Haylee’s first day of FIRST GRADE!

Our year is in full swing and things are rolling along at a swift pace. Haylee is thoroughly enjoying first grade, and I am adjusting fairly well to her more regular routine of nightly homework and real tests! It’s been nice having her right across the hall this year as well as in my Computer class once a week! The first week of school I showed all the classes a picture of our family up on the screen, and when she saw it she kind of looked at me with a start with a stricken look on her face! I wasn’t quite sure what she thought about having Mommy as a teacher, but later she said that she did like it. That’s good to know… hopefully, it will last a few more years at least!

Haylee and her buddy Anna on their first day!

Wade is miraculously adjusting to his new class and teacher for which I am so very grateful. He is going right into his class in the mornings without a fuss and seems to be doing great. We have been fighting sickness with him already which is not fun, but I know that is par for the course. They have a cute little playground that they go out every day and play on, and I never get tired of seeing his face light up and his little legs running when he sees me in the afternoon.

My year has been crazy as I’m figuring out my new role and all that it entails. I feel somewhat like it’s my first year teaching since it is SO different. Some things I’ve planned have turned into the moment where you realize, “Well, that didn’t work. Won’t try that again…” Ha ha!

I have to remember to be flexible and adapt as I need to. One other “new” thing for me is working with the little ones. Most of my experience has been with middle to upper elementary, and let me tell you… there is a big difference between Kindergarten and fifth graders! :) It was somewhat comical really as I’m trying to do things with the Kinders and 1st graders, and I have the rowdy little boys who are paying me NO attention while they jump up and down trying to make hand animals in front of the screen! :) I have learned and adapted and realized I need immediate consequences for the little ones, or they will continue to pay me no attention! (Now, I point out my “green chair” in the back of the room in a grave and sad voice, while I let them know that my green chair doesn’t have a computer with it, and if they can’t follow the computer rules they will have to come visit my green chair and that’s no fun is it… you get the point….)

My other extreme is my Middle School class which is a mixture of 6th, 7th and 8th graders. I have 26 of them that I see every day. We are working through a book about Microsoft Word as well as working on their Keyboarding skills. It’s a big class, but they are a good group of kids, and I am surprised that I am enjoying it! :)

I have also developed a website for my computer class that K-5th visits that has the links and other info they use during class. I made a page for each grade level, so they can go to their grade, and find the lesson we’re on. After they finish that lesson’s assignments, they can click on the links at the top of each grade’s page for more learning fun. :) It has seemed to work well so far, and I am hopeful that at the end of the year I will have the whole year’s lessons ready to go online.

In other family news, Chris has finished his Masters degree! Whoohoo!!! It has really gone by fast… just two years of one night a week class time and then one night a week study group time. I am very proud of him and hope that he can be okay with no more school for a while. Okay, Honey?? Please! :)

Hopefully, I will be better at updating. I have been a very bad blogger of late. Don’t know what’s wrong with me! :(