Day 31: Final Slice

Today is the final day of the 2016 Slice of Life Challenge. Once again, I met my goal of posting every day. I did have one day posting after the midnight deadline, but it was more important to me that I wrote and not necessarily that I was able to make it before 12:00 am.

I realized that I wrote mostly about my family. They are the most prominent and important aspect of my life. I realized that it is sometimes hard to come up with a topic for a post. I love receiving comments on my posts, but in the end I write it because I am trying to get better at writing and see writing from my students' perspective.

I have enjoyed reading the posts of other slicers. I wish I could read them all but there are just too many of them. I wish my iPad would be a little more cooperative when posting from it, especially close to midnight. I'm hoping that my voice comes across in my writing the way it sounds in my head.

I'm going to try to write on my blog more frequently through the year and not just dust it off for the SOL challenge each year. But, I think I still suffer from the thought of "What do I have to say that other people would actually have interest in or feel was valuable?"

I hope you all have enjoyed the Sloce of Life challenge as much as I did. Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for hosting again. I look forward to meeting up with you again next year.

Day 30: Reading the Signs of Life

I've never been one of those people who look for "signs" in order to live their lives or help them make decisions. I've often thought that people see signs where they want to see signs or are looking for an excuse to justify the decisions they make.

In this case, I would be more than happy to ignore the signs I've been seeing. In the last several days I have been seeing signs all over that are telling me I need to get back to the gym and work on getting fit. I really enjoy working out and seeing the benefits of it. I also feel better when I am eating healthier, getting more sleep and exercise, and generally taking care of myself.

I know that I feel better when I start my day with a workout. I feel better about myself when I look in the mirror and my clothes fit and I don't have bags under my eyes.

Sometimes things happen for a reason and we are given signs to remind us of what we already know, not to lead us to something new.

Day 29: That One Kid

I think we have all had that one kid...the one that drives us crazy but we just love to death in spite of it. I have one of those kids this year. This little boy has been a challenge since day one. His go-to response for anything is a physical response. If he thinks he has been wronged, he has been known to hit and kick as his immediate reaction. This comes from having two very physical older brothers. We've worked incredibly hard to show him other ways of handling anger and frustration.

I have worked really hard with him to let him know that I WANT to hear his side of things. He is so used to people immediately assuming the worst and jumping to a punishment, that it took some time to get him to trust me and know that I am not going to believe everyone else before hearing from him. Now he does. He and I have built a special relationship this year. He comes to me and asks me questions and holds onto my hand to receive a reassuring squeeze that yes, I am listening and I value what he has to say. I have given him an individual behavior plan to help him see his daily progress and his biggest goal is to get all smiley faces so that he can have lunch with me. Who would have thought that lunch with me would be his biggest motivator?

In recent weeks, I have even seen him start to finally put effort into his work. For the first time, he is taking pride in his writing and asked three or four times today when he would be able to share his writing. This is one of those cases where progress cannot be measured in reading levels or test scores. We have laid so much foundation this year it's going to be really hard to give him up to a second grade teacher next year. If anyone had told me in September that I would be saying that about this boy in particular, I would have said they were nuts. But he is just one of those kids who has wormed his way into a special place in my heart.

Day 28: Finding a Focus

It's Day 28 of the  2016 Slice of Life Story Challenge. As I look back on my posts so far, almost all of them have been about my family. In all fairness, I had been on Spring Break for days 18 through 27, so it makes sense that my slices have been about family-related topics. Of course, that doesn't account for days 1 through 17, but my number-one focus in my life is my family, so most of my posts tend be about that part of my life.

However, as you can tell by the title of my blog, I am also a teacher. I spend every day with 27 first grade boys and girls. They are my own special source of entertainment. I admittedly have a very poor short-term memory, so when cute things happen with my students, if I don't write them down immediately, the exact wording is lost. My first graders crack me up in some way almost every single day, so it's a shame that I don't have more recorded stories about them and the things they say. The ones I remember most are the ones that I rush to tell my teaching team, but even they get tired of hearing the stories I'm sure.

There are a lot of people, particularly educators, who have embraced the practice of choose "One Little Word" to focus on for the year. Last year, my OLW was "Family". I concentrated my efforts on spending more time with my family, saying "yes" to the little things that would allow us to spend time together and bring us closer.

I haven't decided on my new OLW yet. I'm not even sure when the start and end date should be. Is it the calendar year? The school year? Just some arbitrary date chosen by whomever it was that started the OLW "movement"? And while I haven't chosen that one perfect word, I do know that it is going to be about finding the joy and capturing the childlike wonder of the children I am fortunate enough to be entrusted with every day.

There are so many negatives in the media, public perception, and government about education and educators. It's hard not to get overwhelmed and disheartened by it all. That is why I want to encase myself in my own little classroom bubble and be in the moment with my students. I want to remind myself every day of their youth and innocence and the possibilities that are ahead of them.

Day 27: The End of Spring Break

Well, it's Sunday night and Spring Break is coming to an end. I didn't go on a trip to warmer climates, I didn't visit any national landmarks, I barely even left my house. But, it was a great week all the same.

With my kids and I in two different districts, we only occasionally have the same week off. We took a family trip in February and have one planned at Christmas, so this was just a week of hanging out at home.

We spent a lot of time staying up late and watching movies, sleeping in and eating cereal together, we got our first ever patio furniture and spent a lot of time outside. We got a new couch (very exciting for my husband) and a new car (very exciting for me). I read a few books and even got my classroom ready for next week. We visited both sides of the family for Easter and were blessed with beautiful weather on both occasions.

As much as I love traveling and especially enjoy time away with no cares or responsibilities, this Spring Break was filled with exactly what I need at this time of the year...time to just relax and re-charge. There really isn't much time left before we are wrapping up this school year and heading into summer. I am happy to be facing it with a renewed energy, excitement, and positive attitude.

Day 26: Wonderful Memories in Photographs

My oldest niece Elizabeth (Libby) will be graduating from High School in June. My sister-in-law asked me if I would be able to find some pictures of Libby for a project she is doing for her graduation.

One thing to know about me is that I love taking pictures and scrapbooking our family memories. As the family photographer, everyone knows that I am the one to come to for old pictures. I have been keeping an ongoing record of the pictures I take on a spreadsheet and back up all the pictures on disks. My digital records go back to about 2004.

Today when we went to visit my family for Easter, I took my laptop and backup disks with me to start going through some of the pictures for my sister-in-law. Of course, in the process, I came across pictures of all of the kids. I was blown away by how small they all were. I can't believe how much they have grown.

It just reminds me of how quickly time passes and how much we should cherish and enjoy each stage of their lives.

 
 

 

Day 25: Family Movie Night

A few years ago, our family started the tradition of "Family Movie Night". Every Friday night we get pizza and watch a family friendly movie that everyone from our 7-year-old to our 14-year-old can enjoy.

We started by showing the kids movies that we grew up with and felt were "classics" that they should see. We also show them the originals of movies that are either being remade or have a sequel soon to come out. Since my husband is a film critic, he gets many movies on DVD and BluRay that we watch as a family.

This week we are watching "The Jungle Book" in anticipation of the live action movie that is being released in mid-April. We really enjoy seeing our kids enjoying these movies that hold special memories from our own childhoods.

Day 24: Finding A New Restaurant

After a very busy week, we decided to go out to dinner tonight. We've been really trying to cook at home as much as possible, but some nights you just don't feel like it.

The problem with having a family of 5 is that eating out can be expensive. Add to that, we have two boys who eat as much as a full-grown adult and it's really hard to find a cheap, satisfying place to get a meal.

We have our old stand-by's for reasonably priced food, such as DiBella's subs, Subway, Pizza, and fast food. Throughout Spring Break we have pretty much exhausted those places and needed to find something different without repeating.

Tonight, we tried a new place not far from our house: BiBiBop Asian Grill. If you've never had BiBiBop, its setup is very similar to Piada, Chipotle, and Subway where you build your own bowl, salad, or wrap by adding rice, beans, protein, vegetables, and sauce. I was very pleasantly surprised with the food. It was very simple and had some interesting combinations of ingredients, but it worked.

Everyone in the family liked it. I think we have found a new option for reasonably priced food for our family.

Day 23: My New Car

Today was an exciting day for me. For the first time in 13 years, I bought a brand new car.

I didn't walk into this lightly. I did a lot of research before stepping foot on the car lot. I checked out websites, I made a Google form and spreadsheet of the different specifications of each vehicle. I knew what our budget was; how much we had for a down payment and how much we could spend on monthly payments.

I made a short list of makes, models, and dealerships. I knew which model I was looking at, where I could find it, and how much I could expect to pay. I knew which vehicle would be the best for fitting 2 teenagers and a 7-year-old in the back seat. So, when we walked into the dealership, I was able to tell the salesman which car I wanted and that they had it on the lot. It turned out that it had just arrived and hadn't even been prepped yet.

The process still took a lot of time because of all the paperwork, but I cut down a lot of it by doing my research ahead of time and walking in knowing exactly what I wanted.

So, I present to you my as yet unnamed 2016 Kia Soul.

Day 22: Nick and the Lost Teeth

My 7-year-old son Nick has lost quite a few teeth since turning 5. He knows all about the Tooth Fairy. We've always told our sons that the Tooth Fairy needs them to keep their teeth healthy by brushing, flossing, not eating too many sweets, and having regular checkups because she takes their teeth and gives them to the new babies being born.

However, Nick has a special gift for losing the teeth he has lost. More accurately, swallowing them. Of all the teeth that he has lost over the last three years, I think he has put a total of two or three under his pillow. 

If anyone knows 5-year-olds, one thing they know is that they can be incredibly sensitive and emotional. The first time this happened, he was in tears for hours. Every time he felt the hole where his tooth used to be, he burst into a fresh round of tears. Being the primary grade teacher I am, I came up with something to turn things around. (Maybe I read it somewhere, but I'm not really sure.)

I told him that if he found a pebble the size of his missing tooth, and wrote a letter to the Tooth Fairy explaining what happened, she could use her magic to turn the pebble into a tooth. So now, whenever he has a loose tooth, he tries to be hyper-aware of how loose it is getting and when it is almost ready to come out. If he somehow swallows it (which just happened this morning...again) he is ready to go hunt down the replacement pebble. I'm sure going to miss the days when he will accept my stories so easily.

Day 21: Entertainment Without Tech

Today was the official first day of Spring Break for me and my kids. The weather here in Ohio has been up and down. One day we have warm weather and everyone is wearing shorts and flip flops. The next day the heat is turned on in the house and everyone has pulled out their winter coats again.

While today wouldn't be considered warm, it was still relatively nice, although chilly, outside. My boys usually like to spend their free time with their tech; laptops, Kindles, tablets. My youngest two especially, like to watch YouTube videos and shows on Netflix. That's why today was such a nice change from the ordinary.

As I was sitting on the sofa reading my book, I noticed that my two youngest, Ben (12 years) and Nick (7 years), were outside. Playing. Together. It's not strange that they were playing together, they get along and often share the same interests in spite of their five-year age difference. What's weird is that they were playing outside.

So much of my youth was spent playing outside. It was just something that we did. We had to. I think that kids who spend so much of their time inside in front of screens is missing out on a key element of childhood. They were out there playing pretend, kicking a soccer ball, and riding bikes. I don't feel like them spending as much time on tech as they do is rotting their brains like so many people might think, but I do appreciate them enjoying time outside as well. It doesn't hurt that they were getting along and having a great time together.

Day 20: Family Movie Marathons

Anyone who knows me, or has spent any time talking to me or reading my blog posts, knows that my family loves to watch movies together. My husband is a film critic, which combines his two favorite activities: watching movies and telling people his opinion. He gets to see movies in advance of their release and will often take one of our sons with him. He also gets sent Blu-rays to watch and review, so the rest of the family has the opportunity to watch the movies with him. As a result, much of our family time is spent watching movies.

What people may not know is that we like to plan movie marathons together. Several times throughout the year, we plan movie marathons that last anywhere from a weekend to a week. It began several years ago with the "Bondathon"; it was a marathon of all of the James Bond movies up until that point. Our basement is set up as an entertainment room with a television, Blu-ray player, Roku box, and Wii gaming system. During the marathons, we often have themed snacks to go along with the movies along with decorations and "swag bags" of little trinkets along the theme. 

If you would like to read more about our previous marathons and what we do, you can read my previous posts here:

http://teachingandlearning-carr.blogspot.com/2014/03/sol-30-marathons.html

http://teachingandlearning-carr.blogspot.com/2015/03/sol-day-18-movie-marathons.html

This year's Spring Break Marathon was a "Viewer's Choice" marathon. All five of us chose a movie that we would like to show everyone else. I chose "Flatliners", my husband chose "Conan the Barbarian (2011)" and "Gravity", my 7-year-old son, Nick chose "Garfield Gets Real", my 12-year-old son, Ben chose "Forrest Gump", and my 14-year-old son, Liam chose "Groundhog Day",  We held the marathon from Friday to Sunday with two movies each day. We didn't have any decorating or swag bags this time, but we enjoyed it just the same. The next marathon won't happen until Memorial Day weekend. By that time, school will almost be over for the year. It's a great way to give us something to look forward to as a family.

Day 19: Babysitting

Today, my oldest son and I babysat our young cousins for a few hours. Kodi is 22 months old and Mika is 4 months old. My husband also babysits Kodi every Wednesday to help out his cousin.

It was nice to spend time with the little ones. But it was also nice to be able to give them back to their parents after a couple of hours. Don't get me wrong, I love babies and toddlers. But, I loved them even more when I was younger and didn't know how great things would be when they became more independent. Now that my kids are all in school full-time, independently arranging their own rides and outings with their friends, and can be left alone at home for a period of time, I am loving this stage in their lives.

I enjoy babysitting for a few hours or being the one who is known as "the baby whisperer" at family gatherings, but I wouldn't go back to that age now for anything. I'm happy with where we are in our family and kids' ages. I think I will enjoy it even more now that I see how far we've come.

Day 18: All Set For Spring and Summer

Summer is my favorite season. I enjoy being outside, but my patio and yard are not really conducive to spending time outside. We had a couple of Adirondack chairs, a fire pit, and a grill, but no real outdoor living space.

I have coveted my friends' spaces for years. I have great visions, but by the time spring and summer arrive, I either lack the energy or the money to make my dreams a reality. This year, that all changes. Today, my husband and I went out and bought a patio table and chairs, along with an umbrella. We also got two more Adirondack chairs. I love my new outdoor space and can't wait to spend some time out there.

Day 17: Podcasts to Keep Me Company

Every day, my drive to school is 20-25 minutes. It's a pretty straight shot and doesn't really have too much traffic, so it can get pretty boring. I used to listen to morning shows on the radio, but I got tired of their topics of conversation, the commercials, and at this time in particular, the political ads. So, I began listening to podcasts. I soon discovered that the time passed much quicker when I listened to podcasts. When I have a longer drive, it helps me to stay focused and keep from getting drowsy.

It actually began with my husband's podcast. He is a movie critic and has a weekly podcast during which he talks about the movies coming to the theater that week as well as those coming out on DVD. I would listen to his show on my way to and from school.

I have found some enjoyable podcasts. One of my favorites is the podcast of This American Life. they take one theme and tell several stories around that theme. You may have heard of one of their affiliated podcasts, Serial. This takes one crime or court cast and tells what happened week by week. The first season was the story of a young man who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend. Season Two focuses on the case of Army Sergeant Bowe Beurgdahl who was captured and held by the Taliban for 5 years.

There are some entertainment podcasts that I have subscribed to. My recent favorite is Happier with Gretchen Rubin. She hosts this podcast with her sister and they discuss ways that you can organize and simplify your life and just be a happier person. I love their sisterly rapport, but they also have some great tips for living a happier life. I also recently discovered the podcast, What Should I Read Next? with Anne Bogel. Each week, she interviews a new person, finds out their interests, and then recommends what they should read next. The only problem with this is that I hear about these great books while I am driving and can't write them down! Fortunately, I can check out her website and get those titles.

Finally, there are days when I want to feel inspired and energized in my career as a teacher. I have found several great podcasts for this. I like Talks With Teachers by Brian Sztabnik who interviews master teachers about their careers and teaching practices. Studentcentricity discusses ideas for strategies for teaching with students at the center of the learning process. Book Love is a podcast with Penny Kittle where she shares inspiration, information , and the value of reading in a student's life. My very favorite education-related podcast is Stories from the Teaching Life with Penny Kittle. Penny shares inspirational stories about reading, writing, learning, students, and so much more. This is truly a great way to start your day, especially if you find you need something to give and inspiring start to your day.

I'm always looking for more podcasts to add to my playlist. I would love to hear your recommendations!

Day 16: A Well-Oiled Machine

Today started off pretty hectic. As I was driving to work, I got a text from my oldest son at school that he was sick. He wanted to know when his dad would be able to come pick him up. I told him that his dad was babysitting his cousin today and wouldn't have a car seat so he wouldn't be able to leave the house and go pick him up. So, I called my school and arranged for someone to cover my class while I went to pick my son up at school and drop him off at home.

By the time I dropped him off and finally arrived at school, I was only about 20 minutes past the time that the kids arrive. That tardy bell had already rung and I was pleased at what I discovered when I walked into my room.

The kids had already moved to our morning meeting circle and the helper of the day had started the book check-in process. They have gotten so independent with our routine that they were able to get it going without me or any other instructions. I would be curious to see how far into our morning routine they are able to go without my prompting.

Day 15: Open Windows Are Mixed Blessings

When the weather starts to turn warmer, as it has this week, my husband likes to open the windows throughout the house. He works from home, so this is something that he often enjoys during the days. There is a period of time between the end of winter and the beginning of summer when this is an almost daily occurrence.

Unfortunately, there is also a downside to the opening of the windows. One is that the neighbors next door are smokers. But, they only smoke outside on their patio, which drifts into our back yard and through our open windows. I arrived home yesterday to find a bunch of candles lit throughout the house. Apparently, there was a lot of smoke coming in through the windows in the afternoon, and the candles were the only way to cover up the smell. 

The other negative to open windows is the barking dogs in the neighborhood. I don't blame the poor pooches; I blame their owners. They put the dogs out and when they bark, if they acknowledge them at all, it is only to yell at them to be quiet. They don't want to deal with them, so they leave them outside and close up their own doors and windows. So now a chain reaction starts with all the dogs parking at each other.

Even though I really enjoy this time of year, and I love the freshness of the breeze coming in through the open windows, the negative elements make the arrival of Spring and and the open windows that come with it a mixed blessing.

Day 13: Sunday Night Blahs

I'm sure that there are few people across many professions who do not suffer from Sunday Night Blahs. Whether you have been lazy all weekend and then realize on Sunday night that you got nothing done, or you have been incredibly busy all weekend and on Sunday night realize that you had no time to relax, the Sunday Night Blahs kick in and cause some very strong reactions in people.

Normally, I tend to fall in the former category. My week has been so busy that I just want to unplug, unwind, and do nothing. By the time Sunday night rolls around, I'm kicking myself for my lack of motivation that then sends me into a panic come Monday morning.

This weekend I was busy the entire weekend with the State Thespian Conference, literally at the High School all evening Friday, all day Saturday, and most of the day Sunday, and I didn't have much time to relax, However, I was incredibly productive and feel really good about the week ahead. Of course, some of that might have to do with the fact that I only have to teach 3 days this week due to a professional development day one day and the start of Spring Break on another.

The main reason I was able to be so productive was that while I was at the conference, I was hosting the Adult Hospitality Room all weekend. I just had to be present and make sure all the snacks and water was constantly stocked. I brought my school work and was able to get data entered and analyzed, groups planned for, and lesson plans written. I really do feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I am able to be so prepared going into a week. I don't know why I don't do it more often.

Of course, there are things I wasn't able to do, like update my class webpage, but that didn't take too long and is already done. I may have a very busy week ahead of me (mostly consisting of "mom duties" after school) but for once I am not dreading Monday morning and thinking I am not prepared enough. I'm going to enjoy this feeling while it lasts.

Day 12: Hospitality, Theatre Kids, and Exhaustion

My entire day today has been spent at the Ohio Thespian State Conference. In fact, I am writing this on my iPad from the Adult Hospitality room where the adult directors and chaperones are taking a much-needed break from their charges. This is where I have been from 8:30 this morning and will remain until 12:00 midnight. I am responsible for making sure that the complimentary food and drinks are always stocked for the adults who wander through. I was here from 8:00 until 11:00 last night and will return from 8:30 tomorrow morning until about 2:30.

One good thing about the job that I signed up for this weekend, is that it gave me some time to get some work done. I brought my iPad, school work, and my to-do list and got a lot done. Actually, more than I would if I had just been in my living room all weekend. I even got a big chunk of reading done in a book just for enjoyment.

This has been a busy, exhausting experience and I have learned a few things.

1) Theatre kids are, on average, a great group of kids. They are respectful and energetic and have a lot of talent.

2) Kids in Musical Theatre like to sing. A lot. Everywhere. They find each other in groups and belt out songs in the hallways. They sing songs from their shows, their college auditions (which also happen this weekend), Broadway shows, and current hits.

3) Theatre kids are loud. They have two volumes...loud and asleep. I don't think they even realize how loud and obnoxious they get when they are together and free from constant supervision. (See #2 above)

I am going to be exhausted by the time I wrap up tomorrow, but that is okay. I am getting the opportunity to support my son in his passion. I get to see first-hand that when he is with his theatre friends, I know that he is in a good place. That knowledge is worth the lack of sleep I will be suffering from and my zombie-like appearance on Monday morning.

Day 11: Missed Deadline

So it's 12:52 a.m. and I am just getting home for the day. I taught all day, then stayed after school to work on some data collection and organization. I went home long enough to fix my hair and freshen my makeup before heading out to volunteer at my son's high school for the State Thespian Conference, where I will be residing all weekend.

I worked the Hospitality Lounge where teachers, chaperones, and directors could come to have a snack and escape the teenagers for a llittle while. I finished up around 11:15 and met up with my son. Neither of us had had dinner yet, so we went to IHOP for a late dinner.we finally made it home and it was after 12:30.

So, needless to say, I missed the deadline for posting today. But so what? I'm out of the running for a prize. But that's okay. I wasn't blogging for a minuscule chance at a prize. The challenge is to blog every day for a month. That's exactly what I'm going to do.