curiousillusion

So I was going to blog about a money situation that arose, but I just got lectured by my parents AND a friend so I don’t feel l like going there.

Then I was gonna blog about my Thanksgiving stuff but I figure I’ll wait til tomorrow (aka actually November) for that.

So instead I share with you one of my Halloween decorations that I had to pack up.  Merlin:

I got him at Barnes & Noble early this month, actually while I was in San Antonio. He was sitting next to my Halloween/pumpkin picture books on my bookshelf at work.  But yesterday, after the kids left, I spent a few hours taking down all my Halloween stuff and putting up Thanksgiving things.  So now Merlin is hanging out in my tub of fall things, waiting to come out next year.  He’s so cute.  But my Thanksgiving stuff is cute too, so it’s okay.

And that’s about all I have to say about that.  Well that and I plan on looking for sales tomorrow, see if I can snag any Halloween-related things at a good price for next year.  I hate bargain shopping though.  It’s usually so much work trying to find a good deal – most of the stuff that’s leftover hasn’t been treated well.  But I will try!

So I was told to post a mini update about my progress at work… so I figured I’d comply.  I’ve been working hard at my latest project: a seasonal word wall.  I’m going to use a pocket chart (which reminds me, I need to go buy another one) to hold words for the current season.  I’m writing the words on sentence strips and putting a picture next to the word.  So far I have autumn, leaf, apple, pumpkin, bat, ghost, jack-o’-lantern, Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, Native Americans, tee pee, turkey, cornucopia… the list goes on. It’s coming out really cute.  My theory is that even if these kids don’t use it for anything (although I’d like them to try to write in their journals using the words), at least it’s there and they can associate the pictures with the words.  Maybe they’ll absorb some of it.  Plus I can always use it at any grade level. I’ll take a pic of it when it’s done.  If you have any word suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comment – I’m sure there’s a few I’ll forget about.

Anyway, I’m going to do one for autumn and then once I’ve finished, I’m going to start working on winter words, which will probably incorporate Christmas words too.  I’m kind of excited about that, but you know how I am about winter/Christmas.

Oh and my mom just handed me these:

Again from The Mailbox, she printed out a TON of them for me (luckily they had a color version online so I didn’t have to spend ages coloring them!).  Now I just need to figure out how I’m going to use them.  I was thinking they could match a number word to the number (like they would match two with 2) but that might be too easy.  Hmm.  I’ll have to think of other ways to use it.

Meanwhile… tomorrow is pajama day at work.  Kind of a compromise because the students don’t get a fall party or get to dress up in Halloween costumes.  It’s just for Kinder – 2nd grades so I know all the other kids are gonna be looking at me like I’m a freak. And yes, I am participating.  I wasn’t going to but I got talked into it. I found these cute pajamas at Target and couldn’t resist:Yes, they have snowflakes on them.  No, it’s not winter yet.  But they’re darn cute and warm, and considering the high is going to be 60 tomorrow, I need warm.

I have issues about pajamas, by the way.  I don’t usually like wearing pajama pants because when I toss and turn (and I always do), the bottom of the pants tend to ride up to my knees, which bothers me.  Usually I wear shorts through the winter, but that gets chilly and my parents aren’t big fans of cranking up the heat, so I’m trying out the pajama bottoms thing again.  Now if we wanna get really in the TMI department… a few years back I tried wearing those cute nighties.. you know the kind that are flimsy and don’t cover up all that much.  Literally EVERY night I would wake up from the same nightmare – that I was at work, in the nightie, and all the parents of my students were looking at me wearing it.  I quit wearing them, I figured I needed sleep more than I needed to look cute.

Okay I have rambled long enough.  I’m off to color more of my word wall pics.

So my post yesterday discussed my new obsession, which was essentially creating seasonal activities, to be saved for future years.  I was asked to provide pictures… and today I got a bit done, with the help of my new part-time aide (1 aide shared between 4 teachers, except when she’s pulled to be a substitute).  I’m kind of proud of it all so I figured I’d share.  It’s not a lot but it’s a start, and I like that. :)

This is the first one I made, which came from The Mailbox (a fantastic magazine that I’ve subscribed to for 2 years now… and I think I need to renew it soon, oops). I colored the pictures and glued them to construction paper so that they would be sturdy (and laminated them after I took this picture).  There are 3 different posts, and the students have to sort the pictures from 1 syllable to 3 syllables.  I’m going to have them do this on a pocket chart (sidebar: I LOVE pocket charts).  I put stickers on the back with the answer so they can self-check.

This one my aide put together, with my guidance. She colored the pictures and glued them on the turkeys, which are actually notepad pages. Then we glued them onto construction paper (again to make them less flimsy) and then I also laminated these.  They are rhyming words and, on a pocket chart (I told you I love pocket charts), the kids will sort the turkeys together that rhyme.  On the back I color-coded stickers for self-checking purposes.

And, because I was in a cutesy mood.. these are the headers that are going to go on the top of the pocket chart for each activity, so that they know what they are supposed to be working on. Below them you can see the tops of some pumpkins I drew for a pumpkin poem.

And that’s really about it. I bought some more turkey and pumpkin cutouts in case I come up with some more ideas for the month.  Hopefully more inspiration will strike soon!

I wouldn’t say I’m a lazy teacher.  Far from it.  But there comes a time every year where I look at something that a fellow teacher is doing and it inspires me, kind of pushes me over the top.   Maybe it’s a method of teaching, maybe it’s a way of organizing the classroom… it comes, it goes.  Usually it goes because, well let’s face it – 23 kindergarten students is exhausting and there’s only so much extra effort (on top of what there already is to do) you can put into things before you get burned out.  So I’m waiting for this surge to pass.  But right now it is strong.

My current example: My co-teacher (sidebar: is she my co-teacher or just my co-worker?  We don’t teach together, but we teach the same grade level…) is very organized when it comes to certain parts of curriculum.  Namely: teaching the alphabet.  She has this massive file box and each letter of the alphabet has its’ own folder.  In it is everything from worksheets, craft ideas, and everything in between. She has poems and stories on sentence strips with corresponding pictures laminated and organized… I want it.  Short of just up and taking it from her, I want to make my own.

Okay I’m not going to the extreme.  I don’t want everything.  Plus all my worksheets are very organized on my flash drive, so I’m not about to print everything out.  But I thought about it and realized that I’m going to be a teacher for what, the next 40+ years of my life or so (oh my word.  *falls over*)?!   I’m bound to teach kindergarten again at some point.  This is my second year of teaching kindergarten and I don’t have much to show for it.  Centers, games, manipulatives, worksheets… yes.  But a pumpkin poem printed out on sentence strips with corresponding pictures, laminated for use year after year… no.  And that’s a shame.

So I spent a good chunk of last night (from 12am – 3am, when I should’ve been sleeping) thinking about all that I could do.  [Oh and PS if you have any resources you'd like to share with me, in any shape or form (like poems and/or books you know of and recommend, worksheets you can share, websites that rock your world, etc), for any grade level from pre-k to 2nd, please feel free to leave a comment... I'd appreciate it.]   I started looking up different things that I can start putting together, for use this year in the classroom and to save for future years.  I started making copies of some of the things that my co-teacher has that I really like, like the alphabet stories (one for each letter)… and since it’s a LOT of coloring, I’m going to start using the parents to help with them.  I’m going to laminate everything I used at the end of each month.  It’s going to be a lot of work.  (It’s also going to be a lot of stuff to store over the summers… but let’s not think on that right now)  But I figure, it’ll pay off.  I mean, once I’ve done the work, this is something I can use for years to come.  This time next year I won’t have to draw 8 pumpkins, one for each line of a poem.  It’ll be done already.

Or at least, that’s what I keep telling myself.  The reality is, next year I’ll probably find something else to obsess over. Something else I HAVE to do, which will end up being very time-consuming.  Next year maybe I’ll end up teaching a completely different grade level and there will be a brand new batch of materials to work with.  It’s never-ending.

But at least I’ll have my pumpkin poem.

Too brain-dead to come up with a full post so here are some bullets of what’s been in my head today:

• Has anyone seen the movie “The Nines”?  Seriously, is that not the trippiest movie ever?  Now that I look at the description on Netflix, it uses the phrase ‘mind-bending’ to describe it… I would have to agree.  I wouldn’t say I hated it or loved it… I was just completely thrown by it and am still trying to process.
• I have decided that Starbucks gives me super powers.  Seriously, I got 6 hours of sleep last night but my tall vanilla chai latte gave me enough energy to get through the entire day, I only started lagging on the drive home.  Unfortunately I’ve run out of money on my card til payday (Friday, thank god!) so I might need to be super power-less for the next few days.  Sniffle.
• CNN.com changed their webpage.  It is seriously throwing me off.  Am I so old that change confuses me?

And… just when I was giving up on coming up with a full blog post, I got tagged.  So, here goes:

1. Where is your cell phone: Right next to me.  As always.

2. Your hair: Makes me look too young.  And I had my bangs trimmed yesterday and the girl cut them too short.  Boo.

3. Your mother: Is the most generous person I know.  Would literally give you the shirt off her back (actually I think she’s tried to do that before).

4. Your father: Has been in a much better mood since being laid off.  Hmmm. :)

5. Your favorite food: Oooh I don’t know.  Ummm… dessert? :D

6. Your dream from last night: Don’t remember.

6. Your favorite drink: Ummm.  Usually anything with peach.

7. Your dream/goal: To be happy.

8. What room are you in: My bedroom, because that’s the only room I have to myself in this house.

9. What is your hobby: Reading, taking pictures (tho that seems to have fallen by the wayside lately) and blogging.

10. What is your fear: I guess that I won’t ever find a husband and have kids.

11. Where do you want to be in 6 years: I’d like to at the very least be in a committed relationship.

12. Where were you last night: At home, watching a movie.

13. Something you are not: I am not good at saving money.

14. Muffins: Mmmm chocolate chip!

15. Wish list items: Omg everything.  Clothes from Ann Taylor Loft, stuff for my classroom from Lakeshore Learning, a million picture books that I want from Barnes & Noble… and coffee, I always wish for Starbucks coffee.

16. Where did you grow up: Mostly Houston, Texas.   A few years in England.

17. Last thing you did: Caught up on my google reader, read and posted comments on my friends’ blogs.

18. What are you wearing: Black slacks, pink shirt over a white cami. My new scarf cuz it makes me happy.

19. Your TV: Is off because there’s nothing good on TV right now.

20. Your pets: Bay, my beautiful cat, is staring at the wall.

21. Your friends: Are mostly in San Antonio.  I miss them.  Either that or they’re on the internet… hello friends! *waves*

22. Your life: Could be better, but isn’t all that bad.

23. Your mood: Tired.  Long day at work, little sleep last night and I have a headache.

24. Missing someone: I guess just missing HAVING someone, not really someone in particular.

25. Vehicle: ’07 Ford Fusion.  Love it!

26. Something you’re not wearing: Shoes.

27. Your favorite store: Ann Taylor Loft for clothes.  Target for most everything.  Teacher Heaven or Lakeshore Learning for teaching stuff, lol.  Barnes & Noble for books.  Starbucks for my coffee addiction.  I’m a shopaholic, I can’t pick just one store.

28. Your favorite color: Pink.

29. When’s the last time you laughed: I think one of the kids ran into the person in front of him in line and I made a funny noise and the kids cracked up, which made me laugh. Ahh kids…

30. When’s the last time you cried: Not sure, it’s been a while.

31. Your best friend: Mmm not sure if she’d say the same, but probably Beth.  She’s my go-to gal for everything and I’m so glad to have her back in the states, within texting reach! :)

32. One place you go over and over: Work.  The mall.

33. One person who emails me regularly: My mom, but it’s usually junk mail.

34. Favorite place to eat: Ummm… dunno.  Olive Garden popped into my head.

I’m not tagging anyone cuz my brain really hurts (stupid headache) but if you want to play, go ahead and consider yourself tagged!

I decided to take a picture instead.  After all, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. :)

Random shot, I know, but let me explain.  I’ve always loved the Life is Good brand, and have always liked the daisy pic the best.  When I saw this mug the other day, I had to get it.  The mug is nice and heavy and perfect for a cup of tea.  Then, next to the mug you an see my new scarf… I’ve been very into scarves for over a year now and have been waiting for when it would be time to wear them again.  Unfortunately we don’t get much of an opportunity in Texas but I decided to start already, and I bought 2 new ones to build up my collection (I had to retire one today because it had a million holes in it… sad!).

Anyway, the shot isn’t great but it’s not horrible, I don’t think.  I think the focus fell on the scarf instead of the mug, and the scarf could have been arranged a bit nicer maybe.  But at least I’m picking up the camera again and taking pictures, right?

My friend and I went to watch a performance over at the Miller Outdoor Theatre.  Fantastic idea because it was free but… it was cold (low 60s, windy and we were not dressed appropriately) and the performance was not that great, in our opinion (it was supposed to be a troop from Cirque de Soleil and other similar type groups performing but I expected more – it was just eh most of the time).  Anyway, apparently there are different kinds of performances at this place through til Thanksgiving so we’ve decided we might try to attend a few more.  Next time, however, we’ll be more prepared… we’re going to bring blankets, hot cocoa and dress like it’s winter!

Anyway, before the performance started, I tried to take take some pictures of the sky.  Having a tripod would have helped, as the majority of my shots were blurry… but here are two I rather liked:

I debated trying to crop those people out but I think I like them… adds a bit of personality to the picture.

I love the colors in the sky, although I think this shot is pretty blurry in parts.  Oh well.

Parent/Teacher Conference Day.  ‘Nuff said.

*falls over*

Seriously though… if I thought I was tired from a regular day of teaching, I was in for a surprise today.  I’m not even exaggerating: 20 conferences, 10 minutes each, back to back in the space of 3 and a half hours.  I deserve a prize.  Or a drink.

It didn’t go too bad.. actually I’d say for the most part, it went pretty well.  The parents were mostly all on time and they stuck to the allotted time (I set a timer) so even though I didn’t get a chance to breathe in 3 and a half hours, the time flew by because there was always a parent to talk to.  The fact that I only had 1 parent out of my entire class not sign up to conference with me (2 others didn’t come today because we conferenced earlier) shows the amount of parental involvement that I have, which is good.  I had quite a few parents compliment me – one specifically said that she noticed a lot of progress in her child’s academics and behavior and she credits me and the work I’ve done with her child.  That’s a nice thing to hear, especially since the child she was referring to is one that tends to work my last nerve at times.

Anyway… I only had a few parents that kind of bothered me – they seem to think their child is at a higher level than they really are and I know one is about to go over my head and try to get him tested for first grade.  Sigh.  I give up.  Sometimes it makes me feel bad for their child, they have so much pressure on them and they’re still so young.  But what can ya do?

Luckily, tomorrow is Friday!   Although I really think tomorrow should be a day off for the teachers… we’ve earned it!

My mom and I got into it last night, to put it in a nutshell: she wanted me to attend a function of a friend of hers that I did not want to attend.  It was my decision a few weeks ago, then last night she just decided I should go.  The end.  Ummm… no.

Anyway, she kept pushing it and pushing it and then she finally said that I should go because I’m the one that’s alone and has no friends and is lonely.  And that’s where I got mad.

I mean, I’ll agree that I don’t have that many friends in Houston still… I haven’t been living here that long.  But I do have friends, I just happened to leave them in San Antonio.   To say I don’t have any friends?  And to go from saying that to saying I am lonely?  Definitely no.

One of the things I was talking with a co-worker about recently was how tiring teaching is.  I think it might be a teaching kindergarten thing because for the past 2 years I have been utterly exhausted after work.  To the point where I come home, collapse on the couch/bed and just veg for the few hours before it’s time to sleep.   Weekends are for recovering, not thinking about working… and running any errands I was too tired to do during the work week.  And I’m not alone in this thinking, I have co-workers that agree with me – they do the same thing when they got home from work.  It doesn’t mean I’m lonely or anti-social.  It means that being around a classroom full of 5 and 6 year old kids all day long is tiring.  It’s draining.  You try it and see how you feel.

I don’t know, like I said… I would like to have more friends.  But that will come in time.  And the last two functions that I’ve attended at my mother’s insistence were not fun and not pleasant, so excuse me if I sit this one out.

Oh and btw… I got the results of my evaluation from Monday.  Not the official paperwork with my scores but a sit down with the admin who told me I did well.  Actually, she asked me how I thought I did and I admitted that I thought it could have been better, that the lesson went too short, but that I thought the kids were well-behaved and captivated.  And the admin said that she thought I did very well, and when she went on to list specifically what I did that was good… it made me realize that I *DO* do a good job!  So exciting!  The one thing she said I could have improved on was something I had originally thought of… but my co-teacher changed my mind.  Oops.  Guess I’ve learned to go with my instinct on those kinds of things! :)

So I went to a nearby shopping center today and noticed that Christmas decorations were recently put up.  The whole shebang too… Christmas lights wrapped around the trees, wreaths hanging in archways and silver bows pretty much everywhere else. It looks very nice… but it’s not even Halloween yet.  Isn’t it a bit early for this?

That being said… I think it kind of might be my fault.  I mean, obviously I didn’t put up the decorations myself or anything, but I think it’s people like me that are the reason why the decorations and seasonal products are out so early.

You see, I’ve already started buying Thanksgiving and Christsmas things.  I mean, I can’t help it!  It’s out already, it’s something I’ll use, usually in my classroom, plus sometimes I catch a really good deal on things.  Like the other day, Barnes & Noble was having an Educator Appreciation Week – 25% off.  So I bought some Thanksgiving books at a great discount… I just put them in my Autumn storage bin and come November, I’m set!  Sometimes I’ll buy things because I’m worried that if I wait, it’ll go out of stock – like how the other day I bought some Christmas puzzles and stamps that I can save until December.  It kind of makes sense.  It’s hard getting all these good things and waiting… but it’s kind of nice when it’s time to look into the bins where I keep everything and see things that I’ve been saving for quite a while.

It’s gotten to the point where look forward to when more stores put out the next season’s products; I actually go around the store LOOKING for Christmas goodies.  I’ve had my fill of Halloween things, I’ve already gotten quite a bit of Thanksgiving things… I’m ready for winter/Christmas.  There’s just so much to look forward to when it comes to everything winter/Christmas.  Decorations, books, movies, puzzles.. I absolutely love (and collect) everything snowman-related.  My classroom will be a winter wonderland this year, especially since I don’t have an apartment to decorate.  I can’t wait.

I’m always looking too far ahead.  Sometimes I think I should try to slow down a bit more.

Meanwhile, in looking WAY too far ahead news… I want the new MacBook.  Aw shucks, I want a MacBook period, any Macbook.  But it’ll take me ages before I can afford it so… I’ll just dream about it instead.  I wanna be a Mac girl!