Co Op Day

Yesterday was our first Co op day of the year. The kids had a blast. The 4 older kids are taking writing classes which I am sooooo glad about. I love the idea of them honing their writing skills a little more.

Everyone seemed genuinely happy with the way the classes went except B who was not real happy with his Biology class, but what can you expect, it’s biology. I think if you like it you’re doing it wrong.

This year I have two literature classes, a K – 2 and a 3 & 4. The 3 & 4 class has only 7 kids and is a blast! The kids are great and we had a lot of fun. This is what I envisioned when I signed up to do this. We had some great discussions and had a great overall morning.

My K-2 class? That is an entirely different story! Don’t let that photo fool you, it was anything but orderly. First of all there are 14 of them. 14! What in the heck was I thinking?? It was a zoo! When the kids first came in they were climbing up on the puppet stage and getting behind it and running all over the room. OH MY! I lost control right from the start because they all came running in at the same time and I had a few parents who wanted to talk to me and next thing I knew kids were climbing the walls!

I finally got them all under control (sort of) and sitting on the floor for the story, but they were so talkative! I could not keep their attention. They were rolling around, talking to each other, interrupting me to tell me that had lost a tooth, etc. YIKES!

But here’s the really embarrassing part. I had a parent stay in the room with me because her son is shy and she wanted to help him get settled. So she was watching this nightmare unfold! I even had a student walk out the door and I didn’t notice!

Now in all fairness it was not as bad as it sounds. My teen helper was leaving the room to take two of the students to the bathroom, and their little sister saw them leave and she followed them. My teen helper saw her come out of the room and just took her with them to the bathroom, but the point is she left the room without permission, and this mother noticed and I did not.

Nothing like public humiliation. I wonder if she’ll let her son come back.

I have big plans for next week. Assigned seats with their names on them…placing my teen helper near the puppet stage to keep them off…and I’m going to be mean! No more Mrs. Nice Teacher! Those kids are going to learn when to be quite. I have too many in there to have it be a free-for-all! UGH!

Then when we got home G told me how bad his ear was hurting and that he felt nauseous during PE and a bit dizzy. He’s had swimmers ear for a week or so now, but we’ve been treating it and had it almost gone till a few days ago when it came back with a vengeance. So as soon as we got home from Co op, I called the dr and the dr said come now, they had an opening. G and I hopped in the car and went to see the dr. She said it is a pretty bad infection, and that the normal antibiotic ear drops would not cut it, he’d need oral antibiotics. So off to the pharmacy we go. By the time we got home it was after 5.

I gotta tell you. I don’t want to see the inside of one more waiting room for quite some time!

I am praying next week will be better. It won’t start with a holiday, I don’t have appointments scheduled. I am not allowing anyone to get sick. It is only the regular amount of mayhem next week. Maybe we’ll get some school done.