In common.
May 31Today as we walked outside for recess, David grabbed my hand. This isn’t unusual for him… as we walked to the hill, he looked up at me and said, “You know what Mr. _______, you and I have a lot in common.” “Really? Like what?” I said, taking the bait. “Well, first of all, we are both smart,” he began. “Very true,” I agreed. “Secondly, we both love to write,” he...
Remembrance.
May 30Last week, when we took our field trip to the beach, I sat next to Cindy on the way back. She, like the rest of the sprouts, was tired and quiet from all the sun and salty air. About halfway back to school, she looked up at me and said, “You know, we don’t have school on Monday.” I’m always tickled when kids tell me something I already know and think I don’t (like when Luther arrived...
Discovery.
May 29A good friend of mine passed this article on to me from The Economist. The research presented debates the practice of telling children how something works first versus letting them explore on their own. As teachers, we struggle with this all the time. As a rule, I want to let my sprouts discover new learning tools, manipulatives, and toys on their own, but I do have to take safety into...
Fish.
May 28These last few weeks of school are always a challenge. Mother Nature is partially to blame. With the warmer temperatures it’s more difficult to sustain the attention of a six-year-old, but I do my best. In kindergarten, more than some of the older grades, the kids are also beginning to become anxious at the prospect of leaving the safety and comfort of their friends, classroom, and teacher. ...
Compliment.
May 27Slow down… breathe… take it all in. Things I know I should do, but when the day is spinning, sometimes hard to do. Kids have a way of forcing us to… in their own special way. Today, after writing facts about whales in our Ocean Journals, I sat reading them to the class. As usual, I had one eye on the clock and was thinking about getting the class to the cafeteria on time. I was doing my...
Important.
May 26Yesterday was my birthday. I got many gifts and cards from friends, but, not surprisingly, it was the treasures from my sprouts that made my day. As they each arrived I got many ‘Happy Birthday’ shout outs and extra hugs. They really were excited for my big day. As we do for all birthdays we sang our special birthday song, A Cat Hat A Birthday. It’s way more fun than boring old...
Card.
May 25Well today is my birthday. Yes, I’m a grown-up and I still get excited about my birthday. I got some amazing cards and gifts (more on that tomorrow) from little friends. Being my big day, I don’t have time to give my sprout’s gifts the attention they deserve today, but one grown-up card, from Mrs. D. just tickled me silly and I had to share it quickly. In our class, we sing and dance to...
Anticipation.
May 24There was some major excitement in class today. No, it’s not our field trip later this week… we’re not having pajama day or a pizza party… we didn’t get a class pet pony… What is it then? Well, tomorrow is my birthday. Yes, you read that correctly, my birthday. For some reason, this year, more than ever, my sprouts are totally freaking out about my birthday. To be fair, I don’t...
Teaching Tolerance.
May 23I’m thrilled and honored to announce I’ve been selected to write for the Teaching Tolerance website. Teaching Tolerance magazine has been a favorite of mine since I began teaching and the chance to write for this amazing magazine’s website and share my love of… well teaching tolerance, is another dream come true. Here’s my first entry – another peek inside my...
Sandwich.
May 22It never ceases to amaze and delight me the way a six-year-old (yes, most of them are six now…) can raise me out of a foul mood. As I wrote about Friday, it rained ALL WEEK. It was miserable. By Friday, I was not my usual chipper self to say the least. During Center Time, I was sitting, gloomily, in the Kitchen when David came over to take my order. “What do you feel like today, Mr....
