Katherine+Biddle

=Katherine Biddle= =Junior, semester 2=

Start of semester to Feb. 17th I have enjoied working with the kids so much. I understand it has not been long since i met them all but I still feel so connected with them. I try and take time to ask each one about their day or how their weekend was. Cathy is always enthusiastic to tell me about her horse back riding. Whether it's a simple walk to change over the laundry or just cutting up box tops, they complain less then my other peers. I can't help but walk in and have a smile. They brighten up my day.

Week of February 20th I've skipped around on my journaling, I know. Although I do remember this week was when Willie Weber started sitting with me at my lunch table. All the girls enjoy his company and thinks he is very charming, even if it is only the last few minutes of lunch, we always have the best conversations. Kyle is starting to talk to me more wether its in library on Tuesdays or in between class.

Week of February 27th This week we finished the pencils!!! Finally, all my fellow juniors will have nice sharpened pencils for our PSSA's. One day in class we did a game that involved the superbowl. I helped Cassie and Lee flip heads or tails and move the penny across the board to make a touch down, Cassie won. Also the kids so generously made me a pizza, even though I am no longer in their foods class; so good!

Week of March 5th Mrs. Powers gave me more information about the dance we throw in our cafeteria. I will be sure to come. This week was very melow. As our science experiment we opened an avacado and put the seed in water. Each person was aloud to try a piece. Watching Kyle was so funny, I still have no idea if he enjoied it or not. Cassie, on the other hand, ate the whole piece in one bite.

Week of March 12th I had the best birthday ever!! Thanks to the class. The best chocolate cake I've had. Each kid took the time to make me a card, except Kirstin and Nate combined their's (shock). I helped Cathy complete a princess puzzle. Also, the kids made pizza and wrapped it up for me to have some.

Week of March 19th PSSA's i did not have a chance to see anyone all week!

Week of March 26th We had to say good-bye to Cassie, I had no clue it was her last day or I would have gotten her a card or something. I do see her get on her new bus every morning on my way to school. On Tuesday in the library I talked with Mrs. Fox about Kyle and she helped me understand him better. As a result, when she was absent on Friday, I took the opprotunity to sit next to Kyle and help him read our daily news. I was nervous at first beacuse of the way he lashes out sometimes, but he did amazing and even thanked me for helping him.

Month of April During the month of April me and Cathy got really close. We talk about everything, ecspecially about Colton. I realized how much she looks up to him. The dance we threw in the cafeteria was amazing! I met alot of great kids, Caitie even added me on facebook. I took lots of pictures on Mrs. Browns' camera.

Beggining of May We went to the special olympics! I was in charge of Leandra. We did the standing jump, 50m race, and the 25m run. We sat on the sidewalk and ate sandwiches. The class made theirs' in their cooking class the day before. The whole day was a blast.

Week of May 18 I was absent a couple of days this week. But on Tuesday in the library I was talking to Kyle. I was asking him how his weekend was, when out of no where he told me to stop talking to him. When I said ok Kyle and started to walk away he apologized and answered the question I had asked him. Which was, what was his favorite book.

**Senior**
First Marking Period of the 2012-2013 school year This marking period was one to remember. Mrs.Powers was out of school with her baby for majority of the time. Mrs.Kromer was in her place. Mrs. Kromer wasn't sure how to work her way around the class room, or how to interact with each chil. During the periods I was in te classroom (3rd and 6th) I helped her to the best of my abilities. The new schedule proved to be a challenge, it still is now. One thing I would like to say, imparticularly, is that Kyle has improved so much since last year. Even from when I saw him over the summer, at Lee's birthday party. He's matured. Kyle doesn't put up as many fitghts as he used to. He has learned how to ask for help, even from Mrs.Fox. Another thing I would like to say, is that Margaret can be disruptive at times. This has allowed me to be a part of a new experience, I'm learning how to calmly deal with her rather than get my own temper up. I haven't had much interaction with Cathy as I would like. She and I talk all the time in the hallway, in the kitchen, but I don't find myself helping her as much I would want to. So far, all the kids have been helping me learn their certain needs, and hopefully I've been helping them excel in their achademics and social skills. I can't wait to see what the rest of this year will bring.

The week of November 5-9 This week was great! I worked more with Kyle and his reading. He seems to improve more and more every day. He's becoming very independent and mature. Cathy came back for a day or two, and it looks like she is feeling better. Margaret missed a math class because she was having a bad attitude, and I wish that I could understand her better. That's my goal in these up coming months; to understand where her frustration comes from.

November 12-16th I did my senior presentation this week; I passed! I ended up having to cut my presentation short because I could talk all day about my experiences with the class. Everyone liked my poster board. When I was finished with my presentation, the teachers I presented to, said that I did extremly well.

November 27-30th We did not have school monday. Throught this week I played math bingo and money bingo with all of the students in third period (Kiersten, Nate, Rebecca, Emily, and Margaret). Today we made popcorn again, and I had to tell Patrick multiple times to stop putting his head on the counter or his feet on the cabinets. This is the very first time he ever talked back to me. Hopefully it was the last.

December This was a very short month. We did many Christmas related activities. I thoroughly enjoyed making each of the students a personalized Christmas present, and was shocked when the class returned a gift to me. This was an MnM's candy cane that did not even last five minutes in my house hold. Cathy's brother, Colton, informed me that I am hanging on their refrigerator (A picture I gave Cathy of me and her).

January 1-11th The classroom received bad news. Kyle will be leaving us soon. I truly hope that he stays in touch. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow and learn more and more every day. He will be missed. Margaret informed me she has been using her personal journal I made for her. Margaret’s birthday also passed. My highlight of this past week and a half was listening to the students demonstrating their British accents. Kyle, Patrick, and Kiersten nailed it!

January 28th- February 1st The new semester has started and it has not been the same since Kyle left us. Although I know he is moving on to bigger and better things, I already miss him. There has been drama in the classroom, and I find it comforting that the students know if they need someone to talk to they can always come to me.

February 4- 8th In 3rd period the students began taking cards off of their math rings. Their speed of multipcation has increased drastically since we started the daily routine. Mrs. Powers brought up the idea of allowing the peer tutors to have a lesson plan. I remember when we tried growing an avacado seed in a glass of water. It did not work out so well. I want to try to grow a lima bean sprout in the window sill. In cooking class we made milk shakes, and a healthy plate of cottage cheese, carrots, tomatoes, and peppers in the shape of a clown. We also started to read about black history month

April 15-19 I had not seen the students very much this week. The students went to a job expo. They went from booth to booth and listened to the presenters about what is appropriate for work and what is not. Nathan had the amazing opportunity of having a booth and being a presenter for all his hard work he does at the dmv.

April 22-26 This had been a very exciting week for the students because they had their dance on Friday. They made the fruit salad and fruit dip on Thursday.When Friday came around I helped Mrs. Brown paint Becca, Kurtains, Emily, and Le's nails. Cathy had already made plans to get heer nails done somewhere else. The dance was perfect. Not too much food, not too little. We were all surrounded by good friends.

April 29- the 3rd Yet again another magnificent week! You could not ask for better weather at the special olympics, on Thursday, at Coatesville. I had been ask to go with Emily to her events, which was great! Le's mom brought their puppy in training, Rosebud.