March

I am sorry that I am not the best at keeping up with my blog. It has been a great year so far and time gets to be hard to create. I have really come to enjoy my job this year. I love that I can see inside so many classrooms with my job and to see what different styles each teacher has. I hope that when I at long last have my own Art classroom that I will have a mix of the best methods. I especially like seeing how each teacher handles the morning differently. Some use different jobs for the kids, some have the students sit down right away, and others have a warm up activity that the students get started on right away. I like the last one because it slowly gets the attention of the students and slowly gets them into the learning mode. I also like seeing how teachers set up their classroom. Some are messy and others are a little too organized. I think a mix of both works best after seeing the pros and cons of each type of room. It does seem funny to me that the best teachers I know have the messiest classrooms.

Also, as the last part of the year is here I have now started Track. We are really excited for this season. We are a week and a half in and the amount of young kids we have is fantastic. Last year was the first year for a lot of the coaches and we had a great learning experience last year. This year we are off and running a lot sooner and excited about what the kids can do. I love being in the classroom, but it is also a great feeling to get to know the kids outside the classroom. One thing that is different is that the other distance coach and I train with the kids. If we ask them to run 7 miles, we go with them. In math class if you ask them to do 50 problems, they do the work and you check it. The coaching experience allows you to gain the respect and trust of the students in a different way. I know a couple times that a student has complained about a teacher or class and because you have their trust they will listen to our advice. It is a different type of tool and way to teach the kids stuff that can't always be taught in a class or by doing a worksheet. I can't wait to move one step closer and be in my own classroom so that I can use all of the little things that I have learned the past two years. I really think I have gained so much more this year. I didn't spend a chunk of my time trying to figure out what was going on or how to do something. I have instead had a chance to improve on things that I have learned and experienced.

Break is over.

Christmas break is over and it is back to the grind. I feel that as the year has gone by I have gained a lot of confidence in the classroom. I have learned to control the classroom a lot easier. I have started to use many of the methods we have talked about. For one I have become attached to the timers. It gives the students a little push and I have noticed that many of the students will focus more because they think that they are going to run out of time. I love it.

I have also gained a better trust with the students. I do not raise my voice as I used to think I needed to sometimes. I have used many of the love methods such as giving students a polite choice such as,"You can work on it now, or you can stay in during recess and work on it." I also like the quiet method. If students are talking when they shouldn't, I stop talking and slowly they will focus again and stop talking. There are other habits so to speak that I have started using in class. Even just a simple smile at the right time goes a long way. I admit that it has made class smoother and built my confidence. All and all I am having a pretty good year that I only see getting better.

It is November already.

I am in shock that we are this far into the year. I was upset that the State meet was pushed back to this weekend, but I am still in high hopes for great things this Saturday. School has been great so far. I have tried to think about some of the things we talk about in class such as trying not to sound frustrated when dealing with a student in class that is off task. I used the idea of asking a student to wait to talk after class and I have a great relationship with that same student now. He really listened and calmed down since then. I am really happy about the reaction I have had from that same student when I am teaching a lesson or giving instructions. I also have made it a habit to stand quietly when I am waiting for a class to stop talking. At least one of the students will notice, sit still, and the rest of the class will follow the example. It works a lot easier and makes the students feel like you really do have the control of the classroom. Again, it has just been a great year so far.

October already!!

October is already here. The year seems to be flying by. I have made it this far into the year and managed not to fall ill like many. Last year, I think I had already had the flu at least twice. I am going through OJ like a champ and can always be seen washing my hands over and over again. One month to go in Cross Country and then it is time to take the Ski season serious by getting my gear out and waxed. Hope everyone else is having a great year too.

The year is off and Rolling.

I feel like the year is in full swing now. Everyone is getting into the flow of things and we are off and running. The new year feeling is gone and people are getting down to it. This is that part of the year when people are still sort of feeling it out, but they are on cruise control until about Halloween. Then there is a little stress until Thanksgiving and the Holiday season, but then the rest of the year seems to fly by. I feel a lot more at ease this year compared to last. I know what is going on around me and where or when I can help out a little more. So far it has been a great year.

My Office

This is my office at Avon Elementary School. I am slowly making my wall of fame with articles from the Vail Daily about the Battle Mountain Cross Country Team.

I am very proud of my kids in Cross Country. They went to Leadville yesterday and did things that they thought were not going to happen. They all set records. They saw how great they were for the first time. I see good things about to happen this season. They all think that they live in a shadow. They are having fun, workong hard, and growing in huge amounts. This is why I teach. I am very proud!!!!