I'm Now an Official Football Mom

                                 

Oh yeah.  That's one very proud Momma, right there.  Even though it looks more like I'm photo bombing rather than taking a proud picture with my son.  He was hot and sweaty and stinky, so I was trying to get a good picture of the both of us, without me having to rub up too much to the football uniform.

Oh, and please excuse my terrible hair in the picture.  It had rained at the beginning of the game, and my hair was flat and gross looking from it.

But, enough about me....let's talk some FOOTBALL!

Not really.  We're still totally going to talk about me, and the fact that I am one super proud Football Momma.

It's been something I've waited for since I first gave birth to my son twelve years ago.  While most dads look in to the eyes of their newborn sons and envision football jerseys, baseball bats, and basketballs... I was the Momma that did those things.

It's been a long time coming.

To be honest, I always had this inkling that Peanut was going to be sporty her whole life.  The way she is, her personality... I just kinda knew that she'd be the kid that enjoyed pretty much all extra-curricular activities, but would eventually hone in on sports.

Butter on the other hand?  I wasn't so sure.  Not at all because I doubted his sporting ability, but I just thought he'd never really find a desire to play competitive sports...it wasn't really his nature, regardless of how much I was told by people that he'd be great at it.

And finally, he's realized that he's great at it...and has taken to football with everything he's got.

My little Butter is the center for the B team.  His grade has two football teams, just like Peanut.  Because the teams are made up with kids from the entire district, and it gives many more boys the opportunity to play.  Being that it's his first year playing, he was placed on the B team...and was totally fine with that.

I sat through the first game.  The opposing team were strong and came out victorious with a 36-0 score against us.

Then it was my Butter's team up.  And within a first few minutes?  Their first touchdown.  I haven't yelled that much in a long time.  It was such a great feeling to know that it meant so much for him to have his team score...and regardless of the outcome, they could all rest easy knowing they had some numbers up on the score board.

The entire game was awesome.  Butter was the only center through the entire game, and after he hiked the ball, he stayed on a GIANT opposing player.  I was amazed at how well Butter held back a player that towered over him.  

The opposing team scored, and then we scored, and then the opposing team scored again...and made their two point conversion.  Giving them a two point lead, which ended up giving them the win at the end of the game.  Butter's team may have lost, but they did us mighty proud on that field.

Here's a few pics from the night...

Butter the first time he takes the field...

Butter immediately after the game...

                              

Butter and Momma...

                              

I tell ya what, this school year has been totally different thanks to football.  

It started out kinda rough.  He got in to some trouble in a couple of his classes.  He received his first report card, and it had an F on it hidden among the rest being C's..  And I did what any concerned Football Momma would do...went straight to his coach.

I'm lucky enough to work with Butter's head football coach.  The coaches for the various sports are selected from the coaches from the district, and I'm lucky enough that the football coach for the Junior High is from my school.

He's a great guy...a guy that Butter both respects and likes.  Two qualities that are rarely heard from Butter about a teacher.  

Due to Butter's...urm... "struggles" that he's had in school, he's a little skeptical when it comes to building relationships with teachers.  He likes the teachers at our school, but he still holds a lot of doubt that they like him back.

The same can not be said about his coach.  That's one guy Brayden REALLY likes, and will basically do whatever he asks Butter to do.

A lot of that has to do with the way his coach treats him.  His coach gives him motivation, a focus, and doesn't ever show any doubt in Butter's abilities.  And the proof is definitely in the pudding on how much his coach impacts him.

I went and saw his coach when the "issues" were taking place with Butter in some of his classes and with his F... which is a quick death sentence in the ability to play in football games.

Within one week, I kid you not, Butter had fixed the issues with the classes and brought home a new report card... this time with all A's and one B.  The B came from the class that one week before had been an F.

Yesterday, I find out that Butter has also been selected to be a member of a committee being put together by the school counselor that's focused on anti-bullying strategies.  The letter I received told me that Butter had been selected due to his "leadership qualities".  Two words I never expected any school faculty to use when describing Butter.  

Butter has always been a follower.  He likes to please others, usually at the cost of getting himself in to trouble.  But, since playing football, he's turned that all around.  He is starting to step up more as being a leader and taking initiative to avoid situations that could get him in to trouble.

Last week, he actually stood up to a boy that was picking on another boy.  Butter thought it might get him in to trouble, but when he's coach reassured him that he'd done the right thing... it filled Butter with pride, and again, reinforced the changes that Butter's making within himself.

Football season may be over in October, but with his football coach being right there in the school with us - I'm filled with hope that Butter is reinventing himself this year.  He's going to leave all of his troubles in his past, and live up to the potential that he has.

And that makes for one SUPER proud Momma.

It goes to show that school sports really can have a much great affect on a student than just exercise.  It can shape them both physically AND mentally.  And it's just what my Butter needed.  

I couldn't be any more grateful of the coach.  He has really had an amazing affect on my boy...and I owe him a lot for it.

I wish I could keep going with my pride and support, but it's time for me to get ready for work.  

Have an Awesome Wednesday!

Till next time...

Pet Peeves... We've All Got Them

Pet Peeve:

A minor annoyance, that a person finds to be particularly annoying to a higher degree than others.

I have several.  

Hearing someone eat.  Hearing someone slurp when they drink.  Hearing someone smack gum.  Seeing cabinet doors left open.  Leaving wet towels on the floor.  Waking me up for any other reason than the house is on fire or someone is seriously ill.

And I could go on.

I guess you can consider all of those things "minor annoyances", but they drive me nutso.

I've realized that there should also be a new set of pet peeves...class peeves.

I've discovered in the past week or so that one of my biggest class peeves is time wasting.  Waiting forever for instructions to be followed, and being able to move on with all the stuff I have to do but not having near enough time to do it all.

And it's been the cause of my temper to go blazing through the roof in 3.2 seconds flat.

I have an amazing class.  Really, I do.  They are hard working, pretty quiet when they need to be, and they all get along.  

But for some reason, some of the students in my class have the worst habit of such disorganization that it takes them forever and a day to find something in their desk or to prepare for a lesson because they are wading through stuff trying to find the materials that they need.

So, also add a lack of disorganization to my list of class peeves.

One of my hardest challenges of being a teacher, thus far, has been trying to find a way for my students to be more organized and responsible for their belongings, their homework, and being able to transition from one subject to another without taking too much time.  

I have set up a folder system in which each subject has it's own folder to keep papers. I've set up them having a homework folder to put any homework in to that goes home every day, regardless of if there's homework or not - just so they're in the habit of taking it home on the days that they need to.  I've given them planner sheets to write down all of their assignments, and start out each lesson and end each lesson having the entire class fill out their planners so that nobody "forgets" to write something down.  

Yet, I still feel like I'm spending close to ten minutes per transition just getting the students ready for each subject...and with five core lessons and small group time each day, those ten minutes each time sure do add up.

I've looked for ideas...Google, Teacher Boards, Pinterest...and haven't found anything that is any better than what I'm currently doing.  

Each morning, before the day gets started, I let the kiddos know what assignments need to be turned in and which materials are going to be needed for the day.  Yet, it's not uncommon for some of the kiddos to ask me several times throughout the day if they were supposed to turn in a homework assignment from the night before, or tell me that they never received certain papers that I handed out that morning.  

At the end of the day, I tell all of my students to get out their planners and homework folder and go through each lesson telling the students to make sure they have what they need in their folders, the books they need to take home, and any materials they may need to take with them.  Only for the next morning to have several students tell me they didn't do their homework because it was buried in their desk and never made it home the night before.

"Minor annoyance" are not really the words I can use to explain how I feel when that happens.

And the bad thing is, I feel like a lot of my annoyance isn't all motivated by my students.

On the first day of school, I told my students how I was NOT a big fan of homework.  Never have been, probably never will be.  A lot of that comes from the fact that I feel bad for my own biological children that spend all day at school, two hours at sport practices, and then come home and spend their last little bit of time before bed doing homework.  My Peanut has been up many nights until gone 11PM trying to get all of her homework finished...or I've found her passed out on her bed with a textbook and notebook on top of her.  The next morning, she's woken up in a panic around 5AM and had to spend the morning trying to get it finished.

I'm a strong believer that once school is finished for the day, other than spending maybe 30 minutes on some practice every now and then or finishing up a few problems from an assignment, the kids should be able to relax and spend time with their families.  

Yet, because of how much that needs to be done in a day, and the lack of time to do it, and the time that has been wasted throughout the day getting organized... my kiddos have had a lot more homework than I've bargained for.

I will be the first to tell you that I truly believe I am a rockstar at classroom management.  But time management?  Yeah, not so much.  

And that's not just my students' fault.  I tend to take more time explaining stuff and showing examples than I plan on, because I refuse to just move on and let them work on an assignment if they don't get it.  That's just silly.  Why on earth would I set a certain amount of time for explanation, and then when the time is up make them start an assignment if they're still not sure how to do what I'm asking them to do?

I just know that if they were a little more organized, life would be a lot easier for both them and me - and they'd have a little more time in class to get everything finished rather than needing to take it home every night.  

One thing I do know, though, is that my temper has definitely made some changes since last year.  I told you all last week how Mrs. Krabby wasn't coming out of her shell as much this year.  And, that stands true even in the most trying of times.

Yesterday, after giving my students 20 minutes first thing in the morning to locate their homework, get the materials they need, and write down their first objective for the day...I still had some students not prepared when it was time to get started.

I was fuming.  

Rather than scream or yell or make a big scene, I simply walked out in to the hallway, took several deep breaths, and walked back in to the room and started my lesson.  The students that weren't prepared would just have to get that way while I was teaching.  And they did.  They got a little frazzled by my getting started without them ready, but I figure it was a good lesson for them getting a little taste of what I felt like when I had given them 20 minutes to prepare, and them not choosing to do so.

Class peeves or not, I know that I can't have a "perfect" class.  There are going to be some bumps in the road that will take some time to smooth out.  They'll get there.  I have a strict motto in my class...

NO EXCUSES!

My kids know what it means, and how I use it.  Homework being left at home or not taken home in the first place results into a bad grade.  Not being prepared when they've been given ample time to do so, results in them being behind and having to really hustle to catch up.  Sitting around visiting with friends instead of doing the work results in having to take the unfinished assignment home.  

Consequences are always attached to a behavior...both good and bad.  They know that about me, and hopefully it will start to sink in how much easier their lives would be if they just took a little more initiative in getting prepared and organized and following directions.

I know I can get them there.  I know it may take a little pushing and shoving.  I know that it could result in some sour feelings towards me.  But, in the end, when they start to see how much easier life can be if they just put things where they're supposed to go...then, maybe they'll realize that I wasn't such a big, bad, mean teacher and that I actually wanted them to have an easier time in class and less homework.

One can only hope.

Until that happens, I'm just going to focus on trying to get them there and looking for ways to make all of our lives less stressful.  

But right now, I have to get ready for work.

Tonight is Butter's first football game.  I'm super excited to see him play, being that I've NEVER seen him play in a competitive sport.  OK, so he played T-Ball when he was 4.  Not sure that really counts.  He's been waiting many years to have the opportunity to be on a football team, and now his wish is coming true.

I'll have all the details from the game tomorrow.

Until then...

Have a Great Tuesday!!

A Week Full of Awesome!!

Ah, Monday, here we are again.

Like two old friends.  And enemies.  

The day that kicks of the beginning of a brand new week, and reminds me that my weekend is over.

I'm making myself a promise this week.  There will NOT be a single post about being tired.  If I can't think of something better to write about, then I'm just not going to write at all.  Instead I'm going to write about the awesome that's happening in my classroom, the crazy that are my kids, and the situations and events that take up my time - rather than take away from the sleep I should be getting.

I have no idea what any of those things are, yet.  But that's the best thing about Mondays...it opens up a whole new box of goodies waiting to be discovered.

At this current moment, I'm typing while watching a cricket.  

Not because I'm curious about said cricket, or interested in what the cricket's up to... but because I have a mild phobia against them.  I have to keep one eye trained on the cricket and one on my screen.  That thing better not come anywhere near me.  I hate those things...ugh!

See...random stuff like that.  That's what's in store for this week.

And I just got dive bombed by a flying beetle of some kind.  Scared the bejeezus out of me.  Almost made me dump my iPad on to the ground.  That wouldn't have been good.  Gotta love my morning coffee time on the patio.

Oh yeah, it's going to be an interesting week...for sure.

And in case you're wondering:  No.  I'm not on any new form of prescription medication that's causing me to rant on like a crazy woman.  This is just simply what happens when I decide to be spontaneous, and steer away from talking about boring, monotonous stuff like lack of sleep...which I'm currently not suffering from.  Maybe lack of sleep is required to write a halfway decent blog post.  

OK, moving on, let's talk about my classroom.

This week, I have some cool stuff planned.  I was up until 10PM last night making stuff and discovering new ways to deliver the content that I'm teaching this week.  It was about this time last year when I realized that I can't just teach from textbooks.  While my team are absolutely fantastic at it, I suck at it.  

And if you think that teaching from a textbook is easy..it's not.  There's a lot of craft and skill involved in order to teach and deliver the information in the textbooks in a way that engages the kids and helps them remember it and use it.  Again, my team members are pros at that.  They can whip through stories and workbook pages and lessons like nobody's business.  I have a long way to go before I perfect the art.

My forte comes from other stuff...using the textbook as a guide and other resources as my sidekick.  

This year, I have a co-teacher with me for math.  It is the expectation from the district that I implement station teaching with my co-teacher.  To be honest, I'm not a big fan of stations.  Not because they're not great teaching tools, but because they are time consuming to prepare.  And with my already cram packed schedule, it's hard to fit them in without putting myself behind.  I have designated the task of preparing said stations to my co-teacher.  However, there's only a day or two at most we can actually do them during the week.  The rest of the week, I need to come up with highly engaging stuff that's educational and fun.  And that part I don't mind doing.

On top of that, I also have to prepare lessons that are differentiated.  I have several levels in my room ranging from kindergarten up to 5th grade levels.  When I teach, I have to make sure I'm reaching all of those levels...without leaving anyone behind or holding anyone back.  

I remember in college "differentiation" almost becoming a bad word.  We got so tired of hearing it, learning about it, and practicing it.  But, I guess now I get to see the fruits of my labor, and thank all things holy that my college professors drilled "differentiation" in to our heads with a jack hammer.

I've decided that I'm going to dabble around with layered curriculum.  Which is basically a menu of activities that provide practice skills and in-depth discovery. 

I attended a training at the beginning of the school year that focused on station teaching and layered curriculum.  And I'll admit, when I first saw the stuff and heard all about it - I was less than thrilled.  In my mind all I could think was "great, more work and not enough time to do it".  

But, I'm starting to take some time looking more in to the possibilities layered curriculums offer...and the more I find out, the more sense it makes.  I can't teach across 5 grade levels with each and every lesson.  It would be great to claim I could, but I can't.  I also refuse to hone in on the group in the middle, hoping that the low group with wing their way through it and the high group will appreciate the practice.  All of my kiddos deserve to be educated, but not to the point of frustration or boredom.  That's just mean.

So, I'm working on building curriculum maps/menu activities that cover the topics being covered in our units that can be adapted to all skill levels. 

On top of that, I also spent a lot of time creating groups for me to work with each day.  I have a small group time at the end of the day.  It's only 30 minutes, and during that time several of my kids are pulled out for various interventions.  

I started out using that time for Writer's Workshop...which my kids really enjoy.  Then, when pull-out interventions started, I had to figure out a way to still continue with Writer's Workshop.. but at a time my pull out kids still got a chance to do it.  And I quickly realized that there wasn't another time in the day for that to happen.  So, last night I made up Writer's Workshop groups.  

At least once a week, every kid in my class will sit down for some one-on-one time with me to conference about their writing.  During the 30 minute time, I'll have a group of kids working on the computer for Study Ladder, I'll have a group of kids working with me, and the rest of the kids will be writing on their own or reading on their own (reading time will also be thrown in a couple times a week).  

I'll deliver a mini lesson each day, like normal, but the kids that are gone for pull-outs will receive their missed mini lessons in our small group that's scheduled for the days they aren't gone from me.  We'll spend a few minutes together discussing the craft of writing, and the rest of the time reviewing, sharing, and conferencing.  And the best part about working in small groups for Writer's Workshop will be the fact that I can give additional mini lessons that are differentiated.  I have several good writers in my class, so I can work with them on more detailed writing skills like dialogue, voice, and vocabulary usage.  Those kiddos that are just starting out can receive the basic instruction that covers stuff like sentence creation, phonics, etc.  The kids that are somewhere in the middle can get mini-lessons that are focused on the particular skills they are needing to move them forward, like punctuation, grammar usage, and eliminating the overuse of pronouns.

I have absolutely no idea how it will all play out... but I'm committed to giving it a good go.  

I've finally got to that comfortable place of the school year where I'm ready to try out new things and challenge myself.  It takes a few weeks to get to know the kiddos, learn about their styles and their abilities.  And I feel like I'm just about there.  I've had a chance to see what motivates and engages them, and can use that information to guide my instruction.  

I'm a firm believer in a new year, a new set of kids, and a new set of learning situations...meaning I need a new set of content deliveries.  One size never really fits all.  And yes, it creates a lot of work.  But, that's why I became a teacher.  To stay on my toes, develop myself, recreate myself each and every year.  I knew coming in that what works one year doesn't necessarily work the next.  

And the challenge is what motivates me.  I figure that when I'm done wanting to be creative and finding new ways to motivate my students...I'll be done with teaching.  

Right now, though, I'm done with this blog post.  I need to go and get ready for my day.

Have a great Monday!!

All Work and No Play...Well, Maybe a Little Play

Remember how I said that after the exhausting week I had I'd be spending my weekend relaxing, sleeping, and recharging my batteries ready to do it all over again next week?

'Member?

That's what I said yesterday.  Despite still waking up at 7AM.  The plan was to laze around the house, maybe take a nap, do a few odd things here and there... but mostly just let the day pass by without too much going on.

That was the plan.

The plan also included doing a little lesson planning, entering in the last few grades that I didn't get to post on Friday, and looking for some fun ways to deliver the content that's on the agenda for next week.

For the most part, I spent the morning doing exactly what I'd planned.  Except instead of relaxing, I went for a long walk/jog.  Doesn't sound very relaxing...but it is.  And I explain why in my weight loss blog:  www.diaryoffatwoman.blogspot.com

Yeah, I have two blogs.  In fact, this blog was the aftermath of the original Diary of a Mad, Fat Woman.. that's why, if you look back at the last couple of years worth of posts, they are all weight loss related.  Because when this baby was first born, that's what it was...a weight loss blog.  But it's not that anymore, and now there's a new Diary of a Mad, Fat Woman.  You should check it out if you don't read it already, there's some good stuff happening in my Weight Loss World.

Anywho, walk/jog.  Did that.  Enjoyed it.  Came home, took a shower.  Next thing on the agenda was to get the work out of the way that I had to do.  Except when I sat down at my computer, I couldn't find my planner.  Nor my grade book.  Nor anything else that I had packed to bring home with me on Friday.  I looked high and low for it, and then realized... it didn't come home.  I must have set it all down between walking out of the classroom and actually getting out of the classroom, and it didn't make it home with me.

UGH!

Thankfully, I knew there were a couple of teachers that had planned on going in to work this weekend, so I messaged them and set up a time for me to go and pick up my stuff.  But, then I decided, instead of driving all the way to school and then straight home again - why not just do the work while I was there and not bring anything home with me?

So, yesterday afternoon around 3:30, I drove to school to get some work done.  

I sat down at my computer in my classroom ready to knock out what needed to be done, and wouldn't you know it - no internet.  Ugh! Again.  

So, instead of just calling it a wash and packing it all up and taking it straight home... I stayed in my room for a while going through some papers, preparing the handouts for the coming week, and organizing.  I didn't actually call it a night until after 6PM.

Still having to bring the work I went to do home with me.

I didn't get home until around 7PM, and the family had already eaten dinner.  I fixed a plate, and ate.  I then finished my evening off in front of the TV watching movies.  Hubby and I watched Now You See Me.  It was really good.  The end was kinda quirky, but the rest of the movie was definitely attention grabbing.

I called it a night pretty early, because getting up at 7AM and then doing what I did yesterday had taken a toll on me.  It wasn't just what I had been doing, but my allergies had been in overdrive...and my head was feeling pretty stuffy and swollen.  

This morning, I didn't wake up until after 10AM.  Now, that's what I'm talking about.  That should have been how late I slept yesterday... but it doesn't matter.  I knew I needed the sleep, and I managed to fit it in this weekend at some point.  The only downside with getting up that late on a Sunday is that it will affect my ability to go to bed early tonight.  Maybe.  We'll see.

I feel like, lately, all I've managed to talk about is the hum-drum of sleeping or lack thereof.  Anyone reading my blog must think that I lead one pretty boring life.  But, it's not.  Well, I guess that's dependent on what people consider boring versus full of adventure.  

To me, running here, there, and everywhere for games and kid stuff is fun and adventurous.  It keeps me on my toes.  It adds some difference to the monotony of getting up, going to work, coming home, going to bed.  Although, I do need to add some spark in to my weekends.  

I don't like the get up, sit around the house, do some work, and go to bed.  That's been the way we've spent our weekends since school started.  

In the next few weeks, I want to add some stuff to our weekends.  Maybe go to a corn maze, pick out pumpkins, do something fall-ish.  I want our weekends to be full of fun stuff, rather than just using them as time to catch up on sleep.  The kids will end up driving me insane if we spend one more weekend at home.  

Food for thought, I suppose.  I guess I can add that in to the line-up for today...research some places we can go on the weekends.  

With fall fast approaching, there's always a plethora of outdoor activities to keep us busy.  The fall craft fairs will be here soon.  The apple orchards will invite people to pick apples.  The weather will (hopefully) start to cool off enough for a picnic at a park, or maybe some hiking.  

There's stuff to do... I just have to get the gumption to go.

And I will.

But, today, it's the same old, same old.  Work.  Laundry.  Getting ready for the week ahead.

And that's all I got for today...

Goodbye, Mrs. Krabby

Yesterday was a rough day.  A really rough day.

I have lots of rough days, but for the most part... I can deal with them, and they don't affect my mood. 

Yesterday wasn't one of those days.

A few minutes after finishing up yesterday's blog, Jelly came outside...crying.  She told me her stomach really hurt and she had diarrhea.  Awesome!  Poor baby.  She felt pretty warm, and I figured I had some quick decisions to make to figure out how I was going to get to work, with Jelly having to stay home.

Thankfully, Hubby drove in to the driveway just a few moments later.  Phew.  Even though I haven't seen him all week, that wasn't why I was so happy to see him at that moment.  I was happy because I didn't have to worry about getting to work, and I knew she'd be taken care of without me.

So, I got Jelly nestled comfortably on the couch with her favorite TV show...and left for my day.

And just to make myself perfectly clear...I wasn't just worried about having to miss work.  I would love to stay home with my kiddos when they are sick.  But, the truth is, I absolutely HATE missing work.  It's one of the reasons I'm so happy that Hubby works 3rd shift.  So, I don't have to worry about deciding whether to miss work.  I always hate it when my kids are sick, because I know that they all want Momma around to make them feel better.  But, he's just as good at doing the job as I am.  It takes a load off of my mind knowing that she's with him if I can't be there.

Anywho, I am able to leave and get to work.

I was exhausted.  No doubt about that.  As I was driving to work it hit me that the last time I saw Hubby was last Sunday.  It hit me that I've only been home long enough each day since last Sunday to sleep for a couple of hours, and then it was up and out again. It hit me that I've been so busy with games and running off after work that my classroom had been turned in to a wreck site...and it all just filled up my stress meter.

To make matters worse, my kiddos were super charged with Friday Fever.  They came bustling in to the room, and were super loud.  I got them quiet, and started our math... but the math time really did a number on me.  One thing I really have to work on with my students is their organization.  

On the first day of school, they were all given folders to keep their work in.  A math folder.  A reading folder.  A social studies and science folder.  And a homework folder.  Should be pretty easy to keep stuff organized, right?  Urm...no.  What I've learned is that it's much easier for them to shove a paper in to the first folder that's available.  And then, when it's time to pull out a paper, most of them can't find it because they have no idea which folder it's in.  I decided to spend the first few minutes of math trying to get them more organized... but it was a disaster.  It just ended up getting me frustrated and cranky.

I just told myself to let it go, and try and get as much math in as possible in the short amount of time we had left.  But, with Friday Fever comes a lack of being able to follow directions.  What should have been a fun, coloring math activity, ended up being a constant string of students asking for another sheet because they'd messed up the first one, or continuous requests for me to repeat the same instructions over, and over, and over again.

And by 9:30.. my alter ego:  Mrs. Krabby, had awoken.

One thing I did do is remind myself that I was feeling so crabby because I was so tired.  It wasn't the students' fault.  I was overreacting much more than I normally would because of my own stress and exhaustion.  I figured it was best to just move on, and let it go.

But, the same string of "I can't find my work", "what paper do we need?", and "what am I supposed to do, again?" followed in to our reading time.  It just so happened to be the day I was giving a spelling test and a grammar test...tests mean silence while people are working.  But, Friday Fever made that almost impossible.  No matter how many times I told them there was no talking while people were still working on their tests, they still talked.

I will point out that this time last year, I would have probably exploded.  There would be yelling.  There would be dishing out of missed recess time.  There would be tears from those students who were doing what they were supposed to be doing, and felt like they had upset me.

Apparently, I'm not that Mrs. Krabby anymore.  I've learned that yelling doesn't get me anywhere.  Besides, after facing a class full of students that were terrified of me on Day One, I had made myself the promise that I would prove to these kids that I wasn't who they thought I was.

I've learned that to directly impact a student isn't through yelling, it's by putting on my "sad face" and sharing disappointment.

Gets 'em every time!

Although, this time it wasn't an act.  For the first time this school year, I could have burst in to tears.  I was so frustrated and upset...that it took everything inside of me to not let my emotions come flooding out of me.  I gave them a talking to, hiding my true emotions, the best that I could.

By the time it was time to head to lunch, I had received several apologies for their rowdiness and inability to follow directions.  And I was able to spend my lunch time taking several deep breaths, letting go of the desire to break down in to a pool of flowing tears, and telling myself over and over again that in a few short hours the week would be over.

The afternoon was much better.  Even though the kids had been super rowdy in their specials class, I let it go.  I gave them a stern talking to about representing our class when away from me, and that I wouldn't tolerate bad behavior when they were with another teacher... but a few words from our awesome janitor on the way back to class made me take a step back and just let the talking to be enough.

"They can't be perfect all the time."

He's absolutely right.  

They were ready for the day to be over just as much as I was...and they were excited about it.  I get that.  I was excited, too.  So, I decided that for the remainder of the day, we were going to have some fun...and end the day with a bang.

And that's exactly what happened.  We watched a science video, the kids worked on their handouts, they talked but kept their discussions down to a dull roar.  I worked with a group of students, and we laughed and joked around.

I got a big dose of the medicine I needed.  That was the reminder that when times are tough, there's no better medicine than laughter.  And to see 18 adorable faces enjoying their lesson, working hard, and having fun in the process - I know I'm doing something right.  

I'm really starting to see how much I've grown since last year.  I'm still not perfect - never will be - but I've grown.  I know that my kiddos are counting on me to guide them, nurture them, and show them how to do things.  They are counting on me to lift them up when they are struggling, point them in the direction of success, and make them responsible for their own learning.  

We are only in a few weeks...and I can't expect them to have it just yet.  It will come.  I have an amazing group of kiddos.  They are starting to learn a lot about me, and I them.  

At the end of the day, no matter how tired or stressed or grumpy I am...being in my classroom makes everything right in the world.  

And Mrs. Krabby was gone....just like that.  And the day ended on a good note.

I was able to come home, rejoice in the fact that I got to sit on my couch for the first time since Sunday, and then get the sleep I needed.  

Now, I'm up, awake, recharged, and excited to enjoy this weekend.  I'm going in to work, later, to get some stuff done in my classroom... but not before spending the day relaxing.  

And that's all I got for today.

Never Been More Happy About Seeing Friday

                         

I know that I've celebrated it being Friday many, MANY times, but I don't think I've ever been more happy for this day to come this time around.

This has been one CRAZY week, and how I'm not on the verge of being comatose and hooked up to a caffeine IV is beyond me.  

It has been the longest week, and the last time I went this long with hardly any sleep was back when I was in college spending all my time studying and working on homework.  

Each and every night this week, I've gotten about 4-5 hours of sleep.  Some sleep is better than no sleep, but 4-5 hours a night for four nights in a row catches up with me REAL quick.  

Monday, first volleyball game.  Home around 9PM.  Showers, dinner, bedtime stories, down time for me, and in bed around 11PM.  

Tuesday, Peanut's boyfriend's football game in Oklahoma.  Trip to ER because he got injured.  Home after 11PM.  Quickly shoving all kids in bed, grabbing a quick bite to eat, and in bed around midnight.

Wednesday, trip to Oklahoma to pick up injured boyfriend so he can spend a few days with Peanut.  And then trip to Walmart to buy food for volleyball team.  Home around 9:30PM.  Showers, bedtime stories, down time for me, and in bed around 11:30PM.

Last night, first away volleyball game.  Home around 9PM.  Showers, bedtime stories, down time for me, and in bed around 10:30PM.

I get up at 4:30AM each and every morning.  It takes me about 30 minutes to go to sleep, because I usually put the TV on and watch it for a few minutes before passing out.  So, Monday...5 hours of sleep.  Tuesday...4 hours of sleep.  Wednesday...4 1/2 hours.  Last night.. 6 hours, because there was absolutely NO TV, and I passed out almost immediately.

No wonder I'm so freakin' tired!

Especially since I'm the person that (on normal work nights) is in bed by 9PM so I can get a good, solid 7 hours of sleep in each night.  This week, I'm off of that mark by almost 9 hours..meaning, I'm lacking about 9 hours of sleep that I'm used to getting.

UGH!!

Thankfully, I have absolutely NOTHING planned after school today...except waiting for the kids to get back from practice.  I should be home around 7PM, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if I'm passed out on the couch by 8PM.  

And I'm pretty mad about the game I went to last night.  Hubby brought Peanut's boyfriend to me after school yesterday (after boyfriend had spend the day with Hubby while we were all at school) so that he would get a chance to see Peanut play.  We dashed off so that we could be there in time to see her play.  Peanut had called me ahead of time to tell me that they would be playing at the high school of the particular town they were playing.  We get there, and then a person at the high school tells me that the girls are actually playing at the middle school - all the way across town.  We dash over to the middle school.  Only to find out that, in fact, the middle school is hosting the 7th grade teams and that the 8th graders are, indeed, playing at the high school - in the Jr. High gym which is located at the other end of the high school.

I was a hot, blazing mess of angry by this time.  

We ended up arriving to Peanut's game - after finally finding the right place - 30 minutes late..and only getting to see Peanut play for about 5 minutes.  

Talk about one ticked off Momma.

And, of course, Peanut was devastated.  It was the one and only chance her boyfriend would be able to see her play, and he only got a tiny glimpse of what she can do on a volleyball court.  

Unfortunately, Peanut's team lost.  By quite a bit, this time.  So, it was like salt on Peanut's wounds.  Thankfully, she was over being mad at me by the time the second set of games were over (the B team, that she doesn't play for).  And, she just appreciated the fact that her boyfriend was there and then we all went and had dinner together.

OK, that's just about it for me today.  I'm hoping that I can come up with something a bit better to talk about this weekend than just my lack of sleep woes.  Especially since I have no intention of getting out of bed tomorrow morning until I wake up.  Which may be early afternoon for all I know.  That's how tired I feel..I could probably sleep all day tomorrow.  

But, lack of sleep or not, I love being able to be there for my kiddos..and their significant others.  I'd do the same stuff every single week if I have to.  Which I basically will have to do until the end of October.  But, by then, I'll probably be used to the lack of sleep and won't have to whine about it so much.

Alright....

Have a Great Friday!!

Gotta Make It Quick

I hit the snooze button several times this morning, which resulted in me waking up about 30 minutes later than I usually do.  Which then led to me checking emails before writing my blog post.  Which now means I only have about 20 minutes before it's time for me to go and get ready for a super day in the classroom.

Despite everything I said about my not going to be out running around last night, and coming straight home and having an early night...that didn't happen.  I, somehow, still didn't make it home until after 9PM and after showers, bedtime stories, and making sure everyone else was nestled safely in bed, I didn't end up in bed until close to 11PM.  Again.

I did actually make it home at my usual time of 7PM, and got to eat something.  But, then an hour later I was out driving to Walmart to pick up food for Payton's game tonight.  I had completely forgotten that I was responsible for providing sandwiches for the team tonight.  And a trip to Walmart can never just be a quick one.  At 8PM, I still ended up being there for almost an hour and..like I said, not getting home until after 9PM. 

Yesterday was a busy day.  Tough because I was so stinkin' tired, but the busyness kept me awake and alert.  

It was the Student Council Election Day, and Peanut was running for President.  Unfortunately, she didn't win.  Which really bummed her out.  But she did make representative... something I'm much happier about than she is.  She had really gotten her heart set on that presidency...and had worked long and hard on the perfect speech.  The child really has a future in politics, I tell ya, but she doesn't really grasp that at the end of the day it doesn't matter how good a speech is - kids are going to vote for their friends.  Period.  

Peanut is pretty popular, and the loss wasn't by a landslide.  It was a pretty close race all the way through, but her competitor ended up coming out victorious.  It was much better than it was last time, when she ran for a position and didn't make it because nobody knew her yet.  

I'm a student council sponsor, so I was keeping my eye on the online voting polls all day.  One of the other sponsors is a tech wizard, and for the first time ever, set up an online voting system.  The kids thought it was super cool...and the teachers loved being able to watch the results as they were streaming in throughout the day.

I couldn't be there when the speeches were all given on Tuesday, but the other sponsor did record the speeches.  I've yet to see them, but when I get my hands on the link to where he uploaded them - I will share it with you all.  I had been in a training that day, but when I got back to the school that afternoon, I received several compliments about how wonderful Peanut's speech was.  I can't wait to actually see and hear it.

The kiddos in my class have all been rockstars this week.  They have worked super hard, have been turning in homework, and were perfect angels for my substitute on Tuesday.  I'm discovering more and more about what motivates these kids each day, and it's amazing the changes I've seen in just a few weeks.

One thing I can really feel good about is my classroom management.  OK, so it helps that I start out with pretty good kids.  This is the second year in a row that I've been dealt a great hand when it comes to students.  But even good kids know how to test boundaries and try and find out what they can and can't get away with.  Apparently, I've made those things perfectly clear...and the procedures and expectations have been set firmly in place.  Because it is so much less of a chore to get the kids to do what I ask them to do.  They have started taking initiative, taking more responsibility for their own learning, and following directions to the T.  

And it feels pretty good to say that only being in to the fourth full week of school.

Having a great class makes stuff like lack of sleep much easier on me.  Even though I show up tired and physically drained - they have really helped me stay mentally focused and charged.  And, that's a great thing to feel when you're exhausted.

OK, I've rambled on enough this morning... I apologize if this seems a little all over the place.  I'm running on a quarter of a tank, and some sputtering is bound to take place.  

I'm in for another late night tonight, as Peanut travels for her first away game.  Which means Momma also has to travel to her first away game of the season.  But, on the bright side...tomorrow is Friday, meaning I have just two full days to make it though before I can recharge my batteries.

I'm pretty sure my blog post won't be written until well after noon on Saturday.  HA!

OK... time to run...

Have a great Thursday!!

Jo