Baby It's Cold Outside

I have started a Christmas countdown board in my classroom. I know that creating a bulletin board is a small thing (really it's kind of tedious and helps me understand why it is considered a "first year teacher thing") but I love countdowns. I really appreciate this countdown because there are many things that I am looking forward to that will happen around day one--I will be with my family, my first semester of teaching will be complete, my project PaCE observations will be done (they are looming over my head), etc. I am looking forward to day one but I'm not wishing my days away either.

This week was freezing--I am not ready for Texas Panhandle weather. Cold weather is one of my least favorite parts about winter--that and the days getting darker sooner. I expected it to get somewhat cold in the Valley, but I'm tired of thirty degree weather. I don't do well with the cold and never have. There is just something about warm weather and the sun that makes me smile. 

On Friday, I decided to have my kids write a letter to Santa as a journal assignment. In 11th grade, students are working on persuasive writing. I know it might seem rather silly, but I had them write a letter persuading Santa to take them off of the naughty list. The letters that I received have kept me laughing and my kids really seemed to enjoy the assignment. Obviously a letter to Santa isn't the most rigorous writing I could assign, but my students wrote and were persuasive--celebrate the small things. 

12 days until break--17 until Christmas.