Well, actually my Week Two ended tonight. Yes, it is a Saturday night and the clock on my VCR has 10:56 as the time. I just walked in from a full afternoon and night at the school! Today was a full day for me. I started at 5:00 because my youngest daughter wanted to get to college early and be first in line on "Move In" day. Well, the actual start time for "Move In" was 8:00 but we had to leave our home at 6:30. She drove her car and her dad and I went in my car. We had both cars loaded! When we arrived at the college, we found all entrances but one blocked off and she was about fourth in line and there were two vehicles between our cars. By 7:30 the line was so long that the college officials had to let us on campus to get us off the main road. My husband made the remark that our daughter sure was smart to press us to leave home as early as we did.
Well, I spent the first part of the day helping my daughter move in to her new dorm room and right after lunch, I went to school. It certainly was quiet. I stayed there until about 5:30 and then went home only to find out that I had left my phone at the school! I ate supper (my husband had cooked whole wheat noodles with a creamy sauce, baked chicken, and peas. It was just what I needed to get my energy back up. I also had to run to the local Target to pick up a few items for my daughter. With all of that done, I still needed to get back to the school. Not only did I NEED my phone, but I was told Thursday that I needed to attend a math workshop on Monday. Now, we have been in school for a mere two weeks and that is NOT long enough to get lower elementary students into a routine. I've been trying to accomplish this but it is going to take me a while! I certainly don't need to be leaving my babies in the hands of a substitute teacher but I have no choice. For that reason, I had to veer from the lesson plans which require a lot of moving around and manipulative s and centers (which we have only done for three days now).
I spent the first part of my time at the school creating a "Sub Folder" with all of the needed information for my substitute teacher to do as much of my normal day as possible. I had to make some very detail instructions for what she would need to do. I had to have my class list, a bus and car rider list. As far as materials, I had to pull everything that would be needed and put it in the order. Believe me most elementary teachers don't want to miss school for workshops or even being sick if that can help it because getting the material for the day ready and explaining the lessons in great detail just requires so much work.
With all of that said, I just have to tell you about Friday. What a day! The teachers in my grade have decided that Fridays will be the day that we review skills, test skills, and incorporate games that relate to the concepts we have covered into our routine. We also will use this day to help students catch up if they are missing work and provide more enrichment activities for our high achievers. Well, this will be awesome when we are able to do it as we desire to do it. I didn't get a lot of extra "fun" activities in because I gave the "spelling test." It isn't a normal spelling test like we had when we were in school. It does include spelling the spelling words but it also includes much more. For example, after spelling the words, there is a section to identify the word spelled incorrectly from a set of words. Then you have a section where you identify the word from a group of words spelled correctly. Another section provides a "dictation" portion where students must pay attention to capitalization and punctuation. The final section has directions that are stated very closely to this: "Choose two spelling words from 1 to 10 and create one sentence with each." Now, I'll explain in just a minute why I chose to tell you these directions. This little test should have taken around fifteen to twenty minutes. Needless to say, it took my babies a bit longer. Let's just say we didn't make it to games on Friday! I explained to my students that I would say the word two times and then use it in a sentence. Then, I would stretch the word out and sound out every sound slowly for them to hear. Sounds pretty simple to you doesn't it? Well, it wasn't for my babies! As I called out the words, I walked around watching what my students were doing and trying to keep them on task. By the time I got to number five, one of my strong readers state, "What was number two?" Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe it. How can I expect my students who don't read as well to keep up if my strong readers don't. Well, I knew that this being our "first" spelling test. I had to let them see what I expect of them so I responded. Put your finger on the number five (Yes, I have been telling them all along to put their finger on the number for the word that I was calling out!) or you will miss number five too. Then I continued. Yes I had several who did the same thing, blurt out "What is number" whatever and I would restate what I said. Boys and girls I am on number X. Put your finger on number X. I will say the word two times only and then use it in a sentence. Well thank goodness we only had ten words! When I reached the end of the test and read the directions that I quoted for you earlier. I told my students to look at the words 1 through 10 and that I would say them one time as they pointed to them. Well, thank goodness by student was able to write the word that was skipped earlier. Not all of my students were able to listen and figure out how to get. Well, as I am taking up the papers I noticed that one of my students wrote on number 20, "We can" and on 21 wrote, "Can we" and yes I'm sure you notice there were no punctuation marks. Anyway, I ask, "Why did you write such short sentences?" and his reply was, "The directions said to only use 2 words." Well, all I could do was laugh. My babies have got to learn how to take a spelling test like this. They have to learn to follow directions at least some of the time. They have to learn to listen. I know that these are skills that I must teach them for them to be successful. Well, I did laugh and said, "Oh, no dear that isn't what the directions meant. You are to pick out one spelling work and make up a sentences using a lot of other words from your head and write that sentence on number 20. Then you need to pick out a different spelling word and use a lot of other words from your head to make a different sentence for number 21. Yep, this should give you a better idea of what is going on in my world!
I do have one other incident that I must share with you. I have several students who have a little bit more difficulty staying on task even when I'm talking to them. I have both tables and desks in my room which isn't of my choice. So I have arranged my students in such a way that my students who are diligent workers are sitting beside one of my students who needs a reminder to get back to work periodically. I have arrange the chairs in a way that these children can be paired quickly without having to move chairs. I just leave the chairs set up all the time where these children who will work together have chairs always facing each other. I'm in the middle of giving this lovely spelling test and one of my students who has a chair that is turned toward the row where I can see the child's profile has his/her head down on the desk. I'm looking directly at him/her and he/she has this long, slimy, white snot hanging from his nose and he/she is pulling it up and down playing with it! Yes indeed this student has found something that is much more fun to him/her than my spelling test! What do I do? I'm NOT going to bring attention to him/her while I'm working so hard to keep my student's attention on the test and what I'm saying so I walk over to the kleenex box and pull out two. I continue reading the spelling test as I walk to the student's desk. I bend down and quietly whisper in this student's ear, "Wipe your nose and go wash your hands." I stand back up and repeat the item that I had just read. I know that what I have just describe is so gross but it is extremely funny! I went to school to be a teacher. What is a teacher? Teachers don't just teach knowledge and facts. Teachers teach the whole child!
On Friday afternoon, I received an email from a dear teacher friend who I have know for twenty-five years. In her email, she said, "Hello friend! Hope your year has gotten off to a smooth start. I don't know why you are back in the classroom, but no matter what the reason, I do know that your students are the luckiest in the district because they have YOU!" I have to keep telling myself that this was what I saw twenty years ago when I taught this grade. I have to remember that I'm the one who will be teaching them to read and picture what they read in their heads. I'm the one who will be teaching them to read and follow instructions, to listen and follow instructions. AND if I do my job, after the Christmas holidays, my students will be different. My students will be much more independent. They will behave differently. They will work harder. They will enjoy school and learning. IF I do my job!
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