Good Things

The lovely Jennifer at Rowdy in First Grade thinks (and I agree) that it has been a while since we did this linky and it is time for another go-round.

A Good Thing From School:

My firsties are really getting adding three numbers. Even figuring out a problem like this... 9 + 8 + ? = 20. It has been a focus for the last week and they are GETTING it! Love when ideas fall into place. And, they all want to sit at my table and read for me. Like--do a running record. Crazy. But perhaps they are showing off what fantastic readers they are becoming!

A Good Thing From Home:

Tonight I got to have a hot dog roast. With my husbands family. At the home place. In the yard where I said my marriage vows. Tomorrow my in-laws are signing the papers that give ownership to another family. Someone we do not know. So, tonight was a blessing on so many different levels. Being together. Remembering other times. Creating more memories.

My life is full and rewarding. 

(And there are 19 days until summer vacation! Time to get started on my 2013 Summer Bucket List.)

More Dancing

Last night after school I had a "Come to Jesus" moment with my friend, a kindergarten teacher. 

I let her know (in no uncertain terms) that I expect all children who come to first grade next year to be able to print their letters neatly, so that I can read them. She laughed and said, yeah right.

Ok, I tried.

Our first dancing song today was YMCA. We haven't danced that yet this year. So, I fumbled through, with the thumbs, wash windows, roll, pull the air horn and clap. I was doing alright. But I did keep my eye on the leader. 

The 'YMCA' part is a nother story. I'm never quite sure what to do with my arms, and it goes so fast. So, do something, and all is good, right?

I'm dancing and having a good time. Then Miss Kindergarten teacher comes to me, interrupts my dancing and whispers something like "you want the kindergartners to know how to do their letters, but your 'C' is backward."

What? C goes like this, and I show her.

Then other teachers start giggling. I said again, and demonstrated, "C goes like this" bigger this time.

One teacher then laughs and explains, it is supposed to be so it looks right to me, not you.

What? No one ever told me that!

With smiles and laughing they (the teachers) said they still like me, even though "I'm backward, haha."

Lucky for me the next song was Cupid Shuffle. I can do that one.

I Knew It (Finally)

Two years ago this month I started working at my school. Yep, I was the crazy one to start a teaching job in January, after being home with my kids for 7.5 years.

These last two years have been amazing. I love my school. 

We dance (line dance that is) during homeroom when it is too cold, snowy, or icky to be outside. So I figure that is a lot of days for me to learn to dance. But, I'm really slow at learning.

Today was a break-through for me. When the dance was announced--The Electric Slide--my head started doing the steps. The correct steps! First time that happened. Ever.

I enjoyed dancing it today, because I could dance and not have to "think" about what I was doing. Yep, a "slow" dancer.

Next song was Cupid Shuffle, again my mind knew what to do! This was amazing.

The last song was a no brainer. I have been dancing that one for many years. Macarena.

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The ewes are coming in at night now. Today when we brought them in we checked them. Lady Town is changing. I saw it. The bags aren't really doing anything. But it is so exciting. 2 1/2 weeks away from the first lamb date. I hope they are on time.

I will keep you posted.

Homeroom

Social skills? Do I have any? Some times.

I've learned a lot by watching other people and how they interact. But I've also learned by direct instruction.

My school has homeroom every day.

Homeroom is a multi-grade grouping of students (about 17-20) assigned to one teacher. If a student has a sibling at the school the sibling is in the same homeroom.

It is very handy to have homeroom. That is how chores are done. Last year's chores were a bit different than this year's chores. My chore week starts tomorrow. Nothing like having chore duty the week of your birthday, right? Also included in chores are watering in the greenhouse and collecting the recycling from the classrooms.

We have occasionally had family-syle meals in our classroom. This is done with homerooms as well.

But with 10 homerooms this year, all taking turns, what to do with those 20 minutes if you don't have chores? Years ago the teachers that created our charter school thought it would be great to exercise as a school.

It is great. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays you can catch about 150 students, teachers and staff outside walking the path from 8:05 to 8:25. The path is 1/3 mile around. If I hurry I usually get in 2 laps. I even speed walk.

Why can't I get in more laps? Mostly because my homeroom is the last to get outside every day. We are in my class greeting each other.

We learned early on about proper (for the USA anyway) etiquette for greeting, and hand shaking. And since we are a farm school, we need to know how to shake hands like farmers do.

These are the guidelines that we follow:
     1. Use the right hand to shake
     2. Look the other person in the eye
     3. Use the other person's name in your greeting
     4. Smile

This took a lot of time teaching and practicing, but now we are sooooo good at it. It is sort of like a receiving line. As the students come into the class they greet me, greet everyone else in line, and then get in line at the end and continue to greet those behind them. It is really pretty slick to watch.

One day soon after we started this a third grade girl found me outside while walking and said "Mrs. Bartel, the kindergartner (and she used her name) knew my name!" She was so excited. Now we can talk about how we feel when someone knows our name and uses it.

Wednesday homerooms are a lesson day. I started the year reading about Shubert. But this past week I decided to try something different.

I brought in some toys from my home, and taught the kids how to play. What it looks likes, sounds like, feels like. I had a couple of kids model the correct way to play, and incorrect way to play.

One of the best parts of multi-aged homeroom is the kindergartner and first grade students can see how to behave like a third and fourth grade student. What great modeling and leadership.

I had Lincoln Logs, a play kitchen, some motorcycles and tracks, and (of course) books.

I spent my time helping students use their words. How to ask to play. How to respond when someone asks them to play. It takes guts to be vulnerable and ask, please be kind in your response.

We didn't get to play on Wednesday last week. We were parading downtown to get candy. But we did play on Friday and I brought in my Little People farm. Big hit.

Hopefully I will get pictures of us choring this week. My boots are dirty and ready to go.