Extra Mile

Do you go the extra mile for your students?  Are you all they have?  Do you sacrifice time with your family to tutor after school, before school, drive to pick up students to tutor during the summer?  Do you stay up late creating amazing, high level lessons to engage and differentiate for every learner?  Do you spend your own money on books, manipulatives, posters, markers, glue sticks whatever your class needs?  If you do, guess what? You are few and far between.  

Don't be a teacher who punches in and out every day.  Go all in.  That is what this job requires.  Don't settle for just being a good teacher.  Rise up, be the best you can be.  If you don't know better, do the best you can then when you know better, do better. Going the extra mile is never crowded BUT keep doing what you're doing and modeling going above and beyond till the road becomes crowded, very crowded indeed...

Travel

One of my favorite things to do is travel.  I absolutely LOVE to go visit the unknown.  I normally have a terrible memory and can't remember what I did last week BUT when I go and travel somewhere for the first time, it is seared in my memory forever.  The sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a new country or culture, love it all.  LOVE this big, beautiful world we have been blessed to spend some time on before we journey home...

Africa

Last year, in 2014, my daughter and I were blessed to be a part of a mission trip to Uganda, Africa.  It was a life changing trip for both of us.  We had never experienced anything quite like it before and we left very changed people.  

I started to see my world back in the United States differently.  How could I ever complain that I didn't "have" something that I needed for teaching when the teachers in Uganda have so very little resources.  But with the little they have they make it work.  The children learn.  The students are diligent in their studies, which for them is a ticket from abject poverty.  They would never dream of skipping school.  An education is their life-line.   These children go to school 10 hours a day, 7 days a week AND they are learning everything in a second language (English).  Imagine all of your classes being in Spanish or French and trying your best to be successful.  These kids are absolutely amazing. 

 They are all orphans you see.  They have come from the most neglectful of households,  have been abandoned altogether or their parents have died from AIDS.  Either way they started their journey in life in very poor circumstances.  What we would call "at risk" kids.  But, let me tell you something, these kids are smart, so, so, very smart.  So does it take the best environment at home to develop a bright learner?  is it genetic?  None of these children came from affluent families of doctors or lawyers, their parents were desperately poor.  So what is it?  What makes them succeed?  I have to believe that God plays a big part in their success.  Also, their very will and dedication to learn is tremendous.  It is a sight to behold.  I recommend to anyone to go on a mission trip to a third world country.  Come and see.  See how the other side of the world lives.  Because in the end every life really does matter.  But you may say, "the need is so big, what could one person possibly do?" Just go. Go and make a difference.  Be an intrical part of making lots of small changes that will eventually lead to something big that could change a city, a nation or the world.  That is something we all can do.

So, my daughter and I find ourselves back in Uganda, one year later teaching and ministering at the same orphanage as last year.  We're stepping out, making another small change that, Lord willing, will lead to something big!

For more information on how to support an orphan in Uganda, please visit ugandaorphans.org

Bitter-Sweet

BIG News:  I' moving to 2nd Grade next year!  Woo-Hoo!  

The journey in 1st grade has been a wonderful ride.  One full of soaring heights and scenic views to some pretty big pot holes and speed bumps along the way.  I came into 1st grade looping up with my precious Kindergarten class.  [I'll have to post another time about looping and the pros and cons (not many).] 

 It was a big transition from learning through play, home centers, dressup, and naps to homework, tests and grading.  Don't get me wrong, we did some serious academic learning all through Kinder but without the stress of homework, grades and tests.  And let me just give a shout out to all Kinder teachers, who I think are the hardest working teachers on the planet.  Physically the work is so taxing. You are constantly bending, stooping, picking up, and running everywhere.  And your prep time is like no other grade.  Although you want to let your students do all the work, in reality you have to do so much ahead of time for them to be successful.

In first grade, the children have to make the largest leap in their reading levels than in any other elementary grade.  Meaning it's harder to get those kidos on level by the end of the year.  In first, you also get away from being "theme" driven to making sure you are crossing your t's and dotting your 'i's with every TEK. (TEK's are similar to Common Core Standards)

As much as I have differentiated for my high learners in 1st grade, I feel like moving to second will be a smooth transition.  I've got a lot to learn but am so excited about this new journey!  It is a bitter-sweet time for me saying good-bye to first grade.  I've grown and learned so much as a teacher.  I'm sad to go but Uber pumped to be starting the next level of learning.  :D

Optimism

A trait I highly regard...

Picasso

Pablo Picasso is known as one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century.  He is the father of Cubism and someone who definitely saw the world in a different way.  His representation of what was beautiful and how to portray that through painting looked very, very different from his contemporaries.  I love people who are avant garde.  They don't fit into a mold or are predictable. Kinda like the students we get every year.  Each special and unique in their own way.  :D

After reading this lovely book:

And showing the children pics of Picasso's work (the rated G versions) haha, we drew our self portraits and let them cut them up and put them back together in a unique way to mimic the cubism style of Picasso.  They came out magnificently.  So proud of my firsties.

I always like to put a little explanation on the back for parents.  Imagine getting this "self portrait" sent home in a folder and thinking, what in the world???  ;D