I was unprepared for writing today. Well, okay, I was planned since pop-ins (or drive-bys as I call them) are looming. Regardless, I am always planned because I have a touch of OCD and because it would be a disservice to my kids if I wasn't. But today, I forgot to print my TC (teacher copy) of the essay we are writing on child soldiers in ancient Sparta. I told my kids to grab their paper, write a full heading, and I would be right back as I went to the printer in the library that was about 100 feet away and left them with my assistant.
Of course, somebody was messing with the printed pages in the printer. Getting their grubby fingers all over my papers and putting them out of order, backwards, upside, basically a mess. I quickly picked them up from the grubby hands, gave a sly and snide smile and hurried back towards my room. That's when I saw it and didn't know what to do. I saw....
CHAOS. I looked through the window of my room and saw children on the floor, shoving near our bookshelves, girls playing with each other's hair, an utter mess and disaster. I hear my assistant staying calm and trying to coax them back to their seats using her stern voice and eye contact but they weren't listening. It was so disheartening. I flew open the door and erupted like Mt. Vesuvius. Screaming at them, berating them, threatening them. Sure, they felt sorry and apologized. But after looking at their faces, I realized I was the one who needed to apologize to them...
I flashed back to that night when I was 9 and my parents had thought I was asleep. I crept towards the stairwell from my girly-girl room but stopped at the top of the steps because I heard it. Screaming. Name calling. Blaming. Anger. Hatred. Sadness. I heard all of it. At age 9. It was like a bad car accident; I wanted to go back to my room and ignore them but I couldn't. Then I heard my name. "Amanda can sense it. She is smart." Sense what? I thought. I was always perceptive but not then. Or maybe I was perceptive but also in denial.
The yelling continued for months after I had "gone to sleep." It got so bad that my always-open bedroom door had to close. The T.V. had to be on so I wouldn't hear a peep and would lull me to sleep. Thankfully, all I heard was silence.
Soon enough the big "D" was discussed. Soon enough the big "D" word was discussed with me. I was just happy the yelling ended. Couldn't this have been solved months ago before the yelling?
Flash forward to today, when once again yelling didn't solve anything. I looked at their scared, innocent, apologetic faces and delivered my apology, asking for forgiveness and vowing to not yell at them again. They accepted, as I hoped they would. One child said, "We're a family. Of course we forgive you. Families fight sometimes but they still love each other."
That is true of my own family, too. Fourteen years later all is good, because we have all moved on and are much happier. Tonight, I will sleep with the T.V. on, to remind myself that yelling got me nowhere, and it never will.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
A Little Pick Me (or You) Up :)
I am obsessed with those 'KEEP CALM' sayings put today's is the icing on the cake. And, well, I do love icing and frosting! Happy Wednesday!
Monday, January 28, 2013
What I Really Should Be Doing...
I should be doing about a million other things but I haven't visited my blog in a week! Shame one me! Maybe I should change the title to the 'Almost (Weekly) Blog of a New Teacher?'
Today I couldn't help but reflect on snow days of my past. Maybe I was hopeful that me school would have one, or maybe I am hoping we have one in the near future. Regardless, snow days were on my mind. I used to love hanging out with my neighbors, building forts, drinking hot chocolate and having snowball fights. But what I loved most of all was my snow outfit! It was extraordinary! Bright, bulky and oh so 90s.
I wish I could put my snowsuit on and go out and play even if the snow is only an inch high and mixed with rain. I also wish I could have taken my class outside to "play" today. I want to see them outside of our 4-walled classroom. I want to see them in THEIR environment! I think it is important for teachers to do this once in a blue moon... so we can truly build relationships with our kids. It didn't happen today, but who's to say it won't tomorrow? :)
*Side note: Below is one of my favorite 'snow day' pics of all time from the Cosby Show. Enjoy!! :)
Today I couldn't help but reflect on snow days of my past. Maybe I was hopeful that me school would have one, or maybe I am hoping we have one in the near future. Regardless, snow days were on my mind. I used to love hanging out with my neighbors, building forts, drinking hot chocolate and having snowball fights. But what I loved most of all was my snow outfit! It was extraordinary! Bright, bulky and oh so 90s.
I wish I could put my snowsuit on and go out and play even if the snow is only an inch high and mixed with rain. I also wish I could have taken my class outside to "play" today. I want to see them outside of our 4-walled classroom. I want to see them in THEIR environment! I think it is important for teachers to do this once in a blue moon... so we can truly build relationships with our kids. It didn't happen today, but who's to say it won't tomorrow? :)
*Side note: Below is one of my favorite 'snow day' pics of all time from the Cosby Show. Enjoy!! :)
Monday, January 21, 2013
The Shocking "Tale" of Greek Mythology in My 6th Grade Classroom
Oh, Fridays. How typical my students behave on Fridays... I think you can imagine how a room (full) of 10, (yes 10) 6th graders for a double period of Language Arts acts on a Friday. Granted they are only 10, 11, and 12 years old but this week wore me out since they couldn't seem to follow a single direction; seriously; they didn't. Everything was repeated and each student was "personally invited" to complete all tasks.
"So and so, take out your planner. So and so #2, write down the homework. So and so #3 make sure you are writing in the LA section of your planner. No so and so #4 you may not go get a drink since you just had 10 minutes for snack. So and so #5 I specifically said do NOT hand in the Pandora's Box myth. Yes, so and so #6 keep the Pandora's Box myth on your desk. So and so #7, it is not story time. So and so #8, turn around and put your feet on the floor. So and so #9 please stop tapping your pencil. So and so #10, I have asked you twice to get into dresscode so please do it now."
Typical. All of the above; personal invitations.
Friday was no different. Let's call him #4 (because alphabetically he falls 4th on my class roster) is a total, lovable goofball who keeps me on my feet. And like I said, Friday was no different. Sitting in the second row, all the way to the left, I saw a perplexed look on his face as we read the Greek myth, "Echo and Narcissus." All of the students could infer why those names were fitting, and they all understood the theme of not being overly self-centered. But, #4 was confused. I mean really confused; brows furrowed, biting his bottom lip confused. At the conclusion of the lesson I asked, "Are there any questions?" (Hoping #4 would speak up.) And boy, did he ever...
#4: "Umm, Ms. Singleton, question."
ME: "Yes, #4."
#4: "Since Narcissus fell in love with himself, does that mean he is gay?"
CRICKETS... (and the worried expressions on the faces of #1-#3, #5-10, my assistant teacher and likely my own)
MANY thoughts crossed my mind. How do I address this with 6th graders? Do they all know what "gay" means" They have to know what gay means... but what if they don't? Is this appropriate? Wait, how am I going to answer this question...I don't know the answer!!
Then I did what all good teachers are forced to do (practically everyday). I thought on my feet.
Me:"Well #4, that's a great question. Did Narcissus know he fell in love with himself?"
#4: "No."
Me: "So is it possible that he thought his reflection was that of a girl?"
#4: "Yeah maybe..."
Me: "So can we really be sure he is gay?"
#4: "No..."
Me: "I agree. Excellent question though!"
And there it is. A typical Friday. A typical Friday because deeper thinking and higher order questions were present. A typical Friday because the kids were so entranced by the myth. A typical Friday because we are a safe learning environment where kids are free to ask questions, even when they (or others) may be uncomfortable. A typical Friday because learning occurred, even though we were all checked out.
Oh, Fridays, how I love thee.
"So and so, take out your planner. So and so #2, write down the homework. So and so #3 make sure you are writing in the LA section of your planner. No so and so #4 you may not go get a drink since you just had 10 minutes for snack. So and so #5 I specifically said do NOT hand in the Pandora's Box myth. Yes, so and so #6 keep the Pandora's Box myth on your desk. So and so #7, it is not story time. So and so #8, turn around and put your feet on the floor. So and so #9 please stop tapping your pencil. So and so #10, I have asked you twice to get into dresscode so please do it now."
Typical. All of the above; personal invitations.
Friday was no different. Let's call him #4 (because alphabetically he falls 4th on my class roster) is a total, lovable goofball who keeps me on my feet. And like I said, Friday was no different. Sitting in the second row, all the way to the left, I saw a perplexed look on his face as we read the Greek myth, "Echo and Narcissus." All of the students could infer why those names were fitting, and they all understood the theme of not being overly self-centered. But, #4 was confused. I mean really confused; brows furrowed, biting his bottom lip confused. At the conclusion of the lesson I asked, "Are there any questions?" (Hoping #4 would speak up.) And boy, did he ever...
#4: "Umm, Ms. Singleton, question."
ME: "Yes, #4."
#4: "Since Narcissus fell in love with himself, does that mean he is gay?"
CRICKETS... (and the worried expressions on the faces of #1-#3, #5-10, my assistant teacher and likely my own)
MANY thoughts crossed my mind. How do I address this with 6th graders? Do they all know what "gay" means" They have to know what gay means... but what if they don't? Is this appropriate? Wait, how am I going to answer this question...I don't know the answer!!
Then I did what all good teachers are forced to do (practically everyday). I thought on my feet.
Me:"Well #4, that's a great question. Did Narcissus know he fell in love with himself?"
#4: "No."
Me: "So is it possible that he thought his reflection was that of a girl?"
#4: "Yeah maybe..."
Me: "So can we really be sure he is gay?"
#4: "No..."
Me: "I agree. Excellent question though!"
And there it is. A typical Friday. A typical Friday because deeper thinking and higher order questions were present. A typical Friday because the kids were so entranced by the myth. A typical Friday because we are a safe learning environment where kids are free to ask questions, even when they (or others) may be uncomfortable. A typical Friday because learning occurred, even though we were all checked out.
Oh, Fridays, how I love thee.
So Long (Sweet) Weekend and the College Girl Life
Nostalgia. We all experience it, but this weekend it was at an all time high for me. My college roommate, Allison, came to visit from MD. We picked up right where we had left off approximately 2 years ago. And we both wished we could go back...
"Real life" isn't all it's cracked up to be, we both agreed. We are in our mid-twenties, with jobs living at home; she a has a steady boyfriend, me, I find myself single. However, in our short (almost) 3-day visit I realized that those young, silly, hilarious (sometimes) foolish girls still exist, even if we are big girls now. We reminisced about our (crazy) college days, cracking up about anything and everything from intentionally mispronouncing "fajitas" as "fah-g-tuhs," and "quesadillas" as "case-o-dill-uhs" just to make our waiter at Chili's uncomfortable. We talked about the "Rubbin-Will" glasses, (trust me, you don't want to know) and we discussed our love of naps, especially after tailgating since the wee hours on Saturday mornings in the fall. We talked about the creepy smile we used to do, just for laughs, or to make others take a second look. We talked about the posters we "stole" (for a lack of a better word) and the boys that made college, well, college.
But, something has changed in both of us. We are both more conscious about money, our future (where will we live? who will we marry?), our parents as they age amongst other important things. While we still have the young-college girl tendencies, like rolling our eyes at immature girls on the train, drinking Mexican mixed drinks, and eating entirely too many carbs over a 48-hour period, we have become young women who no longer long for those days like we initially thought we did.
I love being a "big-girl;" working with students I love, and attending graduate school in pursuit of my Master's Degree. And Al, is a "big-girl" too; in her second year of her fellowship in a lab in Harford County, MD. We are both looking forward, I mean what twenty-something girl is obsessed with the future and what it holds for her?
I wonder when the change occurred, in both of us. When did we go from college-girls to young, working women? I don't remember the day, and I doubt Al does either.
Of course we could still throw-em back with current PSU coeds, eat on the the biggest meal plan (#6 which was for football players, and us) and walk around in Uggs and sweatpants intentionally, but we don't want to. Today, I would officially like to say, "So Long College Girl Life, it was fun while it lasted... I've begun my big-girl life, and I'm not looking back."
"Real life" isn't all it's cracked up to be, we both agreed. We are in our mid-twenties, with jobs living at home; she a has a steady boyfriend, me, I find myself single. However, in our short (almost) 3-day visit I realized that those young, silly, hilarious (sometimes) foolish girls still exist, even if we are big girls now. We reminisced about our (crazy) college days, cracking up about anything and everything from intentionally mispronouncing "fajitas" as "fah-g-tuhs," and "quesadillas" as "case-o-dill-uhs" just to make our waiter at Chili's uncomfortable. We talked about the "Rubbin-Will" glasses, (trust me, you don't want to know) and we discussed our love of naps, especially after tailgating since the wee hours on Saturday mornings in the fall. We talked about the creepy smile we used to do, just for laughs, or to make others take a second look. We talked about the posters we "stole" (for a lack of a better word) and the boys that made college, well, college.
But, something has changed in both of us. We are both more conscious about money, our future (where will we live? who will we marry?), our parents as they age amongst other important things. While we still have the young-college girl tendencies, like rolling our eyes at immature girls on the train, drinking Mexican mixed drinks, and eating entirely too many carbs over a 48-hour period, we have become young women who no longer long for those days like we initially thought we did.
I love being a "big-girl;" working with students I love, and attending graduate school in pursuit of my Master's Degree. And Al, is a "big-girl" too; in her second year of her fellowship in a lab in Harford County, MD. We are both looking forward, I mean what twenty-something girl is obsessed with the future and what it holds for her?
I wonder when the change occurred, in both of us. When did we go from college-girls to young, working women? I don't remember the day, and I doubt Al does either.
Of course we could still throw-em back with current PSU coeds, eat on the the biggest meal plan (#6 which was for football players, and us) and walk around in Uggs and sweatpants intentionally, but we don't want to. Today, I would officially like to say, "So Long College Girl Life, it was fun while it lasted... I've begun my big-girl life, and I'm not looking back."
Saturday, January 19, 2013
F1rst Post
Hello all!
Welcome to the (almost) everyday blog of a new teacher! I'm excited to detail my daily happenings with my students as well as some of my own writing.
Enjoy :)
P.S.- The title of my blogs comes from two of my most favorite things... polka dots (on clothing, jewelry, accessories, everything) and extra frosting (on my cupcakes and baked goods!)
Welcome to the (almost) everyday blog of a new teacher! I'm excited to detail my daily happenings with my students as well as some of my own writing.
Enjoy :)
P.S.- The title of my blogs comes from two of my most favorite things... polka dots (on clothing, jewelry, accessories, everything) and extra frosting (on my cupcakes and baked goods!)
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