Palling around with Principals was a HOT TOPIC (as they would say on The View which I have not laid eyes on since the summer . . . for all I know, all of the hosts could have been replaced with new ones or maybe it’s even off the air . . . either way, it was SUMMER, aka, the good ole days). I loved reading all of your comments. Many of them made me think that I should elaborate.
While I don’t consider myself “friends” with my principal, I do have to say that we are on friendly terms. She appears to like me, trusts my judgment, and has never moved me out of first grade. I feel like I can go to her with any old thing and she’ll at least pretend to listen. However, I NEVER go to her for any old thing. Or any new thing. I just steer clear, in the same way that a gazelle runs in the opposite direction of a tiger (do you like how I consider myself a graceful gazelle? Rather than a meerkat? Or a hyena?) . And let’s be honest. She doesn’t care if we wear flip flops in hot weather or Uggs in cool weather even though SHE wears high heels EVERY SINGLE DAY. I have yet to see her wear jeans or pants of any kind. Or any of our spirit wear. And I have been working with her for NINE WHOLE YEARS.
Well, I wish I could think of something else to say. Something to fill up this space before I make you all mad at me.
OH! I know! Here’s something!
Someone asked me if I am into the Twilight books and movies. Let me answer that question with some questions of my own. Are you looking forward to Winter Vacation?? Does a first grader tattletale? Is it true that bathroom doors can cut off fingers? I THINK SO!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 AFFIRMATIVE!!
Okay . . . the time has come. I have some bad news.
When I asked you if you might be interested in the Morning Work that I created, I wasn’t offering it up. I was just genuinely wondering if anyone would be interested because I have created it to go with MY particular Language Arts and Math curriculum and pacing guides and all that business. I really meant it when I said I had no idea HOW I would share it because it’s huge. It’s one folder on my computer with 34 folders inside of it and inside each folder are ten worksheets (five Language Arts and five Math). Do you see the complexity of this situation??
I would LOVE to just fly all over the country in a helicopter and rain down Morning Work on everyone who asked for it. Or better yet, instead of a helicopter, in a sleigh with reindeer!!! 🙂
Oh, peeps, and chickadees, please don’t be upset with me. 🙁
I am thinking I will offer it up in a giveaway, but instead of emailing you the file (which will be next to impossible the way I organized it on my computer), I will ship you a wonderful package and all of the work will be in there, copied, and ready to go. A MASTER SET. Imagine. I could even tie a bow on it (I am clapping my hands) and give it away to one two THREE people!!!
And just to butter you up and make sure you don’t go away all upset with me (which I wouldn’t be able to stand!!! I wouldn’t even be able to lay down and sleep!! I would just have to SIT. No standing or sleeping or anything. Just sitting in my own thoughts and feeling really bad), I am offering you THIS FREEBIE. Which, quite possibly, I have already given away. I’m losing track. But next week, we introduce digraphs in our CORE CURRICULUM so I’ll be throwing this gently setting this down in front of them for some *fun* cut and pasting time. I don’t know what it is, but this class is SUPER QUIET during cut and pasting time. I don’t know if it’s the cutting or the smell of the glue. Anywho, maybe you can use it in your word work center or whatever. It’s just a bribe for you to still like me.
We're doing digraphs right now in first grade! We just introduced th- today. They don't know wh- yet, soooo I'll either save your sweet activity for whenever wh- shows up, or tell them to do the best they can and glue the extras to the wh- part…. haha!! Thanks!!
Marvelous Multiagers!
No, no, no, no, not mad! That's so nice of you to do a giveaway. Thanks for the digraph sheet!
You didn't hear this from me but my "PAL" is not the most loved person at my school. In fact, the union has had to be involved quite a few times. I, pretty much, do what you do. Lay low and stay away from the office as much as I can. I eat lunch in my room and try not to get involved with any of the staff cliques. Even ones he's buddies with have felt his wrath. No one is safe. It's like Survivor. Fear and pitting us against each other. Summers are the worst. That's when all of the shady deals go down.
Never a dull moment in my little corner of the world.
*Also, your morning work pack looks amazing! I wish I could even consider begging you for it. BUT not at my school. We are in RTI/Fundations h!*# and that leaves zero time for morning work. 🙁
Love the digraph worksheet- it will be great for my firsties. Love your morning wor took- but could never get my PAL to approve the printing of it! But I enjoy seeing what others do, so I appreciated seeing what you do. And I have a great PAL, but money is tight and copies and paper cost money:-( So we'll keep doing our morning work from the SmartBoard and writing it in journals. We call it our Breakfast Journal because they have to eat breakfast while they do. Gotta love free breakfast for all.
No…how could anyone be mad at you?? I love reading your blog and all your stories you share!
Ali
alischepis(at)gmail.com
Who could be mad at you ??? The best part of your blog is just reading your thoughts (not that the morning work didn't look great). I read on another blog that the teachers in that area all got together for a visit. Wouldn't that be grand….espc. if I was in California !!! We actually spent 3 weeks in sunny CA last summer, the trip of a lifetime, keep looking at my pics when it is cold and frosty in the morning as I sip my tea, gearing up for a busy day in second grade. Love my class but they are very busy with some wild little guys, never a dull moment. So rest assured, never mad at you, keep writing 🙂
Love your blog! Just a thought about sharing your files: could you pdf them and put them on a cd/dvd? Or maybe a couple of discs…would be much easier than to mail all of those paper copies…just a thought. : ) Thanks for sharing on your blog.
I'll look for your giveaway and cross my fingers for a win. By the way I am counting the hours till I can go see the new Twilight movie!!!!!!!! Can't wait to read your reaction. DO you watch Modern Family?
Marybeth
PS…mad at you…ha! NEVER!
I love the way you write! It sounds like we're having a phone conversation …well, it's only one-sided really. YOu talking and me listening. But I do get to chime in in the comments section.
Anyway, don't worry about the give away. That sounds like to much paper work for me to handle. And like many others already mentioned, I would not get approved to print it.
Thanks for the freebie though.
Dear Kristin,
I promise to love you no matter what! How could any of us hate the person whose blog we read first? The creator of the blog that always leaves us with a smile and sometimes makes us laugh our heads off (not literally, thank goodness)? Life is hard and so we turn to you for joy. None of us will ever be mad. (Well, someone might, but I'll bet that person is already mad and goes through life mad and we don't need that person spoiling our fun!) My hope is that someone comes up with a brilliant idea about how you could get the whole thing on TPT and then we could each pay $10 for it and make you a millionaire! (Sorry, if $10 is too little – name your price). Now my question for you is … What would you do with a million dollars?
Camille
An Open Door
Okay…so I promised to not stalk you today. You were the second post I read; however, I have to say that your post was still more entertaining than the first post I read (I won't mention names…although she is well known…and is a speaker at many conventions).
I have to say that my relationship with my principal is about the same as yours. We are friendly and have even gone to some conferences together, but that is about it. I LOVE that your principal lets you wear flip flops. I teach in Florida and flip flops are pretty much the most popular foot wear year round; however, our district banned them this year. It really stinks.
Anyway, I will watch for your morning work giveaway.
Thanks for the chat!
Mad? At you? NO WAY hilarious little lady!!!!!!! LOVE your sense of humor, wittiness, realism, and creativity:) I, like so many others, look forward to reading your blog every day and appreciate the MANY freebies you so willingly offer up. THANK YOU!!
Thanks for the sweet comment you left on my blog! I enjoyed your digraph activity. We work/review them a lot! The kids looooove to cut and paste so I know it will be a hit!
You are too nice and sweet for anyone to be mad at!
Journey of a Substitute Teacher
I have to say that my school district drives me batty. However, the more I read your posts and the comments attached, I now realize how good I might have it. In my district, we have some teachers using a basal (Scott Foresman) while others were trained in Literacy Collaborative. Almost no one uses our Math series (Trailblazers) otherwise known as 'fuzzy math.' We have a print shop, but I've never had them deny a request. Our principal doesn't even see our requests. The secretaries have her signature on a stamp that they use to approve our requests.
What Math series does your school district use? Do you like it?
How could anyone get mad at you? That is ridiculous! You make us smile, laugh and roll in the aisles in helpless gales of laughter! You are so good for us! Thank you for the wonderful diagraph freebie too! I will be using it with my special students..they love to cut and paste! Lay low..be good if not be good at it! I had a principal who once told me it is better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission! 😎 Have a great weekend! Looking forward to more gales of laughter
Oh, you're fine! Don't worry about people being mad at you. I am 2nd grade anyway, so the morning work probably doesn't quite fit.
If you did figure out how to upload it to TPT or TN (probably broken into parts by months, 6-weeks, quarters, etc.), it sounds like it would be popular! (And honestly, if you've done all that work, you could probably make quite a bit of money!) I know that's not why you made it, but two birds with one stone?
Anyway- my principal at a previous school wore suits every day. EVERY day. If he was without the jacket, that was "casual." Then we started summer school and he wore KHAKI SHORTS AND A POLO. I about died. He also kind of intimidated me so I just didn't really go to him unless I needed to. Other teachers didn't do this, though, so maybe I was just too meek.
My new principal is a pal, though! It's pretty cool. I feel like she actually likes me and thinks I am a good teacher, so that's awesome.
I wouldn't consider my principal to be my PAL. She's not around very much (not her fault — the district pulls her for a myriad of ridiculous things) and she has a host of teachers in our school that she clearly prefers. I wondered a lot last year if she really just didn't like me…but this year, in my new grade level, my team talks me up to her SO much and tells her how much I have brought to the team and thus I think she realizes it was my team last year, not me, that sucked. Alas, I am not there to be pals with my boss. I'm there to work with children. I get along with my boss okay and we can laugh and joke and make small talk but she would never be my first choice of people to hang out with if given a choice.
Thank you for making me laugh this year! I have a really tough class. My mom found your blog and suggested it with a "at least you can laugh" thought. It has really helped me, oh, and I wear flip-flops to school almost every day too!