The school year is only two weeks away from being over - and I'm really feeling it this year. I'm giving away my classroom library to other teachers, preparing to toss or donate posters I've had since my first year of teaching, and facing the reality of being the "new kid" in school in August. I actually enjoy being the new teacher in school - it gives me the opportunity to start fresh with students who may be already labeled as trouble by the other teachers, and often I manage to establish a good relationship with these "problem kids" simply because I don't seem them as a problem. We are also getting rid of extra stuff in our house and finishing up paperwork for my husband and the baby. All this is only a drop in the bucket of the master to do list, but every little bit helps.
I've recently been given an amazing opportunity - a beginning of something I've always wanted to do. I am now a contributing writer for Teach UAE magazine - a new online magazine dealing with education in the UAE and other Gulf nations. I've written two articles for them, and am enjoying the chance to write more and share my knowledge with other teachers. It's a great magazine and I'm honored to be allowed to be a part of the organization.
I'm also getting ready for my summer job - teaching reading for the Institute of Reading Development. This will be my third year teaching for IRD, and they are a truly professional and passionate company to work for. I teach reading to students from preschool to adult, emphasizing different skills at each level. Surprisingly, my favorite class to teach over the summer is the pre-reader class, because the parents are an integral part of the class and the activities we do to engage the kids with the books we read are so much fun. I'm glad to be able to work for IRD in the summer - especially this year, when that salary will be put aside in the bank as savings for our start in the UAE.
In family news, everyone is doing well and we're just waiting for the end of school so that the organizing/purging can commence in earnest. The Facebook page of hopeful EMTs is constantly discussing luggage and meetups and sharing inspirational quotes. We're all in a holding pattern, but how we hold is different for everyone.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Monday, May 19, 2014
Let It Go...
No, this is not a Frozen post. I've only seen the movie once, and wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. I'll chalk that up to my daughters telling me it was the MOST AMAZING DISNEY MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!! Never underestimate the negative power of overestimation.
This is a post about calming down. Not something I'm good at. But something I've had to learn to do more recently. I admit it. I am a control freak. That's part of the reason I love teaching - because I have control over my classroom from how the seats are arranged to who sits where to what books the kids are reading over the summer. So this whole moving across the world thing and being at the mercy of a government office doesn't necessarily sit well with me. I posted last Monday about a list of things I wanted to achieve last week. I haven't done any of them. Granted, the baby is going through a new Wonder Weeks leap and is all mommy, all the time, but still, I'm disappointed in myself for not finding the motivation to do the work. I will try harder this week, and hopefully Aurelia will cooperate.
I cannot control everything. I can only control my reactions to what happens to me. I choose to do this positively when I can. We're going through a stressful period right now in my house, and how we handle ourselves now says a lot about who we are as a family. My ex-husband chose to have me served with papers to modify child support and it hit me hard. Not because I didn't know it was coming, but because 1) I thought we were going to handle this maturely and face to face, 2) because it was the first time I saw in black and white that he was serious about keeping Marley and 3) because all the paperwork was in his new wife's handwriting. With the loving guidance of Jon, I managed to get over that hurdle on Saturday and move on in a positive way.
On a different note, I told my students about my move last week. They were excited and had lots of questions, but in general, they were extremely understanding about the Middle East. It's amazing how so many prejudices get established so quickly, but at the same time, can be quashed easily at their age. I only got a couple of "terrorist" remarks before I managed to establish with them that the UAE is a very safe, very modern country where yes, the government is run by Muslims, but it is tolerant of other cultures and religions as well.
Ending positively, I wanted to list some of the things I'm most looking forward to doing when I get to the UAE:
Meeting my students and fellow faculty members
Shopping at Lulu's Hypermarket (an experience not to be missed, according to many bloggers)
Going to the Burj Khalifa
Seeing the Formula One races
Watching my husband learn to play rugby
Hearing the call to prayer
Not worrying about paying rent or bills (this resonates right now especially)
Not worrying about Aurelia being at day care
Seeing camels in the back of cars
Enjoying the more laid-back style that is the UAE system
Guess I'll have to learn how to let it go...
This is a post about calming down. Not something I'm good at. But something I've had to learn to do more recently. I admit it. I am a control freak. That's part of the reason I love teaching - because I have control over my classroom from how the seats are arranged to who sits where to what books the kids are reading over the summer. So this whole moving across the world thing and being at the mercy of a government office doesn't necessarily sit well with me. I posted last Monday about a list of things I wanted to achieve last week. I haven't done any of them. Granted, the baby is going through a new Wonder Weeks leap and is all mommy, all the time, but still, I'm disappointed in myself for not finding the motivation to do the work. I will try harder this week, and hopefully Aurelia will cooperate.
I cannot control everything. I can only control my reactions to what happens to me. I choose to do this positively when I can. We're going through a stressful period right now in my house, and how we handle ourselves now says a lot about who we are as a family. My ex-husband chose to have me served with papers to modify child support and it hit me hard. Not because I didn't know it was coming, but because 1) I thought we were going to handle this maturely and face to face, 2) because it was the first time I saw in black and white that he was serious about keeping Marley and 3) because all the paperwork was in his new wife's handwriting. With the loving guidance of Jon, I managed to get over that hurdle on Saturday and move on in a positive way.
On a different note, I told my students about my move last week. They were excited and had lots of questions, but in general, they were extremely understanding about the Middle East. It's amazing how so many prejudices get established so quickly, but at the same time, can be quashed easily at their age. I only got a couple of "terrorist" remarks before I managed to establish with them that the UAE is a very safe, very modern country where yes, the government is run by Muslims, but it is tolerant of other cultures and religions as well.
Ending positively, I wanted to list some of the things I'm most looking forward to doing when I get to the UAE:
Meeting my students and fellow faculty members
Shopping at Lulu's Hypermarket (an experience not to be missed, according to many bloggers)
Going to the Burj Khalifa
Seeing the Formula One races
Watching my husband learn to play rugby
Hearing the call to prayer
Not worrying about paying rent or bills (this resonates right now especially)
Not worrying about Aurelia being at day care
Seeing camels in the back of cars
Enjoying the more laid-back style that is the UAE system
Guess I'll have to learn how to let it go...
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Turning Trials into Triumphs
When I woke up this morning, I remembered. Today was the day I had a conference with "that" parent. You know the one - her child does no wrong, you are solely responsible for any less than perfect grade, and he/she always leaves the house in perfect school uniform. This is a parent whom I have contacted via email several times during the year about various issues, but who has waited until three weeks before the end of the year to come and meet me face to face. This is one of my trials. My goal in this conference is to let the parent know that I'm on her side and that I want her child to be as prepared for high school as possible. This student is extremely bright, but unmotivated. A solid B student, where there should be straight As. Typical 8th grader, in other words. :-)
Many times as teachers we are faced with challenges that seem insurmountable. Administrators, students, peers and parents all have their own agendas and priorities that often clash with ours. However, there are many ways to change the way we deal with and view difficult situations in school and turn them into a positive experience. Here's how to spin that negativity and improve your own day in the process:
Students: When students are resistant to learning, or if it's just "one of those days", take your objective and find another way to achieve it. For example, when I planned a parts of speech review lesson the day before a long weekend, I was quickly faced with the reality of 22 antsy teenagers who, in their minds, were already on a mini-vacation. So I mixed it up and taught them the slap game instead, where I wrote the parts of speech on the board, divided the class into two teams, and students took turns slapping the correct part of speech when I called out a word (if I said big, they would slap "adjective", swim - "verb"). In this way, we managed to review while allowing students to be physically and mentally engaged.
Peers: We always want to have a collaborative, productive relationship with our fellow teachers and staff members. The benefits of teachers who get along is priceless to school morale and performance. We are all human, though, and miscommunications and conflicts happen. To minimize these, a regular meeting allows everyone to be "in the loop" and feel like they have a voice in the school. Beware of adminstrators taking over the meetings! In our district, as in many others, we have PLCs, or professional learning communities, where the department head or another teacher take turns running the meeting and sharing strategies and knowledge. Don't be afraid to get close to your peers as well. Finding common interests and backgrounds can lead to a very positive working environment.
Administrators: I've always struggled with feeling comfortable with my administrators. I think teachers in general, being their own bosses in their classrooms, have difficulty answering to higher-ups. The teachers who are most successful at getting along with their administrators have several things in common. First is confidence in themselves. If you know that you are doing your job to the best of your ability, you have nothing to fear when the principal or HOF calls you into his office. Secondly, you show up. Teachers who have absentee issues are automatically pegged as less professional, whether that's fair or not. Finally, cultivate a relationship with your administrator as you would with your teaching peers. Most of the time, administrators are former teachers with great advice to share. Even if you're not having trouble with classroom management, break the ice with your principal by asking her what worked best in her classroom or other classrooms she's observed. She will appreciate your interest in becoming the best teacher you can be.
Parents: The biggest issue for many teachers. I have known teachers to bump up a student's grade just because the parent had a reputation for raising a fuss with administration if it was too low. At the school where I work, parents are considered "customers" and the customer is always right. My own personal belief is that I teach as if the parents of my students are sitting in the back of the room. This enables me to identify with the parents and see things from their point of view. I also make sure to include positive feedback at the beginning of every student conference. There are several keywords to remember:
If a student speaks out a lot in class, he is a leader.
If a student doesn't complete work on time, he simply needs to learn time management.
If a student is distracted, you can say she is a multitasker in training.
If a student tries to get you off on tangents, you can comment on her level of engagement and critical thinking questions.
I used several of these in my conference this morning, and the parent went from having a chip on her shoulder to asking me for advice about which high school courses her son should be taking. The truth is the same, whether you make it ugly or not. Why not make it easier for parents to hear about their student's issues? We should approach conferences as interventions, as chances to make a difference with a child. If you don't know what I mean, watch an episode of "Intervention". There is constant positive reinforcement of good traits, eye contact, sitting in a nonconfrontational setting (don't sit parents on the opposite side of your desk), and clear setting of future goals. I went from dreading dealing with this parent to smiling and hoping I have more contact with her in these last few weeks.
No one consciously invites challenges into their lives. They just show up. You can handle anything life brings you as long as you stay calm, focused on the end goal, and true to yourself. Happy teaching!
Many times as teachers we are faced with challenges that seem insurmountable. Administrators, students, peers and parents all have their own agendas and priorities that often clash with ours. However, there are many ways to change the way we deal with and view difficult situations in school and turn them into a positive experience. Here's how to spin that negativity and improve your own day in the process:
Students: When students are resistant to learning, or if it's just "one of those days", take your objective and find another way to achieve it. For example, when I planned a parts of speech review lesson the day before a long weekend, I was quickly faced with the reality of 22 antsy teenagers who, in their minds, were already on a mini-vacation. So I mixed it up and taught them the slap game instead, where I wrote the parts of speech on the board, divided the class into two teams, and students took turns slapping the correct part of speech when I called out a word (if I said big, they would slap "adjective", swim - "verb"). In this way, we managed to review while allowing students to be physically and mentally engaged.
Peers: We always want to have a collaborative, productive relationship with our fellow teachers and staff members. The benefits of teachers who get along is priceless to school morale and performance. We are all human, though, and miscommunications and conflicts happen. To minimize these, a regular meeting allows everyone to be "in the loop" and feel like they have a voice in the school. Beware of adminstrators taking over the meetings! In our district, as in many others, we have PLCs, or professional learning communities, where the department head or another teacher take turns running the meeting and sharing strategies and knowledge. Don't be afraid to get close to your peers as well. Finding common interests and backgrounds can lead to a very positive working environment.
Administrators: I've always struggled with feeling comfortable with my administrators. I think teachers in general, being their own bosses in their classrooms, have difficulty answering to higher-ups. The teachers who are most successful at getting along with their administrators have several things in common. First is confidence in themselves. If you know that you are doing your job to the best of your ability, you have nothing to fear when the principal or HOF calls you into his office. Secondly, you show up. Teachers who have absentee issues are automatically pegged as less professional, whether that's fair or not. Finally, cultivate a relationship with your administrator as you would with your teaching peers. Most of the time, administrators are former teachers with great advice to share. Even if you're not having trouble with classroom management, break the ice with your principal by asking her what worked best in her classroom or other classrooms she's observed. She will appreciate your interest in becoming the best teacher you can be.
Parents: The biggest issue for many teachers. I have known teachers to bump up a student's grade just because the parent had a reputation for raising a fuss with administration if it was too low. At the school where I work, parents are considered "customers" and the customer is always right. My own personal belief is that I teach as if the parents of my students are sitting in the back of the room. This enables me to identify with the parents and see things from their point of view. I also make sure to include positive feedback at the beginning of every student conference. There are several keywords to remember:
If a student speaks out a lot in class, he is a leader.
If a student doesn't complete work on time, he simply needs to learn time management.
If a student is distracted, you can say she is a multitasker in training.
If a student tries to get you off on tangents, you can comment on her level of engagement and critical thinking questions.
I used several of these in my conference this morning, and the parent went from having a chip on her shoulder to asking me for advice about which high school courses her son should be taking. The truth is the same, whether you make it ugly or not. Why not make it easier for parents to hear about their student's issues? We should approach conferences as interventions, as chances to make a difference with a child. If you don't know what I mean, watch an episode of "Intervention". There is constant positive reinforcement of good traits, eye contact, sitting in a nonconfrontational setting (don't sit parents on the opposite side of your desk), and clear setting of future goals. I went from dreading dealing with this parent to smiling and hoping I have more contact with her in these last few weeks.
No one consciously invites challenges into their lives. They just show up. You can handle anything life brings you as long as you stay calm, focused on the end goal, and true to yourself. Happy teaching!
Monday, May 12, 2014
Reflections on a Monday morning
As I was driving to school this morning, I reflected that I only have two more Mondays to teach (Memorial Day is the 26th, so that doesn't count). Two more Mondays. That made it sink in, along with the fact that we had a garage sale this weekend and got rid of quite a bit of stuff. I'm going to make it a priority to really begin purging this week. Here's my list:
Monday: Go through my closet - sort into keep, donate, toss.
Tuesday: Go through my books - sort into keep, Bailey, donate.
Wednesday: Extra day for books (I have a lot).
Thursday: Go through the extra boxes in my bedroom that I STILL haven't unpacked from September and toss/donate pile them.
Friday: Nothing. I have a conference at 5:25 with a parent and then Jon is taking me to the beach for a makeup session from our foiled Mother's Day plans. More below.
Mother's Day- started out awesome, sucked a little in the middle, then got good again. First of all, Aurelia decided to get up at 4 am, so we headed down to the couch and went back to sleep after nursing. Then Papi came downstairs, followed shortly afterward by Marley, and made me a delicious omelet for breakfast. (One of the pieces of advice I'm giving my girls on marriage is to be sure you marry a man who can cook!) Once Ty made his way downstairs, I got my presents (a basket of all my favorite things from Marley - including Rice A Roni - don't ask!, a lovely shirt from Ty, and a preorder for Stephen King's new book Mr. Mercedes from Jon and Aurelia, along with sweet cards from all). Then we headed for the beach. And promptly turned around and headed home again when we found that everyone in the free world had beat us to it. That is the ONLY time since 1992 that I haven't been able to find a spot to park at the beach. Crazy.
After making it back home, I begged for only one thing - a nap. My lovely family indulged me and it was so wonderful to snuggle down in my bed alone for an hour. Felt like ten minutes, but I was reenergized and went down to the kitchen to make lasagna and meatballs for our dinner with Jon's mom. We had a great visit with her, Jon's sister and Jon's sister's boyfriend (who, weirdly enough, I taught in eighth grade). Aurelia had a blast playing with everyone.
All in all, just finishing up the year and getting ready for my summer job is proving to be pretty easy. I'm hoping that the summer is productive and goes quickly. Looking forward to my Bailey visiting on the last day of school for a week and cleaning out my classroom! Have a wonderful week everyone!
Monday: Go through my closet - sort into keep, donate, toss.
Tuesday: Go through my books - sort into keep, Bailey, donate.
Wednesday: Extra day for books (I have a lot).
Thursday: Go through the extra boxes in my bedroom that I STILL haven't unpacked from September and toss/donate pile them.
Friday: Nothing. I have a conference at 5:25 with a parent and then Jon is taking me to the beach for a makeup session from our foiled Mother's Day plans. More below.
Mother's Day- started out awesome, sucked a little in the middle, then got good again. First of all, Aurelia decided to get up at 4 am, so we headed down to the couch and went back to sleep after nursing. Then Papi came downstairs, followed shortly afterward by Marley, and made me a delicious omelet for breakfast. (One of the pieces of advice I'm giving my girls on marriage is to be sure you marry a man who can cook!) Once Ty made his way downstairs, I got my presents (a basket of all my favorite things from Marley - including Rice A Roni - don't ask!, a lovely shirt from Ty, and a preorder for Stephen King's new book Mr. Mercedes from Jon and Aurelia, along with sweet cards from all). Then we headed for the beach. And promptly turned around and headed home again when we found that everyone in the free world had beat us to it. That is the ONLY time since 1992 that I haven't been able to find a spot to park at the beach. Crazy.
After making it back home, I begged for only one thing - a nap. My lovely family indulged me and it was so wonderful to snuggle down in my bed alone for an hour. Felt like ten minutes, but I was reenergized and went down to the kitchen to make lasagna and meatballs for our dinner with Jon's mom. We had a great visit with her, Jon's sister and Jon's sister's boyfriend (who, weirdly enough, I taught in eighth grade). Aurelia had a blast playing with everyone.
All in all, just finishing up the year and getting ready for my summer job is proving to be pretty easy. I'm hoping that the summer is productive and goes quickly. Looking forward to my Bailey visiting on the last day of school for a week and cleaning out my classroom! Have a wonderful week everyone!
Friday, May 9, 2014
Underwhelmed.
So Jon and I have told our respective jobs that we're moving - and the result was distinctly underwhelming. Good, I suppose, because I was living in fear that my school would fire me as soon as they found out (they have a bad reputation for that). But I got a nice email back from my director, and that's that apparently. Scary stuff.
Facebook, on the other hand, has been very supportive. I attribute that to the wonderful people I have as friends on FB - many people I grew up with in PA, some awesome teachers from my previous school, and assorted other cool folks I choose to associate with. I don't believe in adding people just because I have 23 mutual friends with them. If I really didn't associate with you in high school, why would I want to now? From what I saw at my 20 year reunion, most of those people really haven't changed much at all.
Still no movement on the Marley front - she's threatening to "pull a Bailey", which in our family code means to get really mean and antisocial until she gets her way. As long as I'm not on the receiving end...
We have our community garage sale this weekend and hope to get rid of a lot of stuff. Bailey will be coming down for a visit in June, and there are several items she has earmarked for herself, so after that our house will be pretty bare. Just continuing to hope that we're not some of the last people sent over, as that will turn into just a mess. I will be getting my prorated teaching salary through the beginning of August as well as my salary for my summer job, and we won't be paying a babysitter. So ideally we'll have a few grand set aside in savings for when we leave. Jon's job has offered to let him stay on until he leaves, which is a very good thing.
Also this weekend is Mother's Day. My mom is in North Carolina for the summer, but I will be sending her something nice. My mom is awesome. She and I have had our differences, but I do know that everything she does, she does because she feels it's the best for me. Jon's mom is awesome too - anything anyone needs, she is always there to help with a wonderful attitude. Thanks to the mamas!
Facebook, on the other hand, has been very supportive. I attribute that to the wonderful people I have as friends on FB - many people I grew up with in PA, some awesome teachers from my previous school, and assorted other cool folks I choose to associate with. I don't believe in adding people just because I have 23 mutual friends with them. If I really didn't associate with you in high school, why would I want to now? From what I saw at my 20 year reunion, most of those people really haven't changed much at all.
Still no movement on the Marley front - she's threatening to "pull a Bailey", which in our family code means to get really mean and antisocial until she gets her way. As long as I'm not on the receiving end...
We have our community garage sale this weekend and hope to get rid of a lot of stuff. Bailey will be coming down for a visit in June, and there are several items she has earmarked for herself, so after that our house will be pretty bare. Just continuing to hope that we're not some of the last people sent over, as that will turn into just a mess. I will be getting my prorated teaching salary through the beginning of August as well as my salary for my summer job, and we won't be paying a babysitter. So ideally we'll have a few grand set aside in savings for when we leave. Jon's job has offered to let him stay on until he leaves, which is a very good thing.
Also this weekend is Mother's Day. My mom is in North Carolina for the summer, but I will be sending her something nice. My mom is awesome. She and I have had our differences, but I do know that everything she does, she does because she feels it's the best for me. Jon's mom is awesome too - anything anyone needs, she is always there to help with a wonderful attitude. Thanks to the mamas!
 |
| Grandma (my mom) and Aurelia |
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Pride and Sadness - A Tale of Two Daughters
So first the pride - my oldest daughter finished her third year of college today. I'm so proud of her because of all that she's been through over the past three years. Bad boyfriends, unprofessional professors, a transfer and a change of major, and she's still super positive about everything in her life. I love my Bailey. She's imperfect perfection, my first baby, and her own individual person no matter what. She loves anything Irish, animals, her freedom, books (finally) and romantic movies.
Now the sadness. My second daughter, Marley, has been wanting to come to Abu Dhabi with me on my new teaching adventure. Her father was not for it, and after debating with me for the last three months, he has finally said no for good. I cannot take her out of the country without his consent, and I refuse to turn this into a court battle, because the only person that would get hurt would be Marley. He feels that she should stay in this little suburb of a mediocre city and become one of the "regular" kids going to the "regular" high school. Marley is not and never has been "regular". She is highly creative, mature for her age in most aspects, and has very little tolerance for the drama and ridiculousness associated with most high schoolers, and girls in particular. This decision is a bad one, and I know that he will regret it within six months of my leaving. Hopefully he sees that he's wrong, but if he still insists on keeping her here, I will do my best to be as involved as I possibly can in her life. I just can't imagine being without three of my four children on a regular basis (my son's not coming because logistically speaking, it will mess up his senior year and his IB diploma).
 |
| Bailey at the Holi Color Festival at UNCA |
 |
| The lovely Marley |
I know that this move is the best thing in the long run, but in the short term, it will be harder than I thought it would be. I just have to look forward to Christmas, when we are planning a trip to the UK with all the kids. Bailey will finally make it to Ireland, where she has always dreamed of going, and Ty and I will be able to indulge our rabid Anglophilia in London. Jon looks forward to touring the Guinness factory, and I'm sure Marley will just be happy to be on vacation and explore a new place.
 |
| My son Ty and his prom date - oh the humor! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)