Sigh of relief! I am always so glad when the new school year is underway, the routines have been taught, and we’ve settled in. The first few weeks of school this year seemed especially hectic, perhaps because we got a new math program, which we are still trying to figure out, and we have larger classes than last year—each of us on the third grade team with a full share of students whose needs require extra attention. Last Thursday, I did the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done in the classroom—I tripped over a student’s chair and fell down. I tried to save myself as I went down, to no avail. I went down on my back and just laid there for a few seconds. Kids started yelling, “Is she dead, is she dead?” You can imagine the uproar. Lying there on my back on the floor, I said, “No, I’m not dead, just really embarrassed.” Well, that really enlivened the math lesson! I think I’ll try to find simpler ways to bring excitement to the lesson next time!
Thoughts, ideas, inspirations, suggestions, materials, resources, and just general musings of a very veteran third grade teacher.
