Smart Cookies

Mrs. Bainbridge's Class is hosting her first linky part on the unique sayings we use in the classroom, so I thought I'd join in!

1. Smart Cookie
I call my students smart cookies when they get an answer right, and I usually get a startled look or a "I'm not a cookie!" Then I eventually get smiles after I say it a few times. :)

2. Put it in your binder, take it home and.... "Show your parents how smart you are!"
After reviewing our morning work, I would have my 2nd grade kiddos put there morning work in their TEAM binders and would say this phrase- apparently repeatedly enough that they would start saying it for me or say it if I forgot, or to remind a neighbor! :)

3. How old are you? or What grade are you in?
Typically used when in line with my class, or when I've been subbing and a class is a bit unruly- most of the the time it works to get the line in better order.

4. Who's going to win... the boys... or the girls?
Straightens a line right up, especially as a sub!

5. You are so beating my 2nd grade class from last year (or the reverse, Hmm... I think my 2nd grade class did a much better job than you)

6. Hold your horses!

7. I'm going to change my name and not tell you what it is!

8. I am not Mrs. Smiling, that is my mom! And I am not my mom!

9. Unless you are bleeding, dying, puking, have a broken bone, or about to puke, you're fine!

10. A student comes up in tears or fake-tears, and I can tell they just need attention, they say, I hurt my *arm* holding it limply up to me. I have them shake it, and more or less do the chicken dance, saying, Oh no, we better call the hospital! And when they are giggling, I say guess no hospital!

There are so many more, but I've been out of my own classroom for so long that I've started to forget them! Since subbing, I've also used different ones than I did with my own kiddos. You know you use some of these a lot when kiddos start to repeat them or use them on each other!!

Smiling Teacher

***UPDATE: Just thought of #11:
We all know how little ones like to sit on their knees in the chairs, and a phrase I often use:

"Butt in the chair, not in the air!" :)

Another one!
#12: I have a rule about me "comfy" teacher chair in the group area (formerly a rocking chair). Students are not allowed to sit in it unless they have gone to college. :) They try to sneak in the chair and I often ask them, Have you gone to college yet? :)

Followers, Library, Book, & Tutoring

Wow! Three followers! I've very happy to have 3 followers and have so many ideas and things I would like to share with everyone out there in the blogosphere!

However, I just finished a four class tonight on Emotional and Behavior Disorders, so my brain is a bit loopy at the moment. :) So, I'm planning on posting pics of my classroom library to go with the linky party at one of the blogs I follow- can't think of which one right off hand, but I will definitely link up when I can.

I also have a whole bunch of ideas to share from both my grad classes and what I'm using with the two students I am tutoring this summer. By the way, I am having a BLAST working with these two. One is an identified special education student who was in my 2nd grade class 2 years ago. She is spunky, and sassy, and a whole lot of fun, but definitely full of personality and keeps me thinking of ways to motivate her. The other kiddo is a general education student who I had just for math class 2 years ago, but had his twin sister in my homeroom. I just started working with him this week- he loves math, but struggles with reading and being motivated by it. So we are working to improve both areas, but especially reading.

Which brings me to... The Book Whisperer. I keep seeing all the TBA [Teaching Blog Addict] peeps post about this, so naturally I was curious and just picked it up from the library today. I am excited about it and can't wait to start it next week after my last summer class is kaput for the summer! [Only 1 group paper, a few discussion board posts, a self-eval, 1 class, and 1 final and I am done for the summer!] Then I get 4 weeks of no grad school classes! Excited! Also looking forward to hearing about my practicum placement.

So there is hopefully enough to keep my lovely readers captivated!! :) Hope you are having a wonderful, sunny summer so far!

Smiling Teacher

Calendar Planner

Is it possible to be in love with your calendar planner?? Ok, maybe not "in" love, but.... :) I just got a new calendar planner for my classes and appointments and such, and it's just so cute!! :) It probably wouldn't work especially well for classroom planning and such, but I do believe there was a larger version at WalMart. Bonus: it was only about $4!!

I love that it has a larger calendar and then week-by-week! I LOVE the tabs- makes it so much easier to find the months.

How do you keep track of everything you have to get done?

Comments

Can someone PLEASE tell me how to comment on another person's blog? I've tried openid and google account and NEITHER works and I've tried like 15 million times and am getting really frustrated!


THANK YOU!

Update, Grad School, Tutoring

I'm back! I've stumbled onto a few (ok, a lot!) of awesome new-to-me blogs and have decided to start posting again, and more.

I've just started my third summer class and will have a four week break at the end of the summer. Then I will be completing my praciticum and an autism class this fall. Graduating in December!

This summer I am also tutoring two students and am really enjoying it!

Ok, that's all for now since I have to get back to my book, Coercion by Murray Sidman for a class. About 60 pages to read today. Wish me luck!

Subbing

I finally was able to start subbing last week. It's a strange balance to work and work on classes. Very strange, but I'll get the hang of it.

Last week I was able to sub in a Kindergarten class in a district I subbed in 4 years ago. AMAZING. I wasn't even nervous!! When I arrived in that classroom, I realized I had subbed for that teacher before. She has a very structured day, but it works.

There are only 20 kids in that K class. 20!! More boys than girls. These kids were QUIET in the hall. I mean they were SILENT. And we passed other classes and those classes were silent too. It was so WEIRD. At my prior school it was NEVER quiet in the halls. Noise ALL the time. This was a wonderfully new experience.

These kids listened, they, for the most part, were well behaved. The biggest "problem" was one of the boys called another boy "stupid". At my prior school, we have kids who throw desks and chairs and hit teachers.

During lunch- yes, a LUNCH BREAK! 50 minutes! Shock! Awe! I was able to eat, not inhale, my food AND read a little bit for one of my classes!! Anyway, during lunch, one of the 1st grade teachers was talking about how one of her students was down in the P's office because she was "playing". I wanted to be all, PLAYING? PLAYING?!? I can't even form words that was so... I don't know what the word is other than out of the ordinary for me.

SO this week, I am back at my last school subbing for them. What they are having me do is sub in a 4th grade pull out room. They are pulling out 11 of the lowest 4th graders and having them work on math, reading, and writing. And this is the best part: I GET TO DECIDE HOW TO DO EVERYTHING!!!!!! I totally can't believe it! Granted, I have the math curriculum textbook to guide me on what to teach, but it is NOT scripted. Seriously wonderful. AND for reading I don't have to teach DI. Wahoo!!!! I'm planning a Literacy block (sort-of) where I'm going to have the kids work in small groups and have one group work on writing while I work with the other group on reading and have a spelling practice station. And when they come in, I'm going to have a review math problem on the board or a review sheet on their desk to get their brains started and if they need to go to the bathroom this is when they go. And then we start the lesson. They get the modified math homework, but that's ok. I think I will probably let them start the packet of homework, but they will still have some problems to do. And after both math and lit block, I want do board races/games to keep them excited and make it FUN. Because this should be fun for them, not a punishment or anything like that.

Woo. That was a long thought process. I'm only doing this sub job Mon-Thurs 12:30-3. Friday I sub in 2nd grade, and I totally know that curriculum, so no worries. And I hear this is a good 2nd grade group, so yay!

Next week is mid-terms. Ick. Not sure what to think, but excited that I can review everything I've learned and don't have to read anything new for a bit. AND I can work on my projects. YAY.

Ok I think that is all for now. Wish me luck tomorrow. I fear I am starting to get sick (sore throat, really tired, achy-ish body) so I'm doing my best to get better. FAST.

Grad School

I've been a long time in writing, but a lot has happened.

At the end of the school year, I resigned from my position at that school. I was so stressed out and just couldn't imagine going back and dealing with all that drama anymore.

I spent a summer running around and just enjoying being free.

I signed up for graduate school in July. I'm working on my Masters in Special Education with add-on licensure in Mild and Intense Interventions. After having worked the past few weeks on 2 classes for Intense Interventions and 1 class for Mild Interventions, I have discovered that I far more enjoy and like the Mild Interventions class. I think the Intense Interventions is for a different type of personality than me and with my back problems I've had recently (and for a while), I don't think I am the best fit for that teaching area. I have definitely learned alot though and will finish the 2 classes I am currently taking.

I've applied for a few different jobs, but haven't heard anything back. I recently applied for a long-term sub position in a 2nd grade classroom. I've excited about that, just hope I hear something. In the mean time, I have training coming up for substitute teaching in the district I went to school in. It was a long time coming- 5 weeks! and I even had to get fingerprinted!- but I'm excited.

I was able to talk with a teacher/friend I worked with at my old school the last few days. She learned in July that she is pregnant with her 2nd child. She has asked the assistant principal if I would be able to be added to the sub list for that school and the a.p. said I would, and they even want to talk to me about an aide position. This friend very, VERY much wants me to do her maternity leave. I wish I could just say yes. There are a few things that are holding me back. 1) I'm out of that school, and I don't want to go back to all the drama that lives there! 2) She plans week to week, sometimes day to day, and while I am not the world's most forward thinker, I can't live like that! She would have to plan more in advance for me, especially since it is Kindergarten!! I did say I would think about it, I just don't want her to keep pushing it at me.

I've continued to read a few other people's blog posts, who are teachers, and I even went back and read what I wrote. I do miss the planning instruction and being creative with the kids. I don't miss the drama. Does a school exist that doesn't have drama??

I have a few projects for my classes I need to work on. Hopefully I won't be so long in writing again!