Reflections of the Year

Wow, I can’t believe it’s over. My 5th year of teaching kindergarten. I had no idea what I was getting into. But it has been such an amazing experience. I have grown and improved, but I think there is still room to grow. That’s why I decided to let my principal know that I was ready for  a change. It is scary putting myself out there, but at the same time it is a little freeing.

Now I can recreate myself as a teacher, recreate my classroom, recreate myself as a team member. I guess it’s not really recreating, but growing in a different direction. It’s exciting!

Of course looking back at my kindergarteners this year, I can’t help but be excited by their growth in reading. Quite a few were reading mid to end of first grade levels. And they started low. The same happened with their writing. It is fascinating to watch how they grew in their ability to write words and format correctly. From a blank page to pages and pages of material!

I wonder what it will be like with 2nd graders. Will there be as much growth, will it be more subtle?

 

Can’t stop myself

Well the challenge is over, but I still want to write. My head is full of thoughts and there’s no one right here, right now that I can share them all with. This is why I need to practice meditation. I need to learn how to turn off my thoughts sometimes. Give my brain a break from working so hard. Let it rest. Stop worrying! Yoga is suppossed to help me do that, but even in class it can be hard to turn it off and just focus on the movements.

As I’m writing this, it just occured to me that once class starts, I am able to turn off all outside thoughts and just focus on teaching. Wow, I hadn’t thought of that before, but it is true. I have to be in the moment to focus on 18 little ones. I guess I’ve just had an aha moment. Oprah would be proud!

End of the Week!

I made it. We made it. The week’s over. But not the work. It’s a good thing though. I’ll take off tomorrow and then get back into the swing on Sunday, my catch up day. Actually, I tried to get things ready for next week before I left today and I did a pretty good job. It’s all the administrative stuff that I have to do instead of teaching. Somehow it gets done, but not in my 720-320 shift! Oh well, what else would I do?

What to Write About?

It was one of those days. I came in with a mood that I wished I didn’t have and it was a struggle to get through the day! I tried, I really did, but everyone was chatting, all the time. We’re moving tables tomorrow. Not sure how I’m going to separate the people who chat and those who annoy each other and still manage to keep the ones who are helpers with the ones who need help. Challenges! It’s all part of the constant process of adjusting, fine-tuning, trying new things. There is no chance I’ll ever get bored!

Follow Directions

Please, just follow directions. It seems like such a simple request. But not so simple for everyone. I try to think of different ways to give the directions, but how many times/ways can you say, “Writing is quiet time, except for sounding out”?  Of course I don’t want little robots either. What a fine line we walk everyday.

Is it only Tuesday?

Wow, great day, but still wish it was Thursday! It’s been busy and things have gone well. Just hard to believe it’s only Tuesday. The good thing about Tuesday is that it is in-house yoga day. I love having yoga right in building. It’s not necessarily as peaceful or calming as off-site, but it is so convenient and a great chance to mix with other teachers not at my grade level. And I love my yoga! It feels so wonderful to stretch my body and sometimes try things I haven’t tried before.  I highly recommend it.

Little Sleep

Don’t go to bed without eating your dinner or eating a very small one. Inevitably I wake up hungry and can’t go back to bed. Even if I have a snack. That happened at 3:24 am. Chocolate milk and a banana at 4:11 am didn’t help. I lay in bed till 5:00 am and finally gave up. Oh well, what can you do? Obviously I couldn’t make myself go back to sleep so I got ready for work and spend the extra hour checking emails, which are never ending. I think if I was rich I would hire myself an assistant to take care of all the extra things that suck up my time:  emails, making copies, sorting the overwhelming amount of info I come into contact with each day. It would be lovely to have someone hand me one piece of paper that I have to deal with, only one. Guess I’m dreaming, or at least I wish I was. I can’t wait for bedtime!

Everyone is so nice!

I love getting comments on my blogs. It’s really cool! I haven’t been doing comments like I’m suppossed to. I’m barely finding time to write and post my blog. It’s kind of like the classroom. There are so many things I want to do and most of the time I can barely find time to do the basics or the “have to’s”. I need to organize my time better so that I can squeeze in the things I would like to do. The things I will benefit me in the long run and my students too. The good news is that I have the desire to do better, now I just have to figure out how to do it. I’ll get there. That’s how life is. A continual learning process. I guess if I knew everything know and did it all perfectly, what would be the point of the rest of my life!

I Feel Better!

I’m caught up, for now! I was able to go in for a day and actually clean off my desk and deal with things that had been on my lists(s). It feels so good.

I’ve also been able to get back to yoga. Yesterday was my first day in 11 days, which is a big deal when I was going everyday for a while. I missed it so much. Traveling kept me out for a week and then getting back into the swing of things and not feeling 100% kept me out a few more days. It is such a lovely way to exercise both your body and your mind. The teachers are so sensitive to everyone’s needs. I feel really special in their presence.

I need to make sure my kids feel that way in my classroom, each and every one of them. There’s a goal!

Made it to Friday!

Wow, only 14 students today – it made a big difference in how smooth the day went! And how much quieter. Not that there wasnt’ some noise, but there was less of it for sure. I need to figure out how I can get more of the smaller group feeling even when all 18 are there or if I have 22 again next year. Such a struggle as a the class gets larger to give everyone all the attention and love they need.