Alive and awake

[ringsandcoffee]

I'm alive, I'm out of bed, I have coffee, and I ate cold pizza for breakfast. Not a bad way to start the day.
Can't say as much for Edward the betta, who succumbed to whatever was ailing him. RIP Mr. Rochester!

I have 2 weeks of offical vacation - time with no work obligations or trips planned. However, I need to start planning for the coming year. My boss seems to think a combo class won't be a problem, even though he prefers not to have them; the district curriculum specialist had a less sunny outlook. We were just looking at math the day I asked for her insight, and she didn't know what to tell me. Nice.

Home is a mess, and I'm too lazy to remedy that. Later, yes, later. Soon, actually, since I need maintenance to fix my ceiling fan.

I still need a random icon, which requires a picture to base it off of. Yet another thing to do.

Comments

[roseleaf.livejournal.com]

I taught a combination class for a year, and for the most part, I'd teach one grade at a time, while the other half was working on seatwork. I did social studies and science together, though, which may be more difficult in a public school with the testing requirements. I did a lot of the language arts together, too, or had kids in leveled groups that sometimes included kids from both grade levels. Will you have an aide at all? The biggest thing was a complete lack of time when I was able to sit down...someone always needed me. Also, use a lot of time at the beginning of the year to train them not to bug you when you're with the other class. I had to teach classroom procedures twice as firmly as I did otherwise.

[ringsandcoffee.livejournal.com]

Fortunately (or not, since I got into a discussion about my dislike of SS and sci. getting left behind at my school) I mostly focus on reading, math, and writing. Reading and writing are more on a continuum and I can teach the same skills just differentiate on my grading rubrics. We just mapped out the essential math standards for grades K-8, and 4th and 5th are very different skills. I might have to split the class up for that, and thus really teach procedures for working alone or in centers and not bugging me. Oh, did I mention we have a brand new math curriculum which uses manipulatives EVERYDAY? I won't have any help in my room; the only "assistance" will be when struggling readers get pulled for intervention.

Time to start planning!