100th Day of School/A Day in My Shoes

Last week we celebrated the 100th day of school!  We did a couple different things to celebrate the big day.  We made four posters and each had a different theme.  The first one said 100 ways to be nice, the next was 100 places I would like to visit, the third was 100 ways to make 100, and the last one was 100 questions about anything.  Some of the things they came up with were pretty funny.  For 100 places they would like to visit there was kazakhstan, arbys, and the principal's office.  For 100 questions about anything they had were...

Why are teachers nice?
Why do we have moms and dads?
Why can't we have brownies and ice cream for supper?
Why is coloring and drawing so much fun?
Why do kids pull the edges of the carpet up?
and my favorite....Why do kids make bad choices?

In writing they wrote about what they are going to be like when they are 100 years old.  When they were figuring out what year it will be when they turn 100 my cooperating teacher was asked them when they were born.  She asked, "If you were born in 2003, what year will it be when you are 100? One little kid spoke right up and said, "December."  Ha...yes December, but December of what year?  Once they figured out what year they were going to be 100 they wrote what their life would be like, and here are a few of them.....

I will own the Hawkeyes/Cyclones.
I will dye my hair to make sure I don't look old.
I will be a gothic cowboy with a donkey in my house.
I will be the strongest man in Texas with a cane and a bad back.
I will hide things in my flabby cheeks.
Then I had one girl come up to me, tell me she was going to be a rockstar at 100 years of age, and wanted to know if I wanted to hear one of her songs.  I said sure, she begain to sing "I'm a rockstar, I can (she paused for a few seconds acted like she fell asleep and started snoring...haha).

I was reading a blog the other day and they were talking about a day in my shoes, of course it was a teaching blog.  I wish I could remember who's blog it was so I could give them credit, but I can't :(  I am going to let you spend a day in my shoes.....

My alarm goes off at 5:40, 5:50, 6:00, and 6:10...yes I do need four alarms to finally wake me and get me out of bed.  I get ready, eat breakfast, pack my lunch and I am out the door by 7:30..ok more like 7:40.  I get to school around 8:00.  I get stuff together for the day, make copies if need be, and discuss the day with my cooperating teacher.  Students arrive in the classroom at 8:25.  When students come into the classroom they are responsible for checking in for the day, and completing the tasks on the board.  We start word study (language) around 8:45-8:50.  We then move into writing around 9:05 or a little later.  We work on writing until 9:45, from there we move into reading whole group for a half hour.  At 10:15 we break into small group reading.  During this time we meet with our group to give them the instruction needed.  Other groups either play reading related board games or use the computer to visit reading sites.  After a half hour of that we move on to fluency until it is recess time at 11:05.  They head to lunch right after this, while they are at lunch I eat and start getting ready for the afternoon.  After lunch they go to their special(s) that last an hour.  During this time I'm still getting stuff ready for the afternoon, correcting papers from the morning, and/or attending data team meetings.  At 1:15 the kids are back up in the classroom and we are ready for science or social skills if it is Friday.  We do this for a half hour then move into math.  We do whole group from 1:45 to about 2:20.  Then we do small groups the rest of the day until about 3:05.  Then students get ready for dismissal, and we head out with the car riders and walkers.  We are usually back in the building by 3:35..more like 3:40.  Then its off to get the classroom back in order, and get ready for the next day.  I usually leave by 4-4:15...at least on a good day!  Today I was there till a little after 5!  I then head to the gym workout and am back home a little before seven.  I fix something to eat, and finish getting stuff ready for the next day and following days to come.  I am also filling out applications during this time.  I am usually in bed and hopefully asleep by 10:30.  Then it's all over again!

Obviously this isn't my classroom this is just my student teaching.  This will change with my next placement, and will change again when I have my own classroom where I will probably be alot more active than I am now!  I invite you to give me a day in your shoes or blog about it on your blog!

Well it's off to making a quiz and filling out an application that is due next week!