‘Tis the eve of Spring Break and I am

 

Finalizing parent volunteers

– for the field trip that I scheduled for the first day back after Spring Break

Madly cobbling together last minute details to Penny Kittle’s Book Love Foundation grant application, due today!

Wishing and praying that I get the application just right

 

I remind myself

only one more sleep until

more frequent walks

meals with cherished friends

unfettered time to read

 

Just one more sleep.

 

Assessment is ongoing, both for the student and teacher

Books can be “mirrors, windows, or sliding doors” for our pupils. Where possible read aloud daily.

Courage – it takes courage to commit to this profession with the lack of resources and supports for our students

Downtime. It’s essential to carve some out for ourselves. (Refer to N)

Energy waxes and wanes – vital to have class brain breaks

Fall heralds the start of a new year

Gratitude – we can make a difference and witness the impact

Hellos start our day

“Inside voices, please!” is often heard

Jump for joy for the small victories

Keep exemplars – students love seeing powerful examples of kids work

Love for our littles

More to teaching than just the classroom – committees anyone?

Never ending – our job doesn’t end with the bell.

Open ended questions elicit the best dialogue

Pee pee dance – Kindergarten teachers rapidly learn the signs, or else disaster looms

Quiet moments are precious

Read! Read more. Read for your life. Read for a rich inner world.

Students – they are the heart of why we teach

Understand the big picture and don’t jump to conclusions – essential both for classroom and school dynamics

Valor – all teachers, in my opinion, deserve a medal of valor

Would I do it again? I hear educators grappling with this. Cuts to education in North America have left educators frustrated and disheartened with the system.

X – hugs

You never know what the day will bring, it is full of quiet surprises

Zzz 😴 essential

Now dear reader, what are your essential ABCs of teaching?

(I can already hear someone bellowing, “Coffee! She left off coffee!?”)

Forest cat

confined to a condo

Infuses the space with personality

Tail aloft in the A.M.

Two stepping around my legs

Pruuting “I want to play!”

Groggy I fix my mug of tea

Meanwhile his round blue eyes beseech me

I pick him up, hoping to distract him

The susurration of purrs are dulcet tones to my ears

A steaming mug of tea and a bundle of love are a wonderful way to start my day

Minutes pass by

He then bounds from my arms to the floor, zipping to the closet door

Loudly requesting I remove ‘Da Bird’

Bird in flight!

Hop

Leap

Jump

Acrobatics second nature

I attempt to remove Da Bird from his mouth – he replies with a low growl.

My shower awaits along with the hustle and bustle of the day

Playtime over

I wrestle Da Bird from the jaws of his mouth.

Miffed at the abrupt end of his entertainment he

vaults

to the top

of the pantry

A bird’s eye view of my every move.

Sitar strumming

Room’s ventilation unit humming

Cocooned by ivory blanket

enrobing my limbs

Bared skinned caressed

Breathing in and out

in and out

My body exhales tension

Deep relaxation

Emerging from this repose

grounded

refreshed

and present

Grateful to be part of this space

that embodies

Namaste 🙏🏼

This afternoon, one of my students raised his hand and said, “I have three things to say.”

I replied, “Go ahead.”

In a clear voice he shared:

1. Planting tomato seeds from space is awesome!

2. I love all the field trips we are going on.

And

3. You are awesome!!!!

Little did he know, he made my day.

A ferocious beast visited my home! Full of fluff and insatiable curiosity.

She staked my condo as her own personal playground: on chair, over sofa, under bed. No corner left unexplored.

Two vassals to do her bidding: one welcoming, a middle aged tabby, the other, a young whipper-snapper of a forest cat, vigilant of her every move certain that she posed DANGER.

Miss Floof, so content in ruling a new realm, did not want to leave when her human requested it. Alas, she was forced, in an undignified manner into a conveyance known as a cat carrier.

Overall the humans were much delighted in this evening’s version of animal-vision.

Expect further installments from the chronicles of Camp Cat.

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If I see those two words pop up

yet

again

As I endeavor to scroll through

the day’s SOL posts

I’ll scream.

Uggh!!!!!

Dear Trader Joe’s

Your new Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups are the best treat ever.

They sustained me through a week full of field trips, followed by two late evenings of student led conferences.

Your grateful fan, a teacher.

When is our next trip to Trader Joe’s?

 

 

The day is still

Hallways

Quiet

Heater valiantly fanning lukewarm air

into my room

Board blank

waiting to be filled with ideas

Coffee in hand, savoring the unusual treat of a

Cinnamon Shortbread Latte, with extra nutmeg on top

Anticipating the day ahead

Laughter, learning, and love

A home and community for all

Salad and snow aren’t normally two things that go together. Hot steamy soup and snow, yes. But leafy greens and ice? An emphatic no.

Cue the beautiful blue sunny skies today, along with nascent crocuses popping forth from the ground. My mind drifts to the eternal question. What should I make for supper tonight?

With the promise of Spring on the horizon I decided to have salad: mixed leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, blueberries, shredded beets, and cherry tomatoes. Ruminating about the longer hours of daylight upon us, I sit down to my meal gladly noshing away. Finished, I get up and look out the window and what do I see? Snow falling. Lovely white specs of fluff gently descending from the heavens.

Salad and snow usually isn’t on the menu, but today it was.