wisdom from kindergarten cop

Kindergarten is kind of like the ocean -- you should never turn your back on it.

2011

Is the year of the thefts for me, apparently. Someone came into the building last week and took two teacher's wallets and two laptops.

I walked back upstairs after dismissal and noticed my (work) laptop wasn't where I usually leave it. We quickly inventoried our personal belongings and realized we all missing something on the second floor.

They literally went room to room while we were outside with the kids.

I am so thankful that my wallet wasn't taken (in what would be the second time this year), but I am really upset about the data and information that was on my laptop. I lost all of the assessments that I have done over the past couple of weeks, and trust me, testing children's understanding of the alphabet is no small task.

Alas, I now have a paper binder with all my assessment info. Apparently doing a thesis taught me nothing about saving copies of my files.

one world

I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous... In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized. 

Found here at Teaching Tolerance. You can sign up for their free twice-yearly magazine if you are an educator, and they also put out a weekly newsletter. They also offer some great classroom activities.

yoko's chair

Apparently Yoko chatted with an elementary school teacher right here in IL and it resulted in all kinds of project-play and collaboration. Students made a video and Yoko sent a thank-you. In the end, the teacher made a spot in the class for students to go, return to peacefulness, and think about solutions.

Next year, my "cool-down corner" is going to be Yoko's Chair. And I will learn to play the guitar.

I wish it could be like this all the time

All day B kept smiling at me and saying that she had a secret to tell me. She wouldn't tell me in front of anyone else, so finally at lunch I went up and whisper-asked what she wanted to tell me. After a little nudging she finally agreed to tell me, and said, "Ms. Haley, you are the best teacher in the whole wide world."

Granted, she's one of my best-behaved and on that day (as my mail carrier) she got to "deliver" two different items of mail to every person. She was having a good day.

...If you think I'm just being modest, I can think of at least 2-3 children who would have different kinds of things to say about me.

teacher bag is here!

And already full of stuff.

maybe its because I just read the kissing hand?

During dismissal, one of my girls gave me a great big hug... and then went in for a kiss.

I awkwardly stood up as she tip-toed trying to reach my lips. I don't think her mother noticed, thank goodness.