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Friday, September 28, 2012

The View From My Desk...

   Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
 
    Hi!  How was your week?  Well, let's just say I am glad it is Friday.  I need some quiet time.  I am here, at home, with no radio or television on.  My window is open letting in the cool night air (Autumn is definitely here!).  Crickets are chirping slowly and softly.  My Fall decor is up.  I am thankful with all of my heart that God provides these "quiet moments".  

     Don't get me wrong, I love teaching and my students!  But 12 kids who love to talk, I mean LOVE to talk- over you, on the side, in the hall, loudly in the lunch room- you get the picture, well,  I need stillness.  Since I have not done any major crafting, although I will be posting my fall decor, a couple of crafts I was able to sneak in, and some eBay tidbits, I thought I would post about "The View from my Desk".  I love to see all of your homes and decor.  I love hearing what is going on with your families.  Well, my classroom is my "home away from home" and my students are MY family.  So, here is what went on in "my home" today. Thank you for stopping by!

Blessings,
Heather
Lunch time and an empty class.  Ahhhh.  I love my smartboard in the background.  I have my screen saver set to Fall vistas, so it is like a giant window to the outdoors.  The fish tank is nice and clean because I cleaned it last night (Ew.).
Looking forward to the front of the room.  Can you guess two topics we are studying? (Hint- one is one the whiteboard and one is on the bulletin board to the left.)
Student art to brighten my day.  The green bag was made by a creative student after she finished her snack.  She used the bag to make me an owl.  The one on the top right is pretty.  I am not sure what it is.  It is plastic over construction paper with glitter all over it.  But, I love the colors and sparkle- AND the heart that gave it to me.
This is our new class pet, a teddy bear hamster named "Biscuit II". My dear Biscuit I died in my lap on Thursday.  He was the nicest hamster ever- cuddly and gentle.  But he lived to a good age.  I was thankful to cuddle with him to the end.  This gal, Biscuit, is asleep with her face against the glass.  Not the most attractive look, but she is actually really cute!
Coffee-a must have!  My itouch- classroom needs tunes! And my little star hole puncher.  It usually is on my lanyard with my whistle.  I use it to punch bonus cards.  Most of the time, it falls off my lanyard, and kids find it various places around the school.  It is like a mini game of "Where's Waldo?"  Some other variations I play are "Where are my car keys?", "Where are my worksheets?", and, one from today, "Where is the remote to the projector?" (Okay, and the answer to all of the games is...UNDER A STACK OF PAPERS! Ugh.)
Hot lunch today!  Teachers can eat the leftovers- Mmmmmmm- Lasagna and cucumber spears.  Shamefully, quite a few of the teachers (Um, me too...) went foraging for the apple pie that the kindergartens made today.  Alas, it was eaten.  None left.  We need to get those kids baking some more pies.  Hmmm.  That would be like child labor.  That is frowned upon.  I wonder if I could make apple pie in a cup?  Hmmmm...
Using Skittles to learn about statistics.  We gathered information about colors in bags and numbers in bags (the fun-sized ones).  My baggy didn't have a purple one, so I had to eat a couple bags to find one.  In front of the students.  After they had eaten their allotment of one bag.  Which they couldn't eat until the lab was finished.  Which took two days. This is an actual pioture of what was in a student's bag!  We were amazed by the colors and symmetry.  Believe me- this is rare.  I am not sure what is going on with quality control at the Skittle's factory...  You can't "Taste the Rainbow" if all of the colors aren't there!
This is my one student "holding hands" with our new furry friend while he reads his book.  Actually, he just held one finger to the glass the whole time he was reading.  It was so cute!  What is not cute?  The slipper that has been sitting under that table for a week.  The kids wear slippers in class- to be comfy and because I hate grass and mud tracked into my classroom.  My policy is that if a slipper or shoe is not where it belongs, I toss it out in the lawn outside the back door.  I think I feel like drop-kicking a slipper... I'd better start practicing for Monday!    


5 comments:

  1. I enjoyed seeing the view from your desk--and seeing what all goes on in your classroom! I love how the kids can wear slippers in the classroom--that's really neat. I wish they would've let us do that when I was in school! The new hamster is adorable!! Have a great, quiet, weekend! ~Karen

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  2. What an awesome classroom! Enjoyed your "view." Love the idea of wearing slippers in your classroom. So cool! Enjoy your quiet time. :) Have a great weekend.

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  3. Oh I know it would be so much fun to learn in your classroom! Fish, hamsters and Skittles!!! What's not to love! And it shows! Especially that your students make you little owls and write thank you notes to say you're fun!
    Thanks for helping me visualise where it all happens!
    God bless and enjoy QUIET times!
    Christine

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  4. what a great class room! busy busy thank goodness for coffee and quiet time! enjoy your weekend!

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  5. Thank you all for your nice and encouraging comments! I feel like a comforting environment- whether furniture or wearing slippers, makes a classroom conducive to learning. Students feel at home, they feel safe, and that learning is fun. Plus! I live there too! Now, I would love to do it in primitives, but the kids may not be loving the grunge and black accents!

    It is sweet to receive little notes from students. Every word I say, teaching moment I have is from God. So, even though their kind notes to me are heartwarming, they speak to the nature of the child. Their compassionate and giving "love language" which is a blessing to see. Those are the same children who gather up handfuls of flowering weeds (dandelions often!) and give them to you out of simple love. Those are the days I cherish- coffee or no coffee. When you don't have children of your own, the love of the children in your care is greatly valued...

    Thank you all for visiting! I will post more classroom stuff as interesting things happen (Oh, and you will see some interesting stuff. Kids are funny in their native classroom environment!)

    Until then, blessings and love to you all! You are all a blessing to me!

    Love,
    Heather

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