February 2017

"Be a teacher," they said. "You'll have fun," they said. "You'll get summers off," they said. "It's the perfect schedule for moms. You'll love the short days," they said. What they didn't say is: I do have fun, but I am so exhausted by the time the week-end rolls around that I can't wait to hop into my fuzzy bunny slippers on Friday night and luxuriate in the realization that I don't have to set my alarm tomorrow morning. I do have summers off. How else would I complete all of the PD and additional training that is required. It is the perfect schedule for moms. My kids love coming to my room after school where they can sit at the desk or in the reading nook finishing their homework or reading a book or maybe just watching me grade papers, write lessons, and prepare for the following day. Yeah, perfect. Fun. Short days.

Ummm.... wonder where this person got their information because it certainly doesn't look anything like my day. Or the day of my friends with kids. I'm sure if I asked their children if they preferred staying an extra hour or two or three at school while their mom did her school work OR going home, they would say Home! And, I can tell you that I sure don't miss the meetings or PD or summer classes. Not at all. I've missed a lot of things moving out of public education into an adult setting, but meetings wasn't one of them.

I will have to say it is fun. It is fun answering the same question 15 times. Prepares us for old age. It is fun to shiver on a playground. Builds character. It is fun to down a school lunch in 15 minutes flat. It could be a great weight loss program if it wasn't for the donuts that I grabbed on my way out the door.

For all the ups and downs and quirks. And sarcasm. And silliness. It is fun. It is rewarding. It is the best job ever! So.... "Be a teacher," she said. "You'll have fun!

*** Thanks to my playground buddy today for the inspiration! ***

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Irish folktales, tall talesand legends!

March Folktales and Legends

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Chocolate 4 Teachers 2:44 PM No Comments

Patience. Don't have it. Never did. Not so sure I ever will. At least by some standards. Some may say (and have) that I have the patience of Job. Others would scoff at that comment. I think patience can only be determined and defined by you. That makes it really easy, huh? Not if we are being honest with ourselves.

I admit that at times I exhibit more patience than at others. Don't expect me to be a picture of patience if I'm running late, off schedule, or have too much on my plate. Being patient isn't on my agenda. If I have some free time (like never) or am running ahead of schedule (still waiting for this to happen), I can afford to take an extra minute or two. But, put me behind schedule on a week night when I have to prepare a meal and be somewhere else in a short time, and you will see my wheels and feet flying. I don't have time to slow down with a sweet smile. I want everyone and everything around me moving too. Move or get run over!

And, then it all depends for whom I am waiting. I will wait patiently for my grandmother (actually, there are times she can out distance me), but not so much for my husband. I guess it is because I expect her to be slower, but I expect him to keep up with me. And, then there are the kids. Adore them. Love to be around them. Teaching them is a dream. BUT.... tell them the same thing five times. Well... it isn't going to happen. I learned from my mentor teacher over 25 years ago to not repeat. Her rule (which I loved and adopted) was: "What I have to say is important so listen to me the first time. If you choose not to listen, that is your option, but be prepared to live with the consequences." She wrote the steps of her directions on the board, told the class to listen to the important information, and gave it once. One time. Not a million, She didn't repeat it for Gossip Gertie or Blabbering Bobby or Tardy Tina. Once. And they got it. If they didn't, they learned. The first time.

So, what is patience to me? Patience may mean adjusting your speed and your schedule to be considerate of others while you accomplish what you must when you must. Patience is something that teachers can model and teach. Patience can be the result of taking responsibility for actions or decisions. At times patience will look a lot like grace. Patience is something that will change from day-to-day and person-to-person. Patience isn't learned. Patience isn't a gift suddenly granted (although I used to pray for patience until I figured out that more patience-trying circumstances came my way). Patience is a way of adjusting your life in a certain moment.

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Need some help with reading lessons? Try this bundle! 67 pages of fiction and nonfiction reading resources to make your planning as easy as... well... pie!

Fiction and Nonfiction Bundle

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Chocolate 4 Teachers 3:31 PM No Comments

I'm just a teacher. I don't leap over tall buildings or single handedly save the world. I just reach one child at a time while leaping over student desks and pointing to an objective on the board. That's all. Nothing phenomenal or outstanding. Just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill teacher.

At 3:30 my mind stops. Just stops. I can't think. I can't speak. Not one rational thought enters my head or comes out my mouth. Sometimes I just stare into space. Total shutdown.

Until my head hits the pillow. Then all of the drama of the day returns to haunt me. I go through my litany of need to-dos and should have-dones and it-better- be-completed-by-tomorrow-or-else list. The faces of each student march across my brain. I wonder about them. What is happening to them tonight? Do they have a safe, warm place to sleep? Did they have supper? Did they understand what I taught today? Or, does it really matter? I drift into sleep determined to do a better job tomorrow.

The alarm goes off and my feet hit the floor running. Well... not really. My feet don't hit the floor until I've hit the snooze button a few times. Morning is not my favorite time. In fact, I don't think late nights are either. I'm a middle of the day kind of person. I don't even think that extremely early hours should be invented. Or allowed. It isn't human.

Then I remember that I'm going to do better today. I'm determined. I race through my morning routine and arrive just a little early. I'm organized and ready to go. Awww.. those few peaceful moments before chaos breaks out. I'm more attentive than yesterday. I battle exhaustion successfully after lunch. I see light bulbs flicker across the room. I confidently handled a parent conference. I contributed during the after-school meeting.

Success! But not the once-in-awhile kind of success, but the kind that gently settles in and hangs on. The kind that takes a lot of effort, but has a huge reward. I smile, pack my bags, and head for the door. As I reach for the light switch, I pause and look around the room. Now, the flicker crosses my face.

I'm just a teacher. Nothing phenomenal or out of the ordinary. Just someone determined each day to do a better job.

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Check out this Presidential collection!

Lincoln and Washington

Washington

One of my favorites!Tall Tales of Abe Lincoln!

Presidential bundle

Abe Lincoln and the Civil War

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Chocolate 4 Teachers 2:57 PM No Comments

Amid all the controversy of the nomination of Betsy DeVos, questions arise about qualifications. One of my biggest stumbling blocks is having a non-educator tell me how to teach. That is like me telling an investigator how to solve a crime just because I watch NCIS. Watching and Reading do not qualify you for Doing. Period.

The question of experience had me on the hunt for answers. I wanted to know (and so did some of you) how much teaching experience did some of the former Secretaries actually have. Had they worked in a classroom with children facing the same challenges that we face?

Here's a brief experience rundown of former Secretaries of Education:

Arne Duncan- Before becoming the U.S. Secretary of Education, Mr. Duncan served as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

John King, Jr. - Mr. King had a bit more experience. Prior to his appointment he served as: commissioner of education for the state of New York; CEO of state education department; managing director of a non-profit charter organization, Uncommon School; co-founder of a charter school, Roxbury Preparatory; and taught high school social studies in Puerto Rico, San Juan, and Boston. Both of his parents were educators.

Margaret Spellings - Mrs. Spellings has an extensive background in politics and leadership positions, such as: Assoc. Executive Director of Texas Board of Education and senior advisor and political advisor to George W. Bush.

Rod Paige- Mr. Paige served as a teacher, coach, Dean of Education School at TSU, and a superintendent. Both of his parents were educators.

Richard Riley- Mr. Riley spent his early years in the U.S. Navy before earning a law degree. Then he spent the remainder of his time, before serving as Secretary of Education in politics.

And acting Secretary of Education, Phil Rosenfelt is an attorney. His experience centers around low income housing and poverty. His wife is an English teacher.

To be bipartisan, I included both Democratic and Republican nominees. I started with President Obama and concluded with President Clinton. I could have continued the search, but what I discovered is a remarkable lack of teaching experience, with the exceptions of King and Paige. I am not undermining any achievements. I do realize that even with a lack of experience some were successful and worked to improve education. But, I also have to wonder how much more success could have been demonstrated if the secretaries had firsthand working knowledge of teaching.

What would happen if the Secretary of Education had the heart of a teacher? It is my opinion that this experience is the most valuable of all. In order to truly understand the world of education, someone must personally spend time there. I know my spouse hears about school, but his experience is second-hand. Experience makes a difference. Just like there is a difference between a first year teacher and a twenty year veteran teacher. Every situation adds to our knowledge base. Being a CEO does not replace the actual hours spent in preparation and teaching. Nothing can replace the time spent in the classroom. Nothing. No amount of time spent volunteering or serving on committees. Not even an excessive number of teacher friends will replace being in the field.

The only way to understand the life of a teacher is to be one.

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Check out this collection of February Morning Work (which isn't just for morning anymore!). Each book contains review sheets for each day of the month, covering skills in ELA, Math, Reading, and Social Studies ( and, yes, they cover CCSS. Even though I don't agree with the standards, I do realize the necessity of providing solid teaching resources that cover each standard thoroughly).
AND.... What about these Valentine's Day resources!