The Army Wives' Deployment Truth, Plain and Simple

New military spouses (I'm really addressing wives here), someday, probably sooner than you hope, you're going to have to deal with the ins and outs of a deployment.  Scary stuff, morbidity, and t.v. schlock aside, know this:  you get to deal with everything while your husband is gone.  

Everything.

E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

Mortgage/rent.  Insurance.  Crank calls.  Allergies.  Flooding.  Fires.  Bills.  Drama-filled neighbors/friends/fellow spouses... injuries, flat tires, sports practice, home appliance failures, work, teen angst...  tornadoes, growth spurts, car accidents, pet injuries, check ups, phone solicitors, cancellations, midnight vomit fests, power outages, record snowfalls, snakes and mice.  Parent-teacher conferences, birthday parties, grocery shopping and vehicle maintenance, you get to do it all.

As supportive as your FRG might be, you're still going to have to handle these things without anyone holding your hand, and without sobbing your eyes out on social networking sites or over the phone to your already worried and stressed out soldier.

You're not just stronger and more capable than you know, you're stronger and more capable than you want to be, and that's the real kicker, isn't it?  

Ask for help when you need it, but give it the ol' college try on your own first.  Help others, but don't coddle anyone, and don't insist on being babied yourself.  You're a soldier too now, so suck it up and do a good job.  It might not always be fun, and it certainly won't be easy, but you and your spouse signed up for this, and now you get to deliver.  

Have a good cry when the kids are asleep (blame it on a chick-flick if you like), set your boundaries, make your schedule, and let others know you're going to stick to them.  You're not going to make everyone happy, though some of them might accuse you of slacking- some might even gossip or try to lay a guilt trip on you.  The "coping skills" that they've chosen not only for themselves but insist upon inflicting upon others don't have to be yours.

Don't cave.  Do right by your children, do right by your spouse, do right by yourself.  If you must lean on someone occasionally, choose someone reliable, discreet, calm, with a great sense of humor.  Don't compete, don't parade, don't gloat, don't whine.

Endure.  Make good decisions.  Love your husband.  Respect yourself and others.  

You'll get through this.

*****

... and another personal suggestion?

Get a good mouser:

(Dear Daughter caught the uninvited visitor in the plasticware after Anni-Cat was done playing with the little furball.  Just another day down in our own family's deployment adventure!)

Teacher Tip: Pushpins are Your Friends!

When you're ready to prepare your bulletin boards, step---away---from---the---stapler!




You've set up your students' desks, centers, and other interactive learning areas first, so now it's time to display posters, pocket charts, photos, a word wall, artful inspiration, learning objectives, a schedule, and math and literacy tools.  To save time throughout the year, commit specific display areas for year 'round focus.  The staple board above our sink and painting area is always for my students' artwork, while the board above my math center always features posters, work done by students, graphic organizers and other examples of math concepts.  Our circle/story time area features our calendar, days of the week, seasons, weather chart, and literacy unit props, along with often-used words on our word wall and vocabulary the students like to use in their daily writing and reading written on sentence strips.

Additional student work can be hung on the cabinet doors above the students' cubbies and out in our hallway for others to enjoy.

Last year, a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom coconut tree greeted students on our art wall during the first two weeks of school:

This year, my students will see an introduction to our first curricular themes, colors and shapes:

I love how the plain white border looks like ric-rac around the black and white checked trim, and the dotted punch-out letters add just the right *POP* to the display!

To place the prints and letters, I use clear push pins so I can reposition them as necessary:



Push pins allow you to move and tweak your displays with only one hole punched through your artwork/lettering.  Once you have everything in place (and if your bulletin board materials are going to stay in place for a while), go back and staple each item, and remove the pins.  If you change your artwork/learning tools weekly, you may want to use pins on their own- just make sure students can't reach them- pokey things can be quite intriguing and dangerous!

(To remove staples without ripping your students' work, your trimmers or posters, use a staple remover like this, instead of the old claw/chomper looking doohickie.  WalMart and other office supply businesses sell both types, but the wand staple remover doesn't do nearly as much damage as the "jaws" remover.)

I'll share more photos as my room continues to come together!

Teacher Gear Available...

... at Target (these were in the $1 bins):










Target also has star-tipped wooden pointers, crafty stuff (pipe cleaners, pom poms, wiggle eyes), pencil sets, weather charts, and teacher's planning books- they won't be there long!

Here's what I found at Michaels:

Some of these bins are like the ones I use in my students' cubbies. At $4 each, using coupons would be a good way to go.  WalMart does sell plain white baskets that are a bit more affordable, but they can be tough to clean when students write or color on them.

Read Across America happens in March, but librarians and teachers may like to keep the Cat in the Hat up year 'round...

Ah, an item that fits the bill as both helpful and humorous!

I'd still suggest that you register online with Michaels so they can email you coupons (print off multiple copies of them and have your family join you for big or multiple purchases) or track down coupons in your Sunday paper.  Most craft stores honor competitor's coupons as well, so register online for Joann's and Hobby Lobby, then print, clip, and save!

 

(**Apologies if the photos are oversized/sideways.  Photobucket is taking HOURS to post the photos I've adjusted and tweaked.  Check back later for the pics to look as they should.**)

A Reader Request

I recently received the following:

Good Morning! 

I am a daily reader of your blog.  As a first year teacher I haven't found the time to start a blog (or a good niche to write about) however reading my blogfeed is my daily unwind when I get home from a busy day in the classroom.  You have given me so wonderful tips on how to organize and run my classroom.  

 I have a favor to ask....I am a teacher at a non profit private school for children with special needs, AchieveKids.  We are currently trying to win a Dell Technology Grant that would get our school 20,000 dollars worth of technology. We are a non profit school, so this would help us immensely.  I can't even imagine the neat learning opportunities that would open up for my students.  The way our school wins the grant is through a contest.  We need as many people as possible to "Like" our school video, found here .  I am sure you are bombarded by requests from readers to post things to support their cause or to prompt it, however if you had the time to either prompt it on your blog or even just personally click on it and support it that would be amazing.  Each person can vote once a day until July 14th. 

Thank you!

        -Sadie
*****

I enjoyed visiting Dell's Connect Your Classroom site!  Schools vie for this particular technology grant, and I encourage you to watch each of their video submissions.  You will have to register (quick and painless) before you're able to vote.

I have to say, my favorites are the videos featuring spontaneous and sincere requests for consideration made by students themselves.

Best of luck to Achieve Kids!

(photo found at Flickr via spelec.anton)

Practicing What I Preach

The custodial staff finished cleaning my room, and the technology department was ready for me to decide where I wanted my new computer center, so, earlier than planned, I returned to my classroom:









In my post about classroom themes and decor, I suggested that teachers arrange their room furniture BEFORE hanging up paper, posters, and learning tools, something I still do even though this is my third year in this particular classroom.  Center locations have to be tweaked and adjusted this year due to the new computers: instead of laptops, my students will have keyboards and monitors that fill up two center tables instead of one; the computers must be located at an appropriate network point; like my other centers, I don't want my view of the computers blocked by any displays or tall furniture when I'm working at my own desk or reading table; and the computers must be away from both our sinks and water fountain.


I first set up my students' desks and chairs near the SMART Board, one of their favorite learning tools:







Then I situated the large bookshelves as dividers between centers, making sure they didn't create blind spots:

I'm able to keep my calendar/story time center in the same corner as last year:

With the big furniture in place, and as our wonderful technology staff started setting up my computers (the center will be to the right of our circle/storytime area), I decided to set up the bulletin boards that won't be damaged by sunlight over the last month of summer vacation:

Later this month I'll return to the classroom to finish my word wall, math display, center tags, locker/cubbie tags, and of course, open up fresh boxes of crayons.  My classroom plants will brighten up corners, and I'll need to pull workbook pages and fine tune my lesson plan templates, wash and re-hang curtains, and set out learning materials and tools for my next group of Super Stars- so much to do!

(First curricular theme: COLORS)

Giveaway Winner!

Thank you so much for leaving such great comments, adding me to your blog readers, and saying "hi" via Twitter, Blogger, and Facebook!  Extending my professional learning community past my own classroom's walls is what I enjoy most about blogging, especially with kindred spirits who "get" why we share teacher humor, voice our opinions, help one another, and advocate for children.

The winner of the geometric foam pattern blocks is...

LINDSAY!

Lindsay said...

I just found this blog through google. I just got a job as a Kindergarten teacher! I'm super excited!! :) I can't wait to read more from this upcoming year when I'm teaching as well.

I've already emailed you, so make sure you send me your mailing address and I'll get the blocks in the mail a.s.a.p.!

 

Mark My Words...

... in four to six years, you're going to have Bellas, Edwards, Jacobs, Alices, Emmets, Rosalies, and Jaspers in your classroom.

I'd bet money on it.

The last big wave of movie names that hit my classroom occurred in 1994 and 1995, five-ish years after The Little Mermaid came out in theaters.  I cannot *tell you* how many Ariels and Erics my kindergarten colleagues and I had to sort through and keep straight.  Yes, I even taught a Sebastian and a Tritan.

No lie.



*****
Tomorrow I'll be drawing the winner for the bag of foam geometric pattern blocks!  Leave a comment at that post only to be entered for a chance to win!