Complete and Utter

EXHAUSTION!
That pretty much sums up in one word how I am feeling right now. But I am loving every single moment of it.
My class is wonderful. I love my kiddos and we are learning so much together.
We had Back to School Night tonight and I had a 78% success rate. I was absolutely terrified going into it (did I have enough to say, what if the parents were bored, etc, etc) but it went wonderfully and if anything I talked to much. Next year I am definitely cutting down my powerpoint.
How are your 1st couple weeks of school going?

Top Ten Reasons You Know It's Back to School

Ha ha ha, I am still laughing from this adorable video from Tunstall's Teaching Tidibts , just had to share: I also joined her Top Ten Reasons You Know It's Back to School, check it out and link up (BTW her blog is amazing):
1. I set my alarm for 5:30 instead of 8:00 so I make sure I can make it to school by 7:30am, NO more sleeping in =(
2. My wallet is stuffed to the gills with recipets totaling absorbant amounts of money spent at Target, Walmart and Dollar Tree.
3. I can no longer mindlessly watch tv at night I now have something to cut out, something to hole punch, something to sort, something to put together, etc.
4. I have pinned more ideas than I could possibly get to in a school year on pinterest and I keep finding new ones everyday.
5. I have post it note lists covering my entire planner, desk and everything else, which frequently get lost and rewritten.
6. My shorts and flip flops have slowly found their way to the bottom of my dresser drawers.
7. I always plan to leave school by 4:30 but I always end up staring up at the clock pushing the time back in 5 minute increments until it's at least 5:30 and I have to force myself out the door.
8. My weekly trips to Target no longer perusing the clothing section but searching the dollar bins for anything and everything school related.
9. My cute bracelets and bangles have been replaced by my trusty watch.
10. My voice sounds scratchy and I know I won't have one by the end of next week.
11. Also my hands are incredibly dry from the amount of sanitizer I put on everyday.
What are your top 10?

Classroom Set Up Day 1

I can't believe it, today was the day. I was finally able to get into MY classroom, that's right I have my very own classroom.
I can't explain how exciting it was to walk up and see my name on the door!
Upon actually walking through the door though, I was a little lost. The janitors did an amazing job of cleaning the floors, I am pretty sure I could see my reflection in them. But the furniture was all in one giant pile in the middle of the room.
So it took me quite a while to figure out exactly where to begin...

After quite a bit of aimless wandering and some chit chat with the few other teachers on campus today I decided to put my desks in order first, I decided on two U shapes facing the front of the room.
(Please excuse the mess, I am still trying to figure out where to put all the boxes of stuff)
How do you set up your room?
After finishing the desks, I moved on to a few bulletins, I never realized how much work they were to put up. I didn't get nearly as far as I had hoped I would but I am trying to take it one step at a time.

I am pretty excited about this one. I found this adorable polka dot fabric for $7 at Walmart. Then I found the great idea for a telephone script on pintrest. Not quite sure what else is going on this bulletin.
Ideas?
The hardest part was the high bulletins and dear hubs was kind enough to come help after work, isn't he the greatest?!?
I have so much more left to do tomorrow. Thank goodness, my wonderful sister is going to come help for the day. Can't wait to see what I can get done!

I am officially a bear

Let me clarify, I am not just any bear, I am a Pierce Bear, as in Arbuckle Elementary Schools mascot, well I am not actually the mascot but I am officially a contracted full time 1st grade teacher beginning in August! Yay! I am officially a teacher. And not only a teacher but a teacher at the adorable, wonderful elementary school right here in the community where we live! I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am for my 1st year as a teacher. I have been finding a ton of wonderful blogs about teaching and I cannot wait to steal some of their wonderful ideas.

Teaching

My life is about to become just a little bit crazier. Starting Monday I begin a long term substitute position at Arbuckle Elementary School, the elementary school located in our home town. I am so excited! Not only will my commute change from more than 100 miles per day down to less than 5 miles per day. I also love teaching, it touches a part of my soul that no other job has been able to fulfill but at the same time it was hard to leave my old jobs. Aside from my time off for student teaching I have worked for both my mom and my dad at their respective businesses since I graduated from college. I loved working with both of my parents and I enjoyed those jobs as well, Thursday and Friday were exciting and sad days as I said goodbye to those jobs for the time being.

I will be teaching 4th grade until the end of April and then will move to 2nd grade until the end of the school year. Wish me luck, I know I have a lot of work ahead of me but I also know I have a lot of fun ahead of me! I know many of my students because I had them last year in the 3rd grade class where I did my student teaching.
Hopefully my desk doesn't end up looking like this:

I am crossing my fingers for a full time position next year!

A crumpled note...

Yesterday I got to sub for my wonderful 3rd graders who I did my student teaching with. Only yesterday they weren't so wonderful =( I am not sure if they were testing me because I haven't been around in a while or if they just decided they didn't want to work or if it was just a combination of multiple things. But yesterday was not one of my best days of teaching. I was definitely not a favorite teacher yesterday and the entire class had to miss recess and do their math work because no one wanted to do it during class. However, I think the worst part of the entire day was a crumpled up piece of paper a student brought to me during math. The corner of a worksheet had been torn off and on it was written "(A student's name) is fat. (Same students name) is a pig. "
I was horrified. These are 3rd grade students, these students are 7 and 8 years old. My sweet innocent 3rd graders aren't so sweet and innocent. Unfortunately I have no idea who wrote the note and I have no idea when the note was placed on the particular students desk. Of course no one in the class would admit to having written the note. I had a LONG discussion with the class about how our classroom is like a family and you do not talk to ANYONE especially members of your family in this way.
When did it become ok for children to say such awful things to one another???

Image found here