Confessions of a 2nd Grade Teacher

Let's face it - while everyone is acknowledging Teacher Appreciation week, some of us also may need to just come clean - we're not perfect. Hey, there's nothing wrong with it. I'm the first to tell my students that teachers make mistakes, too. So let's keep it real and lay it all out there. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. Reading Jennifer's at Rowdy in First Grade's made me feel a whole lot better. Go link up. You'll feel better, too.

1. I have 12 teaching days left. I'm pretty sure I am counting down harder than my students and I am not ashamed. 

2. As much as I don't want to move out to a trailer, as I spent 5 hours packing this past Saturday there was something extremely cathartic about it. That can't be good, can it?!

3. While packing I found papers from March. They may or may not have gone into the trash. Actually, if we're being honest, sometimes I even put a stack of papers into a shopping bag and then throw them away so that my students don't know what I am throwing away. 

4. Today my students were filling out a sheet for a book with the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then format - I had a student (who reads above grade level, mind you) tell me he didn't have a book that had any of those things - no characters, no setting, nothing. For real?

5. Our grades are due next week - mine are nowhere near being completed. In fact, I still need to teach a few things. Yikes!

6. I gave a Geometry test today. Apparently 5 halves make one whole. This was a fill in the blank question and we did it yesterday when I taught fractions using graham crackers, a Hershey bar, and a marshmallow to make s'mores. Lord help me. 

7. How hard is it to have a pencil before your teacher actually starts teaching??? 

8. If I have a class with 16 boys in it again I may resign. In fact, today one of my boys came up to me and said "I wish we could have equal boys and equal girls, like maybe giveaway two boys and get two girls." <-- FYI that still doesn't make it equal but it's a nice start, and it was a BOY who said it!

9. A student today asked if we were going to make something for mother's day - I said, "oh yeah, that is this weekend, isn't it?" I mean, I stink, I really do. My plans this week have consisted of sticky notes. 

10. Tonight was the final class for my ELL Endorsement. I have been behind the entire semester. Tonight was no exception. I will be endorsed, but goodness I have issues. I cannot keep up this year.