What I need right now is:

Sleep, energy, a break, the gumption to write sub plans, and Time. . . Okay so today I slept in, I have been doing that a lot lately. I didn't sleep well last night and I am paying for it right now. I am supposed to be planning for the week, math is done, reading is done, Social studies is finished.
I still need science we are starting Moon phases, seasons, objects in the solar system I am excited it is one of my favorite science topics. I only have two months to teach 3/4 of the core and to get a review in there too. I think my class is going to have dismal showings on end-of-level testing. I'm a little concerned with it all. We just took the state Direct Writing Assessment yesterday and so now for language I have no idea what to do. I have a little more than 12 hours to decide. That is the fun of being where I am, I never really know what to do.

My Crazy Life

So a couple of funny things happened this week. First one of the spelling words is restaurant the sentence I gave them said something about me going to a good restaurant this weekend. One of my students said, "The Olive Garden?" I said, "Not that one. I did go to Olive Garden though." "Yeah, in Logan." I must have looked absolutely amazed because he said he was there. It made me laugh so hard. Then I saw another student at a restaurant in town yesterday. Then there were a few little laugh out loud moments today. It made me happy.
Okay so now to the last funny thing that happened. So at lunch my principal looked at me and said, "I should warn you, you might be getting a phone call from a young man." I just looked at him. Yes, my principal is playing match maker for me. I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. But at least I know my principal really does like me and thinks very highly of me. I feel really happy about that. I know I haven't gone into too much detail about the team I work with, because I really don't want to speak badly about anyone on here. I'll just say things aren't the easiest for me around the sixth grade hall sometimes. However, my principal told one of the other teachers in the school that she should move up to sixth grade in the next few years. He told me that and I am way excited about it, because I think very highly of her. I would love to have her as my partner on the team. I just have to get her convinced of it too. She did tell the principal that she would like to work with me. So, we will see what is going to happen.
I just have to constantly remind myself that everything will be easier next year, and I will have my grove and I will be able to teach how I want from day one. It is going to be wonderful.

I should do this more often. . .

I had a four day weekend this week. It was and is fabulous. I can not say how nice it was at 9 o'clock on Friday morning to finally get up and get ready. Not worring about what my kids are doing or where they need to be, if they are following directions and if they are actually getting their work finished. I played all weekend. I haven't done that in a long time. I need to find more things to do on other weekends, just to get rid of the normal things I do for school.
The best part of my weekend was my birthday and the best part of that was the fact my brand new niece was born that morning. I get to share my birthday with her, it is going to be so much fun.
The worst part of the weekend is I have to go back to school in the morning. I am not prepared for anything I want to teach and that is what the worst thing is going to be. I might have to fly by the seat of my pants tomorrow. Hurray!

Something got into to me. . .

So, some organizing bug apparently bit me today and my room looks different than it did two hours ago. It is clean and I feel so much more oganized at least out in the classroom area. You don't want to see my desk area. But it makes me happier. To see things the way I wish they would have been months ago. I still have this ugly corner by my desk that is useless space. There is also this poster that I haven't utilized in my class like I should have, I am almost ready to give up and just use the wall space I want for something else. But, I don't think I can.
Update on the class, I don't know what has gotten into them, but I feel like I am in a different room about half of the time. They are getting to work and working quietly. The main problem I have is those quick finishers needing something to do. I finally broke down and bought books with worksheets that will get them thinking. As well as I will start reading centers soon, and that will give them something to do on a regualar basis. Anyway, I think that is all that is going on. I will keep updating. I can't believe it is already February. This year is going so fast. Soon it will be May. I am almost done with my first year.

Pictures

I finally got the pictures I've been taking this winter on my computer. Some of them are from the Environmental Center on January 3-4 and 7-8. the others are to show the ridiculous amounts of snow we have gotten over the last month. It has been an interesting winter here. I have learned how to really drive in the snow. Also, by suggestion of my mentor I am going to take my birthday off. It will give me a four day weekend. I wasn't sure about doing it, but I am getting more and more excited as I think about it. I will just have to celebrate my birthday with my class before or after. Okay, so here are the pictures.

ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER


One of my students snowshoeing.




Snow Cave that my kids went and explored.

These pictures are the trail and the students cross country skiing.






The snow on Wednesday Jan. 9, 2008 They were expecting the snow to stop around 10 o'clock, it kept going until 5 p.m. They didn't cancel school and my car had to be pushed out of the parking lot.




The snow that has accumulated since January 9. These were taken today Feb. 3, 2008. It was snowing so bad this morning that my ward was canceled. And it has stopped for only about a half an hour all day.

Snow Days and stuff

It started snowing this morning around 9a.m. and as far as I know it is still going. My windowless room doesn't allow me the chance to just sit and stare at what is going on out there. However, my biggest complaint about the snow is the fact that it didn't snow last night so we could have a snow day. I really didn't want to be here today, and I could feel it and I am sure my class could feel it a bit. But, oh well what can I do. Just get ready for tomorrow and wait to see what happens next. I'm starting to get apathetic again. I don't seem to care what is going on in my school life, or even my personal life. Hmmmm, interesting for me.

Now a non-school item. I have been told I need to get out there and play the dating game. HA! I find that incredibly funny. I agree to an extent, but at the same time I don't have the guts to do it. Dating takes a lot of guts, which I feel that I will never have. The other thing, the boys I would like to date are not into dating right now, or they have a billion girls around them at all times. I just don't see the purpose. Oh, well I can sit and blame it all on my career, but I don't think that is fair to the profession. Someday it will work out. I just need to be patient for all of it. I also need to find some guts inside of me to start playing the game.

I have learned the art of flying by the seat of my pants.

So, today I just did what I felt like doing, not caring what I needed to be doing. Kind of nice kind of bad. Language, we did an assignment together which was fun and the kids didn't mind it at all. In reading they read, which is a good thing. Science and social studies is where it gets interesting. Making our own countries, to tie into the different types of governments formed in Greece. And putting bread in plastic bags, hiding them around my room and the school so we can make mold. Then we watched a movie with the grade. It has been a fun day. I got these things almost finished that I have wanted to do for months. So, that is positive. I'm going to finish them and then I am going to go home, clean my room, and do laundry and then I can play all day tomorrow. It is the weekend, and I am so glad. I will post the pictures of the mold growth for everyone to see, it is going to be interesting.
I love my job. I don't know how many times I can say that. I am so grateful for the school I am at and the class I have. I've been getting harder on my students, I am sure they feel it a little bit. But, I still love them and think that they are the greatest in the grade. I really couldn't have asked for a better situation.