Wednesday, January 16, 2013

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....

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

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, January 14, 2013

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!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

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.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

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.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Day 1

I have only been subbing for my long term class one day and I can already tell that I am going to love it!

I was nervous that I wasn't going to get everything done or be able to find anything, but today was a success. For things I wasn't sure of, I asked my kids or the teacher next door to me. My neighbor, Kristen, is a huge help. I can already tell that we are going to get along great and form a friendship. I am looking forward to getting to know her better.

Today the kids and I started to read a Junie B. Jones book. When I was a kid my parents bought me all of the Junie B. books, so it is super fun to read them to my class. The kids love it! I am so glad such a good book is still being read by little kiddos.

During my student teaching I played a Jeopardy review game with my third graders and kinders. The class and I sped through our language today, so tomorrow we are going to play a review jeopardy game of the material. It should be fun.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Lack of Wisdom

I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday season! Matt and I went to Las Vegas for two nights and came home on Christmas Eve. We had a great time! Here is a picture of us on Christmas Eve. I just love our shirts. It is going to become a tradition to wear ;)


Everyone makes the resolution to eat healthier for the New Year, but I have already done that in the past, so I am taking a different path. Here are my top 5 resolutions:

1. Become a better teacher (apply myself more and soak in what others have to offer)
2. Become a better partner to Matt
3. Be more understanding/patient of others
4. Go parasailing with my sister
5. Save more (I failed at this last year)

Two days after Christmas I had my wisdom teeth extracted. Most people don't have a problem getting their teeth taken out, but I was literally in bed in pain for a full week. On New Year's Eve I went to bed at 9:00. Today I was finally able to get out amongst them without taking a nap or taking seriously strong medication (I am still on a high dose of Motrin though... ugh). Matt and my family took great care of me. They constantly checked up on me and helped in any way I needed. I can honestly say, I never want to relive the experience of getting my teeth out again. So glad it is over!! I hope I am fully recovered by the time I go back to work on Monday. My bottom tooth is still in pain but not nearly as bad as it has been in the past. Please pray!

I start my long term sub job on Monday! I am so excited- I cannot even explain! I am a little nervous though too. I have a lot of experience working in the other grades at my school so I have been able to build relationships with a lot of other staff members, but I am not close to the staff in my grade and tend to be shy at first, so hopefully I won't have a hard time getting to know the other teachers in my pod. I have had several dreams about my class and I can vividly remember the one from last night. The kids in my dream were AWFUL but none of the students in my dream are in my class so hopefully this is not a sign of things to come. I think I am just excited-nervous and my mind is playing tricks on me. I still feel extremely blessed to have been given this opportunity, though. I probably won't be able to sleep Sunday because I will be so excited.