I like to be at school early so I can get myself together and have a cup of coffee before the kids get there. It gives me time to gather my thoughts, put things where I want them and make sure I have on the board what I'd like the kids to see first thing. I like to get to school by around 7 because school starts at 8.

This morning, however, my alarm didn't go off. Great.  I made a solid effort to stay calm on the outside for Hannah's benefit while going nutso on the inside because there were still about a kajillion things I NEEDED to get done before school started! And with being on what seems sometimes like a different planet, it's almost like having a first-year-teaching experience. So, yeah, I was panicking. 

It was probably 7:35 or so when we arrived (which is really late to me) and as I was flying through the office to get to my classroom, Abbie asked me if I'd read my email this morning. "No," I calmly replied. "I actually woke up late because my alarm didn't go off and didn't get up until almost 7, so I'm a little behind." Apparently we needed to switch things up and I was going to be teaching sewing this morning rather than sports. Very calmly (on the outside) I assured Abbied it wasn't a big deal for me to go back home and grab my sewing tools so we could do that. Then I dashed to my car, thinking all the while about how I could possibly finish the every-growing list of things that weren't getting done because I was driving back up the hill!!!

As it usually does, everything worked out just fine in the end: I had a great group of kids who were working on their sewing projects. A couple of students didn't have their materials, so they were put to work coloring some things for me to use with the younger ones as word sorts. It was great!!! The other things I'd been in a knot about all worked out, too. It's just that all that worrying made me tired!!

The First, Third, and Fourth Graders in My Classroom

Today during our English language arts time, it felt as though for the first time I really have a grasp on where the kids are in their development, and that was a great feeling. I also felt as though I could gauge what they would and wouldn't be able to complete successfully. It turned out that I had estimated correctly, too, so that was a great feeling! To top it off, we did some learning activities the kids all really enjoyed AND benefited from, so that was wonderful, too.

After school, I went to check the mail and, lo and behold, we had THREE boxes!!! It was almost like Christmas! Stan (AKA Santa) had sent a box a while ago with some things I had used in my classroom at Warner, so that was pretty exciting for me; I also received an order someone had donated, some of which fits right in with what we're doing this week in class! The third package was for Hannah, who received a care package from her Uncle Dave that included several fun things for her to do. It was a good trip to the Post Office!

For some reason, both Hannah and I were pretty whipped after school today, so we had our supper a little early and played some Dominos. Hannah was also able to Skype with one of her grandmas, which was really special for both of them!

Tonight I am thankful that there were some moments in my classroom today when I knew I was impacting my kids. There is something really wonderful when things come together, the hard work pays off, and kids are excited about their learning. Thank you, God, for the opportunity to experience that today!