Observation WooHoo!!

At the beginning of 2012, I sat down and wrote my New Year's Resolutions. Most of them I haven't accomplished yet, some of them I have begun to get done, and one of them (even though I know I never want to stop improving this) I am feeling comfortable with---especially after my last unannounced observation of the year! (Resolution: Become a better teacher.)

Yesterday morning before the kiddos arrived, my principal came into my room to inform me that she would be coming to see me. So I finished up last minute preparations for that day's lesson. I usually am really uncomfortable, nervous, scared when I'm being observed. But for some reason yesterday, I felt really comfortable. I honestly think it was because right as I started teaching she stood up look flustered and ran over to my desk! I wasn't quite sure what was happening, but then realized that her pen had died. So she scrambled to get a new pen and came back over to sit down. At that point I had just asked one of my kiddos a question, but after stopping to talk to the principal and figure out what she was looking for, I had forgot who I had just asked what. The kiddos helped me get back on track (THANK GOD!!) and we continued on with the lesson like nothing had happened. Anyways we had been reading Max Takes the Train all week so we reviewed the different types of transportation in that story and then I introduced the story Bunny Cakes. I told the students that we would be comparing and contrasting the two stories so I wanted them to be thinking about how the stories were alike and different. So I read the story and then the kiddos generated ideas on how the stories were alike/different. We closed the lessons and then went into centers. The kiddos went quietly to their centers and worked hard and QUIETLY. The principal stayed for 2 of the 4 centers and then left. When she was leaving I was getting up to get a child a bandaid... this is when I knew it went well! SHE GAVE ME A HUG, THANKED ME, AND TOLD ME THAT I DID REALLY WELL! A few minutes after she left the academic coach came into my room grinning! The principal had just stopped to tell her how well I did with my lesson. I haven't had my post conference yet to find out my scores, but I feel good just knowing that the principal told me that I did a good job!

Anyways, I will be creating some Springtime packets tonight and I am sure that a few will end up on here as freebies!

Have a great weekend!!!