Four Letter Word...

I could imagine that as a mom, you might dread the first time you hear your child say that awful, awful four letter word. Although, I am not a mom yet, today hearing it as a teacher, was just as unsettling. The day was almost over and we had nearly made it through the beginning of our third week together. We began to start packing up and this is usually the part of my day where I say my own four letter words..inside my head of course! Ha ha ha.. Anyway, we were picking up the room, getting 26 backpacks ready, and refereeing stolen homework folder disputes...When a little girl asks me if she can use the bathroom, I of course agree and quickly forget she had went in there because of all the chaos around me. The next thing I remember is a familiar little girl tugging at my shirt. I usually get really frustrated when that happens because I can't help 26 children if they follow me around tugging at my shirt! So I ignored her, until she remembered to step back and raise her hand. However, she kept tugging until I finally frantically squealed out a "WHAT?" She looked at me with fear in her eyes and that was when I heard her say it.. Don't judge me for being so graphic.. The story just wouldn't be the same if I didn't use the same four letter word she did.. Yes.. You guessed it.. POOP! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Oh...... my.......my skin is still shivering even to think about it! I walked into the danger zone not knowing what to expect, I didn't have my phone with 911 on the speed dial, I didn't even have a back up plan to call for help I needed it! I opened the door to find poop all over the floor and toilet seat.. as if the beautiful bowl of porcelain had been completely MISSED! ...blah... I then noticed that not only was it on the floor.. but it had been stepped in, and smeared.. which means that somewhere in that beautifully Lysoled, Febreezed, coconut lime scented room of mine.. THERE WAS POOP ON A SHOE!! I was completely baffled ha ha ha I racked my brain trying to remember which students had been using the bathroom and tried checking shoes randomly but I didn't want to embarrass anyone..right? or should I have just asked because it is gross and needs to be taken care of? I mean its not like any parent is going to be surprised by it tonight when they do laundry.. BECAUSE CLEARLY IT WAS ALL LEFT IN MY BATHROOM! Ha ha ha.. I still left with the biggest smile on my face! I love my job! I might cry, and freak out, and never sleep, and get SO stressed! But how can you not look on the bright side of this: 1. I am NOT the janitor. 2. I am NOT the laundry washer. and 3. I am NOT the bottom of that shoe!....YUM!

Week Two

So I survived! I am finally starting to get in the grove of things and I love my class! My stories are usually just funny, but some of the other Kindergarten teachers were blessed with a rough group of lovely children. I feel very lucky and wouldn't trade any of my kids for anything! I seriously love each one of them as individuals and look forward to seeing their bright smiling faces each day! They are so sweet and so innocent it kills me! I wouldn't trade the look in their eyes as I hold their hand on the play ground, or wipe a tear from their cheek, or so softly place a band aide over the smallest non-bleeding scratch. This week I had parent teacher conferences and I got to talk to each of my parents about their child. I wrote them all individual e-mails about their student and told them all the things I have noticed and love about them already. The replies I got were so heartfelt and sincere. I had no idea that these cute little children thought I was so wonderful. To be honest, I never thought anyone could possibly think I was that wonderful. One mom was tucking her little boy into bed one night and said, "Miss Faught seems nice" and he said, " OH MY GOSH..MOM..SHE IS SO PRETTY!!!" and the mom said, "Yeah, she is way fun isn't she.." and he said, "NO MOM..LIKE WOW..PRETTY!!" Ha ha ha don't get too mushed out, there is always the bitter with the sweet.. another little girl felt the need to burst my big head before it got out of hand as I was apparently being slightly grumpy that day with them after lunch recess. She raised her hand in front of the whole class and said, "Miss Faught, you really should smile more, you look lots prettier when you do..." ha ha ha. Remember how I said I loved how real and simple these children are..................hmmmm......

Day Two

Today was a lot better! I didn't make anyone cry, I didn't see any little boy anatomy, and I didn't lose anyone! Today all I could think about was the conference talk that was given during the April 2011 Saturday morning session. The talk is entitled, Become As A Little Child, by Jean A. Stevens. I remember when I heard the talk that morning how much it hit me and as I have been preparing over the last few months to be a teacher I am constantly reminded of her sweet words and guidance. The talk encourages us to all see things the way a child would see them. To be excited like they would be excited. To love like they would love, and to live simply, like they would live. This week I have been so blessed to enjoy the joy and light that a little child has to offer. Today was seriously one of the most uplifting days of my life. Even though teaching and trying to not be frustrated is SO difficult. The cute and funny things these children say makes every second so worth it! Today a little girl interrupted me while I was in mid sentence in the front of the class and said, "Miss Faught, why are you wearing the same clothes as yesterday?" and for the record.. I wasn't.. okay fine.. I was wearing the same skirt! But it isn't that gross! EVERYONE DOES IT! But I had a totally different color shirt! It wasn't even in the same color family! Anyway, so i said, "I'm not wearing the same clothes." (with my guilty laugh) and she says, "Yeah, you wore that skirt yesterday, my mom says it is bad when I do that!"....YIKES! She wins, and never again will I wear that skirt! Ha ha ha. So then the day continues and we had just come in from lunch recess. I have the cutest little boy in my class! I'm not sure if you are supposed to pick favorites..but when do I ever follow the rules!? He is my favorite for sure! HE LOVES BUGS! Which is great for when I freak out and need some testosterone to come smash it with his shoe...but not so great when... I am passing out everyone's snack and I hear screams from a group of girls, you would have thought Barbie's head had fallen off...EXCEPT IT WAS WORSE!! This little boy was sitting on the rug with an escapee from The Guinness Book of World Record COCKROACHES in his hand! It was alive and he was holding it ever so gently under his thumb as if he didn't want to smash its cute and fragile body.. BUT I DID! I screamed so loud that I think I scared the little boy! It is really all a blur from that point on but I might remember picking the child up and taking him outside as he bid farewell to his new found friend! I then sent him to the sink and lets just say with all the soap I used we all should have invested in SoftSoap Crisp Cucumber and Melon. I then followed our hand washing session with 20 squirts of hand sanitizer. I know, you are all probably thinking I'm a nut job, but ironically enough, I think it was quite the bonding experience for him and I.. He told his mom he loves me! Ha ha ha! How can you not love these sweet and beautiful children! They bless my life daily and help me understand and see the Lords perfect tender mercies!

First Day of School!

Wow! The first day of school was crazy! It was so fun finally seeing all of the students in the classroom at one time. I was so nervous for the bell to ring. I felt like I wasn't prepared, nor responsible enough to be in charge of 26 five year olds! These were their parents babies! They were dropping them off for their first day of full day school. They were entrusting me to care for and watch over their cute little genius learners! WHAT HAD I GOT MYSELF INTO!? It was actually a really good day. I only made four little boys cry. I taught the entire class, the entire DAY long that the date was August 29th, (and it was really August 22nd). I left a little girl out at recess for 30 extra minutes because I thought she was eating lunch..but no..she was lost.. hungry..and extremely sunburned. I locked myself in the bathroom and cried before returning to my awaiting class. AND last but not least.. I let a little boy go to the bathroom and the rest of us were about to read a story on the carpet. I hadn't made it through even an entire page when I was abruptly interrupted by the bathroom door flinging open, hitting the tiled wall behind it, bouncing back and then returning with the left over force to hit the tiled wall one last time, as the boy screams with distraught panic, "DON'T START YET!!!". I know what you're thinking.. you're busy visualizing the door as it effortlessly swings back and forth into the tile..while I am busy visualizing the little boy with his pants AROUND HIS ANKLES! As a kindergarten team we came to the agreement that the first day of school would be merely getting to know you activities and routines and procedures. However, 26 five year olds and one very speechless 21 year old could have never conducted a get to know you activity like the one this cute little boy offered us this day! Teacher of the year?.. you decide!..Text YIKES to 55547 to cast your vote!

Classroom Chaos

I truly never thought I would ever finish setting up my classroom! It literally took me nearly every second August had to offer. For those of you who were wondering.. there are approximately 2,678,400 seconds in August.. and you know the expression, "eat, sleep, breathe" what ever it is you are spending all your time on.. well I did all that.. minus the eating, sleeping, and breathing! BEING A FIRST YEAR TEACHER IS HARD! I could NOT have done any of this though with out Becca. She is amazing and everyone at George Washington Academy will testify of that. She spent every free hour of her summer at school helping me and when I couldn't find her in my classroom, she was helping someone she didn't even know! I know I can be difficult to work with, I am a major perfectionist and I would rather do things myself just so I know they will get done exactly how I was thinking them. So I appreciate everyone who helped me and put up with my tears and grumpiness. I think I almost have everything exactly how I want it! I have been so blessed, everything has fallen perfectly into place. I have received so many comments on my room, even from parents in other classes! I tried to make it as clean, and inviting as possible and I really feel so comforted in there. I know that this room was meant for me and I hope that the environment I have created will change someones life for the better this year, because it has already changed mine!

George Washington Academy

This is my first experience with blogging so be patient with me! I got the call to be interviewed at George Washington Academy on May 16th 2011. While in the interview the principal asked me if I could choose a grade which one would I prefer: 2nd grade, or kindergarten. My whole life I have always wanted to be a 2nd grade teacher. So naturally when he asked me the first thing that came out of my mouth, without hesitation was KINDERGARTEN. Why I said it, I never thought I would understand..until now. That same day the principal offered me the job and I remember feeling so excited! I called my dad and cried tears of joy as I felt and heard how proud he was of me. I called my Mom, Becca, sent out a mass text to everyone in my phone, and posted it on facebook. That night as I laid in bed I realized what I had done. At that moment I never could have realized the stress that would come with the simple words of accepting a job offer. George Washington Academy is a charter school located in St. George, Utah. All of my experience with teaching has been in the public school system and so as I started to learn more and more about charter schools, I became more and more uneasy about my decision. I went to school that last week of Kindergarten and they gave me the keys to my new classroom. It was a DISASTER. The lady who was in there before me, let's just say wasn't thrilled about leaving and didn't clean or take care of anything in the process! If you know me, you know I had a MAJOR panic attack as I sat amidst garbage, unpainted, torn walls, 26 tipped over chairs and tables, unwanted school supplies and kindergarten manipulatives from the dinosaur age. I left that day and cried every night for 4 weeks. I vented to everyone I knew about the mess I had gotten myself into and even applied for about 10 other jobs. However, I should have known better than to doubt my Heavenly Father's plan for me. With lots of help and wonderful sweet words of comfort from those who love me, I slowly became so convinced that this was right where he wanted me, and it only took one second with my beautiful sweet children to realize that even more.