off to a good start...

well, it's been a while. life has been chaotic, to say the least. i'm officially a teacher at Norman High. Go Tigers! and we finally have a nibble on the condo. i'm so lucky. things always happen when they're supposed to. i sometimes forget that i'm not in control of everything, and for good reason.

i have a great group of kids this year. some are a little chatty, but who wasn't at their age? no one has been disrespectful to me yet (unless you count the pom girl before school even started), which i'm so appreciative of. and i have some of the best (and most helpful) fellow teachers.

dustin and i are living life. my stepmom surprised us with a sweet gift so that he and i could go out and have a date night. we need one. life can get a little crazy sometimes and we need to remember to slow down and just enjoy being together. not that i don't enjoy him. i'm nuts about him. but to get back some of the carefree moments we had when we were first dating. he really is the best thing that has ever happened to me and i know that he's made me a better person. 

i suppose that's all for now. i have to go plan some non-boring math lessons... ;)

until next time,

heather

what to teach the children...?

well, this week marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. i start new teacher orientation on thursday. it's definitely a mixed bag of emotions. i'm excited, nervous, scared, happy, anxious...just to name a few. the first day will be fine. i won't have to teach math. ha! it's the days after that have me so nervous. will i be able to teach them? will they be little monsters? will i be able to keep up with all of my IEPs??

i've been by my classroom a few times and it feels a little "institutional" right now. i want to brighten it up...although technically, it's already bright, with lots of windows and two sky lights. but the walls...oh, the walls. i'm going to have the kids work on a personal shield the first day. that way, i'll get to learn more about them, and i'll also get to use their shields as decoration.

i've also got to get my class rules in order. the high school has a handbook that the students get that outlines  basic rules for them to follow. so obviously, i will expect those rules to be followed in my classroom too. but i was thinking about giving them "life guidelines" rather than rules. these are guidelines they can live by throughout their lives. something a little different from the norm...

1. be trustworthy
2. be truthful
3. do your personal best
4. show active listening
5. no put-downs

i think these cover pretty much everything. i want to instill in my students the need to be responsible citizens. i know that not all will succeed, but if i can get just a handful to follow these, i would be more than happy.

but maybe i've left something out. what do you think?