January 17, 2019
Today was my last day in my regular job as I move on to my student teaching internship next Tuesday. It was a roller coaster of a day. All days in a school are, but this one was different. I’m leaving these kids at the midyear point. I will return near the end. And this is the time of year where things get interesting, especially in the younger grades. Kids who couldn’t write a complete thought are now compiling paragraphs. Words are spelled correctly more and more often and I don’t need to use quite the same phonetic decoder skills as in the fall. It’s an exciting time to be in the primary grades.
My first grade students and I read a beautiful book called A Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick. It’s a fun adventure after a snowfall as the animals try to determine who the new stranger in their habitat is. As part of this read aloud, the students and I created a fun winter craft, complete with handprints and glitter. These are the projects I will miss as I move to work with older children.
To top it all off, I was gifted with a card made by each of the first grade students complete with artwork and the advice to “be safe.” I was also given a beautiful orchid from a fifth grade student I have known throughout her elementary career. The card she wrote brought tears to my eyes. Not seeing that smiling face every day will be a challenge, but the beautiful orchid she gave me will be a daily reminder… I just need to keep it alive.