Today I taught all of the reading block, with the exception of spelling! I wanted to get experience doing this because I will be subbing for another 3rd grade class soon. Whew! I survived!! I noticed that everyone was a little more fidgety and talkative than usual. It seems to me that the class is starting to test me out as disciplinarian. Gah! I refuse to lose that battle. Unfortunately, students lost marbles from the marble jar during word knowledge board time. However, after a very serious talk about respect, we continued on to reading our story of the week out of the anthology. Oh my word, they can behave! Faith in the students was restored in a matter of an hour 
Not that I had come to seriously doubt them.
After we read the anthology, Mrs. Christensen taught for a while. Swimming lessons for 3rd graders was today, and everything went so smoothly at the YMCA again! Unbelievable! The kids were so exhausted from swimming, that they sunk right into their desks and into today’s math assessment. Easy as pie! (wish they went swimming everyday haha)
We usually end each day in a closing circle. At this time, each student takes a turn telling at least one other student something nice about them. Its a great time to allow students to share things that are important to them, or to compliment students.
Today during closing circle, I decided to read a story to them. I read Strega Nona. Every single student was engaged! I was so so very happy. Everyone left the circle feeling very hungry from all the pasta talk though!
Reading went so well today in fact, that Dorene and I have decided to start reading a chapter out of a chapter book everyday for closing circle! I think the first one we will start with is The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe.
Tomorrow is drama club, and I’m so excited! I always look forward to Thursdays, and I think the rest of the students do too. There are 45 students in drama club, ranging from Kindergarten to fifth grade. It’s so much fun to watch the students participate so willingly and with pure joy. Looking around, one can tell they are already comfortable enough to be thinking out of the box, and acting out of their comfort zones! I can’t wait to see what risks they will take tomorrow! We will be doing some Reader’s Theatre for the first time tomorrow, so we will see how that goes!
So one of my swim team kids is in third grade and has to take lessons. He’s going to be a disruption because he’s too advanced and gets bored. It’s hard enough for me to keep him occupied at practice so I’m hoping Ali can handle him while teaching the other kids. How are your kids doing with swimming?
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is awesome! I also suggest some Rhoald Dahl, either the BFG or Matilda or one of his many other wonderfully wordalicious books.