Snow Day Slow Down

When it comes to snow days, I'm as excitable as a child.  Any forecast or possibility of deep snow sends me running to put a spoon in the freezer and to flip my pajamas inside out...snow day possibilities need all the help they can get.  Growing up in Wisconsin didn't afford me many snow days when I was a student and doesn't provide me with many now that I am a teacher.  So snow days are definitely something to be savored and celebrated.  

On potential snow days, the excitement wakes me up much earlier than I would have awakened on a regular school day.  I watch in anticipation, fingers crossed as the schools closings scroll across the bottom of the screen.  Once I know that school is cancelled, I settle back to relish in my excitement and sleep in on the unexpected day off.  Sleep usually escapes me these days and I spend the early morning hours watching the snow coverage and catching up on blog reading.  Snow days are a forced break, a necessary and unexpected slow down.  

This winter we have had very little snow.  I have just reached the point in winter where I am ready to let it go until next year.  I've worked through my snow day envy and am anxiously awaiting warmer temperatures, spring days, and bright sunshine.  Of course, our one (and most likely only) snow storm of the year decides to show up today.  On a Friday at 3:00.  No chance of a snow day, just piles of wet, slushy, heavy snow.  Flip flops are feeling very far away today.

Tomorrow I won't have to wake up early to check the news.  I don't have the same anxious anticipation tonight.  I do know that it will be a beautiful site to wake up to.  The tree branches are already coated in thick white snow.  Tomorrow will still be a chance to slow down and regroup.  

Ghosts in the Basement

What do you do when you fear that the basement of your school is haunted by ghosts?

(source)

You gather your friends and your ghost hunting tools, sneak into the basement during lunch recess and hunt the ghosts.  All to keep your school safe.  

A noble plan....in theory. 

A handful of elementary school boys secretly patrolling our basement with their homemade tools (i.e. handfuls of plastic knives embezzled from the cafeteria) during recess were discovered today.  While their intentions were harmless, (unless you're a ghost!) sneaking around and "weapons" are not allowed at school.  Luckily their teacher is a genius at making expectations clear, while validating the kids' feelings and thinking.  Looks like an opportunity for inquiry around non-violent ghost hunting!

I needed a day like today.

Today was a good day.  I got into classrooms, worked with kids, helped launch the new lunch line routine, attended a productive meeting, planned a staff development morning, made it (on time!) to an after school appointment, went back to school for a parent community night meeting, worked out, and now I'm writing this blog!  Today I feel like no task or commitment is too big or insurmountable.  


I needed a day like today.  


Las week ended with a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day.

I did not wake up with gum in my hair or miss out on a prize from the cereal box, but nothing was going right.  Everyone had questions and needed things from me at the same time.  Everything felt overwhelming.  

Luckily, it was the end of the week and I spent the weekend relaxing, regrouping and preparing to face the new week with a positive attitude.  Today that paid off.

I needed a day like today.

What's a Teacher Girl?

The first year of my teaching career I had a student who consistently challenged me, while continually teaching me how to be flexible and responsive.  She was a bright girl, with fantastic ideas and a caring heart.  When she became frustrated, overwhelmed or tired, she struggled to control her emotions and her responses. The organization of my meticulously planned lessons (scheduled down to the minute...like they had to be in college) was threatened daily by her outbursts and meltdowns.  I was 23 and had never encountered a student quite like this before.  Up until this point I had found comfort in being well planned, organized and being able to anticipate how everything would go (for the most part!)

One day early in the year,  I could tell a meltdown was approaching.  She ignored my multiple requests to take a break and utilize her sensory break bag.  My one-on-one attempts at processing the situation with her did not seem to be getting us anywhere.  My next strategy was to give her space to make an appropriate decision.  Her response to me giving her space was to invade mine.  For the next 15 minutes she followed me around the classroom as I moved on with the rest of the class.  In her fist she grasped a newly sharpened pencil, threatening to stab me.  I was pretty confident that she wouldn't actually stab me, which made it a little easier to carry on as though I wasn't thinking about the chances of the pencil becoming lodged in my arm.  The rest of class watched me nervously, but followed my lead and carried on with their math (although I'm sure they had visions of my possible impalement as well...)

Finally, she grew tired of her empty pencil threat, set down the pencil, picked up a piece of chalk and drew a dusty white line down the arm of my navy blue sweater.  "I hate teacher girls who....who wear blue!" she announced as she completed the line and stomped back to her seat and began working on her math.

The class and I breathed a collective sigh of relief as this meltdown ended quickly compared to some of our past experiences.  At the end of the day she skipped to the hallway and gave me a quick hug in passing.  "I love teacher girls!" she exclaimed.

The ups and downs of my classroom that year constantly challenged everything I had been taught about being well planned and organized.  I learned that planning and organizing definitely has its place, but the beauty in teaching is the flexibility and responsiveness that everyday requires.