It's working.....It's really working!

I had another successful day in the classroom today! It's a miracle...no not really, it's due to my supurb determination to win this bunch of kids over by my sheer niceness and determination to make this work.  I had my first case of cheating today....not fun but hopefully resolved.  It was during this resolution that the other teacher was in my classroom working with my kids and I later learned that my hard work of repetative behavior practicing was paying off!! **Insert Halleluja Chorus here**  The kids knew just what to do during read aloud and also while working on their journals.  This even earned me a hi-five from the other teacher.  It still makes me smile to think that I actually know what I am doing and all those years of subbing and putting up with the mostly wonderful students is paying off.  I am learning that I am much more patient than the other teacher but my kids are slowly getting the hang of my expectations.  The raising the hand thing still is a hard one for them along with the smirky faces I get after they know they've been naughty.  The great desk shuffle was also a success today.  I got a few complaints about who they had to sit next too, but it was less than five.  I think that's awesome.  I purposely separated a couple of students and that is challenging in a tiny room with 14 students.  I did it though, and there is a bit more shuffling around as kids are working on some of their work, it is an organized shuffle.  Organized shuffle might sound like an oxymoron but it is not.  Not in the teaching world at least.  It was a great day today.  AND, it was topped off by an invite to go to Yellowstone Park this weekend!!! YAY!!!! I am super excited because I have not been there since I was 12 and I don't remember much except we watched Old Faithful errupt some rediculous amount of times, like 10 or something.  Signing off for now...