My Students

I teach 6 year olds.  They fill my days with laughter and frustration.  I enjoy listening to their conversations.  Today a little girl was discussing a little boy that is a character.  The little boy is fascinated with Barbies.  He will bring one to school on Fridays for free choice centers.  The little girl was explaining the little girls that play with little boys is a "tomboy." So she decided that a little boy that plays with dolls must be a "tomgirl."  She was so cute in her reasoning.  I just had to laugh. 

Another little girl was telling me that her momma had celebrated a birthday the day before.  I asked her what she had gotten her mother as a present.  She told me that had not gotten her anything.  She then started talking about her mother's age and how she was super old...I laughed and said, "Was she 22?"  She said, "Oh, no, Mrs. M...she looks forty or sixty years old."  I love that to a six year old everyone over the age of 21 is the same "old person."

I love the honesty of this age of children...not enough sleep?  They tell you about the bags under your eyes.  Change your hair color?  Why, it looks bad.  They are very honest.  To bad we teach them to lie.

End of School Year Approaching Fast!!

We have less than two weeks left before school is out for the summer.  For many that is a wonderful thing, for me it is a time of sadness.  I have to turn "my babies" over to a new teacher.  Someone else will love them and watch over their educational well-being for next year.  Every year at this time, I feel like I lost a part of me.  I am sad that I won't be a daily part of some of these childrens' lives next year.  Goodbyes aren't fun!

One Week in My Life

This week has been so busy.  So I thought I would start at the beginning.
Monday-Valentine's Day--this is one of our party days at school.  First, I want to go on record that any week that starts with a party is doomed from the beginning, especially a party filled with red food coloring!  I was given lots of treats by my kids.  My husband and children sent me a Dr. Pepper bouquet.  Yes, no traditional flowers for me!  I got a bouquet filled with 8 oz bottles of Dr. Pepper, candy, and balloons.  Does my husband know my weakness or what?

Tuesday-I have duty each morning this week.  That means I have to be at school at least twenty minutes early.  I was running late on Tuesday and felt that way all week.  I hate being late. 

Wednesday-Parent/teacher meeting-- This meeting was special.  The little girl is a doll and her mother wants so bad to do what is best for her.  We met to discuss getting her some special help, but I left sad.  I think that sometimes we are not servicing the child when we don't help the parents.  I think that for social services and DHS to work, they need to be in the school.  I walked away from the meeting with a burden to help the mother.  She wants to make a better life for her child, but doesn't know how. 

Then after school I raced to the district livestock show.  My son was reserve breed Hampshire.  I love watching him show.  It is an amazing feeling when I see him have success at something.  After he showed his first sheep, I discovered that I had made a BIG mistake on his proficiency award application.  I couldn't get the internet to work at the barn, so I had to drive 30 + minutes home and spend an hour working on it.  I was so mentally drained by the time the boys pulled in to the house, but I wasn't done.  I had to go out to the barn and help unload sheep and medicate them.  I accidently stabbed my husband with a needle full of sheep medicine.  He was a good sport about it (I wouldn't have been!)  Needless to say, I fell into bed exhausted.

Thursday--I spent the day in a fog.  I can't seem to shake a headache I have had for the last three days.  My day was rough.  One of my students spent the day crying about everything.  On days like this, I don't think I am a very good teacher.  At the end of the day, three little darlings got away from a sub and ran out to their bus.  While they were never in any super danger, the experience scared me to death.  I shook all night long imagining the worst case scenario.

Friday—The crier from Thursday was pumped.  His birthday party was Friday night.  I spent my day dragging him back to the ground.  My son went to a power lifting meet and placed 3^rd in his weight division.  I am amazed that this kid can lift anything.  A year ago we were told he would never play sports again.  We were told that he would have to have surgery on his knee, but God had another plan.  He sent us to a wonderful physical therapist that worked wonders.  She is the reason that he is able to do so much. 

Saturday—Today is the big day.  My 8 year old daughter has been waiting for months for a chance to sign up for soccer.  Today that is the day that it is going to happen.  I just hope it is her sport and she loves it as much as she thinks she will!  I will keep you posted!

. 

When Is Enough, Enough?

As a teacher, I want to wear a t-shirt that says "I am a parent, too!"  At least once a week I get a note, a phone call, or an email with a parent wanting to "discuss" some injustice done to their child.  I work hard to make sure children in my care are not bullied.  I diligently watch against a child feeling that their self-worth is lacking.  I am in the building-a-child-up business.  It not only insults me, but it hurts my feeling that someone would believe I would hurt or allow a child to be hurt in my care.  Most of the incidents that I am contacted about are incomplete pictures.  Unfortunately some parents don't want to have the whole picture.  They are happy believing that everyone else is mean to their child.  I have especially seen this in some fathers with their little girls.  I have had "mean girls" in my class.  Last year I had a group of little six year old girls that called themselves the "mean girl club."  The ring leader of the club could do no wrong in her dad's eyes.  When I contacted him or his wife about her behavior, I would hear how she was innocent and the others were evil.  Last week I observed an altercation with this man and his older son.  I saw his older son throw his arm back as if he was going to hit his father.  The father was more worried about how this appeared to others around them.  He was more worried about protecting his son's image than disciplining his son.  Then less than five minutes later, I saw him reach into his pocket and hand his son some money.  I was blown away with the lack of parenting, but I wasn't surprised.  I believe that as defiant and rude as his older son is, his younger daughter is going to be worse.  She watches how her older brother interacts with the family and thinks it is funny.  She sees the  boundaries being stretched and is willing to push them further  If she is already the leader of the “mean girl club” at the age of 6, can you imagine the damage she will do at the age of 16.   

I don't understand why people think they need to be friends with their child.  And I don't understand why parents think that they have to fight every fight for their child.  I agree that kids shouldn't be bullied, but at the same time if children don’t ever learn to stand up for themselves they are in for a lot of heartache.  I watch children (OK, 18 year old boys) call mommy over every little problem.  A bad grade for not completing homework...call mommy and she will come to the school and yell at the teacher.  Not getting an award that you think you deserve...call mommy and she will yell at the person in charge until you get an award, too.  Recently an acquaintance of mine became upset that her son wasn’t going to win an award at graduation.  Instead of seeing what the criteria was and how her son was lacking, she immediately assumes the school and the counselor is in the wrong.  When is it too soon to teach children responsibility?  At what age should we expect children to fight their own battles?  When do you allow them to handle problems themselves? 

I personally think that it starts at the earliest age.  Parents should teach their children how to use words to solve problems.  Parents should not run to the school or call every time a child forgets their homework.  By allowing children to take responsibility for their actions at an early age, you are training an adult that can take care of themselves.  And isn’t that my job as a parent?

The Great Flood of 2011

OK, the Great Flood is a little extreme...it was a flood!  In Oklahoma any amount of ice can shut the state down, but add over ten inches of snow and we have problems.  Add Oklahoma wind (you know, Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain) and you really have problems.  That is what started the Great Flood of 2011.  It was the snow's fault...or at least partly.  I teach school in a small community that has grown faster than planned.  So last year when our oldest elementary building was torn down, several of us were "misplaced" while the school built a new building.  I was "misplaced" into a small room off of the combination cafeteria/gym.  On the best of days, the room is noisy from the shared space---and oh, please don't talk about the garlic and onion days!  But getting back to the storm... this year the snow storm was worse than in years past for several reasons, the late date of it, the 19 inches of snow it left in some parts of the state, and of course, the lack of the government for being prepared.  How does a flood enter into the picture?  Easily, with snow this deep, there is not school.  And no school means that there are not any staff to find frozen pipes.  And you guessed it, the pipes over my classroom froze.  Luckily for me, our janitor staff were called in and found the leak shortly after it was started...unluckily for me and for them, the leak had already dropped over 500 gallons of water into my room.  That is how the Great Flood of 2011 happened. 

But here is the rest of the story...school still has to go on.  Children still need to learn.  And in order to make that happen, the janitorial staff, my husband, my children, and I worked together to get everything cleaned up and ready to go.  The leak was found Thursday morning.   By Sunday at noon, my room was ready for students.  The floors were dry, the furniture was in place, the mess was gone, and the smell was getting under control.  My beautiful room looks even better.  Yes, I lost supplies...but nothing I can't teach without.  Yes, I will be finding items that need to be replaced for months to come, but that doesn't change what I can do with a book and me.  Those items will not effect what and how my students learn.  They really won't change the way I teach.  The Great Flood of 2011 had no impact on my T-1 class.  We had a perfectly great Monday and it won't slow us down. 

Believing in Allie

This weekend I attended a memorial service for a former student.  He was a great kid, but my love for him began because of his older sister.  Allie came to my class as an outgoing, energetic 2nd grader.  She had a smile on her face that reached to the sun.  She was the peace keeper of our class.  This class was made of strong personalities that wanted to control everything.  There were several young ladies in the classroom that thought that everyone should do what they wanted.  Allie was the go between.  She kept peace.  She negotiated to plan the games and activities on the playground.  Allie was different from the rest in the way she related to her younger brother.  One of the dominate personalities in class also had a kindergarten brother.  But while Allie loved being a big sister, "Student B" seemed to hate it.  While Allie couldn't wait to get home to share with Dalton what she had learned, "Student B" didn't want to talk to her brother.  When the boys attended activities in our classroom, Allie scooted over to make room for Dalton in her chair.  "Student B" would pout and be angry that her mother brought her little brother. 


When Allie was in 2nd grade I decided to do a thematic unit on plants.  I planned for weeks and prepared a lesson on seeds.  One of the lessons was that the students would sort and characterize seeds in the form of nuts.  We worked on the sorting, graphing, and drawing of the seeds.  They I gave the students permission to eat the seeds.  Allie came to my desk with half of a cashew.  She informed me she didn't like nuts and didn't want to eat them.  I remember smiling at her and encouraging her to try it.  She bit the cashew in half and ate it.  She became ill. Her breathing became labored.  Her coloring was off.  I knew immediately that this was serious.  I called her mother and stayed with her in the hallway while we waited.  Her mother came and decided it was her sinus allergies.  She gave her some cold medicine and watched her for a few minutes.  Because of the time of day, her mother decided to go ahead and take her home.  On her way home, Allie quit breathing.  It turned out that Allie was allergic to nuts.  No one knew.  The next day Allie's mother showed up to school with an EPI pen and a hug.  She thanked me for taking care of her daughter.  I was in shock...here I had almost killed a woman's child, and she hugged and thanked me.  Allie's mother has become one of my most special friends over the years. 

Allie now faces life not being what she is so good at doing.  She is no longer the big sister that offers advice and knowledge to her little brother.  She no longer plays the part of protector.  This phase in Allie's life is over, but God has a plan in place for her next phase.  I feel blessed to have been a part of the Allie as a big sister phase.  I can't wait to see what the future has for Allie. 

Dalton's Goodbye

In college they forgot to cover a lot of things that happen in the classroom.  But one thing they totally forgot is how to say goodbye.  Today is the funeral of a former student.  No one told me about this part of teaching.  Since I began teaching, I have stood at the graves of several of my students hurting.  Most of them spent a year telling me their secrets, giving me hugs, and sharing their world.  But Dalton was different.  He came into my life when his older sister was in my class.  As a mischievous, little kindergartener, he followed big, sister, Allie around.  He wanted to do everything she did.  She read, so he wanted to read.  She climbed the monkey bars, so up he went.  Every step she took, he was right with her.  Two years later, he was in 2nd grade following once again in her footsteps.  He absorbed books.  He wanted to discuss them all.  He was tetherball champion of the world (at least in his head.)


When my daughter was three, Dalton and Allie were her babysitters for the summer.  They spent time carrying her, holding her, reading to her, and basically fighting over her.  Everyday I would return to their home to see her chasing Dalton or him toting her around to avoid the dog she was scared of.  Having an older brother has meant that she always preferred boys.  Allie wanted so bad to be Taylor's favorite, but it wasn't meant to be.  Dalton was the one she talked about and ran to be picked up.  She quickly learned that Allie was good for snacks and getting read to, but Dalton was the one to rough house with. 

Today, my friend Tara will say goodbye to her baby.  She shouldn't have to do that.  Mothers should never bury their child, but I know she will do it was grace and in the will of God.  I admire her so much.  She is a great mother that lives to make her children's lives better.  I am saying a prayer for her.  She has a long road in front of her, but I believe in her. 

Death of a Child

This week I was called with the news that one of my former students was killed.  He was a bright, funny child.  He could be found in serious thought during classroom discussions about books.  He loved to wrestle, hunt, play baseball, and read.  But mostly he loved hearing about God's plan for his life.  This young man had plans not only for his life, but how to live his life.  He wanted to live his life for God.  He left behind a beautiful funny sister, a talented and kind mother, and a hard working father.  They will all miss him...but more than anything, they will miss the man he was going to become.  Dalton, I am going to miss you.

Hair From The Eyes of a Six Year Old

I teach 6 year olds, which translates into "I have recess duty no matter how windy it is."  Earlier in the week, I was tired of trying to deal with my hair at recess.  It was terrible after 30 minutes of Oklahoma wind.  I looked like someone had placed my head in a blender and turned it on high.  So I called my beautician and begged for an appointment.  She did her magic and before she sent me home she had transformed my hair into a long bob with smooth sides.  I have wore my hair curly for the last ten years.  So this was a change for me.  She cut off a good three inches and totally changed the way I did my hair.  On the way home, I stopped at the store to purchase a new straight iron.  I had never owned one, but the new style called for it.  The first morning after the haircut, I got up early.  I washed and blow dried my hair with a large brush just the way the beautician did.  I carefully used the new iron on it.  After 75 minutes of stressing, combing, crying, and cussing; headed to work.  Once there I was met by 15 little 6 year olds who filed past me into class.  As one very loud little boy was going by, he turned to a friend and said, "What did she do to her hair?  She looks awful!  She should comb it."  So I have decided that the blender look was more successful.