Making Memories

If you ever want to feel the true Christmas spirit, spend some time with a child getting ready for Christmas.  The activities I do with my students and grandchildren bring me so much more of the true meaning of Christmas than it brings to them.

I put multi-colored lights on the Christmas tree in our classroom.  The first time I did this, I had purchased some clearance lights and put them on my tree in school.  One child commented, "We only have white lights at home, those are beautiful."  These lights remind me that each of my children are different, yet they are strung together in one classroom for me to love and teach about Jesus. 

I put out a couple of nativity scenes which the children can touch.  Many are shocked that they can do so, because it is not allowed at home.  They will travel all over the classroom acting out the Christmas story.  Mary and Joseph had conversations I had not thought of, but those conversations reflect what they hear at home and from me.  They also reflect the faith these little ones have.

It is my belief that other than the lights, all ornaments on the tree should be made by the children.  We spend time making paper chains and decorating foam cutouts.  The children drag in their parents to see the tree they helped decorate.  They point out their ornaments with great pride.  (I thank God for glitter glue.  It ranks right up there with glue stick for ingenious inventions.)

You may have read about my disdain for Elf on the Shelf.  This year one of my former cadet teachers, Keira Craig, pointed me in a new direction.  We now have the wise men in a different place in our classroom each morning.  They have the daily portion of the Christmas Story for us to read.  I told them it was to replace Elf on the Shelf.  None of them knew what I was talking about.  God is very kind to this teacher looking at 109 days of school left, 110 if we don't get a snow day.

Today, we went on a field trip to President Benjamin Harrison's home.  We make a wooden soldier ornament and tour the home.  My own children did this when they were in their father's class and treasure those soldiers.  I cannot tell you how many years I have gone there, but some years a parent will say, "I remember making these in your class.  I still have it."

My grandchildren come to spend a night near Christmas with me.  If my decorating is not finished, they help.  Being the great grandmother that I am, I get several boxes of theatre candy, dump them into a bowl, and allow them each to fill their bowl one time.  Then, we watch "Elf."  My oldest is thirteen and I think he will allow this to happen this year, but as high school begins I treasure all the sweet memories we have made.

So, my advice for you, dear reader, is to make many memories with your children and take time from all the unnecessary craziness of Christmas and celebrate Christ together!

Trifecta

This past week could have been crazy, weird, loud, and any other adjective that would describe a week with lots of excitement and anticipation.

This week was not.  It was a week of hard work and students showing they knew why they were in school. 

I was shocked!

This week we had rain pushed in by a tropical storm so no outside recess for a day.  We had a full moon--ask any teacher or anyone who deals with the public about how life goes down during a full moon.  Finally, we had Halloween.  This usually pushes things over the top.

There are two things that could have made this week more on the positive side.  First, we had parent-teacher conference.  There is usually a humble time after this event which is thoroughly enjoyed by teachers.  Then we had a week of no school because of fall break.  Both the teachers and students came back rested and ready to see each other again.

People usually tell me that the kids must be awful after Halloween.  This year Halloween was on a Saturday which I fully appreciate.  Also, parents portion out Halloween candy.

I will tell you this truth.  The classroom is the most bonkers the day after Easter. "Why is this?" you ask.  It is because on Easter, the kids scarf down their entire Easter basket while the parents sit at the table talking and not paying any attention to what their kids are eating.  I am thankful that Easter is the first Sunday of our spring break this school year.  God is most gracious to this retiring teacher.

Medical professionals who insist sugar does not make a difference in a child's behavior need to observe a classroom exactly ten minutes after cupcakes with three inches of frosting have been consumed.  I have timed it!  Now, don't get me started on the effects of red dye or how I feel about poptarts and lunchables.

Things Parent/Teacher Conferences Bring to Mind

This week was the last of my parent/teacher conferences.  This convinced me it is time to retire.  It may not be for the reason you may think.  The parents treated me with respect and made no comments about my age or how out of touch I might be with families today.  That's been part of my goal for some time:  to retire before I became that crazy lady just putting in her time.  As I told my principal the other day, I still have the heart for teaching.  I am getting to retire on my terms, truly a gift in these times. 

I am grateful for so many of the little things that happen these days.  I am getting notes I have always gotten from children, but treasure them even more.  When I see my eighth grade grandson in the hall, I smile because although he tries to pretend I am not there, when I drive him home from school on occasion, he talks my head off about his day. He also sincerely thanks me for coming to any of his games, as does his sister.   He does not complain when I sneak him a birthday treat that I should not eat.

I am not gleefully crossing things off my list.  When we go on the field trips I have taken my class on each year, the docents smile and wish me well.  President Benjamin Harrison Home is working very hard to convince me to become a docent there.  We get to make a wooden soldier ornament at the Harrison Home and tour the building.  My favorite thing there is a letter Helen Keller wrote to the president.

This picture was taken at Survive Alive, a wonderful fire safety experience for the children.  I was thrilled when they asked me to put on the equipment!

My colleague next door asked me what are the top five things I will not miss.  I had no trouble coming up with number one:  tattling.  I have two different answers for a tattle:  Did you tell me to help that person out or to get him/her in trouble?  or Now tell me one good thing about that person. These are greeted with a  red faces every time.  Don't ask me what I really want to say.

I am now focusing on the first day of a week of fall break--a little taste of the future, I pray!

It's No Mystery

Teachers will tell you that they "borrow" their great ideas from other teachers.  We are always collecting, gathering, and applying new techniques to reel the student in.  We are competing with the huge amount of technology the children experience each day outside of the classroom.

One of the simplest things I do is Mystery Reader.  Parents, grandparents, and very special people sign up on signupgenius.com to come in on Wednesdays and share twenty minutes of books with my students.  I stole this idea from a lady I team taught with many years ago.  Her son is in my room this year and she has come in to read and experience the joy from the other end of the spectrum.

Some of the parents are nervous about coming in to read, others dive in and become creative.  The students do not care--they love Mystery Reader.  I have had parents dress in gorilla costumes, bring a treat to match the story, and change voices to share their favorites with the children.  I learned that you MUST wear a boa when you read a Fancy Nancy book.  The children don't care about the special trappings, they love the books!

Some years, it has become very competitive to get on the schedule--I should have sold the spots those years.  Other years, I have to beg for people to sign up.  This year I put up a plea on Facebook for readers and got volunteers whose children have experienced Mystery Reader and want to share that joy with my current class.

As the day arrives, the students speculate who the reader will be.  I used to have a sign-up sheet on the door, but the children soon learned to read the names, so the mystery was gone.  When the reader arrives, I call the child they are related to to come introduce the reader.  What power that child has!  The first time nervous reader quickly warms up and begins to enjoy the time with the children.  I have learned about new books this way and rediscovered some old treasures.

As much as I love technology, I love this quote I saw on Facebook yesterday:   There is no app to replace your lap.  Read to your child.  Share books with your child and lead right into sharing Bible lessons with him or her, too!

You can call me .....

I have taught so many years, I do run through a repertoire of names for the children based on their siblings, cousins, or parents whom I may have taught.  There is a reason I put nametags on each desk.  I tell them it is for other teachers who may be leading them.  I am not lying, just leaving out details.

I confuse my daughters' and granddaughter's names and I can't forget how I confuse my poor son-in-laws' names. 

When I first began teaching, it took me a while to get used to being called Mrs. Pride.  I also was called Mom and sometimes Grandma.  When I became a mom, I said it was ok to be called Mom, but not Grandma and that changed when I became a grandmother.

That brings me to my point.  Some teachers are offended when children call them Teacher.  It may be that they think the child is lazy or can't remember their name.  I take it as a term of respect.  There is a dear senior lady at St. John who always greets me with a huge smile on her face, "Hi, Teach!"

The disciples and other people around Jesus called Him Teacher.  I imagine them tapping His arm, plying Him with questions, and saying, "Teacher, Teacher, Teacher." If it's good enough for Him, it's more than good enough for me.

John 1:37-39New International Version (NIV)
³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

 P.S. The children are also thrilled when they can tell me they drove by my house and saw me mowing or saw my Christmas lights on.  They know "where I am staying" until I reach my heavenly home.  I pray to see them there, too!

Treasure in my Desk

As I stumble across things in my desk I throw them away, take them home, or give them to the children.

Children appreciate the treasures I share with them. If the children take them home, I'm pretty sure their parents do not.  This is why I do not allow digging through the trash.

Today I found small legal size notepads, enough to give one to each student. 

As I passed them out, I used the word tablet.  One child replied, "These aren't tablets, there are no buttons to push."

I told the puzzled children, "These are the original tablets."

 The same child said, "I know."

They didn't seem disappointed that I only gave them pads of paper, but went to work drawing, writing, creating.  I even got a couple of sweet pictures.

I had something to smile about all day.

Remembering the Self-incrimination

Student:  Mrs. Pride, Herman kicked the doors of the classrooms all the way down the hall.
Taking student aside, Mrs. Pride:  Herman, did you kick the doors coming down the hall?
Herman:  No.
Mrs. Pride:  Well, the person who told me this is very reliable and I know she wouldn't lie.
Herman:  Well, that must be Henrietta, she watched me do it the whole way.
Da, da, da, da, DA.

This was today's conversation, which, of course, reminded me of my two favorite student fail stories.

Clyde was in trouble for choking another student, I asked him what he did. 
He said, "Was it because I was running around the room?"  No.
"Was it because I stood on my desk?"  No.
"Was it because I ....."  No.
"Was it because I...."  No.
He finally stopped. 
His initials were B.S. 
I can't make that up!

My favorite kid story happened in John's class in Ohio.  Three boys were absent from school.  The third and fourth grade teacher switched places with John and asked where they were.  She missed them because they had waved at her when she passed them on her way to school. 
Busted!

Remembering Is My Number Two Resource

The other day, a child was not focusing too well on his work because he was too busy wiggling his loose tooth.  This makes me smile because I remember sitting in a hot Nebraska classroom wiggling a loose tooth.

I believe that remembering what it was like makes me a better teacher.

Each morning, I try to slide into the day with a song and low-key start.  I remember how crazy mornings were when my children were little.  Family schedules are more hectic now.

I remember recess and the drama of picking teams for the game of the day.  When I pick teams, I number off in a different combination each day, not perfect, but better.

I remember when students were picked on and fight that each day.  My biggest success was pairing a girl who was a little different with a boy who was beginning to make fun of her.  She was a much better reader and impressed him--he became her defender for the rest of the year.

I remember children who struggled when I was in grade school and, unfortunately, now I know some of them had learning difficulties that were not recognized then.  One had been held back and I remember the teacher often asked him, "How did we do that last year?"  I cringed for him each time she said that, constantly reminding him of his failure and the knowledge that he was not doing much better the second time around.  Those words have never come out of my mouth.

I believe my job is to bring out the best in each child and help them discover their talents.  I tell them, "Everyone has their own easy."

I am not perfect, just forgiven and richly blessed to work with great teachers who are a fountain of resources.  My husband would remind me over and over that each day was a new start; we always bounced ideas around and got through tough years together.  Fortunately, we didn't have "those" classes at the same time. 

I pray daily for patience and the ability to show my students the grace God has shown me. 

First Grade Bible Translations

Since I have just written about memory work, I would like to share some of the translations that children have given me from their memory work.  Many times, I think their translations make more sense.

2 Corinthians 9:7  God loves a cheerful giver.
Translation:  God loves a cheerful sinner.  (I am sure the sinner is happy because he/she is forgiven.)

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.
Translation:  For God so loved the world that He gave His only forgotten Son.  (That is sad.)

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Translation:  God is our refuge and strength, a very pleasant help in trouble.  (He really is!)

When one child was saying her memory verse, she stamped her foot and said, "What's Mr. --'s name?"  I said, "Mark."  She said, "5:19."

The following is not memory work, just songs we enjoy in class.

Song:  May the God of our Salvation be exalted.
Translation:  May the God of our Salvation be exhausted.  (Fortunately, He is not.)

Song:  Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Translation:  Take my life and let it be, concentrated, Lord to Thee.  (Amen.)

Song:  Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray.
Translation:  Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will play.  (Some are moved more than others.)

These were all translations I have written down and I am sure I will hear many more before this year is over.

May God's word be alive in you!

Planting Seeds in Little Hearts

Lutheran Schools have a heritage of having memory work.  Each week, my students have two Bible verses to memorize.  I truly apologize to my early students who had much more to memorize than that.

Today we were practicing our verse for tomorrow:  The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 NIV.  We used the song "Greater" by Mercy Me to help practice the verse:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0ItnPk3t2Y.  Much of the Scripture I have learned has come from music so it is natural for me to teach it to the children in that way.

As we practiced, I remembered this event from early in my career. 

Pastor Bickel asked me if I could take my class to the county home for services one week because he was not able to do so. He knew we learned lots of songs and could just sing for the time needed.  

I piled all ten of my first and second graders into our 1968 Pontiac Bonneville and drove there. I don't remember sending permission slips home and there certainly were not seatbelts then, but no one seemed alarmed by this at all.

When we got there, we went inside, sang our songs, and mixed in Bible verses. 

Afterward, the residents visited with the children and one of them gave one of the boys a nickel because he looked like his great-grandson.  The child was deeply touched.  No one was jealous, just awed at how special this was.

When we returned to St. John in Napoleon, Ohio, one of my students said, "I know now why we learn all those verses and songs.  There were people who were singing and saying the verses with us.  I'll bet they learned them when they were little, too.  They have them in their minds and hearts." 

I always learn much more from the children than I teach them!

The Last First Day of School

I really didn't know how this day would go, but I was surprised that I slept so very well last night.  The tone was set when I was at my desk at 7:00 and got a message from a student who is now a freshman in high school.  Each day after she left my class, this dear girl would stop at the door to say, "Good morning, Mrs. Pride."  We would chat a little and the day was off.  Today, she messaged me the same words.  This filled my heart with so much tenderness.

The students came in ready to go.  It is our school's policy for the first through fourth grade teachers to visit the homes of the students before school starts.  Each child knew what to do when he/she came through the door and they did it!  The parents have also been told they must leave the room at 7:55 from now on.  I am old and can say this much easier than a younger teacher can.  I guess I should say experienced and less experienced, but I can only cope with so much political correctness.

These things make me sad:
We have to keep the building locked all day. 
All classrooms are locked all day.
I have to add to my first day instructions what to do if an intruder comes into the building.

These things made me happy:
Everyone was smiling at the end of the day.
Each child did his/her best.
There were only a few tears at the beginning of the day and none after that.
I did not have to clean off the toilet because of poor aim.  (I have requested that a target be painted at the bottom of the toilet, but no one but me believes it would improve aim.)
The voices of the children in opening chapel blasting out this chorus: 
"Shout to the north and south,
Sing to the east and the west,
Jesus is Savior of all,
Lord of heaven and earth." 
I got several, "This day went fast."
Everyone got safely to the right place after school.

I am more than ready to go back to school tomorrow.

God's blessings to you all!

Why I Love First Grade

August 5, 2015

 

There is a light that goes on in a child’s eyes when he/she realizes that they “get it.”  That’s my motivation.  You are blessed if you have seen that light in a child’s eyes.

First graders have unconditional faith in God.  This is the reason Jesus says we should have a child-like faith in Matthew 18:3.

First graders have unconditional faith in their teachers.  They would never think that gassy smell in the classroom came from their teacher. 

First graders are shocked to see you in the grocery store.  One memorable time, we were checking out, when I noticed everyone around us giggling.  I looked up and saw a boy across the store, jumping up and down and shouting, “Mrs. Pride, Mrs. Pride.”  I waved and said hello.  Someone said, “You must be a teacher.”  You mean you could tell?  (I have only hidden from one child in a grocery store.)

First graders are very black and white.  They hate to make mistakes.  I will point out mistakes as I make them so they know it is ok and the nothing disastrous happened.  I tell them that we are thankful for tape, erasers, and back sides of papers to start over.

First graders do not understand cheating.  They think of it as helping their friends.  They do not realize that I need to know if someone is having trouble with a newly taught concept. 

In first grade, the f word is fart and the s word is stupid.  I personally feel, however, that it is hard to replace the word stupid in some situations.  John always used the word foolish because Jesus used foolish with the disciples, Luke 24:25.  Google it and you will see it is a great replacement.  I would never call a child foolish, but some of the things we humans choose to do are, indeed, foolish. (One of my colleagues has suggested we could also use “brood of vipers” as Jesus did in Matthew 12:34.)

Close to the top of my list for loving first grade is that all my jokes are new every year.  In fact, I measure their development by how well they “get” the puns.  They laugh with no restraint and there is no sweeter sound to my ears.

The End 

(The way a first grader ends a story.)

Teachers Learn Early

When you are a new teacher, you learn immediately that you are old.  My first realization of this was when I said to my class, "You know, that was when John F. Kennedy was assassinated."  I was greeted by totally blank faces.  That was before they were born, long before.

Here are some other things I get funny looks for saying:

There were 48 stars on the flag when I started school.

I was alive when Laura Ingalls Wilder died.

I went home for lunch most days until I was a senior in high school.  In grade school we weren't allowed to stay for lunch if you lived within a certain distance from school.

Walking to and from school was an event!

Children went outside unsupervised for recess.  The teacher stayed by the window and watched while he/she graded papers.  This was also true in my first few years of teaching.

Girls had to wear dresses to school each day.  If it was cold, we wore corduroy pants under our dresses and took them off when we got to school.  That changed at sometime and slacks could be worn.

We played at the park all day without our parents there.  We took off on our bikes and came home when the noon whistle blew, the five o'clock whistle blew, and the street lights came on.  We didn't do anything wrong, because we knew everyone who lived by the park and they would tell our parents AND our parents would believe them.

We rode our bikes over the teeter-totters.  If we went slowly, it was a bridge, quickly, it was a ramp. That may be why they put handles on teeter-totters today, if the park's insurance allows them to be in parks.

I ran errands for my mom.  The grocery store was close and I could go the library by myself, too. Sometimes, I was allowed to spend a penny on a piece of candy.  Otherwise, we collected pop bottles to redeem for cash.  (Don't lecture me about recycling.)

The hardware store close to us left appliance boxes out for kids to take.  We asked permission, but the answer was always, "Yes."  That gave us days of fun, at least until it rained.

I watched "Leave it to Beaver" and "Andy Griffith" when they were first run.

I can remember when we got our first colored television--families had only one television.  If our television broke, we called a repairman to come to our house or Dad took the tubes to the drug store to test to see which one needed to be replaced.  That didn't seem to work well.

I do not want to overwhelm you with more of my shocking memories, but I must add the footnote that the man who was mayor of Napoleon, Ohio, at the time we lived there, had designed the 50 star flag.

May the Lord bless and keep you!

In the beginning....

In August of 1973, I stood in front of my first class of first and second graders.  It was at St. John Lutheran School, Freedom Township in Napoleon, Ohio.  I remember looking at my class and thinking, "Now what?"

I know better what to do now, but I still have trouble sleeping the night before my first day of school begins.  My mind is reeling with prayers, lessons plans, and excitement.

This year, God willing, will be my final year of teaching, my forty-first.  I pray that God has helped me use my talents to teach His children more about Him and His Kingdom.

I tell each class that I will remember them, but I might have to ask them their names because they will look different as they age.  I am sure that I have not, although my joints tell me otherwise.

Some of my children, for they remain my children no matter how old they are, have gone on to their eternal reward.  They are there offering their eternal praises to God along with my husband, John. It comforts me to think about them all there, perhaps singing some of the songs I taught them in my classroom.  They have gotten the answers to all the questions they asked me and I could not answer.  These I call, :"Ah-ha Questions."  When they get to heaven, they will say, "Ah-ha, now I understand."

Curriculum has changed, families have changed, legislation has changed, I have changed, and the world's morals have changed.  Thankfully, children have not changed and Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Hebrews 13:9