I’m exhausted.  Week 6 is here.. doesn’t that mean that this is over?  Oh wait — thats right, institute was only for the summer!

It is week 6 and dare I say, my students are getting it.  When we walk in the hallway, they walk in the second block from the wall, when we go to the carpet they sit with their hands folded, when we go to lunch they are actually eating, when we are in centers they are actually working. WEIRD.

My students have already grown so much so quickly that it is crazy to think where we will be in another 6 weeks and especially where we will be in 6 months.  We are learning math completely in Spanish and are able to count to 60 in Spanish (with some help!)

We are over half way through the alphabet with learning to write our letters and be able to say the sounds that the letters make!  We have taken our first unit test, and all but 3 of my students got 80%.  I know that I am doing my best, but I also know that it just feels like it is enough sometimes.  I have only taught science once (today) and I have yet to teach social studies.  I have my TFA long term plans that say that I need to be doing these things and I have planned to do them, but the problem is that they are not able to fit into my schedule.  I haven’t yet started to teach Spanish language arts, and that is one thing that I am absolutely suppose to be doing.

One step at a time.

I don’t want to come off as everything is fine and amazing and wonderful though.  This is hard, so hard.  Teaching is nothing compared to when I was student teaching.  There are so many things that go into the day to day of teaching that I can’t even think of until someone else mentions them.. half the time my principal comes around to find things that we are suppose to have in our classes and well.. I don’t have them.  Part of that is because I was never told I need them, and the other part is that I knew that I needed them but just hadn’t had the time to do them.

But there are definitely positives!  My students are starting to share more of their personal lives, and a few even cried when I told them I was going to have to leave them for a few days to make a last minute trip back to Iowa.  I have an amazing aid who is all about learning how to speak Spanish right along with my kids, and is all about getting all of our kids right into 1st grade so prepared.  My kids are learning, which I’m reminded of each day in different ways.

Also, I would like to put in a shameless plug for my Donors Choose project my students really need a listening center so that they can hear stories read to them in both English and Spanish.. you can follow this link to find out more information.  Every single dollar helps

http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/1015809.-609679978

This weeks goal:

Use more positive reinforcement — it REALLY REALLY REALLY does work.. at least in elementary school.

Funny kid quotes:

“Ms. Ballin’ it be so cold out here I’m going to freeze like an ice box!”  – in reference to recess on a day that was about 75.

Me:  Good morning!

Kinder: ..dirty look..

Me: Good morning!

Kinder:  Buenos días Ms. Ballin’ don’t you know we be speaking Spanish up in here!

“I just love to preach, I be preachin’ all the time.. like ya know, “for God so loved the world!”