ate, etc. I gave them a period of the day to talk about those things (outside of recess and lunch) thinking it would help squelch some of that. Nope. Not at all.
Hopefully tomorrow they will be a bit better, but I don't know. (I have a sub for the morning. I'm going to have my knee checked out again. My doctor only had a 9 a.m. appointment available for the next two weeks after being closed during the holiday, so I took it. This is not something I would normally do to a sub, but I need to be sure I'll be able to get around.) I hope they will be decaffeinated by then!
For those of you still on your break, enjoy the time! For those of you who have started back with me, repeat as often as needed: four more days, four more days. (Or if you are a foodie like me: chocolate, chocolate...)
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