Rough week

What a terrible few days I've had.
I am trying to get back on track but I think I just need the weekend to recharge and reflect.
Send me some positive vibes! I sure could use them!!

Here is my behavior chart in my classroom. This is behind my CT's desk so don't mind all the papers strewn about. It seems to be working..on this day a lot of kiddos moved up. Today, however, no one made it to pink. I realized that I was wasn't balancing it out enough. So I had to make some adjustments to my management.










The other night we had an alumni mentor night, with food, mock interviews and q and a's with alumni. Such a neat experience. I was against it at first but it seemed to actually be helpful - I took four pages of notes like a crazy person.

It is Read Across America week in celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday and on Wednesday we could dress up like a storybook character! I was Thing 1 and my CT was Thing 2 - put on a red shirt and make a ghetto circle label - easy peasy.



I'll leave with this quote.. 

"You have to have a bad day every once in a while... otherwise you'll never know what a good day feels like."

That is all I feel like writing for now.
 

Loves.

Takeover day 1

Good evening!
Today, either allergies or a cold hit me like a ton of bricks. I can't breathe through my nose and have a serious headache. Bleh.

So I introduced my new behavior chart to the kids, they saw the new colors first thing when they walked in and started asking me about it. The slightest bit of change makes them crazy! They thought the idea of clipping their names onto me was hilarious!
I really like making my classroom management have a really positive focus. I think the kids appreciate it too! I think this thing will work out! I forgot my entire purse today, so I couldn't snap a picture of it - I will tomorrow..maybe..if I remember.
It didn't really seem any different than any other day, my CT was in and out of the room and I taught the whole morning. I do that anyway..maybe it will feel different when she is gone the entire time? I don't think that will happen though because she is incorporated in the reading block. Oh well.

Anyway, Nick is home! After a 5 day baseball trip - he is home! I don't like baseball season for this reason alone - long road trips! I'm so glad to have him back! I've missed him! I made carne asada nachos for dinner (delicious) and we watched Argo.
GREAT MOVIE.
Go rent it! I kept asking Nick a million questions because I'm not the brightest when it comes to historical happenings, but eventually I caught on and was on the edge of my seat!
I didn't even fall asleep (I ALWAYS fall asleep during movies)! I am going to go to sleep now however- gotta wake up early again!

Loves.

I can feel the love!

Ahh!

Posting this blog for you all to see was a great thing to do!
It has only been posted for two hours and I already feel the love from you all!
I am trying to prep for this week, but I'm so distracted by this blog, that I might as well write some actual content since I can't seem to get anything else done.

So I am done teaching my unit on opinion writing in first grade. The kids did so well with it! Now I have to chart their growth and reflect on their learning - sounds fun right? NO - I can't figure out how to make the charts work.
Anyone know how to make it so bar graph (excel) has a maximum number threshold? For example, I need all of the charts to be out of 4..so the top number on the bar graph needs to be 4 because that is the maximum number of points for the assignment. As of right now, if they got a 2.5.. it makes the maximum number a 3.5..if they got a 3.5..it makes the maximum number 4.5. So it skews the whole chart making it seem like student A's assignment was out of 3.5 and student B's assignment was out of 4.5.
I need help with that so comment below or text me or email me or something.
I NEED TO GET THAT DONE!

Anyways, so I am doing a lot of reflecting on my unit as I'm starting my half day takeover starting tomorrow. I'm not nervous for it or anything, I know there will be good days where the kids are angels and I know there will be bad days where they make me cry. But, hey..story of my life.

My district doesn't allow us to stray from our reading curriculum..so I can't change really anything content wise so I am adding to our existing behavior management system. Right now, we have green(good behavior), yellow(slightly disruptive/slightly good behavior), red(disruptive behavior).. students have clothespins with their names and they can only move down. So I am adding blue above the green and purple above the blue. The blue will be for great behavior, and the purple will be for fabulous behavior. Once a student gets to fabulous behavior, the five minutes before lunch, I will have those students get their clothespin and pin it on me for everyone to see! Students will see it, teachers will see it, everyone will see how wonderful they have been that morning! Once I come back to the classroom, I will put there clothespins back on the chart and they will continue on throughout the day. At the end of the day, my CT will give out slips of paper that have the color they received (this is already implemented - I will just add my two colors to her stack). My ideal is that students who have been showing disruptive behavior will see others names getting clipped to me and yearn to be able to do the same!
I am really trying to stress positive reinforcement!!

It seems like it will get out of hand and quite possibly fall to pieces...but now is my time to do crazy things like this. I'm really excited to introduce them to it tomorrow morning - my kids love it when I do silly things with them, so I hope they like this!

I will take a picture of it after I make it (getting to the school super early tomorrow) and reflect on how it went in tomorrows post!


Maybe I will get some stuff done now that I got this post out of my system!

Loves.

Testing, testing..

Finding the perfect blogging site has turned out to be fairly difficult.
I'm going to give blogger a try for now - I have a tumblr blog that I have tried to use, but it didn't feel user friendly enough.

I'm going to be brave and post this for friends and family to see this time around. I also want to post more often - imagine that!
I have a link to the right of your screen that allows you to follow my blog by email - so you can be emailed when I post.

This blog will be about my life, teaching, my relationships, my everything. I'm just going to let it all out! It may or may not be entertaining, but join me on this ride.

Please comment or give me feedback - I need to feel like SOMEONE other than myself is reading this.
(and so I don't feel like a crazy person talking to myself)

Enjoy your Sunday! It is beautiful out!