~and children are one of them~

I've been busy these last few weeks as I worked in my new classroom and prepared it to become the "school home" of some wonderful fifth graders that I will soon meet.  A few nights ago, I recruited Mike to come with me to hang up several of my pictures.  I didn't have to really twist his arm very hard to do so.  He is my greatest of supporters in life and I try to be his as well.  

 If you would walk into my classroom on that first day of school,  I would hope that you would find it a place where you would feel most comfortable.  You'd walk into a room that has many touches of a home like atmosphere to it.  There are plants along the windowsill, and they will be ones that the kids learn to take care of in the months ahead.  I have pictures of my family on my desk and on the bookshelves, and I plan to tell the kids all about them.  If they know me, then they will know my family as well.  I will never forget where I came from, so one bookshelf is filled with my collection of Kansas things.  And lest I forget, there is a 55-year old Easter egg on my desk just waiting to tell its story too!

 Those wonderful kids and I will be spending the greatest part of 7 hours of each day together.
I want them to feel like they get to go to school,  not like they have to.

 Before their fifth grade year is over, my students will know a lot about their teacher.  I keep very few secrets.  I will be sharing many personal experiences with them.  Every time a teachable moment arises, you can be sure that I will seize it for the purpose of building a strong relationship with each of them.  It would be a waste of a perfect opportunity to help them grow and change.  

 I'm sure that I'll be asked how old I am.  That never bothers me at all.  Before I do it though, I'm going to make them find out by doing the math themselves.  I know many people would never divulge their age to a child, and I respect that.  Yet for me, having already lost 4 of my 6 siblings helps me look at the subject of my years on this earth in a different way.  I'm blessed to know that if they do the math correctly on that first day of school, the answer to their subtraction problem will lead them to know that on my birthday this October I will be the awesome age of 64.
I'll probably get to tell them the story of "old lefty" and explain to them why I have a plethora of lovely scars running along the inside of my left arm.  That bike accident of 2011 has been the fodder for many lessons on bicycle safety and wearing a helmet when you ride.  I always said that I was riding my bike like a 10-year old that day, something a 55-year old woman should not have done.  I might even pull out my x-rays from the hospital and show them just what happens when you decide to try and jump a curb at the last minute while going 10 mph.  

 I tell them all kinds of stuff about me.
Why not?

 Those Ponca City students who shall call me their 5th grade teacher are in essence devoting one year of their life to me.  I in turn am giving them one year of my life as well.  I'm sure we will have some challenges along the way.  That's a given in any classroom.  But more often than not, my plan is to make each day a memorable one, filled with learning and as much fun as we can squeeze into it.  

A strong and healthy relationship between teachers, students, and their families is really the cornerstone to a successful year in school.  I stand ready to do my part in facilitating the best year I have ever taught and the best year my students have ever learned in.

 On this the 23,273rd day of my life I give thanks for the blessings of my life.
Children are one of them.

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