I have to share this giveaway with you! I have used some of the resources from DeeDee Wills and Deanna Jump's Guiding Kinders Math Workshop Materials this year as a supplement to what my school is using. I am super impressed by how easy AND developmentally appropriate their content is. That in itself would be a great giveaway... but that's not all!
I couldn't even possibly tell you about how excited I am about it, nor do it justice! Click on over to Mrs. Wills Kindergarten to see the math workshop in action, and see the other materials included in the giveaway!
My last post for this blog was back in August.... it was when I had accepted a job in Stockton over the phone. I had set up a Full Day Kindergarten classroom. I spent 3 days sitting in Stockton, waiting for them to give me the okay to come in and sign my contract. No call. No Contract.
Feeling defeated, I then made my way back to Sacramento to pick up my son from daycare, when I got a call from a principal here in Sacramento. I had interviewed for openings in 5th, 6th, and 7/8 core classes over the summer after being recommended from my Student Teaching placement. Two girls in my teaching cohort were hired for the 6th grade jobs, and I.... well, I wasn't. I wasn't bitter. Just sad and defeated as I was in limbo. Anyway, the principal called to offer me a half day kindergarten position. After some soul searching on the phone with another cohort friend, I called back and said yes. This was August 13th 5:45pm. August 14th - keys 8:00am, staff meeting 9am, drove down to stockton and set up classroom until 11:30pm. August 15th -first day of school.
Fast forward to today. I am sitting at home on a Tuesday. It's President's week (no school for our district). I am alive. No, seriously. That's what I have to tell my family and friends: "Sorry I have been MIA. I've been... (sick, busy, crying, planning, cleaning, sick again, at a meeting, reading this teacher help book, crying, sick again etc)."
This has been the hardest 6 months of my life! I have a TOUGH class. No I'm not suggesting that any first year teacher's class isn't a tough class. I really do have a tough class. I go through my day putting out fires all day. I am hoping that now that one of my kinder littles has been moved to a proper classroom, that I will be able to reteach behaviors (for the 100th time) and teach more content.
So much pressure to get results and increase the rigor of the classroom. As a teacher, it's hard to find the balance that Kindergarteners need with the huge expectations and the gaps they come to school with.
I have watched many friends leave the profession. Run and hide. Give up. I won't give up. I won't back down. I was meant to teach, and somehow I'll make that happen.
To my friends and family - I promise I haven't forgotten about you. Even if I have to start setting reminders on my phone to check in with you all - I'll make it happen. I got the "Touch"
Hello and welcome to my blog. This will be the place where I will post pictures and activities that we do in class.
Today I got the chance to set up my classroom. In a few short hours (and lots of sweat) it went from:
To:
I am so excited to have my own classroom, and can't wait to meet them! I still have a lot to do and put up (Bulletin boards, table names, name plates, carpet squares, line up dots, word wall...) Hopefully I will be able to do that this weekend.
