Hopkins' Hoppin' Happenings: Positive Fridays

Wow, it's Friday again, these weeks are just flying by. I can't believe I've had my own class for about 6 weeks now. I come home exhausted every day, but I truly would not trade it for the world. I feel like I am in the absolute best school. I prayed and prayed after I left the job I was at in the summer for personal reasons that the right job open up for me. I really believe God placed me in the school He wanted me at since my amazing principal found me, interviewed me, and wanted me!

This week was filled with fun and a bunch of assessments for my Kindergarten students. I wish we didn't have so many assessments, but I am thankful the school district has NO required Kindergarten district assessments other than taking a writing sample 4 times a year. We do the state FAIR test and the rest is teacher generated test. My opinion that is how it should be for all grades! For Kindergarten most of what I assess is 1 on 1 so it takes a lot of time, but I'm getting there. Now on to some more positives!

One of my amazing teammates set up the best field trip that my students went on this week and it was at the school. The Timuca Indians had 6 different stations. The children got to go from station to station, make things and take home what they made. They were so excited! This was one of my favorite field trips of all time. They were actively engaged the whole 45 minutes!
So many Kindergarten children who I had observed previously continue to ask me for a hi five or a hug when I see them in the lunch room or dismissal and they wave or yell my name out all the time. It's so nice to touch their lives in the small amount of time I had with them.
Several other children who I don't even know say hi to me or wave every single day. It's nice that they care!
My students continue to make great progress on working more and more independently so I can do all these assessments.
I am so pleased that my students are making huge leaps in learning their letters with a few knowing all of their letters and most knowing almost all of their sounds! For the interim they needed to know 8 sounds and 16 letters (8 capital and 8 lowercase) of the ones who had taught. The kids that I've had from the beginning have far exceeded that. I have made the goal of by Winter Break for them to know them all, tough goal, but I truly think the majority can do it with the others not far behind.
We are having so much fun making Pilgrim hats and Native American headbands. We are also working on cuffs and outfits for both, 2 are going to make turkey headbands, and early next week Native American necklaces.
I had a great meeting this week too for New Teachers at the school. I just thought this was an incredible idea and we are going to meet again after Winter Break with administration. These two ladies are so supportive, they want us teachers to be the very best and are here to help us truly be the best we can be. They have eased my mind about the evaluation process and both get to observe me at the same time, which is great! They want to get as much evidence as possible that each of us are doing the things on the evaluation and with both being there if one misses something the other will catch it so I'll get the points deserved. I'm so thankful for that!
We also talked about social media and my blog was mentioned and how happy they are that I don't mention anybody by name nor the school for the student's safety. It was great to see that my amazing administrations noticed this! Those kids mean the world to me!

It's late and I should get myself in bed so I'm ready for another day of learning and making things for the Thanksgiving program today (Friday).

I'd love to hear your positives in the comments. What are you dong for Thanksgiving with your students?

Thanks for hoppin' by Hopkins' Hoppin' Happenings. Keep on smiling!