My Voice, My Heart, My Life

To be completely honest I did not want to come back to work. I just wasn't ready. The prior school year was ridiculously stressful for various reasons and I just didn't feel motivated to start. I didn't know if I could face another stressful year. I loved my students, there were just a few that drained me on a daily basis.  I wasn't optimist about my classroom dynamics and was bracing myself for the worst. The past has a way of cautioning you for the future. Sometimes that's good while other times, as in my case, just rob you of your joy. Orientation week went as usually. Meetings, work in class, meetings, work in class, lunch and so on. On Back to School Night I was a bit nervous but not like normal. I was an eerie calm, almost apathetic. I had already assumed the worst and was ready to face my fate. I meet the kids and the parents and it was all good. I'm thinking, this means nothing crazy is just around the corner. First day of school. Normally for k...

The silence has been broken. The sound of children has graced these quiet halls. The first day of school has arrived. The first day is always an exciting and stressful day for both student and teacher alike. Beginning anew is refreshing. The actions and words of the past are just that, in the past. It's a new chance to start over. The board is wiped clean and is ready to write a new story. It's exciting! A new chapter will be written. A chapter full of adventure, learning, joy, mystery, sadness, joy, laughter and all the emotions in between. Yes, a new school year brings much hope! With that hope there are dreams that one has for their students. You want them to succeed in this life. You want to provide the necessary skills and common sense to venture into this life with wisdom and discernment. You want them to take caution but not at the expense of adventure. You want them to think outside the box and yet not to abandon those things that are tried and true. Yes, as a teac...

Field trips are awesome. It's a great time to learn outside the classroom. The kids get to see what we teach them makes sense and is necessary. Today was the last field trip of the year for kindergarten. We spent the day at the San Francisco Zoo. We were a little concerned about the weather, because when we left school it was pretty windy and foggy. But when we got there the fog had lifted a bit and the wind became a whisper. Field trips are especially nice for us teachers, because our lovely parent volunteers take charge of the kids for the day. We don't have a group of our own and are free for any emergencies. It nice to not be "on" for a day. Whenever we have gone to the zoo two things have always been true. One, the zoo is packed. Two, the animals are lethargic or sleeping. Today that is no longer the truth. For a Friday, the zoo was pretty empty. A few school groups where there but everyone had enough space to wander around. The animals also were awake an...

We officially have 24 days or 18 school days left, but who's counting. This will be the earliest that we have ever closed for school. Which means that I will have 2 FULL months of summer off. It's a wonderful thing. At different points in the year it felt as if time stood still and the bird stopped singing. There were days when you couldn't keep up and wished for a few hours more. The school year sense of time is certainly a consistent inconsistency. I look back at the past 9 months and I can't believe we are in our final month. It's a bittersweet moment. The end of this year also marks graduation for our 8th graders. These preteens where my first students ever as a teacher. So I had the pleasure to see them grow from cutie rugrats to beautiful/handsome young ladies and gentlemen. I'm still in awe that next year they're high school freshman. It's hard to fathom. As I see my kindergarten students now, knowing that one day I will be able to say th...

This year I was blessed with 17 little ones that have brought joy, frustration, laughter, stress and constant surprises into my life. Each one has left an imprint in my heart. With only two months left of instruction bittersweet emotions has begun to surface. It is the price we paid as teachers. We pour so much of ourselves for 9 months that it's hard not to feel a little empty at the end of the year. Like with any class there are some students that have required more attention and redirection than most. That certainly has been true this year. One boy in particular. I'll call him "Derek." Derek is a typical boy with unending energy who doesn't know when to quit. He also had a problem with anger. At the beginning of the year he would get angry when he didn't get his way, especially on the playground.  His remedy was to hit the offender. He spent much of his time in the principal's office. I spent time with him talking him through the anger and gave ...

Today is the last day for one of kids. She and her mom will be moving down under to Australia. Ysabella is a first year highlander. Unlike most of my students she didn't attend HCS preschool. She came fresh from an outside school. Though she didn't have the Highlands background, she was completely prepared for kindergarten. With our academics being a year ahead than normal, there is always a bit of concern for those new kids, but that wasn't the case with her. She flourished. The first time I met Ysabella wasn't on the first day of school. It was actually during the summer at the "Free Kindergarten Day."  It was a day of fun activities and some academic work, a mini preview of kindergarten. It was a four hour day and Ysabella was one of the participating kids. She was quiet and a bit shy. Very timid. She reminded me of myself at that age. She opened up a bit but not much. By the end of the day, I knew I wanted her in my kindergarten class. I prayed that sh...

I have the pleasure of teaching 18 little people. Ages 5-6. Each day brings a new discovery, a new revelation, a new story (well, many stories) and a new challenge. Each one has a very distinct personality. I have active ones and calm ones. Expressive ones and quite ones. Obedient ones and those who choose to push the boundary lines quite often. Though they can be catogorized into groups, each one shines within their group. They are as unique as their fingerprint. Each one is brought into this world for a specific purpose. They bring something positive for this world. As I observe them in the classroom, I can tell who they might become as adults. The words they say and the character they show are so honest, no grain of salt needed. Each year I know that the kids in my class are there for a reason. It is a new season of teaching and learning for all parties involved. Here is where I teach lessons and learn life. Allow me to share a few stories. One of my girls, we'll call ...

This past week the kindergarten classes have been practicing daily for their Christmas program last night, November 29th. For the last two months they have been learning these songs, taught by our wonderfully patient and loving music teacher, and last night their hard work paid off. Though the program went very well and no one fell off the riser, the same can't be said for their rehearsals. (No one fell during practice, but there were a few close calls) It was a week of late afternoon rehearsals, making for interesting occurrences. There are two kindergarten classes and each class had 3 songs to sing, along with a bible verse to recite. Then they do 2 group songs together.  My class went first. For the most part they did well. Most kept their eyes on the music teacher, sang and did the motions. But there were a select few that just weren't getting it. It wasn't their first time on stage. It was as if they didn't know what was expected of them and just did their ow...