It is Time to Venture Out Again…

I often wondered how a person becomes a recluse: never going outside his home, never visiting with other people, never seeing new places. Perhaps it is a combination of comfort and fear that leads people to become isolated.

A couple of days ago, I wanted something different to drink. We had water and about a bazillion different kinds of tea, but nothing sounded good. I have become accustomed to wearing the most comfortable clothing I own which is generally my pajamas. Most weekends would find me content to stay in those comfortable pjs, only changing into ‘real’ clothes to venture out to the grocery or drugstore. Yes, I did go to school everyday, but the minute I arrived back home, I was in my pajamas again. So instead of getting dressed and going to the store like everyone else, I sat at my desk, opened my laptop, clicked on Amazon and placed an order for three different teas that would arrive cold to my doorstep in two hours. When H came in from working in the flowerbeds, I was so excited to tell him about the Amazon order. I was so proud of myself. He just looked at me like WHAT? As sad as it sounds to make the decision to have cold tea delivered to my door, it made sense to me. It was a big part of my normal to stay in and have items or services delivered to me. I was comfortable in waiting. I was comfortable in my aloneness. That is when I realized it is time for me to venture out into the world again.

Contact free deliveries are everywhere. Just place your order online or via phone, pay with either paypal or a credit card, give delivery instructions, and then sit back and relax until poof your items arrive at the door. You can even leave instructions for the delivery person not to knock on the door, but rather text you that indeed your items have been delivered. Doctor appointments, banking, and church can all be accomplished electronically.

God didn’t create us to be solitary beings. He created us to have relationships with Him and others. We NEED human contact. We NEED to see human smiles and tears. We NEED to feel humans sharing in our joys and heartache.

It is time to change out of my comfy jammies and venture out again. There is a whole world just waiting for me.

Until Next Time,

Rita

Five More Days…

"It's the little conversations that build the relationships and make an impact 
on each student."  ~ Robert John Meehan

Wow, one hundred seventy-five days ago twelve wide-eyed, and a little fearful fourth graders entered my classroom.  It seems like yesterday that I looked at them and thought how young they seemed; just babes.  It took about a month before I started to see each personality appear.  The quiet one giggled and smiled at something as she read a book.  The hesitant one boldly answered a question.  The rule-follower gave an outburst, “Come on people, even fun has rules!” The teary one pulled himself together and pushed through his crisis.  And the bold one stated, “Umm, could you slow down a little?  We aren’t used to going this fast.”  

Well, I did slow down just a little, and it is true that fun does have rules.  My students have set and met goals, taken risks with their own learning, and a few times, came up short in the academic department.  I know what my students have learned from me, but what have I learned from them?

1.  One size does not fit everyone:  Learning styles come in all shapes and sizes.  Some of my students have to move around while they learn.  Other students draw concepts to help with their understanding.  A few students can not work in silence, while others find it difficult to work with noise.  Some students prefer learning multiplication using the standard algorithm method while others prefer the partial product.  The point is, in order to reach everyone,  I need to teach using a variety of strategies and methods.
2. Giving up is not an option:  Not every student wants to be in my classroom, or any other classroom for that matter.  Those students act out in so many hurtful ways; swearing, name calling, threatening, and refusing to do work.  It is almost as if they are daring us to give up on them just so they can succeed at something.  What I have discovered is that beneath every rough exterior is a person who excels at something.  Giving up would leave that future leader, athlete, or artist buried under a lot of anger, and that would be tragic.
3. Laughter is the best medicine:  Someone once told me my students laugh way too much.  My response was, you guessed it, laughter.  Sometimes you just need to laugh; at a difficult situation, at a corny 4th grade joke, and at yourself.
4. Relationships are vital:  I know it is an overused cliché, but students just want to know you care about them as a person.  Students want to share what they did last night and sometimes they need to share the fears they have after hearing their parents argue and talk about divorce.  Taking the time to listen and share forms healthy relationships which translates into a healthy environment for learning to take place.
5. Life is more than academics:  There, I said it and the world did not implode!  Take time to dance, sing a song, paint a picture, play a sport, gaze at the stars, or write a poem.  We need to feed our creative side just as much as our academic side.

My dad would always ask me, “Did you learn anything today?”  Yes Dad, I have learned something new about myself and my students over the past 175 days.  Only 5 more to go…..

Until Next Time,

Rita