Monday, August 25, 2008

I'm Baaaaaack!

That's right. I'm alive!! (Thanks to all THREE of you that have noticed I've been gone.)

I have been awakened from the dead....sort of. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a zombie-like state once I get home from school.

I had forgotten how long it takes me to get into a routine after being out all summer. No wonder my fifth graders can't remember what a VERB is in the second week of school. No wonder they forgot that you just can't get up out of your seat whenever you feel like it. No wonder they forgot that they have to say "Yes, ma'am" and "No, ma'am", even if most of them have been required to say it at school from kindergarten up to the present. No wonder they've forgotten that you just can't YELL OUT the answers.

So what do you do when you forget about those things?

You have to relearn them.

And that's what we've been practicing since school started two and a half weeks ago...routines and procedures. Of course, we've thrown in lessons and homework and things of that nature. I started that on the third day of school. I, myself, am finding it difficult getting back into grading papers and sorting paperwork and the like. Sigh. Such is the life of a teacher. Our work is never done.

I've got two pretty good classes this year. I can tell that they'll be a lot easier than the ones I had last year. Let's just say that at the awards ceremony at the end of the year, last year's group was described by the P.E. teacher as the "most spirited" group they'd had since they've been at the school (five years). I'd have to agree. I remember when they started out as second graders. They were definitely "The Unshushables."

I digress.

Since I've had trouble getting back into a routine, I haven't had much time to blog. That would definitely explain why my last post was on August 12th. Sorry. NO TIME!!!

I also haven't really had much exciting news to share or write about. I guess I need to work on gathering up some stories for future posts.

I do have one video that is uploading this very moment and will be soon be ready to share. You're gonna love it.

Until next time...

~Shannon

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you're back! I remember (as a teacher, not a student) how tough those first few weeks of school were after summer break. But what a relief to have great students - hope you have a great year!

Tina said...

I'm so glad you've graced my computer with your presence! It's good to know that even though you've been absent, you're not dead!!

Sounds like you've gotten in your grove...glad you have good classes.

See you soon!

Anonymous said...

Happy back to school! Were does the time go?

Em's Dad said...

"You have to relearn them". I know my Grammer is not that good but shouldn't it be "re-teach them"? As in "You have to teach them and not learn them.

Shannon said...

Oh, don't you be correcting me. I'M the English teacher, REMEMBER?

Please refer to the line above in the post.

"So what do you do when you forget about those things?"

My response: "You have to relearn them." Them is referring to the word things, not the students.

I think I know the difference between teach and learn. That's actually one of the lessons in our book that we have to TEACH them and hope that they LEARN the skill.
Thankyouverymuch.

Mei said...

ahem:

Such is the life of a teacher.

You're pushing it, old gal.