"Christmas, Christmas time is near
Time for toys and time for cheer
We've been good, but we can't last (There is more truth to this than anyone will know...)
Hurry Christmas, hurry fast (a sentiment shared by all)
Want a plane that loops the loop (and a Wii, and movies, and x-Box, and legos, and shoes, and...)
Me, I want a hula hoop (and a skateboard, and a snowboard, and a harmonica...)
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don't be late. " (If anyone loves us teachers at all... PLEASE... help us get to the end of December unscathed...)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Enjoy the break!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Holiday insanity... I *will* survive... (I hope)
Ok... a fact fairly well known by anyone with access to kids is that holidays are anticipated by all- either for the time off, time with family, no school... whatever.
to be a teacher with holidays/days off coming up is to start counting days/hours of holding on to our sanity. The energy level of the class is absolutely nuts!!! Now- don't get me wrong. I love Christmas as much as my kids, both for the time off from school and for the stuff I'll get as gifts- I love Christmas! but if the energy spent on thinking about (breath)havingdaysoffandwhatI'mgettingforchristmasandwhatIwantforchristmas (breath)
andwhereI'mgoingandwhoI'mgoingtosee (breath), etc. etc. was actually spent on doing classwork... more would pass their tests, get better classwork grades, do independent work quieter... and I would spend less time counting back from 5, or raising my voice, or shouting "HEY!" just to get everybody's attention.
to this end I have found a fantastic little book and doll to "settle them down". The Elf on the Shelf is a fantastic little story by a wonderful woman (I'm sorry that I don't recall her name) who created it for her own kids when they were young.(Thank God for bribery) This little elf comes every December 1st and is basically Santa's spy until December 24th. He watches all day, and goes back to Santa each night to tell him the scoop on who's been good and not-so-good... and returns to a different spot the following morning. The rules are you can't touch him (his magic will go away if you do and he can't go to Santa without his magic) but you can talk to him all you want.
it is the highlight of the morning to see where Hermie (that's my elf's name) has settled himself for the day. He's been behind books, on a statue shelf, behind a poster, to name a few spots. And the kids remind each other not to touch him... and that he's watching their every move.... but somehow, over the course of the day, it is forgotten that he is going to tell Santa about the behavior he sees (good and bad) and that they should behave just in case....until I remind them.
I don't remember being so keyed up as a kid in school... I can only imagine my teachers would have something different to say... some of my kids practically vibrate with energy.
the only thing worse than holidays and days off are snow storms. I have learned in my years in a school setting that children are often the best barometers around- especially for snow. The energy goes through the roof... and so, conversely, goes my patience level. Not that I don't like snow- I love it... to play in or just watch from the warm side of a window.
Needless to say- Christmas is in 3 weeks... it will be 10 of the longest days on my calendar for the remainder of 2008. These 10 more days will include: one more big test, and a couple of minor ones; a huge Social Studies project; 3 Kindergarten plays; a band concert; a Christmas show; and our own class party...
How, you ask, will I get through all of this and teach the core subjects too??? counting down to Christmas, counting down to vacation... one insane day at a time. Thank God there are only 10.
to be a teacher with holidays/days off coming up is to start counting days/hours of holding on to our sanity. The energy level of the class is absolutely nuts!!! Now- don't get me wrong. I love Christmas as much as my kids, both for the time off from school and for the stuff I'll get as gifts- I love Christmas! but if the energy spent on thinking about (breath)havingdaysoffandwhatI'mgettingforchristmasandwhatIwantforchristmas (breath)
andwhereI'mgoingandwhoI'mgoingtosee (breath), etc. etc. was actually spent on doing classwork... more would pass their tests, get better classwork grades, do independent work quieter... and I would spend less time counting back from 5, or raising my voice, or shouting "HEY!" just to get everybody's attention.
to this end I have found a fantastic little book and doll to "settle them down". The Elf on the Shelf is a fantastic little story by a wonderful woman (I'm sorry that I don't recall her name) who created it for her own kids when they were young.(Thank God for bribery) This little elf comes every December 1st and is basically Santa's spy until December 24th. He watches all day, and goes back to Santa each night to tell him the scoop on who's been good and not-so-good... and returns to a different spot the following morning. The rules are you can't touch him (his magic will go away if you do and he can't go to Santa without his magic) but you can talk to him all you want.
it is the highlight of the morning to see where Hermie (that's my elf's name) has settled himself for the day. He's been behind books, on a statue shelf, behind a poster, to name a few spots. And the kids remind each other not to touch him... and that he's watching their every move.... but somehow, over the course of the day, it is forgotten that he is going to tell Santa about the behavior he sees (good and bad) and that they should behave just in case....until I remind them.
I don't remember being so keyed up as a kid in school... I can only imagine my teachers would have something different to say... some of my kids practically vibrate with energy.
the only thing worse than holidays and days off are snow storms. I have learned in my years in a school setting that children are often the best barometers around- especially for snow. The energy goes through the roof... and so, conversely, goes my patience level. Not that I don't like snow- I love it... to play in or just watch from the warm side of a window.
Needless to say- Christmas is in 3 weeks... it will be 10 of the longest days on my calendar for the remainder of 2008. These 10 more days will include: one more big test, and a couple of minor ones; a huge Social Studies project; 3 Kindergarten plays; a band concert; a Christmas show; and our own class party...
How, you ask, will I get through all of this and teach the core subjects too??? counting down to Christmas, counting down to vacation... one insane day at a time. Thank God there are only 10.
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