We Will Never Forget

14 years ago:   We lived in the Kansas City area. My husband had flown to a meeting in Minneapolis, MN.  He sat next to a Middle Eastern man who kept reading the Koran and shutting his eyes and praying.  One of the hijackers?  We will never know.  I was home with our three kids.  The girls were both at middle school and high school.  Our son was home, watching Sports Center.  His friend called and told him to switch to the news.  We switched over just in time to see the second plane hit the twin towers.  Our son said, "That looks like a good movie!"  I told him it was no movie.  I took him to school and went to the girls' school just to see their faces.
   I went to the high school first.  The marching band was out in the field, practicing for their halftime show.  I pulled up to the curb.  Our daughter came over.  She asked why all of the jet-trails were in circles (the planes were circling Kansas City International, waiting to land)  I told her that all planes were being forced to land, and that there had been a terrorist attack in New York City.  I didn't know anything else.
     Next I went to the middle school to see our other daughter.  I sat at their lunch table and just visited with the girls.  The principal came up to me and said, "We're not telling them anything.  We feel it's best that this is a family conversation, especially without many details."  He was an amazing principal and I agreed.  I didn't want anyone else having that discussion with one of my children.  The girls said that they heard there was a bomb.  I could honestly say that no, it wasn't a bomb.
     Because I was substitute teaching at the time, I was called in as just an extra set of hands and eyes in our son's elementary building-a floater.  I was unable to reach my husband.  All lines were clogged with people checking on loved ones.
     After school that day, as were all dealing with the shock and trauma, our house cat ran away.  While we were combing the neighborhood, looking for her, our son reached up to grab a neighbor's baseball net and pulled the entire goal down on his head, hitting the front of his head on the driveway and the rim of the goal clunking him on the back.
     The next day, the two younger kids stayed home.  Our middle daughter because she was distraught about her cat, at least that was the straw that broke the camel's back.  Our son, because he had a concussion.  Later that day, the cat came back and my husband was able to call.
     He had no way to get home.  All airlines were grounded, as well as bus lines.  Three days later, he was able to rent a car and drive home.
     A year later, I was lucky enough to be asked to go on an American History trip to Washington, D.C.  At the Smithsonian, there was a tribute to 9/11.  One of the things on display was answering machine recordings of people who were either telling their loved ones goodbye or of people trying to reach their loved ones.  The messages were heartbreaking!  I can't begin to imagine the fear, the deep sadness, the loss, the despair, of those people!  It is unimaginable!  I shall never forget!
    

Make the Connection

Sharing this from another site.  Before students can learn, they need to know you care.  Make the connection!  There's an embedded video by the great Rita Pierson that is well worth viewing!

http://fuelgreatminds.com/classroom-management-making-connections/

The Beginning of Year 32 in Early Childhood Education (It Can't Have Been That Long!)

     Here I sit, on a Sunday night, with my classroom not done, an incomplete class list, and no firm schedule.  Staff meetings begin Thursday.  Open House is the evening of the 17th.  Kindergarteners start, full day, on the 18th.
     That sounds like a lot, right?  Here are the positives:

• I was blessed to spend big chunks of time with family, renewing and strengthening our family bonds, including a total (here and there) of SIXTEEN days with our beautiful, spunky, hilarious granddaughter.  HEAVEN!
• I spent a couple of days sharing ideas with some younger, energetic, teachers, which doesn't look like a lot on paper.  However, planning with peers is ALWAYS energizing!
• This is the start of my fifth year in this school district, in the same building.
• About once a week, out teacher Bible study met to share, encourage, support, and cheer each other on!
• Even though our schedule has not yet been finalized, I have plans typed out on a Word document, so that once we get a schedule, I can just copy and paste into the correct cell of my spreadsheet.  That being said, plans are finished through September. 
• This year, I decided that I was not going to spend full days getting my classroom ready for the beginning of the year.  I have been going in for a couple of hours each morning, while it's still cool enough for the dogs to be outside.   I thought ahead to copies I needed for Parent Folders at Open House and got them copied over the summer.  I also had copies made of some of my favorite activities to use the first few days of school.  I also got ALL of the copies of take-home letters copied for our phonics program.  Whew!  That's a lot I didn't need to worry about! I have friends who are spending quite a bit of time at school.  Sometime, I think to myself, "What am I missing?"  Then I remind myself of the pre-planning I did at the end of last school year.
• I am reading THE MOST FABULOUS BOOK--EVER about teaching.  It is by an author I became aware of through an online book study/devotions/Bible study last summer.  It's called, Unshakable: 20 ways to enjoy teaching every day...no matter what, by Angela Watson.  If you are a teacher, reading this blog post, I highly recommend it.  I'm only on chapter 3 and am already finding things I can change, as well as things that validate my current practices!
• Two words:  Essential Oils!  There is a blend called "Serenity"  and another called "Balance."  Those are my two go-tos.  Also, lavender, which is calming.  I may diffuse it in my classroom, depending on what allergies I may or may not have.
• Speaking of my classroom, although our class lists are incomplete, pending the transfers, over half of my class are siblings of older students in the building!!  I already have strong relationships with those families!!  BONUS!

     So, bring on those new kiddos!  I am ready!!  It's going to be a GREAT school year!  :)

Sharing an Article I Found Interesting

http://neatoday.org/2015/06/19/the-reading-rush-what-educators-say-about-kindergarten-reading-expectations/

The Summer of Family

Every summer, since I began teaching, it feel like I have been involved in some sort of professional development, whether it be committee work, continuing education, or work on my master's degree.  This summer, for the first time that I can remember, I am taking the summer off!  Yes!  You are reading correctly!  Everything has been sent in for my teaching license renewal, so I don't NEED any professional development.  This is why I've made the decision to fall back, renew, and re-energize by spending time with family!
     The first step was this past weekend, when I made an impromptu visit to see our son who is three hours away.  It was heavenly!  The time was short because he was in a golf tournament.  Some time is better than no time and I loved seeing him.  He is always so full of fun!!
     This next weekend, I will be traveling to TX to see our oldest daughter and her family.  I will be able to watch our amazing granddaughter play softball and then spend the following week taking her to and from Bible School, something that has become a tradition with us!  <3
     The weekend after I am in TX, our daughter, who works for Habitat for Humanity, in GA, is coming home because she wants "to spend he quarter-of-a-century birthday with the people who gave her life!"  How awesome is that?!?  I'm going to help her drive back and spend a few days with her after her visit with us.
     On July 5th, our beautiful granddaughter is coming to spend a week with us!  I will firm up those plans while I'm in TX.  :)
     The one of the last two weekends in July, our son and his girlfriend are coming here for a visit!
     The first weekend in August, my husband and I will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary!
     School resumes, for teachers, on August 12th.

The End of Another School Year

     The end of anything is always difficult.  I've watched my kindergarten babies grow from  all-about-me, shy, or scared children to kind, confident, compassionate little people.  The transformation in many of them over the course of a school year is mind-boggling, even after 29 years in Early Childhood Education! Once again, my heart of full with the memories of 27 beautiful, unique children.

Teacher Appreciation Week

     As I reflect back on my many years of teaching, I think about the lives that have touched me.  Those beautiful young children who hung on my every word.  So many little people that I carry with me wherever I go.  I have decided that it it not I who deserve any appreciation, but the families who have shared their most precious gifts of all...their children, with me.  For that I will always be grateful and appreciative.
     The struggles, both my own and the children's.  The laughs.  The "a-ha" moments when the lightbulb comes on.  These, I will carry with me.  I thought I would add some highlights:

• Principal:  Do you know where (student) is?  Me:  Yes.  He asked to go to the restroom.  Principal:  Go look (with a smile on her face).  I go to the restroom and there is (student), singing at the top of his lungs, standing on the toilet, stirring the water with his belt.
• This precious child, at the end of kindergarten:  Student:  I was kinda crazy when I first came here.  Me:  Yes.  You were afraid and didn't understand how much fun kindergarten can be.  Student:  My mamma said she knew you could tame me!
• The superintendent of school's daughter was in my class in one district.  We were talking about communities and houses.  I shared that I grew up on a farm.  Her mother shared with me, at conferences, that her daughter told her I was born in a barn!
• The angry, stubborn boy who would just flip out and the work we all did to help him.  When our school closed and I was transferred to a different building in the district, he came to that building, too, because I was his "other mother."  (He lived out-of-district at the time and his mother worked for the district).  He and his family even came to see us after we moved away!
• The scary, prison guard parent in a former district, who's actions led to stricter security guidelines for our building.  YIKES!!
• The Christmas cards I continue to get for the families of former students.
• Dinner with former students, no going to college away from home, but close to me, when they are feeling homesick.
• The little girl who threw her math workbook (yes, in kindergarten) across the room, stuck her tongue out at me, and stated,  "I HATE math!"  This same child, at the end of the year, was one of the best and brightest at math.  When I reminded her of our first day with the workbooks, she said, "Yeah.  About that.  I don't know what I was thinking."
• The countless sporting events and dance recitals.
• All of the hugs from former students as they are walking down the hall.
• The relationship with not just the students, but their families, as well!

     So, as Teacher Appreciation Week approaches, I don't feel that it is I who should be appreciated.  It is the students that I appreciate.  For their years of laughter, sadness, support, stubbornness , and joy.  This is why I became a teacher.  This is what I live for...every day!