Sad Squirrels, Rabid Rodents, and Super Storytellers!

 

Today was "meeting" day. I DID get a lot done.  I also DID get my bleu cheese topped steak. But at the end of my day, I was told that one of my student's was leaving my room. 

That happens all the time and I know we get sad (sometimes), but this child is not moving away, she is moving to another teacher's room at the parent's request! 

This is the first time that a parent has ever had an issue with me. EVER! Mom emailed me over the break and asked me to fill out "the paperwork"....checklist for Dr. And when Dad came in to the school today to bring it in, he asked for her to be moved.

He has never even talked to me. He told the asst pal that my "class was not structured" and he was afraid "-----wasn't reaching her potiential" in my room!!! What? She has  As and Bs.

I can't even tell all the details because I can't wrap my brain around the fact that he never came to me. He went straight to the office (his daughter also had an office referral the day before break because she can't keep her hands to herself and the Pal said one more time and she is suspended). But that is like your steak not being prepared correctly at a restaurant and instead of calling the server over, you get out your phone and call corporate office!!

It angered me, then I was sad, then I was mad again, and now I am just sick at my stomach over it.

Ok, this is sad and mopey- so I will lighten it up a bit. (even though my heart really is heavy over this).

When I opened the curtain to get her textbooks out for her new teacher,  I had to move a little bin out of the way. As it tilted toward me, it felt like it was teetering....it was because "GI-GAN-TOR the mouse" was on his way out of the bin! He jumped and ran away and I SCREAMED like someone was beating me! (I was embarrassed afterwards at how loud I really did scream!). (Oh, Caitlin, I so feel your pain from "the incident" that may or may not have happened)!!

I felt like Sylvester the cat because this is what was there:

This is what he looked like after I finished telling the stories about him:

 

It was just icky.....I can hold a hamster and love on a guinea pig- but BLECK- I can't do mice! (I think it's the tail).

OK, now the storytelling....looking over past posts- not so much with the teachery stuff while we have been on break. So I am going to share what I call  My First Grade Story. This is my first year to do it.

I bought the expensive, pretty story writing books (Frog Street) last year. And I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. I decided having a weekly sample of their writing in one place would make for a great treat for them at the end of the year. They are writing in third person and we are writing past tense so when they look back on it, it will make more sense.
It is amazing.
I pass it out after reading comp test every Friday. So far it is scripted. They are filling in blanks and illustrating. We are going to do scripted for two more weeks and then I think I am going to let them go!
Example
 pg 1- Once upon a time, there was a ----------named --------------.
pg2 --------------was in the first grade at -------------.
pg3 -----------------teacher was ------------------.

I use my dat-o-matic stamp to stamp the date on each Friday and their handwriting and spelling and choice of words has changed so much. They have written about best friends, fav subjects, fav lunches,etc. It really is cute and will be a great keepsake when they are out of first grade.

Well time to drown my sorrow in some peppermint mocha decaf and watch  a little reality TV- their crazy lives always make me feel better!