Chocolate for the Teacher: 2018

Chocolate 4 Teachers 2:24 PM No Comments

Once a word leaves the lips, it can't be retracted. Sometimes, we realize as soon as the letters go zinging out of our mouth that they should never have been uttered, and other times we don't realize it until they have hit their mark.

I'm an expert in this field. I should invent a lock system for the mouth. I'm sure I could earn a fortune. I certainly have all the expertise needed to refine my product. Words either come out wrong, with too much intensity, passion, or tone. Or the ones that need saying don't make it past my throat. I pray about this and I try, really I do, but.... well, let's just say that you will always know exactly what I'm thinking by the look on my face or the words that leave my lips. I don't leave much room for guessing. While being honest is a good thing, being brutally honest is not.

This is the same with children. I'm a firm believer that they need to hear the truth and be corrected when they are misbehaving. They need to be taught the difference between right and wrong. They need to be taught boundaries and expectations. But they need to be taught using the language of love.

There is a kind way to teach a child and there is a cruel, damaging way. Nothing makes me angrier than to hear an adult calling a child hideous names. Remember the old adage: If you hear it enough, you believe it. I've heard a five year old child tell me what his parents call him. Something that can't be repeated here. Something that broke my heart. Something the child was beginning to believe. Something the child thought was a normal thing for parents to call their children.

What will these children grow up to become if they are called profanities when they are young? What will they do if they are told that they are failures or stupid? Sadly, many will give up and live the lie because they believe that they will never learn or never be successful.

This year, I'm going to make an extra effort to control the things that come out of my mouth. I'm going to pray for a little more for guidance and control. And, I'm going to speak words of encouragement and kindness to those around me, especially the little ones.

Happy New Year!

The Power of the Written Word!

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

Chocolate 4 Teachers 1:45 PM No Comments

Primary teachers should be paid more. They are not paid nearly enough. One of them and at least 25 squirmy little 5 year olds asking you to tie their shoes. All day long. They only know some of their letters. Q's aren't even in their alphabet. R's are backwards and B's and D's are reversible. Same with numbers 3, 5, and 7. I used to think that it took talent to write backwards. No, it does not. You only have to be a five year old. Then, it comes naturally.

Why is it that the kid picking their nose wants to hold your hand? Or the one that wants a hug has their lunch smeared all over their face? Wear plastic. Wear gloves and a plastic shower cap and you should be good. At the end of the day just power wash yourself. Don't forget steal toed boots. Your feet will be stepped on repeatedly throughout the day.

Nerves. Primary teachers have nerves of steel. Literally. They can calmly, quietly, in a sing-song voice answer the same question over and over and over and over. They ask questions softly about making good choices, having nice hands, and being kind. And then there's tattling. Anyone who breaths on anyone, touches anyone, or looks at anyone wrong will be reported. There are twenty-five pairs of eyes and ears that can't wait to report to the only person in the room that is over 4 foot. They embellish and exaggerate as only the very young can do. It is their personal duty to put their errant classmate back on the right path. This is not tattling. This is reform. The one who strays will be held up as an example. The one who is the self-designated reporter gives themselves a pat on the back for a job well-done. That is until the teacher shames the reporter and makes them feel like they did something wrong. Don't lose heart. The little police will have their confidence restored shortly, and return to duty.

Patience. Primary teachers have more patience than all other grade levels combined. Everything takes at least twice as long. Everything has a why? attached to it. You can't get ready for the bus in 3 minutes. Plan on 30 minutes. Snack time lasts at least 20 minutes when most school lunch times don't come close to that length of time. Recess, on the other hand, can't be long enough. They need to run and scream and wear themselves out.

Shoulder pads. Every primary teacher should be handed a set of shoulder pads on the first day of school. They're going to need them. There is at least one impatient little person that will be drilling a hole in your arm the size of the Grand Canyon. And what they want to tell you is earth shattering. The last one to put a crater in my arm kept calling me Mrs. Frankenstein. She had a headache that only recess could cure. She had a headache?? I told her to take a good look at me and see just what a real headache looked like. Never once did I correct her mispronunciation of my name. Somehow I felt like a Frankenstein. Or a Grinch. Or maybe Scrooge.

Primary teachers have the opportunity to dress in silly costumes and participate in childish games. Sometimes this is fun but that's not always the case. Which brings me to the elf. That stupid Elf-on-the-Shelf. I would like to send him back to the North Pole where he can disrupt the other elves. Let's see what Santa thinks about that!

In my opinion there isn't enough money in the world to pay primary teachers. They are on the front lines. Cleaning up snot and every other unmentionable while wearing a smile and singing a song. There just isn't enough money for that.

Boom Cards can make learning fun for kids and easier for teachers!

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Parts of Speech

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

Chocolate 4 Teachers 2:05 PM No Comments

Wouldn't you like to know?!!
It is actually a big secret. We don't want anyone to know how we spend our days off.
Finding out would change your perspective. You might form a different opinion of your teacher.

So... Okay, I'll share a few secrets.

We like to sleep in. Teachers, most of us, are night owls. We stay up grading papers, writing & creating lessons, and worrying. Mornings are not our friend. Neither are alarm clocks. So, on breaks we shut off alarm clocks, close the blinds, and crash. We also do naps. Naps early in the day, after lunch, and afternoon. It takes a lot of dream-time to recharge a teacher!

We don't do school. Really. We don't grade papers or look at lessons or check email... until the night before school starts again. Then we think about how we should have worked on lessons or checked email sooner or finished grading pre-Christmas assignments. But.... Well, we have good intentions, really we do.

We spend time with friends and we tell funny stories and laugh - loudly- and stay up late and eat too much and act like we're goofy kids. People look at us funny and wonder what we're saying. They look at our clothing - very casual and comfy- and wonder what we do and why we're not dressed for work.

On break teachers don't care. We don't care what we look like. We don't care what people think or say. We don't care what work is done or not done. We don't care about diets or exercise. We just mentally go on vacation and enjoy our vacation as much (or more) than our students.

Get ready for snow!

Nonfiction Book Companion

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

Chocolate 4 Teachers 1:56 PM No Comments

What's the difference between kindergarten and a high school?
About 10 years. Upon reaching high school a teen can look back and see that it wasn't so very long ago that they were learning how to hold a crayon and tie their shoes.

Kinders are shorter. They talk funny. They laugh at themselves. They're cute. They look cute. They talk cute. They wear cute clothes. They don't know how to cut or glue or put their shoes on the right feet. Everything (and I mean everything) is a big deal.

Teens, the taller version of a kinder, thinks they're cute. They laugh at others. Their style is undeveloped. They cut and paste on digital devices. Everything (and I mean everything) revolves around them.

Tall and short, both love to be the center of attention. Your laughter is the fuel that keeps them going. Give them an inch and they'll steal the show. Teens use this as a way to divert the teacher, who will hopefully forget the assignment. Kinders use it to sneak into your heart.

Both ask questions, but kinders have the monopoly on Why, Where, and When. All kids will tell you just about anything you wanted to know and lots you don't want to know. Kinders don't have a filter. Yet. Some kids never get a filter. No matter how tall they get. Teens have perfected the art of saying a lot of nothing. Need some advice on how to beat around the bush? Take lessons from a teen.

Both have attitude. Have you ever seen a 5 year old put their hand on their hip and roll their eyes? Cute? Yes. Surprising? Not so much. Future smart aleck? Probably. Should this be corrected? Absolutely (after you stop laughing).

When you stop and think about it there isn't that much different. They are all kids seeking love and attention. They are all kids hoping to be good or do good. On something. They just go about it differently.

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

Chocolate 4 Teachers 4:12 PM No Comments

I had a bad day this week. I let my stress seep out to my kids. In other words, I took it out on them. Not the first time and, sadly, probably not the last. I had, as one teacher said, bit off more than I could chew. In fact, I was choking. Up to my neck in paper mâché, paint, ribbons, and hot glue. I could barely breath let alone have any patience.

I kept pushing through my day. Having some small successes and disasters. The kids that got it missed my sharp tongue. The others weren't so lucky. I dismissed it at the time because these kids just don't care. No matter what I do. No matter how hard I try. No matter what I give them. No matter how much time I invest. Nothing seems to make a difference. Nothing seems to make them care.

The same colleague that pointed out the reason for my stress, also filled me in on the kids that were driving me crazy. She started telling me about their homes. Their lives. And as she talked, my justification melted like snow and I began sinking smaller and smaller.

These kids didn't care because what I was teaching was not helping them survive their circumstances. They are in survival mode. They have learned that life isn't kind. They are afraid to trust. They don't know how to show me that they care or that they are interested. And, I, too wrapped up in my own problems, didn't open my eyes to their plight.

A wise teacher once told me that all kids need hugs. Not just the clean ones or the funny ones or the ones that hug back. All of them. Even if they are dirty. Even if they are angry. Even if they give me dirty looks. They are kids. They may use words to lash out. They may be apathetic. But that doesn't give me the right to be. I have to remember to take a deep breath, thank God for my many blessings, and pass on that grace.

I'm also thankful that I have another chance to make things right.

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

Chocolate 4 Teachers 3:53 PM No Comments

Love is not always gentle. Sometimes love has to be tough. Love is not always quiet. Sometimes love has to be loud. Love may cry. Love will laugh. Love is always fair. Always willing to admit a mistake. Love is something we all need to use a little more of when we enter the classroom.

I'll admit it isn't always easy to love everyone all the time. There is always that one kid that gets on your nerves. Or the one who tattles constantly. Or the perfect child whose parent pushes you to the edge. But you have a choice. Let bitterness, fatigue, differing opinions eat away at you or hang on to hope and teach with love.

We have too much anger. Too much division. Too much "my way or the highway." We can keep pushing for our agenda. We can keep pushing for all of our students to agree with us. Or we can show them sportsmanship and compassion. Love in action. We can show them that people of differing opinions can work together and respect each other. We can show our students that we love regardless of ethnicity, politics, or religion.

Regardless of what we are called, facilitators, guides, or teachers, we lead our children. We model for them. They look up to us. They depend on us. We can't let them down. Have we? Some news reports indicate that teachers are falling into the political arena in order to convert their students. This is unacceptable. We may not agree with our students or their parents political affiliations, but have to respect them. That is what is wrong with our nation. No one is being a good sport. We're all acting like a bunch of sore losers. And entitled brats. We don't even treat each other with respect. What kind of lesson are we teaching our kids?

I don't know about you, but I'd rather my kids learned to love and respect others regardless of what they believe, what they look like, or if they agree. I don't want my kids to learn hate. Not from me.

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

Chocolate 4 Teachers 4:03 PM No Comments

My clock and I have a love/hate relationship. In fact, I can't find much love in it. I've tried an attitude adjustment. I've tried telling myself that I don't hate hearing the alarm when the rest of the world is still quietly sleeping. I've tried telling myself that it is healthy to get up early. I don't believe myself.

There is nothing positive about getting up in the dark. Nothing. Consequently, my favorite day of the year is Fall Back Sunday. One extra hour. Bliss. Especially after a week of full moon followed by Halloween. Come to think of it, one hour won't be enough.

I secretly question the honesty and sanity of people who say they enjoy the morning. Or people who say they even get up early on their days off. What is wrong with these people? Maybe their mattress is lumpy. Yes, that is definitely the problem. No one. And I mean no one. Gets up before daylight of their own free will because they want to. Something pushes them out of pleasant dreams into the world of reality.

I have to set not one alarm, but two. Two alarms to ring this body into an upright position. How am I? Vertical. That is about as good as it is going to get until I've had some caffeine and reminded myself how many days until sleep-in Saturday. Then my eyelids begin to open and my brain begins to function. I can think again.

Even the mere name 'morning person' brings up scary images in my brain. Someone chipper with a cheery smile. Someone who is perky and bubbly who goes around saying good morning with a smile plastered all over their face. Have they ever thought of toning it down a bit? Maybe they could start off with hello and slowly move to good morning.
I'll bet they even jingle!

Nonfiction Flip Books

By the way, my second favorite day of the year. Snow Day.

Nonfiction passages about Snow!

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

Chocolate 4 Teachers 11:59 AM No Comments

9 out of 10 teachers suffer from high levels of stress. That’s like 90%! Well, it is actually 90%. But can you imagine any other profession with numbers this high? I can. Surgeons. Think of the responsibility sitting on the shoulders of surgeons. Lawyers. They have the responsibility of making sure that criminals pay for their crimes and innocent people go free. Pharmacists. They have the tremendous responsibility of making sure you get the right medication. Pilots. This should be obvious. They have to safely land the plane.

Teachers don’t seem to be in the same category. Not even close.

We tie shoes, teach kids to add, subtract, and read. We have every week-end and summer off (Please don’t shoot the sarcastic messenger!). We rarely work nights. We get to give hugs and high fives daily. We have the privilege of teaching tomorrow’s leaders. Stress? That shouldn’t even be on the radar. But. It. Is. In record high numbers. And they only seem to be creeping higher (if that is even possible).

I believe that stress can be attributed to two major factors. Lack of support and lack of discipline. Teachers love their careers. They choose to teach because creating lessons is a welcome challenge, learning continues to intrigue them, and they thrive on building relationships with children. Teaching is a calling. Not a job. Not a way to make a living. Teaching is a choice because there is nothing else they’d rather do.

So, again, if teachers are that passionate about teaching, why the high stress? Imagine trying to accomplish your goal with a new challenge or roadblock every day. That roadblock could be an angry parent, a chronically absent child, a change in testing procedures, a new administrator, a change in school policy, or one of a million factors that can change on a daily basis. And usually do.

Someone once said that teaching was like trying to hit a moving target. That was, and is, so true. Teaching isn’t just walking into a classroom with a smile plastered on your face, being greeted by 20 or fewer smiling faces eager to learn, and walking to your car at 3:30 every day. In fact, teaching isn’t that at all. Some days the smile is real and some days fake is all you can manage. You put your game face on and enter the room. Most classroom sizes exceed 20 by 5-10 more students and many of our students need basic needs met before they are ready to learn (if they ever become ready to learn). Leaving at 3:30 is a myth. When teachers finally exit the building, they are usually moving slowly under the weight of numerous book bags containing their homework.

Teaching requirements change every time someone in a suit has a brilliant idea (brilliant is a stretch of the imagination). Teachers are rarely, if ever, consulted. We are expected to stop on a dime and do an about face at the whim of someone who has never taught. Sometimes these experts come in the form of something called Parents. Parents like to tell teachers how to do their job. They may not have experience or education, but that doesn't stop them. They feel that their suggestions are a golden nugget to their child’s teacher. Granted, parents do know their child. At home. But kids are different at school. And at school, teachers know kids. We are also trained to know how to best teach children. This is when administrative support would be nice. Unfortunately, this is when most of those administrators can eat their before-school-starts-words. The words about supporting teachers. Teachers know, in August, that the words are meaningless. They know that when it comes right down to it, they will be left standing on their own. They also know that administrators will be retracting their words about supporting teachers in discipline situations. I wish I had a dime for every time I’ve heard an administrator say they’ve got my back. What they really mean is my back is a target. Sure, I can send a child to the office and they will talk to the child. But, I can bet my paycheck that the classroom disruption will be back with candy in hand to announce to the class that the principal didn’t do anything. Yes, part of this is false bravado. But part of it is truth. Candy doesn’t lie. Misbehavior is rewarded. Consequences are lacking.

Teachers know that saying something only increases their problems. They’ll earn the label ”Troublemaker” and end up on an island. They know that the problem is not just at their school, but is sweeping across the nation. They know that some years are more stressful than others. They know that administrators come and they go. They know that, in spite of the stress, there is nothing else they can imagine doing. So… teachers silently let their stress levels rise.

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