In Search of Smiles

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At 8:45 I popped my head out and checked on the students on the playground.  Two second graders came running up to the door.

"Hi, Mrs. R!"  they chimed, smiling ear to ear.

"Good morning!" I replied.  I talked with the girls and a few other students about staying off the muddy field. I told them I would get my coat and see them soon.

Earlier, our principal and social worker had lead an early morning meeting centered around how our staff should react to what children might ask about the Sandy Hook tragedy.  There was discussion about locking our classroom doors, what to say and not say to our students.  Very little of the discussion was about how to take care of ourselves.  Most of our staff looked tired and anxious.

I knew what I needed:  fresh air and some smiling faces.

I grabbed my coat and told my friend, Michelle, that I was heading out to the blacktop where most of our students line up.  She decided to join me.  I greeted every student and adult with a smile.  I made lots of welcoming remarks, noticed cute hats, baby sisters and red noses.  We talked about the muddy field and our wishes for snow.

In return I received lots and lots of smiles.

Now I was ready to start my day, teaching and learning along with my students.

A smile goes a long way.  I hope everyone can find a smile (even a small one) this week.

Tuesday's Verbs

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Scene:  Home

Toss, turn

Sneeze, cough

Hear, ignore, press, repeat

Jump, coax, prepare, frown, smile, sigh

Shower, dry, dress

Remember

Change, pack, race

Scene:  School

Chat, brainstorm, thank

Meet, teach, coax, smile, 

Eat, copy, staple, panic, breathe

Teach, read, listen, laugh, scold, compliment

Greet, facilitate, smile, share, reflect

Carry, drive, call

Scene:  Home

Juggle, drop

Kiss, hug

Drive, pickup, listen, coach

Text, understand

Eat, smile, chuckle, breathe

Fix, fill, check, kick, fuel

Sort, fold

Sit, think, read, type, slice

Back in the reading habit

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Hooray!  I've been reading L O T S of books since last week.  I'm feeling better about my reading (too bad I have a cracked filling and a stuffy head... but that's a different slice) !!!

Here are some books I read that are worth a shout out!

This adorable story by Paul Schmid finds Petunia in a power struggle with her parents over the animal she thinks would be a perfect pet.  My 4th graders cracked up at Petunia's verbal meltdown in the middle of the story.  I love the beautifully simple purple illustrations.

Elizabeth Levy has a great protagonist in Cassie.  She's a middle school girl with a retired football player for a dad.  Cassie bounces between mom's house and dad/stepmom's house.  Things get interesting when Cassie is asked to try out for the football team, even though she hasn't played since she was 7 in the Pee Wee league.  I love Cassie's perseverance.  

These were my favorites from this weekend's reading.  Next up on the to-read list (see my list on Goodreads) are:

Happy reading to all during this holiday weekend!  I'm so thankful for the time to spend with my family, friends and BOOKS!

Excuses for Not Reading

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Many of my students (and lots of adults I've met) have lots of excuses for not reading.  

I was on FIRE this summer, burning through lots of books and adding them on Goodreads.  In the past two weeks, I've found myself in a reading slump.

Here's my current list of excuses.  

I haven't been reading because....

I haven't been to the library in a month.

Every time I try to download an ebook from the library, I don't finish the process, exit my cart and lose all my books.

It gets dark at 5:00 now.  After coming home and waving the dinner wand, I reallllly don't want to go out again.

I've read nearly all the books on my shelf.  If I haven't read them, those books aren't interesting to me.

I haven't had time to read my usual book-loving blogs to add new titles to Goodreads.

I haven't been to the library in a MONTH!
(My husband joked that he expected them to call me and check that I was okay.)

I've been working hard on keeping my classroom papers in order.  When I look up at the clock, there's no time left to read.

I'm looking for a new book, author or genre to get me excited.

<sigh>

I've run out of excuses.  Time to find something to read....and quick!

Taking Care of My Customers

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When I need a quick lunch during the school day, I like to stop at the Culver's near our school.  Sure, their burgers are tasty and the custard is yummy, but the reason I keep going is their customer service. Everyone who works there has a smile on their face, even when it's busy or they are taking out the trash.  They will stop by your table and clear your place if you are finished eating.  They always thank you for coming.

I'm trying to recognize the customers in my life and treat them very well.  Sometimes it's tricky (when working with demanding adults) but most times it's very easy (when I see students).

My customer service habits include:

• Smiling and waving at students I see in the hallway.
• Chatting with students as they unpack their bags or wait in lines.
• Practicing great listening skills.
• Thanking colleagues for new information, papers, or stopping by.
• Ensuring my students that I'm glad they came to my class and worked so hard.
• Reminding former students that they can borrow books from my room.
• Trying to smile -- even when I'm tired, crabby or frustrated.
• Being approachable

What are your customer service skills?  I'm glad I've reminded myself to keep smiling.  

Eyes on the storm

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On Sunday and Monday I couldn't stop watching the media and coverage of Hurricane Sandy.  My thoughts were with the residents of the northeast.  I've never lived in a hurricane-prone area, and I think those living in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey really thought they didn't either, until recently.

I joked with a coworker that I needed to turn off my empathy button, focus on my students, and forget about people facing days of rain, wind, downed trees and no power.  But I realized that my feelings of empathy are impossible to turn off, especially when there's a big storm.

Ten years ago, we experienced 7 inches of rain in one night, and back then I could sleep through thunderstorms.  I woke up the next morning and walked down to our finished basement to get some clean clothes.  As I stepped down from the last step, my foot squished into the carpet.  My mind could not figure out why the carpet would be wet.

We soon discovered that our basement had flooded with sewage because the previous owners had connected the basement bathroom right to the sewer line.  There was no check valve or overhead sewers (I've learned about these now).

I'm embarrassed to admit that I cried as we threw away toys we couldn't wash and tore up nearly new carpeting.  I remember stressing out at my grandmother's house as I washed the 10th load of laundry, crying that I couldn't deal with one more sewer-soaked towel.

We flooded twice after that storm, and both times we were able to contain the flood to a small area.  We finally fixed the sewer connection, and our hope is that we won't have to deal with that mess again.

Every time I hear that high waters and wind will threaten people I love or barely know, I can't help but feel for them.  Yes, water damages our stuff, and it can be replaced, but the idea of dealing with such a mess makes my heart hurt.

Today I looked at the devastation the hurricane caused in many places.  I wish the residents of the northeast strength and stamina as they deal with a huge interruption to their lives and a massive cleanup.

Second Guessing

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It's my 10th year of teaching in my current position, at my current school.  This year (for reasons I can't pinpoint) I've taken on a bad habit.

Second guessing.

I'm second guessing my instructional practices.
I'm second guessing my outlook on literacy.
I'm second guessing letting my students have free choice as well as leveled text in their book bags.
I'm second guessing nearly everything I'm doing.

It's exhausting!

On the other hand....

I'm great at brainstorming ideas for the classroom teachers in my building, always with the caveat, "I don't have a classroom, but have you thought about....?"

But then....

The more advice I give, the more I start to second guess what I'm doing and how I'm doing it.

I've always tried NOT to compare myself to other teachers, but then I launch into excuses.

"She's able to try that because her students have more language skills."
"She can accomplish that because she's more effective at behavior management."
"She just wants to impress others."

Second guessing makes for long days, upset stomachs and little sleep.

Maybe I should follow the advice I give to so many colleagues, especially our newest teachers:

"Pick one thing.  Dig in.  Research.  Try. Reflect. Try again.  But only pick ONE thing."

Time to find that ONE thing.  Time to stop second guessing.