The Rainbow Fish story

Time for an "oldie" but a "goodie." This is my sister Jessica's favorite story from my classroom. She literally cannot stop laughing when I tell it. 

My first year teaching, I was really excited to use everything I had learned in college -- including all the materials I had acquired and been saving for my first classroom. Late in my college career, I took an amazing drama class about play through drama. It was amazing -- all about using imagination, pretend play, and drama in the classroom and other therapy settings. We played drama games, created improv skits, and just had a wild, fun time in class.

As our final project, we were put in groups to create a puppet show for the local library storytime. In groups of 4-5, we adapted popular children's picture books into elaborate puppet shows. We even learned how to make our own puppets! I'm not talking paper bag or sock puppets -- real puppets. Fabric, working mouths, movable arms... they were legit. My group did the story, Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type. 

Strangely, I was the only elementary education major in the class. It seemed bizarre to me because the content fit so perfectly! So, at the end of the semester, all of my classmates graciously donated their puppets to me for my classroom! I was pretty excited and couldn't wait to use them with my own kindergarten class. One of my favorites was the Rainbow Fish puppet. This character, from the popular Rainbow Fish series, is perfect for the kindergarten classroom. I always utilize these books for social studies at the beginning of the year. Rainbow Fish is a special fish because he is the only one who has sparkly scales. He realizes, however, that even though he is beautiful, he is lonely because he doesn't have any friends. He ends up sharing all but one of his scales, but is happier because he has friends.

After reading the story, I decided to get out the Rainbow Fish puppet. I thought this would be a great way for the kids to recall the story and discuss what Rainbow Fish did and how to make friends. So, I told my students to close their eyes while I went to get our "friend." They did.

When I came back, their eyes were as big as dinner plates. They excitedly turned to each other saying, "Oh my gosh! It's Rainbow Fish!" It was seriously hilarious. This was my first year teaching, so I honestly didn't think they would be this excited/naive. I thought they would say something like, "Wow! A puppet!" Nope. In their minds, it was legitimately Rainbow Fish.

So, I played it up. I changed my voice for Rainbow Fish, talked to Rainbow Fish, nodded his little head -- the whole deal. I asked the kids questions about the story from Rainbow Fish's perspective, like "Why was I so sad at the beginning of the story?" I (Rainbow Fish) would call on the kids by what they were wearing. Something like, "You, pretty girl in the pink dress." They would immediately look down at what they were wearing, and our little friend in the pink would say, "Me?!" - totally shocked he was speaking to her. It was classic.

Keep in mind, my elbow is literally hanging out of the bottom of the puppet. Literally. But that, of course, did not matter.

It was time to wrap up the lesson and move on. So, I told the kids to say good-bye to Rainbow Fish. One little guy in my class was waving his arm and just about to jump out of his skin if he didn't get to say something to Rainbow Fish. So, I (Rainbow Fish) turned around and said, "Yes, Jason - what do you want to tell me?"

Poor little Jason turned white as a ghost. His chin nearly hit the floor.

After a moment of silence, I said (from my voice), "Jason, are you okay?"

Poor little, scared-to-death Jason nearly started to cry and said, "Umm... how did he know my name?!" 

Hilarious. I nearly exploded with laughter. Before I let myself go, I immediately remedied the situation: "Well, of course, I whispered it in his ear."

Never underestimate the trusting, innocent, and adorable nature of early kindergarten. Their ability to suspend reality is truly amazing.

Happy Kinder Valentine's Day... & move over, Mom!

What a week! I am utterly exhausted from a week full of evening parent-teacher conferences and sugar-fueled Valentine's day parties. However, I have had some really sweet and funny "high points" to this week and I'm glad I am taking the time to reflect and remember them.

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First of all, Valentine's Day in kindergarten is pretty darn cute. They are extra sweet on top of their normal adorableness. We recently worked on writing letters in our room and the important aspects of a letter (dear, from). So, this week, we cut out hearts and wrote Valentine letters to people we love.

I told the kinders they could write to anyone they wanted to outside of school. Basically, I was telling them they had to write to someone other than me. :) Ha! I've kind of become a "safe" writing topic and I'm trying to expand their horizons a bit.

I took pictures of some of my favorites. They are adorable and so genuine. 

[Dear Mom and Dad, I love you guys! You are funny. I like your cookies. I love you the best in the family.]

The next two are funny because these little ones always call their parents by their first names (which seriously cracks me up when they tell stories!)

[Dear Jon, I love you. You are funny. I like your smile. You are awesome.] a.k.a. Dad

[Dear Sarah, I love you. You are awesome. I like your hugs.] a.k.a Mom

Gotta love the little ones who write to their pets. Don't ever underestimate how much an animal can mean to a child! 

[Dear Fish, I love you! You are beautiful. I like your nice fins.]

[Dear Dog, I love you! You are cute. I like your licks.]

 The last two wrote to their siblings. I sure hope my children one day love each other this much!

[Dear Jackson, I love you. You are kind. I like your smiles.]

[Dear Lyra, I love you! I love when you laugh. I like to play with you. From your sister.]

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Then, of course, I found some pretty adorable letters in my Valentine bag today. You would think these things get old after five years. But, they just don't. There's something so amazing and genuine about a kindergartner applying all they know about letter sounds, words, and handwriting to create a message for you. 

[Dear Mrs. A, Be my Valentine.]

[Dear Mrs. A, You are the best teacher in the whole wide world. I love to write.]

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Last, but not least, a hilarious and adorable story from a mom at parent-teacher conferences. I think an appropriate title for this story is "Move over, Mom!" This mom and I laughed about this for at least five minutes. My heart was just overflowing.

I had one of my great conferences last night. You know, one of those conferences when the parents sit down at the table and I can just say, "Your child is wonderful! Perfect!" Those are always fun. :) Well, I was explaining to this mother and father about how great their daughter (we will call her C in this story) is doing at school. I was telling them how much I really love their daughter and how much joy I get out of seeing C blossom in reading and writing. So, our story begins:

Mom: "Well, I can assure you the feeling is mutual. Because C absolutely loves you."

Me: "Yes, I love all the pictures and letters I get everyday. I always tell her how much I love every single one of them (laughing because there are about 10 a day!)"

Mom: "You should see all the letters that don't make it to school. I swear she writes you 5 love notes every night before she goes to bed."

Me: "Ha ha - she is so sweet."

Mom: "Yes, but I don't think you understand how much she loves you. She wants to be exactly like you. Before Christmas, I got a pair of brown riding boots like the ones you are wearing. With zippers on the side and buckles. C kept saying how she really wanted brown boots. So, I found matching ones for her for Christmas. She opened the box at Christmas and started gasping. Here I am wearing my boots and she starts screaming, 'Oh my god! They are just like Mrs. Anderson's boots! With the zippers and buckles and all!'"

We both laugh...

Mom: "Oh, it gets worse. That one wasn't as bad as the last thing that happened. I love how you have taught them to write letters -- and I love that you write the kids back."

Me: "I try to write back as much as I can because they like it so much."

Mom: "Oh yeah, she loved it! C got it out of her backpack right away and showed me. Then she ran to her room with it. Later that night, when I went in to put her to bed, I saw it on her night stand. She had taken a picture frame with a picture of her and I in it... taken the picture out and put your letter in the frame!"

Ha ha -- adorable right?! We laughed and laughed about it. On the second 13 hour day I had worked in a row due to conferences, that story was just what I needed to keep me going. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

What I've learned about parenting

Ask any teacher you know -- "Why did you go into teaching?" For the kids, of course! Most of us (teachers) became teachers because we love interacting with kids, watching them grow, and helping them be successful. OR, we don't like working with adults. :) I'm somewhere in between the two.

I knew when I became a teacher that the kids would teach me so much. Even though they are only 5 and 6, my students teach me so much about life, love, and the world. Their views and ideas are like a breath of fresh air -- honest and to-the-point, sometimes funny, but always true. They have taught me so much in the past 5 years -- possibly as much as I have taught them.

What I didn't know is how much I would learn about parents, parenting, and families. I think we all underestimate just how much we will interact with families and parents. I'm fairly sure education colleges aren't honest about how much time and effort you will put into working with parents because they are afraid their students might quit. :) Don't get me wrong -- 90% of my interactions with parents and families are positive, fun, and happy. But, that other 10%? Oh my. That 10% can be a doozy.

I am always thinking about how much I have learned about parenting. I find myself constantly making quiet promises in my head, "When I'm a parent, I'm going to (or never going to)..." I know, I know -- there's no way I will adhere to them all. But, they still run around in my head constantly.

Here's a little summary. Let's call it -- "A child-less teacher's view on parenting" Yep. Sounds good to me.

• Dear parents reading this. Your child is a reflection of you. Period. You give us a tiny person who has been raised in your household (usually) for the last five years. They talk like you, they act like you, and they talk about you. All the time. Beware, my friends. They will tell us your secrets. :)
• Let's talk about shoes for a minute. What exactly do parents think kindergartners do at school? Model? Sit quietly and listen all day? No. They run, play, step in puddles/mud/snow/paint, use the bathroom (yep.). Please don't send your children to school in wedge sandals or slippers or flip-flops with no backs. Also, your child does not need to wear Ugg brand boots to school. Their teacher will be jealous and they will end up with papier-mache on them. 
• [Side note on shoes] -- Kids should not be allowed to wear shoes with shoelaces in them until they can tie them independently. Hello motivation!! Yep, sorry future kids-of-mine. It's velcro for you until you can tie your shoes on your own. Your child's teacher will love you, you have built in a seriously genuine reward for your child's achievement, and your child will learn to tie his/her shoes faster than you could ever imagine. Win for everyone. 
• I love seeing what my students wear to school everyday. Call me shallow -- but they are seriously adorable. They are like little dolls and you can dress them up in the world's cutest outfits. Now, keeping that in mind, let's be realistic about what they wear to school. If you honestly don't care what happens to Sally's Easter dress -- awesome! Let her show it off at school. If your little guy has two Gap button-down plaid shirts, let him wear it. But, just remember... kindergarten is not always pretty. I have honestly been humiliated by my newly "decorated" outfits multiple times when I stopped at the store after school. We use a lot of interesting mixtures in kindergarten. We squirt ketchup in the lunchroom, use "washable" markers, and play in the mud during science. Dress them at your own risk.
• Yet another tip about wardrobes. Parents, please dress your children in clothes they can fasten, pull-up, undo, and take off independently. I can't even count how many tights I have pulled up -- overalls I have unbuttoned -- little jeans I have snapped. Do I mind? Of course not. But, make it easier on your child -- dress them in clothes they can comfortably work on their own. [And yet another reason I still am shocked by men who teach kindergarten...]
• Teach your children manners. I feel like that shouldn't even need to be said, but it does. You might not think anybody will notice if your child is not expected to use please and thank-you, wait his turn to speak, say excuse me after a bodily function, etc. at home. But... I promise you... we do. I notice whose parents have taught them any type of manners in about a week of kindergarten. Once again -- I don't judge. I know every parent sends their best child to school. But, remember -- yet again -- they are a reflection of you. People do notice what you expect of them at home and in public... they wear it like a badge.
• And although I could ramble on and on about parents and parenting (once again -- hypocritical blogger here... no children of my own) I won't. I will end with my most sensitive parenting issue. Please empty your child's backpack. Every night would be wonderful -- but be realistic if you need to. Aim for 3 times a week, if needed. But, please. Take out your child's hard work, important notes from the office, reminders about class happenings. Your child's little hands slaved over that giant letter O that looks like an octopus or that watercolor snow scene. You don't need to hang them all on the fridge... you don't need to talk about every single piece. But, I can tell you that in a job where many, many things will break your heart... nothing stings my eyes like a little kinder attempting to shove their artwork into a backpack that has been neglected for over a week. If you want them to have pride in their work... if you want to know what's going on at school... just empty their backpacks.

This job continues to surprise me everyday -- even after five years. That's probably why I love it so much.

Embracing the Christmas excitement

You know the saying -- never fight a battle you know you can't win. Well, that's what the week before Christmas break is like in a kindergarten classroom. Do we abandon all learning, expectations, and routines? No. But, let's be honest -- if you try to ignore the Christmas madness, you will be fighting a losing battle.

So, I just embrace it! Build learning opportunities into themed activities. Teach compassion and model the spirit of simple giving by making, wrapping, and delivering presents. And, just remember, they are five- and six-year-olds. You, as a teacher, cannot compete with the hype of Santa. A child's kindergarten teacher is a rockstar in their eyes. Santa holds god-like status. Don't even try to beat him at the attention game.

Here are a few picture highlights of Christmas in our classroom. Not pictured (unfortunately) is my favorite Christmas tradition with my class -- caroling around the school. I play guitar and love playing with my kinders. They love to sing -- especially Christmas songs! So, we practice all month and then spread Christmas joy around the building by knocking on classroom (or office) doors and singing a song with the guitar. I can't decide what the best part is -- the sweet sound of their voices or the looks on the faces of our surprised listeners (especially the teachers!)

Dear Santa...

I picked a couple letters to share with you. They were all cute, but these ones cracked me up because these kids have some big demands. Santa, you have your work cut out for you on these ones.

This one was just funny -- [Dear Santa, I want a stocking. I want a stuffed animal Santa.]

[Dear Santa, I want a wolf. I want a digipet. I have been good.]

[Dear Santa, I want a dragon. I want a kitten. I have been good.]

[Dear Santa, I want a happy birthday. I want a beautiful world. I have been good.]

Sweetest journal ever -- "I am sorry Santa that some people don't believe in you."

"Star Word" Christmas Trees

Channeling Christmas fever into "star word" (high-frequency reading words) practice.

"Cookies for Santa plates" -- Parent gifts

The last couple years, I have made handprint calendars with the kinders. As much as I loved them, they were SO time-consuming. With only 3 school weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, we just didn't have time for them. In addition, in the past couple years, I have received two thank-yous (verbal or written) from parents for the incredibly time-consuming gifts. 

[Side note -- to the parents out there, if your child brings home a sweet gift for you, please thank your child's teacher. Many people may think these supplies were bought by the school or that making a parent gift is an expected aspect of the job. Both are untrue. Teachers come up with the ideas, buy the supplies (remember, a $2-3 gift x 20+ students is not cheap!), and in some schools (not mine -- thank goodness!) risk getting "in trouble" with administrators for taking time away from curriculum to create presents. Just a little side note!]

So, this year (thanks to my teammate's idea!) we tried something new -- Cookies for Santa plates. They turned out SO CUTE! I honestly love them so much... I couldn't wait for the kids to bring them home to their moms and dads. I wrote the words around the edge of a ceramic plate with a thick-tip Sharpie marker. Then, the kids drew their pictures (I gave them a few choices/ideas) with permanent markers. I baked the plates at 350 degrees for 20 minutes to set the drawings. Adorable!

Thumbprint Light Cards

Cute and simple. My kinders used watercolor paints to add their "thumbprint bulbs."

Merry Christmas from Mrs. A's kinders!

Kids are funnier during the holidays

I honestly think it's true. The kids are funnier around the holidays. My kinders have been on FIRE lately. Seriously hilarious. A little sampling for your reading pleasure:

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Student 1: "I love Santa."
Student 2: "Me too."
Student 1: "I love Santa because he's the nicest guy ever."
Student 2: "Yeah because he leaves everybody lots of presents."
Student 1: "Yeah, but only if you're good. If you're bad, you get coal. And coal is just another word for poop."

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Mrs. A: "I'm going to Jamaica to be in Miss Mayhan's wedding. I get to be in her wedding. I'm going to wear a pretty dress and stand next to her while she's getting married in her beautiful white dress."
Student: "Oh! I get it. You're going to be that guy up front with the book."
Ha ha! Nope, not that part, buddy.

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Mrs. A: "This movie (Rudolph) is really special to me. It's a very old movie -- I even watched it when I was a little girl at Christmas!"
Student: "You mean like at the first Christmas? Like when Jesus was born?"
Mrs. A: "Nope... I'm not that old."

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And, last but not least, I am not proud of myself, but I just pulled out my cell phone to call Santa. Yep, it happened. But... it WORKED!!! :)

The things they don't tell you

I think the majority of us teachers go through pretty rigorous preparation programs nowadays. I don't know about your college experience, but mine was anything from easy. When I started my methods courses and in-the-classroom experiences, I worked my tail off. So, overall, I think most colleges do a very good job of preparing teachers for the ever-changing and high-accountability job that we all do everyday.

I had some really interesting classes in college -- and I still remember some of the important things my professors told me along the way. The importance of the first week of the year (teachers... remember that book?!) - how to set up classroom routines - planning with objectives - reading standards - making modifications and accommodations. The list goes on. No matter where you went to school, and no matter what you teach, somewhere along your preparation path, you heard these same things.

But, there are things they don't tell you. 

I'm not sure if it's unintentional (it just never fits into a syllabus) or completely intentional (so that you aren't scared away from the job!) But, there are many things you will never know until you start teaching. To be honest, even if a peer or teacher told you these things along the way, you wouldn't believe them... until you lived them. And you WILL live every single one of them sometime.

This week for me has been a week full of the things they don't tell you. Yes, after teaching for 5 years, I have seen them all already. But, they still have a way of sneaking up on you  and reminding you of the unexpected and utterly unpredictable nature of this job. 

• You're going to get your heart broken. This was by far the hardest one for me to swallow. And, no, I'm not "hardened" to it yet. I still get my heart broken -- every year. In fact - I never will be, and I know that's part of what makes up the kind of teacher I am. It doesn't matter if you teach in the inner-city or out in the 'burbs... kids and their sad, sad, uncontrollable lives are going to break your heart. Maybe teachers who head into inner-city schools are more prepared for the heart break. I doubt it, but maybe. But, I can tell you that when I started teaching in a middle-class neighborhood in the best district in Omaha, I was not prepared for the heartache I would drag home with me. It follows me around like a shadow every year. You're going to get your heart broken.
• A kid is going to throw up on you. Yep. It's going to happen. Even if you don't have your own children, you will end up rubbing the back of a tiny little guy holding a trash can during the Valentine's Day party. If you teach at my school, this happened to nearly everyone yesterday (and if not on you, dangerously close to you). A kid is going to throw up on (or by) you.
• You went into this job to work with kids. Surprise: you get to deal with parents an equal (if not more) amount of time. Find the joy in it and build relationships. This is my biggest regret from my first year or two of teaching -- I didn't engage the parents and build relationships like I do now. No, not everyone is going to love you. And, no, not every teacher is going to like working with parents. But, it's something you have to embrace or it will drag you down. It's an inevitable and integral part of the job (that no one prepares you for). You are going to deal with parents.
• Said parents are going to attack you. That might sound harsh, but there's no way to sugar-coat it. You are going to encounter parents that are going to attack, insult, and criticize you in every way they can. Nothing is safe -- your wardrobe, your intelligence, your style of teaching -- they will attack anything they can to get to you. NOW, I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most amazing families over the last 5 years. Parents I still e-mail with, hug after school, receive Christmas cards from, and remember drying their tears on the last day of kindergarten. But, in the same breath, I have had parents make accusations, criticize how I do things, and worst of all, flat-out lie. However, in my experiences, the successful and lasting relationships I have built with families have far out-weighed the negative ones. Even the e-mails I've received that keep me up at night steaming mad are soon forgotten. Do yourself a favor and surround yourself with other teachers and co-workers that believe in you, support you, and lend an ear when needed. They will help you survive. Because parents are going to attack you.
• And, last, but not least -- most of the time, this is a thankless job. Painfully thankless some times. Don't get me wrong, the heart-felt thank-you cards, the hand-drawn pictures, and the sweetest compliments I receive from parents all make a huge difference. So, parents out there, please know you are making a difference in your child's teacher's life! However, the pure nature of this job prevents those things from overshadowing the thanklessness you will frequently experience.  Your first year or two, the thanklessness will hit you like a wave and catch you completely off guard. As the years go on, you will sadly start to anticipate it. Yes, it still hurts, but you learn to expect it. When you bust your tail and never miss a day of work, no one pats you on the back for it. Most people will never know of or acknowledge the hours you spend vamping up lessons to be high-interest, engaging, and fun. And those many, many dollars you spend on your classroom to make it a welcoming home? No, you won't see those coming back in your bank account. But, the secret is not to ignore or shut-out the thanklessness.... learn to embrace it. Find the thank-yous in the smiles of your students. Find the thank-yous in the "I did it!" look on a kid's face after the weeks you have spent with him/her on a certain skill. Remember to have pride in what you do -- even if no one around you seems to notice how hard you work -- notice it yourself. Take a moment to look around your classroom and at your students and know this was all possible because of what you put into it. Even when the words aren't there, find the thank-yous in what you do. And most importantly, you'd better LOVE this job or it's not worth doing. Plain and simple. If you don't LOVE it, don't do it. Because, most of the time, this is a thankless job.

With all that being said, I feel privileged to do the job I do. I love what I do, regardless of all the things they don't tell you. In fact, I'm pretty sure I love it even more because of them.

How a lizard taught my class to write

Anyone who is debating having a class pet... it's worth it. I can't even really explain it. It just adds "something" to the classroom.

More than anything, our class pet has taught my students just as much as I have. Our leopard gecko has taught my students compassion, appreciation of living things, kindness, and to look for the beauty in the small things. And, yes, there is beauty in a reptile if you look closely.

However, I have to say the best and most valuable thing Ecko (our gecko) has brought to our classroom is the power of writing.

I know, it sounds strange.

But, it has happened every year since I've had him. Sometime in the Fall semester, our lizard taught my class to write. In fact, he has teaches them more about writing than I ever have or will.

And, here is why -- to teach a kindergartner to write, you have to teach them about letter formation, using periods, how to put words together to make a sentence, spacing, sounding out words, using references to spell words... the list goes on and on. But, to be honest, all those things pale in comparison to the two things that truly make a child successful in writing -- motivation and practice. And the worst part is... you can't teach a kid to be motivated! And, you can force a child to practice, but it won't be meaningful. In the end, the child must be self-motivated to practice writing in meaningful ways.

That's where the lizard comes in.

I don't tell them to write about or to Ecko. They just do it. He somehow magically sparks the motivation to write in my students. They write about him in their journal, they draw and label his cage, they write him letters and color him pictures, they make him Christmas cards, and they genuinely and meaningfully pour their hearts out in little love notes. 

There are days when I feel like I'm pulling out teeth trying to get them to write one sentence about their pictures, yet they will write six sentences about why they love their lizard.

I love the responsibility Ecko has added to our classroom -- the unique compassion he has taught my students. But, more than anything, I am thankful for the way he has taught my class not to just write, but to love writing for a purpose.

[A small sampling of writing just from this week! -- I find these little gems littering the table and carpet all around his cage. Our lizard has been a little "under the weather" lately, so the kids have been extra caring and sweet!!]

[I love Ecko. You are my favorite.]

[I love Ecko very much.]