I am usually an early poster, but today was a busy one! Megan turns 9 on Tuesday but birthday weekend festivities kicked off today. Here's how the day unfolded:
-Woke up around 6 am and Megan woke up right around the same time. I worked on her birthday party favor tags, showered, had breakfast, and took Megan to her first of two horseback riding lessons this weekend. -Came home and went to pick up her birthday party cupcakes and chocolate covered Oreos for the party later in the day. -Took Megan to the salon to get her hair blown out and curled (the curls did not last long.....bad hair weather with rain, wind and and snow today) -Came home to get Megan lunch then ran out again to do Girl Scout banking and grab lunch (Chinese soup and steamed vegetable dumplings) -Finished the goody bags and negotiated with Megan on her birthday outfit. -Got my dog's food and belongings together for his drop off (with my son- who didn't need anything prepared) at my parent's house. They were watching Alex and Teddy during Megan's birthday party. -Put everything in the car, headed to my mom's and then Cool Crafts for Megan's party. -The party consisted of 14 girls plus Megan. The girls made a stuffed animal and dressed it in clothes. They had pizza, a dance party and the cupcakes I brought. -At home, Megan opened her gifts and I wrote them all down. -We went back out to get Alex and Teddy from my mom's house. Girls definitely want to have fun but moms? They need a nap.
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*This March, I am using song titles for each post I write. I'm curating a playlist for the month, which I will share at the end of March.
Today we have to say goodbye to my student teacher who is moving onto her next placement. The good news- her next placement is still in my school so she can pop by to say hello now and then. The bad news- she's leaving! My students have come to love her and depend on her being there each day. I have loved the experience of another teacher (in training) in the room, who can support my efforts and be a sounding board. It can be so lonely doing the job all by yourself and making all the decisions. It was so nice to ask my student teacher what she thought about the seating arrangement or her take on a specific student. We made her a book and I bought her a personalized teacher tote bag which sadly hasn't arrived yet. I bought treats for the kids and I think she is making them little goodie bags too. We will keep today fun and light. Goodbyes can be hard on everyone. I remember when I was in a student observing/participating semester, the one right before student teaching. I was in a second grade class 3 mornings a week. On my last day, I was so emotional and sad to leave them that I cried in the classroom. My contact fell out of my eye- I was crying that much. The teacher asked me to go into the hall to collect myself! I had gotten so attached to the students. After 20 years of teaching, I don't cry anymore on the last day. Still- goodbyes feel sad. Have you had a student teacher this year? How did your students cope when that person left? "Some days are diamonds.
Some days are rocks. Some doors are open. Some roads are blocked." -"Walls", Tom Petty Some days are diamonds and some days are rocks- all in the same day! Here were today's diamond moments: -My student teacher taught the morning lesson which gave me time to set up the next lesson and message back parents. -A math gallery walk worked out well- I could see who understood fractions and who needed more help -A meeting scheduled near the end of the day was postponed, allowing me more time to get ready for a meeting I was having with my children's principal after school. -The meeting with the principal went so well- she was so kind and supportive and I felt very reassured that my concerns were understood. Here were some rock moments: -I developed a painful stomachache later in the day which eventually resolves but ugh. -Some of the students were disrespectful to my student teacher when I was in the hallway during the math gallery walk. -My daughter had a meltdown when I wouldn't tell her what 28 + 8 was when she was doing her math homework. There were tears and drama until she eventually calmed down. What were the diamonds and rocks in your day? (P.S.- During March, I'm selecting a song each day that will inspire or anchor my post. I'm curating a playlist which I will share the end of the month!) *This month, I am choosing a song as my title for every post and curating a playlist. Some days are easier than others to choose a song!
Parents and teachers have vested interests in children's success. As a teacher and as a parent, I understand that these relationships can sometimes be challenging. In some cases, I have parents messaging me every day, asking many questions. These messages can come through in the late afternoon, at night and on the weekend. As a parent, I try to be respectful of my children's teachers' time and be mindful of when I'm contacting them. Not everyone has this perspective. Other parents I try to reach and find disconnected numbers, unresponsive to emails, papers stuffed in unchecked folders. There doesn't always seem to be the right balance between overcontact and no contact. As a parent, who happens to be a teacher, there are values that are very important to me when it comes to my own children's teachers. Later today, I will meet with my children's principal to talk a bit about those values and what I hope for my daughter as she enters 4th grade. My son will be off to middle school next year, and I know he will have several teachers and they will have many more students than in elementary school. I still hope he has teachers that do many of these things as well: -A teacher who communicates often with parents via newsletters, apps like REMIND, sending tests and work home, or phone calls. -A teacher with a strong love of literacy and writing who will nurture Megan’s love of writing. -A teacher who can help Megan have more confidence and grow in her mathematical skills. -A teacher who prioritizes relationships and is willing to try different approaches to help a child be successful -A teacher who makes learning feel joyful and worthwhile -A teacher who reads aloud often to the class These values I have for a teacher are also the ones I try to live up to in my own classroom. I create weekly newsletters for the parents and have an app where they can message me with questions and concerns. I send home assessments and work on a fairly regular basis. I look for moments of joy and fun in the day. Reading aloud is my favorite and I allow opportunities for free writing, such as blogging. There is definitely room for growth in everything I do as a teacher, but I do strive to meet these expectations. What are your values for yourself as a teacher? What would you want for your own children or children in your life (nieces or nephews, friends, grandchildren)? How do you connect with parents in productive ways? I work in a school where everyone helps each other. I teach on a grade level where everyone generously shares time, resources, patience, inspiration and empathy on a daily basis. Just today, my student teacher needed help coming up with a small group lesson observation for later in the week, My friend who teaches next door is only in her second year at our school, but she is brilliant with small group reading and I knew she would be a fabulous resource. This friend took time in her afternoon to help my student teacher think through a lesson and shared slides she created to support the lesson.
This evening, I opened a document another teacher on my grade level created. It is a place where all our math lessons are shared for each unit. Our current unit, Fractions, is a challenging one. There were amazing Pear Decks and lessons posted for all of us to use. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this and how much time it saves for me. Teaching is hard, no doubt about it. Having friends who make the school day more fun and generously share so much makes it all so much better. I get by with a little help from my friends! Do you have a team of people at your school who help you out, too? "Cookies! Get your Girl Scout Cookies!"
The little Brownies wore their vests and their most charming smiles yesterday to win over shoppers and sell some Girl Scout Cookies. My daughter Megan is a Brownie and I am one of her troop leaders. This is our fourth year of being in the troop= Daisies to Brownies, but only our second year of having cookie booth sales. COVID-19 canceled cookie booth sales in 2020 and 2021, so our troop was excited to be able to sell again this year. Megan had a whole sales pitch ready to go and was eager to win customers over. I reflected with another mom about my dislike of sales! I was never comfortable trying to get people to buy things. When I worked in high school at a department store, I was requited to ask customers to open up a store credit card. I never liked doing it and thus didn't have many charges open under my watch. When a manager spoke to me about my lacking sales, I decided it was time for a new job. The job I left for was even worse- but that's another slice! It made me so glad to see the Brownie troop confidently and politely asking people to buy cookies, without that nervousness I always felt. Our troop sold over 200 boxes of cookies yesterday afternoon! We have another booth sale later this month. Selling cookies gives our troop funds to use for fun outings and also to give back to the community. Megan loves horseback riding and would never have known that if our Brownie troop didn't go to the stables last June. With the Brownies, Megan has rock climbed, flown on the trapeze, and of course, ridden horses. (3 things I've yet to do). So proud of Megan and the girls in our troop for doing such a fantastic job yesterday! (PS- Do you have a favorite Girl Scout cookie? Mine are Samoas.) "Under the surface
I feel berserk as a tightrope walker in a three-ring circus Under the surface Was Hercules ever like "Yo, I don't wanna fight Cerberus"? Under the surface I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service" -"Surface Pressure" from Encanto On Saturday mornings, I drive my daughter Megan to the stables for her riding lesson. Last June, she rode a horse for the first time at our Brownie end of the year outing and fell in love with horses and horseback riding. It caught me by surprise because it was not in my radar of something Megan would want to do or enjoy. Sometimes, it's nice when your kids surprise you! Anyway, I have a playlist for my 42nd year that I started last June and have added to it throughout the year. Many of the songs are ones Megan really likes and so each time we leave for the stables, I hand her my phone and she DJ's our car ride, which is about 20 minutes. Yesterday, she played "Surface Pressure" from Encanto, which is one of my favorite songs from the movie. The line "I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service" is really striking to me, as is the idea that you have to be the strong one and and shoulder everyone's burdens. Better not show any cracks or breaks! As a mom, I totally feel this- I'm the one managing everyone's doctor's appointments, dentist appointments, school dress up days, book fair money, birthday parties, homework and more. I'm doing all this while teaching 3rd grade, which has its own set of stresses and pressures. Mistakes abound and I hate the feeling that comes when I realize I forgot to order more orange juice or I missed the memo that religion class was cancelled this week. There is a constant pressure at work and at home. Sometimes, I feel like that berserk tight rope walker in a three ring circus. Though it doesn't rhyme, the line for me might say "I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I am not achieving"- it's something I've been wrestling with emotionally in the last couple of years. I was super lucky to have loving and supportive parents, but from a young age I felt the internal need to prove myself through accomplishments. My older sister succeeded effortlessly and I kept trying to live up to her. I think somewhere along the line my worth got wrapped up in achieving- getting good grades, winning a scholarship, receiving awards. I felt the need to stand out in some way= to be "special" and therefore, worthy. If I am not "special", I have not worth. When I did not get the instructional coaching position I applied for a couple of years ago, it shook me deeply and my sense of worth. As I watch people my age climb the ladder to be coaches, administrators, presenters, authors- I've felt a sense of shame that I am still just a classroom teacher. I've come to process that it has been my choice not to pursue being an administrator- I don't think it would be a good fit for me- and being a classroom teacher is an important job where you directly impact students each day. Beyond that, it is so important to me to be a present and involved mom, especially while my children are young. Maybe in time, professional goals will surface again, but right now, I value the time to be the Brownie troop leader and the mom watching her son get the touchdown at flag football. Listening to the song "Surface Pressure" as we ride to the barn really has inspired a lot of self reflection. We are all under pressure but none of us is worthless, ever. "When I grow up, I will be tall enough to reach the branches That I need to reach to climb the trees You get to climb when you're grown up. And when I grow up, I will be smart enough to answer all The questions that you need to know The answers to before you're grown up. And when I grow up, I will eat sweets every day, On the way to work, and I will Go to bed late every night. And I will wake up When the sun comes up, and I Will watch cartoons until my eyes go square, And I won't care 'cause I'll be all grown up." -From "Matilda the Musical" Last night, my mother and daughter, Megan went to see the middle school production of "Matilda the Musical Jr.". Two years, ago, right before the world shut down, we sat in the same theater to see the middle school students perform Frozen. I remember the crowded lobby and how just a week later being in a crowd would seem unheard of. I was glad that the students were able to perform the play without their masks- I'm guessing they must have practiced the entire thing while wearing masks since the mandate was only lifted on Wednesday. It was so nice to be able to see their whole faces and hear their voices as they sang. One of my son's friend's older sister had the leading role of Matilda. She was excellent! I was so impressed by the confidence, poise and skill of all the performers. My song to anchor today is from the show. My daughter sang this song in her winter concert at the end of January. It's such a sweet song about the things kids think they will do when they are all grown up. If you've never heard it, you can see it here: After the show, we picked up my son, Alex and the four of us went to Friendly's. My mom had coffee, I had tea and the kids had food and then ice cream even though it was already after 9pm! My children adore my mom who of course adores them back and it was good to be together.
To end, I'll connect back to the song. What did you think you would be able to do as a grown up when you were a kid? I love the line about eating sweets every day- if only! :) It was Janet Jackson night at my Barre Bootcamp class tonight. (My playlist song for today's post is Janet Jackson's "All For You", which did play during one of our painful leg routines.)
It had been one of those Alexander Days (terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad) and I was feeling blah but my sister counts on me to go to Thursday class and of course I knew it would be good for my body and soul to change the energy of the day. It wasn't a great sign when one of my fellow boot-campers shook his mat out and knocked over the Buddah's little cup and it smashed into pieces. It felt like a very bad omen for the Buddah to be disturbed like that. But on we went, beginning our class. I had a headache and the moves felt hard but my sister and I had some good laughs during and after class. Did you do anything that was "all for you" or just for you today? "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's going to be a bright, bright, sunshiney day." "I Can See Clearly Now", Jimmy Cliff This morning brought me to my eye doctor's office. More than an eye doctor, she's really a glaucoma specialist that I've been working with for several years. Though I am only in my early 40's, I have a lot of #oldpeopleproblems. Yesterday's #oldpeopleproblems took me to my audiologist for a hearing aid cleaning and check-up. Not only do I have early hearing loss (and fairly profound loss in my left ear), I have glaucoma which you normally see in much older people. I was diagnosed with it in my early 20's and so I've been managing it for over 20 years. The last few years saw my eye pressure numbers increasing while I went on several different drops. My doctor determined that I would be a good candidate for surgery to try to create a drain in my eyes to relieve the pressure. I had my left eye done in the fall of 2019 and last summer, my right eye had the surgery. The good news is both eyes are doing really well- I'm off one of my drops and the pressure is significantly lower than before surgery. My doctor is pleased and so that was a piece of good news today. Today also brought milder weather with spring in the air. It was the first day of masks being optional and teaching without a mask felt wonderful and also strange. My mom and children and I went to church for Ash Wednesday services. The church was packed, which was another sign of life coming back (maybe?). The deacon spoke about the meaning of Lent and ways we can make it a meaningful season. It felt right and good to be there today. Today had good news, sunshine and hope in the air. |
AuthorKathleen Neagle Sokolowski Archives
February 2024
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