Pandemic Teacher Summer Day 1: It's Time to Play in the Dirt

Yesterday I wrapped up my twenty-fourth year of teaching with one last visit to my school building (I had to deliver some yearbook payments that had been hastily grabbed from my mailbox on the day teachers were given a half-hour to grab essentials to help facilitate instruction from home), helped a fellow teacher take down her twinkle lights so she can transfer to another school in-district (we wore masks and I re-rolled the LED strands from six feet behind her), planned a very tentative instructional schedule with the remaining members of our grade-level team (two have left) during an informal and productive Zoom meeting from home, wrote and sent my last weekly newsletter to my Super Stars and their families, and held my last parent-teacher conference of the year before dinner, three hours after I technically stopped being my students' "official" teacher. A few last teacher-appreciation gifts made me smile:

This morning I woke at my normalish time, made coffee, and checked to see if there were any education Twitter chats planned but found my regulars on break for the Memorial Day weekend. For the past few years I've enjoyed #satchat and #sunchat get-togethers as transitions to the beginning of my summer break, but this year it seems I'm to dive right into my end-of-the-year reflection.  I reread my self-check from the start of the year and found all of it to still ring true.  The raw feelings of my last few posts since the stay-at-home order have started to heal and fade, and I remain determined to find some semblance of balance between my professional and home lives as I look forward to spending quality with my family, tending the food and flowers growing in my greenhouse and taking online courses addressing the creation of effective online teaching and content creation. No, no "summer off" for this teacher.

I'll update my district web page so that parents of my next class of Super Stars who go searching for sneaky-peeks into our classroom this summer are greeted warmly, and I'll undertake the Herculean task of cleaning up the desktop of both my school-issued and personal computers. I created so much content and didn't sort it effectively as I went along, and I don't want to risk throwing it all away with the possibility of still needing it during the upcoming year.  I already took down the classroom props and essentials in my craft room to return it to what I hope will be a comfy and cozy creative space for my continued hobbying.  I'm working on two afghans, plugging along on my goal of crocheting at least one big blanket per month. Last night I took a long soak in the tub and began reading Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

My family and I plan to continue to stay at home as much as possible and to socially-distance ourselves if and when we have to go out to run essential errands.  Masked people are my people, but I've noticed far too many children, who, while accompanying their parents, cower in fear, like many kids do when faced with something or someone scary, as they encounter me in an aisle, or see me sitting in my vehicle waiting for my pick-up delivery.  Some families aren't preparing their children for this new normal, so I anticipate creating and sharing content to help normalize mask-wearing for future students. If I see one too many "prevent the summer slide" or "fill curricular holes created by the pandemic" advertisements or even blog posts by fellow teachers, I'll probably get all ranty in an attempt to explain how no, children don't really shake their heads and erase everything they've encountered and explored like an Etch-a-Sketch pad, and yes, play really IS the best way for them to develop their awareness, knowledge, and interest in this world.  Though I really would have enjoyed a longer break from taking college courses, the workshop I've applied for was frankly irresistible, since I'm a just-in-case person.  With the likelihood that I'll need to continue to reimagine and modify my future students' learning environment, I want more resources and inspiration to help me creatively problem-solve.

With year twenty-five on the horizon, do I hope to remain a kindergarten teacher for the rest of my career?  No.  I would like to become a library media specialist and am waiting for the all-clear so that I can reschedule the taking of my PRAXIS.  I'd pack up my teaching belongings in a heartbeat if I were offered a library in my district, even during a pandemic. Thankfully, I'm not feeling like a reluctant kindergarten whisperer: a year (or a few more) working exclusively with young children and their families doesn't fill me with dread- I will love them forever.  But I do rather feel like I'm on autopilot, and my spirit is chomping at the bit for a new challenge and adventure in education. It's not abandonment or burnout, but a continuation of change and growth, and its possibilities excite me. Shouldn't we all get to feel that several times during our careers?

This year's class photo (and yearbook, when it finally arrives) will get filed away with the others from all of my years of teaching but will stand apart, no matter what. I can only hope that my students and their families, and my colleagues with whom I've traveled and taught over this quarter-century remain safe and healthy. But for now, it's time to go play in the dirt.

Teachers Have Hobbies Too: Crocheted Afghans

I've never quite seen the point of having idle hands, and have managed to be a crafty, crochet-ey person for even longer than I've been teaching.  In addition to reading books and articles about education, pursuing my master's degree, attending professional development and training, creating kindergarten materials from scratch and surfing web sites stuffed with ed-related content, I've managed to pick up and enjoy multiple hobbies during my weekends and evenings.  Being able to papercraft, solder, make ornaments and decorative bunting, and crochet cowls and afghans might suggest to some that I'm entirely too productive, but hey...

... if a person has to have a vice, loving to create all things handmade is a good one with which to be afflicted.

You can find my non-teacher products over at Etsy.  For this go 'round, my shop is featuring cozy and cuddly crocheted afghans, just in time for winter.  Take a peek:

Log cabin stripes in pinks and grays:

Log cabin marbled afghan in pinks, teal, and beige:

Log cabin afghan in marbled reds and blues:

This southwestern colored waffle-stitch afghan was fun to make:

This big and bulky afghan could double as a decorative rug:

Knowing I have called my kindergarteners my "Super Stars" since my first year of teaching, it shouldn't be any surprise that I've even made star-shaped afghans.

Vibrant star:

Mint green and gray star:

... and even a denim-look star:

What are your hobbies?

Checking In

I'm still here, though it might be difficult to know it considering my lack of posting.  In addition to teaching another sweet, silly and smart class of kindergarteners, this is year TWO of my graduate program, which will wrap up at the end of this summer.  I've been on the mend since the health scare wake-up-call of last spring... we've added a sweet kitty to our family... and I've developed quite the addiction to crochet. While I haven't been blogging regularly, I assure you I've remained immersed in all things #kindergarten, such as continuing to grow my classroom library with new and new-to-me titles (this batch of books was selected for one of my grad classes, and I'm unsure if Coraline would be a good read-aloud for kindergarten: let me know if your class has enjoyed it):

... treating my Stars to fun and fresh holiday pencils each month (oh Target Spot, how I love you):

... and enjoying early childhood teacher fashion, like these glasses that show just how much I love teaching and learning:

When I get home, there's lots of snuggling and cuddling and taking pictures of Tish-Tish:

(Here she is with yet another book for grad school)

... and oodles and oodles of crochet going on, which *might* have something to do with my one and only new year's resolution: to crochet one afghan per month.

Though this year has flown by in many ways, there's still so much left to do.  I have a yearbook deadline around the corner, after reaching the one-hundredth day of school, my Stars are excited to be counting down to summer vacation, and graduate school assignments and professional development meetings are in multiplication mode. 

But I'll be back to blogging, I promise.  Kindergarten is too great an adventure to go it alone, you know?  Until then, remember that you can find me on Instagram @msommerville (seriously, go check out the latest portrait that a Star drew of me; I'm thinking I need to purchase some monster hair bows now) and occasionally on Twitter @msommerville where my absence from Twitter chats is also evident but I still find some great stuff to retweet and share. 

How is YOUR year going?  Have any book recommendations for me?  What's your non-school-related hobby? 

Summer's 3 R's: Refresh, Renew and Re-Energize

For many teachers, summer vacation has started, or is just around the corner.  Family time, naps, professional development, travel, catching up on medical and dental appointments, and ~more~ naps are on many of our agendas.  As we tackle the items on our to-do lists (that we likely postponed during the school year), our pace can closely resemble that of our typical work week.  Add to that the awkward adjustment period of days or even weeks when our internal clocks force us awake at 5:30 each morning, and our transition can feel less than relaxing, delaying the start of our necessary self care.

Non-teachers may think that I'm advocating for undeserved pampering when I mention self care or advocate for a summer version of "the three R's:"  Refresh, Renew, and Re-energize.  It's the often ignored fourth R component of our jobs, relationships, that make the other three so necessary for teachers.

First, some definitions:

re·fresh

rəˈfreSH/

verb

give new strength or energy to; reinvigorate.

re·new

rəˈn(y)o͞o/

verb

resume (an activity) after an interruption.

  re-en·er·gize

   rēˈenərjīz/

    verb

    verb: reenergize

    give fresh vitality, enthusiasm, or impetus to.

Teachers form new relationships with students and families every school year, and continue to grow partnerships with fellow colleagues and other friends of education.  These relationships form the foundation of a safe and nurturing environment, but they can be the source of stress, worry, and even fear for teachers.  Poverty, politics, and performance anxiety can drain teachers of our energy and inspiration, despite the goals we set for ourselves and our students each year.  We often put the needs of others before our own, and forget to replenish our own energy reserves, though it's essential that we do just that: our students should get the best that we have to offer, instead of making do with what's left over.  As it happens, summer vacation, that traditional time for children, families, exploration and memory making, is also the perfect intervention... for teachers.

Dr. Karen Horneffer-Ginter, author of First Cup, Thirsty Spirit: Nourishing the Soul When Life's Just Too Much, shared this infographic over at The Huffington Post, suggesting fifty ways that we can take a break in order to refresh, renew and re-energize ourselves:

This Tuesday, June 2, #TeacherFriends will be chatting about how and why teachers can implement self-care over summer break.  Join us and share your suggestions and ideas regarding meditation, hobbies, exercising, eating healthy, and replenishing your teaching spirit.  Teachers new to Twitter are also invited to join us, taking baby steps with lots of online support and camaraderie as we tweet, retweet, chat, and share. 

Did you notice the hashtag #PRIZES?  Chat participants will have the opportunity to put their names in a hat (actually a Google doc) for several prize drawings!  Since part of my self-care routine involves crafting and creating, I've decided to offer a patriotic soldered charm to one lucky winner:

Join us (in your jammies, if you like!) Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m. Kansas time, for an early bird "practice" chat opportunity.  I'll answer any questions you might have (my favorite color is red, I wear a size 9 shoe, and this will be my 20th year teaching kindergarten), and then get our 3 R's chat underway with Debbie Clement (@KweezleQueen) and friends at 8:00 p.m.

See you soon!

~Michaele~ (@msommerville)

What I Did Over Spring Break: 1, 2, 3

Spring Break in Oz:

One:

Two:

Three:

Which is how I was able to:

One:

Two:

Three:

No beaches, very little warmth, but a whole lot of comfy, cozy time making a baby blanket for a special soon-to-be-a-grandmother colleague.

***

Making my bi-annual check, I cleared out any old/dead links in my blogroll and happily added a new author/illustrator category (check it out on the right).  I've also widened the margins of the blog so hopefully you'll enjoy the larger photos I'm now able to post. 

***

Have you liked Kindergarten's 3 R's on Facebook?  It's where you'll find most of my quick posts, links, teacher truths, and classroom humor.  

***

What are your plans for spring break?

Time for a New Hobby...

... since lifelong learning shouldn't just be a goal for my students!

I've admitted to having a more-than-mild paper addiction, and regular readers know it takes a lot for me to step away from my hot glue gun.  With a sheepish smile on my face however, I have to share the following:

Soldering intimidates me.  Amazes me.  Scares me even.  Makes me fear for my fingertips and any other exposed skin I might be sporting in my crafty nook.

Odd, considering I wield a curling or straightening iron each morning (taming my mane into something presentable for work), and ~those~ things can leave the *worst* burns ever!

Deep breath in, cleansing breath out, deep breath in, and relax, Sheila is here to help:

First, I chose a domino with two 6's on the back for my birth month, December:

... and after trimming the edges with adhesive backed copper strips (I didn't forget to burnish the strips against the domino), Sheila instructed me to paint on some flux, and pick up some lead with the soldering wand:

It wasn't quite like applying nail polish.  Nor was it anything like curling one's hair.  But it was fun, and awkward, and intriguing.

I think I'm going to ask Santa Claus for soldering goodies this Christmas.  Oh yes.

(Sheila provided domino-sized images that could be cut out and Mod Podged onto the face of the domino- I chose a vintage-y little girl with a jack-o-lantern.)

W-A-Y  fun!

Thank you Sheila!

***** 

Would YOU like to take a class from Sheila?  

She'll be at Farmstead on November 20th:

 ~ 10 a.m.-12 p.m.  Found Treasures Charm Bracelet (wire wrapping techniques) $45

 ~ 1 p.m.- 3 p.m.  A Crown Fit for a Queen (paper/fabric/millinery/bling)$45

 ~ 2:30 p.m.- 5 p.m.  Let it Snow Banner (sewing on paper and using embellishments)$40

Call 816-858-0120 to register by November 17, 2010

Barnes and Noble Magic

I'm still smiling from an encounter that occurred yesterday afternoon. Daughter and I went to the Science Fair to retrieve her board and reports (she got second place, not bad for a district/city this size!), and she asked if we could go to Barnes and Noble so she could buy a book she wanted with one of her holiday gift cards. Friends know that twisting my arm to go to B&N is not a difficult task, so before we knew it, there we were, inhaling the Starbucks coffee aroma as we walked through the book aisles.

Our toddler is at that "change diaper, Mommy, ucky" stage, so potty-training is right around the corner. Since our other children are ages seventeen, sixteen, and thirteen, any and all potty books have gone the way of all good things, passed on to other friends and family or sold at a yard sale years ago. Consequently, I made a beeline to the childrens' book section while Daughter headed straight for young adults'. After looking through the selections available without finding what I was hoping for, I headed to magazines, Daughter on my heels (she found the last copy of Hacking Harvard), to see if the British versions of some of my favorite magazines were available.



The home decor/design/crafting magazine aisle was packed for some reason, and I found myself on the far left of the stands, just waiting for an opening. Scanning through the group of customers, searching for a way in, I saw a woman, magazines in hand, on the far right of the magazine stands, also looking for entry. After several customers looked right at me, then went back to flipping through their magazine without scooting an inch, I continued to stand my ground, as did the lady at the opposite end of the stands. Finally, people shifted and then left the area completely, so Right-Side-Lady and I made our way in. I quickly found the magazines (too many!) I was hoping to, while Right-Side-Lady replaced some of the magazines she had been looking through. She seemed worried about crossing my line of sight, so I laughed and told her "no, you're fine" and she told me she forgot where she had found one magazine in particular as she wanted to put it back in its proper place. We continued with some small conversation, finding relief in communicating with another apparently rare, polite person. She asked where I found Country Living, so I grabbed a copy for her, and we chatted on. She mentioned she was just looking for color inspiration, at which point I mentioned that I had run across a blog that had linked to Pantone, which had recently published a "fashion color report" that provided color samples for the home decor and fashion we'd be seeing this year. Right-Side-Lady introduced herself as Rosie, and told me she was a weaver and spinner- I had noticed she was wearing the most wonderful shawl/wrap- and we continued on with some chit chat, very relaxed and pleasant. Before she left she gave me her card, invited me to her workshop and made it clear that it would be for a visit, not for shopping.

Shannon is visiting at the end of the month, so I was thrilled to email her yesterday with the B&N story to ask if she'd like me to contact Rosie and set up a time we could visit. Affirmative! So this morning, I found the Pantone color reports online, and printed out the Spring 2008 and Fall 2008 color palettes to mail to Rosie (apparently she's not online) along with a card asking when a good date during Shannon's visit would be to come out to her workshop. Looms, weaving, textiles, color... it all sounds wonderful and as charming an experience as meeting Rosie was yesterday.

Rosie left B&N before we did. Even though my arms were full of magazines, Daughter and I decided to look through Valentine cards and stationery, and we eventually wandered toward the craft and hobby section. And there it was:



You *make* them! Fairy Tale Dress-Up Day will never be the same again. My poor family. My poor colleagues. My students are going to LOVE this (and my friends are laughing their tushes off, I'm sure!).

In the (Mood for) Pink

My friend Polly will understand. It's an annual urge we both share. Only this year I'm not only painting my nails pink, wearing pink shirts, and having fun with rosy lip gloss...oh no...pink has been catching my eye everywhere lately. I'm not the "romantic/shabby" decor kind of gal, with rooms overflowing with cabbage roses, white furniture, and pink galore, but I do appreciate *touches* of the flirtatious color. Who'da thunk I'd be bitten by the fabric bug while shopping this morning?


The fabric and baubles will be incorporated into some project or another, as yet, undecided. My husband won't mind as I'll take over the countertops while he's away hunting, and I've neglected using my sewing machine for far too long now.

With Valentine's Day coming up next month, I've also got love and hearts on the brain. Is it just me, or is the fruit I snack on each day even subliminally suggesting love?

Blankies

I've been busy (they're blankies, not hankies), but not as busy as the recipients will soon be! Though I'm thankfully not a grannie yet, I do enjoy crocheting the basic granny square.



And the next blankie-to-be?