2nd, 5/13-14

Same class two days in a row. Super cute kids, and well-behaved (good thing, since they have open classrooms - meaning there are no walls between classrooms - so it's kind of important to be quiet). 

- Two little girls were reading their Bibles during reading time. They refer to them (for fun) as their "Bibbles" (rhymes with kibbles), and were sharing factoids from Moses' law (Ms. J, did you know that if you don't follow the Bible, there will be a famine?)

- One boy noticed a classroom stuffed animal's leg was ripped and the stuffing was coming out. He brought it to me, "teacher, it's bleeding."

- I noticed some kids sitting around doing nothing, "Hey guys, what should you be doing right now?" One kid replies, "Well, I really just want to wander around the room." 

Brownie points for style and honesty, kid, but get back to work. 

-Ms. J

5th, 3rd 5/10

So I did a half day in fifth grade this morning, then drove over to another school to do a half day in third this afternoon. 

I had such fun with those 5th graders - such a great class! Gave them a logical thinking test for fun and told them "if you fail, you can't go to middle school." They were too smart for that, though. "Ms. J, that's a joke, right? Right? Ms. J?"

During Social Studies, as I was teaching, a girl had a lightbulb moment, "Oh my word, I didn't know that! I learned something in school today!" 

The 3rd grade class I had was, as always, super fun. I wish I could show you the pictures I took of them - such personality! I have one picture whose caption would read "Ms. J, can my picture be your screensaver?????"

One little boy, (who is probably one of my favorite kids this year - subs are allowed to have favorites), is such an adorably funny kid. I walked into the classroom, and said hello to him. In response, he took his glasses off, turned them upside down, put them back on (upside down), and said "hi!" 

I cannot believe there are only 19 days of school left to this year! It's been such an amazing year, and I have met so many wonderful kids that I don't want the year to end! 

(I don't want the paychecks to end, either)

-Ms. J

Laminating Queen

Today was ELD. It's a pretty nice gig - small groups, completely adorable kids and plenty of breaks. The teacher left me some stuff to do, including.... (Drumroll, please).... Laminating!

For those of you who have heard my laminator story, you understand that I am very hesitant to use laminators nowadays. It's very easy to mess up a laminator, and they are expensive pieces of equipment. 

Well, I am proud to say that I overcame my laminator fear and rocked that laminating project! (I was praying the whole time)

Just thought I'd share. 

-Ms. J

The Hard Part

One of the hardest things about being a sub is wanting to be in multiple places at one time. One gets attached to so many kids in so many classrooms and so many schools that scheduling is challenging. 

For example, yesterday I got a request for May 21 from a teacher I love to sub for, in a school (and district) that I love. Unfortunately, I am already scheduled to be at another school with kids that I love that same day. 

Today, I got a call for a job tomorrow at one of my favorite schools, but I'm already working at another school with kids I love. The secretary calling me said, "that's ok, I just wanted to call you first, because we have our favorites!" 

Now, just for the record, I do *not* love every school I work at. It's just that typically I love the schools that also love me. It's a win-win situation. 

Hey, by the way, if I don't get a job this year or the next, I have a maternity leave position already worked out for the 2014-15 school year. So I'll be employed that year, for three months. Woohoo!

-Ms. J 

1/2, 5/6-7

Monday: I dislike that we are required to show our little ones a video about inappropriate touching. Not that I think it's wrong to tell kids their bodies are private, but that the conversation has to happen in public school (not in the home, with the parents), and that people are sick enough that this stuff actually happens. Simply listening to this thing made me sick to my stomach - isn't this too graphic for kids???

Well anyway. On to the cute stuff.

Tuesday: the kids have started a science project with plants and seeds. They have learned a couple new vocab words: sprout and germinate. Their plants have sprouted/germinated. They are all really excited about it, and want to use their new vocab words. Of course, the bigger the better, right? So they are all talking about how cool is it that their plants have "germinates."

They don't get the whole "germinate is a verb but definitely not a noun" thing.

Oh well, it's still super cute to hear a 6 year old say "germinate" - makes my inner scientist happy!

-Ms. J

2nd, 4/29

Whew. Today was tough. I realized I may be getting a little soft - I haven't been in a Title 1 school in close to a year. Perhaps I need to allow myself opportunity to grow and experience new aspects of teaching, instead of always going to the same schools, where the average income level is higher than my family's, where the kids mostly have supportive parents, and where their parents don't pack them a 20 oz Arizona tea for snack (aka about a billion grams of sugar).

Yeah. The Arizona tea thing happened today. And of all the kids to have it, it was that kid that was giving me trouble already. And she drank the whole thing, too.

All in all, it wasn't a bad day. We just didn't get a lot accomplished.

But the most interesting thing was a little girl who came up to me after recess, upset that her pencil mysteriously broke during recess.

"Ms. J, I had my pencil here and it was sharp and now it's broken."

But the fact that it was broken wasn't the biggest deal to her. Oh, no, she was more worried about....

"I had a booger on the eraser and now it's gonnnnne!!!"

So not only did she put a booger on her eraser, but *gasp* someone STOLE it!

I let her sharpen her pencil. I didn't bother to ask if she had replenished the booger.

-Ms. J

5th, 4/24

This class is extremely fun - so much personality!

It dawned on one boy that he was as tall as me - he kept walking around on his tiptoes and saying "Ms. J, I'm taller than you!" His teacher is about 6'5", so he is not used to looking the teacher in the eye - it totally made his day!

They're also totally awesome at bootlicking. One girl came up to me after recess and said "Ms. J, you're arrested! You're arrested for being a great teacher!"

Ok, what do you want?

-Ms. J