No more test prep. No more review. No more countdown. Tomorrow is the day "my kids" have worked for (or not worked for) all year. Thanks to Dubya, my little second graders...the same second graders who need a band aid just because something hurts not because it is bleeding...the same second graders who need to be reminded to use the bathroom at recess...and the same second graders who pick their nose and stare at the "find" in amazement, must sit through two weeks of testing. Everyday for an hour for two weeks we will test in absolute silence while being watched by a proctor. Today, I had to cover up every chart and helpful piece of information on the classroom walls and I had to sit in the principal's office and read the 1/2 inch thick instrution manual. The testing materials are so "sensitive" that I can't even be trusted to take the freakin' instruction booklet to my classroom to read...dumb.
Also (just to make things interesting), in all the glory of my perfect timing I have lost my voice again. I had rarely in my life lost my voice before I started this job and now I have lost it twice in two months! At least I am starting to feel better from the cold from hell. Almost passing out at work on Saturday was scary, I am still really tired, and the cough is beyond annoying but regardless of all this at least I don't feel like I am going to die- which is where I was this time last week.
Well, I'm off to grade some papers and have some hot tea...I'm officially an old lady.

I can't believe it has been a month since I added anything here. It has all been an exhausting blur of planning, teaching, grading papers, yelling, planning, teaching, grading papers, yelling, repeat...

There are the occasional magical moments like last week when the wind blew a bunch of the little pink petals off the tree that is outside the wall of windows in my class. It was beautiful! We were actually having a really bad day and I was at a low point. While sitting at the overhead and trying to get them to follow along, although many of them were grossly off task, I just sat there for a moment and watched as control slipped farther and farther away. Once it is gone by the way, it rarely ever returns for the rest of the day. Anyway, I looked outside and it was just a stunning sight. Without even thinking, I quietly said, "Ohh, look at our tree..." I wasn't really even trying to get them to look, it kind of just slipped out, but they really all did just stop and look. For one moment there was utter peace in the room while we all enjoyed a moment of natural beauty and innocence.

Another cool situation was about two weeks ago. One of my girls got an Amelia Earhart bookmark from the librarian for being good during library time. She was really excited to show it to me when I picked them up and she told me next week she was going to get a book about her so she could learn everything about the woman pilot. The next week, sure enough, she had a book about Amelia Earhart. I saw her sneaking a read even when she should have been doing math or grammar! I remembered that when we went to Washington D.C. a few years ago that I got to see one of Amelia Earhart's planes, her leather jacket and flight goggles at The Air and Space museum. I dug out the photos to show to my student. The look on her face when she saw those pictures is why I wanted to teach. It almoast made me cry! The look of wonder and amazement was just priceless! "This was really her plane Ms. Carbajal?! This was really her jacket Ms. Carbajal?! What does the plaque in front of the plane say?!" She went on to stare at the pictures and read every word on that plaque in front of the plane, the very same plane that was illustrated on the cover of her book. It was just really cool to see a kid so excited about actually learning something.

Of course there are icky times too, like when I am trying to read them a story or teach them about a math concept and I hear "this is boring! Can we go to lunch instead?" It sucks too when the "smart" kids are looking at you like "could you control the situation right now so that I can learn something?" Well, tomorrow is Michael and mines'es (as my kids would say it) day to get away. Our 11 year anniversary is on 4/22 and we are headed to San Francisco for an R & R weekend. Peace out and don't forget to do some extra recycling for Earth Day!

Oh yeah, if you want to be down with some current second grade lingo here you go:
"Don't shushy shush me!" said one talkative kid to another.
"Booyah!" as one of my boys says to everything.
"You aren't my friend!" one of my girls says constantly, only to be followed with "Are you my friend?"
"Someone stole my eraser (or paper or pencil or crayon or whatever)! ...Oh, nevermind! Here it is (on the floor)!" as said by pretty much all of them.
Of course, there is always:
"She cutted me!"
"He is looking at me!"
"They laughed at me!"
"That's not fair!"

Okay, the last five aren't really lingo and I am just venting again. Goodbye.

Sping Break!!!

Tomorrow is Monday, but I don't have to go to school! Yeah, Spring Break...woooo!

I officially survived two weeks of teaching this class. Oh, man, are they a boatload of mischief though! I can't turn my back for a second or give them an inch of free reign. They are nearly incapable of doing anything independently.

Some things I have learned so far:

1. A second grade teacher can never have enough stickers, pencils, erasers, or candy for bribes.

2. There are ALWAYS papers to grade!

3. Teachers need recess just as much as students.

Some things that will certainly drive me insane...soon:

1. Hearing my name for the bazillionth time!

2. Repeating directions over and over and over again.

3. Yard duty...uggh, I despise yard duty!

Overall, I think this is a great experience but it has been really hard so far. This class is squirrelly and tough to control. I really do not like the person I have to be for 6 hours a day. Big, bad, mean Ms. Carbajal is an exhausting character to play. It is totally not my personality to discipline or give lectures and punishments. I got into teaching because I love the innocence, positivity, and energy kids can possess. I love the looks on their faces when they are rapt with attention by a good book or when they say "oh, I get it now!" I did NOT get into teaching to have kids say they "hate" me or "don't like" me because I took away their recess for misbehaving (true story). I guess will be fine with them hating me though, as long as they learn something.

That's all I have to vent about now. No more teacher talk at least for a few days...Michael's orders!

Is it Spring Break yet?

So, yesterday went sooooo well! We had Benchmark Testing, which is really hard on the kids. We took a break halfway through testing, had a snack, and then finished strong. Buuuuut, then today...

went really, really bad. The whole class was in bad form from the get go (off task, talking, not following directions, playing in their desks, etc.) I put them on the yellow light of this behavior stop light sign we have even BEFORE first recess. By the end of the day we had gone all the way to red, which means the entire class looses recess the next day. Big, bad, mean Ms. Carbajal went so far as to take away recess for an additional day too because she was frustrated with the talking and not listening. I might give them a chance to earn one recess back, but we'll see.

Anyhoo, we also had the second and last day of Benchmark Testing. This is pretty boring generally, but halfway through one of my boys started crying. When asked what was wrong he said he had watched a scary movie last night and "couldn't get it out of (his) head." I found out later the movie was Snakes on a Plane. What?! Can anyone explain to me what a second grader is doing watching Snakes on a Plane. I told him he should not be watching grown up movies like that. I also told him I had seen it and it freaked ME out. He proceeded to remind me about all the bad language, scary snakes, and violence. I was speechless.

Okay, another little funny moment... One of my little girls is.... ummm....errr....I don't really have a word for her. Difficult? A handful? I know she is just dying for attention but, jeesh! If someone needs a band-aid, all of the sudden SHE needs a band-aid. If someone has a stomachache, all of the sudden SHE has a stomachache. If someone needs a new pencil, all of the sudden SHE needs a new pencil. Anyway, I ignore what I think is a lie and deal with what is not. Today she was in peak form. At one point towards the end of the day she raised her hand, which is amazing because she usually just calls out, and asked me, "Ms. Carbajal, why are you always pulling away from me?" Huh?! I had to try really hard to not crack up! That is some adult drama or a movie line she had to have overheard. It was pretty funny though.

*Sigh* 3 more days till Spring Break...

Tired...

...doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. Michael said he has never seen me so ehausted before. This week was even harder than I anticipated. I have papers to grade up to my ears and planning to do for next week. I have a few students that I do not feel qualified to deal with and I spend so much time dealing with their meltdowns that I feel terrible for the students who want to learn.

Monday: Observed by the principal first thing in the morning. She only stayed for a few minutes but I received great comments. :)

Tuesday: A bleary-eyed blur...

Wednesday: While planning for the next day after school, there was apparently a shooting nearby the school and a pursuit of the suspect pursued through the streets nearby the school. We went into a real lockdown for about 30 minutes (doors locked, curtains closed, lights off, silence). Luckily, I didn't have any kids but I couldn't leave either. They lifted the lockdown and I bolted. I found out the next day that they went back into lockdown again about five minutes later for another half hour or so. I dread the day this happens during school hours.

Thursday: Almost too tired to get out of bed...

Friday was the trimester awards assembly. I had to face one of my biggest fears. I had to get on a stage...I had to speak into a microphone...to a cafeteria FULL of people! I don't remember any of it, it was all a blur and I swear I almost passed out right before. That would have been embarassing!

You can create a lesson plan but...

...that does not mean the lesson will go as planned. The teacher I am replacing has been ordered to stop working immediately. I am going in tomorrow for a crash course in how she does everything instead off the nice leisurely week we had planned. I start this Monday (3/3/08) instead of next Monday (3/10/08)! My first instinct was "she needs to do what is good for the baby", my second instinct is "Eeek, I start Monday!" I am really nervous now...

Wish me luck!!!

Finally!

I am excited to announce that I have landed a teaching position! I will be taking over for a teacher who is going on maternity leave and I start March 10, 2008. I will be teaching a second grade class at Ethel I. Baker Elementary. I am pretty stoked about the fact that this is a great opportunity to gain some experience before the next school year. Hopefully, if everything goes well, this short stint (3-10-08 until 6-12-08) will help me land my very own class next school year. I will be getting them ready to take their first standardized test (thanks, dubbya!), actually administering their first standardized test (dubbya should have to look at their little faces when I have to tell them I can't help them AT ALL!) and doing their final report cards at the end of the year. It is all very nerve wracking and exciting at the same time. I have had the opportunity to sub for this class twice now and they are an energetic and adorable little bunch that will keep me on my toes. The first time I subbed, she actually watched me the whole day and we realized that we have very similar teaching styles so hopefully this will be a fairly smooth transition for all of us. The teacher is allowing me to come in next week and check out the organization and discipline systems she already has in place.

So, that's about it for now. I decided to start this little blog in order to vent and document the journey that is to come in the next few months. If you have time, check back now and then, say hi, let me know grown ups still exist... I may be a little AWOL for awhile, but have no fear I will just be teaching phonics and how to carry from the ones column!

Until next time, remember...