Ms. H and the awesome, wonderful, all-good, very great day

Today's blog post is the opposite of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. Just one of those days where everything "clicked" and everyone got along. What was so great? Let me break it down for you:

1. A student who has been struggling came up to fill in a letter in our Morning Message and didn't know what to do. He turned to the class and said "can someone help me?" in his sweet little voice and 17 hands flew into the air. Melt my heart.

2. My kids got a great report from the Music and Guidance teachers- they sometimes struggle, so good behavior in those classes was great news!

3. They were all SUPER quiet during Language Centers- this meant I actually could pull my small groups instead of redirecting and shushing kids.

4. We got our 5th "green" in the cafeteria that the kids have been working hard for. This meant that they ALL had great behavior and it was recognized. Their reward was watching a video during snack time, so they were really excited.

5. It was a gorgeous day and everyone got to play at recess :) no kids sitting in time-out

6. my whole class, EVERYONE, ended the day on "blue" which is HUGE! It hasn't happened yet this year, so we really celebrated! Did a cheer and everyone got a piece of candy from the pumpkin on the way out the door :)

The best part? My kids KNEW they did great today. I'm hoping it will continue over to tomorrow, because ending the week on high note is always a great start to the weekend. So proud of my kids today! Days like this make me love my job!!

Things I'm Loving

I wish I had some cute pictures of the things I've been doing with my kinders for the past 11 days (can you believe we've been in school 11 days already?? crazy!) But I don't. But I can give you a list of the things I'm loving about my new school.

Here it is, in no particular order:
1. there's a supply closet!!! sharpies, sentence strips, index cards, pencils, you name it. It's heaven.
2. an active PTO- makes all the difference in the world
3. involved parents- I email them, and they email me back! I'm already on a first name basis with most, and I love that.
4. my kids are SUPER sweet
5. my new K team is amazing
6. the classrooms are really big but they go back, so they're actually really close together (read- I can run next door for something and still hear my kids)
7. the faculty has been really welcoming
8. my principal has been in my room at least 4 times to make sure I have everything I need
9. my principal has been in twice to check lesson plans. I love the accountability.
10. I get out of school at 3:00 instead of 3:45. I have a life again!

There are lots others, but there's my top 10. I am so happy where I am, and I can tell this is going to be a great school year!!

What's been going on

I am so sorry I haven't posted in a month! Things have been a little busy around here...I'm ENGAGED!!! In about a year from now I won't be Ms. H anymore, I'll be Mrs. A. Wonder what to do with my cute teacher bag? Oh well, too many wedding plans to worry about that!

It was also my birthday at the beginning of the month and my awesome parents got me an iPad! I feel a little extravagant getting such an elaborate (and expensive) gift, but I'm using it in my classroom so it serves many purposes. I'm just beginning to explore with apps and such, but my kids love it! Today they were all wanting a turn on in during rest time, not realizing that I'm using it as an "intervention" for some low performing babies.

Here are some fun (and FREE!) apps I've found:

Source: myfirstapp.com via Clare on Pinterest

Source: myfirstapp.com via Clare on Pinterest

The first one is called "My Mosaic" and the 2nd is "Sort It Out". They are both free and come from myfirstapp.com. Both are great for problem solving, sorting, visual discrimination, etc. Can't wait to find more. Any suggestions?

Tax Free Weekend!!

This weekend in TN it is "Tax Free Weekend". That means that all school supplies, clothes up to $100 and computers up to $1500 are tax free. If you're a teacher, that makes a big difference! Especially when tax is almost 10%.

Normally for TFW I wake up super early and hit up Wal-Mart first thing Friday morning before the crowds get too crazy. But I was out of town so I had to settle for going at 4:30pm on a Saturday. It was nuts!! I found most of what I needed for my class, as you can see:

The sweetest part of the trip, however, was helping all the families decipher the school supply lists. Looking at my cart, it was pretty obvious I am a teacher (or some crazy person who buys 50 green folders and 16 pencil boxes). So people kept asking me questions. I was more than glad to help. I even abandoned my quest for green 3 brad folders to help a super sweet Hispanic family find the certain type of folder their list required. I had some nice conversations with grandmothers, fathers, and even a few kids. It was great! Once again, an experience that solidified the idea that teaching is what is meant for me. So thankful for my job! Can't wait for the kids to come on Thursday!!

p.s. stay tuned, pictures of my classroom are coming soon!

Checking e-mail

Checking my e-mail is something I do about 19385830893 times a day. I'm not kidding. I am TOTALLY neurotic about it and cannot let it sit there with unread messages. Even if it is junk mail or has nothing to do with me, I still need to read it just so that little (1) will go away.

Well, I got a super sweet email today. This was a time when I was glad to check my e-mail! It just was the cherry on top of a good day. It said:

"Ms. H, you are a positive force in my life and in child's name's."

Oh my gosh, how sweet?!?! I just felt so good, tears welled up in my eyes. This came from a parent whose child has had some difficulty this year, but she has been so good and we have built up a strong rapport this year. I was so glad to share some good news with her and even more glad to get this back. I'm glad I'm making a difference!!

Where do they get this stuff?

Today was a great day at school. Maybe because I was wearing my "magic boots" (that's what I call my cowboy boots. Seriously, every time I wear them the kids are fabulous). Maybe because it was Friday. Or maybe just because I had so much fun with them that I was in a good mood so they were too. Whatever the reason, it was one of those days that makes me LOVE my job. Absolutely love. As in, I almost teared up when I was playing/learning with them because I just love them so much. They are awesome.

Here are just a few of the funny things they said today. I told my roomate these and she cracked up.

1. after getting up from nap time, a kid started singing "wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy". Absolutely hilarious for several reasons. One being that I went to middle school with Ke$ha!

2. a child came up to me during snack time and said "Ms. H, can you call me Crab?" She wants her new nick name to be Crab. Really?

3. when I pass out snack I always ask a lot or a little bit? Sometimes they don't really like what is being offered so they only want a little bit. Today's snack was Cheez Its. One girl asked for 3. Just 3. That's all she wanted. And she was so thankful for those 3 cheese crackers. Presh

Oh I just love these kids! They make my life so rich!