The One After the Hiatus

Yeah, I know. It's been a while. Since the first day of school, a while.

Trust me, I had a lot of blog posts in my head. They were great...they just never made it here.

I figured today was a good day to blog because OH MY GOODNESS, THE LITTLE HUMANS HAVE LOST THEIR MINDS!

I'm sorry, let me rephrase that: THE LITTLE HUMANS ARE A BREADTH AWAY FROM REBELLION.

Okay, okay. Maybe not that bad. In the grand scheme of things, they really weren't horrible. I just questioned who was alive today.

I've got to tell you guys, my kids are SO bright. I have some amazing thinkers in my room. That's why today almost made my head spin.

Let me set the tone here:

*In math small groups today, we were talking about shapes. Simple things like, how many sides does a triangle have? Make me a triangle! How many sides does a quadrilateral? Make me a quadrilateral!

Cue. Blank. Stares.

Some of them weren't even TRYING to make the shapes. All it needs is 3 sides, 4 sides, 5 sides. It wasn't even a mystery! BAH!

*Transitioning into Language Arts, we were reading a new story, and the kids could follow along in their book. I stop to check for comprehension. "What happened before the end of the game?" 

Cue. Blank. Stares.

Mind you, I had just read what happened...DOUBLE BAH! It was so strange!! I even had some kids not even flipping the pages at the right time, obviously not following along, and those kids can definitely read and follow along!

*Transitioning to spelling: "Okay, guys. Let's go ahead and create our spelling list." 

"Awwwww." 

"Well, if you guys feel that way, then I can give you a list where you don't get to choose your words."

One child: "OKAY!"

Cue my book dropping.

It would be different if it hadn't been toot-y. It was definitely toot-y. Then we went to the carpet and I swear every time I opened my mouth to talk, I had 4 kids start talking. 

I felt like such an anomaly today. Was it me? Was I giving off a vibe? It just seemed like their brains weren't awake and they forgot how to do school.

We've had "A Case of the Mondays" in our room before. Mondays are hard for me! That's why Mondays are very flexible. Today was just out of the ordinary for them.

Then comes writing time at the end of the day. We were introducing taking a Big Idea and zooming into a small moment. There was a bit of a struggle organizing the Big Idea cards and Small Moments underneath them, but we got it figured out. 

We spent some time writing them down and talking about how it's like we're taking a magnifying glass to a Big Idea. Then we're getting closer and closer until we have a specific moment. It's like we're writing a chapter in our autobiography for everybody to read, too. 

One of my kids said, "Yeah, Ms. K. It's like we're not just going to Dallas. We're going to a Cowboys game and then we're like doing something at the Cowboy's game. Or we're going to the Dallas Aquarium." 

Eep! By George, they get it!

And then we finished the day with reading Harry Potter and all was right with the world again. 

It just reiterates that we need to focus on the small moments. The more we look back at everything we feel went wrong, the less excited we get for the next day of amazing opportunity. 

With that, I'm out. Enjoy your day, friends. 

~Ms. K

The One Before the First Day

I'll try and keep this one short, y'all.

So, as some of you know, I am starting 2nd grade this year. At first, I was like "WHAAAAAT?" I was bummed because I thought I would get another try at perfecting my craft in 1st grade. Changing grade levels is like starting over. You're thinking, "whatever, Ms. K. It's just one grade level." OH YEAH WELL...yes, it is. However, the standards are more in-depth, they're expected to do more, AND they're taller. *Cue collective gasp*

Yes, it's not as stressful as a jump to 5th, but I was worried none-the-less. The build-up over the summer wasn't great either. I was by myself with my brain, and that never leads to fields of pink flowers.

Fast forward to now, and I think I'm slightly excited. Over the past week, I've gotten to know my new team better and try to grasp this new grade level. I'm sure I'm going to struggle-bus it here and there. I know I'm going to beat myself up about things. Guys, it's me. It's going to happen. The piece of mind I have is that there are 5 wonderful people to fall back on (not to mention my teammates from last year that are still super).

Shameless plug for myself.

I will say that my ultimate fear is that I've forgotten how to teach. It sounds crazy, but it's been 2 months! I'm rusty, man. What if I get in there and I sound like a dufus? What if I get in there and they go Lord of the Flies and select the smallest as their leader to rule the campus?

He looks like he could do it.

I hope I don't sweat through my shirt like I did last year. I hope I feel more confident. I hope my stomach will stop churning. I hope I survive the day. 

I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

P.S. I made these cute birthday cups. I absolutely cannot take credit for this idea, but I can take credit for asking Starbucks to donate these cups to me. I have 3 birthdays in the first two weeks of school, so I figured these would be necessary right meow. Click here to grab the free stickers I found to label the cups. 

Inside I put: 

-a crazy straw

-a fancy pencil

-a glow stick

-gummies

-a googly eye ring

Until tomorrow,

The One Before the Last Day

First of all, let me tell you how things with my "new" kiddo have been. He has really been fine. Great, I would say. He has gotten his work done, he's done what I've asked, and he has seamlessly transitioned into being one of my kids. Honestly, he has required the least of my attention these last two weeks. Any issues he had in his other class have been eradicated. Now, this week he has certainly become more comfortable. That or the crazies from the last week of school have gotten to him too. (Highly likely -- it's like wildfire.) For example, today he tried to tell me a kid at his table said a bad word, the "D" word. Sometimes I don't even want to know. The kid he tattled on started bawling and everyone else at his table said he didn't do it. Insert stern talking to about how I don't allow dishonesty in my room. I've realized that his area of improvement would be using his words. Less. He tends to say little snippy things that requires the other kids to tattle on him about what he said every 5 minutes. He's not the only one, but it was rather frequent today.

Pause for a second....PLEASE STOP THE TATTLING! MAKE IT GO AWAY!

Resume play. The most heartwarming moment I have had with him so far really makes me love that I got to know this kid. Really and truly. Last Friday I was helping him into his car. I said a quick reminder to him about how we'd have a long weekend and I'd see him on Tuesday while he hopped in.

"Man, Ms. Krastin. I'm going to miss you over the weekend."

 You could have mopped me up with rag because I was a puddle. To see this kid thrive in my room has given me the best feeling. I don't know if it was simply moving him away from the other kid (which is a huge factor), but I'd like to think I had something to do with it.

Since I last posted I've had a crazy 10 (school) days:

• I had two kids EASILY admit to pooping in the boys' urinals. 
• I had the WORST parent meeting I've ever had. 
• I had a kid cuss in front of TWO classes.
• I had one of my kids slap ANOTHER kid in the face during soccer. Because he took the ball way. In soccer. BAH.
• Every kid has slowly lost their mind and have become more chatty and "hard of hearing" than ever before.
• I've had to take down all of my hard work from setting up my room.
• I had two teachers come in to inspect if my room was being cleaned out...before the last week of school!!

I just keep sighing. I have been counting down the days and laughing along with my coworkers. I have been exhausted beyond belief and I have wanted each day to end faster than the one before.

But...tomorrow is my last day. Wait!! Slow down, turn around, stop time! The LAST day of my FIRST year. If you had told me in October that I would be here at my last day, I would have laughed in your face. I really didn't know if I would make it here, but I did! It's bittersweet. The kids and I truly need a break from each other, but all I want to do is hug them closer and shove more math facts and sight words into their brain before they wriggle away. It doesn't seem like enough time! I'll be in second grade next year with their new teachers.The worst part for me is that I'll find out firsthand if what I taught them was enough...or not. Incredibly scary. Wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart. 

Alas, it's all about the journey. And truly, I like learning new things. I also seem to be a glutton for punishment because the new thing is a new grade level. You know what's really comforting though? I feel like I have two teams to support me. The love from my first grade team never seems to stop when it comes to helping me move things from my room, using things with my kids, and venting. The second grade team is already coming to me with team trips over the summer, things to use next year, and general excitement that I will be teaching with them. 

I am truly blessed to be at the school that I am and to be surrounded by the people that work there. What more could I ask for?

The One with the Memes

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Seriously, it feels like I'm not even in the room anymore. I'm the adult in the Peanuts comics going "wah wah wah wah wah wahhhhh." I literally opened my mouth - hadn't even started talking - and half the class started talking. I held it open in awe of what was happening before me. Is this normal? Because right now I feel like a crazy person. No matter how many times I tried to catch their attention today, it never seemed to fix itself. I tried positive reinforcement, I tried having a conversation with them about what we can do to make it better, I tried consequences...NOTHING HELPED. I was doomed from the beginning. They're getting antsy, and I feel so lost throughout the day.

Yup, doesn't seem to matter how many times I tell them. I've modeled. I've repeated. I've had them freeze. Turn their bodies. However, never fails.

"Little Bobby, why have you been sitting here doing nothing?"
"I didn't know what to do!"
*insert steam coming out of my ears and inner brain explosion*
Then I proceed to slowly, and carefully reexplain everything I had already repeated 3 times before.

I cannot be the only one this is happening to. I have wasted SO much time having them line up, lather, rinse, repeat.
Jimmy, turn around. Francine, stop talking. Betty Jo, ON your line spot, not next to. Becky, keep your hands off the white board. Nevermind, EVERYONE go back to the carpet to start over.
I frequently needed a pillow to scream into today. As my teammate coined, it was like bopping gophers.

My kids are increasingly losing things. Books, pencils, bathroom passes, their sanity...I mean, my sanity. They're both pretty gone. Anyways, I've had to make a deal with my class that if the bathroom passes aren't hanging by the door when we leave the room, that group (boys or girls) loses the privilege of using it. That results in them having to ask me every time they go to the bathroom, I may have made it harder on myself with that one, but they have to get it. My kids also know that if it is an emergency and they are about to wet their pants (insert giggles), then they may go to the bathroom if the bathroom pass is being used. Yet, here comes little Devin, "MS. KRASTIN I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM IT'S AN EMERGENCY." Now if this was once, I wouldn't be bothered. However, this has been just about every day. I have repeated that he may go and that I don't want him going to the bathroom on the floor. You'd think a joke like that would help them remember!

Spinning in place? Check. Crawling across the floor? Check. Jumping up to hit hanging posters? Check. Laying under tables? Check. I'm waiting for one of them to stand on their head or jump on the table Robin William's style and revolt. Maybe an elephant makes its way through the door. You never know.

Kiddo, I am right next to you. We locked eyes as I said it. Seconds before you just did it. Yeah, you're done.

It's like that part where the whole house is covered in jungle vines and trees and it's hard to find your way around. Somehow tables are 90 degrees from where they should be and there's a misplaced chair when everyone is sitting in one already.

Last but not least, I leave you with my favorite:

Goodnight.

The One with the Surprise

Surprise!

You ready for your field trip in 15 minutes? Good! Sounds fun. By the way, you get a new kid tomorrow!

Well, not so new. He's from the other class. The one that laughs at consequences. The one that causes trouble. Yep, coming to your room!

I almost wanted to laugh, but at the same time I felt fairly calm. I know these last 16 days I can't do much to change his behavior. He's been the same all year for his original teacher, and his kindergarten teacher had the same trouble. If I'm lucky, there will be a honeymoon period where he does well for me. I have to get over the fact that I may not get the turn-around I would want in a mere few weeks (the LAST few weeks of school, mind you). However, I have to try, don't I?

Honestly, it kind of wakes me up. Especially at this time of the year. I feel this cheesy, strange, renewed sense of purpose. Even though I have the lowest class size, and he wouldn't fit in in the other rooms, my principal would not have given him to me if he didn't think I could handle it. Fingers crossed for us in the last stretch. More to come when I've had an actual experience with this kid. I'm excited to learn more about him.


On another note, we broke out our big new number line today! The collective gasp when I rolled it out. Ha! We were working on missing addends, and I told the kids that my favorite strategy to use is the number line. I can see the number and I can see the jumps, so it's what works best for my brain.
My fabulous instructors in college always told me that making personal connections makes things more meaningful for students, and I have found that to be true in application. The kids are always fascinated by the little pieces of you that you reveal.

So, we brought out the number line and worked on a few problems as a class. We talked about what was the whole and what was the part that we knew. Started at the whole, counted the hops to the part we knew, and BAM! There's your answer. They loved it. I then sent them off to work on this really awesome set of problems from Miss Emily Rose on TpT.

I used this one with my high/middle kids. The great part is that the FREE pack has different versions of the same thing if you ever want to practice it again. They could use the number line in the front of the room while they were working. It was really funny to look over and see their little feet hopping down the number line to solve the problem.

I wish I had taken a picture of some of the work we did on this with my low kids in small group. We used the above sheet and they ROCKED it! I modeled the first problem and we worked together on the next two. I had them circle the whole so they knew how to fill in the ten frame. They then had to underline the part that they knew. This told them how many dots to cross off from the ten frame. I set them loose to solve the rest and I saw them circling, underlining, and crossing off like champs. It was a beautiful sight! They actually understood what they were doing and how it got them to the answer. I live for moments like that!

The most important part is that I met them where they were. I could have struggled and tried to force them to use the other page, but what good would that have done? I would have been frustrated, they would have felt unsuccessful, and nobody would have gained anything by it. Differentiation is one of the best things you can do. You're not just "making it easier." That's not differentiation. You're still teaching the same things, but modifying it to meet the needs of the kids. Trust me, it can be difficult sometimes to make three different sets of the SAME thing. If I didn't though, I wouldn't have moments like I did today that were stellar. End rant.

We also went on our field trip to the aquarium today. I won't go into too much detail, but the kids LOVED it. It was particularly special because the kids had done research on ocean animals a few weeks before. They were able to see their animals in action and were amazed at meeting them. They were spewing facts about what they ate, where they lived, etc. My little scientists!


All in all, I'm tired, I'm sweaty, and I need some chocolate.

Ms. K

The One with the Bullet Points

I want to highlight a few moments from today in my post.

Oh, you like bullet points? Well here are a few:

• I had a great cause and effect teaching resource.
• I had a kid do nothing today.
• I had a bad report from specials.
• I had a fun moment being "sad."

Today we were talking about cause and effect during our read aloud. We had a brief review about cause and effect before hand because we've talked about it before. I always use Chris, my fiance, as an example when it comes to eating things. The kids were funny and said, "yeah, like when Chris ate your almonds and you had none left." Exactly, kids. Exactly. Anyways, we're reading Steven Kellogg books this week, so I opened up Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash. Read alouds are always more fun when they're interactive. That's why I had them use ANOTHER skill - double whammy -  which was inferencing. Each time we read they had to guess what caused the event that happened. For example, the book said, "The farmer ran into the bale of hay." "Why did he do that?" *insert inference from the class* "Because he was yelling at the pigs on our bus." It had the craziest situations in the book, so it was fun to read that together. Collective "OHHHHHs" or "WHAT?s" ensued. 

Moving on.

You read that second bullet point right. I had a kid do nothing. Now, I do have to be honest. He did get ONE thing done today. Wooooo. Handbells ringing. Maracas shaking. One. Thing. He wasn't even being defiant or argumentative about any of it. He simply wasn't getting anything done. I separated him from distractions, he laid on the floor. I had him work during indoor recess, he wrote a couple of words down. When he knows he's not doing what he's supposed to be doing, he shuts down and won't communicate. Therefore, I couldn't get any reason out of him as to why he wasn't working. In all seriousness, I think he just didn't feel like working today. He wanted to chat, or sit there and stare, or do. nothing. My other idea is that he did not have a good morning. I'm sure most people understand this by now, but the way the little ones start of their morning has a HUGE affect on how their day rolls out. Something exceptional must have happened this morning because he's never done this before. I called mom and haven't heard back yet, so the saga continues.

I like to pride myself in being able to communicate with my students and figure out how to help them be successful. If they cry, I want to know why. If they shut down, how can I bring them out. If they are angry, what made them upset. Today was a bust for me when it came to him. I hate that I couldn't reach that point with him and it turned into a product-less day.

Check and check.

The last two bullet points run together. I almost want to chuckle when thinking of them which may seem strange. Laugh? About a bad report from special areas? About having fun while being sad?

Here's the low-down. I drop my kids off at art, thinking nothing of it. They had been pretty good for me today, so I wasn't anticipating problems. When I come to pick them up, it is dead silent. I see 3 out of the 4 kids separated at a table are mine and the art teacher does not look happy. I put on my serious face and step into the room. She tells me that they were "awful" and how out of character it was for them. We play it up a bit, like the good actors we are, because that's what we do when we're talking about the kids in front of them. Teachers are a triple threat, guys. I walk them down the hall and they know how disappointed and sad I am about the situation. They didn't say one word. It was like nothing I'd seen before. Now, the part that I was peeved about was that this exact situation happened to the class right next to us last week. They heard about it in the hallway, we discussed it in the room, and we talked about how we were not going to do it.

That was soooo last week, Ms. Krastin. 

Apparently so! I put on my stern voice (not loud, stern) and told them there was no mystery object to find. Their only goal was to clean the room and I expected to see it clean when I walked in. I talked to my 3 kids in the hallway that had done well in art and I talked to my 3 kids that had to be separated from the group. The former received tickets for our drawing and the latter wrote apology notes to the art teacher. I turned and walked into the room and you could have heard a pen drop. They were so quiet and the room was spotless. 

We had a brief discussion on their behavior in art together. 

*On a side note, don't drag conversations like that out. They know what they've done and the more you talk either a) the worse they'll feel or b) the more bored they'll get at being berated and they'll do something to make you more frustrated.*

During our discussion, it really was more of me talking and their choral responses. This was one of those moments, which I explained to them, needed no excuses on their part. We had SEEN what happened when another class acted like this, we had HEARD what they did, and we DISCUSSED how we would not do something like that. Yet, here we were in the same place as last week's class. We talked about what they could do better next time and we assured that it would not come to this again. My own personal favorite quote of mine during my soapbox moment:

She used the adjective awful to describe our class. Awful.

That's right. Tying language arts concepts into a stern talking-to. Can I say...boom? Boom, baby!

Here's the fun part about me being "sad" about their behavior: they were perfect. I had no one try to talk while I was talking during our science lesson and they didn't even want to *test* the boundaries I had set forth. It was hilarious yet interesting how much I affected them. It really didn't take much to get that either. I was talking to a few of my coworkers after school and wondered how long I could ride out being disappointed! I mean, I wouldn't do that...not a lot...maybe just for one more day...like tomorrow morning and that's it...just through calendar time?

Even after everything, I feel strangely serene about today. I can't really explain why. Maybe I'm just not shocked by anything anymore or I might be getting the swing of things. Maybe it's because it's Teacher Appreciation Week, and I'm feeling pretty good about my career choice. Who knows, really.

Until next time.

Ms. K

The One with the Minute of Silence

So, like I've said, teaching is quite the roller coaster for me. One moment my class has this peaceful energy, they're getting work done, and I can just observe. Other moments someone might as well be shouting "RELEASE THE KRAKEN!"

For example, during math we were reviewing coins and how to add them. I set the class on a journey to play Race to a Dollar. Disclaimer: I did not make this fabulous product.

Click here for the link!

They had the above spinner with varying coin values on it and a dreaded "Start Over" section. It was really easy for the kids to identify what coins they landed on and gave them that little bit of movement while playing. I will say that the pennies are hard to read when using black and white copies. They were still darker than the rest though, so the ones that were playing didn't have trouble identifying it after we went over it.

Honestly, my kids were great. I could hear everyone playing the game, see them out of my peripherals writing their coin values down, but they. were. so. LOUD! I was working with a small group on more coin identification activities at my floor table. I did not realize that I had actually been shouting at them.

"WHAT COIN IS THIS? YES, WASHINGTON HAS THE CURLY HAIR AND JEFFERSON DOES NOT."

Three claps to get their attention, a reminder to watch their voice level, and we all went back to what we were doing. Maaaybe 10 minutes later. Three claps. No really, watch your voice level. I'm shouting again. Back to what we were doing. THREE CLAPS. Again, they were doing what I asked them to do. It just became this domino effect that I have come to recognize:

• One table gets excited and starts to shout
• Other table can't hear each other so they proceed to get louder
• Table across the room begins to hear loud voices and wants to match that excitement
• Last table doesn't even realize they're doing it and begins to shout the loudest

We had to pause and I announced a minute without sound. I did reiterate to them that they were doing what I asked them to do, absolutely. We just kept getting so noisy that I couldn't teach. Their little heads were nodding and agreeing, so we had a nice moment of our day that was devoid of sound. We all put our heads down and enjoyed it. I've started to grasp the idea that sometimes we need it. It's hard with  6 and 7 year old minds and bodies to just stop and wind down. It's also hard with a frustrated 23 year old mind and body to not let frustrating moments get the best of you. I've used this minute without sound before for myself. We stop whatever we're doing, put our heads down, and breathe. It gives me a moment to process my feelings immediately get over them because I can't let it become a battle. 

Side tip from me to you: it's not about winning. Don't let yourself get so worked up and frustrated that it turns into a battle because you will honestly lose in the end. Take that extra moment to stop everyone and all breathe when you really need it. It works wonders and you can get back to being the teacher that you want to be. The teacher that comes before the minute is not how you want the kids to remember you. If you are a high school teacher, please take a picture of a room full of teenagers with their heads down. It would make me giggle and we can have a good laugh together. Seriously, don't be afraid of doing a minute of silence with the big kids too! I can only imagine how beneficial it might be for some of them to slow down and just breathe. Give those hormones a rest for a second.

My absolute favorite moment of the day was my read aloud though. I went to our local resale bookstore, Recycled Books, and found a Holy Grail of picture book series...Black Lagoon books!! About five them all snuggled together in the bin. It was a proud moment for me. I shared this with my kids as well, but I remember devouring these books in elementary school. I loved the humor and it paralleled my anxiety about having new teachers. I was such an anxious kid and they gave me the opportunity to laugh at myself for thinking such crazy things. I was right about apprehension for Mrs. Craddock's hissing cockroaches in 4th grade. Those really were from the Black Lagoon.

Anyways, I also talked to the kids about picture books also having series. Elephant and Piggy, If You Give a..., and the Black Lagoon are all a series even though they're not chapter books. The reading interventionist at my school really opened my eyes about how important it is to introduce any type of series of books to kids through read alouds. If they're hooked, they have so many more to read on their own! And boy, were they hooked! I will say that for books like this I have a flare for the dramatics. I make my voice high or drop it low; I flail my arms for emphasis; and I go silent for the climactic pause. (If I didn't use those semicolons right, feel free to correct me.) We came to a certain part of the book, towards the end I think, where the kid has detailed all of these horrifying things about their new gym teacher he's heard. The kid says "and the worst part is...."

QUICK! Turn to the person next to you and tell them what you predict the worst part is! *Insert frenzied conversation* 3, 2, 1, stop!

"...square dancing with the GIRLS!" Oh man, if you could have seen their faces and heard them the second that they heard it, processed it, and the second they reacted. Silence and then boom! They were equal parts shock and awe. It was hilarious! Read alouds have to be one of the most consistently favorite parts of my day. The kids are the most focused I see them all day and we get to share amazing stories together. If I could capture it in a bottle! 

I saw this on social media yesterday, and it made today's moment even more hilarious to me. 

Put everything you have into those read alouds. Especially with the littles. You could be the spark that makes them love reading. However, don't downplay read alouds to the big ones too. No one is too old to be read to. You can pull out a picture book or classic chapter book and have teenagers in a puddle on the floor, engrossed and excited about reading again. Most importantly though,

don't underestimate your influence.

You are valuable. You are loved. You will be remembered.

Ms. K