Procedures, Procedures, Procedures

OK, I may be slow... but I think I've finally gotten down the key to making things run smoothly (eventually) in my multi-grade classroom.

The key, as Harry K. Wong, would remind us all: procedures.

I spent an entire first week of school practicing procedures with my students. Who sharpens the pencils, who straightens the books, how we line up, how & when we pack up at the end of the day, how we are quiet when others are talking, etc. Over and over and over. To this day (week 8), some kids STILL sit down as soon as we say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag, even though we have said the pledge to the cross and the student bill of rights for our classroom EVERY.SINGLE.DAY of school right after the Pledge to the American flag. Is it really that hard to remember? Seriously?

So now that I've been reading (and finally watch the rest of the Harry Wong videos about Effective Teachers), I decided to put it into action. The premise is that every day all of us follow procedures -- how/when to answer a phone, how to go through security at the airport, how to wait in line at the grocery store, etc. Classrooms are no different. I loved Dr. Wong's comment that you can start the year with 5 rules and end up with 100s of rules by the end of the year because rules are tedious and must be enforced -- who has time to police students all day? Procedures are the WAY we do things. No right or wrong, no discipline just simply the WAY we do things.

When I'm interrupted for the 2nd time by students having their own conversation, I look at them and say, "I'm sorry but the procedure is for ONE person to talk at a time. I am talking now. Follow the procedure and stop talking." Likewise, even though our student bill of rights states that they each have a right to hear and be heard, they talk non-stop while others are talking. When I remind them of the classroom rights, they ignore it. When I tell them about the procedure, they pay attention. It's a slow process but other teachers are noticing a subtle change in my group.

I admit that it's more annoying when I must do the same thing with middle schoolers... but I do it. It gets results. This will probably end up at home with my toddler as well. I may not say "procedure" but I will say "We do not do this... we do it this way..." We'll see. :)

This is why I LOVE teaching...

So, I teach 4th-5th graders in the mornings from 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. and then again from 2 -3:15 p.m. This afternoon we were playing a spelling review game (Last Man Standing -- they spell 4 -6 words at a time, then they all stand up. I spell the word & they sit down if/when they get a word wrong...)

Anyway, one 4th grade boy said to me, "Could you be more pacific next time?" I decided to joke with him and say, "Yes! And then I'll be Atlantic!... and then I'll eat pasketti for supper!..."

He rolled his eyes and said, (dead serious tone), "You know, you're a real piece of work..." Hilarious. Sometimes I forget how much I love teaching. They days they litearally make me LOL.

I feel very blessed because the 6th-8th graders (especially the 7th-8th graders) are usually pretty laid back and willing to work without complaining. So I enough teaching them from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. each day.

I have to recommend...

I have to recommend...

... iTunes Radio. Go to www.itunes.com. Install. Launch. Go to "radio" on the left hand dashboard. Go to "religious". Go to either Air-1 Radio or K-LOVE. Excellent music choices.

...www.pray-as-you-go.org. (You can also find this as a Podcast if you have iTunes). Short, 10 minute devotions from the Jesuit monks in Great Britain. Short amount of time but Very deep devotions. Love it.

...Channel 1107 on Time Warner Cable (if you have a cable box). On demand Exercise tv channel. Sadly, they no longer have Tai-Chi (which I used to love when we first got cable here) but I'm trying out Jillian Michaels' 30 day Shred1. Yeah, it's not even funny how out of shape I am but it's a good variety and it's only 20 minutes. I can push myself for 20 minutes at a time.

...a bike ride. I did not grow up as an athlete in any way, shape or form but my whole family rode bikes regularly. I have not stopped loving to ride my bike. Even if it's just a short ride around the block a few times with my daughter. For those of you with kids, this is the bike seat we have on my bike for Kate to ride in. www.weeride.com, then click on "Kangaroo Carrier". I LOVE this bike seat. I used a trailer when I was a nanny and I hated how there was always a 'drag' feeling to it. I was nervous about having her mounted behind me in a seat because it changes the center of gravity on the bike. I was nervous about having her sitting in front of me -- would I be able to see over her? What happens if I were to flip the bike? The truth is, she sits low enough that it's not a problem to see over her, she's wearing a helmet to protect her (and her feet are protected in the 'cup' things) and I love to be able to wrap my arms around her and talk to her while biking. Tonight she kept saying, "Sunshine, go night-night now. Moon, wake up! I go sleep and listen to Jesus (music)..." So great. :)

... Scentsy wickless candles. More about this later. I believe that Tina & I are going to sell this together because 1) the products are great (they had one going every day at Kathleen's old daycare in Idaho), 2) the idea of a light-bulb powered 'candle' around a toddler seems like better than having a candle(s) around the house, 3) they have plug-in (smaller) wall units, 4) I have yet to see ANYONE in Wisconsin with a Scentsy Logo on their vehicle -- so maybe we can be among the first people to sell/promote it here. (Unlike in Idaho Falls where I think 1 out of 3 cars had a Scentsy logo on it!)

... using Cash Only to pay for the majority of your everyday purchases. www.DaveRamsey.com. His books and CDs are on sale. Check them out, you'll never regret it.

... doing all my lesson plans on a Sunday night. Hopefully, less stressful throughout the week. :)

I'm too old for this

OK, I realize that most of my friends reading this are not my age (35) but please bare with me.

I've always been the type of person who would rearrange the furniture in the room or move heavy items by myself without a second thought. No problems. Few aches and/or pains, if any.

I know that as I turned 30, the aches and pains were starting to catch up with me but lately it has been ridiculous. I wonder WHAT is wrong with me. I feel like every little thing that I do, I feel it and it doesn't feel good! Even a short bike ride -- I'm feeling it.

So, of course, I don't have the common sense to NOT push myself. I moved in everything (except the couch, washer and dryer) to my apt by myself a year ago. I moved everything (except the above items) out of my apt by myself at the end of July. I moved things into Tina's duplex and then lifted all kinds of things to help load the moving truck. I have been carrying and moving around all kinds of things at school. It's like I barely have a chance to rest and then I do more and more and more.

I haven't been to the chiropractor like I should. I was going once/month and that helped. I like my chiro here but she's always in demand and seems like she can't be inconvenienced to see me on a regular basis (actual quote, "Well, just make an appointment whenever you feel that you need to; I don't think I need to see you on a regular basis."). Yeah. My chiro in Idaho was great and he booked me every month to make sure that I didn't go too long and just 'live with' tension in my neck/shoulders.

I have not been sleeping well -- but what else is new. I have utterly forgotten how EXHAUSTING it is to teach a multi-grade classroom. SNAP! Teaching full time is hard enough. Having time to prepare all summer long is hard enough. But to do it with barely a week in town to prepare -- I'm worn out and feel like I'm running to stand still.

K is still doing great at daycare. She never cried when daddy dropped her off. She gets a little pouty with me but is getting better about going into the room without any drama. She didn't want to leave today (they were playing outside). Good sign.

Todd is still insanely busy at work. Or just insane. It's good to keep him busy or he will drive me CRAZY because he's bored and doesn't know what to do at work all day. No problems like that lately -- I'm so thankful for that.

I'm thankful for the 4th-8th graders at Celebration. They are a SUPER group of kids and seem to get my quirky sense of humor and enjoy being in my class. It's exhausting but I know it's worth it, too.

Night all!

"It's not enough to say"

This is from a post that my friend, Audrey Duensing-Werner (a DCE in Kansas that I worked with at Cross View in MN) posted on Facebook:

"It is not enough for us to say: "I love God," but I also have to love my neighbor. St. John says that you are a liar if you say you love God and you don't love your neighbor. How can you love God whom you do not see, if you do not love your neighbor whom you see, whom you touch, with whom you live? And so it is very important for us to realize that love, to be true, has to hurt. I must be willing to give whatever it takes not to harm other people and, in fact, to do good to them. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is not true love in me and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me." Mother Theresa

Here is my reply and honest insight. I think this was a very timely post by Audrey as I struggle to love those around me who seem to serve, at this time anyway, to be nothing but a 'speedbump' on the road to change here.

"It's easy to "love your neighbor" -- at least the ones that you like and see eye-to-eye with; the true challenge is to work on loving the ones that you don't like, that are rude or disrespectful or disagreeable...(Did I just sum up jr and sr high youth group??)

Somehow if we assume that they are not a Christian then it gives a "good reason" to them for being that way -- they don't "know" better... but the biggest challenge is to love the neighbor that you know confesses to be a Christian and yet is so difficult to LIKE.

And when we fail, as we always do, we rest is grace alone. And we pray for another chance tomorrow to try and be Christ-like in our love for that person."