Sent Back To 1st Grade…But Not Like Billy Madison!

Friday morning I went to Elementary School. Mrs. B let me help with her 1st grade class. I was a little nervous at first but it wasn’t long before I got into the swing of things. Mrs. B introduced me to the class and explained what we were going to be doing while I passed out the Y and Z worksheets. Mrs. B called each kid to her desk one at a time for reading assessments. I went around the room helping the kids with their worksheets. Making sure they were doing them correctly and quizzing them on the Z or Y word that they had to write on the worksheet. The ones who didn’t know the word I helped to sound it out.

Once they were done with the worksheets I passed out kids news and read the cover to them. It was about animals and bugs that blend into there environment. I asked the kids if they could tell me a bug or animal that blends into its environment. Almost every kid raised his hand. They were just so excited to participate and it warmed my heart. I think that is when I fell in love with 1^st grade. They gave really good answers; one boy said “a preying mantis”. I thought that was the best answer. Then I had them open up the newspaper and asked them if they could see the animal in the red picture and so on with each color. They got most of them but a few were hard and I helped them find the animal or bug. After we went through the 6 pictures I had them turn to the back page for the matching exercise. They had to match the word color to the color picture. I went around and helped some of them sound out the word colors so they could match up the pictures.

Once they were done I had a contest to see what row could be the quickest and quietest putting their papers into their box. Each child has his own box with his name on it by the door. Then I gave the winning team each one skittle.

I followed that with a story about a man’s winter hat that had blown away. A rabbit found the hat and made his home in it. Then a skunk came along and the rabbit didn’t want to make the skunk mad so he let him move into the hat with him. I asked the kids what happens when a skunk gets mad or scared. They said “Stink.” I said “that’s right skunks spray & stink and no one wants that.” Then a porcupine came along and moved into the hat with the rabbit and skunk and they moved as far back in the hat as they could to avoid the porcupine. I asked the class what porcupines do when you get to close to them. They said “Poke.” I didn’t get to finish the story because it was time for PE.

Mrs. B had them line up at the door and fold their arms. Then we all marched down to the gym. While we waited for the gym teacher we played a little rhythm game called who stole the cookie from the cookie jar. It was fun and the kids enjoyed it. When the PE teacher came in we left the kids with her and went back to the classroom to visit for 40 minutes until they were done.

After we brought the kids back to the classroom I passed out a workbook to each kid and explained what we were going to be doing. Then I went around and made sure they were copying the two sentences correctly and once they were done they could start coloring the picture that went with the sentences. I told them the best picture would get one skittle as a prize. Some of the kids tried to start coloring first but I steered them back to following my directions of writing the sentences first. They were so wonderful and obeyed me. I was so proud of them. After that it was lunch time and so I headed home.

I just LOVED it!!! I can’t wait to be a teacher. It was so much fun. I can’t wait until next Friday so I can do back again. It is my only day where I don’t have school and I normally work in the evenings so it is the only day I can volunteer. Mrs. B is a wonderful teacher; I am glad she is mentoring me. Well folks that is all for now. Tootles.

Lanie

Dean's List

I received a letter from Idaho State University and was pleasantly surprised by the contents. As you may have guessed by the title of my blog it informed me that I made the Dean’s List for Summer Semester. I just thought it was so cool to get a letter from them acknowledging my hard work.

Last night I had a strange dream that teachers from Summer Semester took my A’s back and gave me B’s instead. I was so glad to wake up and find that it was only a bad dream.

School is going pretty well so far. Very busy and a lot more work this semester. I am kind of glad my job has only been scheduling me for 3 days a week. Well speaking of work I better get to it. I have a paper due tomorrow. Over and Out…

Lanie

Welcome Emme!

We have a new member in our family. Emme is 10 weeks old and the cutest puppy ever! Mom, Dad, Grandma & I drove to Omaha Nebraska to pickup Emme. She is seriously the BEST dog we have ever had! She only cries for a few minutes before she settled down at night and goes to sleep in her create. She doesn't really bark at all which is really nice! We are still working on potty training but she is getting there. She is very smart and when we are playing chase the toy she stops and waits for it to come back around. She knows her name and already comes when you call her. She loves my parents bed and when she wants to take a nap she walks around the bed trying to find a way up. Then she will start to cry to let us know she wants up. She loves to play in the back yard but she dislikes being outside alone. If she gets locked out alone she will sit at the door and howl until she gets let in or until someone comes outside to be with her. Its a rather cute little howl and makes us laugh when she does it.

The Long Awaited Post!!!

This is for all my blog fans out there... haha. I hope it was worth the wait. Anyhow life is busy busy busy for me. School is going great. My most exciting news is that I am the new Primary Chorister. I had really been wanting a calling and never thought it would come, then the phone rang, it was Brother Bonneson. I went over to the church about 30 minutes later and got my call. I was so excited, I thought "wow I got the best job in the church." As it turns out it is the best job in the whole church! However, it is so so so much work. I have put in I would say at least 60 hours of work making stuff in the last 6 weeks. I feel like I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and shouldn't have to much more work to do, maybe only 20 more hours worth. I have my music lineup through the end of the year and almost all the stuff made for the fun songs and activities. Last week I brought Simon the Singing Snake and the better they sing the more he grows. It was a BIG HIT!!! I got comments after church from the sisters in the Relief Society room next door about how great the kids sounded. I also made a big poster titled "Sing Like A Lark On Noah's Ark" I made a background in paint of water, sky and clouds and then put Noah's Ark on it with velcro dots and the kids were able to come pick people or animals with songs written on the back. They loved it. I also made 3 other posters for the new songs we are learning for the primary program. Its been so much fun. I also get to do singing time in Nursey and it is really a lot of fun. My adorable niece Brielle was in Nursey on Easter and it was so fun to have her there. They kept calling her Brinley for some reason and I kept correcting them and saying Brielle. It was kind of funny because my cousin is named Brinley. Well thats all for now folks... I have a Math Exam tomorow and need to study study study... I hope I do well. Wish me luck! Toodles.
Lanie