To bring you all up to date, I finished my 1st year of teaching on a high note and I only cried one time!! Apparently that's a big deal for first year teachers so I'm going to take that as a great feat accomplished. STAAR testing was a booty-kicker but my students worked their booties off and did awesome.
Summer break was 10 full weeks of bliss and I never wanted it to end. I traveled to London and Paris with a couple friends (shout out to Katy, Suz, and the Queen herself) and read a TON of Harry Potter. My parents didn't let my sisters and I read HP growing up because of all the "witchcraft" (they cray) so I officially blame them for me missing out on a bit of my childhood. My twin sis and I (hey hollz) have read HP all summer and she just finished Deathly Hallows, proud of dat gurl. I am not finished with Deathly Hallows yet but I will finish ASAP. I love you 'Arry.
Fast forward to present day and I am a week into my second year of teaching! Y'all being a second year teacher is da bomb. I actually know what I'm doing, what a concept?! Yes, I will continue to learn new things daily and see which things don't work, but it feels good to not be a total newb.
Highlights of my 1st week of my SECOND (holla) year:
1. For one thing, my students from last year are absolutely insane. My district goes up to 6th grade in elementary school so I get to see my students from last year as they walk past my classroom everyday and into their big boy/girl classrooms in 6th grade. I feel the love from them daily as they literally tackle me with hugs (mind you they have each grown about 5 feet in the past two months so this can be problematic) and come into my classroom when school is out. They like to say things like "ohhhh my gosh you wore that shirt last year Ms. Crabtree!!" and then I follow that statement with a look that says they are nuts and I kindly reply "ummmmmmm do you want to pay for a new wardrobe for me each new school year?!" (they have it easy....they wear uniforms). I also got contacts over the summer so I don't rock my glasses every day so my former students think that's absolutely insane. They like to "kindly" tell me "Ms. Crabtree, you look prettier WITH your glasses on" or "Ms. Crabtree, you look WAY better without them." It's just so hard to please 11 year olds these days...and they sure know how to give an opinion............
2. I have received three, count them, THREE, apples this year from 3 different students. I only received one last year so getting three in the first week was pretty humorous. If only they knew I don't really care for red apples......hehe.
3. At the beginning of the year we have the students fill out "Get To Know Me" forms so I couldn't help but share this following bit of info from one of my students' pages. Favorite place to eat: "Chick A Flake."
4. On the first day of school I shared a PowerPoint all about myself and mentioned how I traveled to London and Paris this summer. After sharing this, one of my students (who is actually very bright might I add) asked me "Did you drive to Paris??" to which I replied ".................Nope.... I flew..." to which he exclaimed "PARIS IS AN ISLAND?!".....yep you can betcha bottom dollar that I pulled out an atlas to give a quick geography lesson.... feel free to pray for my students ;)
5. It always seems like sayings that we, as humans, use on the reg usually become part of a pop song so that that normal saying can no longer be said without someone snickering or singing along to what just came out of your mouth. I realized this last week when I started a few of my classes with "Alright, first things first..." which was followed by random bits of "I'm the realest!!" erupting around the room. Yep, it's a struggle teaching older kids sometimes....they know too much about pop culture! But......it is slightly funny :) I've since then substituted "first things first" with "first off" to get rid of the random singing. The things I have to go through.....
6. Having the last name of Crabtree, most of the boys I teach have heard of Michael Crabtree, the football player. Therefore, I never get failed to ask if we are related. Well, on the first day of school these two boys come up to me in class and I hear the following whispered exchange:
Boy 1: You ask!
Boy 2: No, YOU ask!
Boy 1: Ms. Crabtree, are you married to Michael Crabtree, the football player?
Boy 2: (stands there with eyes wide in hopeful anticipation that a pro football player would be coming to career day)
Me: ..............do you see a wedding ring on my finger to even indicate that I'm married?!
Boy 1: (points to Aggie ring as if to answer yes to my wedding ring question)
Me: Yeah, no. This ring is a class ring for the college I went to.
*Boy 1 and Boy 2 walk back to their seats feeling defeated*
7. Lastly, on Friday my students were playing with a dodgeball outside at recess to which they somehow eventually got it lodged high up in a tree. After watching many failed attempts to retrieve the ball by use of throwing shoes and a basketball up there, I walked over and took the basketball, dribbled it a little (for dramatic effect you know) and underhand threw it up in the tree and knocked the dodgeball right out of the tangled limbs. The crowd (students) went wild and I secretly thanked God that I was able to get the ball out on the first try so that I could keep my cool factor I had going ;)
So far, I absolutely LOVE this group of kiddos that I will get the opportunity to teach this year. They are respectful, kind, and have already shown a huge desire to learn. Thank you to my main man Jesus for another year at a wonderful school and for helping me feel prepared, rejuvenated, and ready to teach 75 fifth graders all about Reading and Writing....Oh, and thank you God for giving me the gift of remembering names, I had all their names down on the first day of school. Holla shot colla.
Teacher out,
Ms. Crabtree
No comments:
Post a Comment