Prayers for Tom

"Tom"
A bright, cheerful, brown eyed, 8 year old in my class this year.
He is one of our greatest helpers in the room.
Interested in history, writing, and helping others.
Always full of smiles and very, VERY, mature for his age.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit his mom in the hospital.
Tom's mom has been battling cancer for a couple of months now.
What started off as breast cancer has now metastasized to the brain.
She was undergoing chemo however, has become too weak to continue with
treatment.

For the last month or so, she's been just trying to regain her health so that the treatment
can continue. At this point, she isn't doing so well and the family is hoping for a miracle.

As I sat in the hospital room, looking at her fragile body, hoping and praying for her recovery,
Tom walked up to his sleeping mom and tapped her nose with his glove covered fingers.

He then looked over at me and said, "This button used to work."

Right then and there, my heart broke for Tom.
As a 7 year old, I wondered how he was making sense of this whole situation.
Tom's father already had a conversation with him telling him that mommy may not make it through this.

I wondered if he truly knew what that meant.

Despite the circumstances and his young age, Tom is optimistic.
He is still staying bright and cheerful.
I know for sure that Tom is trying hard to stay strong for his mom.

Right before winter break started last Friday,
Tom wrote in his writing notebook, "If I could have 3 wishes, I would wish for my mom to get better and come out of the hospital so that we can spend Christmas together as a family."

At a mere 8 years old, Tom has taught me that we must not lose hope in unfortunate circumstances like this one.

Looking at his situation, I am reminded that...
(warning~ I may sound like a hallmark card but this is truly how I feel)

~Life is precious yet fragile. Circumstances can change in an instant.
~Nothing is promised tomorrow. I wonder if we truly grasped the fact that nothing is promised tomorrow, if we would continue to live out our lives chasing after such temporary things?

If you had the opportunity to read this post,
I hope that you can pray for Tom's mom and his family.
That she may regain her health.
That they may stay strong and not lose hope.

What the Pencils!?

Since the beginning of my teaching career, the answers to

PENCILS + CHILDREN =

have baffled me.

Let me just say that pencils and children do not confuse me apart from each other.

PENCILS are great tools.

Can't ever go wrong with a pencil.
Esp, when drawing.

CHILDREN are great too.

I especially love them when they are away from pencils.
It is when the two come together that I just get (insert smiley with question marks on head).

PENCILS + CHILDREN usually ='s

half eaten pencils,
pencils made into sling shots,
lost pencils,
pencils left with million little bite marks.

But the biggest PENCILS + CHILDREN = is that some students NEVER have sharpened pencils.

No matter how many times you write the following for homework:

Please bring 3 sharpened pencils and an eraser.

The select few will NEVER bring in sharpened pencils.

They will however, come to school with LOTS of pencils with points that are

dull,

non-existing,

OR broken!

Anyways, when our classroom sharpener broke down towards the end of last school year, my co-teacher and I thought that maybe we could get through this school year without an electric pencil sharpener(oh boy... we're we wrong!).

We tried the whole mechanical sharpener business but it was an EPIC failure.

Finding a nicely sharpened pencil to write with became an excruciating task and one that led to LOTS and LOTS of valuable class time.

We finally got fed up and decided to order a new pencil sharpener (thanks to Amazon!).

Let me just say that this is by far the BEST decision we have made yet.

Not only do we have BEAUTIFULLY sharpened pencils to write our hearts out with BUT

this sharpener is a SILENT beauty!!

Most electric sharpeners I've come across in classrooms are so loud and annoying that it disturbs the whole entire class when one goes up to sharpen a pencil (you can bet lots of evil stares are shared in this situation).

Anyways, we finally found the answer to

PENCILS + CHILDREN =

If your pencil sharpener has broken down or you're looking to invest in one,

go with the BOSTITCH Quiet Sharp 6.

End of story or just an end to terrible horrible no good very BAD unsharpened pencils.
Haha.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

As a teacher, you will see and sometimes receive thousands of drawings, cards, and letters from your students. Most of the time, the drawings will be sweet and innocent, especially if you're a teacher of the younger kiddies (like me... 3rd grade to be exact).

Anyways!

In our classroom, students are assigned vocabulary homework each week. Last week, one of our words happened to be

nes·tle/ˈnesəl/

Verb:

Settle or lie comfortably within or against something: "the baby deer nestled in her arms"; "she nestled her head against his shoulder". (of a place) Lie or be situated in a half-hidden or obscured position: "picturesque villages nestle in the wooded hills".

One of our students "Bob" came in with this.

I was going around checking homework and I had to take a picture, just because it is stinking adorable. Drawings like this remind me of how innocent and naive these young minds are. How precious it is that I have the opportunity to fill their heads with knowledge.

However, with all things good you always have the bad and the ugly.

On the same day, my co-teacher and I went to pick up our students from lunch and found out that one of our students drew the following.

Please note the "die sexy lady" and "DIE!" The student also wrote the f word but erased it and replaced it with "yeah you!"

Please ALSO note that I had a long discussion with the Monet of the second masterpiece.

It just got me thinking that even in the world of small people's drawings, you have the good, the bad and the ugly.

Big Teachers Don't Cry

This November will mark 3 years since I've been teaching in the
New York City public school system.

3 years isn't many years at all considering I work with

veteran teachers who have 15+ years of experience under their belt.

If there is one distinct difference between new teachers like me and veteran teachers
is that those who are very experienced don't take things personally.

As a teacher, you have to deal with all sorts of things.

You have to accomodate 25+ students and cater to their unique personalities
and learning styles. You have to be a teacher, care taker, mediator, nurse,
and disinfect-or of desks, chairs, and little hands (list can go on and on).

At the same time you have to accommodate each and every single parent and
cater to what they think is best for their child.

And I absolutely LOVE being able to figure out students and parents, alike.
I love sharing relationships with them.

However, there are moments when my love for all things
teacher and teaching related gets put to the test.

As a teacher,
There are times when someone doesn't agree with my methodologies or views and
when these disagreements do occur, I CAN choose to take it personally.
I CAN cry about it(and I have.... but I'll save that for another entry).
Especially if you are a new teacher(like me) and haven't had
many disagreements in the past- to relate to or have learned from.

However, I've come to realize that I simply CANNOT take everything personally.

As a teacher, there will be times when someone doesn't agree with me,
when I will be questioned about my teaching ways,
and when opinions will be formed about me.

I COULD let all these things affect me but I have learned that I simply can't.
At the end of the day, there is nothing that can make me question just how much
effort, time, and love I've poured into what I do and how I do it.

I guess you can say,
I am becoming bigger and I've learned that
big teachers don't cry.

Children's Book of September: The Name Jar

Say My Name, Say My Name (my Korean name, that is... haha).

I know it's already October but for the month of September,
I wanted to recommend a book I came across this summer.

Book summary: Unhei has just come with her family from Korea and is starting school. Her name is pronounced Yoon-hye, which means grace, but she feels awkward about it after some teasing on the school bus. She decides to choose an American name, and her classmates oblige her by filling a glass jar with their suggestions. Her mother reminds her that she and her grandmother went to a name master for Unhei's name, and Unhei practices stamping her name with the beautiful name stamp her grandmother gave her. Finally, Unhei decides to keep her own name, and one of her classmates even has a stamp made for himself with the Korean characters for friend. The paintings are mostly in gold and earth tones, and the figures have both stature and simplicity--as does the story.

GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

I think the reason why this book appealed to me so much is because I can totally relate to the main character(I love it when you totally "get" what a character is going through in a story). When I immigrated to the United States and enrolled in school, I used to get embarrassed when my teachers and classmates could not pronounce my Korean name, correctly.
I've had substitute teachers attempt my first name, give up after the first syllable and simply resort to calling me "Kim."
One day in 4th grade, I cam home and told my mom that I wanted an American name,
just like all the other kids.
My cousin helped me pick out the name "Helen."

Well, she really just gave me two choices.
It was either going to be Helen Kim or Kimberly Kim.
I am so thankful that something sounded
terribly OFF with Kimberly Kim,
even to a non-English speaking child (at the time).
I've been going by "Helen" ever since but I never legally changed it on paper.

Ultimately, I am so glad that I never formally changed my name.
As an adult, I've come to appreciate my
sometimes butchered but ultimately very meaningful name.
My Korean name "Bo Reum" means full moon because I was born when it was up.

This book can be used to teach children that it's a wonderful thing to be different from the rest and that you should embrace ALL the unique traits that make you, you!

Recommended for: Primary grades(1,2,3)

Bandaid for a Teacher's Soul

As a teacher, there are days when you just want to drop dead on the floor out of frustration.
I'm sure these days exist for all kinds of jobs.

The reasons behind this desire to drop dead on to the floor can vary for all teachers. However, for me, the following reasons pretty much sum up why I would like to just drop kick teaching in the gut sometimes:

-administration (from time to time, they like to throw complete curve balls at teachers that leave us baffled, confused, and plain angered)

-the children (I love them to death but they do drain the life out of you)

-parents (as much as I've met my fair share of WONDERFUL and SUPPORTIVE parents, I've also met a couple of the EXACT opposite)

-myself (just having one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days)

Today was one of those particularly frustrating days which derived from a combination of factors mentioned above. As I was trying to go about my day with my kiddies, one of my students walks up to me and hands me a note (just to clarify: today was the first day I returned to work after taking a week off for church missions).


As soon as I received this note from my student, the frustration I've been feeling all morning simply dissipated. It was like a magical band aid to my wound. I realize that it's just a piece of paper with a simple drawing of a heart which probably took the student five minutes to make.

However, his thought, love, and motive behind the act was just what I needed to remind me of
why I deal with administration even when they want to give me a huge headache.
why I fell in love with teaching in the first place.

There is no greater band aid to a teacher's wound than that of a child's love.

How To Create & Maintain a Happy Marriage

A co-teaching marriage that is, hahaha.

Co-teaching is a lot like a marriage.
It really does take two compatible individuals, hard work, dedication, and respect
to have a successful co-teaching relationship.

I guess you can say that my principal is a great match maker because she has been pairing
up successful co-teaching marriages for about 4 years now!

Anyways, after what is ALMOST a year of being in a healthy and happy co-teaching relationship, I will share some tips and advice for those who might be co-teaching in the future.

TIPS AND ADVICE FOR A HEALTHY CO-TEACHING MARRIAGE

1) Think of Your Co-teacher as Your Equal
It's so important to think of your co-teacher(partner) as your equal. I believe if you truly believe your partner to be of an equal to you, there will come a mutual level of respect for him or her. I believe that my partner (whom I shall refer to as Ms. Phantastic) is not only an equal but someone whom I highly respect and admire. She has taught me so much in my first official year of teaching and continues to inspire me to work harder each day.

2) Be Open (Communicate)
It's also very important to openly discuss things with your co-teacher. Ms. Phantastic and I had the privilage of attending a co-teaching workshop before we embarked on this journey together. Through the workshop, we were able to openly discuss our teaching styles and classroom expectations. What I learned is that you have to be flexible and open to new ideas because in a co-teaching classroom, you are merging two different teaching styles and expectations into one. You are not gonna get everything your way and that's just the nature of sharing a space with someone and trying to merge two different lives together, which leads me into the next tip.

3) Be Flexible
Not everything will go your way. This is just the fact of being in a co-teaching relationship. You are going to want to do the bulletin board this way and he or she will want to do it another. However, you must make comprises. If your co-teacher wants to do the bulletin board a certain way, maybe you can suggest taking turns with the bulletin board or even merge your ideas together.

4) Maintain a Level of Professionalism
Although Ms. Phantastic and I spend a great deal of time together each week (more than anyone else in my life) I always maintain a certain level of professionalism. I just think it makes your co-teaching relationship better when you do. There's a reason why you fight with your family members and close friends. It's because your so comfortable and really don't hold anything back. However, in a co-teaching relationship I think it's beneficial to always keep in mind that although your co-teacher is your friend and partner, he or she is also your colleague so be professional about it.

5) Be There
There will be days when your co-teacher is not feeling well (physically,emotionally, mentally). This is when you have to pull both of your weights together. It's just part of human nature to have good days and bad. When you realize that your co-teacher isn't feeling well, you should take initiative to maybe teach longer, give him or her space. Also let him or her know that you understand what is going on and you are willing to "lead" for the day. I think this is SO important. Just like in a real marriage, if your partner was sick, you would take the initiative to maybe take out the garbage, cook dinner, and put the kids to bed... in a co-teaching marriage it's no different. Compromise, compromise, and compromise!


Although I am NO expert on co-teaching relationships by any means, these are just some of the things that I think have allowed Ms. Phantastic and I to have such a wonderful year together. I am truly SO very thankful to have had the opportunity to work with such a talented, caring, and sweet partner. I know we will have many more happy years ahead and that makes me SO excited!

Dedicated to the most wonderful co-teaching partner, Ms. Phantastic :)

Children's Book of the Month: Where the Wild Things Are

For the month of May, I decided to feature an old school book (first published in 1963) but really an all time favorite of many people including myself:



You probably already read this book and own it in your library OR used to own
it when you are younger, haha.

BUT for those who never read this book before,
it is about a boy named Max who gets in trouble for well, just being your average little boy... hahaha. Anyways, his mom sends him to bed without supper. In his room, his imagination takes over and he travels to his own little world (AKA where the wild things are). He becomes their king and goes on exploring the forest but eventually he gets lonely and homesick so he returns to his room (or comes back to reality) where he finds a warm supper waiting for him in his room.

I personally LOVE this book because I love how it portrays just how vivid and wild children's imaginations are. I also LOVE how it portrays a mother's love for her child.

Makes me think back to my own childhood and reminds me of how when I got in trouble by my mom, she NEVER failed to show me she still loved me (even when I decided to prank call the police to report a naughty little sister and had them come to our apartment.... ahahah).

Anyways!
If you're going to a baby shower or have a little child in your life, this book must be part of their book collection!!

In Summary

May's Book Recommendation: Where the Wild Things Are

Author: Maurice Sendak

Recommended for: ages 3-7 or primary grades(k,1,2,3)

A Coconut In Our Classroom

After we adopted our class pet Snowball, one of our students (I will call her Jenny) fell in LOVE and asked her parents for her own little bunny. For Christmas, Jenny's dad bought her her own little Coconut (okay, Coconut is not little by any means.... he's quite the opposite... observe below).

(I like big BUTTS and I cannot lie! Haha jk)

It was initially Jenny's idea to bring Coconut in to visit our classroom. She was very excited and could not wait. Therefore, we planned a day for Coconut to come visit our classroom and meet Snowball. Here is picture of Jenny holding her baby Coconut!
(sorry for the spooky hearts but it must be done, haha)

Anyways, we had a wonderful time meeting Coconut. Jenny got to walk around and let everybody pet him. The only problem was that our bunny Snowball isn't spayed so Coconut could only meet her behind bars... because if you know anything about bunnies... it is that they like to many lots and lots of baby bunnies.
I will end with this picture of me and my co-teacher holding Snowball & Coconut. We are a happy family. Hahaha

Who Needs Paid Vacations and Bonuses?!

When you can get personalized magnets and cupcakes! Hahaha.

After 11 GLORIOUS days off for spring break, we returned to school this week.
I must admit, I REALLY missed their sauce-stained-after-lunch faces oh so much!

First day back from a long break is usually rather awkward. The kiddies and the teachers need some time to get back in the groove of things... so there we were trying to get back into our normal routine when one of our students (let's just call her Jenny) walks up to us and hands us two little pastry boxes. Apparently, Jenny's family went to New Jersey the day before and stopped by Carlos Bakery of Cake Boss (famous from the show on TLC) so she got us two little cupcakes. I mean, of course I've had cupcakes before and honestly, these cupcakes weren't the most delicious of the cupcakes I've had in my life time BUT it was oh SOO sweet of Jenny to think about her teachers during her break. Really melted my heart!


Another student of ours (let's call him Robert) went to the Great Wolf Lodge (water park located in Pennsylvania) over the break and came back with personalized magnets for us! Hahaha. I couldn't help but giggle when he handed us our magnets! What was even sweeter is that he remembered our first names (kiddies LOVE it when you share things like that with them and they will often never forget things you tell them about yourself).



Gotta love em (kiddies, cupcakes, and personalized magnets that is)!

Stick 'Em Up!! (or into the envelope...)

Every Friday, in our (yes, our because it's me and my co-teacher's) classroom we have FUN FRIDAY. What exactly is Fun Friday? Well, it's exactly what the name suggests. We devote a period of instruction on Fridays to something different such as arts and crafts and other things we don't normally get to do during the week. Our children REALLY look forward to this time on Friday and me and my co-teacher are constantly looking for activities to do with our students. Anyways, I will share my favorite Fun Friday activity so far this year....

It all started around Valentine's day, with my co-teacher talking about the abundant amount of post its we have in our classroom. Post its are part of the 3rd grade supply list. However, over the years my co-teacher has collected a whole box of them which was sitting on top of our closet collecting dust. This is when I started to think about an activity that would incorporate post its and be worth while for our students.

We decided to have a week of "SAY SOMETHING NICE TO YOUR CLASSMATES, TEACHERS, & SNOWBALL, ON A POST IT AND STICK EM' INTO THEIR ENVELOPES." The whole idea was to write nice sayings, compliments, or notes to one another everyday for an entire week. In order to do this, we first had to create and decorate our mailboxes AKA white envelopes.

We spent a period decorating and individualizing our envelopes and designated a spot in the back of the room to hang up our mailboxes. It was really adorable how each child was able to put a little bit of him/herself on to the envelope (see below).


Now the waiting game began as we spent an entire week writing post its to one another. We allowed the students to write post its if they finished their classwork early and also at the end of the day. My co-teacher and I also got a chance to write a note to each and everyone of our twenty-five students. Each day, every child's envelope began to fill up. However, we did notice that some students were not getting as many post it notes as others so by Wednesday for homework, we assigned each student to write a note to someone they don't know very well or haven't written a note to yet. This solved the problem and by Friday, each student had collected a minimum of 6-7 notes! On the last day which was Friday, we all took our envelopes off the wall and read through our notes. Even as a teacher, I felt a rush of excitement and joy as I read through each and every one of their SWEET little notes.

In order to help preserve our notes, we gave each student a piece of red construction paper. We glued down our envelopes and post its and made a collage. Here are the finished products! We are happy to say that along with the students we thoroughly enjoyed this activity and some of the notes made me want to tear. It just showed me how much our students have grown and matured with one another and how genuine they are!


P.S. Snowball had an envelope too and needless to say, Ms. Popular Bunny Rabbit received the most notes.... her envelope almost fell off the wall... hahaha.

Children's Book Pick for the Month of April

Being a teacher, I read more children's books than adult books (I can't recall the last ADULT book I finished from front to back... but I can name a million children's books that I finished... hahaha). Therefore, I decided that every month, I will do a review/recommend some of my all time favorites! The books that I feature here may be a classic or it may be hot off the press but I hope to feature books that I think should be included in every child's library.This is a book titled,

The Next Place by Warren Hanson. I was first introduced to this book in one of my undergraduate courses. We were talking about books that would help children cope with death and loss of a loved

one. It's really a hidden treasure and explains that once we die, we go on to the next place. In the next place, there is no more hurt or suffering.... we will be in the best condition of our lives. Here is a sneak peek from the story!

The next place that I go
Will be as peaceful and familiar
As a sleepy summer Sunday
And a sweet, untroubled mind.
And yet . . .
It won't be anything like any place I've ever been. . .
Or seen. . . or even dreamed of
In the place I leave behind.
I won't know where I'm going,
And I won't know where I've been
As I tumble through the always
And look back toward the when.
I'll glide beyond the rainbows.
I'll drift above the sky.
It takes a really harmonious approach to the subject of loss and expresses death as something that brings comfort and peace.

P.S. If you appreciate really awesome book illustrations, the pictures in this book are beautiful!

In summary:

April's Recommendation: The Next Place

Author: Warren Hanson

Good for ages: 4-adults (yes, I would even give this as a gift to a friend going through hard times)

Purpose: To bring comfort to children about the subject of death, suffering, and loss.

Superbunny to the Rescue

Meet Superbunny, AKA Snowball (our beloved class pet).
What's so special about this fur ball (you may ask)?!

Well, let me tell you what kinds of super powers this special bunny holds.

1) She has saved a highly unmotivated student from failing the 3rd grade and has brought sunshine on to his cloudy days. Yes, sounds dramatic but this student, who I will refer to as Thomas has some major issues at home and at school. That is until, Snowball came into his life. Thomas' parents basically don't/can't support him emotionally or academically. Thomas had ZERO motivation or a reason to want to do well in school. He would often walk into class with a glum face and NOTHING would motivate him to do his work. That is until, Snowball came into our class. This is when things started turning around. Thomas started to come into class in the morning looking forward to seeing Snowball. He would want to tend to her and clean her cage. He would talk about her, write about her, make drawings of her. Although 3rd grade isn't over yet, I know that Snowball has indeed saved this little boy.

2) She is the best behavioral management tool (animal). Ever since day 1 of her arrival. Me and my co-teacher have been milking this super power for all its worth. "Boy and girls, we must work in a quiet manner because we don't want to scare snowball. Bunnies don't like loud noises. Snowball may get scared! Snowball will visit the quietest tables first." She is truly amazing!

3) She has taught our students about responsibility and what it means to tend to something we care about. Every month, we choose monitors to help take care of Snowball. The jobs vary from cage cleaner, water bottle filler, etc. The students absolutely love having responsibilities to take care of her and really take each one of their jobs seriously. They will often come in in the morning and ask if they can do their job, which just reminds us of how much they love her and how much they look forward to being able to do something FOR her.

4) She has helped our class become a real family. Now, I'm sure it wasn't just the bunny but the works of TWO fabulous teachers that ultimately helped our class become a community. However, I do believe that Snowball deserves a lot of the credit. Ever since she came into our class as a pet, there has been a difference in the way our students react to each other and to us. Maybe by working together to tend to her and take care of her, our students have grown closer with one another. Of course, there are still the normal kid stuff like "she said this.... he said my name sounds like a girl's name.." etc but I can confidently say that each and everyone of our students this year really do care for each other.

5) She became the hot topic for our persuasive writing unit. It was maybe around October when the students first mentioned wanting a class pet. At first, my co-teacher and I were hesitant. However, we came to realize having a class pet could benefit our classroom in a lot of way (as you can see from this list). We decided that the students would have to persuade us through writing into getting a class pet. The pencils started to fly off their notebook pages and the rest is history.

All in all, I think having a class pet is truly great in many ways.
Of course, that is IF your principal approves of having pets in your classroom and
you realize that there will be expenses, time, and responsibilities involved.

Third Times the Charm?

Hello my invisible & non-existent readers!
I have been thinking about blogging again for awhile now. AGAIN?
Well, I've started a number of blogs attempting to document my 1st
"official" year of teaching(" " because before this year, I permanently
subbed in one class for 7 months which to me FELT like my first year).
However I was an EPIC FAILURE at updating and maintaining my blogs.

This is officially the 3rd blog I've started and I do believe 3rd times the charm, right?!
So here I go again in trying to squeeze in here whats left of the school year.

Just to give you a little background info.
I am currently teaching in an Integrated Collaborative Classroom (formally called Cooperative Team Teaching). HUH? What the heck is that (you may ask)?

Well, roughly translated, it's a class with a mixture of special education and general
education students and there are TWO teachers in the classroom.
1 general education teacher and 1 special education teacher.
Honestly, I love it because I admire and respect my co-teacher and we just
happen to have a group of fabulous, curious, and SWEET (like honey)
students in our first year of I.C.T. together.

Therefore I will use this blog to document all things related to teaching (mostly the good, the stressful and the rewarding). So here I go.... AGAIN.