"I scared Miss Nikki"

Today's math lesson was much better than yesterday's. The kids were really wound up all morning so I was nervous about trying to get them to pay attention and teach them something right at the end of the day, but it went really well. It was a lesson using pattern blocks to copy a pattern that has already been created and then there were a few where there weren't any lines and the kids had to figure out which blocks would fit together to make that particular design. Yesterday, right before the story I introduced the kids to "listening ears" and I think they contributed greatly to the success of today's lesson. I use "listening ears" with the two year olds I teach back home and I figured I would try it. All the kids have to do is cup their hands right behind their ears and then they become "listening ears." It helps the kids to focus on the teacher and they do pay attention better. After a while they catch onto to what listening ears really mean and all you have to do is say, "Use your listening ears" and they don't really even need the action anymore to understand what they need to be doing. It works with some classes and not with others but I am so glad that it worked with these kids! After I got done with the lesson Mrs. Severson had nothing but great things to say about it which was really good for me after yesterday.

Quote of the Day:

Okay so this isn't so much of a quote but is more of a story. After recess the kids stop at the drinking fountain to get a drink and Mrs. Severson stands out there with them. I saw one of the girls run ahead to the room so I figured I would go on in to be with her. It's always one of the kids' job to turn the lights on and off so we left them off until he got there to turn them on. When I got to the room I saw she was sitting on the carpet with her coat so I said, "Kyndall go hang your coat up please." And she ran outside to hang it up. What I didn't know was that Christopher was hiding in the corner and when he jumped out and yelled it actually scared me so I jumped and gasped and he said, "YES! I scared Miss Nikki! I scared Miss Nikki!" Then he spent the last part of the day saying the same thing over and over again.