All Packed

Here lies my classroom (minus the peat moss and charcoal)...all packed up and ready for a new adventure come AuGuSt...



...but for now it's Bye, Bye Spring Trail :(...HELLO Summer :)...

My 28

Worlds MoSt BeSt teacher...They make me smile...even if their grammar is a little interesting:)

Katie Bailey and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Day

It's official. As of today I am "honorably dismissed" from my position as a teacher in U-46. I knew it was coming, but there's just something horrible about signing on the line and having to face my 28 darlings the rest of the day.

Here I am sporting my PiNk, standing strong with the other 700 or so teachers who were released today...pink slip in hand (I know, it's not even pink)...and a pink bag filled with chocolate from my sweet colleagues and friends at school who also wore head to toe PiNk in support of hundreds, like me, who were RiFfeD today.

I consider it a tremendous loss to leave students, teachers, friends, and families that have captured my heart in many ways, and though I have not lost heart, and I am hopeful for the BeSt, today was undoubtedly a No Good, Very Bad Day...there's just no other way to put it.

The End.

Back to Normal...

Whew...The ISATs (our state assessments) are FiNaLly over! This is what I came back to after lunch on Friday:

These are the little things my 28 DaRliNgS do that just bring a smile to my face and warm my heart. Can you tell they were happy to be DoNe? They did a terrific job, and I'm so very proud of them no matter what the outcome :)

Go here to see us celebrating with a ViCtoRy DaNcE...just promise not to judge me for not keeping up with my classroom blog...it's a work in progress.

At any rate, I'm so glad to be back to NoRmAl...well, as normal as you can get in a fifth grade classroom for the MoNdaY following Daylight Savings Time and leading up to Spring Break...Four more days to go!!

Kids say the funniest things...

FrIdaY afternoon, our amazing ThiRd GrAdE BuDdiEs were making their weekly visit. The BuDdiEs were hard at work finishing up their How To books...you know, How to Make a PBJ, How to Make a Paper Airplane, etc. My FiFtH GrAdErS were supposed to be leading their third grade buddies in the effort.

As I walked around the room to ensure that everyone was on task, I stopped at a table of four boys working together on their book...well, one boy was working on the book while the others were being SuPpOrTivE observers :).

In an attempt to EnCouRaGe a TeAm effort, I simply said, "The whole group is supposed to be working on the book. Why are ThReE of you just watching G do all the work?"

Their response: "We're taking turns coloring the book 'cuz we already stapled the pages together."

My response: A PuZzLeD look followed by...."That's why you're supposed to StApLe it once it's FiNiSheD so that each of you can work on a page instead of just one person working on OnE page while everyone else sits and does NoThiNg".

Their response: Completely PuZzleD...

My response: A look of DiSbEliEf because no one in the group has thought to solve this problem by taking out the staples and passing out the pages so that everyone can be On-TaSk and the project can be completed in an efficient manner.

I calmly take the book from G and begin pulling out the staples by HaNd because I'm HaPhaZarD like that.

Their response: Utter AmAzeMenT. Seriously...You would have thought I'd just made something VaNisH into thin air...

One of the students who appeared to be the most puzzled KriNklEd his face as if seriously PoNdeRinG the matter and said in a high pitched tone of utter PeRplExiTy...

How'd you do that Mrs. Bailey?....
Did you have trainin' to do that or somethin'?

My Response: Of course I ErUpTeD into laughter at the thought of me and every other teacher in the WoRLd receiving training on how to pull staples out of paper by hand...as if this is some high-level SkIlL that all teachers must show competence in before being crowned with the HoNoR of teaching these little ones.

Through the LaUgHteR I replied, "Actually, no, I didn't get training in this. Believe it or not I just figured it out on my own."

CoNfuSioN still on his face, the student replied, "oh" and began working on his part of the book.

In these sMalL MoMeNts I'm ReMiNdeD of the great JoY found in what I do. I'm EnCouRaGed that even though my job can sometimes seem ChAoTiC, out of control, and OvErwHeLmInG to me, my clientele still think I'm a HiGhLy QuAliFieD GeNiUs, and I'll take that any day....even if it is just for tearing staples out of a book by hand.

Perfect Timing

It's that time of year...

warm weather + one more month of school + a full year of learning/creating curriculum for a new grade level + 27 kids who know summer is near = Though I AdOrE my little darlings, I'm ready for a change of pace...Bring on the gardening, sleeping-in, and good books!

It's that time of year...

The PeRfEcT time of year to find this in my school mailbox on MoNdaY morning:


It's the time of year when SwEeT fifth grade darlings, OvErCoMe by warm weather and the prospect of summer, seem at times to be more interested in AnYtHiNg but their teacher and her CrEaTiVe lessons. It's the PeRfEcT time to know they were thinking of their teacher on the way to school...at least long enough to stop and pick these...

It's the PeRfEcT TiMe to have SwEeT DaIsIes beside the stacks of homework waiting to be graded...

I LoVe my JoB. The InCrEdIBle KiDs I teach are more than enough to give me JoY in what I do, but it never hurts to have lovely FloWeRs on your desk...KuDoS to the SpRiNg TrAiL PTO, my students and their wonderful parents...PeRfEcT timing.