What I Did During My Winter Break

I am certain that some teacher along the way must have had me write an essay with this title the first day back in January. I could write so very much about the rich experiences that I had over this break, I stop, however, and think about the students that I have in my class, and what they did during this vacation. I always get a little misty-eyed when those big yellow buses pull out of the parking lot the last day before break.

I think about how some of my students will spend their time. I think about one child. His dad has been out of work for a long time. He tries to do well, and his dad is always very concerned about him, but you can just tell that they have so many physical needs. He told me that he would be spending some time with his mom during the break and wanted to give her a video from our winter concert. I hope that she is as proud of him as I am.

I think about another child and my heart aches for him. His mother and sister were killed in an auto accident a couple of years ago on Christmas Eve. His dad hasn't dealt with the loss well, and relinquished his son to be raised by an aunt. This continues to delt witht he pain of losing his mom and sister, and his dad.

As I celebrate this week in the comfort of my home surrounded by a loving family, I am thankful. I hope that the relaxation and rejuvenation will help me to be the loving teacher that I need to be for all my students.

What DO you teach?

Hello! Let me introduce myself.

I am a teacher. I have been a teacher for a long time....a very long time. I can remember being a teacher when I was just a little girl. I remember teaching my little brother to pump his legs to swing. I remember playing school with my sister and teaching my dolls to read. I remember teaching myself to play the flute when my elementary band teacher fell short of his job. It is what I do. Teach.

One of the most frequently asked questions of this teacher is "What do you teach?" I suppose most folks just want to know what subject or what grade I teach. Maybe they want to know what class they need to steer their child away from when registering for middle school! Regardless, my answer has been and will always be "I teach children." I teach children about their world. I teach them about other worlds. I teach them to think beyond what they can imagine...to think outside of the box. I teach them about the possibilities for their lives...that there is much more to life than our little school and town. But, I also teach them that our little school and town are fabulous places where they can grow up to be leaders.

No one can be a teacher with out being a learner as well. The lessons that my students have taught me are without number. I am, at 49 years old, the product of the influences of people: children and adults. I hope that through this blog I can share some of the stories of my life, my students and my teachers as well.

Welcome to my blog. I hope that someone out there will find it interesting, or even a little helpful. I hope that you can teach me somethings as well along the way!