Happy March!!!!

Today is the first day of March! Yesterday I saw a little purple tulip being brave :) Here in Shonto it is getting close to the 60's and the birds are chirping. I haven't had much time to blog and the school is fixing the Internet so I am borrowing it from a friend right now. He goes home to stay with his family on the weekends and we said we would cat sit for him. It was so nice getting to cook in a kitchen and catch up on some shows we can't watch :).
Since Las Vegas it has been very busy! My supervisor from I.U. came out to have a conference with all of the student teachers and to observe us teaching. We went the Dine College and spent the day talking. We discussed the issues we are having as well as all the positive things. It was a much needed day to recharge and receive encouragement. The president of the college also came to talk to us and he was a very engaging man dressed in traditional clothing. After our meeting we all went camping at the Canyon de Chelly campground to have some fun. We built a fire and made hot dogs! It was so cold!! We stayed up talking and having many good laughs. Then the six girls all snuggled in a tent together and most of them froze! Luckily my parents taught me well and I had a down sleeping bag, three blankets, long underwear, wool socks, down booties, etc :) Thanks Mom and Dad!
We got back from camping Saturday afternoon and Sunday we got up at 5:00 in the morning to go fishing at the Colorado River in Glen Canyon. The dean of students at the elementary school and his wife who is the human resources assistant invited us to fish with them, as well as one of the high school science teachers. It was amazing! So beautiful! We had so much fun and even though I didn't catch a fish some of the others did. I took a nice nap on a large boulder for a while, it was that peaceful! After fishing we went back into Page and grocery shopped then they treated us to pizza. They are such wonderful and nice people.
At school it has been some what frustrating. A lot of my students have been sick or not attending school, so many are behind. Those who are at school have been very distracted and not behaving. I think they can feel spring around the corner and need a break. We have been letting them play outside more and more to get out all the energy. I think my students are progressing, but according to the DIBELS reading scores they are not. Personally I can see the fear my students have in their eyes when my teachers tests them. They freeze and then have to try to read a story that its targeted towards middle class white students. The words and stories talk about things some of the students have never seen before. When I ask my students to read to me they do a pretty good job, but have a little trouble with comprehension. They are lower than first graders back home, but with the right strategies (that this school is not using) they could improve a great deal. Very frustrating! But in science the kids are having a good time. We planted some bean, daisy, and radish seeds and they sprouted! The students love to look at them with magnify glasses constantly.
This weekend I relaxed a lot and tried to catch up with lesson planning as well as resume writing. I applied for some summer jobs at day camps so hopefully I will have something lined up when I get home. Spring break is only two weeks away!! Thank goodness :)