I went to the post office today. There was not a single line and three whole ladies were working and available to help me. I actually froze up with confusion about what to do next. I'm still in shock....
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
For your reading pleasure....
Please enjoy the first story composed by Grade 2B this year. We had read "The Little Red Hen" and talked about cooperation a fair bit, and how that would apply to our classroom this year. As our first group writing project, we talked about how good writers can take ideas from other writers - not copy them, because then it's not original, but simply use good ideas. So we planned our story. I had picked the characters (Grade 2B teachers and students) and the setting (our school), but the plot is totally and completely the fruit of their awesome minds.
Not only did we write the story, but we are publishing a book which will be donated to our library, and further, we are presenting a play of this story for our entire school in an assembly in less than two weeks. Once you have read the story, you will understand why I am now also shopping for new pajamas in addition to new shoes.....
I present to you.... "The Lazy Teacher and The Working Kids" by Grade 2B
Not only did we write the story, but we are publishing a book which will be donated to our library, and further, we are presenting a play of this story for our entire school in an assembly in less than two weeks. Once you have read the story, you will understand why I am now also shopping for new pajamas in addition to new shoes.....
I present to you.... "The Lazy Teacher and The Working Kids" by Grade 2B
One cold fall morning the teacher of Grade 2B came to the classroom in her pajamas and said, “I’m so tired.” Then the teacher made a bed with the pillows and laid down on them.
The children started doing circle time by themselves. They did calendar, date writing, counting sticks, writing the weather and doing their jobs. Then the children turned on the Jack Johnson CD and started doing their work.
When the children finished their work, they went to Art, I.T. and Sports.
Then they ate their snacks because it was time. They listened to Johnny Cash while they ate snacks.
During snack there was a fire drill. The teacher kept sleeping. So the girls closed the windows, turned off the lights, turned off the CD and got the red and green paper while the boys put the teacher on the chair with wheels and rolled her out the door. And they did not forget to close the door!
They went outside and the other teachers said, “What is this teacher doing in the chair?” The students answered, “She’s sleeping!”
They went back inside and put the teacher back on the pillows. The classroom had a fish called Bubbles. Sometimes Bubbles talked. Bubbles said to one student who had brought cake to school, “Give the teacher her coffee and the cake you brought.”
The children opened the teacher’s mouth and poured the coffee in. She woke up!
There was a note by the cake. Who would read the note?
“Not I,” said the teacher.
“Not I,” said Bubbles.”
“Then we will!” said the kids.
The teacher was so lazy she had forgotten how to read, but the working children taught her how to read and write again. And the teacher never slept at school again because she wanted to read and write like her students. The end.
Just to be clear, the kids really just wanted to call her the Teacher of Grade 2B (not Mrs. Diana, as I had suggested) - which I appreciate. However, I do get to play that role in our play.... Additionally, the story is quite accurate about how our days go (and I really do believe this group of kids would run the class on their own just like so!), all the way down to the Jack Johnson CD. No Johnny Cash yet, but I'm not totally opposed to that either.... :)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Shoe shopping
Very sadly the time has come. I have been living in LV for two years and seven months. I walk almost everywhere I go. My shoes have started dieing. I can no longer put off the need to buy new shoes.
In the first week of school, two of my long-faithful pairs of shoes broke. Working in grade two, the kids let you know that kind of stuff. I had just finished giving some long-winded explanation, asked "any questions?" and get, "Mrs. Diana, when are you going to buy new shoes? Because yours are broken on the bottom." There is no escaping, no trying to hide it......I only have one suitable pair of shoes for work at the moment. Hmph.
As many of you near and dear to me know, I have not had the best of luck in the shoe department here in LV. The first experience was in trying to find a suitable pair of black boots. Let's just say that the email I wrote about that shoe shopping experience made the black boots I did buy infamous with my friends and family back in the States. When I had flown back for my grandmother's funeral, the second words out of everyone's mouth, after condolences, were, "Are those the boots?"
My second shoe shopping experience in LV ended up with a pair of sandals that literally broke within the first five mintues of me wearing them and two months of jumping through hoops and more ridiculous stories before getting my money back.
So yesterday, KB finally threw me in the car and said he was taking me shoe shopping. Yes, yes, I think we both realize in hindsight that was a pretty nutty thing to assume that this would actually be productive for us to do together. My attempt at shoe shopping with my new husband looked something like this:
KB: "These are nice shoes." Me, thinking, could you possible pick a more horrific pair?? (Answer: of course, yes, because you haven't seen anything until you've seen shoe choices in LV.) After a few attempts of this, Me: "Why don't you go and look at your men's shoes?" KB: "Fine, I'll just go the electronics store." Me, calling him on the phone a few minutes later: "I don't want you so close but I don't want you so far away. What if I find a pair I need your opinion on?" KB meets me at the next shoe store and obediently looks at men's shoes until I find two pair I need an opinion on. KB's opinion: "They look like grandma shoes." Me: "Ok, it's time to go home now, I'll try this again on my own later this week."
MP, I miss you!!! I need your opinion on shoes!!!!
Later in the evening, I uncovered more of my trauma about shoe shopping. As a child I had extraordinarily narrow feet, which meant I could only shop at one children's shoe store and had about two options in that store. I never got to get anything I liked. To top that one off I also had flat feet. So in kindergarten I had to spend the year wearing brown orthopedic shoes. All of this has led to shoe shopping leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I remember the year I agreed to buy a pair of shoes (sometime in elementary school) which I hated, just to be able to stop shopping for shoes. I had to wear them the whole year and it was horrible. Most men would probably appreciate a wife who is not obsessed with shoe shopping. That's fine. Until it comes to the point when all your shoes are broken. I don't know, I just may be barefoot this winter....
In the first week of school, two of my long-faithful pairs of shoes broke. Working in grade two, the kids let you know that kind of stuff. I had just finished giving some long-winded explanation, asked "any questions?" and get, "Mrs. Diana, when are you going to buy new shoes? Because yours are broken on the bottom." There is no escaping, no trying to hide it......I only have one suitable pair of shoes for work at the moment. Hmph.
As many of you near and dear to me know, I have not had the best of luck in the shoe department here in LV. The first experience was in trying to find a suitable pair of black boots. Let's just say that the email I wrote about that shoe shopping experience made the black boots I did buy infamous with my friends and family back in the States. When I had flown back for my grandmother's funeral, the second words out of everyone's mouth, after condolences, were, "Are those the boots?"
My second shoe shopping experience in LV ended up with a pair of sandals that literally broke within the first five mintues of me wearing them and two months of jumping through hoops and more ridiculous stories before getting my money back.
So yesterday, KB finally threw me in the car and said he was taking me shoe shopping. Yes, yes, I think we both realize in hindsight that was a pretty nutty thing to assume that this would actually be productive for us to do together. My attempt at shoe shopping with my new husband looked something like this:
KB: "These are nice shoes." Me, thinking, could you possible pick a more horrific pair?? (Answer: of course, yes, because you haven't seen anything until you've seen shoe choices in LV.) After a few attempts of this, Me: "Why don't you go and look at your men's shoes?" KB: "Fine, I'll just go the electronics store." Me, calling him on the phone a few minutes later: "I don't want you so close but I don't want you so far away. What if I find a pair I need your opinion on?" KB meets me at the next shoe store and obediently looks at men's shoes until I find two pair I need an opinion on. KB's opinion: "They look like grandma shoes." Me: "Ok, it's time to go home now, I'll try this again on my own later this week."
MP, I miss you!!! I need your opinion on shoes!!!!
Later in the evening, I uncovered more of my trauma about shoe shopping. As a child I had extraordinarily narrow feet, which meant I could only shop at one children's shoe store and had about two options in that store. I never got to get anything I liked. To top that one off I also had flat feet. So in kindergarten I had to spend the year wearing brown orthopedic shoes. All of this has led to shoe shopping leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I remember the year I agreed to buy a pair of shoes (sometime in elementary school) which I hated, just to be able to stop shopping for shoes. I had to wear them the whole year and it was horrible. Most men would probably appreciate a wife who is not obsessed with shoe shopping. That's fine. Until it comes to the point when all your shoes are broken. I don't know, I just may be barefoot this winter....
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Snoozing should be illegal
All in all it was a great first week of school. My personal goal for next week is to get more disciplined with actually waking up with my alarm clock. That has to be one of the top worst thing about going back to school - suddenly being obligated to wake up to an alarm clock five days of the week. I was really running to get to school on time Thursday and Friday, but fortunately was organized enough to get myself totally prepared for the morning the night before. That also meant that I was at school until 6pm every night last week. I am really trying to cut out earlier, but somehow it just doesn't happen.
I am really enjoying grade two so far. I got to do cool things like give a spelling test and was quite impressed how I was able to lay down the law so that no one dared to make a peep during the test. Friday was the first day that my students did not beg me to stay overnight at the school for a sleepover. I think I finally tired them out by the end of the week.
The best thing all week was to really observe what a great group they are in working together and supporting each other. Honestly, I was nearly in tears at random moments throughout the week, because of how absolutely wonderful this group is. It's not just me, on Friday after school I talked to their kindergarten teacher from two years ago about them and she said she spent nearly the whole year in tears for the same reason. She still has their pictures up on a wall at home.
For example, we talked a lot this week about how we all learn differently, at different rates and in different ways. Partly this is because I have two students in the class with significant enough special needs that they have personal assistants. But also, in general, I've got a class of extremely talented learners and learners who are really stuggling - I got the extremes. So we read several books and had many discussions about this. Near the end of the week, I told them the story of Helen Keller from an old book which I had read in the third grade. They were mesmerized and asked so many questions about her and talked about it all day. We also talked about how learning is like going up a hill, we are all learning more each day, but each of our hills look different. Right away, someone commented, "Yes, and some of the hills are hard and some are easy!" Then we drew what different hills might look like - some more steady, others with flat parts (when you might not be learning so fast) and then parts that go straight up when you are really learning a lot. They got it! Someone else was totally relating by saying, "Yeah, Mrs. Diana, I know, I was in one of those flat parts one time." So we talked about not worrying if you are in a flat part, that your day will come when you will get it too. And also, that we can all help each other out when we see them at a hard part in their hill. And then, they asked if they could draw their own hills. THAT is exactly how it's supposed to work in our school, where the students suggest their own ideas for inquiry and activities. So we did draw our own hills. It was way cool to see what everyone came up with because they were really all very different and I would say from what I know about them already a very accurate reflection of each individual.
And it helps when on a weekly reflection, you read that someone's answer to the question, "What is something new you learned this week?" was "That there could be so nice a teacher as you, because you are so calm."
I like grade two. :)
I am really enjoying grade two so far. I got to do cool things like give a spelling test and was quite impressed how I was able to lay down the law so that no one dared to make a peep during the test. Friday was the first day that my students did not beg me to stay overnight at the school for a sleepover. I think I finally tired them out by the end of the week.
The best thing all week was to really observe what a great group they are in working together and supporting each other. Honestly, I was nearly in tears at random moments throughout the week, because of how absolutely wonderful this group is. It's not just me, on Friday after school I talked to their kindergarten teacher from two years ago about them and she said she spent nearly the whole year in tears for the same reason. She still has their pictures up on a wall at home.
For example, we talked a lot this week about how we all learn differently, at different rates and in different ways. Partly this is because I have two students in the class with significant enough special needs that they have personal assistants. But also, in general, I've got a class of extremely talented learners and learners who are really stuggling - I got the extremes. So we read several books and had many discussions about this. Near the end of the week, I told them the story of Helen Keller from an old book which I had read in the third grade. They were mesmerized and asked so many questions about her and talked about it all day. We also talked about how learning is like going up a hill, we are all learning more each day, but each of our hills look different. Right away, someone commented, "Yes, and some of the hills are hard and some are easy!" Then we drew what different hills might look like - some more steady, others with flat parts (when you might not be learning so fast) and then parts that go straight up when you are really learning a lot. They got it! Someone else was totally relating by saying, "Yeah, Mrs. Diana, I know, I was in one of those flat parts one time." So we talked about not worrying if you are in a flat part, that your day will come when you will get it too. And also, that we can all help each other out when we see them at a hard part in their hill. And then, they asked if they could draw their own hills. THAT is exactly how it's supposed to work in our school, where the students suggest their own ideas for inquiry and activities. So we did draw our own hills. It was way cool to see what everyone came up with because they were really all very different and I would say from what I know about them already a very accurate reflection of each individual.
And it helps when on a weekly reflection, you read that someone's answer to the question, "What is something new you learned this week?" was "That there could be so nice a teacher as you, because you are so calm."
I like grade two. :)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tired but happy....
After day three I'm feeling quite good about grade two. Mostly I have to say that the group of kids I have this year are a truly amazing collection of people. Angels in disguise I might say, because I really can't think of another place I've ever been with twelve such genuinley kind and caring people at once. No exceptions.
Not that it's all been a walk in the park. We have one little boy in our class with significant disabilities - both physical and academic (which we were prepared for) but also emotional/behavioral as we are coming to find out. Our school has never had a case like this before and is really not equipped for it. We knew it would be a learning curve going in, but it's proved quite exhausting already. However, I will not dwell on this at the moment, in part because I've talked about it nearly day and night for three days already, but also because the group of kids together is truly amazing in helping this all to happen. We have also seen huge progress in the adjustment process in the first three days alone, which is extremely encouraging.
That being said, I am hugely thankful that this will be my first grade two class. They are even patient with me as I'm learning the ropes of grade two and remembering/rediscovering what it's like to work with this age group.
Along with the traditional lapful of flowers which I received on the first day of school, I have also already received two pieces of handmade jewelry as well as a thank you letter from my students. From the first day already they did not want to go home, but have begged every night to have a sleepover at the school with me. I'm glad I dreamed all my anxieties before school, because as the character Bob says in the great movie What About Bob?, "If you pretend it, then it's not really happening." So far so good.... :)
Not that it's all been a walk in the park. We have one little boy in our class with significant disabilities - both physical and academic (which we were prepared for) but also emotional/behavioral as we are coming to find out. Our school has never had a case like this before and is really not equipped for it. We knew it would be a learning curve going in, but it's proved quite exhausting already. However, I will not dwell on this at the moment, in part because I've talked about it nearly day and night for three days already, but also because the group of kids together is truly amazing in helping this all to happen. We have also seen huge progress in the adjustment process in the first three days alone, which is extremely encouraging.
That being said, I am hugely thankful that this will be my first grade two class. They are even patient with me as I'm learning the ropes of grade two and remembering/rediscovering what it's like to work with this age group.
Along with the traditional lapful of flowers which I received on the first day of school, I have also already received two pieces of handmade jewelry as well as a thank you letter from my students. From the first day already they did not want to go home, but have begged every night to have a sleepover at the school with me. I'm glad I dreamed all my anxieties before school, because as the character Bob says in the great movie What About Bob?, "If you pretend it, then it's not really happening." So far so good.... :)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The end is near.....
We are losing four and a half minutes of sunlight a day (roughly half an hour a week). Three years ago, I never thought I'd be sad about the sun setting at nine pm and rising at six am. Seems normal, but now it feels like everything is dying. Only because I know what is coming. I've discovered that for me November 18 (ironically, Latvia's independence day) is the moment when it all really shuts down for me, until about mid-February. So from now until November, I'm hanging on to every moment of precious sunlight I can. Come spring, I'll be celebrating sunlight from six till nine, but for now, it's the beginning of the end...... :(
Friday, August 22, 2008
Ready for Monday
Kids start school on Monday! Today was the last day of nervous and excited preparation, you could really feel the energy building in the school. The day ended with an open house for students to visit their new classes and a barbeque (which sadly got rained out rather quickly, but that is LV). About half of my new second graders have now visited the class and I'm feeling quite good. They were also for the most part extremely smiley and excited. Several parents metioned that their children have said in the last week that they are really ready for vacation to end and school to begin. We are all pretty excited for a new beginning.
(Note: one of my favorite events each year in my childhood was shopping for new school supplies and getting the backpack ready for the first day. Seriously, right up there with Christmas. Maybe that's why I became a teacher, because I get that feeling times thirteen as I'm getting ready for thirteen kids!)
But hands down the best part of today was seeing a few of my kids from last year. The way they ran to me when they saw me and threw themselves on me and hugged so tight and just smiled and smiled while we talked.....it's still hard to let go of the last class. Every year. A few weeks will pass and I'll be in it deep with the new guys already, but these guys were my life last year and it was great to see them again. I'm already planning a visit to my old class as soon as my new class goes to specials on Monday. At least it's nice to finally be working in the same school instead of moving around each year as I have been, so I can still check in with them and follow up on them, even after they're not "mine" anymore. I still have moments when I sit back and think about all the kids I've taught, way back to the very first Head Start kids (who are now fifth graders!), and wonder how they are doing now.
So here's to starting a whole new year and getting to love a whole new group of kids...I think it's gonna be a good one!
Side story: The second graders LOVE Bubbles. I thought they might not care so much but they are really excited about him, and dragging parents and friends over to show him off. I did the sneak attack of bringing Bubbles in, just packaged him up and took him with. He was totally fine when I settled him in and while I was paying attention to him. But when I got with work he started belly-uping. A few colleages came in and said, "oh, he doesn't look so good" and I said no, he faking and you have to talk to him nice and he'll be fine. So everyone told him how beautiful he is and how great he'll be in grade two, etc. Then when Bubbles and I were alone, I went to the tank, he belly-up swam over to my finger and I gently tapped and told him to turn over, which he did. I told him that's enough faking, he'll be fine in grade two and he'll love it and the kids will love him just like they did in preschool. Then he we down to the bottom and slept for a while (not belly up, just normal as he does) and before I left the classroom that day, he woke up and screamed at me to feed him again. Today he was already screaming at me as I walked in the door of the classroom and he was totally fine all day long, loving the attention from the kids. You may think I'm full of it, but I tell you, he's a fish with personality.
(Note: one of my favorite events each year in my childhood was shopping for new school supplies and getting the backpack ready for the first day. Seriously, right up there with Christmas. Maybe that's why I became a teacher, because I get that feeling times thirteen as I'm getting ready for thirteen kids!)
But hands down the best part of today was seeing a few of my kids from last year. The way they ran to me when they saw me and threw themselves on me and hugged so tight and just smiled and smiled while we talked.....it's still hard to let go of the last class. Every year. A few weeks will pass and I'll be in it deep with the new guys already, but these guys were my life last year and it was great to see them again. I'm already planning a visit to my old class as soon as my new class goes to specials on Monday. At least it's nice to finally be working in the same school instead of moving around each year as I have been, so I can still check in with them and follow up on them, even after they're not "mine" anymore. I still have moments when I sit back and think about all the kids I've taught, way back to the very first Head Start kids (who are now fifth graders!), and wonder how they are doing now.
So here's to starting a whole new year and getting to love a whole new group of kids...I think it's gonna be a good one!
Side story: The second graders LOVE Bubbles. I thought they might not care so much but they are really excited about him, and dragging parents and friends over to show him off. I did the sneak attack of bringing Bubbles in, just packaged him up and took him with. He was totally fine when I settled him in and while I was paying attention to him. But when I got with work he started belly-uping. A few colleages came in and said, "oh, he doesn't look so good" and I said no, he faking and you have to talk to him nice and he'll be fine. So everyone told him how beautiful he is and how great he'll be in grade two, etc. Then when Bubbles and I were alone, I went to the tank, he belly-up swam over to my finger and I gently tapped and told him to turn over, which he did. I told him that's enough faking, he'll be fine in grade two and he'll love it and the kids will love him just like they did in preschool. Then he we down to the bottom and slept for a while (not belly up, just normal as he does) and before I left the classroom that day, he woke up and screamed at me to feed him again. Today he was already screaming at me as I walked in the door of the classroom and he was totally fine all day long, loving the attention from the kids. You may think I'm full of it, but I tell you, he's a fish with personality.
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