Wrapping Up Student Teaching

I hope everyone is having a happy hump day! Only two days left in the work week, but who's counting? :)

This week, the reality of student teaching coming to a close is really starting to hit me. I am filling out job applications like a mad woman {spent the evening at Pizza Hut last night with my mom trying to sort through the paper work... and to eat some yummy stuffed crust pizza! Of course!} I am also trying to become a sub at the school where I am currently student teaching, and this has proven to be quite a process. I am going to be fingerprinted at the local Sheriff's Office tomorrow... oh dear.

On top of getting applications sent out, ordering my official transcript {$8 a pop! I mean really? That's my blood, sweat, and tears on that piece of paper and you're still making me PAY for it? I really don't get it}, and trying to become an official substitute teacher, I am also planning my graduation party. And did I mention I have a significant other and friends that wonder what corner of the earth I dropped off of? Yeah, I don't really remember what they look like either...

My responsibilities as a student teacher are diminishing at a slow and steady pace. I have turned phonics back over to my classroom teacher {I really boo-hooed over that one. Are you sensing the sarcasm? If not, refer back to one of my earlier posts about phonics} So, I have turned phonics time into fill-out-as-many-applications-as-humanly-possible time. Which usually results in the completion of about 1 PAGE of a 5 page application. No, I don't work slow. Oh and did I mention I have to send an official transcript with each one, and they are $8 a piece? Oh I did? Well maybe that's because I found it intensely frustrating...

Anyway, I have yet to give up writing the newsletter because I am finding it very difficult to part ways with my little weekly pieces of Hannah creativity... and I have yet to part ways with creative writing {My favorite. Surprised? Didn't think so.}

Here's this week's newsletter for those people who can appreciate hard work and .... alright I do it for the fun:

Anyway, the whole reason I wanted to write a post today was because while searching for fun, adorable, and FREE activities for my center time, I found this:

I found this super adorable educational activity on Teacher's Pay Teachers for FREE and I am currently waiting for my laminator to heat up so I can laminate these little rolls...

If you want a free copy to download from TpT... click {here}

That's all I have for today!

Like always, thanks for reading!

-Hannah

Spring is in the air!

Hi everyone! With the weather getting warmer and the days getting a little longer, it’s hard to deny the fact that spring has arrived! Spring Break was a like a little gift from Heaven… I had no idea I needed a break so bad until a few days into it, and I felt my body relax for the first time in MONTHS. I felt like I could finally take some deep breaths, sleep, and catch up on other areas of my life that had been neglected since January!

After a few days of bliss, I decided to go back to my old workplace and make some money while I had the time. I am a poor student teacher, ya’ll! So, I tied on my old black apron and waited tables just like the good ol’ days. I have waited tables since high school and all through my five years of college. It was nice to see all of my old customers and meet some new hires. Here’s a pic of the pile of lemons I cut during open last weekend… over 42 lemons {I counted!} :)

     Our first week back, I couldn’t wait to do some fun Easter/ Spring activities with my kiddos! I came up with a writing activity that was so fun! The kids wrote using the writing prompt “I’m the HOPPIEST when…” Then, we made cute faces with bunny ears! I used white paper in the shape of a bunny tail and wrote their names on them. They are now on our new Spring bulletin board! The kids love it when their work goes in the hallway :)

  I drew this little guy to put next to my bulletin board!















We colored Easter eggs to hang on our clothespin line…


I also came up with this little writing activity for our creative writing block…

They had to pretend they were Easter eggs and decide what they would look like, where they would hide, and what would be inside! They were all giggling and smiling as they wrote these! It was hilarious!
             


This week in my class, we used a lot of great activities I found in Melissa Shaw’s unit “Let’s Celebrate Easter” on TpT. Download it {here}
“I’m like a peep because…”


This week is another short week for us {YAY!} I am sooooo looking forward to another long weekend, but this also means that I have to cram 5 days of work into 4 days. Yeah, I little bit of a challenge. This causes me to forget what day it is sometimes. For example, on Wednesday I thought it was Thursday, and when you think it’s Thursday when it’s really Wednesday, you forget to take your class to ART. Yes, this really happened. A lot of teachers saw this as a great opportunity to share their first year teaching stories, so they made me feel a lot better, but boy was I embarrassed!
Gotta just laugh it off!

I am happy to report that our Spring Easter Party was a success! I had the chance to meet a few more of our amazing parents, and the kiddos had fun making rattle snakes out of easter eggs and M&Ms!


This week was a crazy one, but as I was leaving school yesterday afternoon evening (I was at school until 7:00 last night) I started to realize how fast this whole experience has flown by. My last day is April 27th, and with that only being a few weeks away, I am beginning to realize how lucky I have been and how incredible this whole experience has truly been. I have formed friendships that I know will last past student teaching, and fell in love with the most amazing group of 7 year olds on earth.

{Feeling a little sentimental...} I snapped some pictures of the classroom as I left.

My desk:


Work table and hooks for the kids’ backpacks and coats.



The kiddos’ desks:


A great find from the Target dollar aisle... $1 for the folder/paper holder. I spent most of my afternoon/evening cleaning miscellaneous papers out of it and finally organizing them!



I decided to start posting our daily schedule in the hallway near the door:



Hope you enjoyed reading a little update about some of the recent activities that have been going on in our classroom! Thanks for reading!
Now off to watch The Adventures of Tintin … I hear it’s a great movie!

-Hannah

This Week's Classroom Newsletter

Hi everyone!

As I continue teaching and being a part of a classroom full time, I have realized how important parent-teacher communication is. In order to take steps to keep parents involved and informed, I will begin posting our weekly classroom newsletter on my blog for parents to view and print. All newsletters are sent home every week, of course, but I know how easily things can get lost and disappear! {Hello! It happens to me all of the time!} So, here is quick and easy access to what's going on with your kiddos!

Click {here} to download the newsletter!

I am so looking forward to our Spring Easter party this Thursday, April 5! Check back for some activities that we will be doing this week!

Also, I posted another FREEBIE to my Teachers Pay Teachers TpT account! Click this link {http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Student-Behavior-Form} to download the freebie!

Thanks for reading!

-Hannah :)