Teach to Nguyen

It seems like time really does go by faster when you're having fun! I cannot believe that half the year is almost gone; although time is going by with a blink of an eye my kids have been making so much progress. I could not be more proud of my kids. We have made progress in our classroom environment as well as academics. My kids continue to strive and put forth so much effort that impresses me everyday. I could not be prouder of them. We are currently in the middle of a big nonfiction project at the moment, and I anticipate that the final product and presentations will be nothing less than impressive. I feel so blessed to have the students that I have. I love them so much, and I often see them grow in their interactions with their friends, choices they make, and interest that they show in my class. We are all on Thanksgiving Break, and will be returning to school on Monday. Althought I have gotten a lot of rest and time to care for myself I am really look forward to seeing my ...

The first day of school was great! My students were really excited, and a bit awkward, but that's just middle school. My kids are pretty funny. One period decided to make their class call "Class...Dismissed!" And since they all voted on it, I let them have it. Another class wanted their class call to be "Baby shark! Dodo-dodododo!" It was really awesome to have the option to set things up how I wanted and implement things how I wanted. Its all a brand new start for me, as well as the kids but I think they enjoyed having an energic teacher. I felt like they all really enjoyed their first day with me, and that makes me really hopeful that this year is going to be really great. I even had some of my old 6th graders, now 7th graders, visit me today. They all showed up and I have to really admit....they are eating something different nowadays, because all my kids grew about 2 feet! They were all taller than me, and the smiles on their faces when I saw them mad...

Oh how time flies by when you're having fun. Summer has been so blissful. Not only have I had the opportunity to finally take up rock climbing, but I have also gotten to get lots of much needed rest. Rock climbing has been super fun. There have been times where I thought I would not be able to get up to the top, but I kept trying and trying. A few broken nails and scraped fingers later, I made it to the top!  My rock climbing experience really made me think that it would be a good story to tell me students when they need some encouragement to strive and overcome their obstacle. Along with taking on a new physical activity I have also been to a few PD for then upcoming year. Man oh man....I haven't that anxious in a while. I feel super nervous, and excited for the first day of school. It'll be great once I can get into my room and set everything up. Fingers crossed that the date for teachers to get into their classroom won't be postponed! Trying to use my last ...

Just finished Out of my Mind by Sharon M. Draper, and man oh' man. This is definitely a book I would recommend for my students. The main character, Melody, is funny, relatable, strong, and resilient. Not only can this book be used to teach themes such as self- identity, adversity, bully, resilience, and growth mindset, but this book is also just a really fun read. Along with theme, voice, tone, figurative language, diction, and character study can be taught using this book. [Teachers: there is a list of discussusion questions and activities in the back of the books ;)] It is quite easy to overlook and judge people who live with disabilities, but it is also extremely easy to ignore the hard life of their parents and caretakers. Not only have I learned about the inner struggles that people with disabilities face, but I also learned to empathize and admire the parents who face these challenges head on and advocate for their kids. Melody's mother, father, Catherine, and Mrs. V...

Summer is here. YES!!! I am so glad that I get the next two months to destress and refocus. I'm getting sleep, quality time with my puppy and my fiance. Not only does it feel so awesome to be to able to get up and work on my own schedule, but its awesome to have the time to really plan for next year. I know, its not exactly relaxing but I am really excited for next school year to start. Maybe its because I'm still a rookie, but it feels really exciting to think about what I am going to do next year with my new kiddos. Speaking of, I've been reading The Fundamental 5   (The Formula to Quality Instruction) by Sean Cain and Mike Laird  per part of my summer reading list, and I am pretty taken back by how oddly it feels to feel like I kind of know what they are talking about, but then to be surprised by new methods I didn't know about. Goes to show, you're never done learning.  Some of the other books I have planned for my summer reading list are: Out of my M...

Its 3 days until summer. Man, oh man, has the time passed by with a blink of an eye.  STAAR mode is over and I'm sooooooo glad. No matter how the kids do, I will be happy if they have learned to be better people. I learned real quick how they treated each other, and it was not very good. I spent a lot of effort to teach them about kindness and respect. I really hope that they took it to heart.  I've built such close relationships with my kiddos; it makes me sad to know I won't be seeing them everyday next year. There were so many moments were I felt like things kept going wrong, but after hearing my kids tell me how much they loved my class and how I've made learning fun it gave me hope. If the kids are enjoying being iny my class and they're actually paying attention to what I teach, then I'm doing things right. It feels like I'm finding my footing finally, so I'm expecting next year to be a bit smoother. There have been many challenges, ...

It has officially been three months since I started my job. Spring break is around the corner, and I'l admit that it is a much much needed break. I love the kids, and some specifically bring extra joy when I get to see them in my class. There is one a kiddo who is super quiet, and when I can get him to laugh or crack a smile it brings the best feeling in the world. He shared with me that he has a sugarglider whom is-ironically- scared of high. He named it Joey-after the name of sugarglider offsprings. I have another kiddo who often misbehaves as a way to attract attention. He shares his stories with me and it seems like he actually likes being in my class. He wrote me a letter, and it made my heart warm. I have a soft spot for the kiddos who are a bit mischevious. Some of the girls come to me for advice and ask to eat lunch with me. At first it was great knowing that they wanted to spend time with me...but then it got to the point where I needed 30 minutes of silence and alone ...