Kids Are Weird

First official day of spring break, wooo! I celebrated by sleeping until 8AM, rewatching a few episodes of Daredevil season one, reading a book, and taking a trip to the mall. I can assume that this is probably how the rest of spring break is going to be and I'm okay with that.

In the meantime, however, I'm sure I'll miss my kiddos. After all, they keep life very interesting. 

A week or so ago I was in the hallway with a fellow teacher taking our daily scheduled bathroom break when a teacher of another grade walked by. As she did, one of my students left the room to go to the bathroom but, before he left, he walked up close to me and whispered: 

"I wish you had shoelaces so I could tie them." 

I had to explain to the other teacher that this was pretty normal behavior. Stuff like this happens all the time. I mean, I was wearing a cute pair of Sperry slip-ons that didn't have shoelaces. 

Yeah, my kids are weird. 

That got me thinking about the other things my kids say and do, so I reached out to my teacher friends and asked them to share some things that they've seen or heard. We always joke that we're going to write a book, so I figured a blog post would do. I even told some of my students they other day that I was going to write a book about them and that they would be famous. They were excited (weirdos). 

I got quite a few responses, so I'm just going to list them below. If you didn't get a chance to respond, please leave something in the comments! 

"I miss you when I'm sleeping." 

"I love PE so much it makes me feel weird." 

"You have something in your ear." *kid sticks her finger in my ear*

"How did they have babies long ago?" 

"I think I'm getting my period." -said by a six-year-old

"If you fall into a black hole, can you get out?" 

While learning about space: "Have you ever been to space?" 

"Miss, where do cold sores come from?" -out of the blue while walking down the hall

Teacher: "Who is on the nickel?" 

Kid: "Pitbull." 

"I'm going to draw you a picture of Captain America. Do you want him with or without his uniform?" *my mind is in the gutter*

Teacher: "Today is National Read Aloud Day." 

Kid: "Yesterday was National Wine Day." 

"Why don't you have a boyfriend? You should put your name on one of those websites. You can tell them how much you like cats." 

And finally...

"Broken pencils can lead to the end of humanity. Too many broken pencils would make us cut down all the trees to make more pencils. If we cut down all the trees, we would have no more oxygen, leading to the end of humanity." 

Thanks to my friends who helped out with your stories! I know there are more and I can't wait to hear them all. Like I said, they keep me on my toes and make me smile (when I'm not crying internally). 

Happy spring break, friends! 

This Job Doesn't Always Suck (I Promise)

Oh, hey. It's been a while since I've sat down and put some words out here, so I thought I'd get on that. I mentioned a while back in This Job Sucks (But Not Really) that I didn't post a lot of things last year because a lot of the time I couldn't find the positive things to focus on. That's not the case this year and that's a good thing. I guess I just keep getting wrapped up in other things that I forget that I might have things to say.

This year has been going well and I know it's a huge mixture of things. I feel pretty confident about my classroom management and I really have a good group of kids. One thing that I'm really trying to focus on is not rewarding every little thing. I know, I can sense some of your teacher minds telling me I'm crazy, but I've found that it actually kind of works. I've mentioned before a fairly extensive classroom management training that I've done called Responsive Classroom and it's something that I truly believe in and (try to) use daily. I know that it's a learning process and I have to find what works for my class, but so far my students are doing pretty well. (I also did this last year and really enjoy it.)

The point of not giving rewards is that students should know the right way to behave. If we reward them every time they do something right, then they're going to grow up to be adults who demand recognition for every little thing. And we, as adults, know that that is just not how life works, am I right? So, I don't do a lot of individual behavior charts and things in my class, but I do special things like choosing a Mystery Leader and Mystery Line Walker. We do table points and are working on a system of rewards for good days with specialists (trust me, that is a whole other post...). But, for the most part, I have some good eggs in my class. I do have a few students that still ask for rewards or sometimes get greedy, but we're working on it.

One thing that made me smile last week was this:

Sometimes I do give rewards because I have some students who just need that love. And I'm not saying that it's something that stems from home, I just know that sometimes they need to know that i love them. Last week I gave one of my kids a choice of four little plastic dinosaurs because he had a really, really good week. He deserved it. Honestly. He really, really did. (Sometimes it's hard.) He chose what he wanted and I left the room to go to my dismissal duty. I was kind of iffy about it, but when I told him he could his smile was huge. Then, when I came back, I found that note on my desk. 

Last year, even though it was tough, I still had a lot of awesome kids. Today was the last day for our student-led conferences (where the students tell their parents about their accomplishments) and my kids did really well. I couldn't help but think back to a situation that I had last year in preparation for all of these meetings, though. I shared with a few of my friends what happened when one of my high performing students came in with their parents and the parents were...not nice? It wasn't that they were unkind to me (although they did ask for hand sanitizer immediately after shaking my hand), but I was very disappointed in the way they treated their very intelligent, very hard working child. It was just little, nit-picky things, but it upset the student and it upset me. I don't often get emotional, but I remember calling my own mother, bursting into tears, and thanking her for not being an asshole when I was growing up. I was a fairly intelligent child (mediocre adult), but I never felt pressured to do more than simply my best. I know that my parents were disappointed if I didn't do well. (I personally thought the world would end when I got my first B in third grade.) I also knew that my parents would support me no matter what and would always want what was best for me. This kid had so much pressure on them and I hated to see them upset. It's so easy to try to focus on the negative, but it's so much better to point out the positive. That's something I'm striving for this year. 

My conferences this year were amazing. The kids did well, the parents were proud. I almost got emotional just listening to parents telling their kids, my kids how proud they were of them. I love that. I love to see my kids lifted up by people who love them. Like I said above, sometimes it's so, so hard. But it's also so, so worth it. 

Well, there's a bunch of rambly things that I hope you can make some sense of. I hope you're having a great year so far and that you and your kiddos are having fun. This job is hard, but it's good. 

Here's a picture of a cookie I got after a conference. I'm a little spoiled. 

It's like they know me or something.

Happy teaching.

This Job Sucks (But Not Really)

Friday was the last day of school and, as I walked down the halls during dismissal, I noticed something. The last day tears of teachers is what I saw. Now, I'll be the first to admit that in front of people I'm not overly emotional. When I'm alone? Psh. I cry like a baby. It could be about a book or a Publix commercial or I can think about "that one time something sad happened" and I'm a waterfall. But, in front of people? I don't cry.

Also, crying makes me uncomfortable so if I made fun of you on Friday please know that I'm sorry and it's just because crying makes me feel weird.

Here's the thing, though: I didn't cry because I am genuinely happy that this year is over. I've hardly posted anything this year because I really try to find the positive in all situations and share that knowledge and finding it this year was very, very difficult.

Now, don't get me wrong, okay? I had plenty of good moments with my class. I loved each and every one of them differently and I am so glad I got to spend 180 day with them, but it was hard. I said in this post last year that it was my best year, and I'm going to have to stick with that. If last year was my best, then this year was the most challenging.

The year started out difficult considering I started a new behavior plan in my class. I did away with the color chart and relied solely on a training I'd taken over the summer and my school's leadership plan. I knew it was going to be hard, but I managed it and in the long run we made it work. I don't feel like a color chart would have been helpful for some of my students (who would have been on red every single day, for real) and I think that students taken responsibility for their actions is much more effective.

It's that thinking that kept me going this year.

What's fair for one student isn't fair for all.

What works for one won't work with another.

What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

This year was a year of learning for me. I always joke that the thing that teaching has taught me is patience, but it's easy to point out all of the times I lost my patience with my students. Instead of losing it I focused on trying to be calm and using a soft voice instead of yelling. Honestly, the soft voice kind of freaked them out so it was a win. I also really tried to have fun with them because I think we all always forget that they're just kids, and sometimes they can't help what they do.

I definitely felt like I grew as a teacher this year. Like I said, it was the most challenging year I've had. I've never had students as difficult as I did this year, but I've also never felt closer to my team and my colleagues, either. I am thankful for the people I work with who let me vent, gave advice, or just agreed when they knew it was what I needed.

So, I guess am a little bit sad about the end of the year. I know there's always going to be students who leave a mark on your heart, good or bad. There's going to be your mini-mes and the ones that get your jokes better than most adults do. The ones that you could hug all day whose parents don't believe how good they are at school. And the ones that make you work for it: the ones that keep you on your toes, keep you up at night, and break your heart every single day.

Being a teacher is a privilege...but so is summer vacation. Enjoy.

Kids. Are. Awesome.

Teaching is hard. Yeah, I’ve said that a million times (hyperbole) in these little posts but sometimes even I forget how true it is. There are so many things that we have to do for the job that sometimes we forget what the job is about: kids.

Lately things have been a whirlwind of testing, meetings, observations, and paperwork. Those things don’t matter, though. Not really. Okay, they matter in terms of staying organized, keeping policy, being prepared, and, of course, doing your job.

I love kids. I love them in a completely non-creepy-oh-they’re-so-cute kind of way, all right? Of course, just because you like kids doesn’t mean you should become a teacher. You become a teacher because you like kids, learning, and being poor. (HAHAHAHA!)

I’m mostly kidding, I do that a lot. However, I do feel (and know) that there is more to teaching than just loving kids. Teaching is a calling. Teaching is not something to be taken lightly. Those who can’t, do not teach. But that calling, that need to make a difference, to continue your own learning every single day…that is fueled by the kids.

Kids. Are. Awesome.

They are tiny little sponges soaking up the knowledge that you have to give them. And, hopefully, you’ve got some. Kids are amazing, resilient little creatures that give you their heart and soul.

Yeah, you. Kids are the most honest things in all the world. Not only do they tell you everything that is wrong about you, but they tell you what’s wrong with them. Sure, it’s not always in a language you understand, but if it were would teaching be so easy?

Oh, hell no.

The ones that need love the most show us in the most unloving ways, right? I can’t tell you how true this is. (Literally, I can’t tell you because I’m sure it’s not allowed or something.) I’ve seen, heard, and lived through so many situations that are absolutely heartbreaking. Kids these days go through things that I could never dream of or wish on my worst enemy (okay, maybe this one person…), but they make it through. They make it through because of people who care. People (hopefully) like teachers.

Teaching is the best job. It’s the best and the hardest, because being a superhero is hard! Our capes are nametags and Expo marker smudges and leftover Peeps in plastic baggies because a kid really likes you. (True story.)

We have to wear our hearts on our sleeves and put on our mean faces and loud voices sometimes, but that’s just how it is! That’s the beauty of teaching. You get to be the good guy and the bad guy! The superhero and the villian! Captain America and the Winter Soldier!

Have you seen this yet? You should. And take me with you.

I might complain about my job: the long hours, the grading, the chatty kiddos…but I love it. There is not one thing in the world I would rather be doing. Okay, unless you read my Facebook status this morning about missing my couch and my books, WHATEVER.

I love my job, and I hope you do, too. I hope you love your kids even when you’ve got on your angry face, even when you’re using your loud voice, even when you’re up to your eyeballs in papers to grade. Because if you love them through all of that, it makes a difference.

You make a difference.

And I like you.

Here’s a fun little kid tidbit from last week:

Boy to girl sitting being him: “Hey, stay away from my butt. I just farted.”

I hope they always make you smile.