Goodbye?

What a day! Writing STAAR is over and now we can spend some time reading.  I love to hear my students asking, begging even, for reading time. I feel like I have accomplished something when my "non-readers" want quiet time in a book. I love to celebrate with those who finish a novel for the first time ever. I love finding more "books like that one." My biggest hope is that my students will leave my classroom loving to read and write as much as, or more than, I do.

That being said, when I started this challenge, I didn't know if I loved writing enough to sit and blog daily (well, almost). I can now say that I do. What a fun challenge this has been for me. I am so thankful that my teammate asked me to join in on Slice of Life. I managed to make it 20 out of 31 days which is a far greater number than what I thought I would write when I took on the challenge. So, is this goodbye? I don't think so. I may not write daily, but I think this is a habit that I should keep. And while I don't plan to go back to page one, maybe April 1 is a good place to start all over again.

Fine Line

Today (and tomorrow) I am forced to walk a fine line between Mrs. Ware and Mommy. Having a 4th grader while teaching the 4th grade has its own set of challenges, but throw in the STAAR test and we are in a whole new realm. As an educator, I am required to swear under oath that I will not view or discuss confidential testing materials or I can face serious consequences including revocation of my teaching license or even criminal prosecution. My daughter, however, is not bound by those rules, and she wants to tell her Mommy all about the test, what she wrote, and all the strategies she used. This is one of the few times that I have to keep a very distinct yet incredibly fine line between the two hats I wear.



If I haven't mentioned it, I truly hate everything about this test, from its ridiculous rules to the way the questions are written and even the amount of money the state pays to Pearson. Now, I can include the problems it causes in families. I am encouraged by some of the legislation coming out of Austin, so hopefully, parent's voices are finally being heard, and change is coming.

Busy Hands are Happy Hands

Procrastination and avoidance have been my friends this weekend. I have found ways to be busy, busy, busy, but there is no way to avoid it. It is here...the dreaded TEST! I guess I've held it together this year better than I have in the past. My husband didn't even realize that tomorrow was writing test Day 1. My daughter seemed to think she'd get out of housework because she will have to work so hard tomorrow and Tuesday. Ha! I can only hope that the wheels are finally in motion to get us off of this crazy ride. The undue stress placed on teachers and students has to go. There are a multitude of different ways to test student performance and progress, but this test isn't it.

Tomorrow and Tuesday I will spend the day "actively monitoring" all students in my classroom. They will each get a STAAR baggie with all the necessary supplies including a magic pencil. I will stand behind each student and silently pray over them to feel confident and to do their best. They are only 9 and 10 years old. While testing is a way of life, this test only serves to create anxiety and feelings of not being good enough. My dear, dear students, you ARE good enough and Mrs. Ware believes in you!

Just relax

I spent the day covering my classroom walls to ensure that my students wouldn't get any extra help on STAAR. My room looks absolutely ridiculous, and I am ready for the tests to be over! I think my students feel that way, too.

So, to de-stress a little, my mom and I hung out at a local "artsy" place tonight making a spring wreath. I am the most un-crafty person I know, but this turned out pretty good for me. The quality time with my mom was priceless as well.

Young Life

It's always tricky to be friends with the parents of your students. However, when you live in the neighborhood and interact with those parents regularly, those times will happen more often than not.

This year, I have a parent and her daughter who have both been such a blessing to me and our class. I have come to learn that this mom has a heart and passion for working with teen mothers, and her daughter has a heart and passion for helping children who are hospitalized with serious illnesses. They both spend countless hours volunteering and raising money to help others.  It is heartwarming to see this kind of spirit alive and well and thriving in children.

Tonight, I went with this mom to a small private concert with Dove award winner Ellie Holcomb. The evening was uplifting and inspiring to say the least, and served to remind me of some things that I tend to forget in the madness of the day. I now have a lot to ponder regarding Young Life and how I can play a role in this group.  I was unaware that this group even existed until tonight, so if you would like to read up on them, too, please check out the links below and enjoy some of Ellie Holcomb's music.

Young Life Denton

Spring

Spring is not my favorite season of the year. The weather goes from cold and snowy to hot and dry with no regard to what clothes I have available in my closet. Somewhere in the middle of those two extremes is usually where we find tonight's weather, TORNADOES! No, I'm not in Oklahoma, but they are our northern neighbor, and we get our fair share of twisters in North Texas. I will be the first to say that tornadoes terrify me. From the wind to the debris, they are nature's most unpredictable storms. Seeing rotation on a radar doesn't necessarily mean the tornado will drop from the sky, but it does mean this mommy will be in full panic for several hours while trying to look calm in front of my children. Tonight my thoughts and prayers are with the people in Moore, OK. It has only been two years since their last major tornado hit the town, destroying over 1,100 homes and killing 24 people. This devastation included 2 elementary schools and 7 children. I will never forget the chilling video from inside the school as the teachers tried to calm the children and reassure them that it was almost over.  I can only hope that I am never faced with that situation. I am always a relatively calm, easy going person, but tornadoes give me full out anxiety attacks.  

Crazy, busy day = tired = short blog

Substitutes
Guest Presenter
Spring Pictures
Half of Planning
Library Books
Teach
Recess
Lunch
Teach, again
Dismissal
Training One
Training Two
Prepare for tomorrow
Homework
Play
Dinner
Baths
Bed (almost)

That was my day!

New App

I'm not very good with technology, and I am certainly not one that will line up to get the newest gadgets.  Sometimes, though, I find new apps that bring me hours of endless entertainment.  May I present Dubsmash.  Check out our videos!

Bear Necessities

Hard Knock Life

Make your own and share them with me! It is so much fun!

Casts and cavities and crowns, oh my!

I spent time on a beautiful, warm, white sandy beach today. I listened to the waves roll in and crash gently against the shore. I sat and listened as the peaceful sounds attempted to lull me to sleep. I'm glad I didn't doze, however, because that would've been a little embarrassing at the dentist office. I don't fear the dentist, but I admit that major dental work can induce an unusual amount of stress for me. So, as I tried to avoid the sounds of the drill and the fact that I couldn't feel half of my face, I raced to my place of comfort and relaxation. Oh, how I wish we were there this week. It definitely would have been a cheaper yet more exciting way to spend this not so relaxing week.

I am grateful that my husband took off of work today, and we were able to take care of "stuff." Hannah got her pretty purple long arm (over the elbow) cast, both kids had a cavity filled, and I started the process for my third crown. We put together new furniture, moved around old furniture, and bought more furniture. We are obviously trying to test the theory about how spending money causes martial stress and arguments.

For me, the biggest disappointment this week has not been overspending, but instead has been in not finding more reading time. I have so many good books calling me, and the unexpected has kept me from being able to carve out the time to read. So, while I'm not going to wish away the next 53 or so days of school, I am looking forward to attacking my summer reading with a vengeance. Time to look for some summer camps for the kiddos!

Happy Birthday, Hudson

It was another beautiful Spring Break day for our family, but today is more than just another day. Today, we stop to celebrate our sweet baby boy. Hudson is finally 7, but luckily for me, he has decided to stay 6 forever. Wouldn't that be wonderful. At some point, most of us (especially women) decide to "hold" at a certain age, but it's not usually 6. Some days we long for simpler times, but if I had really stopped time, I would have missed out on my wonderful family and this special little boy. The one who loves his mommy one million "infinities and beyonds" and thinks she knows everything and gives her kisses to make daddy jealous. So, today we pause and celebrate, but life keeps moving forward. "Doesn't it go by in a blink." 

Parent of the Year

It's hard to be a parent.  We try so hard to set good examples and be supportive while establishing boundaries, but there's no rule book.  Every parent/child relationship looks different and evolves as life seasons come and go.  Our family is currently in a bit of a drama season with my almost 10 year old daughter.  I blame the acting lessons, but we have decided to support her passions wholeheartedly. :) Unfortunately, that means that little things become big things when they really shouldn't be. So, what happens when you are out for a family walk, and said child falls off her scooter and screams.  Simple, you sing her some Taylor Swift. "Shake it off, shake it off!"

She laughs a little, but gets up and goes about her business, after all, it's Spring Break and we have plans for lots of fun activities.  The next day you go play putt putt golf, ride go carts, watch a movie, and play with friends, all while teasing her about the way she is holding her arm. "If you aren't going to use it, we can just cut it off. Quit messing around." After 24 hours of observation, though, I knew it was time for x-rays, just to stop the drama.  This time, mom was WRONG! My drama queen really did break her wrist. :( So, what words of encouragement does she get now, "Well, at least it isn't your writing hand. It would've been a pain to get you accommodations for STAAR." I am thankful that in this drama season, she also has a great sense of humor and loves mom's sarcasm.

Spring Break

I LOVE SPRING BREAK!!! Sorry, I didn't mean to shout, but I love Spring Break.  I get to sleep in, spend time with my kids, read books, clean, organize, and recharge a very empty battery.  It's also when I try to finish projects.  Unfortunately, this usually results in more things left unfinished, my house in complete disarray, and me becoming rather grumpy.  This year, I am spending what is likely to be the only nice day, inside waiting on contractors to fix stuff that should've been taken care of months ago. Oh well, I guess it's time to consult The Book and find some new, super fun activities to do inside this week.  Here's to a great week!

29, again

My life is full!  I have the privilege of spending my days with 92 of the most amazing 4th graders on the planet.  I work with some of the smartest, kindest women (and men) ever placed in the education field. I am supported and loved by a wonderful husband, kids, parents, and extended family.  I have large circles of friends, ranging from the ones who are entrusted with my secrets to the ones who I rarely see but still feel lucky to call friend.

So many of these people have taken time out of their day to wish me a happy birthday.  I'm not sure why I've been blessed to share life with these wonderful people, but I am so thankful that they are a part of it.  Turning the largest prime number under 40 isn't so bad.  :)

A Beautiful Day

What a beautiful day! When the clouds moved out of the sky, my energy levels skyrocketed.  I even left school today at a decent hour and went to the happiest place on earth within my current budget, Recycled Books.  My children even went along, without, complaining, and sat quietly reading book after book while I searched the shelves for some super cheap new treasures. Then, we spent the afternoon hanging out in the sun filled backyard.

Books might just be my favorite thing ever.  They are always patiently waiting for you to pick them up, and then, they will introduce you to new friends and take you to worlds you may have never even imagined.  Today I said aloud, for the third time, that I am going to get my Master's degree in Library Science, and I haven't been this excited about returning to school since I became a certified teacher. Unfortunately, I have to coordinate this goal with my husband who is also in the process of starting a degree program.  The hardest part for me will be waiting.  So, he had better not drag his feet, or I may cut in line, and we all know how that turns out!

TWU Master of Library Science

Time Change

I have not forgotten about my blog, and I have a lot of really great stories to tell.  Alas, I am utterly exhausted.  Could it be that Daylight Savings Time has finally gotten the best of me?  I love this time of year.  I love the extra daylight in the evening and thinking that it's okay to stay up and watch Jimmy Fallon on a Tuesday night when I should really be in bed.  This year, though, I am asleep on my feet at 9 o'clock (this used to be 8, what is wrong with me!).  It can't be my age, right?!  I will blame it on the weather, and hope for more energy tomorrow.  Good Night!

The Bright Side

Disappointment is heavy, and it is currently draped around my shoulders like a wet blanket, pushing me down.  Facing my students tomorrow will be hard.  It will be written on their faces and heard in their voices.  "Why didn't we get to go?"  "We are at school, so we should be in Austin."

Tomorrow will be a lesson about getting past our disappointments in life and looking on the bright side.  Here is the list of things that are good about not being in Austin tomorrow:

1. It's the first day of book fair!  Who doesn't love the book fair.
2. It will be sunny for the first day in weeks, and we can have outside recess.
3. We can add a student who wasn't going to be able to go tomorrow.
4. Our chaperones have plenty of time to re-schedule their day off.
5. One chaperone who wasn't going to be able to go can now go.
6. We are being given a new date that is technically not available.
7.  All of the work for the trip is done.
8. We still get to spend the day with our friends.
9. Our favorite trainer might be able to go with us.
10. Benchmarks are over.

There are probably just as many negatives, if not more, but I have to point my students to the good stuff.  We were blocked in so many ways and from so many angles, I have to believe that something better is coming.  There is a reason that we are not going tomorrow.  We are not meant to be there, so we will be at school trying to find the bright side together.  In the word's of Monty Python, "Always look on the bright side of life!"

Ice, again!!!

Icemageddon has started.  As I warm my toes by the fire, I can already hear the sounds of the ice and sleet hitting the windows.  Even after hearing the weather predictions for days, still all I can think is, "Not this again!"

Normal people with normal jobs look forward to the ice storms that shut down their offices and give them the chance to "work from home." Being a teacher, however, is not a normal job.  Today was again spent in silence as we took the Reading benchmark, so I was able to sneak in a few minutes of personal reading time as well as grade a few papers.  Preparations for Friday's field trip, however, were never far from my mind.  The list of things that still needed to be accomplished seemed to grow instead of shrink.  Every moment of planning and lunch was spent finalizing the latest contingency plan (I think we are somewhere in the Plan K range at this point), drafting and emailing letters to parents, and collecting medications from the nurse. After school, our team quickly filled water bottles, packed lunch bags, gathered pencils, water, snacks, and any other supplies we might need at 6:00 am on Friday morning.  (Yes, you read that correctly!) We worked like the most well oiled streamlined machine ever built, and by 4:00 pm, we were all ready to walk out of the school doors.

I have to say, however, that we would still be up there working if it had not been for a very dedicated student teacher.  She worked tirelessly for us folding shirts, sorting name tags, writing names on lunch bags and water bottles, and organizing all of the groups.  She was even there beside us this afternoon helping us sprint across the finish line.  I have the best team ever assembled.

So, now we wait and listen to the sounds of winter even though it's already spring.  I guess someone forgot to tell Mother Nature, but she better get it together quickly.  One more day of indoor recess may push some teachers over the edge!  Tonight's Twitter feed will no doubt provide hours of entertainment as the high school students beg the school to close.  Luckily, I am warm in my house with a good book by my side.  The field trip preparations are done and IF school is cancelled, I, too, can "work from home." Maybe, though, I'll just curl up with a book and enjoy the day with my kids!

Mr. Terupt

After attending a writing conference last week, Tenille and I went on a book search. After finding a certain book to give to her new student teacher, we found our way into the children's book section, a place most elementary teachers cannot resist. I saw the book Because of Mr. Terupt and was told immediately that it was an amazing book. Knowing that she has really good tastes in literature, I decided that I had to buy it.

Fast forward to a day of STAAR simulation. Simulation means, it's quiet and I might get to read some! As I met the characters in the beginning chapters, I knew immediately that I would love this book and Mr. Terupt, too. Several quotes have really jumped out at me, but one really spoke to the things that go on in our classrooms this time of year. One quote that really put things into perspective.

As we analyze data and make RTI groups and update progress and beat our heads against the wall, I think I need to start remembering this: “Maybe you just do the best you can, 'cause you can't control what happens in the end.” I need to remember that I can only control myself. I can attend training classes and workshops, read books, and align myself with the best minds in education. I can pour my heart and soul into every student in my classroom. I can work alongside them and drag them through obstacle after obstacle. I can make sure they eat, are safe, and feel loved. However, I can't control how they perform on that test. It may be a bad day for them in every sense of the word, and I have to be okay with that. I have to be their cheerleader and look for the silver lining in what often appears as a very dark and cloudy sky. I have to encourage them when they are down and point them to that silver lining. Perhaps, they also need to hear, “Maybe you just do the best you can, 'cause you can't control what happens in the end.” I am determined to make my students believe in themselves. It might not be today, but one day in the future, their best will be more than enough no matter what happens in the end. I have to remember that I am an elementary school teacher. My job is to plant seeds for education, for the future, for life. Someone else gets to see the harvest.

The Hard Days

Some days are harder than others in 4th grade.  Some days you spend preparing students for a benchmark that covers standards that haven't been taught and making up for 3 lost instructional days last week.  Some days you try to catch up on the subjects that get left behind during testing season and still don't feel like you've done a good job of teaching them.  Some days you spend hours after school in meetings or trying to fix field trip problems that are fully unexpected and outside of your control or making yet another contingency plan for said field trip because the weather is awful right now.  (I mean seriously, isn't there a limit on the number of winter storms allowed to hit Texas.  It's TEXAS!!!  Can we get that added to our Constitution?  I expect March to be sunny and at least 80 degrees.  It's my birthday month.  I should get to pick, right?!?)  Some times you find out what other people deem is most valuable and it may or may not line up with what you think. Some days that all happens on Monday!  What a way to start the week.

But, hopefully even on those days you can look around in your exhaustion and find a friend or two who understands, is on your side, and, if there is no other solution, will be mad right alongside you. On those days you find an extra helper in the kitchen at dinner time who turns his string cheese into walrus tusks to make you laugh.  On those days, you remember what really matters, and sometimes it's that I made a difference for someone, even if it's only because I opened the string cheese.  :)

Here's to a better day tomorrow!

Slice of Life

It's been a long time since I've written a blog.  My last attempt resulted in 2 posts and was then forgotten, abandoned really.  This time, my fearless colleague, has challenged several of her friends to write for 31 days, the WHOLE month of March.  I have pondered this challenge all day long, partly because I'm really competitive and mostly because I don't want to start it and fail.  It's easier to just stay in Neutral rather than force ourselves into Drive. Like her students, though, I feel Mrs. Shade dragging me up this mountain, and some days, I will not want to go.  After all, what will I say? Can I really sustain a habit for that long? My long standing habits are, unfortunately, all related to poor food choices.  So, I can already imagine a lot of my posts being about food or the weather, which I totally hate right now.  The bottom line is, I have to try.  What better way to stretch myself personally and professionally.  I don't have a way with words like so many others, and I appear to have some writing ADD, but I will try.