Velveteen Rabbit, please hold

So, I got back from Spring Break.  And wouldn't you know it, I just didn't feel ready to start the Velveteen Rabbit.  Thank goodness I have a super-awesome partner (I think sometimes we share a brain) - who also felt completely NOT READY to start it either.  So, we did another week of our anthology, and we'll get onto VR next week.  I promise.  You can get a copy of my vocab book for the kiddos to go along with my 2-week version of The Velveteen Rabbit here.

Besides all that, I was so excited to get back to school this week.  I missed my kiddos.  They missed me.  We both missed school.  Well, they missed recess, and I missed teacher-room lunches.

Does anyone else really look forward to lunch in the teacher's lounge each day?  I love it!  I get to have lunch with my friends EVERY day!  How many people get to do that?!  You know, those people with 'real' jobs.  Like the ones who work in offices?  Something I know nothing about, other than I hear there is air conditioning, and I have heard of this thing they call 'casual friday'.  But they probably don't get a billion or so hugs and love notes every day, so I guess I can let them have their jeans.  AND, they don't have teacher's room lunches - too bad, so sad.

 

Spring Break! And a little lit study

Wo-hoo!  It's Spring Break.

2 weeks off!

Just a little excited over here.  Just a little.

Sometimes, as a teacher, you just need this time to catch up on the giant pile of grading that needs to be done re-group & put things in perspective. 

I am off for a little mid-west, family visit, then to the desert for some R&R.

Then, a week at home filled with, DISNEYLAND, DISNEYLAND, and maybe a little beach time.  It's hard to go away on vacation when you live where most people vacation.  Sort 'ups the ante' for expectations.  I can't even try to go for a beachy vay-cay (unless it's Hawaii).

When we get back we are starting a lit study on The Velveteen Rabbit.  Insert mixed emotions here, here, and here.

It's a 1st Grade tradition at my school.  One that I don't LOVE.  And with this class, I'm having a hard time believing I'm going to get them into it.  14 boys, remember, 14 full-of-energy, 'spirited' BOYS.  5 girls.

So, I've taken my 6 week lit study and paired it down to 2!

Have you ever read the Velveteen Rabbit?  It's HARD people.  It's HARD.  I totally see the value in it, BUT, there are so many amazing books out there that would encourage my peanuts to read over the summer and see that reading is a joy.  Which is why I'm teaching it super-duper fast. Then, we're on to a Magic Tree House book. We are doing Vacation Under the Volcano.

BTW, have you seen Ms. Winston's website?  She is a super amazing teacher with tons a free resources!  You know, I love to make my own stuff, but when you find something as amazing as this, why re-invent the wheel?!

I will post some Velveteen Rabbit stuff as soon as I finish it (re-vamping my unit to squeeze into 2 weeks take a LOT of work!).