Find Your Laughter Y'all

I know nationally, Teacher Appreciation Week, is early in May...but at my campus we delayed it so that all could enjoy it to its fullest, given that state testing was still going on and end of year appraisals were happening with administrators and staff.  We did in fact enjoy a week full of treats, catered lunches, special dress days, etc.  The fun has spilled over into this week as well.  Today, our staff enjoyed "Disney Dress Up Day" with their teams and the smiles and laughter were contagious, among our staff and students.  Y'all we've got to find our laughter!  You know, well if you don't you are living in a hole, that the Chewbacca Mom (Candace Payne) video went viral, not because of the mask or the sounds, but because of her infectious laughter!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, teaching and public education, are THE hardest jobs on this planet.  We are modern day missionaries with our hands tied behind our backs so many times.  So why on this Earth would we involve ourselves, or allow others to, trash talk us, gossip about others on campus, or just generally spread their negativity.  We've got to find our laughter and spread our joy with others!  We just have to!

You see if we, the staff, don't enjoy school and are negative all the time, will our students enjoy school?  Will they love school?  Will they run to your class everyday to find out "what's next"?  Will they be upset to miss our class?  Will they laugh in our class today?  

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."  Will you help be good medicine today?  I know I will...this life is too short to be anything but happy and help others find their joy and laughter.  If you're in a spot where you can't find your laughter and joy, it's time to make some changes...maybe in yourself, but maybe outside yourself.  Find your laughter today!  The world needs more of it!

Need some inspiration?  Check out this article I found through Twitter. "101 Ways for Teachers to be More Creative"

Need some smiles?  Then hop on over to my Twitter page or click here to see some of our teams in their #DisneyDressUpDay outfits.

Me or We?

Since I've been so excited about going back to the class, my creative brain has been working overtime.  Pinterest has been my friend, Amazon wishlists, and Google searches.  I'm very interested in flexible seating arrangements, class jobs, and ways to organize minimally, along with all my techie things.  And I'm excited about the possibilities.  However, what I've noticed is that me has entered into my thoughts more than we.  See if this sounds familiar: "Boy, I wish I had this for my class." "Man this would be so cool in my class." "Wow, that's an amazing way to set up my class."  See it's all me, me, me thoughts.  And I'm finding that I have to remind myself that there's a we involved.  All the ideas I've found and really would like to have, have to work for the we, our students.  After all, schools are for students, not so adults can have jobs.  It's a quote I found from kidsdeserveit.com and I love it!  

So, yes, some of the things I want, serve a selfish purpose, to help me be a better teacher, but I have to keep in mind that the majority of the things and ideas I find need to help the we.  Seating to help my struggling learners, my wiggly kiddos, to inspire creativity in my students.  Class jobs to create a community in our class, to give students value and affirm their opinions and decisions.  Organization systems that help me stay on top of things for families, students become better learners and be able to access learning quicker with safety in mind when moving about.  And techie things, well that's a duh.  Love technology, but not just technology for technology sake.  Technology to help develop creators, innovators, and problem solvers.

Just a reflection from my searches lately...I hope you and I both keep this in mind as we close out our school year.  Even with the 6 days left in my district, we still have opportunities to impact students {and staff} positively and send them into summer excited to try something new, excited about school, and with goals to work towards. Yes, goals, even through the summer.  My mantra...I seriously love learning!  We need every opportunity to instill this love of learning into our students.  Let's not waste a single minute.

Link for pic

All At Once

I experienced something today that made me wonder if that wasn't how our students feel sometimes...overwhelmed, like there was too much to be fixed to become successful.

My van, which I talked about in a previous post, gave me more problems last night into this morning.  It wouldn't start when I got ready to head home yesterday.  Had to have it jumped by family.  No, I didn't leave the lights on or anything like that, I checked.  But when I arrived home last night, I put it on the electric battery charger that we own.  Let it charge all night, green light this morning, but when I cranked it up, nothing but clicks.  So frustrating.  Then, I got to drive our most reliable, yet oldest (20 years old) truck cramming me and two of my daughters in with me, listening to them complain the whole time about not having enough room, having to deal with no radio, with me putting their backpacks in the bed of the truck, and on and on.  Then, my oldest (a junior in HS), telling me about the fees she needs for Senior Year, and how they are due before end of May, knowing that we just shelled out a pretty penny for her letter jacket last week, and knowing that I would have to replace a van battery at some point, and knowing that my oil change light keeps coming on, with an empty gas tank, and needing an inspection and registration update on my van.  And when I finally made it to school, late of course, I had left myself a big pile of copying to do, paperwork to file, and a long to do list.  It was all at once, overwhelming.  And it got me thinking about our students, and talking to myself-no I'm not crazy, but I do believe that what we deal with is 90% in our head and 10% reality.  So, I'm telling myself, "Breathe, Windham, Breathe!" and "It's not the end of the world."

And what I thought about our students, was, I wonder if they ever feel this way?  Do we, as teachers, give them all their things that they need to work on, skills they struggle with, hurdles they need to learn to deal with behaviorally, all at once?  Or do we help them identify the one to two critical things to focus on, improve upon, and show them how to get better before moving on?  I know I've been guilty of laying it all out for them.  Wanting to be honest with them and put all the "cards on the table" so to speak.  But is this really the best way?  I'm not proposing lying or hiding things from our students, but do we help them focus on only a couple of areas at a time, and rank it for them so they know what is the most critical?  You see, knowing I need an oil change, inspection, registration, and new battery, upon all the other Senior Daughter fees, I had to prioritize and pay, albeit begrudgingly, the $165 for a new battery for my van, but it was critical.  Do we help our students learn to prioritize and focus or do we overwhelm them with too much all at once?

Just some perspective for me.  Thought I would share.

Back to the Classroom!

I'm thrilled, over the moon excited, to be saying, "I'm going back to the classroom next year!!"  And I've gotten mixed responses from others when I say this too.

I will be teaching 5th gr Math/Science next school year at a new school (well, not so new, but new to me).

For someone who has been out of the classroom five years now, it's often hard for others to really understand the thought process of wanting to go back to the classroom.  The very phrase, seems like you're taking steps backward in your educational career, but for me it's invigorating to say the least.  I will get to enjoy the most important thing about any school-the students.  I will get to do things that I've been teaching others to do.  I will get to be more self directed and less state directed, at least coming from a Testing Coordinator role to a Teacher.  Ahhhh--Teacher--The most important job on this planet!  I will get to dive in with Google Classroom with the older kiddos with all the learning I've done this school year.  I will get to do experiments, spark imagination, bring structure to chaos, communicate with families in new ways, motivate the unmotivated, and help struggling students set goals and celebrate their growth!  And I will get to use my creativity with  my content and teams of other professionals, and leave the desk and paper trail that seems to be ever present currently, behind.  So, no, I'm not upset to be going back to the classroom, I've thrilled, elated, energized, and already working on beginning of the year plans...I can't wait!

These past five years have helped me to grow like no other.  I've learned how to work with adults and all the different personalities.  I was inspired and encouraged to complete my Master's degree, which started me on my technology journey.  See, believe it or not, technology was my weakness in many surveys during that program, so I was forced to face my weakness and develop perseverance, grit, and more determination and resilience that I ever thought possible and learn, experiment, fail, and try again.  I've had the opportunity to face hard folks, hard conversations, and develop braveness and a thick skin and have learned not to take things personally, and to see what lies under the outer words, what drives them.  I've had so many opportunities to observe other master teachers in action, to learn from the best.  I've seen and experienced testing from the other side of the table.  And I've experienced a "catch-all" specialist role.  All of these experiences have made me more understanding and patient.  And all of these years have made me better and I can't wait to share a better me with some students and families this upcoming school year!  Bring it on!!!