are you kidding?

No, it's actually NOT ok to let your kindergartners run down the hall screaming when they get in from recess. With no structure in the classroom, it's no wonder why they're so terrible. I'm going to have fun next year...

tests, tests, and more tests!

This week we have been giving the Terra Nova test to our students. We took Reading on Tuesday and Math today. So far, it's gone really well. I've been very impressed with all my students and their abilities to take standardized tests. I probably over-prepared them with rules and different strategies, but it seems to be working for them! The hardest part is getting them to NOT write in their test booklet except to answer questions. Most of them like to doodle in their book when they get finished. I threatened them during our prep week and said I would not go back and erase their marks, I would just let them get the question wrong. I think this has helped out a lot!

We are also taking Social Studies and Science this year. I'm not expecting much out of them during these parts. Half of my students miss Social Studies/Science time anyway because they get extra reading help during that time. Hopefully they will exceed my expectations tomorrow and Friday!

On a non-school-related note, I'm looking into buying a house! Today we go look at it and see what it's like on the inside. If all goes well, we might buy it in the next month or so. It's crazy to think I would buy a house HERE of all places, but with nowhere to rent except crappy apartments, it may be our best bet. It's only $25,000. The owners live in Texas, and inherited it from their mother. They basically just want to get rid of it. So if we offer $15,000 and get it for around $20,000, I would be perfectly pleased! Hopefully when we go in today we won't find a nasty inside that needs a lot of work. Keep your fingers crossed!

TIRED!

After a full day of wedding shower, visiting family, and traveling, I am not ready for Monday to be here. I hope I can stay awake today...

Definitely a Monday

I was surprised to come back from the weekend to find an extremely good note from the substitute:

"Everything has gone very well today! I'm very impressed with your class. Your notes were great and very helpful. Thanks for having me, I'd love to do it again sometime. P.S. I don't know if you do any type of reward for good behavior with subs, but THIS group deserves it! (That's the first time I've suggested this, so be proud of your students!)"

Unfortunately they weren't able to keep that up today. I definitely let them know how proud I was of them for Friday though.

Funny quote of the day:

The kids were good in music, and the music teacher gave them each two Hershey Kisses. One student put his hand in his pocket and pulled it out with chocolate all over it. He was upset that his chocolate melted because he wanted to eat it--not because it made a mess. I told him, "Well, I guess now you know for next time that chocolate melts so don't put it in your pocket!" As they were walking out the door, his friend behind him said, "Hey! You should just turn your pocket inside out and lick it off!" ...the thought process of a first grader...

Great Day!

Although lately I've had one student trying to run away on a daily basis, and another kid beating himself up when he gets in trouble (literally, banging his head on the brick building!), I had a great day today! Today was my Friday because I'm going to be gone tomorrow (Nichole, here I come!). The kids are usually crazy on Fridays, and then I end the week/start the weekend on a bad note. But since today is not their Friday, they weren't crazy! So I'm going to actually start the weekend on a good note. We took the kids out for their second recess, and since my escapee went home early today, I could actually play with the kids instead of watching him so closely. I had a swinging contest with some of the kids. I gave them 20 seconds and then I started swinging, trying to see who could get the highest. Then they all wanted me to go on the jungle gym equipment. Let me tell you...that stuff is not made big enough for adults! I went down the swirly slide and the tunnel slide, and the kids were all chanting, "Go Miss Henry! Go Miss Henry!" We also have a really tall metal slide with a small covered portion at the top. They wanted me to go down that one, so I did! I was afraid I would get stuck because it's really small. I had to lay down so as not to hit my head. Yikes! But that won me a lot of bonus points with them. It was just a great way to end my week, and I had a lot of fun bonding with the kids in a non-academic way. I suggest doing non-school stuff with your students every once in a while. Not only is it more fun, it helps make those relationships stronger.

Here we go!

Thanks to Banner creating a teaching blog, I have decided it's a good idea to create one myself! I probably spend at least 30 minutes a night talking to Cody about stuff that has happened that day, so I figured he would probably appreciate me typing it out first so he doesn't have to listen to it. Again, I'm pretty much copying Banner right now, and she started off by telling a little about herself, so I guess I will too!

My name is Allison Henry, and this is my first year teaching. I am doing a full-year internship as opposed to a semester long internship. I have a first grade classroom to myself (instead of teaching someone else's class) and I get paid a full teacher's salary. Although it's been a stressful year so far, I would not do it differently if I had to go back and do it again. I feel like I've learned so much more in this year than I would have in a semester internship.

I am engaged, and will be getting married July 10. I could not be more excited or more stressed out! I'm doing everything myself, down to centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnieres. I'm lucky to have great friends and family who are willing to help out with anything I need. My students have been really fun since I got engaged. When I got back from Christmas break and told them I was engaged, they were all questions for the next 3 weeks: "So...does that mean you're going to be a Mrs. now?" "You're going to be MRS. Henry?!?" and when I told them I had to change my name: "YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR NAME???" They started calling me Mrs. Coach Carney when they want to be silly.

Yesterday I was observed by my supervisor from Truman, and it went perfectly! Aside from the one student who just would. not. stop, my students were perfect for our visitor! She told me that I have changed so much and she felt like I had been teaching for years. She also told me that if her granddaughters went to my school, she would want them to be in my class because I foster an environment that makes children want to learn. She said she saw the kids excited about learning little things about reading and writing and that she didn't see that in them at the beginning of the year when she observed, so she knows I have put that in them. I was super excited to hear all these things and made me feel like I'm actually a good teacher!