I loved my first grade teacher. She used to pull on my pigtails and tell me tall tales about her family living in the classroom after school hours. She had the perfect balance between being compassionate and having high expectations. She inspired me to be a teacher. In first grade. I attribute a lot of my goals as a teacher to the modeling she had done for me throughout the years. Yes, I kept in touch with her.
In third grade I wrote an article on her for the school paper.
In sixth grade I volunteered to be a read-aloud buddy to some of her students once a week.
In eighth grade I followed her around for Career Day.
In eleventh and twelfth grade I was a mentor through a great high school program for students in her class.
I wrote my graduate school entrance essay about her, and how she has inspired me. She had such a profound influence on my professional life, beginning when I was in the first grade. I can only hope to be the teacher she was to me and to so many other students.
Today was her retirement party for her school. She is retiring after 33 years of teaching in the same school district. Hearing all of the wonderful things her coworkers had to say about her, I felt privileged to have been in her class so long ago. She dragged me around the room to meet everyone she wanted me to meet, cut my cake, poured my wine... she is forever the compassionate woman I remember from so long ago. I see her in a much more personal light as our relationship transforms from student-teacher to new teacher-mentor to friends.
I came home with stars in my eyes. I feel sad that she is leaving the classroom, but so happy that she can finally enjoy herself in a new dimension. Here is what she said to me today: (some snippets)
In her teacher voice after someone announced that ANYONE may now speak about her: "DON'T YOU MOVE."
"You're beautiful. How's your grandma?"
"Come with me, I want you to meet ____ and _____ and _____ and ..."
Introducing me to someone: "This is a former student of mine. I taught her 32 years ago."
When opening presents:
"Shit, I don't have my glasses on. I haven't asked you this in ages: Can you read this to me?"
"I'll go refill this for you."
Introducing me to someone else she bragged about all of the things I have accomplished over the last year. She knew the details from the conversations we have had, and I felt so lucky to have her support. I can only hope to be as meaningful to student's lives as she was to mine. As she leaned on my shoulder today, sitting there listening to speeches, I knew in my heart that I was meant to be there at that moment. It served a purpose for both of us, and it's totally unexplainable.
6/6/08
6/2/08
Inappropriate clothing
Once upon a time I was an intern in a second grade class. Okay, so really - it was just over a month ago. I digress.
The other day I wandered outside, and the class was out there with their teacher. GREAT! This gave me a few moments to catch up and chit chat with the teacher while the students enjoyed their well-earned extra recess minutes.
Then she wandered over... the little one that wore a prom dress for the class picture. The little one that made a cell phone in class during writing workshop. As she was standing there, beside me, I had to take a second look at her shirt.
My first take:
But, in actuality, the shirt said this:
... and had dice.
I just looked at her and said "Oh-kay." Geez.
6/1/08
Catching up
Last night there was an "End of Year" Celebration with my grad school cohort. While there are 5 interns at my assigned elem. school, there are about 26 total interns in my program. Some of those interns got together last night at an undisclosed location.
Sangria and bbq were a huge hit - and a few of us brought out the spouses for some added entertainment - not that this group of people needs it.
My ending thought: These people, the cohort members I have been seeing on a regular basis, spending many hours with, the ones that are spreading out across the nation after school lets out in 2 weeks.... they're nuts. Seriously, my ending thought has nothing to do with their personalities. After last night, I was just so thankful of my placement. I LOVE the school where I spent the last year. I love the atmosphere, support, and professional opportunities and drive. There are other schools that had issues with interns, students, parents, and teachers, and the friction between all of the above. So much so that, last night, there was a small posse on the front porch "working it out" when I arrived.
So, thank you to those that facilitated this relationship and the opportunities that resulted from it.
Sangria and bbq were a huge hit - and a few of us brought out the spouses for some added entertainment - not that this group of people needs it.
My ending thought: These people, the cohort members I have been seeing on a regular basis, spending many hours with, the ones that are spreading out across the nation after school lets out in 2 weeks.... they're nuts. Seriously, my ending thought has nothing to do with their personalities. After last night, I was just so thankful of my placement. I LOVE the school where I spent the last year. I love the atmosphere, support, and professional opportunities and drive. There are other schools that had issues with interns, students, parents, and teachers, and the friction between all of the above. So much so that, last night, there was a small posse on the front porch "working it out" when I arrived.
So, thank you to those that facilitated this relationship and the opportunities that resulted from it.
5/30/08
Jumping Rope
Ah, the chants overheard while young students jump rope.. they do bring back the memories....
We used to sing one on the playground about Cinderella and some fella and a snake. The more doctors, the better.
Today, however, I heard a new one. It may take you singing it aloud to really focus on the part in which I was all "Huh?"
"Strawberry Shortcake,
With cherries on top.
How many girlfriends
Do you got?"
1. What they CAN do: rhyming words
2. Since when does STRAWBERRY shortcake have cherries?
3. I'll leave number three up for you to sing out. Who came up with this one? Little Johnny, this is one I WILL believe you made up.
We used to sing one on the playground about Cinderella and some fella and a snake. The more doctors, the better.
Today, however, I heard a new one. It may take you singing it aloud to really focus on the part in which I was all "Huh?"
"Strawberry Shortcake,
With cherries on top.
How many girlfriends
Do you got?"
1. What they CAN do: rhyming words
2. Since when does STRAWBERRY shortcake have cherries?
3. I'll leave number three up for you to sing out. Who came up with this one? Little Johnny, this is one I WILL believe you made up.
5/29/08
Substituting
At the end of my independent teaching, I am put back in the mix for substitute teaching at my assigned school. This means first come, first serve (usually) assignments, unless you have already signed up for a job.
My fellow interns and I realized that if we were the LAST ones to get there, then the jobs were probably already all assigned. Suddenly, those of us that usually would arrive at 7am began showing up at 7:30. 7:31. 7:35. And entering through a side door.
It's not that I have an aversion to subbing, I definitely enjoy it... it's just that those first few days after IT, my brain was fried. Seriously torched. And there were still the performance based assessment projects for grad school leaving us all sleep deprived on top of brain dead.
Feeling uber-guilty about tip-toeing to the main office every morning for a few days, I followed an interns discovery and signed up for as many sub jobs as available on the calendar. All grade levels, all classes, I was up for anything.
In the past few weeks, I have subbed for all grades, and a variety of teachers. I have to say that it is a joy to work in a school with such extraordinary professionals. My sub plans are stellar. I have time tables, extra activities, all supplies plus some, and the support of all surrounding teachers.
Today was my favorite so far. I was in kindergarten, the first time EVER. I was a little apprehensive about it this morning. A whole day with kinders? EEK. But I had a grand time. It took me a little while to get my bearings - but as soon as I did, I was on a roll. And the little darlings did a fine job - as long as they didn't smell blood.
Some highlights of my day:
-Even with great sub plans, a guest teacher never quite does it the way the regular teacher does. This, in Kinder, is the ultimate sin. I used the wrong pointer and said the date in the wrong order. No worries - I had 21 persistent reminders. (times 3).
- I was served food at the classroom restaurant. While the service was similar to a dive bar, and the food was a little, uh, plastic, the tips were still very generous. My favorite interaction:
Student: "What do you want?"
Me: "Well, what is on the menu today?"
Student: "(Huff) I will just bring you something."
Student walks back into the kitchen and was overheard saying "She doesn't know what she wants!" and then a flurry of little cooks compiling one HUGE plate of miscellaneous food.
- Playing barbies. There's nothing quite like overhearing conversations between barbies, and ken and barbie - from the brains of a kinder.
- The look on the face of a 6 year old on his birthday. All day.
- The look on the face of a 6 year old. When it's an EMERGENCY.
- Duck Duck Goose in the gym. I was in the way.
Overall: Great day.
Here I come first graders (tomorrow's assignment)!
My fellow interns and I realized that if we were the LAST ones to get there, then the jobs were probably already all assigned. Suddenly, those of us that usually would arrive at 7am began showing up at 7:30. 7:31. 7:35. And entering through a side door.
It's not that I have an aversion to subbing, I definitely enjoy it... it's just that those first few days after IT, my brain was fried. Seriously torched. And there were still the performance based assessment projects for grad school leaving us all sleep deprived on top of brain dead.
Feeling uber-guilty about tip-toeing to the main office every morning for a few days, I followed an interns discovery and signed up for as many sub jobs as available on the calendar. All grade levels, all classes, I was up for anything.
In the past few weeks, I have subbed for all grades, and a variety of teachers. I have to say that it is a joy to work in a school with such extraordinary professionals. My sub plans are stellar. I have time tables, extra activities, all supplies plus some, and the support of all surrounding teachers.
Today was my favorite so far. I was in kindergarten, the first time EVER. I was a little apprehensive about it this morning. A whole day with kinders? EEK. But I had a grand time. It took me a little while to get my bearings - but as soon as I did, I was on a roll. And the little darlings did a fine job - as long as they didn't smell blood.
Some highlights of my day:
-Even with great sub plans, a guest teacher never quite does it the way the regular teacher does. This, in Kinder, is the ultimate sin. I used the wrong pointer and said the date in the wrong order. No worries - I had 21 persistent reminders. (times 3).
- I was served food at the classroom restaurant. While the service was similar to a dive bar, and the food was a little, uh, plastic, the tips were still very generous. My favorite interaction:
Student: "What do you want?"
Me: "Well, what is on the menu today?"
Student: "(Huff) I will just bring you something."
Student walks back into the kitchen and was overheard saying "She doesn't know what she wants!" and then a flurry of little cooks compiling one HUGE plate of miscellaneous food.
- Playing barbies. There's nothing quite like overhearing conversations between barbies, and ken and barbie - from the brains of a kinder.
- The look on the face of a 6 year old on his birthday. All day.
- The look on the face of a 6 year old. When it's an EMERGENCY.
- Duck Duck Goose in the gym. I was in the way.
Overall: Great day.
Here I come first graders (tomorrow's assignment)!
5/8/08
WienerMobile
For the second day in a row, I was sent to an afternoon sub job - only to find that 1. it was the wrong day or 2. there was someone already covering. So, instead, I went off to help with the Kindgarten dismissal. I am fairly new at this dismissal depot, so I was only in charge of two minifriends.
I sent my two friends happily skipping off with their parents and then went outside to the car pick up area. It was there that I was playing "Miss Mary Mack" with a few kids. When all worn out, I asked one of my friends: "What does you car look like?"
He sang back to me: ".... it looks like a hotdog, and smells like one too!"
I was half expecting the weinermobile to roll up. I got a minivan, and a good laugh.
I sent my two friends happily skipping off with their parents and then went outside to the car pick up area. It was there that I was playing "Miss Mary Mack" with a few kids. When all worn out, I asked one of my friends: "What does you car look like?"
He sang back to me: ".... it looks like a hotdog, and smells like one too!"
I was half expecting the weinermobile to roll up. I got a minivan, and a good laugh.
5/7/08
EARTHQUAKE!
Yesterday there was an earthquake about 1 mile from my "home" school. How exciting. There was a noise, a flurry of activity on an otherwise calm earth. There wasn't much of a disruption apparently... just a buzz through email of possible explanations... and a posting or 2 on staff news - teachers inquiring about the activity.
Can you imagine? Being stuck in a small world, a little bitty space of the world, with twenty or so little ones and one adult... and then wondering "What is that noise?" The small bubbles (classrooms) full of fluttering wings and then disturbed by the world outside.
I missed it. I was at my grad class on a campus across county. I missed it. We missed it. My co-interns and I were all stuck in a room of about thirty people, all intently refreshing our email screens. Suddenly there's a whisper. Did you hear? Did you get the email? Then a highway of email messages begins flooding all inboxes. One principal emailed this.... One administrator emailed that... We continued to refresh our email screens, all the while thinking about our home schools, our little ones, and wondering what they were thinking (if anything). Did they hear it? What did they think they felt? What did they think it sounded like?
I wished that I had been here. And I feel bad for the profressor that had to hear the click click click of our mouses as we refreshed continuously.
Can you imagine? Being stuck in a small world, a little bitty space of the world, with twenty or so little ones and one adult... and then wondering "What is that noise?" The small bubbles (classrooms) full of fluttering wings and then disturbed by the world outside.
I missed it. I was at my grad class on a campus across county. I missed it. We missed it. My co-interns and I were all stuck in a room of about thirty people, all intently refreshing our email screens. Suddenly there's a whisper. Did you hear? Did you get the email? Then a highway of email messages begins flooding all inboxes. One principal emailed this.... One administrator emailed that... We continued to refresh our email screens, all the while thinking about our home schools, our little ones, and wondering what they were thinking (if anything). Did they hear it? What did they think they felt? What did they think it sounded like?
I wished that I had been here. And I feel bad for the profressor that had to hear the click click click of our mouses as we refreshed continuously.
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