Thanksgiving

I see many people are using FB as a venue for sharing what they are thanful for throughout this month.  I didn't jump on that band wagon, so I'll share some of what I'm thankful for here...

I am thankful for parents that taught me that hard work is the way to get what you want. 
I am thankful for sisters that are always there, even when others aren't.
I'm thankful for friends, that no matter the miles between us or the time between chats, we can pick up where we left off.
I'm thankful for a job where I can make a diffrence in the future of a child.
I am thankful that I am an independent, self-sufficient, and productive citizen.
And I am thankful that God will always be there to guide me, even when I forget that.

The Election from the Third Grader's Point of View

Over the past two weeks we have been learning about voting and the election process in our classroom.  I have really impressed with how well my students are "getting" the information.  During bus duty this morning a student was telling his friend, "Yeah, my mom didn't understand it so I had to explain it to her."  I hope this has been a unit they will always remember.

A Special Student

This year got off to a rocky start... I have a student that has been in a self-contained classroom until this year.  To say I had a lot to learn about this student was an understatement.  Over the first nine weeks I had to learn what triggers set the student off, and there are MANY.  I have begun to see a change in the way we work together and I am truly enjoying the time this student spends with us.  I hope that since some of the behaviors are under control we can focus more on academic goals.

Teacher or Super Hero??

Maybe we should be asking prospective teachers if they have super powers... I absolutely love what I do and couldn't imagine doing anything else.  However, I feel that we are adding more and more to the list of roles teachers play.  In any given day I act as mom, counselor, teacher, mentor, mediator, disciplinarian, and the list goes on and on.  We are asked to more and more with less and less and are given no more time to do it all.  I don't consider teaching my J.O.B.; it is who I am and what I dreamt of doing.  So tomorrow I will get up, put on my super hero costume,  and touch the lives of our future.

Now Entering the 21st Century

It's finally happened!  I have joined the 21st Century with my inaugural blog post!  I know Miss Powers will be so proud of me.  Now, let's see how good I am with keeping it updated.