First Day of School......

[Deleted]

was exhausting!

Grade one is hard.

I am not sure if I like it yet. It's such a drastic change from where I was teaching 6th. I love big kids.

I've gone from gang-banging, hard-ass, dontgiveashit kids to little 6yr olds who are crying for their mommy during the school day.

I just don't know what to think yet. I am just going to take it day by day...but i do miss the big kids....even if they throw chairs in class.

[joenali]

Yay! YOu did it!

I have to recommend this book! "The First Six Weeks" it has really changed the way I do things at the beginning of the year. GET IT NOW! It will help you build routines, procedures and most of all community!

You will grow to love them!

[joenali]

If you can't get that book I will totally buy it for you and send it to you!

[bettylou79]

Good luck! You will be great! Just think of them as emotional 6th graders. I would rather have the little ones. I can't handle the attitudes of the big kids. I second Joenali's advice. Just take it one day at a time. You will be amazed at how far they will have come by the end of the year.

[joenali]

Sept 9, 2012 11:07:12 GMT -5 bettylou79 said:

Good luck! You will be great! Just think of them as emotional 6th graders. I would rather have the little ones. I can't handle the attitudes of the big kids. I second Joenali's advice. Just take it one day at a time. You will be amazed at how far they will have come by the end of the year.

Ok! Woman! We need to meet for coffee! I have a race next weekend, but maybe the weekend after that! We can talk shop!

[Deleted]

It looks like I might need that book. I could get it from amazon potentially...but by the time it would arrive, the first 6weeks would be over. I'll work on that for next year. Shipping here is a disaster and better avoided. I just plan to have whoever decides to visit, stock their suitcases full of stuff for me. haha.

I have decided to start Whole Brain Teaching this year. Today went decently with it. But I have to step it up. Tomorrow I will be cracking the whip.

It's just such a drastic change. I am sure we will fall into place....its just going to take a lot of work to get them where I want them and even just for me to know how to plan for them. Today we read a book (watched the narration on youtube) and it was WAY over their heads. So it will take some adjusting from my part to even know how to plan for them and their needs. There's a big difference between planning activities for 6th than 1st.

[Deleted]

I hope day 2 was better! GL!

[jennlin]

Sept 10, 2012 3:26:55 GMT -5 @uwhuskygirl said:

I hope day 2 was better! GL!

this. tell us how it is! and that is sooooo cute/sad, kids crying for mommy

[hallows]

Whoo! I'm proud of you. Those kids are lucky to have you. I hope they warm up to you soon!

[Deleted]

Day 2 was better. Little by little.

It's hard because these kids come from a culture where rules are pretty much non-existent. So trying to teach them to follow rules is difficult. My mornings with them are great.....then I have a huge planning break where the kids get Arabic, snack break, and then another special like PE, music, computers, and then two hours later I get them back. So for 2 hrs mid-day they are with Arabic teachers who don't have control over the classroom or enforce rules...so my afternoons with the kids are hell right now. They forget all the practice we did in the morning...

[joenali]

Start your afternoons like your morning. What about afternoon meetings to restablish rules, routines and procedures and just check in with them. Afternoons are hard for kids in first grade!

[Deleted]

Yah thats a good idea jo. I have been having them re-recite the rules when we get back...and having kind of a cool down period. but my block after that big break is only 45min and it is supposed to be math and then they leave again for another special. So I don't have a lot of time for a regroup. My math block is so short. It's crazy. So for now, the regroup is fine, but soon we have to crack down and do academics. I am think of maybe having like some sort of Do Now or seat work after that to get them refocused.