Don't Play the Video Game, Read a Book . . . Please, Oh Please

So a week before spring break I talked about books to start your children out reading. Now we're at the stage where you can tell a fire is growing, but don't know where to direct it or you can tell the fire is dwindling and are in search for some fuel ( sorry about the metaphor, but I am an English teacher). 

This kid is hilarious, my whole family adores these books (as in parents and siblings because I don't have my own kids or husband yet). And the narrator is the same age as your kid, so they're going through the same things at the same time. 

"Yo'or a wi'zard H'ry". Enough said. But seriously, I grew up with Harry, and cried at the end of the seventh book because it was over ( I still haven't seen part 2 of the last movie, I just can't say goodbye). 

Anything, she writes your daughter will love, the first two series above are friendly to all genders, but she focus's on young ladies and only features strong relatable protagonist. 

This is the book that introduced me into classics. I love the quiet language and stories in this book- every character is written so well and with such love. 

Please note that this post is geared towards kids ages 8-14, the next step is young adult a genre that I love so dearly and might flow into more than one post.

If you have any other suggestions for this age group please let me know, I would love the insight. 

Why I L.O.V.E. Teaching

I'm back! I sooo enjoyed my break, my much needed break. I was sick the majority of the week, but that's okay because it meant I for sure received all the rest needed and was able to spend as much time as possible with my family.

I realized something though, I rarely talk about myself on this blog, and the whole point of this blog is for learning from each other, not just providing information. I'm a firm believer that in order to truly learn from someone there has to be trust and if you don't know me why would you trust me. In an effort for this to truly be a place of learning and growth I'm going to start talking about myself plenty more. And to start off here are the basic reasons why I teach, that drive me daily and get me through the tough times:

My co-workers, they are amazing and make me strive harder every day to be a better teacher and co-worker. 

I know in my soul that my lessons learned and taught to my students go beyond the curriculum. I have lived a very blessed life and know that those blessing can be shared with my students. Who I pray go on in life and  do so much more than I could ever imagine. 

My parents are teachers, so many of my aunts and uncles work in education- one of my grandmothers ran a daycare center. My name means, "to teach". I went to college originally for law school, but knew by the end of the first semester I could not ignore where my heart really lay. Teaching is in my blood and the foundation of my soul.

I love the written word, I love the history of literature and how literature has influenced so many things throughout the world. When I'm discussing my love of literature and authors that's when I really have my students attention, and they have mine. 

The laughs, the smiles and the greatness of my students. Yes, my students can be stinkers, but man oh man can they brighten a day. Not a day goes by that I don't laugh with my students . . . and occasionally have a laugh at their expense.

Those are a few of the reasons that drive me in teaching, just a few. What drives you in your work or just in your life?

Spring Break, Much Needed

Until next Monday, it's been fun, but you want no part of my Spring break becasue that's exactly what I plan to do- break!

To Teach and To Play

Seriously my closet mantra is, "Just because I teach does, does not mean I have to give up my closet". It could help that I generate towards the 1940's secretary style anyways, but I love a little Rock n' Roll and that love always seems to creep it's way into my outfits- no matter where I'm headed. 

This outfit has the 1940's cover everything up agenda along with the curvy fit, but the textures and colors are all late 1960's early 1970's . . . perfect, for when I'm teaching and for when I'm playing!

The Kids Say: Dead Hamster Society

Did your student bring a hamster to school? Did your student bring a dead hamster to school? Did your student bring a dead hamster to school in a Ziploc baggie? Did your student bring a dead hamster to school, in a Ziploc bag that was tucked neatly in her purse? *

If you answered yes to all of these questions no need to freak out, just follow the simple guide to a happier you. 

1.) DO NOT touch the creature! Unfortunately most teachers don't carry gloves, there are so many reasons why we should though, so many- have the student poke the bag to make sure no movement occurs. 

• If you want to make a game of it and have all the students "poke the bag", you'll be the coolest teacher in school.
• This step is crucial, if you've seen Tommy Boy you know nothing worse can happen than a wild animal awakening in a panic, bent on destroying everything in their path. Make sure the Animal is indeed DEAD.

2.) Make sure you keep a neutral tone and calm body language, when questioning the student to figure out what has lead you to this moment. The last thing you want is to make the student/owner of the creature feel as if their sanity is in question. 

3.) Establish the story of the true events that took place leading up to the hamster being stored in a purse. No confusion can be allowed because in the future when you are explaining to other teachers the situation you need to know if (a) the hamster was placed in the purse alive to be taken home later, but due to lack of air ventilation the animal quietly passed away or (b) the hamster was found dead and the purse was only temporary until the student located a final resting place. 

The most important thing to understand is that no matter how you handle a student bringing a dead hamster to school inside their purse, you are teaching a student who is willing to carry around a dead animal with no issue- proceed with caution. 

* All events discussed in this post are TRUE!

Tuck Them Tight, Read Them Right and They'll Dream Wonderfully All Through the Night

Whenever I'm telling some unbelievable, but oh so true story about a thick headed student of mine my friends always laugh and then ask with horror in their eyes, " how am I going to make sure that's not my kid?" 

And I always respond to them, just read to them as much as possible, as often as possible and as many different styles as possible.

Since obviously the reading starts young here's some starts:

Kids, love him, the rhyming and the characters are home to the fresh imaginations.

People who love me still give these books to me as presents, AND I learned why not to tell a lie, about too much junk food, and not talking to strangers from this family.

Girls and BOYS, love these characters with personality and imagination.

Love the love and friendship, The Season book was the first book I ever read to my parents . . . they were trying to see if I had just memorized all the others, proved them wrong and still have the book to this day.

There are so many more, but these are no without fail crowd pleasers- even adults cannot get enough. 

In a soon to come blog, I'll move past the "tucking them in for the night" stage and on to the maybe "grounded  from television you'll actually pick up a book stage".

Who says the reading has to be confined to bedtime?!

How to Do It ALL

Just a heads up, you cannot do it all, not possible, so don't even try. What you can do though, is calm your nervous and learn how to say no . . . I'm still working on that last one ( here's looking at you volunteer track season)

Now a major motion picture, I didn't have enough time to go see it though

1. Make people give you deadlines, and then sometimes subscribe to the mantra, " My best work happens in the last minute"!
2. Prioritize, everything cannot possibly be due on the same day AND if it is, then start saying "no". 
3. Have your students grab a red pen and do some grading! Especially you English teachers, seriously grading essay's is a mountain, students doing some grading is a quicker way to kill the beast in the valley. 
4. Don't expect perfection, aim for it, but be willing to settle for your best or even your "I'm still learning". 
5. NETWORK, and that includes google ( my best lesson plan game from google, thank you NC) , Other teachers have so many resources that save you time and even more time. 

Most important: If you wake-up with jolt in the middle of the night because the nightmare you were having involved the problem kid, an evaluation and a flopped lesson all in the same day then you need to take a mental health day. Sunday night shakes is normal, but mass consumption of your profession will quickly eat away at your love of teaching before you reach spring break. Just call in sick, sleep, read you favorite book, go to a movie or achieve all those doctors appointments you've been putting off. 

Just take a day off, old school style.