Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Tuesday Times...

Sometimes I love to just sit back and listen to my students chat while they are doing their seat work.  As long as they are seriously working I don't mind if they chat quietly.  By doing this I also get a good insight into how they are doing socially not to mention I hear some pretty funny comments!  Here are a few:
  • "Miss Brunker, guess what?!!  There are twelve students in this class.  That is the same as the 12 disciples.  So we are the 12 disciples and you are Jesus!"
  • "My parents laugh a lot.  (a bit of a pause here) I think they are getting to old."  This was stated very matter-of-factly!
  • "Frau Deisenberger, you are lying to us.  You are not a mother so that means that you are lying to us.  Okay, maybe you are just joking."  Apparently mothers do not lie!
  • "Chocolate eggs, yuck!"  "Don't you like chocolate?" "Yes, I love chocolate.  I don't like eggs mixed with chocolate."  "Oh, well, a chocolate egg is just chocolate shaped like an egg not eggs and chocolate mixed together."  "Oh, then I think I would like a chocolate egg because it sounds like a chocolate bunny."  I'm not quite sure how she understood what a chocolate bunny was but not a chocolate egg!!

Monday, March 23, 2009

You smell like a swimming pool...

So today was a Monday in every sense of the word!  Without a doubt we had our funny moments though.  Here are three such instances...
  • As one of my students was walking out of the room to get his lunch he says, "Miss Brunker, you smell like a swimming pool!"  I said, "Huh, um, what?"  So he repeated it!  I then asked him if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  He said he didn't know but all of the other kids who heard him instinctively sniffed me as they left the classroom!
  • Today was a very windy day.  One of my kiddos said, "Miss Brunker, do you think that the wind could blow us away like the nannies were blown away in Marry Poppins?"  I said, " I don't think so."  Then the wind decided to just about  prove me wrong!!!
  • We were learning about pictographs in math today and one of my students, when asked about how many people lived in Alabama (according to the pictograph) said, "I have no idea but why are they all purple there?"  The little pictures on the graph were all purple people and that is what this student got stuck on!  It was cute but interesting to think that he thought all of the people in Alabama are purple because of the graph!  

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Tulips to remind me I am loved

These are beautiful purple tulips that a friend (Leslie) brought me to remind me that I am loved and to simply brighten my day!  I love tulips and purple is one of my favorite colors! So this is perfect and also reminds me that spring is certainly on its way!  I am thankful for God's small blessings and reminders. 

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Book Character Costume Day

So, this month is Book month at our school. This is fantastic! I love all of the activities that we are doing. Each class in grades Primary - 3rd grade are having a reading race to see which class can read the most number of minutes during the month of March. 1st grade is currently in the lead but 3rd grade vows to overtake them! We'll see what actually happens!

Yesterday was Book Character Costume Day. This is where each child in grades Primary - 5th grade had to choose a character from a book and dress like that character. These kids were so creative! It was amazing. The teachers even participated. I was The Cat in the Hat and Carrie was Miss Viola Swamp from Miss Nelson is Missing! We had so much fun!

Jack and Annie from the Magic Treehouse books!

The Cat in the Hat!

The bat from Stellaluna.

Two Pippi Longstockings

The cast of Charlotte's Web: Charlotte, Fern, and Wilber!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, Please shine down on me!


The sun came out today.  We were ALL excited.  It was a glorious day for the sun to grace us with its presence.  I hope this means that spring is well on its way!  I am ready for it.  =)

Sunday, March 8, 2009

I am finished!!

For those of you who do not know, I (Amanda) have been taking an intensive class for the renewal process on my Colorado teaching license. This is the first of two classes I have to take. Well, I am happy to report that I have finished the course with flying colors!! I received a 98% to be exact!! I am so proud of myself. The final paper was a killer. It ended up being 28 pages and I received 49 points out of 50!! Wow! Thanks to the "Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties" class, I am now a better reading teacher, well, we hope!! That is the ultimate goal, isn't it??!!