Give Me A Break

I’m beginning to think I have a serious problem. My name is Anna, and I am addicted to chocolate. How do I know this? Not only do I dream in chocolate, but I found myself coming up with ways to persuade my students to give me candy. I’m horrible, I know.

How about this: Every time a student gives a pathetic excuse for an incomplete assignment, I say, “Give me a break.” Then that student will instantly know that he or she needs to buy me a Kit-Kat bar. And with that Kit-Kat bar will come an apology and 5 minutes for me to savory the candy one bite at a time… in silence.

Not a bad idea, right? Yes. It seems that I am dreaming… in chocolate. Maybe some day it will all come true. Until then, give me a break. 

Ms. "Fix It"

Broken? Bruised? Crooked? I’ve got just the solution. Duct tape.

My family used to own a big blue GMC Safari van. Not the prettiest vehicle in the world, but we all fit with plenty of room to spare. As it aged, it spent more time in the body shop than on our driveway. After a run-in with a pole, one of the side mirrors detached itself from the rest of the vehicle. 

My dad’s solution was a little bit of duct tape. He didn’t stop there. Not long after, parts of the interior were dressed up with silver tape. Classy, let me tell you.

The good news is that duct tape now comes in all colors and patterns. Feeling like cheetah print? Check. How about Zebra? Bright blue? Check, check. Duct tape has it all. Thank goodness.

Next time you find yourself at the hardware store, stop by the duct tape isle. You will be amused for hours. 

It's Gonna Be Awesome Baby!

A lot can happen in one day. Motivation gets lost. Self-esteem gets shot down. I’m here to remind you one thing….

That’s right, people! It’s time to refocus our priorities. Rethink how we feel about ourselves. Consider that to-do list stuck to your planner. Don’t think about the seven tasks that remain unfinished. Instead, look at those three jobs with the giant marks through them. Way to go! Three things down, seven to go! Totally awesome baby!

On your way home, don’t think about the horrible meeting with your co-worker. Think about how you constructed a grammatically correct email today! Woo hoo! Awesomeness.

Four loads of laundry waiting to be done. Don’t fret. Instead, think about that load of towels you folded last weekend. Great job, you awesome cat!

Yes, life gets busy. We don’t always perform to our best abilities. Now, more than ever, it is essential that we don’t forget to be awesome. 

Thank a Teacher!

I got home yesterday and turned on Nightly News with Brian Williams. I love catching up on what is going on in the world, and NBC just does it right. There was a segment about education, so my head immediately turned with interest.

After displaying “statistics” stating that our children are behind other countries in basically all subject areas. How uplifting, I know. They turned the focus to a room full of teachers being asked, “How many of you spend out-of-pocket money on your students?” Every hand in the room shot up. The next question: “How many of you spend more than 60 hours a week doing school work?” None of the hands budged.

It’s no secret that teachers don’t go into their profession for the money. In my mom’s words: “Teachers are special.” Just because most teachers are willing to sacrifice time and money for their students, doesn’t make them easy targets to take advantage of.

Not long after watching this segment, I found an article online titled, “Many Teachers Have Little or No Experience in the Classroom.” Talk about a downer. I have realized that when politics and the economy are struggling, people blame education. Yet again, an easy target.

I’m not trying to make excuses or throw a pity party. I’m here to say that things are going fine in education. Teachers are trying new things and doing their best to care for their students. Teachers are underpaid and underappreciated. If you don’t teach, you will never understand the work it takes to touch the lives of every student.

Do yourself, your children, your community a favor: thank a teacher.

The Simplest Thoughts

My mom and I were out and about checking out small town shops. It was nice to chat and cool down with a tea and iced latte. I clearly had school on my mind, because everything I saw I envisioned in a classroom. Including this:

I mean really, what else is there to say? My mom and I laughed when the clerk told us that a 1^st grade teacher had just purchased it for her classroom.

Why is it that the simplest things seem so difficult? Working hard doesn’t have to be extremely strenuous. Most of the time this means doing what is expected. In all parts of life, people barely do the minimum. Whatever happened to playing by the rules and doing what you are told?

Be nice to people. Novel idea, I know. Anyone that says this is too hard, I’d like to have a conversation with. “I’m in a bad mood.” “Someone was mean to me.” “I’m tired.” Wah, wah, waaah! These excuses don’t cut it with me. There is no reason to not be nice to others. So figure it out.

I like the simplicity of this poster. There is no gray area. Just do it.

Communicate, Enunciate

While I am a girl of many talents, I was not blessed with the power to read minds.

"It takes all kinds." I understand this, and I realize that some people are much more shy than others. However, being shy does not mean cutting off communication with all human kind. I promise, it is not that hard to look someone in the eyes and tell them what you need/want/feel/believe.

Consider this scenario: I'm serving and ask a customer, "What would you like to drink?" The person points to their menu. Okay, what does that mean? Are you unable to speak?

And another: "Would you care for another drink?" The person responds with some type of grunt. What does that mean? We are not cavemen, so a simple "yes" or "no" would be sufficient.

Then there's the over-the-top communicator: I am up at the computer and the customer comes up to me to say, "I'm leaving now." Alright, thank you? I don't need a play-by-play, but have a nice weekend I guess.

Communicate, enunciate. Let's all work on this together.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Sometimes as I lay down to count a few zzz's for the evening, I reflect back on all of the events of the day. Of course this can be a time to learn from mistakes and even praise myself for the good things that may have occurred. And, of course, some days are more eventful than others. Not every day can be super exciting and packed with life lessons.

Yesterday was a total whirl-wind for me. It was like someone put me on a roller coaster without letting me know. Thanks for the heads up. Sheesh! 

In a nutshell, I managed to have a good day with my students (productivity and fun!!!), learn a huge teaching lesson in the span of approximately two hours, and "play bartender" until the wee hours of the night. I was emotionally and physically tired by the end of my Friday. 

When I woke up, I thought of this verse from Ecclesiastes 7:14: "On a good day, enjoy yourself. On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days so that we won't take anything for granted." 

I was able to have all of that rolled into one long day. However, today I am feeling overwhelmed, refreshed, and ready to learn and move on. Yes, the saying goes as such: what a difference a day makes. 

Happy weekend :-)