teaching again

After five years out of the classroom working as a high school science resource teacher, and nine years since teaching middle school – I find myself back again. I'm teaching 6th grade Earth science, 7th grade Life science, and 8th grade Physical science at a K-8 school south of San Diego. I have a huge, climate-controlled room with all new desks, chairs and equipment. The kids are great and we're all enjoying ourselves.

My first two classes are 7th graders, who've been growing 30 day seed-to-seed Fast Plants:

I have one 7th grade class with a RIDICULOUS size of 45 students. It's 1st period so they're half asleep, but still a sea of tween hormones:


I have one mid-day 6th grade class - small but with 1/3 ESL/special ed. Here they are learning about erosion using stream tables:
Sometimes they get over-eager, like this note-taking incident here:

My last two classes are 8th graders, doing parallel and series circuits here:

And electromagnet fun here:
Great kids, really. As long as you keep em busy ;)

first day of school

Our 3 1/2 year old started a mixed-age kindergarten class (3 1/2 - 5 year olds) at the Waldorf School of San Diego. She takes her little basket with organic lunch everyday. My wonderful husband took two days off work for her first days of school (I was teaching & wouldn't dare leave students to a sub the first week of school).
Here's the classroom during her 'kindergarten tea': the day before class kids come in small groups for an hour to get a feel for the classroom and their teacher. It's hard to tell from the photo but the silks give the room a rosy glow.

Here's Caitlyn playing at the seasonal nature table - the kids add little treasures they find at outdoor playtime.
And, here's her cubby with her very own ladybug symbol.