Day 24

Day 24 - A topic that makes you think

Yikes, it has been a long time since I posted Day 23. July flew by! June seemed to take it's time, but July...I'm not sure where it went! Now we are into August!

So, on to day 24. (so much for doing 30 consecutive days)
       This may not come to as a surprise to you, but school is what makes me think. School is most definitely on my mind right now. Day camp is done and I feel like I'm at the top of a roller coaster about to go down the first drop with school at the bottom. My stomach is doing flip flops just thinking about it. There is so much to get done and only 2 weeks to go. Along with that I'm not able to work in my room for the next two days due to the carpets getting cleaned. I am thankful to have clean carpets. And there are other things I do need to get done without being in my classroom.
       I love being a teacher. And this year is going to be the best one yet! Have I mentioned that I have my own class this year? (just thought I'd throw that out there in case you forgot - lol!)
       But seriously, teaching really does get my brain going. There are so many things to consider when teaching. The kids are all at different levels and different attention spans. What do I do about the kids who just can't sit still? How can I keep the entire class engaged in the lessons? How can I reteach a subject so the kids understand? How can I encourage the kids to LOVE to learn? When am I going to get all this grading done?
       I went in to work this morning for a while and I got all pumped up for the year. As I was driving home with a list of things to do I was thinking about my relationship with my students. There are about 5 kids in my class whom I haven't met yet. I'm so excited to meet them and get to know them! I want them to all like me, but that is not my goal. I would be in big trouble if that is what I was trying to do. More importantly I want them to learn and to love learning.
       How can I keep learning interesting?

       The Magic School Bus books came to mind. I've read a few of the books and watched some of the movies. Those kids love to learn. I started picturing myself as Ms. Frizzle their kooky teacher. She is a little crazy, but she sure does make learning fun. Maybe I should get a curly orange wig. :) Thankfully I don't need that in order to keep kids interested in what we are learning in school. But as I new teacher I'm going to need a few tricks up my sleeve for those afternoons when kids don't really want to pay attention. For now I'll plan a lot of hands on activities, but I think I'll stay away from dresses that have patterns relating to what we are learning, just don't think I'm that dedicated. :)