Getting Ready

The air feels a little colder, even though I don't want to admit it. I also can't seem to ignore the oversize bags of orange and black wrapped treats that are appearing in all the drug and grocery stores now. Empty buses practice their routes. Fliers fill my mailbox with "back to school specials". I am finally allowed back into the school building where I work. The beginning of a new school year is upon us and I want to begin the work of setting up the environment.

The environment is crucial to a successful classroom. This year, I have decided to add a feelings corner/peace keeping area to the classroom. I went back and forth in my mind about this decision. On the one hand, students need to be able to express their feelings and demonstrate problem solving skills all over the classroom, the school building and their lives and not just in one tiny corner of a classroom. On the other hand, it seems as though the kids get overwhelmed by their emotions, especially at this young age. One small conflict can cause a major melt down. I wanted to create an area in the room where it was safe to talk about feelings and to work out conflicts with peers without the distraction of other materials or students. I want it to feel homey and comfortable. I found some great children's cushiony chairs on sale and covered a small crate to make a little table. As of yet, I haven't been able to decide on a name for this area. I have made some other tweaks to the environment as well but this feels like the major one for the year. Please send suggestions for names and other props for this area. Additionally, check back to see how the kids are using it.

One final thought about getting ready for school. I am amazed at how different people get ready. Some of us think about the classroom, use the summer to locate deals on necessary supplies not provided by our student and our truly ready to go back to school in mid August. Others of us have not yet made an appearance in the classrooms where we have to spend the next 180 days and school starts in less than a week. Still other people in the school building seem to be busying their days doling out supplies and others still are busy reapplying seemingly endless coats of paint and wax to the walls and floors. Finally, the people who are working on the parking lot for our building seem to be making good progress, so I am hopeful it will be ready for the first day as well.

Look for future posts about the attempted scam at my local office supply store, and various other thoughts about the first day of school.

A Teacher's Prayer

Many of us head back to school soon. I found this online sometime during the long gray winter days when the idea of one more indoor recess feels like a death sentence, and I needed all of the help that I could get.

A Teacher's Prayer

Lord, let me be just what they need.
If they need someone to trust, let me be trustworthy.
If they need sympathy, let me sympathize.
If they need love ( and they do need love), let me love, in full measure.

Let me not anger easily Lord, but let me be just.
Permit my justice to be tempered in your mercy.
When I stand before them, Lord, let me look strong and good and honest and loving.
And let me be as Strong and good and honest and loving as I look to them.
Help me to counsel the anxious, crack the covering of the shy, temper the rambunctious with
a gentle attitude.
Permit me to teach only the truth.
Help me to inspire them so that learning will not cease at the classroom door.
Let the lessons they learn make their lives fruitful and happy.
And Lord, let me bring them to you
Teach them thorough me to love You.
Permit me to learn the lessons they teach

I found this prayer on http://discovery.bits-pilani.ac.in/discipline/csis/kiran/teacherprayer.htm and this link is valid as of 8/6/08

Teaching, in a very different setting

This past week, I got to spend with my nephew. Granted he does live with me and I am blessed in that way because I do get to see him often. However, this past week was unique in that it was our first week long "adventure" together. His mother was off on vacation to meet her boyfriend's family. After thinking about the week carefully, I decided not to send him to day care. I thought I could provide enriching and educational experiences for him and did not want to spend my hard earned dollars on gasoline to drive him back and forth.

We visited with my mom, picked fruits and vegetables at a local farm, went to the library, played in the yard, looked for slugs and worms, did puzzles, marble painting, used the playdough extensively, went to the beach, visited the zoo and ran a few errands. Over the course of the week, he became very interested in cloud formations so we spent a little time doing some research. He learned the first letter of his name and almost how to write it. He learned the first letter of my name, his uncle's name, and that M is for Mommy. He learned to listen to my rules (only after testing them a few times to make sure that I meant what I said). He learned that he can count on me to meet his needs. He is beginning to learn to say excuse me during conversations. Together, we came up with a manageable way to handle transistions using a timer.

I learned a few things too. I re-learned what a fantastic kid he is. I also relearned that it is so important to offer choices and stick to your limits. I learned so much about what he knows of this world and how he thinks. I learned the importance of the saying "sleep when the child sleeps" and gained new appreciation for nap time. I also learned that my husband is fantastic and that we worked well as a team most of the time during this week. He was able to take the nephew outside while I set up a project indoors. He was able to manage the early mornings so I could have a few precious extra minutes of sleep. I gained new appreciation for my sister, and the other single parents in this world who actually do a good job at the most important job, being a parent.

I started thinking this week about background knowledge and what a child comes to school already knowing. Background knowledge is important for school success but the amount and quality of background knowledge students have when they enter school varies. Take the clouds for example. My nephew and I yesterday spent some time talking about clouds, doing some web research and then going outside to see what types of clouds we could find. He was so excited to learn about the clouds and had so many questions. When we talk about the weather at school and I point out clouds to the children, many of them act as though they have never seen a cloud before. Yet most of the students in my classroom will be a year older than my nephew. Its not to say they come into school knowing NOTHING, just different things.

For example, I am always amazed when students recognize brand names of cars, sneakers and clothing. For some of my students, this is their background knowledge. The question is, how to turn this knowledge into a thirst for other knowledge, how to relate their knowledge to academic interests and subjects?

Let me not get too carried away, it is after all summer. I enjoyed my week with my nephew we both learned a lot.