Quarter's End

The end of fall quarter, the end of the 1st quarter, the end of the grading period. However you would like to phrase it, it is the end. This first part of the school year has flown by. I have been working like crazy to get all my grades into the new software. I don't know if it is working correctly and I don't even care at this point. I have them DONE! Done, DOne, DONE!

It's only Monday and it felt like four days in one. We had a mini-field trip to the fire station right next door. Amidst a chaotic tour I yelled "freeze" to my class, and the froze in place. The fire chief looked at me and said "You think that'd work on my staff?" I smiled. We continued on then there was another point where the students needed to stop and listen. I said "3,2,1, 0" and on zero they were all silent. The fire chief looked at me again and said "Seriously, you think THAT'd work on my staff." That time I just chuckled. They received stickers and a water bottle filled with wonderful things like crayons. We went back to class and although I repeatedly said "All water bottles in your backpacks!" There were a couple of free spirited folk who pretended like they didn't hear that directive. They were straightened out and I think their treasure made it home. Who knows what happened on the bus.

The book fair is on this week. We had to interrupt our class time to go on a tour of the book fair. There were some decent books, some stupendously crappy books, and a couple of gold nuggets of quality books. I hate to look at the books sold at these book fairs. If I could direct parents into what NOT to get I think it would surprise them. The decline of America can be found at your local schools book fair.  They had teachers come around before the book fair and make a "wish list" for our classroom. Sometimes parents will buy a book for the class.  We finished up that tour without any major mishaps and went back to class.

This afternoon we did our first rotation with other 2nd grade classes in celebration of our statehood. Having other teachers students makes you realize a few things. You are not alone in the struggle to get that one kid to follow simple directions. Every second grade class has nose-pickers. The other teachers have a little insight into your daily struggle with one or two noodles!  We all have a few students with so much energy it oozes out of their fingertips.Then you send them back to their teacher with a sigh of relief.

I forgot to work on my online class this weekend. So as I prepare for Parent-Teacher conferences I have to squeeze that in. I can do it!  G'nite