Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Stone Soup
This week we're reading Stone Soup. During our discussion after the first reading, I asked about what happened with the stone in the soup. One of my girls said, "It melted."
Friday, November 23, 2012
Confession Time
So I've slacked a little bit on the whole 'blog every day' thing.
We drove out to see my sweet Grandma for her 95th birthday and then we had Thanksgiving, and then I ate too much, and then I slept in, and then I chose to spend my writing time reorganizing my boards on Pintrest...you know, just procrastinating in general.
But here I am, as promised, and I today I have to write about last Sunday. A few posts ago I told you that my church decided to adopt the families of my classroom a community service for Thanksgiving. Last Sunday was the day church members met at my school, gathered all the donated items, then delivered them to my students' homes.
It was wonderful; as you could imagine.
I also forgot to take pictures. Not one. I'm a little upset about that.
But, again, it was fabulous.
Before the church folks delivered all the goodies, the pastor said a prayer in my classroom (Lord knows that room needs all the blessing folks want to dish out) and then he opened it up for questions. (Since only two of us from the church spoke Spanish in the group and all 18 families are Spanish-speakers, we were all a little curious about how the whole thing was going to play out.) One of the church members asked, "When we're speaking to the family, how do we let them know the bag of groceries is for the child in your class?"
This was an interesting question for me to hear. I understood why the person was asking, because typically there are two or three families living under one roof (with many children) and our Thanksgiving bags included one child-size sleeping bag (for the child in my class).
However, I was immediately reminded of the large gap between middle-class thinking and poverty thinking.
I'm realizing that the world my students live in, holds very few boundaries of 'yours and mine'. Its family and community, all the time. What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine. I have a feeling if you or I were in their shoes, we'd do the same. Can you imagine: A loved one beside you has nothing and you have something, do you keep it all to yourself or do you share? I believe in middle-class America we answer that question with, "Well, it depends on what we're talking about. Are we talking about the last ice cream sandwich in the freezer or...."
I think its hard for those of us in the middle-class America to even wrap our brains around 'having nothing'. However, what if I posed this situation/question, "You are a single mom, you only have one toothbrush (and you won't get paid/can't buy one for another two weeks), what would you do? Tell your child he can't brush his teeth for the rest of the month? Stop brushing your own teeth until the end of the month? Or do you share?"
This idea of community and sharing flows into the classroom. When your teacher gives you a math worksheet and you don't know how to fill in the blanks, what do you do? (Most adults in middle-class America would say, "Think about it - try your best." "Ask the teacher for help" etc.) But my students turn to their peers (i.e. they copy their neighbor's paper). Technically, this IS a problem solving strategy, but it's one that most teachers do not advocate. In the life of a child who's living in poverty, they see the situation differently. They see the situation as, "My friend understands this assignment, he has knowledge. I do not have this knowledge, so he should share his knowledge with me. Then when a time comes that I have knowledge and he doesn't, then it will be my turn to share, to lead my peers." In fact, keeping something to yourself (not sharing your knowledge/answers to an assignment), could be viewed as being selfish and not lifting up your community members; maybe even keeping them down.
So, of course, my students and their families do things like share toothbrushes, take a little less at dinner so everyone can eat, and squeeze together in a sleeping bag - so less people are cold as they sleep on the floor. They try to copy one another's papers and they often say the same answers as their peers during class discussions.
All this to say that when one person gives a grocery sack full of items to one child in my class, that one person is really uplifting an entire family (or in our case, with 18 families) a good portion of the community. One act of giving goes a long, long way.
Furthermore, when someone in my class is given a hand-me-down pair of boots or a sack of rice, they are not simply having their physical needs met. Instead, they are given a brain pass. Its a pass to stop feeling the stress of wondering if you will be cold as you walk to school or if there will be food at home. That precious brain space that has been occupied by mere survival stress in the past, can now be used for learning.
What a beautiful thing.
We drove out to see my sweet Grandma for her 95th birthday and then we had Thanksgiving, and then I ate too much, and then I slept in, and then I chose to spend my writing time reorganizing my boards on Pintrest...you know, just procrastinating in general.
But here I am, as promised, and I today I have to write about last Sunday. A few posts ago I told you that my church decided to adopt the families of my classroom a community service for Thanksgiving. Last Sunday was the day church members met at my school, gathered all the donated items, then delivered them to my students' homes.
It was wonderful; as you could imagine.
I also forgot to take pictures. Not one. I'm a little upset about that.
But, again, it was fabulous.
Before the church folks delivered all the goodies, the pastor said a prayer in my classroom (Lord knows that room needs all the blessing folks want to dish out) and then he opened it up for questions. (Since only two of us from the church spoke Spanish in the group and all 18 families are Spanish-speakers, we were all a little curious about how the whole thing was going to play out.) One of the church members asked, "When we're speaking to the family, how do we let them know the bag of groceries is for the child in your class?"
This was an interesting question for me to hear. I understood why the person was asking, because typically there are two or three families living under one roof (with many children) and our Thanksgiving bags included one child-size sleeping bag (for the child in my class).
However, I was immediately reminded of the large gap between middle-class thinking and poverty thinking.
I'm realizing that the world my students live in, holds very few boundaries of 'yours and mine'. Its family and community, all the time. What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine. I have a feeling if you or I were in their shoes, we'd do the same. Can you imagine: A loved one beside you has nothing and you have something, do you keep it all to yourself or do you share? I believe in middle-class America we answer that question with, "Well, it depends on what we're talking about. Are we talking about the last ice cream sandwich in the freezer or...."
I think its hard for those of us in the middle-class America to even wrap our brains around 'having nothing'. However, what if I posed this situation/question, "You are a single mom, you only have one toothbrush (and you won't get paid/can't buy one for another two weeks), what would you do? Tell your child he can't brush his teeth for the rest of the month? Stop brushing your own teeth until the end of the month? Or do you share?"
This idea of community and sharing flows into the classroom. When your teacher gives you a math worksheet and you don't know how to fill in the blanks, what do you do? (Most adults in middle-class America would say, "Think about it - try your best." "Ask the teacher for help" etc.) But my students turn to their peers (i.e. they copy their neighbor's paper). Technically, this IS a problem solving strategy, but it's one that most teachers do not advocate. In the life of a child who's living in poverty, they see the situation differently. They see the situation as, "My friend understands this assignment, he has knowledge. I do not have this knowledge, so he should share his knowledge with me. Then when a time comes that I have knowledge and he doesn't, then it will be my turn to share, to lead my peers." In fact, keeping something to yourself (not sharing your knowledge/answers to an assignment), could be viewed as being selfish and not lifting up your community members; maybe even keeping them down.
So, of course, my students and their families do things like share toothbrushes, take a little less at dinner so everyone can eat, and squeeze together in a sleeping bag - so less people are cold as they sleep on the floor. They try to copy one another's papers and they often say the same answers as their peers during class discussions.
All this to say that when one person gives a grocery sack full of items to one child in my class, that one person is really uplifting an entire family (or in our case, with 18 families) a good portion of the community. One act of giving goes a long, long way.
Furthermore, when someone in my class is given a hand-me-down pair of boots or a sack of rice, they are not simply having their physical needs met. Instead, they are given a brain pass. Its a pass to stop feeling the stress of wondering if you will be cold as you walk to school or if there will be food at home. That precious brain space that has been occupied by mere survival stress in the past, can now be used for learning.
What a beautiful thing.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Heading Out
Heading out of town today - no time to write. We're going to Grandma's to celebrate her 95th birthday.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Earn a Desk
A friend sent me this email today:
"Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school,
with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.
'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'
'No,' she said.
'Maybe it's our behavior.'
She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'
And so, they came and went, the first period, second
period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started
gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or
she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk
in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..
Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you
could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'
By the way, this is a true story. And this teacher was awarded Teacher of the Year for the state of Arkansas in 2006.
Please consider passing this along so others won't forget either that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by U. S. Veterans. Always remember them and the rights they have won for us.
Blessings abound in the USA!"
"Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school,
with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.
'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'
'No,' she said.
'Maybe it's our behavior.'
She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'
And so, they came and went, the first period, second
period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started
gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or
she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk
in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..
Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you
could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'
By the way, this is a true story. And this teacher was awarded Teacher of the Year for the state of Arkansas in 2006.
Please consider passing this along so others won't forget either that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by U. S. Veterans. Always remember them and the rights they have won for us.
Blessings abound in the USA!"
Here's Something I've Learned
Dear Friends,
Here's something I've learned from being at my school:
When parents are consumed with worry about being deported, money for rent and food to eat, they do not have the brain space left to remember their child's teacher's name.
At the beginning of the year, I took a bit of offense that everyone simply yelled at me "Teacher! Teacher!" (Before this time, I had only been addressed like that by children, during the first 3 days of school.)
But I'm starting to understand the parents (just a tiny but) more each with each week and that helps.
With love,
Teacher
Here's something I've learned from being at my school:
When parents are consumed with worry about being deported, money for rent and food to eat, they do not have the brain space left to remember their child's teacher's name.
At the beginning of the year, I took a bit of offense that everyone simply yelled at me "Teacher! Teacher!" (Before this time, I had only been addressed like that by children, during the first 3 days of school.)
But I'm starting to understand the parents (just a tiny but) more each with each week and that helps.
With love,
Teacher
Friday, November 16, 2012
Freaky Friday
Today was just weird.
Anyone else?
Within 30 minutes of the day, one of my students punched another in the face and gave him a bloody nose.
We had an assembly where my principal kissed a frog. (This was her promise if the school reached their fundraising goal. It was the fattest frog I have EVER seen.)
Another child yelled "SHIT!" in the lunch line, was sent to the office, then lied about why he was sent there.
When I was in the office later (minding my own beeswax, waiting on the secretary, who was alone, answering phones, while caring for two kids in the clinic), a second grade boy came running in yelling, "B---- is chasing me and he won't quit!" Then, B---- ran in and the two started physically fighting right there in front of me! Of course, no one else was there because my principal and AP were out delivering frozen cookie dough (which arrived late because the truck driver was in a fatal accident). So I got in the middle of the fist fight and held onto B--- (who just kept on swing'n), and I told the other child to go to class and he ran out. I finally got the kid to calm down and sit and wait for the principal.
What's going on with the world today?!
Here's my poor principal. She's really quite fab.
Anyone else?
Within 30 minutes of the day, one of my students punched another in the face and gave him a bloody nose.
We had an assembly where my principal kissed a frog. (This was her promise if the school reached their fundraising goal. It was the fattest frog I have EVER seen.)
Another child yelled "SHIT!" in the lunch line, was sent to the office, then lied about why he was sent there.
When I was in the office later (minding my own beeswax, waiting on the secretary, who was alone, answering phones, while caring for two kids in the clinic), a second grade boy came running in yelling, "B---- is chasing me and he won't quit!" Then, B---- ran in and the two started physically fighting right there in front of me! Of course, no one else was there because my principal and AP were out delivering frozen cookie dough (which arrived late because the truck driver was in a fatal accident). So I got in the middle of the fist fight and held onto B--- (who just kept on swing'n), and I told the other child to go to class and he ran out. I finally got the kid to calm down and sit and wait for the principal.
What's going on with the world today?!
Here's my poor principal. She's really quite fab.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Family Math Night
Tonight was Family Math Night at my school. Teachers volunteered for an hour to host a math game table and kids could rotate around the MPR (Multi-Purpose Room - a.k.a the cafeteria) and play different games with other children, teachers and family members. It was a great way to show how easy it is to incorporate math into play, how families can have fun doing math together and how important math in our students learning is to the teachers.
(I'm not sure if that last statement communicates exactly what I'm thinking..I'm a little tired from my 12 hour workday.)
Go math!!!
(I'm not sure if that last statement communicates exactly what I'm thinking..I'm a little tired from my 12 hour workday.)
Go math!!!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Adoption
Did I mention that my church has adopted my classroom families for Thanksgiving? How great is that?!
(By the way, I know some of you had this thought when you read the title, "OMG - is she going to start a family?!?!" For you folk, the answer is no, I've got my hands full just trying to get the swelling in my face to go down - I have no time for babies right now. Calm down.)
Anyway, back to the true topic at hand. Sunday the fab folks of my church will be joining me in delivering bags of Thanksgiving goodness.
When the church first approached me about this topic, they wanted to provide a Thanksgiving feast. (How lovely.) But I wanted to speak with the school's outreach coordinator to insure a Thanksgiving feast was something they truly needed and she said we could provide a feast, but what our families really need are things like toothbrushes, soap and sleeping bags. Since most of the families are housing a hefty amount of relatives, in small apartments and houses, many of the family members sleep on the floor or in the garage.
(Go ahead...let that information about my little 5 year old students sink into your pretty little head.)
Seriously, I am speechless when these facts are thrown at me.
The other day one of the kids' breath was so bad, I thought he ate a zombie for breakfast. When I asked him if he brushed his teeth, he said no. So I asked him if he owned a toothbrush and he replied, "My mom can't find it."
This whole 'teaching children in poverty' is rocking my world, but hopefully I'll help bring some holiday joy this Sunday!
I'll keep you posted.
(By the way, I know some of you had this thought when you read the title, "OMG - is she going to start a family?!?!" For you folk, the answer is no, I've got my hands full just trying to get the swelling in my face to go down - I have no time for babies right now. Calm down.)
Anyway, back to the true topic at hand. Sunday the fab folks of my church will be joining me in delivering bags of Thanksgiving goodness.
When the church first approached me about this topic, they wanted to provide a Thanksgiving feast. (How lovely.) But I wanted to speak with the school's outreach coordinator to insure a Thanksgiving feast was something they truly needed and she said we could provide a feast, but what our families really need are things like toothbrushes, soap and sleeping bags. Since most of the families are housing a hefty amount of relatives, in small apartments and houses, many of the family members sleep on the floor or in the garage.
(Go ahead...let that information about my little 5 year old students sink into your pretty little head.)
Seriously, I am speechless when these facts are thrown at me.
The other day one of the kids' breath was so bad, I thought he ate a zombie for breakfast. When I asked him if he brushed his teeth, he said no. So I asked him if he owned a toothbrush and he replied, "My mom can't find it."
This whole 'teaching children in poverty' is rocking my world, but hopefully I'll help bring some holiday joy this Sunday!
I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Message in a Bottle
You started singing in Sting's voice when you read that, huh?
(Photo source: http://goldrush021.tumblr.com/page/6)
(Photo source: http://goldrush021.tumblr.com/page/6)
Monday, November 12, 2012
I'm A Geek and That's OK
So my glasses got smashed during my little spill on Friday and I was lucky enough to snag an eye exam today. I typically find any visit to a specialist exciting (here comes the geek part).
As soon as the doctor begins looking in my eyes, I want to be able to see what he's seeing. When I put my mangled face on the machine that pops a puff of air in your eyeball , I want to ask, "What's that for?" When the questions of "Which is better, one or two?" arise, I want to ask, "What does that mean about my little baby blues?"
Of course, I don't bother the doctor, the last people you want to piss off are your doctors and waiters. But it reminds me of the strong sense of curiosity that runs through my veins. I used to think everyone had this - just like when I used to think everyone else in the world also loved to make stuff out of Popsicle sticks and paint them and give them as gifts (never thinking that someone might not WANT a gift made out of sticks - but not everyone has questions and wonderments about their surroundings. I believe this might make me a geek, but then I wonder, "What are all those other people doing all day?"
(See, it never stops,)
As soon as the doctor begins looking in my eyes, I want to be able to see what he's seeing. When I put my mangled face on the machine that pops a puff of air in your eyeball , I want to ask, "What's that for?" When the questions of "Which is better, one or two?" arise, I want to ask, "What does that mean about my little baby blues?"
Of course, I don't bother the doctor, the last people you want to piss off are your doctors and waiters. But it reminds me of the strong sense of curiosity that runs through my veins. I used to think everyone had this - just like when I used to think everyone else in the world also loved to make stuff out of Popsicle sticks and paint them and give them as gifts (never thinking that someone might not WANT a gift made out of sticks - but not everyone has questions and wonderments about their surroundings. I believe this might make me a geek, but then I wonder, "What are all those other people doing all day?"
(See, it never stops,)
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Things that make you go hmmmm....
A few things to think about...
Will I ever be as fabulous as Brandi?
Why do things like this happen in nature?
I wonder when I'll learn to cook.
Should I join a band?
Saturday, November 10, 2012
I didn't blog yesterday...here's why
My face used to look like this...
...and now it looks like this:
All my teacher-friends will understand when I say, "Yesterday, we had a runner."
I've been known to be a bit hard-headed, but apparently the asphalt the child (and then I) tripped on is much harder.
Technically, the only thing that was broken were my only pair of glasses (so I am thankful for that), but in the meantime I look a little like a victum on a domestic violence poster. My husband now gets dirty looks when we walk in public together.
...and now it looks like this:
All my teacher-friends will understand when I say, "Yesterday, we had a runner."
I've been known to be a bit hard-headed, but apparently the asphalt the child (and then I) tripped on is much harder.
Technically, the only thing that was broken were my only pair of glasses (so I am thankful for that), but in the meantime I look a little like a victum on a domestic violence poster. My husband now gets dirty looks when we walk in public together.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Politics in the Life of a 5 Year Old
Yesterday my students came to school talking about the election. Honestly, I hadn't spent much time on it before election day (things have just been kind of crazy). So when this political conversation was student driven, I was pretty excited.
The kids were saying, "Obama won! Obama won!" So I asked "What does that mean - Obama won?" (Hoping someone would say something like,'He got more votes' or 'He gets to be president again.'
Instead, the first little boy I called upon answered happily, "That means we don't have to go back to Mexico!"
I almost fell out of my chair.
The kids were saying, "Obama won! Obama won!" So I asked "What does that mean - Obama won?" (Hoping someone would say something like,'He got more votes' or 'He gets to be president again.'
Instead, the first little boy I called upon answered happily, "That means we don't have to go back to Mexico!"
I almost fell out of my chair.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Eric Jensen
Dear Mr. Jensen,
I cannot put your book down. Clearly you've been to my school, listened to folks on my campus and crawled into my head, then wrote exactly what I needed to hear. I just want to gobble up this text in giant spoonfuls. It is changing my perspective - and I love that.
Thank you for writing this book for me and my students!
Natalie
'Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do About It' by Eric Jensen
I cannot put your book down. Clearly you've been to my school, listened to folks on my campus and crawled into my head, then wrote exactly what I needed to hear. I just want to gobble up this text in giant spoonfuls. It is changing my perspective - and I love that.
Thank you for writing this book for me and my students!
Natalie
'Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do About It' by Eric Jensen
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Serious need of help...
Two fings (my former teammates know, that means "two things"):
1. Who knows about Promethian Boards? I've been a SmartBoard gal for the last 3 years and now I'm in charge of trying out the Promethian software. Thoughts on that?
2. My better half is driving me to Barnes and Noble as I type, to pick up Eric Jensen's 'Teaching with Poverty in Mind'. I am hard up for some help with my little ones. I can see the way they approach issues, process ideas and voice their thoughts are different than other language learners, others I've worked with that were not in poverty. Lord let me read swiftly and understand deeply!
1. Who knows about Promethian Boards? I've been a SmartBoard gal for the last 3 years and now I'm in charge of trying out the Promethian software. Thoughts on that?
2. My better half is driving me to Barnes and Noble as I type, to pick up Eric Jensen's 'Teaching with Poverty in Mind'. I am hard up for some help with my little ones. I can see the way they approach issues, process ideas and voice their thoughts are different than other language learners, others I've worked with that were not in poverty. Lord let me read swiftly and understand deeply!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Guess who?
Guess who arrived in my mailbox today? Flat Stanley from a former student!
How great is that?! I am so excited! I can't wait to take Flat Stanley to my school, have him meet my students, take him to the beach, maybe snag a photo with the local flora and fauna. What a treat for me! It might even help me take my mind off the ridiculous amount of assessments I have to do this month.
Want to hear something crazy? My district does all their December assessments in November because we have to be able to mail the results off to the county office, where everything is printed and then mailed back to us. Sounds like the dark ages, right? Apparently, it's cheaper that way. (Behold the power of the almighty dollar!)
Also, I could really use the three weeks in November to TEACH everything my class should have mastered by December. Grrrrr.
How great is that?! I am so excited! I can't wait to take Flat Stanley to my school, have him meet my students, take him to the beach, maybe snag a photo with the local flora and fauna. What a treat for me! It might even help me take my mind off the ridiculous amount of assessments I have to do this month.
Want to hear something crazy? My district does all their December assessments in November because we have to be able to mail the results off to the county office, where everything is printed and then mailed back to us. Sounds like the dark ages, right? Apparently, it's cheaper that way. (Behold the power of the almighty dollar!)
Also, I could really use the three weeks in November to TEACH everything my class should have mastered by December. Grrrrr.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
A Lot on My Mind
Some days in life we just have a lot on our mind. On days like these (like today), it's sometimes best to share, rather than try to sort it all out and explain. So here are a few things I've enjoyed over the last three months.
Sentence building cards
Word families with paper towel rolls and paint sticks
An easy and effective way of sending messages home
Number concepts in a bag (a.k.a. addition)
and One thing that makes me laugh and gets me excited for the holidays
(photo source unknown)
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Library, duh.
Let's set aside the fact that I just finished my M.Ed. in literacy instruction, K?
A library is the bee's knees.
Just walking into a library garners relaxation and excitement all at the same time. (I'm pretty sure the only other place in the world that can do that to a human is Anthropologie.)
I love every section of the library. Turning colorful pages of children's picture books, spinning into a vortex of memories as you pick up books from your own childhood, simply watching young ones giggle with joy over silly stories brings warmth to your chest.
Take a stroll through the numbered non-fiction books and the world of learning is yours! Want to bake the perfect cake? Ask Martha, she'll tell you how to bake the perfectionist's/OCD version. Need to build a deck? Bob Villa at your service!
Then there's the right-brain wing (a.k.a. fiction), the section of the library that takes your from your ho-hum life (apparently we're locked in a library), to every corner of the world, experiencing it through the lens of man, woman, child and beast.
And we haven't even got to the most interesting part of the library...the people. Yes, one could people-watch all day in the library. Children with mothers reading, Dad's working the self-check machine, college students studying, teachers tutoring, teens slumped in beanbag chairs, free-spirited, as well as uptight librarians working, and (if you live in a somewhat metropolis area) a few homeless folks napping behind books, enjoying the air conditioning.
Clearly, the library is the place to be!
Besides, zoos have poop. Like, elephant-size poop.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Happy Friday!
We made it to the weekend and with these allergies this beautiful picture makes me want to take a sip of something that will help me sleep, sleep, sleep!
But this weekend will be a bit of a working weekend. My principal asked me to make a presentation to a couple of private donors on SmartBoards for our school. Yay! Wish me luck!
But this weekend will be a bit of a working weekend. My principal asked me to make a presentation to a couple of private donors on SmartBoards for our school. Yay! Wish me luck!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
NaBloPoMo
So my dear collage roommate has a great blog (onebrickshyish.blogspot.com) and she is fabulous. Like, super fabulous.
She's participating in National Blog Posting Month and I'm going to take a crack at it, too. Yay!
Happy November to you! I love this month. My Grandma's birthday is this month (she turns 95) and I love Thanksgiving. I love feeling thankful and remembering the many, many blessings in my life. I know one of my most favorite things about November/Thanksgiving has been flying to California to see our families and kicking off the Christmas holiday season. I just realized that is different now. It makes my internal compass feel a bit off, yet at the same time that its found its true North.
So yippee for me! Yippee for you! Count your blessings and share!
She's participating in National Blog Posting Month and I'm going to take a crack at it, too. Yay!
Happy November to you! I love this month. My Grandma's birthday is this month (she turns 95) and I love Thanksgiving. I love feeling thankful and remembering the many, many blessings in my life. I know one of my most favorite things about November/Thanksgiving has been flying to California to see our families and kicking off the Christmas holiday season. I just realized that is different now. It makes my internal compass feel a bit off, yet at the same time that its found its true North.
So yippee for me! Yippee for you! Count your blessings and share!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)