I have to tell you seven random facts about myself and then choose 5 blogs I have found.
1. I am terribly allergic to ants, bees, and cats! I carry an Epi Pen around me just in case of an emergency at all time :)
2. I LOVE small cars. Since I have no kids I can still get away with them..I previously owned a Volkswagen Beetle and currently own a Mini Cooper.
3. I'm a mutt..My parents are from Venezuela but I have many relatives from Sicily, Spain, and France.
4. I will be moving to France in the next couple of years. My boyfriend will be joining the French military and I will be supporting him by following him there and making a life to wherever he will be stationed.
5. I am an avid fan of fashion magazines..I love recreating looks on a budget :)
6. I love to eat limes! All my students will tell you that..I like to peel them like an orange and dip the slices in salt :)
7. One of my biggest stress relievers is kickboxing! I use to take lessons 2 years ago and really loved it...I might have to take it up again..or yoga...or both!
Fierce in Fourth is having a linky party about the first day and what makes us uneasy...
Here are my three...
1. Will my grade staff like me? I got so used to the third grade staff at my school that I am kind of nervous of what the Kindergarten teachers will think of me. Kindergarten has the largest staff at my school but there is a lot of turnover. Recently my principal had to lay off several Kindergarten teachers because of poor results of the SATs and/or not having high points on their observations. I am friendly and willing to work as a group but I'm not sure the Kinder teachers are the same way :/
2. Will I be able to accomplish everything in my lessons by myself? My school does not have teacher's assistant for the younger grades. This makes me feel uneasy because even though I can have the students take roles as a class, I still feel like I need backup for cleaning, organizing centers, etc. I used to work at a private preschool where I was lucky enough to have a TA. Last year when I subbed for 3rd grade, I was on my own but I felt there was no need for an extra set of hands because they were older.
3. Will I be able to incorporate all my gestures and routines and not forget about them? Upon reading about the Daily 5, CAFE, BUILD, Whole Brain Approach, I have so many ideas floating in my head about how I want to implement these strategies into my room. Question is...can I remember them all when I am front and center in my classroom? I hope so!
Regardless of all these jitters, I very excited for this upcoming school year. Not only did I get my dream grade, but I am fortunate enough to have a supportive family, boyfriend, friends, and BLOGGERS! to guide me through this journey :)
I am so impressed with the number of first year teachers who also blog. When I began teaching, we had a mentor teacher and maybe some friends we had graduated with in the spring. Mostly though, we muddled through solo. Your sudents will be lucky to have a teacher proactive about using a wide network of supporters. Have fun this year.
ReplyDeleteAmy
www.adventuresinteaching.net
PS - I am now a follower and would love for you to visit my blog and check it out.
Thank you so much! Since I graduated in December, it was very hard to link up to fellow teachers since they were all settled into their classrooms. However I'm glad I found the blogosphere of wonderful teachers lending a helping hand to newbies :) Following you now..
DeleteHey there! Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my blog lately!! Glad you like my owl theme- I am obsessed. Your first day jitters sound like me and this is my third year teaching K! I actualyl started by teaching third as a sub, too! I taught that for half a year before I taught K for the past 2. We are so similar! I can relate to ALL of your jitters... seriously- and I love the whole brain stuff! Talk to you soon! And seriously let me know if you need anything we can share!
ReplyDeleteMegan @http://coffeypartyof3.blogspot.com/
Wow we really are similar!lol Thanks so much for the encouragement..it really means a lot to me :)
DeleteYour jitters are totally what I go through each year! Since blogging, I have sooooo many more ideas and I am hoping I can keep them all together. My first week of teaching I scripted everything to keep me on track. I often do this when implementing something new that I want to keep consistent (Daily 5, for example). You'd be surprised what kindergarteners can do though! Teach them to be independent through routines and consistency otherwise you'll be overwhelmed by all of the work you do for them.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
Vanessa
Kindergarten Schmindergarten
That's sounds like a great idea to jot down everything for the first day! Thanks for your input :)
DeleteThanks so much for your support of my blog! I have some of the same jitters too! Don't worry about trying to remember everything you want to implement - make little notes to help you along, but I'll tell you something my colleagues told me last year (my first kinder year) - it is OK if you don't get to everything you want to in one day! Sometimes you just have to roll with what you've got! Also, about not having a TA - really try to utilize any parent volunteers you may have. I would not have gotten through my first year without them and the kiddos love working with someone else's mom!
ReplyDeleteThank for the feedback! My school is very rigid about having parents as volunteers but I will give it a shot about asking for help, especially during big events like a classroom party :)
DeleteI use Whole Brain with my kids, and they LOVE IT! Anything that gets them moving and involved works great!
ReplyDeleteYour newest follower,
Margaret
Kinder Journey
Thanks for the feedback..and thank you for following me!
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