Tag Archives: teachers

Apr18

stumble not.

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traveling with my co-workers

to meet fellow educators

i was faced with a snap decision.

with one of us busy on her phone

working to get transportation from the airport

and the other already at the bottom

i suddenly realized i was left carrying two rolling bags.

while standing at the top of the moving stairs

and people piling up behind me.

i quickly did the math

and decided that:

me – one human

plus

they – two rolling bags

would probably not all

safely make it down at the same time.

so instead of a minus one situation

at the end of the equation

 i heaved my companion’s bag

right onto the escalator

all on it’s own

let it just gently bounce and roll down

figured it could take care of itself

alerted them to look out for it at the bottom

though when they looked up

they were too busy laughing

to realize the gravity of the situation

and somehow

it all ended well. 

humans and bags both

none the worse for wear.

survival instinct kicked in

at just the right moment.

and that is why we are teachers.

we are always learning.

i feel that i might be good in a landslide situation.

or a kindergarten classroom.

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“let thy step be slow and steady, that thou stumble not.”

-ieyasu tokugawa

Feb27

our job.

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“it’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world.

it’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.”

– l.r. knost

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image credit: neil abramson

Apr9

all i need to say

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and on we go to 2 days of teacher/parent conferences.

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lmage credit: lichfield – quote: david bly

Jan18

blading, gliding – slipping, sliding

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it was a morning spent with the kindergarten on an ice skating adventure. filled with tip-toeing on skates, scooting on boots, giving rides on cones, running on ice, holding hands, tumbling, crashing, laughing, noses running. 

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and all this, as our little hockey playing and figure skating kinders skate on by.

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when it’s time to warm up with hot cocoa and donuts, they find themselves on equal ground, and they are all exhausted and so happy. and then, even our hockey players cry when it is time for moms and dads to leave, and for us to return to the cozy comfort of the circle rug in our classroom once more. and some of us feel newly discovered muscles in their legs the next day, that are apparently never used in this way, and take it real slow when going down the stairs. 

I would say my sense of adventure outweighs my grace – Kathy Ireland

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image credits: freshcardsgifts.co.uk,  partylistyles.com 

 

Jan11

the kids who went up a slight grade and came down a mountain

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 finally all back together in school this week, and the kindergarten made the most out of enjoying what mother nature had left behind for us to play with. we headed out to go sledding on a ‘hill’ that could best be described as no more than a 23-degree angle, though to see their eyes upon approaching it, it appeared to be their first encounter with the swiss alps. even so, it was a challenge to get to the top, as the snow was quite deep and their legs were quite tiny. but motivated they are, and they hiked up to the summit, over and over, jumped on sleds, headed down, and marched back up. 

all except for one little guy. he stayed on the sidelines, even when invited up, and instead rolled around and ran around and laid in and laughed and ate all the snow he could handle. when it was time to leave and stomp back in, he began crying and yelling out, ‘you didn’t let me go sledding!!!!!’ his outburst was met with great understanding by my class who simultaneously burst out laughing. it was at this point perhaps, that he realized he had made his own choices, and this was not a great argument. the sobbing stopped. 

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There’s no fear when you’re having fun – Will Thomas

when everyone made it back inside, they warmed up, had a snack, went to music class, made puzzles, read books, ate lunch and suited up for another trip outside, this time to the playground. once out there, they saw that their familiar playground had been turned into a winter wonderland. there was fresh, fluffy, deep, white, sparkling snow everywhere, totally untouched by any other kids! 

they jumped in it, rolled in it, made snow balls and snowmen and snow castles, played with ice chunks, went down the slides covered with snow, filled buckets with snow, made snow angels, snapped icicles off of their playhouse, climbed things, tried to run in the snow, and loved every minute of it. after a long time spent playing on our ‘winter beach’ we headed back inside once again. after taking off all of our layers and hanging them to dry, everyone was absolutely exhausted. it was nap time. and we had earned it. 

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image credit:  mnh.si.edu

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When you’re really having fun, you’re always doing it a little bit in a way that you’re not supposed to.

That’s when great things happen.

Annet Mahendru

 

 

 

 

Dec18

feliz ole?

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went to buy my teaching partners a little something with a mexican flair as part of their holiday gifts. ole, ole, ole!

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 when i got home, actually put my glasses on, and went to wrap their gifts, i discovered that i had bought this. 

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when i gave them their gifts, they were not surprised and very understanding and said it had been a rough week and maybe firewater was more what they needed anyway. this is why we work well as a team.

Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such. – Henry Miller

 

Sep10

global warning.

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first parent note of the year – love it.  school is in, bring it kindergarten!

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Raising kids is part joy and part guerilla warfare.
Ed Asner

 

 

Jun6

life in the key of z

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another walk down the hall with my kindergarten class.

another answer to a question much bigger than i ever imagined.

‘hey z, what does that key around your neck open?’

‘it opens everything in the world,’ says z. 

May17

things i learned in my kindergarten classroom today #2

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it was camping day today and when the children checked out the cool bear cub our room, i was reminded of the different approaches that boys and girls each have to life.  as the girls went up to it, they gently petted it and commented, ‘it’s so soft!’ as the boys approached it, they all bent their heads down to look under its legs and asked, ‘does it have a penis?’ and herein lies the difference –