A Different Kind of Thanksgiving Story

Sorry I haven't written in two weeks!  Life has been pretty busy this last week!

It was so nice to get a break from school and spend time with friends and family for Thanksgiving.  My family is such a blessing. 

As stressful and hard as this fall has been, I am so thankful for my students.  It is SO awesome to see their progress!  It's only November and I can't believe how far they've come.  It definitely inspires me to keep teaching and invest in their little lives.

The first day of school Ally (not her real name) marched into my classroom.  She plopped down glaring at me and did everything she could to get in trouble.  If she was supposed to be quiet, she would talk to her neighbor.  If she was supposed to put her desk down, she would put hers up.  She pushed people, tattled to the extreme and made it very hard to teach.  Ally was a foster kid for quite some time and has lived a rough six years.  She was such an angry little girl and obviously hated school.  Instead of trying to learn, she refused and would get so upset.  It upset her that the other kids had learned things that she didn't know.  Reading was the hardest for her.  At the beginning of the year, the letters meant nothing to her.  She would just get frustrated and put her head down each time I tried to help her sound out the words.

I considered her my "project."  I remember being so puzzled as to why she would want to get in trouble!  Why did that bring her satisfaction?  Over the next few weeks of school she amazingly began to soften.  That angry frown only showed up once a day, and then not even every day!  She began to learn the letters and sounds.  Socially she began to soften as well.  She let down her wall and I even saw a hint of a smile at recess or when she did something well in class.  All the weeks have run together in my mind and I too often loose track of one students individual progress as I'm trying to teach all of my students. 

It was last week that I went around the room during their five minute silent reading time listening to a few students read.  Ally didn't seem nervous when I walked up to her desk.  She didn't give me the angry frown like she'd given so many times before.  She began to try.  She tried her best to sound out the words.  She smiled real big as she self-corrected herself to read the word.  She did it!  She was so proud!  I was so proud!

As she left for Thanksgiving break, she tugged on my arm.  When she had my full attention, she hugged me and said, "I love first grade!  See you on Monday!" and she walked out.  I have a feeling Thanskgiving was hard at her house.  I know though, that she is looking forward to Monday.  Room 6 at Erving Elementary is a place where she is excited to come.  I will be looking forward to seeing her on Monday as well :)

Raking Tomatoes

On Saturday my church sent out 500 people to do service projects around the community!  My group raked leaves.  We raked and raked at three different houses, then we were sent to clear out a garden!  There were rotten tomatoes everywhere and all of our shoes are now a light pink, haha.  The garden, which turned out to be more of a compost pile was raked up into leaf bags.  I have never actually used leaf bags before!  At my house growing up we just burned the leaves!  We had a lot of fun and then went to a pizza buffet afterward.

I have been so tired lately.  I think last week (kind of a rough one) caught up with me this weekend.  A few stressful situations are going on at school  and one of my student's house burned down!  I'm finding that I'm a perfectionist :(  Even though I know I am doing my very best, it drives me nuts when someone isn't pleased with me.  I just dwell on it when I need to move on.

We are learning about thanksgiving.  The students find Christopher Columbus pretty fascinating!  When the student's house burned down we talked a lot about what we are thankful for.  It was a good reminder to myself!  I'm teaching to myself too :)

Election Day in First Grade

The first graders have spoken and the ballots have been cast!  On Friday we did a mock election.  It was pretty funny to hear what they have to say about both candidates (or rather what their parents have to say!)  We had an official looking ballot, complete with the student's name, address, teacher, etc.  Many ended up in tears because they didn't know their address....oops!  Many days I say the phrase, "Is it the end of the world if..."  For example, "Is it the end of the world if you don't get to be first in line?"  One boy busted out crying because he didn't know his address.  The girl next to him leaned over and very seriously said, "Is it the end of the world if you don't know your address?"  Haha, it made me smile.  It's interesting and a little unnerving how much they repeat what I say!  Anyway, we put our ballots in a box and tallied up the votes.

One girl last week said, "Miss Hornback, guess what!? Mitt Romney lives on my street! I know it's his house because he put his sign in his front yard!!"

I gave the kids the journal prompt "If I were president, I would..."   Here's what a couple came up with:

-  "If Miss Hornbayk wus presdint, I wod be hapy and I wod do wat she sez."

-  "If I wuz the pezutint I wud make 1000 of money!  And by my mom a NEW car!  And then I will go home."

-  "If i wer the prasndnt i wood rase taxis and git mor jobs and help Amuricka a lot.  And makc money.  Lots of money.  But i am not the prasndnt."

What!?  He either watches a lot of TV commercials or listens in on his parents conversations!