Some students

I took these a long time ago. Aren't they so cute?

Apartment Pictures

Sorry the pictures are dark, my flash is broken and it will cost $130 to fix it. Stupid.

"Mrs. Atkisson......"

All three girls in Evan's row were absent yesterday, leaving him in a row alone. He proclaimed to the class, "I'm an odd number!"

Portia told me I should be a car wash for Halloween.

Jacob told me he had to shave his hair because he had bugs in it.

"Bye Atkisson."
"Sara, did you just call me Atkisson?"
"Ah, sorry, Bye Aa...Mrs. Atkisson."

"Ok class, what number comes one after 60?"
(Blank stares)

Kendel, on her first day of school yesterday said "I like you Mrs. Atkisson."

"But teacher, I ain't got one."
"Ray, you don't have one."
"Yeah, I know, I ain't got one."

"When I got home from school yesterday I did ninja flips. I really did." - Jacob

"Boys and girls, your voices should be turned off."
"YEAH, EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE QUIET!"
"Evan, that means you too."

"Mrs. Atkisson, do you know Chris Brown?"
"I know his music."
"He's cute."

We write our lunch choices everyday in our 180 Days book along with the date and such. Yesterday sloppy joe was on the menu. Evan, always wanting to shorten his assignments asked:
"Mrs. Atkisson, can I just write joe?"

"Can I go to the bathroom?" x 50

Thought I would share a little snippet of what my days are like. I received a card today from a student that moved last week. It said:

"I am doing good. I enjoyed your class."

Then he drew a big red heart. I sobbed when I read it. I am really starting to love these kids, scratch that, I do love these kids.

I think I can make it

Teaching is getting better. The last couple days were pretty good. Let's pray it stays that way.

Nothing new to report, just teaching and sleeping. Seth hasn't started working yet, but should start with R&R in a couple weeks. 

BLAH

So, I hate teaching. It is really hard. I am afraid I will develop a tumor from all the stress. 

Teaching

Well, Thursday was my first day teaching. It was a rough day. A very rough day. I had four naughty kids who led the rest of the class in being naughty. Evan spoke to his baby sister on his fingers cell phone all day, Jayden choked another boy on recess and was sent to the principal's office by the teacher on duty. Then later, he wouldn't come out of the bathroom and was sent to the principal's office for that as well, both times by other teachers so I had no idea. Lizzie was busy all day telling Adrian that she loved him, writing him sneaky love notes, which I confiscated all day long. Basically, I was overwhelmed and exhausted when they were dismissed.

But kicking and screaming, I went back on Friday and things went a lot more smoothly. I had a counselor come up with a Behavior Mapping plan for Jayden, so he pulled him out and set that up with him, then brought Jayden back and had him explain it to me. The rest of the day I only had manageble issues with him. I have to just pick my battles with him. I told the kids in the morning, "We will be having game time later today (playing with Math manipulatives) and anyone who has to pull a red or purple card (my discipline chart) will not be able to play with us." I only had ONE student pull a red card, Lizzie, who rolled her eyes at me when I asked her to work with her letters like the rest of the class, continued to turn around in her chair to flirt with Adrian, and pass notes. She had to have 'Think Time' in another classroom while the rest of the class played. I brought her back in when the kid had 5 more minutes of center time. I had a little chat with her about being a part of our class, and wanting her to participate. Then had her sit down while the rest of the class finished center time.

All in all, it was a FABULOUS day and I know it is because I sobbed in prayer on Thursday asking the Lord to help me.

We had a discussion about Kindness and then I had the kids draw pictures of being Kind and Unkind. Here is Rays:

The left is him being unkind and running someone over in a car. You can see the stick fingure on the far left being run over. Running someone over in a car is very unkind. The right is him being kind and helping someone up who fell, notice the large smile at his kind act.

This is Portia's:

I thought it was a very good visual of being kind and unkind. The kind side, all three girls are blue. The Unkind side, one is being left out, the yellow girl. I was impressed.

Another girl, on her unkind picture, drew someone picking another person's flowers. Our class had some very creative kind/unkind ideas.

Best Thing I Have Heard in a Long Time

Seth was telling me about this Utah story. Please read this girl's blog, especially if you live in Provo.

http://cartoonbrickwall.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-run-in-with-majority-leader-in-utah.html

Anyone who has worked in the service industry knows just how bad it feels to be mistreated by customers. This is a must read!