Today was hands down the worst day of school on record for my class this year. Actually, it was just two of my 12 who were completely out of control. The rest were not that bad today.
One of the kids didn't have his medication. He was near tears and had a short fuse all day. It was hard to get him to do anything. Then, after school, I found his spelling for the week uncompleted and in the recycle bin. I thought he'd handed his in already, but it turns out he took another students' spelling out of the basket, put his name on it (she had forgotten to write her name), and handed it back in as if it were his work. Oh man. I'm thinking he may need to sit out the Fall Carnival tomorrow.
The other student never came near tears, but he threw things across the classroom, tipped chairs over, laughed constantly about nothing, got up in everyone else's business, called everything stupid, and slammed his desk around. And he couldn't find any of his papers, so I had to print new ones for him to start all over on. Sigh. His grandparents' dog had to be put down last night, so I know he was sad about that.
Deep breaths. Lots of deep breaths. We had to do a few 'heads on desks' minutes during the day to try to get everyone to calm down. During bells I had told Mr. W I wanted him to sit between those two boys during history to try to keep them on task. It helped, but not a whole lot. Afterwards, Mr. W said he had underestimated what I meant by those two being out of control today. Maybe I should've waited a bit before I told him I wanted him to teach at least one class for the 5-6th graders sometime before he's finished with this clinical!
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Quiet
My class earned three extra marbles today for being quiet and focusing! This morning was probably the best morning we've had all year for productivity and focus. I think it helped that when I've conferred with students during Daily 5, we've been talking about whether the book is one that interests them/they actually want to read it, or if they're reading it just to have a book to read. Some hard-to-please students who want to spend the whole morning reading have connected with a bunch of books they're genuinely interested in reading, so they've been more on task!
They also got ready for lunch decently quickly again and packed up at the end of the day really fast. Hopefully this is a trend and not just a really good day.
I finally remembered to ask Pastor about whether he'd be willing to take a look at the bell that's been broken for a few weeks (the screw holding the handle to the clapper snapped and we couldn't get the broken half of the screw out). He just brought it back, and after a bit of finagling, we got the handle back on and the clapper facing the right direction! Yay! Now we don't have to send it off for repairs.
After school I spent a bunch of time in Mr. E's room searching for durable headphones for my class. The cheap $5 ones I bought at the end of last year are not lasting and I don't want to keep throwing money at the ones that are going to quit working after a few months. We also need a better system of storing them so it's not so easy to chuck them in a place/break them. My idea is to install a towel rack on one of the walls (if I can find the space), so we can hang the headphones on the rack. Maybe below the flags above the printer??? We'll see. We ordered some wireless mice for the laptops and a set of noise-cancelling ear protectors. I'm hoping it will help the students who complain it is just too loud to concentrate!
They also got ready for lunch decently quickly again and packed up at the end of the day really fast. Hopefully this is a trend and not just a really good day.
I finally remembered to ask Pastor about whether he'd be willing to take a look at the bell that's been broken for a few weeks (the screw holding the handle to the clapper snapped and we couldn't get the broken half of the screw out). He just brought it back, and after a bit of finagling, we got the handle back on and the clapper facing the right direction! Yay! Now we don't have to send it off for repairs.
After school I spent a bunch of time in Mr. E's room searching for durable headphones for my class. The cheap $5 ones I bought at the end of last year are not lasting and I don't want to keep throwing money at the ones that are going to quit working after a few months. We also need a better system of storing them so it's not so easy to chuck them in a place/break them. My idea is to install a towel rack on one of the walls (if I can find the space), so we can hang the headphones on the rack. Maybe below the flags above the printer??? We'll see. We ordered some wireless mice for the laptops and a set of noise-cancelling ear protectors. I'm hoping it will help the students who complain it is just too loud to concentrate!
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Fast
Today was actually a mostly decent day, behavior-wise. My kids were rockstars getting ready for lunch and packing up at the end of the day. It may be the fastest they've ever done it! We even got to lunch before the 7-8th graders, and we weren't the last class out to the buses. Maybe things are finally starting to sink in...
The new heaters that were installed this summer (also function as the air conditioners) are not working super great. I've had the backup (aka the old electric) heaters on their schedule which we're supposed to use for supplemental heat, but I've heard them click on an awful lot for being just supplemental. So last night I changed the schedule down to 66 degrees and had the new heaters on 68. During the day, it stayed about 68, but now it's only 66. I fiddled with one of the remotes (there are two... one for each of the devices). I can feel a little heat coming out of the vents, but not a lot. It's an experiment I'll have to continue to gather more data.
After school we had CPR and First Aid training from a lovely doctor in New Ulm. We're such a small group he did the short-sweet version. I feel very up to date on my medical know-how! Hopefully I'll never need to use it.
The new heaters that were installed this summer (also function as the air conditioners) are not working super great. I've had the backup (aka the old electric) heaters on their schedule which we're supposed to use for supplemental heat, but I've heard them click on an awful lot for being just supplemental. So last night I changed the schedule down to 66 degrees and had the new heaters on 68. During the day, it stayed about 68, but now it's only 66. I fiddled with one of the remotes (there are two... one for each of the devices). I can feel a little heat coming out of the vents, but not a lot. It's an experiment I'll have to continue to gather more data.
After school we had CPR and First Aid training from a lovely doctor in New Ulm. We're such a small group he did the short-sweet version. I feel very up to date on my medical know-how! Hopefully I'll never need to use it.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Tough Monday
I'm not ready for snow to come, but really, I could use a snow day. It'd be nice to hole up in my apartment, be all cozy, read books... try not to think about school...
My kids were too chatty today. They were all up in each others' business and couldn't mind their own. One of the 8th graders got kicked out of my class today for talking back. Four others couldn't keep their mouths shut. The 5-6th graders weren't much better. Mr. E and Mrs. L said their classrooms were about the same.
We tried shuffling some desks around today so now the desks are in three horizontal rows and there are four desks in each row. In some ways it's better and in others it's not changing much. They asked about switching into pods. I told them they have to earn it. But maybe they'd be less talkative in pods? Not sure if I want to give it a try since last year the pods were very talkative. New students, new year. Maybe they'd be better in pods...
My kids were too chatty today. They were all up in each others' business and couldn't mind their own. One of the 8th graders got kicked out of my class today for talking back. Four others couldn't keep their mouths shut. The 5-6th graders weren't much better. Mr. E and Mrs. L said their classrooms were about the same.
We tried shuffling some desks around today so now the desks are in three horizontal rows and there are four desks in each row. In some ways it's better and in others it's not changing much. They asked about switching into pods. I told them they have to earn it. But maybe they'd be less talkative in pods? Not sure if I want to give it a try since last year the pods were very talkative. New students, new year. Maybe they'd be better in pods...
Friday, October 25, 2019
Gifts
Yesterday, one of the 6th graders asked me, "Miss H, do you like farmers rings?" He lifted up a cooler bag and showed me the contents. It was three packages of ringed venison sausage. He said they had a ton at home and he thought I might like some. So I brought it home and had it for supper! Delicious! And so thoughtful.
This morning, one of the 5th grade girls asked, "Miss H, do you like pumpkin seeds? Do you like salt?" I do indeed! She handed me a small ziplock bag of pumpkin seeds just the right size for snack. She said she made them last night. They were pretty good! They tasted like popcorn.
It was another tough day in 5-6th grade. Lots of lippy kids and kids not listening to instructions. We had our first quarter all school activity today at the end of the day: pumpkin painting. It's the first all school event since we sent out the ineligibility policy to parents. Most are on board with the policy, some say they aren't even though in practice they actually are. Some haven't responded. But, regardless, it's still our policy and if kids aren't finished with their work, they don't get to do the fun stuff.
I had a bunch of last minute memory work students. One still didn't get it said, but she's going to study it over the weekend and I trust her to actually do it. I almost need to meet with her one on one during the week to practice her memory; it's so hard for her! Another kid hadn't finished his colonial life paragraph, something due Tuesday and also something that should only take maybe ten minutes to write. When he had to sit out from pumpkin painting he got it done really fast!
This morning, one of the 5th grade girls asked, "Miss H, do you like pumpkin seeds? Do you like salt?" I do indeed! She handed me a small ziplock bag of pumpkin seeds just the right size for snack. She said she made them last night. They were pretty good! They tasted like popcorn.
It was another tough day in 5-6th grade. Lots of lippy kids and kids not listening to instructions. We had our first quarter all school activity today at the end of the day: pumpkin painting. It's the first all school event since we sent out the ineligibility policy to parents. Most are on board with the policy, some say they aren't even though in practice they actually are. Some haven't responded. But, regardless, it's still our policy and if kids aren't finished with their work, they don't get to do the fun stuff.
I had a bunch of last minute memory work students. One still didn't get it said, but she's going to study it over the weekend and I trust her to actually do it. I almost need to meet with her one on one during the week to practice her memory; it's so hard for her! Another kid hadn't finished his colonial life paragraph, something due Tuesday and also something that should only take maybe ten minutes to write. When he had to sit out from pumpkin painting he got it done really fast!
Thursday, October 24, 2019
NaNo
Can you believe November starts next Friday? Neither can I.
We've been prepping up a storm for our NaNo stories. There are still a few boys who haven't figured out what to write. I met with a few of them to brainstorm ideas. I have a feeling this will be the most challenging year yet for having students meet word goals. I'm going to put a note in the bulletin asking if anyone wants to come type for my kids. Some are really slow and could use the help.
Tomorrow is our first all school activity: pumpkin decorating. This is the first time we've done such a project, so we'll see how it goes!
We've been prepping up a storm for our NaNo stories. There are still a few boys who haven't figured out what to write. I met with a few of them to brainstorm ideas. I have a feeling this will be the most challenging year yet for having students meet word goals. I'm going to put a note in the bulletin asking if anyone wants to come type for my kids. Some are really slow and could use the help.
Tomorrow is our first all school activity: pumpkin decorating. This is the first time we've done such a project, so we'll see how it goes!
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Plans
It's amazing how during the day I have a great thought on what to write in my daily post and then when it comes time to write, I completely blank! Oh well.
Two kids in my class were sick today. One never came to school and the other went home before lunch. I should've gotten my flu shot a long time ago, but I kept putting it off. So, I'm getting it tonight (already planned, not doing it just because kids are getting sick!).
I'm slowly getting things cleaned up in the classroom. The textbook shelf is getting emptier (taking my teacher planning books off, moving around the extra math books). The plant things on the lab table are getting condensed. My closet is still a mess! Electricity hasn't been wired to the shed yet, so we're not really able to put anything in there. All the stuff I want to move out is in the front part of the closet so it's quite difficult to get anything out of there. And my plant stuff will move out there too, once there's a designated space. Patience. Patience. It seems to be a theme around here...
We planned our NaNos more today. I tried to get my kiddos to come up with a conflict for their novels; some had an easier time of it than others. Some still haven't figured out who their characters are, so they had to back up and work on that. I'm coming up with good ideas for my story! I was a little worried since I haven't felt the most creative lately, but when I showed my students some picture prompts to get them started brainstorming, one jumped out at me. Then in creating protagonists and antagonists, more ideas are locking into place. There are still some things I don't know yet, but that's part of the fun of writing a story!
Two kids in my class were sick today. One never came to school and the other went home before lunch. I should've gotten my flu shot a long time ago, but I kept putting it off. So, I'm getting it tonight (already planned, not doing it just because kids are getting sick!).
I'm slowly getting things cleaned up in the classroom. The textbook shelf is getting emptier (taking my teacher planning books off, moving around the extra math books). The plant things on the lab table are getting condensed. My closet is still a mess! Electricity hasn't been wired to the shed yet, so we're not really able to put anything in there. All the stuff I want to move out is in the front part of the closet so it's quite difficult to get anything out of there. And my plant stuff will move out there too, once there's a designated space. Patience. Patience. It seems to be a theme around here...
We planned our NaNos more today. I tried to get my kiddos to come up with a conflict for their novels; some had an easier time of it than others. Some still haven't figured out who their characters are, so they had to back up and work on that. I'm coming up with good ideas for my story! I was a little worried since I haven't felt the most creative lately, but when I showed my students some picture prompts to get them started brainstorming, one jumped out at me. Then in creating protagonists and antagonists, more ideas are locking into place. There are still some things I don't know yet, but that's part of the fun of writing a story!
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Everything
I am amazed how much we got done today! I had a huge list of things I wanted my 5-6th graders to do and we did all of them! Hooray!
They presented their constellation reports (just a 30 second spiel about the legend of a specific constellation), filled out a 'job application' to be a tavern keeper, created villains for their NaNo stories, discussed tush cush usage again, did our Daily 5 rounds, read about taverns during colonial times, worked in groups to create a menu for a tavern, did a review worksheet on what inns were like back then.
A few of them commented how much they enjoyed working together to read the information and do the worksheet/project. I think we will try to do that more often then! My two extra busy boys ended up in a group with Mr. W. They worked awesome together, on task the whole time.
They presented their constellation reports (just a 30 second spiel about the legend of a specific constellation), filled out a 'job application' to be a tavern keeper, created villains for their NaNo stories, discussed tush cush usage again, did our Daily 5 rounds, read about taverns during colonial times, worked in groups to create a menu for a tavern, did a review worksheet on what inns were like back then.
A few of them commented how much they enjoyed working together to read the information and do the worksheet/project. I think we will try to do that more often then! My two extra busy boys ended up in a group with Mr. W. They worked awesome together, on task the whole time.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Tush Cush
We spent a lot of time talking about how to appropriately use the cushions throughout the day. First rule is that you never throw them. Second rule is that they go back on the couch when not in use. Third is that you just grab one off the pile as you head into the reading corner, no arguing about which one you get. Fourth, if you change your mind about using it, just hang on to it until we change rounds.
As you can see, they did a great job stacking them up at the end of the day! I was extra impressed because today was one of those squirrely-can't-get-anyone-to-focus kinds of days.
I came up with a new procedure for our end of the day routine to make things go smoother/quieter. Instead of doing highs and lows at our desks, once students are finished with their end of the day job they are to go into the reading corner and have a seat (they can grab a cushion if they want). Everything should be packed up and waiting at their desks. Then, after highs/lows and praying, they can get up, put their cushions back, grab their things from their desks, and head out to the bus. No distractions in the reading corner because they're not supposed to bring anything with them. It worked great today! I'm excited to see how tomorrow goes.
The 7-8th graders are also fans of the pillows. One 8th grade girl came up with the 'classy' name: Tush Cush. Much better than their previous idea: butt cushions.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Short Week
Today was our last day of school this week, due to MEA, but it still felt like we put in the full five days. It'll be nice to have a few days off to take a mental break, even though one of those days is for the Lutheran all workers conference. This year we teachers are combined with other church workers like pastors, DCEs, and deacons/deaconesses for the conference. I'm a little disappointed there aren't sectionals to choose from, but I'm sure it will still be good. They moved it to Mayer, so it's a little further away than the typical Mankato location. Mrs. L and I are riding together, so it should be a fun ride up!
The forecast sounds pretty good for the rest of MEA weekend! Highs in the mid50s and 60s. Since I'm headed to Fulda directly from the conference, I don't have space in my car for my bright green kayak. However, I do have an inflatable one I haven't tried out yet... It fits in a smallish bag that definitely fits in my car with all my other stuff, so I'm bringing it along! I'm also bringing my watercolor paints so I can practice.
School today was pretty typical. The 5-6th graders had their first test of the year. Lots of them were very anxious about it. We had youth group after school. Angie volunteered to watch them for the first chunk of time so I could get things done in my classroom in the peace and quiet. It was really nice to have the time without kids! We played games, had a devotion, and ate supper. There were 15 kids there! A lot of them were volleyball girls since the end of the year party was right after youth group.
The forecast sounds pretty good for the rest of MEA weekend! Highs in the mid50s and 60s. Since I'm headed to Fulda directly from the conference, I don't have space in my car for my bright green kayak. However, I do have an inflatable one I haven't tried out yet... It fits in a smallish bag that definitely fits in my car with all my other stuff, so I'm bringing it along! I'm also bringing my watercolor paints so I can practice.
School today was pretty typical. The 5-6th graders had their first test of the year. Lots of them were very anxious about it. We had youth group after school. Angie volunteered to watch them for the first chunk of time so I could get things done in my classroom in the peace and quiet. It was really nice to have the time without kids! We played games, had a devotion, and ate supper. There were 15 kids there! A lot of them were volleyball girls since the end of the year party was right after youth group.
After that, Angie and I scurried off to Bible study, and now I'm working on packing for the long weekend!
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Broken
An unexpected thing happened in bells today... the lowest bell broke. The kid was ringing it and all of a sudden the top part just fell off! Turns out, the screw holding the bell to the handle snapped. I think we'll be able to fix it once we get the snapped off part out of the clapper. So, now there are bell parts contained in a pile on my desk.
Mr. W had his first lesson today with the 7-8th graders. It was on Greek Mythology. And it wasn't just his first lesson with my students, it was his first lesson of all time in front of a group of actual students. It was a pretty good lesson. The 7-8th graders were excited to have him teach them. Mr. W and I figured out what else he's going to teach while he's in our classroom: mostly 7-8th grade social studies (he'll be here for two full units!) and then a bit of 5-6th grade lessons. Should be interesting!
Mr. W had his first lesson today with the 7-8th graders. It was on Greek Mythology. And it wasn't just his first lesson with my students, it was his first lesson of all time in front of a group of actual students. It was a pretty good lesson. The 7-8th graders were excited to have him teach them. Mr. W and I figured out what else he's going to teach while he's in our classroom: mostly 7-8th grade social studies (he'll be here for two full units!) and then a bit of 5-6th grade lessons. Should be interesting!
Monday, October 14, 2019
VIPs
Today was our grandparents day, also known as VIP day so kids can have other important people besides grandparents show up and not feel weird that someone besides a grandparent came.
The day starts with VIPs hanging out in classrooms with their student(s). We did religion. I was a little nervous about the lesson because it was called 'why we have so many kinds of churches' and I know some relatives of students aren't Lutheran (and some have had issues with Pastor involving the Lutheran stance on acceptance of other denominations). I think it went okay though. We stayed away from the really controversial stuff.
At 9am we went to the gym for donuts. At 9:15, the BLC jazz band played a selection of songs, mostly Beatles songs in a tribute to an art professor who loves them and is retiring after this year. As per usual, the BLC band was great! Lots of kids bobbed their heads and tapped their feet in time to the music. And of course the adults enjoyed it too. It makes me want to play in a music ensemble again.
The rest of the day was thrown off a little... my class helped the 7-8th graders take down tables and decorations in the gym. People got back to my room at different times, so it was pretty disorderly for a while. Then I met with groups to show them how to play the Work on Writing games. Unfortunately, some of the boys were really loud and distracting in the reading corner while I worked with other groups. I told them to split up and stop playing the game, and they chose to ignore me, so now they don't get to do any games tomorrow.
We had a rock guy come show off his fossils for 7-8th grade class today. They loved it and had a TON of good questions for him. He gave everyone a piece of water lily fossil (there's a much more impressive sounding scientific name, but I don't remember it). He has over 25 five gallon pails of rocks in his collection. He didn't bring them all to school, but he did bring a wide variety. He also did a great job reviewing the three types of rocks and how they're formed. My kids remembered an impressive amount!
The day starts with VIPs hanging out in classrooms with their student(s). We did religion. I was a little nervous about the lesson because it was called 'why we have so many kinds of churches' and I know some relatives of students aren't Lutheran (and some have had issues with Pastor involving the Lutheran stance on acceptance of other denominations). I think it went okay though. We stayed away from the really controversial stuff.
At 9am we went to the gym for donuts. At 9:15, the BLC jazz band played a selection of songs, mostly Beatles songs in a tribute to an art professor who loves them and is retiring after this year. As per usual, the BLC band was great! Lots of kids bobbed their heads and tapped their feet in time to the music. And of course the adults enjoyed it too. It makes me want to play in a music ensemble again.
The rest of the day was thrown off a little... my class helped the 7-8th graders take down tables and decorations in the gym. People got back to my room at different times, so it was pretty disorderly for a while. Then I met with groups to show them how to play the Work on Writing games. Unfortunately, some of the boys were really loud and distracting in the reading corner while I worked with other groups. I told them to split up and stop playing the game, and they chose to ignore me, so now they don't get to do any games tomorrow.
We had a rock guy come show off his fossils for 7-8th grade class today. They loved it and had a TON of good questions for him. He gave everyone a piece of water lily fossil (there's a much more impressive sounding scientific name, but I don't remember it). He has over 25 five gallon pails of rocks in his collection. He didn't bring them all to school, but he did bring a wide variety. He also did a great job reviewing the three types of rocks and how they're formed. My kids remembered an impressive amount!
Friday, October 11, 2019
Overnight
Our two day trip to Camp Omega went very well, much better than I expected. It definitely helped having an extra chaperone along. Normally we only have three; this time PTL sprung for a fourth parent. We had two dads, one mom, and me. It was just right. Typically I am stressing out with where the kids are and what they're all getting into and need a break from them around 5:00. This year, even with all my busy students, I felt kind of relaxed and didn't need a break at all. It was great!
The one student who extra misbehaved on our last field trip wasn't able to come. His parents and I decided one of them needed to be along, and it didn't work in their schedules, so he suffered the consequences. His mom said they were able to reflect on the situation a lot yesterday and today, and talk about impulse control, so that's a positive. His classmates missed him. We did 'highs and lows' last night before bed and a few of them said that this kid not being along was their low of the day.
God listened to our prayers and gave us better weather than the forecast predicted! Yesterday was a strange fluctuation of kind of warm, but kind of cold, then humid, then misty, then a sprinkle. We were comfy in sweatshirts and light jackets. It lightly rained on and off most of the day, but we were able to do our outside activities: canoeing, fire building, archery, and an ABC nature hike. One of the parents heard that duct tape wrapped around pine will start a really good fire, so we did that right before supper. We had just gotten it going when it was time to switch to rocket building.
The rockets were awesome! One of the 6th grade girls got hers 50 feet into the woods! It's a new record for my class. (Mine also made it into the woods... about the same distance as hers, just on a different trajectory). She had a ton of fins on the side of hers, and they were shaped like rocket fins. I put four on mine, and mine were just triangular. It was so fun shooting them off! There were a lot of requests to do it again next year, even from the chaperones, so I will make a note to do it!
It was supposed to thunderstorm starting at 6pm, but the forecast pushed the rain off until 9ish. That gave us enough time to do our evening bonfire/devotions. The only thing is... after we sang a few songs and started devotions, it began to pour and we all made a mad dash up the hill to shelter in the Beta Center. One of the dads made the comment, "Man, I've built three really good fires today and every time I had to put them out after only 15 minutes! It makes me want to cry."
We ended our day with games (Connect Four and Uno were the two favorites), then read aloud time, and quiet whisper time in the cabins. I think everyone was on the way to sleep by 11pm. No one got up super early either! We all got up around seven, then packed, and went to breakfast at eight.
Today was much cooler and windy than yesterday. No rain though! It snowed for five minutes during breakfast, but nothing stuck to the ground. A lot of the kids didn't come prepared... thankfully I had stuck my winter emergency bag in the back of my car before we left, so I doled out gloves, mittens, headbands, and sweatshirts. It's amazing how much I can fit in that little bag!
Our activities this morning were a service project (hauling wood down to one of the closer buildings), animal tracking (we made casts of animal tracks we found in the woods, mostly deer), and tree identification (we used a classification system and did bark rubbings). One of the moms is a tree enthusiast, so she taught us a lot about the kinds of plants growing in the woods. She and some students collected some roots that the Native Americans used to make red dye for us to plant at school. One of the kids found Jack in the Pulpit and brought it back to school to plant. We'll see if it grows!
All in all, it was a very good two days. But man, it felt like we've been gone a week!
The one student who extra misbehaved on our last field trip wasn't able to come. His parents and I decided one of them needed to be along, and it didn't work in their schedules, so he suffered the consequences. His mom said they were able to reflect on the situation a lot yesterday and today, and talk about impulse control, so that's a positive. His classmates missed him. We did 'highs and lows' last night before bed and a few of them said that this kid not being along was their low of the day.
God listened to our prayers and gave us better weather than the forecast predicted! Yesterday was a strange fluctuation of kind of warm, but kind of cold, then humid, then misty, then a sprinkle. We were comfy in sweatshirts and light jackets. It lightly rained on and off most of the day, but we were able to do our outside activities: canoeing, fire building, archery, and an ABC nature hike. One of the parents heard that duct tape wrapped around pine will start a really good fire, so we did that right before supper. We had just gotten it going when it was time to switch to rocket building.
The rockets were awesome! One of the 6th grade girls got hers 50 feet into the woods! It's a new record for my class. (Mine also made it into the woods... about the same distance as hers, just on a different trajectory). She had a ton of fins on the side of hers, and they were shaped like rocket fins. I put four on mine, and mine were just triangular. It was so fun shooting them off! There were a lot of requests to do it again next year, even from the chaperones, so I will make a note to do it!
It was supposed to thunderstorm starting at 6pm, but the forecast pushed the rain off until 9ish. That gave us enough time to do our evening bonfire/devotions. The only thing is... after we sang a few songs and started devotions, it began to pour and we all made a mad dash up the hill to shelter in the Beta Center. One of the dads made the comment, "Man, I've built three really good fires today and every time I had to put them out after only 15 minutes! It makes me want to cry."
We ended our day with games (Connect Four and Uno were the two favorites), then read aloud time, and quiet whisper time in the cabins. I think everyone was on the way to sleep by 11pm. No one got up super early either! We all got up around seven, then packed, and went to breakfast at eight.
Today was much cooler and windy than yesterday. No rain though! It snowed for five minutes during breakfast, but nothing stuck to the ground. A lot of the kids didn't come prepared... thankfully I had stuck my winter emergency bag in the back of my car before we left, so I doled out gloves, mittens, headbands, and sweatshirts. It's amazing how much I can fit in that little bag!
Our activities this morning were a service project (hauling wood down to one of the closer buildings), animal tracking (we made casts of animal tracks we found in the woods, mostly deer), and tree identification (we used a classification system and did bark rubbings). One of the moms is a tree enthusiast, so she taught us a lot about the kinds of plants growing in the woods. She and some students collected some roots that the Native Americans used to make red dye for us to plant at school. One of the kids found Jack in the Pulpit and brought it back to school to plant. We'll see if it grows!
All in all, it was a very good two days. But man, it felt like we've been gone a week!
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Tons of Books
Well, I made it through another pile of stuff on my desk. I had made a stack of books I planned to use in curriculum planning this summer, but August slipped away before I had a chance to dive in very deep. So the pile sat. Today I paged through it and brought most of it home, just in case I'm inspired sometime (hopefully this winter on one of our potentially many snow days). I have another pile of a similar nature, but I didn't have time to bring it with me today. Oh well, there will be plenty of other days!
I ran errands tonight, one of which was to pick up my books on hold at the library. I maxed out how many books I can place a hold on... it's 25. A lot of them were in, plus I have a stack of them from last week I didn't get through. It's not as bad as it sounds; almost all of them are picture books. The rest are graphic novels. So I just need a night or two at home to devote to reading. Unfortunately, I've had too much going on at night.
My watercolor class has been fun, but that takes away a reading night. Then with a New Ulm errand night and bible study once a week, that only leaves one or two nights to work with. This week is even shorter than usual since my class leaves for Camp Omega tomorrow morning. My classroom is ready to go. I made a to-do-before-we-go list to make sure we get everything done before we leave.
One of the tasks is to bring the fire posters down to the office. I found out our Fire Prevention Week posters are due Friday. Since we're gone tomorrow, everyone basically has to have them done today or do it tonight as homework. I wish they would give us the stuff sooner so they have more time to work on them... I should make a note to look up the theme back in September. It seems like this happens every year.
Another thing is to pack read-to-self books and bibles. I need to decide which book I'm bringing... chaperones are supposed to bring books too (to set a good example for the kids). One chaperone admitted he'd been planning to play cards on his phone while the kids were reading! Hmm... not the example I'm looking for.
The weather isn't supposed to be nice while we're there, so I have a note to bring our extra mittens/gloves along, just in case. I'm wondering how many pairs of winter things I myself should bring along so I don't get so cold. It's supposed to be wet both days and cold on Friday. Well, better bring extra socks too! I guess I should make sure my suitcase is all packed...
I ran errands tonight, one of which was to pick up my books on hold at the library. I maxed out how many books I can place a hold on... it's 25. A lot of them were in, plus I have a stack of them from last week I didn't get through. It's not as bad as it sounds; almost all of them are picture books. The rest are graphic novels. So I just need a night or two at home to devote to reading. Unfortunately, I've had too much going on at night.
My watercolor class has been fun, but that takes away a reading night. Then with a New Ulm errand night and bible study once a week, that only leaves one or two nights to work with. This week is even shorter than usual since my class leaves for Camp Omega tomorrow morning. My classroom is ready to go. I made a to-do-before-we-go list to make sure we get everything done before we leave.
One of the tasks is to bring the fire posters down to the office. I found out our Fire Prevention Week posters are due Friday. Since we're gone tomorrow, everyone basically has to have them done today or do it tonight as homework. I wish they would give us the stuff sooner so they have more time to work on them... I should make a note to look up the theme back in September. It seems like this happens every year.
Another thing is to pack read-to-self books and bibles. I need to decide which book I'm bringing... chaperones are supposed to bring books too (to set a good example for the kids). One chaperone admitted he'd been planning to play cards on his phone while the kids were reading! Hmm... not the example I'm looking for.
The weather isn't supposed to be nice while we're there, so I have a note to bring our extra mittens/gloves along, just in case. I'm wondering how many pairs of winter things I myself should bring along so I don't get so cold. It's supposed to be wet both days and cold on Friday. Well, better bring extra socks too! I guess I should make sure my suitcase is all packed...
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Better and Not
Update on the kid who fell off the slide: he has a mild concussion and a spinal compression fracture in four vertebrate. There's no damage to his actual spinal cord! And it's far enough up his spine that his rib cage acts as a brace. So. No recess/heavy lifting for the next 4-6 weeks. That's going to be hard on him because he's a farm boy, and I know how antsy they get when dads are harvesting! Continued prayers would be appreciated.
While that kid is doing better, my class is not. We tried rearranging the desks into three horizontal rows to see if that would help my kiddos who like to talk across the U shape. It helped some of them, but not the most vocal kid. We'll see how tomorrow goes. We only read two pages of our read aloud book because the class was so unsettled (plus it took a while to switch the desks around).
One kid decided to see how many sweatshirts he could wear at one time and borrowed as many as his classmates had to put on. He didn't do his work, just messed around, and wouldn't do what he was supposed to. After three chances, he got sent to work in Mr. E's room. I walked him down the first time. After he came back, he still couldn't settle in and do his work like he was supposed to! So I sent him back again! This time he actually went down there with no detours. I could've even sent him a third time this afternoon. A second kid got kicked out of class and ended up sitting in the gym while Mr. E ran PE for the little guys. Sigh. Yeah. It was a rough day.
Now that we're in rows, we're going to have to move our desks into a circle for religion class... We won't have religion again until Monday, what with chapel tomorrow and our Camp Omega trip Thursday and Friday. I didn't think much of it until I realized VIP day is Monday. We're going to have a bunch of visitors in our room with us from 8:30-9:00am, prime religion time. So if we don't practice getting into a circle sometime before then, Monday will be our first time. Hmm... with some classes I would chance it, but not this one. My current plan is to practice moving the desks for religion Thursday morning before we go to Camp Omega.
While that kid is doing better, my class is not. We tried rearranging the desks into three horizontal rows to see if that would help my kiddos who like to talk across the U shape. It helped some of them, but not the most vocal kid. We'll see how tomorrow goes. We only read two pages of our read aloud book because the class was so unsettled (plus it took a while to switch the desks around).
One kid decided to see how many sweatshirts he could wear at one time and borrowed as many as his classmates had to put on. He didn't do his work, just messed around, and wouldn't do what he was supposed to. After three chances, he got sent to work in Mr. E's room. I walked him down the first time. After he came back, he still couldn't settle in and do his work like he was supposed to! So I sent him back again! This time he actually went down there with no detours. I could've even sent him a third time this afternoon. A second kid got kicked out of class and ended up sitting in the gym while Mr. E ran PE for the little guys. Sigh. Yeah. It was a rough day.
Now that we're in rows, we're going to have to move our desks into a circle for religion class... We won't have religion again until Monday, what with chapel tomorrow and our Camp Omega trip Thursday and Friday. I didn't think much of it until I realized VIP day is Monday. We're going to have a bunch of visitors in our room with us from 8:30-9:00am, prime religion time. So if we don't practice getting into a circle sometime before then, Monday will be our first time. Hmm... with some classes I would chance it, but not this one. My current plan is to practice moving the desks for religion Thursday morning before we go to Camp Omega.
Monday, October 7, 2019
Interesting
Well, this has been an interesting day...
First, one of the 6th graders found a post-it note in his bible with a very vulgar drawing on it. Who knows how long it's been there or who put it there. No way to know.
Second, one of the 5th graders was misbehaving and distracting his classmates, so I sent him down to Mr. E's to work. Twenty minutes later, I called their room to have the student come back. The 8th grader who answered said my student had never arrived. Great. I figured he'd been too embarrassed/ashamed/scared to go to Mr. E's and had camped out in the office or on the bench outside like the other kid had last time. Nope. He wasn't in any of those places. Mr. E checked the bathroom. No student. I peeked in other classrooms. Nope. Not there.
As I tried to think of places he might be (and tried not to panic), a parent of a different student of mine asked me a question about the school nurse. Her 1st grade son had fallen off the slide at recess and might have injured his arm. Yes, you read that right. He fell off the slide. Mrs. L told the story after school. He'd been going down the slide normally and then somehow flipped over the side near the top and landed flat on his back on the ground. The doctor thinks he has a mild concussion and as of this afternoon they did a CT scan to see if he had a spinal injury. Haven't heard how that turned out yet.
My student ended up sitting in the top row of bleachers tucked into a corner where no one would notice him. Mr. E and I chewed him out. Sigh. Not sure if it made a difference. At least he seemed sorry when he apologized to us.
Then, at lunch, a bird pooped on my shoulder. Thankfully, I was wearing my coat, so it didn't get my first layer. Still, it was gross. (And a little funny.)
My kids were hard to focus all day and the 7-8th graders accused me of playing favorites (like they often do... I'm not). But as they say...
I'm sure tomorrow will be better!
First, one of the 6th graders found a post-it note in his bible with a very vulgar drawing on it. Who knows how long it's been there or who put it there. No way to know.
Second, one of the 5th graders was misbehaving and distracting his classmates, so I sent him down to Mr. E's to work. Twenty minutes later, I called their room to have the student come back. The 8th grader who answered said my student had never arrived. Great. I figured he'd been too embarrassed/ashamed/scared to go to Mr. E's and had camped out in the office or on the bench outside like the other kid had last time. Nope. He wasn't in any of those places. Mr. E checked the bathroom. No student. I peeked in other classrooms. Nope. Not there.
As I tried to think of places he might be (and tried not to panic), a parent of a different student of mine asked me a question about the school nurse. Her 1st grade son had fallen off the slide at recess and might have injured his arm. Yes, you read that right. He fell off the slide. Mrs. L told the story after school. He'd been going down the slide normally and then somehow flipped over the side near the top and landed flat on his back on the ground. The doctor thinks he has a mild concussion and as of this afternoon they did a CT scan to see if he had a spinal injury. Haven't heard how that turned out yet.
My student ended up sitting in the top row of bleachers tucked into a corner where no one would notice him. Mr. E and I chewed him out. Sigh. Not sure if it made a difference. At least he seemed sorry when he apologized to us.
Then, at lunch, a bird pooped on my shoulder. Thankfully, I was wearing my coat, so it didn't get my first layer. Still, it was gross. (And a little funny.)
My kids were hard to focus all day and the 7-8th graders accused me of playing favorites (like they often do... I'm not). But as they say...
I'm sure tomorrow will be better!
Friday, October 4, 2019
Black Eye and No Time
Gah, the 7-8th graders moved so slowly today! Of course it's the days I want them to go fast that they move like tortoises... They needed to get their spelling tests done, then present their renewable energy resources powerpoints, then we needed to practice bells, all in one hour.
It took them 25 minutes to finish their spelling tests. They do them off a recording which is maximum seven minutes long. No reason to take almost a half an hour. Most of them took so long because they were waiting for someone else to join their group, and then when the person finally arrived, they couldn't figure out how to get to the test recording. Sigh.
We ended up having time for only one person to present. The rest didn't want to give up their class test study session on Monday, so they agreed to have me dock their grades for not presenting so we can just study longer.
The 5-6th graders actually did pretty good handing stuff in today. They didn't do so well physically though... One girl was home sick. Another hurt her hand on the seesaw at afternoon recess. A boy twisted his ankle that same recess. And another boy got a black eye! It puffed up really fast. I sent him on the bus with a makeshift ice pack to hopefully help with the pain and swelling.
Now I get to go to church and set up for the silent auction. Other parents are already over there getting the pork chop dinner things set up. Hopefully it won't take too long to do...
It took them 25 minutes to finish their spelling tests. They do them off a recording which is maximum seven minutes long. No reason to take almost a half an hour. Most of them took so long because they were waiting for someone else to join their group, and then when the person finally arrived, they couldn't figure out how to get to the test recording. Sigh.
We ended up having time for only one person to present. The rest didn't want to give up their class test study session on Monday, so they agreed to have me dock their grades for not presenting so we can just study longer.
The 5-6th graders actually did pretty good handing stuff in today. They didn't do so well physically though... One girl was home sick. Another hurt her hand on the seesaw at afternoon recess. A boy twisted his ankle that same recess. And another boy got a black eye! It puffed up really fast. I sent him on the bus with a makeshift ice pack to hopefully help with the pain and swelling.
Now I get to go to church and set up for the silent auction. Other parents are already over there getting the pork chop dinner things set up. Hopefully it won't take too long to do...
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Interview
Three of my students were interviewed on KNUJ after school to promote the pork chop dinner and silent auction. They did a pretty good job for their first time on the air! It was a little hard to hear them sometimes, but the announcer guided them to lean closer to the mic. One of the boys hadn't wanted to go, but because his brother was signed up, he had to go too. I was really proud of him that he said stuff on the air!
Class went okay today. One kid got sent to work in Mr. E's room this morning because he couldn't settle. Three boys had to run laps for 10 minutes before lunch because they were sitting on/playing with the new trikes for the preK-K students. No big kids allowed. Not to mention they were supposed to be waiting in line for lunch, not playing in the gym. So they ran a lot. Then, after eating, the 7-8th graders were riding around on the trikes!!! Augh!
Ms. F took over watching noon recess so I could visit the Bookmobile, use the restroom, and scarf down the last bites of my lunch without worrying about my students. Public school teachers don't know how good they have it, getting a lunch break!
Our student teacher Mr. W's second day was today. He stuck around for afternoon recess and played basketball with them. At first he didn't know if he was allowed to. I remember my professors always telling us that we needed to play with our kids at recess. Normally I'm too busy eating my lunch or wrangling kids... but today I played volleyball with one of the 5th grade girls. We paused from time to time to watch Mr. W. He's so tall he doesn't even have to jump to get the rebound! Plus he just has to hold it over his head and no one can reach it. Still, we were both impressed that he didn't give his team too much of an advantage. He passed the ball to his teammates a lot of the time. I hope my students were watching! Some could take some lessons from him!
Class went okay today. One kid got sent to work in Mr. E's room this morning because he couldn't settle. Three boys had to run laps for 10 minutes before lunch because they were sitting on/playing with the new trikes for the preK-K students. No big kids allowed. Not to mention they were supposed to be waiting in line for lunch, not playing in the gym. So they ran a lot. Then, after eating, the 7-8th graders were riding around on the trikes!!! Augh!
Ms. F took over watching noon recess so I could visit the Bookmobile, use the restroom, and scarf down the last bites of my lunch without worrying about my students. Public school teachers don't know how good they have it, getting a lunch break!
Our student teacher Mr. W's second day was today. He stuck around for afternoon recess and played basketball with them. At first he didn't know if he was allowed to. I remember my professors always telling us that we needed to play with our kids at recess. Normally I'm too busy eating my lunch or wrangling kids... but today I played volleyball with one of the 5th grade girls. We paused from time to time to watch Mr. W. He's so tall he doesn't even have to jump to get the rebound! Plus he just has to hold it over his head and no one can reach it. Still, we were both impressed that he didn't give his team too much of an advantage. He passed the ball to his teammates a lot of the time. I hope my students were watching! Some could take some lessons from him!
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Meetings
Another typical day in 5-6th. My kids were somewhat decent today, still talkative and handsy with each other at times. Lot's of times where they weren't where they were supposed to be (ahem, at their desks). It sometimes makes me wonder if I'm just terrible at classroom management because I can't get them to be quiet and do what they're supposed to. (Don't worry, I know I'm not terrible. But I don't know what I could be doing to get them to behave better).
Mrs. L was back today after being out sick the previous two days. Her sub was GREAT at handling her tough class. One of the ladies at bible study who helps at school commented that the sub had those 1-2nd graders whipped into shape; the room was absolutely silent at lunch time. All the kids were eating and not talking. That didn't help my 'I don't know what to do to get my kids to behave' mindset.
We found the final driver for next week's Camp Omega trip. It's a dad of two of the kids in my class, so it will be extra helpful to have him along. It's hard to believe we leave in one week! Pray for good weather. It's been very rainy here the past few days...
There was a staff meeting after school. Surprisingly, my to do list wasn't too much longer than it had been before the meeting. Mrs. L, Mrs. E, and I set a date to look over this year's Christmas program. We need to pick songs and adjust the script so it's all set for our first days of practice in late November.
My class needs to plan the fall carnival sometime soon, maybe tomorrow during Writers Workshop. It would fit in perfectly; we just finished a few lessons on letter writing (we're starting a pen pal project between my class and some residents at a nursing home in New Ulm that sometimes sends residents out to our events). We need to start prepping for NaNo, but I think next week is soon enough to start that.
Our bell songs for Sunday are coming along nicely. I had been a little nervous before today's practice, but it went super well today and we have two more days to practice this week, so we'll be ready. This Sunday we're celebrating our church's 160th anniversary and having our PTL Pork Chop Dinner and Silent Auction. The president of the MN South District is giving the sermon. My class's parents are in charge of the dinner so I get to help coordinate all the set up. We're setting up for the Silent Auction after school on Friday (that's the area I help the most). Hopefully it will be a good fundraiser!
Mrs. L was back today after being out sick the previous two days. Her sub was GREAT at handling her tough class. One of the ladies at bible study who helps at school commented that the sub had those 1-2nd graders whipped into shape; the room was absolutely silent at lunch time. All the kids were eating and not talking. That didn't help my 'I don't know what to do to get my kids to behave' mindset.
We found the final driver for next week's Camp Omega trip. It's a dad of two of the kids in my class, so it will be extra helpful to have him along. It's hard to believe we leave in one week! Pray for good weather. It's been very rainy here the past few days...
There was a staff meeting after school. Surprisingly, my to do list wasn't too much longer than it had been before the meeting. Mrs. L, Mrs. E, and I set a date to look over this year's Christmas program. We need to pick songs and adjust the script so it's all set for our first days of practice in late November.
My class needs to plan the fall carnival sometime soon, maybe tomorrow during Writers Workshop. It would fit in perfectly; we just finished a few lessons on letter writing (we're starting a pen pal project between my class and some residents at a nursing home in New Ulm that sometimes sends residents out to our events). We need to start prepping for NaNo, but I think next week is soon enough to start that.
Our bell songs for Sunday are coming along nicely. I had been a little nervous before today's practice, but it went super well today and we have two more days to practice this week, so we'll be ready. This Sunday we're celebrating our church's 160th anniversary and having our PTL Pork Chop Dinner and Silent Auction. The president of the MN South District is giving the sermon. My class's parents are in charge of the dinner so I get to help coordinate all the set up. We're setting up for the Silent Auction after school on Friday (that's the area I help the most). Hopefully it will be a good fundraiser!
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Water
I realized I forgot to post yesterday. I signed up for a watercolor class this fall through Mankato community ed and the first day was yesterday. It's from 6-8pm. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and just went to bed. The class was fun! I might be the youngest one there, but all the ladies are enthusiastic and our instructor is an energetic, laid back kind of guy.
Before going to class, I had a meeting with the Redeemer youth group leader and my ICY co-leader to talk about plans for our youth groups. She just started and wants to connect their church's youth with youth at other Lutheran churches.
Today was another busy, busy day. It was one of those that made me want to pull my hair out because nothing helped my kids settle. We did have quiet moments in the morning, but it was only after constant monitoring. I should re-read my Teaching with Love and Logic book. The last time I read it was for a college class. It's a lot harder to retain those tactics when you don't have particular students in mind...
It thunder-stormed this morning and rained all day. Normally it's not such a bad thing, however, today was Hearing and Vision Screening, and the nurse needed the gym all afternoon to prep and screen kids. So my kids had indoor recess both recesses. They tried to convince me we could go outside in the pouring rain, but for some reason I wouldn't budge... They found things to do, like play legos and draw with my special markers. Some played games and others rolled a ball around the floor in the center of the desks. Still, they were all antsy to get out and play in the gym. The screening ended up finishing in enough time to give us 8 minutes at recess, which the boys took full advantage of.
My student teacher's first day was today. The 7-8th graders were overly talkative, but my 5-6th graders were great! Mr. W is very tall. I'm not overly tall, but my low classroom ceiling always gives the illusion that I am, so it was a shock for my students to see me so short next to him! He's going to be a great fit for our classroom. He stuck around for an extra half hour to hang out with my class during indoor recess. The girls (and some of the boys) played a game together. It was sweet to see them bonding already.
Before going to class, I had a meeting with the Redeemer youth group leader and my ICY co-leader to talk about plans for our youth groups. She just started and wants to connect their church's youth with youth at other Lutheran churches.
Today was another busy, busy day. It was one of those that made me want to pull my hair out because nothing helped my kids settle. We did have quiet moments in the morning, but it was only after constant monitoring. I should re-read my Teaching with Love and Logic book. The last time I read it was for a college class. It's a lot harder to retain those tactics when you don't have particular students in mind...
It thunder-stormed this morning and rained all day. Normally it's not such a bad thing, however, today was Hearing and Vision Screening, and the nurse needed the gym all afternoon to prep and screen kids. So my kids had indoor recess both recesses. They tried to convince me we could go outside in the pouring rain, but for some reason I wouldn't budge... They found things to do, like play legos and draw with my special markers. Some played games and others rolled a ball around the floor in the center of the desks. Still, they were all antsy to get out and play in the gym. The screening ended up finishing in enough time to give us 8 minutes at recess, which the boys took full advantage of.
My student teacher's first day was today. The 7-8th graders were overly talkative, but my 5-6th graders were great! Mr. W is very tall. I'm not overly tall, but my low classroom ceiling always gives the illusion that I am, so it was a shock for my students to see me so short next to him! He's going to be a great fit for our classroom. He stuck around for an extra half hour to hang out with my class during indoor recess. The girls (and some of the boys) played a game together. It was sweet to see them bonding already.
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