Well, to start with, I am EXHAUSTED. But it's the good kind of tired when you feel like you've done something good that day :)
I came to school dressed in clothing purchased by or with my mom, my sister, or SO, armed with a Red Sox travel mug from my dad -- it takes a village to outfit a student teacher! I quickly said hi to Mrs. M, who arrived shortly before the kids. She drops her daughter off at daycare in the mornings and picks her up in the afternoons so she's short on time! We touched base quickly and she gave me schedules and a very short rundown of the day, then the kids came in. (It was a COLD first day -- indoor recess all day!)
As they were coming in and settling for morning meeting, two kids came up and chatted with me. I later realized one was the younger sister of two girls I loved in the children's choir I worked with two years ago! I remembered this girl as such a sweet and loving spirit, so it was a delight to find her there. Mrs. M introduced me during morning meeting, although most of the kids don't remember my name yet. We had planned to meet and discuss scheduling and such when the kids were at snack, but with a first-grade assembly in the cafeteria, snack was in the room -- foiled again!
During PE I finally had a moment to catch my breath. We worked on prepping a project for centers and chatted about kids with IEPs, behavior charts, mid-year assessments, and so on. She also suggested that I go down to town hall and register as a substitute teacher -- in case she's out, she really wants me to take over, which is exciting! Plus I get paid, so it's a big win. Mrs. M has also asked I start thinking about prepping lessons for Chinese New Year, introducing subtraction, and shoe tying.
After the kids came back and we had jobs (math/literacy work), we had a quick lunch (boy, was I starving!). I got texts of encouragement from SO and my dear roomie :) Then I finished prepping for centers while Mrs. M kept the kids entertained during indoor recess. During story and rest time, we went to an RTI for three students. It was nice to meet several important folks -- the principal, one of the special ed teachers, the psychologist, the counselor, and the speech and language therapist. I took lots of notes and did lots of listening!
During centers, I spent the full time working with four students making puppets, which was fun but challenging! We had hole punched felt (ow my hands) and they were sewing it together and decorating. The sewing was really challenging for a couple of them! After that, things were pretty smooth, and I had fun.
In some ways, I was not sorry to see the end of the day. However, I ended on a high note: I got a big hug from one student, and told him he was a great hugger...so he asked me to marry him. I told him we'll talk.
Overall, I'm tired, happy, and excited for more to come! Tonight I'll be chatting with SO and my folks, researching for the lessons Mrs. M wants me to teach, zoning out in front of some TV, and going to bed EARLY!
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Currently reading: I swear I'll finish this book soon.
Current high: I felt so good on my first day :)
Current low: ready for bed at 5:45
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