Busy day!

“Is it time to go home yet?”

“Is it time to go home yet?”

I got asked that several times today.

The kids were exhausted.

Their schedule was fairly different.

Today was picture day, so that threw things off.

Also?

They had a big math assessment. The kids were amazing for it. Most of them were quiet and did their best to do as they were told.  It was tough, but they did well.

So, morning meeting was at a different time. We had picture day, we had a math assessment, we did not have writing, they had half a period of related arts, and they got to watch extra tv today.  Also? They had math stations.

There were a lot of differences in schedule, and quite a few differences in behaviors as well.

As I said, they were tired.

After related arts when they got to watch tv for a bit, one girl fell asleep.

“She’s asleep! She’s asleep!”

“Ok, guys, ok.  I see that, I will take care of it.  No you don’t need to come over and stare at her, go take your bathroom break.”

“Molly? Molly, sweetie” I whisper as I shake her arm a little.  “Molly.” I try again, she opens her eyes  a little.
“Hey molly, it’s time to wake up baby girl. Take your time; you can go take your bathroom break when you are ready.  You can take a minute to wake up.”

She stretches, gets up, and runs down to the bathroom.

Well at least she got moving pretty easily. 

These kids are cute.

Confidence of the Fake Kind

You know those times when you do something new and you feel like you have no clue what you are doing but you tell yourself you can, then take a deep breath and do it?

Me too.

That is how I felt about teaching writing today.

It was my first time.

I was not confident at all.

So what did I do?

Why, I faked the confidence of course!

Because sometimes,

You fake it till you make it.

“Do you want to go get the kids so you can make sure you have everything for writing?” Ms. Peltz ask me as we are walking down the hall.

“Sure!”

I turn around and start walking towards the classroom

AHHH! I can’t do this! I have no idea how to teach writing! Oh my goodness. Ok, deep breath.  Think. You wrote out lesson plans. Follow those. Just do it.  Also? Keep breathing.

Ok, things I need for writing. My lesson plans.  Those are generally useful. Ok, we are labeling things. Where are the cards for labeling?

I start looking high and low.

I hear children’s voices, I freeze and panic.

They pass by our room.

Thank goodness!

I find the cards in an obvious spot.

Ok, I need the paper for them to do their writing.  I know where that is. Ok, memorize your plans. FAST!

I hear children’s voices again.

Please don’t be my class! Please don’t be my class! Read faster! Ok, I can do this. No! no I can’t do this!

I hear footsteps and whisper voices.

I know that will be my class.

“Are you ready for them?” Ms. Peltz pokes her head in the doorway.

“Yes I am! I say with fake confidence.

“Come on in my friends and have a seat on the dot rug.”

They come in and sit, and I begin...

I have hair!

Today, the rain alarm rang again.

This time, during recess.

Also during recess? A child from another class slipped and cut his forehead.

Yeah.

That was interesting.

Anyways.

The kids also did not have computer because the computer teacher was not there.

I am tired.

Funniest moment of the day?

I am teaching the kids a song about basic needs.

You may know it.

It is called Basic Needs – by Dr. Jean. (she is a genius)

The song starts out with

Air, water, food, shelter too. Air, water, food, shelter too.

We sang the song and nearly finished it.

Suddenly, Caleb says

“Hey! Hey. I have hair though see!” He starts tugging on his hair. “See! I have hair.”

“Not hair sweetie, AIR”

I had to work so hard not to laugh.

He is so adorable.

The Rain Alarm

The sight of rain causes children in school to panic.

A drop of rain hits the ground and this alarm inside each and every child goes off.

NO RECESS! OH NO! IT’S RAINING!!!

One would assume that it is probably that dramatic,

If not more so.

Perhaps there is a loud noise accompanying this panic alarm.

A noise at a deficit that only children and animals can hear.

Perhaps it sounds like pouring rain.

That can be rather devastating to a child.

Adults can faintly recall the panic that used to set in when the rain alarm went off when they were children.

…

Today, the rain alarm went off.

Every child in class knew the moment the first rain drop hit the ground at almost 10 o clock this morning.

Almost every child looked up at that time.

Most just stared.

Disappointment falling across their faces.

A couple let out whispered “Oh, no’s!”

I was working with one girl. 

She looks up,

“Oh no! Look!” she cries out.

Such sadness in her voice.

“I know, but maybe it will pass!” I try to reassure her.

“Maybe” she is not convinced.

We continue on with what we are doing.

Every so often she glances towards the window with a hopeful look upon her face.

Each time, her head droops back down, the hopeful look vanished.

Many of the children do this.

The disappointment written all over their faces.

I feel that this is when the Rain Plan comes into effect.

Yes.

The Rain Plan.

They decide to get revenge on the rain.

Or something of that effect.

They decide they will act crazy.

They will be louder.

More aggressive.

More talkative.

More giggly.

Until the rain passes.

Whether they believe they are defying the rain.

Or hoping maybe if they act crazy enough we will let them outside despite the rain.

We may never know.

But when the Rain Panic Alarm goes off in children,

It goes off in adults too.

They know what is about to head their way.

We all look longingly at the sky.

We all hope for a break in the rain.

…

Thankfully, today we got that break.

Who?

Ms. P has the kids over on the rug.

She is talking to them about letters for a few minutes before lunch.

I finish up what I am doing and start to head over.

The door opens; a tall man enters the room.

Huh, I wonder who that is.

What is he doing here?

He introduces himself quietly to Ms. P and then he gets a chair and sits.

He must be observing Ms. P. What a random time though. 

Lunch is so soon.

Ms. P starts teaching the kids how to sign Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

I grab a chair and join in on the learning.

I learn how to sign the song with the kids.

Then she goes through signing the alphabet with them.

That I know, but I join in anyways.

All the while, the man is sitting diagonally behind me in a chair.

“Ok, boys and girls, it is time to line up for lunch.  Get your lunch tags and lunch boxes and line up on your star. Ms. L? Would you take them down to the bathroom to wash and then down to the lunch room?”

“Of course!” I wait a minute while they get themselves together, then start singing. “If you’re ready and you know it stand up tall.”

The kids quiet down

“If you’re ready and you know it stand up tall”

They stand tall.

“If you’re ready and you know it, and you really want to show it, if you’re ready and you know it stand up tall.”

The students are facing the right way, looking at me, standing on tip toe.

Oh the wonders of a song.

I lead them down to the bathroom to wash their hands.  I get them in and out as quick as possible.

Then I lead them down to lunch.

I ask them to show me how a quiet line walks through the hall.

For the most part, they do.

I look down the line, almost everyone looking forward quietly.

At the end of the line are Ms. P, and the man.

Who is he?!

I drop the kids off at lunch and head to the teacher’s lounge.

I give up on trying to figure out who this person is.

People? This man that was observing is the dean of the education department at my university.

Seriously.  I had no clue who he was.

He is new.

Shush, it’s a valid excuse.

The day I felt mean

Today the kids had a sub.

We didn’t warn them about it, so they were slightly confused this morning.

They kept asking me where Ms. P was and when she would be back. 

It was cute.

Because there was a sub, and they are children, they decided to see what they could get away with.

They were sneaky in their own ways.

One girl in particular thought she was extremely sneaky.

She turned off the lights in the bathroom.

The first time it happened, I was told about it.

The second time?

I caught her.

I walk by the bathroom, the lights are on.

I check on the boys making sure they are not goofing around, then head back towards the girls.

The lights are off.

So I watch, nothing.

“Why are the lights off?” I call in.

Immediately the light goes on and I see one girl book it to a stall.

No way.

“Alexis, when we get back to the room, you are moving your pin to orange. We DO not play with the light switch, especially in the bathroom.”

After a moment she comes out.

She washes her hands, and goes to get a drink.

I remind her “When we get back, you are moving your pin.”

“I have to move my pin?”She says seeming upset.

“Yes, that was the second time today you played with the lights in the bathroom. I was told by a few girls about the first time.  I caught you this time. So, yes. You are moving a pin.”

She knows what she did was wrong.

I know she is mad.

Reluctantly, she does as she was asked.

Sigh, I don’t like having to be that way.

Dismissal

“Eyes forward! Big steps! Pay attention! Let’s go kindergartners!”

This is what you hear about 100 times when taking the car line around. 

This is what you say about 100 times as well. 

By the end of the day, they are tired, but excited. 

But still, tired.

So they need prodding.

The constant reminder that their feet may actually have to move.

They need to face forward so they don’t walk into people and cars.

So they don’t get mixed up in any of the other 78 lines. (slight exaggeration)

Occasionally, a child who does not belong on a bus winds up on a bus. 

Or a child who is a bus rider ends up in the car line. 

These things happen.

So, as you walk behind (or in front) of the kindergarteners, and you are repeating yourself like an extremely broken record, you are also making sure they don’t get run over by big kids. 

5^th graders sometimes forget they are bigger than kindergarteners.

In fact sometimes it seems that they forget kindergarteners exist.

I ran one over? Where?

So, you are a prodding, protecting, broken record, nudging and pulling small children out of the way.

Then, you are watching as these little kindergarteners jump into cars.

You hope they are jumping into the right car and that they have not suddenly become confused. 

You watch sometimes as they run up to a car, almost open the door, and then realize they have made a mistake. 

It is a process.

There are children who need shoe laces tied.  Ones that lose a shoe altogether. Ones that drop their backpack. Ones that just can’t keep up. 

It is a little chaotic.