Twitter

This is going to be a shameless plug for joining Twitter.

Readers! I can't explain how this has helped me grow as an educator! I attended a conference a couple of years ago and after yet another amazing session, I spoke with the moderator of that session, Kayla Dornfield. She gently pushed me to join Twitter and follow her for ideas from her session. As I bravely moved forward in this totally new arena, I gained more confidence to share my own ideas and thoughts. I joined “chats” that appealed to me and my teaching. I “followed” people that I felt had similar viewpoints. All I have to say is: “Holy crap!” I can't begin to tell you the opportunities and doors this has opened for me in my professional career!

To start with, I “tagged” my edu-hero, Jim Sporleder, in a tweet about asking my children for his book, “Trauma Informed Schools” for Christmas. Much to my shock and surprise, he sent me a private message, asking me for my address, telling me that he would send me a copy. Friends!! It's autographed!! WHAT?!?!

Next, in a chat I was participating in, Kenny Bosch and Jason Bretzmann were asking for stories to be submitted for a compilation they were looking at publishing. I submitted my story as to why I believe what I do about what educations should look like and why I teach the way I do. Y'all!! It was chosen for the book!! Now I am a published author! Mind blown!

Through Twitter, I have “met” so many amazing, encouraging people that I can only dream to meet in real life! It is my prayer that some day this will come true. Even when I feel I have had my worst day in the classroom, the Twitter chats reinforce the fact that I am doing the right thing and doing the best I can. I have grown as an educator because of all of the wonderful people in my PLN (Personal Learning Network).

If you want to test the Twitter waters, please reach out to me. I have some amazing chats for you to follow. I have reminders plugged into my phone. Do I participate in all of them every week? No. Do I go back, when I have time, and look at responses? Sometimes. If I'm not familiar with the topic for the chat, I might just “lurk,” follow, but not respond, to learn more. It's amazing PD and again, has helped me grow my teaching and my self-confidence to reach out to others with what works for me in my setting. Do it!! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

This post has been swirling around in my head for awhile, now. I know I might get some negative feedback from it. However, I feel it needs to be said. I have been reading so much about disillusionment in my professional, teachers leaving in droves, not just in Kansas, but across the country. Why? The is a huge culture shift going on in our nation. A change in the family dynamic. And while this is not necessarily true for me, personally, it remains a fact.

Let's talk about the treatment of teachers for a minute. Teachers, as a general rule, have the biggest hearts of any profession. They give their hearts and souls to the children day after day. Given, it's a chosen profession, just like everyone else's.

Here's the rub: In no other profession are those professionals treated the way teachers are. Teachers are now being asked to raise children for parents who are physically and emotionally unavailable. There are many households where both parents and children spend more time on a screen of some kind, rather than interacting with one another as a family. To add insult to injury, key teaching of soft skills, such as manners and personal interactions, are being lost on a whole generation of children. When you truly love children as much as teachers do, this is devastating to watch happen at an alarming rate.

Children are coming into classroom across the United States with no idea how to interact with others, and their behaviors show this. Kids who talk back to their teachers, even kids who hit, kick, and bite teachers. Kids who curse at their teachers. My question is this: When did this behavior become so commonplace? The answer is this: when hand-held technology became so readily accessible. When a two-income family became a necessity in order to make ends meet. Parents who come home, exhausted after along day of work, too tired to spend quality time with their children. Latch-key children, coming home to empty houses, being expected to fend for themselves until their parents get home.

Teachers, on the other hand are being asked to show up with a smile, day after day. To teach manners to children, as well as the academics. To deal with negative behaviors with no regard to their own emotional well-being. As another blogger put it, “Teaching is one of the most toxic professions I know of.” And when “Johnny” acts out in class and parents need to be contacted, who's at fault? You guessed it, the teachers. In no other profession, would a parent ever dream of talking to that person the way parents talk to teachers nowadays. None! Would parents ever dream about talking to their doctor the way they talk to teachers? Their banker? Their auto mechanic? The answer is “no!” Teachers have become the proverbial whipping boys for the faults and failings of the parents. It can't possibly be the parent's fault and, heaven forbid, the child is to blame.

Teaching is one of the most important professions. Truly, the most important. Everyone needs a teacher. Everyone has had teachers. Teachers are indispensable. No one would have gotten to where they are today without teachers. Why, then, is there such disrespect of teachers across the U.S.? Teachers are consistently undervalued and underpaid for the immense impact that they have on an entire generation.

There is no other profession where people put so much of their heart and soul into their job, putting their own time and resources into it because “there is no money in the budget.” For the tremendous impact teachers have, they are not paid accordingly. True, we all chose this profession. We don't do it for the money. We do it because we care about the kids! We should be respected for the simple fact that we have such big hearts and care about the future for the children we serve. Do I think most parents are trying? Absolutely! They are doing their best in this fast-paced world ( sans the amount of screen time). All I'm saying is respect the teachers of the children for caring, as well. Be on their team. They only want the best for your child.

I Cried Today...

 I Cried Today...

I cried today....

I cried because  a child lost control and I was unable to help that child.

I cried today because a child had to leave my classroom for that child's safety and the safety of the others in the class.

I cried because I don't believe in sending a child from the room. They are a part of our family and I feel that sending them out chips away at the connection.

I cried because I have such a young child dealing with such huge emotions.

I cried today because I felt helpless.

This is My "Why"

                                                                                                                            

This is Why I Do What I Do

September 19, 1998. A day I will always remember. The day my father's plane went down, just three miles short of the runway during the Vietnam War. I had just turned seven years old. I believe, with my whole heart and soul that this is when my teaching journey began.

You see, I was that trauma kid before it was even the educational initiative that it is now. And when we talk about teachers being trauma-sensitive, I was blessed to have a trauma-sensitive teacher before that was even a “thing.” Mrs. Maxine Moore, second grade teacher at Hawthorne Elementary School in Lincoln, Nebraska was that teacher for me.

After the “men in the 'official' Air Force car” came to our little duplex to give us the news, I refused to leave my mom. I would hide under the dining room table and cry. I didn't want to go to school. In my little seven year-old brain I thought that if I left my mom's side, she would die, too.

Enter Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Shuman, the guidance counselor. My mom would get me into the car...finally, and drive to the school. There, Mrs. Moore would greet me at the door; EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. She would take me to my classroom and give me odd jobs to do while she prepared for the day. I now know, being a teacher myself, that she could have easily done the things she gave me to do. She gave up her prep time for me in order to help me get back into the school routine and feel comfortable leaving my mom after my dad died. She instinctively knew what I needed. She was a rarity in an era when most teachers were very strict and by the book. She gave of herself for the safety and security of her students.

But the story doesn't end there! Mrs. Moore and I kept in touch, even after my mom remarried and we moved to the farm. My mom made sure that whenever we went to Lincoln, Mrs. Moore and I were able to see each other. Years later, when I made the decision to attend The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, it was the kindness and compassion of Mrs. Moore that drove me to choose the field of education. Mrs. Moore was now retired and still living in Lincoln. When I started college, she reached out to me and told me she would love for me to come to her home and talk about the things I was learning or to just get away from dorm life, if I needed a break. I even had Sunday dinners with her family.

You see, Mrs. Moore was a huge influencers in my life and still is today. As teachers, we may never know how far our influences will take our students. It is through the love and compassion of Mrs. Moore and many other countless amazing teachers I was blessed to know, that I am the teacher I am today. So, on the anniversary of my father's death, while I remember him with sadness and wondering how my life would have been different, I also remember, with profound gratitude, the compassion, kindness, and yes, love, of Mrs. Maxine Moore and I am forever grateful that she was there when I desperately needed her. I hope to be like her when I grow up!

Be a Voice, Not an Echo

     Have you ever thought that a statement might just be given to you for a purpose? That's what happened to me this morning. I was mindlessly scrolling through Facebook while drinking a mug of chai tea and waiting for the dryer to finish when this statement, from six years ago, popped up on my news feed: “Be A Voice, Not An Echo.” It made me stop and think. So here goes. I'm being a voice.

     To say this past school year was rough would be a huge understatement. In the process of jumping through hoops for three sets of hoops, (district, building, and Head Start)  I lost myself, my focus, and my identity. Reflecting this summer has helped me see that and it breaks my heart.

First of all, I moved to a new school district. Learning the cultural norms of a new district is tough. Not knowing the ins and outs of the building and district is daunting for any new teacher, whether they are a veteran teacher or fresh from college. I knew no one and felt like I needed to show everyone that I was a good teacher and worthy colleague. This was only my perception.

     Secondly, and probably my biggest downfall personally, was that our school district was part of a collaborative agreement with Head Start. I have never, nor will ever, look at a child differently because of their socio-economic status, color of their skin, the family's religious preference, learning exceptionalities, or even their behavior. To me, all little people are the same and have, relatively, the same needs; to be loved and to explore and be curious. All kids are equal in that arena.

So back to this previous school year. Because Head Start is a federal program, they need to follow certain governmental procedures and policies. Understood. The struggle was that old adage: “It's always been done that way.” I had two classroom aides, that were paid by Head Start. I am paid by the school district. My aides were immersed in “The Head Start Way,” and could not, or chose not to, bend to my way of thinking about what's best for kids and thirty-four years of experience in Early Childhood Education. My aides were, in fact, telling me how I should run my classroom. Honestly, it got to the point where I would get out the Head Start manual and ask them to show me the policy.  Unless it was a governmental policy, I told my aides that we were doing it my way. This caused a huge division in our classroom. This was were I got lost. My whole mindset was changed. I went from thinking “This is what's best for kids,” to “Can I teach this without causing a conflict between myself and my aides?” I completely lost what was best for kids. I can see that now, a month after school is out. It has taken that long to unravel all of that in my mind.

     To the families of last year's students, I'm sorry! I did the best I could given the circumstances. I tried not to let it show with your sweet, precious, children. They are what kept me grounded. Please know that. To my team, my tribe; thank you for your undying support! I couldn't have made it without you! To building and district leadership; next year will be better. That is my promise to you. I will be better. My focus will be on what truly matters; the children. As for the coming year-watch out! I'm back and will be advocating for children with an unmatched love and fierceness!

Why You Need To Practice Self-Care

     Many people in the education field are now taking notice of the need for self-care. We love our students, Of course, we do. However, sometimes the burdens these little people bring to our classrooms are even too much for us to believe, much less understand, and we being to internalize how to best serve these children who have been subjected to so much in their short little lives. This is when it becomes time to find some healthy ways to take care of ourselves or the burden of teaching, maintaining a household, and having some form of social life with break you.

     The book, “Balance Like a Pirate,” by authors Jessica Cabeen, Jessica Johnson, and Sarah Johnson will give you some great ideas on just how to do that. They break down your time into four quadrants: Personal, Professional, Positional, and Passion. Personal balances are the responsibilities you have outside of your job and what you do to maintain and grow them. Positional balances is all about your real job and it's demands on your time. Professional balance is how you are going about learning more and moving forward. Passion balance is about the things that set your soul on fire. Finding and maintaining a balance between these four quadrants is tough!

     This is my “why” about the importance of self-care in my life. A year ago, I switched school districts for a wide number of reasons. I was, and am, still teaching preschool. Just in a neighboring district. To say that the transition was smooth sailing would be a boldfaced lie! There were some things I was not aware of going in. The biggest of which was that there was a Memorandum of Understanding in place between the school district and another entity. For the sake of the length of this blog, let's just say the outside entity didn't play well in the sandbox with others. It was to be their way or the highway. There was nothing collaborative about it. To make matters worse, everything I did in the classroom was being reported back to the outside entity. Friends! I ended up being put on high blood pressure medication. I was trying so hard to keep cool on the outside, for the sake of my sweet children, that it was eating me up on the inside. I hated going to work. I wondered what fresh hell awaited me each day. If it weren't for my students, I probably would have ended up in the looney bin!

     By October, my body, mind, and soul were done! If I wasn't going to take notice, my body decided to do it for me. I had a full-blown, knock-you-on-your- butt migraine. I thought my head was going to explode!! I couldn't even get to the car so my husband could take me to the ER without throwing up. We had to call 911. When I got to the hospital, not even the “migraine cocktail” would take the edge off. It was that bad. The doctor even ordered a CAT scan to see if I had a brain bleed (I didn't. Praise the Lord!). That's was what it took! I decided then and there that I was going to start listening to my body.

     I no longer apologize for coming home after school and taking a nap or going to bed before 9 pm. I started journaling and documenting the things that were happening in my classroom. Just getting it out there, even if no one saw it, was huge. I called on my tribe of friends both at work and outside of work, even my Twitter PLN, to reinforce, that in my teaching methods, I was doing the right thing. I thought that I was, but with all of the negativity around me, I had begun to doubt myself and my teaching abilities. The problems in my classroom worked themselves out and we completed the year strong and, best of all, happy!

     One of the things that was mentioned in “Balance Like a Pirate” was getting back to your passions. I've gone back to playing my grandma's piano that's been sitting idly in our living room. I've been doing “closet karaoke” when it's just me and the dogs at home during the day. They aren't quite sure what to think! Ha!

I just want all of you that took the time to read this that self-care should not be looked at as a luxury. I learned the hard way that it is vital to your every day functioning and your health. Please think about carving out some “me time” before your body does it for you.

Reflecting on Thirty-Four Years of Teaching

Those of you who know me well know that this school year has been a real struggle, to put it lightly! I've always believed that God never gives us more than we can handle and He must have had a lot more faith in me than I did in myself.

The year started off with a new-to-me- district nearby, going from two half-day classes of four-year olds to a full-day class of four-year olds. I was skeptical that four-year olds could handle full-day preschool. However, my sweet children rose to the task and I ended up absolutely loving it! Building those always-important relationships with kids, and their families, is so much easier when you have the kids all day. What made it even better is that the school and district administration support play-based education! As our State Commission of Education, Dr. Randy Watson, said at a conference I attended, “I believe that every child under the age of eight years old should have a play-based education.” AMEN!!

The tough part was that our district was part of a collaborative agreement with another entity. While our district was very flexible, the other group was not. I found myself battling their procedures and practices at every turn. Every turn! I have twenty-one pages of documentation. Some of what this entity stood for, in theory, is right and noble. The way that they were going about enforcing their policies and agenda, not so much. It was SO tough and much for what they wanted me to do was that ugly old monster,”that's the way it's always been done,” and no one could show me where it was a policy. I ended up on high blood pressure medication and more frequent visits to my amazing chiropractor to get rid of the tension in my neck and shoulders. Were it not for my prayerful, sweet mentor, and the amazing and supportive staff in the building and district offices, I'm not sure I would have lasted the year. It was that bad!

     And oh, my gosh!! Let's not forget the children! I was blessed with some of the sweetest children to ever have graced this Earth! Their smiles and their eagerness to learn made coming to work each day a blessing and something to look forward to. They truly LOVE to learn and made it so easy to teach them more. And crafts?? They loved doing crafts! “Mrs. Jenkins! What's our craft today?!?” They wanted to create and had a blast doing it! I feel that what they loved the most about crafts was that I gave them permission to be different. What they created didn't have to look just like mine. They were free to use their imaginations, and that was okay!

     At the end of the school year, we had a celebration, and our class of preschoolers rose to the occasion once again! We recited The Pledge of Allegiance with our families, sang our Days of the Week Song, followed by two songs, Dr. Jean's "May There Always Be Sunshine" and Jack Hartmann's "One Small Voice" with sign language, and finally, The Kindergarten Rap. Then we shared punch and cookies with our families. The children were precious!

     Year thirty four taught me to trust in my abilities and lean on my tribe and lastly, to never, ever, forget my “why.”

 

It's Up to Us!

     I got an email the other day. It was entitled “You have the power to change a child's life.” I thought to myself, “Yes! This is what teaching is all about.” Teachers are tasked with making a difference in the lives of the children in their classes each and every year. Not just the children they WANT to have, but each and EVERY child that walks through their door.

     The startling facts are that some of our students have a less than idyllic life at home. There is poverty, substance abuse, joblessness, and a myriad of other events going on in their homes that takes away from them just being a kid. Many are handed a screen to keep them occupied, rather than healthy, family conversations. Many go to bed with a television blaring in their rooms, rather than cuddling with an adult, calming down from a busy day of being a kid, and hearing a bedtime story. Many have parents who are “just too busy” to spend quality time with their children.

     This is where teachers come in. We can't fix what's happening in their homes. But what we can do is provide our students with a place where they can learn, explore, and be challenged all while being loved, supported, and safe. We can let them be a kid without baggage. Just let them be little!!

     The email I received last week made me think of a student I had in kindergarten a while back. After Christmas Break, the children were all so excited to tell me what they got, that I had to stop what I “thought” was important and just let them take turns sharing. Little did I know that this would be such a memorable activity for everyone in the class! I am changing this particular child's name to “Adam”for his privacy. Here is his story:

     “Adam” is one of three children and the middle child. Mom was volatile and in a volatile relationship. All three children slept on the floor and were usually awakened by screaming matched between the adults in the home every night. Grandparents stepped in when they could or were allowed to. Fast forward to the day after Christmas Break. As we went around the Sharing Circle and each child shared about their Christmas gifts, we came to “Adam.” The question I had asked each child in the room was, “What was your favorite thing about Christmas Break?” (knowing that some of my students would not get the high-dollar items that others did. This gave them an opportunity to share anything they felt was special).

“Adam,” who didn't share much on a regular basis, launched into the most beautiful story I have ever heard from a young child! He told his friends about his favorite Christmas memory. It was a story about cuddling up in a rocking chair with his grandma while she read him the “real story about Christmas,” and watching the snow fall. As he told the story, the rest of the children got very quiet, their eyes were huge! It was almost as if they were in that rocking chair, cuddled under a blanket with him. 

 For me, this was the affirmation of what I believe: children don't really want things. They want time. If they aren't getting time at home, we can, and should, give them time at school. It's all about relationships!

"That Kid"

     When you dig as deeply as I have into children coming to us from trauma backgrounds, you see things through a very different lens. Now, whenever I watch tv or a movie, I see the circumstances of the characters differently.

Take, for example, “that kid.” You know the one. The kid who gets under your skin. That kid that you have to give a personal invitation to in order to get them to follow directions you've already given. “That kid.”

     I've learned that you shouldn't take that child's behavior personally. That kid is simply communicating an intense need. It is our job to build relationships with our students, to understand them, to know their likes and dislikes, to comfort them, to encourage and support them.

     Deep down, they're all good kids, with potential, with dreams and things that they care about. With many of these kids, we, as their teachers, don't get to see this. This is what they are feeling inside, why they act out. They are afraid. They are in pain. They are sad. They show us this with their anger and their defiance. They are the children who have been let down by important adults in their lives. They have learned not to count on anyone or anything. Because of this, what we see is acting out and defiance. It's a cover for the pain they are feeling.

     This is their cry for help! They want the same thing everyone else does. They want safety, security, and to be loved. These kids are fragile. They want the same thing every other kid wants. They just have so much junk in the way, in their homes, and in their developing minds.

     Here's how teachers can help. Ask them questions. Give them a safe place to be. Maybe, slowly, they will learn to trust you. Or it could take a long time, and you won’t see any progress in your time with them, but your patience, love and kindness toward “that kid” will plant a feeling, an idea, that could grow and bloom several years later. Just love them. Everything else will fall into place.

I Can't Do It...

As the end of yet another school year is quickly approaching, I cannot, and will not, countdown to the last day with my students. I simply can't do it. I've never been able to. Have there been times in the past thirty five years that I've thought about it? I'd be lying to you if I said “no.” Still, I've never been able to countdown.  

    Why, you might ask? There are many reasons, but     what it boils down to is that in my tiny little classroom, year after year, we've become a family. When you spend 150+ days together, it's hard not to. Of the sixteen students currently in class, thirteen of them have been with me since Day #1!

This year, I found something a little different to do with my students. I took a picture of each of them and asked me to tell them something they felt they were good at. Next, I put their picture with their statement they gave me on the bulletin board. Each day, I'm going to take down the one belonging to the Special Helper for the day, glue it into the middle of a piece of poster board, and ask each child in the class to tell me something they like about that student. I'm going to write it on the poster board surrounding the Special Helper's picture and give it to them as a keepsake for their time in my classroom.

     I started today. Let me tell you, when it came time for the rest of the class to tell me something they liked about the child in the center, I almost cried in front of the whole class! They were so sweet and kind! I thought to myself, “If all I've done this year is to teach them to be kind to one another, then that's good enough for me!” This group of children who came together with me, a new teacher in the building and some not knowing one another have become a tight-knit group of children. I pray that they continue to be these caring, compassionate children as they grow. The world we live in needs more of this.

When I think of this year's class and their kindness and empathy, I am constantly reminded of Isaiah 11:6, where it says, “and a child shall lead them.” That's how I feel about these children! They can be leaders with their kindness.

Each year, I know I'm going to miss my students and each year it's for a different reason because each class is unique. Building relationships is hard work, but oh, so worth it!!

Thoughts & Prayers for My "Flyover State"

My “Flyover State”

The flooding in Nebraska has hit close to home. I was born and raised in Nebraska. The state slogan, “Nebraska-The Good Life,” could not be more true. I can't even imagine growing up anywhere else. The wide open spaces, the gorgeous sunsets, baby animals every spring, the flower and vegetable gardens my mom so lovingly tends to, riding my horse in the hills around our family farm. Sounds picturesque, doesn't it? I had the BEST childhood ever!! My parents still live on our family farm.

The devastation caused by both the flooding and the blizzard in the western part of the state is nothing short of catastrophic!! It will take years for our nation to recover.

Nebraska produces 27% of the nation's beef. It is calving season. Hundreds of calves have been lost to either drowning or freezing to death...hundreds!!

If you don't know a farmer, I can introduce you to several. They aren't thinking in terms of last finances. They think in terms of loss of life. The loss of life of any farm animal those farmers take to their very hearts. It takes a special man to want to be a farmer. A man who put in incredibly long hours caring for the land and the animals he raises. A farmer's heart is undoubtedly larger than other human's. He is the caretaker of God's land and it's animals. That takes a big heart.

Nebraska is also a leading producer of corn...the ethanol that you all put in your gas tanks, the food on your table. All of this has been dramatically compromised! Your produce prices are sure to go up. That's the process of supply and demand. It's not what a farmer thinks about. A farmer is concerned about feeding his livestock, of being able to care for those animals who count on him every day. If you have never fed an orphan calf from a bottle or let a calf such on your fingers with it's rough tongue, you are really missing out!

 

Then there are the roads and bridges. Nebraska's very infrastructure has been decimated! Bridges that have withstood waters for years have been completely washed away. Highways are half to mostly gone.

 .  

Do you know that if I wanted to go back to the farm today, I couldn't get there from here in Kansas, unless I flew in to Sioux City, IA and came back into Nebraska from the north, and maybe not even then, but that would be my best bet.

The farmsteads that have withstood centuries of families who want nothing more than to work the land and care for God's creatures are gone. Yes, gone! Washed completely away! Centuries and generations of family farmsteads just gone. The pictures do not tell enough of the story. So many people are displaced. So many people have lost everything. (That's ice chunks in the photos below)

 

It's hard for me to even wrap my brain around.

I can't begin to tell you how sad I am for the good people in my “flyover state.” There are no words.

When Life Throws You a Curve Ball

Things are just clicking along, running fairly smoothly, and BAM! Life throws you a curve ball. 

 It happens to everyone at some point in time, often several times in one's lifetime. How you respond to those curve balls defines your character. 

You could curl up and ignore the world, hoping it will go away. However, the damage is done and nothing can change that. 

You could be pissed off and angry at the world. What's that going to solve moving forward?

Or, you could accept it as one of life's many challenges, learn from it, and move forward. As quote from Winston Churchill says, “If you're going through hell, keep on going.” Rodney Adkins even made it into a song.

Make your peace, scream, cry. Do what you need to do to come to a resolution in your own mind, but never give up!

The Kansas Division for Early Childhood Conference

Whenever I go to a conference or workshop I like to post about it, so here goes!

On February 28^th & March 1^st I went to the Kansas Division for Early Childhood Conference with two other preschool teachers in our district. The keynote speaker was from the University of Washington and spoke about a project there dealing primarily with children who had been identified and placed on the Autism Spectrum. Following her address, there were breakout session the rest of the morning.

The first session I went to talked about the positive aspect of flexible seating, which I would LOVE to incorporate into my classroom environment somehow. I am currently researching the cost and feasibility of this idea! Next, it was time for lunch.

After lunch, we thought we would attend a session entitled “Move & Grow Together: Creative Movement Groups for Young Children. We thought it might get our blood pumping after a delicious lunch. We were sadly mistaken. While the information shared was good, it did not involve attendee participation.

The next session I attended was “From Frustration to Success: A Social-Emotional Journey.” I was thrilled to hear the speaker talk about all of those piece of classroom practices that are near and dear to my heart. In addition, she mentioned my three edu-heroes: James Moffett for Derby Hills Elementary School in Derby, KS, Jim Sporleder my guru from Walla Walla, WA, and Rebecca Pancratz-Lewis from ESSDACK, right here in Hutchinson!!

The last session of the day that I attended was “Strategies to Meet the Social and Emotional Needs of Early Childhood Students. This covered some of the same ideas and strategies I already use in my classroom, as well as some other ideas I may look in to.

The next day there were just two sessions: “Beyond the Typical Preschool Classroom” and “Exploring Kansas MTSS and Alignment Through a Preschool Lens.” The one about beyond a typical preschool classroom was amazing and interactive! We learned about different ways pf engaging families, implementing flexible seating, and STEM activities for Preschool. So much fun!!

The last session we attended was, honestly, a stab in the dark, but we were so glad we went to it! The facilitator talked about how preschool is foundational in the public school setting. Since we will be having a district preschool meeting this next week, we are taking the ideas shared in this session to that meeting.

Reflecting on those two days, I would have to say that I learned a great deal, my brain is spinning, and I was blessed to spend two days with our fabulous preschool team...even though I missed my students terribly!!

It's Hard

Teaching is hard work. Teaching Preschool is even harder. Let me share with you some bullet points about why I believe this to be true.

• For many families, this is their first public school experience. Even if it's not, the teachers vary from year to year with the high rate of teacher turn-over.
• There are rules, policies, and expectations that need to be enforced for the safety, protection, and education of all.
• It's a learning curve for everyone; students, their families, the teachers, the school, the bus drivers, the custodians, the cooks, the school nurses, etc. Every child that walk through the school doors has their own uniqueness about them. EVERY.ONE.OF.THEM. Let that soak in for a second; 300-500 unique people all in one place, for 7 ½ to 8 hours each day.

Hear me out. We WANT your kids in school. We look forward to seeing their smiling faces each day. We look forward to the stories the share with us and their bright, eager, ready-to-learn faces. Here's the thing, though; not at the expense of the other children entrusted to our care each day. That's where the policies and procedures come into play.

The school district and it's board of education have put into place a huge notebook of policies and procedures that make the day-to-day functioning of the district's buildings as fair and as equitable as humanly possible. It is the responsibility of the classroom teachers to, besides teaching your children, enforce these policies. No ifs, and, or buts. A great deal of time, effort, and discussion was put into making these policies. They are not up for interpretation. They are there for the safety and protection of the students. Period.

So, if a parent receives a call from the nurse's office, saying that their child is running a fever, the correct response is, “I'll be right there.” The policy says “fever/symptom free, without medication.” That doesn't mean a parent can give the child a fever-reducer and send them to school. That medication will wear off before the end of the day, and the parent will receive a call to come and get the child. It also doesn't mean, when you come to pick your child up, you ask if they're sure they're sick. They are running a fever. They are going home. It's the policy.

Here's where communication comes into play. If the parent has a child who typically runs a normal temperature higher than 98.6., tell someone-the nurse or the teacher. If the child has an inhaler or epi-pen at school, the teacher should know that, as well. If the student has been on an antibiotic for an ear infection, strep, etc., let the teacher know. Teachers are not mind readers. Parents need to communicate with their child's teacher, not post a rant on social media.

Parents! You know your child better than any teacher could ever hope to. However, you have to communicate with the teacher so that he/she can be the best teacher possible for your child. If your child has had a rough night, tell the teacher. If the child is pretending to be sick so they can come home, tell the teacher. If the child is struggling with a peer, tell the teacher. Sometimes there are things we miss. It's human nature.

Bottom line: We're all on the same page, only wanting the best for each student in our classroom. Teaching is hard. Not only do we teach the child, we teach the parents, too. This is a partnership and will be for the rest of the child's formal education. The sooner we all work together as a team, the better it will be for all of us.

"You Can't Save Them All"

“You can't save them all.” In my thirty four years of teaching, I've had not one, but two administrators say this to me about one of my students. I can't begin to tell you how this statement angers me! What is our job as teachers? I believe it is to impact our students so that the world will be a better place, To teach them empathy, social skills, peaceful conflict resolution, and a whole host of other soft skills, on top of the academics.

My job IS to save them all! If I don't believe this with my whole heart, then I'm in the wrong profession. I need to love them fiercely, regardless of their idiosyncrasies, their gender, their race, the socio-economic place in society. Accept them where they are, as they are. That's our job! So when an administrator says, “You can't save them all,” I think it's time for that administrator to step away from public education.

I am reminded about a poem, first brought to my attention by a fellow teacher, very good friend, and simply amazing human being! In her address to the district upon being named the Elementary Teacher of the Year for the district, Holly Schreiber shared this story with the rest of us. It touched me then, just as much as it continues to touch me and I try to emulate the idea behind it. I will share here:

The Legend of the Starfish

A vacationing businessman was walking along a beach when he saw a young boy. Along the shore were many starfish that had been washed up by the tide and were sure to die before the tide returned. The boy was walked slowly along the shore and occasionally reached down and tossed the beached starfish back into the ocean. The businessman, hoping to teach the boy a little lesson in common sense, walked up to the boy and said, "I have been watching what you are doing, son. You have a good heart, and I know you mean well, but do you realize how many beaches there are around here and how many starfish are dying on every beach every day. Surely such an industrious and kind hearted boy such as yourself could find something better to do with your time. Do you really think that what you are doing is going to make a difference?" The boy looked up at the man, and then he looked down at a starfish by his feet. He picked up the starfish, and as he gently tossed it back into the ocean, he said, "It makes a difference to that one."

     This is how I feel teaching should be, to make a difference to that one.

God Knows...

God Knows...

After posing last night, I went back to reading one of the books I'm on now, “Shattering the Perfect Teach Myth,” by Aaron Hogan who is an assistant principal in Texas, and a Twitter-Teacher that I follow. His book has been suggested by several people in Twitter-verse.

Anyway, last night's post was kind of a downer and I was doubting my efficiency as a teacher on many levels. Then I come to chapter nine in the book, entitled, “When We're Not Enough.” Friends!! This was just what I needed and God knew I needed that chapter then and now! Let me share with you a few of the quotes from Aaron's book, chapter nine:

• “We have to remember that our efforts have their limits and that our students ( and their parents) are the ones who must take final ownership over their decisions....” .”...we cannot make the choice for the students (or their parents.” Powerful stuff!!
• “I would go so far as to say I felt called to this profession, even designed to do this. And in many cases, I felt like I did this well.” Preach!
• “...I felt a little hopeless and started questioning myself.” Me. Last night.
• “Educators should feel okay to be worn out by their job. They should be okay with recognizing that at times, we have to pull back to recharge. And they should know that their work is tough and they don't have to be Superman and act like it's not weighing on them.” Thank you, Aaron, for this!
• “As an educator, our work is absolutely going to push us to our limits. We discover those limits by giving every last bit of ourselves to the students (and families, I might add) that we serve.”

Aaron goes on to give some tips of what we can do. He says we should:

• Set a goal of relentlessly pursuing and pushing students toward success.
• Believe that all you have to offer is enough.

He goes on to say, “Every kid deserves to be known and served well at school.”

Aaron quotes psychologist, Brene' Brown as saying, “When we make the transition from crazy-busy to rest, we have to find out what comforts us, what really refuels us, and do that.” For me, it's reading. Escaping into a good book. And I thank God that's what it is, especially last night, when I needed these words the most.

Aaron also says, “...we are not enough on our own to be everything that every student (or their family) needs. We have to be okay with that.” “We cannot give our all to everything. There's just not enough of us to go around.” He gives some ideas to combat that:

• Identify your pitfalls
• Define your priorities
• Gut check regularly (preferably with someone you trust who will be honest with you)

He says, “The work you are doing and your relationships with others are too important to pretend that you can simply press on without limits.” He goes on to say we need to, “...identify what really got us into education, and find ways to do that valuable work we know to be so important for students and teachers.”

“...take care of yourself.”

“...your job is the hardest job I know of.”

Thank you, God, for giving me this chapter when I needed it most. Thank you, Aaron, for writing this book! God bless you!

There Are Some Days.....

Not all blog post can be good ones. This is one of those...

As positive as you try to be, there are just some days where the blahs get to you. This week, things began piling up, and today is one of those days. The kind of day where you begin to question everything....

Am I doing enough to keep my students safe, happy, and healthy?

Am I being informative and kind enough to the parents of my students?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Am I doing my best to uphold the district policies and procedures?

It's Friday night and I feel like I'm drowning...

****I know it will get better, but...

What Did YOU Get For Christmas?

     This is a famous question after the holidays, right?

     What I got for Christmas can't be purchased anywhere. In a world that is becoming increasingly materialistic, I got something that has no price tag. I received time. Time with my family.

      It's been three years since all of our children were together, at our house, for the holidays. This year they were back together, along with their significant others, and our precious granddaughter. This was such a blessing for us! The best gift....EVER! We played games, laughed our fannies off, ate, drank, and of course, opened gifts. Though a couple of the significant others had to go be with their families for part of the time, The Jenkins Originals were all together for three glorious days! My heart is full and I am blessed.

 .            

                                                                                                                              So, a few days later, when I went to see my parents on the farm, and they asked me that famous question: “What did you get for Christmas?” I didn't answer with material things. I answered with “Time.” Time I am so very grateful for and time I can never get back. I am so appreciative for all three of our kids being here at the same time, of their people taking time away from their families to be here, and for the time spent making new memories. I am thankful. I am grateful. I am blessed.                                               

Going Home

This past week, I braved the cold weather and went back to see my parents on the farm where I grew up. For those of you who know Nebraska and it's major highways, I should have turned around at Hebron, NE, on Highway 81. It was freezing rain and I had to get out of my vehicle twice to get the caked ice off my windshield wipers! My husband also let me know that Interstate 80, across Nebraska, was closed at North Platte, NE and the storm was moving east, in my direction. Persistence or stupidity, I'm not sure which, kept me headed north. I can't tell you the last time I had visited the farm, but the pull of something simpler, more restful after the crazy holidays, was calling me.

Here's the truth: My dad is 92. He now uses a walker to get around their home. He also has a new friend, the C-PAP machine, that helps him get a better night's sleep. Earlier this fall, he participate in a sleep study and was found to have sleep apnea. On top of that, my 81 year-old mother, whose early morning constitutional is it to walk four miles a day, had slipped and fell on the the ice on one of her walks and broken her left wrist. (Did I mention that she's also left-handed?) I still had eight days left of Christmas Break after all of the festivities at our house, so I went to check on things and to help out where I could.

I was happy to see that they seemed to be faring pretty well! Mom was adapting to her “Husker Red” cast and it seemed as if my dad was more mobile than I had seen him for quite some time! So, I addressed some Christmas cards, caught up my mom's journaling, helped with meals, gave my dad a break from doing the dishes, and even caught up their ironing. (I HATE ironing!!)

What I didn't expect, though, was to see the farm through different eyes. The miles and miles of roads, up though the cattle yards that I used to traipse through, looking for baby kittens or missing cats who weren't there when I fed them each night. The windmill, that our daughter calls “My windmill,” because when she was little, she would climb to the platform and sit there and say, “I am the master of all I survey!” My bedroom, where, at a very low point, I returned to,with a three year-old in tow, to get my bearings. And the wide open spaces!! Wide open spaces where I would ride my horse, Monkus, for hours! When I was on his back, I felt such a freedom and a sense of peace. Oh, to capture that again!!

       

The church I grew up in. Where, at one time, we even had a children's choir, directed by my aunt, who also directed the adult choir. I remember being in the pew, as young children, with our cousins, right in a direct line of sight from the choir loft where our parents sang. If one of us got out of line, we'd get “the look,” which, more often than not, made us giggle even more because we knew there was nothing they could do without making a spectacle of all of us. This is also the church were my husband and I got married, almost thirty years ago! Some of the families I grew up with still attend church there. Others have moved on and new folks have come in. Fellowship time after church is always a good time, sharing memories and updating the lives of our continually growing families.

But duty and my own family calls and, even though we all prayed for a blizzard that would keep me there until March, it didn't happen. I am thankful for the time I was able to spend at the farm, with my parents and my brother. It's something I can never replace and will never forget!