Corduroy by Don Freeman

The Corduroy Bears turned out soo cute that the kiddos did during our Bear Unit.  They were so proud of them.  I had to promise that they could take them home after I hung them in the hall for just a week or two to show them off!

I want to be a teacher when I grow up...

With the ending of the first week, I must say, I AM BEAT!! Let's see, typed an incorrect lunch time in my parent note that made it look like my students only got 10 minutes for lunch!  I accidently put another teacher's phone number as my contact number in the kindergarten packet.  Then, I didn't put a place for parent's to sign their name when agreeing to be room parets.  I only noticed after I seperated all the forms and now I have a neat little stack of parent volunteers and no idea who sent them! As soon as I realized (or had it brought to my attention ha ha) I sent out a new parent letter.  If I look at this as an opportunity to show my parents that I am approachable, human and make mistakes too, then I have been a HUGE SUCCESS!
It's like I used to ask my son, "Are people laughing at you, or with you?" He would always reply, "Well, mom they must be laughing with me because I'm laughing too!" I'm just going to try and laugh at myself and always improve...
 On the second day of school I smashed my finger so hard in the sliding closet door that the doctor said my newly manicured nails were all that probably saved the tip of my finger from being pinched off! (I only had my nails done so parents wouldn't see I'm a nail biter!)
  All and all, by Friday, I had less crying, more dancing, more trying and less saying, "I can't." I had more smiles, less frowns, more understanding, and less fear! 

               If I grew this much in one week, what does this year hold for them?

Bowers' Busy Bunch: Just remember!

Bowers' Busy Bunch: Just remember!: Somedays your students will come in and have a day like this.... Never forget what it was like to be their age!  Chances are you have bee...

Just remember!

Somedays your students will come in and have a day like this....

Never forget what it was like to be their age!  Chances are you have been there too!

Soo much to learn..
Ok, so about the time I think I'm getting the hang of all this technology stuff, I find something else I don't know how to do!  Between posting blogs, trying to grab other people's buttons (of which I still can't do) repeating myself like I have alzheimer's on FB (because I share the same post multiple times) and needing a GPS to find my way around the new Timeline they came up with, I find out I'm supposed to pin things to an imaginary board on pinterest? 
I'm still not sure if it's ok to like my own stuff on FB!  Is blogging like reflecting?  Didn't this stuff used to be kept in a diary?  All these people "following" me makes me a little nervous anyway!  Does anyone else feel as lost as me at some of this stuff?   Try to be informative and intertaining so someone will find my blog helpful all while trying to grab that ever elusive BUTTON! Oh yeah, update my school webpage and pin something fabulously interesting on my new board at Pinterest too.  I consider myself an educated person, but it's hard to keep up. So if you go there, sorry folks my board is empty right now.

Taking Stock!

Day 1
As I survey my room, I'm not sure where to start.  I think I will downsize my teacher desk this year to just a small computer stand so that I can incorporate a table for reading groups and small group instruction.  It got to be a pain trying to find an open spot on the floor or at any table last year.  The large class size kept me from intertaining the idea, but I think if I get rid of my BIG desk I can pull it off.  It's just a catch all for piles anyway!

Look at all those computers!

Ahhh just waiting for little fingers! 

I feel really blessed after talking to a

teacher at a workshop I attended.

She only had one student computer!

Thank you HISD for investing in technology!

Not sure where all the tables will go until I know how many tables I will be needing.  Need to get the science area all ready for George though.  I'm thinking about some fish this year too! Hummm!

This is George (as in "of the jungle").  The kids named him one year and it kinda stuck.  A different helper gets to feed George and turn on his heat lamp each morning for a week. (heat lamp donated by Petsmart)

George is a Redslider.  If you want to have a real life science lesson, put tadpoles in the tank with George! 

Let's just say we did not get to see the life cycle of a frog!  Circle of life YES!

Mrs. Bowers even learned something that day! :)

When I was moved to kindergarten in the middle of the year, I could not imagine what God was thinking. But where one door closes, another one opens. Now that I have been teaching Kdg. for over ten years, the 4+ yrs I taught second grade have faded. I love my team and I love the fresh faces of those sweet new students. Some of which have never been anywhere but simply at home with mom and dad. What an importat job I have. What a first impression I can make. Thank you God for having a plan for me.  

            

Well, I have helped my mother come into the age of technology.  She just got her first laptop.  She is set up with gmail, facebook and is a follower on my blog.  She will soon have a scanner, copier and printer installed by the geek squad along with a photo/negative scanner that also does slides.  It was so interesting to sit and listen to stories of family members we had not seen in years who have passed on.  These photos were saved onto her new flashdrive and viewed as a slideshow on a screen saver.  She is so eager to learn all about how to do all this stuff.  It is such a fun way for us to spend time together!

Great Site!
Check out the new blog site (Mrs. Wills)
under My Favorites Sites! She has some really great freebies!  Figured while I am still learning all this "blog stuff", I can send you to some people who have got it going on!

The Amazing Brain

Someone said it was hard to find the link to follow my blog, so I moved it to the top of the page.  Hope this helps.

Listening Center:Pete the Cat

Class? 
Ok, there is absolutely no way I could tell you all the things I learned these past three days.  The best way for me to explain it, is to say that there are still new and inovative ideas out there! I have seen them!  This is one of those times when seeing is believing.  Go to the
Whole Brain Teaching Website, check out the videos.  Oh my gosh, check out Choach B! and Farrah! There is so much to see and take in, it will keep you going back again and again.  There is another conference next year and you can bet I will be there.  Oh Yeah! I encourage you to check out the site. Look under "My Favorite Sites" and go to Whole Brain Teaching. And remember it's FREE FREE FREE!

Give Me An Oh Yeah!!
It's the last day of the Whole BrainTeaching conference and I have learned sooo much! I hope my "whole" little brain can hold it! I have seen some awesome teachers the last few days and can't wait to use this "stuff" in my classroom. 

This entry will be short, as we are packing to head home right after the conference ends today.  I will post more details when I return home so check back.  Hopefully I can get in my room soon. I've got a BIG itch to get in there.  Have a blessed day and as they said at the conference, we teachers are "rowing this boat together"! 

Bowers' Busy Bunch: Well, I leave tomorrow for the Whole Brain Confere...

Bowers' Busy Bunch: Well, I leave tomorrow for the Whole Brain Confere...: Well, I leave tomorrow for the Whole Brain Conference at Lousianna College.  I am so excited and have so many questions.  The conference sta...

Well, I leave tomorrow for the Whole Brain Conference at Lousianna College.  I am so excited and have so many questions.  The conference starts Thursday morning and I want to be able to get up early and enjoy breakfast with my mom.  I can't wait to meet Mrs. Shipley and see her in action!  I plan on taking my laptop so I can comment on all the sessions each evening. Oh, I need to remember my camera too! I really don't know what to expect but know it is going to be awesome!

Bloggin Baby Steps

I think I have figured out that I needed to do something to enable you guys to "follow" my blog.  I have tried to watch the help videos, but I get itching to try it out and can't watch for long.  If I were more patient this would probably be easier.

Turning Over a New Leaf

The year is over and it is time to put the books away.
This year as I put things away, I am planning how to make my life and my job easier. 
ORGANIZATION is the KEY! 

Here are some "before" pictures of what my storage closet looked like before the Great Remake of 2012! (If you can believe it, I had actually already organized somethings before I thought to take these pictures.)
I look forward to posting my "after" pictures for y'all to see. 
I am accountable now because I have let you in on my "dirty little secret" and let "the skeletons out of my closet!"
(I actually think I had one of those in there!)

They are waxing my floors this week.(I'm sure they are doing a fantastic job!)

When I get back from the National Conference on Whole Brain Teaching, I hope to be able to get back in there and get to it. Be sure to come back and check out those photos too!

While the end of the year has finally come, I am already looking forward to what the next year will bring! Whole Brain Teaching Conference is coming next week and I can hardly wait!