One of those days....or weeks!

Yes, it has been one of those days and weeks.  So much energy my little ones have and I'm fighting the cruds, so I'm spent!  It is Wednesday though...only two more days to go!  I don't ask much of my little ones, but it seems they just want to do me in this week.  I told them that I wasn't feeling too well and would love it if they were to take it easy on me...well, I asked them to step it up and be on their best behavior at least. 

It seems that the already over the top energy level went even higher...the handsy kids are handsier...the loud kids are louder...the whiny kids are whinier...get where I'm going with this.

Also the excitement level is elavated because we had not one, but two friends with birthdays this week.  Maybe a cupcake would help me feel better!

Yay!!

So my little munchkins were all engaged happily in free choice centers...it was Fun Friday afterall...and I was sitting doing some planning, taking some observations, and indulging in conversations here and there.  One of my little munchkins came over and asked if it was O.K. to use my pointer (which some of my friends use as a weapon, so we now ask).  This little one is my lowest and can almost write their name now!  I'm thinking...sure anything if you want to go touch letters around the room go for it! 

I watch her walk away with much pride that the pointer is in her hand!  She walked over to our sight word pocket chart (where our weekly words and sentences are displayed).  She preceeds to look around to make sure no one is watching her (but I'm secretly watching).  She takes the pointer and points to every word, yes word, and reads them correctly!  She then moves onto the sentences..once again she uses that pointer and reads those words.  I actually tear up a little knowing how far she has come!  This is what it is all about...the pride in her face was priceless!  I called her over and told her how proud she just made me and her face glowed!

I love my job....

Light Bulb Moments.....

Boy have we been having those light bulb or aha moments in our classroom! 

It has been hard with the cold snowy weather to get out to let the extra energy get released!  Instead I've been trying to channel that energy into learning new and exciting things.  Today as my class was buzzing I actually took a step back for the first time in a while.  I witnessed:

1. A few friends dancing and singing their sight words along with the dvd...the smiles on their faces were priceless! 
2. A few friends gathered around a table graphing sight words that they were spinning on spinners.  The excitement in their voices over which word on their graph was "winning!" priceless!
3. A few friends using word family mats to create words and write them down...."Ms. Robin I know how to spell fin!" priceless!
4. A few more friends using pictures and letter tiles to create simple CVC words.  "Ms. Robin look I made 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...7 words!" priceless!

It is in moments like this that I know what I am doing is the right thing.  My little friends were excited, engaged, happy, and most of all loving learning....PRICELESS!!

Full Steam Ahead...

Well I don't want to jinx myself, but odds are I just did....

We are full steam ahead right now going into the direction I wanted us to go!  So many of my friends are having so many "lightbulb" or "aha" moments that it's been crazy!  I still have some tough friends and some have so far to go (but I will add that they have come so far already), but I feel that things are coming together and that we are headed in the right direction.

I just did some sight word reassessments and some of my friends are making me proud.  Don't get me wrong...yes, I still have one or two friends who still struggle with letter recognition...they aren't all reading Einsteins!

There is nothing I love more then seeing pride in their eyes when they get something really get it.  My shy one is shy, but she has been having tons of these moments lately and I'm beyond proud of her.  It is hard to have her break out of that comfort of just whispering words to me and stand in front of her friends and point to words on a chart that she knows. She is becoming more and more confident in her abilities and I know she is proud of herself. 

All I strive for is that each and every one of my students have self confidence and pride in their learning abilities...not too much to ask for is it? Well...choo choo off we go!