6 Weeks and COUNTING!

That's right folks...I have officially made it through week 6 of a ROUGH school year. I am not going to lie...I had a break down to my mom a couple of weeks ago about my class! Yes, I bawled and ranted and raved about all my problems..and I felt a lot better after that! :) (thanks mom) I guess it finally hit me when somebody else in the school took my class for a half an hour and when I came back they were OUT OF CONTROL and were VERY rude to this lady. I had to REALLY lay into them after that! I still don't think I am mean enough yet...I am working on it and they are doing a little better, but it took making all of them write an apology note to the lady and changing a few classroom "policies" to get them that way. Let's just say that I have sent more kids to "Think Time" already this year then I did the WHOLE year with my class from last year. What is really sad is that it is only about 5 boys that make it miserable for everyone else! If I could get rid of those 5 boys then my class would be pretty good! I know I will survive and I really do still like teaching, but it is just not fun when you are trying to help one student that REALLY needs help and the others think they can do whatever they want and get away with it! I wish I had eyes in the back of my head and 20 extra hands! :) The joys of teaching...

Well, on a brighter note, we have been doing some fun things with art that I took pictures of. They are "Landscape Silhouettes". They had to choose a favorite landscape that they have been to and create it with a watercolor background and black construction paper. I thought some of them were pretty dang cool! Also, we went on a field trip to hear the Utah Symphony at Hillcrest High School. They had to dress up and it actually was pretty cool to listen to all of the songs they played. They even involved the kids by having them stand up and "march" to some of the music.

This week, This is the Place State Park is coming to teach the 4th graders at our school some square dancing and other pioneer things so that they can perform it in front of the school in December. It should be interesting...I will let you know how it goes! Anyway, here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

Birthday Fun!

Another week down in the life of Miss Lloyd! My students are still pretty wild...I am hoping that as time goes on that they will settle down, but as it is right now, I feel like I can barely get through 2 sentences when I am teaching before they are talking again! BLA! Luckily, I am not the only one that has a class like this though. All of the teachers in 4th grade are having the same problem. I think something happened the year these kids were born to make it so they don't know how to be quiet! I am managing though...

On Thursday, it was my birthday...the BIG 24! I can't believe I am that old! Never pictured myself at this age, but I think it is good...although sometimes I wish I were a 4th grader again...life seemed to be so much simpler back then! On Wednesday, Scott and Kim and the kids and my Grandpa and Grandma Lloyd came for dinner and cake. It was a blast! G & G gave me money, Scott and Kim gave me a microwave, and my mom and dad gave me a small fridge and a quilt pattern with some way cute fabric to make it out of. The fridge and microwave are for my classroom at school. It is so I can put drinks and lunch in there and cook my lunch too! I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but hopefully soon! My friend, Sally, came on Thursday to my class and brought doughnuts. My class was so excited and wild! I also let them play a game...good old Heads-Up, 7 Up. They loved that too! Later that night, my dad took me to Cafe Rio and then I went with my friends, Sally and Candyce bowling and to ice cream. It was a GREAT day! Needless to say, I am exhausted this weekend!

Here are a few pics of my birthday celebration!

The kids LOVED playing in the boxes the fridge and microwave were in!

My fridge! :)CHEESECAKE! Brayden and Kenzie helped me blow out the candles...ya, I don't think I got to blow any of them out...so no wishes for me but I enjoyed the cheesecake! ;)

A New Class and A New Start!

Phew! I never thought I would make it through the first week of school! My feet hurt, my voice is almost gone, and I am EXHAUSTED! The funny thing is that I don't remember feeling this way last year at this time...maybe I have just blocked it from my memory... :) It is so hard to get used to a new class! I really do miss my old class...despite the drama that took place. If I thought last year's class was talkative, well I was very mistaken! This class is even worse! I have some very cute kids, but there are just those few (namely a few of the boys) that WILL NOT STOP TALKING... and they get everyone else all wrapped up in it too! And well, I could just be freaking out over nothing....it IS the first week AND it is still summer outside...but really, I am in for a LONG year I think. Also, we had back to school night on Thursday and I got told by that same mom that talked to me on the phone and met me the week before school started that one of the boys should not be in the same class as her son because he bullied her son in first grade...OH JOY! So now I think I am going to have some boy drama this year instead of the girls... It really does have me freaked out because I don't like dealing with boys that fight! AHHH!

I guess I am making this year sound like it is going to be horrible, but those are just my fears...I really am excited for a second chance at teaching and trying to do better. I really do love teaching, it's just the management part that scares me a bit...I know that I will probably learn a lot, just like I did last year...but it will take a lot of work again! I still feel like I am a first year teacher because of all the work I am STILL doing, but I know I just need to get through it and I will be fine.

Here are a few snapshots of my LOVELY portable classroom the week before school started. Really, I actually kinda like the portable because NOBODY bugs you!