I, Joy Kirr, am a middle school teacher, author, and speaker. My 7th grade ELA (English Language Arts) classes are working to improve their lives through student-directed learning - without marks throughout the year. This is a log of my learning experiences... Want to have me speak with your staff or facilitate a workshop? Here is my PORTFOLIO.
We were hesitating over taking the niece and nephew to camp - in our own trailer - in Holland, Michigan this summer. We'd had reservations since January (they're tough to get!), and the campground was open once again. It's something we'd done for many years in a row. We would bring our own food, have our own shower and toilet, and only swim in the waves. We'd be away from people.
What did it matter? Why was the decision so huge? Because it was the summer of 2020.
I wanted to go so bad. We hadn't been anywhere all summer! I was so tired of this whole quarantine thing! Our niece and nephew wanted to go even more. I cried over what to do. They may have cried not knowing if we were even going. This year has brought "too many" cancellations and oh-so-many tears. Who has it not affected?
What helped me figure out what the right thing to do was my husband's words. We were sitting in the truck after visiting my parents in their backyard, exhausted from going back and forth on this decision. Finally, these words of his sunk in.
"If I'm wrong, we are all safe. If you're wrong..."
We didn't know what would happen if I was wrong. It could affect us, my sister's family, my parents...
His words have helped steer my own decisions since that day.
I truly hope that our school board made the correct decision in not having an adaptive pause for the last two weeks before winter break until the two weeks after winter break. (More numbers: Most students would only miss EIGHT days in the school building).
I truly hope more parents who travel will keep their children out of the schools for two weeks afterwards (even though this was not always the case after Thanksgiving - please, please, students, stop telling me where you went if you're going to show up in my classroom for 80 min of my day).
If an adaptive pause was wrong, at the very least we (students, staff... and my sensible spouse) were all safe.
I do not let my students know I worry - about my husband's physical health, along with my own mental health trying to be my best for all 75 students. At least during remote learning, I can break down between classes with no one knowing. While in front of students, I'm still acting like my "normal" teacher self. I have it easier than many teachers - every teacher I know is struggling. Every teacher I know is working on making it through.
I don't know the rates of cases in the community where I work. I do not live in the community where I work. Instead, I'll document here the rise in deaths in the US for the past weeks our district has been in hybrid mode:
This piece was another story I had to make sure to document. Sometimes writing about struggles helps my heart and mind.
My husband likes to care for things - living and nonliving.
He's re-made the backyard and a lot of the front, with beautiful bushes, plants, and flowers that bloom at various times throughout the year. He's taken apart and remade the back deck. He's added a trellis for the trumpet vine and another for the clematis to climb. We've got a bird feeder in the back that gets a lot of business, and the hummingbirds have finally come to their feeder in the front yard. Inside and on the house, he has remodeled the front foyer, front room, kitchen, bathroom, our bedroom, and the spare bedroom and office. He is also a huge proponent of preventative maintenance - he'll check things out BEFORE they break, to clean them and see how they're running. He'll order a part before he needs it. Yes. He's that kind of man. That's his new role, now that he's retired and living in Illinois as my husband.
Born and raised in the Detroit area, he's also a "car guy." He retired for FoMoCo (as he calls Ford) after 28 years of service. So... I now have a vehicle I LOVE. And he's got one he loves, as well. He also takes care of them - oil changes, cleaning the brake dust off the wheels, checking the air pressure and filters, etc. He keeps his clean, and I'm learning from his role modeling how to keep mine clean.
I can only imagine Bob as a teacher. If it was something he loved to do, he'd do it better than any of us. He loves to take care of things, he anticipates problems, and he's a great role model.
A week before he got a new truck this past August, a goldfinch decided to pay a visit to his older truck he was going to trade in. This particular goldfinch (we're convinced it's the same one each time we see it - or see evidence of it) loves to sit on the mirror and look at itself in the window. While doing so, he poops on the mirror.
Bob, ever the man to take care of things, cleaned off the poop each time.
The new truck was purchased and brought home, and the goldfinch found his spot on the mirror.
Bob decided to move the mirrors in each time he parked in the driveway. It didn't help.
He went online and found out goldfinches like to look at themselves in window reflections. One site suggested he put a picture of a raptor of some sort in the window. So he did. The following photos show the evolution of this particular goldfinch for about five minutes or so as he got closer and closer to that mirror...
Yes. This last one is a photo of the goldfinch looking at his reflection - OR maybe he's looking at the hawk Bob put in the window.
What's my point?
You can do everything in your power, and yet sometimes you'll still get pooped on. There are only so many things in this life we can control. Sometimes, we've just got to wipe off the poop.
If we can't see our kids in school (or even online), we can still send messages of love and hope. If we can't get to a student this year, maybe the next teacher will. We've got to keep trying, yet not beat ourselves up if we can't make progress. Keep trying. One day at a time. We do what we can. Let's be there for each other during this time that many people are getting pooped on. Who has it worse than you? Let's reach out and do what we can do.
Grocery shopping. Bob (Hubby) and I are walking the aisles, and he ends up next to an elderly woman and starts talking with her about something he'd just seen or heard. She kept walking, either not hearing him or ignoring him. He smiled, said, "Have a nice day," and then we got the butter.
Bob will talk with ANYone. ANYwhere. About ANYthing (except politics and religion). Earlier in this shopping trip, he asked an employee how his fourth of July had been, and they were engaged in a lively discussion for about a minute before they parted ways. Bob and I have been together for about ten years, and he's had this affect on me. I can now conjure up the courage to strike up a quick conversation with someone, whereas I would have hesitated or walked away ten years prior. He's shown me how. He's shown me that people like to talk about themselves - just ask a question.
That was yesterday morning. Today he said something to me about the woman ignoring him, and I replied, "It's okay, Love. She's like I would be in the future had I not met you."
It struck me then. I needed to write this down. How might I be (unwillingly and willingly) affecting the people around me at school, students and peers alike? I've got a fairly new team of teachers to work with this year, so I'm going to think about how I act in the classroom.
Burst out in song (and dance, at times) - I LOVE to sing. When we play music in class (as students are walking in or during some other activity), I'll be singing my heart out if I know the words. I'd love it if, when they left me, they considered bursting out in song when they hear their favorite tunes, too.
Calm - in the face of chaos. I'm not always calm - like when we're celebrating - yet I am calm when there's an emergency, blood, a scream, a spider, etc. I can be calm when I need to be. Most of my seventh graders are working on this; some have no desire yet.
Considerate - of their ideas. I love to ask students what they think, how they would change something we're doing, and then when the tides turn and they simply tell me without even being asked, I love to take the time to take their ideas into consideration in front of the class. I ask, "How would this benefit us? What might be a problem we encounter? Other ideas? What does everyone think?" I actually push this idea and ask my students to practice it when I have an idea I'd like to try. If they poo-poo it early, I ask them to ask the class those questions, as well, to consider the idea before they judge it so quickly.
Honest - I never lie to my students (unless you count lying by omission - for their and my benefit). I tell them that up front, along with a story of how I used to lie all the time from when I was about 12 until maybe 22 or so. (Feel free to judge - I was bad.) This also helps me tell them that I'll spot a lie a mile away, so just be up front and truthful with me. I respect honesty and will be more upset if they lie than if they tell it to me straight. I have no need for lies in my life, and I hope they do respect my honesty.
Kind - Of course. Right? Is this a given? I hope so. And I believe all teachers are trying to help their students be kind to one another, as well. Big time. At every grade level.
Life-long Learner - I am always seeking more information. Reading, blogging with questions for others, YouTube how-to videos, asking my students for more information and their stories... This summer I'm doing a 30-day challenge (hopefully it will last all 67 days of my summer) so I can learn how to play my banjo. I hope my students see this drive in me to continue learning, no matter how old I get. I hope I can inspire them to follow their own interests and goals IN class, and then take that OUT of class once they leave me.
We don't have a crystal ball to see the future... We do have the choice to be the role model we believe our students need. I will choose my words and actions carefully.
How might your students change a teeny bit after they have met YOU?
What is your hope for them?
Comments welcomed and appreciated, as always. Let's keep the conversation going! This blog post goes out to all those fabulous educators that constantly influence me... THANK YOU for the kind word, the nudge, the ideas, the conversations, and the kindness you have shown. You are true role models and I have grown because of you. I still have much more growing to do, so thank you for staying near! Hugs!
All too often we want students to record in class. How can this be done without asking them to work in the (busy) hallway not under supervision? It's time to make a recording booth for INSIDE the classroom! My husband is the man in my life who can make (and fix) ANYthing. Thank you, Bob, for helping make this small dream come true for our 7th graders!
Materials:
5 pieces of acoustic tile, 12 inches square (I found 6 pieces for $16.99 on ebay.)
Thick cardboard (Bob has ours saved in the attic from the washing machine back in 2014.)
Box cutter
Packing Tape
Create:
Design it so it's 12 inches tall and deep, and 16 inches wide, with the front (12 x 16) open. (Easier said than done, I know. Bob is the expert I go to.)
Cut, bend, and tape.
Stuff in acoustic tile.
Place an iPad in it.
Begin recording!
Voila! Half an hour's work in the living room on a Saturday! As Ryan O'Donnell pointed out to me in a tweet, it will reduce ambient noise, provide personal space, and give a sense of professionalism. I'm excited that the scholars in room 239 will be able to use this recording booth for book talks, reflections, movie making, and more!
Me - probably 15 or so.
My husband - probably 30 times...
This year, I saw it with a new filter - consistency.
Jimmy Stewart
I could write books about my husband, his love, and the way he always does the right thing. However, I could never express in writing all that is good about this man. On Christmas Eve this year, we were talking deeply, as we often do, about love, and what it means to love. He made a point to mention consistency. He believes that the consistency of our love makes a difference. It's best to have an even keel - a steady love, with no surprises. Instead of having drastic highs and lows, we are each receiving the love we are giving away - on a consistent basis. Every day we express our appreciation of the other person. Every day we show our gratitude for this life we have together.
"It's a Wonderful Life" is another constant in our home.
If you know the story, you know that Mary is the consistent one in her love for George. This year, I noticed how she loves George - without even knowing him - with the love I have had for Bob since I first met him. She HAS to be with him. (Remember, she was an "old maid" when we see what happens when George was never born...) But George... oh, George. He consistently wants more for himself and his family. This transfers to the Savings and Loan when his father dies and he takes on the burden of keeping the one thing in town that Potter can't get his hands on - away from the greedy man. He consistently wants more for the people in Bedford Falls. This year I noticed how the people of Bedford Falls LOVE George. He is always cheerful, optimistic, and helping those in need, whether he has the money or not. Mary helps him with this, even on the day they marry. She readily hands over their wedding money to George, as he hands it out to the townspeople (and they do their best to only ask for what they need - "$17.50...") I guess those two dollar bills they had left DID multiply in the safe, as George and Mary do fairly well for themselves and the town.
When Uncle Billy loses the $8000, George is distraught, and automatically accepts the responsibility for the loss. He, too grovels to Mr. Potter (oh, so vile!), is denied any help, and then says in a prayer, "I'm at the end of my rope." What does he get in answer to his prayer? A sock in the jaw by the teacher's husband. This year I noticed how Martini and Nick kicked out the teacher's husband and supported George the entire way - no questions asked. George was that good of a man. They knew him. They trusted his consistency.
Of course, Clarence (Angel Second Class) comes to help him when he's at his worst. I chuckle 'til I cry when their clothes are drying. Poor George - he knows that his guardian angel would look something like Clarence. Bonus for having a guardian angel without wings, even.
What struck me this year - the fear. George, once he sees that his house is still the old run-down house that Mary once loved, and sees that his brother Harry died because George wasn't there to save him, he becomes paranoid. He wants to see Mary. His true love. The person that makes his life worthwhile. The woman who bore his four children.
Clarence lets him know Mary is "an old maid," and is closing the library. (Of course she is - George was her one true love!) How can she not know him when he starts to follow her from the library? How can she be so scared of him? The fear that racks his brain is palpable. This year, I could feel the fear he had that his wife and children were gone from him. I could not imagine my love being taken from me like that, nor everything else that is a constant in my life. He runs back to the bridge as if his life depends on it - to pray for things to go back to the way they were. He pleads, "I want to live again. I want to live again."
As corny as people think it is, it suddenly begins snowing again, his lip is bleeding again, and Zuzu's petals are back in his pocket. Oh, the joy! The elation! The celebration! George loves that his car is stuck against the tree he hit, and he runs through town, recognizing everyone and everything that was consistent in his life - even the worst man in the world - Mr. Potter.
The tears come every year when he gets home and sees the warrant for his arrest, the top of the stair post that comes off in his hand, the love and hugs he gets from his children, and then the rapture when he is able to hold Mary once again...
Why was I affected so differently this year?
Consistency.
George was always kind. Good. Giving. Generous.
George always worked hard. For the right reasons. To help others.
My husband is like this.
I need to be more like this.
I already appreciate all I have in this wonderful life.
After watching this just one more time, I now appreciate everything that is consistent in my life. This includes the Mr. Potters in the world. If they weren't here, we wouldn't be who we are today.
Thank you, George Bailey, for showing me the way yet again.
Here's to 2016 - that we may be grateful for the opportunity that every moment brings us. Each day is handed to us - what we do with it is up to us. Love one another - with consistency - and be grateful for all you have.
You've read this far? You must be a fan of George, too.
Alas... I still can't stand Mr. Potter. I don't know anyone as bad as him, so I share this with you:
Photos used in this post are from Pixabay - no attribution needed.
He is my #1 Fan... (Well, he may be tied with my mom...!)
My husband, Bob Kirr...
When it comes to my teaching career, he is my biggest support. I won't go into the rest of our life together, as it would take a ton more than just one post, so this one is all about how appreciative I am of Bob's support of me as a teacher.
Here is the physical proof of what Bob has done for my students IN the classroom:
I chose the fabric, and Bob did the rest...
I bought the books, and Bob gave me a place to put them... (Over a bulletin board...)
I wanted to find a way to display certain books, and Bob made me a way...
I wanted to get the headsets out of the box, and Bob made me a rack...
I found an idea on Pinterest for whisper phones, and Bob glued them all together for us...
----------- Added these photos in the fall of 2021 ---------------
In June of 2021, Bob made me another shelf (with rounded-off corners, even!) for over the vent. I keep getting more books, and he keeps making room for them!
I saw a similar idea in Applebee's (in Michigan - why are they all gone in Illinois?), and of course we found a great place for the paper towel roll in August of 2021...
Behind all the fun supplies he supplies (hah!), he also holds me up mentally. Some instances of when he's helped me become a better teacher (ahem - a better PERSON)...
When (recently) another teacher called a meeting with me and the principal over something I had said, Bob let me know, "You did nothing wrong." When it was over, he asked, "What have you learned?" He helps me reflect - EVERY SINGLE DAY.
When I want to try something new, he's the one who challenges with one word - WHY?
When I'm on the laptop too long, he comes by and shuts it on my fingers.
When I get a wonderful letter from a parent, he's the only one with whom I can share it.
When I feel knocked down because other teachers and I do not agree, he calms me and reminds me that I used to believe differently, too. He also reminds me that I don't need to change the world - I'm doing a lot with the kiddos I have.
When I have the BEST DAY EVER, he's the one I run to so I can share my stories of the BEST KIDS EVER.
And, of course, after a difficult week, he's the first one who helps me celebrate the weekend...!
He is my love, my life, and my rock, even when he helps me feel as if I can fly...
