5 Weeks Down, 4 More to Go!

So, I can't believe I have made it through 5 weeks of teaching! Only 4 more weeks until I go off track! Wahoo! What a journey so far! This week I was sooo frustrated on Monday because I felt like the kids weren't turning things in and all the papers just kept piling up and so on, but then I talked to my mentor (another 4th grade teacher) and she told me that if kids don't finish their work or bring their homework back, they have to stay in and do it at recess in her class. What a NOVEL idea! :) So, I started posting up all the work each student was missing and making them stay in and it has worked so well! I am getting a lot more work turned in, because they really don't like to stay in for recess! Who knew....

As far as the work piling up to correct, I started sending it home for parents to do (that said they could do it) and it worked too. It has made it a lot easier for me to grade the really important things instead of spending my time on all the "little" things! To all those parents out there who help out teachers...THANK YOU! It really does make a difference!

I also had a few parent volunteers come and help out this week in the classroom. On Monday, we did salt dough maps of Utah, because that is what we have been talking about in Social Studies and a mom came and helped with that. Also, today I had a mom come in to help give spelling tests. It was so nice to have that time to some other things. I also have a mom that has planned out who is going to help with all of the parties and who is going to come and work with the kids on certain days of the week and so on. It is great to have people willing to do things like that!

On the down side of things, I gave out a math test on a unit I have been teaching and only about 7 kids passed with 80 percent and above! :( Real wake up call to me! So, now I have to go back and reteach a few things next week and test them again. The joys of teaching! :)

Anyway, I took pictures of the kids with their salt dough maps when they were finished. They turned out so cute! The librarian is letting us display them in the library. They were excited to do that! Here are the pictures:

Can't tell who the class clown is, can you? :) And then there are the sweet girls!

Baby Lexie Pictures

This is the first day home for baby Lexie. Big sis loves her new baby sister!

Such a cute picture of both my nieces and nephew!

It's Auntie Christy!

Baby Lexie was born last Tuesday, the 2nd of September. She was 6lb. 12 oz. and 19 in. long. She is so tiny! I went up to Bountiful after school to see her that day and when I held her, it was like her eyes took up her whole face! She is the smallest baby my brother Scott and sister-in-law, Kim have had! I have not been able to see her since then, but hear she is doing great, and so is mom.

I would have to say that that was the highlight of my week! The rest of the week, last week went okay. I am getting more into the "swing" of things and I do enjoy the students I have. They are all so great! I just have a few challenges with a boy that is ADHD (the "stare into space" kind) and really cannot focus on his work and getting it done. He is also a little behind in reading, so I am having to work with him to build up his fluency in reading. There is also a girl that does not turn ANY homework in. She is sweet, but has social behavior issues and is behind in reading as well. So, this week I am trying out a contract with her to see if the incentive will help her with her behavior issues. Other than that, it is just the continuous struggle of planning, preparing, and correcting papers! I have wonderful aids that help me out with a lot of correcting and other paper work though, so I am lucky to have them!

The week right now has been really good so far. The kids have lunch workers for the first time this year and boy were they excited about that! All of them wanted to do it, but I could only choose 6 names out of a hat. Who knew that being a lunch worker would be considered fun! I can imagine that they aren't that excited to help out at home! I think they are so excited because they get to go to lunch early and get out of class work. :)