Posting

Wow. I hadn't posted in a while because I thought I had nothing to say. I was wrong, yet again.

My, my, how could I resist ya?

Can you believe that the school year is already half way through? I can't! I am now a .5 year teacher. Yay me!

We ended the last week before break on a fairly good note. On Thursday we had our class holiday party. I was anticipating craziness and an exponential hair loss on my part. Boy was I wrong. It went surprisingly well and the kids listened and followed directions very well. We had a great time and I think it helped that we had several stations for the kids to rotate to. There was cookie decorating, ornament making, draddle game, tortilla making with Mr.Sosa, and then the food and drink station where they relaxed and chatted it up with friends. There were a few parents there and they were a tremendous help. I manned the tortillas and they did everything else. It is nice to have fantastic parent support in the classroom.

That evening I went to a "Dirty Santa" party with some of the younger/crazier teachers from my school. It was a blast. We enjoyed some adult beverages and some hearty conversation. Then we did the white elephant gift exchange. The gifts that were brought were up to the interpretation of what you thought "Dirty Santa" meant. Needless to say I headed home with my very first set of cock rings.

Friday was pretty much a bust as far as classroom management goes. The kids were done and ready for their vacation. Needless to say we did a lot of filler activities and spent some time in the computer lab. The free computer lab time was part of my gift to the kids and I think they liked that more than the gift I actually gave them. Which was a set of pencils with their names on them, a tiny ruler, and a legit hand lens for investigating.

The bell sounded and the students cleared out for their winter break. The faculty and staff were headed off to Chuy's for happy hour to celebrate a great 1/2 year. I headed over after putting my Christmas decorations away and tidying up my classroom a bit. When I got there I was amazed to see the entire bar area taken up by my school. It was pretty funny. As I walked in I was greeted by everyone with a "Yay Jesse is here!" I felt like a celebrity. A good time was had by all.

Saturday is where my blog title comes from. Jackie and Katie are the 2 friends I hang out most with so we were going to get together to have our mini Christmas gift exchange. Katie and Jackie came over to my apartment and we had lunch before opening presents for each other. I was certain that I would get the movie "Mamma Mia" from one of them, but to my dismay I didn't. I did get a lot of nice gifts from them. When we were done somehow we got into talking about how I needed a puppy. We talked about how we all saw a sign down the road from me that advertised puppies. We decided to check it out. I really hadn't anticipated getting a puppy, but boy was I wrong. They were in a little trailer on the side of the road and I was skeptical. However, they were pretty legit. They had their papers and were up to date on their shots. They even gave a bag of dog food away with the pup. We were playing with a few of them. Jackie got out a little boy pup and Katie and I got out little girl pups. One of the girls we got out was the littlest of the litter, however she had spunk. She was beating up all the other dogs who were bigger than her. I fell in love. Jackie got the boy she had picked out, and I took the spunky, feisty little girl. I named her Mia. I knew I would be getting some type of Mamma Mia that day. My Mia Farrah is a salt and pepper miniature schnauzer. Pictures will be posted soon!

Las Posadas!

The past 2 weeks the third graders at my school have been studying different Christmas type holidays for different cultures. There are 5 Third Grade teachers so each of us took a different holiday. There was Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Traditional Christmas, and of course Las Posadas. I was in charge of teaching the entire 3rd grade about the Hispanic tradition of Las Posadas.
Here is basically the synopsis of Las Posadas taken from Wikipedia:

"Las Posadas (Spanish for "the inns") is a nine-day celebration with origins in Spain beginning December 16 and ending December 24. It is a yearly tradition for many Catholic Mexicans and some other Latin Americans and symbolizes the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born, based on the passage in the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke (2:1-9):

"Now, at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census -- the first -- took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his home town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and traveled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David's House and lineage, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn. In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them."^[1]

Typically, each family in a neighborhood will schedule a night for the Posada to be held at their home, starting on the 12th of December and finishing on the 24th. Every home has a nativity scene and the hosts of the Posada act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (peregrinos), who have to request lodging by going house to house singing a traditional song about the pilgrims. All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and four people carry small statues of Joseph leading a donkey, on which Mary is riding. The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lamp shade. At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the "innkeepers" let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary). Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition. In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home. Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (María) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way, or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead. At the end of the long journey, there will be Christmas carols (villancicos), children will break open piñatas by striking these colorful papier-maché objects with bats while blindfolded to obtain candy hidden inside, and there will be a feast. Traditionally, it is expected to meet all the invitees in a previous procession."

I had a great time teaching them about Las Posadas. We even read a book by Tomie dePoala called "The Night of Las Posadas". I had each class for 2 days. Day 1 we learned and read about Las Posadas. Day 2 we had to come up with an activity to do to go along with Las Posadas. I had us make tortillas. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed it. It was funny to see how some of them made their tortillas who had never experienced one. A few of them thought that after you rolled it out it was ready to eat. The did like the dough, but really enjoyed it after we took what was left and cooked it on a griddle.

Giving Thanks

Just a few days ago people from all around the world took the time to give thanks for things in their lives. That allowed me the time to reflect and see what I am thankful for. There are so many things that I have to give thanks for. They can all fall into 1 of 3 categories: Family, Friends, and Work.

All 3 of these categories have not ceased to amaze and inspire me. Here are some examples of these situations.

Work:
The day before any break can be crazy in the classroom. I have heard it said that during these times all classroom management goes out the door. That was not the case in my class, I am proud to say. I was firm and did not let anything slide. Half way through the day the kids presented me with a pie for Thanksgiving. I was so touched. How many classrooms do this for their teacher? Within 20miles of my school that is a luxury that could never be afforded. I am thankful to be at a great school with a great class. I was so touched that at the end of the day I shared my pie with my kids. They loved it.

Family:
I drove to Fort Worth on Thanksgiving day to spend some time with my family. I only anticipated spending the day and driving back, but ended up spending the night anyways. Thanksgiving was at my older brother's house. My mom and brothers came over. It was nice to see everyone one together. I think the last time that happened was last Thanksgiving. I got to see my little nephew. I think he is turning a year soon or just turned a year. I hardly ever get to see him so I soaked in all the time I could with him. I had to teach him my name. It made me sad that I don't get to see him grow up since I am in another city. I wish I lived closer. I played light sabers with him, Hulk boxing, and guns. He was so cute. Especially when he put his Hulk gloves on and said, "Your making me angry!" I laughed so hard. It was funny to see him run and hide when it was diaper changing time. He tried to hide in the seat cushions, but his little booty was sticking up out of the cushions. I am lucky to have family that cares for each other. I am lucky to have a family. Period.

Friends:
While in town I got to see my best friend growing up. Holli! I went over to her apartment and we got the chance to chat it up. We hardly see each other, but no matter the length of time it's like we were never apart. We talked about all the changes in our life and the changes going on now. I love that girl so much.

Also while I was in town I drove over to Mesquite to visit by good friend and here family. She also has an adorable nephew. I got to see her family as well. She is lucky to have such great people in her life. I am lucky to have her to bring those great people into my life as well.

Upon returning to Austin I went to Llano so spend the weekend with some friends at my friend We Wu's ranch house. It was so much fun! As soon as I got there we went kayaking and paddle boating. We even had a ridiculous photo shoot at the lake. I will have to post some pictures. When we got back we played some ping pong, Foosball, and pool while We Wu's dad prepared for a festive feast. He called us over to his Hibachi grill while he cooked. It was good times. We drank and ate our hearts out. After dinner we karaoked some and played guitar hero. That was only a tidbit of what we did. I am thankful to have a great group of friends in my life. I don't know what I would do without them.

Remember to Use Your Words

I think I say that exact statement everyday to one particular child. Today I found myself saying that to my entire class. However, it was not for the reason you are probably thinking. We started a new writing topic focusing on the 6+1 writing trait of Word Choice. I emphasized the importance is using your words to keep your reader engaged and for them to actually visualize what you are trying to express in words.

Once I got them started I sat at the back table to read a few of their most recent writing samples before individual conferences were to commence. Our previous topic was, "If you had 8 eyes and 8 legs what would you do"? Here are a few of my favorite samples that I would like to share with you.

Sample 1-I love the beginning and end of this one.
"If I had 8 eyes and 8 legs I would get web insurance. I would get it from Speico. Then at dusk I would go to town scaring people. I would mock them when they dive behind a trash can. I would repeat this when they killed a spider. In fact, I would only do that when they killed a spider. I would also explore Spider Cove and the Temple of Spider where the Golden Spider resides. "

Sample 2-I love that I can hear this child's voice in their writing.
"If I had 8 eyes and 8 legs I would be Spider-John. Which means... butt kick'n time! Boya! I would love it! I would also live in a web. Hey, I can sell my web. Web! Web for sale! Aaaaaaaaaah, lady with a purse! Freak."

Sample 3- Another sample of voice.
"If I had 8 eyes and 8 legs it would be a disaster! How would I wear shirts? What about pants? What about shorts? I would be able to see in all directions, which is pretty cool. But I would look sooooo ugly!"


I love getting the chance to read my student's writing. Seeing how they are able to manipulate their words to create these unique masterpieces. Talking to them about their thinking and how they form their thoughts on paper. Look how different they are? No one the same. I love it.

My New Habitat

Today was a pretty long day. I had so much to do and no time to do it in. Usually that is what I say during school. I found myself thinking that as soon as the bell rang to dismiss the kids.

My school is doing a canned food drive and guess who designed the shirt? Me! Of course. Well that goes along with finding someone to make the shirts, taking orders for the shirts, collecting money for the shirts, having invoices and paperwork filled out, and then sorting the shirts when they come in by the time the carnival this weekend.

That would have been fine had I not needed to do a million other things after school. I also had to tutor one of my low kids, submit grades, get a T.V. from a co-worker, see a man about a couch, run to the bank, and grade papers. I was able to do all these things, the only saving grace of the day? Coming home to my new, clean, and awesome apartment!

I moved in on Saturday with the help of amazing friends. I could not have done it without them. As their treat I ordered pizza and bought some beer. I think it was a fair trade. Anyways I love my apartment. I love coming home to, well, my home! I feel like such an adult working all day and having my own place. It is slowly coming together. After I get my couch later this week all I will need are:

• a bed
• a dresser
• a vacuum
• a washer
• a dryer

I will have to keep my eyes open on Craigslist! Not bad for a newbie, huh?

Reading Level

I found neat widget for finding a student's reading and interest level. Here it is!

En Mi Familia!

My sister and nephew from California came into town. I hardly ever get to see them so I was nice to spend some time with them. We stopped by a prospective apartment. That is all. Simple and short. Like my close friend!

Eat It!

Finally I am updating my blog after a long hiatus. Eat it occurred several weeks ago. I was on duty for recess and a small child asked me to play four square with him and some friends. I said, "Sure, what could it hurt"? Boy was that the wrong question to ask.

I remember four square as a young child and all the different tricks you could do to try and get the head person out. There was the good ole cherry bomb where you slammed the ball as hard as you could to send it flying away from your jittery adversary. Then there was bubbles where you basically bobbled the ball in your hand while you patiently plotted your plan of attack. Those were my two favorite.

The small child decided to review the rules for me as to what you can and can not do. A staple in any four square game. He sad Pac Man was legal. I was a little confused and had the child explain it further. Pac Man is where you stay on the lines of the four square box and walk around them avoiding the person with the ball. I thought that was genius! Why hadn't we thought of that in the olden days?

After a few rounds it was evident the kids were out to get me, but I showed no mercy. I am pretty sure there was a little smack talk. The server call Pac Man and everyone in the square jumps on the line and scatters about. I saw the child with the ball give me a devilish grin before jumping on the line and heading to me. He was quite the scurrier. I took off in the opposite direction.
Before I go on, let fill you in on a few details of our environment:

1. I was wearing a brand new pair of boots that went up to mid calf.
2. We were playing on a black top right next to a gravel playground.
3. There were a few moms there covering other classes.
   
4. I am a whole lot of man.

As I rounded the corner I stepped on a patch of rogue gravel that took residence on that particular corner of the four square that I approached. I swear that my legs flew up and I was parallel to the ground for what seemed like minutes. I just remember thinking in my head as I was flailing through the air, "My boots! Please don't be scratched"! I hit the ground on my knees and hands. I don't think it would have hurt that much if there wasn't gravel littered about and now embedded into my palms and knee caps. It also would not have been so bad if there wasn't a group of moms watching our game. Seriously, shouldn't they have been watching the kids?

Under Pressure...

I have an enjoyable student in my class. For the sake of anonymity we will call this enjoyable student Earl. Earl is an average student or shall I say an average young male student. Earl enjoys sports and enjoys rough housing with the other boys in the class. Earl also enjoys reading science fiction books and talking about bodily functions such as farts and burps.

Earl is also 1 of only 3 kids in my class who hugs me regularly. It is kind of refreshing knowing that boy boys can show a softer side. Earl is quite the interesting character as well. He has one of those dry senses of humor. However when using humor back he does not get it. Often times when I talk to Earl he stares blankly back at me. I look into his eyes and there is seriously nothing really going on there. This Earl is quite intriguing. And it does get better!

Earl occasionally bursts out into song! I think Earl might be my illegitimate child. Here is a catalog of songs he has been singing:
Under Pressure by Queen
Disturbia by Rhianna
I Like Big Butts by Sir Mix A Lot
The Final Countdown by Europe
and I am quite sure there are more to come!

I also think that you can find all of these songs on my iPod!

This is why I love being a teacher. The randomness that life has to offer brings these little joys in small child form.

I Apologize

Here is the email I send in response to my safety stars.

Dear Staff,
I wanted to apologize for the safety stars my class posted through out the school. The kids asked if they could share their safety tips with the school and I thought it was a wonderful idea. However, I was notified that some people were offended by them and didn't think that they reflected our 3rd grade team very well because of some grammatical errors they contained. I currently have 21 0f the 22 stars in my possession and only one of them had a safety tip that I sis not deem as a valid safety tip. I did look over most of them before the kids went to put them up but a few did escape my glance. I sent a few students to collect them for me this afternoon but it seems that we can not locate 2 of them. If you happen to stumble across them please feel free to drop them by my room or put it in my box. Once again I apologize for this innocent mistake. I am a first year teacher so I am going to make some here and there. Please feel free to come to me with any suggestions or concerns, I will not be offended. I will, however, be offended if I have to hear your concerns from someone other than you.

Thanks again and I look forward to a great first year with you all. I am very honored to be here among some of the best teachers in Round Rock.

Jesse Sosa
3rd Grade Teacher
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world".

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star...

How I wonder what you are?I know what you are! You are a disgrace to your team and very offensive!
Is that not how the rhyme goes? Oh no that's reality. Shall I explain further?

In class yesterday my class and I read "Officer Buckle and Gloria" by Peggy Rathmann. It is a story of an officer that goes to a school to give them safety lessons. His lessons are not very responsive and leave the kids in a comatose state. The officer receives a canine partner named Gloria. Gloria attends the safety lessons with the officer and before you know it the kids are into the lessons and send the officer off in applause. The officer thinks that his lessons are finally getting the appreciation they deserve. Unbeknownced to him, however, Gloria is behind the officer entertaining the crowd. The officer finally figures out what is going on and gets his feeling hurt. The officer receives a star shaped letter from a student asking him to come back and telling him of a time when she used a safety lesson she learned from him. This letter rejuvenates the officer and he returns to teaching lessons.
After reading the story and discussing some character traits I handed out star shaped paper. I told them to write down a good safety tip that they think is important. A few minutes later the kids ask if they can share their safety tips with the school. My heart swelled with pride. I said of course they could. I set my little minions free to distribute their safety tips among the school. They came back and we talked a little bit more about the importance of public safety and then transitioned to our writing block.
The day has ended and as a few kids leave they tell me about where they put their star and why. I was so happy my kids were excited about helping others be safe. It is about 5 minutes after the kids left and my team's lead teacher approaches me. She advises me that I should take down the stars my place just distributed earlier in the day. I politely asked why and this is what she said, "I had 2 people approach me and they said that the stars offended them and the kid's grammar and spelling reflected poorly on the 3rd grade team". I said that I understood and grabbed a few of my kids from YMCA and had them round up the stars. I was feeling a little uneasy since I didn't really read all the stars. My mind was racing at the possibilities of what they could have said.
I would now like to share the safety tips my kids came up with. I have 22 students so that is 22 safety tips. I will write them exactly as my kids did.

Safety Tip #1: Don't touch electricity posts!
Safety Tip #2: Never jrink and grive.
Safety Tip #3: No pushing.
Safety Tip #4: Never pass a red light!
Safety Tip #5: Always look both ways before crossing a street.
Safety Tip #6: Never stand on a char.
Safety Tip #7: Always touch animals only if your parents say.
Safety Tip #8: Never stand on a swevel chair.
Safety Tip #9: Never lift up a chair.
Safety Tip #10: Never leve a thumb take were you might step on it.
Safety Tip #11: Always label everything because if you trip on a pencil, you know who it belongs to.
Safety Tip #12: Pay atenchen to your teacher because if they have a ruler they will hit you.
Safety Tip #13: Never lean back in a chair.
Safety Tip #14: Always push in you chair so nobody slips and falls.
Safety Tip #15: Never put a plastic chair because you will sufacet.
Safety Tip #16: Never jump of a sky scraper without a crash helmet.
Safety Tip #17: Always wear a helmet when biking or skating.
Safety Tip #18: Don't bend back in you chair.
Safety Tip #19: Never run with scissors in your HAND!
Safety Tip #20:
Safety Tip #21: Never put a plastic bag over your head.
Safety Tip #22: Always have ear muffs on while shooting a big gun so you wont be def.

After reading the stars I was shocked. Are you kidding me? You made me take these down? I was livid. I admit that 1 star was ridiculous. I will post the mass email I sent out to my school in response to this. If you notice there was 1 star we could not find. I hope it doesn't get found. It is my act of defiance against the ignorant people who made me take them down.
Viva la un estrella!

New Teacher Site

So I talked with some young hip teachers at my school today. We talked about plans for the weekend and our teacher websites. They use blogger for their teacher website!!!!! I was like, "Oh my goodness, am I out of the loop!" That can't be. After school I went straight home to get started on my new teacher website. Here it is: http://mrsosasclass.blogspot.com/
Tell me what you think.

It's Mr. Sosa!!!!

I was out this morning to do training for evaluating the work of English Language Learners. It was an ok training. It definitely use any good practices for teaching that we hear so much about. We ended up getting out of training early so a friend and I went to Ross to do some much needed shopping. Then after shopping up a small thunder storm we went and had lunch at the most disgusting Denny's on the face of the Earth. It had a weird funk lingering in the air. I guess it complimented the small flies that lingered in the air as well.

I arrived 5 minutes early before I had to pick the kids up from lunch recess. I headed into the teacher's lounge to grab some tea and check with my neighbor teacher about my sub. To my dismay I found out that she was 30 minutes late! Luckily the teacher next door is awesome and know my routine. She turned on the prepared overhead that contained their morning work. I was a little disappointed with the sub and proceeded out to the playground to pick my kids up.

There they were, already in line waiting. One they saw me I heard kids screaming my name and I could see them jumping and pumping their fists in the air. All the disappointment I was feeling was swept away with a euphoria that made my heart swell. I couldn't help but to smile the biggest smile the world had ever know. A few kids ran up and gave me hugs and told me how much they missed me. Tear tattoo...

The fantastic mood I was in only lasted until we got to the classroom and I read the sub notes. She said the class was good, however she didn't get around to my sub plans. She only did 1 thing in my plans. 1 out of 4 things she should have accomplished with relative ease. I was so mad at her! But I kept a brave face for the kids.

The sub did leave her glasses case behind. I will never call this lady again to sub so I just threw the case away. No need holding on to something for someone I will never see again, right?

Monkey Butt

Read aloud has ended and dismissed the kids to go get their snack and silently read before we go out to recess. I go to my back table to organize papers and grade what I can, while I can. I take a seat and motivate any off taskers to make a good choice. One small child walks towards me and sits on the floor. "Want to see what I invented?", he says with a hint of excitement. I say, "Sure". He proceeds to put his legs behind his head and starts spanking himself on the rear. He quits slapping his butt and asks me if I knew what he invented. I said no, but that it didn't look like he was making good use of his time. He says that it's called Monkey Butt because he saw 2 monkeys do it on TV last night. Two other boys start walking our way with giant Cheshire grins on their face. I point to them and say, "Don't even think about it". Their grins flip upside down and they turn around to go silently read. I told the creator of Monkey Butt to go silently read. He then asks me if I can do Monkey Butt. I said, "How about we leave Monkey Butt to the monkeys."

I just sat there in awe. Monkey Butt? Really? Did that just happen? Did I really have that conversation?

Yes I did. And I love my job!

Morning Work Just got Graphic!

Last Friday I was short an assignment for morning work and the kids were soon to arrive. I decided to have them do a journal entry. The entry asked them if they could have any super power in the world, what would it be and why? I didn't get a chance to read their entries or share them. Well I was planning this weekend for the next week and decided that I would have them illustrate their journal entry from Friday via comic book format for morning work on Monday. I have never seen the kids more excited to get to work. Some of their comics are turning out really cool. I will have to take a pictures and post them soon!

For those who don't know: Comics are basically the same as graphic novels. Comics are usually shorter and are a continuing series, where as Graphic Novel focus more on 1 complete story with a more complex story line.

Ummm... Your child wrote on my butt...

My twin is in town and we went out to dinner on Friday night. We went to a delicious restaurant called Maudie's. It is fine Mexican Cuisine, and the margaritas are huge! Anyways, while we were having margaritas we started to reminisce about the past. High school, old jobs, and funny stories growing up.

I started talking about when I was 19 and worked at a Mother's Day Out 2 days a week. I had a class of 3 year olds all to myself. I remember talking with another teacher, whom I shared a bathroom with. She was sharing a big piece of gossip that engrossed my attention. I remember a little person tugging at my pants, at least I thought he was tugging. I ignored him as the flibbertigibbet shared the riveting story. When she was done I turned around to see what the small child wanted. To my dismay the miniature Michelangelo had drawn his version of the Sistine Chapel on my posterior. It was hard not to laugh and place the child in time out.

When mom came to pick up the pocket sized virtuoso I shared the story with her on how her small child had defaced my derriere. She did not find it funny at all. She gave her child an earful and handed me a $20 bill for dry cleaning. I was a little taken back at how mad she had gotten. But not too taken back as not to accept the money.

That story sent twin and I into a laughing tizzy. I think the margaritas made it that much more funny. I did receive a call from the little maestro 2 years after the incident when I had moved to Austin to go to college at UT. His mom said he was thinking about me and wanted to call. I asked him how school was going, he was then a kindergartner, and he said it was good. I asked what his favorite thing about school was. He said art...

The Gift of...

Love is the best gift of all... Right, but you can't even see that! I am one of those people who needs tangible gifts! Gifts that validate my existence in this massive, overly crowded, yet lonely universe. I can't help it. It is the way I am programmed. I know it's shallow. I do believe in, "It's the thought that counts". If that helps make me seem like any less of a selfish person. Anyways, gifts are great! Which brings me to my blog for today. I have received 2 gifts in the last 2 days that made my heart swell.

Gift #1: I was talking to my mom last week about my class. How much I love them, and the things I am doing with them. I got into talking about how each kid has a job in my class, and how much they really enjoy doing their job. Except for one little boy. His job for the week was botanist, so he would take care of the plants in my room. One problem. I had yet to buy a plant for my room. They are kind of pricey and I still hadn't gotten paid, and yet to have seen my first paycheck. 10 more days till payday! I hung up the phone and went about my business for the week. Well this last weekend I dog my close friend's dog Tiva so I wasn't home all weekend. When I did arrive home I found the most beautiful plant awaiting my arrival. There it sat perched on my desk. I did shed a few drops of eye moisture after reading the attached card. It had only 1 little message. "Congrats on your first teaching job.-Love Mom"

Gift #2: It is Monday and I am going about my business, per usual, at school. I just walked my kids through the lunch line and was warming up my lunch in the teacher's lounge. I was mulling over the events of the day leading up to lunch. As I was beginning a stratagem for the rest of the day someone walked in and said, "Special delivery for Mr. Sosa"! I was a little taken back. A gift? For me? The lady who announced my special delivery handed me a familiar white box with a familiar blue ribbon on it. I immediately recognized the package not only from sight, but from smell and touch as well. The small box was warm, and it had an intoxicating aroma that made me salivate, as well as make my stomach do somersaults of glee. This box, these feelings, took me back to my early years of college, especially exam times. Someone had sent me the best gift a connoisseur of fine delicatessens could receive... Tiff's Treats! I swear they make the best cookies on the face of the Earth. Not only do they make the best cookies ever, they deliver them fresh and still warm. Lucky for me, they just opened a Tiff's Treats next to my school. I read the card and I developed the biggest Cheshire grin on my face. Every one's eyes in the lounge were on me as they looked on with bated breath, dying to know who it was from. It didn't say who it was from, but the message on the attached card made it loud and clear, "Thanks for taking care of Tiva".

The Goose Pimples...

This even was Parent Orientation at my school. I was ready for it. Excited to finally get a chance to talk to my parents about my favorite subject...Me!lol I wanted to make sure that I come off as someone who is capable of educating their child.

Well leading up to the time I would get a chance to spill my guts to my parents I wasn't nervous. As they started filtering into my room I started feeling warm. I just thought the AC was off. I got ready to call for every one's attention and my voice goes out. Luckily no one heard me so I turned around and regrouped. All of sudden I was nervous. I gave myself a little pep talk and called once more for every one's attention. I directed their attention to my TV which displayed the power point I would be presenting to tell them about the class and the expectations I had for the children. At first my voice was a little shaky and I kept fumbling with words. After a few slides I found my groove. I was witty and a lot I had to say came from the heart. When I talked about how we came up with the classroom agreement I felt a shiver go down my spine. I guess at the time I didn't really realize how magical that lesson really was. How we all came together and talked about what it meant to be a "Super Kid" and how we each of us want to be treated.

I started talking about my philosophy on teaching. I felt another shiver go down my spine. For the first time in my life I felt passion. Something that I was certain of. Something that I strongly believed in. Then getting to share that passion with my parents gave me goose pimples.

The final shiver came at the end of power point. I displayed a quote that I live by. The motto I will have for my class. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world". I talked about what that meant to me and what that will mean to their students. How we are all different and we are special for those differences. How if we our class to be a bully free class, then we are not going to bully. I know I said it a lot more eloquently than I am now.

I am confident that I came off as someone who if more than capable to educate future generations. Future generations that will be the change the world needs. People that respect differences and accept new ideas and concepts. People who use their mind and hearts.

Goal!!!!!

So this week is the first week of school. I really thought I would be nervous and lost, but thus far everything is going according to plan. We are getting procedures and routines down faster that I had imagined. I love just saying "Turf Time" and they know to go to the carpet and get what ever pillow they are assigned that day. I am working on getting them to do it quietly, but that is a work in progress.

I am still getting used to our daily schedule. It seems the kids know it better than I do. We were late to specials today, because of me. I totally lost track of time. The PE teacher was not happy, and that was evident in her body language. Her old, frail, 50+ year old body.lol She is someone you don't want to cross. She could use a lesson in "nice words" and "respecting other people's feelings 101". I think I will invite her to my class when I teach those lessons.

I have a cute little container in the front of the room for kids to write note to Mr. Sosa. I told them they can write anything they want for me to know or any suggestions they might have. I told them that on Friday we would vote on a new desk arrangement. Needless to say the notes to Mr. Sosa container was over stuffed with extravagant plans for desk arrangement that not only defied the laws of physics but the laws of spacial geometry as well. I think one layout had 1 teeny tiny desk for the boys and 50 desks for the girls. Which would work if I had 1 teeny tiny boy and 50 girls instead of the 11 boys and 11 girls I do have. I did get a few other notes. 1 said "You are the best teacher ever!" It is now framed and hanging up above my desk. Then there were 2 other notes that said we needed a clock. Actually one of those notes said, "What time is it? Oh wait I don't know because we don't have a clock." A. We do have a clock, it just doesn't work, and B. You are 8 years old small child, loose the attitude. You don't learn that until middle school. It's true, we do need a clock though. Maybe then the kids will be able to line themselves up without me even having to say a word. That is a goal I have.

Speaking of goals... All this week we have been doing getting to know you activities. Me posters, drawings of self, thinks that I like, and a goals paper. The goals paper has a soccer ball on it and in the white hexagons are 5 different goals they set for themselves. The goals are: Math Goals, Reading Goals, Writing Goals, Behavior Goals, and Another Goal. I told them that another goal can be any type of goal. It can be a goal for this year or a goal for the future. I want to share some of the goals my students have for themselves. I will spell them exactly the way they wrote them. You can interpret them anyway you like, I suggest phonemically.
Goals:
"work harder"
"I will try my best kicking hard at kick ball"
"I want to make video games when I grow up."
"do your BEST!"
"Good job"(It's either to do a good job or find one. I don't know.)
"to be in the olimpiks"
"Be in the olympics."
"I want to be a swimmer on the olypics."(Not in, but on. There is a difference.)
"Become an authour and illustrator."
"I want to get better at soccor"
"I want to be presadent."
"I want to be a better student."
"I will try to be a scinecetis/ashrownot."
"I will try to do all of these goals!"(pertaining to all the other goals on the soccer ball)
"To become a movie star."
"I like spelling"(Really? Is that even a goal? Nope, it's a statement)
"Go in the olympcys"(Go number 1 or number 2 in the olympics?)
"To be better at cub scouts"
"To be in the olmicis"
"To win all my soccer games"

My goal: To help these kids either reach their goals or give them the confidence and knowledge they need to reach them. That and teach them spelling and punctuation.lol

First Day Jitters!

Thats how I would describe my first day and is also the name of a book I read to my students today. It is such a great book to read to kids about being nervous on the first day of school. I don't want to ruin the book but the ending is what my kids love most.

Today was a really good day. I think the kids listened and responded really well. I felt like it was information overload for them. We went through all my procedures and expectations for them. I didn't realize how much there is to do and say to get the kids to where you want them to be.

It was funny because as the day started only 3 kids walked in and I greeted them with a smile and a good morning. I turned around to take a sip of my coffee and when I turned back around all 22 of them were putting their things away and settling. I was kind of taken back for a second. I didn't expect for them to multiply so fast.

We did a lot of shared thinking today. They are so smart and had a lot to add to the conversation. It is amazing what they have to say, and all you have to do is listen.

Meet the Teacher Night

Scratch that. It was actually meet the teacher morning.lol We had meet the teacher this morning at 8:30am. I got to meet a majority of my third graders today. 19 of 22 to be exact. All of the parents are extremely nice too. I had a dad that kept me laughing most of the time. I was so nervous to meet them. I had no idea what to expect. After about 3 kid and parent sets I was in my groove.
"Good morning, I am Mr. Sosa. It is so good to meet you. Are you ready for a brand new year? I know I am. There is one form on your desk that I need you to fill out for me. After that you may unpack your school supplies. If you look around the room there are post it notes placed on bins on the supplies that I will take from you. It is like a scavenger hunt so you can get to know your new classroom. Everything else you will place in your desk and we will talk about them next week. Parents, there are some forms on the back table for if your child will ride the bus and chances for you to sign up for volunteer opportunities. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. I will let you get to it."
It was a great morning. I am fortunate to have a great bunch of kids and parents. I do have one child and one parent who might give me some issues, but that will make my blog more interesting. I am not going to judge them yet. The next few weeks will help me to see how my year will go. I am still so anxious/nervous.

TAG! I'm it!

So I just got my scores in for the Talented and Gifted exam I took. I was so nervous that I didn't want to look. I was most certain that I didn't pass. Nope. I was wrong. I did pass! I am now certified to teach talented and gifted students. Yay me!

Mind Pictures

Last week I attended the Elementary Learning Institute for Round Rock ISD. I had the opportunity to observe some great teachers in action and to attend some break-out sessions that will make me a great teacher. I attended one session called "Keeping A Writer's Notebook". At one point in the session the instructor talked to us about having your students write and keep a notebook for whatever inspires them. Whenever they are inspired to just jot down their thoughts and feelings. She then had us do an exercise called "Mind Pictures" where at that very moment you were to right down what you were thinking. She gave us a few minutes and here is what I wrote:

"There it sits. It served its purpose. Now what? It will be discarded like so many of its kind. Taken to a place where so many objects go to sit and wait. Waiting to cease to exist anymore. Waiting to release its harmful toxins. Toxins that destroy our world."

So what was it that inspired me at that very moment? It was my Styrofoam cup. It really made me think. If a cup could inspire me so much, then imagine what the possibilities could be for the inspirations of our students. Needless to say we will be keeping writing notebooks in my class. I can't wait to read what inspires my class. Hopefully one of them will be me.

My Classroom!!!

I finally got to see my new classroom for the first time. I walked in and I almost shed a tear. It is such a milestone in my life. I am so nervous/excited. I have no idea where to start, but am lucky to have some great friends who are willing to help me out. Here are some before pictures. This is my Tabula Rasa. The canvas in which I will create a master piece. The Mona Lisa that will inspire future generations to greatness. I doesn't look like much now, but I think it's beautiful.

Happy Birthday!!

To me! Well it was yesterday. Can you believe I turned 25!!!! I am so freaking old. I will read this years later and laugh. 25 really isn't that old.

the cake. Speaking of I had a great birthday. My 2 best friends from home and my twin came down. It was icing on icing on the cake, I made my own birthday cake to have at school with the kids. I must admit it is pretty legit. There is a picture below.

cake,I went to work early and set up for the day of me! It's pretty funny that I went all out for my birthday with the kids. I did a Superman theme. Streamers, a pinata, balloons, party favors, and ice cream. I was excited and knew the kids were because their parents came in telling me how excited they were. It was a lot of fun and I am glad the kids really got a kick out of it.

After work I went home to meet my friends from home and we went to dinner. We kind of got a little tipsy, but were good enough to drive down the street to the karaoke bar. I was happy when I arrived because I had friends from all walks of life show up. There were friends from home, family, friends from when I worked at the Children's Museum, friends from my old apartment complex, teacher friends, and friends from the child care center I work at now. A good crowd showed, and needless to say the birthday shots were endless. I really had a great time. I even sang a song! It was Reba and I totally butchered it. I couldn't hear the song and I was already a little drunk.

It was definitely one of the top birthdays I have had. Here are a few pictures that were on my camera. I will post more when I get them from friends.


Here is a picture of the awesome cake I made. Isn't it super?













Here are my kids wearing their Superman masks that came in their party bags.










My kids awaiting the pending fiesta! Doesn't it look magical?












Matching plates, cups, and napkins. I don't skimp on the little stuff.
















I can't believe I only have one picture from the karaoke bar. 2 fellow bloggers and my cousins.

Finally!

So I haven't updated in a while because not much has really been going on. My kids are still crazy and no stand out stories have taken place, or at least that I can remember. I did have a kid sit in my lap and I gave him a big squeeze. That was a bad choice because he farted on me. A loud, warm fart that sent vibrations through my legs. It made me laugh really hard.

Anyways great news!!!! I am officially a teacher! I got a 3rd Grade job in Round Rock ISD and am super pumped! I can't wait! When school starts, expect more blogs to be posted as I chronicle my first year as a teacher. I am wondering if I need to change the name of my blog since I am no longer a wandering educator. Now I am a perennial educator:)

Rest Time

One perk to working at a child care center is rest time!!!!!! It's in the middle of the day so it gives you a chance to rejuvenate. It is also 2 hours long! 2 hours of peace and quiet! Well during those 2 hours you have to find ways to occupy yourself. Here is one way I found that involves googley eyes.





Ahh!!! 3 eyed monster!














WHAT?!?! Rest Time is almost over!!!










This is what happens when you anger the beast!!!lol

Tale as Old as Time

Tonight I went with some friends to Zilker Park to see Beauty and the Beast! There is an outdoor theater there. It was truly magical. I forgot how much I really loved that story. I even caught myself singing along. I hopefully want to catch more plays there. It's free and outside under the stars. What more could you ask for?

Tear Tattoo...

I had a really close friend a few years back whom whenever there was a sad or sentimental moment we would point to our eyes and say tear. We did it so much that we joked about actually getting a tear tattooed under our eye so we would just point to it and not have to say anything. From that point on when one of those moments came up we would just say tear tattoo. I really miss that friend but life took us down different roads. I know our paths will cross again and when they do it will make my heart happy and yes there will be a tear tattoo.

The reason I mention tear tattoo is because today I had a tear tattoo moment. Occasionally at work the older kids need me take them on a field trip and I leave my kids in the capable hands of my assistant. My kids are too young for field trips, but next year they will be old enough. It was circle time and we were talking and sharing stories when one little boy quietly raised his hand. I was a little taken back because this little boy never raises his hand and is rarely quiet. I called on him and he asked the simplest question that almost made me cry. It was:
"Mr. Jesse, when we are older will you take us on field trips like you do for the other class?"
Doesn't seem like a big deal, but to me it was the world. I am only there for the summer so come August chances are I will never see those kids again. That came rushing to mind right after he asked the question. I told him yes, even though the chances of it happening are slim to none. That is the curse of being a teacher. You fall in love with all these little individuals after helping them grow and teaching them to become good people and then they leave you a year later. Will you ever see them again? Maybe, but sadly not. I just hope that I have touched their hearts only a fraction of how they touched mine. Tear tattoo...

Crazy Creatures

No I am not referring to my kids.lol That is the topic of study for the week. We are talking about animals and insects that don't fit with the norm. Which is totally ok. That is something I tell my kids everyday. Just because these animals are different doesn't make them any less of an animal. Then I go into my whole spiel about being happy with who you are and not letting anyone change you. It gets pretty deep... until I notice the kids becoming more interested in their boogies than me. Oh well, someday they'll understand.

Back to Crazy Creatures. The creatures we are studying this week are the platypus, hammerhead shark, caterpillar, the bat, and the octopus. The more I research these animals and study the differences that make them "Crazy Creature" worthy the more I start to thing that this week should be called Awkward Animal week. Seriously these animals have some issues. Most of them suffer from identity crisis. The platypus is a mammal, yet it lays eggs and has a duck bill. Seriously platypus, pick a team! The hammerhead shark can't decide whether its a shark or a common household tool. The bat is a rodent with wings, and the octopus has no backbone, literally. Perhaps the most awkward animal award goes to the caterpillar. He will need a lot of therapy. He completely changes himself after some time of complete isolation.

I think I probably probed deeper into these animals than was necessary, but that's me. I am a very thorough educator.

I am in love...

With 12 little people. I love my kids. I drove to Fort Worth to spend my 4 day weekend with my mom. I decided to set cruise control to 65mph to save some on gas. So that means it took me more than 3 hours to get there. The whole 3 hours I was thinking about my kids and how the week went. I had so much fun this past week. The theme for the week was "Freedom". So I talked to the kids about what freedom is and important people and places in the US. Most of the concepts were too abstract for the kids but at least most of them now know some important people and places. They know where Mount Rushmore, The Washington Monument, The Lincoln Memorial, and the Golden Gate Bridge are. They are so smart and catch on super fast. We ended the week with a Celebrate Freedom Parade. All my kids were decked out in Red, White, and Blue. They were also covered from head to toe in Patriotic Attire, including temporary tattoos. These kids love tattoos. Anyways the whole drive down I was thinking about my kids and some of the fun times we had. I probably looked like a crazy person with a goofy smile and the occasional laugh out loud moments. It was cool though. I left late last night so the only people out were truckers. I am really going to miss those kids at the close of the summer. I didn't think I would fall this hard and fast.

Under the Big Top

I really need to be better about keeping up with my blog. I think it is a great way to reflect on what went on and what I could do to be a better teacher.

Last week was a pretty good week in my class and I didn't even share what went on. The theme was Under the Big Top. That means all the activities that we do revolve around the circus. We talked about the jobs and animals that you might see at the circus. It was a pretty fun time. At the end of the week we had a Circus and watched the movie "Dumbo". The Circus consisted of children pretending to be lions while the teachers tamed them and had them do tricks. Then we had acrobats ( the kids) jump through hoops, tumble, and walk on a tight rope (which was plank on the ground). The kids really got into it, especially the part where they got to pretend to be lions. I almost got mauled!

One art activity that I came up with was pretty neat I thought. I took pictures of the kids and printed them out in black and white. I drew clown faces on them and the kids colored and glued yarn on them. Some of them turned our really well while others scared the daylights out of me. Below are the pictures. Tell me what you think!

We Wu Ho Co Wa!

Tonight I had dinner and great conversation with one of my favorite people ever! Wendy Lee! We talked about everything from fond memories of angry vaginas to the ever changing complexities of our love lives. After talking, 1lb of velvetta, a 12oz can of Rotel, and 1/5lb of beef we were off to the movies. Wendy hasn't seen The Sex and the City Movie and I haven't seen it recently so that's where we went! It is a great movie and look for any excuse to see it. What? I'm not ashamed... ok maybe a little.

Staycation

Today I was reading a USA Today article and ran across the newest “buzzword” - “Staycations!”

Defined as a trip taken closer to home but for long 3 or 4 day weekends versus spending weeks away from the house.

I am taking a 10 day staycation as we speak. My staycation destination: My Close Friend's Apartment! She is out of town so I am taking care of things, including Tiva the Diva. It is rather nice having a place to myself. I often find myself in these Zen Moments where I can clear my mind. You wouldn't believe what's going on in my head. It is a mess, just ask my psychiatrist. lol

The only negative about my staycation is I still have to work. Boo! Oh well it's a chance for me to earn that cheddar. Hopefully I will have some funny stories soon! I have a few tidbits of humor but I want to wait till I have enough to post a full blog of laughter.

Honeybees Vs. Seahorses

In nature a Seahorse would be able to take down a Honeybee out in the wild, however that was not the case today. It was field day today at work and my Honeybees dominated! We were scheduled to duel the Seahorses. We got super excited. With bandannas on our heads and war paint on our faces we marched out to the battlefield. Little did the Seahorses know that we were there for blood! We arrived to face our foe. We could see the fear in their eyes, and I think one of them actually peed herself. Here is schedule of what went down:

1. Tug of War: Honeybees Dominated! I even thing a few Seahorses are missing limbs.
2. Relay Race: Honeybees Dominated! My boys threw a few elbows, but I happened to look away at the time...
3. Hula Hoop: Tie. 3 year olds can't Hula Hoop, or at least none of the ones at my child care center.
4. Water Balloon Toss: Honeybees Dominated! Not only were the other kids wet from the balloons, but also from their tears!

Here are some pics of my kids:















Child M getting ready to catch a water balloon, while Teacher A looks on in awe.
















Some of my Honeybees. The calm before the storm...
















Waiting to "sting"!
















This kid actually throws and catches better than me! And he is 3!
















Don't let this cute face deceive you, her nickname is "The Demolisher"!
















Getting ready for the water balloon toss.
















This was taken 5 seconds before I had to go change into dry clothes.
















On the way to victory! The pics are out of order and I am too lazy to move them.
















Good Catch!
















Another wolf in sheep's clothing waiting to pounce on the competition!
















Who's gonna win?
"HONEYBEES!"

Shoe Fly...

Today at work while I was leaving a dad picked up his little one. I could tell he was a little frazzled so I asked him how things were. He told me his story:

"Mom is out of town and left me with my 2 boys, ages 1.5 and 3. It is my first time to be alone with the 1.5 year old while the 3 year old is at school. I thought he would be fine if I left him on the toilet for just a second while I grabbed my ringing cell phone. I answered the phone and I was my wife calling to check in. While I was talking to her I heard a flushing sound, followed by, "I am stuck"! I raced to the bathroom to find my 1.5 year old's foot stuck in the toilet. I really didn't know what to do so I just pulled hopping his foot would just pop out. It did, but along with it was a blood curdling scream. I took him to the doctor and I had sprained his ankle. When I was loading him into the car I took off his shoe and placed it on top of my car. Needless to say I drove off with his shoe on my car. As I turned down 2222 to come pick up my 3 year old I saw the shoe fly off my car. So now after I pick up my 3 year old I have to go back and fight traffic to save a shoe".

I felt bad for the guy so I followed him to the side of the road where the shoe lay in the middle of the road in a high traffic area. I pulled up behind and told him I would watch the kids while he made a dart for it. I was mostly there in case he got plowed down by a car.

Spash Days!

It is the official start of summer at the preschool I work at. That means that we now have Splash Days. So twice a week I have to change 13 three year olds into their swim suits, sunscreen their entire body, walk them out to the small playground, let them play in the sprinkler, dry them off, walk them back to class, and change them back into dry clothes(all in 30 minutes). Sounds easy? Wrong! Not only are children hard to manage, but try doing that while prying them off a sprinkler system. It was crazyness! There were that few minutes of bliss where the kids were playing in the water and everything was going well, for a moment. Then Child A shoved Child B aside because they were hogging the water and Child C was complaining because they didn't want to be outside and then of course there was Child D who decided to take off his trunks and streak across the playground. Don't even ask me about Children E thru M, who knows what they were doing while I tried to settle a fight and wrestle clothes onto a naked body all at the same time. Needless to say Splash Days = Extra Strength Tylenol. At least Splash Days are only twice a week. That give me 3 days to recover and hatch a plan to make Splash Days go more swimmingly...

String Apparatus Idol

So one day my close friend, Jackie, and I went shopping in the late evening and there were not many places open. We ended up in Best Buy playing Guitar Hero. If you recall from a previous blog Jackie bought Guitar Hero and was suppose to bring it over whenever she came over. She has yet to do that since she bought it. Here are some pics from that night when we first discovered Guitar Hero at Best Buy. Enjoy! By the way, I had the highest score that evening.

My close friend admiring my mad skills!

I am so good that I can play with one hand and scratch an itch at the same time.

I even impress myself!

Jackie is in the zone(not AutoZone).

My close friend Wii-ing it!

Pitkin Pics!

Here are the pictures from when Jackie and I babysat my niece Ava Rose Pitkin!

The cutest butterfly ever!

Playing on the floor.

Tickle Monster!

Smooches!

Ava is over the smooches...

Ok, one last smooch.

Chilling out with Uncle Jesse.

Leggies!

Jackie and Ava!

Say Cheese Ava!

Say Cheese Jackie!