Remember when....

“Remember when…”

I catch myself saying that phrase quite frequently as of late: Remember when we all use to try out and make our school sports team just for the fun of it? Remember when we were able to leave our doors unlocked when we left the house or even at night while sleeping? Remember when our world was not darkened by hatred and violence? I know you’re all shaking your head in agreement.

I recall my grandparents and parents speaking the same exact utterances and viewed it as a group of words that old people muttered as I grasped to appreciate the essence of comparing a new-fangled world with the previous outworn planet. I designated the expression as insignificant to wonder or ponder.

But more specifically and closer to heart, I stumble upon my muttering …Remember when teaching use to be fun?

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the relationship with my students-the opportunity to share a laugh or smile at their innocence when they remark about personal experiences. I definitely laugh at their quips of life as well as take pleasure in the instances I’m privileged to observe with their learning and discovery.

But when did the amusement fade away?

The question actually has quite a simple answer, or perhaps I believe it’s uncomplicated. Our ‘Government’ and ‘Powers to be’ decided that children need to be taught what to think, instead of how to think. They are skilled at reading questions and selecting a bubble to shade.

Children’s learning now requires rigid and staunch guidelines that leave little room for enjoyment or pleasure on both accounts of teacher and student. If there is delight within a classroom teachers need to fill out a paper ten times over to justify their every movement and thought, so rather than teachers creating, we’ve become robotic and mundane in our actions.

We meet to talk about our meeting and talk about our thinking. We give explanation and rationale to each and every deed. We gather to fill out papers as well as validate our accomplishments. We convene, assemble and gather…

Remember when teaching use to be fun…?

It Takes a Village...

Hallelujah! I have survived the first week and a half of school…each year I must remind myself how much I really don’t care for the first weeks of school and those compulsory endeavors that occur: lessons in the rules and expectations of my classroom, coaching of procedures and routines as well as the necessary assessments to formulate where to go from here for each child.


As you know, I teach children in grades 3-5 who have differentiated learning needs. Each grade is unique but third grade forever proves interesting since in our school they ‘finally’ get to ascend the stairs in our building and are at this time considered a part of ‘the big kids’.

I marvel at the change in attitude a few stairs can cause but it is quite the happening. This climb necessitates the foundation in building relationships with students who once belonged to a different resource room teacher. Although I am blessed that I along with my 4th and 5th graders can carry on- building and nurturing bonds already set in motion.

Early on we read a book titled; You are Perfect Little Bird by Shelley Joy which pointed out the uniqueness of each individual. We discussed the character and emphasized his exceptional traits which led into their assignment. The children were asked to draw a picture of them then write 3-4 sentences telling why they are special and unique.

I gave ample ‘think time’ and instructed the children to start. I played soft music in the background as ten minutes proceeded while one little boy continued to sit. I approached him to ask what he was thinking. He told me he wasn’t special. He told me he couldn’t think of a thing.

I noted I immediately saw a bright smile when he walked into the room. I pointed out his liveliness and spirit although a result of his ADHD and keened in on his helpfulness to hand out papers hoping I’d given him some ideas.

He continued to sit so I suggested he begin with the setting and perhaps an idea would pop into his head.

When class was over 20 minutes later, the bustle of dismissal with a few parting instructions I noticed this young boy had yet to begin on a picture of himself and that he quickly stuffed his paper into his folder. He lagged behind and as he walked out the door said, ‘Teacher, I really don’t have anything special about me.’

I felt melancholy as I gazed upon his slow walk back to his classroom wondering how a seven year old child could think of nothing that was special about his person, his being.

Did we as educators fail this child? Did his parents feel he was not up to snuff because of his special needs?

I vowed my goal would be for him to be able to complete the same assignment at the end of the year and staunchly tell me at least a handful of positive things about himself.  The situation also brought to mind that it really DOES take a village to raise a child.

Three Things I Think I Think...

I often don’t dole out my opinions as a result of the quote, ‘Opinions are like ass-holes, everyone has them!’ ...while I am NOT a fan of that quote, it does serve its purpose and states the truth.  As well, typically if no one really cares to hear my opinion enough to ask, I don’t by and large serve it. So to share these things I think is an opportunity for any individual to either agree, disagree, or sustain; take your pick~

1.) An article appeared in our town newspaper, the Raleigh News and Observer discussing how $100 million dollars would be pulled from the already decreased budget to run the Wake County Public Schools. This in and of itself is not surprising in today’s economy but what caught my attention was the phrase, ‘the situation is more likely to get worse before it gets better.’ Really? The powers to be really think it’s going to get better? Because I don’t. I don’t think our school funding will ever improve because not one person in the higher echelon who is truly capable or has the opportunity to make a difference really wants to stick their neck out to effectively make education healthier for our children. Millions and millions of dollars are launched into the direction of professional athletes and entertainers; pending the education system requiring emergency CPR, there will by no means be a remedy.

2.) The words ‘I’m sorry’ were spoken to actually represent something when the expression was verbalized as well as being authentic and heart-felt. In the world we live in nowadays with disgraced athletes, crooked politicians, desecrated clergy and dishonored entertainers an apology is a sieve. Immediately get on national television and express regret and ask for forgiveness for any indiscretion committed to whomever and the world will pardon you because you happened to throw in a few random tears and words about your sincerity or lack thereof in most cases. The heartbreaker is I witness students in my class hurl the words with absolutely no remorse or affect and I wonder what our world is coming to in addition to what enormous role models they’ve witnessed and we as adults excuse.

3.) A sporting competition brings people together. No, not just in the sense that hundreds or even thousands of people meet in a singular area to root for their team but it allows individuals to experience an affiliation to something outside of themselves. Furthermore, even for people who appear to have nothing in common can share a sense of ‘oneness’ with others. A challenge evokes excitement and enthusiasm as well as provides a distraction from the more important and allows us to cast differences aside to remind us we all belong to the human race.

So, in conclusion, these are three things I think I think but offer up a reprieve and I just might change my mind, although I doubt it.