The Countdown

March has been a crazy month! It started with some intense review for the MCAS (standardized test). Then we had the actual MCAS test (2 days of Reading Comprehension testing). Now, we have a month to review everything you could possibly want to know about Science (aka what the students learned in grades 3-5 including electricity, magnetism, solar system, simple machines, habitats, plants, etc) and everything we learned in math so far this year (multiplication, division, graphing, fractions, decimals, order of operations, geometry, etc). It is amazing the quantity and depth of information these students need to know. Everyone is counting down the days first to April Vacation (which is much needed and will be even more needed after 8 full weeks with no breaks). After that it will be the countdown to when MCAS are finally over mid-May.  Then it's a little over a month to the end of the year.

Have you ever noticed how we always are looking forward to the next thing? Something better coming down the road? I want you to join me in praying to be thankful for the present, although it seems really hard to be joyful now when I am exhausted and feel there is "better coming".   I didn't give anything up for Lent this year, but from now until Easter I am going to try to be thankful for the present and not look longingly down the road 3 weeks or a year from now. Join me!

Spring is near (poem)

Wind rushing past me:
not the type that freezes to the core,
but the type that comforts.
Mud and puddles surround me.
Spring is near.

Birds chirp!
Signs of life are everywhere.
Rushing water down the stream;
Children on the beach.
Spring is definitely near.

Soon, the mud will be filled with flowers.
The trees will start to bud.
The thaw has started.
When 55 degrees feels like a summer day.
You know spring is near!

Projects

My students are very good at projects! It is definitely a strength for many of them. Today I worked on a model to show them for our upcoming book report on Fantasies.

Here is what happens when I spend most of Sunday afternoon working:

Pretty proud of it, but I feel like I'm back doing book reports again. Luckily, I've read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at least 7 times

The rest of the project will include taking notes on the story and writing what is called a biopoem about one of the characters. Here's mine:

Lucy

Caring, Honest, Open-minded, Loving

Sister of Edmund, Peter, and Susan

Lover of animals, justice, and family

Who feels teased, scared, and protected by Aslan

Who needs affirmation, friends, and confidence

Who fears the White Witch, death, and rejection

Who gives love, healing, and care

Who would like to see her family united, Mr.Tumnus saved, and the White Witch 

defeated

Resident of England and Narnia

Pevensie

It's fun to be able to share some of my favorite stories with my students.

Time Machine

I wish I had a time machine! Then, I would be able to go back in time, to the beginning of the year, using the knowledge I have now, to make some changes. I would have started practicing for the statewide test sooner, introduced more math games to be used as review games now, and spent more time establishing and maintaining classroom rules and routines. I've been talking more and more with my mentor, who has great ideas! It was hard to know what to ask and what to figure out on my own earlier in the year. In hindsight, I would have talked to her more sooner. Some of the things she and I talk about, I did not even know that I had to think about, like how to provide extensions for accelerated learners, what to do when a student is extremely far behind or disruptive, what happens if the class won't stop talking? These things now are like "duh, why didn't I plan for that?" I also should have challenged my students more, through what I was asking them to produce in writing and in terms of holding them accountable for homework.

All I can do is go on from here and try to make changes as I am able. I guess that is why they say the first year of teaching is the most challenging.

a much needed break

I just had February break. For those of you, like me, who never experienced February break in NJ, it is a second winter break, so that people up here in the cold New England weather don't go crazy in the never ending winter. I was able to travel to sunny, warm California to visit my brother. Luckily I got out before the snow storm that covered New England.

Yeah, I do look like his younger sister, but the truth is: I am 4 years older. I was mistaken for a 17 year old prospective student at least 4 times over the weekend. Andrew and I spent time together in Hollywood, at Santa Monica beach playing frisbee, and at the Getty Museum (shown in the picture above). I also got to see his campus and meet his friends. It was a good few days!

The next stage of my February break journey was to visit Wes in D.C. We were able to go to an NBA bball game, go swing dancing (the picture below is after swing dancing), watch some Olympics, and just spend some time together. It was nice!

Coming back on Saturday was a great decision because it meant that I could sleep all day on Sunday, which was much needed.

Today school started up again in full swing! There is so much to do in the next few weeks! MCAS (state standardized tests) are in 3 weeks, we have the trimester ending in 2 weeks (report cards to do, testing to do, etc), and I have many meetings and opportunities for professional development coming up as well. Outside of school, I have a weekend retreat with my youth group coming up in 2 weeks! Then Wes will be here in 3 weeks (unfortunately just for a very short amount of time)! BRING ON THE CRAZY!!!!!

Please pray for sustained energy and stamina for me, as well as patience. Thank you for following me on this journey!

This is happening

I'm showing this as a culminating video of a week working on figurative language:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPiVfdwAsUg#t=150

Watch it! You may learn something.

student teachers

Only last year I was student teaching. It seems like a long time ago. About this time last year, I had taken over about half of the teaching in 4th grade. I thought I was overwhelmed then, but I have learned that I can handle more than I thought I could. Although it is very stressful knowing that MCAS are a month away, I have a good support system at school and I pray that my students will show progress on their MCAS scores. Please join me in praying for progress.

Yesterday, I was informed that I am getting student teachers! They are juniors at a local college studying ESL education. I have two ESL students in my class, so the college girls are going to be joining me for 2 hours every Monday. It's weird knowing that a year ago I was in their place and now I'm "in charge" of them. I'm not exactly sure what my responsibilities are with them in the classroom, but hopefully I will soon find out.