I'm Ready. For What You Say?

First year teaching is difficult.  If I could write to myself 5 years ago, I’d say, “Lauren, don’t go into teaching”.  Okay, so typically that is not what I’d say.  Today, it is.  It’s been a long week.  I feel like nothing I’m doing at school is working with the kids.  It isn’t like the kids aren’t learning or listening.  I just think that if things keep going down the road they are, then we will have issues.  On Monday, I’m implementing the “MAC” posters. 

MAC stands for Movement, Activity and Conversation.  I have enough posters created to last through the day.  Here’s an example of what a poster would look like for ‘Greetings and Readings’ (I will use words in here obviously, but pictures on the posters themselves).  M:  no bathroom, no drinks, no getting up to get materials.  A:  Greetings and Readings.  C:  no talking – voice level 0.  An example of ‘Learning Labs’ is this:  M:  okay to use the bathroom, okay to get a drink okay to get materials.  A:  Learning Labs.  C:  inside voice – voice level 2.  MAC is a shorter version of CHAMPS, which is a school wide behavior management program.  I hope that once I implement this in my classroom that students will start to see what they need to do and connect it to what they are doing. 

I’ve been really tired lately.  I’ve been in bed by about 7 or 7:30 each day and asleep by about 8:30.  I’m tending to get about 10 hours of sleep a night. If I get any less than that I feel too tired to move in the morning.  Besides, when I actually get up and to school, I am wide-awake much faster.  I love being fully conscious of everything that is happening, especially when it is relating to my classroom and the day to come. 

I love sweatshirt strings :)

At school, we’ve made snowflakes and picture frames out of popsicle sticks.  We used glitter for the snowflakes and just paint for the frames.   Next week we’re making Rudolph out of popsicle sticks. Speaking of Rudolph, we’re singing “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” and “Up On The Housetop” in the Christmas Program.  Well, let me rephrase that.  We’re singing the first verse of “Up On The Housetop” and everything except the first verse of “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer”.  We are learning them slowly, very slowly.  I’m wondering if next year, I should start singing the Christmas song at the beginning of the year and then by the time Christmas comes, the kids should be pros! 

I’m ready for Christmas break!!  I’m excited to see lots of people, as well as places I’ve missed.  Being on an island of 600 people is not something I can see myself doing for the rest of my lifetime.  Maybe I’ll consider looking into jobs in Anchorage?  Sitka?  Juneau?  Maybe being closer to more people in general would help me out a bit.  Anyway, I’m thrilled that I soon get to give the gifts I have been collecting for friends and family.  I have to tell you; Amazon has become a very good friend of mine, not that it wasn’t before. 

Sally’s good.  She’s hitting puberty and really changing, into a dog that is.  She loves to play fetch!  She has a little, fuzzy, purple, ball and she loves it when I throw it so she can go get it.  When she picks it up, she will bring it right back to me and drop it near me so I can throw it again.  I mean who wouldn’t want a “CatDog” in real life?  As long as it doesn’t start arguing and having two heads, I’m okay with the idea.  Maybe “Arthur” will come along too? 

I tired fish again!  It was actually the Cultural Activities part of the day.  Matt and Mickey brought in the fish, quaq (koo-uck) and chopped it up to eat.  The whole time it was being cut up, all I could think about what getting the kids to keep away from the table because the sharp knife was there, ready to chop a finger off.  Had the fish been easy to slice that might have been a little more comforting; however, the fish was frozen.   Anyway, I tried it after much contemplating.  Too bad you couldn’t be here to witness my reaction to eating it.  Don’t worry, I thought of all of you before hand.  Here’s the video that allows you to see the look on my face after eating the fish.  In fact, I’ve uploaded it before watching it because I know that after I watch it, I won’t want it posted. 

If you can't tell, al the frost you see is on the INSIDE!!!

P.S. The weather is not okay!  It's too cold for the key to work on the door and my window looks like this!!!