Happy first Friday of the month to you! May is a special month, don’t you think? It boasts May Day, Cinco de Mayo, Teacher Appreciation Week (next week!), Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and much more. For example, May is National Egg Month. Hey, do you know how monsters like their eggs? Terri-fried! And comedians? How do they like their eggs? Funny-side up! (Sorry, I clearly digressed.)
So what about this month’s First Friday giveaway? Think about the past school year and share one moment of one day when you were reminded of the difference you make in the lives of your students. Everyone who shares before midnight EDT, Saturday, May 10, will be entered to win a free book from The Mailbox and a surprise from me!
Eager to hear from you!
Diane
II am always amazed at how kids think out of the box. Many times I tried not to bust out laughing when a child asks an off the wall question in all seriousness. Preschoolers love to discover the world in such fun ways!
This has been a special year for me since I am retiring at the end of the school year. I was so amazed at Christmas time when all of my students got together and contributed pictures and letters to a special hard-bound photo book that they made from me with the help of some of the room-mothers. The best part was when the children asked if they could each have a turn to “check-it out” and take it home to read with their families, like a library book that they all loved and wanted to read over and over again. It is always amazing to me how much children, especially at the early years love their teacher!
I overhead a preschool conversation where one of the girls was telling her friends that she knew I loved them because school was always fun.
This year was a year of change for me. After 20 years of teaching in a “tested” grade I was promised a move to a “non-tested” grade!!! I was so excited and immediately fell in love! It only lasted 2 wekks , however, because there were not enough students to keep the class. So I moved back to a “tested” grade level and it was NOT easy for me or the class who loved their teacher whom I bumped! Great start! Last week, as we near the close of another year, one of my students said , out of the blue, “You are such a cool teacher!” It absolutely made my move worthwhile! Not because I now feel I am supposed to be there, but because it gives me so much hope for what I have accomplished this year.
I was teaching a guided reading lesson and I told a little boy what a wonderful job he did reading his book to me and he jumped up yelling, “I can read! I can read!”
When I was walking down the hallway a girl from my last years’ class said, “You were my best teacher. I miss you so much.”
I recently “caught” one of my kindergarten students at the front of the classroom holding up some coloring sheets I gave her and “giving the class directions” for what to do. It was so cute and such a great reminder that they are watching, learning, imitating and growing! It made me smile in the midst of a busy day! 🙂
I teach third grade gifted . One student started out the year reading below grade level . She felt very embarrassed about it.. I had her read to me every day …Now she is reading with confidence! She picked out the book Winn Dixie and told me she is loving it. It was so rewarding to see her become an independent reader and start to love reading!
All year, one of my esl students hardly spoke and reading was out of the question. Today, she read If you give a pig a pancake, the entire book, by herself!!! :))))) Definitely made me feel wonderful! 🙂
This past school year I changed schools. On my last day all my preschoolers made me cards. One of students expressed how fun they had in my class and that they learned alot. This day stood out to me because i know how much of an impact i made on my students.
As an elementary ed. student, I was reminded of the difference I make in the students’ lives when I walked in the classroom to present for a geology assignment and a bunch of the students starting whispering, “Yay, Mrs. Bort is here!”. My presentation really captured their attention.
I teach Kindergarten and was home sick one day earlier in the year. The next day when I returned a mother told me her son had told her -he would not come back to school if I wouldn’t be there. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more welcomed back to class!
I was nervous in the beginning of this school year, because I had a child in my class with intense behavioral issues. I heard stories about him when he was in kindergarten, and I would have him in my first grade class this year. The year began with major tantrums and not getting along with other students. I knew that I had to be patient with him, no matter how bad things seemed. I established a positive behavioral system with him and purposes myself to find and public ally acknowledge the good behaviors he demonstrates. The other day during writer’s workshop, he was making noises and distracting others as usual. My co teacher mentioned for the noises to stop. I was expecting a total blowout, but the little boy got up and went to my co teacher, took ownership for making the noises, AND apologized! I was amazed! I rewarded him with a positive trip to the principal’s office for a reward and a positive phone call home. This act may not have seemed out of the ordinary for most students, but if you knew this little guy, you would be proud as well 🙂
I love to see the growth the children make throughout the year. It’s great at the end of each day to get a hug from a child or they are smiling and asking “do I have school tomorrow?” Gotta love it!
It always surprises me when my students at the end of the day would rather stay with me than go home!
This year has been challenging, I have seen more behavior problems than ever before. I am thankful that I also had so amazing parents that were very supportive and willing to work together on behavior plans. I cannot imagine teaching without parenting too.
This is my first year teaching preschool. I teach 2-3 year olds. There is one little girl who was in the middle of potty training. She only go if she was wearing a diaper. She wouldn’t go near the potty except with me. She LOVES Mary Poppins and I had a special “magic” phrase to help her go potty. I’d say “Supercalafragiliousdexpialidocious GO POTTY!” and she laughed. Eventually the magic words worked. 😉
One of my students started the year as an average student who didn’t try very hard. Throughout this year, I have watched him grow and really learn to take pride in his work. When I got his weekly progress report back (signed by the parent) last week, the student had written “Mrs. Greenberg says I have good grades” with a smiley face. This student has really learned some valuable skills this year, and he is proud of himself. THAT makes all the difference to me, NOT the grades.
I overheard my aggressive student (who often makes deals with others so that he can have his way) advise two peers on how to solve their disagreement! He told the one to tell the other that he was sorry he stepped on her finger, and that the hurt one say that she forgives him. I’m so glad that he’s learning to think of others’ feelings.
One of my students started the year as a low reader and never volunteering to read. Halfway through the year I started noticing the student volunteering to read and he was also not afraid to come up for help, knowing the year before his confidence was lost. This student regained his confidence and was successful, this made me feel so great to see him actually happy about his success!
There are so many learning experiences that I get to share with my students in kindergarten. One that really sticks with me does not have to deal with an academic experience but a personal goal for a student. He does not come from a very good home and doesn’t think very highly of himself. Almost everyday when he came to school he would have a frown or tell me something bad about himself or something that happened. I have been working on building his self-esteem for the past year and it is starting to pay off. He has a long road to go but he is starting to feel that he can do things if he just tries.
Most fifth graders love to read and, in our community, excel at reading. This year I have a young man who began the year on a third grade reading level. Through using a whisper phone, a see through colored reading viewer, short passages, and his parents and I co-reading with him he improved. Last week he read his first novel to the end…Castle in the Attic and moved up five reading levels. A difference has been made in this child’s life by all pulling together (student, parent, and teacher).
I love that my preschool students are so happy and comfortable in my class, that each one of them sometimes forgets and calls me “mom.” 😀
I’m smiling from head to toe! Your comments are so heart-warming. Thank you for sharing!
One of the boys I work with has been struggling reading on grade level and when he had to take a test on his own he found his own ways to getting through the passages and questions along with the strategies he has been taught to complete the test and move levels. I am so happy he has moved so far and growing up enough to be mature enough to do more independently.
A co-worker of mine was at a local clothing store the other day. She was wearing a school spirit t-shirt. The mother of one of my students works there, and my co-worker told me that the parent stopped her and asked if she knew me. The parent told my co-worker how much her son loves school because of me. He had struggled at his previous school, and moving to my classroom has made all the difference in the world for her child.
It made me feel good to know that I’ve made a student — and his mom — very happy. 🙂
When you overhear students reminding each other the right thing to do for learning!
I have a student that has significant behavioral/mental heath challenges. At the beginning of the year she spent most if not all of her time in the resource room. Through the hard work of our time and the relationships we established this child is now in the classroom 100 percent of the time. That is a huge reminder of the difference I and others can make in teaching. It validates why I am here.
I love it when my students want to jump in the “teacher” chair and try to be the teacher while I’m gathering materials and I’m away from the table for a minute.
Teaching special ed. students both In class support and Specialized Instruction grades 1-5 is full of wonderful moments, however, one of my second graders said his friend wanted to come to our class. I asked him why, and he said because learning is fun in your class. This definitely made my day, even though this boy is struggling he knows in our class he is successful and learning can be fun.
I loved last Friday when one of my little ones brought a notebook from home. Each week he had been working on a letter upper and lower case, writing words that started with the letter. He had finally finished the whole alphabet and wanted to show us all. Amazed me when I thought about last year he could hardly hold a pencil.
I teach Kindergarten, so that moment when a child realizes they are actually reading is priceless! I wouldn’t trade that for a million dollar paycheck!
I teach kindergarten for students with autism. I have one student who had never been in school before and had never received any intervention services prior to entering my class. On November 14 (I will never forget that date), he said his first word in my class!!! When he said “more” it was the BEST moment of the year and my teaching career. Everyone harps on and stresses over the nit-picky details of common-core and the curriculum, but hearing this little guy say his first word in the midst of it all truly made me forget about the politics and reminded me why I was there in the first place – these special kiddos!!
This year has been great! My kids are precious! I was reminded about how much I help my students when one student, who has had lots of difficulty with her learning, was so proud of her writing and I could actually read every single word she had written. She was so proud of herself and couldn’t wait to take it home for her Mom to see!
I teach gifted students in grades 3rd through 5th in my school. My students attend classes 45 minutes once daily. While I don’t think I’m any more special than the wonderful teachers I have the privilege to teach with, my students can’t wait to get to my class everyday. When their time is up, they don’t want to leave. They beg to stay. They tell me their teachers won’t mind if they stay and miss their next class. I would love to keep them all because they are all so wonderful. They each bring a different perspective to class each day. They not only learn from me on a daily basis; I learn from them!
My moment came at the beginning of the month when I was teaching about plants. All the children got to plant a seed into individual cups putting the soil, seed and water in. I had one little girl who tried to maintain a vigil with a magnifying glass awaiting the seed to sprout. Watching her made me think I chose the right profession.
When dealing with a student with special needs , the dad said to me.We never took him outside until we learned strategies from you. Now we go on walks and to the park.
The world was opened.
I teach in a K-5 school and teach multiple grades. When I was cleaning up from lunch one afternoon a particular shy first grader stopped me said “Hi Miss Guiser” and gave me a big hug. He now says hi every day and gives me hugs all the time and tells me he is excited for my science class I teach him. I know I have reached that student and he is excited to learn when before he only sat and never raised his hand. It brings a smile to my face just thinking about it.
When a child starting whispering in class for the first time.
This is my last year as an elementary librarian, and students constantly stop me and give me hugs. When asked why I am retiring, I find it hard to tell them it is just time….time to let someone younger take over and lead them down the road. They remind me of books I’ve read over the years, activities we have shared together, that I will miss little brother/sister starting Kindergarten next year. The outpouring of love reminds me that I have made a difference.
My students have worked hard all year to keep our room in tip top shape. We check the floor and the sink areas before we leave each night. Kids have taken it upon themselves to put the garbage cans in the hallway to make it easier for the custodians to take care of. Every Friday during our whole school community time an award called the Golden Plunger is given out to the cleanest class room. It’s adorable to watch my class listen very intently as the awards are read. The screams and hoots and hollers come from my class whenever we win that special award. It’s funny to watch the other students cover their ears because we are so excited. I wonder if our class will win the award this Friday!
I have a little girl who is 3+ grade levels behind in a Life Skills classroom. She came running down the hallway (within our pod) with a huge smile and yelled, “Mrs Sherri, I just made my very first sentence!…Later she rhymed 3 out 6 words! (I know that is only 50%, but before that it was 0% rhyming). She was so proud. 😉
I teach PreK. While we were out on break, I had one of my students who told his mom he would not go to daycare, that she should just bring him to my house. I also had a student who is really challenging ask me if he could read a story to the class. He started telling the story to the class. He would pause and say”I like the way __is sitting, what do you predict is going to happen next?” I knew then that he had been listening this year :)!
I teach music and movement to toddlers through Pre-K in the afternoons. I often use puppets with the younger ages and end our session by “kissing” each student with a puppet on the cheek or head. The toddler teachers told me that their children now “kiss” friends with their puppets. So sweet that they are loving on each other!
Working as a Special educator for children with autism, I was working with a little boy that was about to turn three and would move up to the next level. Before I arrived to his home that day, his mother told him that it would be my last visit with him. I played with him covering the activities that were on the schedule for the visit. As I was putting my supplies away, I was saying goodbye to his mom and was about to say goodbye to him when I felt a few taps on my leg, I looked down at him, then knelt down to face him and for the very first time, without prompting, he looked right out at me, smiled and put his arms around my neck in a hug. When he let go, I gave him a little kiss on his cheek, stood up and left the house —- with tears flowing down my face. That is why I am a teacher!!!!
I am so amazed at the willingness and enthusiasm preschoolers posses! Everyday is an adventure ! My favorite part of the day is when we review and introduce sight words! The children are so proud to begin an adventure in reading! Their faces light up! That ah-ha moment never gets old!
One of my fifth grade students told me that she really didn’t like to read books before this year. Now she can’t put a book down. She credits me for igniting her new reading passion after seeing mine! Yay!
I had a student this year who came to our four year old program with the social skills of a 2 year old. He was always grabbing things from other students, pushing and hitting to get where and what he wanted. He didn’t use words to express his desires with any of the other children. In April, both my co-teacher and I heard him quietly ask another child if he could have the toy when she was finished with it. It took most of the school year to get him to that point but we were so proud of him for making the effort.