Mrs. Frizzle?

I was told recently by a new teacher that I reminded her of Mrs. Frizzle, because we're both "magically fantastic" and "make learning an adventure for the students". At first, I wasn't sure that it was a compliment, but the more I've thought about it, I can see some similarities.We both have long, frizzy, red hair, kept pulled back. I often dress for the current theme, although I don't have quite the same sense of style as Mrs. Frizzle. There is usually adventure afoot in my classroom. The more I've thought about it, the more I like the fact that remind folks of Mrs. Frizzle. She is magically fantastic!

from http://www.mobygames.com/

Wednesday's Wisdom....And A Little Child Shall Lead

We've officially been back in school about a week and a half and things are absolutely crazy, but in a good way. I've got a few things I'll be posting about soon, just as soon as I get a few minutes to upload the pictures and write a few words.

As I start my year, I'm try to remember that in the greater scheme of things, there are some things that I need to be mindful of as I go about my daily teaching. I really want to take the time to listen to my students and learn from them. There is so much that can be gleaned from the child's perspective on life and if I just listen, and become a great student, it will help me be a better teacher.

I borrowed the following words of wisdom from my friend, Brenda Ballard, who is not by title a "teacher", but she often tries to help others learn some important life lessons. Although simplistic, there is great wisdom in the words of these little friends.

And a little child shall lead....

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds ,

'What does love mean?'

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

See what you think:


'When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'
Rebecca- age 8


'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4


'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5


'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissy - age 6


'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4


'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7


'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing , you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8


'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
and listen.'
Bobby - age 7


'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate , '
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)


'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'
Noelle - age 7


'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6 

'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6


'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5


'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford
Chris - age 7


'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4


'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4


'When you love somebody , your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.'
Karen - age 7


'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8 

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

I hope you take the time in your daily life to stop and listen. You never know what you'll learn!

Wednesday's Wisdom....Life's Little Pleasures

Wednesday's Wisdom is another one of those chain emails that we all get from time to time, but the message is something that bears repeating.

Don't forget to stop and enjoy the little pleasures in life. They are the things that we build our memories on.

The Simple Pleasures Of Life

Think about them one at a time BEFORE going on to the next one...

Especially, the thought at the end.

Friends.

The beach.

Giggling.

A hot shower.

Getting mail.

Sweet dreams.

Hot chocolate.

A bubble bath.

Falling in love.

A special glance.

Swinging on swings.

A good conversation.

Watching the sunrise.

Laughing at yourself.

Road trips with friends.

Playing with a new puppy.

Running through sprinklers.

Laughing at an inside joke.

No lines at the supermarket.

Making chocolate chip cookies.

Taking a drive on a pretty road.

Laughing so hard your face hurts.

Knowing that somebody misses you.

Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.

Having someone play with your hair.

Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

Your first kiss .

Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

Midnight phone calls that last for hours.

Holding hands with someone you care about.

Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.

Having your friends send you home-made cookies.

Chocolate milkshake. (or vanilla or strawberry!)

Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.

Making new friends or spending time with old ones.

Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.

Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.

Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.

Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

Happy Wednesday! Don't forget to try to find a little gratitude for the simple things in life each day!

Wednesday's Wisdom....At the Beach!

As I am at the beach this week, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite beach quotes:

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea." - e.e. cummings

"It is an interesting biological fact that all of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea---whether it is to sail or to watch it---we are going back from whence we came." - John F. Kennedy

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun." - Unknown

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.” - Isak Dinesen

We have gone to Folly Beach, SC, (one of the beaches in Charleston) since I was a child. For the past three years, we've not been able to find a house large enough to accommodate our brood, so we have moved our vacations to Topsail Island, NC. We like it here, too, but my heart will always be in Folly! Pat Conroy often sets his books in the Charleston area, so I had to include this one:

"Charleston has a landscape that encourages intimacy and partisanship. I have heard it said that an inoculation to the sights and smells of the Carolina lowcountry is an almost irreversible antidote to the charms of other landscapes, other alien geographies. You can be moved profoundly by other vistas, by other oceans, by soaring mountain ranges, but you can never be seduced. You can even forsake the lowcountry, renounce it for other climates, but you can never completely escape the sensuous, semitropical pull of Charleston and her marshes."
~ Pat Conroy (The Lords of Discipline)

Wednesday's Wit....Yup, gonna be a bear!

     We are going on a big family vacation next week. My parents, brother and sisters, spouses and all our 14 children are renting a house on the beach. It is the highlight of my summer and I can't wait! While I'm there, I'll transform into "Auntie Ayn, Activities Director".  I've got lots of fun activities and crafts planned,.... YES, CRAFTS! I also have a variety of materials for the kids to do self directed art if they wish. I try to do a least one planned activity each day. This year, we're making things that we can use at the beach. I have a kite project, water bottle holder, visors and a few pirate related crafts. We'll also have a real  treasure hunt and games. I started this so the kids that didn't nap would have a "quiet" time each day and parents can take a break from all the hawk-eyed watching of kids on the beach! I know we will have lots of fun ~ little kids on the beach are always tons of fun!

    So yesterday, as I was trying to get everything packed and still do all the things a mom does,  I got this in an email. It felt so appropriate at the moment, that I thought I would share it for today's Wednesday's Wit. We all have those days when you wish you had just a little easier! Hope you moms enjoy it!

Okay, so it's not that bad, but there are those days....   ;-}

P.S. I'll try to get a post out about some of the fun things we're doing, but I may be having too much fun! It may have to wait until I get back!

Wednesday's Wisdom

My motto is "Do what you love....Love what you do!". It serves me well and I try to remember on the tough days that I am doing exactly that. Some days, it's tougher than others. Our job description covers a vast array of skills that we must be prepared to utilize. I love the following poem, because it sums up many of the daily duties we must perform, in addition to the all of the actual teaching we do.

I Am A Teacher

by Stacy Bonino

I am a counselor and psychologist to a problem-filled child,
I am a police officer that controls a child gone wild.
I am a travel agent scheduling our trips for the year,
I am a confidante that wipes a crying child's tear.
I am a banker collecting money for a ton of different things,
I am a librarian showing adventures that a storybook brings.
I am a custodian that has to clean certain little messes,
I am a psychic that learns to know all that everybody only guesses.
I am a photographer keeping pictures of a child's yearly growth,
When mother and father are gone for the day, I become both.
I am a doctor that detects when a child is feeling sick,
I am a politician that must know the laws and recognize a trick.
I am a party planner for holidays to celebrate with all,
I am a decorator of a room, filling every wall.
I am a news reporter updating on our nation's current events,
I am a detective solving small mysteries and ending all suspense.
I am a clown and comedian that makes the children laugh,
I am a dietician assuring they have lunch or from mine I give them half.
When we seem to stray from values, I become a preacher,
But I'm proud to have to be these people because ...
I'm proud to say, "I am a teacher."

Wednesday's Wit.... from the farm!

Last Friday, I took a group of school age children to a real working horse farm. This is a very special trip that our family of schools takes to a real working horse farm for horseback riding, a picnic and hayride. I usually accompany each group from each of our three schools (6 trips in all). It has become a beloved part of my summer and even though I am "officially" off for the summer, I am escorting the children on this trip again.

I will write a full post with lots of pictures from the farm~ the kids have such an awesome time while they are there and I can't wait to share it. I'll just share a quick anecdote for now.

During our hayride, we made a few stops and got out and saw some of the animals. One little guy (3rd or 4th grade) pointed one of the bigger chickens clucking around us and said, "Hey, you know what his name is?"

I knew none of these chickens had names, but I was game,"What is his name?" he said

"Dinner!" he said matter-of-factly and smiled real big. His little joke and big smile made my day!

Kids, you never know what they will say next! ;)

This was the post that was due yesterday~sorry! I thought I was having internet trouble yesterday, but I saw on the news today that Comcast has been having a lot of problems in our area.I'm returning to the farm tomorrow with a group of preschoolers, so I'll work on getting a post together about the first two trips.

Wednesday's Wisdom and a few good beach reads.......

As it is summer, I'm feeling the pull of the beach tugging at my heart. I spent 3 days recently enjoying the sun and the sand, but it's just not enough. I am counting the minutes until July when my entire family (parents, siblings, spouses and children) will gather together to spend one bliss filled week together under one roof on the shores of the Carolina coast.

Summer at the beach translates into many things, but a good read is right at the top. One of my favorite southern authors is Pat Conroy. His words take me right to the smells, sights and sounds of this magical place of my childhood. You may know "The Prince of Tides", his bestseller, that was made into a movie (although the book is MUCH better). He is also author to many other wonderful books. My personal favorite is "The Water is Wide" which chronicles his exploits as a fairly new teacher in the impoverished South Carolina lowcountry. With the state of teaching today, it's humbling to read his struggles and realize we teachers really don't have it so bad at all. I encourage you to check out his books. I'll leave you with a few of his words regarding teachers:

“The great teachers fill you up with hope and shower you with a thousand reasons to embrace all aspects of life,” Pat Conroy, My Losing Season

Wednesday's Wit

It seems every year, there's one kid who's a little more worldly, even if they don't even know it. I'll have to wait for August to see who it will be next. I love discovering all those little personalities as we get to know each other. I can't wait to see what the friends in my new class will bring to the table!

First Grade

One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class. She came to the part of the story where the first pig was trying to accumulate the building materials for his home. She read, "...And so the pig went up to the man with the wheelbarrow full of straw and said, "Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that straw to build my house?'" The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think that man said?" One little boy raised his hand and said, "I think he said 'Holy %$#@! A talking pig!'" The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.

Happy Wednesday!

Wednesday's Wisdom....from Robert Fulghum

Today I'm sharing a few tidbits of wisdom from Robert Fulghum. I have several of his quotes hanging over my desk. His words are simple, direct and always right on the mark. Here are a few of my favorites:


All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.
These are the things I learned:

* Share everything.
* Play fair.
* Don't hit people.
* Put things back where you found them.
* Clean up your own mess.
* Don't take things that aren't yours.
* Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
* Wash your hands before you eat.
* Flush.
* Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
* Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
* Take a nap every afternoon.
* When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
* Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
* Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
* And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

And this one is SO important!

Sticks and stones will break our bones, but words will break our hearts.

Remember, you can say you're sorry, but you can't take ugly words back. 

My class has adjourned for the summer. Today is officially my first day of Summer break. Hope everyone has a great week!

Wednesday's Witticism ..... Out of the Mouths of Babes

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. We've had some internet difficulties and with a very hectic time at school, it's made it nearly impossible to get online and visit the blogs and post as I usually do.

For today's "Witticism" post, I thought I would share a cute story that happened yesterday. We're finishing our last week of school with the "tale" end of our fairytale unit. Today's story was "Jack and the Beanstalk". I usually try to find literature to share that is relatively free of violence and "bad words". I started to read the story and realized it was a particularly gory version, so I swapped it for another. The second version was pretty accurate with original violence, but I continued.  As I was reading the part about Jack cutting down the beanstalk and the giant falls to his death, I was praying that the friends wouldn't focus on the violence. (You know there's always one who will do just what you hope no one will! ) Just as I finished, one of my most enthusiastic friends jumped up and yelled, "MAN, HE GOT SERVED!"
I stifled my laughter and said with an almost straight face, "Ben, what does that mean, 'he got served'? "
He looked up at me with a big smile (proud of his newly expanded vocabulary),  "I don't know, but that giant sure got it!"

Kids, you gotta love them! Only 3 more school days left, .....I'm really gonna miss these moments!

Happy Wednesday!

Wednesday's Wisdom

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, I'm posting this poem for all the wonderful teachers out there in Blogland. You inspire me daily. Thanks for your words, ideas and inspiration!

I found this a few years ago and read it now and then as a reminder to myself. Just remember...... you never know!


You Never Know
author unknown

You never know when someone
might catch a dream from you.
You never know when a little word
or something that you might do,
May open up a window
of a mind that seeks the light.

The way you teach may not matter at all,
but you never know, it might.

And just in case it could be
that another's life through you
might change for the better
with a broader, brighter view.
It seems it might be worth a try
to do what you know is right.

The way you teach may not matter at all,
but you never know, it might.


Happy Wednesday!

Wednesday's Wisdom

Ahh, it's Wednesday again, and time to try to make it through the rest of the week. Today's post is a poem that I include every year with the orientation packets I give to my parents. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!


PLAY TODAY
by Lelia P. Fagg

You say you love your children,
And are concerned they learn today?
So am I; that's why I'm providing
A variety of kinds of play.

You're asking me the value
Of blocks and other such play?
Your children are solving problems.
They will use that skill everyday.

You're asking what's the value
Of having your children play?
Your daughter's creating a tower.
She may be a builder someday.

You're saying you don't want your son
To play in that "sissy" way?
He's learning to cuddle a doll.
He may be a father someday.

You're questioning the learning centers;
They just look like useless play?
Your children are making choices;
They'll be on their own someday.

You're worried your children aren't learning,
and later they'll pay?
They're learning a pattern for learning,
For they will be learners always.

---Leila P. Fagg---

Wednesday's Witticism

As I mentioned last Wednesday, I have decided to add a Wednesday's Wisdom or Witticism feature to the blog. This week's post is one of those viral forwarded emails that was just too funny. This one tickles me for a variety of reasons. I always have kids tell me "interesting" things about their home life, often things that I know to be less than accurate (notice I didn't say "lie"), and I know it goes both ways.

At open house, I stated that I would love for parents to come in to share their occupations with the class, especially when we study community helpers. On the first day of school, one of my students told me her mom worked at Home Depot and would love to visit us on community helper day. (I had just recieved the returned parent information packets and had not had time to read through them yet.) I told her I thought that would be great! I later mentioned this to another teacher, who had previously taught the child. She laughed and said, "Oh that's a good one! L.'s mom is a doctor~she doesn't work at Home Depot!"

When I asked the student about her mother's occupation, she was insistent that her mother was a doctor, but also worked at Home Depot.  For several days, she stuck with this story, each time more insistent than the last. Many days later, I finally had the opportunity to speak with the mom and, after the shock passed, she laughed so hard she had tears coming down her cheek. She didn't know how her daughter could have come up with something like this, but they had done some home renovation a year or two earlier and was spending quite a bit of time there!


So here it is~ hope this gets you through the rest of the week. I'm hoping it will help me get through mine!

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR CHILD'S HOMEWORK!



Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. 
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit.  I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it.    Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole.  It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot. From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs.  Smith

Have you ever had to "decipher" the truth? I'd love to hear all about it! (And Happy Wednesday!)

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom or Witticism

After looking through my files recently, I found all kinds of stories poems, inspirations and internet forwarded funnies. I thought I would share one each week just to lighten the mood and help us all push through the rest of the week.

Each Wednesday, I plan to post Words of Wisdom or Words of Witticism. Today's Words of Wisdom are reminders to us all to find the gold in every child!

Searching for Gold
by Jean Warren

Look beneath the freckles
Look beneath the grin
Look for that which sparkles
Buried deep within.

Look beyond the whining
Look beyond the tears
Look beyond the runny nose
The frowns, the mess, the fears.

Search for that which glitters
Treasures to unfold
Search beneath the surface
Search and find the gold!