What a year...

I must say this has been one of the most "trying" years of teaching that I have had...and it's only the 2nd month of school! But, after 5 years of teaching...this by far is the most frustrating and challenging. There are some days that I really feel like I just want to run like the wind out of the building and not even look back! We all have those days. They come and they go, sometimes they come more often than we'd like. I read an awesome blog today, and I'm going to include some of it here. After my day today, it really made me feel better reading it. It's about the first day of school...and thoughts for the year.

HOPES and PROMISES...
Those first few moments of nervousness, of anticipation hold such hope. How I wish that we could capture and bottle that energy. How I wish that nothing would infect and diminish the hope of the first day of school. For we all arrive the first day feeling it - students, teachers, administrators. Its ability to empower us into positive action is undeniable.

RESOLVED...
Let us resolve that we will capture the first day snapshot in our minds and also our spirit. That as the inevitable downtrodden days arrive when we are tired and short on passion, with too much to do, we will relive the first day moment and be recharged with the hopes and power of a new day.


Let us resolve to start each day as if it were the first day.
* To leave the troubles of a day behind us.
* To greet each child and colleague each day with a fresh view.
* To find new possibilities in every day.
* To dream of what is possible, not impossible.
* To look forward and find the way to make a difference.

Wow! I was really moved by this~ *RESOLVE* How true, yet sometimes how hard to do when you feel like you've tried everything possible to just reach those few students who seem to throw the dynamics of the entire classroom off.
As an educator sometimes you just have to take a deep breath...and think (as a buddy of mine always says) "It is what it is".

Too many ideas...

I have way to many ideas...Sometimes I think I need to just breathe and slow down! I have this "to do" list that is an arms length long...and feel like I have no time to do it all! The students are doing great with Kidspiration. I think it's time to move on to podcasting and possibly creating vokis. I'd like each student to create one at some point this year. However, I would definitely have to pull students back 3 at a time to do it, and at this point that seems impossible. I would also like to begin the "Our City" podcast project. Morpheus Fortuna will be visiting us December 1st...and I want my kids to be more familiar with podcasting and possibly creating a slide show of Morpheus. I need to remember that it'll take double time to do things with 1st graders though! Geesh... Hopefully I'll get a plan and have all of these ideas figured out soon!

It's been awhile...

Today was great! Jim, our tech. guy really hooked me up! I now have 3 Apple student computers in my room...AND the best hook up...he brought me a new projector! I am so excited! It will be awesome to use when we "video conference" using SKYPE with Mrs. Abernethy's class in Greenville, PA.
We have been doing a unit on pets and Mrs. Abernethy's 5th grade class has lots of pets! My students came up with questions to ask her students about the pets. It was a great way to "video conference" and connect with another classroom. My kids LOVED it! They were so amazed to actually see the animals and the students!
I love to see the excitement on their faces when I tell them we're headed to the lab or we're video conferencing! These students are so eager to experience new things...and I am definitely ready to expose them to how exciting technology is!