A few weeks ago when my the author of the Brainy and Beautiful Blog nominated me for the superior scribbler award, she commented that teachers need more recognition. Here is a link to her post about it. While I was honored to receive the award, it was her comment that got the wheels in my head spinning. Many teachers work extremely hard each day. But do we, as a profession need extra recognition for the work that we do?
Other people in other professions must work hard too. Whether they find their work harder or easier than teaching I couldn't say. I for one have never had another profession and many people who work in other fields have not taught.
I didn't go into teaching to be recognized. I went into teaching to make a difference in the lives of children. I went into teaching to make their lives better. Would a little positive recognition every once in a while from a certain headmaster hurt? Well, no probably not. A few teachers in my building joke around with me and with each other about being nominated for teacher of the year. We usually make this joke when someone is being particularly hard on themselves. It cracks a few smiles usually and even a few chuckles. The best "recognition" to speak of though comes when you least expect it. When a parent takes the time to write you a thank you note, thanking you for all of the work you have done with their child. When a student that was in your class several years ago comes back to visit. Simply seeing the students' faces light up when I talk to them. It really is the smallest things that matter the most.
The drive to teach is not about the desire to be decorated in awards and recognitions of various forms. It is the passion, the motivation to impact and educate a student, one single student.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Superior Scribbler
I am honored to receive this award from the one and only Brainy and Beautiful who received the reward from Sandra at Worlds End Farm This and That. You can read more about the author of the Brainy and Beautiful blog here. She is a wonderful friend of mine that I have known long before either of us ever even considered blogging to be a possibility.
There are some strings attached and they are as follows:
*Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass the Award on to 5 most-deserving Blog Friends.
*You must link to the author and name of the blog from where he/she has received the award.
*You must display the Award on your blog and link to THIS POST, which explains the Award.
*Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add your name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, they will be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honor.You must post these rules on your blog.
So without further ado, here are my nominees
Amanda at Cackleberry who continually amazes me with her vegan recipes and motivations
Beth at From the "road" simply because she is Beth
Cal Teacher whose education blog inspires me even in the toughest times
I need to stop at three nominees. In addition to Brainy and Beautiful, those are my three favorites. I will add a more in depth post later this week.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Feeling frazzled
My para, a.k.a Ms. S is out for another 7 more school days for some sort of personal/ life situation that came up. No fault of her own, life stuff happens and I get that. Even though she announced her absence on Monday and today is Thursday, I still don't have the coverage that I am supposed to have. Granted, I had some help for an hour or so on Tuesday and I had the speech therapist assist me at dismissal and that was wonderful. I am grateful for help. Yesterday we had no school.
That brings us to today. All of the students are here with seemingly more energy than usual. I have no assistant today. I needed to send a note to the office to get lunch coverage. A parent came in demanding that I fill out two sets of assessments that are due today. He wanted to pick them up at 11 and I explained that I was working by myself and that they would not possibly be ready. So he shows up at 11, wondering where they are.
Then I need to go to remind the assistant principal that I need help at dismissal. I cannot stand with both the walkers and the bus students since they go to different places at opposite ends of the school. Nor can I leave one group of students by themselves. She looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language.
I am honestly not trying to whine, even though it may sound that way. Teaching of and in itself is a hard enough job but then when there are all these other struggles, it is simply overwhelming. And then there is this nagging feeling that this is directly impacting the kids. I feel as if I am not giving them as good of an education.
My classroom is designed on the idea that there are two adults there. Without Ms. S, I am dragging and struggling. I hate that it affects the children. Hopefully, tomorrow and in the coming school days I will be better able to adjust to these temporary working conditions.
The kids and I all miss you, Ms. S. Resolve whatever issue has happened and try to hurry back.
That brings us to today. All of the students are here with seemingly more energy than usual. I have no assistant today. I needed to send a note to the office to get lunch coverage. A parent came in demanding that I fill out two sets of assessments that are due today. He wanted to pick them up at 11 and I explained that I was working by myself and that they would not possibly be ready. So he shows up at 11, wondering where they are.
Then I need to go to remind the assistant principal that I need help at dismissal. I cannot stand with both the walkers and the bus students since they go to different places at opposite ends of the school. Nor can I leave one group of students by themselves. She looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language.
I am honestly not trying to whine, even though it may sound that way. Teaching of and in itself is a hard enough job but then when there are all these other struggles, it is simply overwhelming. And then there is this nagging feeling that this is directly impacting the kids. I feel as if I am not giving them as good of an education.
My classroom is designed on the idea that there are two adults there. Without Ms. S, I am dragging and struggling. I hate that it affects the children. Hopefully, tomorrow and in the coming school days I will be better able to adjust to these temporary working conditions.
The kids and I all miss you, Ms. S. Resolve whatever issue has happened and try to hurry back.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Snow day = sad kids?
Towards the end of the day yesterday, I told my students to check the news before they went to bed. I explained to them that it was going to snow and school might be closed because of the snow. Most of them like the snow, so I assumed that they would be excited, but when I looked around I saw quite a few sad faces staring back at me. I asked them about their sad faces and the said " We like school. We WANT to come to SCHOOL." I was touched by their words and immediately felt bad for being somewhat ambivalent about whether or not I wanted a snow day myself.
I mean honestly, I could use a day off as much as the next person. I am tired, I have a list of chores to do, etc. But then again I like June, the warm sunny weather and the beach a lot more than I like random days off in the middle of January. After talking with the kids though, all bets were off. They wanted to be at school, they did not want it to snow. It is the first time I have heard kids, other than my self, express this idea. When I was in elementary school, I loved school. I loved learning and reading and could never get enough.
At the end of the school day, several parents asked me if I had heard anything yet. I explained that I hadn't, that we would all hear about the same time. I told them how to sign up for text message alerts through the local news stations. I also told them that the district will make an automated phone call to all students and staff after informing the news station. Many of the parents I spoke to yesterday seemed anxious about the possibility of a snow day, but still it wasn't the same sadness that their children exhibited.
So, the question that begs asking is: what is the reason behind these emotions? For my students who are saddened by the possibility of a snow day: DO they love school and or learning so much that the thought of having a disruption to that process is unbearable for them? Is their home life so stressful or unpleasant that school is just a good place to go to escape? Maybe they don't particularly like school, but it is just better than being at home? Maybe they really enjoy spending time with their friends or feel as though they are going to miss something if they are not at school.
And what about their parents? Why so many anxious adults at the end of the day yesterday? Does a snow day mean that they will miss a day of work and therefore a day of pay? I would assume that would create some anxiety if money is already tight. Do the parents simply dislike snow? Is it hard for them to be at home with their children?
The answers remain unknown. Given the intense emotions of my students and their parents, I am hoping that remainder of the winter will be relatively uneventful. I am also uplifted and inspired by my students' comments about wanting to stay in school. It makes me want to stay in school, to work hard to continue to inspire a love of learning inside each of them.
I mean honestly, I could use a day off as much as the next person. I am tired, I have a list of chores to do, etc. But then again I like June, the warm sunny weather and the beach a lot more than I like random days off in the middle of January. After talking with the kids though, all bets were off. They wanted to be at school, they did not want it to snow. It is the first time I have heard kids, other than my self, express this idea. When I was in elementary school, I loved school. I loved learning and reading and could never get enough.
At the end of the school day, several parents asked me if I had heard anything yet. I explained that I hadn't, that we would all hear about the same time. I told them how to sign up for text message alerts through the local news stations. I also told them that the district will make an automated phone call to all students and staff after informing the news station. Many of the parents I spoke to yesterday seemed anxious about the possibility of a snow day, but still it wasn't the same sadness that their children exhibited.
So, the question that begs asking is: what is the reason behind these emotions? For my students who are saddened by the possibility of a snow day: DO they love school and or learning so much that the thought of having a disruption to that process is unbearable for them? Is their home life so stressful or unpleasant that school is just a good place to go to escape? Maybe they don't particularly like school, but it is just better than being at home? Maybe they really enjoy spending time with their friends or feel as though they are going to miss something if they are not at school.
And what about their parents? Why so many anxious adults at the end of the day yesterday? Does a snow day mean that they will miss a day of work and therefore a day of pay? I would assume that would create some anxiety if money is already tight. Do the parents simply dislike snow? Is it hard for them to be at home with their children?
The answers remain unknown. Given the intense emotions of my students and their parents, I am hoping that remainder of the winter will be relatively uneventful. I am also uplifted and inspired by my students' comments about wanting to stay in school. It makes me want to stay in school, to work hard to continue to inspire a love of learning inside each of them.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Mr. President
My students and, I suspect, their families, are very excited about Mr. Obama's inauguration. Many teachers in my building used personal time to travel down to DC to be there. One of my students stayed at home with her family to watch history being made. At three, four, and five, they certainly don't know that history is in fact being made. They do know that a lot of people are excited and they are too. They do know that Obama was on television and many of them appeared to have seen the Obamas' first presidential dance.
On Wednesday, I brought in several newspapers. All of the students wanted their own newspaper and they worked hard to share the ones I had. They spent much of the morning looking through the newspapers and trying to find all of the pictures they could of Obama. They tried to compare the pictures in the different newspapers to see if any of them were the same.
Without further ado, here is a smattering of their thoughts and questions:
N: Barack Obama is our president now. That is cool!
S: I saw Obama dance with his wife. That was beautiful
I: Mrs K1 teacher, do you have lunch with Rock Obama? Does he go to your house
D: He is the first brown person to be president
S: Yeah, he is also a dad. He plays with the kids too.
E: Will he ever come to our school? I want to meet him.
I: He is gonna fix things
L: IS Barack Obama still the president?
They had so many other things to say as well, but that is what sticks out in mind the most right now. They are quite fascinated with him and he is a wonderful role model for them. During freeze dancing and musical chairs this week, they started chanting "O- BA - MA. O-Ba-MA, O-BA-MA!" ( Hooray for being able to break a part words into syllables)
On Wednesday, I brought in several newspapers. All of the students wanted their own newspaper and they worked hard to share the ones I had. They spent much of the morning looking through the newspapers and trying to find all of the pictures they could of Obama. They tried to compare the pictures in the different newspapers to see if any of them were the same.
Without further ado, here is a smattering of their thoughts and questions:
N: Barack Obama is our president now. That is cool!
S: I saw Obama dance with his wife. That was beautiful
I: Mrs K1 teacher, do you have lunch with Rock Obama? Does he go to your house
D: He is the first brown person to be president
S: Yeah, he is also a dad. He plays with the kids too.
E: Will he ever come to our school? I want to meet him.
I: He is gonna fix things
L: IS Barack Obama still the president?
They had so many other things to say as well, but that is what sticks out in mind the most right now. They are quite fascinated with him and he is a wonderful role model for them. During freeze dancing and musical chairs this week, they started chanting "O- BA - MA. O-Ba-MA, O-BA-MA!" ( Hooray for being able to break a part words into syllables)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
It wasn't that bad
This morning I was up before the alarm and my brain was in high gear. As is typical for me, I was over thinking and over worrying. What if this... did I do....how about if I....maybe I should.... None of these thoughts were in my control, especially not at 5am. When I finally got t school, I made self stop and look at my room from an outsiders point of view. I sat down and tried to take a few breaths. I then made a list of ten things that "needed" to be done and proceeded to freak out because I did not have time to accomplish all of them. I narrowed it down to three things that I knew I could do well before school started.
My principal came down about 30 minutes after Mr. Director was supposed to arrive to inform me that he hadn't seen Mr. Director. Minus points for him in my book. I strongly value punctuality. I did hear someone speak in September who made me think about that a little, but still. In a school setting we encourage the parents to bring the kids to school on time. As teachers many of us arrive earlier than we need to do. A person with such a serious title and responsibility as Mr. Director should be setting an example to himself. But it was center time, my children were in various locations around the room, all of them seeming to need or want my attention or assistance, so I did not dwell too much on the topic of the lateness. Thanks to the wonderful children for just being themselves.
A short while later, Mr. Director arrived. Since it was still center time, I was slightly distracted when he entered the room. When I had finished my conversation with the child I was working with, I went over and introduced myself. I noticed and was impressed by the fact that he was NOT wearing a suit. A suit is not the right attire for an early childhood classroom. We chatted briefly about the demographics of the classroom. He walked around and jotted little notes. He chatted with some of my students about what they were working on. He and I talked again and he asked me how I felt about the curriculum and how I thought it worked in a multi-aged setting. He asked me what I needed from the early childhood department and if there was anything I wanted to tell him specifically.
What an opportunity! I had a chance to speak to the director of early childhood for the entire district and he was asking me some very interesting questions. I gave the best answers I could in between adding more paint to the easel area, adding more paper for birthday card making at the art area, and helping children at the water table melt ice by spray warm water on it. The kids obviously need to come first, but I just wish I had been clearer and more precise when I did talk to him. It is so hard to have serious, in depth conversation with adults while trying to support my students and their learning. Ms. S, aka super para, suggested I email him to reiterate my main points. What a fantastic idea. During my lunch period I jotted down what I had wanted to say to him and then typed an email to him during my prep period.
I thanked him for visiting and explained what I didn't think I was clear on. He actually wrote me back and thanked me for letting him observe. He said that he wants to support me and the critical work that I am doing. He also asked if I was certified in early childhood education and where I went to school because he noticed that a lot of "things in the classroom looked right".
All in all, I would say that it was a successful visit and follow-up email. Thanks to Christine J and Beth for the comments with words of encouragement and support. Thanks to Ms. S for putting up with me day in and day out through all the silliness and burst of energy and for reassuring me this morning that I had nothing to be nervous about.
My principal came down about 30 minutes after Mr. Director was supposed to arrive to inform me that he hadn't seen Mr. Director. Minus points for him in my book. I strongly value punctuality. I did hear someone speak in September who made me think about that a little, but still. In a school setting we encourage the parents to bring the kids to school on time. As teachers many of us arrive earlier than we need to do. A person with such a serious title and responsibility as Mr. Director should be setting an example to himself. But it was center time, my children were in various locations around the room, all of them seeming to need or want my attention or assistance, so I did not dwell too much on the topic of the lateness. Thanks to the wonderful children for just being themselves.
A short while later, Mr. Director arrived. Since it was still center time, I was slightly distracted when he entered the room. When I had finished my conversation with the child I was working with, I went over and introduced myself. I noticed and was impressed by the fact that he was NOT wearing a suit. A suit is not the right attire for an early childhood classroom. We chatted briefly about the demographics of the classroom. He walked around and jotted little notes. He chatted with some of my students about what they were working on. He and I talked again and he asked me how I felt about the curriculum and how I thought it worked in a multi-aged setting. He asked me what I needed from the early childhood department and if there was anything I wanted to tell him specifically.
What an opportunity! I had a chance to speak to the director of early childhood for the entire district and he was asking me some very interesting questions. I gave the best answers I could in between adding more paint to the easel area, adding more paper for birthday card making at the art area, and helping children at the water table melt ice by spray warm water on it. The kids obviously need to come first, but I just wish I had been clearer and more precise when I did talk to him. It is so hard to have serious, in depth conversation with adults while trying to support my students and their learning. Ms. S, aka super para, suggested I email him to reiterate my main points. What a fantastic idea. During my lunch period I jotted down what I had wanted to say to him and then typed an email to him during my prep period.
I thanked him for visiting and explained what I didn't think I was clear on. He actually wrote me back and thanked me for letting him observe. He said that he wants to support me and the critical work that I am doing. He also asked if I was certified in early childhood education and where I went to school because he noticed that a lot of "things in the classroom looked right".
All in all, I would say that it was a successful visit and follow-up email. Thanks to Christine J and Beth for the comments with words of encouragement and support. Thanks to Ms. S for putting up with me day in and day out through all the silliness and burst of energy and for reassuring me this morning that I had nothing to be nervous about.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Big day
The director of early childhood for the entire district is coming. Tomorrow. To our school. To my classroom. This is the first time since I have had this position that he has come to my classroom. I am not priviledged enough to know the reason for his visit, so that gets my imagination spinning a bit. I am a little nervous and will spend some extra trime today tidying up at the end of the day. I will work to file some papers that I have been meaning to file for a while. I will double check my plan book to make sure that it accurately reflects what I plan to do tomorrow and Friday.
I cannot change my teaching, my routines or expectations because of his visist. Nor can I make more closet space magically appear. All I can do is give it my best. I can try to tell my jitters that thats all they are, jitters. I can lead morning meeting with evidence of organization and preparation. I can enusre that all students have a chance to participate, but I do this on a normal basis anyways. So I will do my best to deliver high quality instruction in a slightly cleaner classroom.
Like I said earlier, I don't know the reason for his visit. I also don't know the length of his visit in my classroom or if I will have a chance to talk with him after. Only time will tell, and jitters will pass.
Jitters will pass
I cannot change my teaching, my routines or expectations because of his visist. Nor can I make more closet space magically appear. All I can do is give it my best. I can try to tell my jitters that thats all they are, jitters. I can lead morning meeting with evidence of organization and preparation. I can enusre that all students have a chance to participate, but I do this on a normal basis anyways. So I will do my best to deliver high quality instruction in a slightly cleaner classroom.
Like I said earlier, I don't know the reason for his visit. I also don't know the length of his visit in my classroom or if I will have a chance to talk with him after. Only time will tell, and jitters will pass.
Jitters will pass
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