Reflections of an Educator

Since hearing about the terrible tragedy that took place in the elementary school in Connecticut on December 14th, I have had various thoughts.

-I can't begin to imagine what the parents, who lost children, are feeling.  I pray for the parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts/uncles, friends, and family of these children.

-I pray for the surviving children and educators.  How do you walk back into the school knowing what you know and experienced?

-I pray for the first responders and others who worked this tragedy.

-The teachers and administrators were so heroic.  The principal and school psychologist were killed as they lunged at the shooter to try and overpower him and get the weapons away from him. A first grade teacher was killed while to hide her students wherever she could within the classroom.  Another first grade teacher barricaded herself and her students in the bathroom, and she did all she could to keep them calm.  The Librarian or Librarian Aide, along with a few other adults, barricaded a class of 4th graders and themselves in a storage area, and they gave them crayons and paper to keep them calm.  The Music teacher protected his/her students by keeping them quiet and hidden.  The gym teachers moved the children to an office and kept them quiet/safe. The stories of the teachers in the building go on and on. Teachers on conference periods did what they could to get to their students who were in electives at the time. The custodian ran throughout the building warning everyone.  What amazing people!


-What would I do if it had been my child?


-What would I have done in that situation? My thoughts on this in a bit.


These thoughts led me to the following thoughts.

On Tuesday and again on Thursday, I had a conversation with different teachers about how the general public view educators/education.  It started when a teacher said that someone she knows was making fun of/being mean about the fact that we get 2 weeks off at Christmas, a week off in the spring, 3 months off for summer, a week at Thanksgiving, and various other days throughout the year.  I just had to give her something to say in return next time.

We don't get a whole week at Thanksgiving, but that isn't my point.  We do not get paid for all those days off.  We get paid for 187 days.  Our paychecks may be spread over the 12 months, but we only get paid for 187 of work.  BUT . . . we work far more than 187 days a year. The majority of teachers, good teachers, work 24/7 August through the beginning/middle of June.  Teachers take home papers to grade.  They can't go to sleep at night for thinking/worrying about at least one student or a situation or what/how they are going to teach the next day/week. If they go to sleep, they may dream about a child/family or wake up to think/worry about at least one student or a situation or what/how they are going to teach the next day/week. Many evenings include school duties or programs, professional development, planning, grading, and more.  Summers include professional development or preparation for the next year.  Teaching/Education is not a 187 day a year from 7:30-3:00 or 8:0-4:00 job. It is so much more than that.


I have read Facebook post after Facebook post praising teachers or wanting to thank teachers for what they do.  Sadly, maybe this horrific event will remind the public what exactly educators do on a daily basis.


We are with the children more waking hours than their parents.  We are their teachers, counselors, nurses, secretaries, care-givers, confidants, and so, so much more. We teach them far more than reading, writing, and arithmetic.  We teach them right from wrong, how to get along with others, public speaking, to care about others, manners, patience, prepare them to survive in the real world, and more.


Almost any educator you meet will tell you that the children assigned to his/her care for those 187 days become "our" children.  We become possessive of them, want what is best for them, and care very deeply for them. We really care for them for the rest of their/our lives.  Once a child passes through my class, I wonder what they become, where they go to college, and how they and their families are. For no particular reason, a name or face pops in my head, and I begin remembering that child and then wondering about him/her.


The children are our children, and we will do whatever it takes to protect them.  We don't pick and choose or put ourselves first.  Our first priority is the safety and education of the children the parents send to use everyday.


I have had the privilege to work with 1000s of children throughout my career. I have made mistakes, been the person parents curse, learned from my mistakes, stepped out of the box, and grown, both as an educator and human. The one thing that hasn't changed . . . I would do whatever it takes to protect the students in my care or within my vicinity. No, that isn't part of the job description, but it is who I am and who educators are.


This deep feeling of compassion may not be understood by the general public, both other educators completely get it.  Thank you, fellow educators, for all you do for the children of America and elsewhere.

This was shared on Facebook via The Farmer's Guesthouse and a few Pastors, including mine.
“To parents who aren’t educators, this may be hard to understand. Five days a week, we teach your kids. Joke with your kids. Console your kids. Praise your kids. Question your kids. Beat our heads up against a wall about your kids. Gush over your kids. Laugh with your kids. Worry about your kids. Keep an eye on your kids. Learn about your kids. Invest in your kids. Protect your kids. Love your kids. We would all take a bullet for your kids. It’s nowhere in our job description. It isn’t covered in the employee handbook. It isn’t cited on our contracts. But we would all do it. So, yes—please hug your kids tonight—really, really tight. But on Monday, if you see your kids’ teacher, hug them too.”

Meetings and Giving Continue

In November, we rediscussed plans for the spring.  The girls voted to spend the night at a local zoo and visit a local aquarium and possibly do badge work.  Looks like we are not old enough for badge work at the aquarium, so we might do a badge workshop while at the zoo. We shall see.  The girls also created a list of interests to help us get started on their Bronze Award project. We will revisit their list, narrow it down, and get started in January. They ended the meeting making crafts to show what they are thankful for or to represent Thanksgiving.

Our December meeting brought fewer sweet faces due to recitals, Christmas programs, visiting relatives, and more, but those who were at the meeting created two ornaments and went caroling.  We forgot that since we meet on a Friday night, many people are not home, but one wonderful family opened their door to hear their sweet voices.  The girls also voted to spend $100 on coats to purchase for a local coat drive.  We were able to purchase 5 coats to donate.  Our girls have such sweet, giving hearts!

Our first meeting in January will be a parent meeting to get our cookie information.  Be ready!  Our cookie sellers will be out and about the second weekend of January!

I Am Thankful!

Each day of the month of November, friends posted what they were thankful for over on Facebook.  I chose not to participate this year because I wanted to wait until the end of the month and create one post.  Well, I missed writing yesterday, so I wanted to do it today.  My list is in no particular order.

I am thankful for . . .

-God, who sent Jesus to be born in a manger and then gave His only begotten son to forgive me for my sins, and who makes all things possible, gives us nature, opportunities, and more.

-my mother, the strongest woman I know.  She has endured so much, gives of herself, and works herself 'til exhaustion taking care of others.  Oh, how I love her and am in awe of her.

-my dearest and best friends, J & R.  I can share everything with these two ladies, and I know they will keep my words, thoughts, and feelings completely private. They always know exactly what to say to help me get through everything.  They are Godly, amazing women, and I am so unbelievably grateful for them and their friendship.

-my brother and sister-in-law, who allowed me to be a very hands-on Auntie for 10.5 years.  Gosh, how I love my niece and nephew!  There are no words to explain how much it meant to me to be a part of their daily lives.  I truly treasured every moment, every experience I shared with them. They made me smile, filled my days with joy, and taught me so much.

-my Granny and late Grandpa, who were at every important function in my life, who supported and loved me through it all.

-the two wonderful ladies I share an office with at work, J & P.  They help me solve problems, think through ideas, and to be the best Instructional Specialist I can be all while working within the parameters set before us. I am thankful they put up with my craziness.

-the other Instructional Specialists, Facilitators, and Coordinators I work with and have gotten to know. They support me and believe in me when I don't believe in myself.

-Richardson and Texas Jaycees.  The Richardson Jaycees, my aunt, and cousin honored me by nominating me as one of the Five Outstanding Young Texans in 2011.  The Texas Jaycees chose me as one of these FOYT for my work as an educator.  I was so overwhelmed with such an honor, and I am not sure I showed my appreciation to the depth that I am honored.  While I was being chosen and named, I was being forced to make a professional decision that left me looking for a job.  The weekend I was being honored with a fabulous ceremony, I had no job as an educator, for which was the main reason I was nominated. There are no words to describe how appreciative I am of this fabulous award.

-my friends and co-workers at the school where I taught for 10 years and other friends within that district.  I chose to leave the classroom and the district for a central administration position, which I had for 3 years, in another local district.  I loved this experience and meeting the people in this new district.  With statewide budget cuts, I had to make a decision in the spring of 2011.  These amazing former co-workers were my connection to getting a job back in my former district that fall.  The friends that I met and worked with during those 10 years cannot be matched.  I will treasure their friendship always.

-that I have a job, which gives me an income to have a car, home, food, and more.

-my aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family.  They are always there when I need them.

-the pastor of the church where I have been visiting.  She has been so welcoming and friendly.

-my Girl Scout troop, which has given me something to focus my time and energy on during this very crazy year.  It is also a time I get to spend with my niece, which I treasure. My co-leader is pretty fabulous too!  Couldn't do it without her!

I know people will see this and think, "Why didn't she mention me?" or "Why didn't she mention so and so or such and such?"  I know that my list could go on and on and on.  There are so many people, experiences, and things I am thankful for these days.  As sure as I post this, I will think of something else.  Who knows?  Maybe I will just keep coming back to this post and updating it.

Service Projects and Meetings Underway

We have already had 3 meetings and been involved in 4 service projects in less than 2 months.

Shoes
The church where I have been visiting with one of my best friends (and co-leader) supported a shoe drive for the Shoe Bank.  We decided to get our girls involved, and with little notice, our girls donated between 25 and 30 pairs of shoes.  The adult shoes will be shared in our Metroplex, and the children's shoes will be sent to Haiti.

Household Items
We are participating in the Goodwill Good Turn service opportunity. Each girl has been asked to bring 2 trash bags full of household items to donate.  This can be clothes, towels, bed linens, dishes, pots/pans, and so much more. About half of our girls have participated, so I have bags and bags of items that I will be donating next weekend.

Exercise, Phantom Energy, and Food Items
Last year we participated in 9-10-11, so this year, we chose to participate in the 10-11-12 initiative.  10--We discussed exercise and being healthy as they got involved in 30 minutes of exercise for 10 days.  This also tied into the Juniors' Get Moving! Journey.
11--To go along with Girl Scouts Going Green, we discussed saving energy.  The girls had to find 11 items in their homes that are plugged in but are not turned on and then unplug them.  These items are using phantom energy. There is a light on, a clock showing, or something else showing they are plugged in but not on.  They are still using electricity even though they are not being used for their actual function.
12--Each girl was asked to donate 12 non-perishable food items that we will then donate to the local Food Pantry. 48 items are ready to go.  We are hoping for a few more items before I donate them next week.

Grocery Shopping
The church where I have been visiting has "adopted" 3 needy families.  Each month, someone at the church goes shopping for each family to purchase $100 worth of food and household necessities. Our girls met us at our local store to do the shopping last weekend. We discussed cost per unit/item, best price, store brands, and so much more.  They had to keep up with what each item cost and get a total of what we were spending.  They also subtracted to see how much we had left when making or decisions.

Meetings
Our 2nd meeting of the year was spent on Journey work and voting on whether or not to spend the night at the zoo or aquarium.  We were very democratic in our voting system. While we wanted to spend the night at the zoo, the girls voted to spend the night at the aquarium, so we will be doing that in the spring.  We are trying to set-up a workshop at the zoo.

Our 3rd meeting was spent with more fun/fellowship than before, so we did not get to our Journey work.  However, we are going camping in about 3 weeks, so we spent a lot of time discussing our camping list and what we will be doing that weekend.


What is your troop doing this fall?

Kicking Off a New Year

We held our first meeting of the 2012-2013 year this past Friday night.  We met with Brownie parents as the girls brainstormed what they want to do this year.  The girls enjoyed a dinner of soft tacos, chips/dip, and fruit while chatting about their first week in school and what they did this summer.  After dinner, we discussed their ideas. Camping, archery, and skating (roller and ice) were at the top of their list.  We already have a camping trip planned that includes archery, so two down and two to go. :-)  While we met with Junior parents, the girls created foam picture frames as their craft.  All in all, it was a good meeting to get us started.

What did you do during your first meeting?
What do you have on your schedule for the year?

We are about to launch a troop website.  Any pointers?
It will be private and only viewable to those we invite.  Privacy is huge with me.  I've been uploading pictures from last year before sending it to everyone. We hope that it will help with reminders and other valuable information. We'll see how it goes.

New School Year . . . New Girl Scout Year

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

What do you have planned for the upcoming Girl Scout year?

We are bouncing around some ideas and just sent out the first draft of our calendar.  Come back throughout the year to see what we are doing.

The Year of the Girl or Woman

The 100th year of Girl Scouts has been deemed the Year of the Girl.

To learn more, visit http://www.girlscouts.org/yearofthegirl.
A Century of Leadership: How has Girl Scouts been changing the world the last 100 years?
Research: Examining issues in girls' lives
To find events in your area, go to this website.  http://www.girlscouts.org/yearofthegirl/a_year_of_events.asp
How to Get Involved:
Where are we headed in the next 100 years and how to do we get more girls into leadership roles, etc?

Here are some interesting facts:

• Only one in five girls believes she has what it takes to lead.
• Fifty-nine percent of girls say the fashion industry makes them feel fat.
• Eighty-five percent of middle-school students say they've been cyber-bullied at least once.
• Although more than 90 percent of girls in fourth grade want to continue studying math, by twelfth grade that number drops to 50 percent. 
• Women account for less than 17 percent of the bachelor's degrees in engineering, make up only 17 percent of the U.S. Congress, and claim only 3 percent of the top positions at Fortune 500 companies.

(retrieved from http://www.girlscouts.org/yearofthegirl/get_involved_today.asp)

When I look at my niece, her friends, and the girls in our troop, I see the future.  Who will they become?  What changes will they lead?  What will their impact on the world be?
I truly wish the absolute best for them and hope that what they learn in Girl Scouts or by my being a role model will get them where they need to be in order to be the most amazing young women possible.

I have been watching a lot of the Olympics this summer.  Over the weekend, they started talking about this being The Year of the Woman, and this talk has only gained speed since then.  I thought that was kind of neat . . . Year of the Girl and Year of the Woman.  The women are racking up medals left and right.  I hope our girls have seen how their dedication and hard work has led them to represent our country in front of the world. Anything is possible.  American, Olympic, and World Records are being broken and more medals are being won by our women than before.  They are great role models for our future Olympians, politicians, business women, doctors, teachers, judges, and on and on and on.

Here's to the Year of the Girl and the Woman!