FEBRUARY!

It is such a relief to look at the calendar and see that I have already been student teaching for four weeks! I have gotten into the routine of teaching math every day at 9:25, and I am getting to know all of my students pretty well. There are certainly a few that test my authority and that I feel like I spend most of my time correcting them. But oh, the place they already have in my heart!

I have completed one large assignment for CIU, I have one more to go which will be due in a couple of weeks and in the meantime I spend my weekends and evenings lesson planning. Because there isn't a lot of variety in the A Beka curriculum, I am really being challenged to think outside the box and not just do things the way they are normally done but really incorporate my own ideas. I have been able to do this a little in Math, but I am most excited about Science and Bible because I feel like I am overflowing with ideas in those to areas. This might sound cheesy, but I am also excited about teacing Spelling because there are LOTS of fun spelling games and activities out there and I can't wait to bring them to my class.

On a side note, I was searching for a good chapter book to read to my class starting next week and I came across this amazing teacher's blog. She has been teaching for 10 years and you can tell how important she thinks literacy is. If you want to take a look, go to: teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/KRandall1/index.cfm
When I do getting a teaching position, I know I won't be this involved with literary my first year, but I definitely want to grow to become this way. Anyways, from her website I have decided to read Poppy by Avi starting next week, it has suspense, mystery, and imagination. I am very excited to share this book with them!!

As far as my schedule with student teaching, I have taught math for the past two weeks. Monday my cooperating teacher finished a science unit on plants and Tuesday I was supposed to begin a new Animal Unit which will run through the end of February. But I am not at school today! We have a "collossal ice storm" as the weatherman reported last night so they called off school today. So instead of teaching today, I am in my pajamas lesson planning for the rest of the week. I am expecting several two hour delays for the rest of this week though, which is okay with me :) So I will being teaching science tomorrow if we have school, and Monday I will begin teaching Black History Month, we are studying George Washington Carver and MLK JR (which I found some great books to do read alouds with!).

Last week we had a pajama and pizza party which the kids loved! This week we have snow and ice which means less school, which they love too!

Thanks for reading, I appreciate ALL of you and your encouragement!!