Kindergarten Update

I recently went back and read one of my first blogs I wrote on Okinawa being a Kindergarten teacher.  My sister's comment/suggestion was to write about the class every month as it will be so fun to look back on in 10 years.  I wish I would have done an update every month - but better now than never :)

Most days when you ask me how school was, I will respond with a large sigh and say "It was ok".  But by the time I get ready for bed, I think about how sweet those kids are and how just maaaaaybe I'm too hard on them!  I do forget that they are just 4-6 years old!  Sometimes I think I'm too nice and other times I think I'm too hard on them.  I just hope I have a happy medium 95% of the time.  Probably very similar to being a parent, huh.  What I have learned a whole lot is to absolutely stick to your word.  I admit, I'm a softie..but after a couple weeks of being that - it made my life a whole lot harder!

I wonder how much of my day is actually spent teaching the kids Math, Language Arts, etc. as opposed to disciplining them and teaching them proper manners.  There is so much tattling, picking noses, "accidents" every once in awhile, pencil stealing, playing in the bathroom, looking in the girls changing room, lost crayons, homesickness, crying because someone hurt their feelings,…the list goes on and on.    I have without a doubt gained more patience throughout all of this.  Your welcome, baby brown ;)

I just told the kids that there is a baby in my tummy.  Immediately a boy yelled "NO there's not!!"  I'm not sure where that came from or why, but it was a funny response.  As I am starting to show more now, they love talking to the baby, asking the baby what they had for breakfast, singing to the baby, and putting their ear up to my stomach to see if they can hear anything.  It'll be fun when they can feel some kicks :0)

The kids are smart.  I am very pleased with their progress and it makes me feel that maybe I'm not doing such a bad job after all!  It's a bit intimidating to look at the Core Standards at the beginning of the year and know that YOU are in charge of getting the kids there!  Most of them are writing sentences very well and have addition and subtraction down.  They're great kids who just need a whole lot of reminding :)

SO tired of having P.E. inside, so we all decided to play "red light, green light" in the empty parking lot!  Better than nothing.

A mid-day stroll when we should have been in Science class.  Too nice of a day to be in!  

I'm not sure if this should work - but had to share this one.  

4th graders reading to my class :)

While reviewing our spelling words, I wrote a sentence with one of the words: "toe".. The sentence was THE BOY HAS A STINKY TOE.  The kids thought it was hilarious.  I came back from the bathroom and saw this on my desk.  Great - I stink ;)

Now Riana stinks, too? Poor girl.  Little devils!  That was the last one by the way - had to take it away. Not happy about it.