Do you still like teaching?

...he asked at graduation night.

I replied quickly. "Yes." And then I didn't know how to follow up. I think I said something along the lines of "there are always a few kids that really make your day difficult. But then you get a 'thank you' letter from another student and you think, I can stay a bit longer."

I don't know why he asked me. Is it because he hasn't seen a tweet from my account since December? Is it because now I present on "Shifting Away from Stress"? It is because my TikToks are about the tough parts of teaching? The question sat with me when I was falling asleep, and it was still there in the morning.

Was I honest with my answer? Yes. There are myriad reasons for me to (still) like teaching. 

• What REALLY makes me still enjoy teaching is thank you letters from students who I didn't get much feedback from during the school year. The quiet students I couldn't read. The ones I didn't have a strong connection with. The children I thought didn't care much for me or the class. To get those letters reaffirms that much of what I'm doing is good. Right. Just. Through all the chaos that happens around them, these students have shared that I'm calm, always smiling, and that I provide a welcoming environment. Of course, these letters are in my scrapbook, and sometimes I take a photo of one to keep near me on difficult days. This one may be hard to read, but it's the most recent that I keep by my desk:
  
• I'm SLOWLY learning that I do not have control over students' actions or words, yet I DO have control of my own. And when students are disrespectful to me or to other students, I can stay calm. I can provide consequences. I can continue the rest of the period ignoring the disrespect while I make connections with students who are respectful that day. I now even share with students that they make their own decisions, and I am not to blame for what they do or say. I can only provide a role model for how to react - or not react. Each year, I improve my own demeanor, and I go home knowing that bad behavior by a student was not my fault. 
• I've been practicing how to take care of myself. I eat healthy, with some chocolate thrown in. I exercise each day. I make time for myself each night - reading and then making slow circles with my head, stretching my neck (where most of my stress lies). Part of taking care of myself is making decisions in class that I would normally leave up to students. It's just this year that I've realized that when I do "take a vote," it's the loud(er), more often disrespectful students who run the show. I'm done with that. I've been making decisions that benefit me, and in turn they probably benefit the respectful students.
• I keep in mind that the children I teach are children. Adolescence is probably the toughest age. It's the age where they're figuring out who they want to be, how they want to act, and what boundaries they want to test. They take a lot of risks, and they worry so much about what others think of them. They want to be liked - some act out to be liked, and some simply hide so no one notices them. What an age. I, myself, hated being 12 and 13. I hope I'm helping some have a pleasant 80 minutes. And if not pleasant, I hope they find I'm a safe person to share troubles or anxieties with.
• The laughter keeps me smiling at work. What other job has so many funny (and sometimes) crazy stories? Even when a student is being immature or receives a consequence for a bad choice, many times I smile when I get home. I know they're testing me and themselves, and I hope they're learning valuable lessons.
• As an ELA teacher, I LOVE sharing great books. Many have lost the love of reading at this age. I love it when just ONE student picks up a book I've shared. And when he or she likes it, too, I glow. I feel I've sparked a love of reading once again. I also love sharing that I've written - and published - two books. The questions they ask when they find out are so fun for me to answer. I love sharing that a total stranger picked my book apart... that I had to read it FIVE times before all the editing was done, and that feedback is so valuable for our writing. When students get my video feedback, I love when they decide to revisit what they've written and revise using my suggestions. They often thank me for taking the time to make the video of me reading their writing. And... when they get a choice in writing and fly with it... I love seeing budding authors excitedly at work and proud of their work.

So... yeah. I enjoy teaching. I will never master it, as students and situations change yearly (daily!), but sometimes the challenge makes me enjoy it, too. I feel as if not many people can do what I do. Sometimes I feel beat down, but I've come back each time now, and I'm stronger than ever. Sure, someone will replace me some day, but right now I'm getting experience that not many other professions can claim to have. It's certainly not for everybody, but I'm making the most of it.

Negativity Switch

On my walk this morning, a block away from my home, the massive construction truck is on the same street as me, no signal on to turn, so I go to step off the curb to cross -- and he turns, cutting in front of me. I back up, hold my hands up, and think, "No. I'm NOT going to let myself feel like this all day today."

The next truck I see is actually one of those asphalt-scraper rigs, heading slowly down the street I'm still walking along, and I wave good morning. He waves back with a smile. I think, "This could cancel out the negative encounter I had this morning. THAT'S the kind of "cancel culture" I need right now.

I've learned that it's human for our brains to focus on the negative.
It's even got a name: Asymmetric Effect with Negative Bias. YUCK. I've had this affliction before.

I've got to cancel out these negative thoughts when I can. Here is what I try:

• When I spot an educator shaming another educator on social media, I make sure to thank another teacher on social media - or maybe the one being shamed, depending on the situation.
• When I have an appointment I am not looking forward to, I schedule something afterwards that I DO look forward to.
• When I stop by Facebook and see scary posts, I look for something to share that's helpful to others.
• When I'm breathing in too much toxicity from my laptop, I head outside to breathe a deep breath in nature.
• When I start to worry (again) too much about our future, I remember that action helps me move forward and past the worry, so I choose to DO something.
• When I think someone's acting like an idiot, I find something new to learn.
• When I get off a difficult phone conversation, I purposely spend some time alone in the quiet (or outside with the birds and traffic noises - just no talking).
• When I am bombarded with reminders that we're still in a pandemic, I stop and decide to notice things for which I'm grateful.

Another one I tried one time in my life and I'd like to try more often...

• Hear negative self-talk? Repeat positive affirmations to yourself.

Sounds like a plan.

Can negativity truly be canceled? Nope.
I can, however, pause, then switch my thinking to try to turn if off for a bit.

Day 19 - Quotes I've Found Helpful

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Today I made sure I got off the kitchen bench multiple times... to walk away from the computer, to walk off my numbing legs, and to make sure my back didn't hurt worse. My sciatic nerve gave me some zingers today, so I knew I had to make some changes.

I was also able to connect with a few other students... I'm still missing eleven, even though according to the team everyone has checked in somehow. Today's goal was to email all of them to say what I thought their grade should be... Here's what I said:

Good morning! 

This email is going out to those students who I believe have earned a (insert grade here) in ELA for third quarter. I am sad we cannot meet in person to chat about your progress and how proud we should be of your work, but...  

So... please respond back when you read this - letting me know if you agree or disagree with this grade (above), and why. If you agree, I'll put the grade in PowerSchool ASAP. If you disagree and make a solid argument using evidence from PowerSchool, I'll put your choice in the grade book. If I have concerns, I'll share the evidence I see in PowerSchool, and we'll continue the discussion via email.  

I hope this sounds fair, and I hope you're proud of your work!!
Here's to doing our best next quarter as well! 

Missing you,
Mrs. Kirr

I've gotten ten responses back so far. 🤞

I loved "team time" today. We were able to talk about specific children we were concerned about, and shared some funny stories, too.

We saw a new Ford commercial... reach out if you are leasing or making payments on a vehicle and need financial support. More and more companies are sharing help like this. I was charged $70 for my chiropractor today, but since I won't be seeing her this month maybe they'll give me two free visits later?

Mandy Froehlich's blog post "Time to Be Still" struck a chord in my heart, especially this part:

My principal shared this article with us via email - "That Discomfort You're Feeling Is Grief." What struck me was this part:

Here's what will help: The author (and me, too!) believes "we will find meaning in it. ... we find light in those times ... people are ... appreciating walks. I believe we will continue to find meaning now and when this is over." No doubt! If we don't, we didn't get the message the universe was sending us.

From my reading last night of The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech:

     Lizzie said that if you imagined you were standing on the moon, looking down on the earth, you wouldn’t be able to see the itty-bitty people racing around worrying; you wouldn’t see the barn falling in or the cow stuck in the pond; you wouldn’t see the barn falling in or the cow stuck in the pond; you wouldn’t see the mean Granger kids squirting mustard on your white dress. You would see the most beautiful blue oceans and green lands, and the whole earth would look like a giant blue-and-green marble floating in the sky. Your worries would seem so small, maybe invisible.

     The first time I tried standing on the moon, what I saw in my mind was a million billion people, everyone of them with problems, all running here and there and screaming for help. It was a scary trip to the moon.

Yup. These days sometimes I'm Lizzie, and sometimes I'm the narrator. The sun is out and bright this afternoon, so I'm choosing to see the earth like Lizzie does. ✌️

Troublemakers

Labels irk the heck out of me.

The fact that we label students as "troublemakers" really irritates me, even though I've done it myself.

I've been waiting (why have I been waiting?) to read this one for a bit, and it did not disappoint, as I read it in two days...

The canary and cage on the front have two meanings. The most obvious is from Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," and the less obvious is the one that distressed me the most. Miners used to take canaries down in the mines with them, as they served as warnings about the air quality. If a canary were to die, the miners had to get out. When a child is singing loudly, we need to heed that as a warning that something is wrong in this classroom. Most likely, it's the imbalance of power.

Most of what Carla Shalaby shares is about a child's need to feel free - to feel as if they're in some sort of control - to feel HUMAN.

The four students the author chose to focus on were in what seemed to me GREAT schools. She asked the principal to share two teachers of high caliber. And to those teachers, she asked, "Who of your students is the most troublesome?" These are the four she shadowed for a bit - at school, and when possible, at home. What I found kind of amusing and kind of sad is that the behaviors these four first graders exhibited were some of the very same behaviors I see in some seventh graders.

I can see and understand the messages she shares about the young black students not having any adults at school to look to for models. I can see how schools are conforming students to ... basically act white. When I think of my own students, the ones that I lose sleep over happen to be white. My school has a high white population (and I, too, am white). The author is upset about students' exclusion to a different part of the room or a different room altogether. I do not worry about physically excluding students, but I may exclude them unintentionally if I call them out on something in front of the entire class.

What I was really struck by was the conformity we expect of our students.

The author points out that educators want compliance because that's what's expected in schools. That's how we can get our lessons across, and that's how the school culture simply IS.

While she was sharing the stories of the four seven-year-olds, I couldn't help but think of my own students, and I was reminded of a few things:

• Students really don't have much control at school, especially compared to at home. No matter how much we think we have student-directed learning or choice or voice, this book forced me to consider how much I actually control, and how much the school culture actually dictates.
• Many students learn that the culture of school is to listen and obey.
• Some students are simply just being themselves. Their personalities may differ from those of the majority of the class, or else the majority has figured out it's safer to hide or squash their true personalities at school.
• "Different" is often perceived as causing trouble.
• Many (most?) children have a natural tendency to want to learn. What do we do at school that dissolves that initiative? We have a curriculum to teach. I wonder how many times our curriculum is not something each child would choose to learn each day...
• Teachers often pigeonhole children into doing what we do, and doing it how we do it.
• We may have 25 students in class. We don't always make the time to help answer questions from inquisitive minds, and yet we encourage them to be inquisitive. We want them to think for themselves, and when they do, it can cause a disturbance. We want them to be independent, but only under our parameters.
• We need to listen to individual students.
• We need to get to know our students even more.
• We need to let them know when we are proud of them.
• We need to notice and name the good they do.
• We need to see them (or imagine them) outside of school - how does what they're doing in school look like outside of school? Might what they're doing actually help them somehow outside of the school setting?
• Stop labeling students! Making trouble is a verb - not a noun. It's not something to fix. It's something to explore.
• Just because a student is a "good student" does not mean that he or she will succeed outside of school. Compliance does not always equal success. We put so many limits on students in school - how will they succeed when they're left on their own? We want children to find their identities, to figure out their strengths, to be confident, to have a voice in decisions... We need to give them the room to do so - without fear of punishment, or worse, exclusion.

At the end of the book, I still wanted MORE. I wish I could copy the entire conclusion and her note to teachers here. Instead, this will be your advertisement to read this book if you have not yet. The author does not solve our problems with these so-called "troublemakers." She leaves it to us and our students. I have a tiny idea of what I can do when I return to school after this two-week break, and yet I know my students will have to help me figure it out. They have many more ideas than I ever will, and maybe we can get to the root of what they need from me.

My favorite quote: 

How stressful it must be to be a young person in our schools! How unsafe and frightening it must be to wonder - as you witness the next punishment and rejection of one of your peers - if you will be next. That kind of conditional acceptance, subjective belonging, contingent care, must feel terribly threatening to children, whom we know are biologically wired to make illogical choices as their brains continue to develop. They make mistakes and they make bad decisions - don't we all? Especially when we are stressed, feeling unsafe, and suffering?

Coping with Curmudgeonliness

You've received an attack from a parent or another teacher.

My husband says, "I'll bet no teacher goes unscathed." Even the teacher that is at school, available to students from 7:00-7:45am, lunch, and then again from 2:45-4:00pm - every day - has been chastised by a parent for "not being available for my child." Consider the teacher that has never once stepped foot in your classroom and yet has told other teachers that kids in your classroom "just have fun," and "there's no real learning happening." There may even be rumors about you that you hear through someone else. Teachers are not immune to attack. We have 60 or up to 300 or so parents who might not read what we send home, or might not talk with their children before they chat with us. We are in a culture where it seems people complain more publicly than they compliment. There are many variables that make people say what they do. We cannot control what happens in these people's lives. We cannot control what they say to or about us. We need to control our own thoughts about it, however, or our mental stress will manifest itself into physical stress. This physical pain or sickness can keep us out of school.

Here's what we CAN do:

Find someone at your school you can chat with on a regular basis. Be supportive for them, and they'll be there for you. No need to spend hours commiserating... just enough to know that you've both got some struggles in life. You're not alone, and you have many blessings for which to be grateful.

Turn to words. The red words in the Bible, the quotes from books you're (hopefully still) reading, your favorite bloggers, or just find inspiration online. Heck, I've even had a "quotes" column open on my Tweetdeck. You never know what you'll find there!

Go outside. Go for that walk, that bike ride, that lunch on a picnic table. In the winter, get out and get your cheeks and ears red. Get outside with the goal of getting some fresh air and sun.

Collect all the positive vibes you get - emails from parents, cards from students, quotes from great times in your classroom. Collect them so you can look through them when that one voice of many keeps crawling around trying to infect your thoughts.

And what else can we do? Ask other teachers! It's what I did!

Here are ideas curated from a session at EdCamp lake County on December 9, 2017 from about 40 or so teachers!

Our mental health is oh, so very important. Don't let a curmudgeon make you lose sight of what you're doing and why. Sure, we should re-evaluate what we're doing all the time, but once we regroup, we need to find ways to let it go...

Be Your Best

The humidity had broken. It was 60 degrees, sunny, and the moon was still out on my morning walk. Watching a plane leave O'Hare - against the blue of the sky and alongside the sun, I thought back to the days without a plane in the sky. Thoughts of the last children's book about 9/11 I'm reading this summer (Eleven by Tom Rogers) came to me, and I wanted to get back home to finish it today. As I rounded the corner, I noticed the backpacks. Oh, my! School has started for District 214, and students of all shapes and sizes were walking to Elk Grove High School. I slowed my pace so I wouldn't pass them up, knowing that I was probably more of a happy camper than they were. I wondered about their day ahead. Their youth, their fears, their friends, their classes... I even took a picture and put it on my Instagram account, wondering how my own previous students would spend their first day in high school.

The kids veered off into the parking lot behind the school while I walked further along the sidewalk bordering the school. Minivans and SUVs were in line to drop off their children in the front of the school. Where were the buses? Do they come earlier? Traffic was horrendous, and I wondered if they'd let me cross to the other side. I did get across safely, and then continued to walk the sidewalk on the opposite side of the front of the school. I noted to myself to never go East on Elk Grove Blvd on a weekday morning! Cars were backed up, then many made u-turns to get back on the main road. More cars started appearing from side streets - high school kids with their licenses and "new" cars with their loud mufflers. I wondered if this was the way of the mornings to come, or if there was any other system. I had to cross a small road that led into the side of the school lot. The next car in line (looked to me to be a high school student, but I'm no good with ages - it could have been a brand new teacher) let me go, and I waved a thanks.

I crossed, heard the revving of yet another engine and then BOOM! I found my hand covering my mouth in surprise as I turned and saw the car that had let me pass had hit another one in this intersection leading into the school. Ugh. Cue stomach drop. Since I didn't see the accident, I didn't cross to the other side to help - there were already many in line who had seen what had happened, and I would be a hinderance.

As I continued my walk, questions bombarded my brain...

• How will those drivers' days go as a result of this?
• What will this do to their attitude at school (as a student? as a teacher?)?
• How will this affect their families?
• Do they have insurance?
• Who was at fault?
• Will they be without transportation for a bit?
• How long will it take them to get through the paperwork and into school?
• Will the staff scold them when they walk in?
• Will they remember their schedule or locker combination? (I STILL have these dreams!)
• Will their teacher give them "the look" when they appear well after the first bell?
• What will the other drivers' (now waiting for a clear path out of traffic) days be like from here on out?
• Will they be late for important meetings?
• What will this do to their attitude at their jobs?
• What will the parents say to the kids when they got home?
• Who will judge all those affected as a result of their attitude this morning?
• What other repercussions will come of this one incident?

Too many questions to list.

No answers. Just speculation.

I looked around and tried to soak up this last Monday of my summer. I saw a bicyclist, and even a unicyclist heading to EGHS. I saw a few more stragglers walking. Turning the corner towards home, traffic just kept coming. I wondered, as my husband and I often do, "Where are all these people heading?" They all have a so many stories. I wonder what has already happened to them this morning that will affect their day ahead?

If you're getting ready for the year to start, or you're in your first, second, third week already, or even if you're "down under" and have been teaching for a few months in this school year already, you've got lots of plans. You've got so many stories to share. Your head is full of ideas. You've had many things happen TO you, and have reacted in many different ways. There is one thing we need to make sure we do in school. Every day. For the kids, and for the adults just the same. No matter what our own day is like.

Just be your best.

It's all we can do. We cannot always know when an accident has happened in the morning. We cannot always know when a beloved pet has died. We cannot always know when a child has written a note that explains why he doesn't want to live another day. We CAN - be our best. For everyone we encounter.

How do we do this? I have three ideas, knowing I'll fail at these throughout the year, but I'll keep coming back to them as reminders, and I'll keep practicing. It's all I can do.

Suspend judgment.

Ask, "How can I help?"

Let others know they matter.

What will you do today - and tomorrow - to be your best? Please comment. In this crazy world, we all need all the help we can get, and we are better together.

Who Teaches YOU?

Getting my haircut today, I had to ask: "Who does YOUR hair?"

Hairstylist - "One of the gals here."

A couple of months ago, I asked my massage therapist, "Who gives YOU massages?"

Therapist - "Before I hire new therapists, they have to give me a massage."

Got me thinking... I teach 7th graders. Who teaches ME?

This summer, I've pruned my PLN a bit. I've made sure to center around those that teach me. And it's made me feel much better. Much like my hair cut today...

You may not be able to see the difference, but I can feel it. It's the same during the school year...

Tomorrow, I'm heading to my first #PatioPD, thanks to a generous teacher who likes to try new things and learn from others. How else do I make sure those that impact my teaching get my attention? I use a tool such as Feedly to follow their most recent blog posts. I put them on my "first" list on Twitter, so I'm sure to catch their good vibes (tweets). I check on the hashtags they're using so I can "hang out" (virtually) with those other teachers who have growth mindsets. These people teach me by being great role models, and I learn invaluable lessons from them that, in turn, impact my students.

So... who teaches YOU? 

Who helps you to be your best for children? Where do you go to keep refreshed, challenged, and positive during the school year? Please respond in the comments so I can always go back to this post when I need a pick-me-up! I can then share your ideas with more educators - thank you for helping me learn! A shout-out to Sean Scanlon and Rakhi Mistry for inspiring this post.

Update: PatioPD on Thursday had me like...

Same Goal - Different Route

I'm a people-pleaser.

I am happier being with others who are also happy.

But...

Often I disagree - because I am thinking of the kids.

Sometimes I say what I think - because I am thinking of the kids.

Rarely (but it still happens) I stir the pot - because I am thinking of the kids.

It seems as if I go through waves. I'm full of strength, reasoning, and asking the questions that get teachers thinking. I've tried to step it up a notch - be the one who tries, fails, and shares the successes and failures. Be the one who wants to do things differently to see if we can get different results. Then again, it seems as if the very next week, I'm beat down - so exhausted - having to defend what I'm trying in class, or ideas shared with colleagues.

This extends to my Twitter PLN. I reached the 10,000 follower mark this school year. This is scary. I feel as if it is now my responsibility more than ever to challenge ideas that I do not think are right for our kids. I do not just work for the 60 students I have in my ELA blocks. I now work for those kids of those educators who follow me, as well. It's pressure, and a challenge. How do I help other teachers to be reflective on their practices, as teachers such as Vicki Davis, Tom Whitby, Angela Maiers (my muse) and countless more have affected me?

 (I didn't mean for this to be a gratitude post... I got carried away! I KNOW I've missed some educators that got me thinking, too!) What about those I've met in person and chatted over food or drinks together, such as local thinkers/leaders such as Shawn McCusker, Bob Schuetz, Erin Olson, Jimmy Casas, Paul Solarz, Garnet Hillman, Avra Robinson, Bernice Homel, Megan Ryder, Jen Vincent, Kim Miklusak, Laura Bright, Donna Bingaman, Kristin Ziemke, Kimberly Hurd, Shane Jensen, Jeff Herb, Tasha Squires, Laura Komos, Kristie Bleers, Steve Wick, Bob Abrams, Tim Scholze, Jess Henze, Maggie Vonck, Katie Hurckes, B.C. gal Karen Lirenman, and even very local and in Wisconsin - via Boston - Rik Rowe? What about those I've met outside this midwestern state or at semi-local EdCamps or through Google Hang Outs? I've learned from so many people, and am so thankful to have met them and been able to discuss ideas with them! In no particular order... Rick Wormeli, Nancy Wahl, Justin Smith, Amy Smith, Alan November, Ewan McIntosh, Erin Klein, Darren Kuropatwa, Brian Durst, Andrea Payan, Andrea Kornowski, Michael Matera, Jamie Born, Ed Casey, Sylvia Lima, Heidi Jones, Sandy Otto, Dave Burgess, Adam Moreno, Russ Anderson, Gary Anderson, Shannon Miller, Dani DiPietro, John Gunnell, Darin Johnston, Meg Van Dyke, Gail LeGrand, Christopher Bronke, George Couros, Ben Kuhlman, Mary Klepper, Jenna Hacker, Jodi Piekarz,  Joel Pardalis, Gallit Zvi, Denise Krebs, Ben Brazeau, Ben Hartman, Pernille Ripp, Chris Kesler, Marialice Curran, Maggie Maslowski, David Meyers, Jill Maraldo, Chuck Taft, Tom Mussoline, Jeff Zoul, Justin Greene, Marcie Faust, Brendan Murphy, Judith Epcke, Daniel Rezac, Sylvia Tolisano, Scott Meech, Jason Bretzmann, and Brian Sztabnik?  

And what about all those I have learned from and haven't met yet? Paul Bogush, Mike Stein, David Theriault, Sean Ziebarth, Nicholas Provenzano, Eric Kipling, Cheryl Mizerny, Sam Sherratt, Bart Miller, Mr. C., Donalyn Miller, Penny Kittle, Starr Sackstein, Julie Jee, Jill Barnes, Mark Barnes, Sarah Donovan, Ariel Sacks, Kirsten Wilson, Lisa Snider, Jamie Murray Armin, Gerard Dawson, and Teresa Gross?

These educators and countless others - including those at our own schools - are all working for the KIDS. Every single one of us wants what is best for the kids we teach.

I'm between waves right now - strong, because I am trying new things, and not complaining about how things are. Weak, because I'm simply exhausted.

Earlier this month, someone I respect asked a (non-rhetorical) question in a tweet. I answered, including the words "My 2 cents..." and gave my opinion. This educator responded back in a sarcastic way, and I felt that my message - that it was just my opinion - was scoffed at. Why ask a question if you don't want opinions?? More than a week later, I'm ready to write this post. My opinions are because of the thousands of educators I'm connected to on Twitter. Do we all have the same goal for the kids we serve? If so, it should be okay to take different routes. In fact, it should be encouraged - as not all students learn the same, and they need lots of different teachers in their lives who use different teaching styles.

Just before I was ready to post this, Andrea Stringer posted about encouraging others... It's a "must read" if you've been knocked down for sharing your ideas and opinions that could benefit kids. Learning about the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" was eye-opening for me. Once we started retweeting Andrea's post, it led to learning about the "Crab Bucket Mentality." Seriously?! This is a thing?!

Maybe the next question for someone who shoots down or scoffs at ideas is, "What do you want for your students? What is your goal?" Knowing if there is a difference along with finding out our common goals will help guide the conversation. Together, we can then lead it in the direction that best supports our kids. We can use the ideas from the thousands of people we've met in our lives, and keep the conversation going.

The perfect teacher is...

During the first week of school, I like to ask students to fill in the blank:

The perfect teacher is _________________.

Here are the answers I received this year. I put them into a Wordle.
The bigger they are, the more times students wrote them:

What will I do with this information?
   1. Share it with students.
   2. Ask students if they agree.
   3. Ask students if I can ask the same of THEM. (Eyes open wide at this point!)
   4. Post it as a reminder to all of us to practice these traits.

As one 7th grader wrote, "I don't think a teacher can be perfect, because that's hard." For sure! (Oh, how I love this age!) Therefore, I will keep these in mind, and keep trying, but know I can't be perfect. (I can't be both "calm" and "energetic" at the same time - a lot of balance is needed!) When this happens, I hope the students are understanding, just as they'd like me to be.

We Are In Charge of Our Attitudes

I just finished the book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand. Woah. Among many things, it made me think of my word for 2014: Gratitude. With that in mind, here is how I'm going to approach the 2014-2015 school year... Have a STELLAR YEAR!

HappinessInYourLife.com

Source Unknown

Illinois State Beach

Our tire cover on the camper...

And this is how I try to live my life... thank you to my husband for introducing me to this quote...