Old Enough To Be Your Mom

Well, I taught my lesson and it went well!! Except one part...which I hadn't written into my lesson plan...my mentor made a suggestion and I went with it and everything started falling apart...quick like! So, I had to think fast and pull everything back together again! Ugh, my suggestion to mentor teachers...don't suggest something when an intern is already in the middle of their lesson! Ha! The kids really loved the book! Everyone was excited to do the assignment I gave them...except ONE...he absolutely did not want to do it...even threw his pencil across the table and crumbled his paper. Awesome! I finally got him calmed down and told him it wasn't as hard as he thought...and he ended up finishing before his whole table!

My funny of the day was when one little girl said, "You're old enough to be a teenager!" Hmm, I'm old enough to be your mama honey, is what I thought!! I told her I was older than a teenager and she said "No, because you're still in school!" I tried explaining I was in college...not high school...but I just got a blank stare in return!

Next Wednesday I'm subbing for my mentor while she's at the college learning what to do with me! ;) I'm kinda scared!! I will be solely responsible for 18 little bodies ALL day...alone! Say a little prayer for me!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Well, I survived last week! Let me just tell you...afternoon car duty is for the birds!! Really...there's like 6,567 (or 150) kids waiting to be picked up by their parents/guardians and then there's the "runner" teacher who goes out and reads the signs with the students name on the vehicle windshield and then she announces over this super loud speaker...the students then have to walk to the front, grab a teacher's hand (see, more touching!) and that teacher takes the student to ANOTHER teacher who then takes the child to their waiting vehicle. I'm sure it's great for parents but not so great for the teachers who have to sit in the gym with the students and wait! I have car duty every Wednesday after school and every other Wednesday before school!

Tomorrow I teach my first lesson to the class. I'm doing a sequence lesson using the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar book by Eric Carle. It's really cute and I even made the graphic organizer myself! Speaking of...guess I need to print that out before I forget. That would be just my luck! I'll let you guys know how it goes...

Kindergarten?! Oh, no...

Well, welcome to my little blog. I'm Mrs. T and I'm currently doing an internship in a Kindergarten class. Let me first say, I threatened to quit school if I got Kinder for my internship. I absolutely, positively, did NOT want kinder! I would have happily chosen pimple faced, attitude problem, hormonal, 6th graders over kinder. In the teaching world they say it takes a SPECIAL person to work with kinder kids, and trust me, I'm not one of them. But, my cards have been dealt, and I will have to deal with it! I must admit, I think I got lucky with the class I got because my first day wasn't as bad as I thought....check back with me in a few weeks and see if I still think the same thing! ha!

Anyway, someone suggested that we write down all the funny things...or sad things...that happen to us while we're interning and once we begin our teaching career. She said it all goes by so fast and you'll wish you could remember the good times. I also want to journal my last year of college...because Lord knows, I've been working towards graduation loooong enough. No need to mention the number or years but let's just say...I could be a surgeon by now!

And now...my first day in my sweet little kindergarten class...

The principal escorts me down to the kinder hall to meet my mentor teacher (who totally lives in my neighborhood...and I pass her house every single day) and my students. I walk in, nervous, and 18 pairs of eyes flash towards me, I panic...they may want to touch me! Oh, I forgot to mention, I'm a GERM FUH-REAK! Principal introduces me to mentor, mentor introduces me to the students...and then BAM...a SWARM of tiny people are on me...hugging me, holding my hands, wrapping their germy arms around my legs...I freeze...what else is there to do?! And I hear, "Hi..I'm Jane*"..."Hi, my name is John*"...and this happens 18 times. Finally, I squeak out, "Hi, I'm Mrs. T." I think my mentor saw the fear in my eyes and suggested everyone sit back down at their centers and I'd make my rounds to meet everyone. So, I do...and I sit in tiny tiny little blue chairs and talk to every single student. I start to breathe again...until someone coughs on me. And then I meet my funny story for the day...little Adam*...he says, "Hi Mrs. T...I'm Adam Doe* and if you forget my name, I'll keep telling you...so you won't ever forget...but you can just call me Mr. Doe*" Oooh, of course...I can call my students Mr. and Ms.! Duuh!

The rest of the day went about the same...me freaking out about germs...and kids hanging on me. Let me clarify for people that don't know me IRL...I love kids...I love the teaching profession and it has been my desire to teach since I was young...don't take me wrong when I talk about not wanting children to hang on me or cough on me...God just made me to teach upper level elementary. Not kinder...but He's totally testing me this year...and you know, that's ok. I'll make it...and I have a feeling...by the end, I'll love these little people hanging on me!


*All student names have been changed for privacy...and PLEASE, if you do know me IRL, do NOT post my name or location! My students privacy and safety are my number one priority!!!