Week 15 Service at Thomas Edison Elementary

       I can't believe I already finished service. It was a short year I unfortunately realized. I loved going to my class everyday during third period. Seeing my students and working would always cheer me up. Unfortunately it's already over, and I don't know if I'll ever see them again although I want to. It was a sad but great last week with my kids. They were all sad it was my last week but I tried to make the most out of it. I don't really remember the first two days that week because the last day trumps my memory. Unfortunately John's car had to be in the shop the next day so I had to tell my class Wednesday that today was my last day. They were all really sad and couldn't stay away from me. The last ten minutes of that class the kids sang me a song which I thought was very sweet of them and on my way out, they each came up individually and gave me hugs. It was so great and I miss them already.

       Now to my first grade class. Just like my kindergarten class, it was unexpected that it was my last day. So when I told them it was my last day they were sad too. They enjoyed working and talking with me and I enjoyed being with them. The teacher made the whole class about me which I thought was really nice. She just asked me questions about college and asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and explained it to the kids. Then the kids would ask me questions, but they were all kind of bummed out that I was leaving. On my way out the door, I got a handshake from the teacher and a thanks, a good bye from the children and that was it. One semester of working with those kids wasn't long enough.

Week 14 Service at Thomas Edison Elementary

     Well after two weeks of being away from my class I finally got to return to them this week. I did miss them and was excited to go back to the class on Monday. Fortunately, they were good and behaved just as well from the last time I saw them. Unfortunately though, I only have one more week with my class. I will truly miss them. It's funny to think I really didn't want to come to this class because I really liked my old one. But now, I'm thankful that I had to switch classes. I don't know if I would have liked my other class as much though. But I guess God wanted me to come to this kindergarten class and I am very thankful. I will be sad when this next week is over, but I will try to enjoy it as much as possible because I will always remember my class.

     Now for my first grade class. I wish I had connected with them as much as is did with my kindergarten class, but I did not. I still have had a great semester with them though, and like my kindergarten class, I will remember them too. I hope even after I leave, that they keep up their reading skills because they did so well this week and I was proud of them nothing bad really happened this week with my first grade class, so in all it was a good week. The only downside I guess was physical education when I had to stand outside in the cold. That wasn't very fun. But other Thant hat it was a great week.

Week 11 Service at Thomas Edison Elementary

       Week 11 was a short yet fun week. My class behaved so well and were extremely attentive, I was very proud of their improvement. We didn't do much though, since I was only their for two days but I had a good time with them. The kids love me and cannot stop hugging me. I get there with about with about five minutes left of recess and all the kids always run over to me and want me to play with them or talk to them. There is this girl named Alison who cannot keep away from me. She always, always comes over to me during recess and when the bell rings she stands by my side while we walk to the line, she is so sweet. Unfortunately I will not see my class for two whole weeks! I will miss them a lot and I can't wait until I will see them after thanksgiving break. Hopefully they do well without me and by the time I get back hopefully they will be very attentive and always listening instead of having off an on day.

       I really had only one day with my first and second grade class last week. On Tuesday they had a field trip that they didn't inform me about, so I just did playground duty the time I was with them. It was kind of boring but it wasn't that bad. When they came back the next day it wasn't any different than the usual. They just read to me and they did well. I'm happy that they read well but same as my kindergarten class, hopefully they do well when I'm gone. I will miss that class two while I'll be gone for two weeks.

Week 10 Service at Thomas Edison Elementary

     Compared to last week, this week was ten times better. The kids behaved and actually listened and payed attention, I was very proud. Nothing extraordinary really happened last week, everything went routine as usual. The only difference was that one class was all about bullying, and the whole week was dedicated to anti bullying. This just makes me remember when I was back in kindergarten getting to dress up in crazy socks, or dress up as a super hero for the week. Or just discuss about bullying. Luckily both schools I've been to have really had no bullying what so ever. I'm not quite sure about bullying at Thomas Edison. I haven't seen anything that bad except kids being kids in the sense that they will hit each other now and then but that's it, nothing long term. But at the same time I'm also only in a kindergarten class.

     My first grade class is doing well also. I'm doing the same thing with them, just having them read to me. I think they did a lot better two weeks ago in reading because last week I saw a few kids not knowing easy words. Hopefully though, they pick up the slack in this upcoming week. I have seen a great improvement in following directions during physical education, and the teacher only has to tell them once what to do. Hopefully the stay like this the rest of the year. And I'm looking forward to working this week.

Week 9 Service at Thomas Edison Elementary.

       My kindergarten class didn't have the greatest week last week. They weren't paying attention and were being very disruptive. There is this one girl who never sprays attention and is always wandering around the classroom. Last week it seems that everyone was following what she was doing, so everyone was just not behaving. Even at recess this one boy was hitting kids and when we got back to the classroom the teacher had to have a discussion with him and I was kind of left in charge of the class. Well you probably know how kids behave when their teacher isn't present. I couldn't keep them under control. I had to give the kids verbal warnings, which is like a punishment to them, it's hard to explain. But hopefully they are better next week and I am looking  forward to working with them tomorrow morning.

       I guess it was opposite week last week because my first grade class behaved better than my kindergarten class. What surprised me the most and what made me proud of them was that during physical education they were actually paying attention and following the instructions of the teacher. They are even doing better in reading. The teacher put out a rule that if they missed a word that I had to take a tiger ticket from them, which is like a reward. So this really put them into concentration mode and only a couple of kids missed words. Hopefully they can keep up their work and attentiveness into this week.

Week 8 Service at Thomas Edison Elementary

        It was a good week for my kindergarten class last week. The only bad part was that they had a field trip so I just had to hang out and monitor recess for the first forty five minutes I work with them. Actually I kind of take that back. On Thursday the class had an off day. They weren't paying attention and they were talking and being disruptive. A couple of them got in trouble and were sent to the principle's office. But other than that Monday and Tuesday the class was well behaved. They listened to their teacher and listened to me when I gave them instructions. I love those kids and I'm going to be upset when my semester is up. The love me too and are always so excited when I show up in the morning. Hopefully I keep in touch with the kids after the semester is up because I'm going to miss them and vice versa.

        My first grade class was okay this week. They were not the greatest they have ever been but at the same time they were not the worst. The things that made them okay is that a kid got punched in the face and kids were lying while they were having an argument with the teacher. It was a complex mess but I tried to keep my kids focused when they were reading with me. But other than that they were fine. I really enjoy working with those kids too, but there are some that just make me mad. I will miss most, but I don't want to be mean but some I won't. They just don't listen and they dont't care and distract others. They even hit other kids and they come in with ice on their bodies. I feel bad for them.

Week 7 Service at Thomas Edison Elementary

       Week 7 was a good week for me. Nothing bad happened all the kids were great. The only bad thing I can think of is that while I was monitoring recess before class started two kids ran into each other and one girl got dinged up pretty bad and blood was dripping from her mouth. I took her to the office but I haven't heard about her since, though I believe she is okay. My kindergarten class has been great though.nit seems like more kids are participating and learning more. We are finally moving on in the lesson and actually learned a couple of new songs. One of the songs is boxing to the alphabet and the other song is about kissing your brain where in fact I have to kiss my brain. I feel a little weird doing it because I haven't done songs since like 3rd grade. But I find it amusing when I watch the kids doing it because it's just so funny.

    My first grade class wasn't the best last week but at least they weren't the worst. It seems they have resorted back to their old selves. I thought they were really improving the week before. It's just these kids don't want to be there, don't want listen and don't want to learn. There is this one kid who is always a problem and he got sent to the office for hitting other students in the head. About five minutes later he came back in the classroom with candy. My teacher was furious, I mean I would be too. Why did he get candy? That is a problem with that school is that the kids don't really get punished as bad as they should.