Every End, Marks a New Beginning

   Today we had our last day of our summer camp.  For the last eight weeks we have been having fun teaching kids different educational classes using crafts and hands on activities.  There have been fun days and days I wanted to pull my hair out, but camp is now over.  Our last day was full of hours of games, picnic food, and water fun.  We had a fun day that left the teachers happy to have earned a break and many of the students sad that their fun camp was over. 

     I’m amazed at different emotions that have run through my mind tonight.  I’m ecstatic to have a week vacation.  I’m also a little sad, because I’ll miss the relaxed fun nature of camp.  I even feel a little anxious that I only have one more week before I get back to school and start another year.  I’ve reached a minor end in my life. 

      I’ve learned that as each part of our life ends the next chapter doesn’t wait to begin.    After a few days rest, I’ll throw my energy into a brand new school year full of many more experiences.  I’ll get back into my classroom and get the room reorganized.  My bulletin boards will come back to life with fresh paper, and I’ll have time to plan the lessons for a new class of students.  In addition to the parts that I am familiar with I’ll have new peers, curriculum, processes, students, and many other unforeseen changes.    

     In each of our lives we have parts that are ending and parts of our lives that are just beginning.   We often handle these changes without a second thought.  At other times it seems that we can’t handle any change.  As you look at your life are you stuck on something in the past that is causing you to lose joy in the present?  Are their potential changes in your future that are causing you so much stress that you are losing joy in the present?  This may be normal, but unless we can learn to live life to the fullest in the present then we will never overcome the past or be successful in the future. 

(In the comments below, let me know some of the things your doing to prepare for this new school year.)

Fighting Anger With Encouragment and Love

     In the midst of all of our personal goals, schedules, and plans we can sometimes become far sighted and miss the emotional needs of our students and families.  Until these emotional needs are met there probably won't be much growth or learning taking place. 

     This summer a child named Sir Fredrick* has made the lives of both teachers and students miserable.  His evil ways caused strife, pain, and dischord at our camp all summer.  As Sir Fredrick showed up to camp today he was already a thundercloud.  His mother had obviously been yelling at him and it came out that he had punched his sister.  Sir Fredrick's mother threw a few threats through the door to her messed up child and then fled.

     I had the misfortune to have Sir Fredrick first in class and it wasn't five minutes before our first power struggle began.  As I went through my progressive discipline we quickly reached a fever point.  Instead of my usual method of getting sterner, I tried something different.  I told the class that Sir Fredrick was obviously having a bad day today, because of things that happened at home this morning.  Upon hearing this Sir Fredrick burst into tears and retreated to a quiet corner to begin sobbing. 

     As I looked at the shocked looks on my students faces I said, "Today we are going to write a card to Sir Fredrick to try and cheer him up."  Being resilant little kids the class quickly forgot the trama that Sir Fredrick had caused them all summer and began to empathize with him. 

     As the first student finished his card he delivered it to Sir Fredrick and he quietly rejoined our group.  My class began writing additional encouragement cards to parents, grandparents, and anyone we could think of.  Without being told to, Sir Fredrick quietly joined our work and began an appolegy card to his sister.  Once his emotional need for friendship and forgiveness was met, he was able to relate normally with others. 

    As I left camp today I saw Sir Fredrick tightly holding the cards that we had given him today.  They may be the last positive words he hears for a long time.  If I had proceeded into a power struggle with Sir Fredrick we probably would have regressed into the agrivated and angry argument that has characterized Sir Fredrick's summer.  However, today I was reminded that love and encouragement can be stronger than threats and punishment.  Who else do you and I know that needs to hear some encouraging words today?

 

(In the comments below, please let me know ways that you encourage your students.)   

Stop Monkeying around and Listen

      As I have looked over my curriculum for the upcoming year I can see that I will need to teach a new concept every day and on some days two lessons per subject.  This fast pace may not be in the best interest for students learning, but it is necessary to meet our states rigorous standard and expectations. 

    Since we cannot add more time to the day our only option is to make our current teaching more efficient.  An example from my teaching today gives me a pretty good idea of where to begin.   

     As I was passing out the materials in our small group for our writing lesson I listened to two girls on my left chattering away,  the boys were trying their best to keep their hands off each other, the students closest to me where day dreamers who seemed to be taking in the chaos of the table.  If this was a regular classroom situation I would obviously change the seating to separate these groups of students.  Since it was camp, I decided to experiment and see what would happen next.   So I gave the directions and two students began to work.   Two more students asked, “What did you say?” hoping that I would repeat what I said now that they were ready.  The last two hadn’t even come-to that we were involved in an activity. It took a great deal of time to get everyone finished with a basic task.  This was great for a summer class that I was trying to drag out, but would be a nightmare during the year. 

      Whether our students learn slowly or quickly we have to continue to work with them until they master the concepts we teach.  Yet, with the increased expectations we all face, it becomes even more important that kids close their mouths-listen up-and focus their brains to learn their lessons the first time.  So until we are allowed to put duct tape on mouths, braces on necks, hand cuffs, speaker ear phones, and medicine to focus to every child in our class.  We’ll have to resort to some age old teacher techniques like, “Eyes and ears on me.” to help our students reach their highest potential. 

(In the comments below, share with us some of your ways for keeping your students attention.)       

Who Else Can Interrupt My Teaching?

     As summer break comes to an end our minds are starting to get motivated to get back to work.  The most important task on most of our lists is to get into our rooms and start to get it ready.  We should have plenty of time in preschool to get ready, but there is a small chance that something might get in the way of our preparations.  If your school experience is anything like mine, that small chance is probably a sure thing. 

     Today as I began to teach I was told that work crews were replacing all of the fluorescent light ballasts and so I spent the day in several different rooms.  We would start in one room and then move to another room while the workers continued their work.  When we were not moving we had workers coming in to check breakers and talk about electrical problems.  I was glad that my teaching was for fun and not as important as it is during the school year. 

     My first year of teaching, I had to teach a day while they built a wall.  My students seemed a little distracted.  Two years later I taught my classroom in the hallway while they replaced carpet.(Why can’t they ever do this during the summer?)  I’ve had bull dozers outside my room rattling the room so much that pencils were dancing off of the desks.  And this is just the distractions from construction workers. 

     Think of how many phone calls you get from the office for crazy things like, “Make sure you check your box today.”  Duh! Students who come in and out of class for extra work, fundraiser rallies, administrative pep rallies, parents who show up, the list goes on and on.  Each of these interruptions may only last a minute, but over the course of a year those minutes add up to a great deal of lost learning.

     The expectation in most schools is that good teachers will make up for lost time by coming in early to school, staying late, and take fewer breaks.  Although this is wrong thinking, we as teachers often sacrifice for the sake of the students.  However, sometimes I have found that for the sake of the students we have to be more vocal and let people know that their interruptions are unacceptable.  At other times we simply have to train the students to ignore the distractions and just keep on working.

     So as the school year begins, we can all expect some annoying interruptions.  I’ll be trying my best to keep the students needs the main priority.  If that means better lighting, carpet, walls, etc., then I guess I’ll have to consider being flexible. 

(In the comments below, please tell me some of the crazy distractions you have faced.) 

The Joy of Johnny

     As I prepared for summer camp this summer, a teacher warned me about an autistic student who would be joining us at our camp.  My initial thought was of the challenges I would face dealing with a child who was defiant, uncontrollable, and incapable of participating in our class activities.  As always I tried to have an open mind, but I sure didn’t have high expectations for this student. 

     As camp began I was introduced to a small child with a head slightly larger than normal.  Johnny* had dark eyes that twinkled and an elfish smile like he was contemplating something funny.  Johnny approached me and with a sing-song voice proceeded to ask me question after question.  “What is your name?”  “Where is Mrs. Hamly?” “Why is Mrs. Hamly on vacation?” “What is the schedule?” As I answered each question he had another question ready like when Johnny asked, “What is our schedule?”

     I responded, “First you’ll be going to my class to learn about building houses.”

     Johnny replied, “What comes after building houses?”

     I said, “Then we have playtime.”

     Johnny then said, “What comes after playtime?”

     The pattern continued until we had gone through the entire schedule.  I then broke off the game so that we could move on to our first class.  As we entered our first class I started my lesson and got the students working on a project.  Johnny was not interested in the project and would stand up and go skipping around the room waving his arms and swinging his head side to side.  He wasn’t bothering anyone so I allowed him time to move before calling him back to his seat.  When Johnny returned to his seat he asked for paper and pencil, which I gave him to keep him busy while I worked with some other students.  For ten minutes Johnny was focused on his paper.  His tongue moved to the corner of his mouth as he concentrated hard on the words he was forming.  When he was done he proudly came up to me and said, “Is this the schedule?”  To my amazement Johnny had written the schedule from memory in an organized list using perfect spelling.  I knew that few of his peers in the class could have copied it off a piece of paper, let alone pull it from memory. 

      Over the course of this summer I have looked forward to seeing Johnny each day.  He is very different from his peers.  Like a puppy dog that greets you at the door, Johnny is always glad to see you.  He is inquisitive, curious, simple, even childlike, and loved by all of his classmates.  My initial opinions were based on my limited experience and incorrect assumptions.  The label that Johnny had been given did not do him justice.

      As a new school year approaches I can thank Johnny for increasing my wonder of how our brains work, showing me that it is important to smile, and helping me to keep my opinions in check.  I guess one reason why I teach is, because it teaches me so much as well.  Thank you Johnny. 

(In the comments below, please tell me what one of your students has taught you.)

*I've changed the child's name for this article.