Getting High Tech....

It has been a long time since I have blogged. So here goes--

I've gained and lost a lot of students, but I'm finally settling in on 21 students. AHHH...what a wonderful number. 20 or 22 would be better, then we'd be even. Now I have to be someones buddy or hope that if someone is absent, it's an odd number gone.

The Smart Board technology has been so much fun to use, and at the same time overwhelming. I'm wishing I had more time in the day to prepare lessons and use it for every subject, but I've haven't had enough time. I'm thinking that next year will be easier because I can accumulate lessons over the summer. Geez....teachers never stop working!

I've gotten more technology since then. GOSH AM I LUCKY! Our whole fifth grade just received IPod Touches! It is really so fabulous. I have to spend a lot of time for class on it though. I have class for the IPods and the Smart Board. I'm really glad, it's been enlightening, and draining at the same time. I'm learning a lot and have discovered that I want to get my masters in Technology. I LOVE TECHNOLOGY! It excites me! It makes me interested in what I'm doing. It gets me a LITTLE crazy. Or maybe A LOT? I'm learning so much and it makes me feel like my brain is exploding with information. I like that. But most of all, it helps me reach my students. My students are so excited that they have been behaving soooo great! With the exception of one incident today at the end of the day, they have been doing great. It makes me happy to think that a little machine the size of my hand is capable of so much good. =)

Today a student from another class told me in awe, "Mrs. Jones, your class is so high tech." He continued to tell me the differences between his class and my class and it made me laugh. I love technology. My students love technology. And this visitor in my class could tell just HOW much I love technology, and I LOVE THAT. =D I hope that one day all classes can be "high tech" and full of resources that will get kids even more excited about learning and help teach them the skills they will need in the 21st Century.

Thankful for Christmas Break

Wow, Christmas break could not come at a better time. Although I had time off to be with my husband I am feeling drained. In fact, I'm feeling like I should change my career. I have never felt so underappreciated. It's such a strange feeling, but as a teacher you would think you would get a Christmas greeting or thank you, etc. but this year is the first year I felt a little jipped by my students. I was speaking with a friend who is also a teacher and she informed me that that's the reason she no longer bought her students presents. I had not realized that fifth grade was such a difference. In third grade I felt so appreciated by my students and their parents. Anyhow, this year, not so much.

Back to School...Back to School....

After over a week of vacation and hanging out with my husband, who is home on leave, I went back to school today. It was good. My "Yeller" has been officially unenrolled in my class and was taken out under police custody and cuffed in handcuffs. What a sight. It's really taken too long for this to happen, but hopefully where he is going they will be able to rehabilitate him. Two things stand out in my mind from today. Actually, two conversations.

1. "Mrs. Jones, are we ever going to meet your husband?" Student asked.
"Yes, you'll probably see him tonight at the Christmas concert. Why?" Mrs. Jones replied.
"Well, he must be a cool guy if you wanted to marry him," Students responds.

2. "Mrs. Jones, will you promise me something?" Student asks.
Mrs. Jones hesitantly replies,"Let me decide, what?"
Student begs, "Don't get pregnant and have a baby. Then you'll have to leave us again like Mrs. _____ did to her class. I don't think I can handle a sub again."

It was a pretty funny day today. I must admit I like this class so much. Although they have their moments where they drive me a little crazy and overwhelm me with their lack of know-how, they are such loving and wonderful students. I can only imagine how amazing they might be when they grow up.

Bloody Mess!

At the end of my day I was rushing to get out of school. However two of my students rushed into my room with a kid holding paper towels to his face. As soon as I looked up I noticed blood gushing out between his fingers. He had hit his head slightly on something and his bloody nose from the morning started up again. It was INSANE!! He moved the towel to show me and it was like a rushing stream! I threw on my gloves and grabbed some of those nose tampons. We rushed to the office without one drop spilling out onto the ground. I managed to clean him up a bit and stick a nose clog in. He bled right through it! Another one was soon bright red. It was quite a sight. Lucky for the office staff I am first aid certified. They were looking disguisted and I told them I'd finish taking care of it. It was pretty crazy. I felt like a mini-hero. =)

Papers, papers, papers..

I am so close to finishing grading papers. I wonder how people manage to get things graded so fast!? I hate having to sift through the writing and determine if they met rubric criteria. In fact, I think I need to do more true/false and multiple choice worksheets. That'd be awesome. But alas, I do not work that way...so I'm off to finish, so I can get them all inputed this week. Wahoo!!

Today...ah, today...

Today was such a funny day. Mostly because my students were really struggling with their D.A.R.E. essays and so I did a mini-essay on the board to show them how to answer the question and use a lead at the same time. Then somehow we went from talking to what D.A.R.E. has taught us to someone asking the questions, "When will your husband come home from Afghanistan? When will we get to meet him?" Another student added they really wanted to ask him questions about war.

"But we shouldn't ask him questions about war because Mrs. Jones might get sad and then cry," remonstrated another student.

Another student piped in, "Ya! I don't want to see Mrs. Jones cry!"

"Ya, that's so sad. I like her too much to see her cry. It makes me want to cry," another student chimed in.

"Mrs. Jones is sensitive. There's nothing wrong with that Mrs. Jones. I'm sensitive too," added, yet another student, to the discussion.

Several other students remarked thoughfully as well, but I was quietly laughing and grinning from ear-to-ear. Today I realized how much my class loves me back. It's a great feeling to feel loved back when you put so much time, effort, and money into lessons and into your classroom.

I also received such a wonderful email from a former parent. It makes me so happy to know that I made a difference in their child's life. My eyes literally welled up with tears as I read the email. All the struggles, all the screaming in my head, the gray hairs, and stress melt away when you get a note from a parent or student. It makes every little disaster feel like a learning experience instead of a catastrophe. It reminds me to continue to be dilligent, strive for perfection, be kind, be compassionate, be fair, and most importantly, be loving. This particular student taught me the importance of asking questions and using a calm voice before jumping to conclusions, like most adults do. He taught me the joy of playing jokes on parents (which he loved to do every day after school)...heheeheh... and patience. I learned a lot of patience, compassion, and unconditional love from my class last year. I know as the years progress, my students will make me a smarter, kinder, and a more wonderful person. I hope that all of my former students will always know how wonderful they are and that they too make a difference in my life. Thank you parents and students for changing my life as well.

I HATE GRADING PAPERS!!!

ARGH!!!! I have procrastinated a little stack of papers to grade....and now it's grown!! I have to get it done! I don't want to. It seems I will never have enough time in a school day to plan lessons, grade papers, prepare to teach, have PLC's, and teach.... AND pass AYP!?!?! Yowza!?!WHEN WILL THE MADNESS END!?!?!?! Until then, I'm off....too much to get done.....