Sixth graders are so funny :)

Ok so I'm sorry I haven't updated on all of the first few days of school yet but here goes.

As I said, 6th graders are so funny! They ask the craziest questions (well I think they are crazy but really they just don't know how middle school works).

"Do we have the same schedule everyday or does it change?"

At the end of the day a child comes up and doesn't know which bus he rides so I find one of the people in charge of buses to see if she could help and this is how the convo went...
Ms. C: Did you ride the bus this morning?
Student: (mumbled) Yes.
C: Was your bus driver a man or a woman?
S: (mumble AGAIN)Woman
C: Ok. Was she black or white?
S: (mumbled and totally serious) I don't know.
C: YOU DON'T KNOW?!?!
(I busted out laughing at that one.)

Parents walking students to homeroom on the first day.

Parents sneaking in the building a few yards behind their student to see them get into their homeroom and have a quick chat with teacher about lunch or some insecurity the parent has.

Student: UM...I think that person is in my seat.
Me: Yes he is but you don't come to my class until 6th period.

S: How does this planner work?
Me: Um...you find today's date and then you write your homework there?!

I feel like some of the best things I can't even remember but I know there will be more to come. All in all the first 5 days has been really good. They get chatty towards the end of the day but with the exception of maybe 10 out of 150 they are well mannered and follow directions pretty well.

Lesson planning is going really well too! I already have my lessons done for the 1st quarter - that means I don't have any lesson plans to write until NOVEMBER!!! Holla! Yay for working smarter and not harder and HOLLA to my Social Studies partner Jackie who is working with me.

Should I be knocking on wood in fear of being jinxed? NOPE! I am praising the Lord for His faithfulness, wisdom, and support already in the new school year! Lord You are good and Your mercy endureth forever!

It's that time again

So school starts tomorrow (insert sighs, screams, whoops, yawns, or whatever emotion moves you) and I am actually pretty excited about it. I tell you this to forewarn you that my next few posts slash next few months of posts will most likely be school related...rantings, ravings, laughs, etc etc...that you may or may not interest the three of you that actually read this.

My classroom has undergone a total transformation over the past three weeks and I have already started planning for this quarter. Technically I have the whole quarter at least mapped out - thanks to the help of the other 6th grade Social Studies teacher (we are working SMARTER not HARDER) - and already a couple weeks fully planned with accompaniments.

Last night was Open House and I got to meet a lot of my students and their parents. The majority of the students (and parents) are excited mixed with a smidge of nervousness! Like them, I am hoping for a wonderful year full of learning while having fun - I don't wanna be bored and I know for sure that neither do they!

I pray for patience, understanding, guidance, compassion, sanity, and wisdom working with these new students, their parents, my team, and the rest of the staff at school. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated as well!

All good things must come to an end

Well, I have detailed many of my summer adventures and now school is starting in 2 weeks! I went to work on my classroom yesterday and realized that I have a lot to do.

I am really excited about this new school year and all of the challenges I will face. I took a few minutes to look through some of my class rosters and noticed that a few of my students have many ailments that make everyday a challenge - almost total blindness and cerebral palsy are just a couple. I have never taught students with such issues but I know that these will be great learning experiences.

I also go into the new year prayful for loving on the students no matter what is going on in their lives. There were many times that I thought I would explode due to misbehavior or disrespect and then, even though I didn't want to, I continued to hold it against those students - they got no second chances with me. I can't do that to these kids, they have to know that in my class they are respected and safe.

To accomplish this goal I am going into the year with a new plan - management rather than discipline. I have to not only teach the students about the mountain ranges in Europe or the animals along the Amazon but how to be a productive citizen and member of the classroom. I realize now that just because they have been in school more than half of their life, the majority of students don't know proper classroom "etiquette". Examples include (1) raise your hand when you want to talk, (2) don't sharpen your pencil while I am teaching, (3) if it's not yours don't touch it, and the list goes on and on.

Anyway, I hope you are excited for more interesting anecdotes as the year progresses!