Sunday, January 25, 2009
There is a God!!....and his name is Tomas
Well I would have to say last weekend, I had one of the most up and down weekends I have ever had en mi vida. It all started out on a pleasant Sunday morning. Emily and I decided we would go grocery shopping and then go to a fresh fruit and fresh vegetable market called Abastos. Well, the day goes on without a hitch. We get into the taxi, he take us to H.E.B (where we get some American things like tator tots haha) and about 45 min later we are in line and I go to get out my wallet and wouldn't you know IT WASN'T there!!! At this moment, I felt like crying and throwing up haha. My life was in this wallet. Emily did do a good job of trying to call me down and made me realize that I still had most important things at home but still I was upset. So I figured that I some how left it in the taxi cab. How? I have no idea but nontheless it was lost and after talking to our principal, it was lost forever. So when we get home from our shopping I went to get the groceries out of the trunk of the cab and smacked my head on the door and had a long and huge bump across my forhead. So I am crying and laughing and Emily can hardly walk because she is laughing so hard. Just picture me sitting on the couch with a bag of ice cubes on my head trying to skype my mom. After talking to my mom, I had to call wellsfargo and cancel my cards and discuss my accounts. The lady I spoke to was extremely nice and it seemed like it would be a somewhat easy fix. Then as soon as I froze one of my accounts the doorbell rang and Emily was like WHO IS THAT?! we don't have time for this hahaha. So she runs out there, screams, and comes back in the house with.........MY WALLET. What are the odds!? Seriously. The taxi man remembered where we lived and was nice enough to come all the way back here. Everything inside was untouched. So meanwhile I am on the phone with the wellsfaro lady and I say well actually can you unfreeze my accounts?! because the taxi man just came back to our house with my wallet. She paused and said well I need to get my supervisor, in all of my years in costumer service this hasn't happened hahaha. I can't tell you how happy and grateful I was/am. I gave him 100 pesos for his act of kindness. All I can say is what a day and it just goes to show that there are nice people out in the world.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Holy hairballs January is speeding on by.....
Well, I just got done with the first full week of school since I got back from my nice trip home to the wintry wonderland. I really enjoyed my time at home and spending time with friends and family but it was nice to come back to the warm weather and back to my normal routine. My kids were very happy to see me when I got back to school. One of my 3rd graders instead of saying "Hi, Miss Jenna, I'm glad you are back," instead said, "Miss when can you come to my house?!" Those kids really crack me up. They are definitely not used to speaking English because it has been difficult getting them back into that routine!
Life is a little different now because Emily, Breanna, and I no longer have roommates and it's weird but yet at the same time nothing has changed. Also, I now have a new partner for fourth grade. Her name is Cara and she is from Colorado and she is a cool cat. I enjoy her very much and I think we make a good team.
Myself and others, in my opinion, have found a new sense of calmness and rejuvenation since our return from Christmas Vacation. There are many things that I want to change for the rest of the school year. One of those things is how I teach reading. I found that I have been struggling with this all year because I have 26 3rd graders and 26 fourth graders who all are reading at different levels. I have some kids reading at a 1st grade level and I have some who are reading at a 5th grade level and I haven't been able to help them all. So I have decided to change my reading curriculum so that I can do reading everyday for an hour and incorporate reading centers. This way I will be able to see each of the kids and get a better understanding of their reading skills. My other goal is in composition. So far I have taken my kids from not being able to write a sentence to writing a paragraph with a topic sentence and an end sentence without my help. It has taken a LONG time but it was worth it. So my hope is that we can keep building paragraphs and hopefully but springtime we can do an actual report!!! Exciting:) hahaha...
This past week was EXHAUSTING because I had conferences Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 am to 7 pm both days. I have never been so tired in my life at the end of those days. I went to bed at 9-930 both of those nights. I actually really enjoyed conferences because it was fun to see the similarities between my students and their parents. Many things clicked when I saw the parents and understood why my students act the way they do. Meeting with the parents was a very rewarding self esteem booster. I didn't realize I was having as large of an affect on my students as the parents said I had. It has been a struggle all year with my fourth graders as most of you know and there are many times I would think they would just hate me but for some reason they still speak highly of me and tell their parents that they love me. It really is true that many kids are looking for structure and a little authority in their lives because I think at home they don't have many responsibilities. Many of my parents asked me why their student is sooooo happy in my class but hate going to their spanish class. They get really nervous, cry and stress out in their spanish class. Most of the time my students do better in my class than in their spanish class. Of course it was a good feeling for me but I want them to be successful where ever, but again it just goes to show that children are able to excel and grow in a safe supportive environment. One of my parents told me that their child called me a fairy princess and called their spanish teacher the wicked witch!!! OOOOF:)
During one of my conferences I had one of those feel-good moments with one of the parents. She really made me see the difference I have made in my students lives so far and especially in her daughter's. It really made me think that what I am doing here does have meaning and purpose as a teacher. Her daughter is in my 3rd grade class and she is a real cutie. In the beginning of the year it felt like she wasn't with it and would ask me about every little thing. She had zero confindence in herself and in her English. She is such a sweet and polite girl and every morning she has to give me a hug and before she goes home she has to give me a hug. She has made almost a complete 180 because her grades used to be in the high 70's and her latest report cards all of her grades were in the high 90's. Her mom could not be happier and almost started crying when she told me this story. Apparently last year the girl had a terrible experience. Her teacher was awful and very strict. She would cry everyday before and after school because she hated it so much. Her teacher would make her sooo nervous that I guess she started to lose weight and lose her hair. Her mom had to take her to get some help. Her mom said it was one of the worst things in life. She told me, "Miss Jenna, a teacher has such a large impact in a student's entire life. The relationship they have and what they learn go with them everywhere in life. I want you to know that you have changed Valeria (the girl) soooo much. She absolutely loves you and adores you. She talks about you all the time and loves going to school. She doesn't worry about school any more and rarely gets upset. I used to have to help her with her homework every night and sit by her all the time and now she doesn't need my help. I don't have to sit by her and check how she is doing. She has more confidence and is succeeding and it is thanks to you. I don't know how to thank you." At this point I almost could have cried because I never would have thought I had that large of an impact. I knew Valeria struggled but I kept her in the front of the room and kept incouraging her. This has given me even more assurance that teaching is what I am meant to do in life and I absolutely love it!
Oh! on Friday, Gina and I went to the movie Australia and let me tell you its was AMAZING!! I love it. I laughed. I cried. I laughed. I cried. I definitely recommend it as a must see and Hugh Jackman is nice to look at too and the little boy will melt your heart. :)
Next week should be a pretty normal week so have a great one!!!
Life is a little different now because Emily, Breanna, and I no longer have roommates and it's weird but yet at the same time nothing has changed. Also, I now have a new partner for fourth grade. Her name is Cara and she is from Colorado and she is a cool cat. I enjoy her very much and I think we make a good team.
Myself and others, in my opinion, have found a new sense of calmness and rejuvenation since our return from Christmas Vacation. There are many things that I want to change for the rest of the school year. One of those things is how I teach reading. I found that I have been struggling with this all year because I have 26 3rd graders and 26 fourth graders who all are reading at different levels. I have some kids reading at a 1st grade level and I have some who are reading at a 5th grade level and I haven't been able to help them all. So I have decided to change my reading curriculum so that I can do reading everyday for an hour and incorporate reading centers. This way I will be able to see each of the kids and get a better understanding of their reading skills. My other goal is in composition. So far I have taken my kids from not being able to write a sentence to writing a paragraph with a topic sentence and an end sentence without my help. It has taken a LONG time but it was worth it. So my hope is that we can keep building paragraphs and hopefully but springtime we can do an actual report!!! Exciting:) hahaha...
This past week was EXHAUSTING because I had conferences Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 am to 7 pm both days. I have never been so tired in my life at the end of those days. I went to bed at 9-930 both of those nights. I actually really enjoyed conferences because it was fun to see the similarities between my students and their parents. Many things clicked when I saw the parents and understood why my students act the way they do. Meeting with the parents was a very rewarding self esteem booster. I didn't realize I was having as large of an affect on my students as the parents said I had. It has been a struggle all year with my fourth graders as most of you know and there are many times I would think they would just hate me but for some reason they still speak highly of me and tell their parents that they love me. It really is true that many kids are looking for structure and a little authority in their lives because I think at home they don't have many responsibilities. Many of my parents asked me why their student is sooooo happy in my class but hate going to their spanish class. They get really nervous, cry and stress out in their spanish class. Most of the time my students do better in my class than in their spanish class. Of course it was a good feeling for me but I want them to be successful where ever, but again it just goes to show that children are able to excel and grow in a safe supportive environment. One of my parents told me that their child called me a fairy princess and called their spanish teacher the wicked witch!!! OOOOF:)
During one of my conferences I had one of those feel-good moments with one of the parents. She really made me see the difference I have made in my students lives so far and especially in her daughter's. It really made me think that what I am doing here does have meaning and purpose as a teacher. Her daughter is in my 3rd grade class and she is a real cutie. In the beginning of the year it felt like she wasn't with it and would ask me about every little thing. She had zero confindence in herself and in her English. She is such a sweet and polite girl and every morning she has to give me a hug and before she goes home she has to give me a hug. She has made almost a complete 180 because her grades used to be in the high 70's and her latest report cards all of her grades were in the high 90's. Her mom could not be happier and almost started crying when she told me this story. Apparently last year the girl had a terrible experience. Her teacher was awful and very strict. She would cry everyday before and after school because she hated it so much. Her teacher would make her sooo nervous that I guess she started to lose weight and lose her hair. Her mom had to take her to get some help. Her mom said it was one of the worst things in life. She told me, "Miss Jenna, a teacher has such a large impact in a student's entire life. The relationship they have and what they learn go with them everywhere in life. I want you to know that you have changed Valeria (the girl) soooo much. She absolutely loves you and adores you. She talks about you all the time and loves going to school. She doesn't worry about school any more and rarely gets upset. I used to have to help her with her homework every night and sit by her all the time and now she doesn't need my help. I don't have to sit by her and check how she is doing. She has more confidence and is succeeding and it is thanks to you. I don't know how to thank you." At this point I almost could have cried because I never would have thought I had that large of an impact. I knew Valeria struggled but I kept her in the front of the room and kept incouraging her. This has given me even more assurance that teaching is what I am meant to do in life and I absolutely love it!
Oh! on Friday, Gina and I went to the movie Australia and let me tell you its was AMAZING!! I love it. I laughed. I cried. I laughed. I cried. I definitely recommend it as a must see and Hugh Jackman is nice to look at too and the little boy will melt your heart. :)
Next week should be a pretty normal week so have a great one!!!
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