If you never thought you'd need Kleenex after hearing someone tell you "Good job," you'd be wrong.
Michaele Sommerville's coffee-powered rants, resources and reflections of all things ~KINDERGARTEN~
Showing posts with label appreciation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label appreciation. Show all posts
Friday, April 24, 2020
Sunday, May 08, 2016
Keys to Our Success: Volunteer Appreciation Gift Idea
With only fifteen days left in the school year, and despite the many, many activities and events packed into those busy days, it's important to remember and thank parent volunteers and teacher aides for all of the time, effort, and in my case, helpful humor that they contributed on behalf of students during the year.
In years past I've given summer flowers, bookmarks, handmade star charms (for my Super Stars) or photos of my class (in decorated picture frames) to the sweet parents, families and aides who helped us carve pumpkins, cover shoe boxes with butcher paper for valentine mailboxes, pulled workbook pages, and transported our lunches in their own vehicle for field trips. This year, I returned to the star charm idea, but decided to make key/purse/zipper fobs instead:
I cut one inch by one inch squares of scrapbook paper (dark blue with cream stars and denim print) along with glittery heart and star punches. These will be encased in one inch by one inch glass pieces.
I cut my copper tape using pinking/deckle scissors to make a decorative edge. This will give the soldered finish along the front of the charm a nice design.
I carefully wrapped the copper tape around each charm, and burnished the edges with a bone folder:
After brushing on the flux (from the yellow tin in the photo) and mounting the charms in the jaws of the jewelry stand, I soldered v-e-r-y carefully using my soldering wand.
Interesting factoid: when solder touches your bare skin, it's so hot that for the very briefest of moments, it feels ~cold~. Afterward, ouchie, ouchie, ouchie.
Here are the charms before I added the jump rings (metal loops for a necklace chain or fob):
... and after:
Here are the finished fobs, to be given to the volunteers and aides who were the KEYS to our successes and enjoyment this year!
I'd love to know how you thank and celebrate your parent volunteers and aides! Leave a comment and let me know (and hang in there, the end of the school year is in sight)!
In years past I've given summer flowers, bookmarks, handmade star charms (for my Super Stars) or photos of my class (in decorated picture frames) to the sweet parents, families and aides who helped us carve pumpkins, cover shoe boxes with butcher paper for valentine mailboxes, pulled workbook pages, and transported our lunches in their own vehicle for field trips. This year, I returned to the star charm idea, but decided to make key/purse/zipper fobs instead:
I cut one inch by one inch squares of scrapbook paper (dark blue with cream stars and denim print) along with glittery heart and star punches. These will be encased in one inch by one inch glass pieces.
I cut my copper tape using pinking/deckle scissors to make a decorative edge. This will give the soldered finish along the front of the charm a nice design.
I carefully wrapped the copper tape around each charm, and burnished the edges with a bone folder:
After brushing on the flux (from the yellow tin in the photo) and mounting the charms in the jaws of the jewelry stand, I soldered v-e-r-y carefully using my soldering wand.
Interesting factoid: when solder touches your bare skin, it's so hot that for the very briefest of moments, it feels ~cold~. Afterward, ouchie, ouchie, ouchie.
Here are the charms before I added the jump rings (metal loops for a necklace chain or fob):
... and after:
Here are the finished fobs, to be given to the volunteers and aides who were the KEYS to our successes and enjoyment this year!
I'd love to know how you thank and celebrate your parent volunteers and aides! Leave a comment and let me know (and hang in there, the end of the school year is in sight)!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Clean, Keep, Toss
Clean, keep, toss.
Clean, keep, toss.
Clean, keep, toss... it's our family's pattern this week.
So many thanks to our friends, family, VFW volunteers and other angels who have come to our aid in numerous ways since the flood.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Have You Ever Had...
... one of those days, AND one of **those** days... on the same day?
Here I am after today's five hour field trip to a nature park (details: four kindergarten classes, the wilds of Oz requiring jeans, hiking shoes, bug spray, emergency kit, sunscreen, snacks, camera and unfailing knowledge of every possible potty location):
Note the lethargy, made even more pronounced by the forty minute ride back to school in a ninety-eight degree bus.
Ninety.... eight.... degrees. Thank goodness my colleague knew just the right way to solve the problem by bringing the situation to the bus driver's attention. My Alaskan genes had me complaining:
Like my hat?
Colleague to the rescue, students enjoying a nice long nap, and happy Super Stars sharing their favorite parts of the field trip once they woke up helped bring my joy level back to within its normal range...
...just in time to come home to find that Vanessa, over at Pre-K pages, had included me on her Dream Teaching Team, leaving me:
(photo courtesy of Cute Overload)
Yep, it's good when one of those days ends up being one of **those** days!
Thank you Vanessa, thank you colleague-to-the-rescue, thank you parent volunteers, thank you classroom aide, thank you nature guides and park rangers...
...and thank you to the inventor of air conditioning.
Here I am after today's five hour field trip to a nature park (details: four kindergarten classes, the wilds of Oz requiring jeans, hiking shoes, bug spray, emergency kit, sunscreen, snacks, camera and unfailing knowledge of every possible potty location):
Note the lethargy, made even more pronounced by the forty minute ride back to school in a ninety-eight degree bus.
Ninety.... eight.... degrees. Thank goodness my colleague knew just the right way to solve the problem by bringing the situation to the bus driver's attention. My Alaskan genes had me complaining:
Like my hat?
Colleague to the rescue, students enjoying a nice long nap, and happy Super Stars sharing their favorite parts of the field trip once they woke up helped bring my joy level back to within its normal range...
...just in time to come home to find that Vanessa, over at Pre-K pages, had included me on her Dream Teaching Team, leaving me:
(photo courtesy of Cute Overload)
Yep, it's good when one of those days ends up being one of **those** days!
Thank you Vanessa, thank you colleague-to-the-rescue, thank you parent volunteers, thank you classroom aide, thank you nature guides and park rangers...
...and thank you to the inventor of air conditioning.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Custodian Appreciation
Many of us receive tokens of of appreciation and affection from our students and their families. We tend to enjoy Atta-Boy or Atta-Girl recognition, annual participation in Secret Santa, and sharing goodies and treats with our colleagues. "PayDay Fridays" or once-a-month lounge get-togethers also occur, and many teachers bake, cook, or buy to their hearts' content any number of nummies sweet, savory, and oh-so-tasty.
Secretaries, principals, nurses and school counselors enjoy national days of recognition too, but custodians tend to miss out on others recognizing them on a set day each year. Some online calendars claim October 2 is Custodian Appreciation Day, while others place the event sometime in the spring.
This year our custodial staff went above and beyond their normal call of duty when Mother Nature and El Nino decided to hit Oz repeatedly with snow, wind, and wind chill punches one after the other. Our Super-Custodians dug out and salted the sidewalks, made sure the building stayed heated, repeatedly cleaned carpets, excavated alternate fire escape routes and walkways, put out rubber mats and extra carpeting to absorb the extra moisture and limit falls for students, parents and teachers, and by golly, they did it without complaining! They arrived early, stayed late, and kept us all on track even when water mains burst one street away, requiring that our building's water be turned off during repair work.
They did all of this while still managing to scrub paint, clay, crayon, and pencil marks off of our students' desks, disinfecting our bathrooms, classroom surfaces and doorknobs, and vacuuming holiday glitter from the carpets. Our crew is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
*****
As January is the calm after the storm of the winter holiday season, many of our wallets are lighter than usual, making big-ticket "thank you gifts" difficult to produce. Our solution? Gift baskets in which all teachers provide a small donation of goodies that are then divided up amongst (in this case) four containers:
Baskets and other storage containers are on sale after the holidays. I found these at Joann Crafts and was even able to add an additional teachers' discount which lowered the final price significantly. Better yet? The baskets are lined and can be reused by our custodians any way they like:
Start with a layer of colorful tissue paper:
Put the taller items in the back:
...and keep filling the baskets in:
After the last of the goodies are added tomorrow, I'll finish off the presentation with shredded filler (the custodians will *certainly* be glad it's not SNOW!) and wrap the baskets with clear cellophane, raffia, and gift tags:
A little bit given by a lot of people adds up to a whole lot of appreciation~ now THAT'S math I *like*!
*****
"No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Thank you." ~Author Unknown
"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." ~William James
"During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. "Absolutely," the professor said. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy." ~Joann C. Jones
*****
~What did we include in our baskets?
*fruit
*cheese and crackers
*snack packs
*hot chocolate
*herbal tea
*chocolate
*homemade cookies
*juice
*trail mix
*fruit snacks
*bite sized candy
*Girl Scout Cookies
*microwave popcorn
*dip mixes
*gum
Secretaries, principals, nurses and school counselors enjoy national days of recognition too, but custodians tend to miss out on others recognizing them on a set day each year. Some online calendars claim October 2 is Custodian Appreciation Day, while others place the event sometime in the spring.
This year our custodial staff went above and beyond their normal call of duty when Mother Nature and El Nino decided to hit Oz repeatedly with snow, wind, and wind chill punches one after the other. Our Super-Custodians dug out and salted the sidewalks, made sure the building stayed heated, repeatedly cleaned carpets, excavated alternate fire escape routes and walkways, put out rubber mats and extra carpeting to absorb the extra moisture and limit falls for students, parents and teachers, and by golly, they did it without complaining! They arrived early, stayed late, and kept us all on track even when water mains burst one street away, requiring that our building's water be turned off during repair work.
They did all of this while still managing to scrub paint, clay, crayon, and pencil marks off of our students' desks, disinfecting our bathrooms, classroom surfaces and doorknobs, and vacuuming holiday glitter from the carpets. Our crew is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
*****
As January is the calm after the storm of the winter holiday season, many of our wallets are lighter than usual, making big-ticket "thank you gifts" difficult to produce. Our solution? Gift baskets in which all teachers provide a small donation of goodies that are then divided up amongst (in this case) four containers:
Baskets and other storage containers are on sale after the holidays. I found these at Joann Crafts and was even able to add an additional teachers' discount which lowered the final price significantly. Better yet? The baskets are lined and can be reused by our custodians any way they like:
Start with a layer of colorful tissue paper:
Put the taller items in the back:
...and keep filling the baskets in:
After the last of the goodies are added tomorrow, I'll finish off the presentation with shredded filler (the custodians will *certainly* be glad it's not SNOW!) and wrap the baskets with clear cellophane, raffia, and gift tags:
A little bit given by a lot of people adds up to a whole lot of appreciation~ now THAT'S math I *like*!
*****
"No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Thank you." ~Author Unknown
"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." ~William James
"During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. "Absolutely," the professor said. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy." ~Joann C. Jones
*****
~What did we include in our baskets?
*fruit
*cheese and crackers
*snack packs
*hot chocolate
*herbal tea
*chocolate
*homemade cookies
*juice
*trail mix
*fruit snacks
*bite sized candy
*Girl Scout Cookies
*microwave popcorn
*dip mixes
*gum
Monday, July 13, 2009
Of Computers and Vacuums
I'm time-warping through this summer. Slooooooow warps, q-u-i-c-k warps, losing track of time, the date, and motivation to do much of anything.
Blame my husband. He followed up (his) hernia surgery with the gift of a new MacBook Pro, so I've gone from quasi-nursemaid to full-blown MacAddict in less than a week. I've been Facebooking, tracking down SMART lessons for kindergarten, listening to music, playing some games, and figuring out the bells and whistles of my new laptop. I know, poor me. Now if I could just figure out a way for this wonderful tool to 1) clean my house and 2) prepare meals I would be SET!
*****
I'm not just reserving praise for the new kid on the block though! Not only am I loving my new computer, I also have oodles and oodles of appreciation for my four-year-old Dyson vacuum. Such gratitude can best be summed up with the following praise and testimony by yours truly:
My dearest Dyson, you are **So** *Exceptionally** **Good** at sucking up spiders, webs, and bugs. I love you.
No, really, I LOVE you.
Certainly you do a wonderful job of cleaning my carpets, and cleaning up cat hair that Anni deposits from time to time. You can reach all the difficult nooks and crannies of our house that seem to attract little Legos, dust bunnies, and gummy bears, and yes, even your fancy schmancy attachments make cleaning stairs and other odd-shaped orifices of this house extremely simple.
But Dearest Dyson, you make it so I don't have to touch b-b-b-b-ugs. Or spiders. Or their webs. Or the dead bugs trapped in those webs. And it is that reason for which I will be eternally grateful.
You suck, and I mean that in the most flattering way imaginable.
Blame my husband. He followed up (his) hernia surgery with the gift of a new MacBook Pro, so I've gone from quasi-nursemaid to full-blown MacAddict in less than a week. I've been Facebooking, tracking down SMART lessons for kindergarten, listening to music, playing some games, and figuring out the bells and whistles of my new laptop. I know, poor me. Now if I could just figure out a way for this wonderful tool to 1) clean my house and 2) prepare meals I would be SET!
*****
I'm not just reserving praise for the new kid on the block though! Not only am I loving my new computer, I also have oodles and oodles of appreciation for my four-year-old Dyson vacuum. Such gratitude can best be summed up with the following praise and testimony by yours truly:
My dearest Dyson, you are **So** *Exceptionally** **Good** at sucking up spiders, webs, and bugs. I love you.No, really, I LOVE you.
Certainly you do a wonderful job of cleaning my carpets, and cleaning up cat hair that Anni deposits from time to time. You can reach all the difficult nooks and crannies of our house that seem to attract little Legos, dust bunnies, and gummy bears, and yes, even your fancy schmancy attachments make cleaning stairs and other odd-shaped orifices of this house extremely simple.
But Dearest Dyson, you make it so I don't have to touch b-b-b-b-ugs. Or spiders. Or their webs. Or the dead bugs trapped in those webs. And it is that reason for which I will be eternally grateful.
You suck, and I mean that in the most flattering way imaginable.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Girl(friend) Power
My trip to Alaska to see my son graduate was full of laughter, exploration, good food, more laughter, shopping, catching up, introductions, and, you guessed it, *laughter* thanks to Girl Power:
Dear friend (crafter, jewelry maker extraordinaire) Shannon took me to her favorite bead shops and let me wear her wares- psst, she has her own blog now!- as she continued to reign supreme as The Hostess With the Mostest in Anchorage...
Incredible Polly was my sounding board, dessert-at-Pike's accomplice and home base when I was in Fairbanks (her girls are two of my former students, one is starting her second year of college while the other graduated from high school this month)...
A branch of the Loud Lady Tree made it to the graduation ceremony- no celebration is ever complete without Lori and her girls (see Karen peeking over the top?)... How Lori has all of the energy she does to keep up with her large family is beyond me...
Exceptional friend and former colleague Bev (Karen and Lori are former colleagues too!) introduced me to her new daughter-in-law R. and precious granddaughter S. Prior to our coffee and bagel breakfast, we caught up in her classroom as she tore everything down for summer cleaning...kindergarten teachers are busy, busy, BUSY!
This lady is known as the "Other Bev," and as another friend and former colleague of mine, earned the right to smack me up alongside the head as I walked right by her after my son's graduation (she was there to see a nephew). Laughter and smiles all the way around, I wish we could have spent more time together!
Yes, yes, Karen is wearing a shirt that says "You can't scare ME, I'm a teacher." Soon to be a grandma, I enjoyed meeting her beautiful daughter-in-law Cassandra- celestial banners are in the works for that girl! Karen has always had a knack for bringing humor and peace to stressful situations, and her travel photos are to die for!
Though from very diverse backgrounds, my dearest friends share so many of the same traits: kindness, tolerance, humor, patience (ooooh, they've been soooo very patient with me over the years!), wit, flexibility, joy, and creativity. They are incredibly knowledgeable and inspire me to be a better teacher and friend- and the best part of all, each one is an expert when it comes to giving HUGS.
Ladies, thank you for bringing such sunshine to my life.
Dear friend (crafter, jewelry maker extraordinaire) Shannon took me to her favorite bead shops and let me wear her wares- psst, she has her own blog now!- as she continued to reign supreme as The Hostess With the Mostest in Anchorage...
Incredible Polly was my sounding board, dessert-at-Pike's accomplice and home base when I was in Fairbanks (her girls are two of my former students, one is starting her second year of college while the other graduated from high school this month)...
A branch of the Loud Lady Tree made it to the graduation ceremony- no celebration is ever complete without Lori and her girls (see Karen peeking over the top?)... How Lori has all of the energy she does to keep up with her large family is beyond me...
Exceptional friend and former colleague Bev (Karen and Lori are former colleagues too!) introduced me to her new daughter-in-law R. and precious granddaughter S. Prior to our coffee and bagel breakfast, we caught up in her classroom as she tore everything down for summer cleaning...kindergarten teachers are busy, busy, BUSY!
This lady is known as the "Other Bev," and as another friend and former colleague of mine, earned the right to smack me up alongside the head as I walked right by her after my son's graduation (she was there to see a nephew). Laughter and smiles all the way around, I wish we could have spent more time together!
Yes, yes, Karen is wearing a shirt that says "You can't scare ME, I'm a teacher." Soon to be a grandma, I enjoyed meeting her beautiful daughter-in-law Cassandra- celestial banners are in the works for that girl! Karen has always had a knack for bringing humor and peace to stressful situations, and her travel photos are to die for!
Though from very diverse backgrounds, my dearest friends share so many of the same traits: kindness, tolerance, humor, patience (ooooh, they've been soooo very patient with me over the years!), wit, flexibility, joy, and creativity. They are incredibly knowledgeable and inspire me to be a better teacher and friend- and the best part of all, each one is an expert when it comes to giving HUGS.
Ladies, thank you for bringing such sunshine to my life.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
SpiderBunny
Thanks to Kimberly at Petroville, the toddler enjoyed his visit to Build-a-Bear (though he built-a-bunny instead):
He chose a Spiderman costume for his bunny...
...made sure the mask fit properly...
...took a looksie in the mirror...
...and was ready to take SpiderBunny home!
Thank you again Kimberly!
*****
A personal political plea (and really, I'm asking nicely): Dearest friends, colleagues, neighbors, and strangers (I'm not including family because they know better): I HAVE ALREADY VOTED. No more political emails/forwards *please*. Thanks!
*****
He chose a Spiderman costume for his bunny...
...made sure the mask fit properly...
...took a looksie in the mirror...
...and was ready to take SpiderBunny home!
Thank you again Kimberly!
*****
A personal political plea (and really, I'm asking nicely): Dearest friends, colleagues, neighbors, and strangers (I'm not including family because they know better): I HAVE ALREADY VOTED. No more political emails/forwards *please*. Thanks!
*****
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Playing Catch Up!
...with a little bit of this and a little bit of that today~
A very happy birthday to my grandmother, my childrens' "G.G." I spoke to her today on the phone, and she mentioned she enjoyed a celebratory cappuccino during lunch. She hasn't had a jolt of caffeine in years, so her afternoon was probably spent hanging out with this fellow:
*****
It has been a busy first week of school with students. A lot of joy, tons of enthusiasm, a bit of drama, much-appreciated reassurances, and a remarkable amount of support from parents, students, new colleagues and administrators. I knew I would *love* returning to teach in the land of Oz!
Reading the comments many of you have left and the e-mails you've sent to me about my classroom decor, teaching philosophy, and your unselfish sharing of ideas, links and resources has been the icing on the cupcake, truly. I'm looking forward to exploring your sites and updating my blogroll this weekend! Professional Learning Communities and Collegial Ties certainly can and DO exist worldwide now!
*****
~Poppytalk Handmade got my attention with School Days, a back-to-school and fashion market.
~ Now that I'm teaching in a school that utilizes Smart Boards in the classroom, the nostalgia of chalkboards has hit me... Poppytalk has been similarly affected!
~Frazzy Dazzles has me wishing we were neighbors, crafting friends, because she captured The Very Hungry Caterpillar perfectly for her daughter's birthday!
~The family wants me to try Crispy Yogurt Chicken, thanks to The Pioneer Woman Cooks...
*****
Tomorrow is Purple Day in my classroom! Yes Mom, I'll be wearing my purple cowboy boots- but the students will be enjoying several stories about Harold and his purple crayon:
A very happy birthday to my grandmother, my childrens' "G.G." I spoke to her today on the phone, and she mentioned she enjoyed a celebratory cappuccino during lunch. She hasn't had a jolt of caffeine in years, so her afternoon was probably spent hanging out with this fellow:
*****
It has been a busy first week of school with students. A lot of joy, tons of enthusiasm, a bit of drama, much-appreciated reassurances, and a remarkable amount of support from parents, students, new colleagues and administrators. I knew I would *love* returning to teach in the land of Oz!
Reading the comments many of you have left and the e-mails you've sent to me about my classroom decor, teaching philosophy, and your unselfish sharing of ideas, links and resources has been the icing on the cupcake, truly. I'm looking forward to exploring your sites and updating my blogroll this weekend! Professional Learning Communities and Collegial Ties certainly can and DO exist worldwide now!
*****
~Poppytalk Handmade got my attention with School Days, a back-to-school and fashion market.
~ Now that I'm teaching in a school that utilizes Smart Boards in the classroom, the nostalgia of chalkboards has hit me... Poppytalk has been similarly affected!
~Frazzy Dazzles has me wishing we were neighbors, crafting friends, because she captured The Very Hungry Caterpillar perfectly for her daughter's birthday!
~The family wants me to try Crispy Yogurt Chicken, thanks to The Pioneer Woman Cooks...
*****
Tomorrow is Purple Day in my classroom! Yes Mom, I'll be wearing my purple cowboy boots- but the students will be enjoying several stories about Harold and his purple crayon:
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Um, *Yeah*
I'm not a big fan of the word "yeah," but it seems to fit right about now:
(Tuesday, Day 1 of the packers in our house)
Wowie, BARE walls!
Nearly-bare china hutch....
Hard to believe that the house used to look like THIS at Thanksgiving...
Dear Daughter's room hasn't been THIS clean in quite some time (don't tell her I told you!)...
And finally, our bed (yeah, it's king sized!), covered with our traveling gear:
Wednesday will see the office, toddler's room, my classroom gear, and our storage closets all being packed, Thursday MIGHT see the start of the furniture being prepped with the boxes getting loaded onto the semi...and Friday evening, this home will no longer be ours.
By the way, dear tax paying readers, THANK YOU. It's your tax dollars that house my husband and my family so he can do his job and we can all be together for the United States Army. While I take great pride in keeping each house we live in feeling like a home, we all do our best to take good care of each property out of appreciation and respect for you, our friends and family.
(Tuesday, Day 1 of the packers in our house)
Wowie, BARE walls!
Nearly-bare china hutch....
Hard to believe that the house used to look like THIS at Thanksgiving...
Dear Daughter's room hasn't been THIS clean in quite some time (don't tell her I told you!)...
And finally, our bed (yeah, it's king sized!), covered with our traveling gear:
Wednesday will see the office, toddler's room, my classroom gear, and our storage closets all being packed, Thursday MIGHT see the start of the furniture being prepped with the boxes getting loaded onto the semi...and Friday evening, this home will no longer be ours.
By the way, dear tax paying readers, THANK YOU. It's your tax dollars that house my husband and my family so he can do his job and we can all be together for the United States Army. While I take great pride in keeping each house we live in feeling like a home, we all do our best to take good care of each property out of appreciation and respect for you, our friends and family.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Giveaway Winner!
Dear Daughter drew a winner:
Congratulations Shauna!
Thank you to all who entered by commenting or emailing me last week- the excitement of today's drawing is what got us through the misery of our colds!
Many thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts and encouragement- I'm so looking forward to reaching the next blog milestone (when/what is that, exactly?) and of course, thinking up something new for my next giveaway!
Congratulations Shauna!
Thank you to all who entered by commenting or emailing me last week- the excitement of today's drawing is what got us through the misery of our colds!
Many thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts and encouragement- I'm so looking forward to reaching the next blog milestone (when/what is that, exactly?) and of course, thinking up something new for my next giveaway!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Subs, Aides, Paraprofessionals
A former colleague of mine is now on maternity leave after the much-anticipated arrival of her daughter. My friend has been preparing her classroom, materials, and students for the long-term sub for months now, hoping that she and her students "get a good one." I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for her too.
For all of the wonderful substitute teachers, classroom aides, and paraprofessionals out there, thank you for all that you do. And thank you for all that you try to do.
I was raised "a teacher's kid," and was therefore privy to the inside track of public education from a very young age, but I still had to "do my time" as a substitute teacher before I was given the chance to teach my very own group of students. And Ladies and Gents, I never had it as difficult as many of you do simply because of my upbringing and exposure to the world of teachers, inservices, and educational training. I knew which substitute teachers my mother would request by name and why she would request them, and I knew why some substitute teachers had their names crossed off of sub-caller lists after their first visit to a school. I had my mental file cabinet full of tricks and could navigate the "Yay, it's just a SUB" minefield that miraculously appears whenever someone other than the classroom teacher enters a room.
Subs, aides, and para-professionals have to deal with so many issues when they step into another teacher's classroom. The biggest one being that they are not the regular classroom teacher. It's obvious for all to see, and the usual response from many students when a stranger enters the room is to assume all of the rules, limitations, allowances, and expectations of the classroom teacher were just thrown out the window. In response, many subs tend to choose one of several paths: they try to exactly follow whatever schedule or routine that has been left for them, attempting to don the costume, tone, mannerisms and authority of the teacher they are covering (while failing miserably on the classroom stage); they try to call down the thunder in their very best Viola Swamp impersonation, somehow failing to gain the compliance of the students as effectively as she; or they sit behind the desk, warming the teacher's seat and letting the students run the show for the day, merely looking up to check that no blood is left on the linoleum. But the exceptional substitute teachers, aides, and paras, are all able to leave a positive mark on our students, encouraging the academic learning process to continue to motor forward, and giving students some valuable social experiences as well.
Here are some of Amazon.com's recommendations for substitute teacher handbooks. I can't tell you how glad I am that I haven't come across a "Subbing for Dummies" book... or "Teaching for Dummies" for that matter.
As for my colleague's sub? Please do a good job. Enjoy your new students as much as she does. Laugh with them, sing with them, read to them, share with them, encourage them, listen to them, guide them, teach them.
No pressure.
For all of the wonderful substitute teachers, classroom aides, and paraprofessionals out there, thank you for all that you do. And thank you for all that you try to do.
I was raised "a teacher's kid," and was therefore privy to the inside track of public education from a very young age, but I still had to "do my time" as a substitute teacher before I was given the chance to teach my very own group of students. And Ladies and Gents, I never had it as difficult as many of you do simply because of my upbringing and exposure to the world of teachers, inservices, and educational training. I knew which substitute teachers my mother would request by name and why she would request them, and I knew why some substitute teachers had their names crossed off of sub-caller lists after their first visit to a school. I had my mental file cabinet full of tricks and could navigate the "Yay, it's just a SUB" minefield that miraculously appears whenever someone other than the classroom teacher enters a room.
Subs, aides, and para-professionals have to deal with so many issues when they step into another teacher's classroom. The biggest one being that they are not the regular classroom teacher. It's obvious for all to see, and the usual response from many students when a stranger enters the room is to assume all of the rules, limitations, allowances, and expectations of the classroom teacher were just thrown out the window. In response, many subs tend to choose one of several paths: they try to exactly follow whatever schedule or routine that has been left for them, attempting to don the costume, tone, mannerisms and authority of the teacher they are covering (while failing miserably on the classroom stage); they try to call down the thunder in their very best Viola Swamp impersonation, somehow failing to gain the compliance of the students as effectively as she; or they sit behind the desk, warming the teacher's seat and letting the students run the show for the day, merely looking up to check that no blood is left on the linoleum. But the exceptional substitute teachers, aides, and paras, are all able to leave a positive mark on our students, encouraging the academic learning process to continue to motor forward, and giving students some valuable social experiences as well.
Here are some of Amazon.com's recommendations for substitute teacher handbooks. I can't tell you how glad I am that I haven't come across a "Subbing for Dummies" book... or "Teaching for Dummies" for that matter.
As for my colleague's sub? Please do a good job. Enjoy your new students as much as she does. Laugh with them, sing with them, read to them, share with them, encourage them, listen to them, guide them, teach them.
No pressure.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Appreciation, Holidays, Ideas
Oh, the winter holiday season is almost upon us! Baking, singing, decorating, spending time with friends and families, treasure hunting, gift giving, traveling... it's all good!
The National Association for the Education of Young Children offers a descriptive article regarding Good Toys for Children, and I know that NOT too many of you will be surprised to find that in fact, the newest whirlie gig-light up-digital bells a- ringing-cartoon character toys AREN'T the most developmentally appropriate, stimulating, or safe choices when it comes to purchasing toys for babies, toddlers, preschool or kindergarten aged kiddos. Keep NAEYC's guidelines and suggestions in mind when you're out shopping for youngsters on your gift list.
If the gift of time is more your cup of tea, then perhaps cooking or baking with young family members, friends, or students would be fun! I found some Kwanzaa recipes here and some Hanukkah recipes over at Food Network , several of which I'm eagerly anticipating trying in my own kitchen this year.
Making graham cracker "gingerbread" houses with my kids is an annual tradition (one I will miss sharing with students this year) I still need to schedule, but the basic supplies are: empty/clean/dry milk cartons, graham crackers, paper plates, IN-EDIBLE royal icing (recipe here), coconut, cookies, cereal, hard candies, licorice ropes, and if you're feeling really adventurous, upside-down ice cream cones frosted with green or white frosting for Christmas tree landscaping around your graham cracker construction!
Just in case you think I'm rushing, remember Thanksgiving is right around the corner! In addition to making placemats, cards, and other artwork by hand
, please consider "adopting" a member of our Armed Forces for Thanksgiving dinner. Being a military family member, I am proud to say that our family will be sharing our hospitality and gratitude with three soldiers who are away from home this year. If all of the "geographical bachelors and bachelorettes" have already been adopted by members of your community, please remember those soldiers serving overseas. Any Soldier is a site that can help you decide what to send and when to send it, and trust me, care packages are so greatly appreciated by those friends and family serving so far away from home.Happy Veterans' Day!
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