Unplanned Redecorating

Are you curious about what's been going down at my school lately?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...

Happy Monday!

This is a perfect example of what ONE very upset student can do to a classroom when they lose their mind. Whilst throwing scissors at people, I might add. 

Thankfully, this is not a picture of my room. It is, however, a friend's classroom who teaches across the hall from me. God bless her. God bless us all.

Hello, Seattle

Just booked a trip here for Fall Break!!!!!!!

So pumped to be doing something cool with my vacation days. 

So in need of a getaway.

So looking forward to exploring the city with EspressoMyHeart!

What is Important?

If you don't know what's important,

Then everything is important.

If everything is important

Then you try to do everything.

If you are attempting to do everything

Then people will expect you to do everything.

And, in trying to please everyone

You don't have enough time to find out what's important.

If you don't know what's important................ (repeat. you get the idea.)

 

Wise words, eh?

I think I need to read this to myself a thousand times over.

Also, I really wish I had been given this last year.

Gelecek Yıl?

Just applied here on a whim. Bah!!

Choice Words

Schoolwide email I received today from my principal:

"Please be very careful talking in hallways...remember not to use unkind words when talking about students even if that student has made bad choices.  Words like brats, turds, etc should never be used by teachers.  Certainly there are days when kids are stinkers and make bad choices but if a parent hears you call their child a brat, even if you mean it in a kidding way, they might be very offended. I have a friend that is a teacher and she calls her kids turds, also not something I would want said here so please just be aware of what you are saying.  I am certain every teacher here loves all their kids but visitors might not know that so please keep positive thoughts and words on your mind."

There's just something about your boss using the word "turd" so freely in an email...I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I read it. But, they say laughter is good medicine. So, yeah. That's about all I have to say.

Braving New Frontiers

So yesterday after school, my principal held a "faculty meeting" which really turned out to be some announcements followed by an organizational meeting to start a PTA at our school site. I guess calling it a faculty meeting is one good way of getting a significant amount of teachers to show up?

Once we'd voted on becoming a PTA, membership dues, and standing rules, it was time to elect the officers. At my school, we have a whopping three parents who are consistently involved and dependable. And one of them is not even the parent of a child that attends our school - she's the mother of one of the teachers! As you can see, we don't have much to work with here. So, naturally, those three parents had been pre-slated for the offices of president, vice president, and treasurer. We'd naively assumed that would be a sufficient slate. The state PTA president (who is actually really cool btw) intervened. She had some strong words to say about the importance of the role of a secretary.  She even went so far as to say that the office of secretary, in her mind, is on the same level of importance as the president. She gave quite a schpeel. She didn't leave out the fact that this office could be a teacher, since it is the pTa after all. Since the only three parents in attendance had already been voted into other offices, a teacher it would have to be. The PTA rep opened the floor for volunteers.

Crickets. The silence was so silent, that I think I did actually hear a pin drop. Then some knucklehead thought to ask a question. It was a simple question, really. There was no intent behind it other than genuine curiosity. "How many meetings per year is the secretary required to attend?" I heard myself asking aloud. … BOOM. I was the scape goat. Suddenly everyone was filled with encouraging words and exclamations of how simple the task would be (although, strangely, no one seemed to be jumping at the opportunity themselves) and how it would absolutely be manageable for a second year teacher. Save one unnamed staff member, who was sitting near me and discretely whispering, "Dooon't dooo it." Looking back, I'm wondering who I should've listened to… It's likely that in the near future she'll have an opportunity to say, "I told you so." She may have been the only one who really had my best interest in mind. Time will tell. Either way, I was sworn in and signing my life away on the X before I really knew what was happening. It's all a blur, really. How many life lessons will it take before I learn to just keep my mouth closed?

Alas, I am secretary of my school's PTA, charter member of the state PTA. Wowsa.

Here's the twist: my school has never had a real PTA before now. So, in actuality, I'm one of the four founding members of our school's PTA. Annnnd I have no idea what the heck I'm doing. But, I do know that I'm accountable to the IRS if I don't have accurate records to show that our spending matches our budget. Goody.
Praise God the state department is offering a training on Saturday. Although I'm not thrilled about giving up my day off, I meant it when I said I have no idea what the heck I'm doing.

All I have to say, guys, is that when I googled "PTA secretary" THIS is what came up:


Not kidding.
Apparently I will, like it or not, grow to look like this woman by the time my year-long term is complete.

The upside is, holding this position as a second year teacher will look killer on my resume.  :)
So, I will embrace my new role as PTA secretary. This is merely another life experience. And what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Right?

Represent.

Is it sad that when I saw this advertisement at Quick Trip it reminded me of my students?


scary. right?

Appreciation is Appreciated

This week I have been shown some love.

I received my first gift of the school year from a student.

He came to school on Monday with his left hand swollen to twice its normal size. Not kidding/should've taken a picture. He said a butterfly bit him (he meant a bee stung him). His mom sent him to school anyway, and said it would be okay. I sent him home, and said he needed to go to the doctor. 

He brought me this dog when he returned to school on Wednesday (with a much more normal-sized hand). I guess he loved me so much for forcing his mom to take care of him that he decided a Valentine's Day stuffed animal was most appropriate.

Today a local coffee catering company voluntarily set up their bar in the teacher's lounge and spent the morning brewing delicious made-to-order beverages for all the staff. 

A cold front came through today with some light rain - it seemed to be the perfect morning for a coffee bar. And I certainly can't complain about starting my day off with some heart-shaped latte art. :)

Giving Back

"Our company has enjoyed great success over the years, largely due to the incredibly intelligent people who manage it," Hilco chief executive officer Jeffrey Hecktman said in a statement. "We believe that education, above all other factors, is the foundation of commercial success and so we have decided to do what we can to help ensure American children receive the best education possible. The book donation was only our first step in a continuing commitment to align our corporate resources with the needs of public education."

I'd like to say thank you, Hilco, for recognizing the value of public education.

Check out the full article here.

Tether Troubles

I'll never forget the time when one of the parents stood up in the middle of last year's 5th grade graduation ceremony and yelled to her kids,

"We got to GO!! My ankle bracelet is BEEPING!"

Then high-tailed it to the door.

chilin like a villain

Only at a school like mine…..    Or is it common for your students' parents to be on house arrest? Feedback?

Thanks, 5th grade teachers, for giving me a darn good reason to laugh out loud :) 

Caffinated

I went to a coffee shop tonight to have a "grading party" with a couple of my friends who are also teachers. Grading is almost always more enjoyable in good company.
It wasn't until 10pm rolled around, and I found myself wondering why in the world I don't feel tired yet, that I realized I forgot to order my latte decaf…
Upside: I'll get more work done tonight. Plus, the blog is getting updated.
Downside: Getting out of bed tomorrow morning will surely not be very fun.
Note to self: No caffeine after dinner on a school night.


Update: I was up until 1AM (!) when I finally forced myself to lay down and go to sleep. BUT it turns out I can be highly productive in the wee hours of the night. I analyzed all my students' literacy assessments, and used the data to organize my students for small group instruction in phonics, word study, and comprehension. I changed my daily literacy work station routine. I also reconfigured my tightly-packed daily schedule to incorporate time for much needed math fact practice AND math intervention. HECK. YES.

Teachers 1/2 to Eat, Too!

 Okay fellow teachers, who doesn't enjoy a pot of creamy fondue?

Would if taste even more delicious if it were half-price??

Well, you're tastebuds are in luck.

Teachers and administrators can ring in the school year with a sweet deal. In September (Sunday through Thursday), a school ID will get teachers and administrators a half-priced Big Night Out, The Melting Pot's decadent four-course fondue dinner. It's our way of saying "thank you" for all you do!   Offer is valid at OKC Bricktown location only. Find out more info here!

It Starts.

I woke up this morning from a dream about administering and grading my students' spelling inventory. I already spend about 10 of my waking hours concerned with such things. Must I also be on the job while asleep? Come on, brain, give it a rest. (pun intended).

Sophia

I have a darling little girl in my class who I'm beginning to believe was sent by God to love me this year. She now tells me multiple times a day that she loves me, in the most adorable way. It may sound silly, but for me right now it really is something special to be reminded on a daily basis that I am lovable - straight from the heart of a child. (Even if it is a third grader who adores me, after all.) At recess on Thursday, she snuck up and kissed me quickly on the cheek. So darn cute. Yesterday, she came up to my desk, gave me a hug and said, "You're my flower."    Is that not the sweetest thing? She said it with such simplicity and sincerity. I think she may be an angel. Maybe not, but it was certainly an admiration for my heart to treasure.

Hablo Español…Un Poquito

On Tuesday, in our first faculty meeting of the year, my principal announces the staff members who will be translating for each grade level during Parent Orientation Night. My ears perk up when I hear her say, "And for third grade we have Miss Sutherland." Wait. What? Did I hear correctly? Was I just designated as the translator? That would be a yes. This should be interesting!

So, tonight I translated two 20ish-minute presentations on basic need-to-know info for parents about various expectations in third grade. Now, when I use the term "translated" I mean it in a loose sense… It basically means I said in Spanish my own, somewhat simplified version of what the speaker was saying haha. Exact translation is still out of my league, people. But, it was actually pretty cool. And being thrown into situations like tonight only help to improve my Spanish-speaking skills.

The parents were certainly gracious with my rough language skills, and I made it a point to end each session with, "Gracias por escucharme con mi espanol malo." They got a kick out of it. ;)
It's kind of nice to know I'm utilizing those 30ish credit hours of Spanish I earned in college (Although it's possible I will be cursing my Spanish Lit class until the day I die.). I really like helping non English-speaking parents communicate who, otherwise, feel virtually helpless in regards to involvement in their child's education. That being said, it doesn't mean my brain feels any less fried after tonight. Speaking Spanish always sends my head into major thought burnout. Certainly an optimal night to veg out in front of the NBC Thursday night lineup. :)

Extraordinary Perseverance

Today we had our first new teacher quit. Two days and he was done.

It is, of course, sad - both for him and for his students; but for me it's also humbling. I can easily remember myself this time last year, a mess who was constantly second-guessing and only above bailing by the grace of God. It causes me to realize that my first year of teaching was accomplished through measures of extraordinary perseverance. Not everyone makes it through this job. My job. 

But    I made it through, guys.   

I made it through   !!!!!

Maybe this is something that should have hit me closer to last May, but I think after a summer of debriefing my mind is coming back to me and I am finally beginning to feel some of that joyful,  "I DID IT!" feeling. Accomplishment. Satisfaction. Booyah. All of the above. 

I can't tell you how many times I felt like a failure last year; but, I think Ralph put it well when he said, "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." I worked my butt off, I had the life sucked out of me almost entirely, and yet I'm somehow on the other side of it now. ?

It's the best kind of surreal.

So far, I have been able to re-enter the same environment with a level of ease that was entirely foreign to me 12 months ago. It's kind of amazing me.

(I didn't even go up to the school AT ALL this past weekend. The first weekend of school. Do you know how incredible that is??)

On one hand, I'm afraid to hold my breath… it's only been three days, after all. 

On the other hand, I'm all for embracing the sunny side of life. That's three days off to a better year of teaching!

So, after many dark hours of fantasizing about trading my career in education for any mindless data entry job I could hunt down; I would like to encourage those of you out there who may be feeling just as disillusioned about teaching as I was: 

Based on my experience, (though quite limited, it is relatively rich) your life as a teacher will actually get better. It's not just something people say to make you feel better in the moment. You are a professional. You are skilled and equipped to improve the future generations of our society. (no pressure). But seriously, you can do this. Even better, you can do it well even without trading your soul and spending your Friday nights cutting out lamination. I promise.

Sincerely,

One who's been there

When the world says, "Give up,"

Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."

- Anonymous

Fast Facts from the First Day

More on first day details at a later time, but for now I would like to say that I simply could not have imagined a better start to this school year. In comparison with my experience last year, it was a cakewalk. After today, I feel hopeful. Hopeful that what people always say, about it getting better each year, might actually be true.

Also, I left the building today at 5:35pm.
Yes, that should surprise you.
If you paid attention to my posts at all last year, you'll note that 5:35 is considered a VERY early night for me. It still wasn't easy - I had to make a conscious decision to cut myself off. But the important point here is that I chose to feed my life outside of school. For once, I wasn't the last car left in the parking lot.

Depressing view from last year.

Since I was not working in my classroom until all hours of the night, my evening ended like this instead:

:)

To top it all off, I purchased some new music. A very chill album, at that :) Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars. Great harmonies. Thanks, Meliss, for the recommendation.

On that note, I should be asleep.

Goodnight :)

The First Day of the Last Week of School

Can you believe it??!

Joke of the Day

"Miss Sutherland, would you get mad at me for something that I didn't do?"

"No, of course not."

"Good. Because I didn't do my homework!"

Wake Up Sleepy Soul

I just attended a retirement party for two teachers who have both worked at my school longer than I've been alive. One has been dedicated to educating students here for 27 years, and the other, 32 years. Now, if that's not awe-inspiring then I don't know what is. ...I must admit, the whole reception has put me into a very nastalgic mood.

I am struggling for the words to express just what I'm feeling in these moments. I won't try to force out any exhaustive account of my thoughts. I'll just say this: Seeing those women stand before me, thinking about the life in their years, seeing the light still in their eyes, hearing the stories shared by old friends...it revived something in my heart. It stirred a part of my soul that I didn't realize had begun to slowly fall asleep.

I'm sitting here in my classroom, pondering the fact that as I am nearing the end of my first year of teaching, these women are both nearing the end of their entire life's vocation. Both are great accomplishments which seem to mirror each other, in a way. It's a special sort of feeling. One that I can't quite describe.

For these two women, this month marks the end of an era, so to say. For me, it is simply the end of a beginning. And my soul is stirring....

Carnival Night!

What elementary school year is complete without a carnival night? Maybe your school had an annual family bingo night instead. Well, this year, we did both. On the same night! A little crazy? Maybe. Super fun time for families? Certainly.

I'm sure some teachers dread such organized chaos, but I had a blast as I worked the "Sponge a Teacher in 'Da Face" booth! Ultimately, I was only able to recruit two other teachers to share some "face time" with me (pun intended). I guess getting pelted in the face with wet sponges all night long is not most people's idea of fun. But it sure is fun for the kids!! I feel strongly that any solid school carnival needs an activity where the students get to feel like they are torturing their teachers somehow.

Research proves my theory: Sponge a Teacher in 'Da Face turned out to be a huge "hit"! (ha! I'm loving the puns tonight!)

This was one of the less accurate throws. Those were my favorite kind.

Several blows to the face later (some much more severe than others) I surprisingly still have both my eyeballs and am well enough to blog about it! 

Not one to be defeated by the sponge!!!

Actually able to still smile about it like an elementary teacher lunatic!

A special thanks to my step-dad who donated the large sheet of plywood, cut a face hole out of the center, primed it, and equipped the backside with sturdy handles so that anyone brave enough to stand behind it would have a good amount of control. Excellent construction.
Also, thank you to our school art teacher for making the game come to life with such a great painted design! As you can see up close below, it's pretty awesome.

Apparently this is the moment of realization that I've been eaten by a crazed tiger.

Severe Weather Testing Protocols

So with the weather as it is, I thought I might check into the testing protocols during storms. This is what I found…

Severe Weather Testing Protocols
1.  Should a severe weather situation occur during testing, please remain calm. To display any kind of anxiety would be a testing irregularity and must be reported.

2.  Please do not look out the window to watch for approaching tornadoes. You must monitor the students at all times. To do otherwise would be a testing irregularity and must be reported.

3.  Should students notice an approaching tornado and begin to cry, please make every effort to protect their testing materials from the flow of tears and sinus drainage.

4.  Should a flying object come through your window during testing, please make every effort to ensure that it does not land on a testing booklet or an answer sheet. Please make sure to soften the landing of the flying object so that it will not disturb the students while testing.

5.  Should shards of glass from a broken window come flying into the room, have the students use their bodies to shield their testing materials so that they will not be damaged. Have plenty of gauze on hand to ensure that no one accidentally bleeds on the answer documents. Damaged answer sheets will not scan properly.

6.  Should gale force winds ensue, please have everyone stuff their test booklets and answer sheets into their shirts, being very careful not to bend them because bent answer documents will not scan properly.

7.  If any student gets sucked into the vortex of the funnel cloud, please make sure they mark at least one answer before departing and of course make sure they leave their answer sheets and test booklets behind. You will have to account for those.

8.  Should a funnel cloud pick you, the test administrator, up and take you flying over the rainbow, you will still be required to account for all of your testing materials when you land so please take extra precautions. Remember, once you have checked them out, they should never leave your hands.

9.  When rescue workers arrive to dig you out of the rubble, please make sure that they do not, at any time, look at or handle the testing materials. Once you have been treated for your injuries, you will still be responsible for checking your materials back in. Search dogs will not be allowed to sift through the rubble for lost tests, unless of course they have been through standardized test training.

10.  Please do not pray should a severe weather situation arise. Your priority is to actively monitor the test and a student might mark in the wrong section if you are praying instead of monitoring. I'm sure God will put war, world hunger, crime, and the presidential primaries on hold until after testing is over. He knows how important this test is.

I received this is an email from a coworker today and found myself laughing out loud while I was reading it! I hope you got a good laugh out of it, too!

Confessions of a Book Nerd

I used to have a fetish for greeting cards. My obsession has now turned in favor of childrens books... Stocking my classroom library is sucking the life out of my budget.
No more.
If you see me in Half Price Books, please drag me out of there immediatley.

Sunshine Days

Extra beautiful days = extra recess time.
Watching my kiddos play together brings a smile to my face :) Can we do this all day?

My Heart Just Smiled

"You're the best teacher I've ever had yet."
...a sweet comment I just recieved from one of my students :)
It's the little things that make life sweet, ya know?

Certainly feels good after another student, in a fit of paranoid frustration, called me a liar earlier today.

Gotta take the treasure and leave the trash.

My Teacher: A True Story

Sometimes the Truth is Best Said in a Cartoon

Kidfamous Fads

Silly Bandz are the new Pogs

Bieber is the new Hanson

Flamin' Hot Cheetos are the new Surge

Losing and Gaining

Working in a "high-mobility" school such as mine, I've learned to not get too incredibly attached to a particular student, because at any given time they could very well leave with little to no notice.
In some cases, a student may casually mention on the last day before a break that they're not coming back afterwards. In most cases, they just stop showing up to school one day.

I've also learned not to be surprised when I hear a knock at my classroom door, and open it to find a new student standing with their parent staring (sometimes smiling) back at me. Their arrival is always unannounced and rarely at the start of a school day - they usually choose to show up more like 2 hours in. Like right when I'm in the middle of teaching a lesson.
It helps to always keep an extra desk on hand.

Here are my stats for the 2010-2011 school year thus far:

August (after the start of school)
Gain 1

September
Lose 1
Gain 1

October
Gain 1

November
Lose 2

January
Gain 2

February
Lose 1

March 
Gain 2
Lose 1

I've mentioned this before on my blog but, again, flexibility is key here, folks.

It's difficult to easily and quickly assimilate a new student into a pre-existing environment… Reteaching procedures, reviewing expectations, AND recreating materials each time a fresh face shows up can be tedious and, frankly, inconvenient. (I may sound insensitive, but I'm just being honest.)

My goal for next year is to be better planned for this inconsistent flow of students, and have some specific things prepared in advance to help newcomers feel immediately welcomed and adopted into our classroom.
I will expect the unexpected :)

Staycation

I was torn between traveling over Spring Break or simply staying at home to relax...
But since I didn't get around to planning any phenomenal vacation, I made sure to treat myself to a few out-of-the-ordinary pleasures :)

Massage Therapy

It soothes the sole.
Beauty colleges are the way to go - half the price, and if you request a student who is well into the program then you are still in for a good quality massage. I got mine here.

Retail Therapy
Amazing Le Creuset find at TJMAXX!!
A steal of a deal people.

Exercise Therapy
A bittersweet reunion with Boot Camp.

Spa Therapy

I took advantage of another local beauty college - $10 manicure, $15 pedicure. Can't beat that!

Baby Therapy

It certainly wasn't my initial plan to spend time with little people while on my break from little people... yet somehow I ended up with these two cuties quite a bit, and I can't complain about it :) Spending time with these girls warmed my heart.

sisterly love.

sleepy head.

Naked baby.

little feet!! couldn't help but capture those footprints!

Lots of therapy…huh?

Guess I needed it.

Here's to the first week back. 

To finding joy in my job. 

And not yelling at my kiddos.

It Feels Good to be a Winner

It was announced today that our class won first place in the door decorating competition! So exciting!!

For pictures of our classroom door, see my previous post :)

Literacy Night

I finally got my spring-themed bulletin board up just in time for Literacy Night at my school. I was able to get away with leaving the snowflakes up through February since we received so much snow, but having a friendly snowman displayed into the month of March was pushing it… 

Inviting a surge of parents into the school for a special event certainly has a way of motivating one to update the hallway decor!

On the center of each flower my students printed the title and author of their favorite book :)

This year for Literacy Night each grade level chose an author whom we feel our students especially enjoy the works of. We had a school-wide door decorating competition in which students and their families could tour the hallways and then vote on their favorite door! (Now, we all know this really turns out to be a game of numbers since most everyone will vote on their own door, regardless of artistic quality; but it was, nevertheless, a fun idea!) …I'm realizing as I type this that I forgot to vote…oh well.
Third grade chose the Magic Tree House book series written by Mary Pope Osborne. My class decided to decorate our door based on the book Midnight on the Moon, a space adventure in which the main characters travel through time and explore the moon's surface in an effort to find the fourth and final "M" thing, which they must collect in order to free a sorceress from a magic spell. Here's how our door turned out:

My students' faces are inside each of the miniature astronauts! :)

Here are a few other door displays from around the school:

Notice the beastly monster hands creeping out from behind this door - love it!

It's been a full week of hurried laminating, trimming, di-cutting, and pasting (on top of all the usual craziness of teaching) - and I couldn't be more ready for SPRING BREAK!!!!

What's in a Name?

Apparently, there was a study (possibly several) on the ability of a person's name to predict their future level of success in life. For example, what names are most likely to land people in professional jobs vs. those which will most likely land you in the kitchen at Mickey D's (or worse places, like jail).

That being said...

A first grade teacher at my school once had a student named Female. Pronounced Fah-mall-ee.
When she first saw the enrollment form, she asked the mother how to say the child's name (thinking it was a mistake).
The mom confirmed the spelling, saying, "F-e-m-a-l-e. Fah-mall-ee."
Ms. S politely asked, "Oh, how'd you come up with that?"
The mother replied, "Well it was on her bassinet in the nursery."

Parent Teacher Conference

An Elementary Teacher's Best Friend (One of Many)

In college I was discouraged from using extrensic rewards (such as candy) to motivate my students. And it is true that intrinsic motivation, or that which comes from within, is often a more powerful and long-lasting force. However, I was made to believe that (in a nutshell) verbal praise = good, candy = evil.

Back in August, I longed to stick to my ideal pedagogy of helping students to develop and harness their inner desire to learn and do what's right without "bribery" (as it was often deemed in my university studies). I struggled with the contrast of inward vs. outward sources of motivation. But it didn't take me long to learn. Intrinsic motivation is idealistic. Extrensic is realistic. And while verbal praise is a highly effective student motivator, it does not need to be made an enemy of extrensic inspiration.

As it turns out the "dark side" of motivation isn't as shadowy as I'd thought. There is a difference between using a prize/candy as a bargaining tool and using it as a reward for a job well done. If you think about it, most everyone in our society is given a return for effort and hard work. We adults have paid jobs. And how many of us would really work for free?
(Is pure intrinsic motivation truly possible in practice?)

I've come to realize that as long as students maintain an understanding of the fact that candy (or whatever it may be) is not the reason for doing what is right - it is one of the perks for choosing to do what is right regardless, then all is well. The expectations are already in place, but those who choose to challenge themselves are rewarded. Both incentives and verbal praise can help students' inward motivation to stay alive and thriving.

So, to my fellow first year teachers: Candy in the classroom is not so bad. And it doesn't take much. You'll be amazed how much motivation a third grader can muster up for a M&M or two ;)