I'm back! And I have affirmations!!

So after conferences I honestly was so relieved and then immediately overwhelmed with the second quarter starting I let my blog get away from me!  I will try to be better at posting regularly, probably not as good as my cousin Nicole though :) 

So now that we are into November and thankfulness is a huge part of this month I want to share something we do at our school.  All teachers, paras, and administration in our school have been trained in Capturing Kids Hearts, a program where we work daily to connect with our students on a more personal level.  Something I really like and had forgotten about until another teacher started them this month is the Affirmations.  We take a moment to write a quick note to someone.  It can be for anything but has to be kind.  I have received a few in my box from students.  Some simply say "thank you" while others were longer letters explaining what they appreciate about me and/or my class. 


Often times we tell our students that they are doing well but having a hand written note is just amazing.  It doesn't take much time but makes a huge impression! I see nearly 140 students every day but I am going to try to write them a short note before Thanksgiving so they know that I am proud of each and everyone of them!

I need help fellow bloggers!

 

I would love to be even a fraction as talented as some of the amazing bloggers I am following yet I can't seem to figure half the things out.  As an example I can't figure out how all the bloggers have a "grab my button" link but I have no idea what to do once I grab these buttons and why don't I have a button?!?! I was also just recently booed and have no idea how to see how many followers I have to find someone with more (nearly everyone), nearly the same and less then myself.

I have also noticed how most of the blogs I've begun to follow talk about linky parties... I feel in over my head.  I can talk about what I am doing and upload some pictures as well as links but that is where this little country bumpkin hits overload. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

No one ever tells you...

 

No one ever tells you when you go to school to become a teacher that you will end up baking cookies and volunteering at every school function imaginable!  You are taught and prepped for that grading and the lesson plans but you never get the class on bake sales and fund raising. 

Tommorow night our school will host a chili supper with raffle and bake sale.  For the last week I have been helping gather donations, remind students to sell tickets, and tonight I baked cookies.  I love helping my kids but with the end of the quarter approching I am feeling more then a little overwhelmed.  With that said I would like to share the quick cookies I made for the bake sale tonight.

Sugar cookies
2 cups suger
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 cups flour (or enough so dough is not sticky)

Roll out to about 1/2 inch think on floured surface. 

 

 Cut into any shape and place on lightly greased cookie pans.

 

 

 Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until bottom of cookies are lightly browned.  Let cool completely.

 

 



 

 I used cream cheese icing and multicolored sprinkles but you can use any icing and toping.

 

 

I just spread icing on with a butter knife

 

Then dipped it icing side first into the sprinkles

 

 

Finished cookies :)

 

 

Using some cheap styrofoam plates I arranged four cookies to a plate.

 

 

When the icing sets up I will wrap each plate with clingwrap and Ta-Da! They aren't fancy but they are pretty and taste amazing! 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and please feel free to comment about recipes you use or have on hand for these last minute school functions!

 

 

 





 





 

Conferences...

PTC, Conferences, Parent/teacher conferences, quarter conference.  Whatever you call them they can be a terrifying time of year.  I have been doing them for nine years, usually two per year, and they still make me nervous and apprehensive! 



I usually come through them unscathed but it is the occasional angry parent that sticks in my head and has me whimpering as we near this dreaded time of year.  I have read the articles saying the parents are often more scared than the teacher and that parents have it hard hearing how badly their student is doing.  I recognize those fears but it seems not much is written about how to help the teacher who is traumatized from past experiences...

I am especially apprehensive this year as I will have a great deal more parents to meet with as I will have to be available to speak to any 5th and 6th grade parent who wants to discuss their child's Social Studies grade.  Knowing that any parent who most likely comes into my room whose student does not have me for homeroom is probably upset about the grade their student has earned in my class. 

I know my material and have confidence in how I am teaching it until a parent questions me and then I feel my cheeks flush and my confidence shrink as I try to explain why their student received a failing mark on an assignment.  I feel like they are questioning me and my abilities and that I come up lacking somewhere. 

I'm sorry this blog has no helpful information, it is simply a blog to put out my feelings and beg for any help my fellow teachers might have to help a "head shy" teacher as conferences rapidly approach!

Crystal

Here we go!

So after having dinner with my cousin-in-law and talking about teaching with her and talking about the blog she has started I thought "what the heck, I can try this".  She mentioned that maybe as a small town teacher I could have something to offer fellow teachers in similar situations.

I am not yet decided on what the over all purpose is to my blogging, but I am going to give it a try and see if I can gain some help while at the same time possibly helping others.

 

Being a small town teacher offers some huge advantages as well as some huge disadvantages.  Some of the advantages that we discussed at dinner last nght was the fact that I know my superintendent personally and feel like I can talk to him if I have question.  I also love that we have a small enough staff that we can discuss and make desicions that will help our students. 

 

Some disadvantages of small town teaching are not having the resources you can find in large cities and large districts.  Having a student with a visual or audial problem can throw us for a loop as we don't have materials nor trained staff to help us help the child.

 

All in all, working in a small district suits me and helps me raise to the challenges thrown my way.  No matter the size of the district we all do this for one reason, we love kids and we love teaching them!