Venting

I haven't blogged about school in awhile so here goes.

The first year is ridiculous. I feel so unorganized and just surviving day to day. My kids are good. No, major classroom management issues. It could run a lot more smoothly. I haven't been a stickler about some of our procedures and you can tell. Overall though I keep them under control and cross your fingers I haven't had too much girl/queen bee drama. Hope I don't regret saying that.

As far as academics go... well I always thought reading was my thing, but teaching reading kinda sucks. I mean it's hard to teach and teach good. We just got back our second benchmark scores and they suck. I mean suck. I HATE the way they group kids at my school. Ask and I will tell you. Some of you all ready know. All I know is that is sets some teachers up to fail, or feel like failures. Esp. the brand new ones. I have such high expectations for them and it's just not happening.

I have been working on doing small groups and at this point I say screw small groups. I just can't get them to work well this year. We are going to do whole group. Dividing it up with a section of phonics focus, comprehension focus, and focus skills. At the end the last 20 mins we are going to have AR time in which I will pull students back in small groups to reteach skills.

We'll see how this goes. I am so frustrated. To be quite honest going to work is getting hard, but I guess most first year teachers feel this way at some point.

-Jen

Fall Break

So my fall break is coming to and end. I'm really not ready to go back to work, but in a way I guess I am. I am ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I more excited for the holidays this year than I have been in awhile. I'm not sure why. I just love the snuggly warm feeling of it all. Thank God for family to spend it with!

Teaching is still... well it's going. I got my first benchmarks and they are awful! No exaggeration. Terrible. Depressing.

We start back with multiplication when we get back. Yay. That should go over well. I'm working on descriptive writing with them right now. I plan on bringing in a pumpkin to gut for them to write about. It all sounds very messy and like a lot of work. Blah. But I have been kind of lazy and my kids need to do something fun so I look like I'm a good teacher. ;) I'll let you know how that goes.

Parent teacher conferences went really well. I talked fast, had lots to discuss and resources to share. So the timing went well with no weird pauses. I think I may have been a little to nice about some of my students. I had 24 of 26 show up! So I think that is a pretty good average.

That's all for now. 4 weeks till Thanksgiving break, then 3 till Christmas break. I can make it!

Light at the End of the Tunnel

So I have been absent for a very long time. Life just has not been very blog worthy. The end is near. School that is. We have 4 days left!! Still stressing over a job, but trying my best to let it go and trust that God knows best. Someday I will be in the right place at the right time. It is such a hard and painful process. I suppose it could be worse, like actually having a job and then be let go like so many Tulsa teachers have experienced.

Church is chugging along here in Stilwell, OK. We are gearing up for a busy summer! I'm hoping to do some subbing this summer at Rejoice Christian School in Owasso. Just for a few weeks for some extra cash and my own sanity. :) I like to stay busy. We are going to CIY, Know Sweat, Church camp, VBS. We also have a trip to Hawaii for my sister in laws wedding. (8 days away!!) We are also going to Colorado at the end of July for a family reunion. So yeah we are pretty much booked.

That's about it for now.

Really!?

OK, funny story.

It was a crisp fall day. I could hear the sounds of happy children drifting in from the playground. I put on my jacket and headed down the hall to report to recess duty. As I was walking down the hall I saw a sweet young innocent child headed toward me. He was carrying a soccer ball and looked like he was in a hurry. I said, "Hey Braeden!" In a split second the ball was thrown in the air headed right for me. I had my hands in my pockets. A moment of panic. Thinking: can't get hands out fast enough!

Smack! Yep, soccer ball right in the face.

Priceless.

I love first grade. Don't you. :)

Pinky Promise

Ok, so I have a favorite. I admit it. He is a first grader that is absolutely adorable. Well almost everyday at recess he comes up to me and fills me in on his life. This was today's story...

Me: Ok, let me get this straight. You live in a shack, that you made out of steel, that is by the sea, in which you found a pirate ship by going down a secret path, were you discovered a pirate who owns a cheeta, who was protecting a ninja sword. Did I get that right?

Him: Yes.

Pinky Promise :)


Gotta love the little compulsive liar.

Happy Labor Day

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great long weekend. I certainly did! Jacob, not so much. He got to witness OU losing live and in person. Luckily he had a whole 5 hour drive to calm down before he saw my smiling face, because as most of you know the Cowboys won!

Friday we drove to Tulsa and went to my nephew's bday party. He turned nine years old! Wow! I met him when he was just 4... I really should have taken some pictures to put on here. Pictures always liven up the blog don't you think? Anyway after that Jacob and our future brother in law took off for Dallas. I made my way back to my parents' house. Saturday was a great day. I finally got an i phone! It is my bday gift from Jacob. I have never had an mp3 player so I am really excited. No more toting along the old cd player... ok so I haven't done that for awhile, but for real remember having to bring all you cds with you on those church trips... crazy. Well the cherry on the top of the day was the W for the Cowboys. I know I am not an alum, but I have been a fan since 2000 (8th grade). I also attended for a semester and hope to someday get my masters from there!

Sunday we drove back to Stilwell. Churched it up. Bed. Slept in. Golf. Home.

Yep that's the play by play.

On a whole nother note... ministry is not all it's cracked up to be. Blah. Nothing to bad is going on I just get extemely frustrated all around.

We are starting Crazy Love this week. Read it. It's good. Also watch the sermon series by Jon Weece called "it" It will rock you world. It did mine and now I can never go back. At least I hope not. Read it. Watch it. You'll know what I mean. www.southlandchristian.org

Random thoughts I know.

P.S. the first graders have offically stolen my heart. not so sure that is a good thing...

first grade and other stuff

Well I am about to finish up my first week with having first graders in the Literacy Lab. Man I am tired! :) I love it though. They are so cute and eager to learn. I had one little boy at recess today ask me if I would like to sit with him and talk. (He is in first grade) So I sat and "talked," really I just listened. He had lots of great stories about he turns into a fox at night. He told me that I did not want to see a mad fox, because they get mean. He cracked me up. Super cute!

This weekend Jacob and I are staying home in Stilwell. We have been to Tulsa for the last 3 or 4 weekends in a row, and frankly we are worn out. This weekend we plan to chill, go out to eat, and see a movie. We haven't been to the movies in forever.

My friends and I from high school try to get together every once in a blue moon, but because we all live such busy lives we must book each other months in advance. We had to push our get together out till Oct. 3rd. sad sad sad. I am still excited to see them though. I miss them a bundle.

Well I have lots more to say, but I don't feel like typing right now. Thanks for reading!

P.S. College football starts next weekend! Go Cowboys!!!