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Day 4:  "Incursive"

You know they're excited when they 

make up their OWN homework....

Sooooo...are y'all required to teach cursive?
The answer is YES up in here!
Last year, I blew it because I started in January.
That's when I always started in 2nd Grade.
I failed to account for the little even called STATE ASSESSMENTS in 3rd grade.
Idiot.
This year, we started on Day 3.
And the kids.  are.  STOKED.
When I learned to write in cursive, I thought "in cursive" was one word.
"Incursive."
Like..."Mr. W, can we write this 'incursive?'"
True story.
This is a sad fact that I discovered later in life.
Much like "Out of bounce," (out of bounds) and, the great embarrassment, "free-frows."
As in, ahem, shooting a free throw.
Also learned later.  in.  life.
Yeah.

Day 2:  My "Little Circle of Trust"

My Kiddoodles working together to 

trace their hands for our Circle of Trust.

But more on that in an actual POST.

You'll love it.  

Promise.

T-Minus 32 hours....

This was my classroom 32 hours before school started...

Now before you go all "swoon-y" on me...keep scrolling...because the rest of my room looked like THIS!

I especially like the sad little bottle of rubber cement there in the bottom left hand corner.  Procrastinate much?  Why, yes.  Yes I do.  HOWEVER...it was with good reason.  Because BAM!  2 hours later....

You see, after 15 years, I've realized this:  I will definitely have to put the desks out before the kids arrive.  And I will most definitely have their names on their desks*.  HOWEVER, the mile-long list of URGENT  things to do (note the bold, underlined, italicized URGENCY) on my Wunderlist app** will be on the same list NEXT summer if I don't get 'r done.  This last minute "desk-setting-up" drives some of my compadres crazy, but others have come to expect it.  In fact, I think some of them secretly enjoy it!  

*The ole' "names on their desks" looks a lot different than it used to, thanks to this little genius!  There is nothing less appealin' and more appalling than name-tag pickers after I've oh-so-carefully written their names in a such way that would impress both Zaner AND Blosser.  Seriously.  When it comes to handwriting, I can BRING.  IT.  But I only want to bring it once.

Spell "Rizzudo."  If you can't name that movie

reference, this may be the WRONG blog for you.  ;)

**If you don't have this app, you TOTALLY should.  The little "whoosh!" I get when accomplishing something is MORE than enough to keep me on task!

So, if y'all are still setting up those classrooms, check off more, put off less!

Jenn