Wonderings

When I was little I would imagine what my teacher's did during their summer break. At my previous school, we didn't get paid through the summer so I still had to work and never had a summer "off". However, since arriving in the grand state of Texas, I have had 3 summers off now and I am loving it! So, you may ask, "How does a teacher spend  their summer?" So far this summer I have done a lot of relaxing by the pool and hanging out with friends. I have gone to one math workshop. I have read 1 and 1/2 books (I'm currently in the middle of one). I also got a new camera so I have been playing with that and taking a lot of pictures. Finally, I have this cross stitch that I have been working on for 4+ years now and my goal is to finish it before school starts. I'm sure many teachers lead a lot more of an interesting life than I do,especially during the summer. However, I enjoy my time to relax and spend with Mr. Edugator.

Kim Sutton

Yesterday I went to a Kim Sutton math workshop. Kim Sutton herself was our presenter. She was very interesting and had a lot of energy! I can't wait to take her ideas back into my classroom and use them next year! I also got some book ideas from her to read and just ordered them. I'll let you know how they are! :) If you ever have a chance to attend a PD session with her...do it! She was amazing!

The results are in...

Okay, it's been forever since I posted. School is out. Scores are in. I'm very proud of the kids. I saw a lot of growth this year, even if they did not pass "the test". It seems like I start every year wishing for the previous years class and thinking about how the current group is "harder" than the last. However, as I end the year and realize that I think that every year, I am proud of my class this year. They worked hard to become a school family and truly stand up for each other, almost to the point of being cliquish. Is that a word? Well, it is now! I saw huge gains in their academic skills and their self confidence. I hope that I was able to encourage them to continue to believe in themselves and be the best they can be.