The first week of school was exciting, stressful, hot, and fun. I am SO glad that it's over. I think the first week is the hardest. Here are the highlights:
-We have no air conditioning (despite the construction all summer at my school to put it in, no cold air just lots of dust and nails on the floor) and this week was one of record breaking heat in ole' Salt Lake City. Many schools in the valley made attendance "optional" and my sister substituted for a teacher who had heat stroke. Us? We just trudged thorough in a 95 degree classroom. Those poor kids begged me not to send them to recess. We're crossing our fingers for air after this week.
-I've got 29 students: 46% hispanic, 40% white, 7% polynesian, and 7% black. That's a bit more diverse than last year. The biggest difference between my last class and this one though is not their ethnicity. Last year I had an academically high class. This class is...a little less than high. I've only got 11 students that tested to be "on grade-level" this week, that is "on grade-level" for the beginning of the year, not where they need to be by the end. I have several resource and ESL students and two little autistic boys. I've got my work cut out for me.
-At the end of the first day we wrote in our journals about the first day and coming back to school. I think almost every student wrote that they were happy to have a nice teacher, maybe it was just too soon. I got several hugs. One of my students said I was like Miss Honey from Matilda, now that I have reached teaching perfection I'm just not sure where to go from here.
Take a look at the new room (looks a lot like the old room considering it's still all the same stuff but the rooms in the building are a bit more spacious than the old portables):
Do unto otters??
ReplyDeleteIt's a very cute children's book about manners. Love it.
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