A QUEEN!

It's September's end, and so I figured I should post before October hits.

Two weekends ago, I was in a friend's wedding in Minnesota, so I wasn't around. That Friday was my first experience with a substitute. Note to all: Subs do not ever follow the plans you have left them. This was confirmed by every teacher I talked to regarding this issue. My sub did not administer an important reading selection test and put me behind this past week; the kids also didn't do as well on it because they had a whole weekend to forget about the details. Needless to say, my confidence in the reliability of the substitute is nil. What made it slightly more awkward was when the sub came by the following Tuesday and introduced herself. My mouth said, "Oh, hi, nice to meet you!" but what my mind was saying, "I'm sorry, but I'm not requesting you again!"

I'm finally getting into the routine of things at school. I don't feel completely exhausted by the end of the day. I'm still tired. That's inevitable though due to my chronic always-tired and introvertedness. I can't wait until it all becomes second hat to me. I'll really be flyin' then!

My students are really into Magic School Bus, and this, of course, makes me very happy. I have successfully passed on my obsession. :) I'm really surprised how most of my kids said they love Math and Science more than Reading/Writing. Maybe it's because numbers seem more connected to them than the stories we're reading.

I still don't like that we have to read stories out of a textbook... and I WILL find ways to make it interesting or better for them. Quite honestly, CP's reading program is kinda sucky. The materials are great, but the way the program is executed is not so much.

The best quote from last week was a gem from T...

We were creating our Open House booklets to show parents, and one of the questions was to fill in the rest of "Someday I hope to be..." Without hesitation or thinking, little T shot up his hand. I called on him first and asked, "What do you hope to be one day, T?" His priceless response: "A QUEEN!" All of the kids whipped around their heads, bug eyes, and were like, "He means a king! He can't be a queen!" I stuttered to hide my laughter, "Well, he... he canbutsomoving along now... who else?" He didn't take back his comment, flinch, or anything.

I'm creating a reader incentive bulletin board sometime this week. Each kid will have a rocketship, and they have to get through the solar system by reading everyday at home. At the end of the week, they bump up to the next planet. Once they get to Neptune/Pluto, they get a special book from me! I just have to get the black bulletin paper from Miss EB... she gets it free!!

All right, time to go eat some dinner. I have finished my schoolwork for the night.
- Miss Chelsea :)

Bingo and missing appleseeds.

In my class, we do a "clap pattern" to give full attention to the speaker. Our hands are free, our mouths are quiet, and most importantly, our eyes are attentive. But never have I heard such a dead silence until I heard "B14" or "G59" being called out at a bingo hall. I wish my students could do that!

Last night after school, Miss P, Miss EB, and I joined Nuna at bingo. Yes, we de-stressed by hanging out with the elderlies and listening to numbers being quickly spouted out. It's a whole new culture there, let me tell you what. I'm not sure if I'm more disturbed by having to hear a bingo caller clearly insinuate something dirty about a certain number under the letter O or my own Nuna telling me that older people still think about some "things." Not my own grandmother! In my happyland, grandmothers and grandparents are reverent creatures who give treats and hugs and kisses. "That" side of them is detached in my head (even though I know it to be a reality).

Speaking of grandparents, on Thursday, I forgot my lunch on the kitchen counter. I got to school and chastised myself for the moment of memory loss, then accepted I'd be buying lunch from the cafeteria. Well, about 10am, Mrs. W. comes by holding up my very obvious "Chelsea" lunchbag (yes, it's a Vera Bradley lunchbag... the color is called Chelsea Green. I only bought it because it was on sale when I bought my purse last year!). The kids look her way, and I look her way with an obvious look of "how did you get my bag?!"

"Your grandpa dropped this off for you," she says, holding in a laugh.

"Miss F, you don't have to buy lunch now! You have your lunch now!" the kids chime.
"I know, my Poppi brought it for me. Wasn't that so nice of him?"
"Yeah, that is so nice!"

After my kids go to Art, I go to the office and get a laugh from the office ladies.
"You made your grandpa come all the way from Va Beach for your lunch!?"
"I didn't even call him!"
"He came in here, saying 'This is my grandbaby's lunch, I need to give it to her!'"

It was a nice moment, and I felt special enough that he came all the way out there for a measly lunchbag. But I don't doubt it one bit that he was probably also getting the scoop on the school. He now deems it a good neighborhood and school, therefore, he has given his approval of where I am teaching. haha

So the lunch conversations with the kids were the same.

"Miss F, I bet I know what kind of sandwich you have again today!!!"
"Oh?"
"You have the RAISINS again! Peanut butter and the raisins!"
I showed my sandwich to all the boys (who seem to always sit at my end of the table... which, trust me, is a good thing. I always have to eagle-eye them, so they make it quite easy for me when I have to tell DS to stop touching J or T to sit down or J to stop taking people's appleseeds). For some reason, they get the biggest kick out of what I put in my lunch.

Yeah, appleseeds. I read maybe 3 pages of Gail Gibbons' Apples, and since then, quite a few of my students are obsessed with apple facts. They get apples at lunch (which I'm not complaining about!), and then they want to collect the seeds. Now, this is cute to me. However, the non-cute part is the arguments and tears that have been shed about "missing appleseeds" (i.e., someone taking someone else's seeds). When there are no tears, it's really great to see kids babble on about growing apple trees of their own. :)

- Miss Chelsea :)

1st Week Survived.

Though I pretty much need to get to bed soon, I figured I would update last week's happenings before the second week starts tomorrow.

The Best Quotes of First Week of School
1. Imagine a kid not coming out of the bathroom after 10 minutes. Then you have to go in there to say, "It's time to come back in the classroom now. If you have a tummy ache, we need to take you to the nurse." Then you get this reply...

"But I haven't gone ALL summer break!"
She gave this line twice that day.

2. My class makeup consists of one white kid, one Pacific Asian, and the other 13 black. This sets the image for the next one.
Boy: "Miss F, T likes you."
Me: "That's wonderful, I like him, too."
Boy: "Miss F, he thinks you're fiiine."
[insert near-burst-out-laughing moment]

3. We're talking about what makes us special. I chose as an example that I love to bake, especially chocolate chip cookies.
T: "Miss F, I wanna go home wit' you today! I want to help you bake the chocolate chips!"

4. The setting is the cafeteria where we are eating lunch. The menu today is shepherd's pie.
Me: "Did you know that shepherd's pie is a dish from England?"
V: "Really? I can't believe this food came all the way from England!"

There were some other priceless moments but these were the gems.

In my class, I have the "you know what, Miss F?" boy, chatter 24/7, "a little too wise for his britches," and a few other characters. Overall, I love my class; they're really great. I just have to keep my eye on a few of them.

I'm pretty exhausted by the end of the day and pretty much end up crashing when I get home around 7pm. Yeah, I'm gone almost 12 hours a day due to late buses and prep for the next day. I really hope it gets easier after a few months. As much as I like being prepared, I don't like having to spend 80% of my day at school. It's going to get old really fast.

One final amusing tidbit... Every morning, Miss P and I carpool to work since well, I don't have a car yet, and she lives with me. So, because of our convenient location, she has to deal with my saying, "I looove reverse commuting" every morning... because it's true! We go against the flow even though we have to drive through the Downtown Tunnel. We're just passing through and out! It's great.

First payday is this coming Friday!! My gals and I are definitely celebrating! :) We will be official real world employees then.

- Miss Chelsea :)

The day of all days.

Tomorrow is the first day of school. I'm slightly anxious, but confident. The day will go by just fine, but that doesn't mean my nerves will be working overtime.

"Will the kids be comfortable in my classroom?"
"Will I establish a respectful and conducive learning environment?"
"Will I earn respect the first week? And if I don't, how will I make it through the year?"

I have been having bad dreams the past two weeks. One was where there kids didn't listen to me no matter how firm I was (this was after I watched Freedom Writers... bad idea right before bed). The next dealt with having 30 more kids added to my class roster. Last night's was being tested by my students to see if I remained consistent (and I DID!).

After tomorrow, everything will be fine. I will have made it through my first day of school as a teacher.

I was going to do a soapbox on the stereotype of the Southern Teacher... but then I talked to a few other teacher friends... and they said these circumstances didn't happen to them... so it's purely a Chelsea-stance. Let's just say, if one more person asks me what my maiden name is or what my husband does, I may just about lose my apples. I will ironically point out that Miss P and I are the only young, unmarried women at our school, really. Welcome home to the South where in certain circles you can be judged by your marital status.

Now onto brighter things. All of last week consisted of my organizing and prepping the classroom. I've also been getting to know the other 2nd grade teachers... and they are pretty wonderful. There are three others... and I think we're going to have a good year. :) The tentative lesson plans and homework sheets are already finished/planned. We've got code motions for when the higher-ups come by, etc. Our team leader is a trip, too... I really like her. She's been at the school for 20+ years, and she currently lives right around the corner from me!

And finally, here are some photos of my classroom... it's a peek at what an open classroom looks like.





And let the school year begin.
- Miss Chelsea :)