Welcome Ms. Simpson!

So here I am...Ms. Simpson. This semester I am doing my practicum hours for 4th grade at Walker Elementary. We have to do 40 hours and pretty much just observe and soak it all in. Most of the time, there is so much to be done that you don't actually just sit and observe. It is quite a hands on experience. I get there at 7:30 AM...not to be confused with PM...and I go on Monday mornings. Since it is Monday morning, I get to see exactly how the week gets started. I go in and all the kids get really excited to see me. We do a little morning work and they go to P.E. first thing. It's so funny how I am a part of the teacher loop now. Our planning period is while they are in P.E. so I get to hear what all the teachers on the grade level talk about. I get to see them advise each other, share supplies, and warn each other about certain parts of lessons, etc. I think that just being there to listen is one of the best ways to learn and way more beneficial that reading out of a text book. So the kids come back, we have snack, and then do our reading and science. Lunch couldn't come any sooner.

So we all go to lunch and I get to sit with all the other teachers. How cool is that? I've been a student all my life and here I am...at the teacher's table! Oh, and I LOVE school food. I was never one of the picky kids who had to pack a lunch all the time. I was begging for seconds! So I am very happy now to pay for a $3.00 lunch that I am fully satisfied with.

After lunch we go back to the room to do a little math and writing and before you know it the day is over! My teacher and I walk the kids to the bus and then they are off. The kids are starting to learn who I am and feeling more comfortable asking me for help and what not. I would much rather go there everyday than go to my actual classes. And here is one of the coolest parts:

THE TEACHER'S LOUNGE

When I was a student at Crescent Elementary, I always wondered what went on in there. Teacher's always came out eating good food and socializing with other teachers and it was so...so...FORBIDDEN. Well guess what? Now I have full access baby! I can come and go as much as I please. I can eat and bring food and talk to other teachers and use the grown up bathroom. It's so full circle for me to be able to do that.

I have a lot of fun doing this. Everytime I go, I think to myself, "I can do this everyday." and I really do feel like I can. Here are a couple of the books that I have and really like: