How the Cupid Shuffle saved my life and other random notions

This week has given me my first real taste of what my job is going to be like when it begins in August.  We had curriculum training for all the new lead teachers and paraprofessionals, led by Zeke, our instructional coach.  And I have to say, the training was AWESOME!  It wasn't just sitting around learning about the curriculum.  We played Jeopardy, musical chairs, learned a line dance, did the Cupid Shuffle, and participated in the Amazing Race.  College Heights ECLC had a huge turnover in teachers this year for some reason, so about half of the teachers/paras are new.  It's a really great group of diverse people.  The school itself is like one big family.

It was interesting for me to see the Pre-K educational focus, especially as it relates to an elementary school. Most of the focus was on reading stories, comprehension, and enriching vocabulary.  We reviewed phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, phonics, onset rime, .... I actually understand it now!  Apparently, by the time children make it to kindergarten, they should already have a good understanding of letters, sounds, rhymes, and onset rime.  Talk about eye-opening.

I used this week to gauge how long my commute would be.  Today it only took me about 55 minutes.  Yesterday took me 1 hour, 20 minutes.  It's amazing how leaving 5 minutes earlier or later can change the drive time.  I think I've figured out that I'll have to leave at 6 - 6:15 to ensure I make it by 7:15.  Yikes!  It's the afternoons that are the worst; my car is usually warm, which makes me sleepy.  Yesterday I was really struggling to stay awake on the drive home, and the Cupid Shuffle came up on my CD.  So, I promptly started dancing....well, the best I could considering I was driving.  The person next to me on the exit looked at me like I was crazy.  But, dancing did the job!  I made it home without any accidents.  And that's how the Cupid Shuffle saved my life.