Monday, October 20, 2008

Definitely a Jungle in there

Hey.

Boy, has it been a crazy few weeks!!!

First off, I don't think I am cut out to be a teacher. Not a teacher of young children who don't speak English anyway. This is THE hardest job I have ever had! As some of you know I did a jungle theme and boy is it ever a jungle in there!

I am having a REALLY hard time ladies, really hard. I cannot get my classroom under control whatsoever! I have great ideas, lesson plans, activities, but I can not even get to some of them somedays because I can't get the kids to even sit down or be quiet.

I come home wiped everday, tired, crying some days, and physically and metally exhausted! I have come so close to giving up way too many times in the past two weeks and today I was there again.

Today they wrote in crayon all over one of the tables, I didn't even see them do it, but my co-teacher was at that table! My co-teacher, (the first one quit- then I was a week alone without anyone except for a few floaters for a few periods) so yeah, my new co-teacher as of yesterday is such a nice girl. Young girl still in university, but supa dupa extra shy and quiet. The kids ate her alive.... I need someone who, like her, loves kids, but they must be able to raise their voice and be assertive when need be, which is often at this point.

So here it is.. I don't want to give up, I love the kids, really I do, but I feel if I can't get my classroom management under control and FAST its a loss. A loss and let down to myself and a loss to the kids for sure.

And yes i do have a reward/discipline system, i use a time out chair when need be, they are good for that moment when I sit them down and ask them if they understand why they are here, and say that they will not repeat this again, blah blah blah...then 10 minutes later as if nothing ever happened, back to business! I am consistent, so thats not it....what in the heck am I doing wrong...is it the language? Is it too soon to expect anything better? Man, i just don't know....

Anyway, IVF number six on hold for now. Not sure if we will do this month or not, we'll see. I just can't even imagine doing IVF when I am so stresssed and you know we have to be "ready" in all ways for this too. So we shall see.

Okay, I feel alittle better now, and i left out so many details to spare you my daily horrors...but you get the idea.

I miss you all and love ya and will visit your blogs soon! xoxoxoxoxo

Thursday, October 9, 2008

my weekend is here

Hey....It's Thursday, which is like Friday for me, the start of the weekend! Can I just tell you I have not been so happy to see the weekend as I am today!

Kids are great, a bit chaotic, but good all in all.

I will write about my first few days soon.

Stay tuned for details...

Monday, October 6, 2008

the intro to idiocracy (I so stole this one)

OMG... i saw this on Reggie Bobby's blog and HAD to post! Get a tissue cause you're gonna laugh so hard you may cry...

*** Warning video does contain some "choice" eh um, language***


Sunday, October 5, 2008

Kindergarten Show and Tell

So today I am TELLING about my class. My soon to be Kindergarten class here in Cairo, Egypt. (Be sure to visit Ms. Goldstein and join the class.)

Am I excited, yes. Am I a bit nervous, yes. But I am feeling alot more confident than I was before. The kids start Tuesday and my long awaited few months of getting their classroom ready for them can be introduced, finally.

I did a Jungle theme, and if I can humbly say so, it looks awesome! Many of the teachers (including owner and my principal) have been popping in and commenting how wonderful it looks and how fun and exciting it is for the kids.

So... I need your help. I need some fun, inexpensive, projects to do with them. I have MANY ideas but want to hear if you have any, I know some of you do, come on.

Here is what I have planned for the first day so far...

1. Hands of friendship....I will have them working in groups of 4 - 6, (i have 19 kids) and they will trace their hand, color it and cut it out, then we will hang their hands in an outward circle around a circle in the middle that says: "Our Hands of Friendship" in their groups on our bulletin board.

2. Paper plate turtle... We will color an inverted paper plate into four sections, add a head, arms, legs and tail (from template I will have ready for them) and they can take home. Then we will color a turtle coloring page and see how the letter "T" is written on it as well.

3. A flower for plant.... a cut out flower in three pieces, petals, center and leaves, they will color pieces and we will glue onto a wooden skewer and they can take home and put into a plant.

I am planning these projects in addition to introducing them to our Jungle Morning Circle time (attendance in the coconut tree, the calendar, days of the week, countdown to end of school, all done with corny songs of course).

I am ready guys, just need another activity or two for my first week. I have certificates made up too, for each student to take home saying that they completed first day of kindergarten too, very cute. I will also bring panda treats...I found here boxes of pre-packaged panda shaped cookies with filling, appropriate for our jungle huh? (man I will really get a lesson on loser-ness, actually I don't need a lesson really, but so what...it will be soooo fun!)

For the second day I found a really neat idea, online of course. I give them a piece of paper that has an outline of a head and shoulders, they draw themselves on it. I put on bulletin board under heading that says: "There are millions of people all over the place, but nobody else with exactly my face." Then the last week of school have them do another self portrait, mount both of them on black paper and send home... I think its a great idea.

So wish me luck Tuesday and I know I will blog about my first day for sure! Leave your ideas in the comments section, they will be MUCH appreciated, believe me.

Peace out from the corny, singing, dancing, jumping, bouncing new Kindergarten teacher in North Africa......LOL!

Don't vote this year

yeah don't vote... it's only THE most important election of our lifetime....

Whew

Ok I did it! It took 2+ hours, but I did it.

I know, I have been a bad blogger, not reading your blogs. But you know what, I just read all of them. If you are on my sidebar, I visited you. But you know that, don't you, cause I left you a comment.

I love all of you and you are worth WAAAAY more than 2+ hours of my time, anytime and always!

I am too tired now, my fingers and back (as I have a suck-a.s.s. chair, gotta buy a good one soon) to post my Show and Tell but I will when I wake up. Its 3:330am here now....

Love to you all and lots of congrats/hugs/cheer-ups on all of your ultrasounds, babies, families babies, sending good thoughts when you're feelin down, fantastic writings, vacations, prayers and all the rest of the things you beautiful bloggers wrote about that I read tonight.

I truly admire, respect and am thankful to all of you....you make this IF (b.i.t.c.h) easier to deal with and I am honored to "know" all of you!

Much love....xoxoxoxoxox

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Missing in action...real action!

hey hey all. still here just been too busy to log in. I know , i should never be too busy to post a shorty, but I have and will not let it slip so far again. (loser i know...)

my kids start Tuesday and I have been so busy preparing stuff for them as the school has yet to write the curriculum for me. how hard is getting stuff ready for 3.5 - 4.5 year olds, not hard really. G.o.d bless this internet I swear and the teachers who share so much information, it is beyond awesome!

anyway just wanted to say hey and I am planning a Show N Tell about starting school and some funny things related to it.

i miss you all and will catch up with you soon. xoxoxoxox