A True Gentleman

Not many people can say that they get to go to work and hang out with their best friend, but I do. And even though we are teaching in different grade levels this year (I am in Kinder and she is in first) we fortunately have the same bell schedule so we get to each lunch together. After I drop my kiddos off at the cafeteria I grab my lunch and head down to Robin's classroom where we eat, talk, and some times grade papers. It is a nice little break in my day where I get to enjoy some great company and get a change of scenery. This last week, one of her students earned lunch with her in the classroom. This little boy had been on his best behavior all week long and was now being rewarded with lunch with his teacher. When I entered the classroom I asked him if it was okay if I joined in on his "lunch date" with Mrs. Noyes. He excitedly said yes, and I headed over to the table. I set my food down and before I could do anything else this little first grade boy stood up and said, "Here Ms. Jennings, let me get your chair for you." He pulled out my chair for me like a true gentleman. Robin and I each gave each other a look that said, "Oh my goodness, that is most adorable thing ever." It was definitely the highlight of my day, if not for the entire week. Well done, young man. Well done.

How I "Deal" (aka why I still love my job)

Today one of my many teacher friends asked me how do I "deal". How do I deal with our messed up educational system, our lack of funding, the new evaluation system, etc. Despite all the extra work resulting in longer days and the extra tasks and data collecting and what have you I can honestly say that this (so far) has been the best/most enjoyable year of my career. So why is that? After a moment of reflection, followed later by some more deeper reflecting, this is what I came up with: How I "Deal" (aka why I still love my job): 1. God's grace - it's the truth. There is no better, easier, simpler, truer explanation. I can't imagine doing this job without Jesus right beside. I don't know how people do it. 2. I do the best I can to be positive. I put a smile on my face, I trust that people have good intentions, and whenever I can I avoid listening to grumbling and complaining. That I feel is the biggest thing. Complaining is contagious, and never helpful. 3. I know that whatever happens it is not the end of the world. This whole new evaluation system doesn't scare me. Why? Because I know that I am a good teacher. I know I am not the best and I can always get better. But I know that I have my kids best interests at heart: academically, socially, emotionally.

What did you just DO

While talking to my dad the other day he said to me, "How come you aren't writing on your blog anymore?" To which I replied, "I write about what kids do at school and it is summer vacation." While I may be on break from the kids I do have two young terriers at home who remind me very much of my students and vice versa. And let me tell you I have plenty stories about the crazy things that they do. One of which just happened now....

I had just gotten home and the door into the garage was open. The dogs got out in to the garage to look around before I got a chance to shut the door and decided to let them explore. I was extremely thirst so I grabbed my glass and began to fill it from the filter on the freezer door. As I stood there filling my glass I watched my pups wander about in the garage. I took a big chug from my glass and began to fill it again. The dogs were now making their way back into the kitchen from the garage. One of my dogs, Chewy, stuck his head under the open door and started trying desperately to grab something. I wondered how long it would take him to figure out that he could go around to the other side of the door to get what he wanted, and then he did just that. He disappeared behind the open door and I heard a rattle. My dogs like to play with many random things, one of which is bottle caps. I thought he had found the plastic cap to a water bottle, but what he found was something entirely different. As I am standing at the refrigerator with my water in hand I see Chewy come around the door and into the kitchen with something much larger than a bottle cap in his mouth. Like an offering, he presents at my feet a dead mouse inside of a mouse trap THAT I NEVER SET. (Please keep in mind that I have been in this house for a year now!) He was so proud of himself that he went back to search for more. I stood there in horror. Then I mustered my courage, grabbed a gardening glove and disposed of the ill-fated mouse.

What DIDN'T You Just Say?

As a Kindergarten/First grade teacher there are a lot of things that I have to teach my students. I have to teach (and assess!)them everything that is in the Common Core Standards. But that only covers math and language arts. We have state standards for Science, Social studies and the like. We also have GLO's (General Learner Outcomes) which are the things we teach our students in order to make them better, more effective students and learners. And then you've got all that extra stuff you have to teach 'em so can test them on it just so you can turn in data. I guess so everyone else knows you are doing your job. But there is one other thing that I teach my students. It doesn't have a standard. It isn't on a report card. It doesn't receive a grade. And yet I believe it is the most timortant thing they need to know... On top of all of this I teach my students how to be a better PERSON. Weaved throughout the academic jungle of the day I attempt to teach my class manners and how to be an overall better liked person. The first and foremost way I do this is simply encouraging them to say "please" and "thank you". When kids ask, "Can I do this?" or "Can I have that?" I usually follow up with,"What do you say?" Today however was different. I had a lot of kids asking me if they could have or do something, and none of them were saying please. So, I decided, that if they weren't going to say please then I wasn't going to say anything at all :) Instead I just looked at them with a blank stare. Sometimes, most of the time actually, the long, silent pause got u comfortable. I think a lot of them thought that I was just thinking of what my reply to them was going to be. Eventually, when they didn't pick up on the hint I would lean forward a bit, give a little a smile, and raise my eyebrows as if to say,"and...?" Finally, they would get the hint and say, "Ms. Jennings, may I PLEASE _____________". And once again, the world is a better place :)

Too Many Questions...

It's that time of year again... that time at the end of school year when teachers and students start practicing for "Songfest". Every year the second graders practice on the basketball court below my classroom, and in order to get their stereo system working will ask to plug an extension cord in my room, which they then thread out the window and down towards the blacktop.

Well, today...just like on most days... kids were outside our classroom practicing for songfest. I usually just tune it out and get on with whatever stuff we are doing in class, so I really didn't take much notice to it. One of my students, on the other hand, did. We were in the middle of transitioning, trying to get cleaned up and ready for our next task. All of a sudden one of my boys says to me in a very quizzical sounding voice, "Ms. Jennings! How is there music outside!?! The cord isn't even plugged in???" At this point in the day there wasn't even 30 minutes left of school, and frankly didn't really care how they had their music playing and I didn't really have the energy to think up an explanation.
"I don't know," I replied
But he couldn't let it go. He was persistant. "But, Ms. Jennings, how are they doing that? How can they have music if the cord isn't plugged in?"
After an entire day and almost an entire week of endless student questions I just didn't have it in me to give him an answer. So I said, "How do you think they are doing it?" I honestly could not think of any justifiable answer to give him, and I figured I would see what he would say. And then he said the most obvious thing...
It was like a lightbulb went on and he said, "They plugged it into another classroom."

Of course, why didn't I think of that...

Sharing With Words

This week we started something new in our class called "Sharing with Words". It was inspired by my friend Kristi who is a first grade teacher. Each morning the kids have an opportunity to share a story from their life to the rest of the class. We do it pretty much first thing in the morning. This way kids have a chance to share all the things they want to say to me, and it is done right before writing time so it gets them brainstorming ideas on what they can write about. As the kids share their ideas I jot down their different ideas on the board so that kids can later go back to the list if they can't think of what to write about. (This idea is also wonderfully inspired by my friend Krist!)

Today during "Sharing with Words" the kids started out sharing about the kinds of things they always share about: going to the beach, going to the pool, going to the movies. I started to write our list: beach, pool, movies... Then one of my girls began to share about how she went to the new McDonalds. As she was talking I began to write the word McDonalds on the board. While writing I could hear her talking. "I went to McDonalds and I got an ice cream. I got a strawberry Monday and they also have a chocolate Monday," she said. As I finished writing the word "McDonalds" on the board I began to process what she was saying... and it didn't make sense. Strawberry Monday??? I turned back to the class, looked at this little girl and said, "I think you mean strawberry sundae."

In her defense though, yesterday was Monday :)

Chivalry Is NOT Dead... in P2!

This week in class we are reading a book entitled "Being Rude". It is one in a series of books that teaches kids how to essentially be better members of society. Like the other books in the series it began with examples of what NOT to do and illustrations that show what it looks like. The second half of the book follows up with examples of what kids should do alongside illustrations of what it looks like.
In the middle of the book there comes a part when the two polite kids (one boy and one girl) go to by ice cream. The author's example of not being rude is to not insist on always having the best. Both kids wanted chocolate ice cream but there was only two ice creams left, one chocolate and one strawberry. To model this the girl says, "You can choose first," and the boy replies, "Thanks!"
Before I could continue on to the next page one of my ELL boys raises his hand and starts shaking it wildly so that I am sure to see him. I called on him and he said in his broken English, "Um, Ms. Jennings.... why.... how come.... the boy go first?"
And then, as if to translate his thought, one of the girls then says, "Ya, aren't girls supposed to go first?"
You see, all year long I have been telling my kids that girls go first because it is the polite thing to do. So nice to see that someone is listening.