Hooray!

Hello, everyone!  Today, two unexpected things happened.  Number 1:  My brother, Jeff, got out of work early so he was able to stop by and hang out with me for a while.  We had a delicious lunch at a local diner.  Nothing like a BLTCA!  Number 2:  I received a letter from the superintendent of  the town I live in, asking me to contact one of his elementary school principals to set up an interview for subbing!  YES!  I wasn't sure if they would really be on top of hiring new subs right now considering this is a very busy time of year from them.  I'm especially excited about this opportunity because not only do I get to have my "classroom fix", but it would be in my town!!!  The two elementary schools are MINUTES away!  What a thought!  I'm used to the hour there and hour back commute I have had the past five years!  Also, I am really shocked to find that I might actually be needed. Just a few days ago, I saw that this district, actually the entire SAU, is no longer accepting sub applications, but I mailed mine in anyway, thinking maybe in a few months they could use someone.  I'm very excited about the possibilities that can come of this. :-)  I just LOVE SCHOOL!

And now, more on that subject.  I'd like to share two of my favorite Beginning of  the School Year books with you.  Let's get started:

Okay, we all know Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst is a children's classic!  I'm sure most elementary teachers have at least one copy of this book in their rooms.  I love to read this book at the beginning of the year, as we are forming a classroom community.  Together, the kids and I discuss the importance of being positive and supporting  others who may be having a bad day, because we want everyone to feel happy, successful, and loved while they are at school.  Most children have great connections to this story, and enjoy sharing their own Bad Day memories as well as helpful strategies their classmates can use to turn their Bad Day around. 

I literally just discovered there is a free video version on YouTube!  I don't often use videos in my classroom, but they really add a nice change of pace, especially when the kids are suffering in the sweltering heat during the first week or two of school.

Mr. Peabody's Apples is one of my all-time favorites, and yes, it is by Madonna!  I want to thank my beloved cooperating teacher from my internship all those year ago for introducing it to me.  This book touches upon the importance of staying open-minded about others, instead of making assumptions about them.  It also focuses on the power of words as they can be hurtful to people's reputations and feelings.  This is another wonderful beginning-of-the-year story as it's a great segue into many common morals that are necessary for building a positive classroom community.  The children usually come up with ideas like, "Don't judge a book by its cover", "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all", and "Don't spread rumors".  My favorite part of this book is the ending.  It leaves the reader hanging, and encourages kids to infer an even deeper message.  I'm not positive this book is still technically in print, but you can still find copies on Amazon.

I have a lot more back-to-school ideas I'd like to talk about, but I think I need a break for now.  I'll be back soon with more!

XO <3, C