school starts tomorrow!

Wow! It’s been almost a month since I have written! Things just got so busy that I never had the energy to write.  Plus it was always same ol’ same ol’.

I start teaching tomorrow! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! I’m totally excited but super nervous as well.  I’m pretty much ready to go, there are just some minor details that I need to take care of and if they don’t get done, not a big deal.  I highly doubt the kids will care.  It’s stuff like putting their names on their "going home" mailboxes.  Since they don’t have anything yet, it doesn’t matter.

I have a great time planning math lessons.  We have this new program we’ve adopted called "Growing with Mathematics" and it’s super fun.  It comes with all sorts of gadgets and toys for the kids to count and group and such.  I think it will be a great program.

My biggest frustration comes from trying to plan literacy lessons.  We have this thing callede Balanced Literacy or CELL/ExLL where we have to incorporate about 7 different aspects of literacy into EACH DAY of school.  Well, that’s nearly impossible so I don’t have it planned for every day, but for usually 4 out of 5 days.  It’s hard stuff!!!!  At least with math we have a schedule of when to teach what but literacy, I’m on my own!  I’m sure my mentor is wondering how many more questions I can come up with about literacy.  She has been WONDERFUL at helping me.  She has given me lots of ideas and resources.  Pretty much, it’s decided how to sequence my lessons.  I guess I’ll have to do and learn as I go.  I want so much for my kids to feel successful and I’ve got lots who probably don’t speak much English.

Seka has been great through all this.  He does whatever I tell him if he’s helping in my classroom and I’m sure that a lot of the tasks are mundane and boring, like cutting things out, for example.  Bless his heart! Without him I couldn’t have had my room ready for back-to-school night on Wednesday. Yay for sweet husbands.  He deserves blessing especially because I’ve been gone a lot and a little bratty.  I hate to admit that, but it’s true!

Well, that’s about all.  MY family comes into town tomorrow.  All of my sisters are in college and my parents will be empty-nesters.  That’s kind of weird! I’m sure they’ll love it, though.

Love,
MSeka