Miss Bee: Here's to a horrible observation. Plus-classroom pics.

Well, yesterday was my observation and what a day I chose. To start with, one of the first grade teachers was gone all morning and instead of having a sub, they just split her class among the remaining teachers. My kids handled that surprise beautifully and gracefully but they couldn't make it through the principal visiting. Even though I planned a lesson identical to what we do almost every day, they just were GOOFY! I can't say it really stressed me out but I was disappointed in the way they behaved. I like putting our best foot forward and I don't think we did.
I met with Taime today to discuss said observation and, just like I thought she would, she said that everything that happened was completely understandable. I think it helps that whenever she has walked into my class it has been under control and calm except for that one day. Since she didn't have a whole lot of suggestions for me, here are some I have for myself. I am going to have a signal where the kids know when they hear it to stop what they are doing and look up at me. I am also going to practice little transition things a couple of times each day until we are better at them.
Went to the library tonight to get some books on the human body. There isn't a science curriculum to follow so we have to provide for ourselves. So, for the next few weeks, we are doing the human body. Should be fun, right? I started today by reading The Magic School Bus goes inside the Human Body. I thought that I would read that whole book and then refer back to it and cover everything more detailed in the order that Ms. Frizzle's class experiences it. That means digestion comes first!