ahora vamos a contar

i was chatting with a co-worker today when i needed my kids to stop what they were doing. before i knew it, i busted into some vanilla ice. which inspired a new transition chant:

la maestra sez: "STOP! Collaborate and..."
students say: "LISTEN!"

cheesy, but dammit, it works. they needed something new and fresh anyway. funny how old and contrived it actually is.

(add this to my other transitions: the unsuccessful "Freeze!", wherein all students exaggerate their motions before actually freezing; the half-hearted "Give me five" where students hold up one hand; the local university hand motto and hand signal response; and my most effective pattern clap to which students respond with a double clap)

it's an odd time of year. spring break is around the corner and things are getting serious. retention lists are being compiled (i don't have any kids who are possible retainees, and i'm the only one in first grade who can say that), parent conferences are being done, and i feel like i've already blogged about this before... hmmm. pardon me if i'm being repetitive. anyway, i've sent a few select students to kinder and second grade in the last two weeks so they can get a little perspective on the behavior and work ethic i expect to see in these last few months of first grade (cause they're not showing it to me). i'm noticing how much my kids have grown... how many teeth they've lost, how much taller they are, how outgoing and comfortable they have become with me and their peers.

today i spoke to a parent about how chatty her son is. i reassured her that it didn't bother me; on the contrary, this guy only had one friend at the beginning of the year and that student was moved to another class in october. i was quite worried about his ability to make new friends, but now he's socializing beautifully. he gets his work done and he rarely has conflicts with other students, so i'm quite happy to see him chatting regularly. then there's the girl who is always waiting in front of my room with a smile on her face ten minutes before the bell rings. she's always got a story to tell and is filled with spunk. mom and i had some conversations in the beginning of the year because she was a bit of a llorona; every morning, she'd burst into tears once her mother headed out. after a few weeks it resolved itself as i gave her lots of little jobs to do once she arrived in my classroom (she also had the option to write her mother little notes throughout the day whenever she missed her) but it would still happen from time to time. last week, my little chamaca had an accident in the cafeteria. when i asked her what happened, she bravely told me as tears filled her eyes... but they didn't fall. she's growing up and learning how to deal with her emotions.

it's amazing how well you get to know these guys. and it's amazing how quickly time flies. as much as i complain, i'm gonna miss the hell out of my little mocosos.

i don't know what or where i'll be teaching next year.

there's all kind of flux at my school every year... an alarming teacher attrition rate and unpredictable student enrollment. however, next year they are getting rid of all our early childhood/pre-k programs and some of the teachers in those grades with a lot of seniority will likely be trying to stay at our school by teaching another grade. my job may be in jeopardy.

suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

i love holidays because my kids get me the craziest gifts. this v-day, i went home with:

stuffed lion w/puffy picture frame
heart mug
oodles of chocolate and candy
yellow tulips
a feather rose (i'll take a picture, but trust me, it's pretty)
heart candle
fruit
crysanthemum
weird ceramic baby bootie with an angel inside

...and the kicker: a love shotglass.

even funnier because i came to school today with a decent hangover. classy, i know. my co-worker wore the same clothes she had on last night, so it could have been worse.

i don't think that just because someone works with me i should feel obligated to throw them a party to celebrate something personal. there are four teachers on our first grade team. three of us were at the school last year, two of us in first grade. the new teacher got engaged in the fall and is getting married in march. i barely get along with her socially much less professionally (severe philosophical and stylistic differences in teaching, not to mention opposite personalities), so WHY should i help finance a celebration for her?

call me bitter and cheap, but seriously, you people know how little i make. i'm generally pleasant to everyone at school, albeit quite quiet around those i don't know well, but niceties should only go so far.

unrelated: this morning i was rereading a big book and gave myself the mother of all paper cuts. i love the fact that my class was totally unplussed when i shrieked, announced i was bleeding, and demanded that another student pick up where i left off. they can roll with the punches... and tell time like nobody's business!

first of all, cheers to gustavo for joining our ranks.

secondly, boo to school redesigns and restructuring. boo to testing and the fact that the amount of testing required of us is at odds with our school's non-educational video-showing policy.

...and that's it for now. hey, i posted. sorry it's so brief. i have a much more active social life these days =)