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Jess - So what should we talk about? Anyone have anything interesting in education to talk about?
Angela - Jess, what grade do you hope to teach?
Ceit/TX - Oh, I haven't been here in a couple of years, but I used to come a lot.
Angela - Great...so we are all new here (basically)!
Jess - That is good!!
Angela - teach50 where are you?
beth - ceit, where is texas are you?
Ceit/TX - The Dallas area.
Angela - Ceit, what do you teach?
Ceit/TX - First grade and ESL.
Jess - Does anyone have any ideas on how to intergrate technology into the preschool classroom?
Ceit/TX - 14 of my 20 students are ESL.
Ceit/TX - brb...lemme change "shirts".
Angela - Must be a challenge Ceit!
Jess - How is it teaching them, is it hard?
Angela - Jess, do you use the computer?
Jess - Yes
Ceit/TX - Well, sometimes it can be a challenge. Fortunately, most of them have at least intermediate fluency.
beth - wow Ceit, my sons K class has two and one seriously barely speaks any English at all
Angela - I meant do you use the computer in the classroom.
Angela - Okay so it's basically the 3 of us!
Jess - Yes, I do, there are some games that help them with color or numbers
Ceit/TX - There we go. Now I have on a different color shirt than Jess.
beth - LOL ceit, i wondered what you meant
Jess - Me too
Ceit/TX - hehehe...sorry 'bout that.
Angela - Okay what should we discuss?
Jess - Anything
Ceit/TX - beth, I have one child who has extremely limited English. Bless his heart.
Jess - How do you go about teaching him
Angela - Jess, what do you think your chances are for a job? & are you originally from NH?
Jess - Does his parents speak any English?
beth - I worked in the class today doing AR testing and I felt for her and the teachers. I must be rough
Jess - I am not sure why?
Angela - ceit, do you have a background in ESL?
Jess - I am from CT
Ceit/TX - Well, I teach to the class, but I have him sitting right by me all the time. Then I explain everything again, work with vocabulary that is holding him back, and point and demonstrate a lot.
Ceit/TX - Yes, Angela, I do.
Angela - Do you plan to go back to CT? Massachusetts jobs are far & few between w/the economy!
Jess - I am going to CT
beth - I got really tickled at the teacher, one day she told me she was learning her Spanish from the waiters at El Cancun, our local Mexican rest.
Jess - I was thinking about MA near the CT border, but I am not sure
Angela - what year are you in Jess? what grade level do you want to teach?
beth - Jess, did you say what age you want to teach? How about the rest of you?
Jess - I am in my Junior year and I am looking to teach preschool
Angela - preschool in public school?
Vic - Evening everyone.
Jess - Is that something that she was learning her spanish froma waiter
Angela - Vic are you out there?
Vic - yep, I'm here Angela
Jess - I was thinking about a private catholic school
beth - right now I teach 2 year old preschool but when I finsh my teaching degree I want to teach K, 1st or 2nd
Angela - Vic, what do you teach? I'm a sub this year!
Vic - I teach k-3 special needs
Ceit/TX - I *love* second grade.
Angela - Beth, glad you're flexible! Where are you from?
Jess - Beth, where do you go?
beth - I am SLOWLY getting my degree, I have a 4 year old and a 5 year old that take up most of my time!
Jess - How are the 2 year old
Ceit/TX - Maybe someday I'll get to teach it again.
beth - I am attending Winthrop University in South Carolina
Angela - I understand Beth! (Not that I have kids,but I just couldn't decide what to do!)
beth - ceit, I'm working on a classroom managment project for 2nd grade now
Angela - Vic where are you?
Vic - Iowa
beth - Angela, LOL this is my THIRD degree! I finally know what I want to do when I grow up! (I'm 35)
Vic - I'm in Iowa wishing I was in North Carolina, especially on this rainy drizzly night tonight.
Jess - What does eveyone think about spanking your children, we had a talk about this in my behavior mag. and legal issues class
Ceit/TX - That sounds interesting, beth.
Angela - Vic ,so are you what we in Mass. would call a resource room teacher?
beth - my own or those in my classroom??? BIG difference!
Vic - Spanking, ok in my mind, beatings are NOT!
beth - Vic, it's cool and yucky here too!!!
Angela - Jess, spanking in school?or at home?
Vic - Nope, not resource Angela, self-contained.
Jess - Spanking in your home
Jess - To your own children
beth - Angela, I'm from NC but live in SC now!
Vic - It's got to be a whole lot warmer than 34 degrees though.
Angela - Well, they're predicting SNOW tonight! It got to about 45 today!
Jess - I think that if it is just a spanking and nothing more then there is nothing wrong with it,but my teacher said that we can't
Ceit/TX - Oh my goodness! Our lows aren't even in the 40's yet!
beth - Jess, I do spank my own children, when necessary
Ceit/TX - Haven't even had our first frost.
beth - lot of taking away priviledges and time out as well
Jess - I can see that, but i am not sure where she as the teacher is coming from
Angela - Jess, I would never hit my child, because what does it teach them..hitting others is okay. But what you do in your house is your business! (As long as I don't know)
beth - in my preschool we use time out!
Angela - Ceit, all of a sudden the temps dropped to the 50s. No Indian Summer in MA!
Jess - right, i don't think that i would hit my own children, but however if there is a time and place then i might
beth - It is funny, I've developed the "teacher voice and teacher stare" and it works wiht my 2 year olds!
Vic - Stop, North Carolina is really calling me. I even applied and got a contract for down there for 7,000 more than I make here and then they threw in a signing bonus. Hubby couldn't find a job though. Of course he only applied at DEI and Lowe's Motor Speedway for a computer admin. job.
Angela - Kids know Beth! I've worked w/Infants to 3rd graders! The Look Of Death!
Jess - It is cold up here in New Hampshire
beth - Vic, he should try the major banks!!! TONS here
Ceit/TX - Oh, that's too bad, Vic.
Angela - Vic, are you NASCAR fans?
beth - Vic, it is supplsed to be 72 tomorrow!
Vic - Can you tell Angela? I grew up in a racing family. Where else would I move to but to motorcity USA?
Vic - We have friends in TN, and they really want us to move South.
Angela - Jess, I just think it's strange that you're in NH. I'm like 45min to an hour away from you!
Jess - where in mass are you
Jess - boston
Ceit/TX - ...chuckling cuz I think of Tennessee as north.
Angela - No, a small town at the NH border...Pepperell!
beth - sorry ladies. I need to go and work on my CM project! Nice chatting with you all
Vic - But not from here Ceit
Ceit/TX - Bye, beth!
Jess - nice talking to you too
Jess - bye
Angela - So, who do you cheer for on Sundays?
Ceit/TX - That's very true, Vic.
Vic - Bye beth good luck on your project.
Vic - Angela, who do you think I would cheer for if North Carolina is calling me?
Angela - Ceit, do you have kids of your own?
Vic - Isn't there only 1 driver?
Ceit/TX - No...a classroom full of first graders is plenty for me!
Angela - Vic, had to ask! I've been a huge fan...try really hard not to miss a race. Steve Park is staring at me! Dale Jr is too!
Vic - Boy you got that right Ceit, and I only have 9 wonderful little darlings this year, 8 of which are boys.
Angela - Jess, when do you student teach? Any idea grades & schools?
Jess - not until 04
Angela - Ceit & Vic do you have a Master's? Curious I've been putting mine off!
Ceit/TX - Sigh. I've gotta run. Laundry is calling.
Ceit/TX - No, I don't have a masters.
Jess - talk to you later
Angela - Ceit & Vic do you have a Master's? Curious I've been putting mine off!
Jess - ye
Angela - Ceit & Vic do you have a Master's? Curious I've been putting mine off!
Angela - Hit the wrong button! See you Ceit!
Vic - I've been a HUGE Intimidator fan forever and always will. Dale's presence is all over my classroom. I have pictures of him, #3 all over, and I even have 2 #3 battery operated cars that dispense skittle and m&m's. My students love it, and the best part is the kids never know how many they will get, so it is VERY motivating. A way for me to incorporate my love of racing and curriculum. Yes Angela, I got my master's in '89.
Angela - Jess & Vic have you posted on the other boards?
Vic - Which ones Angela?
Angela - Jess & Vic have you posted on the other boards?
Jess - no, this is the first time i have been on
Jess - how long did it take you to get your masters
Angela - That darn button!! Vic, cute!
Jess - \
Jess - opps
Angela - I like the Kindergarten board, Primary Board, Sub board, even the main board!
Vic - OOOOhhhh, it was sooooo long ago. I was a working mom at the time, I think that it took the full 3 years. I went during fall and spring semesters and then took a full load in the summer.
Angela - Need Project, hi!
Angela - What do you teach, Need Project?
NeedProject - I am having Grandparent's come to the classroom in 2 days and I need a PROJECT to do with them....aaaahhhhh
NeedProject - 2nd grade
Angela - Hey, Jess & Need Project wearing the same skin!
Jess - lol
Vic - Is anyone else dealing with standards and benchmarks and curriculum guides, and on and on and on? With IEPs as well, I'm really feeling stressed this year.
Angela - You've posted question before haven't you?
Jess - i have to get going
Jess - bye
Vic - ????????
Angela - Vic, Mass. has standards, but since I'm not in a classroom, but subbing haven't really dealt w/it!
Vic - Hey NeedProject, can you have them listen to the kiddos read?
NeedProject - I hear ya Vic
Angela - Bye Jess come back!
NeedProject - yea but that won't take 1 hour and 15 minutes!
Vic - I'm up almost every night until midnight, up again at 5 and then working on coordinating all of it all weekend. I'm getting pretty boring.
meeha/ece/tx - Hi! How is everyone doing this evening?
NeedProject - Vic...I was in learning support for 2 yrs, know all about those IEP's
Vic - I've never had a Grandparent's Day, so unfortunately I'm not going to be much help NeedProject. Sorry.
Angela - meeha, what do you teach? where in tx?
NeedProject - hi meeha
meeha/ece/tx - NeedProject -- when are the grandparents coming?
NeedProject - that's ok Vic at least you tried
meeha/ece/tx - Angela -- I"m near Dallas ... work with preschoolers with special needs
NeedProject - on THURSDAY (2 days)
Vic - NeedProject, our state just went to statewide electronic IEP's so now we get to learn that too this year.
Angela - NeedProject..looking for the book w/Grandparent ideas!
NeedProject - thanks Angela
NeedProject - LOL ..Vic as if you didn't have anything else to do right? LOL, where are you from?
Vic - Iowa
NeedProject - cool
NeedProject - what grade?
meeha/ece/tx - Have your kiddos started learning about "interviewing" ... maybe they can think of some of their favorite activities, foods, people, classes, etc. ... share that info with grandparents ... interview grandparents about similar info about their childhoods ... and then make (together) a kind of "newspaper" ... then share the info with the class (((even if kiddos share after grandparents leave!)))
Vic - k-3 special needs
Angela - Here's some ideas I've found..talk about decades, make a graph of parents birthdays!
Angela - Don't mind me, looking through book for ideas for NeedProject!
NeedProject - thanks everyone ...I'll take all the ideas I can get
Vic - Oh, NeedProject, what about comparing names of things waaaaay back when and today? Or how about having grandparents talk about what they did when they were in school.
Angela - 1) graph year of grandparents' births, 2) make a timeline project
meeha/ece/tx - Might be interesting to get some old primers and let kiddos (and grandparents) compare the old ones (used when g-parents were in el. school) with what your kiddos use today!
NeedProject - was thinking...craft project?
Angela - 3) read Hooray for Grandparent's Day! by Nancy Carlson!
Vic - Decorating premade cookies.
Vic - I know, I know, boring, but doable in a short amount of time. Maybe even get pumpkin shaped cookies.
Angela - Could they spend time writing a letter to each other to send later? Make a picture frame, send them a picture w/a letter to grandparents later!
Angela - Pop some popcorn & let them read to each other?
meeha/ece/tx - Need -- craft project -- gather fall leaves, grass, nuts tomorrow ... make "leaf people" kids and g-parents can work together to create!
Angela - Sorry, meeha once I get going...anything on your mind?
Vic - Angela, great minds must work together. I was just thinking about maybe writing the grandparents a note (maybe after the day of the visit) telling their grandparent how special they are to them and why.
NeedProject - thank you all for the super ideas...my 7 month old is screaming so I need to go rescue daddy from her
meeha/ece/tx - Angela -- just sharing some ideas ...
Angela - we had someone drop by from tx!
meeha/ece/tx - who was that,
meeha/ece/tx - who was that, Angela?
Angela - Okay, meeha I admit forgot what you teach?
meeha/ece/tx - ... and where are you that they could just "drop by"?
NeedProject - night all
meeha/ece/tx - Angela -- special needs preschool
Angela - Bye NeedProject!
meeha/ece/tx - 'nite, Need PRoject -- good luck!
Vic - Well everyone, just listened to answering machine and a friend checked themselves into psych. ward. I better make a call. Gotta go.
Angela - Just special needs? Public school?
meeha/ece/tx - 'nite, VIc ...t ake care.
Angela - Well, Vic interesting night!
Vic - thanks meeha. Have a good one Angela and thanks for the diversion from the STRESSSSSSSS!!!!
Angela - NO PROBLEM VIC!
meeha/ece/tx - Angela ... what group do you work with?
Angela - I was a Title I teacher K-2 for 2 1/2 yrs, but lost job budget/politics. Looks like I'm subbing this year!
meeha/ece/tx - where 'bouts, Angela?
Angela - Massachusetts!
Angela - have your own kids Meeha?
meeha/ece/tx - That is a BIG age split, Ang! I taught in a Title I school ... every teacher had to keep up with the TIT I paperwork and requirements! ((( kind of like SPED ... YUK!)))
meeha/ece/tx - I keep foreign exchange students ... this year 2 girls -- one from Switzerland, one from Thailand ... both juniors at a loca high school.
meeha/ece/tx - you?
Angela - every year was different, we tried to only do one or two grade levels! testing was a killer since they couldn't read!
meeha/ece/tx - I bet it was!
Angela - Single..no kids! So the girls stay for the year?
Angela - I should get going too!
meeha/ece/tx - have a good night ... and a great week. Take care!