work update

So my room is as ready as it can be. I still don't know quite what I am doing and how it's getting done, but we'll figure that out next week. I got it all decorated and ready for kids this week. Here's a few pics.......

The door

the front of the room

the reading corner

There's more posted at my picassa website: http://picasaweb.google.com/snicolehamilton
Let me know what you think!

I have about 15 kids right now. We'll see how that pans out and how scheduling works to see and serve them all. I'm just excited to get started. I've had about a month of training, so I'm just ready to actually do something for and with the kids. We'll see how I feel at the end of next week, but for now I'm really excited. Keep me posted on how you're doing!

it's the small things

So, we went on a bike ride, like we have taken to doing lately. We live on this huge hill and I have yet to be able to make it up the hill after the ride, no matter how long or short the ride in between is. Today on the way back, I actually made it up the hill! That makes me so happy and proves that I really am making progress. We have started working out together multiple times a week and I think I am starting to see progress in doing more. I haven't seen it in my clothes or anything like that, but that will come I am sure. Just to say it again..... I MADE IT UP THE HILL!!!!!

getting closer

So my classroom is coming along. Aaron helped me this afternoon and we're going in tomorrow to get some more done. I've got baskets for all my books and am getting it organized by level. That is such a process. I am glad that it really is only something that needs to be done once and after that only new books need to be added. This is defiantly not a task I want to repeat. I still don't know exactly who my kids are, but I was told I will know early next week. That will help me schedule my time. I found out I don't have an aide, which is not cool. I thought I did, so that defiantly changes some of the things I am going to be able to do with my kids. We'll figure it out next week when I finally get to meet with my teachers and figure out my kids. We did a lot of staff orientation this week. A lot of it could have been condensed, but oh well. Next week is all staff stuff, so we will finally get to meet all of the people we will be working with. That will be very beneficial.

On another note, I really like where we live. They are really good to the residents. We had a pool party with hot dogs and a raffle (where we won a gift card to a restaurant). Once a month they give us breakfast on a Saturday morning. Tomorrow it's pancakes and french toast. I'm pretty excited for it. I found out that a teacher lives in the building next door, so we are going to carpool as much as possible to save on gas. That's pretty exciting to me.

the zoo

So we went to the zoo today. Overall it was a pretty good day. It was reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaly hot. I got a bunch of sun, and that makes me happy. We actually rode our bikes there. Going out was not really too bad. It was early, so it wasn't too hot and it took about 45-50 minutes to get there. The way home was a totally different story. It took about an hour and a half with multiple breaks and walking my bike about 2 of the 8ish miles. I thought I was going to die. I'm kinda disappointed in myself for thinking I could do it when I know I am out of shape and that we didn't plan better or wait to do it until later in the fall. I do fell good about making it as far as I did, especially considering the amazing heat we are having.
Here is us
We saw a crazy animal that we have no idea what it was. It was breathing and moving, so I know it's alive, but if anyone has any idea what this is, let me know!

I have a classroom!

So I went to my school today and was pleasantly surprised. When i interviewed, they showed me the current resource classroom and said for this coming school year it would be turned into a bilingual second grade room and I would get a room in the portable out back. Well, when I went today to take in my stuff, I have the room in the building! That made me so happy. The previous teacher left me so much random stuff... books, materials, resources. It is literally an entire wall of stuff that she left. I'm going to go in tomorrow and spend all day getting the furniture moved around and set up. I am so excited! I know I'm a big dork, but whatever. Yay for getting stuff accomplished!