Fresh Air Matters

After we released our students today we had a grade level P.L.C. A P.L.C. is an abbreviation for Professional Learning Community. Professional Learning Community is a fancy name for "We had a meeting!"  I have been a little stuffed up because of spring allergies. The room we held the meeting in is not one that we normally hold it in. I walked in didn't think anything about it. I suddenly became very very tired. I mentioned it to a colleague a couple of times. Then I started to get choked up and started coughing. I asked if there was a scent or perfume in the room. The teacher had on a Scentsy wax warmer. She immediately turned it off, but I was coughing more and feeling out of breath. I left the room and realized it had triggered my allergy related asthma. I got back to my classroom and I knew I had my inhaler but I couldn't think of where I had it. Not enough oxygen = unclear thinking. A colleague came in and tried to help me. At first I couldn't talk. I just had to sit and think of only inhaling and exhaling for a minute. It got better and soon started talking. I told her to leave me for a bit so I could just breathe and drink some water and calm down. I decided to go outside for a  bit to stand up straight and breathe in fresh air. I forgot to communicate where I was going, and panicked my poor colleagues a 2nd time. After I had more air in me I realized I left my inhaler in my "recess" jacket.

I felt so bad I had scared them all. I am putting my classroom inhaler in one place so they can find it easily. I am giving one to the school nurse. After school I called in for my refill on another inhaler. That one will travel with me.

This may sound strange, but I am glad this happened. Why? Because when I say I am allergic to scents or I can't breathe with them I am often dismissed. Unless you have experienced it or have this same issue It seems far-fetched. I had told my colleagues a couple of times that I react to it, but I know they didn't really understand. They understand now.

That first sign of feeling so tired so quickly was my body saying "HELLO NEED AIR HERE." I just didn't recognize that quickly enough. Since my nose was plugged I didn't smell the scent in the air. I really hate those wax warmers. Most of the time those have chemicals that create the artificial smell. I wish they would just use a quality essential oil and a little water in them if needed. Even a diffuser would be better.

My colleagues were very good about checking on me and taking care of me. I work with good people!

2 Minutes

I forgot to share.... the "lunch ladies"... Oh my.... the "lunch ladies"... it is a hostile eating environment apparently. No wonder lunch with the teacher is such a highly sought after reward.

Today the  "lunch ladies" gave me some serious attitude about us being 2 minutes early for lunch. I am not joking! I was told... YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES!  I had been trying to help by passing the kids their styrofoam trays so they were ready to just grab their milk and keep moving. When I started doing this I noticed the line was definitely moving faster. I tried to help make sure my special needs student knew what he wanted so he was ready to tell them. I am done helping.

They've been so grumpy with me, my students, the students as a whole, and the teaching staff. I just find it so strange that you'd be grumpy with someone who was attempting to make your job easier. Most of my colleagues refuse to go in there anymore. Well, I have joined the list. What is interesting about the 2 minutes. Is these same ladies blow the whistle 2 minutes early every day. They can send them back to class early but we cannot drop them off early. I told my colleagues I wasn't in there to make their jobs more difficult I was trying to help make things run more smoothly and quickly. Some of my colleagues who have kids say that their kids hate eating in the lunchroom. I understand why.

Here is the even more ridiculous part. Do you know how many classes are having lunch at the same time?  14 classes. 14 classes to get through the lunch line in a 30 minute period.  The last kids in line barely have a chance to eat.

In teacher college I never imagined that this would be a topic of discussion.  Today's lesson learned.

Monkeys and Rabbits

I think I started off this day on the wrong foot. 😅  I promise... it was an accident. On my way out the door this a.m. I dropped my juice and the bottle broke. Juice and glass went everywhere of course. I was on my way to work and did not want to be late. I had to throw towels down scoop up the worse and head to work. Uggh. Arriving home I had a mess to clean up today. The vacuums were brought out, the paper towels, and the cleaning liquids.  I am sure I'll be finding specks of glass for awhile. Sigh....

My students were a monkeys and rabbits today. Swinging from trees and bouncing around. They wore me out. I wasn't alone in this feeling. The other teachers expressed the same thoughts which made me feel a bit better.  😲

I had so many issues to deal with today with student behaviors I think my head is still reeling.  I hope tomorrow is less chaotic!

Juice and Dinner

It is very obvious my brother hates me. He bought me a juicer and suggested a recipe. I finally removed it from the box, bought all of the ingredients, washed all the moving parts, and made juice. I have three bottles to get through in three days.




I thought I could drink most of it before work but that did not happen. It was clear this process would take some time. So, I took it to work. My students were horrified by the beverage. They were very vocal with their "ewwws"

My students questions and comments:

What IS that?
It looks like poop!
Is someone making you drink that?
Can we try some?
You make a face when you drink that!
What is in that?
What is kale?
You should put something yummy in it so it doesn't taste bad! Like cookies...


The student who asked me if someone made me drink it, walked up to me and spoke in hushed tones. He was very concerned. I'm not sure if he thought I was being tortured or if my health was so bad they were making me drink it. He was relieved to hear that it was voluntary. As I typed the word voluntary...I winced. I did make the juice, I did drink it, I did buy the veggies to make it, but there was a sense of obligation to test it out! I don't want to test any of my students gag reflexes so I will not be sharing with the class.

I asked mom for a few dinner suggestions. I was avoiding a grocery store stop. She had all kinds of ideas that involved a lot of greens. I had my greens plus some today. I even ate a spinach and leaf lettuce salad for lunch. I've done my part. Needless to say it is the end of the month the groceries are thin, and I don't want to shop. Dinner has become experimental. I am nervous. I cooked hamburger, made a roux, and threw in green beans (shoot..more green). I threw all this into a casserole dish sprinkled cheese on the mix. On the very top I added canned, sliced, new potatoes. Yeah....no idea if this will turn out. I have a back up can of chili...it has red things in it...very exciting! I thought this juice would be so filling I wouldn't want to eat dinner. I think it is more that I need a cleansed palate.

80's Flashbacks

You never know what will trigger a memory. Today I was talking to a friend about a movie that was an 80's classic that I never watched till the 90's. A Never Ending Story was what it was called. I remember thinking the special effects were terrible. Thinking about this made me think of another movie The Pagemaster which came out in the 90's. I liked it at the time. I haven't watched it since but I think I will. Thinking of these movies based on a love for reading made me think of 6th grade library. I had changed schools after 5th grade because our school was closed. I started at a new elementary school. Our previous librarian was amazing at getting us  to read books. She'd pick great ones and read us just enough of a chapter to get us into it then stop. Unfortunately, my friend Terri always seemed to beat me to checking them out. Thank goodness mom took us to the county library.

Anyhow, I was at a new school with a new librarian. I didn't love that library as well as my last and it definitely wasn't as big. I caught on quickly that the class would beg the librarian to watch this show. I'd never heard of it or seen it before. It was a post-apocalyptic  show that began with most earthlings being transported off earth because earth had become so polluted. Well a few unfortunate survivors all trapped at the library of course, had to use these library resources to survive. Basically this whole show was a way to teach kids about the Dewey Decimal system. It was released by Mississippi Educational Television and I think only released on public television. It is a bit hysterical to watch now. It really is a great example of 80's t.v. The show was called Tomes and Talismans. Click on the title and watch the first episode. I remember thinking it wasn't very good at the time and I couldn't figure out why my classmates wanted to watch it. Well, after being in library with our very grumpy librarian a few times, I understood. Watching a show was a much better idea.

I also left an extremely amazing music teacher at the last school. My new music teacher was not only of poor quality, but very annoyed by us.  My classmates also begged him to play a song at the end of every class. I missed out on what led up to it... but this was the song: Daddy Sang Bass.  This was also the height of the Jazzercise Craze. They would beg to do Jazzercize in P.E. I hated it. Well, mostly the girls would beg. Jazzercise ....legwarmer flashbacks .  

So...It all started with a movie mention by a friend. I am glad that I read more books than watched movies as a kid. Hollywood and especially Disney has ruined a lot of great books. They've really ruined them for kids and teachers. You don't want your student to go watch the movie to find out the ending. You want them to enjoy the journey. We just finished The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary. It is a classic. The kids loved it and some went to check out their own copy after we read it together. There are two more books in that series. We started reading The 13 Story Treehouse. It is a fun book with a lot of funny drawings. It will be engaging for reluctant readers. However, it is not going to be a classic. It is a fun read.

Stop

Few would be shocked to know that I have strong opinions.  Sometimes these opinions are based on reading and research into the areas of topic. However, I will admit sometimes it comes down to personal taste. Where am I going with this you say?

Yoga Pants!

I do appreciate that many have stopped pretending they are on their way to yoga or to the gym and now call them leggings. I have one descriptor for them. Ugly.

No, No, No, you don't need to try to talk me into anything. I know they are comfortable. I understand they are easy to work out in (when actually used for that purpose.). Stop pretending they are professional ready-to-wear work clothing. Stop with the terrible patterns and unflattering styles. Stop with the immodesty.  Stop! Just Stop!  Some of those patterns you are wearing match the curtains, wallpaper, and sofas of many Great-Grannies' homes.   I really don't need to see that much of you.

It's sad that I'd give anything to see sweatpants or flannel loungers.

(Update: My mother would also suggest, they are not meant for every body type. Know your limits!)

Q-tip Wars!

I started off my Monday morning with sneak attack Q-tip wars! It was a very one sided war as I was the only armed patriot. My colleagues or enemies were the targets of my very inaccurate firing. The bonus was we all had a great giggle to start off the day. You can arm yourself here!  I ordered them for a much much cheaper price! Shop around and you too can start off your Monday with an epic battle.

There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day for grading. I correct the papers. I enter in all the information needed into the grading software, then I enter in the grades, then I put the graded work in the students cubbies. It is a long process. I try to make sure I have grades going home quite often. It is a time consuming aspect of teaching.

It rained today. I have mentioned before and will most likely mention again that people here melt in the rain. We can't go outside during the slightest drizzle. We must cancel recess immediately. We can be outside in a blizzard, but outside with rain that is unacceptable. We had two canceled recesses today. Do you know what that creates? It creates students that are bouncing off walls and frazzled teachers who need to use the facilities. Rain, while I have enjoyed your presence, I have a request. Rain after 3:20p.m. and before 9 a.m. I know you tried because you woke me up a lot last night. Your schedule can be anytime on Saturdays and Sundays. I'm not concerned about rained out soccer games. See what you can do Rain! Thank you.

Spring...

That time of year when the outdoors does its best to kill me. I have to figure out out to change my game plan! Breathing is not over-rated!

Friday is coming!

What a thing to think about on a lovely brisk Saturday evening. I have to plan ahead. This coming Friday is our grade levels turn to provide lunch for the staff. I decided to make that journey to Wal-Mart this evening to purchase my contributions. We are doing a salad bar for the staff. My contributions included the plastic-ware, plates, bowls, croutons, nuts, seeds, peperocinis  and a gazillion croutons. I think we should have ordered sub sandwiches. I did not purchase the prerequisite dessert. I will decide what to do about that later in the week. Unless I am suddenly inspired earlier.

There was quite a few people at Wal-Mart purchasing last minute Easter Baskets or dinner items. It is an interesting place to observe people but I mostly wanted to get the heck out of there. I usually avoid shopping there, but when you're trying to shop "cheaper" it is the only option.

People keep asking about my summer plans. I am not sure if I will be taking a class or attending any trainings. When I think about that first week after school is out I know it will probably be a combination of cleaning house, doing laundry, and recuperating. I don't think I will be switching classrooms this summer but one never knows for sure. The janitors are in charge of the heavy lifting we just have to take everything off the walls and cover bookshelves. I will probably empty mine because I  want to do some rearranging in August.  I don't think clean up will take as long because we don't have to box every single thing up as we did at my previous teaching position.

This coming week we have Leadership Day which will involve an assembly and visitors. In May we have a school/family dance that I will be attending to serve food. We also have a field trip that same week that I wish I could explain but I have no idea what it involves. We've completed two weeks of the last nine weeks of school. I think the rest of the year will fly by.

ADD and ADHD

This has become a bit of a controversial topic. I think mostly because the over diagnosing of mostly very active boys and the overuse of Ritalin. There has become a bit of a stigma attached to even a suggestion of these diagnoses.  If you have an easily distracted child. I would be the first to say make medication the last resort. Try changing the diet. Remove all processed food and food dyes. Check for other possible medical issues. Sometimes children can have sleep apnea that can cause them to show similar symptoms. A medical evaluation is important. Making sure your child has plenty of time for physical activity can reduce possible issues. There could also be underlying anxiety problems. Parents should look at the possibilities.

When to medicate? When your child is adversely affected daily by their inability to focus. They can't complete school work, they lack success in school, they can't seem to complete a thought, and they are very easily distracted. I think the main reason to medicate is when their inability to focus is breaking their spirit and making them feel like a failure. The medication has changed for treating ADD and ADHD. There are more options and different dosage possibilities. I think this is important for parents to know.

I had a student this year from day to day and hour to hour you didn't know what to expect. I had multiple conversations with the parent. The child wasn't hyperactive. The child didn't lack the mental capacity. The child had no other impairments that I could see. A few times I thought the child might be having a seizure because it appeared that there were no lights on in the office. Sometimes, the child could get through part of a task and have it done correctly, then later on the same task have it all incorrect. The child was easily distracted by others. I had to learn to let the child come back into themselves ,so to speak, to give them help. At spring conferences I spoke with the parent again and suggested a medical evaluation. I told them I had no idea what was going on ,but the impact on their learning was significant. I suggested they go to a pediatrician they had a lot of confidence in that would listen to their concerns. School doesn't get easier after 2nd grade.  The parent made an appointment immediately. Then brought me paperwork to fill out. I didn't know if there was follow through after that.

Then this  last week I started to notice a change. There was an ability to follow through, a focus that wasn't there before, an ability to ignore other off task students, and best of all a growing confidence. The parent messaged me and asked if I had noticed anything and I let them know I had. I was then told the student was put on a low dose medication. I talked with the student privately and asked how they were feeling there was a big bright smile that lit up the room " I feel like I can think!"  I am so excited for this student. They are having success and their confidence is growing. I think the school experience is going to completely change for them.

So my message is, while I understand why you don't want to medicate there is a time that it should be considered. Don't allow a spirit to be broken because you have  preconceived ideas about ADD or ADHD. Times have changed and more options are available.

Rain

Second grade students understand sarcasm. I know this because after the second or third student came in with a pouty face and complained to me that it was raining at recess, I exaggeratedly said "Oh MY GOODNESS! I've had students MELT in the rain!! Did everyone make it? Are we all okay???" Laughter ensued and complaints ended. I am always amused by the reaction to rain in this state.

I have allergy related asthma. I hate it. I feel for anyone with breathing issues. It is frustrating to not be able to do what you want simply because you cannot get enough oxygen. When I have a reaction even laughter can trigger issues. It also takes awhile for me to get back to max capacity. It is why I love time by the sea. I can breathe easily and freely. It is that breath of fresh air my lungs long for.  We had a couple days of strong winds ahead of the storms. They blew dust and dirt, and of course I reacted. Tonight I have my diffuser going, had a long shower, am drinking my "Breathe" tea, and used my inhaler. I took my allergy medicine. If I could "wish" this away I would. People who have breathing issues year round I feel terrible for them. It is miserable.

Oh my word my computer keeps yelling at me for some reason or another. I'm doing updates, virus protection, etc. I hate Windows 10 if you haven't heard me rant about this before just know I will NEVER by a computer ran by Windows software again! UGGH! That was a short rant, but I have to sign off before it starts yelling again!!

It's almost here....the weekend

I was trying to contemplate my week. I can say for sure that I have brought home papers to grade for three nights in a row. What did I do Monday night? I think I fell into bed early. I was contemplating my day tomorrow when I realized it is Friday. This means someone else makes lunch and it is "Casual Friday." I can wear my jeans and tennis shoes. I had a list of things I brought home that I thought I would get done. Well after grading papers, eating dinner, washing dishes, and taking a shower. It is almost time for bed.

I stayed a little late after school to print some things that I haven't had time to. Usually the copy room is very busy. I thought there would be a chance that I could get some things done without too much competition. I did manage to! Yay! Tomorrow when I drop my students off for Library I will have to work on getting ready for next week and maybe tackling a couple more things on my list. I expect I will have to come in to school on Saturday to finish it up.

Not that there was any other option, but I am so glad I went to a community college before heading to a four year school. I listen to my peers and the debt they've accumulated and I wince. I also think the community college experience provided me with a quality foundation. I definitely used the available resources to help get me through and I had some really great instructors. I don't know how to quantify my learning there, but I often reflect on my learning there and how it impacts my teaching now.  I think I got more "learning about teaching" from that experience than my actual teaching degree. I'm really glad I had that experience and that I am not swimming in a mountain of debt.

I was invited to friends for "Easter Dinner" on Sunday. They don't attend church but observe the holiday with baskets, eggs, chocolate, and dinner. Since I did not grow up celebrating Easter as such I didn't remember that it was this weekend. It is interesting to see how Easter becomes a once a year event to acknowledge Christ. Today though I suppose I am glad there is any acknowledgement. We have a variety of religious backgrounds among my colleagues from some real "Holy Rollers" to traditional Lutherans. I will say this, I work with good people.

I have went through a few "Teacher Bags" as a teacher. I have given up on finding the perfect bag. There isn't one that meets my needs. Although that week with the giant Costco bag came close. I am back to using the backpack. I don't have to juggle everything to unlock or lock doors. I am not losing circulation in my arms from carrying the bag. Yeah, the backpack! It isn't fancy, but it never disappoints. Speaking of the backpack. I bought a backpack in 1999. I was told it would never last. It has been with me over seas, dales, hills, banks, streams, field trips, and much more. It is still going! Not a tear or a weak zipper. In  two years that backpack will be 20. I bought it for $19.99. It's a keeper!

I'm back

Spring break flew by. I packed a lot in a little time. I was able to stop in and visit a few folks. There were a few I missed, but time always seems to run short. I soaked up a lot of moisture. I forget what it feels like to not have dry skin. I packed a lot in a little bit of time.

Luckily when I arrived home I had planned and was prepared for the first couple of days back to school. Even though the copier broke before leaving on break I had those first two days ready and the next couple partially ready. It was nice to see my colleagues again. A change of scenery was very refreshing. My friends made me dinner my first night back home! I managed to put off the grocery store visit for one more day. I went after work today. I just got the basics so I could finish out this week.

I had to quickly make some desk adjustments this morning. I had to place some students in independent seating. There are a few reasons for this. Some students just cannot help themselves with constantly bugging their neighbors. Some will not attempt to do their work independently. I want them to be able to read it and attempt it before relying on others. Then other students don't work well with others. It seems like separating them from the group isn't effective, but they want to work with their peers. They just want to do it their way. They will be put back in the group when they are willing to contribute in positive ways. This  is usually effective. We shall see.

This is usually the time of year when I can reel it back a little because students are ready and able to do their work. They are showing independence and willingness to problem solve. They are usually willing to make attempts before requesting help. This class is the most needy class I've ever had for this time of year. It is a very immature group as a whole. I think there are a few that developmentally probably were not ready to be in this grade. It is a bummer when teachers do not retain them in kindergarten or first when they are not academically or developmentally ready for the next grade. Retention is much less traumatic in those grades.

Another busy week ahead!