Busy

I forgot how busy my life gets when I start school. It has been a hectic three days. Tomorrow is our first long day of the year. I am actually looking forward to it there will be some real teaching during the day. The other thing I get a new kid tomorrow, another boy. My girls were kind of sad. I don't know how I feel. We'll see how the next couple of days go with my 16 boys and 11 girls. It is time for bed, I will write more later.

Tomorrow. . .

School starts. I feel a little more ready than last year. I just hope this works the way I want it to. It is going to be an interesting ride. I'll let you know tomorrow how the first day went.

Back-to-School Night and PICTURES

Tonight was back-to-school night. I put so much work into it and getting my class ready, I am so happy it is finally here. I seem to have a really great group of parents as well as kids. It is one of my favorite things about my school, the parents. I cannot stress enough the important role parents play in the classroom. The more a parent is involved in their student's class the more the parent knows about what is going on in that student's life. Also, it is nice to know I can have things that I need done, accomplished while I still do my major job of teaching. So, for all my friends out there who read this, that have kids. Make sure you find away to volunteer in your kids' class. The teacher will appreciate it. Also, I think the kids like it when their parents are there to.
I gained a kid around 6:30 tonight. He just moved to the area and he wasn't on a list, so he got on to mine. That gives me 16 boys and 11 girls. Sometimes I dread all those boys, but sometimes I am excited. Sometimes girls are too catty at this age, but boys are too little kid. But, I know I am excited for my class and the upcoming year.
And now the moment you all have been waiting for. . . PICTURES! I am really proud about a few things in my classroom. I took a before picture, but I didn't take an after picture. I will take one tomorrow and post it so everyone can see. Now for the pictures:
BEFORE

Cute Job Board

My Favorite Spot I know you really can't see it. But the posters talk about the different Literary Genres, and it give the sub categories and tells about them. It is positioned right above my classroom library. I had the teachers on my team even complimenting it. It is perfect.
Compliment Board This is where I will put one of my quotes, right above it.
Those are all the pictures for now. I will have more tomorrow. Three days and I am teaching. It is exciting and scary at the same time. But at least my classroom is ready.

I Feel Like I am Reinventing The Wheel. . . .

But, this might be a wheel that needs reinventing. I am trying to get on paper the differences between me and my team. It is almost impossible, because honestly they are very small. But, they are big enough that I need to let my parents know. So, here I am reinventing the wheel. It is going to be a long night.

Things to Be Grateful For

In Alma 26:2 Ammon says, "And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?" I was just thinking about this in my life right now. I want to have a better attitude about school and the upcoming year. So, I decided I need to let the world know the great blessings he has bestowed upon me. Even though there are issues with my team I am very blessed. So, here you go the things I am grateful for at school:
1. My Principal. I have the best principal in the world. I am so grateful to him and his support this past year. Through everything he has stood beside me and has stood up for me. I feel so fortunate to be hired by him and on his team. This principal opened a new school for the district five years ago, because they knew he would hire only the best. I realized a few months ago, that means that I might be pretty good if he would hire me. And I am grateful he saw something in this first year teacher who was begging to teach 6th grade. He is the best.
2. My Mentor. I had the best mentor last year, and happily I get her again this year. I think I would have cried if I didn't. She supported me through some of the hardest things during last year, and I am so grateful that she has been there for me and she will be there for me.
3. My Friends. There are a few teachers in the school that I have made friends with. I am so grateful that they are there and they are such a great support. Sometimes when I should be in my classroom working I am off in another room talking to my friends. Actually, it has gotten to the point if I am not in my room a lot of the other teachers look for me in Kindergarten. And yes I end up there a lot. I have a great staff I work for.
4. The Parents. Our school is known as the spoiled school. And we are. It is because of parents that we have everything we have. Without them I wouldn't have a projector, or SmartBoard. What a great oppertunity I have. What a great community I get to work with.
5. The Students. The reason why I have a job. The reason why I need to be here everyday. I am so grateful for my past students and my future students. They make all the bad things worth it. I am so glad I get to do this everyday of my life.
I have been truly blessed by the Lord in all aspects of my life. I am so grateful he has bestowed such amazing blessings for me.

I Think I May Have Found It

My quote to start out the year. First let me explain somethings, in my new class I am going to have 15 boys and 12 girls. A LOT of the boys in this grade love sports. Another thing, last years group was known as the worst group my school had ever seen. However, their badness was just they were bored or they were kind of cocky about what they did. This years group I think is a close second if not actually the worst, and their bad is the not getting along with each other, and the picking on one another. So, I want to establish a sense of community in my class. So, here we go:
"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." ~Babe Ruth
And:
"A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of the others." ~Norman Shidle
Yes, I came up with two. The Babe Ruth quote is going to be my starter "We are a community" activity in my class. The Norman Shidle quote is going to hang over my compliments bulletin board. Which when I finally get everything finished I will add pictures so you can see it all. It makes me feel good to finally find something I think will help build a community.

I need some inspiration

I'm in the process of setting up my classroom, and I need some help. Last year I made this cute poster that said, "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." -- Helen Keller. I cut it into pieces and we put it together. I had the students all sign it then I laminated it. It hung in my classroom the whole rest of the year. When I took it down I was sad, and I knew I had to do it again. So, I am looking for a new quote for this year. Either about teamwork, knowledge, or anything else inspirational. I don't have a strong theme in my classroom, so anything will work. If you have any ideas post a comment and let me know. I would love to have something great to start the year off with.

Bear Lake

Okay, I finished Twilight last night in no time at all. I am holding off on New Moon until my room gets clean, then I can start and I can enjoy it without feeling the guilt of not getting anything done. Which right now is how I feel.
About my trip. I had so much fun. It is great just to be around friends and people who are now friends and just enjoying their company. Wednesday morning we left and we stopped in Logan to go to the temple. I love the temple. It is such an amazing place. Four of us went to through a session, most of them did baptisms, and the rest learned about family history work. We ate in Logan and then headed up to Bear Lake. I drove the whole way, I love canyon driving. Just following the winding road through the forest and knowing the whole time you will see some very beautiful things. It is a passion. We got to the cabin we were staying in and there was a great view there. We just kind of hung out at the cabin for the rest of the day. The next day we spent all day at the beach. I went tubing twice. I didn't try water skiing but I still had fun on those tubes. This is about the time I started reading Twilight, and I was sharing a book so I was reading on and off for a while. I got sunburned and sore from the whole day. We buried one of the boys in the sand and made him a mermaid. Overall it was just fun. That night we did some crazy skits. Then we were watching a movie, and I didn't watch, I read the whole night until around 2 a.m. We woke up and a group of us went to Minatonka Cave and everyone else went boating. We came back and got ready to leave, we had a devotional and then testimony meeting. We headed home. My roommate and I stopped to get Ice Cream from Aggie Ice Cream, and then came home. That was my three days in a few minutes. I better get on the room so I can read New Moon.

I'm Home!

I'm back from my trip to Bear Lake. It was a lot of fun and now I am bright red. But, while I was up there I started Twilight. Yes, everyone I am in love with the story. I started yesterday while I was on the beach and read on and off all day, I have about 100 pages left. I am going to finish them and go to bed. I will post more about the trip and the fun things I did. But right now I need to read about vampires, and the mortal girl who falls in love with one.

Now What Am I Supposed To Be Doing?

Today I went to school. My friend was there working in her own room. Well, actually working is what we were supposed to do, but I feel that I got nothing accomplished. I was hoping to get another SmartBoard lesson or two ready, but no. I really can't tell you what I did, or if I got anything accomplished. All I know is I really want to go back before next week and try again. But, this is where the other not getting anything done comes in, I am leaving for Bear Lake at 7:30 tomorrow morning. I guess I could choose to go up tomorrow night, but I am really looking forward to this little getaway. I am supposed to be doing laundry, and just general getting ready for the trip things, but I don't want to. I guess that has been the general theme for the day. I really don't want to. Oh, well. I have to so I will.
I'll write about my trip when I get back, and I will be sure to add some pictures.

Faith, Hope and Patience

Today has been a rough day. I usually love Sundays, but every so often Heavenly Father feels that it is the day I need to grow, stretch and learn. And today just happened to be one of those days. I don't really want to get into details, because when I talk about it I feel that it is just stupid and I shouldn't care. As my bishop told me today, "I think you are frustrated with the fact that you are frustrated." Which is absolutely true. There is something in my life that I want, and I can't have it. I have no control over ever getting it and it is frustrating me. However, I know I shouldn't be frustrated about it, because if I am it doesn't do me any good. So, here I am. It is a vicious circle.
While I was talking to a friend about what is going on, she just told me I can't lose hope. I think she hit it right on. I am losing hope. If I lose hope I lose faith. And then I am not patient in the things that I am waiting for. So, the question is what do you do while you are waiting? I have a few ambitions I think I am going to dust off. I'm going to write a book, get a better camera and learn to take amazing pictures, endure well, find my hope and faith. Be happy in the situation I am in. Trust in the Lord, "For he will fulfill all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers." (Alma 37:17) I will be the best teacher I can be. I will fulfill my calling to the best of my abilities. I will be upbeat and positive. I will take this situation in my life and learn from it and move forward.
I think that is all I can do. I know that everything will work out for my good.