150/180 Missing in Action No More

On day 150,  A appeared in class!

He's probably signed on about 10-15 days since school started.

Grandma is very tech savvy. 

That's okay,

my grandma probably wouldn't be either.

I'm just happy he made it!

Welcome to Room 27!

You worry that you won't be able to teach like you use to,

and you won't,

but then you realize it's okay.

They will learn whatever way you teach.

#sightwords

I have always been a procrastinator.

I should be working on my last essay of 4.

It's going to be a long night.

#deadlinetomorrow

149/180 Wednesday

I love our class stage!

So do the students.

Best donation ever! 

Today we learned the word am.

Today, we didn't all know how old we are.

Today we celebrated Nathalie's birthday!

Both In Person and on Zoom!

Our poster!

Each kid represents one of my students

and a few composites too!

148/180 Thankful Tuesday

 It wasn't such a good day at home.

But it was a good day at school.

We can't win them all.

#thestruggleisreal

#teentroubles

I'm thankful that my students love school.

I'm thankful for music and dance.

I'm thankful to learn from Ms. T.

I'm thankful for tables donated by friends.

I'm thankful I get to be a part of things like this...

#earlyliteracy

I'm thankful I get to be their teacher.

I am thankful that I can start over with my teen tomorrow.

I am hopeful that tomorrow will be a better day.

147/180 Monday

It's going to be a very busy week.

I have bunch of stuff that needs to be done.

So I will just post some photos from the day.

The district is hiring cleaning people for $25 per hour. 

10 hour days.

Can you imagine if Daniel had that opportunity?

Well, my classroom hasn't been mopped for a week.

How do I know?

The same stain that was on the floor when I was asked to leave

so they could clean last Friday...

was still there this morning.

I mopped.

It's not there anymore.

Who doesn't like Wikki Sticks?

Self portrait!

Love it!

My sweet P made a happy Planet Earth.

Which made me happy too!

146/180 Pizza Friday

We had two birthdays today.

I usually stop by Nothin' But Bundt Cakes 

and grab a mini cake to celebrate the student's 

special day.

But today J and D said they wanted pizza.

Who am I to say no?

We made both playdough pizzas

and edible pepperoni pizzas too!

1 to 1 correspondence and number sense...

Know what I miss most?

I miss not being able to directly observe what students are doing.

I know you can make observations online,

but it's not the same as being in front of them.

It was something I missed dearly,

but now I get to truly assess where my in-person kiddos 

are and where we need to guide them next.

Name Cards:

Name recognition. Peer name recognition. Counting. Sorting. Comparing. Adding. Phonics...

It was a nice week.

It was a long week.

It's not hard teaching am/pm,

Roomies and Zoomies.

It's not easy either.

You shift back and forth

because there are some things you can do live

and some you cannot,

but you want to make it equitable.

It's exhausting.

Now I have PD tomorrow

and some essays that are due by the end of next week.

Maybe I'll just take a nap first.

145/180 Earth Day

I started a tradition on Earth Day awhile ago.

Earth Day 2006 

We continued it today.

Social Distancing Earth Day Clean Up.

Earth Day 2021

We have 5/6 now. Just trying to keep everyone "safe" while allowing them to be children.

Not easy,

but not impossible.

Lots of reminders.

Lots of cleaning.

Lots of laugher and fun too.

We're tired!

So I figure why not donate 70 single scoops of ice cream?

Tax write off

and it would make some promoting 8th graders happy,

including my Nutella loving one.

Earth Day is also my sister Gladys' birthday.

She got to choose her own name at age 3.

Unknown fact.

Family Zooms are always interesting

and fun.

Love my family.

TGIF! 

It's been a busy week and I still have 4 essays due,

a covid test,

a blood donation (Daniel's) chauffeur,

and a 3 hour PD

on Saturday.

144/180 Steady As She Goes

When you want to play with your friends,

but will settle playing next to them.

My favorite, favorite piece of furniture,

class stage made by parent.

Love, love how magical it can be!

This is why kids need to play.

He can't sit still for much time on rug,

but he can engage with water learning/playing

for at least 20 minutes and more!

Roomies are learning, singing, dancing, and painting in class.

Zoomies are learning, singing, dancing, and painting at home.

Same, Same, but Different.

Different can be okay.

143/180 First Day of School Part 2

First Day of Hybrid

and first time students and teachers

will be together in person in over 13 months.

So...

I put on my first day of school dress and a mask.

Things I found out right away:

-D is much taller in person.

-D is much smaller in person.

-D is the same D as he always is.

-A was so excited to come to school.

-It's so much easier if your kids already know you before 

"The First Day of School."

-It's harder to sing good morning songs wearing a mask.

-I don't like teaching with a mask.

-It's get warmer when you teach with a mask.

-I can wear a mask for 3 hours straight.

Nothing like having free labor

to clean toys

that have been outside

for over 13 months.

(NOTE TO SELF: Good call on those IKEA smocks!)

It was a lovely morning.

Realized we need to do this and that,

walk in, 

stand here,

walk out here,

don't touch your friends when you are dancing,

have fun!

And you will get a huge lunch when you go home too!

PM Zoomies were great too!

Exhausted not from Hybrid,

Exhausted from being a mom of a 14 year old.

Don't forget tomorrow is Administrative Professional Day.

I'm hoping he gets it there in once piece!

142/180 Ready or Not

I'm too tired to write much.
Had a long road trip on Sunday.
Nice, but long.
Today was the first day teachers at my school
reported to work on site.
Here's a summary of my day in photos.

We're Back!

I see personal library.

Everyone is welcome!

My Zoomies are too!

You see dirty toys (out in yard for 13 months)

I see opportunities!

Social distancing water play!
AKA: let's synergize and wash our toys!

You see empty containers.

I see personal lego sets!

I wanted to finish this, but had to stop when I was kicked out of school. Apparently, it closes!
These are the faces of my students.

Tomorrow is a new chapter.
I miss my students.

141/180 Fast Friday

Last day before returning to In-Person teaching.

Well, Monday is a pupil free day at school,

but I will be teaching online for a little bit.

Highlights from the day...

New technology center set up.

Uh, no thank you.

I donated mine to a teacher who didn't have one.

No place to put two technology centers.

New labels for the tubs.

I have two sets.

This is 2021.

Wanted to fill my bucket by donating a pint

to fill someone else's bucket

because someone else filled my bucket years ago

by donating to fill my mom's bucket.

PS: Iron supplements really helps!

Someone got his second vaccine.

He's not too happy.

Has a headache.

Better than having Covid.

Sip and Paint Nite!

I didn't have time to get a sip,

so I just painted.

Finished one piece of writing.

Not to get started in the other 5...

Maybe next week.

https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/jane-fung-same-same-different?fbclid=IwAR3fiac_KoCPx5gCAE5WhOftz08Ybxt4Gy5-FmbQOgNNZw7AOPzhaQHume4

140/180 A Thursday in the Life

Next week we go back to in person teaching.

We will return to campus.

I will have to wake up earlier.

So decided to start this new schedule today.

Went to check out the storage room...

aka-Multipurpose Room/Auditorium

No sight of carpet, kidney table, or our cubbies.

Oh well. 

Don't need it right now anyway.

Did come across the new hardware.

Monitor, ELMO, speaker, camera, power station...

Where am I going to put it?

So the district sent these masks.

You can see through them,

but not your whole face,

just your mouth.

Uh... I don't think so.

New child friendly stickers.

We made mazes today in OT.

We created high frequency lotto cards.

I also closed the zoom meeting and

kicked off everyone from Zoom,

but only once,

pushed the wrong button

trying to work my 4 monitors.

Oops!

Tomorrow, I will try only one monitor.

Needed my weekly Covid test, 

but couldn't get an appointment,

so took a lunch break

waiting in line at Hollenbeck Middle School.

Got an exciting text while waiting in line.

Sweet K's mom just enrolled my first student

for 2021-2022!

Hoping I will be able to take him 

on exciting adventures like I did K.

If you are going to get a Covid test in Boyle Heights, 

you might as well stop by for a burrito de chicharrón.

Back to work.

Had to take a picture of our "forbidden" basketball hoop to show Derek.

He asked if he could play basketball at school next week.

Technically... maybe?

Answered email.

Completed an emergency request for the county.

Sorted some books.

Labeled new cubbies.

Showed the tech people where to install the new hardware.

Planned for next week.

Got kicked out at 3:30.

Goodbye Room 27.

See you tomorrow,

bright and early again.