some updates and some cool things to check out

Hey friends! I got this email from my principal and she urged us to do what we can with the info. I thought I would pass it on (it will be at the bottom). I have found 2 really awesome websites for cool little readable books, worksheets, etc. The first is http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/ The other is Carl's corner: http://www.carlscorner.us.com/ Things are going better with me but yesterday was super hard, Ke'Vaugn was pulled from my class (one of the nuns was observing him and he flipped out and was screaming and yelling out and when I put him in the back of the room to walk on the 8 that I have on my floor (research shows that making an 8 shape with your fingers or walking in an 8 calms kids down - also the smell of strawberry oil also does this and the smell of cinnamon) he kept screaming and when I asking him to stop he started singing so she took him out and put him in PreK 4 and he did really well. They called his mom and told her that he either had to go to PreK 4 or leave the school and she took him out. It is such a shame though because he was a very smart boy and he definitely has some issues that I knew I could help him with. I am really going to miss him! But my principal and all the teachers said I could not have saved him and did everything humanly possible to help him - he just wasn't ready maturity wise to be in there. Although he really did take up so much time and energy, I loved him and will miss him but I know it will be better for my class. However, now I have only 17 kids and hopefully I will be able to give them the attention that they need. I am super nervous because my principal has to observe me on Wednesday and I do not know what lesson to do. She wants to see science or Social studies - ahhh! I am thinking about doing the Leaf Man lesson I have done in every K class I have worked with so far...it generally goes well. But boy am I nervous! Let me know if you have any awesome lessons you could pass on that I could try. We are officially doing human nutrition next week and Wednesday is fruit - I plan on making a smoothie with them - but I cant do that in front of her just bc the kids will be so excited and going crazy. She likes order and silence and perfection - AHHHH! So nervous! Other than that, I think of you all often and I miss you so much. I hope everyone is doing well! You all need to send updates about what is going on with your lives. Here is the email I got: Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world. Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it! Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your Self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both. Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.. Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity. Rule 6: If you mess up,it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. Rule 8: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time. Rule 9:Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 10: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.