This Teaching Life

Teaching Philosophy

2010-04-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

According To the Local News:

2009-04-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

The pre-kindergarten programs of Alabama and North Carolina have been rated the nation's best by the National Institute for Early Education Research.

Gov. Bob Riley announced Wednesday that Alabama and North Carolina shared the top spot in meeting all quality standards in pre-K. It marked the third year in a row that Alabama held the institute's top spot.

Marquita Davis, Alabama's Commissioner of the Department of Children's Affairs, said Alabama and North Carolina are the only states that meet all 10 of the institute's standards for high quality pre-K.

Here's an offical shout out to all my pre-K peeps!

Partnerships: Connecting School and Home

2009-04-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

Partnership

By definition:
the state or condition of being a partner; participation; association; joint interest

My mission:
To foster a climate of instructional excellence, individual growth, and community partnerships

My problem:
I wasn't aware of how much, despite how often I involve parents, I was neglecting a huge portion of my students' literacy development by simply not asking the right questions when talking to their caregivers.

The result:
An unequal partnership... if really even a partnership at all?

My Solution:
To do a better job not only conveying information about literacy to my students' caregivers, but also illiciting information from my students' caregivers because as I read in Orellena et all: Parents and teachers talk about literacy and success, "Literacy acquisition does not take place simply in the heads of individuals. What children learn about the meanings and uses of print and print-related practices is shaped by their daily life experiences and the interactions that they have with people and print in the world around them."

What Does Blogging Do For You?

2009-04-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

I first started blogging after reading my sister's blog, Mean Mommy. I realized she had found a community of mothers where she could talk about the ups and downs of being a mom, bounce ideas off other people similar to herself, feel supported by others, and be honest about herself as a mother in a way that wasn't threatening because she just another anonymous blogger. After trying for 4.5 years to talk to my friends about teaching and watching their eyes glaze over, I too wanted to begin blogging to document the funny things that happen in my classroom and read about other teachers' experiences.

I had no idea how many contacts I would make, how much support I would receive, how much I would learn about others and how blogging would connect me to teachers all over the world... professional learning communities on a totally different, laid back, personal level. How amazing it was to read about a 4th grade teacher in Indiana and how writer's workshop works in her classroom ... a first year teacher struggling to make it through the end of the day ... a 2nd grade teacher who could write for "Kids Say the Darnedest Things." All in all, I had no idea how many other bloggers I had so much in common with. Despite our differences in grade levels, states, even countries, we all have a similar passion: teaching children.

This January I began graduate school and enrolled in a class that actually REQUIRED me to blog, for a GRADE! Similar to the diverse community of bloggers I was already connected to, the people I am in class with come from very different fields of study. We vary from birth- Kindergarten teachers to school psychologists but we all are passionate about children and specifically, for the requirements of this class, all have an interest in emergent literacy.

Blogging with this group has enabled me to hold conversations about literacy with my graduate school peers but not through face-to-face interactions. We have become a community within ourselves, created a "safe-zone" to talk about issues within our classrooms or case studies, and as a result our knowledge of emergent literacy has grown. We have tackled many tough issues in class such as developmentally appropriate practice, use of technology, home/school congruency, ELL students, etc. I participated in class discussions as well as blogging and as a result, I was able to build on my thoughts and reactions to the course readings/concepts because I was apart of something bigger than myself. We have learned from one another by reading and responding to others' blogs, we have taught one another by sharing our professional experiences and expertise, and we have established a professional learning community which I hope we can continue even after our class has ended.

Yo No Habla Espanol

2009-04-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make...

I have no idea how to help students that do not speak English. I was not ever trained to help them. I have not (as of today) ever had a student in my classroom that could not speak English so I have not ever looked into learning more about how to help students who are not English speaking students. It is not that I'm not aware of the increasing population of Spanish speaking students in our area, it just has not effected me... YET!

I was basically kicked out of my Spanish II class in high school and barely passed (I got a 69.5) so you can imagine, I'm scared! I am, what I consider, a highly qualified teacher, but I have had zero, zilch, nada training in how to teach children who do not speak English.

I guess I know my next Individual Growth Plan goal... but seriously, what does this say about the education teachers are receiving in undergrad? Are undergrad programs changing to meet the needs of the population of children in our classrooms today? I'm not just speaking about ELL students, but all students: developmentally delayed, autistic, ADD, AG, 21st century learners, etc. The hardest part of our job is differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all the students in our classroom and last I checked my classroom is getting more and more diverse and the needs of my students vary greatly.

It is impossible for one person (me) to be an expert in all the areas I need to be an expert in to meet the needs of all my students. Thankfully, we're not alone. Collaboration is the most important part of my job and it truly takes a team of people (myself, other educators and parents) to provide the support needed for students, as well as for teachers, so all can be successful and positively impact the learning of all students.

April 2nd

2009-04-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

As you go about your day today remember that today is World Autism Awareness Day.

Last April I was asked to join a group of bloggers that devoted their entire month to blogging about Autism. It was wonderful to be linked to so many people, share stories, provide support, and most importantly develop a better understanding of what autism is and how I, a regular education teacher, can help.

I would love to be linked with that group again this April however the blogger who started our group and organized all of us is no longer on blogger. I don't know how to find her so if anyone else does, please let me know.

For those of you who would like to know more please visit:
http://www.worldautismawarenessday.org

How Can You Reach Congruency?

2009-03-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

A child's entry into school is an important transition that I play a significant role in as a Kindergarten teacher. Children enter Kindergarten with a wide variety of prior experiences, especially experiences in literacy.

This week I read an article from the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy entitled, Engagement with print: Low-income families and Head Start children which examined the types of print literacy activities low-income parents reported engaging in with their four-year old children who are involved in Head Start, a pre-school program for children from low-income families living in the USA. Head Start is a federally funded, comprehensive child development program that originated under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to benefit low-income children.

It is known that children who enter school more prepared in terms of having knowledge about literacy, have an advantage over children who do not have these experiences. Ideally, Head Start helps prepare children who would not have exposure to literacy before beginning school on their own the opportunity to be exposed to literacy.

The article suggested the important role of pre-school and particular parent-child activities in developing children's early print concepts. While the results of home-school connections appear encouraging, achievement gaps still persist, especially with low-income and minority children. This lead me to question, what are we (educators) doing to support these families and the young children entering into school?

According to the article, The relationship between homes and schools is a complex one. Using and valuing what families already know in order to teach them what they do not know is a subtle process that can easily go wrong. Collaboration and negotiation are important for achieving a relationship between homes and schools that can support children's early literacy development however, it does not address how to go about creating this relationship with families and thus leaves me still wondering, how can you reach congruency between home and school? How can we support parents' literacy contracts with schools' literacy contracts?

To Read or Not To Read

2009-03-01T16:45:00.000-08:00

My fondest memory of reading is being young enough to sit on my mother's lap before bed on the rocking chair in my bedroom. The lights were dim, I had just had my bath, and I sat snuggled close to my mom in pajamas with my favorite books in hand for her to read. I even remember the titles of some of my most loved books: The Grown-Up Day, Wacky Wednesday, Bernstein Bears and the Spooky Old Tree, Are You My Mother?, etc.

My mother's bedtime read alouds helped build my current love for reading but I think teachers are equally important in developing a child's passion for reading, even at a young age.

Teaching reading strategies to decode words is crucial to become an independent reader, however teaching a student how to think, communicate, and respond to questions when reading is just as valuable. These skills are taught when reading sophisticated stories beyond childrens' independent reading levels rather than reading easy, predictable, concept books. When participating in interactive/dialogic read alouds vs. reading "Big Books" to model reading strategies, children begin to associate reading as an interactive/social experience and ultimately lays a foundation for a child's love of reading.

I also completely believe that children should have choice in what they are reading whether it is their favorite picture book or a non-fiction book about about dogs, they should have an opportunity to read from text that interests them.

I often think about my reading habits as an adult reader when teaching my Kindergarten students. Ironically, despite our age difference, we have very similar reading habits: independent reading time, partner reading time, book clubs, self-selected text, and time to talk, talk, talk! Children need these same experiences in addition to direct reading instruction to develop into independent readers who can decode, comprehend, think, respond, and stay motivated to read.

If a love for reading is not established early, many of our preschool/Kindergarten children will be one of the many adults who you so frequently hear say, "I hate to read." Am I doing all I can in my classroom to avoid my students one day saying to themselves, "to read or not to read, that is the question?"

You Have Died of Dysentery

2009-02-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

It amazes me that in my lifetime children have gone from playing The Oregon Trail on their computer, if they even had one, to preschool children doing this:

If this is what children are capable of doing when they are only four years old, how can I tailor my instruction in my Kindergarten classroom to teach the 21st Century Learner?

There is an important place for computers in the classroom and home. Many websites specifically target young children and their parents such as PBS Kids (www.pbskids.org), Nick Jr. (www.nickjr.com), and Scholastic (www2.scholastic.com) with games, stories, music, and activities. Children are learning new literacies and taking part in new literacy experiences on these websites through the brightly colored text, animation, words, games, songs, etc. These new literacies build upon a child's book literacy, are fun and interactive, as well as something a child and parent can participate in together.

However, not all children have access to computers or the internet prior to entering school creating a divide in early literacy learning. In my classroom I need to recognize and respect my student's experiences before school and recognize that these experiences are quickly changing due to the advancements in technology. As a result, I must find ways to integrate technology in my literacy instruction.

I'd love to hear how others are using technology in their classrooms...

Merry Valentime's Day

2009-02-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

This week my dramatic play center is a post office and while observing my students during center time I over heard the following conversation:

S: How do you spell 'happy?'

T: I don't know.

S: /h/ /h/ /h/ /a/ /a/ /p/ /p/ /e/

T: Why can't you just use a different word?

S: I want to write my mom a Valentime (yes, this is how she said it) card and inside I was going to write 'Happy Valentime's Mom!'

T: Do you know how to spell merry?

S: Why?

T: Just wish her a Merry Valentine's Day instead.

Later that day, in the same center, J. created a Valentine for me. She gave it to me after center time and when I opened it this is what it said:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
You have pretty eyes
Because they are blue

This was so sweet but the only problem is, my eyes are brown. When she noticed this she said, "Oh! You're eyes aren't blue! Whatever, just take it. It rhymes."

I couldn't help but giggle at my students in both of these incidences. These students are developing foundational literacy skills. One child is listening to the different phonemes in a word and trying to write that word. One child is recognizing that poets use rhyming words when they write. Regardless, these students and all my students challenge me daily. It is hard to meet each child's academic needs, especially in the area of literacy. So much of a child's readiness to read and write is dependent on their prior experiences and exposure to literacy.

That being said, it disappoints me to read an article (N Is for Nonsensical) by Susan Neuman, where she states that a child's lack of exposures/experiences and a low socioeconomic status will set that child up to not, "fare well in our society." I agree that students who enter into school without previously attending a high quality preschool need more support than those students who did however, isn't that the job of a Kindergarten teacher?

Even though I have students in my classroom with varying socioeconomic status, I try to connect to each child and create an environment where they are set up to learn, much like S. and J. were in learning centers this week.

SHH! This Is Not a Talking Time!

2009-01-28T16:31:00.000-08:00

Picture this:

You walk into a Kindergarten classroom and all the children are sitting at their tables, doing their job, and no one is saying a word.
Ideal right?

I might go home with less headaches at the end of the day but... WRONG!

Providing opportunities for children to talk and develop language skills is a very important aspect of a child's literacy development. How can we achieve this if we continue to SHHush our students and limit their chances to speak to one another?

I can't tell you how many times a day I have said, "This is not a talking time!" to my students: walking in line, during writer's workshop, by-yourself reading time, calendar time, morning meeting, etc. So when are students talking? Only at snack, lunch and recess? YIKES!

In the past I once thought that "learning" couldn't possibly be going on in a noisy classroom and maybe there is some truth to that, but if I actually listen to the noise in the classroom during those "non-talking times," what do I hear? Hopefully, children engaging in conversations with one another, sharing ideas, and asking each other questions.

I recently read that children and teachers spend relatively little time (less than 17%) in classrooms engaged in conversations. These limited opportunities for children to talk and receive feedback ultimately limit students' literacy development.

Reading this frightened me and encouraged me to reflect on my own teaching. Am I doing all I can in my classroom to actually PROMOTE talking?

SNOW!

2009-01-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

We have been out of school for two days because of snow and where I live there just are not snow plows like Katy:

I have loved the excuse to eat chili all day, cozy up in front of the t.v. and do NOTHING... for TWO DAYS!

I woke up Tuesday morning and just like one of my Kindergarten students would, I ran right from bed to the window! It was snowing... really snowing. Thick, big flake snowing! And it was sticking to everything! Being from the south this is a special thing. My dog and I positioned ourselves on the window sill, I wrapped up in a blanket and just watched!

It is beautiful right?

Since I don't have children of my own I had to use my dog as an excuse to go outside to play. I (I mean she) had a great time.

I love snow, snow days, and I love that my students got two whole days to experience all the things I've been talking about when I taught them about the season of winter! It is a hard concept to grasp when you live down yonder in ole N.C. unless you're fixin to go to the mountains.

Is There Anybody Still Out There?

2009-01-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

My last post was seven months ago and ever since then I have wanted to continue blogging but I just wasn't finding the time. I think so much of my blogging last year was to avoid the real writing I should have been doing for National Boards and with no National Boards to work on (because I PASSED!!!) I just wasn't opening up my laptop as frequently. I also started teaching Kindergarten this year and was by no means prepared for how busy I would be: arriving early, staying late, professional development, parent workshops, etc. It has been like my first year teaching all over again. All excuses for my lack of blogging aside, I am writing this post to alert all my past readers (if any of you are even still checking my dusty, old blog) that now I have a reason to begin blogging again: I have started grad school!

So now I am motivated to begin my procrastination all over again, plus in this technology driven society we're in now, professors actually encourage (and assign grades to) blogging! I'm excited to be back in the blogging world!

It's BAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

2008-06-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

That's right... The quest for National Board status is back in my life. I am taking my (4 hour) assessment tomorrow where I will be asked 6 different scenario based questions about children that range in ages from 4-8 and cover each academic area: literacy, math, science, social studies, children's play, and physical education, health, and safety. I have devoted my day today to prepare but I'm at a loss for how to really get ready for this. There is only so much you can do since there isn't really a way to study. I am reviewing the standards, re-reading my entries, and looking at the rubrics they have given me for the assessment. Other than that I'm just going to have to go into the Assessment Center tomorrow with my fingers crossed with a lot of faith that I can get through this and do my very best. Please send good thoughts/prayers/what have you my way tomorrow from 8:30 until 1:00!
I'm kind of upset with myself for not taking the assessment right after I mailed off my portfolio, but I needed a break. I don't know what would have been better... taking it when I was overloaded with the National Board jargon/process OR taking it now that I've given myself a break. Regardless, this has been the most difficult thing I have ever gone through and tomorrow after my assessment, I vow to put this all behind me and enjoy my summer break! No reason to worry or stress when I won't know whether or not I got it until the end of NOVEMBER!!! ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

What The????

2008-06-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

My sister and I were at the park this afternoon when she told me about a Kindergarten teacher in Florida who had a child voted out of the classroom by his classmates. Shocked, I immediately turned to Google to read this article. I am just sick thinking about how this little boy must be feeling. His teacher needs to resign because clearly she is not in the right profession and her actions are not in the best interest of her students. This is horrible in any situation but knowing that this child was under going tests to determine if he has Aspergers and the teacher did this????

To be honest, there have been instances when I have been so frustrated with the students in my classroom, including those with Autism. Last year I sat down next to J, a boy in my class who was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3, and told him we had to come up with a plan so we could both get through our days together without getting upset with one another. We came up with a secret signal just for me and him so I would know he needed a break and he would wear his weighted vest and run errands for me around the school. Other times, when he was really acting out I arranged for him to assist with recycling and he would check everyone's recycling bins to make sure there weren't items in there that could not be recycled. I understand how difficult it can be to be a teacher. I have lost my cool from time to time but at least I know patience is a must and public humiliation of any child is a definite NO!!

Testing Week

2008-05-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

While my little first graders are not subjected to the End of Grade (EOG) standardized tests at the end of the year it is still a very stressful time of year for them as well as myself.

This week the 3rd-5th graders had to take their EOG's in math, reading, and science. None of these tests have a time limit and so the students could take as long as they needed to complete them. That sounds oh so nice and accommodating for them right, but picture "Little Johnny" with ADHD... he begins the test with determination and such strong stamina but with no time limit he discovers he can examine everything in the classroom that he's been looking at all year long: The poster of the kitten struggling to stay on the tree that reads "Hang in There," The ceiling tiles and how the markings on them are quite the labyrinth for the spider whose web is in the back corner, The art work around the room that his peers have done, The calendar...how many days until summer vaction??, and then, right... his test. Point is this can take hours and for some like "Johnny" it took SIX for four days.

My heart goes out to the children who are testing, truly it does, and I am all about helping them in anyway I can. I do my part in 1st grade, I tutor two 4th grade girls to prep them for testing, etc. But what I can't do is stay quiet in my classroom with 18 first graders with no breaks for four days. Seriously, no breaks. Since 3rd-5th grade is testing in every crack and corner of the entire school we could not leave our classroom. My students' specials (Guidance, PE, Library, Spanish, Art) were taken away. Lunch was brought to us and eaten in our room. Recess had to wait until 2:25 (we leave at 3:00) and best of all I don't have a teacher assistant so I could never leave my room... not even once for anything. Fact is Ladies and Gentlemen, I didn't pee at work for four days!

Oh... and guess what??? We have re-tests this week. Leaves me feeling like leaving you with this little song:

Romeo Romeo, Where For Art Thou Romeo?

2008-05-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

My little guy M. and I sat next to one another on the bus ride home from our fantastic field trip to a neighboring city's theater to see Eric Carle's stories come to life on stage. While on the bus M. and I had the following conversation:

M: Are you married?

Me: No.

M: Why?

Me: I haven't found a husband yet. Where do you think I'll find him? (What else do you tell a 6 year old?? I have been in the same relationship for 2.5 years but its not really going anywhere. You see we're touch and go??? ...Yeah, I opted for the easy way out.)

M: Subway (the sub sandwich place not ON the subway)

Me: Hmmm.... or maybe on the beach or at a nice restaurant?

M: Or maybe at our school. I know, you should marry Mr. P! (5th grade teacher)

Me: Mr. P is already married.

M: Well, if he ever decides to get remarried you could marry him... but wait, does Mr. P smoke?

Me: No, I don't think so.

M: Good. You don't want to marry a smoker.

Me: Why is that?

M: They stink.

This Will Be a Hard One

2008-04-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

I should be sleeping now but I'm wide awake mentally preparing for a meeting tomorrow to discuss whether or not M, my little guy should be retained next year. He missed an entire quarter of school due to his seizures and while he's making some progress since his return to school in February, his maturity level has regressed significantly and academically he is still somewhat behind. I have been tutoring him since mid-January and we've definitely seen progress but I am convinced his seizures have impacted his long term and short term memory negatively. M confuses basic sight words he previously had mastered, he'll ask me things like, "How do you write 14," and he struggles retelling stories he reads to show me what he is comprehending. I am anticipating my meeting tomorrow to be very emotional but I am looking forward to gathering a team of my colleagues as well as M's parents together to discuss what is best for him and his future. If you could, please send good thoughts our way tomorrow morning.

All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

2008-04-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Well... I thought I'd spice things up a bit and challenge myself a little more!! After teaching first grade for 5 years (although my first year was K-1) I have decided to leave the comforts of great team mates, a familiar curriculum, and a more desirable classroom to teach Kindergarten!!

Yikes!

I'm excited to take on something new next year and thrilled to be working with my friend, colleague, and mentor Ms. R. I am embracing the change and know that it really is the right time and the right move for me. All that being said I have to be honest and tell you all I'm scared out of my mind. There is a HUGE developmental difference in 1st graders and Kindergarten students and I am worried that I'm not fully aware of what teaching this age group will be like.

I guess I need to freshen up on a few of the finer things:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the real world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup- they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned- the biggest word of all- LOOK.

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in Kindergarten.
~Robert Fulghum

A Diagnosis

2008-04-08T17:06:00.001-07:00

I am in love with the community of bloggers I have found through blogging about autism this month. I was linked to CC who posted an intriguing article found on NPR. The story is called "That Autism Thing" and this particular part of the chronicles focused on Gibbson's initial diagnosis.

Listening to Gibbson's parents' story took me back to a meeting I was apart of last spring. Liam, a 6 year old boy in my class last year, was what everyone called quirky. He was very particular about who he played with, what they played, and made sure everyone was willing to play by his rules. Liam was a very picky eater who would turn his back to everyone in the cafeteria and quit eating. When asked why he told me there were too many smells and "disgusting food" there for him to handle. Academically, Liam preferred to work alone and was above grade level in all areas. He brilliantly wrote screen plays on the Polynesian Wars and created story boards as he planned out his movies. I didn't think Liam was autistic, I just thought he needed to be taught in a different way to tap into his quirky personality and view of the world. I believed his personality made him who he was and didn't believe he was "on the spectrum." Nonetheless, we took him to student support team because we were extremely worried about the lack of nutrition he was receiving and how this may or may not have been causing outbursts at home. We (me, Liam's parents, the principal, school psych, and the SpEd teacher) noticed major patterns in Liam's behaviors once we all began to talk together and sure enough, felt it was best to refer him to the autism team in the county where I work.

The autism specialist came in and observed Liam in an academic setting, social setting, and asked me many questions. Turns out, yep, Liam fell somewhere along the spectrum. I felt guilty for not realizing this myself and then let my guilt go because I remembered that every child with autism is not the same, but unique to the disorder. The day we met to tell his parents what the autism specialist had discovered is a day that will stay with me forever. I am not a parent, but I do love my students like they are my own, and as I sat in the SpEd room listening to the specialist's report my heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and my eyes were filling up with tears. I put myself in what I thought were Liam's parents' shoes for a moment and thought to myself, "Oh no! What are we going to do? How awful. Here is this little boy, only 6 years old, with this label. How will this impact him for the rest of his life?" Turns out, I was the only one feeling this way. Liam's parents, much like Gibbson's, were relieved because now they knew and could do something about it. They could join support groups and begin to understand their child for who he was. Embarrassingly, it was Liam's parents comforting me, not the other way around.

That day I learned that being diagnosed with something, having a label of whatever it might be, is not a stigma or a horrible thing, but rather a pathway to learning and understanding one another even more.

Michael

2008-04-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Just the other day I was talking about April being Autism Awareness Month with my student teacher and we started talking about the children in my regular ed. class with autism. I told her how just 6 years ago when I was in college, no one even mentioned the word autism to me. I didn't know what "the spectrum" meant and my only experience with autism was watching Dustin Hoffman in Rainman. It wasn't until my first year teaching that I was blessed with having Michael in my class, a 6 year old blond hair, blue eyed, brilliant little boy. His mother came on "Meet the Teacher Day," and pulled me aside. She told me, her eyes filled with tears, that Michael had been diagnosed with a form of autism at the end of his Kindergarten year last year. I had no idea what this would mean for me, Michael, or the rest of the class. I had no experience or previous knowledge about what being autistic meant.

That year I learned:
my big open classroom shared by two other 1st grade teachers and their classes was not the right place for M
the phone ringing = a major tantrum
the trapezoid table with a long table cloth was a perfect place to hide
my name was not Ms.H but Blair because that is what it said on my name tag
my colleague smelled like maple syrup
to be careful how I worded things because saying "its raining cats and dogs" could be quite confusing
all the reasons/theories the Titantic sank
how to follow a schedule

I found myself getting so frustrated because how could Michael, the same little boy who could tell me why Bruce Ismay, Thomas Andrew, or Captin Lord were blammed for the Titantic sinking could not understand that it is not ok to yell in the middle of my lessons. I couldn't understand how someone so smart would hit another student instead of using his words to let them know he didn't want to read with a partner. I stayed on the phone with his mother for hours many days after school and finally reached a point of exhaustion. I had no idea what to do, how to teach Michael or the rest of the class, and I was angry that I did not have any training to handle this situation. To be honest I felt like, why is this child in my class? I'm not a special education teacher?!? As time went on however, I learned the most important thing of all from Michael... I learned how to differeintiate my instruction, how to meet ALL students' needs, and how to respect every child for who they are and where they are in their development.

This experience reminds me of Maya Angelou who once said, "When you know better, you do better." Each year I have had students with autism in my class. They all have different needs and what worked for me and Michael does not always work for me and the other children in my class with autism, but I have a better understanding and appreciation and most of all a stronger respect for children with autism and their families.

Holy Smokes!

2008-04-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

YIKES!!! After reading this article I worry about my little ones a bit more. I hate to think my students are growing up in a world where 3rd graders could even be thinking this way. I wish it was only an April Fool's joke but this was no laughing matter!

World Autism Awareness Day and CNN

2008-03-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2007 that as many as 1 in 150 8-year-old children in multiple areas of the United States had an autism spectrum disorder. Parents must often navigate their own paths to find helpful therapies and finance expensive education and other services independently.

In anticipation of World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, CNN.com will offer expanded coverage of this mysterious neurological disorder. Viewers will be able to access news and information including the latest medical theories and research about autism as well as the stories of people who live every day with the condition. Through multimedia and interactive elements, as well as traditional stories and videos, viewers will be invited to expand their knowledge and understanding of autism.

Viewers and users are encouraged to share their firsthand accounts of life with autism through video, photo, audio or text submissions to www.iReport.com , CNN's recently launched user-generated community Web site. Autism-related iReports are available at www.iReport.com/tags/autism ; and iReport.com contributors also may gain recognition by having the material they submit to the site - once vetted and approved for use - appear on a CNN network or CNN.com.

Preliminary coverage plans for World Autism Awareness Day on Wednesday, April 2, include:

· American Morning will introduce CNN viewers to triplets - each with autism at varying severity - born to Lynn and Randy Gaston in Ellicott City, Md. Additional reports will feature adults living with autism and distinguish medical myths from realities associated with a range of therapies and treatments. CNN's American Morning airs weekdays on CNN/U.S. from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

· On CNN en Español, En Familia, a 30 minute program that serves as a guide to parents, and Consulta Médica, a 30-minute prime-time program dedicated to personal health and fitness, will be focusing on the educational needs of children with autism, and addressing the latest controversies examining the link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder. En Familia airs each Monday at 11:30 a.m. and Consulta Médica airs each Tuesday on CNN en Español at 11:30 a.m.

· A one-hour global simulcast special We Have Autism, anchored by CNN International's Colleen McEdwards, will air at noon and focus on the experiences of families living with autism around the world and feature an interview with Suzanne Wright, the co-founder of Autism Speaks, an advocacy organization for people and families living with autism. McEdwards will also report on people living with extreme symptoms of autism, with a focus on Tito, a young man who despite his severe autism, has become a high-functioning poet and author. CNN international correspondent Wilf Dinnick will report on Qatar's state-of-the-art Shafallah Centre that assists autistic children. The nation of Qatar is credited with leading U.N. efforts to establish World Autism Awareness Day as a day of global awareness. Also for We Have Autism, international correspondent John Vause will report from China about life with autism under communism. U.S. affairs editor for CNN International, Jill Dougherty will report on a family with a child recently diagnosed as autistic as they seek the best help for their child. We Have Autism will air on CNN/U.S. and CNN International.

· Actor, author, parent and autism activist Jenny McCarthy, as well as Bobby Kennedy, Jr., senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council who believes that thimerosal in vaccines is responsible for autism, will be guests on Larry King Live. Larry King Live airs weeknights on CNN/U.S. at 9 p.m. and replays at midnight.

· "Finding Amanda," a one-hour Anderson Cooper 360° special, features a few of the approximately 600,000 American adults who live with autism. Gupta will introduce viewers to Amanda Baggs of Burlington, Vt., and others, who share with him how they experience the world - from their perspective. "Finding Amanda" will premiere on CNN/U.S. at 11 p.m. and replay at 2 a.m.

· Showbiz Tonight will feature a report on a groundbreaking documentary, Autism: The Musical, set to debut on HBO on Tuesday, March 25. Showbiz Tonight airs on Headline News weeknights at 11 p.m. and replays at 2 a.m.

· CNN Newsource will offer affiliates custom liveshots with medical correspondent Judy Fortin between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on April 2 about how families with older children living with autism cope with their challenges. Fortin's package features a Grayson, Ga., family with a 12-year-old autistic child.

Happy April Everyone!

2008-03-31T19:43:00.000-07:00

April is Autism Awareness Month and I have jumped on the bandwagon and decided to spend this month blogging about the little bit I know about Autism. I have worried myself silly about this and so I feel I need to preface this challenge with a disclaimer:

I am still learning about Autism and this is why I wanted to link myself to others who know more about it than I do.

I feel it is my duty to learn as much as I can because every year I have had at least 1-2 students diagnosed with Autism in my class.

I am fascinated with this neurological disability and have deep passion for all who have Autism or have been blessed with loving someone with Autism.

I do not claim to know what I'm talking about... I plan to just share my limited knowledge/observations.

I hope I do not offend anyone by sharing my experiences and am asking for any and all to please correct me or enlighten me if I am mistaken or mislead.

I am super excited to be apart of this and thanks to momologue for putting this into action. It is amazing and comforting to have so many participants.
If you would like to browse the other bloggers participating this month, click on the Autism Awareness icon on my page!

Thank You! Good Night!

2008-03-30T19:43:00.001-07:00

FREE AT LAST!
FREE AT LAST!
GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY I'M FREE AT LAST!

Funny thing is... although my National Board portfolio is complete and in route to Texas (it'll be there tomorrow at 9:30, I've been tracking it obsessively), I feel more anxiety about it now than I did when I was working on it. I guess its the finality of it all. I have had to resist the temptation to re-read my entries for fear that I'll find a mistake or realize I've missed something completely. I have banned myself from looking on my Yahoo EC-GEN National Board group because what if someone posts something that will clue me in on something I could have done wrong?!? There is no turning back now. Just keep your fingers crossed and help me wait (not so patiently) until DECEMBER for my results!?!?

I have spent my last few days of Spring Break this week celebrating with friends and family. I have great people in my life who have been so supportive throughout this entire process. I couldn't have survived this without them. And a BIG thank you to the many bloggers that have kept me entertained during this process and for helping me procrastinate!

Passion Quilt

2008-03-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

I saw other teachers doing this on a few of my favorite blogs and I think what saintseester is doing is quite remarkable. Seeing the pictures other teachers have chosen for the passion quilt is down right inspiring.

Here are the rules:

Post a picture or take/create your own image that captures what you are most passionate for kids to learn.

Give your picture a short title.

Title the post “Meme: Passion Quilt.”

Link back to me

Include links to five people in your professional community.

Title: Acceptance

If nothing else, I want to teach my students to view themselves as competent and valuable members of the world. I want to help and inspire my students to relate to one another and realize their place and importance in the world by learning from diversity as well as commonalities, embracing their individuality, and making lasting connections to others.

I'm tagging:
mimi
miss brave
callalillie
mean mommy
lit teacher

So Close You Can Almost Taste It...

2008-03-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

As my NB deadline quickly approaches, I listened to Natasha Beddingfield's song Unwritten today with a different perspective. I related everything I've been feeling about National Boards to the lyrics and the song left me feeling inspired and happy. For the first time in a long time I felt refreshed and good. I feel the impact of the process I have been undertaking. Maybe it is because things are beginning to bloom here, tulips, dogwood trees, azaleas... or maybe because today is Easter, a day of rebirth...but what ever the reason I am feeling good about my efforts and like they have all been worth it:

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

National Boards Suck...

2008-03-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

(but please do consider going through this grueling process. I'll be there for you!)

I stumbled upon this today while not working. Anyone who has attempted National Boards will totally get this. For those of you who have not and are still not really sure what I've been doing over the past 9 months, maybe this will give you some insight and a good laugh:

You might be a National Board Candidate if . . .

1. You can order by number from the Chinese take-out place without consulting the menu

2. The people who answer the telephone at your local pizza delivery place and Chinese take-out restaurant recognize your voice and call you by name

3. You find a recent shopping list and an old shopping list in your coat pockets and you feel compelled to analyze them to determine what they reveal about the development of your consumer habits as they relate to your practice of making lists

4. You find a recent shopping list and old shopping list in your coat pockets and you contemplate using them as artifacts on which to base an interdisciplinary learning experience combining the topic of consumerism as both an economic and social issue with a math graphing activity, and you wonder if you can get three writing prompts out of it

5. You find out the hard way that a jug of red wine doesn't help you reflect on your practice

6. You attach to your mother's birthday present a cover sheet, a statement that you have release forms from everyone who signed the birthday card, a videotape of your children wrapping it while you facilitate, 12 pages of written commentary, then you place the present in a big envelope and slap a bar code sticker with your candidate number onto it before you FedEx it next-day delivery to your Mom in Texas

7. You pin a cover sheet and release form onto your students' coats and slap a bar code sticker with your candidate number onto each of their foreheads before you send them home from school

8. Your family drags you to an appointment with a therapist who works with with families and friends who feel neglected and the first thing she says when she sees the circles under your eyes and the stressed look on your face she says, "You teach, don't you?"

9. You get a call from Oprah because your friend volunteered your family and friends for the show on neglected families and friends, and the first thing she says when she hears the strain in your voice is, "You teach, don't you?"

10. You wake up at three am in a cold sweat and contemplate using your hot flashes in a health lesson and wonder how you can integrate the arts into that lesson

11. You buy stock in visine because in the past week you've purchased 3 bottles to soothe your bloodshot eyes.

12. Environmentalists picket your house because you've killed so many trees printing off draft after draft of entry after entry . . .

Procrastination

2008-03-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

If anyone could see me right now they would be laughing hysterically.

As all of you are fully aware, I am turning in my National Board Portfolio in less than one week. I still have an ungodly amount of work to accomplish before then. I did not intentionally put things off, it has just honestly taken me this long to gather all the evidence, documentation, etc. needed to create my portfolio.

So here I am, 8 days left to work, on Spring Break, and doing everything I possibly can think of tonight to avoid working on these silly entries. The funny thing is, I've been "ready" to work since 6:00. I have been on the couch, laptop open, my portfolio instruction notebook next to me turned to the directions for the next paper I should be writing, but all I have accomplished (in two hours) is placing one bar code sticker on the cover page for Entry 4!! What is wrong with me?

Instead of working I have:
-researched my dental insurance policy
-created a meez (isn't she fun??? look she's wearing CROCS!)
-checked my e.mail 3-4 times
-created folders for my work e.mail inbox
-completed my NCAA brackets
-double checked my online bank account
-finally looked at my friend's recent photo album on Snapfish
-took a "break" to eat dinner
-checked my DVR to make sure Pop Fiction recorded last night
-realized I needed to watch Oprah
-watched Oprah
-fed the beast
-went back to www.meez.com and played a game
-called a friend to ask about my dental insurance
-read some of my favorite blogs
-put clothes in the wash
-folded clothes in dryer (you know I'm avoiding something if I'm folding clothes)
-realized I need to put clothes from the washer into the dryer
-posted this blog

Now, please no one distract me. I'm very, very busy.

10 Days To Go...

2008-03-14T21:52:00.001-07:00

If anyone wants to know how to celebrate the completion of my National Board Portfolio on Wednesday, March 26th, here is my top ten list:

10. Peel me off the couch, lift the laptop off of me, and take my ass OUTSIDE for once.

9. Take me to the eye doctor because staring at the computer screen for hour after hour has definitely done some damage.

8. Find a way to make my hands not look quite so much like "the claw"

7. Invent a time machine so I can go back in time to make up for all the fun I've missed.

6. Write apology letters for me to all my friends who think I don't like them anymore because I don't return phone calls, e-mails, let alone spend any time with them.

5. Spend quality time with the beast of a dog because she's been so neglected. (My own mother told her she was getting fat today)

4. Post something witty and great on my blog since I can no longer formulate complete thoughts so my blog readers will still visit my site.

3. Work out with me at the gym so I can lose the "National Board 15" (only a slight exaggeration)

2. Champagne, Beer, Wine, Margaritas, shit.... let's take shots of tequila!

And the number one way to celebrate and the only thing I think I have the energy left to do is...

1. Return to Basics. To a quiet, simpler place of serenity and relaxation...at the Day Spa.

Yep, that's all I want. Read the blurb I found on my favorite spa's website and then just try to argue with me. This is the best way I can think of to celebrate:

Relax. Re-energize. Revitalize. Refresh. Transform.

(YES! YES! YES!)

Begin treating yourself in the way you deserve.

(OH GOD!)

When you walk through our doors, you will encounter a polished staff of world-class beauty and pampering professionals to cater to your every need.

(DON'T STOP!)

Our mission is to make you feel more beautiful and more relaxed than ever before.

(GIVE IT TO ME!)

We are here to help you forget the pressures of the outside world and return you to a state of serenity.

(MMMMM, YEAH!)

From the candlelit treatment rooms to the soothing music, our 6,000 square foot facility is designed with your comfort in mind.

(ORGASMIC!!)

Well, CRAP!

2008-03-11T15:11:00.001-07:00

Well... my Spring Break has started and for the next 2 and 1/2 weeks I'll be slaving away on National Boards. Not tonight thought, tonight I am home with a 101.5 fever. This couldn't have come at more inappropriate time. I do not have time to be getting sick right now!

Counting Down

2008-02-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

It is crunch time. I only have one month from today to finish working on everything for my National Boards and I am exhausted, fed up, and angry that I even got myself involved in this. I am no where near finished but 100% done with this $h*t. I have been working literally 7 days a week for 9-10 hours each day. There is something wrong when the principal has given me a key to the school and the security code for the alarm. Not to mention, if you know me well enough, my life is extremely hectic when my DVR is 90% full!

The National Board process is one of the hardest things I have been through. I will be so glad to mail off my portfolio and put this behind me!

Let the countdown begin!

That Could Hurt!!

2008-02-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

Today while writing "long u sentences" during literacy centers J. wrote:
"I put an ice cube in my dick."

Let's hope he meant to write,
"I put an ice cube in my DRINK."

But with little J. and his previous penis issues anything could be possible huh?

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

2008-02-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about grad school recently (crazy I know... and I'm not even finished, aka no where near finished, with National Boards). I'm trying to figure out what I want to do. I've always known I want to teach so this has actually been kinda difficult for me because now I'm trying to narrow down the field of work I love to do and think about what is it about my job that I love.

I know that I want to stay in the classroom.
I know that I love teaching K-2 children.
I know that I love, love, love teaching Writer's Workshop.
I love reading to my kids and watching them learn to love reading.
I really love having students with special needs in my class.
I am fascinated by children with Autism.
I fall in love with the low socio-economic, behaviorally emotionally challenged student.
I know that I loved all my psychology classes in college.

Any ideas??

Here's what a silly personality quiz had to say about me:

You would most enjoy a career that allows you to meet new people. You would also be happiest in a career that allows you to be free and flexible, and allows you to be extremely creative.

You are a great leader. You genuinely enjoy being around other people. Your relationships with others are very important to you. You love talking and meeting new people. You are very enthusiastic about work and about all that you do and have in your life. You love being the focus of attention. You enjoy a fast pace. You are very socially oriented. Therefore, you are much happier being with others than you are alone. You crave interaction with others.

You are very spontaneous and often act before you think. You are always quick to answer when you are asked a question, even if you aren't sure of the answer. It is easier for you to improvise as you go along. You enjoy thinking out loud, and are most creative when brainstorming with friends or colleagues. You enjoy being involved in many activities.

You are very easy to read, and often wear your heart on your sleeve. You are never afraid to tell people what you think. You are very empathetic and genuine. You can sometimes be seen as over-emotional or too involved by others. But that is only because you tend to get so involved in the things you do that they become personal. You want to be adored, loved and appreciated. You like to please others and to make sure people are happy.

You trust your gut instincts. You are easily inspired and trust that inspiration. You are very innovative. You analyze things by looking at the big picture. You are concerned about how what you do affects others. You worry about your actions and the future. You tend to use a lot of metaphors and are very descriptive and colorful in your choice of language.

You are very creative, and get bored easily if you don't get to express yourself. You like to learn new things. You don't like the same old routine. You like to leave your options open.

Birth Control

2008-01-25T15:59:00.000-08:00

Today, while I'm teaching America's youth and being reminded every minute or so why I take birth control pills, my dog (aka the beast) was at home eating them. Seriously.

What Do You Do All Day? Color?

2008-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

I spent my MLK Holiday doing the things that I just don't have time to do during a normal week:
*sleep in till 9:00
*take beast of a dog for a "long" walk (except it was too cold and the Ipod was dead so it wasn't that long of a walk)
*go to the mall with my mom and sister
*eat lunch with my mom and sister
*get my eyebrows waxed
*go to the dentist (ick)
And then, then something happened that really bothered me on my seemingly great day off of work (minus the dentist)... I got my haircut.

I have to say that I LOVE the cut and I'm excited because the last few cuts I have felt like no matter how many times I bring in that picture of Julia Stiles from 2006, when her hair is layered just right and adorable, the hair stylist cuts, cuts, cuts, blow drys, and I leave looking exactly how I came in. This new stylist, though $10 more than the others, got it just right. I knew it would be a good cut when it looked just like the Julia Stiles photo BEFORE she even blew dry my hair. Not to mention that when I got out of the shower this morning I was able to style it myself!! But see... this is the problem. I love the cut but the stylist said something that would normally make me quit talking to someone, even my closest of friends (although they know better)...

Here's how it went:
Stylist: "Oh, so you teach!"
Me: "Yes! I have been teaching for five years and I truly love it."
Stylist: "That's so nice. You must have a lot of patience."
Me: "Yeah, it can be trying sometimes, but I appreciate that everyday is different."
Stylist: "What grade do you teach?"
Me: "First grade."
Stylist: "Awww! That must easy. Much easier than high school or anything else."
Me: "hmmm, (awkward laugh)."

ARRRGHHHH! Why do people assume that teaching first grade, or any elementary grade for that matter, must be easy??? Seriously, I think those who aren't in the "know" honestly think I color all day long. They have no idea that I'm not just a teacher. I am mommy, daddy, doctor, psychologist, personal trainer (seriously, everyday at recess we do cardio), social worker, secretary, public relation-ist (is that a job? should be), dentist, potty trainer, this list could go on but I'll spare you. See the thing is, teaching is hard. DAMN HARD!! It doesn't matter what grade level you teach. Each grade level is challenging for different reasons, but please please please don't be so stupid to think that a room full of 18 six year olds "must be easy."

Body Art

2008-01-14T19:26:00.000-08:00

As all bloggers do, who have Sitemeter on their page, I find myself checking on my recent visitors by their referrals. Recently someone stumbled upon my blog by searching, "teaching children to place band aid on cut." How they were linked to me I'll have no idea and just how many pages of Google's recommendations did they have to riffle through to find This Teaching Life? However, this made me begin thinking of how this accidental visitor must have been feeling to turn to Google for guidance on this subject. Funny thing is, I sympathize with this visitor because I am familiar with the frustration I imagine him/her to have been feeling.

Teaching first graders has made me become a skeptic of injuries. My little students will almost do anything for a band aid with a popular cartoon character such as Sponge Bob or Dora on it. The slightest scrape, hang nail, or bruise constitutes immediate first aid attention in their eyes, leaving me frustrated that I have to stop, mid sentence mind you, in the throws of my great teaching moments to attend to their medical emergencies. I will examine the cut, or lack there of, searching for the smallest trace of blood, while pondering the need of the band aid over in my head. Having no medical education to fall back on, nine times out of ten my response is, "Band aids stop bleeding and you're not bleeding, so a band aid will not make (insert non laceration "boo boo" of your choice here) better." Maybe my students' desire for Sponge Bob or Dora band aids is the beginning of an appreciation for body art? I wonder if some will tattoo themselves with Dora and Diego on their 18th birthday?

I'm Kinda a Basket Case

2008-01-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

I am irrationally feeling guilty about how upset I am about my little guy and his seizures. I'm struggling with being so consumed by it when all I am is his teacher. I'm not a family member or anything so why am I so affected by all of this? That's not a real question...I mean I understand why I'm feeling the way I am. I know that I love all my students and would be willing to take a bullet for any of them. I understand the teacher/student relationship but I don't know that his family understands or the people around me understand why all I've been talking about recently is "some kid in my class." No one has really thought to think of how M's teacher might be feeling about all of this. No one would ever say, "Just imagine how his teacher must feel." I think I'm feeling my feelings are discredited or misplaced when in actuality I know its good and normal to react the way I am. And now rereading this, it makes me come across as, "what about me!?!?" and that's not what I'm trying to accomplish. Really, I just need to say (via blog) that many teachers are 100% invested in their students' lives. When they hurt we hurt. The student/teacher relationship is endearing and I think it often goes unnoticed.

Quick M. Update:
His seizures have lessoned in intensity but are happening at a higher frequency. They are worried that he will not respond to drug therapy. He is having seizures almost every 20 minutes. He is in no state to come back to school at this time and so I will be going to him twice a week to work with him.

I Still Laugh

2008-01-10T19:15:00.001-08:00

"Ms. H. may I excuse myself?"

"Z. we just got back from our bathroom and water break."

"I need to excuse myself."

"Is it an emergency? We're right in the middle of writer's workshop. This is your special time during the day where you can just write. I'd hate for you to miss a single minute."

"Ms. H," she says in a whisper and leaning in close to me, "I need to pass gas."

Z. returns quickly and literally not even two minutes later....

"Ms. H, may I excuse myself again?"

My Little Guy

2008-01-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

I'm home sick today although I'm actually not sick. I just happened to wake up in the middle of the night with a splitting headache so I took my temperature and sure enough I had a fever of 101. The weird thing is that is the only problem... just a fever. I have spent my day on the couch resting so this fever won't progress to something that will knock me down for quite some time. I am guilty for enjoying the day off, but I haven't taken a sick day in years. The only problem with me not being there today is that one of my students, M., was returning to school today for an hour or so after being in and out of the hospital.

I am in love with M. He is about the best little guy to ever enter my life. M. was adopted from Korea. His adoptive parents have divorced and both have since remarried. M's older brother has Aspergers Syndrome and was in my class 3 years ago. I'm saying all of this because despite his background story, M. has it all together. There is something about him that is wise beyond his years. He has an understanding of things that most children don't even pick up on. M. is a special kid. He is so creative. You could give him a paper clip, some wax paper, a toilet paper roll, and some bubble gum and he would design a spaceship out of it all. He just has that vision. He is also a writer and takes great pride in his stories. He loves to share his stories, especially the ones he writes about the great white shark! M. makes up songs all day long and sings them quietly as he works. I've suggested getting him involved in some type of music class so he could have an outlet for all his creativity.

Sadly, my classroom has been lacking with songs and stories of the great white shark recently. Before winter break, M. was playing basketball and told his mom or dad that he felt like he had been shocked. They didn't really think much of it until later when M. was talking to his mom and seemed to day dream in the middle of his sentence. This continued happening frequently throughout the rest of the weekend. His family decided to keep him home for the last three days before break and took him to the doctor. They diagnosed him with having seizures, but they were uncertain why. M.'s seizures continued and the intensity and frequency of them were rising. He went from having absence seizures to full blown tonic clonic seizures. The doctors have put M. on medicine but he is still seizing at least 7 times a day. He has missed almost 2 weeks of school. His parents are taking him to the best of the best doctors this week to have a higher resolution MRI done and attempt to learn more about the cause of his sudden onset of epilepsy.

I've never had something happen like this to one of my students. Its really upset me. I am constantly thinking of M. and his family. So, if you're reading this, please keep my little guy in your thoughts. I'll update as I learn more.

I Heart Andy Williams

2007-12-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

There'll be assessments for showing
Conferences going
And no time for blogging no, no!

There'll be hours spent grading
Report card debating
And children all ready to go!

Its the hap, happiest season of all!

There'll be much late night toil
Children to spoil
And me banging my head on the wall!!!

There'll be excited young lads
Feeling happy and glad
Dancing all through the halls!

Its the most wonderful time of year!

There'll be movies we're watching
'Cause who can be teaching
When Santa will soon soon appear?

There'll be sugar for eating
Happy Holiday Greetings
Dear God...
Give me a beer!

Its the most wonderful time,
Its the most wonderful time,
Its the most wonderful time...

OF THE YEAR!

I Guess I'm a Mean Teacher???

2007-11-26T17:45:00.000-08:00

I have something horrible to admit. I feel smug when a child in my class begins to cry because they have disappointed me. There, I said it... and now let me explain:

I really don't raise my voice at my students. I try to respect them and just as I wouldn't want them yelling at me, I'm not going to yell at them. I feel pretty damn good about the respect thing in my classroom. The students all really work hard and because they're 5 and 6, the only motivation some of them need is knowing that their hard work pleases me. (What a rewarding thing right?) Its when they begin to NOT please me anymore that we have an issue.

So today, S. was acting completely out of character. Not sure what was going on really. Usually he's very quiet, but today he was Chatty McChatterton. One verbal warning, two verbal warnings, thrrreee verbal warnings...ahhh ahhh ahh! Still, his behavior didn't change and I realized I wasn't being taken seriously. So, I call him over to me, we talk privately about what was going on and I just kept saying, "I am not impressed with the choices you are making today, yada yada yada," and his face was getting redder and redder. I was truly feeling for him. He walked back over to his table and get this...HE STARTED UP AGAIN! He was talking, spitting on L's paper next to him (on purpose), and then he took his pencil and scribbled on J's paper. I was livid. "S. you have lost free choice center time," I bark. His response, a silent cheer. Hands raised over his head and cheering like this punishment was relief. ARRGH! So again, he is called over to me and this time I really let him have an ear full. I saw tears in his eyes and I didn't stop telling him how his actions disappointed me, no, I kept right on going. The tears then started down his face and I dismissed him. He got back to his table and was covering his face but he managed to say, "I'm so sorry Ms. H. I don't ever wanna disappoint you again."

Doh! A part of me felt bad, but then this other feeling crept over me. I was really quiet smug that this little guy felt so bad and it was because he had disappointed me.

Me, Milo, and the Market of Words

2007-11-18T15:59:00.000-08:00

I have spent my entire weekend writing for my boards. The hardest part about writing hasn't been figuring out what to say, but rather how to say it. At one of the workshops I attended for National Boards the speaker said, "Every word you use is like valuable real estate." That didn't really mean anything to me until I sat down with my computer to begin writing. Having a page limit restriction has really made me question every word I use. I feel like Milo from The Phantom Tollbooth when he entered the market of words... "Get your fresh-picked ifs, ands, and buts. Hey-yea, hey-yea, hey-yea, nice ripe wheres and whens. Juicy tempting words for sale." This is hard.

Do You Remember What it Was Like?

2007-11-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

My student teacher taught her first real lesson on Thursday and I just wanted to hug her afterwards. She was so nervous and scattered that it became painful to watch. Her lesson plan was great, the implementation, not that great...

Her lesson: A Balanced Thanksgiving Meal
She began with a discussion of the foods we traditionally eat for Thanksgiving and made a list on the board of the students' responses... so far so good... then she introduced the food pyramid and then asked the students to categorize the traditional Thanksgiving foods into the different food groups...so smart I thought... Then she gave each student a worksheet with a plate on it, with divisions of the different food groups on it, and she also gave them a baggie of pre-cut Thanksgiving foods and asked the students to place the foods in the correct section of the plate. While they were doing this, she called them over to the board to ask them individually what their favorite Thanksgiving food was and she and the students created a Our Favorite Thanksgiving Food Graph. The whole lesson took about 40 minutes. Fabulous!!! She included so many objectives, integrated different subjects, great PLAN!

Watching her put this plan into action reminded me of what it felt like to be a brand new teacher and I realized just how much I do that I just don't even think about doing any more... like student proximity, smooth transitioning, using student vocabulary, having a visual for every little thing, anticipating bumps in the road, having a plan of action for T. (the rolling pin) ...all these things that you can't learn by receiving your Elementary Education degree. The things you learn by doing. What was hard for me, was watching her go through the lesson and see how personally she was taking it. Teaching is such a hard thing because so much of yourself goes into the job. In the beginning it is so hard to distance yourself from your job and to realize you're not a bad teacher when things don't go as planned. I just feel for her... I don't know when I began to be able to think on my feet and trust my teacher intuition, but I do know it happens somewhere along the line. I just hope she continues on and doesn't let her student teaching experience discourage her. She's going to be a fantastic teacher.

To Blog or Write for Boards...That is the Question

2007-11-14T18:59:00.001-08:00

Alternate Title:
F*@K, It's November and I Haven't Written A Damn Thing for My National Board Entries

I am sorry for slacking in the blog department. However, believe me, I feel like that is the only area I've been slacking recently. I have been at school so late for the past 3 weeks. I guess I can't postpone working on things towards my pursuit of National Boards any longer. I am definitely lucky to be working on getting my boards with my 2 teammates. There is just no way I could do all this work alone, but in some respects, working with them is slowing me down. Don't get me wrong, they are fantastic, but we have gotten to the point where we can't do anything independently from one another. We teach in the same space, literally our classrooms are joined together, and day in and day out we bounce ideas off one another. We collaborate, team teach, and share students. Its an ideal situation, but we are 100% dependent on each other. We can't make a single decision alone...whether the decision is what color folders our math folders will be, or more recently, what accomplishments are we going to document for Entry 4 for our boards. I am not used to thinking on my own anymore and so I'm struggling with writing my entries...let alone finding the time to work alone. So, again, forgive me for not blogging as often. I will do a better job! If anyone else has gone through the National Board process, I would love some support and words of wisdom.

Sniff

2007-11-05T19:31:00.001-08:00

I honestly have the best class ever this year. I have been battling a pretty nasty cold, which has probably progressed to fantastic sinus infection, since Wednesday. My class has had to put up with my sniffling, sneezing, coughing, snotting, self all week. We've gotten through read alouds with my raspy, congested voice. We accomplished a spelling quiz and they still did fairly well, despite my incorrect pronunciation of over half of their words due to being so stuffy. I've been in a Sudafed haze for 4 days. Long story short, I haven't been myself... but my supportive class has been amazing. After all of this, I had a huge reason to smile today.

Here's the scene:
C. a lovely blond, blue eyed, little girl in my class stumbles in this morning. She is schlepping her backpack, her Friday Folder, lunch box, blue folder, reading bag, etc. Everything she came in to school with today probably equalled her own weight. She begins the morning routine of getting unpacked, making her lunch choice, and beginning her morning work when all of a sudden she jumps up and rushes over to me. In between blowing my nose and checking communication folders, she gets my attention. She is practically bursting with excitement.

C: "Ms. H! Ms. H! I took my mom to Target last night to get something just for you.!"
Me: "What's that?" (sniff, sniff, sneeze)
C: "Its something I know you'll use. Ask me questions. Try to guess. Its a thing."

(You should know that my class is obsessed with playing 20 Questions. There are times I think they would rather play 20 Questions than go out for recess.)

Me: "OK, umm... do you find it inside?" (sniff, sniff)
C: "Yes!"
Me: "Can we find it in our classroom?" (cough)
C: "Well, kinda. They're almost all gone."
Me: (sneeze) "Is it smaller than......"
C: "Its tissues Ms. H. Tissues! You know 'cause you have your cold. I got them just for you. And they've got lotion on them. Look Ms. H! Look!"
Me: :) :) :) :)

That was super nice...and now my nose isn't as raw thanks to C's lotion filled tissues.

What Would Freud Think of This?

2007-10-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

There are many phrases I thought I would never say as a teacher but, "J. quit touching your penis," definitely tops them all.

I had just sat down in my fabulous teacher chair to share one of the greatest Halloween stories with my class: The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything. All my students are gathered on the rug, anxiously waiting to hear the story. Most of them are looking up at me with their hands in their lap, sitting criss cross, and quiet. I scan the room to make sure we're ready to begin and that's when I notice that while J's hands are in his lap, they're up his shorts.

Its been so warm in NC this fall. This month has felt more like June than the crisp Octobers I remember. The warmer weather has allowed for my students to continue wearing shorts, flip flops, short sleeves, etc. It was the weather's fault that J. had such easy access to his little boy parts. I've noticed him exploring around down there, not just once or twice before, but consistently. This is the ultimate ick. Those little hands that are touching "himself" are the same hands that then go and touch the shared pencils and crayons. I can't handle this.

All classrooms are germy... E. picks her nose, C. sucks her thumb, and now J. fondles himself on a regular basis. After many previous reminders, "J. let's make sure our hands are folded on our lap." and "J. that's not appropriate," I had exhausted all the friendly and teacherly ways to stop the groping. In front of all my students, with all their eyes on me, ready to relax and listen to a story, I opened my mouth to speak and out came, "J. quit touching your penis!"

OOPS.

Our Wishes

2007-10-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

A parent volunteer in a first grade class at JY Joyner Elementary in Raleigh, NC, asked the first graders, "If you had one wish for the world, your family or yourself, what would it be?” She made a poster of their wishes and then posted this video on YouTube. Its so inspiring and touching I just had to share it.

I'd Rather Not be Appreciated

2007-10-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

I fell for it again. The doughnuts in the basement. At least once or twice a week someone brings doughnuts, bagels, cookies, Starbucks...something for the teachers, and places their baked good in the teacher's lounge. An e.mail is sent out to the staff saying, "The PTA Hospitality Committee has brought doughnuts to show their appreciation for all you do. ENJOY!" The rest of the day I am battling the voice in my head, that every 30 seconds or so says, "Doughnut."

My willpower is weak. I won't go to the store and buy doughnuts....not ever... but when they are right in front of me I will not say no. Plus, I deserve a tasty treat right? At least the Hospitality Committee thinks so.

I have a theory that secretly the Hospitality Committee has a strong desire to make me fat. I don't know why this committee wishes this upon me, but they are succeeding in all their attempts. For that matter, I think a lot of my own colleagues and students have this same mission.

No one wants to gain weight, but everyone wants that damn doughnut in the basement... at least I do and I might even eat two.

Teacher Meme

2007-10-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

1. I am a good teacher because... I try to relate to each student and I make strong connections with them. I love being responsible for teaching students at such an early age and giving them a positive feeling about school. I love teaching them not only how to read and write, but how to be passionate about reading and writing and how to see themselves (at 6 yrs old) as readers and writers.

2. If I weren't a teacher, I would be... I ask myself this all the time and have come up with very little. I'm often envious of my friends "cool" jobs but I know nothing about what they do and have little faith I could do it myself. I've thought about child psychology before. I always have a hard time answering this question 'cause really all I've wanted to do is teach since I was in kindergarten...lame I know.

3. My teaching style is... interactive, passionate, less me and more of them, fun, collaborative.

4. My classroom is... open, homey, cozy, small, packed full of too much stuff, blue and yellow, attached to two other classrooms.

5. My lesson plans... fit neatly in a 2x2 box in my plan book. They're flexible and often I do my best without a plan.

6. One of my teaching goals is… Currently: Get my national boards. That has consumed me this year. Long term: for my students to love school. Last year: To get through the year without getting fired for child abuse.

7. The toughest part of teaching is... meeting every one's needs: the below grade level kids, the above grade level kids, and everyone in between... oh, and the parent's needs too.

8. The thing I love most about teaching is... the relationship I build with my students and seeing my impact on their lives.

9. A common misconception about teaching is... "What do you do all day? color?" My response, "Spend one day with me."

10. The most important thing I've learned since I started teaching... to not take things personally, to ask for help, to work together, and to stay positive.

You Know You're a Teacher When...

2007-10-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER?
by Jeff Foxworthy

1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.
3. You walk into a store and hear the words "It's Ms/Mr.> _________" and know you have been spotted.
4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.
5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty minutes.
6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and planning period.
7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You want to slap the next person who says "Must be nice to work 8 to 3 and have summers off."
10. You believe chocolate is a food group.
11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."
13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.
14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.
15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own needs.
17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!
18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a "good choice or a bad choice."
19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils
20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,
21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.

Ace Bandage Run

2007-10-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I participated in the Ribbon Run for Autism. I have found myself fascinated with Autism and I can't seem to read enough about it. I'm even tempted... only tempted... to read Jenny McCarthy's book on the subject. I haven't been this obsessed with something since 1991, when I too, tried to prove the "Magic Bullet" theory just didn't hold up in JFK's assassination. I had just seen Oliver Stone's movie JFK and I seriously became mesmerized by the possibility there was a little bit more to JFK's death than we knew.

Similarly, I am convinced there is more to Autism than we actually know and I am determined to figure this all out. This Spectrum Disorder covers so many characteristics...so many tendencies. Its been interesting to observe the differences in children with this disease in my own classroom. Some of my students stim, walk on their toes, yell out, are effected by loud noises, draw detailed pictures and maps, play alone, prefer writing center to Lego center, etc. This list could go on, but what appeals to me is that not one student with Autism is the same. Its my job to learn all that I can about this disease and find the commonalities to become a better teacher. Autism Spectrum Disorder is the second most common developmental disability and affects 1 of every 166 children born today.

And so... to show my support, my love, and my infatuation with Autism I decided to run on Saturday. What you don't know about me is that I don't run. I have a gym membership, but its basically just another bill. I am so far from athletic it hurts. I spend most of my time sedentary (hence why I started this blog) except when I walk my dog...and that's only 'cause she makes me. However, I was up and ready to go Saturday morning. I woke up at 7:30 and put on the sports bra (from college, which no longer does its job) and dug through the drawer to find sneaker socks. I proudly put on my Ribbon Run t-shirt and black "work-out" pants (aka "I'm not leaving the house today, lounge pants"). I filled my water bottle (they gave me one when I registered, otherwise I wouldn't of had one) and headed out to show my support.

At 9:00 we lined up at the starting line and somewhere off in the distance someone yelled, "GO!" and I was trampled. I found myself in a sea of real runners and I was at the back of the herd. I pushed myself to run and I made it one block (it was a 5k) before I seriously began thinking, "I could cheat. If I just turn here I could cut everyone off and everyone would think I was way ahead." Instead, I decided to run a block and walk a block and not worry about how silly I looked or how out of shape I am, and I reminded myself why I was there in the first place. Maybe it was those thoughts that got me to the finish line, or maybe it was knowing that there were bananas and bagels at the end that got me there...either way, I made it.

After crossing the finish line I began to search for the people who I originally came to the run with. They had all finished ahead of me. I was walking around the park over mulch and thick grass and just as I saw my colleagues, my right ankle twisted and I was in pain. It wasn't the run/walk that injured me. The race was over. My injury came only from my own klutziness, my nonathletic self.

Today, I am no longer an Autism activist. I am now racing for the cure for the twisted ankle. Meet me downtown this weekend for the "Ace Bandage Run." You'll get a bagel when its over.
(by the way, I'm number 458 in the pic above)

http://www.autismsociety-nc.org/

Book reccommendation: Look Me In the Eye
by: John Elder Robison

Poop

2007-10-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

I was out for drinks with my "Corporate American" friends last week. These friends get an hour for lunch and they can actually leave their office to eat. They talk to adults all day and have adult conversations. They can go to Starbucks before work and have time to drink their coffee there and read more than the front page headline of the N&O. These friends go out for happy hour after work. They work in "the park" and drive on 40 with traffic. They send important e.mails about company decisions. These "Corporate Friends" each have a 401 K and their company matches their contributions. Not to mention, their company pays for most of their gym membership. Some of them have their MBA. They go on business trips to Chicago, NYC, LA, etc. Their company was on the front page of the business section on Saturday. These friends have financial advisors and own stocks. They wear suits to work and high heel shoes. We were all sitting outside last Thursday and sharing stories about our day, while sipping our martinis, and I could barely keep up with their conversation... all the acronyms and number talk?!? After they held the majority of the conversation for nearly 45 minutes, one of them turns to me and asks, "I'm sorry B. How was your day?" I replied, "Jack shit his pants today." Oh how our worlds are vastly different!

I Don't Know How You Do It

2007-10-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

After a much needed Fall Break, a two week track out, we're back in the swing of things. Year round school is a blessing. The students need the breaks from me just as much as I need the breaks from them. We track out in October, December, and March and I am so thankful for the time away, but transitioning back is always hard...especially for T.

Track out is when I remind myself why I decided to be a teacher. Its when I get to plan everything, make copies, organize, clean, sharpen pencils, replace old crayons, scrape up the old contact paper holding down the letters on their tables and put new table letters on, etc. Anyone who is a teacher knows that this is the geeky truth about what we do. We're list makers, controllers, and have a file, usually color coordinated with the theme we're teaching (ie: orange for October, green for December)... but this is what we thrive on. That and putting it all into action. When we're tracked out I can actually think again about my lessons and make them engaging and I'm always so full of passion about the exciting things we have planned and then THEY come back and everything goes in a different direction.

I was in the middle of my great lesson this morning... the many lessons we teach about "small moment stories." I almost forgot that my audience was 18 6-7 year old children, and I was furiously teaching away about the love of writing...and then just as I was about to reiterate my teaching point and send them all on their way, thinking that everyone was inspired and ready to write, K. raises her hand and says, "T. is rolling on the floor again." I look over and see him...not with the group, but behind a table, rolling, like a rolling pin over dough for homemade biscuits, on the floor. When asked to stop, the rolling became more vigorous and obvious. He rolled away from the table and closer to the rest of us sitting, criss cross, on the "carpet area," and he was testing me. Pushing boundaries... Daring me with his, "What are you going to do now Ms. H?" look. Again, I ask him to stop rolling, but this time I move over to him, get down to his level, like all great teaching strategy books tell you to do, and use a direct and firm tone, "T. I need you to stop rolling and join the rest of us on the rug." Still...nothing. So I move on and I ignore and continue with my lesson, but this time feeling deflated, until 15 minutes later when T. has decided he wants to be apart of the group. I walk over to him to see what he is working on and this is what I read:

i luv my techr ms. h bekus she luvs me

Is it a "small moment story?" No, but his writing was his way of saying "I'm sorry. I'm having a hard time transitioning back to school after my two week break because my home life is inconsistent. Please be understanding of me."

This is how I do it.