catch up!

I cannot believe it has been so long since I have posted!  Sorry to my faithful followers!  The last couple of weeks have gone by so fast, and I just keep putting blogging on my to do list for the next day, and now it is two weeks later.  

I will try to catch you up a little bit on life!

The last week of school was a little sad for me (and my students).  I was just sad because the year was coming to an end, and it seemed like it happened too fast.  I was also happy because I finished my first year of teaching!!!!  I can't believe how fast it went.  I feel like the year had just started.  As I write and I think about the past school year, it is crazy to think about all that was accomplished during the year. 

I loved my 23 students so much and it was just hard to let them go!  Maybe this will get easier each year I teach!  I keep reminding myself that the group of Kindergartners I will have next year will be special, and I will love them just as much.  I do think that this class will always have such a special place in my heart because they were my first class.  I love thinking about how these little children impacted my life so tremendously, and the great memories that were made!   

I got so many sweet cards, pictures, and gifts during the last week of school.  The compliments that some parents gave me were the best and highest compliments I have ever received in my life!  I received an awesome photo scrapbook with pictures from the school year.  I had already been planning on making one myself this summer, but it was already done for me, and I will treasure it so much more because it came from two students and their mothers who helped in my classroom so much!  I have spent some time looking at each sweet picture and just reflecting on the year and the growth that each child made.  I know that my mind will forget some names as I continue to teach so I went ahead and wrote names by each picture so in 20 years I will remember their names! 

I didn't realize how much work went into wrapping up a school year for teachers.  So many little things that have to be done!  There are so many things that you do NOT learn in college...this is one of the many!

Two days after the last day of school we started Ready, Set, Grow.  In our county we have a program for incoming Kindergartners who need a little prep for the school year.  It lasts only 12 days (excited that I still have a long summer).  I am teaching this so I have had to quickly wrap up the school year, and I have now jumped into Ready, Set, Grow.  I have 15 pre Kindergartners who will come to our school next year.  We help them with colors, shapes, letters, numbers, etc.  It is very basic but a great preparation for these students. 

On the first day of Ready, Set, Grow, I got the nasty stomach bug!  I had not been sick all school year (thank you, Lord), but the night before it hit me!  I hated to miss the first day, but my principal is great and worked every thing out for me!!!!!

I just can't believe it is already summer!  I am so proud to have this year behind me, but I still miss those students!  I am now praying for next year's class to be as successful and awesome!

A little example of how great these kinders were to me!

ms. brown forgot!!!!

Every afternoon I make sure to hug my students and give them a little encouragement and praise each of them about their day.  I feel that it is very important for my students to know that I am a positive person in their life and know that they are loved and cared for.  I like to tell them I was proud of how they stayed on green all day or how helpful they were or even just wish them luck at their football game! 
Today was a rush out the door.  I was wanting to finish the Junie B. Jones chapter we were on ( I LOVE Junie B. Jones books!) before it was time to line up.  When I finished I quickly told the car riders to line up and I stood by the door and just quickly patted them on the head and told them I would see them tomorrow.  They were almost all out when one came back.  I thought he had forgotten his jacket but no!
Me: "HURRY!  The car riders are going to leave you!"
Student: "But Ms. Brown...you forgot!"
Me: "I forgot what???"
Student: "You forgot to give me a hug!"
Me: "Oh no!  I am so sorry!" 
I gave him a BIG hug!
Student: "You also forgot to tell me good luck."
I knew what he was talking about because we always talk about his football games!
Me: "I am so sorry.  Good luck at your game and score me a touchdown!  See you tomorrow!"

I will be sure to never let this special time with my students be hurried again!

the best!

I feel so blessed with such a great class.  All of them seem to be enjoying school.  Which makes me one happy teacher.  I think I heard such horror stories of other teachers first year that I have really been thinking how blessed I am to have such a great class.  It is very encouraging to me!  I have a lot of parents come eat with their children at lunch which I love because they get SO excited and it shows how important the school and home relationship is.  I try to really make sure I talk to each parent who comes to lunch.  Sometimes I can't have a long conversation but I try to at least tell them thank you for coming to lunch.  I want the parents to know that I am glad they are coming to eat with their children. 

Thursday there were several parents there so I was making my rounds to each table.  I was talking to one's mom about a pizza party she is wanting to give us when another student came up.  I was trying to talk to the parent but this other little girl wanted to tell me something that seemed important.  So I looked down and she said, "Ms. Brown, you are the best teacher!"  I told her thank you, gave her a hug, and smiled real big!  My attention went back to the mom I was talking to and she looked at me and said, "Ms. Brown, I hear that all the time at home."

Wow!  My heart smiled and I did too.  But isn't that what we all need sometimes just some encouragement.  Its good to hear from someone who doesn't really know me but is putting their child's education in my hands and believes in me!  I am so glad my students are loving school and I have such a rewarding job!!!

pat on the back!

It has really been a great week!  It was Tt week!  We wrote and drew about tigers and turtles.  We ate toast and wore ties.  I love doing fun things with the letter of the week because I feel like they are able to make more of a connection.  We went to see a play put on by the Tarradiddle Players.  The play was If You Take a Mouse to School.  It was so great!  I LOVED watching my students watch the play.  They were so excited and they were on their best behavior!  I also got to see the students from the Kindergarten class I was in from last school year!  I was really excited to see them and the other teachers too!  Some of my former students asked me if I still remembered their names...I told them of course I did!  They were too sweet and so I hope I never forget that class and that year working with those students and the teacher too!!!

I started parent-teacher conferences this week!!!  I was a little worried about them but they have been awesome!!!  I have enjoyed showing off their child's work and bragging and suggesting more things for them to work on at home.  I have also received such great feedback from the parents.  Each one has told me that their child comes home telling them all about what happened at school that day, that they have to play school at home, they pretend they are Ms. Brown or Mrs. Green and that they are always making the initial sound they hear in different things they see at their house.  They have told me they were so glad that they are in our classroom and couldn't ask for a better year!  As one was leaving today I could hear them say they were so glad they were in my class!  YAY!!!  Makes me feel really really good!!! 

Also got a great compliment from the art teacher today!!!  She told me that she really didn't like working with Kindergarten that much at any school or any year but that she loved my class!!!!  Woo Hoo!!!  Glad my little friends and I are having such a great year!  I don't think I could have asked for a better class this year!!!