Cloudbusting
Week 4 began with a beautiful commute: full moon overhead illuminating the sky while glances in my rearview mirror lent quick glimpses of a colorful sunrise. Kate Bush's "Cloudbusting" blared through the car stereo as I was looking forward to this jam-packed week.
If you don't already love the song "Cloudbusting", listen to it here:
With week 4 comes more responsibility in the classroom. I am teaching Reading Mastery regularly, running my small math group daily and have picked up Language for Writing as well.
Language is the most difficult subject for me to teach. The curriculum is scripted and I am feverishly trying to familiarize myself with the sequence. My biggest struggle is the time of day. Language is the last block of the day and the students are restless to put it mildly.
Management is the key to success in any classroom and everyday I learn new lessons from my students. They are masters at derailing; they sense I'm new to this, vulnerable, an easy target. But, at the same time, they are curious and eager to learn so each day presents a different set of challenges.
I am always interested in what my students have to say but I have learned to ask, "Is it relevant to what we're learning right now?" "Of course!" they answer enthusiastically. My favorite question so far:
"Why is your name Ms. Rich?"
Monday ended with the staff meeting centered on Health and Wellness. Health professionals from Browning came in to check all of the teachers' blood pressures, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, weight, etc. My numbers rocked for blood pressure and blood sugar but I was displeased with cholesterol and weight. Of course, I blamed the breakfast I had at Paul's Pancake Parlor in Missoula with Emily and Alisa on Sunday!
If you don't already love the song "Cloudbusting", listen to it here:
With week 4 comes more responsibility in the classroom. I am teaching Reading Mastery regularly, running my small math group daily and have picked up Language for Writing as well.
Language is the most difficult subject for me to teach. The curriculum is scripted and I am feverishly trying to familiarize myself with the sequence. My biggest struggle is the time of day. Language is the last block of the day and the students are restless to put it mildly.
Management is the key to success in any classroom and everyday I learn new lessons from my students. They are masters at derailing; they sense I'm new to this, vulnerable, an easy target. But, at the same time, they are curious and eager to learn so each day presents a different set of challenges.
I am always interested in what my students have to say but I have learned to ask, "Is it relevant to what we're learning right now?" "Of course!" they answer enthusiastically. My favorite question so far:
"Why is your name Ms. Rich?"
Monday ended with the staff meeting centered on Health and Wellness. Health professionals from Browning came in to check all of the teachers' blood pressures, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, weight, etc. My numbers rocked for blood pressure and blood sugar but I was displeased with cholesterol and weight. Of course, I blamed the breakfast I had at Paul's Pancake Parlor in Missoula with Emily and Alisa on Sunday!
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