If You Find This Note...

As I do every year, I was cleaning and organizing my book in my classroom library. (Have I ever mentioned that I have well over 2,000 books?) Yah, no small task cleaning that! It was quite a treasure hunt finding all sorts of things the kids stuff in the book baskets; pencils, erasers, pretzel bits, dead bugs, crumpled up paper...

I was straightning my Goosebumps book box when I noticed a small note taped to the side of the box. It says, "If you are reading this you have almost found the time capsule. To find it look to the left between the two book cases."

So I look between the two cases, nothing. I move further to the left, look from the top, down to the floor and there is a box. I had to reach down and over to get it. I look inside to find a note, saying Congratulations you have found the time capsule! Inside the box were pencils, drawings, two dollars, some knick-knacks and an electronic 20 questions game.

I was laughing so hard, it was so clever and fun to find! I put all the contents neatly back and placed the time capsule back in it's resting spot. Let's see if anyone in my class this year can find it.

(I actually knew that there was a time capsule put into the library, a group of boys told me they did it at the end of last year, it did take two days of organizing the library to finally find it though.) You gotta love kids!

Staring Into Space...

That is what I am doing right now (well besides writing this :)

Today was our first day of school! I was really ready and excited for school to begin, my room was all set, my plans were made. It was an overall good day. Good news is that I have four kids on my list who moved over the summer, so I only have 20 right now! Score one for me!

They were quiet today, which is nice but at the same time I love when the kids are comfortable with me and their personalities show through. Today was full of careful answers and blank stares. I really like my class. Just one or two big personalities.

The first day is always incredibly exhausting for me. I feel bad but I am missing our back to school party tonight at school. I am so tired that I tend to stare off into space and can't form complete sentences, which would not be a good first impression for meeting parents tonight. I usually go to everything our school has planned, so I think I can slide on this one.

I look forward to tomorrow and the rest of the year. Let's hope things remain as smooth as things went today!

Here We Go Again...

Tomorrow is our first official start date. Teachers start tomorrow, students start on Wednesday. I am rather excited. I think I a ready. Ready for new challenges, ready to meet and fall in love with a new set of kids, ready to implement new ideas, just ready.

I get my class list tomorrow, cross fingers that still is in the admin plans to give us our lists. There was nothing like the year we got our lists the morning school began! Yikes! I have to say I really don't care what kids I get (I just need a rough number of how many). You can give me anything. I think the key to teaching any type of kid is to get to know their personality, whether you like it or not. You have nine months with these kids. That is a long time to be bitter and in a sour mood over a clash in personalities.


We are beginning our school year with a whole district meeting staring Ralph Fletcher, which by far beats every single other beginning of the year meeting we have ever had. Although, I was a lucky one to be able to attend a Ralph Fletcher seminar this summer. I am thinking I am going to hear some familiar things tomorrow.

So, here's to hoping for a great school year; one full of fun, learning, and great memories.

And So It Begins...

Today was my first meeting of the school year. Not a biggie but we have plenty to talk about. We start work in one week. Do you hear me? ONE WEEK! Ok, I know some of you have started already, so I can't complain.

I can't say that the summer went by fast, nor slow, it was just right. I think I am always ready to go back. Each year I do get a little bit of panic, like I can't remember what I am supposed to do or how to teach. I know it will all be ok, I can't help to feel that way every year.

Now I am completely and utterly going to jinx myself for saying this, but I have yet to have a back to school nightmare. Usually I have a slew of them by now. Kind of weird here! (Knock on Wood)

My room is getting there in terms of being ready. I have some housecleaning stuff to finish and then I can begin the planning and prepping for the first day.

I hope everyone who is back at school already had a good beginning and for those about to start good luck! :)

When I Was in Fourth....

Late at night, when I just switch the t.v. off, I lie there, doing my best thinking. I don't know why but that is the time when random thoughts come through my head. You would think that I would have trouble falling asleep, but no I fall asleep just fine. Last night I was recalling when I was a fourth grader. I think some of my best remembrances come from fourth grade.

My teacher's name was Mrs. Woods, she moonlighted as a real estate agent. She eventually (years after I finished fourth) left teaching to do real estate full time. One time she came to our house to advertise, give out flyers. I don't think she realized that she was in a neighborhood that housed her kids!

Every year I was put in the same class as Walter Horowitz, doesn't the name just give you a clue? I was the sweet, quiet girl, and well Walter was the opposite. They thought, year after year, that I would rub off on him. Walter thought the word bitchen wasn't a swear, despite me telling him repeatedly it was. He loved Gun's 'N Roses. Walter had come up with this big scheme to randomly steal the chalk off the chalkboard ledge when Mrs. Woods was not in the room. No one in the class knew but he and I. We had an empty desk in our group, so all the chalk went into there. Every time, Mrs. Woods would search around for the chalk, wouldn't think anything of it, and go get a new piece. This went on for weeks, finally one afternoon, after knowing she had put a new piece on the ledge, she suspected something. Our gig was up. I don't remember how it all transpired, but she was led to the "empty" desk. She opened it to find a HUGE mound of chalk. I still laugh to this day. She wasn't mad. Hey she now had an unlimited supply of chalk.

Our fourth grade science teacher was named Mr. Alexrod. In my mind he was older, probably not, but when you're in fourth and your teacher has grey/balding hair, you're old. He was a nerd to a T. He wore a huge pocket protector everyday and had a colossal collection of keys hanging from his belt loop. He loved to refer to the class as "peoples". "Ok peoples please take out your science books." (and yes, please read that with a Steve Erkel accent, because that was truly how he talked). One day the whole building lost power, we were in the middle of science class. Mr. Axelrod came to the rescue, out of the millions of keys he had, he pulls out a mini-flashlight, really mini. He flashes it around on us and says, (yes with a Steve Erkel accent) "Don't be alarmed kids, don't be alarmed." I think we just all sat there staring at him, because he was serious that the mini-flashlight was going to help, we were just all praying they would let us go home.

I had my first late assignment (or at least memorable ones) and made the honor roll for the first time in fourth grade. Our school didn't start honor roll until fourth, but I didn't achieve it until later in the school year. About mid-year I lost my homework folder. I look everywhere, my parents look everywhere, it was very unlike me. I had a lot of assignments that were due in that folder, which ended up being late/missing. I remember crying at my desk all during math. I was devastated that I didn't have the assignment that was due. Mrs. Woods kept giving me that look like, ok kid you can stop crying now. Walter Horowitz looks at me and says, "What, did you break a nail or something?1?"

In the spring my parents let me buy a trick calculator. You know the type that sprays water at you when you press a certain button. You know where this is going... I brought it to school to show off. I was or it was a hit! The kids were around me trying to see it when Mrs. Woods came up. She was clueless, took the calculator, pressed the button and yes was sprayed in her face. You know she never got mad, just took the calculator away for the rest of the day. I got it back at the end of the day.

I like to share these stories with my students, to remind them that I was once there age and in a way still can relate to what they are going through. Although, I do warn that I will notice if my chalk goes missing. :)