the first week of summer...

I tearfully and successfully packed up room 30....big thank you to partner teacher who at multiple times kept saying "you have to keep going."  I waited to do most of the work until after the students left on Thursday.  I didn't want an empty bare room for my last few days with them.  I made multiple trips to my car packing all my beloved teaching stuff in it.  I fell up the stairs once :-D always a good way to start the last day of in-service.

During Friday's in-service meeting, the superintendent said "I can't believe the school year is over! It feels like we were just in the library having our first in-service of the year."  It struck me as a blessing.....I was there for that first day also.  I spent most of my school year in this building working along side this fantastic staff.  Thankfully I didn't start to cry at this point!

And then, the elementary principal said something about "You don't know where you are going to be a year from now."  Boy is she right.  Boy I had no idea how right she was going to be...

Partner teacher helped me with the last load, shut my car door and and told me not to cry too much on the way home....hahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA how about the whole ride?!

That was Friday.  Saturday was a mopying day, Sunday was a "get ready for new job" day.

Monday........three days after I said goodbye to my fifth graders; goodbye to teaching every day for sure....I started a job as a day camp counselor.  I won't lie....I didn't really want a summer job.  That's a different blogging topic.  When Monday rolled around I was more positive about it.

I enjoyed the first day of camp...things went relatively well.  The summer kids do not enjoy structure.

I came home and my world stopped.  Husband man got a new job.  We're moving....we have less than 2 weeks now.  We'll be moving closer to my family, which will be nice, but farther from his.  It will be too far to teach at the school I spent almost every day at this past year.  It means I start all over.  Praying desperately for my own classroom and always knowing in the back of my mind I'll be subbing.

My first week of summer was spent working 40 hours at camp, crying both to and from camp, trying to be excited, dreading the last day we spend in our nut hut, and just wondering why now? This newbie teacher doesn't like change....and the last two weeks have been nothing but change.

We're in the process of finding a new home; we have a rental for when we go initially.  Baby pup is going to have to wear a barking collar while we're there so she doesn't disturb the neighbors.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll get a job this year.....

end of the year photos...

As promised well over a month ago, here are some photos from the end of my 5th grade school year :)

For Mother's Day, partner teacher and I helped our kids plant marigolds.
He had a box of circular paint swatches which he wanted to use up.
This was our solution for a "To: Mom From: Student" tag....

Floor to ceiling food groups :)
This was fully partner teacher's idea and execution!
His kids did an excellent job!! He doesn't blog (yet) but I thought the
idea was fantastic and wanted to share it for him.

Our culminating Social Studies project was a "State Report Box"
The kids did a great job on these as well!

Collecting and recording homework was something I never found an
excellent way to complete.  This was my middle attempt and I did like it.

We had a lot of things that were due each Friday; so
arranging our homework board like this worked well for my kids and I.

These three are so I don't forget what a fantastic
 room I had the blessing of teaching in.  This is the
arrangement the students went back to for the end of the year.

Each 9 weeks, the students are encouraged to read
4 Accelerated Reader books within their AR Level.
I used this pocket chart to help them track their progress!

My literature circles came and went, but I had an empty
bulletin board so I posted some strategies :)

Partner teacher and I agree....this was one of my saving graces.
I would become so discouraged some days.  He'd laugh and tell me to
look at the positive things that happen each day; not the negative.
That is not something I do naturally.  When I come to the end of a semi-rough day
and I'm tired...the last thing I'm capable of doing is finding the positive :)
So I had my kids find them for me!  I think I posted an initial picture of the
"Positives Door".....this is how we ended.  It was full of positive things.
When I felt unaccomplished, ineffective, or flat out like giving up....I'd read our door.
I saw our days through the eyes of my students.....they saw much more positive than negative!