Busy Busy Week!

So sorry for not updating at all last week! By the time I got home every night I was pooped out and forgot to update this bad boy. Let me fill you in on the highlights...

I love my class, obviously. There is no question about that. I am becoming very attached to them and I know it is going to be realllly hard to give them back.

On Tuesday and Wednesday I taught my ELA common core lesson to students. The books that they had to make about wild cats were AMAZING! I was reading through them and they all did above and beyond what I had expected. I am so proud of them.

My students have a cultural performance on the 31st and I feel kind of bad because I still don't know all of the hand moves so I am always peeking over at the other teachers and following along with them. I am sure everything will run smoothly though.

There is a little girl in my class who loves to tell me stories. In the middle of a lesson she raised her hand and told me I'm invited to her tea party birthday party in a few months. Then she raised her hand in the middle of math and told me a story about her dad. I eventually had to tell her to tell me her stories during recess because she was getting me off track. I love hearing her stories though. Too cute.

I'm not sure if you have heard the "Gangnam Style" style song or watched the dance, but one of the little boys in my class does the dance every day! I don't even think he realizes that he is doing it, but it is seriously the cutest thing ever. I totally get that kids can't sit for all hours of the day so I let them stand behind their chairs if they are becoming restless. This boy was reading a story and he just started randomly doing the Gangnam Style dance. Lord it made me sad that I had to make him stop and read his book because it was hilarious.

I am getting nervous about having a job next year. I am praying something comes along. It is so stressful not knowing if I will still be subbing next year or if I will have my own classroom!

Still loving my time and thankful for this experience. I don't want it to end.

Pictures of the Week:

One of my students drew that for me and then requested that I take a picture of it so I don't forget about what it looks like. ;)

My friend Katie sent this to me in an email. She is so presh.


Quotes of the Week:

1.
Me: Zip those lips!
Student: And plant those hips?

2.
(Referring to a necklace that says M C on it)
Student: Miss. Hobbs what does your necklace mean?
Me: It means Matt loves Cassie. My boyfriend got it for me for Christmas. His name is Matt and my name is Cassie.
Student: Cassie Hobbs? That's weird. Are you and your boyfriend married?
Me: Nope.
Student: Why won't he marry you?
Me: You should write him a letter and ask him.
Student: That is a great idea!

3.
Student 1: Next Christmas I am going to bring you a present.
Student 2: Mrs. Wilson will be back by then.
Student 1: Well, Ms. Hobbs will be here too so I will bring them both a present.

4.
Me: I love all of my students because you're all rock stars.
Student: We love you too Miss. Hobbs, but only as a teacher or else that would just be weird.

Fun Friday

Today was a fast day! We had a morning flag ceremony and it seemed to throw the whole day off, but don't worry- we got through it with flying colors!

Friday's are testing day which can get a little crazy but I loveeee watching my students perform their weekly poem. It is seriously the cutest thing to watch them perform. Love it!

Next week I have to teach a common core lesson and I am feeling a little overwhelmed and nervous about it. My students have to watch a movie, read two stories, take notes on the movie and stories and then write a book on what we read. Oooof. I teach FIRST grade! Who had to write a book in first grade??? Today we practiced learning how to take notes and wrote a book about penguins to help them practice for next week. My students did a great job! I am so proud of them. Hopefully the lesson goes just as fab as our practice round did today.

Quote of the Day:

Student: "Miss. Hobbs, we have decided that we don't want you to leave us."

Pictures of the Day:

"Miss. Hobbs I drew this picture of us because you are my best friend." =)

I love that he wrote me as his teacher! And seriously-- "God Loves Me" --- so precious.

Tangerines

Days like today help remind me why I chose this profession. I love my kids. Love love love love love love love them! Even when they make me crazy and don't listen, or make me sad, they always find a way to make me happy.

This morning before school started I was on playground duty and three girls in my class ran up to me. They asked me a question that I didn't know the answer to and one of the girls said "Miss. Hobbs, are you losing your marbles again?" I always say that I am losing my marbles when I forget to do something or can't find something, so it was cute to hear my student ask me that today.

I had to write a note home to a parent today for a student's behavior. I absolutely love this student but sometimes he makes a poor decision. After school I talked to him and he was so sweet. "Miss. Hobbs, I am so sorry. Tomorrow will be a better day for me." Oh my gosh, so sweet.

I figured that due to the weather and the constant chatter, I would switch up the seating arrangement and see if that improved the talking situation. Luckily, it did! Woohoo.


My students took their comprehension test today and everyone got an A and almost everyone got an A on their math test too. I feel like a winner. Ding Ding!

Quote of the Day:

Me- We are getting new seats today.
Student- Yes!!! I hope I get to sit by my cutie-pa-tootie
Me- Oooooh. Do you have a crush on someone?
Student- YUCK Miss. Hobbs!!! I only call him a cutie-pa-tootie because he looks like a tangerine! Get it? Cutie....

Wind

It is official, the wind makes students crazy-- and makes my backpack cart fall into a ditch. I am so not a fan. After school I went to Burlington Coat Factory and bought a wind breaker jacket for this weather.

Quote of the Day:

Me: Boys and Girls! I don't know who is screaming or why, but that is completely inappropriate.
(silence from my class)
Student: Miss. Hobbs, I will admit- I was one of the ones screaming. I promise to be better next time.

Even when they make me mad, they know how to make me happy.

Monday Funday!

Today was the coldest day in Los Angeles since 1990. Take the weather, add wind, and you've got yourself one heck of a miserably cold day. I was not a fan. I set my heater to 92 degrees in the classroom and my class and I were still freezing. I think we have problems. I have no idea how I have family living in snow. No thank you!

I have a new student! Phew- I was so nervous that my student would be out of control, but he seems to fit right on in with my class. Thank goodness!

I am getting more comfortable teaching the material to my class. In the morning I sit down and go over my day's lessons so that I know I have everything ready. I feel that I am making the phonics lessons more complicated than it needs to be, but I am getting there. Woo!

It is only day 5 of working with my students and I can already tell that I am going to have a hard time giving them back to Danielle when she returns.I am so glad that I have been able to work with these kids in kindergarten and now in first grade. I love watching them grow and transform from babies to little kids. If I could I would follow them all the way through 5th grade. Love em.

Pinterest is giving me lots of new ideas for little Friday art crafts for my students. Hopefully we will end up having time to do a couple before Valentine's Day. We shall see!



Quotes of the Day:

1.
Student: Ms. Hobbs, this weekend I went to Big Bear and my stepdad belted me in the face with a snowball!

2.
Student 1: Miss. Hobbs you are the best teacher ever!
Student 2: What about Mrs. Wilson?
Student 1: Mrs. Wilson and Miss. Hobbs are the same person practically so they are both the best!

Whine Wednesday

Still loving my students. Today my class was a little antsy and too talkative so tomorrow I am going to have to make sure that I am on top of my classroom management game.

I am becoming more familiar with the classroom and being able to find different things which is always nice. I have been able to finish little things that need to get done for next week, so tomorrow I will just need to grade tests and enter them into the system. Friday is a student-free day, and I have only been to one, so we shall see what it entails.

My students are practicing for their cultural performance. Today they had to practice with other classes. We have been practicing the poem together a little, but today was the first official day I worked with them and other classes on the music. I felt like such a weirdo staring at the other teachers doing the hand moves while I was trying to copy them and keep up. I need to tell my kids to look at Kristen instead of me so I don't mess us up! Good times.

Some of my third graders from last year came in and said hi to me. Their classroom is in the pod across from mine. They are so big and look so old now... my heart hurts. In the morning my favorite guy from last year came up and started talking to me. I just love him. He is the sweetest kid of all time. I still miss those kids and I haven't been their student teacher in over a year. Crazy how fast time flies.

My friend Kristine has a new student teacher. She is trying to become total bff's with this new gal, but we all know that Burkey-Burke and I have a special bond. Don't break the Burke-Hobbs BFF bond or else!!!

I am pooped out today!

Quote of the Day:

Student: Ms. Hobbs how long will you be our sub for?
Me: For a while buddy, why?
Student: Well, I was just wondering because I really like having you for a teacher.

Toothless Tuesday

I thought that this week I would be running around like a chicken with her head cut off because I'm still getting into the groove of things, but I haven't really felt like that at all. Between everything that Danielle left for me, how organized she is, and help from Kristen, things have been running extremely well! I am so grateful!

This morning we took a picture and sent it to Danielle to tell her congrats on her new baby boy. When I showed the kids pictures of the baby, all of the kids "oooohed" and "ahhhhed". In my head I was thinking about how people still probably "oooh" and "ahhh" at their own pictures, because let's face it, first graders are still practically little babies.

One of my students lost his tooth earlier this morning before school and another student lost hers after lunch. Yesterday two other students lost their teeth! The Tooth Fairy has sure been busy this week in my classroom! When my student lost her tooth at school she went to the nurse and received a little necklace to put her tooth in. At the end of the day her tooth was missing from her necklace and I swear she just about had a heart attack! Luckily after about ten minutes of her searching and me reassuring her that the Tooth Fairy would still come, we finally found it sitting on her desk. Oh my word. So much drama for a six year old. Then my other student walked up to me about four times while I was testing and asked me for a sticker for losing his tooth. Finally, after telling him about a thousand times that I would get him a sticker after I was finished testing, I realized we were all out of tooth stickers. Womp Womp Womppppp. Poor guy! Luckily Kristen had one for each of my two toothless kids today. Whew- Crisis averted.