Happy (but sleepy) Teacher

This has been a week of good days.  :)

This time last year, I was choking back tears every night and staying past 7.

While I still have 2 long days per week usually, and while many things still are frustrating and need work, I am not choking back tears.  Not even close.  In fact, I feel pretty good.

This week I have realized that I have great relationships with my kids.  I care about them, and, more importantly, they KNOW I care about them.  I am at a place with them where I can say, "Will you please do it, just for me?" and they WILL.  It's amazing.  Even my tough kids hold some pretty special places in my hearts.  My toughest kid of all, who can barely read and is prone to temper tantrums and melt downs?  I freaking love him.  BTW this has been a melt-down free week.  So proud. :)

Oh, and my kiddo who was skipping out on school last week actually TRIED this week!  In fact, he did a fantastic job all week and I could not be prouder.  Have we made progress??

ANYWAYS...
Today was an extra good day for another reason--I had a special guest!!!  One of my good friends from my college elementary ed program, Miss S, came to help in my room today!  Miss S is currently subbing in another district, but had the day free and offered to come help out.  YES PLEASE!!!!  It was unbelievable how much more we were able to get done with an extra teacher in the room.  Miss S met with two of my reading groups which meant EVERYONE got met with today for a change (yay!), and in math she and I were basically like a swat team running from struggling kid to struggling kid (first day practicing measuring angles with a protractor--always a disaster!  she could NOT have come on a better day!).  Also, it's pretty great just having another grown up in the room to share a laugh with sometimes.  Miss S, can I just pay you to co-teach with me???

Tomorrow is Friday.  Hallelujah.  Good week or not, I am E X H A U S T E D.  Like, falling asleep in your grading exhausted.  But in a good, I-gave-it-all-I-had-and-it-shows kind of way.

This evening's laugh-out-loud moment while grading vocabulary sentences:
"Slurp: When I got in trouble, I slurped my icy noisily and casually."  Amazing. :)