Someday's Even the Teacher Needs a Hug

There are some days when you go to school and you just aren't feeling worth a doodle. You wake up and you feel like the world has collapsed, but you keep on trudging into work, because that is a vacation compared to other things in your life. Today was one of those days.
Fortunately the day became brighter because of one little special boy. This little one, named "L" is a cross between the the Tasmanian devil and a kitten. One minute he is a whirling dervish of motion, emotion and words, a moment later he is like a kitten purring sweetly. Somehow that little one knows just when to sidle up to me ask for "Rocky" his squeezable busy toy, grab my neck as I sit in those little kindergarten chairs and say, "I love you Ms. W". Today he did that and he broke the mud of misery I was walking in, and brought out the sun.
"I love you too, 'L'. I love you, too!"

Swagger, What?

   According to what I read in an article in The Grio, it appears that some Florida literacy company awarded Nicki Minaj and Lil' Wayne  teacher of the year awards?! Really, I mean, REALLY?
   I know I had to take a look, because I could not believe it. I was stunned! I'm sitting in front of my computer reading and my mouth dropped and hit the floor. Then I picked my bruised jaw up and reread the article. The company awarded them the awards because of their "Swagger". Now while I have to agree with the author of this article, that I don't particularly want to see my high school biology teacher, Dr. B doing a  rap to the life cycle of a frog along with big sunglasses, cap turned backward, $200.00 Nikes and pants belted at his rear end. .I do believe that we need to use some type of "swagger" (and I put that in quotes, because due to my age I am not sure if it means to rap a lesson or just to be a little more entertaining with our lessons).
   If "swagger" means to beef up a lesson so you catch the students interest, then YES with capital letters! Now, if "swagger" means that I have to call my students by "hood" names and use language that is totally inappropriate for my kindergarten students or any student for that matter, then NO with capital letters! So I am going with the first idea, that "swagger" is a term that attracts a student's attention so that after teaching a standard and skill for the tenth time, they awaken to a new way of listening, being attentive, and paying attention.
   "Swagger" is the upbeat songs I use thoughtfully, the videos I download thoughtfully, the games I make for them based on a standard (dare I say it) thoughtfully, and the books I choose thoughtfully for any lesson. Sometimes we teachers get in a rut! We forget that just like everything else in life you have to laugh, love and sing! My best and productive days of teaching are not when I am ramming a lesson down their throats, but when I am excited, when I am joyful and when I laugh with them not at them. When we do a letter song or math song that has an upbeat, like some of the songs from Have Fun Teaching, or Jack Hartmann ( who has a new valentine's song), or Harry Kindergarten! Another site is WEGIVEBOOKS, which has great books online for all ages and benefits other children globally. Yes that is my "swagger"! What is yours? Let me know because I have learned so much from the many blogs I read and follow and I am always ready to learn more!

Early Childhood Education and Prevention: Will Legislators wake up?

I am on a high horse this morning! I just finished reading several articles and I am needless to say a little miffed. Living in the state of South Carolina, we have always been behind everyone else in everything. Our education budget has been slashed to ribbons, the expectations grow higher and we have some of the toughest state standards to teach. There are those who think we do not do enough and there are those who praise us, but those of us in the trenches feel downtrodden, unappreciated, overworked, and confused as to what is really expected of us. THEN I read these two articles:

    Early Education a Crime-Fighting Weapon?

Large-scale early education linked to higher living standards and crime prevention 25 years later

I have been preaching that early childhood education and parent involvement in the early years was so important for years and when I say years, I am saying all of my 32 years of teaching (maybe less five for the first five years when I was growing as a teacher). I have watched the pendulum of education swing from one end to the other and yet never seen legislators or administrators stop it at a happy medium. When will we wake up and learn that reaching a young child and helping his/her parents know how to help him/her makes for a whole child and helps our society raise children who become successful, capable beings. Please read these two articles and pass them on to administrators, legislators, people of influence within your community. Let this be a wake-up call to others that "reach and teach them" young is so valuable to our communities, our states, our nation!

Positive Thinking!

Well today I am joining Jenn, over in Rowdy in First Grade in being positive and thinking positive! After a week of fighting and then down right battling a cold, throat and now bronchial something, I was feeling blue, tired and ready to pull the sheets over my head. I read Jenn's blog and thought, " Now is that anyway for you to act?!" "What is good about today...think Lib", I said to my brain! And so I thought and you know what I could had a lot to be positive about today.

First, I have an amazing family who make me laugh and just want to be alive!

My sister, my neice, one of my daughters and  I acting nuts

My sisters and I cleaning up after Easter dinner

Second, I have an awesome best friend who always checks up on me and we share the most interesting adventures, like sitting all night on the George Washington Bridge on our way to Boston or trying to out run tornadoes in North Carolina on our way to Farmville, Va.

My best friend, Robin and I
Third, the day was sunny and bright and  because I was sick I got to sleep past O' dark thirty!

Fourth, I teach at a wonderful school with a wonderful team!

My team after we won Palmetto's Finest

Fifth, I had coffee this morning and breakfast and it was peaceful and quiet and I was not in a hurry. MMMMHMMM!

Sixth, I am going to see my little wonders tomorrow and we WILL SING AND DANCE!