Having settled in to fixing some errors in his phonics book, Danny* was almost finished when he exclaimed excitedly,
"Miss Hillary! I just have one more erection!"
"Just one more CORRection! Well done!"
Hmm... Or maybe two!
_________
* Name changed
Showing posts with label Teaching Tales. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaching Tales. Show all posts
Monday, November 08, 2010
Friday, November 05, 2010
Unorthodox lessons and vocabularial (it's a word!) blunders
Earlier this week, I taught my kids about pee.
Tired of the endless stream (no pun intended) of kids who come back in after recess or after lunch and, five minutes later, tell me with crossed legs, "Miss Hillary, I have to go the baaaathroom! It's an emerrrrrrgency!", I sat them all down for a lesson.
"Boys and girls, when we eat our food, most of it gets used by our bodies. But some of the food we eat, our bodies can't use, and it comes out as waste. What do we call that waste?"
Mostly I got some blank stares, but one boy, thinking he was giving a silly answer, giggled out, "POOP!"
"Bingo! You're right! It's poop!"
His eyes popped open, I'm sure shocked that he was right.
"And what ELSE comes out as waste?"
A chorus answered me thios time: "PEEEE!"
"You betcha! Boys and girls, todaaaay we're going to learn... about PEE!"
I proceeded to teach them about how when we eat and drink, our food goes into our stomach, into our intestines, and the nutrients go into our bodies to make us strong and help us grow. Some of the waste fills up in a part of our bodies called our bladders.
When we pee, we empty out our bladders, and then it's empty. Slowly, slowly, it begins to fill up again, especially after we eat and drink. When it's only half full, our bladder doesn't really tell our brains we have to go pee. But when it's full - EMERGENCY!
I wrote out an example of a daily schedule for the kids and showed them the times in the day that are good times to go to the bathroom. We talked about how your brain might not be saying "EMERGENCY!!!" but that, "I promise! There's probably something in there! And if you try, I'll bet something will come out!"
It was quite hilarious, and I'm 110% positive that this was the one and only lesson I've taught all year that EVERYBODY has paid attention to. Hopefully, at least now when I say, "Go and try anyway!" I can refer to this lesson and they'll understand why I say that!
Sidenote: I'm also veeery curious what the answers were if the kids were asked, "So, little Johnny, what did you learn about in school today?" HA!
Well, today I discovered that even my little monkey with serious attention difficulties picked up at least SOMETHING from my lesson.
He's working on learning the letters of the alphabet (oh yes, in grade two), and today he was working on U. He doesn't have a very expansive vocabulary, either, so he was having trouble with figuring out what the picture was.
"Miss Hillary, it's a cow."
"Well, yes, but look at the arrow - what part of the cow is it pointing to?"
"......... oh! It is a bladder?!"
CUTE!
"Ah! Good guess! I can tell you're really thinking about it! But a bladder is inside the body, and that's the part that holds the pee. This part is on the outside, and it's where the milk comes out. This part is called an udder. U-u-udder. Does it start like 'u-u-up?' "
"Yes! ... but Max* told me it was his tentacle."
Hmm. I'm prrreeetty sure Max didn't mean 'tentacle.'
I think just found the subject for my next lesson!
________
* Names have been changed
Tired of the endless stream (no pun intended) of kids who come back in after recess or after lunch and, five minutes later, tell me with crossed legs, "Miss Hillary, I have to go the baaaathroom! It's an emerrrrrrgency!", I sat them all down for a lesson.
"Boys and girls, when we eat our food, most of it gets used by our bodies. But some of the food we eat, our bodies can't use, and it comes out as waste. What do we call that waste?"
Mostly I got some blank stares, but one boy, thinking he was giving a silly answer, giggled out, "POOP!"
"Bingo! You're right! It's poop!"
His eyes popped open, I'm sure shocked that he was right.
"And what ELSE comes out as waste?"
A chorus answered me thios time: "PEEEE!"
"You betcha! Boys and girls, todaaaay we're going to learn... about PEE!"
I proceeded to teach them about how when we eat and drink, our food goes into our stomach, into our intestines, and the nutrients go into our bodies to make us strong and help us grow. Some of the waste fills up in a part of our bodies called our bladders.
When we pee, we empty out our bladders, and then it's empty. Slowly, slowly, it begins to fill up again, especially after we eat and drink. When it's only half full, our bladder doesn't really tell our brains we have to go pee. But when it's full - EMERGENCY!
I wrote out an example of a daily schedule for the kids and showed them the times in the day that are good times to go to the bathroom. We talked about how your brain might not be saying "EMERGENCY!!!" but that, "I promise! There's probably something in there! And if you try, I'll bet something will come out!"
It was quite hilarious, and I'm 110% positive that this was the one and only lesson I've taught all year that EVERYBODY has paid attention to. Hopefully, at least now when I say, "Go and try anyway!" I can refer to this lesson and they'll understand why I say that!
Sidenote: I'm also veeery curious what the answers were if the kids were asked, "So, little Johnny, what did you learn about in school today?" HA!
Well, today I discovered that even my little monkey with serious attention difficulties picked up at least SOMETHING from my lesson.
He's working on learning the letters of the alphabet (oh yes, in grade two), and today he was working on U. He doesn't have a very expansive vocabulary, either, so he was having trouble with figuring out what the picture was.
"Miss Hillary, it's a cow."
"Well, yes, but look at the arrow - what part of the cow is it pointing to?"
"......... oh! It is a bladder?!"
CUTE!
"Ah! Good guess! I can tell you're really thinking about it! But a bladder is inside the body, and that's the part that holds the pee. This part is on the outside, and it's where the milk comes out. This part is called an udder. U-u-udder. Does it start like 'u-u-up?' "
"Yes! ... but Max* told me it was his tentacle."
Hmm. I'm prrreeetty sure Max didn't mean 'tentacle.'
I think just found the subject for my next lesson!
________
* Names have been changed
Monday, October 04, 2010
Clever little monkey!
I have a grade two and three class again this year. They're very fun (and a little crazy!), and they often make me laugh. Here's a gem from the other day from a student I've nicknamed Sunshine:
Miss Hillary: Ok, please put your books away and come to the carpet for our lesson.
Sunshine: Wow! That went fast!
Miss Hillary: Well, you know what they say, "Time flies when you're having fun!"
Sunshine: Oooh! We should have fun in math!
Miss Hillary: Oh! So you like math, do you?
Sunshine: No! I want us to have fun so it goes by fast!
~~~~~~~~~
In othernews random though babbling... getting back into blogging seems weird. I don't know what to write about. This redesign needs tweaking, I think, so random posts like this one don't seem out of place. I know, I know, I just posted about anything and everything before, so why not now? And apparently I need to share how strange this feels for me.
Lots more to share coming up about some crazy, wacky, big-life-changes kinda plans! That is, if I can muster enough energy after my full days at the zoo! :)
Miss Hillary: Ok, please put your books away and come to the carpet for our lesson.
Sunshine: Wow! That went fast!
Miss Hillary: Well, you know what they say, "Time flies when you're having fun!"
Sunshine: Oooh! We should have fun in math!
Miss Hillary: Oh! So you like math, do you?
Sunshine: No! I want us to have fun so it goes by fast!
~~~~~~~~~
In other
Lots more to share coming up about some crazy, wacky, big-life-changes kinda plans! That is, if I can muster enough energy after my full days at the zoo! :)
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
In the eyes of a child
Can I just say for the record that I am so incredibly proud of my kidlets??? They are the best ever!!!
Last Monday, I decided to talk to them a little bit about the earthquake in Haiti. I knew some of them at least had seen the news, and decided it would be a good opportunity for discussion. So with a lot of qualification and some censoring of some of the more scary details (they ARE just in grade 2 and 3, after all!), I told them about the earthquake. I talked about the poverty in Haiti. I talked about how houses and stores fell down, and how people couldn't get food.
"Miss Hillary, did people die?"
"Yes. A lot of people died. And a lot of people got hurt. But there are countries all over the world who are helping, too."
"I wish we could help those people."
"Well... you can!"
"But we're just kids. We don't have any money!"
"No, that's true. Most kids don't have a lot of money. But we have done things in our school before to raise money. What have those things been?"
Huge, noisy gasps of air were sucked in and hands shot up in the air... "WE CAN SELL STUFF!!!"
"Good idea! What kind of stuff do you think would be popular to sell?"
One boy just couldn't contain his idea and shouted out: "WE CAN BUY A BUNCH OF NINTENDO Wii's AND SELL THEM!"
Buahahahaha!!!!!
This launched us into a discussion of cost effectiveness and feasability, but we eventually settled on the idea of a bake sale (that would conveeeeeniently line up with our upcoming parent-teacher conference days!). We then talked about how the government will double any money we make (hello, math lesson!), and how we will give the money to an organization who will be able to buy food, clean water, and medicine for people living in Haiti.
And so the kids got busy. They picked a name - the "Please Help Haiti Bake Sale" - and wrote up invitations to all the other classes to bring in baking. ("More goodies means more money!" one little entrepeneur pointed out.) They wrote an announcement and have been advertising the bake sale over the PA every day for the past few days. They made posters and have been asking thier parents to make goodies.
In class, we've talked about recipes and how to read them, and we've spent three full mornings baking cookies and cupcakes and decorating the cupcakes. We've done our work in the staff room so we can keep an eye on our baking. We've been learning about money and how to count quarters, loonies, and toonies and how to make change. We've been practicing with plastic play money - and can I say, these kids have really got the idea! (We'll see how they do with a rush of big kids wanting their recess snacks pronto, but hey, that's ok!)
The big sale is tomorrow and Thursday, and they are SO excited! They've been working hard, and have told me so many times how glad they are they can help people who don't have as much as we do.
One little boy, while making his poster, told the support worker in the room, "I wish I had one million dollars, then I would keep one and I'd give the rest to the people who got hurt in Haiti."
The caring I have seen in these kids this week has awed me. They've more than once brought me to near tears, and I am SO proud of them!
In the eyes of a child there is joy, there is laughter
There is hope, there is trust, a chance to shape the future
For the lessons of life there is no better teacher
Than the look in the eyes of a child
~ Air Supply, "In the eyes of a child"
Last Monday, I decided to talk to them a little bit about the earthquake in Haiti. I knew some of them at least had seen the news, and decided it would be a good opportunity for discussion. So with a lot of qualification and some censoring of some of the more scary details (they ARE just in grade 2 and 3, after all!), I told them about the earthquake. I talked about the poverty in Haiti. I talked about how houses and stores fell down, and how people couldn't get food.
"Miss Hillary, did people die?"
"Yes. A lot of people died. And a lot of people got hurt. But there are countries all over the world who are helping, too."
"I wish we could help those people."
"Well... you can!"
"But we're just kids. We don't have any money!"
"No, that's true. Most kids don't have a lot of money. But we have done things in our school before to raise money. What have those things been?"
Huge, noisy gasps of air were sucked in and hands shot up in the air... "WE CAN SELL STUFF!!!"
"Good idea! What kind of stuff do you think would be popular to sell?"
One boy just couldn't contain his idea and shouted out: "WE CAN BUY A BUNCH OF NINTENDO Wii's AND SELL THEM!"
Buahahahaha!!!!!
This launched us into a discussion of cost effectiveness and feasability, but we eventually settled on the idea of a bake sale (that would conveeeeeniently line up with our upcoming parent-teacher conference days!). We then talked about how the government will double any money we make (hello, math lesson!), and how we will give the money to an organization who will be able to buy food, clean water, and medicine for people living in Haiti.
And so the kids got busy. They picked a name - the "Please Help Haiti Bake Sale" - and wrote up invitations to all the other classes to bring in baking. ("More goodies means more money!" one little entrepeneur pointed out.) They wrote an announcement and have been advertising the bake sale over the PA every day for the past few days. They made posters and have been asking thier parents to make goodies.
In class, we've talked about recipes and how to read them, and we've spent three full mornings baking cookies and cupcakes and decorating the cupcakes. We've done our work in the staff room so we can keep an eye on our baking. We've been learning about money and how to count quarters, loonies, and toonies and how to make change. We've been practicing with plastic play money - and can I say, these kids have really got the idea! (We'll see how they do with a rush of big kids wanting their recess snacks pronto, but hey, that's ok!)
The big sale is tomorrow and Thursday, and they are SO excited! They've been working hard, and have told me so many times how glad they are they can help people who don't have as much as we do.
One little boy, while making his poster, told the support worker in the room, "I wish I had one million dollars, then I would keep one and I'd give the rest to the people who got hurt in Haiti."
The caring I have seen in these kids this week has awed me. They've more than once brought me to near tears, and I am SO proud of them!
There is hope, there is trust, a chance to shape the future
For the lessons of life there is no better teacher
Than the look in the eyes of a child
~ Air Supply, "In the eyes of a child"
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
I knew it was Christmas time because...
Miss Hillary's class has been working on "stretchy sentences" and "wow words" lately, using a variety of tactics. One is the framework below...
I knew it was Christmas time because
On Monday I saw one...
On Tuesday I saw two...
On Wendesday I saw three...
On Thursday I saw four...
On Friday I saw five...
... and that's how I knew it was Christmas!
The kids have to finish the sentences by picking a Christmas THING, telling what KIND of thing it is, and telling what is was DOING. (Adjective - subject noun - verb phrase, for all you grammar nuts!)
For example: On Monday I saw one green Christmas tree glowing in the window.
I've given the kids licence to be creative and silly, provided the objects are Christmasy type objects and the sentences make sense. And they CRACK me up! Here are a few of the best...
I knew it was Christmas time because...
On Monday, I saw one angry Christmas tree jumping on a nerd.
On Tuesday I saw two live snowballs burying Santa in the snow.
On Wednesday I saw three chocolate reindeer eating each other.
On Thursday I saw four "chuddy" (chubby) gingerbread men running from people who want to eat them.
On Friday I saw five flying snow angels sticking their fingers in their noses.
On Monday I saw one shiny Christmas tree running away from people.
On Tuesday I saw two teeny weeny snowmen melting in a desert.
On Wednesday, I saw three funny, chocolatey reindeer shaking fairy dust to bring Santa to town.
On Thursday I saw four humoungous snowflakes crushing elves.
On Friday I saw four bad Santas stealing presents from teachers.
On Monday I saw oneround Snata laughing "Ho! Ho! Ho!"
On Tuesday I saw two bright green Christmas trees dancing in the school.
On Wednesday I saw three plain stockings running away from Sanata (complete with picture of an angry Santa saying, "Get back here!")
On Thursday I saw four little snowflakes walking down the hill.
On Friday I saw five itty bitty reindeer dancing in a field.
On Monday I saw one glittery snowflake dancing to the ground.
On Tuesday I saw two cheeky red and green mice in stockings nibbling on cheese.
On Wednesday I saw three gigantic Santa reindeer practicing thier take off.
On Thursday I saw four skinny bald Santas yelling at each other.
On Friday I saw five fat tall Christmas trees giving high fives to me.
And THAT'S how I knew it was Christmas.
How do YOU know that it's Christmas?
I knew it was Christmas time because
On Monday I saw one...
On Tuesday I saw two...
On Wendesday I saw three...
On Thursday I saw four...
On Friday I saw five...
... and that's how I knew it was Christmas!
The kids have to finish the sentences by picking a Christmas THING, telling what KIND of thing it is, and telling what is was DOING. (Adjective - subject noun - verb phrase, for all you grammar nuts!)
For example: On Monday I saw one green Christmas tree glowing in the window.
I've given the kids licence to be creative and silly, provided the objects are Christmasy type objects and the sentences make sense. And they CRACK me up! Here are a few of the best...
I knew it was Christmas time because...
On Monday, I saw one angry Christmas tree jumping on a nerd.
On Tuesday I saw two live snowballs burying Santa in the snow.
On Wednesday I saw three chocolate reindeer eating each other.
On Thursday I saw four "chuddy" (chubby) gingerbread men running from people who want to eat them.
On Friday I saw five flying snow angels sticking their fingers in their noses.
On Monday I saw one shiny Christmas tree running away from people.
On Tuesday I saw two teeny weeny snowmen melting in a desert.
On Wednesday, I saw three funny, chocolatey reindeer shaking fairy dust to bring Santa to town.
On Thursday I saw four humoungous snowflakes crushing elves.
On Friday I saw four bad Santas stealing presents from teachers.
On Monday I saw oneround Snata laughing "Ho! Ho! Ho!"
On Tuesday I saw two bright green Christmas trees dancing in the school.
On Wednesday I saw three plain stockings running away from Sanata (complete with picture of an angry Santa saying, "Get back here!")
On Thursday I saw four little snowflakes walking down the hill.
On Friday I saw five itty bitty reindeer dancing in a field.
On Monday I saw one glittery snowflake dancing to the ground.
On Tuesday I saw two cheeky red and green mice in stockings nibbling on cheese.
On Wednesday I saw three gigantic Santa reindeer practicing thier take off.
On Thursday I saw four skinny bald Santas yelling at each other.
On Friday I saw five fat tall Christmas trees giving high fives to me.
And THAT'S how I knew it was Christmas.
How do YOU know that it's Christmas?
Monday, November 09, 2009
Move over, Gretzy, Miss Hillary's class is a-comin'!
Have I mentioned how much I love my class this year? Cause I do. Love my class. They are SO fun! And super adorable. And I SO wish I could show you pictures of their cuteness.
We were in gym today, and we're vaguely doing a floor hockey unit. We do a few passing drills, talk super briefly about a few general rules, and then let them play a game. Of course, they're little, and there's only eleven of them (oh yeah, did I mention I only have ELEVEN KIDS??? I am such a better teacher when I only have eleven kids to deal with, let me tell you!). This makes the gym seem really, really empty, but is good in the sense that they pretty much have no choice but to participate.
I was so proud of one of my girls today - when we first started the unit, she refused to play and just hung back holding the stick limply in one hand. She didn't know how to play and I don't think had a lot of confidence because of it - heck, I can SO relate! I HATED sports as a kid. I had no clue, and so had no confidence at all in gym and in team sport situations. I totally don't blame her! But today she was in there, shooting the ring (we don't use a puck, but a rubber ring thing), passing, stopping, shooting... AH! I was so PROUD of her!
Ah, but where I was really going with this was the goggles. Always safety-conscious, elementary kids have to wear goggles when they play floor hockey. The kind we have are HUGE on the kids, and I totally thought they would all complain, but not ONE of them do. They wear these crazy things and rip around the gym with their hockey sticks, SO into it, and let me tell you, it's all I can do not to totally crack up when an itty bitty grade two boy who's significantly shorter than the net is playing goalie, all gung-ho, wielding a hockey stick that's six inches taller than he is, in goggles that cover three-quarters of his face... and he's actually REALLY GOOD!
If you ever need a pick me up, get a class of grade two and three kids and turn them loose with hockey sticks (heaven help us all!).
We were in gym today, and we're vaguely doing a floor hockey unit. We do a few passing drills, talk super briefly about a few general rules, and then let them play a game. Of course, they're little, and there's only eleven of them (oh yeah, did I mention I only have ELEVEN KIDS??? I am such a better teacher when I only have eleven kids to deal with, let me tell you!). This makes the gym seem really, really empty, but is good in the sense that they pretty much have no choice but to participate.
I was so proud of one of my girls today - when we first started the unit, she refused to play and just hung back holding the stick limply in one hand. She didn't know how to play and I don't think had a lot of confidence because of it - heck, I can SO relate! I HATED sports as a kid. I had no clue, and so had no confidence at all in gym and in team sport situations. I totally don't blame her! But today she was in there, shooting the ring (we don't use a puck, but a rubber ring thing), passing, stopping, shooting... AH! I was so PROUD of her!
Ah, but where I was really going with this was the goggles. Always safety-conscious, elementary kids have to wear goggles when they play floor hockey. The kind we have are HUGE on the kids, and I totally thought they would all complain, but not ONE of them do. They wear these crazy things and rip around the gym with their hockey sticks, SO into it, and let me tell you, it's all I can do not to totally crack up when an itty bitty grade two boy who's significantly shorter than the net is playing goalie, all gung-ho, wielding a hockey stick that's six inches taller than he is, in goggles that cover three-quarters of his face... and he's actually REALLY GOOD!
If you ever need a pick me up, get a class of grade two and three kids and turn them loose with hockey sticks (heaven help us all!).
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
That's ONE way to get 'em to remember me!
Yesterday, our class went on a field trip. We've been talking about the community - learning about different people in the community and how they help with things we need or want, how communities change, roles and responsibilities of different people in the community - so I booked a field trip to the bank.
As we walked there, we were on the lookout for community helpers all around us. "Oop! I see a community helper! Who is it?"
A TAXI DRIVER! A BUS DRIVER! A TAILOR! A BUTCHER! AN AMBULANCE! A GROCER! A BAKER!
"Hey! I see a way our community is changing! What do you see?"
They're building a new building over there! That house is for sale! They're fixing that road! That store used to be a different one!
They were SO excited, it was really cute! Positively RIPE with learning opportunities, let me tell you!
Once we got to the bank, there were all kinds of other cool things to see and learn. The kids got a tour, learned a little about money and how a bank works, got to see the vault and the crazy thick doors and bolts and alarm systems. They LOVED watching the automatic money counter, and we even got to sneak a peek at the back of the ATMs. Raj, the security guard must have known we were coming, too (or maybe he just has this stuff all the time?), cause he had a magic jumping mouse and some paper to make a magic bird! He totally had my kids entranced while they were waiting for the tour. SO cute!
As we were walking home, balloons and snacks in hand (they gave us goodie bags! So fabulous!), I was thinking about how totally tickled I was that the trip was so full of great learning and fun. Man, teachable moments every step of the way!
And then it happened.
We were all standing at the corner waiting for the lights to change so we could cross the street. The kids were all watching me for the signal to cross. And then I felt a great big ol' raindrop on my head.
Oh no! It's going to start raining and we're not back to school yet thought I.
Um, wait a minute, this rain is kind of heavy. I put my hand up to my temple where I felt the drop. And sticky. And then I looked up to see four pigeons sitting on the wire directly above me.
Oh, yes. I had just been crapped on.
In my hair, on my face, on my neck and all down the front of my new sweater landed this goopy gift.
"Oh, MAN!" I said to my class. "I just got POOPED ON!"
Well, I'm pretty sure there's absolutely nothing more fantastically HILARIOUS to a grade 2 or 3 boy (or girl for that matter) than POOP, espeically when it lands directly on your teacher's FACE. Poor E could hardly walk, he was laughing so hard. Thankfully my support worker had a kleenex on her, so I wiped off the goo from at least my face for the walk home, but there it was, still in my hair and all over my shirt.
Of course, I couldn't help but laugh either (they say it's good luck?!), and enjoy the poop jokes all the way back to school. We started a game of running underneath the trees lining the sidewalk. You know, just in case!
So how do you rescue a really "crappy" field trip? Have the kids add the event to their Writer's Topic Pocket, of course! The next time we do our writing book, they'll have a great topic to talk about! I might even work in a lesson on descriptive writing tomorrow and see how they do with poopy adjectives!
My only regret? That I didn't think to take a photo! *GRIN*
(Thank GOODNESS for my support worker, who got the kids lined up and supervised them in the lunch room for me while I went and stuck my head under the tap and half-laundered my sweater in the staff bathroom!)
As we walked there, we were on the lookout for community helpers all around us. "Oop! I see a community helper! Who is it?"
A TAXI DRIVER! A BUS DRIVER! A TAILOR! A BUTCHER! AN AMBULANCE! A GROCER! A BAKER!
"Hey! I see a way our community is changing! What do you see?"
They're building a new building over there! That house is for sale! They're fixing that road! That store used to be a different one!
They were SO excited, it was really cute! Positively RIPE with learning opportunities, let me tell you!
Once we got to the bank, there were all kinds of other cool things to see and learn. The kids got a tour, learned a little about money and how a bank works, got to see the vault and the crazy thick doors and bolts and alarm systems. They LOVED watching the automatic money counter, and we even got to sneak a peek at the back of the ATMs. Raj, the security guard must have known we were coming, too (or maybe he just has this stuff all the time?), cause he had a magic jumping mouse and some paper to make a magic bird! He totally had my kids entranced while they were waiting for the tour. SO cute!
As we were walking home, balloons and snacks in hand (they gave us goodie bags! So fabulous!), I was thinking about how totally tickled I was that the trip was so full of great learning and fun. Man, teachable moments every step of the way!
And then it happened.
We were all standing at the corner waiting for the lights to change so we could cross the street. The kids were all watching me for the signal to cross. And then I felt a great big ol' raindrop on my head.
Oh no! It's going to start raining and we're not back to school yet thought I.
Um, wait a minute, this rain is kind of heavy. I put my hand up to my temple where I felt the drop. And sticky. And then I looked up to see four pigeons sitting on the wire directly above me.
Oh, yes. I had just been crapped on.
In my hair, on my face, on my neck and all down the front of my new sweater landed this goopy gift.
"Oh, MAN!" I said to my class. "I just got POOPED ON!"
Well, I'm pretty sure there's absolutely nothing more fantastically HILARIOUS to a grade 2 or 3 boy (or girl for that matter) than POOP, espeically when it lands directly on your teacher's FACE. Poor E could hardly walk, he was laughing so hard. Thankfully my support worker had a kleenex on her, so I wiped off the goo from at least my face for the walk home, but there it was, still in my hair and all over my shirt.
Of course, I couldn't help but laugh either (they say it's good luck?!), and enjoy the poop jokes all the way back to school. We started a game of running underneath the trees lining the sidewalk. You know, just in case!
So how do you rescue a really "crappy" field trip? Have the kids add the event to their Writer's Topic Pocket, of course! The next time we do our writing book, they'll have a great topic to talk about! I might even work in a lesson on descriptive writing tomorrow and see how they do with poopy adjectives!
My only regret? That I didn't think to take a photo! *GRIN*
(Thank GOODNESS for my support worker, who got the kids lined up and supervised them in the lunch room for me while I went and stuck my head under the tap and half-laundered my sweater in the staff bathroom!)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Glee!
Temperatures are well below freezing outside and it has been snowing all day and all last night - that nice, powdery, fluffy snow; not the slushy wet muck we usually get. I've just come back from dinner with a big contingent of staff from my old school. I'm here in my classroom, Christmas carols blaring, miles of paper chains strewn all over the room, a ladder in the corner and a roll of making tape on my arm... The letters from Santa are chilling in the staff room freezer, the gifts are wrapped, the candy canes hung from our art hooks, and the footprints painted, and I am deliriously happy. Santa Claus is going to work his magic here tonight, and I can't wait to see the looks on my kidlets faces when they arrive to school tomorrow to snowy footprints and Christmas magic throughout the room...
More to come tomorrow, I have a note from Santa to write!
More to come tomorrow, I have a note from Santa to write!
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Makes sense to me!
We're doing a unit on mapping right now at school. The kids are learning about symbols and legends, and today I had them create their own island. They got to plan where the mountains would be, the rivers, the school, the neighbourhood, the parks, etc. It really was quite a fun project! As they were colouring their maps, one grade two girl looked up at me:
"Miss Hillary, look, do you see how I coloured this symbol grey and red mixed?"
"Yes! It looks neat!"
"Well I did it because I thought it would look kind of bloody, and that's good, cause it's the hospital."
Ummm... ok, then! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Busy, busy, busy! That's been my life the last two weeks. Between report cards, getting my placement confirmed, filling in all manner of permit applications, waivers, policies, etc, planning my fundraiser, writing and sending out prayer letters, making prayer cards to be printed, getting stabbed in the arm with more deadly diseases... life has been more than a little hectic. So many times I've wanted to sit down and write - reflect about this whole Africa process, talk about my kidlets, ramble aimlessly.... oh sorry, what? ... but I've been TOO. TIRED. and have had NO time! I totally even bailed on NaBloPoMo. (Cause you know, THAT was my biggest priority!)
I have my departure date - January 7 - and time is a-tickin'!
So much to dooooooo!
"Miss Hillary, look, do you see how I coloured this symbol grey and red mixed?"
"Yes! It looks neat!"
"Well I did it because I thought it would look kind of bloody, and that's good, cause it's the hospital."
Ummm... ok, then! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Busy, busy, busy! That's been my life the last two weeks. Between report cards, getting my placement confirmed, filling in all manner of permit applications, waivers, policies, etc, planning my fundraiser, writing and sending out prayer letters, making prayer cards to be printed, getting stabbed in the arm with more deadly diseases... life has been more than a little hectic. So many times I've wanted to sit down and write - reflect about this whole Africa process, talk about my kidlets, ramble aimlessly.... oh sorry, what? ... but I've been TOO. TIRED. and have had NO time! I totally even bailed on NaBloPoMo. (Cause you know, THAT was my biggest priority!)
I have my departure date - January 7 - and time is a-tickin'!
So much to dooooooo!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
But on the bright side...
Today was a gong show. Absolute, total gong show. The past two weeks, things have been escalating in my class to a point where I am on the verge of l-o-s-i-n-g it. Kids who run away and hide in the school. Kids who just decide to wander the class, play with toys, and bang on instruments in the middle of a lesson... aaaaand, I could go on for days, but you know what, I wasn't going to focus on that.
Instead I was going to focus on the two things that brightened my day. Cause that's always a better way to go!
The social committee (of which I am a part) decided last month to do a "Secret Angel" program for anyone who wanted to participate. So I made up a questionnaire and asked whoever would like to participate to fill it out nad return it to me. Then we did a secret draw and everybody got thier recipient. The idea is that you use the questionnaire and pay attention to the person you have andthroughout the year, you give little gifts - just little, no breaking the bank necessary - or notes or whatever to that person to encourage them and to just genreally brighten their day.
It got off to a bit of a rocky start (asking the change the person you drew cause you've had a conflict with them? Not quite the point. Oy vey.), but it's underway, and I've seen thank you's "to my secret angel" popping up in the communication book. Hooray! I'm really glad it got of the ground!
So today, in the middle of all the insanity - behavoiurs, runaways, meetings (straight through my prep, straight through recess, straight through between recess and lunch, and all the way through lunch - I'd had to pee since 10am. I got to at 4. And I have yet to eat my lunch... but right, I wasn't going to rant!)... where was I? Oh yes. In the middle of the insanity. I checked my box for a form I needed forone of the meetings, only to find something from MY secret angel. Three somethings, in fact.
Once I had a chance to breathe, I took them back to my room and opened them up. When I think "Secret Angel program" I think notes, maybe a candy bar here or there, little stuff like that. But what I recieved was way above and beyond. I was truly overwhelmed by the thoughfulness of my secret angel.
First, I opened up a little mini book called "The Little Book of African Wisdom." It's full of sayings and proverbs from Africa and the African diaspora. Second, I opened a large, decadent dark chocolate bar (that I'm trying very hard not to just scoff down right here and now!) called "Divine - Heavenly chocolate with a heart," a fair trade chocolate company. Third, I recieved a CD from one of my favourite music publishers, Putumayo, called African Playground. It's a collection of kids songs by African artists from all over the continent. I have their "World Playground" CD and LOVE it. I'm listening to my new CD right now, and it, too, is FABULOUS. How blessed am I!
And then of course, the kids... they always give me lots to laugh about, but sometimes there are gems that just need to be shared...
We had all gathered on the carpet to begin the day and before I could get out a "good morning," grade two "Kianna" asked the question that would make me giggle all day long:
"Miss Hillary, are you having a bad hair day, or is that just a new look for you?"
(The difference? I had actually had enough time to both wash and blow dry my hair this morning. I actually thought it looked ok for once in my life! Ha!)
Instead I was going to focus on the two things that brightened my day. Cause that's always a better way to go!
The social committee (of which I am a part) decided last month to do a "Secret Angel" program for anyone who wanted to participate. So I made up a questionnaire and asked whoever would like to participate to fill it out nad return it to me. Then we did a secret draw and everybody got thier recipient. The idea is that you use the questionnaire and pay attention to the person you have andthroughout the year, you give little gifts - just little, no breaking the bank necessary - or notes or whatever to that person to encourage them and to just genreally brighten their day.
It got off to a bit of a rocky start (asking the change the person you drew cause you've had a conflict with them? Not quite the point. Oy vey.), but it's underway, and I've seen thank you's "to my secret angel" popping up in the communication book. Hooray! I'm really glad it got of the ground!
So today, in the middle of all the insanity - behavoiurs, runaways, meetings (straight through my prep, straight through recess, straight through between recess and lunch, and all the way through lunch - I'd had to pee since 10am. I got to at 4. And I have yet to eat my lunch... but right, I wasn't going to rant!)... where was I? Oh yes. In the middle of the insanity. I checked my box for a form I needed forone of the meetings, only to find something from MY secret angel. Three somethings, in fact.
Once I had a chance to breathe, I took them back to my room and opened them up. When I think "Secret Angel program" I think notes, maybe a candy bar here or there, little stuff like that. But what I recieved was way above and beyond. I was truly overwhelmed by the thoughfulness of my secret angel.
First, I opened up a little mini book called "The Little Book of African Wisdom." It's full of sayings and proverbs from Africa and the African diaspora. Second, I opened a large, decadent dark chocolate bar (that I'm trying very hard not to just scoff down right here and now!) called "Divine - Heavenly chocolate with a heart," a fair trade chocolate company. Third, I recieved a CD from one of my favourite music publishers, Putumayo, called African Playground. It's a collection of kids songs by African artists from all over the continent. I have their "World Playground" CD and LOVE it. I'm listening to my new CD right now, and it, too, is FABULOUS. How blessed am I!
And then of course, the kids... they always give me lots to laugh about, but sometimes there are gems that just need to be shared...
We had all gathered on the carpet to begin the day and before I could get out a "good morning," grade two "Kianna" asked the question that would make me giggle all day long:
"Miss Hillary, are you having a bad hair day, or is that just a new look for you?"
(The difference? I had actually had enough time to both wash and blow dry my hair this morning. I actually thought it looked ok for once in my life! Ha!)
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Chopped Liver No More? You be the judge!
Buah ha ha! I got a card today!!! ('Member my complex from last week?)
The kids were cleaning out their desks today, and one girl found a crumpled up card she had made for Miss LastYearTeacher that had been squished up against the back wall of her junk-stuffed desk. She looked at me, drew a big X over the felt-pen-written bubble letters spelling "Miss LastYearTeacher" and wrote my name on top in skinny little pencil lines. Spelled incorrectly.
She looked up with a smile and said, "Here, Miss Hillary, this is for you!"
Ah, these munchkins. They crack. me. up.
The kids were cleaning out their desks today, and one girl found a crumpled up card she had made for Miss LastYearTeacher that had been squished up against the back wall of her junk-stuffed desk. She looked at me, drew a big X over the felt-pen-written bubble letters spelling "Miss LastYearTeacher" and wrote my name on top in skinny little pencil lines. Spelled incorrectly.
She looked up with a smile and said, "Here, Miss Hillary, this is for you!"
Ah, these munchkins. They crack. me. up.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Phew! What a day!
Ok, so yes. I could say that at the end of every day (and more often than not, I do). These kids kill me. It never ceases to amaze me how one day can run the gammut of awesome to tear my hair out to that calm slow speaking tone that they all know means I am about to LOSE IT to pride in my kidlets to furious to fun and carefree. And that's all before the recess bell!
As challenging as it is working at this school, I have got some NEAT kids. I keep saying it to other teachers and - most importantly - to the KIDS: I really like these little guys and gals. They are teaching me SO much about how to be a better teacher (in part because you HAVE to learn or you DIE, but hey...) and even about myself. They are stretching me thinner than I ever thought I could be stretched, but I'm getting creative, building positive relationships with these kids, making all kinds of blunders along the way, and learning lots from my fabulous support worker.
But it's these kids that get me every time. Those little moments when I can get a little talk in with one of them, show them something they didn't know before, see their face light up when I tell them what a great job they're doing... They crave this love, this attention SO much. They need it. Many of them get so little of it among homes where parents are stretched thin and everybody is just doing what they need to do to make it through another day. My heart breaks for some of these little ones.
My lovelies, do you know that I go home and weep for you? You are precious. You are loved. You are a source of so much joy for your creator - who I hope one day you'll know. You are important. You matter. You say you can't, but I know you can - you are able. You are special. You are unique - made to be like no-one but you. You are creative. You are kind-hearted. You have eyes and smiles that light up the room. You are funny. You are smart. You are doing your very best.
You are precious. You are loved.
I'll say it again, because you need to hear it: You are precious. You are loved. And I am so lucky to be your teacher.
As challenging as it is working at this school, I have got some NEAT kids. I keep saying it to other teachers and - most importantly - to the KIDS: I really like these little guys and gals. They are teaching me SO much about how to be a better teacher (in part because you HAVE to learn or you DIE, but hey...) and even about myself. They are stretching me thinner than I ever thought I could be stretched, but I'm getting creative, building positive relationships with these kids, making all kinds of blunders along the way, and learning lots from my fabulous support worker.
But it's these kids that get me every time. Those little moments when I can get a little talk in with one of them, show them something they didn't know before, see their face light up when I tell them what a great job they're doing... They crave this love, this attention SO much. They need it. Many of them get so little of it among homes where parents are stretched thin and everybody is just doing what they need to do to make it through another day. My heart breaks for some of these little ones.
My lovelies, do you know that I go home and weep for you? You are precious. You are loved. You are a source of so much joy for your creator - who I hope one day you'll know. You are important. You matter. You say you can't, but I know you can - you are able. You are special. You are unique - made to be like no-one but you. You are creative. You are kind-hearted. You have eyes and smiles that light up the room. You are funny. You are smart. You are doing your very best.
You are precious. You are loved.
I'll say it again, because you need to hear it: You are precious. You are loved. And I am so lucky to be your teacher.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
What am I, chopped liver???
Every week my kids go to the library while I have my prep. The librarian has a great little transition activity for them when they get there - she's got puzzles, paper, and colouring supplies out for them and gives them some time to come in and get settled before she begins her lesson.
And every week, without fail, my kids make cards. They REALLY like making cards. Finished their work early? They make cards. Centres time? They make cards. Library time? They make cards. Sometimes the cards are for other students in the class (those ones are always birthday cards - whether or not it's actually that student's birthday or not!), but more often than not, they are really cute little cards expressing love from a student to their teacher. "I love you!" "You're the best teacher!" "You're so nice." "Thank you!"
I know! Melt-your-heart-sweet, hey?
Except there's only one thing. The cards are always for LAST YEAR'S TEACHER!!!
"Look Miss Hillary, we made a card for Miss L!"
Ooooh, well isn't THAT nice? What about ME? Don't you love ME TOO? WHY WON'T YOU MAKE CARDS FOR MEEEEEEE?????? WAAAAHHHH! You don't looooove me!
Just you wait till I leave for Africa! Then all their cards will be for ME!
MUAH HA HA HAAAAAAA!!!!
__________________
* Just for anyone without a sense of humour out there, I'm KIDDING! I'm LAUGHING. I think it's CUTE. I *don't* actually depend on the approval of seven and eight year olds for my self worth.
And every week, without fail, my kids make cards. They REALLY like making cards. Finished their work early? They make cards. Centres time? They make cards. Library time? They make cards. Sometimes the cards are for other students in the class (those ones are always birthday cards - whether or not it's actually that student's birthday or not!), but more often than not, they are really cute little cards expressing love from a student to their teacher. "I love you!" "You're the best teacher!" "You're so nice." "Thank you!"
I know! Melt-your-heart-sweet, hey?
Except there's only one thing. The cards are always for LAST YEAR'S TEACHER!!!
"Look Miss Hillary, we made a card for Miss L!"
Ooooh, well isn't THAT nice? What about ME? Don't you love ME TOO? WHY WON'T YOU MAKE CARDS FOR MEEEEEEE?????? WAAAAHHHH! You don't looooove me!
Just you wait till I leave for Africa! Then all their cards will be for ME!
MUAH HA HA HAAAAAAA!!!!
__________________
* Just for anyone without a sense of humour out there, I'm KIDDING! I'm LAUGHING. I think it's CUTE. I *don't* actually depend on the approval of seven and eight year olds for my self worth.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Change in plans
I was gonna write a big cheery post about lots of fun things, but I just got a pretty upsetting email and it took all the pep out of me for tonight (I'll be fine, just somebody was having a bad day and got all prickly on me). For now, I'll just show you this, cause it still makes me smile!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Wisdom from a cookie
Well, I DID call it. Tuesday was CRAZY. Let's just say that at one point, there were four adults in the room (including me) and we STILL had to call the principal to bring back one student who had abandonned her activity of pushing desks around the room and had run out into the playground. EEK!
It's funny, a coworker asked me last night how I was finding the school. It was hard to answer, because on one hand, it's SO incredible challenging. There's academic challenges, behavioural challenges, and lots of social/economic/historical challenges, too. Some days I am SO stressed out at the end of the day, and I am more exhausted this year than I think I've ever been teaching... But. BUT. These kids are SO neat. Even the one who bolted on Tuesday. Especially her. I really, REALLY like my class. It may be a battle ground at times, but (a few days removed from Tuesday and after a pretty good day today, I can say this!) it's worth it!
I think of one student in particular who brings (surprise, surprise) his own challenges to school. I can't really get into it, which is ok, except to say that there are a number of academic and behavioural concerns that I have about him. There is also a self-esteem factor, too. School for him is hard, and he knows it. Even in grade two, he tries to be so tough, so cool, to make up for the fact that he just can't do the same stuff as a lot of the other kids. He began the year refusing to read anything, even to TRY. "I can't read," he'd say. He tried all kinds of tactics to avoid his work and to push the limits of classroom rules, and let me tell you, there were a few times when he was n-o-t NOT happy with me. Hysterical wheezing crying shows of stubbornness all through lunch hour, that kind of thing. But he knows the limits. He's learning that I'm not out to get him.
And yesterday?
This tough little kid who rarely smiles walked in the door after recess with all the other kids. All of a sudden I felt two little arms around my waist and I looked down... He was giving me a hug! A HUG!!!
It couldn't have been more fitting when, after school, I grabbed one of the 18,000 fortune cookies a parent gave me for the class (seriously! SO. MANY. FORTUNE. COOKIES. We will never be able to get through them all) and pulled out the fortune:
Move slowly but surely to success.
You'd better believe it!
I am SO proud of these kiddos! I have already seen so much improvement in my class. Baby steps, yes, but each tiny victory is a step in the right direction. Those unexpected arms around my waist are the proof.
It's funny, a coworker asked me last night how I was finding the school. It was hard to answer, because on one hand, it's SO incredible challenging. There's academic challenges, behavioural challenges, and lots of social/economic/historical challenges, too. Some days I am SO stressed out at the end of the day, and I am more exhausted this year than I think I've ever been teaching... But. BUT. These kids are SO neat. Even the one who bolted on Tuesday. Especially her. I really, REALLY like my class. It may be a battle ground at times, but (a few days removed from Tuesday and after a pretty good day today, I can say this!) it's worth it!
I think of one student in particular who brings (surprise, surprise) his own challenges to school. I can't really get into it, which is ok, except to say that there are a number of academic and behavioural concerns that I have about him. There is also a self-esteem factor, too. School for him is hard, and he knows it. Even in grade two, he tries to be so tough, so cool, to make up for the fact that he just can't do the same stuff as a lot of the other kids. He began the year refusing to read anything, even to TRY. "I can't read," he'd say. He tried all kinds of tactics to avoid his work and to push the limits of classroom rules, and let me tell you, there were a few times when he was n-o-t NOT happy with me. Hysterical wheezing crying shows of stubbornness all through lunch hour, that kind of thing. But he knows the limits. He's learning that I'm not out to get him.
And yesterday?
This tough little kid who rarely smiles walked in the door after recess with all the other kids. All of a sudden I felt two little arms around my waist and I looked down... He was giving me a hug! A HUG!!!
It couldn't have been more fitting when, after school, I grabbed one of the 18,000 fortune cookies a parent gave me for the class (seriously! SO. MANY. FORTUNE. COOKIES. We will never be able to get through them all) and pulled out the fortune:
Move slowly but surely to success.
You'd better believe it!
I am SO proud of these kiddos! I have already seen so much improvement in my class. Baby steps, yes, but each tiny victory is a step in the right direction. Those unexpected arms around my waist are the proof.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Be afraid
Be very, very afraid.
I thought this might be a good little video for the life cycle of a plant. You know, if I wanted to give my students nightmares FOREVER.
I thought this might be a good little video for the life cycle of a plant. You know, if I wanted to give my students nightmares FOREVER.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Cuteness overfloweth
The cuteness was out in full force on Friday. It's as if those little angels knew I needed something to get me through the day and send me on into the weekend. Here's a little glimpse into my class...
* Avril is a bright little spark in my class. She tries really hard, is well behaved, and is a motivated student. Of all the kids, I'd say she's the one with the most spunk. The streaks of fluorescent green in her otherwise blonde hair are just one testimony to this! We were doing something on the carpet - calendar, maybe - and I asked a question that I expected everyone to call out and answer, but only one boy called it out. "What?! Edwin is the only one who knows?!?! The rest of you must be sleeping!" To which Avril replied, "Nope, I'm not sleeping, I was just distracted!"
* Sharon is a little sweetheart, but also has some fairly major behavioural issues (stemming from many factors beyond her control, and some within it). Very often, if she doesn't get her way or feels overwhelmed or frustrated, she melts down. She'll refuse to work, scatter her supplies, yell, whine, kick, cry, etc. (She's one of about 6 kids who do stuff like this! Fun fun!) The support worker in my class (my hero!) and I have been working really hard to teach her to recognize when she is feeling overwhelmed, to ask for a break, and to use strategies to help her calm down and continue to make good choices, even when she's upset. She is trying, and she gets praised like crazy when we see even a little bit of an effort to use the stragies she's learning: stickers on her sticker chart, hugs and "I'm so proud of yous," certificates home, etc. Sometimes it works, often she backslides. She's seven. She's workin' on it.
So on Friday, we were doing a phonics activity that she hasn't yet gotten though without a meltdown. We were nearing the end, the time that she usually loses it, but she made it through! As the kids were putting away their letter tiles, Sharon looked up with a look of realization and total surprise and, so pleased with herself, declared in her big bellowing voice, "Miss Hillary! I did it!! And I didn't even get mad this time!!!"
Love it!
* Then there's Anna. She's another one similar to Sharon, behaviourally, in that if she's upset about something, she will just dig her heels in and refuse to do what she's told then whine, cry, mope, stomp her feet, yell out "This is why I hate school," etc. Strategies for her are a little more of a mystery, but we're workin' on it. BUT when she is having her better moments, she is the cutest little thing you've ever seen. She has the most ADORABLE smile, and is so full of sweetness and giggles that your heart just melts.
As an incentive program for the class, I have a jar and a big bag of sparkly pom poms. When the whole class is on task, has been listening well, or has done some other praise-worthy feat, I make a big hoopla about it and dramatically add a pom pom to the jar. When the jar is full, they get some kind of special treat - a movie, ice cream, etc. Sparkly pom poms. I tell you, they're powerful.
I didn't realize HOW powerful, though, till Friday, when I was giving the class one for something or other. Anna was right in front of me, and she asked if she could put the pom pom in the jar for me. I said sure, so she dropped it in. Little did I know it would be such an experience for her.
After she dropped it in, in a voice filled with awe, eyes wide, she said in a half-whisper to no-one in particular, "IIII touched a POMMM POMMMM!"
Hee hee heeee! Oh these kids! I love 'em!
______________________
* All names are changed
* Avril is a bright little spark in my class. She tries really hard, is well behaved, and is a motivated student. Of all the kids, I'd say she's the one with the most spunk. The streaks of fluorescent green in her otherwise blonde hair are just one testimony to this! We were doing something on the carpet - calendar, maybe - and I asked a question that I expected everyone to call out and answer, but only one boy called it out. "What?! Edwin is the only one who knows?!?! The rest of you must be sleeping!" To which Avril replied, "Nope, I'm not sleeping, I was just distracted!"
* Sharon is a little sweetheart, but also has some fairly major behavioural issues (stemming from many factors beyond her control, and some within it). Very often, if she doesn't get her way or feels overwhelmed or frustrated, she melts down. She'll refuse to work, scatter her supplies, yell, whine, kick, cry, etc. (She's one of about 6 kids who do stuff like this! Fun fun!) The support worker in my class (my hero!) and I have been working really hard to teach her to recognize when she is feeling overwhelmed, to ask for a break, and to use strategies to help her calm down and continue to make good choices, even when she's upset. She is trying, and she gets praised like crazy when we see even a little bit of an effort to use the stragies she's learning: stickers on her sticker chart, hugs and "I'm so proud of yous," certificates home, etc. Sometimes it works, often she backslides. She's seven. She's workin' on it.
So on Friday, we were doing a phonics activity that she hasn't yet gotten though without a meltdown. We were nearing the end, the time that she usually loses it, but she made it through! As the kids were putting away their letter tiles, Sharon looked up with a look of realization and total surprise and, so pleased with herself, declared in her big bellowing voice, "Miss Hillary! I did it!! And I didn't even get mad this time!!!"
Love it!
* Then there's Anna. She's another one similar to Sharon, behaviourally, in that if she's upset about something, she will just dig her heels in and refuse to do what she's told then whine, cry, mope, stomp her feet, yell out "This is why I hate school," etc. Strategies for her are a little more of a mystery, but we're workin' on it. BUT when she is having her better moments, she is the cutest little thing you've ever seen. She has the most ADORABLE smile, and is so full of sweetness and giggles that your heart just melts.
As an incentive program for the class, I have a jar and a big bag of sparkly pom poms. When the whole class is on task, has been listening well, or has done some other praise-worthy feat, I make a big hoopla about it and dramatically add a pom pom to the jar. When the jar is full, they get some kind of special treat - a movie, ice cream, etc. Sparkly pom poms. I tell you, they're powerful.
I didn't realize HOW powerful, though, till Friday, when I was giving the class one for something or other. Anna was right in front of me, and she asked if she could put the pom pom in the jar for me. I said sure, so she dropped it in. Little did I know it would be such an experience for her.
After she dropped it in, in a voice filled with awe, eyes wide, she said in a half-whisper to no-one in particular, "IIII touched a POMMM POMMMM!"
Hee hee heeee! Oh these kids! I love 'em!
______________________
* All names are changed
Friday, October 03, 2008
Workplace hazards
I've had the chorus of this song stuck in my head for nearly 24 hours now. Goody.
Ahhhh, Friday. Sweet, sweet, short day Friday. What a week.
Ahhhh, Friday. Sweet, sweet, short day Friday. What a week.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
It came...
The day I've been dreading. The day when every student who could potentially melt down DID, all at the same time, and when even many of the ones who normally aren't a challenge WERE.
There were tears, there was attitude, there was refusal to comply, there was kicking and stomping and yelling, there was bargaining, there was constant inattention, there was all but four minutes of my lunch hour spent dealing with kids, there were boundaries upheld and hysterics because of it, there were things thrown, there was talking back, there were stern talking-to's and minutes with heads down on desks, there were giggle fits, there was name calling, there were temper tantrums, and there was me, looking at my watch, wondering how on EARTH I'd survive another hour and a half till the bell went.
Oh there WILL be wine with my dinner tonight, let me tell you.
Tomorrow is an early dismissal day to be trained on our new provincial electronic student information system, and all I could say when the announcement came on at the end of the day was "OH THANK GOD."
I, my friends, am POOPED.
There were tears, there was attitude, there was refusal to comply, there was kicking and stomping and yelling, there was bargaining, there was constant inattention, there was all but four minutes of my lunch hour spent dealing with kids, there were boundaries upheld and hysterics because of it, there were things thrown, there was talking back, there were stern talking-to's and minutes with heads down on desks, there were giggle fits, there was name calling, there were temper tantrums, and there was me, looking at my watch, wondering how on EARTH I'd survive another hour and a half till the bell went.
Oh there WILL be wine with my dinner tonight, let me tell you.
Tomorrow is an early dismissal day to be trained on our new provincial electronic student information system, and all I could say when the announcement came on at the end of the day was "OH THANK GOD."
I, my friends, am POOPED.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Heartbreaking
I had the kids getting their spelling dictionaries ready for use today. They had a notebook and were to write each letter of the alphabet on the top of each page for use throughout the year to write down our phonics words, spelling words, and theme words. Kind of a vocabulary bank and something that they can refer to throughout the year for spelling help. I'm in the process of putting up the word wall, and I've only gotten to posting the letters A-M.
Rachel* put up her hand and told me that she needed help. All she was doing was writing the letters of the alphabet on each page, and quite often she just wants the attention, so I told her that she could do it on her own. Well, it turns out that she was following the letters up on the wall, and had hit "M."
She really did need help. She didn't know what came next.
Oh these poor babies. We're going to need a lot more basic instruction than I first thought.
_______________
*Names are changed
Rachel* put up her hand and told me that she needed help. All she was doing was writing the letters of the alphabet on each page, and quite often she just wants the attention, so I told her that she could do it on her own. Well, it turns out that she was following the letters up on the wall, and had hit "M."
She really did need help. She didn't know what came next.
Oh these poor babies. We're going to need a lot more basic instruction than I first thought.
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*Names are changed
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