Still here!

      I really intended to write on a much more regular basis.  I just got so busy and well, you know.  I also tend to post more often on my art blog.  I do promise though with the new addition of some more followers to be more diligent.  Promise.
     Right now, there is not a lot going on - school wise.  I am on summer break and usually I spend a lot of time preparing and planning for the next year, but not so now.  I would.  But I am sort of unsure of my role next year.  Kind of hard to plan.  I am going to be in a resource room much like last year.  I will probably be teaching reading and writing this year instead of reading and math.  I am glad for that - math is not my favorite subject.  I love writing.  I don't know whether I will have an entire classroom during our specials time or pull 15 students like last year.  It is all somewhat confusing.  My hope is that I have a smaller number - 15.  I don't see how I am going to make things work (like I want) with 25 - 30 children.  We will see. . .
      As for this past year, I have had the best year ever.  I am truly sorry I haven't written more about it.  It was delightful.  I learned so much and had so much fun!  It was just what I needed to feel inspired again. 
      Thank you for becoming a follower - glad to have some one to "talk" to.  I will post more about this school year as I learn more.  For now, I hope you are having a wonderful summer and please feel free to leave me some sunshine when you visit!

Christmas break

One of the things I was unsure about with my new position was the "fun stuff" I would miss - the Christmas art and parties and such.  This week our building has been filled with holiday merriment.  And as I expected to some degree I did miss it.  Some.  When the halls got crazy or I saw a particularly rowdy group, maybe I thought it wasn't as bad as I had feared to go into my peaceful room for a bit of a retreat. 
    I did have a very busy week in spite of it all.  I invited each class in our building to bring in their entire class for 50 minutes.  I read and played games with the kiddos while the teachers had a few minutes to relax without cherubs.  The teachers enjoyed it and I loved it. 
     Christmas isn't Christmas unless I can read my favorite books.  Seriously.  When I do get around to retiring, I may have to "loan" myself to a school for a holiday read or two.  By the end of the week, I read my 3 favorite books a grand total of 19 times each!!  Oh my.  But it is so much fun. 
     Book number 3 on my favorite list - The Polar Express.  I know they have all seen the movie and heard the book, but it is such a wonderful tale.  I even ring my silver bell at the end to see if they can still hear the magic.  Everyone could, but some of my fifth graders didn't want to admit it.
     Number 2 - and very close to number one, is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  I really get into this book and use all kinds of voices and act it out.  One of the kids said I sounded like a scary grinch.  Great book!  Many years ago when I first started teaching I wrote Dr. Seuss and asked for his autograph.  He happily obliged with his name and a sentiment to me personally written on Cat in the Hat stationary and . . .in green crayon!!  Now isn't that cool?  It is a prized possession of mine.
     Book number one is my favorite and has no chance of being replaced - The Cajun Night Before Christmas.  I use a very cajun voice and kids love it.  I have read it for about 30 + years.  I have parents who I have taught coming in and asking when I will be reading it and can they come in.  It is a very fun read!
     So there you have it.  I enjoyed my reading time, got to see every child in the school and wish them a Merry Christmas.  Which by the way, I hope you have also.  May your holiday season be richly blessed. 

Blessings

      I mentioned before that I have early morning duty every few weeks.  This was my first time out in the cold weather (and I know it is going to be colder later on in the year).  I have never "done" the cold very well.  So the past week was . . .  uh, less than pleasant.  I am trying to see the positive in everything this year - it is a personal challenge.  One I really needed after the last few years.  So . . . how do I find a positive in shivering?  It's hard.  It got even harder on the day it was not only cold but rainy.  Then I looked up.

      Is that not a beautiful, miraculous sight?  The brushstrokes of my Creator are so evident.  I stood and watched as the sky began to lighten and realized that just seeing this sight, being able to see this sight was positive enough.  I am so blessed.
    Two really great comment came my way this week. They both made my day and filled it with sunshine.  One of the moms who walk her daughter came by and stopped to chat with me on the sidewalk.  I taught her when she was in third grade.  She said they - her and her daughter - had been talking the night before and she told M that one of the things she remembered from being in my room was a book that I had read, The Indian In the Cupboard.  That book has been a favorite of mine for a long time and usually becomes one of my classroom favorites.  But there is something very nice about being remembered for a book!  Thank you, SWH, for my special memory.
    Another book I love (love, love, love!) is The Cajun Night Before Christmas.   It is absolutely great fun to read.  The accent is awesome and the tale itself is great.  We were in class and one of my fifth graders asked if I remembered a student by the name of JB?  The name brought a smile and a few memories.  She said he was her dad.  She told me he asked her to ask me if I still read that book with the funny voice, "you know, the Christmas one".  My answer - as many times as I can find a group to read it to.  When it gets to be Christmas, I have parents stop by my room to find out when I will be reading it! 
     Ah books . . . . I really want my kids to fall in love with them.  I struggle to put phonics and literature in as much of my 50 minutes each day as I can. 

Revisiting my visions

     All summer I thought and dreamed about this new job of mine.  I read a lot of inspiring books.  My goal was to enrich children's lives by introducing them to all of the wonderful pieces of literature I could find.  To make them fall in love with books.  I envisioned lengthy discussions about books and characters and . . . well, you get the unrealistic picture.  I know it sounds a bit foolish, at least as I sit here typing it does to me.  Last year's group spoiled me.  They became so excited about books and reading.  But I had them all day, every day.  With around 50 minutes for a group it isn't as easy as I had hoped.  And there is also that small matter of phonics.  My kids desperately need phonics and word attack skills.  So that is where I spend most of my day.  That's alright.  I still find a few moments at the beginning or close of the class to read to them something awesome.  At least I hope they find it awesome. 
     Another one of my visions was the job of teaching kindergarten and to some extent first grade.  Neither areas had I ventured into before.  I dreaded it with a passion.  Not the kids, of course.  They are so precious.  I am not a kindergarten teacher by any stretch of imagination.  I lack that - talent - those ladies in my building possess.  So I dreaded it.  Aha!  Something has changed.  I can do this!  Seriously.  I am feeling good about my 50 minutes instead of dreading it.  I still do not have the desire or ability to go all day with kindergarten, but I am having fun with them.  I also am seeing some progress!  M can recognize his ABCs!  We are learning our color words.  I am learning.  Every day, something new.
     I knew all summer my favorite group would be fifth grade.  They would get the idea of great books and we could communicate about the books.  Uh . . . vision changing again.  They are an extremely hard group.  I have two groups.  One is just what I had hoped for - fun and challenging.  The other . . . just challenging.  They have challenged me every step I take - verbally challenged me.  I had heard they were a tough crew, but had no idea.  Beginning this week, the principal has worked it out so that the 4 worst toughest challenges are going to be out of my room, in an effort to allow the others a chance to get what they need without me policing all the time.  I was able to plan some fun things for this coming week that I haven't tried to do before.  Wish me luck!
     One vision that has not been altered is that I knew I would love this job.  If anything, I had no idea how much I could possibly love this job.  After some major stresses last year that had me clinging to the idea of leaving, I am finding each day full of such enjoyment.  I cannot relate how much this has meant to me.  It was as I jokingly say "just what the doctor ordered"!
   

I Have Begun!

     I know it is hard to believe with classes for most everyone else at our school having started nearly a month ago that I have had classes now for a total of 2 weeks.  Honestly though, it has given me time to test, work out problems and get ready.  So I am not complaining - it is just different.  I felt a little lost there for awhile watching classrooms get started.  It was a bit hard.  Not now though.  I am so in love with what I am doing.  It continues to be a struggle to plan and get things organized for my groups, but even that was a bit easier this week.  A bit.
     There are so many great programs out there.  I have looked at what our school has and tried to to work out some sort of formula for planning for each grade.  I may have it.  I may change my mind again.
     I love my groups.  I am, of course, most comfortable with second and third considering my teaching background.  I love the fourth grade because they were my third graders last year.  And there is fifth, kindergarten, and first.  Uh.  I really like the fifth grade group and hold out the hope they will become my favorites, but right now I am involved in a show of "who's boss".  Not great, but it will develop.  They are really great kids one on one, but a bit testy as a whole.  I love the kindergarten and first, but they are not my comfort zone.  I don't know how to best serve them and I want to give them everything they need to get started.  That challenges me so much.
     Every afternoon I have car duty.  I haven't had to do that before when I was in the classroom.  I knew I would hate it.  I don't. I actually love it.  I get to send the kiddos off with a smile and some love.  It is hot out on the sidewalk for about 40 minutes so cooler weather will make this even better.
     I also have morning duty every few weeks.  That involves standing on the sidewalk in the early morning light (or at times dark) and saying hello and telling kiddos not to run.  Sounds like it could be really dull, doesn't it?  It isn't.  I stand there and think about my day.  Say a prayer for my school and the little ones.  I watch the parents and their interactions with their children as they drop them off.  Sometimes they are so loving and act like they will really miss them.  Then there are a few - fortunately just a few - that get out of the car with the parent still yelling or fussing.  They lower their heads and walk toward the door.  That is when I try the most to smile and tell them how happy I am to see them.  And I mean it.  This past week I have also been treated to the sound and sight of a wonderful V of geese about the same time each morning.  Awesome.  I feel God's blessing me personally with those geese.  Stay in formation, fly with me and we will succeed.  I wish I had a picture.
     I do have a few pictures of my room.  It isn't flashy or really crowded, but I like it so much.  Just another blessing this year has given me.

Oh I love those cabinets!

A place to read quietly

CAFE reading

A few tables and my corner of the room

     Thank you for dropping by to visit.  I hope to get a bit more regular on posting on this blog.  But planning takes up a lot of my time now (and the art work on my other blog).  Have a great week.

Adventure - Day one

        While I am so sad to see summer gone - it is official as of 6:00 yesterday morning, I was so excited to see all my friends at school.  I work with an absolutely awesome group.  We are a staff that really feels like family most of the time.  Yes family doesn't always see eye to eye, but they are family.  Our administration provided breakfast for everyone then we took a short "being there" field trip.  Our entire faculty loaded onto a school bus ( a really nice air conditioned one) and went for a ride around the school zone.  I was very surprised at what area our zone covered.  Amazing.  It was also fun to see where our kiddos live.  It would have been fun to see them outside playing, but hey, I would be sleeping late if I could.
       I then had time to tackle my room.  Remember I moved rooms this year.  I had been in the old room for about 12 years, so I had a "few" things to locate.  Thought you might like to see my room as I walked into it yesterday morning.

     The absolute best thing about this room and what I love the most is all those cupboards.  Oh my!  It is almost as good as being in the art room with my own closet - almost.  I refer to my room as Siberia because it is so far away from the office and my old room, but I really am very fond of it already.  I spent the day shoving and moving all this stuff that you see.  I have decided that next summer, I am going to move my furniture in my home around once or twice a week just to get ready for the task at hand the first day of school, maybe then I won't be so sore!  I could hardly move last night.
     My room looks pretty good right now.  No boards are up, but they are all planned.  I hope to do that tomorrow - as today looks pretty meeting intensive.  I am sitting here in the early morning quiet, almost no one in the building and thinking about the days to come.  I hope for such a wonderful year.  I am so excited and really don't want anything to crowd out that feeling.  I know there will be hurdles.  I am prayerfully prepared for them.  I am looking forward to seeing the faces of my kids from last year.  I think that is the hardest thing right now, not having a group of my own to walk in and bond with.  Serving so many children, I hope for that connection.
      Have a great day and thanks for dropping by.  I will show you pictures of the room when it is finished. 

Summer is fading . . .

    Oh the title is all too true.  I feel my blissful summer fading away all too fast.  It has been a very relaxing and enjoyable summer.  I have filled my days with crafting, drawing (tangling) and home projects.  In between all of that I have read all I can get my hands on about teaching reading.  Okay, I know I have taught reading forever, but this year I am going to go deeper than ever before.
     This is my last full week of vacation with next week beginning our in-service time.  We have four wonderful days this year.  Seriously.  I am very excited about having four days to get ready for my kiddos.  Last year I think we had one or two.  Not fun.
     I plan on posting some pictures of my room as it develops and keep you informed on some of my classroom projects.  Right now this picture comes from my tablet and is not all school related.  Ah well.  I have discovered a fantastic painting program for my android tablet - Artflow.  I love being able to "paint" without pulling out all my messy supplies. 

      I've still got a lot to get ready for school.  I need to get some things cut for bulletin boards and such.  I can't really plan - at least not detailed - because I don't know who or what grades I will be working with.  That feels a bit strange because I am the sort who would have been planning all summer.  I enjoy lesson planning.  It is one of those things about teaching that I think is fun.  Strange, huh?
    I hope your summer is going great and I would love for you to join me on this reading adventure.  It is going to be new and exciting for me, but I am so looking forward to it!!