I just want to teach. Not looking at a clock to see if I'm on schedule. Not fifteen minutes of warm up and thirty minutes of independent practice. Just teach. Without time ticking by. Teach not from a schedule, but from the heart.

If a light bulb has gone off, I don't want to flip the switch.  I want it to burn brightly and illuminate the face of the one who finally got it.  Let the light shine into every dark nook and cranny and show other kids that anything is possible.

If we're on a roll, then pick up speed and hang on.  Let my kids catch the excitement and grab ahold. It can't be bottled. Or sold. Or produced. It is born in a classroom when the guard is down and the moments are real.

Teaching isn't manufactured. It is lived. It is felt. It is passed on.  I want to hold on to the love of teaching and throw out the manual.  The manual that puts our lessons on a strict timeline of events.  The one that regulates what we say and do with our kids.  The one that takes the spark out of learning. That steals the joy.

I'm tired of living with fear that I didn't teach this well enough or that long enough or that my kids are behind where the class was last year.  It isn't a contest or a race or a comparison. It is about a bunch of  variables that affect and are effected by living breathing kids.

The truth is... my kids will never be like your kids.  The lesson will never go like it does in my mind. And that's okay.  It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to touch a place deep inside that fights to get out and keep learning.  That's all.


P.S. I don't wear a watch. Never have. Never will.



If you haven't figured it out by now... I'm hooked on Boom Cards. To make it easy to try them, I've bundled two of my Black History Month resources so that you can try Boom Cards for just a few cents.   I've added .50 to my resource price to include the link to the matching Boom Card resource. With a price that like, you have to give them a try.

Henry Box Brown Bundle

Ruby Bridges Bundle

Privacy Policy

This blog does not share personal information with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies. You can turn off the use of cookies at anytime by changing your specific browser settings. I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without my permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on June 5, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly at kimberlyfrencken@gmail.com

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

I couldn't do it. I couldn't be a teacher and a mother. I have the most profound respect for those who are teachers by day and moms by 24/7.   Can't figure out how they manage.  No possible way.  I couldn't go from the classroom to the home. Never stop. Never slow down. Keep going until your head hits the pillow and then in just a few seconds the alarm goes off and it starts all over again.

How do you do it?  How do you deal with teenage drama, runny noses, or middle school tears and then find the compassion to deal with the same after school?  I know how I would handle drama.  Listen for 1 minute and then tell them to get over it.  Runny noses and anything medical... call a doctor. I'm not a nurse for a reason. It is really hard to deal with someone who is sick when you're gagging.  Tears? Here's a Kleenex. 

How do you find a name for your child?  Every year there is that child. The one that you would never name your own child. If you've taught long enough, there is nothing you can name your child.  Every cute name has a memory attached to it. Every name combination that your husband likes reminds you of a bad experience.  And, if you haven't taught very long, there will come a day when you regret giving your child their name.  How did you find the perfect untainted name? I had a difficult time naming my furry babies. If I'd had children, they would still be nameless. 

How do you deal with a conflict that your child has had at school? Where do you draw the line? Separate home and school? Do you help with homework? Is your child involved in extracurricular activities?  When do you grade papers?  What is your secret? 

So moms and teachers, you have my undying respect.  I am in awe of all you accomplish. I know that it isn't easy, but you make it look like a breeze. You seem to sail through your day with a smile on your face and a spring in your step.   You are amazing! 

Trust me, pets are easier.  Give me fur balls any day! :)


Learning about history should never be dull. Make it come alive with these resources about #16!

Few know of Lincoln's wit and humor. Now your students can read all about it! 

Read about Lincoln's compassionate heart and love for our nation.

  Someone will win a TpT $100 gift card. It might as well be you! 

Prize: $100 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)

Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher, Mrs Wenning's Classroom, Chocolate 4 Teachers, Kamp Kindergarten, It's Kinder Time, 180 Days of Reading, TheBeezyTeacher, Kathryn Watts, Teacherof20, It Happened in 3rd, Kim Heuer, Globe Trottin' Kids, Lattes and Lunchrooms, Peas In A Pod, It's a Teacher Thing, The Best Days by Julie Santello, The Chocolate Teacher, Sparking Children's Thinkibility, LIVIN' IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER, Teacher Gone Digital, Walk with Me a Second, Mickey's Place, Tanya G Marshall The Butterfly Teacher, 

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter.  Giveaway ends 1/13/19 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Privacy Policy

This blog does not share personal information with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies. You can turn off the use of cookies at anytime by changing your specific browser settings. I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without my permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on June 5, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly at kimberlyfrencken@gmail.com

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Chocolate 4 Teachers

We're into second semester and some teachers are already packing their bags for their final year in the classroom.   Not all are retiring. Not all are moving. Some are just fed up with the system and tired of fighting the good fight.  They've exhausted their resources,  physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially.  So,  in January they start thinking about May and they start packing away their personal items rather than put them back on a shelf for next year.

The more that is expected from teachers, without any type of compensation, the more exits we'll see.  I'm sure this will rub some people the wrong way, but that's okay.  If a teacher has the audacity to request the same respect given to other professions, they are criticized. If a teacher asks for a pay raise or over-time compensation, they are sternly reminded that they aren't in this for the pay. They are in this for the kids.   And, if you could examine the heart of most teachers you would see that their heart is in it for the kids, but they can no longer struggle to live below poverty level.

That's right. I'm not exaggerating. Most teachers earn below poverty level incomes. Adding to the financial stress, they are expected to use their own money for classroom supplies including tissues, pencils, crayons, paper, and any classroom decor.  That's just the tip of the ice-berg.  Teachers are often expected to attend school functions (at no extra pay, except for those contracted for such events like coaches),  they are asked to cover classes on their plan time (meaning that what they planned to do on their plan time just got moved to their personal time), and assist with extra-curricular activities or fund raising events.  Meetings and conferences are moved to before school or after school without so much as a thank you for coming in early or staying late.

And, it doesn't stop there. Reports indicate that school personnel and community college instructors are following their certified friends into the job market.  The numbers leaving continues to rise as administrators continue to scratch their heads.  They wonder how a teacher could possibly leave a career in teaching.  Teaching is a stable job. There are many perks with snow days and vacation time built in. Teaching is perfect for parents since the parent will have the same hours as their child.  Salary freezes happen rarely. You are always guaranteed a raise (even if it is only .08 a year - yes this is true).

Law makers can't possibly fathom why someone would leave such a lucrative position.  Teachers have terrific hours, benefits, and very little responsibility ( yes, we're sarcastically laughing here - to keep from crying). Giving teachers raises will cost law makers and tax payers money. Their budgets are already tight. They can't possibly afford to give teachers a raise. Besides teachers don't work that many hours. Not like other professionals.  They should be happy with their income. And the regulations and laws they pass only help to improve a teacher's job and make it easier. Right?

Wrong.  Teachers have not escaped paper work and forms-to-be-filled-out that have been thrust on other professions (i.e. those in the medical field).  Moving away from pencil and paper to technology to save trees is a joke.  Forms come in triplicate.  They need to be filled out more and more often throughout the year. Records have to be kept. Documentation has to be constantly updated. Yes, some is done on a device, but more often it is done on some of those trees we've saved.

So what is the bottom line? You get what you pay for. You want qualified educators? Pay them what they're worth. Respect them. Listen to them.  Or, continue down the path that doesn't value education or educators and we'll end up with a generation that can only follow 1 or 2 step directions.



Want to purchase classroom supplies without paying for them???  Enter to win! 

Prize: $100 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)

Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher, Mrs Wenning's Classroom, Chocolate 4 Teachers, Kamp Kindergarten, It's Kinder Time, 180 Days of Reading, TheBeezyTeacher, Kathryn Watts, Teacherof20, It Happened in 3rd, Kim Heuer, Globe Trottin' Kids, Lattes and Lunchrooms, Peas In A Pod, It's a Teacher Thing, The Best Days by Julie Santello, The Chocolate Teacher, Sparking Children's Thinkibility, LIVIN' IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER, Teacher Gone Digital, Walk with Me a Second, Mickey's Place, Tanya G Marshall The Butterfly Teacher, 

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter.  Giveaway ends 1/13/19 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Need a suggestion on how to spend your $100????  

Jackie Robinson: Baseball Legend

Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Privacy Policy

This blog does not share personal information with third parties nor do I store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies. You can turn off the use of cookies at anytime by changing your specific browser settings. I am not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without my permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on June 5, 2015. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly at kimberlyfrencken@gmail.com

Read more »

Chocolate 4 Teachers