Happy Birthday to me!

Today all my owlets ended the day on gold. Should they have? Probably not! Were they proud? Yes! Did they leave smiling and LOVING school? Yes! Did they leave excited to come back to school tomorrow? YES! I love my "job"! I believe that a big part of first grade is getting children to love learning. They have to love coming to school. They have to feel a part of a learning community. Today when I heard several children planning how they would get "held-back" it made me smile and feel really good! That good feeling spilled over and made me teach better. If you love your students you are going to teach better. If your students love you they are going to learn better.

Gold Students!

 My daughter is always trying to get me into a corner and claim I have a favorite student. She is an 8th grader in the school where I teach. It is a small school and we all know each other. We all look out for each other! She knows all of my students by name and when she walks into the room many of my students rush to give her a hug. She does have a couple of favorites! Anyway, the other day she said to me, "I give up, Mom! I think they are all your favorites!" Guess what! It is true. They are all my favorites. They are like my own children. I don't have a favorite. I love them for what they add to our classroom family. I love them because they are unique. I love them because they belong to me.

Gold Student!

Speaking of things I love...I love my birthday. Tomorrow is the day I love. October 26th I began my life. The last year of my life I think I have enjoyed more than any other! I have accepted who I am and who I will never be! I have been blessed with a wonderful family. I have a husband who strives to love me as Christ loved the Church. He would lay down his life for me. He is that wonderful. He has more "stamina" then a class full of first graders! I may not have a lot of "stuff" accumulated, but I have the right stuff!

 I would like to share my Stamina Awards with you, dear reader. You have made my life richer and fuller by listening to me! Thank you and Happy Birthday to me!

STAMINA!

Don't you love that word? I fly through the classroom singing "STAMINA!" quite loudly! I leap to the top of tall buildings singing, "Stamina!" I'm saving the world with....You guessed it, "Stamina!"

That is my favorite word lately. I find I use it not only in reading, but in math, Circle Time, Handwriting, and Coffee Break  ( I don't really have one of those!) I'm encouraging my little owls to use STAMINA! They can't wait to find out at the end of the day who is "Stamina King" for the next day. They trust me enough now to know that one day they will be "Stamina King, or Queen" for the day! They know I will do whatever it takes to make them successful Staminators!

Is this owlet not the cutest? If you look closely you'll notice his
crown is on upside down!

What do you do to build stamina in your classroom? Do your children love to fly around the room looking for a place to read to self singing "STAMINA?" Do they attack their Word Work with STAMINA? Do they read with their partner with STAMINA? Do they work on writing with STAMINA?

My children are asking me if I could do some laundry with STAMINA! So, I have to fly up and down the stairs carrying loads of dirty  clothes  that weigh more than I to be rescued by the washing machine. First I have to give you some awards that I created just for you...with STAMINA! I hope you can use them!  

Thank you, Carson-Dellosa

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