3 weeks down--is that all??

Well, I actually made it throught the two loong days of PLC training, plus two evenings at my school afterwards! While the speakers were really good and pretty entertaining, I am not so good at sitting in a chair for an entire day. It was, however, nice to be able to go to the bathroom whenever I wanted! (Oh the small joys of a break from the classroom...)

I am hoping to be incredibly productive this weekend, because there is so much to do for next week. As I'm getting ready to start my Daily 5 implementation, I not only have to be sure I know what I'm doing for that, but I'm still moving ahead with the reading series and math of course. (Still no science and social studies yet, but my goal is to start social studies within the next two weeks. NEVER thought I'd be one of those teachers who didn't teach those subjects, but I finally understand why they get cut so often...) I'm really excited about starting Daily 5 Monday! My literacy coach and I have planned the week, and she is going to coteach part of it with me. I love coteaching, and am excited to share Daily 5 with the kids. I think that they will REALLY benefit from it, and of course they will enjoy the reading time (I have so many readers in my class, no matter how much trouble they might have not chatting all day long!). Yesterday I spent far too much money on new reading folders, cardboard book boxes, and a few new throw pillows for the room. I wish I could go to my classroom and start working on setting up the book boxes and things, but unfortunately my building is closed on the weekends.
School at 6am Monday it is... gross.

Thanks, IKEA, for having these awesome magazine files!

PERFECT for book boxes :)

I've also been thinking about how I've only had 3 weeks in the classroom, and that feels really weird. I feel like I've been there forever alreay. I'm trying really hard to remind myself that it has only been 3 weeks, and I can't expect magic to happen in my classroom in that short of a time period. I also shouldn't expect to be perfect at anything so soon. It has only been three weeks. And between labor day, this conference, and the short week our first week back, I have actually only been teaching them 11 days. When I think about it like that, I feel a lot better about myself. This is one of those times when I know that a calmer, wiser person would tell me: "Amy, how realistic is it to expect yourself to master a new profession in 11 days?" Someone very smart once told me to be wary of the "shoulds." I have a bad habit of thinking in terms of "shoulds." I should be doing this or I should be feeling or thinking that. I should be better at teaching or I should be happier I have a job. The reality is, I guess, that thinking in terms of shoulds doesn't help at all. And I think I need to adjust my expectations for myself to something a little more realistic.

In the spirit of doing that, I have decided that I am focusing on one subject at a time. Next week, I will do a really good job at teaching Reading. The following week I will do a really good job at teaching Math. After that I will really focus on Writing, and then Social Studies. I know that being "really good" at teaching 1 subject at a time isn't the best way for the kids, but right now I feel like I'm being "adequate" at all the subjects, and that's just leaving me frustrated. 1 thing at a time. 1 thing at a time.

With that in mind, I'm going to get to work so that I actually will be good at teaching reading next week :)