Good start to the year...

Well, it is hard to believe that I have 10 days of first grade under my belt already! The days have been flying by so far, and we have had a lot of fun getting to know each other. I have a pretty good bunch of firsties....a couple of little stinkers that you have to keep your thumb on, but for the most part they are all really sweet! I do have a very lopsided class however, 14 boys and 6 girls!  And my partner has 13 boys and 6 girls....where are all the girls at?!?  It makes for a class with a very short attention span. I try to mix it up all day between carpet time and table time and throw in brain breaks with Dr. Jean songs or sight word chants with movements.

I guess my biggest struggle right now is all the training of new programs that I am trying to implement. It is hard enough at this time of year to train them on how we sit in a chair properly or on the carpet, how we walk in the hall, how we use the bathroom quickly and quietly...you know what I'm talking about!  But, then throw on top of that launching Daily 5 (for my 1st time ever!), CAFE', and Reading and Math PALS.  Have any of you ever used PALS in 1st grade?  If you have, you know the training is grueling....let me know if you have any tips on that! :)  I just feel like I'm muddling through all this training looking for the light of the end of the tunnel where they will know the expectations and know how to do all these programs every day. I'm hoping for sooner rather than later. LOL

I mean seriously...I have only introduced Read to Self and we have built our stamina up to 9 min so far and it has been a challenge with some of these boys! I should have already introduced Work on Writing but after our model & practice of Read to Self they just don't have the attention span for it. We are pushing forward next Tuesday regardless of that, but I feel like I'm way behind! I know it will all come in time and I am just being impatient but it is hard sometimes to not feel like it would just be easier to abandon this and teach from my basal all the time. I hate that feeling!

Well, I don't want to feel like Debbie Downer...I love my job and I am still really excited to be in first! I truly love my little kiddos already and we do have a lot of fun together. So, really I'm not complaining...just venting! :)  Enjoy your 3 day weekend and get some rest like I plan to! I forgot to mention I'm losing my voice from talk, talk, talking....ALL the time!! :)