Why I had to change my blog's title...

Hi everyone! I know it has been a very, very long time. Things have been insane in my life, both professionally and personally. But, now, I am back and ready to roll. If you happened to notice, I changed my blog title. Why, you ask? Because, like my students, I am moving on up to second grade!!!!!!!! It was a total shock at first, but I get to have *most* of the same kids next year. I am so excited to see their growth. I am also a bit nervous, because I haven't taught second grade before. However, it is going to be worth it, and it will be a brand new adventure. I have already started reading my common core standards for grade 2 (we are in full implementation next year, and yes, I am a big nerd.) I am just so excited to do things in a better and more effective way, to really promote my student's growth. AND I get to see them really shine next year! So pumped! The kids were also super excited when they found out! Well, I am off to search for grade 2 blogs! I will keep you posted on all of my crazy ideas for next year!!! -Amanda

February vacation is over---already?!?

Wow, it's been a while since I last posted. Things kind of got a bit overwhelming, and stressful, so I kind of strayed away from all things teaching while I was on vacation. To make matters worse, the Monday before vacation, I got my pink slip. I know, every new year teacher gets one (for the most part) but it was still an unsettling experience. I truly do not know if I am going to have a job next year, and that very much bothers me. Add that to the fact that I have to move out of my rented house by the end of May and find somewhere ele to live, it's crazy-stressful-ness. But, I have learned to keep on keeping on. Taking it day by day knowing that things will work themselves out, as long as I am prepared.

I decided to take the test to become certified in Massachusetts. Hopefully, this will open some more doors for me, should I need them.

I can't believe it is the last day of vacation. Boo. I was able to get so many things I wanted to do done, like sewing, painting, and other creative projects. I feel like I found myself again during this vacation, and I am so glad I did what I wanted to do.

I did have to get my pet bunny spayed over vacation, actually two days ago, and thankfully she is doing ok now. I was kind of a mess haha.

Unfortunately, I left all of my schoolwork until today. Actually, that may have been a good thing. Now I can convince myself that is really IS time to go back, and I need to get my head back into the game!

Everyone keeps telling me that after February vacation, time flies. I am not sure how I feel about this. I am excited to see my students progress. Before I left on Friday, I did some running records on students, and I now only have 3 students reading below grade level, as opposed to 7. I had 3 students in particular who really took off, and are now above grade level. I was so proud of them, I could have cried, but that probably would have been embarrassing for them, so i kept the waterworks to myself (which is another thing I should be proud of!). I am holding that moment in my head, so if I become overwhelmed or unmotivated in the next few months (which is bound to happen) I can see that I am doing things right and I am making a difference.

Well, I better go start this work!

The craziness of testing

This week has started off pretty good. The kids were a bit of yesterday because of the Super Bowl, but today has been calm (so far). My only issue is I have a new student and I am trying to find the time to test her (DIBELS, Running Records, Dolch, CBM, blahblahblahhhh). Yesterday slipped by without a chance to do anything except one running record. I am hoping at some point today I will be able to finish at least her DIBELS. I feel like the days are just flying by, and there is not enough time to get everything done!

We started our kindness boxes yesterday. The kids love it. They pick someones nameout of the box and then they have to write something kind about that person. It worked really well yesterday and I am hoping it continues to work well.

My reading groups have been doing really well. I have a couple of students who I am really concerned about. They are still struggling with words on the preprimer dolch list. I am trying everything I can to get them caught up to speed, but it is difficult. I wuold love to see them just skyrocket over the next four months, but I think it is going to take a lot more work to get there.

wait.....is there really only about four months left? Did I just say that? Holy cow, I can't believe I am already more than halfway through my first year of teaching. What a bumpy road it has been. I can't wait to see the end result in June, though. hopefully I will have brought these kids where they need to be!

Well, I need to go pick them up from library!
-Amanda

What do you Love?

I'm sitting here, the superbowl is on, I'm at my boyfriends parents, and I am doing schoolwork. I'm also listening to my boyfriend yell at the Patriots. Fun times.

So I came across this linky party, and wanted to join! (couldn't open the document, so I am typing mine!)

What do you love...

I love to watch movies with...food, blankets, and pillows

I love to read books...on the couch when the house is quiet!

I love to shop for...clothes!

I love to collect...owl jewelry and Buddha figurines

I love to listen to...a lot of things, it depends on my mood

I love to eat...cheese and chocolate (but not together, haha)

I love to talk about...teaching

I love to make...paintings, frames, and clothes

I love to travel to....Paris (hopefully one day)

I love to teach....reading!!!


So there you have it! Now I am off to finish my school work and scarf down some pizza! Go Patriots!!! :)

Crazy Friday, Relaxing Saturday

Ahhh I am SO happy that it is the weekend! I finally have the chance to unwind! I have literally been sitting on the couch reading all morning. I am almost done with the Hunger Games. It is such a good book, I can't wait for the movie to come out!

Yesterday at school was quite the eventful day. During morning meeting, I smelled a gross smell (like vomit) near one of my kiddos desk (who's desk is on a corner of the rug). I looked in his desk, and there were two full cartons of rancid milk. DISGUSTING! I don't even know how he smuggled it in there! He must have taken them from lunch!!! I made him throw them out in the boys room, then I had to lysol spray the desk and rug around it to try and mask the smell. It didn't quite go away so I hd to open the windows (which the kids complained about, but hey, would you rather be a little chilly or feel like your going to throw up because it smells so bad?) Thankfully, it only took about an hour for the smell to go away.

The rest of the day was good, up until I was doing math and wrote on the whiteboard. My Principal had given me BRAND NEW dry erase markers. Well, I went to erase them, and they stained my board. No sponge or spray would clean it off. It is still there. I need to buy magic erasers tomorrow so I can try to get rid of the writing on Monday. I hope it goes away, because we use that board all the time! I also tried putting up another white board on top of it to keep going with math, and it fell on my foot. Lemme tell you, it was NOT light! I had to bite my tongue hard not to curse in front of the kids! My kids were so sweet about it, though, they were genuinely concerned for my toe. haha.

After that fiasco, we had some fun! We did some Football writing that I found via "The clutter-free classroom"'s blog. We also made a version of her football player craft to hold their writing. The kids LOVED it! I also love being able to do fun things with them. They work so hard and deserve some crafty time among the massive amounts of testing! Here are some pictures of their awesome work!



I wish I could have taken pictures of them all, but we were rushing around at the end of the day!

Next week we are going to start our 100th day projects (which I have to create this weekend) and also start our valentines day Kindness unit. I am excited about that! I am also excited for vacation in two weeks!

Well, I am off to read some blogs, do some zumba, and clean my house. Which probably means I will just be finishing the Hunger Games. haha

Happy weekend!

surprise!

So today was going well. We had a normal routine today. Reading groups went well. They actually paid attention during math. What more could I ask for?
I was happily walking to my mailbox after dismissing the kids when I saw it. The red folder of doom.

Do you know what that means?

NEW STUDENT. I am getting yet another new student on Monday. Which means another week of testing, another week of crazy kids adjusting, and squeezing one more desk in my teeny tiny classroom.

Fun times.

I am trying to think on the positive side, that maybe this student will be good behaviorally and maybe they won't have to be in one of my intervention groups (I don't know how I would fit her in!!!).
We will see on monday!

I had to go for a run and do some yoga when I got home to stop freaking out, so I feel much better now.

Anyways, I am looking forward to doing some fun Groundhog Day activities tomorrow. I have also started planning for our 100th day (our's is the 13th). It is so rare that we get to do fun things, I really want the 100th day to be special!

Well I should go try and read some more of the Hunger Games. I want to finish by this weekend!!!

I will leave you with one question: What is you're favorite part of the day when you are teaching?
(Mine is guided reading!!)

-Amanda

With every mistake, we must surely be learning

Finally, yesterday was a bit easier than my days at school have been lately. We did have a half day, I was in a meeting all morning. Unfortunately, at that meeting they gave us MORE testing that wehave to do WEEKLY (ugh) but at least I got to see the progress that my kids have made so far. I am going to make a calendar with EVERY SINGLE due date for testing. We do so much that I get nervous that I will forget something. Hopefully the calendar will relieve some of my anxiety about that.

I am hoping that the behaviors in my classroom will be better this week. Yesterday afternoon wasn't too bad.

I am not doing TOO much testing this week (only two things I need to do) so getting back into our regular routine is going to feel great.

Well, I am off to start my day! I have to get the kids in a couple of minutes.

Happy Tuesday!

How do you cope with stress?

Today I am feeling a bit better than I did when I wrote my last post. not by too much, though. I don't think I have actually taught in almost two weeks because of this testing. When I think of all the wasted time, I cringe. These kids need more teaching from me. I think that might be why they have been acting so crazy. I send them off to do independent centers, and they are getting bored.

So tomorrow, I am taking a break from the testing. I am actually going to TEACH! While this sounds great, I am not sure that it will help me feel less overwhelmed. I've had so much info thrown at me the past few weeks, I still don't know how to digest it all. I wish there was a manual for teaching....or for life!!

So, what I need is some good advice on ways to cope with feeling overwhelmed. Also, ways to de-stress. What do you all do to fix overwhelmed feelings and stress?

I know the first year of teaching is tough (and it certainly has been tough), but I kind of thought I would get the hang of it by now. It also doesn't help that my district is currently in a state of disarray. I'm confused. My colleagues are confused. The kids are now confused. I just wish there was someone to point us all in the right direction, so we could point the kids in the right direction!!!! I am trying to keep my focus on my 19 kiddos. I need to make myself feel better, for them. That way, I can be 100% and give be the teacher they deserve.

Well, I am off to read a bit (I'm about to start The Hunger Games), then I am calling it an early night.

-Amanda

One of "those" days

Today was not such a good day. First of all, I am not feeling too well. I feel like I am beginning to get a cold, and I also have been feeling very anxious. My students were OFF the wall today. Things that usually work to calm them down...did not work. I am also extremely stressed out. I hope this passes, like it did at the beginning of the year, because I am starting to feel that downward spiral again...

I feel like I have no idea what I am doing. All I do (seriously all I do!) is test kids. I hardly ever TEACH! Between DIBELS, Dolch, Running Records, Trophies midyear assessments, CBMs, and I am sure there is another one mixed in there somewhere....I have no time! Plus, I got a new student in, so i had to test her on ALL of those. I am just starting to feel disillusioned. I hate that we hardly ever do anything fun. I just want to make learning fun for these kids, because they really need to develop a love for learning to keep them going strong academically...

I am not sure what to do to make this feeling go away. I honestly just feel like crying. I don't know which way is up at this point, and I feel extremely overwhelmed. I feel like there is so much burdened on me, that I know I will forget something. Which makes me stress out even more...

I think maybe I need a mental health day this week. I don't know.

Sorry for the negative post....I just needed to vent....

Any words of encouragements would be greatly appreciated.

-Amanda

Happy Snowy Saturday!

I am stuck inside for the day recovering from a stomach bug I had last night. I am feeling much better now. Better enough to drag myself off the couch and do something productive (i.e. Blog!)

This week went by very slowly, it seemed, even though it was a four day week. I do have some updated pictures of my classroom. I am totally not finished yet. It is definitely a work in progress.

So here are some *in progress* pictures. I was able to organize (to the best of my ability) the back row of shelving. I also cleared off the counters under the window, took all the books off, and put them in our *reading nook* I am liking the set up a LOT better. The kids seem to like it, too. They have easier access to the books and center materials. I am still waiting to get a shelf in there, as well as a small table and chairs, but all in good time.











So that's about it. I am still feeling a bit yucky, so I better go lay back down!!

-Have a happy weekend :)

My classroom is slowly becoming more organized. I wanted to take pictures today, but realized I had left my camera at home! So tomorrow I will take the pictures. I am trying to create a little reading nook/cafe. My grandmother is giving me some old chairs, so this weekend I am going to paint them with some cute designs, and place them in our reading cafe! I also plan on getting some lamps to make the room feel more cozy. I am very excited about the new changes! I actually had a couple people who stopped by my room comment on how neat it looked! :)

I am trying to think of was to extend my kids who are on the higher side of my reading groups. (Most of them are a 20-22 on the RIGBY, if you are familiar with that). I am focusing on phonics with my lower groups but this group needs more comprehension. I am giving them a chapter book to read with a partner this week. They read a chapter a day and then we discuss it during guided reading.

I just don't know how I can extend their comprehension skills, because that is where they are struggling. I was thinking of making them retelling journals combined with worksheets like story maps, characters summaries, comic strips, but I am not sure. Any suggestions are welcome!

There is a nasty stomach bug going through my class. One student was out on Tuesday. Three were out today. I am hoping I don't get it. Stomach bugs are the worst. I am using lots of lysol and hand sanitizer, that's for sure!

Well, I have some PLPs I should be updating, and then I think I am going to call it an early night!

So after a busy day of reorganizing and cleaning during every free minute I had today, my room looks a bit better!

I did take some "before" photos this morning, however. And tomorrow, after I do some more work, I will take some "after" pics!

I have to add that my classroom is an open classroom, so that is why you won't see any doors! It is also pretty small, and I am still working on furniture placement!










So today my shelves were reorganized, I moved the table that you can see in the last picture, and I cleaned around the sink. It looks better, but there is still lots to do! I will hopefully be able to get some more done tomorrow! :)

Well, I am of to finish watching New Girl! Love that show!

-Amanda

Good morning!

It is currently 8:30, Monday, and I have the day off. And guess what I am thinking...

I want to redesign my classroom!!!

Am I absulutely crazy? I googled classroom photos on pintrest and all these gorgeous rooms came up. I want my kiddos to have that. They deserve it. So my new project is...project make over my room!

I started by asking on FB if anyone has any extra furniture hah. If not, I might go on Craigslist. I don't really care about the quality of it because I want to repaint it anyway. So on top of decluttering (I don't have much stuff so that wont be an issue. I just need an organization system that WORK!) I am going to revamp my room!

Wish me luck!

I will post before pics tomorrow!

I should probably get on to you know, correcting papers, and stuff like that. :)

-Amanda

Wow, it's been a while. I have been so busy, I forgot to blog! I have been reading lots of blogs, though, and there are SO many amazing ideas out there. It really is inspiring to see what other people are doing in their classroom.

So a quick update (to keep this post fairly short) :)

1. My classroom flooded over Christmas break. A pipe burst in our "brand new" heating system. Fun times.

2. My school might be closing in June.

3. We have been in over our heads with DIBELS, RIGBYs, Dolch words, CBMs, etc!

4. On a positive note: My kiddos are making amazing progress! I am so happy to be a part of their journey this year!

5. I have been trying to incorporate FUN centers into my reading and math stations (any ideas, send them this way! I am always trying to keep things fresh!)

6. I NEED to organize my classroom (badly) so any tips on that would be appreciated, as well!


Well, I just discovered Pintrest, so I am going to spend the next hour of my life on that (I'm trying to find some cute 100th day projects), then maybe I will have finished my coffee and will be motivated to do some Zumba :) So glad this is a long weekend! I am sure we all needed the break!!

-Amanda