FOUR

 4...

Things I WON'T miss...

DIBELS assessments, 
Edulastic assessments,
ELPAC,
DRDP and Progress Reports for 4-5 year olds,
Submitting referrals in October
and again in April
and still not able to schedule a meeting
to get some support
for both your student
and the next teacher he will have.
And did I mention progress reports?

Things I WILL miss...

Having an ample supply of sprays, shower gels, candles, and lotions at my disposal,

Helping each child discover their gifts and nurturing them,
even when you had something else planned,

Being there to witness when they make new discoveries...
observing a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis,
feeling a snail leave a slime on their arm,
finding out that the only ripe strawberry on the plant 

was eaten by a special friend from the PALS class next door,
so you plant more strawberries,

and after a month's wait,
you come back from a weekend to discover...

  I will miss moments like these.

FIVE

5...

Things I WON'T miss...

Field trip lunch bags full of candy for lunch,
Chaperones that sign up to be chaperones, and don't come.
Chaperones that come, but NEED to be chaperoned,
Teens in crowded spaces...unsupervised,
Tantrums on field trips when parents aren't there,
Tantrums on field trips when the parent IS there,
Shoes thrown in garbage cans,
Head injuries you watch happen, but can't stop,
muddy shoes and bottoms,
monitoring dates for field trip registration and orientations.

Things I WILL miss...

Taking four and five-year-olds to places they may have never been,

Lightning McQueen @ The Petersen Automobile Museum,

The tram ride, musical wall, garden, and Van Gogh @Getty Center,

Learning about LA history @ La Plaza de Cultural y Artes,

Music, storms, and cleaning poop @ Noah's Ark at the Skirball,

Touching sea anemones and beach sand @ Roundhouse Aquarium,

Dinosaur bones and butterflies @ The Natural History Museum,

Fresh strawberries and tractor rides @ Tanaka Farms

Climbing tree roots and learning what a space shuttle is @ California Science Center,

Crazy Metro train routes,
Kind and patient city bus drivers,
Witnessing the excitement of a first school bus ride,
Moms, dads, tias, abuelas, and abuelos that help lead bus routes,supervise other people's children, and help keep everyone safe. 

SIX

 6...

Something I WON'T miss...

end-of-the-year bulletins,
report cards,
closing records,
missing a culmination certificate
on the morning of the culmination,
having a DIY moment 
because you're missing only 1 certificate,
audio difficulties in a roomful of family and friends,
having to replace your soloist during the actual performance
because she realizes how big the audience is,
and pure exhaustion at the end of culmination day.

Something I WILL miss...

watching something you have
planned, organized, and practiced, 
become reality,
the joy of watching 5-year-olds dance and sing,
the pride felt when shy kiddos grab the mic
and belt out solos,
being pleasantly surprised,
when the kid that cried the first 5 months of the year,
suddenly volunteers to recite the class mission statement
in front of a packed crowd,
and the special time after the culmination,
reconnecting with students and families.

 

SEVEN

 7...

Something I WON'T miss...

trying to explain and comfort 5-year-olds on
why big brothers won't play with them,
why adults fights and yell at each other,
why beloved pets runaway,
why they are not allowed to see a parent,
why mommy can't go on a field trip because she has to work,
why people you love never come back,
why you can't have the tablet all day.

Something I WILL miss...

listening to them talk about their lives,

reassuring them that they are loved, valued, and welcomed,

creating an environment where they feel safe to express their thoughts, feelings, and needs,

establishing a class community where friends support each other without judgment,

finding ways to bring joy, curiosity, and love when there is sadness and fear,

EIGHT

8...

Something I WON'T miss...

those very, very special friends that need your constant attention, 

destroys your classroom materials,

slaps and hurts their friends,

cries, screams, and yells until they get their way.

Something I WILL miss...

spending the time to get to know each of those special friends,

making connections when you can,

learning what triggers strong emotions,

and what lowers affective filters,

so that you can build a relationship,

where they feel safe and secure

to make friends,

feel successful,

and show their strengths.

NINE

9....

Something I WON'T miss:

Receiving questions from parents, during class and after hours, asking about information that I had already shared for the past few weeks in our Weekly Newsletter and had sent out several times via ClassDojo.

Something I WILL miss:

Establishing new relationships each year with students and families that will last way beyond the year they are in my classroom.

Countdown...

It's been a hectic year 36.

I went from having 3 other adults with me in a classroom,
to just one most of the time,

and many times, just me.

Not much time to blog,

but that will change soon.

There's an ending in sight,

so I thought I'd start a countdown.

10....

Something I WON'T miss:
Mandated standardize testing 4-year-olds the first month of their school experience.

Something I WILL miss:

Getting to witness those same 4-year-olds master the skills and concepts needed to be successful in Kindergarten, while becoming more caring and kind individuals.

October Problem Solving

Problem Solving in April

Using sounds, letters, and words to write.