Full Time

So I guess I've sort of slacked on keeping up with this. I thought I updated my blog after Valentine's Day, but maybe I just dreamt that I did. Anyway, since I didn't, let's have a recap:

Valentine's Day was sweet. At school we had a mini Valentine's Day party where the students did the Soulja Boy dance three times, and I got tons of gifts from my students. My teacher said I should stick around until the end of the year because that's when the good gifts come in. haha. Anyway, that was wonderful.
As for homelife, I was super busy so I didn't send any of my Valentine's home. In fact, they are still sitting in my bag. I hope I get them all done tonight and send them out. Greg and I didn't do much for it. We rented Good Luck Chuck, which was a mediocre movie. Then on Saturday we spent the day together shopping, eating and going to see Definitely, Maybe. I give that movie an 8 out of 10. I'm always disappointed by the ending of the movie. I guess I'm waiting for that one movie where it doesn't end in happily ever after.

Today was my first day of teaching Full Time. It is quite busy. I was doing work during my lunch time! I also didn't have any specials today, which meant I didn't get any planning periods. Our Reading Title Teacher was in our room administering a test, so I tried to get some copies made then, only to realize that I didn't have what I needed. I might end up wasting some paper. I can't believe the amount of paper we go through. I hate to admit to the amount of worksheets I use. I always to look cringe when teachers said they gave worksheets, but now they make sense! We don't have enough time to have all the fun, hands-on experience for all the subjects. We also need a quick way to gauge if the students understand the material, and worksheets gets it done. I do, often, try to give them tactual figures so they can manipulate it with their hands and physically see how the properties work and I think that helps too. I would love to have a math period filled with math centers where they'd have to figure out what they were doing, but I've noticed frustration levels end up to the point where they stop trying. My goal right now is to convince them not to hesitate a guessed answer, and any try is a great try.
I talked so much today that I'm pretty sure that by tomorrow night my voice will be shot. My throat is sore from talking all day.
I gave a math quiz today to find out they don't understand congruent angles within images that slide or flip. Tomorrow will have to be a review of that before we can go onto learning about triangles. I had my students do a science presentation that I will have to go through and grade. SO MUCH GRADING!!! I have to collect their science folders tomorrow and grade those too.

I do have to say that I have really good kids. They are quite chatty, but at fifth grade who isn't chatty. I look back at my first impressions on them and it has changed quite a bit. There are some girls that have become rather attached to me and tell me everything-and I, personally, like knowing how the fifth grade mind works.

Today after school I bought my CAP AND GOWN! Crazy!

Right now, time is slipping away from me and I need to get A LOT done.
Take care!