Teachers Have Toes

You're minding your own business shopping in Wal-Mart when you turn the corner, and what do you see? The shocked expression of a student who can't believe you actually go out into the world. It's my third year of teaching, and I've gotten two questions quite often. You go home? You have a mom? No children, I sleep here on my desk with an endless supply of Lean Cuisines in my mini fridge.

One day when I was trying to make a point in front of class, I learned a new thing they were surprised to learn about me. I have toes.

Any primary teacher out there can probably attest to the multitude of things children find to distract themselves on the rug. My biggest enemy is the shoe. Whether it's tying and untying the laces, picking the rocks out of the bottom, or my favorite coloring on it...there seems to be an endless amount of footwear distraction possibilities.

During this particular lesson, shoe fascination was running high and in attempt to make a point I took off one of my flats and started playing with it. While I was trying to be all dramatic and make a point, I heard one of my kids whisper to another, "I saw her toes."

So maybe they didn't get the whole you shouldn't play with your shoes thing, but at least now they know I'm a little more like a normal human being.

 

 

 

Clouds in Phoenix?

Now Phoenix isn't known for its weather diversity but I think my kids are even more sheltered than I thought...

Me: What are some kinds of weather?
Student 1: Cloudy
Student 2: What's cloudy?

Breathe

Before I left school for Christmas vacation, I told a co-worker I was excited to go on break so I could breathe. She looked at me a little confused until I explained it meant I wanted to relax. I had been so wrapped up in school and holiday activities, I couldn’t remember the last time I sat and did nothing.

While I was on vacation, I had the opportunity to work on a writing project. With a soon approaching deadline, I had to switch from teacher mode to full blown writer mode. Although this required a lot of work, it was one of the best things that could have happened to me because it reminded me of something: I’m not just a teacher.

I consider it a privilege to be able to have a job that I also feel is my calling for the moment, and it has become a lot of my identity. Submerging myself in my writing the past two weeks has helped me remember that it’s not my only one. I’m also a writer, a sister, a daughter…a child of God.

In order to be a better teacher in 2014 I need to remember my other identities. Teaching is a rewarding profession, but like any job, if you let it consume you, it can leave you drained. And who wants an overtired teacher who’s only keeping her eyes open because she’s drank 3 cups of coffee that morning? Not this lady. And probably not the kids either.

I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, but I do want to start my year differently. I want to be able to breathe. With prayer and determination I move forward to be a better time manager, to be more organized, and to mentally leave school at the end of the day.

What are you doing differently this year?

Bust

Conversation of the Day:

Me: Read the word. (bust)

Student: Bu…

Me: Bu…s

Student: Bus!

Me: Bus…t

Student: Buts!

Me: Bust

Student: Buts!

Me: Bust

Student (running around screaming): Buts! Buts!

Me: That’s close enough.

The Little Red Hen keeps her hands to herself.

Quote of the Day

Me: What is the central message in The Little Red Hen?  It teaches us to…

Marvin: Keep our hands to ourselves

Conversation  of the Day

Me: I want to remind you that tomorrow our homework is due.

Tina: the zoo!

(Students all start getting excited and talking about animals they see at the zoo.)

Me (after several moments): I said “Our homework is due.” Due means you have to bring it in.

And I wonder if they listen to me…

We draw on paper, not rugs.

Well Harold got himself into a pinch again. The debacle started when I noticed green highlighter drawn in wide strides in, of course, the yellow squares of the rug. “Who sits in yellow?” I asked to myself as well as the class, pointing at the unsightly green markings on our classroom rug. Two candidates were named, Harold and we’ll call the other one Bruce. I quickly pulled out the tests we had been correcting. Bruce’s had indeed green highlighter and Harold had nothing, which means we were doing something else to fill our time. I called Harold and Bruce over and our conversation went like this.

Me: Who drew on the carpet with green highlighter?

(They both point at each other.)

It was at this point I noticed something very helpful to the case, green highlighter all over Harold’s leg.

Me: Harold, you have green highlighter all over your leg.

Harold: I had a yellow marker.

So I got real close to his little face.

Me: You have green highlighter all over your leg so don’t try to tell me you didn’t have a green marker.

(He just stares at me.)

Me: Now who drew on the carpet with green highlighter?

(Harold puts his head down.)

Harold: I did.

Me: This is very serious so you’re going to have to go talk to the principal about it later.

Velcro shoelaces

Do you ever wonder if the kids wake up some days thinking, “How can I push my teacher’s buttons today?”  Such was the feeling when I had a shoe tying straggler down the sidewalk.  We’ll call him Harold for all purposes.  Now Harold was tying his shoes for five million hours and when the last of my students were entering the classroom, I forcefully stated to Harold that shoe tying time was over.  Well, he started walking towards the classroom and when his shoes got into plain view, I burst out in dismay, “You don’t even have shoelaces!”  Such is life and such is the fact that Velcro shoes need ample shoe tying time.