I'm coming out of the closet!

Just Kidding! My former classroom used to be the size of a large closet. My new classroom IS a former regular size classroom....AND........

Here it is! My Big room-its the same kind of set-up as the room I had when I came to Easton as a first grade teacher. ....(Click on the picture to view it larger)

The front of the room with my desk....
More of the front...
Back corner...
Back of the room...

First day of school!

Both Austin and Timmy were excited by their first day. Timmy is in first grade and Austin is now in fourth, but he attends the Nazareth Intermediate School. They have built a new school for 7 & 8th , so they 've reconfigured the grades. So far they both like school and love their time in aftercare. On Wednesday Austin told us he was selected for safety patrol and he's so excited by this prospect. that evening he was chosen as a goalie and went to bed singing the Spongebob song "It's the best day ever....!"

Back To school!

Somehow this doesn't seem fair. I was out last (a week after my kids) and am going back to school a week before my kids! Monday is my first day back.

This year I have a new room-no more closet-I shall post pics, next week as it's not done yet! There's still furniture and supplies that belong to a colleague in it. It's a full size classroom....HUGE! Our district re-districted so we lost teachers to a new building that was needed, and now all the interventionists have larger rooms. I might as well enjoy it though-as I'm sure it won't last. Here is a picture that shows my closet sized room from last year (it was pajama day), the room was about 7X9.

It's been awhile......here's an update

OK so I've been really busy!
Here's the Latest: I went to ESU to reunite with a bunch of sorority sisters and we had the best time, sharing laughs & memories. The picture with the wall....it's a tradition!

Austin: Tried out for travel team (he didn't want to, neither did we, but it was a great exerience) he didn't make it,(whew!) but scored #15-they took the top 14. There were about 50 boys. So yes, we DO have a little Pele (or is it Beckham) He also had a tournament of 4 back to back games, and was amazing! He assisted many goals and scored 4 on his own.

Timmy had his moving up ceremony. They sang songs and were presented with certificates. He is now an official first grader. Timmy finishes soccer this week by going out to Rita's with his team.

Home: Ray stained the deck -it looks great! We also have a new oak tree, a lilac, and 2 large bushes in the back-we're still working on the rear landscaping, but it sure looks better!

School: A former student of mine was in a tragic situation recently. I had him in first grade-he is now 9. He was kidnapped at gunpoint, then driven on a 40 mile high speed chase. Troopers were able to stop the car, but a gunfight ensued killing the boys' father, a trooper, and seriously injuring another trooper. The boy is safe, but obviously will be burdened by this forever. Our school is very saddened by this. It's been in all the papers and major news media. It began in nazareth, but he is a student in my school. I plan to attend the funeral with his 2nd & 3rd grade teachers to show support for one of our own.

Our district is opening a new building next year (even though they are laying people off and reconfiguring jobs-go figure!) so I will be moving from a closet sized room to a bigger room-want to make bets on how long I will actually stay there? I give it 6 months-then they will need the classroom back-just wait!

I think that's it for now!

Breathe.........

fall school pics!

Here they are! Austin & Timmy's fall school photos! I usually don't get them because their school also does them in spring (&I like those better) with class photos. Since Timmy's soccer team opted out of photos, I thought I'd better get them. Timmy is in kindergarten and Austin is now in third grade.

Our official photo-(standing)Miss Chief,Miss Hap, Miss Tea, Miss Guided, Miss Read
(kneeling)Miss Calculate,Miss Analysis, Miss State, Miss Spell Missing: Miss Understood, Miss Print, Miss Behave, Miss Fit, Miss Step, Mis Judged, Miss Managed and a few more ....

whoo.....oooh Halloween is almost here....

Nothing like waiting till the last minute for faculty Halloween costumes. Our school really gets into it. Well I had a great idea...more of a brainfart actually...we could all be beauty queens (simple get it? Tiara's & banners-easy) well then I decided we'd have to do a play on words so I came up with a few then got together and the meeting of the minds created an explosion. Here's what we came up with:

Miss understood (-reading teacher)
Miss read (me-reading teacher)
Miss Chief( our principal in a wig)
Miss guided(-guidance counselor)
Miss Tea(Our secretary who drinks tea)
Miss take or Miss behave(-behavior interventionist-she can't decide)
Miss Fit(-phys ed)
Miss step(Her student teacher-phys ed)
Miss conduct (Security guard in a wig)
Miss Hap (Cathy Happel-)
Miss inform(-student's aide)
Miss print(-librarian)
Miss calculate (math specialist)
Miss translate (-ESL)
Miss State (she wanted to be a Penn State grad)
Miss spoke (speech)
We'll have more by tomorrow I'm sure and I'll try to get pictures!

A small room with a lot of promise...

This is my classroom-I am re-organizing it-so 'scuse the slight messes.

The room is tiny about 5' x 8'. I have a kidney shaped reading table somewhat centered. I do not have a desk. There are large shelves-(pictured) to contain my intervention supplies, resources, all reading manuals K-4(I don't use them-why are they there?? 'cause someone may need them!) and the top is all curriculum manuals from K-4. I share 2 shelves with our literacy coach since she has no shelves in her room. To the right of the shelf (or your left as you view it) there is another door which leads to our school nurse and central office area. In the foreground (it's evident in both pics which helps to show scale) you can see the side of a printer-it sits on a smaller shelf which holds my "bins"- everything I need for each group I see-I see 9 groups each day from k-2. I formally had a table, but it made the room MORE crowded. I've moved it to the hall for book displays-don't tell the fire department, it's probably a hazard.
I do have a filing cabinet and glass windows (notice my cute curtain-cat & the hat of course) with a door leading to the hall. (see picture). My tripod is there too 'cause that's where I set up the camera-it has captured a side view-which is quite acceptable, but I am hoping with the creation of space, I can pull the table out more to capture a frontal view. I am in the process of re-arranging because I can't stand the clutter and I want my videos for NBCTS to be outstanding.
So far the only critique I am hearing is to see the kids faces and work area more-so I assume my teaching & planning is effective. As you can see, I function in crowded quarters-some of my friends say I was hired for my position because I was the only one who could fit behind the table- my weight obsessive self loves that ~but my professional self questions this idea and hopes that they are really only kidding-they do say they are.

The Official First Day of School...

Today was the official first day of school. Austin is in 3rd grade, Timmy goes to kindergarten. The sign denotes the yea and grades. Can't you just see the excitement on those faces? Austin was so nervous, he spent much of the night awake (maybe that's why I'm tired). Timmy had trouble just waking up on time.

Timmy's First Day of Kindergarten! Part2

More-arriving at the Y...and a repeat of the best one...leaving school.

Timmy's First Day of Kindergarten!

The idea of going to kindergarten does not impress Timmy at all. It was an uneventful morning, everyone was up and ready to go on time, and Austin was probably more excited than anyone!
We took Timmy to school, but he wouldn't smile in front of the school sign or in the classroom. Austin and I attended a brief meeting while Timmy stayed with his class. We reunited at the safety assembly and we were able to get a smiling shots of him at the end of the orientation, waiting for the bus and getting on the bus. The woman in green behind Timmy in one picture is his teacher, she is new to Shafer school. At that point Austin and I got in the car and drove to the YMCA in order to see him get off the bus and enter the Y for his daycare orientation.

Timmy's First Day of Kindergarten

Coming Soon......please check back after Monday, Aug. 25!