A lovely visit

With all that is going on in life, I think sometimes taking the time to be around the little creatures that mean the most makes me realize why I love my job. Today was the kindergarten promotion celebration, but before going to their promotion I visited 3rd grade for a while. I had the students sign my yearbook and a few of the kids drew me pictures. Some of the things students wrote in my yearbook made me want to cry. They are all so sweet! I think I really need to start to keep a scrapbook. Between all of the artwork I have collected from kinder and third grade I swear I could make a book, so why not make it a scrapbook?

The kinder celebration went really well. I felt like a proud mama watching my students walk up to receive their awards. I can only imagine what emotions I will have when I have kids of my own. I will probably cry every time my kid receives an award.

Pictures of the day:

Pictures my 3rd graders made me:

Yearbook Notes:

Heimlich Maneuver Wednesday

I think it is time for my kinders to go on summer break. They can all feel it coming, so I vote we let them go home and drive their parents bonkers, yes? Yes.

Overall, today was a pretty good day. My kids were too talkative, but really, when aren't they? I was sooooooo glad, however, that when the principal made a surprise visit to the classroom my kids were on topic and were being quiet. Bonus points to them!!!

Today I had the scariest moment in my career thus far. During snack time my kids were all eating and talking when all of the sudden a little boy in my class started to choke on a chip! At first I thought he was ok, then his face started to turn bright red and he started to cough louder, I wanted to scream to the morning teacher for help because I was having a minor freak out moment in my head, but I quickly ran over and told the student to stand up and put his hands over his head. When he refused to get up, I put my arms underneath his armpits and lifted him from the lunch table to a standing position. I pulled his hands over his head and had him keep coughing until he was no longer choking. If he had kept going any longer I really thought I was going to have to give him the heimlich, and I probably would have cried. Thankfully though, he stopped choking, but as soon as he did he started to cry. Poor fella. I had him go inside and get a drink of water. One of the little boys in my class started to laugh at the little boy who was choking. When another boy noticed, he yelled saying, "It's not funny! People can die from choking!" I was so proud of my little guy. He stuck up for his classmate. I can tell that he is growing up and is ready to move onto first grade.

I have been thinking a lot about fostering a child or adopting a baby when I get older. At the school I am at there are a lot of foster kids. I feel like some foster parents really care about the well being of the child while some are only in it for monetary reasons. It is really sad to see some of the kids that are in the foster system not receive the same amount of family support than those that are not in the system. Every child deserves to be loved and to be the center of someone's world. I hate knowing that some of my kids aren't being treated the way that they deserve.

Quotes of the Day:

1.
Student: Miss. Hobbs do you have a mom?
Me: Yes, I have two moms(mom and stepmom).
Student: (eyes get big) Do you know how old she is?
Me: Yep.
Student: (eyes get even bigger and she turns around and walks away)

2.
Student: Miss. Hobbs I am leaving for Ireland on your birthday.
Me: Wow, is Ireland green?
Student: Oh yeah, it is even greener than a crayon and his shirt.
Me: That sounds really nice.
Student: Yeah. You know Miss. Hobbs, you're my favorite teacher. (tilts head and smiles)

3.
(During Tiger Cub Interview)
Student 1: Who is your favorite teacher? Like do you prefer Mrs. Shouer, Miss. Hobbs, or Mrs. Lee?
Student 2: (after a lot of contemplation) Miss. Hobbs

4.
Student 1: (angrily) My sister told me that you teach other classes!!! Is that true Miss. Hobbs?!
Class: (Gasps all around the carpet)
Me: Well, yes. Before I came here I taught third grade in Mrs. Burke's room, and sometimes when I am not here I go to different classrooms at different schools and am their teacher for the day.
Student 2: I don't like that.

First Grade Visitation

Today was quite a good, but tiring day. I feel like waking up to sub is becoming harder and harder the closer it gets to summer. However, once I got to school, everything was just dandy. I had some prep work to do, but Kristine helped me by having the third graders assemble some work for me. Thank the lord, because it would have taken forever! It was pretty funny to watch all 30 kids form an assembly line and stack pages together. I am so thankful though! Kristine really is one of my best friends at Solorio. It is nice to go into the room and hang out with her when I am subbing the babies.

The kinders took a field trip to a first grade classroom today. I think once I mentioned that they had to sit in the room and listen to a story all of their faces went white. I could tell that they were really scared to meet a first grade teacher and see what the classroom was like. Once we entered the room my kids were more quiet than they have ever been! It was shocking and pretty funny. The teacher we visited was also the reading buddy teacher for my third graders, and I just think she is one of the nicest teachers at Solorio, so for my kinders to be scared is kind of silly. I have total confidence that they will succeed in 1st grade.

Mother's Day Tea

I know I told you I would post about the Mother's Day Tea on Friday, but I clearly lied. I have been studying for my final, so my post was delayed. Fear not, however, because here is the update about the tea.

The tea was beautiful. The teachers did a wonderful job setting up and my students were so stinkin' cute! I love them.

Today I registered for my last two classes at La Verne! It was a little bittersweet. Sweet because they are my last two but bitter from the amount that just left my bank account. I can't wait to have my master's... now all I need is a job to go with it.

This summer I am tutoring a little boy that is going into 4th grade for 8 hours a week. I need to teach him all of the important 4th grade content standards. Since next week is my last week at La Verne for the semester, I need to start getting lesson plans ready. We will see how it goes. I hope I can teach him all the information before the new year. Eeeeek. His family is wonderful though. They go to school in Claremont and his mom is PTA president. If I could get in good with the district that would be positive.

zoom zoom back to kindergarten

Hola blogger friends!

I went back and subbed for my babies today. It is kind of silly to admit, but I totally love going back and having my time with them. They make me laugh and give me something to do during the day. I love seeing them smile. Today they were shocked to see me in the morning. I love their surprised faces.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day Tea, so I will be going back to see the kids perform for their moms. Letty has been telling me all about the tea, so I am excited to be a part of it this year. I will have to fill you in all of the details tomorrow.

During snack time I let my kids go out to play a little early. That was the worst idea ever! Another kinder class was already outside playing. The kids all LOVE a little basketball hoop that is outside. I was watching students play when all of the sudden a child from another class pushed my kid! The mama bear instinct in me came out as soon as I saw my kid get pushed. I was so upset that I think the look on my face scared the kid a little. When I asked why he pushed my student he said that he didn't.... this kid should know by now not to lie to a teacher, but clearly he didn't, so I scared him even more and started to use hand gestures saying that I saw him push my kid. I think Letty could tell that I was upset about the whole situation because she came and calmly talked to the students about it. Phew, if she hadn't come over I would have sent that kid straight to the table to sit down. Now you know, don't touch my babies or I will give you my scariest face!

Tomorrow night ULV is having a dinner for all of the student teachers who have completed their student teaching. I am so excited to finally have come to this point in my life. I want to learn all about the quickest way to get my credential in the system and take time to celebrate the completion of the last five years of getting to this point.

Quote of the Day:

As we are walking to the Multipurpose Room:
Student: (touching a pole that helps hold the building up) Miss. Hobbs, I really love this pole!

Open House

I surprised my kids today by going back to Solorio to help set up for open house. I swear the best feeling in the world is having the little boogers run up to me and give me a hug. I didn't think I would go through kindergarten withdrawals, but even after one day of being gone, I was so glad to be able to go visit the kids today. I love seeing their faces and hearing their stories. I especially love what they say when they don't know I am listening.

After school Letty and I set up for open house a little, but for the most part her and the parents already had the majority of it done. The room looked amazing!! I couldn't stop staring at everything!

I ate dinner with Kristine and a couple other student teachers and another master teacher. I love listening to Kristine. She can always make me laugh.

During open house I was able to see a lot of my kids from both kinder and 3rd grade. It was really nice, but kind of sad realizing that they only have like 10 days left of school before they move onto the next grade. My dad and stepmom also came to open house which was really great. They were able to see where I have been working for the last school year. It meant a lot to me that they came.

While at open house a couple of parents walked up to me and we talked for a little while.One of my kinder parents walked up to me and thanked me for everything I had done for her daughter and the rest of the class. She said that I did an amazing job with the students and is grateful that her daughter was able to work with me. It is comments like that that allow me to stop questioning why I chose this profession. This mom is in the classroom a lot helping out and working with students. For her to take the time and thank me for the work I have done with the students really meant something to me. The fact that a parent said I did a great job meant something so much more than my university supervisor or master teacher... I feel like Judy and Letty are required to throw positive words towards me, but not parents. The fact that she took the time to talk to me made me feel like I had done something right in these children's lives. There were times when I felt like I was an awful kindergarten teacher, but the fact that she said she enjoyed watching me connect and teach the students really made an impact on me. I have had warm fuzzies all night thanks to her. =)

I will be going back to kinder Friday to sub, and next week I am subbing on Tuesday and Wednesday for Letty too, so it is kind of like I haven't really left at all, which is nice.

Here are the pics from our kinder room. I forgot to take pics of Kristine's.

Hula Party!

Here is the video of my kids dancing at the hula party! Enjoy!