Day 108: Pride and Joy

Today was exhausting. Because of the 5th grade musical, teachers were not given any breaks today as the Drama, Art and Music teachers were busy with set production, etc. That means my students and I were cooped up in our classroom without any breaks. I didn't sit or stop talking all day, nor did I use the bathroom. It was exhausting to say the least, but it was a day filled with pride and joy.

Today, my twenty-two students made my heart melt and eyes well up. Today was the culmination of our biography research projects. Each child dressed up as the famous person they have been researching for weeks. They have been writing their five paragraph essays, practicing their performances and gathering their costumes for what seems like a lifetime. They have been anticipating this day for so long... nerves and excitement have filled the four walls of Room 16 for quite some time. Parents were invited to come watch their children perform. This was a big deal to everyone. It was the first time these kids had done any kind of research. It's the first time these children were asked to perform in front of an audience.

It's days like today that remind me why I am a teacher. While I needed an extra dose of caffeine to get through the day today and didn't have an hour span where I stopped talking, the pride I felt watching these kids get up in front of their peers and family to showcase how much they have learned and grown was overwhelming.



I came across an essay today written by a teacher in Florida. Parts of it seemed whiny to me, but parts really struck a chord. I thought some of you, especially you educators, might be able to relate to some of her words...

I Am a Teacher

By Jamee Miller

I am a teacher in Florida.

I rise before dawn each day and find myself nestled in my classroom hours before the morning commute is in full swing in downtown Orlando. I scour the web along with countless other resources to create meaningful learning experiences for my 24 students each day. I reflect on the successes of lessons taught and re-work ideas until I feel confident that they will meet the needs of my diverse learners. I have finished my third cup of coffee in my classroom before the business world has stirred. My contracted hours begin at 7:30 and end at 3:00. As the sun sets around me and people are beginning to enjoy their dinner, I lock my classroom door, having worked 4 hours unpaid.

I am a teacher in Florida.

I greet the smiling faces of my students and am reminded anew of their challenges, struggles, successes, failures, quirks, and needs. I review their 504s, their IEPs, their PMPs, their histories trying to reach them from every angle possible. They come in hungry—I feed them. They come in angry—I counsel them. They come in defeated—I encourage them. And this is all before the bell rings.

I am a teacher in Florida.

Today, I am proud to say that I am a teacher in Glenview.

(pic to come later)...

Day 73: Room 16

Thursday was one of those days where our school day flew by. My kids pulled some "tricky" moves on me that made me laugh the kind of laugh that hurts your stomach because you can't stop. Their mid-year test scores came back and they showed a ton of progress. I was productive all day, putting out fires left and right. It was just one of those days in the classroom where I felt like I could conquer the world. I hope there are more of those in my future... it was pure happiness :)

Day 45: Christmukkah!

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year... I have been looking forward to this night all year and it finally came! Last year, Adrienne and I decided to host a Christmukkah sleepover party at my house for the night before the last day of school. We invited our dearest friends from work, arranged a Secret Santa gift exchange and enforced a strict "pajama wearing only" rule!

While last year's shin dig was fabulously fun, this year's was even better! Somehow, I convinced Rick to sleep out that night so we could have the house to ourselves and not worry about waking him up. We also had some newbies who came this year! We all got a pair of holiday socks, we changed into our jammies quickly and the party began! We drank champagne out of the fancy crystal (to celebrate Steph and Elle's recent Masters graduations!) and devoured some fancy pizzas on paper plates. We exchanged gifts, gossiped galore, and snuggled with each other in every nook of the living room.

By the time we decided to go to sleep, we were all so exhausted we couldn't muster the thought of going to work the next day. But, we managed to wake up the next morning, and Adrienne cooked burned some bacon and hash browns for breakfast.

It was yet another very successful Christmukkah, and I'm already counting down until next year.

Happy Winter Break Hoffmanites!

 

 

 

 

 

Days 20 and 21: Breathe... Then Laugh

So yesterday was quite an eventful day, and I won't go into it now or I might faint. Needless to say, yesterday morning started off beautifully. Rick had booked massages for us in the morning, and I had been looking forward to it all week. We used to try to get massages more regularly, but haven't had a minute of time in the past few months, so this was going to be a treat! We enjoyed our morning coffee together and then indulged in sixty minutes of pure heaven. It was MUCH needed, and truthfully I could have used another one today :) I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the spa, or my massage therapist (who was delightful), so here's a totally random picture I found on the internet of a woman I do not know getting a massage. She looks very relaxed, doesn't she!?

Today was a much less frantic day, and while it is storming like mad outside, I am sitting here unable to control my laughter. It's one of those laughs that hurts because you can't stop. I love those kinds of laughs. Each year, the English Language Learner teachers at our school work with their non-English speaking students to compile a Thanksgiving Recipe Book. The kids get to pick their favorite Thanksgiving dishes and come up with their recipe for it. It's one of the funniest documents you may read, and it brings lots of laughter to my whole family who gets the "book" annually from me. I've pasted a few of my favorites from this year's recipe book below. Happy laughing! 

Philippe’s Famous Turkey

Kill the turkey. Cook it with fire. Cut it. Eat it.

Henry’s Famous Pizza

You buy it in the store. Then you have to cook the pizza for 7 minutes? The oven has to be 30 degrees. Then you put 3 paperowny. Or you can take out the paperowny and make it cheese pizza. Then you can eat it.

Anette’s Famous Chocolate Milk

You put milk- 1 pound. Then you put sugar- put two pounds. Then put the chocolate- 2 pounds. Then mix it. Then there’s your chocolate milk. Then drink it. 

Wendy’s Famous Tamales

First, you buy the dough I think. Then you mix it in a bowl, then you buy the leaves thingymagiggy, yeah, the sleeves. Then, you ok, you get a spoon and then you spread the dough in the leaves. Then you wrap them up and then you put them in the tamalera, then you cook them for an hour then you take them out and serve them. And then that’s all.

Yesenia’s Famous Pasta

You put 3 spoons of soup in a bucket of cooking. Stir it for 2 minutes. When it gets hot it’s all done.

Minjin’s Famous Turkey

Put turkey, corn, potatoes, and carrots in the oven.

David’s Famous Mashed Potatoes on Thanksgiving

We need potatoes.  We gotta get the mash tool, shove it in there like you’re hitting your pillow.  Next, you put the mashed potatoes in the oven.  Wait for maybe about like 20 minutes or more.  Then finally, take it out and eat it!  Have a good Thanksgiving party!

 

Day 16: Soul Searching

Warning: Today's post is long and probably boring to most. Proceed with caution. 

I consider myself a pretty normal 26 year-old. I have great friends, a stable job, a loving husband and a beautiful home. In the past few months, I've also started reflecting on my life's path and choices that I've made. I think most twenty-somethings go through a period like this. Call it what you like -- a quarter life crisis? Soul searching? Boredom?

Most who know me well would tell you that I am an emotional being. Mostly, I cry a lot. Turning on the TV to the last ten minutes of a cheesy chick flick will trigger water works. I tear up listening to my dad's sad (and possibly fabricated) stories of his childhood. It's who I am, and I've come to accept it. I'm also an over-analyzer. These two traits don't necessarily mesh well. 

Recently, I've been asking a lot of questions -- did I make the right career choice? Should we have bought our house so quickly? Was investing in a puppy a good idea? Am I making a difference in this world? After many thoughtful conversations with my friends, my family and my incredibly patient husband, I am no closer to finding answers than I was before. But, yesterday, a friend mentioned to me that I hadn't written anything about work on the "happiness blog." It struck a chord with me and I've been thinking about it for the last 24 hours. It got me thinking...

I could write about the inappropriate note I intercepted today that made me laugh hysterically and made my face turn tomato red.  

I could write about the sweet notes and pictures the little ones leave on my desk throughout the day. 

I could write about the thrilling thought of sleeping in tomorrow for inservice. 

While all of those make me smile with glee, the one thing I can think of today that really made me truly, deeply happy are my amazing coworkers who have become more than my friends. We are a family. It's cheesy and cliche, but I know for sure that I would not make it through a day without them. We spend more time together than we do with our own husbands and boyfriends. We leave cards in each other's mailboxes, eat lunch together every day, and give lesson plans to each other when we have no clue what we should be teaching that day. We work hard together, and we play hard, too. I thank my lucky stars every day that I landed at Hoffman in 2008 with these girls. For that reason alone, I'm starting to realize the answer to my first soul searching question. 

I didn't go around school today taking pictures of these amazing ladies. I thought that'd be creepy. Instead, I'm posting some of my favorite memories with my HOs. Here's to many more happy memories together!