1. Spring Break
I know what you're thinking. Great, here's another teacher that's in this profession for the breaks. Well, as nice as the breaks are, the reason that spring break keeps any teacher going is that it is a much needed refresher for students and teachers alike. I think every job should have a spring break for that very reason. A step away from work can give people time to reflect on the basics that drew them to their given profession to begin with. These days, I can't go anywhere without seeing something that reminds me of my kids. And as challenging and frustrating as the day-to-day grind can get, this spring break made me remember why I teach: for the kids. I've tried to make a habit out of letting my kids know that I think of them, so I sent them each a post card from a manatee viewing center in Apollo Beach, Florida. It brought me so much joy this week to see them carry their post cards back to school with them, one even writing an answer to a context clues question I included in the note. I can't go as far as saying that after a refreshing spring break I jumped out of bed to go to work on Monday, but I can say that dealing with the challenges of this job certainly is easier when you have the kids at the forefront of your mind.
2. Grumpy Granny
I can't take credit for this one. Last year, I was greatly inspired by one of my coworkers who has since taken a break from the profession to get a master's degree in a literacy program at Harvard. As much as we hate to admit it, most teachers are entirely too involved with test preparation. We dedicate over a month of the school year to reviewing for state tests, and the kids can often become burnt out with all of the pressure. In order to make the review more fun and meaningful for her students, my coworker put a name to the grader of the state test. "Grumpy Granny" is who her kids referred to when they were writing their essays, striving to "give her what she wants" in their writing. I "borrowed" this idea from this coworker last year, and have since run with it this year.
"Grumpy Granny" has become an additional member to my class, and she has my kids counting down to the time when they can "beat the test" and prove to her that her reminders (that are obviously read in a grumpy granny voice) have been heard. She may even be on their minds too much...
One day, during a vocabulary review, the word "dictator" came up. After having read Number the Stars, a novel that takes place in Denmark during World War II and deals with the Jews escaping to Sweden, I knew just the way to ensure the kids' understanding of the word. The conversation went something like this...
Me: Can anyone tell me what the word dictator means?
Student 1: A dictator is someone who has all the power.
Me: Good! Now, I can remember an example of a dictator that we've been talking about for quite some time now. Can anyone help me think of that example?
Student 2: Grumpy Granny?
After a few minutes of class-wide laughter, including the student who gave the answer, it was realized that Adolf Hitler was the intended answer. But I couldn't help but appreciate that ingenuous response. After all, "Grumpy Granny" tells us all the time that she wants our best work, that she wants us to show what we've learned... but she never asks what we want!
3. Pitching
Most people who know me know this about me, but I have trouble saying "no" when asked to do something. Subsequently, when the assistant principal of my school asked me to help coach softball, I gave the answer, "If you can't find anyone else let me know." Sure enough, no other willing soul could be found, so I now wear a new hat as a softball coach. If I were to submit a resume to apply for such a position, it would go something like this:
One year experience in tee ball 1993-1994
Five years experience in softball 1994-1999
Catcher 1998-1999
Third place in Phillies (local) home run derby 1999
Clearly I am not far from being the most unqualified person for this job, but I saw it as an opportunity to gain new experiences at school and interact with a group of students who I otherwise would never know.
Softball has since started and I have been holding my own. Luckily I am not alone in the position, so my co-coach and I are working it out. We are fortunate to have a great group of girls who work hard and have fun playing the game. For the most part, my level of expertise is still above the students' because most of them have never played. However, one part of the game I have never learned previously is how to pitch. Knowing that pitching is somewhat important to a game like softball, I knew we needed to make sure we had girls practicing the skill as soon as possible.
Luckily for me, one day a high school student who pitches for their team graciously stayed after her practice to teach me how to pitch and warmups to use for pitchers. About ten minutes after learning the basics myself, I turned around and taught the skill to a group of middle schoolers eager to try out. I am happy to report that we have a decent starting and back-up pitcher who are anxiously awaiting their first game on Monday.
4. The following comments that are just too good not to share.
Me: I should have worn my fleece today.
Student: No you shouldn't have! Your hair is always messy when you wear your fleece!
(Great, so now the kids know that fleece days are usually those where I take a tad too long getting out of bed.)
Student: I feel angry because you tell jokes that you think are funny but they aren't. I need you to stop trying to be funny.
(Legitimately said to me during a conflict resolution session with the school social worker.)
TFA Mentor after interviewing my students about our classroom: Does anyone else have anything they would like to add?
Student: Can we do writing class now?
(Melted my heart.)
My students on numerous occasions the past few weeks: CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US A POP QUIZ ON THIS?! We know it!
(There's something about your kids asking for tests that makes you feel good...)
Me: If you have any extra scrap paper, please put it back where it belongs.
Student: Ms. Bonanno, I really like you. You don't waste anything.
(Enough said.)
I could probably go on, and I will try to write more. I should try to write more. Sometimes it is easy to forget these little things, but when I look at them all together, it really is a great reminder of why I put in all of these hours and sacrifice a lot of my, well, sanity. As I consider what it is I want in life, it is good to know that I am experiencing time well spent.
