2 Month Countdown? I'm going to CRY!!!!

Everyone keeps reminding me of the 2 month countdown with this look on their face...

This is my typical reaction:

I am NOT ready for this year to be over. I am so attached to my little monkeys I tear up just thinking about saying goodbye... 

This is for a few reasons:

1. It is my first year teaching and these are my first monkeys.

2. I already have minor separation anxiety.

3. I WORK AT AN ALL KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL. I do not get to watch my wild monkeys move onto 1st grade and 2nd grade. They leave and they are gone...

I did not think this whole "All Kindergarten School" through to this point when I accepted the job. Not that this would have made a difference, but I do not feel prepared for the end of the year. 

I will miss my crazy kids. I know that I will get a new batch and I will be connected to them as well, but this is really scary to me and I am so nervous for June. I cannot look forward to it. 

Currently crying my eyes out,

KC

Wow, Christmas Break, Didn't I Just Blink?

"Today was fun as the flu finally hit my room of 5 year olds, and they started dropping like flies. I still can't believe I survived my first 4 months of teaching KINDER and it is now Christmas break! Surprisingly though, I feel sad as I have 17 days before I get to see my wild monkeys again!!! - feeling incomplete."

This was the status I posted to Facebook after this long day. Gingerbread houses were yesterday. So the day was chaotic but so fun. I did not end up feeling as prepared as I wanted to and with the 6 parents in my room I was worried about what they thought. In the end my only regret was I did not take enough pictures of my cuties. Today was bitter sweet as my students were so excited about the vacation and the presents, but they were SO good today. 







I *might* have gone a little overboard with their presents this year. I had a lot of scholastic points so I got each of my students 2 of the $1 books, a mixed tape of the songs we sing in our classroom, and a candy cane. They were very excited I got them a gift, and I got some of the most adorable presents! It made me so happy! I also got a few notes from parents that made my day!

Our Christmas Tree with their presents under it. Above is the CD I gave them with our class songs on it! 

I cannot believe how fast this year has gone so far. I am so proud of myself though. I feel like I was more prepared than I ever thought possible. That is not to say I do not struggle. There are days I go home so tired and exhausted I just want to sleep for days, but for the most part I cannot even express how much I LOVE and ENJOY my job each and every day.

I am going to miss my crazy monkeys over christmas break, especially because I'll be spending it with my crazy family, but I am excited to start new routines after the break! :)

Merry Christmas everyone!
KC

First Year Jitters

WAIT!? WHAT!? I AM GOING TO BE A TEACHER????????

I have dreamed my entire life of being an elementary school teacher, specifically a kindergarten teacher. Starting on September 2nd 2014, my dream will come true. My dream of being a teacher started when I was young, at first it was the allure of using an overhead projector, but it turned into so much more! Now, it's the allure of using a smart board! HA! No, but in reality, I have been so fortunate to know what I was meant to do with my life from a very young age. 

Starting in mid-August, I am going to move 4 hours away, to another state and start teaching in an all Kindergarten school, and I am scared out of my mind. That said, I am so excited to begin my journey.

I was so lucky to have learned from two amazing kindergarten teachers, and one third grade teacher as a student teacher this past year. I have so many great resources that I found through them and I am so excited to implement. 

That said, MAN TPT resources can be EXPENSIVE! I know it took a lot of time and creativity to make them, but I have a "wish list" hundreds of dollars long! As a first year teacher I am just making lists of "wants" and what I think are "necessities" and then I will try to have my resources grow each year. It is CRAZY how expensive it is to be a teacher! The amount of AMAZING resources you can find on TPT is sooooooooo vast, but I will have to save up and try not to spend my entire paychecks on my classroom these first few years! 

THERE IS TOO MUCH GOOD STUFF ON TPT!!! My mentor had some of these, and I LOVED THESE RESOURCES. I want them haha!

I was SO fortunate to have my mom and some friends and family help me to build my classroom library and I will be starting off with about 400 books give or take. I bought quite a few new books at the Scholastic Warehouse sales in december as well as in june. My AMAZING kinder mentor teacher also got me some Elephant and Piggie books and the stuffies to go with them! And the first book to one of my favorite Scholastic Warehouse finds as well and had my cuties sign it! I have pictures of just SOME of my books below...

Thank you so much to my family, friends, and mentor teachers! :)

That, however, is another thing about teaching. WHY ARE BOOKS SO EXPENSIVE!? I just want them all... I have a HUGE list of books I want, but again, I am trying to pace myself and not buy all of them at once. My mother doesn't get it, she always says, you have so many. BUT I need Leo the Late Bloomer, to help my students understand goals and that everyone is in a different place. I want ALL of the Elephant and Piggie books, because they are fun, and hilarious, and they help with engaging readers, and building up their love of reading. I AM OBSESSED with books! And I want them all :) haha. 

But what I am MOST nervous about is that first day, as well as meeting parents. I am young, and while I am confident in my teaching abilities, I worry as well. What do I do when I have 20 adorable littles sitting in front of me on that first day of school? How do I start with all the rules and procedures? I did half day kindergarten during my student teaching, the transition to full day will be different!

And how in the heck do I plan everything? I 'planned' for a few weeks of 3rd grade, but it was almost all planned for me in reality. I am seriously worried about these cuties at lunch time! I mean the entire school has ALL KINDERS! That is around 200 kinders per lunch?! YIKES!

There is just a lot going through my mind right now and I am freaking out about it all! But at the end of the day, I am SOOOOOOO EXCITED and confident that I will be just fine! I am also just so excited for my future!