Another Year Over

 Well, blog world, I did it. I made it through 2 years in the Nashville public school system. I've officially survived 4 years of teaching! Who knew I would ever get this far? A year ago, I wasn't so optimistic. But moving into the main building from a portable really helps brighten your outlook on life!

I was so blessed to work closely with an amazing teacher and friend-- it made swapping students during the reading block a cinch!

  

I tried something new with my computer station and took the legs off the table! The kids like sitting on the floor while they use the machines, and there are 4 less chairs to deal with. I loved it so much I am going to do the same thing to about half of my desks! Stay tuned....

We got to go on a fun field trip to the Grand Ole' Opry House.

 My kids had some serious dancing skills .The students got to show off at a SWPBS Big Ticket dance!

 Crabs and frogs and millipedes (millipedes not pictured) joined our class as part of an animal studies science unit. I was so disgusted. We all loved them. :D The frogs lasted about a week. The crabs and millipedes were indestructible, and they reeked. Eventually I told the students we had to release them because they weren't happy in their plastic containers.  I think next year our animal studies unit will be a little less "hands on."

 We did a lot of work... and correcting work....

 I started using Data Notebooks with my students. They each keep a notebook where they keep track of their goals, scores on assignments, mastery of the curriculum, and reflections of their progress. They love it and it really helps them to see where they are in relation to where they need to be. I was afraid that it would be discouraging, but for most students it became a good motivator. They would get very excited during "Data Time" where we would record scores and talk about our goals. I am still new to this idea and definitely got started on something I wasn't ready to keep up with fidelity, so next year I will be doing a simpler version

I made so many memories with this crazy group of kids. It's so hard to let them go on to big bad middle school. I'll miss them just as much as every other group I've had.

Now looking forward to year number FIVE! 19 days until the madness begins again!

Arise and Shine Forth

We presented our "New Beginnings" program this week! Each Spring, the Church begins a new year-long theme for the youth program. Activities throughout the year center around that theme. The Young Womens' program has a special evening ("New Beginnings") where the new theme is presented.

This year's theme is Arise and Shine Forth. It comes from a book of modern revelations and scriptures, The Doctrine and Covenants Section 115 verse 5: "Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations." This is such a beautiful scripture. To me, it is a challenge to be the best you can be and shine the light of Christ through your actions and the way you live your life, bringing others towards His light. It is a good reminder.

We decided to have a "Tangled" New Beginnings. All of the references to light in the movie were a perfect fit with the theme. It was a lot of work (especially making all the purple pennant flags!), but the result was beautiful.

The girls helped make a large poster (that hopefully we can re-use during girls' camp this summer!)

Brooke made a cake to look like Rapunzel's castle. I found out afterwards that it is really just frosted donuts!

Simple centerpieces for the tables.

We got a spiffy chart to keep up with all of the girls' goal setting for the Personal Progress Program.

Me, Carrie, Farrah, Theresa, and Chanda

For refreshments, we had berries, nutty bread, cheese, veggies, and mixed nuts.

All of our girls are so sweet and so fun!

I am so blessed to be around such wonderful people, and to have constant reminders to be my best and shine the light of Christ by following His perfect example.

A Rough 24 Hours

We've had a rough couple days here in Nashville. It started Friday with severe torando warnings across the state of Tennessee. I planned to leave school right after dismissal and hurry home, but as I was leaving I remembered that I had to write substitute lesson plans for Monday and hadn't done them. I hurried and wrote them, but just as I finished, the sirens started going off near my school. The adults left in the building, along with the after school daycare, went down to the basement room and waited it out. Meanwhile 15 miles away, Brian was waiting under a rug in the center of our apartment while hailstones the size of golf balls pounded our apartment.
After the main storm passed, I made a break for home and got home safely before some smaller spots hit. We were so blessed to be so safe during this storm that was devastating to other parts of the midwest and south.

Fast forward 24 hours. We had just finished moving, loaded all the leftover junk into our car, and were on our way to Goodwill and then the airport to pick up Brian's sister, Stacey. We were driving along 8th Ave. South. Two cars ahead of us, a car had stopped to turn left across traffic. The car in front of us slowed and stopped, so we slowed and stopped. Seconds later, a Jeep Grand Cherokee plowed into us from the back. It was such a shock! I couldn't stop saying "Oh my goodness..." and Brian was saying "what just happened?" It was all very confusing.

We pulled over and then waited 30 minutes for a police officer to come file a report. We looked like we had been living out of our car-- there was Goodwill-bound junk everywhere. Our back window was completely shattered and gone, and our hatchback trunk was smashed 1.5-2 ft into the vehicle. The officer told us that we could drive our car but not after dark and only as much as we absolutely needed to. So we eventually got Stacey and made it home.

Our poor, sad Mazda.
Thankfully we are both fine, besides some very sore/stiff necks and backs. It is a miracle that things weren't much worse!

Time Warp

We're back! Actually, we've always been here, I've just been neglecting our poor blog since my discovery of pinterest. If you don't know what it is, check it out. You will either thank me for opening a world of possibilities or curse me for the imminent addiction. Or maybe a little of both. So..... here's what we've been up to!

August: To celebrate/commemorate the ending of summer, we cabin-ed (too luxurious to say camped) in Gatlinburg with some good friends.
September: I whipped my students into shape. :) Here they are executing perfect restroom behavior.

I went with my girlfriends to Atlanta for a baby shower and Ikea Trip.
October: We both had fall break at the same time, so we spent a few days in Atlanta

...highlight of the trip was the Atlanta Aquarium and the whalesharks!Brian turned 27 and all his birthday wishes came true! (Costco cake and Wicked Tickets)


November: We had a fantastic Thanksgiving with friends! Somehow, the only picture I took was of the place settings...

December: Our Christmas break started with a bang (or, rather, a crash) in Tucson when Michael crashed his bike and suffered a minor concussion and 3 fractured vertebrae. It is a huge blessing that he is ok and only needs to wear a neck brace for 3-6 months.

Brian was cast as "Joseph" in the traditional Oldham Family Christmas Eve Nativity Story thanks to his newest and biggest fan, Carrie (who played the part of Mary).

We went to a UofA Basketball game (Go Wildcats!)

Brian constructed a Gingerbread-stadium. Well, technically speaking, it was made of graham crackers.
We got to spend New Years in Oregon-- we enjoyed the beautiful real tree, playing with neices, and dancing to Wii games with family (I'm so bugged I didn't get any photo evidence of that)!January: Brian gave me the BEST birthday present EVER: a teddy bear that is almost as big as me. Coupled with a warm blanket and the books Stacey gave me for Christmas, I was in my version of paradise.

Natalie Fight

My sweet 14 year old girls at Mutual (youth activity night):

M: Hey Natalie, I like your cardigan.
S: Oh yeah, well I like her necklace!
M: Well, I like her hair!
S: I like her shirt!
SJ: Well, I like her PERSONALITY!
E: Well I like her... spirit and...TESTIMONY!

Aw.....They totally made my night! I am so blessed to hang around with these amazing girls.

Voracious

This year I am trying out a new way to teach/manage literacy called "The Daily Cafe." We have a C.A.F.E. Menu board that we keep our strategies as we learn and use them (C for Comprehension, A for Accuracy, F for fluency and E for Expand Vocabulary).

This week one of the strategies that I was teaching that would help our fluency was "Voracious Reading: the more we read, the more we learn." To introduce it, I was going to have the kids act out some animals who eat voraciously, then connect that back to how our brains should be "hungry for books" and we should just read and read and read and never stop, just like these "voracious" animals.

Great plan, right?

Well here's how it went:

Mrs. Wright: Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I would like you to please close your eyes. Now, imagine a BIG dinousaur in your mind (a few muted shrieks and giggles). Imagine what that dinosaur looks like when he is eating. Now, open your eyes and show me what that dinosaur looks like when he is eating.

Students: 3 just stare at me, and the other 18 all start slowly working their jaws around, like a cow chewing it's cud.

Mrs. Wright: Friends, I want you to think about a FEROCIOUS dinosaur! How does a T-Rex eat it's food?

Students: Same slow chewing motions with a few growls.

Mrs. Wright: (Thinking fast). Ok, ladies and gentlemen, let's try a different example. Um... Put your hand on your head if you know who cookie monster is....

The cookie monster analogy worked a lot better.

Four Days...

In four days

... I will become "Mrs. Wright" again.

… I will be nervous the whole drive to school because I have "First Day Jitters."

... I will have pencils sharpened and new office supplies handy.

… I will begin the new journey with 24 (give or take a few) smiling (I hope) faces.

... I will have 24 crazy new names to remember. (I wonder how many apostrophe's this year...)

… I will lay the foundation for reading, writing, math, and friendships.

… it will be the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!