Early Sunday Morning...

I agree, no one should be up this early on a Sunday. 745am?!  What?! I know, I know, I can explain.
Last Sunday was the first time I was able to log onto Skype to take part of an Education Department Meeting with many people from around the continent.  Yes, very cool.
But they decided on this un-godly hour to meet!  I guess it works the best for the varied time zones, but man!  It's killing my "catch up on lost sleep" plan.
Anyway, the meeting are laborious and slow since the connections are not that great and there tends to be allot of static and interference. Right now, we are trying to connect using hot mail.... somehow because when it's too many on the skype system it over loads it or something.  I'm not very sure what the issue is really.... I am not technologically savvy so I couldn't say for sure what it all was.
Now just sitting here waiting....nothing is happening ..... and finally we just give up after an hour because that was the allotted time for the meeting. >sigh< a morning i could have slept in!!!

Well, that's it folks.

Now i am wide awake, unable to fall back asleep.  I guess I will work. Lessonplans to finish.... *yawn*

laters

The power of imagination

I have been taking pictures of my class and my kids.  I have been meaning to take pictures of my class part by part or center by center.  For all my homeschooling friends viewing pleasure. You wanna steal some ideas?  Steal away!!

This is the vie as you enter the door. The Lockers are to your left and they double as my posted ensentive system.  A sticker on your grid for every HW and project turned in. :o) that table is my assistants 'desk'.

This is right by the door to your imidiate left.  This is the place for the kids sleeping mats.  I labeled the wall directly behind it so that they themselves put them in two distinct stacks: with pillow cases, without pillow cases.  This way it is organized from the get go.  And none of which I do.  The chart to the far left, explains the nap time routine in words (eng/sp) and pics.  No confusion.  My kids are trained to where this whole transition almost runs itself.

The long red pocket charts there after the lockers is the mail boxes system I created.  No more 'passing out 'papers to each person all over the room; i put their work in their mailbox throughout the day (or get them to do it) and then they are responsible for cleaning it all out at the end of the day and puttin git all in their folders and putting it in their backpacks.  Took me about 2 weeks to get them real good at it.  They have to ID their name and picture on the outside of the pocket and rememebr that their mailbox is BEHIND their face.  

This is my 'toosmall' library center.  That is a cute Bear I got for Christmas two years ago from a little girl.  As you know I couldn't keep it at home, its image, but it works wonders in the library center.  He is the Reading Bear.  You can read to him when you are in that center. The green box there is where I keep paper, pencil and crayons for them to respond to the books they read.

This is the ABC Center.  True to it's name it's all about gettig them to explore letters and sounds. THe Birthday chart has their names on little cakes so they can 'read' that, and the environmental print posters I created are on the wall beneath the board.  They can also 'read' that since it is things they know and use at home.  The Center Signs are in both langauges and the cute little gingerbread men tell them how many can be there at a time. Practice self regualting behavior.

This is also the ABC Center.  Here are more thigns to do: make a letter book, read it, name puzzles, magnetic letters to make your name, crayons, pencils, paper, abc puzzles etc... This is back to back to the Science Center, hence the 5 senses chart.

This is where we have Circle Time.  The red easle where I do the calendar, on the back.  On the wall beind the rocking chair from left to right: Class rules, Center procedure chart, Read Aloud Pocket Chart, Alphabet writing chart.  The writing center is to the right of the rocking chair. (trying to see how to make that center bigger.) above all that is my picture schedule.  Plus the spanish alphabet above that.  The cart to the left of the rocking chair is where I keep the things I need in on hand as I do Circle Time. (books, lesson plans, teacher books for letter of the week and song book, transition ideas, cheers, etc..)

Sorry this is side ways.  It's part of the Pretend and Learn Center.  It's a Walmart at the tme of the pic. Now it is a hospital. 



Walmart again.  They absolutely love the cashier and the play money I put in it. :o)

That is basically it, minus a few other centers I can put up later on.  Tell me what you think. :o)

Tylenol PM kicking in, need to head to bed.

Take Care!
Mitch

World Series and Red Ribbon Week

Well this last week was Red Ribbon Week at school and each day was something new to celebrate being Drug Free.  It made for a really fast paced week and alot of interruptions but it as fun for the kids too.
:o) Here are a few pictures to share!


Wear Red Shirt Day ........ silly faces everyone!



Story-book Parade Costumes. :o )

 

How many Spidermans do you see?

Here are some pictures of them working in centers .... they are getting more and more independent everyday. I am so happy that they are warming up to me and talking to me more of their own volition and taking control of their learning.    I am also doing my first bettery of testing and I am seeing the ones that are gonna be needing more help ....and also the ones that are higher.

Christopher, " Martine-th, I made a pattern."

Anissa in the puzzle center, first puzzle done completely alone.

Anabel lacing beads.  Such a lady but so serious. :o)

Miguel, Martin, and Esmeralda made a garage building.

Jacob and Martin, "Tines, es una torre."

Luis (the boss),  learning to lace.

                                    

Sweet Nahomy doing her favorite thing, putting puzzles together.

Coloring the Letter M pictures.  Miguel is still working on holding the crayons correctly.

Eduardo reading in the science center.

                                    

Miguel and Anissa shopping in the Pretend and Play Center.

Nataly chanting hte Sonidos Iniciales Chant all by herself in the ABC Center.

                                   

Christopher in the Computer Center. His favorite.

Well the party at my house started around 630 (game time was 700).  The guests: Renito, Alex, Noel, Kenneth, Joyce and the kids, Steve and Jaennette, Bryan and Mel, Mom and Dad. :o)  After about an hour, all the guys stayed int eh living rooma dn hte girls were on my bed talking and atuff while i finished my lesson plans and posting this!  hahahhaa!
Menu: Ball Park franks and chips plus yummy home made cake and Banana Split icecream.
Here are a few pics. :o)

Serious and Subdued.  2-0 Giants :o(

Kenito, playing Sonic and the guys looking worried...

Kimberly too shy to look at the camera. (remind me of Lylita)

So far the game is still at  2-0 but I hope the Rangers win. They have too!  It's my party!
I will post later what happened.

Im pooped!  Getting ready to get in my pj's..... 

God Bless!

Football Day!!

Today was the much awaited Football Championship Game here in Fort Worth. :o)
It was really fun with food and music and good ole' fashion pigskin throwing.
My baby's team won, of course. :o) He says losing is not an option.  There were some injuries. My brother Steve got kneed in the knee and Matt got hurt pretty bad in his leg.  Two heavy bodies on his leg in an ackward spot. Ouch!  But  no break. Thank God! (I was the un-official first aide person)   My husband didn;t get so much as a scratch.  He says he never has.... says no one can catch him to tackle him, plus he has learned how to go down so that you don't kill yourself.
Still wish they had protection.. .but its expensive.
Here are some pics. :)

The cheerleaders making a sign...

Hand prints~!

 

 

Warming up and stretching

Huddle

The Dynamite Duo! Alex and Nestor.  Nestor's numbers are the exact amount of catches he made: 0 That happens when Henry is covering you.

The Ref (Kemel) explaining the rules. :o)

The grey team, getting ready to win. (Kemel Jr., Henry, Alex, Vic)

Black Team wondering how bad they're going to lose. hehee! ( Matt, Kenneth, Andy, Steve, Joseli, Danny. Esli was the other ref.)  Funny side note: Joseli was a sub, but after getting tackled once (by Kemelito) and he slincked away without telling anyone!! HAHAHAA!

Henry telling everyone how the game is played.

The game is over! 7-6 Grey Team!

Also, this post wouldn't be complete if i didn't mention the True Woman Conference this weekend!  It was great stuff!  Wonderful teaching and worship! Glad we went and so many of us too! Praise God!

Kristen and Keith Getty did the praise & worship.  Great stuff!

Awesome viloin playing!

Bob Lapine and Nancy L. DeMoss

 

 

 

 

Those are all the ones I was able to take, too busy writing notes down. :o)

Well, leave a comment or something. :)

Hodge Podge

Well, today was filled with all kinds of things that dont exactly corralate but that is how life turns out sometimes.  Especailly adult life, i have learned.
Got up at 810am and started getting ready since I knew that there was a few things i needed to do before we headed out to church.
Covered up stuff around the aprtment to set up the foggers.  Bought them to try to kill off the terrible gnat infestation we have aquired somehow. 
Left at 1035ish to go clean the church lobby.  That was a mess! Super dirty, but that just mamkes it easier to make it look clean.  Husband helped by cleaning all teh glass and surfaces.  Great job too, for his first time too!  There are perks to having grown up with 4 women. :) I get to reap those benefits. yesss!
Then had church at 11, great message and was able to praise God myself. After being hourse for over a month, I wanted to do it already! Love to sing, especially when I feel the NEED to.  Feel that i connect to God's spirit when I give Him back what He has given me.
 Then had to make a run to the Dollar Store and get some things for the games I had planned for the birthday party.  Got back just in time to eat and do the games.  Gotta say: the kids seemed pretty uningaged, even though they gave it a try.  This generation is just so over-stimulized with media over-load that a simple musical chairs is just ho-hum.  Oh well.
Came home to air out the apartment and wash everythign i used to cover stuff.
Did all the laundry, and lesson plans, etc. while i watched the Cowboy game with my hubby.
Been going non-stop since 810am.  It's 838 and I finally have time to relax and what do i do?  Update a blog no ones even read yet.  hhaha! 

Anyway, it's something. 

Here are more pics for your enjoyment:

The Calendar Helper




Circle Time




Playing in the Pretend and Learn Center



First Post

Well this is my first post. I am still trying to figure out how to set up this whole blog thing.  Hope I can get the hang of it. ;O)
I want to be able to put pics up of what i am doing in my class and my life.

Here's some of my class and my kids:

The kids in center time

Center time with small group with me back there.

More of the same. It gets pretty loud...gotta work on that.

Kids on the computers. Ancient computers that freeze up and don't work half the time.

Writers Corner here, there's a few that just love this center.

Hope you liked it.  The room is a work in progress, so it changes periodically.