Adventure #25: The Reason I'm Doing This!

This morning I was pulling my kids homework out of their folders and I came across a note from one of my students. It said: "to Teacher: from: Jordan Thanks Miss Parkinson for teaching me times. Watch! 5x9=45 6x5=30"

The other day we learned how to multiply by 5! The kids were so excited- they feel so grown up being able to do their times facts. And it was so wonderful to see them being so excited. Its a simple thing, just being able to mulitply by 5, but it means so much to them. They feel so proud that they can do this.

And that's why I wanted to be a teacher; that's why I wake up incredibly early every morning to go teach them. To see the light in their ideas when they understand a new concept; to see the excited face of a kid who finally gets a hard problem they've been trying to master; to see the smile of a kid who just got 100% on their spelling test for the first time.

And all the days aren't always peachy. There are days when I come home exhausted and worn out from a long day of trying everything under the sun to get my kids to stop talking and listen for two minutes so I can teach them something. They fight with each other and whine and cry and it becomes a long and frustrating day sometimes.

But the little moments like the note in the homework folder, or my kids sprawled out all over the room reading books, or doing an art project with them, or laughing and playing on the playground. All those good moments outweigh the long days and frustrating times. And that is why I wake up every morning and go into work; those good moments are the reason I'm doing this :)

Adventure #24: March Madness

I do not follow basketball closely at all, but somehow I find that this title is almost always fitting to this month! I cannot believe that this coming Friday will be the start of another month- I don't know where the weeks fly away to :) Anyway, here's what I've been up to!

The beginning of March was filled with looking forward to spring break and getting ready for student led conferences. Conferences were actually really fun to do; the spring conferences at our school are student led so I didn't have to do too much during the actual conference which was nice! Before conferences I put together portfolios of my students work throughout the year! During the conferences the kids took their parents on a tour of the room and then showed off their portfolio. It was so fun to see how proud they were of their room and of their work! It was amazing to see how far they have all come! I am so proud of each and every one of them and how far they have come so far this year! It is incredible to look back to the things we were doing at the beginning of the year compared to what we are working on now! At the beginning of the year my kids could barely write sentences or do addition facts and now they are writing stories and doing addition and subtraction and even multiplication facts! Its amazing to see how much they can grow in less than a year!

After conferences came spring break! I was very ready for a break from school and very ready to relax and spend some time by my pool! And while I did get to do a little of that, my spring break looked a little different than I expected. My grandpa, who we always called Boompa, passed away the Wednesday before break. He was diagnosed with cancer about a month before and declined really quickly. So instead of my family coming here to visit me as they had planned, we all flew down to Texas for the funeral and to help clean out the house. I was a little bummed that my family could not come here to see my apartment and classroom and everything, but I'm so thankful I was able to be there to support my dad and the rest of my family! It was wonderful to see my immediate family as well as many aunts and uncles and cousins I hadn't seen in a long time! It was sad to realize and think about the fact that both of my grandparents on that side are now gone, but I know that they are both in a better place now! They are reunited once again at the foot of our Lord Jesus and I am so thankful I can take peace and comfort in knowing that I will see them again someday!
All the "big" cousins at the funeral: Megan, Amy, Dianne,Sarah, Me, Janna, and Jonathan

The funeral was on Saturday and we took Sunday off and went to the beach with some of our cousins. It was fun to play in the sand and see the little kids enjoy the ocean! Then we spent several days cleaning out and organizing my grandparents house. Its amazing how much stuff you can collect over a lifetime :) I flew back to Arizona on Wednesday afternoon and the rest of my family left on Thursday driving my dad's new truck and a u-haul trailer full of treasures back to Minnesota. I was able to spend a few days by the pool and hanging out with friends here. I even went hiking with the Light girls one morning! All in all, although it wasn't the spring break I was expecting, it was still a good one!
Janna's adorable daughter Karys enjoying the beach for the first time!
The expert sandcastle builders: Megan, Jonathan, and his sweet little girl Jaydn.

Me and the hiking divas, Lexi and Reese, at Piccacho Peak

The first week back to school was a little rough. My kids seemed to have forgotten many of the routines and procedures in all their fun over spring break :) But it was still wonderful to see them again and to be back doing what I love to do! And by Friday I think my kids had things figured out again!

Ashley and I are busily making preparations for the Aladdin Jr. Musical our drama club is putting on the end of May. There seems to be something new to do popping up at least once a week, but it is coming together! Our drama kids are wonderful and I am looking forward to seeing what a wonderful job they will do!

I hope you are all doing well and that spring is starting to poke its head out for you :) I promise I will blog again soon...at least I will try my best! Love you all!