Floating down the Delaware

To preempt the rainy monday blues, our morning meeting this morning was all about springtime and how the rain helps our world look beautiful again. For the rest of the day not a single complaint about the weather was heard, not even before leaving for indoor recess. Nothing a little manipulation couldn’t fix.

Our new country of the month is France. My kids are all pumped about it because of the insane amount of times we’ve read Madeline as a class. Nothing is funnier listening to 6 year old trying to say Arc de Triomphe and bonjour

I also have the 4 quarters dance stuck in my head… 25, 50, 75, a Dollar, 4 quarters in one dollar, 4 quarters in one dollar. Other than that, nothing too exciting to report on this quiet, rainy monday.

Seen and Heard in 1st grade:
Me: Bonjour A.
A: Bon-drawer, Ms. S. Ms. S, why do they say bon-drawer? Drawer, like the thing we put clothes in? That sounds silly.

I dreamt about my kids last night.

It involved spelling test corrections, rain pouring in my room, a song and dance about drying off your face and arms with a towel but not your hair (apparently even while asleep I care about lice), and north korea.

I think the rain may be getting to me

So yesterday it was bee-you-tee-full outside so I went for a run. A nice 2 mile run to the Battleship New Jersey and back. Nothing too major, almost fell in the Delaware River, no big deal. Well today my body was not happy with my decision. Sitting on the carpet criss-cross applesauce all day was also not a good decision. Needless to say, we did a lot of stretch breaks today because, well as my kids best described it, Ms. S was broken today.

I did however discover a few things:
1. Singing “I’m a little teapot” and doing the motions that go with it is fantastic to work out your back muscles
2. 6-year-olds never get tired of “reaching for the stars” and “digging for worms”. I swear my kids could have touched their toes all day.
3. By simply counting by different methods, or singing different vowel sounds while you stretch is totally a fantastic way of getting 6-year-olds to get their energy out and learn all at the same time. Also, doing jumping jacks while spelling sight words is a must. Mainly because my kids haven’t quite grasped the concept of jumping jacks so they move their arms and then their feet so I crack up watching them

Seen and heard in first-grade:
A: (Running around on the playgroud with arms stretched out like an airplane, singing at the top of his lungs) I beeeeeeeeee-lieve I can fllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy (doing his best R.Kelly impersonation)

N, While reading a story about making a birthday cake, looks at the picture, covers it up and looks at me with wide eyes and says, “ooooh it looks so good, I can’t look at it, I just want to eat it.”

Testing after a million bajillion snowdays is not fun.
Testing on a Friday is not fun.
Testing in first grade is not fun.
Teaching first grade can sometimes not be fun.

Do you know how stressful it is to be responsible for teaching 15 children how to read? Or count money? Or do addition and subtraction facts? Or tell time? Or write a complete sentence? To say that March has been a big kick in the butt is the understatement of the century. Its the month where you have to kick kids in the butt and push them to achieve and really start worrying about the kids who are struggling. Its the month where if they don’t know their short vowels by now, there’s a problem. Ditto for not being able to write a sentence. Doubble ditto for not being able to write their numbers.

This month will eat me alive. My stress level is sky high. Add in all of the extra work I have on my plate right now with my Masters’ classes and its not a pretty picture

But in happier news. After two months of not having outdoor recess my children are going out today. There are currently screams of jubilation resounding throughout my classrom right now. They started thanking the weather. My thoughts and words exactly.

Seen and heard in first grade today:
D: Ms, S. I’m depressed.
Me: What’s wrong D?
D: My mom didn’t let me watch sports center, I missed the top plays. My life is over

While reading a story about Ruby Bridges: “If my friends were the white people and you were Mrs. Henry, you’d move them to red. Being mean and tattle-tailing is not fair”

talk about some good text-to-self connections…

Apparently I have a hockey hangover from watching the olympics last night because today, while teaching, I actually said “Boys in Ms. Smith’s class we don’t fistacuff, we talk with one another at the peace table. Our hands are for helping and hugging, not for hurting.”

at least I’m teaching them new vocabulary…

The 2nd graders had a field trip on Friday which was our 100th Day of School so instead of celebrating it last week we celebrated it today with constant activities all centered around the number 100th and this milestone. And let me tell you, I am EXHAAAAAAAAAAAAUSTED. I think there should be a rule that on the 101st day,or in this case for me the 102nd day school should be closed to give teachers a chance to recouperate from all of the shenanigans that took place today.

snow days: 4
teaching days: 1

dear snow,
you win.

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teaching days: 1
snow days: 3

will I be inside my classroom tomorrow??