Thursday, June 25, 2015

Do what is right…even when no one is watching….

This is what I have tried to instill in my kids from the day they came into the world.  Most of the time, it is a naturally occurring phenomenon.  Especially with kids.  They want to know what the rules and expectations are from the first day they meet you.  They want to know what is the right thing to do because you are their teacher now and for some kids, you are the only adult who ever existed in the world and no one else knows anything except you because you are the teacher.  If you ask my 6 year old, her teachers are the world experts on everything and since I am not a kindergarten teacher there is no possible way I could be right.  I used to get a giggle out of statements like this in parent conferences.  “he says you don’t do it this way so it is not right!”  or “She won’t let me help her because I do it differently and its not the way you do it!”  My favorite of all time is, “could you call Mrs. Sadler to read my bedtime story Mommy?  You just aren’t reading with expression.  Mrs. Sadler always talks like the characters!”  I thought all this was said for my benefit and amusement for so many years but when my daughter started school I realized that in the eyes of the student, I rarely do wrong.  But, I do.  I do lots of things wrong.  I don’t always have all my copies made.  I don’t always have my lesson plans on my desk ready for admin to come in.  I don’t always have my data ready for meetings.  I am a human and I don’t always have it all together.  I do what I can do in a day and then I go home to my own kids to do my second full time job of wife and mom.  But the most important thing I can do everyday is be honest, have integrity and do what is right, even when no one is watching.  I admit to my students when I don’t have it all together, I own up when the plans aren’t out on my desk or the data report is not ready for the meeting and then I make it right.  It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, honesty is the best policy.  Which brings me to my point.  When working with people, whether it be little people or big people…do what is right, not that which is easy or popular.  I read a motivational poster when I was in high school.  You know the ones they hang in the hallways trying to keep highschoolers on the straight and narrow path, I will never forget it either because I thought it was a cool play on words.  “Doing what is easy isn’t always right and doing what is right isn’t always easy.”  It has stayed with me for a long time.  So most of the time, I have my stuff together.  I believe in team work and having a zero G (gossip) policy.  I stay in my room and get my stuff done so I can go home at the end of the day.  Doing what is right is just that.  Teachers work for one common goal, the growth of the student. But when we, the big people in the building, stray from that goal and begin doing things that are not right and we know it, nothing good comes from it.  So, my friends, as you read this commentary on the teacher’s life, just remember to do what is right by all the people you work with…your students, your teams, your teachers.  Taking the easy or more popular road will more often than not prove disastrous trip.  Treat others as you would expect them to treat you and you will get it back ten fold.  And that can go either way because Karma is fickle friend!

Have a great day and talk to ya next time!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Getting a blog face lift people!!!

Well folks!  I am doing it!  I am getting  custom blog from an actual blog designer!  I am about get serious up in here!  I want this to be an all inclusive blog…I am a teacher and it is a major part of my life.  So the title of the blog will be changing but in such a way that no matter where I go, what grade or position where I might teach won’t affect the title or content of the blog.  So, if you have suggestions for the name of my blog, drop ‘em to me in the comments. 

The designer I chose is a teacher I follow on instagram.  Her name is Lindsey Paull.  Click her button here and check her out! 

L. Paull Designs for All

She is one of us!  A full time teacher, with a new husband and a life!  She is one busy girl but her blogs are awesome and she is really affordable!  I will let you know when the blog goes down for installation but that wouldn’t be until around labor day.  Until then, keep checking back weekly to see what I have going on this summer! 

 

Right now, I am plowing through 131 active engagement strategies, a new reading series and the incorporation of Lucy Caulkins units of studies AND the integration of the NGSS science standards.  Yes that’s right.  CCPS is going live with the NGSS this school year and based on the work the Clark County second grade team of Stacey, Lyngle, Cindy and myself, it is gonna be good! 

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Jumping back in…head first!

Well been MIA for almost a year and I miss my blog like I miss my best friend!  My blog is not my best friend, but you are picking up what I am putting down :) 

I have so many things going on right now, my kids trying to mangle each other is one of them at the moment.  The other is getting my back to school items in order and figuring out what to do with my classroom.  I found a great blogpost not too long ago that I would like to mention here.  I really want to do something like this with my classroom this year to foster student choice and personal choices this year.  This post is from Two Nutty Teachers Teaching From The Same Tree….They were featured on Rachel Lynette’s Minds In Bloom

Classroom Set Up - Encouraging Collaboration and Self-Directed Learning

I arranged my classroom in a very similar way during the last nine weeks of the school year and I have to say, I was able to get a lot from my second graders.  I still have some fine tuning to do and several materials to purchase to get this going in a major way for my students this up coming school year.  It definitely gives me something to look forward to ya know!

I will be setting up and sticking to a weekly blog schedule.  You might see one more post from me this week but then I will be a once to twice a week blogger!  Have a great day friends and I look forward to writing for you again real soon!