Top ten list

Top ten things NOT to do during a parent/teacher conference:

1) Don't automatically assume the teacher will be able to accommodate your schedule. Remember, you are making one, or two or even three conference appointments, but we are making as many as twenty three. We will try very hard to accomdate you, but please don't get mad at us if we can't. And please, please, confirm your appointment as soon as possible. Not the day before. And if we track you down for the second or even third time to confirm, have the decency to reply.

2) Don't show up late. We know you are busy. You have children, and jobs, and babysitter issues, and car troubles and goodness knows what else. But so does the teacher. We manage to show up on time, with a carefully organized folder of your child's work and a sheet written out about their progress to date. If we can do all that, then please, show up on time.

3) Don't try to read the notes that the teacher has made. We will communicate everything on those notes to you.

4) If the directions from the principal are specific and clearly state that you are NOT to request a teacher for next year by name, then follow the directions. Just like we tell your children, the same rules apply to you that apply to everyone else. Plus, then the teacher is placed in the awkward position of having to explain the entire placement process and inform you that, just like in life, there are no guarantees.

5) Don't assume that we can control things that are far out of our control: such as the arrival of the CMT scores. We have no idea when they'll show up. They are the STATE mastery tests, not the SCHOOL mastery tests. We'll get them the same time you do.

6) Don't tell us it's not our job to handle social problems that arise. First of all, we would never presume to tell you what is and isn't in your job description and secondly, if it happens in the classroom, during the seven and a half hours we are with your child, then it IS our job. Teaching and learning can't happen if children are not able or ready to learn or be taught. So it is very much our job to handle it when your child gets upset because their friend wouldn't play with them at recess.

7) Don't walk into the classroom and poke around the teacher's desk when she isn't in the room. Again, we would never presume to walk into your office and poke through your things. Why would you?

8) Don't keep talking after another parent has knocked on the door TWICE, and the teacher has offered to meet with you at another time to continue the conversation about your child. As mentioned in #1, we are meeting with as many as twenty three parents.

9) Don't ask us to make parenting decisions for you. Some of us aren't even parents yet, nor are we the parents of your child. We don't know if you should buy your child a computer, or if they should watch more or less TV, or if you should discipline them more or less, or any of the other countless parenting decisions you ask us to make. YOU are the parent, you make those decisions.

10) And please, please, please, don't put the teacher in the middle of your marriage spat. Don't tell us to communicate something to your divorced spouse, don't ask us a question in the hopes that our answer will resolve a disagreement you are having, don't flat out tell us you are disagreeing and you want our opinion. That is definitely NOT in our job description.

CMT's

My little group of darlings made it through the hell that is the CMT's. It was hard. It was hard for them to sit still for 60 minutes at a time, it was hard for me not to cringe when I noticed they were doing a problem incorrectly, it was hard for them to not turn pencils into drum sticks, or nails to be driven into their erasers, or walrus tusks, or... but the hardest part, the part that goes against everything that makes me a teacher, is when they raise their hands and say, "Mrs. S. I don't get this question." And my response has to be, simply, "Reread the question." Then, when they ask me if I'd read it for them I have to tell them I can't. I can't tell you how much it broke my heart to see their little shoulders slump and their faces fall when they realized that their teacher couldn't help them at all. Couldn't even read a question for them. Of course, my sadness quickly turned to frustration when some of them finished in only 20 minutes. And my frustration turned to pure annoyance when I discovered that those same students wrote one sentence responses to reading comprehension questions. One sentence!
All that aside, one of the moments that made me happiest in the midst of the painful testing was when a parent told me that their child didn't feel very anxious. She went on to say that her daughter really listened when I explained that I didn't do well on these kind of tests and it made her feel a lot better. (Nothing like putting myself down to make my students more comfortable!)
Now that the testing is over, I'm encountering another problem that I had forgotten about. So much of our time the last month and a half has been taken up with test preparation or test taking that my students seem to have forgotten what it is like to have a "normal" day in the classroom. I feel like I'm back in September: revisiting and naming all of our rules. Reminding them how things work. No, you can't get up in the middle of my minilesson to sharpen your pencil. No, you can't have a ten minute conversation about what game you'll play at recess in the middle of reading. Yes, you have to do homework again and actually hand it in. It feels like, even though it's almost April and I am thinking about turning them over to the fourth grade teachers, we are back to the beginning of third grade. Let's just hope the tests didn't also cause them to forget all the things they've learned thus far.

Santas, Fairies and Leprechauns, Oh My!

Being a teacher definitely keeps you up on the latest trends, and little kid fairytales. We've all heard of Santa Claus, that jolly fella who visits Christmas Eve and leaves presents if you are good. And of course, everyone knows the elusive lady herself--the Tooth Fairy. I'm sure I'm not the only kid who went to sleep wondering what in the world she did with all of those teeth! But have you heard, dear blogging world, of leprechauns? No, no, not the kind that frolick about near the proverbial pot o' gold. But leprechauns who visit houses, cause mischief and mayham and maybe leave behind a little sweet treat in the form of gold coins? Well, apparently they do exist. Or so I was informed today but at least ten of my current third graders.
One student solemnly reported that, while his entire family, except his Mom and dog, was away from home, a leprechaun rearranged all the furniture in the playroom and caused the dog to bark uncontrollably. Another let me know that the leprechaun that visited their house turned toilet water green and left gold coins scattered throughout the house. A third is hopeful that she caught a picture of the little guy after setting up what sounded like an elaborate Rube-Goldbergesque trap to take a photo. One student told an awed class that he caught the leprechaun but when he went to open his hands there was a gold coin instead. One more student awoke to Irish soda bread crumbs sprinkled all over the table and shamrock stickers affixed to all the slumbering members of the household.
Move over Santa....hold on Tooth Fairy, there's a new gig in town. And far be it from me to dash any hopes of eventually catching, or even spotting, the elusive little people in green!

Everything

People go into teaching for different reasons...to make a difference, work with children, learn every day....no one ever goes into it for the money! What you don't realize until you are teaching--at least at the elementary level--is that you will become The World to these little people.

It's funny, I forget that sometimes. I forget just how much I mean to them. Then something will happen and all of a sudden it will hit me--these little guys look up to me so much. For one year of their life I am everything. OK, OK, I'm not crazy enough to think I'm as important as say, an uncle or a cousin.....but I'm definitely pretty darn important to them.

Today that point was driven home to me. It was nearing the end of the day, I had ten minutes to kill, so we decided to make paper fortune tellers to practice our multiplication facts. (Anything to make multiplication fun!) One of my students knew how to fold the paper (thank goodness too, because I certainly didn't. I had the directions, but really, it's so much easier to get one of the kids to show everyone!). So I invited him to come to the front of the class to be the teacher. He got started on his directions, and a colleague walked in. I stood in the back of the room and kept an eye out while I chatted away. What I saw was this little guy, rather shy and reserved, but well behaved, undergo a transformation. He turned into me. He started using my words, he even walked around the way I do and he (and this cracked me up) even threatened to pull out our yellow cards! (Classroom management system: one yellow card = warning, face down = time out, second yellow card = loss of recess minutes). I started laughing to see this little shy guy imitate me, but later on I realized just how carefully they notice, just how much they see and just how much they internalize. I mean--he turned into me. Crazy. It reminds me that for one year of their lives, I really am Everything.

Two worlds collide

That's right, I took the plunge....I created a blog for my students. I'm sure some of you are surprised by this seeing as how I don't post all that frequently on my blog, nor do I read nearly as many as I wish I could. But that's just it, see....I love my blog. I love reading other blogs. If I had more time then I'd definitely post more, and comment more, and search out more amazing blogs. But something always gets in the way... cleaning the house, planning a lesson, cooking dinner, correcting papers, calling a friend, paying bills....you know, life things. However, the first time blogging was mentioned at a meeting I was sitting at in school, I jumped. Blogging?!? Something fun and neat and totally new?? In my classroom?? Sign ME up!
And I did it too. This didn't become one of those hazy "yeah I really want to do that but we'll see if I get around to it eventually" things (which is what often happens after a professional development meeting). I actually did it. I created a blog for my students. And they are actually using it! More importantly, they seem to be enjoying using it! Yay for me!
Here's the problem: whenever you do anything that is cutting edge: someone comes along and wants you to share it. Suddenly you are The Expert and everyone should come and talk to YOU. Better yet, you should give a presentation in front of hundreds of other educators so they can see just how easy! fun! educational! advanced! it is. Not only are colleagues now asking me technical questions that I honestly don't have the answer to, but I've somehow been talked into doing a whole presentation on blogging and literacy at a conference in Cromwell. (Trust me, I did try to say no to this one. I know some of you don't believe me, knowing my penchant for agreeing with everything, but really really I tried to say no. Actually, when asked, my first response was, literally, "eek! I'm not ready for that!" But the woman was rather persistent and literally followed me around one Friday morning at breakfast and kept talking. And talking. And talking. Until I had to say yes just to get her to stop. Very effective tool I might add--the talking. But I DID say No. Sigh.) So, now of course the thought of presenting in front of goodness knows how many educators has me panicked (OK, OK, it's not until next November, but that means I really need to work out all the kinks with this class, so next year it's up and running smoothly by November) and thrown me into a bit of a tizzy. Suddenly I felt the need to clarify my educational objectives, identify my student goals, reconfigure my blog....suddenly, it feels a little bit more like work and a little bit less like fun. But at least it's still blogging, right?

Where I've been....

It's been awhile I know....I swear, I want to post more regularly, but well.....things just get in the way. In my defense, I was away for a week. Here was my home away from home:

Notice the color of the water? We were in the Caribbean after all, where the water really is a shade of aquamarine you can't see on the East Coast. The ship, Legend of the Seas, departed from Tampa, Florida and sailed to Grand Caymen, Cozumel, Belize and Costa Maya. I'll admit I was initially nervous, unexpectedly cold weather and a rocky start left many of the passengers (myself included!) shivering and trying to keep from running to the nearest bathroom. But things calmed down, and warmed up, the very next day and the rest of the trip was filled with sunshine, warmth and adventures.

We managed to do an excursion at every stop; except for our first one, but only because it was cancelled. My all time favorite was riding at ATV through a rainforst in Belize. C'mon, how many people can say they've done THAT in their lifetime?

There I am, ready to go. Just like the cruise, I initially had some difficulty. To hear my husband tell it, I crashed into a tree. My side of the story is that the tree jumped in the way. Actually, there was no crashing involved....just a little problems with the brakes and the steering. Driving an ATV is not at all like driving a car....it's the gentlest of touches to make the vehicle move where you want it to, and a backward push with your right heel to make yourself stop. Once I got those two things straight in my head, I was fantastic. It just took me a few tries. Hey, there's one in every group, right!?! Halfway through our ATV ride, we climbed a rather steep staircase to a cave, where, before we entered, we were handed headlamps. We then proceeded to tild our bodies almost horizontal and wiggle our way into a cave to see some Mayan ruins. I was too busy wiggling to get a picture of the entrance, but here's another shot....

OK, so that is not actually Mayan ruins, but it is a really cool stalagtite that we all, tourists that we are, took a picture next too. See the headlamps? Yup, I wasn't joking about those! Here's some Mayan pottery that we saw in that very same cave.

Pretty neat, huh? To think, that pottery has been sitting there, for thousands of years.....just waiting. We also found something else waiting--a tiny fruit bat. He was adorable, and didn't even blink an eye when the guide shined his laser light in his face and the crazy tourists took pictures of him. Nor did he move when the teenage girls that were with us freaked out and started screaming THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT TAKE ANOTHER STEP OH MY GOD THERE IS A BAT YOU NEVER SAID THERE WOULD BE ANIMALS IN THE RAINFOREST I DON'T LIKE NATURE DO YOU SEE THE BAT IT IS RIGHT THERE AND I AM NOT MOVING GET ME OUT OF HERE. The guide even handled the hysterics, while the rest of us discreetly rolled our eyes and kept trekking.

Another day we got to see some more Mayan ruins. Here we are at Cozumel, checking out some temples built by the Mayans. (Can you tell I married a history teacher!?!?)

See how tiny I look compared to the temple?

How in the world did they get

all those stones up so high!?!

And of course, what cruise would be complete without some friends dropping by for a visit?

All in all, we had a fantastic time, and even better, came home to an extra day off- because of SNOW!

I'm it!

I got my first tag ever, from Kelli. So here goes!

Available/single?: Happily married for a year and a half now.

Best friend?: I am blessed with many friends that are dear to my heart.... however, there is one that has been there since third grade, through all the ups and downs that life throws at a person: Ness.

Cake or pie?: Do I really have to choose? I like a good apple pie, warm with ice cream. But I love the fruity cakes my sister always makes for my birthday too....guess I can't choose!

Drink of choice?: Hot tea in the morning, water with lemon throughout the day, juice at night. When I'm sick- Canada dry ginger ale. A nice glass of red wine or an apple martini is pretty yummy too.

Essential item you use every day?: A pencil. (I do teach third grade after all!)

Favorite color?: Yellow....and red.

Gummy bears or worms?: Bears definitely, although anyone who knows me well knows that I love gummy peaches best of all. Oh, and those gummies you get at Jerry Sans sushi when your meal is over.

Hometown?: Woodbridge, CT

Indulgence?: Anytime I ignore the piles of school work and read or watch T.V. is pretty much an indulgence.

January or February?: February, I have a vacation then.

Kids and their names?: Don't have kids yet, although we do have names but you'll have to wait, we're not sharing.

Life is incomplete without?: My husband, our families.

Marriage date?: July 16, 2005

Number of siblings?: 2, older sister, younger brother.

Oranges or apples?: Apples.

Phobias or fears?: Huh. I guess I don't really have any big ones. I hate moths. I used to be afraid that my Nonnie wouldn't be alive when I got married, but I was blessed to have her at my wedding.

Quotes?: This is a tough one too. I don't really have a favorite, but here's one I like:
"The courage to teach is the courage to keep one's heart open in those very moments when the heart is asked to hold more than it is able so that teacher and students and subject can be woven into the fabric of community that learning, and living, require." Parker J. Palmer

Reason to smile?: There are so many reasons! Waking up next to the man I love, the smiles and hugs I get from my nieces when they see me, eating a good dinner with family, when my cats snuggle up next to me, hearing my students get excited about something I'm teaching them, waking up to a day of sunshine and blue skies, vacation, looking out my window and seeing the sun set over the lake in our backyard...I could go on....

Season?: Summer. Definitely!

Tag people?: Tina, Dianna

Unknown fact about me?: My biggest pet peeve is when windshield wipers are left on, long after it's stopped raining. Apparently this even bothers me over the phone, as my husband and I discovered recently!

Vegetable you dislike?: Broccoli rabe. Too bitter for me. Fennel also.

Worst habit?: Picking my lips.

X-Rays you've had?: Just the standard ones at the dentist.

Your favorite food?: Hard to pick just one, but I'd have to say my Mom's homemade sauce. I like Filet Mignon too.

Zodiac sign?: Leo

Cruising along

My husband and I are going on a cruise in twelve more days. That's right, twelve more days and we will be sailing through the western Caribbean, stopping off at Belize City, Cozumel, Grand Cayman.....turquoise water, sunshine and blue skies are all just a few short days away.

The cruise, in its initial planning stages, was meant to be our last vacation before we had our baby. Seeing as how things aren't working out the way I'd prayed, it is just going to be a vacation for vacation's sake. A trip we gifted to ourselves because darn it, we work hard and we deserve a vacation.

Funny thing, pregnancy. I naively thought it would be easy. Why wouldn't it be when I have overwhelming evidence that it is easy. So many cousins, on both sides of my family, who seemed to get pregnant without any trouble at all. I thought we try, we are blessed with a baby. Then again, this naivete might be something that, at some point in my schooling, was drilled into my head--you know, the health class in high school where the boys are rowdy and making all sorts of inappropriate comments and the girls are sitting straight and tall, trying to act more mature than the boys (said with disgust and a shaking of the head). I seriously believed it would be that easy. I seriously believed one month, maybe two, and then I'd be on my way to being pregnant. No one ever tells you the other statistics....not until you actually start trying. Then all of a sudden, there are all of these facts that you've never heard of before. What do you mean it takes an average of nine to twelve months to conceive? That's not what they said in high school health class. No, no, no, it only takes one time to get pregnant.

Well....apparently it does take nine to twelve months. Apparently it doesn't work out the first time you start trying. No matter how much you are hoping and wishing and praying. No matter how many ovulation predictor tests you take, or cycle calendars you print out... Know what else they don't tell you? That it doesn't get easier. You want it to. You want to not be sad every time you discover you aren't pregnant. But somehow, in some deep corner of you, you are sad. And just a little bit disappointed. And just a little bit guilt-ridden.
Luckily, I am a glass half-full kind of person, so all those feelings don't last long. And I return to my usual cheery disposition, with the knowledge, no, the faith, that I will get pregnant. It does only take one time. One miracle.

Peace.

My husband is sitting on the couch with his best friend, strumming on his guitar and singing the song that he sang to me on our wedding day.

Cookies are baking in the oven.

Our two cats are snuggled up on nearby matching chairs, not hissing for once.

We had a successful day of shopping for clothes--including a new suit!- for our upcoming cruise (only 14 more days!).

It is simple moments like these when I look around at my life and I feel at peace. All is right with the world and I, I am so blessed......

Why I'm called Wednesday....

So, when I was a child, my parents nicknamed me (among other things) Wednesday. I'm sure it had something to do with being the middle child, always wanting to be in the middle, being the non-confrontational one, being the peacemaker....all of these things. A recent example to illustrate me being my Wednesday-ist (I just invented a word I think!) went something like this:

We are sitting in church, my Mom, Dad and I-- this is a weekend event for us and one that I cherish. We've (surprisingly) managed to get ourselves there early enough that we have a few minutes to sit quietly in the pew and my Mom decides to try to convince me to come out to breakfast with them after church. I am, of course, sitting in the middle, so I lean over to my Dad, after agreeing to the breakfast, and whisper, "Mom wants to go to breakfast after church." My Dad, who knew that the initial plan was for me to go to church then head home so that I could return to their house later in the evening for dinner, whispers back, with a grin, "She's a force of nature, isn't she?" I smile at him while my Mom nudges me and asks what he said. Without missing a beat I lean over and say, "Dad's excited about breakfast." My Dad, of course, starts laughing, while my Mom insists that it didn't sound like that's what he said. My turn to smile as I say, "I translated for you!"
See? Wednesday.

Add weather forcaster to my job description...

The other day I walked down the hall with a colleague lamenting over the atrocious behavior that seems to be occurring with some regularity lately and wondering aloud what was going on. Had I taken the time to think about it I would have figured it out really quickly: it's a full moon.

Teachers are known to be a mom, a counselor, a cheerleader, a mentor and a nurse among other hats that we wear....well, you can add weather woman to that list as well. Any teacher will tell you that their students are directly impacted by the fullness of the moon and the onset of any large weather system. With a full moon AND the potential for our first "real" snowstorm on Friday I would have been better off throwing in the towel before the week began. Needless to say, it's been a week of The Lecture. You know the one I'm sure. Or you could remember it if you thought back to your own elementary school days. The ones that silenced the room and caused everyone (for five minutes at least) to tiptoe around whispering. There is never yelling....but don't you agree it's almost worse? Nope, just the Firm Voice. The I'm-Not-Joking-Around-Voice. It usually does the trick. But not on a full moon week. Forget it.

Just wish me luck for our lock down drill tomorrow....who knows what a rambunctious bunch of third graders will do when told we have to lock ourselves in our classroom and stay quietly away from all windows and doors. Oh wait, our whole WALL is windows? That's right, I meant, stay quietly huddled in the middle of the classroom.....like I said, wish me luck.

SNOW!

Life sometimes seems just a little different in a elementary school.... little things can, at times, be Amazing! Astonishing! Awe inspiring! and big things can be shrugged off, who cares, no big deal.

Take today for example....today, in the middle of reading workshop, it started to snow. SNOW! You'd think this particular group of kids had never before witnessed snow. Now, granted, it's the first sign, HINT even, of snow this whole winter. All work came to a screeching halt. There were cheers! Frantic clapping of hands! Jumping up and down! Two boys even hugged- twice! Then, of course, inevitably, came the stories and the rumors and the old wives tales-- all having to do with getting a snow day. Turn your shirt backwards! And inside out! Sleep with your pj's backwards and inside out! Put a frozen spoon under your pillow! A plastic frozen spoon! Do a snow dance! Three times!

I was patient at first. Even clapped along with them. Allowed them to rush to the windows and gape for awhile....how could I not really, with floor to ceiling window all along one wall, it's unavoidable. Even read them a section of a book we'd read before, My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray, about doing a special snow dance....but twenty five minutes later and my patience wore out. There were assessments to be done and small groups to instruct and conferences to be completed. No more time for snow, back to work! Fortunately, it stopped snowing and life returned to a somewhat more peaceful pace. With frequent furtive glances out the windows of course. And a goodbye from a student that consisted of, "I hope I DON'T see you tomorrow....because we have a snow day!"

You know....a tramp

C: Mrs. S. , what's a tramp?

Me: What? (Always a classic response!)

C: A tramp.

Me: Where did you hear that word? (Again, classic response, seeking more information.)

C: It's in my book A Wrinkle in Time.

Me: (Simultaneous thoughts: what in the world is a third grader doing reading that book? And, oh my god how do I explain to her mom that I had to come up with a definition for a tramp?!?) Can I see the book so I can see how the word is used please? (Still stalling, although at this point I'm thinking I know the answer to this question.)

C gets her book and brings it over, indicating the sentence to me. Something about a tramp stealing garbage from the library.

Me: (Phew!) Oh, a tramp! I launch into an explanation of the more benign meaning of the word and send her off so relieved to avoid a potentially difficult conversation that I completely forgot to talk to her about making good book choices.

The one where I rant about standardized tests

I can remember a day when I was having a....discussion? debate? argument? with some people. They were saying that schools should be treated as businesses. Teachers don't do well? Get rid of them. Kids not performing? Shift them around to teachers that would get them to perform. Whole schools not making the grade? Shut them down and bus those kids to a school where they would do better. But how will you judge all of this I asked? The response was simple: standardized tests.

The argument ended then and there. I was flabbergasted. Speechless in the face of this argument that made such absolute sense in their mind but completely blew mine. I contend that anyone who could make an argument like that has never stood in front of a class of eight year olds and administered a standardized test.

Today we finished day two of assessments that are designed to test intelligence but seem instead to cause panic, stress and anxiety. They are eight. Remember what you wanted when you were eight? I'll remind you: you wanted your mom to pack you a good lunch or you wanted pizza to be served at school. You wanted recess to last forever and math to end as quickly as possible. You wanted your best friend to like you best always. You wanted your teacher to know every detail of your life: what your dog's name was, how your aunt and uncle were getting divorced, what happened to your little brother at his karate tournament, how you had to leave school early for your swim meet. You wanted less homework and more television.

Instead I have to stand before them, with a big sign on my door that declares for all to see: Testing Do Not Disturb, and read from an official looking manual while they stare at a page covered with more bubbles than they can understand. I try to explain problems to them they've never seen but they are about to be given ten minutes to complete as many of them as they can. I have to tell them that no, they can't go to the bathroom/ sharpen their pencil/get a drink of water/ throw something in the garbage/get a tissue/read a book or do anything other than take the test. When they get stuck I have to ignore everything that made me want to be a teacher and not help them, watching their faces crumple and their shoulders sag just a little bit as I say the words "do the best you can". I have to answer ten thousand questions: some outlandish (why do we have to use #2 pencils?) and some serious (what happens if I don't do well, can I still go to college?). And I have to look at a sea of little faces that have a look of panic and anxiety on them and try to reassure them that the world will not end if they don't finish or if they don't do well, all the while praying, hoping, that no one will cry this time. Let me tell you: there is nothing, nothing fun about standardized tests.

And these aren't even the state mastery tests where if someone sneezes a state of emergency is declared and everything shuts down so that a team of experts can be called in to determine if the testing situation has been compromised and we have to (gasp!) call the state to determine if the test should continue or if it should be declared void.

You want to argue a case for standardized tests being used to determine my future and the future of the eight year olds I teach? Come visit my classroom......I'll show you what standardized testing does to children.

What's better than shoes and purses?

Nothing I say.....
Check it out!

http://www.endless.com

Resolutions

So I'm not normally one to make resolutions....frankly they seem a little silly to me. Not to say that we don't all have something--or more than one thing!-- to work on to better ourselves, but it just seems to me that any promise you make to yourself on New Year's is probably something that you either already should be working on, or should work on continuously. So, instead, I have a list of things I'd like to do and the kind of person I'd like to be in my life and that is my version of a New Year's resolution. Some people think this is hokey, others think it's a cop out, but it's (as a fifth grader said to me recently) the way I roll.

Well, this year, I decided to make a New Year's resolution. Ready for it?

I decided that I'm going to leave school earlier.

Can you hear the seas boiling and feel the wind from the pigs that are flying by?

This truly is momentous for me. OK, OK, keep in mind that when I say earlier, I mean 5:00 at the latest. 5:30 on days that I have a meeting that goes until 5. (I know, I know, it is sad that 5:00 is earlier for me, but hey, I'm working on it, aren't I?!? That should count for something!) So far, five days into our new year, everything seems to be conspiring against my New Year's resolution. I could launch into my litany of how busy a teacher's life is, and how much work it is to keep 23 third graders occupied and thanks to NCLB we have more and more pressure put on tests....but that would just bore you. Suffice it to say, I picked a poor time to walk away from the piles of work that never seem to go away. But, since it is a resolution, and since we are only five school days into our new year, I haven't given up hope yet.....

Happy Thoughts (aka Reasons to be Thankful)

Truly, there are too many reasons to be thankful to possibly mention them all. These are just a few highlights (in no particular order)....

Reason #1: My family. Many of them are sick with various illnesses, but I can't help but think that I am blessed to have them in my life....better to have them in my life and be worried about their health than to not be graced with their presence.

Reason #2: This piece of writing that a student wrote at Thanksgiving: I am thankful for my teacher, Mrs. S because she is SO SO SO nice. I am lucky you are my teacher this year, and I can't wait to go back to school after Thanksgiving. You are the BEST! 1 + 1 = 2 just like me and you. Love, K." If that isn't reason enough to continue to teach than I don't know what is.

Reason #3: This note, from a parent, sent to me after report cards were delivered: " Dear Mrs. S, Thank you for the hard work you do every day in 3S! D loves coming to school and looks forward to learning something new everyday! Now that's ACHIEVEMENT! Gratefully, B." Again, if that isn't reason eough to continue to teach....

Reason #4: My husband. Words can't begin to describe how blessed I feel to have him in my life. We have been trying to conceive since August, and haven't managed to yet. Through my highs and my lows over the past few months, he has been my rock, my support, my soulmate and my love. I am astounded that I could love him any more than I did the day I married him, yet somehow I do.

There you have it....like I said, there are more....so many more....but here are some reasons why I am thankful as we come ever closer to a new year....

Our tree!

So here it is....our second tree as a married couple and our first as homeowners. I'm not really sure why the picture is so crooked, except thatI was taking it while simultaneously trying to reach for the phone that had just started ringing and keep the camera's strap from getting in the picture.

It should be noted that I didn't take a picture of the bottom of the tree--that's because here it is, only seven days until Christmas (I have a chorus of third graders who count it down for me every day so I'm well aware of the number of shopping days left!) and we just started our shopping. As in this past Friday and Saturday. Considering our tardiness (where did the time go!?!?) we managed to get quite a bit done, and even better, managed to get some really lovely gifts that we are rather excited to give.

I should also say that because we have been so busy with life, Russ and I both weren't feeling the Christmas spirit. But there's something about listening to holiday music, decorating a tree and drinking hot cocoa laced with a candy cane that very quickly gets you in the spirit.....that and braving the holiday crowds to elbow your way through crowded stores while debating the merits of each individual gift you are buying!

Jaded

I'm not sure exactly when this happened....but lately I find myself expressing opinions that clearly indicate that I have become that person. That jaded and cynical person. Who am I? Where did this come from? I'm not really sure, but whoever she is, she seems to be popping out more and more lately.

Rather than explaining why I'm so jaded (a long and convoluted story) I decided instead to tell the story about why and how I became a teacher. It is a much better story after all. And far more suited to the season....
So.....

His name was Greg. He was what we now term special ed. but back then was called a far more unkind word--retarded. He was the boy that looked a little different, smelled a little off and acted a little weird. He would yell at the teachers. Not just yell, but YELL. And curse. Oh my, he would curse at the teachers. Me? I was shy and quiet. My nose always buried in a book, always willing to do ANYTHING to please the teachers. Never wanted to bother anyone.

And Greg had the biggest crush on me.

I have no idea why he picked me. Why he surveyed the crowd and decided to shower his affections on me, the girl who barely spoke is beyond reason or explanation. But he did. And when I say showered, I do mean it. He brought in chocolates. And balloons. And wrote me cards. And made me presents. And chased after me. And talked to me constantly. And did all the things that I would have loved as a single 21 year old (back when I was a single 21 year old) but absolutely hated as a painfully shy 8 year old.
Third graders being the way they are (some things never change), I got teased. Horribly teased. I remember crying-- a lot.

Her name was Mrs. L. She was my teacher, and a kinder, gentler soul definitely does not exist. There was a day when the affections were particulary vocal and the teasing was particularly horrible.... I remember it was a sunny day, but beyond that I can't recall any specifics. Mrs. L decided it was time to go outside, and rather than letting me run off crying (as I was about to do) she sat me down on a seat outside and taught me a lesson. Now, I don't remember her words, but her message was clear. Respect differences. Be kind to everyone, no matter what they look like or how others treat them. Don't let others form your opinions for you. In short, be a good person, always to everyone.

I don't know if it was that exact moment that it coalesced in me to become a teacher myself....in fact, I'm almost sure it wasn't. But I do know that by the time I was in fourth grade I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to do. And I never wavered from my conviction once. I knew, back then and even more so today, that if I could make a difference in just one child's life, the way Mrs. L made a difference in mine, then I would have lived a life worth living. And then I would have changed the world.

Nothing like being put in your place

It is the start of a lesson, and as I sit down on my chair in front of my students (we do many of our lessons on the carpet) I let out a big sigh....
Me: Gosh, boys and girls, I'm really tired.
C (a male student): That's because you're old!
J (another male student): Doooh! C! You aren't supposed to SAY things like that!
C: (looking slightly confused....he is a foreigner and as of two years ago never spoke any English at all. Apparently he didn't know this social rule.) Huh? Why not?
Me: Besides, I'm not THAT old!
The rest of the class: breaks out into laughter and the start of the lesson is clearly lost.....