LIfe as I know it...

Friends,

It has been a while since my last post and I am so mad at myself. I have been swamped at work with using a new reading map plus a new social studies curriculum...and of course 36 new kids. Two Fridays ago, we recieved 5 new students in a day! That alone can set you back a week or two. Then it was progress report time! Yikes! Grades were low and it was a wake up call for most of our kiddos. My co-teacher and I reached an all time low these weeks. When in actuality I think reality just set in. Here is our reality:

1. We have the ESE kids which are wonderful and smart but learn differently than the majority of the kids. The have special needs that need to be considered.

2. We (my co-teacher and I) have slacked being on the same "wave" it showed in our kids. Thankfully we are back on the right track!

3. Our lesson plan expectations are going to kill us and we are not sure how to get ahead plus have all our admin is asking (individual teacher plans, but unity in what we are teaching and assessing, scales, essential questions, benchmarks, and evidence of small group remediation) Can I get a bigger piece of paper please?

4. We need to work and share and get along with 6 other people. Now don't get me wrong these people are wonderful! It is just hard when I feel like so much is being asked we don't have time for the creative brainstorming meetings that we all want. All I think about in the meetings is what I need to do before tomorrow. :( Not the best.

5. Our parent conferences are happening. Nuf said.

6. We have a student with behavior issues and need to do a lesson a week working on social skills. Um. Yeah. Haven't started.

7. The county has asked us to do Too Good For Drugs every Thursday for the first 10 weeks. I am on week 2. Sigh. So I think I will do 2-3 lessons each Thursday to catch up. Sigh. Sigh.

So here is the good news!

1. I am a great teacher...I am a great teacher...I am a great teacher.
2. I have the best co-teacher. I never do anything alone.
3. I have a great team. Who is always willing to listen or share.
4. I have kids I love. Even my new kiddos are amazing.
5. We have divided up some the team jobs and each person is responsible for something. Whew!
6. I think my parents like me! :)
7. We are almost done planning next week. That makes us one week ahead when we want to be 2. But I am happy. :)


Now here is the best part! I have been using my Kagan Strategies like crazy and even got some photos of my kids doing Quiz Quiz Trade. Some Whole Brain Teaching made it into my week by doing some gestures for our vocabulary words and we made some models out of clay while learning about the scientific method! 

Model of a Dolphin

Model of a snake

Freeze Dance - Brain Break

Brain Break

Lemonade Experiment 

So life isn't bad. We have a lot of fun. Just need to remember it is not what is important but WHO!

What are you struggling to get a handle on? 

Tiffany