Looking back at the year...

Wow... so now we are in summer break! I am finally resting up and beginning to decompress and slow down my life a little bit. What a packed year. I am always astonished at how much we do each year. It is one big long race to the middle of June, a race to get everything done and finished, paperwork submitted and needs attended to. This year was extra full with losing my dad and getting married, not only in the same school year, but in the same week! Lot's of grace was needed to make it through some of those trying times, the ups and the downs. I feel proud about what we did this last year. Our grade level had great test scores, but more than that I feel proud about how I ended the year with the kids. In my first couple of years I always ended the year a little frustrated. Frustrated at how I felt I had taught that year, frustrated at those couple boys who would just seems to misbehave all year long. This year was different. I still had some boys that were a struggle, but I felt like I was different. I felt like I was able to reach around those behaviors and even though I was having to discipline and such, I was able to still enjoy the time in the room and even with those who struggled more. I enjoyed the year. It was a successful year!

Here is one fun little activity we do at the end of each year. It is their final exam. They copy and answer questions that I write down for them on the board. But, they do it in shaving cream on their desks. I had some moms helping me which was very necessary with first graders I found out. It really gives the desks a good clean as well...