Lots of Learning!

This last week was wonderful. Of course there were a few moments of frustration with some kiddos- especially since I didn't have much of a voice the first half of the week!- but for the most part the kids and I enjoyed each other. I even had several who didn't want to go home for the weekend- they wanted to stay in school with Mrs. B! That's always a good feeling.

The previous teacher had left me lesson plans for last week and that was a help because I was able to focus on getting to know the kids and their learning styles and behaviors and not stress about what to teach. However this week I am on my own! I went in to school today to work with my mentor teacher but instead the previous teacher happened to be there so she talked with me for awhile. I got lots of insight into why the class is the way they are. I think the teacher was a very nice woman and her heart was DEFINITELY in the right place but, and she agreed, our styles and philosophies are way different. She also informed me about other teachers in the hall and the way the administration is- from her point of view. Some of it I had already figured out and others...well... that's her point of view. I did NOT like when she told me that she was ok with a handful of kids not being able to read at the end of first grade!! She said this happened every year and she was ok with that because they just weren't ready to learn to read and hopefully they picked it up later but if not that's ok because there is plenty of adults in society today who are just fine and can't read!! WHAT?! Not ok with me. But overall I really liked chatting with her and it broke my heart when she started to cry- she really loves teaching and her kids. I think she is sad that she is retiring and she even told me she envies my youth but she hopes I will understand her more when I am her age. I told her I envy her experiences!! Teaching is such a fine balance- yes experience is a big part to a successful teacher but you also need to stay young at heart and stay abreast in new theories and willing to try new things. A teacher should always be learning how to be better! Needless to say it was an eye opening few hours.

So instead of working on lesson plans and learning about the 6+1 writing traits I talked with her. Tomorrow and Tuesday I'll go in after lunch and get some actual work done. It's only a 3 day school week because of parent teacher conferences but luckily the principal is conducting those for me. I also have to give a unit test because the kids just finished the end of unit 2 in the curriculum the previous teacher used. I'm excited/nervous/overwhelmed and all kinds of emotions to have so much responsibility! I'm going to be bored in student teaching the first couple of weeks when I'm supposed to just be "observing"!!

Matt is doing great. He had a wonderful 24th birthday. Thursday I picked him up from work and I had brought clothes for him to change into (instead of going all the way back home). After he changed I took him to his favorite (well, the only one we've tried) chinese restaurant. We bought everything he wanted so we would have plenty for leftovers (and boy did we)! After that yummy dinner we went home where I surprised him with an acoustic guitar (a Fender)! He had NO idea that I had bought him that. I ordered it 2 months ago from guitarcenter.com and it has been SO hard to keep it a secret!! Especially when during one conversation he was saying he hated that brand and all sorts of stuff (he claims he was talking about electric guitars). I had the guitar shipped to our friend's house and it got here while Matt was gone- thankfully, because lots of times the two guys check their mail together and he would have seen it! I also had made him a cookie cake which turned out yummy if not so pretty. Overall I think he had a great day- even after a bad day at work. Yesterday we bbqed and the Barreto's stopped by and ate with us. Ribs, burgers, chedder dogs, corn on the cob, baked beans, buffalo chicken cheese dip, and of course more cookie cake! We stuffed ourselves and then he had to go to guard duty =-( Luckily it was only 12 hours 6-6 but that still stinks for me- I hate going to bed alone!

So now both Barr's are working hard and staying busy. Little Barr (Elvis) is doing what he does best- sleeping! We are dogsitting 2 dachshunds for this lady at church so he'll have some buddies for a few weeks. Good practice for Matt who swears he wants another dog even though he complains when he has to walk this one!! Oh and no Paris for the Barr's this Thanksgiving. Army stinks but oh well. We've got great Thanksgiving plans with two other families and a couple of singles soldiers and we plan on seeing the new "Christmas Carol" which comes out here that weekend. Matt is planning on taking leave so we can travel without problems with the Army!