From the minute I get out of bed in the morning until I arrive at work, I operate on autopilot. I follow the same motions as I fix my hair and put my makeup on. I eat the same breakfast and pack the same meal in my lunch bag almost every day. Then I get in the car and drive the same route to work. Following this routine assures that I have everything done in the morning and that I get to work on time.

But sometimes, things happen to break up the routine. Funny thing is, a coworker and I follow the same interstate route to work. One day, we started talking about the unique groundhog that we each have been looking for at the same spot on the road. That groundhog sits on top of a wooden traffic breaker right next to the interstate! And, get this, this is the second year we have watched him. I mean, I assume it’s the same one. How many groundhogs sit on a perch to watch the traffic?

In the classroom, having a routine helped my students know what to expect. We had routines for calendar time, reading groups, transition times—well, we had routines for just about everything! Everything seemed to run just a bit more smoothly once everyone was familiar with our classroom routines. Sometimes things happened to break up the classroom routine too. When our day was disrupted, whether by a fun event like a field trip or an assembly or an unusual event like a fire drill, my students and I always felt a bit out of sorts.

How about you? Do you have routines that keep things running smoothly in your classroom? Which ones seem the most important to you and your students—and what are your best teacher secrets for getting back on track when something happens to break up that routine?

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Just this past weekend I had a yard sale. I have to admit I wasn’t very profitable because I’m not very good with negotiating. I ended up giving away almost everything…for nothing! But the bright spot is there’s less clutter in my house. (If only I had had the nerve to sell my husband’s stuff while he was gone. We’re newlyweds, and I just haven’t quite adjusted to his “junk,” I mean “stuff,” yet.)

During the yard sale a few teachers stopped by. They were looking for board games and children’s books they could use in their classrooms. Unfortunately I didn’t have any. But it did make me wonder. Do you frequent yard sales looking for treasures for your classroom? What kinds of things do you look for? Please share! (Not only will it help fellow teachers, but it might help future yard sale hosts too!)

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Recently, I was entertaining my nieces, Helen, 9, and Sarah, 7, while we were waiting out a relative’s procedure at the hospital. I was surprised to find out that neither one of them had ever played hangman, so I explained the rules, drew a gameboard, and then drew enough spaces for the word hospital. I gave them a clue—“a place”—and they began taking turns calling out letters.

Right away, Helen realized that she should find the vowels first. On each of her turns, she called out a vowel, and Sarah called out consonants that each resulted in an addition to the hangman. When we had o, i, and a, it was Sarah’s turn. She tapped her chin and then muttered, “So I know it must be a three-syllable word.”

How about that? It reminded me of those moments in the classroom when a child would totally surprise me with something he or she had learned, something that made me happy and proud for them, something that made me so thrilled to be working with children. Moments like that made me want to run out in the hall and yell and tell everyone what had just happened or take a picture of the child and record the event.

So, here’s your chance. Take a moment to “run out in the hall” and tell us about your last thrilling moment with your students. Inspire us!

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All of a sudden I have a zillion workshop questions! A few days ago I had a wonderful workshop experience, and it got me wondering… How many workshops do teachers attend in a normal school year? What do teachers enjoy most about workshops? Do they have favorite workshop topics? Do they have favorite types of workshops?

My very first teacher workshop was a “make-and-take” learning centers class. I still remember the location, the instructor, and the sense of accomplishment it gave me. It was my first year of teaching, and I was absolutely thrilled to have several centers ready to share with my students the following Monday.

My most recent workshop was also a “make-and-take” affair. I brought a pair of garden gloves, a large container, and $20. By the end of the workshop I was grinning from ear to ear and marveling over my freshly planted container garden. I again felt a sense of accomplishment. And even though this workshop wasn’t teaching-related, I was reminded that a great workshop is led by a great presenter.

Well, enough about my workshop experiences! I’d like to hear what you have to say about workshops. Bring on the chatter!
Diane

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Something incredibly strange happened when I donned this pirate costume for the June/July Preschool Mailbox® magazine editorial letter. Maybe it was the sassy boots or the nefarious eye patch, but I felt really cool. So cool, in fact, that I really didn’t want to change back into my regular clothing. (After all, Pirate Kim is so much more exciting and adventurous than Editor Kim.) Donning the costume was just as fun as writing the unit, which was chock-full of treasure and parrots and sea creatures (oh my!). I’ve concluded that Pirates and Treasure is now my favorite theme, right above Pumpkins and possibly Pond. What are your favorite themes? Are there any themes you would like to see in The Mailbox magazine? Are there other themes that annoy you so much that you would never do them with your youngsters? Jot me a note and let me know.

Arrrgh!

Kimberly Murphy

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It’s spring allergy season here in Greensboro, and that brings sniffles, sneezes, and the need for tissues. Tissues are an important supply in the classroom, too. As you know, when you put 20+ kids in a small space, they’re going to share germs and get sick. Add to that the fact that kids aren’t immune to allergy season and you’ll probably agree that tissues are something of a necessity. At the beginning of the school year, it seemed impossible to find space to store all the tissues parents kindly supplied to my classroom. But by this time of the year, storage was no longer an issue. Our tissue supply was gone. I’d ask for more donations in my newsletter but almost always resorted to picking up a few extra boxes on my personal shopping trips. And let’s face it—tissues aren’t the only thing in short supply at this time of year. Working hard all year does have a downside. Crayons have broken and are harder to use. Scissors have mysteriously disappeared. Glue sticks have either been used down to their plastic cores or dried up. “Sharing” becomes a recurring theme, and there may be times when creative alternatives are needed to complete activities.

So how does your classroom compare? Are you having trouble keeping your classroom stocked with the necessities for student learning activities? What materials (other than paper and pencils) do you consider vital for your classroom? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Some of my favorite times with kids have happened when we were on field trips. I have great memories of trips to the zoo, indoor rain forests, and one special boat ride in Galveston Bay. Why, one day, my students and I even had the opportunity to travel to the Johnson Space Center, where we met actual astronauts (and the Power Rangers!).

But, when you think about it, taking your students off campus can be a scary proposition. No matter how much preparation you do, you can never be sure how your children will behave in public—or how the public will behave with them. Before each trip, I carefully made nametags and emergency kits. I explained every expectation to my students and to parent volunteers. Then, once the buses pulled away, I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

Most of the time, everything went well. Once, when we were at a farm, several of my students wandered into a hornets’ nest and were stung multiple times. Another time, we knocked over a butterfly display at the rain forest. But for the most part, we learned a lot and made great memories.

My favorite field trip memory is that boat ride in the bay. It’s funny, because that was also the trip I dreaded the most. I was terrified that someone (namely me!) would get seasick or, worse, fall into the water. Instead, we had a peaceful, educational day on the bay. Our guides taught us all about marine life, and my students behaved beautifully. Whew!

When a field trip was over, I was always grateful that we made it back to school safely. And I was always completely exhausted. Field trips take a lot of teacher energy! When it comes to field trips, are you ready to roam or would you rather stay home?

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Isn’t it great to get away from your routine every once in a while? Recently I did just that. I spent the day at the North Carolina Reading Association Conference. Conferences have a way of reenergizing me, and this one was no exception. The enthusiasm of the presenters and their passion for working with kids was contagious. Plus, I love chatting with teachers in between sessions. As you know, we educators always have plenty to talk about!

One topic that came up in conversation was using nonfiction in the classroom. A third-grade teacher said her students gravitate toward fiction rather than nonfiction. I was surprised by that, because many teachers say the opposite is true for them. It’s ideal to spark students’ interest in a variety of genres, of course, but I’m curious to hear what kinds of books capture your students’ interest. Do they head to the nonfiction collection every chance they get, or are they hooked on fiction? And if you use lots of nonfiction in your classroom, what books captivate your students?

Here’s one of my top picks, along with some quick and easy ideas to use with it. I’m looking forward to hearing what nonfiction titles are your classroom favorites!

Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones

by Ruth Heller

This selection presents perfect opportunities for integrating science into reading.

Prior knowledge: Read the title and show students the front cover. Ask them what they think the title means. After students share their ideas, read the book aloud.

Listening for details: During a second reading, have students name the animals that lay eggs. List the animal names on a sheet of chart paper.

Animal classification: Give each child a copy of clip art cards similar to the ones shown and a paper divided into six equal-size boxes. Instruct him to label the first box as indicated. Then ask him to glue the cards in different boxes and illustrate and label corresponding examples. (from April/May 2009 Mailbox® magazine, grade 1)

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“Where are my glasses?”

“What am I working on?”

“Oops! That wasn’t supposed to happen!”

Welcome to my day! I misplace my reading glasses at least once a day. (Trust me, my colleagues will attest to this!) On most days I switch gears so many times that I lose track of what I’m doing. And honestly, not a day goes by without a major “Oops!” or several minor “Oopsies.” So, am I constantly feeling frustrated? No, I’m not. Instead I choose to be amused! In other words I have learned to laugh at myself.

So why am I blogging about this? Well, it’s National Humor Month, and I propose that we celebrate! I think we can all agree that laughter lowers stress. And let’s be honest: we each do something funny every single day. The key is finding the funny and celebrating it with a grin, a giggle, a chuckle, or a thigh-slapping, belly-busting laugh. I’m not suggesting that we take our responsibilities less seriously. And I’m most certainly not encouraging anyone to poke fun at others. That’s just not funny. I am simply challenging you to welcome humor into your day! I promise you that when you can laugh at yourself, your load becomes lighter. And who isn’t eager to carry a lighter load?

So with these thoughts in mind I’m inviting you, my blogger buddies, to share some of your silliness with us. To get you started, here’s one of my most recent funnies. I popped a doggie liver treat into my mouth thinking it was a peanut M&M. What a surprise! If only I’d found my glasses first…

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Take a peek at my office. I’m surrounded by ducks. Are you wondering why I have a fondness for pond critters? Well, my class mascot was a big, fluffy duck named Puddles. And my students seemed to take pleasure in adding to his family.

In addition to the fluffy critters who had their own special area of the room, I decked out the room with a duck theme. We had duck nametags, duck hall passes, and duck-themed journals. You name it, I probably had ducks on it! In hindsight, I might have gone a tad overboard (especially in the eyes of my coworkers) but my kindergartners loved it!

Do you have a class mascot? If so, do you tie him/her to a theme? I’d especially enjoy hearing about other teachers who have gone as “quackers” over their class mascots as I did. Maybe it was more of a lower-grades thing. How about it, upper-grades teachers? Do you have class mascots?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Sharon (and Puddles)

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