I truly do not appreciate being verbally attacked by one of my parents, questioning my teaching abilities with her son. And in front of a few dozen other parents waiting to pick up their children. Do you really think this is the time or place? Seriously, how rude.
Float or sink. That's teaching.
Today, I was thrown into the shark pit. Luckily enough, I was able to defend myself with a very valid argument.
alfjkdklfjdl;kjs;gkldfjgsfl;kgjwel;r3-94uirejfsdklv alkjfad;lksfj ;lekawjtl;205f;lkdsjf;d!!!!!!!!!!!
Bad feelings out. Thanks for the vent.
Life issues, go away. Or solve yourself.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
oofta.
like i said in my last post. i'm a bad blogger.
jess jenkins has been bringing a lot of teacher blogs to my attention lately and just how fabulous they really are and how they are just full of resources...blah. blah. blah.
[happy birthday jess, by the way!]
anyway, this got me thinking about my sad excuse for a blog and how i should really get into the habit of blogging at least twice a week. that's not so hard, is it? we'll see.
so, what's the haps in miss becker's room, you may ask? well, the top news is, we got a fish yesterday. we officially named him today. Finn. that's 2 n's. :) however, i've got a few rebel children who refuse to come to terms with that name. he's got like 4 other names, aliases if you will. Lucky, Stripe, Nemo (pretty original, no?), and Fishy. get over it kids. the fish's name is Finn.
our story this week is the Rainbow Fish, and how appropriate was it to get our own fish? i thought so. i enjoy the spontaneity that is preschool living.
next week: parent workshop. it should be interesting. stay tuned. (and i'm serious about this blogging twice a week business!)
jess jenkins has been bringing a lot of teacher blogs to my attention lately and just how fabulous they really are and how they are just full of resources...blah. blah. blah.
[happy birthday jess, by the way!]
anyway, this got me thinking about my sad excuse for a blog and how i should really get into the habit of blogging at least twice a week. that's not so hard, is it? we'll see.
so, what's the haps in miss becker's room, you may ask? well, the top news is, we got a fish yesterday. we officially named him today. Finn. that's 2 n's. :) however, i've got a few rebel children who refuse to come to terms with that name. he's got like 4 other names, aliases if you will. Lucky, Stripe, Nemo (pretty original, no?), and Fishy. get over it kids. the fish's name is Finn.
our story this week is the Rainbow Fish, and how appropriate was it to get our own fish? i thought so. i enjoy the spontaneity that is preschool living.
next week: parent workshop. it should be interesting. stay tuned. (and i'm serious about this blogging twice a week business!)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
bad blogger
I admit, I suck at blogging. During my early years of college I was great at it. However I didn't really have a life. I found my Xanga a couple of weeks ago and read through two years worth of ridiculousness. I did appreciate the fact that I kept up with it. Unlike this little beasty.
So, what has been happening in my life since January parent teacher conferences you may ask, well, I survived preschool teaching in CB. Yea, man. I had a pretty good second semester. I enjoyed seeing my students make significant gains during the last few months of school.
And now look at me, I am two days away from heading back to preschool world. It should be an interesting trip. Everyone in my building had to pack up their classrooms to prepare for a remodel. We haven't been able to get into our rooms all summer and based on my principal's letter we won't until the first official work day of the year on Thursday. Lucky for me, preschool starts two days after everyone else. I'm really looking forward to unpacking all 45,432,321 boxes from my room. woof.
It has been a wonderful, yet fast, summer. My sister graduated from high school, I taught summer school, celebrated summer by a couple different lakes, went to the zoo, turned a year older (quarter life crisis, anyone?), vacationed in sunny Holland, MI, congratulated several friends on their new married lives, cheered on the Royals for my first at-home victory!!!, bought a puppy-Reuben an AussieShepard/Heeler mix, played church league softball, got a concussion from said sb league, College World Series!!!, celebrated some birthdays the right way- 80s bowling, putt-putt golf, bbqs, jazz on the green, going downtown...
what a beautiful summer.
I hope I will be able to keep up with this blog this school year. One thing is for sure, my blog is pretty popular in the asian community. Check out all those comments on my last post. Crazy.
I appreciate those of you who actually read this. Sorry I haven't lived up to your blogging expectations.
Happy Rest of Summer to You!
So, what has been happening in my life since January parent teacher conferences you may ask, well, I survived preschool teaching in CB. Yea, man. I had a pretty good second semester. I enjoyed seeing my students make significant gains during the last few months of school.
And now look at me, I am two days away from heading back to preschool world. It should be an interesting trip. Everyone in my building had to pack up their classrooms to prepare for a remodel. We haven't been able to get into our rooms all summer and based on my principal's letter we won't until the first official work day of the year on Thursday. Lucky for me, preschool starts two days after everyone else. I'm really looking forward to unpacking all 45,432,321 boxes from my room. woof.
It has been a wonderful, yet fast, summer. My sister graduated from high school, I taught summer school, celebrated summer by a couple different lakes, went to the zoo, turned a year older (quarter life crisis, anyone?), vacationed in sunny Holland, MI, congratulated several friends on their new married lives, cheered on the Royals for my first at-home victory!!!, bought a puppy-Reuben an AussieShepard/Heeler mix, played church league softball, got a concussion from said sb league, College World Series!!!, celebrated some birthdays the right way- 80s bowling, putt-putt golf, bbqs, jazz on the green, going downtown...
what a beautiful summer.
I hope I will be able to keep up with this blog this school year. One thing is for sure, my blog is pretty popular in the asian community. Check out all those comments on my last post. Crazy.
I appreciate those of you who actually read this. Sorry I haven't lived up to your blogging expectations.
Happy Rest of Summer to You!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
ptc
It's the most wonderful time of the school year. parent teacher conferences.
I can remember when I was in school having to attend them or face the facts when my parents arrived home from them. yikes. I think everyone has the mind-set that ptc are just plain not fun.
And here's my soapbox on preschool ptc:
Contrary to popular belief, preschool ptc are not just about whether or not Susie can color in the lines. She's in preschool, of course she can't! And they aren't just about how Jonny pees his pants everyday. He's in preschool, of course he does! Preschool isn't about fun and games, peeing and picking your nose anymore. Sure, that stuff happens, but everything has educational merit. It is grounded in the fact that every moment of your preschool child's day in Miss Becker's room is a learning/growing moment.
When we check the weather in the morning and dress our "Weather Frog" for the day we are working on our observation skills. What do we see when we look outside? Sunny and snow on the ground! It must be cold then, right? Of course. So, let's dress the frog! Well, now we are learning sequence. What article of clothing goes on first? Certainly not the shoes! Pants of course, then the shirt, and so on! Now he's ready. Alright, now let's graph the weather. One square in the sunny column to represent our sunny day. Now, let's count how many sunny days we have total. 7! Look at us, now we are working on one-to-one correspondence and data analysis. We even get technical and pattern the days in each column. Now, we're talking!
So, those of you with that silly misconception in your head that preschool is puppies and rainbows, why don't you come on over to Miss Becker's room and we'll show you that we mean business!
However, sometimes we talk about puppies and rainbows....only to learn and grow as preschoolers though. :)
When my parents walk into my room for their child's conference I can show them, with hard evidence, that their child is learning. Look at how Billy drew circles and lines all over this paper. Those are the foundational pieces his needs to start writing. We can now start working with him on writing letters, which will in turn lead to knowing the sound those letters make, which we all know leads to reading! Hallelujah! Jenny was in the house center today and lined up all of the plates, cups, silverware in colored patterns. She is building a solid foundation in patterning and order which will help her later in finding patterns in numbers and multiplication facts. Preschool is the entryway to your child's educational future. Do NOT underestimate it.
Let me get off this soapbox....
Now when someone talks about going to a conference for their preschool child, you can smile your smug little smile and nod your head up and down because you know just how important those conferences are. And you know the moment you find out you're going to have a child you will start looking for the perfect preschool for them. Don't deny it...you will.
That's all for me tonight. Happy Early Weekend!
I can remember when I was in school having to attend them or face the facts when my parents arrived home from them. yikes. I think everyone has the mind-set that ptc are just plain not fun.
And here's my soapbox on preschool ptc:
Contrary to popular belief, preschool ptc are not just about whether or not Susie can color in the lines. She's in preschool, of course she can't! And they aren't just about how Jonny pees his pants everyday. He's in preschool, of course he does! Preschool isn't about fun and games, peeing and picking your nose anymore. Sure, that stuff happens, but everything has educational merit. It is grounded in the fact that every moment of your preschool child's day in Miss Becker's room is a learning/growing moment.
When we check the weather in the morning and dress our "Weather Frog" for the day we are working on our observation skills. What do we see when we look outside? Sunny and snow on the ground! It must be cold then, right? Of course. So, let's dress the frog! Well, now we are learning sequence. What article of clothing goes on first? Certainly not the shoes! Pants of course, then the shirt, and so on! Now he's ready. Alright, now let's graph the weather. One square in the sunny column to represent our sunny day. Now, let's count how many sunny days we have total. 7! Look at us, now we are working on one-to-one correspondence and data analysis. We even get technical and pattern the days in each column. Now, we're talking!
So, those of you with that silly misconception in your head that preschool is puppies and rainbows, why don't you come on over to Miss Becker's room and we'll show you that we mean business!
However, sometimes we talk about puppies and rainbows....only to learn and grow as preschoolers though. :)
When my parents walk into my room for their child's conference I can show them, with hard evidence, that their child is learning. Look at how Billy drew circles and lines all over this paper. Those are the foundational pieces his needs to start writing. We can now start working with him on writing letters, which will in turn lead to knowing the sound those letters make, which we all know leads to reading! Hallelujah! Jenny was in the house center today and lined up all of the plates, cups, silverware in colored patterns. She is building a solid foundation in patterning and order which will help her later in finding patterns in numbers and multiplication facts. Preschool is the entryway to your child's educational future. Do NOT underestimate it.
Let me get off this soapbox....
Now when someone talks about going to a conference for their preschool child, you can smile your smug little smile and nod your head up and down because you know just how important those conferences are. And you know the moment you find out you're going to have a child you will start looking for the perfect preschool for them. Don't deny it...you will.
That's all for me tonight. Happy Early Weekend!
Monday, January 11, 2010
i'll take snow days for $800 alex
I suppose I should start off with Happy New Year! 2010!
Looking back over the decade I remember myself graduating from 8th grade in 2000 under a cover of severe storms and tornadoes, graduating from high school in 2004 under a cover of severe storms and tornadoes, graduating from college in 2008 under a cover of pesky rain, taking my first official real world job under the cloudless skies of Des Moines, moving to Omaha in the worst heat my body has ever experienced in America, and then teaching preschool in Council Bluffs in, what seems like endless, snowstorm after snowstorm. What a great 10 years it has been. The weather....well, let's just say it better start listening to my silent weather prayers.
As of right now we have had a total of 6 snow days and they have come in 3's. If we have one more snow day we will be going to school in June, and that is not what I am about. I have never been in school or work in a school where that happened. Now is not the time to start.
We are 11 days in to the New Year and 11 out of 11 of those days I have been sick. Nasty, I know. Happy New Year to me. I suppose I am just putting my time in now. Better to just get it over with I guess.
At the moment I am sitting at my desk at school while my students are resting. Since we haven't had school for 3 days all of my plans were ready to go when I got here this morning, which was nice. So, for once, I actually have time for myself. I know, how incredibly selfish of me. But hey, they are all asleep and if I wasn't on here I would be sleeping too. And here's a nice little something for ya, my sister is visiting Omaha so she is currently at school with me too. I think she is enjoying it, although she is very tired. I know it's been a while since she's seen 6:30am and ran around with preschool kids. But, the kids love her! And it's given me a chance to take some assessment notes and such.
Well, I suppose I should be off. My New Year's resolution should be to blog more often...but, I've never been one to make those. I never know what to abstain from or give up or do...so I just choose not to. Lame, yes. I'll take that.
Looking back over the decade I remember myself graduating from 8th grade in 2000 under a cover of severe storms and tornadoes, graduating from high school in 2004 under a cover of severe storms and tornadoes, graduating from college in 2008 under a cover of pesky rain, taking my first official real world job under the cloudless skies of Des Moines, moving to Omaha in the worst heat my body has ever experienced in America, and then teaching preschool in Council Bluffs in, what seems like endless, snowstorm after snowstorm. What a great 10 years it has been. The weather....well, let's just say it better start listening to my silent weather prayers.
As of right now we have had a total of 6 snow days and they have come in 3's. If we have one more snow day we will be going to school in June, and that is not what I am about. I have never been in school or work in a school where that happened. Now is not the time to start.
We are 11 days in to the New Year and 11 out of 11 of those days I have been sick. Nasty, I know. Happy New Year to me. I suppose I am just putting my time in now. Better to just get it over with I guess.
At the moment I am sitting at my desk at school while my students are resting. Since we haven't had school for 3 days all of my plans were ready to go when I got here this morning, which was nice. So, for once, I actually have time for myself. I know, how incredibly selfish of me. But hey, they are all asleep and if I wasn't on here I would be sleeping too. And here's a nice little something for ya, my sister is visiting Omaha so she is currently at school with me too. I think she is enjoying it, although she is very tired. I know it's been a while since she's seen 6:30am and ran around with preschool kids. But, the kids love her! And it's given me a chance to take some assessment notes and such.
Well, I suppose I should be off. My New Year's resolution should be to blog more often...but, I've never been one to make those. I never know what to abstain from or give up or do...so I just choose not to. Lame, yes. I'll take that.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
it's the most wonderful time of the year....
so here i sit, three days snowed in, bored out of my mind, eager to get out of this place! yea, you heard me, three snow days! can you believe it! sure, the first day was great! who doesn't enjoy a day off once and while, but three?! the fact that these will have to be made up in may just doesn't sit well with me. uh.....and it's not like i have accomplished very much while i have been away.
i did however clean my room, dig my car out, write our family christmas letter, watch season one of the big bang theory and season 2 of how i met your mother, figure out that my washed ipod had been resurrected, and do 5 loads of laundry. score!
preschool has been going pretty smoothly these past couple of weeks since thanksgiving season was upon us. i haven't had very many problems, except sick kids. :(
we have been really working hard on shapes for the past two weeks. and this is going to sound silly, but it is so wonderful to see these kids understand something that i am teaching them! i know, it's what teachers are supposed to do, but to see them comprehend something that i have been pouring into them is fascinating. i feel like a kid a christmas. actually, scratch that, i feel like it's christmas when it happens. i still become giddy at christmastime.
i suppose i should sign off and maybe get my student's gifts wrapped. don't tell them, but i got them all scarves and my mom embroidered their names on them. i hope they like it!
have a good day everyone and be safe if you are on the losing end of this wintery weather like me! and here's to at least two days of school this week!
[this is the family christmas letter that i wrote this year. enjoy!]
Greetings Family and Friends!
Merry Christmas! Can you believe that 2009 is coming to an end? It has been a year of blessings, challenges, and change for the Becker household and ever so faithfully God has brought us through it all. So, without further ado, sit back with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand, snuggle up under a warm blanket and enjoy catching up with us!
Russ is still hard at work at the power plant in Palo. Tammy continues to work for Linn-Mar high school as an associate and does part time respite work. And yes, she still tackles the occasional sewing/quilting project while Russ fixes sewing machines. This year, Tammy and Russ expanded their garden at the house, so they were very busy with it all summer. They also moved Elizabeth and Emily around the Midwest a few times, more on that soon. J In recent news, they have officially become members of New Covenant Bible Church, which, in their own words “we love it a lot.”
Elizabeth is currently living in Omaha, and no, she has not, and will not, become a Husker fan. She moved there in July after she accepted a teaching position for Council Bluffs Schools. She teaches preschool, and she isn’t quite sure if it’s keeping her sane or driving her insane. She always has entertaining stories to share, that’s for sure.
Emily is holding down central Iowa living in Des Moines. She is part hair stylist at Bombshell Betty’s, part Return/Exchange Associate at Hot Topic, part make-up artist for Hey Cupcake Photography, and part local superhero by night (except not that last part). She does stay pretty busy though. She has also taken in a cat that she has affectionately named Wednesday.
Leanne is the only remaining child left in that pleasant dome house in Toddville, that is, if you don’t count the dogs and cats. She is a senior at Linn-Mar High school and eager to graduate. She attends the youth group at New Covenant Bible Church where she has met many new friends. In her spare time she loves reading vampire love stories, in light of the recent teen infatuation with the Twilight series, and listening to music. We all wish her luck and guidance as this chapter in her life comes to an end.
Well, that’s 2009 for you here in the Becker household. We hope this letter finds you doing well this holiday season. From our house to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and bright New Year!
-The Becker Family
i did however clean my room, dig my car out, write our family christmas letter, watch season one of the big bang theory and season 2 of how i met your mother, figure out that my washed ipod had been resurrected, and do 5 loads of laundry. score!
preschool has been going pretty smoothly these past couple of weeks since thanksgiving season was upon us. i haven't had very many problems, except sick kids. :(
we have been really working hard on shapes for the past two weeks. and this is going to sound silly, but it is so wonderful to see these kids understand something that i am teaching them! i know, it's what teachers are supposed to do, but to see them comprehend something that i have been pouring into them is fascinating. i feel like a kid a christmas. actually, scratch that, i feel like it's christmas when it happens. i still become giddy at christmastime.
i suppose i should sign off and maybe get my student's gifts wrapped. don't tell them, but i got them all scarves and my mom embroidered their names on them. i hope they like it!
have a good day everyone and be safe if you are on the losing end of this wintery weather like me! and here's to at least two days of school this week!
[this is the family christmas letter that i wrote this year. enjoy!]
Greetings Family and Friends!
Merry Christmas! Can you believe that 2009 is coming to an end? It has been a year of blessings, challenges, and change for the Becker household and ever so faithfully God has brought us through it all. So, without further ado, sit back with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand, snuggle up under a warm blanket and enjoy catching up with us!
Russ is still hard at work at the power plant in Palo. Tammy continues to work for Linn-Mar high school as an associate and does part time respite work. And yes, she still tackles the occasional sewing/quilting project while Russ fixes sewing machines. This year, Tammy and Russ expanded their garden at the house, so they were very busy with it all summer. They also moved Elizabeth and Emily around the Midwest a few times, more on that soon. J In recent news, they have officially become members of New Covenant Bible Church, which, in their own words “we love it a lot.”
Elizabeth is currently living in Omaha, and no, she has not, and will not, become a Husker fan. She moved there in July after she accepted a teaching position for Council Bluffs Schools. She teaches preschool, and she isn’t quite sure if it’s keeping her sane or driving her insane. She always has entertaining stories to share, that’s for sure.
Emily is holding down central Iowa living in Des Moines. She is part hair stylist at Bombshell Betty’s, part Return/Exchange Associate at Hot Topic, part make-up artist for Hey Cupcake Photography, and part local superhero by night (except not that last part). She does stay pretty busy though. She has also taken in a cat that she has affectionately named Wednesday.
Leanne is the only remaining child left in that pleasant dome house in Toddville, that is, if you don’t count the dogs and cats. She is a senior at Linn-Mar High school and eager to graduate. She attends the youth group at New Covenant Bible Church where she has met many new friends. In her spare time she loves reading vampire love stories, in light of the recent teen infatuation with the Twilight series, and listening to music. We all wish her luck and guidance as this chapter in her life comes to an end.
Well, that’s 2009 for you here in the Becker household. We hope this letter finds you doing well this holiday season. From our house to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and bright New Year!
-The Becker Family
Monday, November 2, 2009
it's always sunny in miss becker's room
ha! she wishes! more like cloudy with a chance of crazy!
most of the time things go quite smoothly in that preschool classroom of mine.
i've been having a bit of trouble with one of my students. she is just.....exhausting. stubborn, goes rag-doll on me, shows no sympathy towards others, no respect for authority, and she's only 4. but, she can be one of the sweetest, most helpful, and intelligent students in my class, whenever it's convenient for her. like i said, exhausting. some days i just don't feel like going to school. wouldn't it be nice if we had a choice every morning? as if it was socially acceptable to not go to work...? that kind of place needs to exist.
i have a couple friends from des moines coming to visit me this weekend. this will be good. i need friends outside of school/omaha right now. sometimes, it's just too much. not saying that my omaha friends aren't great, i just miss the good ol' days of des moines. they were simple times. less complex. less drama. less miss becker and more miss elizabeth. i miss miss elizabeth. i miss ccyc. it was comfortable. easy-going. good good people.
ok, without further ado, i give you a picture-update-montage:
this is the house that preschool built. out of the millions of boxes in my room.
this is the window inside the house that preschool built.
door decorating contest. we did a mad lib. well, my preschoolers wrote it. i am just the middle man.
top
bottom
our jack-0-latern. don't worry he has eyebrows.
pumpkin bowling as jackie kennedy during the halloween party
audrey, jackie, and cruella. gloved ladies.
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