August 2016

Chocolate 4 Teachers 1:16 PM No Comments

To give or not to give? Awww... the eternal question. Should we assign homework or do we allow them to have the night off? Personally, I'm a non-homework kinda girl. I want the night off (which rarely happens, but hey! when it does!) so why shouldn't I honor that wish for my students. Am I robbing them of their childhood? Or am I robbing them of an education?

I don't think the answer to either question is yes. I think I simply made a choice to not assign homework. When I first started teaching homework was all the rage. Assign homework. Every teacher worth her weight assigns homework. You aren't a real teacher until you assign homework. So... I assigned homework. An extension of our class assignments. Something that would provide additional practice. Then came the dreaded day when I realized that not all of my students were doing their own homework. I was shocked. Why would a parent do a student's homework for them? I took a paper to the principal and asked her The Question. She told me to call the parent and say, "Your child told me that you did the homework for them. Surely this isn't true?" I did. And it was true. I was devastated. And, it was a school administrator. So, I did what any self respecting teacher would do. I took off my rose colored glasses and looked education squarely in the eye. If I wanted my students to learn (and I did) I would make sure that they had ample class time to complete "independent practice". I would act as a facilitator during this time, answer questions, provide examples, whatever they needed to learn the concept that I was teaching. I think that is the moment that I really became a teacher. I was not a cookie-cutter example of a teacher, but a living, breathing human making her own decisions for what was best for her and her students.

What do you think? I'd like to know. Is homework still the thing to do? Or have times and philosophies changed?

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Chocolate 4 Teachers 3:06 PM No Comments

Teacher retirement seems to always be caught in a contest of wills. It often comes under fire from politicians and a privileged few who want to reform it. For the life of me I can't figure out what politicians and millionaires have to do with my paltry retirement. I don't understand their interest or their interference. Maybe they have too much time on their hands. Or, maybe they just like putting their nose in someone else's business. Well, I have something to say. Keep your nose out of my business. I earned, that's right, I earned my retirement. I didn't see you roaming the halls when I was sitting there with a child whose parent had failed to pick them up. Again. I didn't see you buying clothes for a child that needed something warm to wear. I didn't see you providing meals, out of your own pocket, for a latchkey kid that was hungry. I never saw you helping me move, pack, organize, or decorate my classroom. And, I for sure never received any financial contributions from you. So, now you want to interfere with my golden years. The years where my life is not controlled by an alarm clock or the parents of my students. When I don't have to sit up until the wee hours of the morning just so I can provide my students with immediate feedback. The years that I can enjoy my birthday and anniversary with my family and my husband instead of conducting parent-teacher-student conferences. The years I've looked forward to and earned. Just like each of you earned in your respective professions. So, I'm asking you to butt out and let me live. You have your millions and billions. Something I will never have and, frankly, never desired. I choose my career and served with the best of my ability. I gave it everything I had. I made many sacrifices, but it was worth it.

For those who represent my retirement, protect me. Fight for me. I have been a loyal employee and I deserve my retirement. I had my paycheck reduced in order to put part of it aside for my retirement. I have trusted you to invest it well and provide me with a living in my later years. Don't let yourself be influenced by people who want to rundown education. They didn't serve you, so don't let them control you. Hold on to your integrity by doing the right thing, not the politically correct thing. I trust you and I need you to work for me.

Retirement should be a well-deserved rest, not a battle to keep what we have earned.

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Chocolate 4 Teachers 3:23 PM No Comments

Recently I saw a funny post concerning teachers using the days before school preparing their rooms rather than attending meetings. I was so amused by it that I reposted it on my FB page, Chocolate 4 Teachers. It is remarkably close to comments my colleagues and I would make (or would have liked to hear) as we met back at our home away from home in the fall. We would much rather be in our rooms preparing them, but instead we were in meetings watching the same videos and hearing the same pep talk. We could even recite the words. "Don't touch anyone who is bleeding without gloves." Common sense. "We will support you." I've heard that before. "Read your teacher handbook thoroughly." When???

Why is that first impression so important? Because that first impression sets the tone for the school year. Room prep is the highest priority on every teacher's list. Every teacher has a vision that they want to bring to life. They search for the perfect WOW effect, and they need time to execute the plan. Parent's Night or Open House is usually held near the beginning of school or before school begins. The state of a classroom sends a message to parents about the teacher's enthusiasm, organization, and creativity. The students also have their own perceptions. Will the teacher be nice? Will learning be fun or boring? What things does the teacher like? What are the teacher's expectations? Walking into a colorful and interesting classroom where expectations are clearly posted helps to put the student at ease. They can visualize the answers to some of their questions. They watch the teacher interact with other students and parents. They take note of the teacher's ease and confidence as she/he moves around the classroom, their world.

Preparing your classroom also helps to reduce teacher stress. Now, the teacher can focus on lessons, activities, communications, and, most importantly, the students. Having everything organized and in it's place prior to the first day makes the rest of the year flow more smoothly. No more wasted time searching for things or trying to decide on a class theme. The first step has been taken and you are ready to take about a million more!

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Chocolate 4 Teachers 6:14 PM 2 comments

The first day of school. Exciting. Fun. Scary. Nerve-wracking. You want your room to be perfect. You can't wait to see the faces of your students when they walk in and see the magical transformation you have created. My first year, I was going for the WOW affect. I wanted one of my bulletin boards to be tactile. Which is why I spray glued sand to the paper covering the board. The glue had strong adhesive powers. I know. I just about rubbed my skin off trying to remove the 'glued-on-sand' from my hands and fingers. I forgot to wear gloves. And, I forgot to not touch it and press it on. Big mistake.

For years (Okay I still do this) I would set two alarm clocks. I was so afraid of over-sleeping and missing the big day. I would also practice getting up and getting ready. I would practice for one week before school started. I wanted to make sure I had my routine down to the final minute. (Not that I am on time, or anything, I just wanted to make sure that I had my routine established.) I am a creature of habit and routine. Thankfully, I stopped doing this after I got married. My husband was appreciative.

Fast forward to 2004. I was buzzing along to school. In a hurry. I was late. No big surprise for anyone who knows me. I detest watches. Never worn one. And, I detest being controlled by time. The kind officer pulled me over and asked why I was in such a hurry. I explained that I was late for school. He gave me a warning and recommended that I get an earlier start. Wished me a good first day of school and sent me on my way. For about 10 feet. His lights came on again. I pulled back over. This time his approach was a little more serious. The name on my vehicle registration and the name on my license didn't match. And... My car tags were expired. I explained that I had gotten married 5 months ago and moved. I hadn't received a notice for my tags so I had probably forgotten about them. He suggested that maybe they were in my glovebox and I had forgotten to put them on my car. I wasn't that lucky. However, I was able to prove that the car was mine because I still had my marriage license with me. And, my husband went to pay my fine so I didn't have to miss school to appear in court. And, I made it to school before my students!

Whatever memories you have of your first days, make this year special. Make some memories. Make some unforgettable moments. And, more than anything have a spectacular first day of school!

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