A Classroom Christmas--Part II

At the end of yesterday's post, I asked you to return today to learn what the kids gave me.

You might remember we participated in Operation Christmas Child last month, and that was meant to be instead of gifts to me. 

They didn't listen.

Yep, I go some typical trinkety stuff, and some has already been delivered to Goodwill.

I also got a group gift of a nice gift card to a local mall.

But...

The three gifts that really touched my heart and that I won't forget are:

A gift of three ducks that will provide food for a family through World Vision,

A gift of cash to the town food pantry, along with a bag of donations,

A donation to the food pantry in the town where I live.

I cried when I opened each one.  Good thing I don't open the gifts in front of the kids.

Another spot on gift, a gift card to the Dollar Tree, where $20 is more like $50!  ;)  That one made me laugh! 

A Classroom Christmas

     This year has been the hardest school year ever.  Due to confidentially issues, I can not elaborate, but there are many reasons--and they go beyond the children.  I'm thankful for my peers, I think we keep each other sane.  Sane yes, but there's no avoiding exhaustion.
     We got out "early" this year for Winter Break, today is the first official day.  So, I didn't have time to do the many things I like to do in December. I didn't get to read the stories I usually read.
     One project we did get to was this one (go to Friday's post for a tutorial):

The kids made little yarn wreaths for their families.  I love that they all were a little bit the same and a little bit different.  I loved that I, the non-crafty and not so always patient one, was able to lead them all through this (and the wrapping) and not get cranky, not even once.  It was fun, something we sorely need in 4S!

Some kids were so excited, they gave their wreaths away the night they brought them home.  Others decided to wait and told me to NOT post this on my class blog.  So I won't.  It's not like I had a moment to take photos anyway!

Oh and we did read this:

I love it, and so did they!

Come back tomorrow for part two of "A Classroom Christmas."  I can't wait to tell you about their gifts to me.  (Does that sound greedy?  It's more of a humbling thing...)

Words For Wednesday

Overheard during math facts today, "Miss Stewart looks so different without her glasses." 

Deep thinkers my students.  Much deeper than the multiplication answers they were supposed to be spewing.

But then I thought, "I used to put these on only to read, now I never take them off.  I'm old."

And I do look different without them. 

I look like a person not in glasses, you know, me the young person.

sigh

For Sydney

School starts on August 23, 

but one of my new fourth graders will be absent that day and for some time after.  

Her name is Sydney, 

and she was in a house explosion.  

Her paternal grandparents died, but Sydney lived.  

However, she will need some care for a while.

Will you pray for this little miracle girl?

Thank you.

Family, friends and local organizations held a lemonade sale for Sydney and family today.
People are so caring!
(photo taken by my friend A.B.)

Waiting for Superman (not my normal kind of post)

     A number of months ago, a blogger I know* wrote a passionate post after watching the 2010 documentary Waiting for Superman.  I didn't comment on her blog, but I did address some of her statements here.  I was angry, and before engaging her in an on-line discussion, I wanted to calm myself.  Her original post lambasted teachers in general, and since I'm a teacher, well, that ticked me off.
     (Going back to review that post before writing this one, I am certain she has amended her original wording.  In the follow up comments, she also stated she cleared her post with several teachers and principals she knew. I am skeptical of this claim.)
     Weeks later, when I did work to engage her in an on-line conversation, she said she hadn't attacked all teachers, and she asked if I had seen the movie. She didn't think I should comment on her editorial without watching the film. This was all during a time when teachers were taking a beating in the media and from some local state governments, and I sure wasn't up for another punch from a movie.  When I'm in the thick of the school year, school consumes me. I couldn't watch a movie about it too.
      However, she did have a valid point.
      Finally, while Brad was away the other night, I watched the movie.

      My first thought was,  
I am not surprised by anything in this film. 
There was nothing new in it. 
What's shameful is most people who watch it are shocked.

     You see, I studied such inadequacies in both my undergrad and graduate coursework. Most notably, at one point I was assigned the book There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz and, and on my own, I read Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol.  Both were heartrending.

     So I have been aware.  We don't talk about the real world "out there" because the classroom is the real world.
     Most assuredly, there are children in America who are not being served by their local public school system.  There are many parents who are apathetic, or students who accept the status quo--what else do they know?  But there are many, many caring parents and children who want more and know there has to be better for them.
     I am blessed to work in a strong, healthy suburban school district.  Still, I want to refute, based on my experience, some of the things mentioned in her post and in the film.  In a way both she and the film makers blanketed so much of education.

• It took me four years to earn tenure not two.  In our district, tenure does not guarantee me a job for life, it only offers me the protection of due process should an administrator decide I'm a poor teacher. Just as a student has data collected to help serve them, administration would need to collect data to terminate my employment.
• I have known teachers who haven't reached or earned tenure and have been dismissed. I know another who lost her job--though she was allowed to "retire" to save face--because she did not do her job well after many years of re-mediation. 
• We have no storehouse for "lemons" or ineffective teachers in our district.  Our union and our administrators wouldn't allow for such.  We aim for excellence.
• The movie and the post promoted charter schools, but then the movie stated that only 1 in 5 charter schools is effective.  That's 20 percent. That's no better, in fact it's worse, than the statistics for successful public schools.
• Charter schools, and parochial schools for that matter as evidenced in the movie, can and do kick students out.  After choosing who to accept, they can and do let children go based on performance and income.  Public schools cannot.  We are open to all students. 
• Our school uses RtI, Response to Intervention and Problem Solving to help re-mediate children's reading issues, math issues and behavior issues.  The most important goal is to help readers.  We are dedicating the first part of each school morning to RtI, and ALL staff is involved.  Most importantly, we diagnose and treat all readers who are in need.  Reading must be number one, and at our school it is.
• We have a reading specialist, who serves kids through the second grade in addition to what the classroom teachers are doing.  
• Our school improvement team designed an after school reading program for third grade at risk students--this program is funded solely through grants and proceeds from flower sales.  The teachers buy nearly 50% of the flowers.
• Merit pay was mentioned in the movie and mentioned in the blogger's vehement response after watching it.  This is a tough subject.  Simply put, I enjoy working with the struggling kids, I treasure any growth from them.  Would I "take" kids with Asberger's, children with reading issues, students with emotional issues or teach the kids for whom math is so hard, if their growth determined my ability to make my mortgage payment?  How would my merit be measured?
• I have volunteered to be one of my building's union representatives for the upcoming school year, to see for myself how things work at that level.  I have always admired my peers who have done so, and now it's my turn.  I am certain I will not agree with everything stated, but I want to learn. Like any political organization, the NEA has leaders who like to be seen and heard. That doesn't mean each one of us agrees with them.
• The post also mentions teacher credit unions.  Obviously this blogger is confused since credit unions are similar to banks, and  they have nothing to do with contracts and teacher rights.  Nor does tenure have anything to do with higher pay.  She has a true misunderstanding of what she is decrying.

     In Batavia, we do our very best to support students from all income backgrounds--and our best is good, but we always strive for better.   I am blessed to work in a place where I am allowed to disagree with administration and not be in fear for my job--and that is not due to tenure protection, it's due to mutual respect.  I am blessed to work with the people I spend my days with, both my peers and my students.
     My job is a privilege.
     There are good teachers everywhere, and as stated in the film, good teachers make a difference.  If anything, this film has me wanting to do more for my kids.  As I sit here in summer, missing them but enjoying this break, I pray I find more strength for next school year.  Please Lord, continue to strengthen me.  Everything is all about you after all.
    

*In order for full disclosure, I admit this is a young woman I have not often been able to get along with, so any communication with her has been dicey--on the part of both of us. (Link to her months ago post will be provided to those who ask for it via email.)


I will be sharing this post with my superintendent and my principal because I am thankful for their roles in my life and the care they show for our students.

Get a Giggle Friday

Two clowning on a bench.  

One is the man of my dreams...the other is a fashion don't.

Both have "hearts" of servants' gold.

The one with less hair was having a birthday.

On Sunday, we served dinner at Ronald McDonald House in memory of Vicki Miller.

We are blessed to have this opportunity to take care of others, but we miss Vic so much.

Yesterday, two of my girls presented me with this gift.  I found that sweet considering I'd just posted here about gifts for teachers.  They know I like Charlie Brown and friends and baseball, so...

Charlie Brown up to bat.  I do like a smiling bald male...

Speaking of mine, Brad's still working on the downstairs.  Nail pops, casings, all replaced or repaired and patched. New can lights installed.  Somewhere, my knitting is to be found:

Can you see the drywall dust on the hardwood floor?  Like Easter basket grass or Christmas tree needles, it's EVERYWHERE!
But the room will be gorgeous in time. Painting has begun!
He's doing this while working on a few closings and communicating with new clients as well as dealing with his chronic back pain, so there's no rush from this side!

Thanks for stopping by!

Did you hop over from here?

Teachers Appreciate

     I follow a few craft blogs, and I can't help but notice lots of buzz about teacher gifts. It makes sense, I suppose, as we're rapidly approaching May and with that comes teacher appreciation celebrations and the end of  the school year for some.  (We end in mid-June.)
     All of these blogs feature thoughtful and creative little gifts, and I do get a kick out of looking at them.  Such neato ideas.  But...would I really want any?  After 13 years in the biz, I have received a lot of knick-knacks but have given away a lot more than I've kept...
     Disclaimer:  I never expect gifts from my students. I used to always give gifts to Mac's teachers.  (Okay, got that off my chest.)
     That being said, this is one of my favorite Christmas gifts from a student and her family:

     I kid you not, they gave me a T.J. Maxx gift card, and I just used it last week for this much-cuter-on-than-on-the hanger-not-school-appropriate-halter-dress.  Whoa, right?  Better than an "apple gift," to be sure.
     So now, instead of reinventing the wheel I will link you to two teacher gift posts I've published in the past.  Both received comments, and they're worth reading too.
     The first is from this past Christmas time.  I'm happy to say by the way, I ONLY drink water in class now.  I stand by this post, and I like what it has to say.  (And I laughed when I reread the comment from my lurker son who wants you to know snacks ARE a good idea, since he hoped to come home and eat any I received.)
     The second is from a bit longer ago, and I'm pretty sure I don't contradict myself in this one.  Oh, except I do welcome soda pop in that one, but would no longer do so.  Oh so healthy me!
     Please don't think I'm greedy...even the positive feedback I received because of these posts cannot suppress the nerves I feel when I hit "publish post" for this one...

Conferences

     This year I have (only) 21 students.  In the past few days, I have had conferences with six of their parents.  How blessed I am to have students whose parents exhibit such understanding of their children's strengths and weaknesses.  So far it's only six sets of parents, but they have all been gracious, realistic, encouraging and have expressed such love.  How blessed my students are to go home to these people every night!
     As I stare down a long afternoon and evening of meetings, I can't help but hope the rest of meetings will be as positive and as full of love as my first handful has been.  May I also deliver good news, and share strong strategies to help these wonderful folks know their children will continue to grow this year.

Sweet story

     I teach fourth grade, and my peer Annie B. teaches fifth.  She has a large class this year, 29 kids, and before the school year started, I kept telling her if she was going to have a big group, this was the group to do it with.  The fourth graders last year were golden.
     At the end of the first day of school, she stopped me to share something she knew would touch my heart.  She said she was gathering all the kids around her, and they were so patient and polite as they found spots on the floor. She asked them who taught them to be so polite, and my Lance (of last year) said, "Miss Stewart did."
    I certainly can't and won't take credit for Lance's manners, he has a gentle heart in his all-boy body, but it is sweet that that's his perception. I just have to love him!

(Photo from one of last year's Elder Day Center visits--Lance and his buddy Harold)

Fun Photo Friday

     This week, my kids have been sharing "How To" speeches in class.  Charles is a gardener.  His family has their own garden and they have a community plot where they grow vegetables to share with the local food pantry.  (Wow, huh?!)  His speech was on planting seeds, and he gave me this broccoli plant to take home and nurture. He is a trusting soul!
     I plan on blogging about it on my class blog this summer, that is if I can keep it alive!

Friday's Favorite Memory Moments

     This is going to be a busy day.  It's a teacher work day, as it's called on the district calendar, and I woke up (at 4:30) thinking of all I have to do today; I started making a triage list.  Of course, I then couldn't fall back to sleep.
     Feeling a little overwhelmed, I decided to go over the week, and given my talent for digression, I came up with this blog post.  I could post about feeling overwhelmed, but instead I'm going to share a list of things that simply made me smile during the week.
     In no particular order, here are some favorite moments from the past seven days:

• A book's author left a comment about a post on my book blog
• I cleaned my closet and donated some nice things to Goodwill
• My students so enjoyed a spring art project I shared, they worked quietly for an hour--the "we love creating" vibe was palpable
• I had a moment with my teaching team at school in which we shared our fondness and care for each other
• Brad came home safe and sound from a family visit to Indy
• I edited and uploaded his pictures for him
• Picasa! Picasa! Picasa!(Addictive, addictive, addictive!)
• Visiting a wonderful church
• Getting a hug from B, my tutoring student
• Realizing I was beating my cold
• A spontaneous hug from A.S. in the school library
• Reading a whole book last weekend
• Picking up 12 more from the library that I get to delve into starting after this "work day"
• Hearing from my student teacher mentor in the form of a tender message

     And today begins.  A day of small and important accomplishments, a day to look back on third quarter and ahead to my last quarter with this wonderful group.  A day to plan what to plan.  A day to begin a break, spring break.  What a sweet little life I have, we have.

Smells, um, lovely...

     On Monday, my friend Betsy gave me a spring Hyacinthus plant.  It looked about ready to bloom.  Though I hope to live greener each day, the least green thing about me is my thumb.  So I was concerned I would do something to kill the thing.  I watered it, placed it on the round table that butts up to my desk and hoped it would bloom in spite of my lack of skill.  (Betsy told me I couldn't kill it; her thumbs are the greenest I know.)

     After school on Wednesday, I was working with my third grade tutoring group.  The scent of the room changed so much I figured one of them had gotten into Grandma's perfume.  They left, and the scent grew stronger.  I realized the plant was blooming, springing really, it opened so fast.

 

 

     On Thursday, when I got to school, the scent in my room was overpowering.  I had to move the flowering plant all the way across the room because my eyes were watered as soon as I crossed the threshold.  I watched the kids all morning to see if it elicited any allergic reactions.  I told Betsy she might have to take it from me.  We made it through the day.

     On Friday, I could smell it before I opened my door.  But it was a joy to see the second bloom opening.  It was only on Friday that the kids noticed the room smelled differently.  And they liked it, so we kept the plant. 
     A scent of spring in February, not matter how pervasive, is hard to let go of!

And so it began...

After starting the week with two days of meetings, oh my sore butt from sitting all day on hard chairs, I was ready for Wednesday--as ready as I could have been--to welcome my first ever fourth graders.

What a delight my first day was, one of the best ever. They listened to and followed directions, and they were so sweet. I cannot tell you how much my heart is filled with hope for the rest of our time together.

Though I am savoring and working through this weekend, I am also starting to miss them. They are a delight.

Monday night I meet all their parents for curriculum night. Yikes, I'm supposed to fill them in on what we're going to do all year, when right now I'm taking things day-by-day and hoping to eventually work up to week-by-week. I hope "my parents" will trust that I am a good teacher who is looking at the big picture, but I'm just not zooming in to study each and every fine detail just yet.

I have to share special thanks for my husband who has made dinner each night this week and made me go to bed at nine every night. He knows I wake against my will and my mind starts racing around 4 a.m., so nine is the best time for me to hit the hay. Just like a fourth grader, I protest such a babyish bed time, but I am thankful he nurtures me so.

Overheard at Summer School

My friend Annemarie related this story to me after teaching second graders in summer school:

Child 1--I have ADD!

Child 2--So do I!

Child 3--I have ADHD!

Child 4 (eager to be in on things)--I have Comcast!

And there are this week's words for Wednesday...

A letter to my students

Tonight is our annual Honors Night when we celebrate the soon to be moving on fifth graders. Each student is given a golden folder which holds a variety of writing samples from past grades and all writing from this year.

I just finished stuffing each folder with a pennant, their fifth grade writing and the following letter.

(Please forgive the weird blogger lack of indenting and spacing.)
June 4, 2009

Dear 5Sers,

In this folder you should find at least one piece of writing from each of your Louise White School years and all of your published writing from this year. I figure since I’m the last teacher to have her hands on this special folder, I might as well fill it up with good stuff!

Last week I spoke with you about this. If you keep anything from fifth grade, besides some good memories, keep much of your writing. Keep writing you think is good. It will be a window to who you are when you read it when you’re older. Keep writing that you think stinks, because you will use it to measure how you improve as a writer.

You are a writer. Remember the best thing about writing. When you write, unlike when you speak, you can edit and revise until you get things just right. Writing lasts, the written word stays on the paper indefinitely, while spoken words often float off in the wind. 

This letter is my gift of writing to you enclosed with your gift of writing to yourself. Think of how fun it will to come across this folder when you finish 8th grade, when you’ve graduated from high school, when you and your kids are cleaning your basement some day…They will want to know what you were like as a kid, and your writing will be a treasure to them. You’ll laugh at how sweet you were, and you’ll be touched by what mattered to you as a fifth grader. You’ll be reminded of things you haven’t thought about in a while, and your own writing will stir your heart.

Add to this folder each year so you can mark your growth as you travel on through school.

Love your words,

Miss Stewart

Question of the Week

After working in elementary school this long, having an elementary school student (feels like yesterday) and being an elementary school student (so long ago), I've seen a lot of fads come and go. Kids, like adults, covet stuff.

When I was in fifth grade, we were nuts for stickers.

This was before they were easily found in every store.

When Mac was in fifth grade, his peers were on the hunt for Beanie Babies. Remember that madness?

My first year teaching, many kids were totally into The Spice Girls dolls and Titanic--which had just come out on video (DVD's were still somewhat new then), but was not appropriate for them.

This spring, the fad of the moment is:

glitter filled balls.

Every girl seems to have one or wants one (the boys couldn't care less.)

So...

This week's question of the week, what was the hot fad or what thing were you clamoring for in fifth grade?

Hard to recall?

I always tell my kids what a fad is, and then I add an e to the end of the word because a fad will fade.

A gift of service...

Yesterday, we all walked to the Elder Day Care Center.

We spent some time singing songs and some time planting flowers.

The flower planting was hilarious. Have you ever heard of the expression, "too many cooks..."? Well at one table, we had too many gardeners--they each knew how they wanted things done and none of them had the same idea.

Still, I look forward to driving by over the summer when I'm in town to tutor and seeing these little impatiens spilling over their planters' edges.

More so, I look forward to creating a lasting relationship with this great non-profit organization and visiting them with next year's fourth graders.

Dear Diary, or a quick catch-up

(Blogger is giving me fits!)

A few random events from Sunday last to Sunday tomorrow. Add to that, Blogger won't let me move photos after I've uploaded them, so see if you can see which

photo(s) from above go with which text below!

Sunday--

Our church has something like 8 campuses throughout Chicagoland, and our campus meets in a HS aud. This week we learned the school district is kicking us out for the summer months while they do some renovations. Where will we meet all summer? Congregation Beth Shalom! How is that for grace across the faiths? I'm excited to teach next month's baptism class in a synagogue.

Tuesday--

We finally started reading aloud The Mysterious Benedict Society. It grabbed the kids from the start, but it has over 450 pages, and we don't have that many days of school left. So, whenever we can, we squeeze in some read-aloud. We have gotten though 100 good pages so far! We can make it...

Wednesday--

My student Chris's grandma came in to share an antiquity with the class, a dinosaur egg. It's from China, tens of millions years old, and it weighs about five pounds. Since I'd never had such a thing on my desk before, I thought a picture was a good idea! And, no, the phone isn't there for some weird ancient to modern artsy juxtaposition statement, it's meant to show scale!

Thursday--

Not only does the world laugh in flowers, our lunchroom did too when $2500.00 dollars of annuals were delivered to our school. Student council helped distribute them, and we raised over $600 for our at-risk reading program. My best girlfriends, Gail and Betsy, and my husband came to help. We're thinking it's going to be an annual, no pun-intended, event!

All week--

This was teacher appreciation. Neck massages were offered, a breakfast cart came classroom to classroom (on a morning my pants were so tight, I had to make a meager choice from the bounty of treats), pizza was purchased for Friday's lunch, and some of my students wrote me these notes. They were a delight to read, and they're headed for a keepsake container I keep for such things. (I have 24 students, so obviously only a third opted to do this, but I was tickled by the few who did, especially surprised by a couple of them!)

Tomorrow, Sunday--

Mother's Day. I woke up fiercely missing my mom yesterday. That was out of the blue. So here's a picture of one of her owls and a snap of a snap of her and my dad holding Mac when he was about 14 months old.

I love you Mom. I will see you again, until then, I will miss you.

Feeding His Starving Children

Yesterday, two of our fifth grade classes went on a long-awaited field trip to Feed My Starving Children. FMSC is an organization I learned of through church, and Mac and I went last summer. Once the school year resumed, I brought the idea for an FMSC field trip to my team and principal who gave it a resounding yes.

This wonderful organization packs food to be sent to the poorest parts of our world. In less than two hours, our group helped pack enough meals to feed 51 children for one year.

We had over 20 LWS parent volunteers who worked the warehouse and at each cell. We couldn't have done it without each and every one of them. How blessed my students are to have such involved moms and dads.

What an awesome (and I try to reserve that adjective for God stuff) opportunity for us all!

How it works:

We manned six cells, two or three kids stood at each end measuring and scooping chicken, veggies, soy, and rice.

See the scoop? That's the chicken powder scoop. Charity is holding a bag under the funnel.

Jamie and Emma are scooping, Tiah and Charity are holding the bags, weighing the food, and sending it to the sealer (a parent, not pictured, using a heat sealer machine.)

Luke is counting out filled meal bags and then loading them into a box. He loved this job!

Here's our pallet of food. I think we started another pallet too. After cleaning up, and before leaving, we prayed (some kids opted out) over it. Jazmine said the prayer, and many of us laid our hands on the boxes or each others' shoulders.

Say this prayer now if you would...

"God, may this food travel safely to reach and sustain hungry children."

After the prayer, we went back to the orientation room where we got to taste the food--very much like Rice-a-Roni, and say a video featuring photos of children it has helped save. My kids gasped, and moms cried.

I took dozens of photos, but Rex is giving me fits today. It's good fortune that I could post these few...I couldn't wait to share them with you!

What I've Learned from Being an Elementary School Teacher

1. The art of holding it.

I never seem to have time to go to the bathroom during my school days.

2. First graders think you're beautiful and will tell you so if you have something sparkly on or if you're wearing pink or purple.

Those words matter coming from anyone, any age.

3. I see more masterpieces from my desk than most people see in a lifetime.

4. My class breaks my heart daily--lately it's been because of the use of unkind names.

5. Spelling quizzes don't matter, and yet parents focus on them way too much.

6. We spend too much time assessing and not enough time teaching.

7. One surefire way to get a kid to remember you (forever) is to accompany him/her to the nurse's office with a trash can, stopping in the learning center to hold the can and sometimes hair back while he/she pukes. (Photo not available.)

8. I have finally mastered my math facts.

9. Kids' lit is better than adult lit.

And sharing it is a blessing.

10. Always do your plans in pencil. Each day is different and never turns out as anticipated.

11. I am lavished with loving gifts that stand the test of time.

12. Swings are the best cheap thrill on the planet.

13. You know you've done some good teaching when the kids go home more tired than you.

This does not happen nearly enough...

(I'm only meant to go to 13, but this is one louder--

I get to know and love each child, and then I have to send them away in June.

Most I never see again, and though it's the way teaching is designed, this is the hardest part of my job.

I know it's coming, I steel myself, yet my heart breaks a little more each summer.)