Positive Fridays - Week of September 10th, 2012

It's Friday again!!!  That means it is time for my Positive Friday post, which is my favorite thing to blog about it!  I hope that you enjoy reading about my adventures in subbing, job hunting, and blog news.

 

Last Friday I had the opportunity to sub for a half day in a 3rd grade class.  This was a different group of 3rd graders, but in the same school.

• The students were very cooperative and respectful.
• They were very quiet during test time and did an excellent job of raising their hand when they needed help with other work.
• All of the students cheerfully said goodbye to me when their teacher came back.  I look forward to hopefully subbing for this bunch of great students in the future! 
• Before school one student in 2nd grade saw me and before going to her class cheerfully said my name and gave me a hug and a huge smile.  Awesome, that she remembered me from last year!

Saturday, I did a good deed of filling many buckets by paying $1 at Arby's to help feed children.  My $1 paid for 10 meals for children I was told!

Monday, there was no school due to an inservice for teachers.  I did though get to interview for a Kindergarten position in Orlando.  Unforutnately, they were on a hiring freeze and I believe had to take a transfer from another school. 

So the next day I worked was Tuesday as an assistant in a Pre-K class.  It was nice to be called in personally instead of picking it up on the computer system.

• There were only 8 students in the class.  They were a fun loving group of children.
• A couple of students kept coming up to me during their center time for me to read stories to them.  I read 5 or 6 books to them and then a couple at dismissal.  I even tied in Math with them having them count groups of the same things in the pictures of the stories.  They did a great job!

Wednesday, I got a wake up call again this time to sub as an assistant in an exceptional education class with 6 boys.

• One boy was especially attached to me if I moved somewhere else he would come follow me, it was so sweet!
• The same boy kept calling me Dad!  First time that has happened in my teaching career, I have been called Mom a time or two though. haha 
• I enjoyed helping them at P.E. and helping them make a color book.
• Several children in 1st grade from the first class I subbed for this school year saw me when I took the boys to the playground and came up to talk to me and give me a hug.  Very sweet children!

Unfortunately, I did not get to work on Thursday, but I do have a regular position as the Skills teacher (I believe Math) with Kindergarten through 6th grade today.  I will include my fun positives in next Fridays e-mail.

In blog news I am excited that I have 148,000 views and I should hit 150,000 before next Friday.  I also hav eover 950 FB fans and can't wait to hit 1,000!  Did you know I have over 100 products, 1/4th of the products are free? 

Please leave your positives from the week.  I look forward to reading how your year is going.

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

Positive Fridays - Week of August 20th, 2012

TGIF everyone!!!

This week I subbed on Wednesday and Friday.  Both were at a different school than last week, but still close to home, which helps with the price of gas!  I'm still hoping and praying to land my dream job someday soon!  This post will be about Wednesday's sub job since I am subbing today.  Like last year I will include today's sub job in next Friday's post!

The office staff greeted me and sounded excited to see me again and the same with the principal!  I met the new AP at lunch and she introduced herself and was very kind as well.  I love it when I come into schools were everyone is so kind.  It really does rub off on everyone and I know it rubs off on the children!

When I opened up the door, a couple of the children recognized me from subbing late in the year in 2nd grade last year and said yes, we have the best sub ever today!  They remembered me, which made me so happy!  Then one boy walked by the room and said awww man, I wish you were our sub today, you subbed for so and so and gave us jelly beans.  When your good you get rewarded is what I told him.

The children had fun doing their literacy stations and recording observations and drawing pictures of their seed that they planted.  They were so excited when it was time for Science!  One boy drew and colored me a couple of things and told me it was for my wall!  How sweet!!!  Again, when it was time to go some of them told me I was the best, most awesomest sub ever and they hope they always have me for their sub.  I told them to tell their teacher that one!

In blogging news, wow we have now smoked past 30,000 with over 33,000 views you all are so supportive!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I can't thank you enough!  Another really awesome thing I've had 16 of you search for hopkins hoppin happenings in the past week!  That's the most ever of searching specifically for my blog.  Thank you so much!  Would love to know who you all are! :-)

Please share your positves in the comments like you did last week!  If you haven't started back to teaching yet, it can be personal things that happened!  When you do, you put a big smile on my face like the children, office staff, principal, and AP did for me on Wednesday!

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

Positive Fridays - Week of August 13th, 2012

It's time once again for Positive Fridays!  I was so honored to have received a phone call on Monday at 7:15 that woke me up!  It was from one of my favorite schools to sub at.  I was told a teacher had just called in sick and they wanted me to come in and sub for her first graders!

I had subbed several times in Kindergarten the second semester last school year at this school so these children already knew me.  They were so excited to see me!  I received a ton of smiles and a few hugs from the boys and girls.  They were so well behaved and it was only day 4 for them!  They made me so proud by walking mostly in a quiet line and received compliments from a Kindergarten teacher and 2 students who I think were in 2nd grade!  The 2nd graders had smiles on their faces too!  The first graders earned themselves some smarties because they are just so smart and stickers!

I also got to talk with a couple of the Kindergarten teachers who I had subbed for previously and one who I will be subbing for the 31st!  I also saw 2 of my dear teaching friends who I used to teach with.

The principal was so happy that I came to help out and the office staff was their usual kind selves!

Unfortunately, this was the only day I got to sub this week.  Hopefully they'll be tons of positives from subbing next week!

In blog news, I can't believe I'm over 126,000 views!  We zipped past 125,000 this week!!!  I have over 800 fans on Facebook and many of you are using my teaching materials in your classroom or at home.  This means the absolute world to me!  Thank you so much for joining me on my journey of subbing (hopefully soon to be teaching my own class) and blogging!

Are you back to teaching yet?  If so share your positives!  I hope everyone who is back to teaching is off to a terrific start!

I would also like to remind everyone to check out my giveaway for a Tony Chestnut CD by The Learning Station.  Click on the picture to go to that post and enter!

As always thanks for hoppin' by Hopkins' Hoppin' Happenings!  Keep on smiling!

New School Year!

Well here in Brevard County the children head back to school on Wednesday - 1st through 6th grade and Monday Kindergarten starts.  That means for me until I find a job it's back to subbing.  I wish the children and teachers a great start to a new year!

Reflecting back to last year, I had a much better time subbing that I imagined it to be.  It's definitely a big challenge not knowing what exactly you are teaching day to day unless it's a multiple day, week, or month assignment!  I made it my goal though last year to put a smile on as many children's faces as possible.  I know a smile is worth a 1,000 words and that can make a big difference in a child's lives. 

I had many great moments last year.  The amazing Kindergarten children at a few schools told me all the time that I was the best sub because I don't yell like other subs do.  Their hugs, kind words, and begging their teacher to let me sub for them again meant the world to me!  I'll see some of them subbing again in 1st grade until I get a job!  The amazing 3rd/4th grade class also has a special place in my heart!  They made what I thought would be a difficult experience teaching 2 grade levels into a fun learning experience.  They were so well behaved, which made my job that much easier!  I enjoyed continuing to get to know them after subbing and getting many smiles and hugs.  I will miss this group of children, but I know every single one of them will do well in life!  There were also some other special classes that I only subbed for once or twice that were so kind and told their teacher how much they enjoyed me, some wanting me to come to their parties, and others telling me they liked me more than their teacher!

There were also the amazing teachers who gave me great advice and were super helpful when I had questions and the really nice custodians who appreciated how I made sure the classroom was always clean before the children walked out the door!  I look forward to seeing many of them again.

This year until I find that dream job, which I know is out there I will continue to put a smile on my face and give it 110% every day, trying to make as many children smile and teaching them to the best of my ability!  I look forward to continuing to learn the grade levels that I have not taught as well as continuing to prove that male teachers can excel in primary grades, including Kindergarten!

One final note the children I taught my first year in Kindergarten are now going into High School on Wednesday!  I can't believe it!!! 

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