Considerations (#SOL2018 March 7)

As an educator, I have many hats to wear, but I also have decisions to make on

a second by second basis. Many of those decisions require me to consider what

will happen because of my choices. I can handle those. After all, those are based

on what I decide. However, my decisions also need to be based on considerations

of students.

• Did they get breakfast? Was it healthy? Was it enough?
• Did they have water and heat at home today? Last night? All week?
• Do they have clean clothes?
• Do they have someone to teach them about hygeine? Do they have what they need to get and stay clean?
• Was Dad home last night? Was Mom? Is there a mom or dad in the picture?
• Why was that parent in jail? When will they get out?
• Are the doctors helping? 
• Will the treatment work?
• With her diagnosis, how long does she have left?
• Will his parents stay together?
• How long does his brother have before leaving for the military?
• Were the cops called last night again?
• Whose house was she at last night?

If I don’t take those questions and more into consideration, my decisions will be

meaningless. My students won’t learn because they aren’t ready to learn. They

can’t focus on academics when their lives are in chaos. Every day, each and

every moment, I have to keep my kids and their needs ahead of the curriculum.

My job is to teach my students and some days, that means throwing the lesson

plans out the window and doing something fun or reflective or even just talking

and laughing for awhile. Knowing my students and taking time to consider all

aspects of them makes my decisions the most important ones I make each

and every day.

Incredulous (#SOL March 6, 2018)

Innovative student
Needed excuses to
Cover up
Real reason
Each assignment would not be
Done tomorrow
Until
Looking at the calendar
Only to see
 Understanding dawn that
Saturday was next

High Wind=Power Outage (#SOL2018 day 5)

The wind is howling today. Gusts well over 40mph and sustained winds over 25. We have no windows in our classroom but we can hear the creaking of the skylight when we return from lunch. We work on vocabulary and then read to ourselves. Lights flicker. A couple kids whimper but it’s no big deal. Then, the lights go out. As in total darkness.  Our emergency light comes on and I search for a flashlight. The first one, of course, is dead. I grab another one and instead of students typing their SOL, I grab The Perfect Score and we have extra read aloud time. Reading by flashlight is not easy! Thirty minutes later and still no power. It’s also getting a little chilly. Our STEM lab has windows nearby so we head there, taking our writing with us. SOL posts will have to wait. Students found spots where they can write. I monitor and help as needed.  We are off task but when several classrooms are lining the hallways, what else can be expected? Over 30 more minutes and still no lights. Back to the classroom where we work by the light of iPads. Our emergency light has gone out now too. All after school events are cancelled and teachers are told we can leave when our students are gone. Yippee! Then, 5 minutes before the end of day bell, the lights come on and the heat kicks in. Guess who didn’t get to leave with her kids?

Who am I? (#SOL2018 day 4--late again)

Idea taken from a fellow Slicer and modified for me today

Love it...

Spending time doing absolutely nothing or absolutely everything with my husband

The smell of the mountains in the summer

The sight of our dog and cat learning that the other is not the enemy

Watching the excitement of my students as they read and write something they truly enjoy

Loathe it...

Weather that delays Amazon shipments of new books for me and for my classroom

Not having enough coffee to make it through the day

Figuring out what to have for meals when nothing sounds good

The sound of whining from anyone who isn't trying

The Cat Life (a day late for #SOL2018 day 3)

The other day as I was at home trying to heal from a virus and sinus infection, I attempted to sleep on my couch. My cat was just coming up the stairs. Eyes wide and tail bushed. He looked in a panic. He flew by me and jumped to his window seat where he promptly began meowing loudly and pawing at the window. He stopped suddenly and raced back downstairs. I could hear him meowing down there as well. As I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest, I did not investigate. However, when he jumped on my head awhile later, I did poke my head up far enough to see outside. He was watching a bird who was hanging out in our backyard. Apparently, I was a scary sight because the bird took off and my cat calmed down. I hunkered down into my blankets again and fell asleep. Some time later, I could feel something on my chest. The cat. He was kneading the blanket and it did not feel good as I coughed and hacked up a lung. He jumped down and I slept again. When I awoke and got up, I almost tripped on the cat who was sleeping in the sunshine on the floor. He was not happy I had stepped on his tail. I was not happy that he had such a fabulous life.

I Need Sleep (#SOL2018 Day 2)

Staring into the dark

Flat on my back

Can’t sleep

100, 99, 98, 97

DISHES!

Not washed

Should I get up?

No, I need sleep

100, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95

MEETING!

I have one in the morning

Paperwork not done

Do I go do it?

No, I need sleep.

Counting isn’t working.

Pray

I believe in God, the Father Almighty

Creator of Heaven...

PACKING!

I didn’t pack!

I can’t do it now.

Bill would wake up.

And, I need sleep.

Where was I?

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with…

How is Bill sleeping?

Why is he snoring in my ear?

Maybe I should go to the couch.

It’s not comfortable.

I need my sleep.

Count again.

100, 99, 98, 97, 96

Dr. Seuss! Tomorrow!

Nothing is ready.

Where is the book I am to read?

What time does it all start?

How am I supposed to be ready?

I should just get up.

No, I need my sleep.

But it’s so hot in here.

Leg out of the covers

Now I’m freezing.

Pull in my leg.

Count again.

100, 99, 98,

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!

Wait, I slept?

Sick: Again (#SOL2018)

The walk in clinic. Not my favorite place to be but when the school nurse tells you to see a doctor as soon as possible, that’s where you go.

I signed in and put on a mask since I had flu-like symptoms. Whatever. I didn’t care. I just felt like garbage that had been run over a million times. Itchy eyes. Sneezing. Headache. I just wanted to feel better.

Amazingly, I only sat for five minutes before the nurse called for me. Vitals taken and explained my symptoms again. I could tell she didn’t believe me when I said I’d had a fever for four days and I knew because of sweating through my clothes at night even though I don’t own a thermometer. She just smiled that knowing smile that told me she thought I was making it all up. Before she left, I coughed at her for that one!

Another miracle: the nurse practitioner arrived after another five minutes! She asked about my symptoms, again! Really! Can she not read my chart? She also asks about my fever to which I explained AGAIN that I don’t own a thermometer but I know I had a fever because of the wet clothing and sheets nightly for the last four days. Then she listened to my chest and proceeded to tell me that I may have the flu but she doubted it. She did order the flu test anyway but was positive it was just a virus. After all, she knows more about medicine than I do about my own body and conditions. I mean, she only was in the room for less than five minutes.

The smiley nurse came in and shoved a cotton swab through my nose to my brain. WOW! I sneezed. I cried. Awful! Nurse Happy told me I could wait an hour or just go home to wait for my results. I went home.

Less than an hour later, I heard the smiling voice through my phone, “No flu; just a virus. Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen as needed for pain, drink lots of fluids, and rest for a few days.”  Sure as a teacher, rest comes so easily! Plus, I wasn’t in pain so what would those pills do?

Lesson learned: Over $300 bill came just for a visit that was completely unnecessary. No more trips to the walk in for me: I was back at my doctor’s office six days later and I did have a sinus infection that was not diagnosed at the walk in clinic. Never again!