The other day I was dying for a tall, cold glass of lemonade. (Okay, not actually dying, but I really wanted it.) I headed into my kitchen and prepared some lemonade mix. I was eager to quench my thirst, but I paused before I took the first sip. Something caught my attention: the plastic canister that the mix came in. Once I saw it empty, I realized there must be a perfect classroom use for it. It’s sturdy and tall and has rounded corners. I spent several minutes brainstorming ways I could use the canister in a classroom. To store game pieces? To hold math manipulatives? To organize center materials? The next thing I knew, I was wistfully thinking about the storage closet I had in my first-grade classroom. Over the years, I had stocked it with a generous supply of cardboard tubes, plastic containers, foam trays, and all kinds of things I could use for craft projects, games, and activities. To me, it was a gold mine of sorts. I wonder whether anyone else gets so excited about recycling things for classroom use.

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I commuted to work in the driving rain yesterday morning, and when I arrived at the office, I found out that we didn’t have any power. There were no lights, no heat, no computers. We were left with nothing but pencils and paper. It reminded me of many days in the classroom.

Once, when I was teaching in Galveston, Texas, I arrived at school to find the power out. I didn’t have any outside windows in my classroom and it was dark in there! The emergency lights were all in the hallways. We had a quick meeting with the principal and decided that, since students were already on their way, we would keep the kids in circles outside our classrooms and read to them by flashlight. Of course, we had little problems during that hour. Kids complained of having to use the powerless restrooms, and the cafeteria workers weren’t able to start lunch.  But we handled it and made it through the hour until the power finally returned, though the day never quite got back on track.

During that same year, a tropical storm hit in the middle of the school day. Parents began picking up their children, and I tried to maintain order as the kids wondered what was happening outside. I wondered too, until I got a firsthand look. You see, we didn’t have a parking lot, so we parked our cars on the streets around the school. That day, the custodian came to get each teacher who was parked on the east side because the street was flooding. I had to wade through shin-deep water to get to my car before I returned to my classroom, wet and a little scared, to try to keep my students calm and engaged.

I saw some stormy days when I taught in Nebraska too. We spent several days in the tuck-and-cover position in our tornado-warning spots. With some age-groups, I had to deal with tears and fears in this situation. At times like this, I really felt like the parent as well as the teacher, and I was grateful that we had done so many tornado drills that we were prepared to handle the routine parts of it. That left me free to deal with the emotions.

In Nebraska too, we had to be prepared for snow from October through April. Snow can have different effects on students. Sometimes it helps them to settle in and work. There’s something about a thick blanket of snow that makes the classroom a cozy learning place. Other times, though, the prospect of an early release can have the opposite effect on the kids—and the teachers!

But today is a new, clear day, and the sun was shining as I drove to work. As you can tell, the power is back on and my computer is up and running! Whew! But the next time Mother Nature raises her hand, I’ll try to be prepared.

Happy teaching!

Hope

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It seems as though everywhere I go these days, I see tissues and hand sanitizer. In fact, at a recent dinner, a friend offered me a squirt of hand sanitizer. She didn’t even have to open her purse: the sanitizer was connected to her purse by a small cord. I couldn’t believe it—there is a special purse attachment just for combating the nasty germs that are going around! How convenient!

I’ve certainly changed several of my own habits in hopes of staying healthy this winter. I purchased more hand sanitizer in the past few weeks than I had in my entire life. I now have a bottle on my desk at work, a bottle in my car, a bottle in my husband’s car, and two bottles in my house. To make sure I wash my hands long enough to kill germs when I’m at a sink, I sing “Happy Birthday to You” to myself as I scrub. (I found that tip in an issue of The Mailbox® magazine!) I have to admit that I’ve kind of gotten into washing to the song—I even move my head from side to side now! Yes, I do look a bit silly, but my hands are clean!

What about you? Are you doing anything differently to help you and your students stay germ free this winter?

Best of luck for a sneeze-free winter!
Sharon

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I love routine. I love to follow the same schedule, eat the same foods, and even drive the same route to work every day. Other than my love for working with children, I think that’s one of the things that helped me  most in the classroom. A lot of children thrive in an atmosphere of routine, of knowing what to expect.

For me, that routine started as soon as my students came into the classroom. But the routine did change depending on the grade I was teaching and the building I was in. I found that first graders need guidance right away. I had the most success when I planned something for them to start as soon as they came into the classroom. For that reason, I kept lots of good board work, journal prompts, and quick reproducible pages at my fingertips.

My second graders started our math lesson right away because we changed classes for reading each morning. Our routine was to come in, take quick attendance and lunch count, and then get books, manipulatives, and papers ready for our math lesson. During those years, I experimented a lot with my attendance and lunch-count procedures. Some procedures used clothespins while others involved pocket charts, but each was independent and taught the students some responsibility.

My third-grade students were more independent than my first graders, but I still wanted to grab them as soon as they arrived. Once they completed their attendance and lunch-count procedures, they knew they should start responding to a journal prompt or solving math word problems, depending on the day of the week. Once a week, we started the day by visiting centers. It was a good time for me to do some individual assessments and for students to catch up on assignments.

Whether starting a lesson right away, taking a minute to write in their journals, or completing morning work, the important thing was that the students knew exactly what to do as soon as they arrived at school. When kids start off on the right foot, the whole day just runs more smoothly!

Here’s to a great start for you and your students today!

Hope

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I have so much fun reading your comments on the blog! Since it’s the season for being thankful, I want to thank you for sharing your stories. Here’s one of my own favorites. It’s about Noah. He was a brilliant math student but not much of a reader. Daily independent reading was a struggle for Noah, and I was desperate to engage him in a book. One weekend, I read Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer and thought it might appeal to several of my students. So I brought the book to class and gave Noah the first chance to read it. He opened the book and noticed what looked to me like a random pattern of symbols running along the bottom of each page. He was instantly intrigued. He checked out the book, took it home, and broke the code that night. A week later, he brought in pages of the text he had deciphered. Wow! I was impressed and made sure he shared his discovery with the class.

The next day I noticed that he was enthusiastically reading the book. He was hooked! When he finished that book, there was another one in the series that grabbed his attention. Then he picked up the first book in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, and I realized that Noah had become a reader. Daily independent reading was no longer a struggle for him, and it became his second favorite time of the day. (Math still came first!)

Being a teacher is a unique and wonderful way of life, isn’t it? Despite the hard work and the long hours, there is just nothing in the world as rewarding as when the aha moment lights up a child’s eyes. I must admit I miss it, and that’s what makes me so thankful for this blog. I get to be in the classroom for a few minutes every day—I just peek out through your eyes. Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to read even more! Do you have a favorite aha story? I can’t wait to read it.

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One of the things The Mailbox editors love to talk about is schools. We talk about the schools we taught in, the schools our kids attend, and the schools we attended as children. Of course we’re school-obsessed: look at our choice of profession! Recently, as I was thinking about writing this blog, I asked the editors to talk about the school lunches they enjoyed the most. It won’t surprise you to hear that many of them mentioned pizza. That’s always a favorite, isn’t it? But they also talked about chicken nuggets and barbecue sandwiches, and one preschool editor even mentioned broccoli! She said that her students loved to eat the ”trees!”

Talking about the lunches we enjoyed made me think about the woman who supervised our cafeteria. She was part of the glue that held our school together, someone we depended on every day. We all looked forward to her smiling face. The kids felt comfortable with her; she was someone who cared about them. Her food gave us energy and her laughter lifted our spirits.

There were other important adults in our school. Although our secretary kept a stern exterior, her heart was always with the children and teachers. She was the first one I would turn to when I wasn’t sure of a process or when I needed something. She knew all the ins and outs of our school and was willing to share what she knew.

And the custodian! Oh my! Where would a school be without a good-natured, hard-working custodian? I was fortunate to work with a happy, helpful man who would do anything for us. He kept our school on track, but he also went out of his way to keep everyone comfortable and smiling. Once, a blizzard started during the school day. We had a hectic time getting all the kids safely to their cars or buses and, when we finally walked out to our cars, he had his team out there scraping the freezing drizzle off our windshields. I appreciated him so much.

The school community is made up of teachers and students. But, beyond that, there is a team of adults who work hard every day to make schools a better place for everyone. Let’s hear it for the team!

Enjoy your students today!

Hope

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Ever have a day when you just have to laugh at yourself? I have many. Just the other day I had a moment to reflect on my outfit, and I had to chuckle. It was an unusually chilly day outside, so I was wearing pants and a sweater. But, since I was also chilly inside (I’m cold-natured; what can I say?), I had a blue fleece blanket wrapped around me like a bath towel and thick socks pulled over my shoes. (You read that correctly: over my shoes.) I was a sight, I’m sure, but that day my extra layers were a necessity. I needed to stay warm in order to get my work done!

As a teacher, I’m sure there are days—and even several times during a single day—when your typical teacher attire just won’t do. My last school supplied me with a first aid kit in the form of a hot pink and lime green fanny pack. I always had it with me on the playground and, while it never matched what I was wearing, it was certainly a convenient little container for those much-needed supplies! I also recall teacher friends who wore carpenter aprons filled with tissues, spare pencils, and behavior tickets and others who donned fuzzy bunny slippers after school to soothe their aching feet.

What about you? What funny fashions have you found that make your job a little bit easier?

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Yesterday, while stopped at a traffic light, I saw a dancing cow. This cow not only danced; it waved its front legs and pointed its hooves! I have to admit I was “udder-ly” taken in by the heifer’s high level of energy and enthusiasm. The cow’s delightful dance made me smile. It also gave me a sudden hankering for a sandwich, which I’m guessing is exactly what the cow’s sponsor hoped would happen. As I drove off, I began to contemplate what kind of dancing cow I would be. (I realize how odd this must sound. But here’s my secret—I’ve always wanted to slip into costume and impersonate a mascot or cartoon character. Crazy, huh?) Then it hit me! I AM a dancing cow! For years and years I’ve used my energy, my enthusiasm, and some very unique song-and-dance routines to keep students hungry for learning. How cool is that? I know it’s probably unlikely that being a dancing cow is of major interest to you. I do, however, believe that being a successful teacher is. I also believe that the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher can depend on the way skills are delivered and practiced. So now it’s your turn! What have you learned about skill delivery during your teaching career? How do you keep students engaged? Please share!

Happily,

Diane

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