Friday, May 18, 2012

Aww, they're really great kids

My class cracks me up so much sometimes. Lately, they walk right up to me while I am teaching, and interrupt me. I keep telling them to stop, but they don't. So today, I said "I need a big sign that I can hold up that says 'don't talk to me.'"
I got a ton of signs, handmade by students. One says "don't talk to me." Another says "go away, techer werking." And yet another says "be qiet please."

Ahhh second graders. Gotta love em.

I caught myself going old school yesterday. I was asking a boy why he did something, and he said that someone told him to. Guess what I said?? "if he told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it??" my teaching partner happened to stick his head in the room right then, and said, "yes, he would." I cracked up - there went the discipline-minded moment there!

My students already have me figured out... A girl saw my coffee on my desk today, and said "oh good, you have coffee today - you'll be happy today!"
-Ms. J

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Whatever happened to the bathroom pass?

When I first took my class, they did not have bathroom passes, so I made some out of CDs and yarn.

Yesterday, one of the boys took the boys bathroom pass and went to the bathroom with his bathroom buddy (I cannot trust half the boys in my class to go the bathroom by themselves, so they have to have buddies). They came back and his buddy said "Ms. J, he dumped the pass into the toilet."

He had dumped the pass into the toilet, then dried it off and brought it back to class... Like he expected anyone else to use it after that! I had him throw it away.

My new motto is "expect the unexpected." nothing is ever a typical day in 2nd grade!

-Ms. J

Friday, May 11, 2012

2nd grade-isms

Ok, so I totally love my class, even though they are little stinkers sometimes. However, hooray! I am seeing some major progress - on Tuesday, when I started teaching them, they could only sit still and work for about 7 minutes. Today, they did DEAR/Read to Self/SSR (silent reading) for 20 minutes! They are also walking in the hallways so much better now, and we have gotten some classroom routines established. They still have their crazy moments, where I hope and pray no one will walk in and see what they are doing, but it's getting better.

I told one of my colleagues that it seems like when they are having a terrible time, and going crazy, and I'm having to raise my voice... That is when I have a parent in the classroom... But when they are being little angels, that's when the principal walks in to see how things are going. Such is life...

Some things that have happened so far this week:

1- I got tired of a boy leaving his seat, so I told him "Superglue yourself to that chair!" Guess what he did? He got a glue stick and glued his chair, and was about to sit on it when I saw what he was doing. It was so hilarious, but I managed to keep from laughing.

2- one of the other teachers thought I was "like 12" my first day.

3- a parent witnessed a dogpile by the backpacks... That was one of those "raising my voice, trying to get their attention" moments.

4- a boy came back from the bathroom, 10 minutes after he left. I asked him "What were you doing in the bathroom, besides going to the bathroom?" his response: "blowing bubbles..." it's amazing what kids can do with soap and no supervision.

5- yesterday, I walked next door during clean up time, and asked the other 2nd grade teacher, Mr. H., to make a random clean group check with licorice. Then I walked back into class, and said "wow, look at these desks that aren't clean... I wonder what Mr. H would say if he came in and saw this classroom." right as I said that, he came in the door. The kids were totally freaked out by that lol.

If anyone wants to come help me clean up my classroom and get ready for the rest of the year, let me know! I will put you to work!

-Ms. J, 2nd grade teacher

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Writing my own sub plans

I am technically no longer a sub!
I am now writing my own sub plans - which means I am planning everything, and teaching everything. As of today, I am a full time classroom teacher. I have taken a 2nd grade class, and will be with them through the end of the school year. They are a super sweet group of 29, and I am excited about the growth they are going to experience. They are going to need a lot of work - they are sweet, but they are a handful! I guess when I prayed for a challenge, I should have been more specific! :) just kidding. I've already started to fall in love with them.
I am sure I will have some funny stories to share about my class, and I will try to post on occasion, but these next couple weeks are going to be insane, as I get used to all the changes in my life right now.
I am exhausted already, just thinking about all the work I am going to have in the next five weeks... Report cards! Student placement! End of the year stuff! Ack!

-Ms. J, 2nd grade teacher

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

2nd/3rd, 5/1

Today, a third grader told me, "you should try Proactive."

Apparently, the ridiculously huge third eye that appeared overnight on my forehead is more noticeable than I had promised myself...

-Ms. "Proactive" J