New Adventure!

Hello all! I know I have been a bit AWOL, but things were not happening for a very long time. Last I posted was that I had an interview at my current school. Unfortunately I did not get any of the available teaching positions. Including that interview, I have been on approximately 14 interviews, including 8 that I did at a teacher fair at my university.

Luckily, the interview I had this week, on Tuesday, went fantastically! I interviewed with the principal, the assistant superintendent, and was offered the position 2 1/2 hours after my initial interview!! I will be a 1st Grade Teacher starting MONDAY!

Now, the school I am joining is about 3 hours from my current location, so I am moving and getting everything right now! Fortunately, I have a cousin who lives in that town and am able to stay there until I find a place to live. This school began last week! They have over 30 kids in each of the 3 classes, so they are forming a new class: mine!

I'm excited and crazy nervous!! I don't know what my room looks like or what curriculum I'm using or if the team has a plan to do something all similar. So I'm going to have a severe learning curve!
Any suggestions, helpful hints would be wonderful! I promise to post pictures, and news as soon as I can!

Smiley :)

Interview tomorrow! Just a TAD nervous...

Reading Suggestions

Hi Everyone!

I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for useful education books to read (i.e. teacher books)? Either gen ed or special education? I have free time on my hands and want to put it to good use. I've already read The Book Whisperer and am working through The Daily 5 again.

Thanks for your help! Hope all is going well in your lives and classrooms!

Miss Smiling

Graduation

I've really been AWOL! I did not mean to be, but when one works, completes a practicum, and another class, one tends to get busy. All most all of that is coming to an end, so maybe I will be able to play catch-up!

Graduation is Saturday. This Saturday. WOW!! I only started grad school last fall. And now I'm going to be done! I just have one more paper to complete (due today, midnight..... yes, I'm procrastinating!) and then I have all my requirements completed (unless someone comes along and tells me otherwise, which I sincerely hope not!).

I really enjoyed my practicum in the resource room at my school! I learned so much from the teacher I was able to work with and from the kiddos in the program.

I'm truly enjoying my job as an instructional assistant, although at times I see and experience some of the kids not treating me with the same respect as a classroom teacher. I also feel much more ready to have my own classroom again. Maybe soon? Fingers crossed.

Ok, I guess I will stop procrastinating and get back to that paper. Hope all is well in everyone's classrooms and families, especially with the holidays!

MFC Part II (My First Classroom)

As promised, more of my first classroom pics! A few may be repeats, but I think we will be ok! :)

Here is the front of the room shot, without anything on the walls. This is about 2 weeks before school starts I think.

So come about January, I almost always get the urge to purge the classroom and rearrange a few things. Here is that process!!

Back of the room from the doorway. Can see our Saxon math meeting wall. Far left is library. Desks are smooshed up because I moved the kidney table to the back of the room (See next pic) and C L E A N E D all the junk out from under everything. Dust collects like nothing I've ever seen before!

Part of side wall from door. Cleaning cleaning cleaning! Yes, there is a small "oven" on a desk against the wall. This must have been near the time I did the lesson on making cookies.

Side wall with part of front wall. Job board is in purple under flag.

Front of room. Far right of pic is where my desk was. Still smooshed because of cleaning!

Trash PRE-major cleaning. Check out the recycle bin!

Clean groups, cleaner and organized teacher area! Sweet!

Check out my tidy rows!!!

Front of room CLEAN!!

Trash AFTER major cleaning! :) Ah, much better!

New School Year

Happy New School Year!

My new school started last week- we had a whole district meeting first thing last Monday, then broke off and met with our individual schools. Tuesday was a "day off" for everyone. And then Wednesday the kids came!

Let me just say, I LOVE my new school!! I know that I am not a teacher there, but as an instructional assistant I feel like I am just as involved, if not more, with everything. AND I love how kind and caring everyone is, including the students. Yes, there are a few stinkers, but overall, everyone is great!

I'm working primarily with the older kiddos- 4th, 5th, and 6th- and eventually will have a short time each day working with K/1 kiddos. All the kids I've worked with have been wonderful. All the teachers I get to work with are fantastic! They listen to ideas I have and really want to make me an asset in the classroom, not just give me busy work. :)

Tomorrow starts my *hopefully* last semester as a grad student! I am working on my practicum at New School and also taking a class on autism. I just got all the info on the autism class tonight- a bit nervous, but excited at the same time! Hopefully my book comes tomorrow so I can get started reading.

All for now. We have collaboration tomorrow morning at 7:30, so early to bed for moi!

Hope everyone is enjoying their new school year!

Guess What??

The missing pictures have been found! I'm transfering them over as I write this, so a MFC Part II is coming soon!

Also, I got a job! I didn't even apply for it, but went for the interview and the next day the principal called to offer me the job! I will be a part time instructional assistant for 3rd and 4th grade. In the afternoons I will also be able to complete my practicum for grad school which will allow me to be done in December, hopefully, as planned. :)