I can speak it too!!

*This week was kind of a rollercoaster of ups and downs. One of my students is starting to become a behavior problem-while in the lunchroom, he punched another student. I had to take him to the principal after lunch and he had to miss out on our first field trip. Just really praying about how to reach him and help him succeed. It's taking its toll on me. He is a good kid and has improved SO much academically, but it's like he has no impulse control. If someone cuts him in line/helps him clean up when he doesn't want it/etc. he hits/throws a fit. All of the kids in kinder are learning how to interact with others, but he's my one who's coming along much slower than the rest. It's hard not to feel like a bad teacher when a kid is starting to lose it.

*It's hard to explain to kids why it's not ok to hit someone....when you have a strong hunch that they are being hit at home.

*On a good note-we went on our first field trip on Friday. We went to see the play based on the book: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. My kids were SO excited. As I was explaining the trip to the kids, one girl raised her hand with a worried look and asked: You're going to go too, right?! :) My kids behaved perfectly and laughed so much. It was a GREAT production. During the play, the kids kept looking back at me to make sure I thought it was funny too. They were so cute and had so much fun! I loved riding on the bus with them and leaving our area of town to experience something new!

*After centers we were lined up, getting ready to leave the classroom to use the restroom. A hilarious student that I write about a lot was still at his center picking up trash off of the floor. Me-"Thank you for picking up the floor, my friend, I really appreciate that". Student (Looking at me like I'm crazy)-"Mrs., I didn't pick up the FLOOR, that's WAY too heavy. I picked up the trash OFF of the floor. Will you please start callin me Mr. Trash man?!" **WOW!**

*A lot of times my kids are pretty sleepy acting in the morning during calendar time. They have a glazed look on their face for the first 20 minutes of school. I was up at the front acting like a clown-singing songs, smiling, trying to get my kids to wake up. Student: "Mrs., you sure do have a LOT of energy this morning. I have never seen a teacher with so much energy."

*About half of my students are Hispanic, and about 4 of them knew VERY little English at the beginning of the year. Although they are learning like crazy, sometimes I still translate some of my instructions into Spanish when they are looking at me like they have no idea what's going on. During math centers, I was explaining the instructions to a game in Spanish to one of my students. One of my black students looked at me and said: "Mrs....ahahskdjlskjfdlkan. See! I can speak it too!" Another said: "Mrs. I don't speak that language, so I have no IDEA what you're sayin". I had to turn away to laugh!

*In my last post I wrote about a student who, when given her Book-It for a free pizza at Pizza Hut, was very worried about how she was going to get there. My husband and I were planning on taking their family to a pizza buffet the day before Thanksgiving, but we decided to go this weekend instead. I went to pick up the family and we went to Pizza Hut to feast. It was so fun! We went all out with breadsticks, pops, salads, and pizza. I was so glad to see them interacting with my sweet, kind husband-I know too much about their father who is not so sweet and has hurt them in more ways that I want to know. They were very shy around him at first, but as lunch went on, it was so fun to see them open up and laugh with him. Probably the highlight of my week.

*I am excited for the holiday season-it is our first Christmas married-so excited to buy our first real tree, make some ornaments, share holidays between our 2 wonderful families, go to new church services, go to parties with friends, etc. I went Christmas shopping for my husband after lunch today. It was so fun because for the first time I have a full time job and can buy my cheap husband some things that he has needed for a long time...but it's also hard to find the balance between buying things that we want and looking around our house and seeing HOW MUCH WE HAVE in comparison to these kids that I work with. As excited as I am to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family (my FAVORITE holiday)...I think about what my students are going to be eating that day and it breaks my heart. We are adopting several families for Christmas-I know some of our wonderful friends/family are going to donate to help make these sweet families' Christmas a great one...I am just struggling with the inbalance...I know material things do not give us joy-but having food to eat & clean clothes to wear seem pretty important.

*My favorite idea I've had all year was my class "Thankful turkey". The feathers I got back touched me so much-"We are thankful for Jesus and His love." "I am thankful for my teacher: Mrs. and for my  family" "We are thankful for a job and a place to live" And my favorite one from a sweet GIRL student ;): "We are thankful for a job, a house, our family, and how much "Susie" has learned all thanks to his teacher." A pronoun there lost in translation....but I got the point. So sweet.

*My dad came to visit my classroom this week. He was shocked at how much I have to be "On my toes"....he was tired and had to leave after a few hours. :) ha. He also suggested that I be a little more "endearing" with my kids-after one of my students threw a fit and pushed a chair across the floor, I had to get in his face and send him to time-out. My dad patted his back. I never yell at my kids, but sometimes it's necessary to be a little harsh to get through to them. My dad is a sweet, awesome man...but he hasn't spent much time in the hood. My class is very well behaved and follows instructions really well-they get compliments from other teachers all the time. I know they know I love them-I hug them all the time and joke with them a lot, but if I let my guard down for a second--they would be OUT OF CONTROL! :) I wished he understood a little more-every girl wants her dad's approval. It was still fun to have him there--"Mrs. tell your dad to come over here so I can show him how I know my ABC's...I bet he likes the ABC's!!" Another student: "Are you her GRANDPA?!" haha

*My husband saw a mouse in our house the other night. My response was: "Let's move!!" I can handle spiders, bugs, etc. I am terrified of mice!!! My husband set up traps all over the house and I went through closets, and deep-cleaned the whole house. We've only caught one mouse-so I guess that says our house wasn't over-run. Still..GROSS!!

*Can I just say how thankful I am for the family I married into and for my family too?! Can I just say how thankful I am for the principal that I work for?! (Seriously...she is the NICEST, most dedicated boss I have EVER had!!) I am so thankful for my students, for my house, for my husband, food to eat, the BEAUTIFUL fall weather, candy, my treadmill to help me wake up in the morning, Diet Coke, that I live 3 minutes from work, our new friends/Bible Study in KC, our life-long friends in Wichita, weekends to catch up around the house & to spend some time on my couch resting.

*Most people like to take days off from work.  Not when you're a teacher. It means so.much.more.work! My husband is in a wedding next weekend so I have to take a half-day off on Friday. I am excited to go spend some time with my family, but am so scared to leave my kids with a sub. They are good kids-I know they will be ok-but it is HARD to trust them with someone else for a few hours. Does that mean I'm gonna be one of those crazy moms!? ;)

*I am now a HUGE fan of the crockpot. I made chili last Sunday and it was SO easy. We ate it for leftovers several times this week. This week I am going to make something else. The cold weather makes me want to cook...well...sort of. :)

The Lord is good-I am learning. Thank GOD for His grace and patience.

:)