Back To School! And Memories of my own...

School started this week for all of the kids this past Wednesday. I can not believe that I have a Junior in Highschool, a Middle School 8th grader and an Elementary 5th grader! Where are the years going?!!!


But this blog is about me not the kids- I also went back to school this past Monday, but not to take classes, but to help in them. I am working at the intermediate school that the boys went to and Mckenna will be going to next year.
Lava Ridge only has 6th and 7th grade students! I know really weird, but that is the way they do it here in Southern Utah.
I am working with the resource kids while they are in classes (1st through 4th period,) just making sure that they understand the questions, can find the answers and just finish the work. So, I am an Aide to these kids. One of the kids I know really well, he is really a smart kid (like most of them!) but he just can't transfer the info from his paper to his brain the way most kids do. So, I have been helping him to work it in the way that makes sense to him. There are a few "low" students that have trouble spelling, finishing work and that stuggle with the subject, but on the whole the kids I work with are highly intelligent and are bored with the school process, they want to be occuppied more than most, their minds wander while the teacher is talking, but that is because it is not enough going on for them.
Two class periods (5th and 6th,) i work in a classroom of my own teaching study skills. Okay Mom and Dad quite giggling, that is right STUDY SKILLS. I don't have any students yet, supposeably I will be getting a student tomorrow in 5th period. The other aide that does this same thing has 1st through 4 and 7th period. I am interested to see how this will work since she has computer time during 6th and will be in the room while I need the computer also. We will see.
I think that helping the resource kids is especially important to me since I might have had to do the same thing had they had such a program when I was in school.
I had my mom sit in class with me the last half of 4th grade. Funny thing about that, I didn't really mind that she was there since she was one of my best friends at the time, and the kids loved her and so they didn't tease me about it (well, at least not that I can remember.) Then in 8th grade (we moved to Salt Lake from Orem,) I had to have each teacher sign a note on a computer printout card for my parents that stated I had turned in my assignments, homework etc... I wasn't really crazy about turning in the homework. I would do it and then not turn it in. It seemed to me just a bunch of busy work. Why couldn't they just let me take the notes, take the test and be on my way. Why couldn't I just keep socializing with my friends? WHY? Indeed! I have ofcourse realized that the homework is necessary to instill the needed information (kind of the repetition process,) for the test you were taking.
While the kids I am helping don't mind the work, they are easily distracted and I too was the same way. I mean in 8th grade, Chris Perez could be running his hand through his hair or pretending he was playing his trumpet, and it would distract me! (hey, I am listening to the Police- it reminded me of Chris- he loved the group!) Could be that he was way to cute for his own good, and I was too naive to realize that I was too young looking to ever be considered to be his girl. Didn't matter to me, I still would get distracted. There were a few times when we got kicked out of class because we were talking too much. Okay, only in German class where if had we been using German we wouldn't have gotten into trouble, but alas we were using english and it was very noticeable!
Maybe I got distracted because I am my German Grandma in miniature, I loved to talk, (okay dad- I'm a yenta!) I love knowing what is going on in other's lives- some times just for purely entertaining purposes- i think it is the counselor part of me to wanted to know the most- i wanted to fix what ever was brothering people! These kids don't have that problem - yet. I mean it is only the 2nd week of school!
Whatever the reason for the purpose of the notes, the not turning in the homework and not paying attention in class, I totally relate to these kids and want to do whatever I can to help them get the most out of school, so the don't regret school later in life like I do!
I hope that this will be a successful year! Here we go!!!