My class has caught the love bug.

Disclaimer: Names have been changed to protect the innocent. ;)

So, today I was approached by a student informing me that a boy in our class was crying. Concerned, I pulled the boy outside to see what was wrong.

"I didn't want anyone to know who my true love was, and Sarah just told everyone. The whole class knows my true love!"

His true love is the new student that came to our class last Wednesday.
Later that afternoon, I heard him telling the student that told the class about his true love, "I will never forgive you! You ruined my life!"

Oh, the drama.

During lunch, another student told me that he had "a big fatty crush" on the new girl as well.

Students were making paper skeletons today, and one of my students put a bowtie on hers and told me she was naming him after her crush. She then proceeded to dance around the room with him, kissing him on his bony face.

After hearing about all of this lovey dovey activity that was going on today, my lead teacher asks me, "What on earth are you teaching these kids when I'm out of the room?!?!"

Oh, third graders.

SO it's my fifth week already of student teaching. The time has just flown by.

It's funny, because every day there are at least ten times when a student says something hilarious, and I think, "I definitely need to blog this." But then, by the end of the day, I've completely forgotten the funny little gems I wanted to share. Now, I could keep a little notebook and write these things down so I could share them in this here blog, BUT I already get made fun of enough by my fellow third grade teachers for being a nerd, so... I don't know if getting caught taking notes would be the best thing! ;)

This experience is amazing. Every day, I learn SO much. Every day, I feel more and more confident that this is where I'm meant to be. It's exhausting, demanding, and sometimes ridiculously stressful, BUT the fun that I have with my students and getting to see them learning definitely makes it all worth it.

Here are some things I do remember that the kids said today:

Student 1: "Ms. Verbil, are you married?"
Student 2: "Oh my GOSH that was SO rude of you to ask! You can't do that!"
Student 1: "Why?!"
Student 2: "If she's not married, you'll make her feel bad about not having a husband yet!"

Student: "Ms. Verbil, I just wanted to let you know that you don't make me feel weird."
Me: "I don't even know what that means."
Student: "Well, basically you just don't."

I'm still confused about that one.

After hearing one of the parents talk about Rosh Hashanah today:
Student: "So wait... you get to blow a cool horn thing and leave school early today? I want to be A Jewish!"

After the first week...

"Ms. Verbil, is Utah a foreign country?"

One student to another student:
"What does G.A.T.E. stand for?"
"It stands for I'm smarter than you."

Oh, my kids.

I just love them to pieces already. Granted, there are a few troublemakers but it's nothing I can't handle. I hope.

My first week went relatively well. It consisted of assessing every student in a TON of different ways to determine where they are in math and reading. We also had TWO birthdays already in the first week! I have a set of twins that I can already tell apart. Thank goodness for THAT because with this being the twins' first year in the same class, they have been trying to get away with the "classic" twin tricks since day one. They've already tried to switch places twice!

I'm so grateful to have started my student teaching at the beginning of the school year. This way, it's not like I'm a stranger in the classroom coming in halfway through the year. I think with me being there from day one, I'll have an easier time getting respect from the students.

I LOVE it so far. It's only the first week, however, and it only gets more difficult from here. Wish me luck!

Back to school, back to school...

This weekend is my last weekend as a free woman.
[side note: I feel really strange calling myself a woman.]

This Monday, August 29th 2011 is my first day of school. And it's also my third grade class' first day of school. I am overcome with excitement. However, I'm just putting it out there-- I'm terrified. There were times throughout my college education that I thought I would never make it to student teaching, but here I am! I hope that I'm actually cut out for all of this. I hope that this next couple of months tells me that teaching is what I'm called to do, because I don't know what I would do with myself if all of a sudden I realized that I'm not meant to teach!

But I love working with kids. I have adored the time I spent in the Elementary Ed program for the past couple of years. You would think after all this time spent preparing in college that I would realize that I don't like teaching. So there. Nothing to worry about, Nicole! RIGHT?!

I've been working in my new classroom and with my lead teacher this past week, and attending meetings on the new Common Core Standards and the new lesson planning system that the district is implementing. This stuff scares me more than actually teaching does. The "curriculum engine" that teachers are required to use this year definitely complicates things! I'm just grateful that I'm a child of technology because the system is easy enough for me to navigate. It just stinks that while I'm learning all the ins and outs of teaching, my lead teacher will be learning how to use the new planning system and learning how to implement the new standards into already existing lesson plans. That's SO much learning! ;)

So cross your fingers for me that the next 14 weeks go smoothly! I won't be taking full control of the class until around October, so extra prayers during that month would be greatly appreciated. :) I expect bumps in the road at times, but all in all, my excitement definitely outweighs my fear of failure!