teacher education according to me

rob & i were talking this morning about stuff we've seen in schools we've worked at over the years. we've both been called "veteran teachers" recently, and we were just thinking about all of our experiences and the many places we've worked and the good & bad we've found... it got me thinking about a lot of things... here is one thing (silly i know, but i'm kind of serious too)

if i could design a course of classes for upcoming teachers i would create some new courses. i think they'd be a lot more helpful than what many of us took in college... some current teachers could even take them too... and believe me, if these courses were offered somewhere i'd be signing up for some refresher courses in a couple of them myself. in fact i'm sitting here reminding myself not to judge because i'm sure i'm guilty of some of these things myself. God forgive me...

how about?

• Let It Go 101- a course to help people learn to not be so anal and helping them to identify which battles are worth fighting and which ones are better let go to fight another day or to just never worry about again...
• Prioritize 103- a must for today's teacher- this course would help teachers understand just what they will really face (not what college profs tell you, but the real, nitty-gritty truth of teaching) & how to look at each day/week/month's demands, figure out what is the most important thing(s) and start there and leave the little stuff for later or never... this is a lesson i'm learning now after giving myself high blood pressure and killer acid/heartburn/ulcer-ish symptoms these past two years... wish someone would have offered me this course a loooong time ago (oh wait, my parents tried & i was too dense to get it!) :)
• Open Your Mind & Close Your Mouth 302- this class would be for those teachers/teachers-to-be who need to learn to engage their brain and close their mouth to help them learn to not say stupid things to or about students and their families.
• Let Go of Pettiness 457- this course would help teachers learn to not be petty about things that don't change what they do or affect their work in the least; teachers will learn to not worry about other people's planning time, who is the principal's "pet," or who gets the credit for stuff but just to go to work each day, focus on the kids and do their best; teachers will learn to celebrate others' successes, to cheer for their fellow teachers and support each other in the hard times; teachers would sign a contract to help them remember that negativity and gossip will cause a school to fail just as quickly as any other factor
• Walk a Mile 228- this class would teach participants that it's easy to judge when you've not walked in someone else's life or circumstances but better to give compassion & grace to each student & family regardless. it would provide hands on learning activities in humiliating life experiences with the goal of helping participants to build a "bank of compassion" that they could draw from even when they don't understand or approve of their students &/or families' lifestyles or choices. these hands-on experiences would include: buying groceries with food stamps & listening to other customer's & cashier's comments &/or see their disapproving looks, going to the welfare office & filling out an application for assistance, being refused medical care for lack of insurance or because you have a medicaid card, standing in a food line at a shelter or food bank, going without meals because there is no food, living in a car or on the street or sleeping in a shelter because you are homeless, dealing with an angry child who acts out and having to have a conference with the teacher &/or school where they judge you & make you feel like less... the focus of this course would not be similar to the ruby payne "poverty" course that so many educators go through, it would be real & dirty and hard, but participants won't have an "understanding" of the "culture of poverty" when they're done, they'll understand, 1st hand, how it feels to be judged, looked down on, put down & disliked just because they're poor and in the end, they'll look at students & families in a totally new way.
• Give a Damn 400- this course would teach teachers to actually care about their students' lives beyond the school campus, beyond their classroom walls, to see each child's "big picture" and take it into account when looking at and dealing with their problem behaviors, their lack of learning, their family history... and it would teach teachers to show a little care, a little love, a little compassion to every child- not just the best or the brightest.
• RESPECT- Give It To Get It 499- this would be the final course for all teachers; teachers would learn that they cannot get the respect they want and deserve if they don't give it to ALL students ALL the time. this course would help teachers learn that students are wiser than they realize and that children can see through us, through what we say to how we act and how we treat their fellow classmates. this course will help teachers realize that when we talk about respect to our children, but then treat one student poorly, the children see right through our act, they watch what we do much more than they listen to what we say. when they see us treat others with less respect they learn to treat others poorly themselves, thus breeding disrespect and unhappiness. the final exam for this course would be to provide daily doses of respect to every single child, regardless of their behavior, their social standing, their parents' lives, their looks, clothes, smarts, whether they "deserve it" or not in the teacher's book, but to give it because EVERY SINGLE human being on the face of the earth deserves love & respect just for being alive.

God help me to be a better teacher than I've ever been. I can't fix all the problems of society, of my community, school or even my own classroom. All I can do is work on me with Your help, and I'm sure wanting to improve this teacher. Please help me to be better next week than I was last, to fix the things You're showing me that need fixed and keep my eyes on You, the final prize, and on what's most important to me- the least of these that You love. Help me to remember all this and do better.

Happy 17th Birthday Matthew

Today is my "baby's" 17th birthday!!! :) He is 17 and 6'4" and hopefully he'll stop growing one of these years. :) We've had a nice evening. Barbara & I took Robert to work (the only down part of it all- us not all being together) then we met Rob & Matthew at the army-navy surplus store where Matthew was able to get a combat uniform in the air force tiger stripe pattern that he wanted thanks to his brother and sister helping us; we all pitched in and got that and an Air Force t-shirt for him.

Matthew and I went to Wally-world and picked up some things we needed for his supper. Matthew wanted to cook supper tonight so while he did that I made his birthday cake and a HUGE batch of pico de gallo for us and for work tomorrow.

I'm soooo sleepy, and going to just call it a night soon I think. It's been a nice day. A quiet, peaceful, no-stress and no conflict day in my classroom. My kids were soooo well behaved, and that even in spite of having to be in the room without specials today. They were so quiet you could hear a pin drop for a while. I'm not the kind of teacher that is bothered by noise, but it was kind of nice for a few minutes to have such peacefulness. Then even when they worked in learning stations they were quiet. And no one was shh-ing us which was soooo wonderful!!!! That was absolutely heavenly. Shh-ing just has been like fingernails down a chalkboard to me this year- never knew that before about me... Oh, and one of my kids did sooooo well today on assessments... I almost fell out of my chair in excitement and the thrill of pride I felt for him!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So this was a wonderful day- for me and hopefully for my birthday boy! Thanks God!!!!

My Momma, the writer

My momma writes for the local newspaper in the area where she lives. She's been sharing her journey through the land of Cancer, but recently she wrote about something different, something weird, paranormal, a little frightening, and definitely very strange- ME! :)

http://www.qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=462198

prayer request

please pray for ruhiyyih and matt. they are getting married in a few weeks and matt lost his job today. they both need God's provision and peace in this time of major life changes and stress.

struggling

I just realized that I haven't journaled in a while. I have had plenty of thoughts, just not enough time and quite honestly I've been feeling pretty discouraged so I didn't want to post anything because it wouldn't be all upbeat and happy and positive. Who wants to read that?

I know it will get better. I will be fine. Life is good, it really is! I am so thankful for all the many, abundant blessings I have been given in my life. I have so many, many things to be appreciative of and please believe me when I say I am.

I just don't like me much at all, I don't like the person people see or who people think I am. People say things about the person I am, and I realize it's not who I think I am or not what I want people to think/see/feel about me. I try to change, but am not doing a good job. I want to be so much more than I am, a better person, a really Christ-like person. Work is very, very stressful, and I am trying not to let it be that way for my students. I'm tired of feeling like my best is not enough. I can't give any more than I already do.

I am really struggling right now is all I can say. I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I'll be back when I'm a decent human being once again. :)

Fall Is Here at last!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer lasts forever here in NC!!!! But fall is finally getting here, and I am soooo ready!

The wind is blowing a nice, cool breeze. I am sitting here listening to the leaves blowing in the wind and can see a few falling down. The rain is falling. The air just feels so good!

Hello fall, I'm so glad to see you!!! I am definitely in love with the fall!

One Month Ago

School's been in session for about a month now. Interesting to look at the last month and think about all that's happened in the last 4-6 weeks.

One month ago

• i heard from a teacher friend who was writing to say goodbye because she had two months left to live.
• i was spending the weekend in the dr.'s office/hospital with my son who was having emergency surgery.
• i was just starting a new school year with my new and old kids, and then missing the 2nd week of school to only start over again.
• i had my 1st grad class in nc in this math licensure program
• we had recently decided to leave our church and begin to look for a new one
• my daughter had recently started college
• my youngest son started his junior year and begun his military adventure with the JROTC program
• i began the school year with a new coworker and was very nervous and eager to make that work well for us both
• i had begun a small business idea out of my home

one month later:

• our friend died this past friday
• matthew is healing well and already progressed out of the plaster cast, off the crutches, and out of the walking boot and is in a brace
• i've started school and then started over and then had to totally revamp my schedule and start again- my kids and i are learning how to be flexible that's for sure! :)
• i've turned in two big homework projects for my grad class and gotten A+'s on them both :
• we're still looking for a church
• the kids all seem to be doing well in school so far... barbara is loving college and is working now too! (THANK YOU GOD!) and managing her 18 hour course load and a part time job... matthew likes school, has caught up from his week out of class and just got his 1st military uniform... robert is in his last year of school and continues to do well managing a 30-35 hour a week job and school
• work- well, it's going to be a long, not easy year, but i'm learning that i can't please everyone, that i shouldn't try, and that's it's okay if everyone doesn't like me, in fact... i was ready to quit last week, but God won't let me and i'm not a quitter so i'll tough it out and see what He has in store for me down the road...
• the business journey will be a learning one for me too, as i learn how to get much, much better at what i'm doing and as i wait patiently for word to spread and figure out how to find cheap ways to advertise, etc

randomness

it's friday night at last! aaahhhhh this week has been excruciatingly long!

it's a drizzly, cool but humid evening. it finally feels like fall is coming here- the dogwoods are even starting to change colors already! my house is empty because robert is working, barbara is babysitting, and rob has left to pick up matthew from his high school homecoming football game where he marched with his jrotc unit in uniform. he'll be home in a while, and i'll see him in uniform for the first time. i'm sitting here in my favorite pj's and warm, fuzzy-soft robe and wrapped up in my fleece blanket- oh so comfy cozy!!!

i finally received the grades from my 1st two assignments in my grad class - i am so EXCITED- two A+'s!!!! and some really, really nice comments from the prof too- which made my day!!!

i stood up to some bullying from a coworker today and it felt oh so nice! maybe bullying is too harsh a word, but it's pretty much the adult equivalent. she wouldn't take no for an answer when i told her i wouldn't be doing something she wanted, and when she tried to push it on me i just politely thanked her and went on with my business. it was kind of funny to see the reaction... rob will be proud of me for this! it was the goal for the week for me set by my husband, though with another person in mind, still i did it!!!

barbara's teacher, Mrs. Fansler, who had been such an encouragement to her and to me last year has been dying- we just got word that she died this morning at 9 A.M. she was a great lady. can't say more about this.

i'm going to work on my homework for my classes. have two assignments to do for my photography class, plus have to do this big project and prepare to teach it to my students this next week then write it all up... nicole (another 1st grade teacher at my school who is also in this grad program with me) and i are going to swap lessons when it's done so we'll have 2 instead of just ours.

there's church somewhere on sunday, and then somewhere in this weekend is lesson planning, prep work, a HUGE pile of papers to check, donorschoose packets to prepare and mail. i'd like to do some cardmaking too- i have some new fall & halloween decorations and paper and i'd sure like to see what i can do with that and make some more cards. oh, there's just never enough time to do it all, so i guess i'll see what i can do this weekend. i hope you have a great weekend wherever you are!!!

Matthew- at not quite 3 weeks

Matthew's steri-strips have fallen off, so we can see his "boo-boo" again. It's getting better, although it still looks pretty yucky if you ask me. It just hurts me to see it, but he's doing well, and God was good to him and us! He blistered some underneath all the plaster and where the boot has rubbed, but that has all popped and dried off too. He's still pretty swollen, but the dr. said that he'll have that the rest of his life off & on. He's getting there day by day... One more week and he will step down to a brace that fits inside his shoe that he'll have to wear for a few months.

not a good day

work stinks right now, but i'm trying to remember that i am thankful for a job! :)

i just sat here and wrote a long piece expressing my frustration, but then thought about it and realized no one wants to read that. :) so i just saved it. later on in the year i'll look back on it and see how much improvement has happened and be thankful, so it's a private journal entry i guess.

i'm trying to remember that i do this for God and for the kids and families i serve, that it is a service, that service jobs are dealing with people and are not always pleasant or easy, but that it is a worthy and noble thing i do... even on the hard days.

i'm trying to remember all those things. and God is here trying to encourage me too. the songs on the radio on my way home (K-Love & a local Christian station) well, WOW, they were just the perfect songs for this day!!!! i pulled over into the park down the road from my home, and cried and let off a little steam before coming on home. thanks God for that. i need it!!!

now to go try to figure out yet another way to make this thing work for my kids and me... it's hard when things out of your control mess you up... but i've got to find a way for those 17 kids who call me their "Mrs. Thomas." they're counting on me, and i can't let them down.

my kids can cook!!!!

My kids can sure cook some good food!!! This was Robert's night on the menu (each kid has one night that is their night for which they plan a well-rounded meal of their choice and cook it). Barbara likes to cook vegetarian/meatless stuff but she also likes to cook some of our old standbys and make herself a vegie version- hamburger pie, pasta salad, salad and bread, homemade pizzas. Matthew is our grilling king, and he is getting GOOOOD!!! He makes the best grilled chicken ever; he seasons it with fresh herbs from our herb garden plus other spices in our cabinet. Each time it's a little different, but always yummy. He also cooks a great poached fish! Robert loves to cook foods from all over the world; he has a whole collection of world cookbooks that we've been getting for him for birthdays & Christmas gifts for a couple years now. I think we started this one! :) So tonight's meal was an Iranian dish- Chicken & Eggplant Kouresh with steamed rice and asparagus with hollandaise sauce (I helped him make that part- YUM!).

My Not Perfect Kids

It's Monday. Obvious, I know. :) I do NOT feel good, I'm afraid I've got some bug, and I CANNOT miss more work. Booo...

Allow me to tell you about my kids tonight.

I have THE BEST kids. I know if you have some of your own, you think your kids are the best, but you'll just have to accept that mine are actually the best in the world. Mine are by no means perfect; lest you think that, let me assure you otherwise. I've always wondered about those people who have the "perfect" kids- you know those kids who never talk back, don't seem to argue, make the best grades they can make, do all the sports and clubs and all that, send food to starving children around the globe, smile and ALWAYS behave in church... I've worked with a few people who had those kids, or at least acted like they did. Can we say ANNOYING?!?!?!

I'm sure my kids have been the source of more than one after school conversation between teachers at their schools as well as a few of mine. Oh well. My kids are mouthy, argumentative, VERY opinionated, LOUD, sometimes very lazy, definitely very messy. They have made horrible grades at times (one of mine holds the family "grounding record" for longest consecutive time grounded because of grades & is proud of that too let me tell you!), and not-their-best grades their whole lives even though they are all very smart young people. They have done things I am ashamed of and would never talk about to anyone. They have been to the principal's office many times, destroyed private property (there's a good story there), been in ISS, stayed after school, told the teacher off (another good story), climbed toilet stalls & urinals just because someone told them to... In fact, just this afternoon I sent one young adult child to timeout, as it were, for mouthing off at me when I was stupid enough to break up an argument between two of them because they sounded EXACTLY like two of my six year-old students today. Yup, my kids are definitely hard-headed, stubborn, obstinate and HAVE TO HAVE THE LAST WORD AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!!!!!! I've lived through parenting nightmares, hard times, times I cried all night long, times I wanted to pull all my hair out, thought I'd commit murder or suicide because of the embarrassment they've put me through. I've used almost every implement known to man as a spanking tool- you name it, I've probably tried it.

My kids are far from perfect, and I am thankful for that. Perfect is boring. If my kids had been perfect children, I'd have missed out on some free entertainment, would have no good stories to laugh at and share with others, no memories to cherish, no life lessons learned, I'd be a lot worse parent for the perfection. My kids have taught me so much about God- sooo much and they don't even know it. My understanding of Him has a long way to go, but it's so much better than it was 20 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child. My kids have taught me so very much about life- what really matters, time management, joy, happiness, how to deal with stress and hardship. My kids have made me a better teacher- a lot better! I understand kids more having raised mine and seen all the stages of development a kid goes through, having helped mine learn to read, add/subtract, print, and all those other teachable things. I have learned more about parents from being one, and it has definitely paid off in my work. I can build better relationships with my families because of my kids' imperfections than I'd be able to if my children were the rose-colored model of kids. My hard times and embarrassments as a parent have helped me better understand parents, helped me lessen other parents' mortification when their children have acted up at school. I think it has helped me be more "real" and given me credibility with parents/grandparents. My kids have taught me what love is, how to love, how to give love, show love, be love.

Now those same kids who have at times put my patience to its limits and beyond, who have listened to me lecture, scream, throw a few of my own tempter tantrums (for like them, I am not a perfect mom- poor kids, maybe I am the problem ;) ha ha), those same kids have learned to give back to us, to those around them, to complete strangers, and this mommy could not be more proud of them or more thankful for them than I am now. They help take care of more housework than I do and have for a very long time now. They all know how to do laundry & do their own plus Rob's & mine many times. They can all cook and take turns planning their portions of the menu, planning their part of the grocery list, and preparing their meals for our family, they help contribute to our finances and help out with grocery money, gas in the car when it's low, and now helping pay our phone bill. And remember, they are not perfect, so sometimes they grumble about having to do the dishes or clean the bathroom or any number of other things, but I am seeing them grow up and become thankful and appreciative of their dad & I. And I am LOVING this maturity in them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I say LOVING it???

And as my life is beginning to creep into a new phase, I'm so very thankful for my very imperfect children. So thankful for my time with them, for the memories- good, bad, & ugly. So thankful for the love we have known together and thankful for whatever time we will have together down the road.

Yeah, I am really, truly thankful for stubborn, loud-mouthed, attitude-y, argumentative kids who love me, who give back to me each in their own way. My life is good, no better than that! I am so grateful for my children- imperfections and all. I wouldn't have them any other way!

honesty

"Honesty is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue. Honesty is hardly ever heard. And mostly what I need from you. I can always find someone to say they sympathize. If I wear my heart out on my sleeve. But I don't want some pretty face to tell me pretty lies. All I want is someone to believe." Billy Joel

I'm truly, honestly very discouraged tonight. That's me being honest.

One Week Later...

Matthew's leg & foot one week after surgery. We are so thankful to God that the dr. was able to do all the work he needed to do without having to open up the other side too, which he originally thought he was going to have to do. I can't imagine having this on both sides of the leg.

Matthew's week

Grrr... I'm so mad at my computer!!! It just "ate" all these photos I've taken. I had a bunch, and they're gone to somewhere. I was viewing them on the computer as they uploaded and when I went to edit them, the whole batch is gone. Grrr..

Oh well, these are a few of what's left to show how Matthew's week has gone so far. Went to the dr. today for a checkup. I want to warn you, if you're the type who doesn't like icky stuff- blood, wounds, etc. don't look down at the bottom. I am putting a closeup of his incision site and injured area there. It's pretty icky looking still.

a lot of napping :)

the youth group came over to see Matthew after he got home from the hospital on Sunday- this means soooo much to us!!!!

playing on mom's computer and doing homework (which is what he's actually, really doing here)

Matthew's incision site and wounded area as it looked today at his checkup after they took off the plaster cast and cotton protective stuff... the whole area is swollen and red, blue, purple. i told him he looks like Frankenstein now :)

heading home

as soon as some more meds drip in through the iv we are going home. i'm still a little concerned because of some minor complications, but i'm being reassured this is all normal and we'll be fine. so home we go, and somehow i've got to figure out how to be super-mommy/teacher and be at home with my child and at school with my children at the same time. yeah, i wish. :)

okay, it's official, i don't like this at all

it's 3:45 a.m. i couldn't get to sleep, and finally at 1:00 i thought i had to try a little harder, gave myself a lecture, put on some music on my computer way down low and tried really hard to get comfortable on this hard cushioned bed/thingy in the room. i dozed very little and laid there pretty uncomfortable mostly, getting up to help my baby :) when he needed something. about 45 minutes ago, he got very sick and almost passed out on me in the bathroom. i called the nurse for help, and when she got there she had to use smelling salts a couple times to revive him and took some vitals, and called for the rapid response team for assistance. talk about SCARED TO DEATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm trying not to let it show, but i'm really not liking this.



not. at. all.

Father, I know he really is Your child, and I only get to have a short time with him. I know You already know all this, but our baby needs Your healing and help. And, if You can spare it, I need a little rest tomorrow- when it's all over. :) I know You love us, and I'm so very, very thankful.

a post entitled "not how i had planned my weekend to be..."

update for our family- i cannot access my home email, facebook (BUMMER) or twitter here at the hospital (but i can get my work email- go figure!) we are back in our room on the peds floor. there is some pain and grogginess, but all things considered we're doing pretty good. our youth leaders, dai & jenny brought up mcdonald's and we're eating fries and drinking a sprite. :) i get to stay up here tonight too- boy have hospitals changed!!! we should go home tomorrow. thanks for all the prayers!

this weekend is definitely not going as planned. i brought home a big TUB of work to do- lesson plans for two weeks, getting my students files labeled and paperwork sorted out, doing some curriculum mapping for myself to put the K & 1st stuff together and mapping out where i am going to head this year, cutting out a bunch of feltboard sets i received from donors choose. i need to get a lot done this weekend as my grad classes begin this monday! YIKES!!!

instead i am sitting in the hospital awaiting my child's surgery- a surgery that was not in our plans for this weekend. oh well, life is still very, very good. thank God for insurance (even when it is more expensive & benefits cut) because without it i don't know what we'd be doing right now. thank God for jobs to pay the bills we'll now have. thank God for family that prays for us. thank God for three youth leaders that have surrounded my family with love in the almost two years we've now known them, but especially has come around us this summer in the midst of other junk to shower us with His love and their love and their support.

thank you God for being with us in it all- even when the weekend goes a direction i didn't plan. now to get back to picking on my kid. :) i LOVE being a mom!

Matthew's new haircut

Matthew started his new school year today. He wanted his friends to see him with his longer hair and his facial hair "goatee thingy" (my Barbara Rose word for it). :) So he came home today and gave himself his first military haircut since he is now a member of JROTC!

Here he is before the deed. :)

Look at all that hair!

Ta-da, here he is!!!

God blesses us even when we don't deserve it

In the midst of a little storm this week, God still shows me He loves me. I don't understand Him or His crazy love, but I am so thankful for it.

I woke up this morning to an email that another of my donorschoose projects was funded. This makes four of 8 that were funded so far this summer! :) I have four more live projects up right now, and now have more points earned to write more grants when I have some time. Each time we submit a proposal it costs us points, but we can earn points back by confirming our funding promptly, by writing a thank you note immediately, and then by completing the thank you package with student letters and photos. So for every project we get funded and complete the requirements we spend 1 point but earn 3. So far in the one year I have been a donorschoose teacher, I have had 7 projects fully funded & only two partially or not funded. I just added those projects up and it totals over $1900 that has been given to my class by friends, family, myself, a wonderful volunteer of ours, and total & complete strangers from NY to WA and all over the nation!

This is one of the four remaining projects left that I am hoping will get funded. I prayed all summer that God would bless me with full funding for them all. I'm half way there thanks to God sending me some generous donors!

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=288704 This one is called We Love Puzzles, and when funded, it will purchase a wooden puzzle rack and two sets of multicultural puzzles- one that displays homes around the world and one that shows families from around the world in different cultures.

You can find my other proposals by on the sidebar over there. Or you can go to www.donorschoose.org, type in the search bar, Allen Jay Elementary, and look for projects with Mrs. T. on them. That's me! If you know anyone or any business that would be willing to donate, would you please pass my info along? Thanks a bunch!