"My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me." – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I cannot take full credit for this idea. I came up with the idea when I saw this post going around social media about a lady asking her husband and kids to buy her 12 books for Christmas and wrap them with a label for each month. This would be like her own Book of the Month club. Of course I saw this after the holiday, but I thought “I can adapt this!” At first I thought I would just adapt it for myself by rewrapping and labeling books I got for Christmas. Then I got to thinking that this could be a great way to get LilKsby to read different books! He loves to read, but a lot of times we end up reading the same 15 or so over and over. So I went to his bookshelf to find books he hasn’t previously shown an interest in reading and a couple new ones we had set aside. Tonight I wrapped them and put a label on each one. Then I put them all in a shoebox so that it looks a treasure chest. I cannot wait for him to see this box and be excited to unwrap a book each month!
So why am I sharing this here? As I wrapped them, I thought this could be a great way to encourage kids who do not like reading to pick up a book. It could also be a fun way for teachers to introduce a book each month to their class. Participate in summer reading? The same idea could be applied just for summer. This is “literacy” a fun idea for all ages!
Today was Dress Your Dream Job Day for mental health spirit week at my school. To those that know me this may come as a shock, but being a teacher is not my dream job. Teaching is a job that I enjoy most of the time (let’s be real we all have our negative days), but if I could be absolutely anything in the world it would not be my choice. As a child I would’ve have told you that I wanted to be a country music star like Reba; as a teenager I would’ve told you that I wanted to be a lawyer with a house just like Cher’s in Clueless. Those were all jobs that sounded great because I equated success with a lot of money. Nowadays, I equate success with living comfortably (note, I didn’t say rich) and doing a job you love. So what would be my dream job? I have a few!
1. Travel Critic/Travel Planner – I have always loved traveling! For as long as I can remember, I have loved exploring new places. In fact, part of the reason I started this blog was to write about food and travel. You can go back and checkout those early posts for fun! I still think it would be the best job if someone would pay me to travel!
2. Pro-Gamer – I was 5 when the first Nintendo came out, and I have loved video games ever since! I went through a major WoW phase, and I love The Sims (seriously I’m writing because my game is updating)! I also love board games, card games, and tabletop RPGs. If I could get paid to game, that would be a dream come true! I think it would be amazing to just stream myself playing games and have people watch. We started doing this during the pandemic on our Twitch Channel HouseofKs. TheGreatKaysby is also on Twitch!
3. Awareness Advocate – I would love to get paid to give a voice to those without a voice. I want to stand up for what is morally right for those who cannot speak for themselves. This would bring lots of joy to my heart!
4. Samantha Stephens – I want to be Elizabeth Montgomery on Bewitched. If I could twitch my nose and do all of my chores, my house would be immaculate! Also, I love that she dressed up for dinner every night. That alone would give me an excuse to wear my Breakfast at Tiffany’s inspired pearls every day! Bonus? If I’m Samantha Stephens, I can travel by popping in and out of places. Oh, you want a croissant? Let me pop over to Paris and bring one back!
There are also other jobs that I think would be fun to do just once so you can say you’ve done them. For me these include bar tender, yoga instructor, karaoke host, tour guide on a historical tour, and seamstress (I kind of do this voluntarily). All of these would be fun once, but I think they would get old if done day in and day out.
A few days ago, I did something that took me outside of my comfort zone. For the first time in over two years (aka pre-Covid), I attended a LARGE event. I still wore a mask, and I admittedly was still anxious, but there are some once in a life time opportunities that are worth getting out of your comfort zone to do. For me, that opportunity was the chance to meet William Daniels or as many in my generation know him: Mr. Feeny.
I had seen the advertisements for Mr. Daniels’ appearance at the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention several months ago. Admittedly, I was excited about his appearance from the start. However, numbers were surging with the discovery of Omicron, and there were a lot of factors that seemed very uncertain. Since that time, most everywhere has relaxed Covid guidelines with even the CDC making new recommendations about masks, social distancing, gatherings, etc. Because of this (yes, I’m one of those people who trusts real professionals and not graduates of Google University) I was already becoming more comfortable with starting to do more “normal” activities. Then last Saturday, I saw someone posting about the convention, and I remembered Mr. Daniels’ appearance. Immediately, I knew that I wanted to go, and I went.
As a kid growing up, I watched Boy Meets World and viewed Mr. Feeny through eyes similar to those of Cory, Shawn, and Topanga. I thought he was kind of uptight, but that he had good lessons to teach. As a bonus, he was always there to help them even when they did things that he didn’t think were good choices. No matter what happened, you always knew Mr. Feeny cared about his students. I always liked that kind of teacher. Fast forward, now I am a teacher, and there have been two fictional teachers that I have always sought to be like: Professor John Keating (Dead Poets Society) and Mr. George Feeny.
Both of these characters were EXCEPTIONAL educators. They knew their subject matter more than many of their contemporaries (yes, I know all of the knowledge was in the script). More importantly, they cared about their students. Keating and Feeny taught their students life lessons. They found ways to teach lessons that their students needed to know beyond the classroom in a variety of aspects of life. They were friendly while also establishing clear boundaries. These are the teachers (along with real life teachers like LouAnne Johnson and Jaime Escalante) that many of us have inspired to be like ever since we decided to go into education.
Knowing all of that, I wanted to meet William Daniels. On one level, I wanted to meet him just because I think it is cool to meet celebrities. Yes, I’ve been known to totally FAN GIRL! Along with that, I also wanted to tell him thank you. As we completed our photo op, that’s exactly what I did. I told him, “Thank you for the character of Mr. Feeny. I’m a teacher, and a lot of us look up to him.” Just getting to do that, and seeing him smile at my words, made the whole outing worth it even in these (hopefully) final stages of the pandemic.
I wanted to write all this on Sunday, but I waited until today for a reason. Today is William Daniels’ 95th birthday. So I would love you for to join me in wishing him a happy birthday! From all of those whom you’ve impacted, “Happy Birthday, Mr. Feeny!”
Today in one of my classes, we had the students complete a quick write over the hopes and dreams of the lower class versus those of affluence. We gave them two minutes to write, and then we discussed it as a group. I’ve been thinking about this topic ever since this morning, and I feel the need to elaborate on it. The italicized portion is my initial quick write.
The hopes and dreams of the lower class and the affluent may appear the same on a surface level. Everyone wants a roof over their head, plenty of food on the table, enough money to cover their bills, and a better life than the previous generation. However, when digging deeper, the hopes and dreams are very different. For the lower class hopes and dreams may be as simple as a first family member attending and graduating college or joining the military for steady work. On the contrast the more affluent may dream of trips that cost a lower class person’s yearly salary or having more material items.
The more I thought about this topic today; the more I thought about the influence that people of affluence have on the lower classes. I immediately thought of negative or falsified influence. For example, you see the pictures in some magazines and on some websites that taut how celebs are just like us “regular” people. These pictures will be of things like celebrities going to the grocery, working out, or shopping for clothes. On the surface it seems great that “regular” people have something in common with millionaires, but is this accurate? I consider myself a pretty “regular” person, but what a celebrity looks like grocery shopping is totally different than what I look like. First of all, I’m typically shopping for the store brand (aka team Great Value) whereas they are shopping fancy pants brands that I have to Google to know what they are. Likewise, when I work out, it is either at home or outdoors in my spare time. The just like me celebs on the other hand are working out two hours a day with a personal trainer for multiple days a week at their five star gym. Aside from the fact that we’re exercising, we really don’t have anything else in common here. The same could be said for shopping for clothes. I’m happy to shop at Ross and find a bargain while the “just like me” celeb is shopping brands that cost more than my mortgage. Thankfully, I’m happy with my “regular” status, but I feel like some people are negatively influenced by this affluence. Some people tend to rate their personal worth by how they compare with someone of affluence.
Along the same lines, I think it is important to establish that hopes and dreams don’t all involve material things often touted by those of affluence. As an example, I don’t need a new Bentley every year for my birthday. I’m happy to get a new (or even new to me) Kia every ten years. More important to me are dreams like financing LilKsby’s education, taking fun (not necessarily lavish trips) with him and Mr Kisby, and not having to stress about paying bills on time. I don’t need a private jet or an entourage to make myself feel fulfilled in life. Are there big things I’d like to do? Sure. But my life isn’t tragic without them.
All this said, I realize that there are people of affluence that do positive things with their money like donate to charity, finance missions, etc. I’m very thankful for these actions! In fact, I would love to see more about this kind of affluence than so and so’s latest trip to their private island. What do you think about the influence of affluence?
Once again it is the beginning of March, and I am wrapping up another show as the costumer for my school’s Drama Club. This time the show was School House Rock Live! I remember some of the School House Rock songs from when I was a kid, but there were ones that I heard for the first time during tech week. In both cases the songs have reminded me that school is never out for the teacher!
Premise of the Show – Tom is really nervous about becoming a teacher; he is afraid of not being a successful teacher. I think all first time teachers can relate to this. Even after 11 years, on the first day of a new school year, I always think “Do I still know how to do this?” I even felt the same way when I recently started doing online tutoring. I spent a lot of time teaching online with NTI and having seven Online Learning Academy classes, but I was still nervous about being able to be a good tutor online. Thankfully, so far so good!
“The Preamble” – Apparently a lot of people had to learn and memorize The Preamble in elementary school. I never had to do this, and I will admit that all I know of The Preamble is “We the people”. Given the importance of The Preamble and The Constitution, I really should pay more attention to it. I suppose that it’s just something I take for granted as being important while not feeling the need to know the details. It’s kind of like knowing that you get money on pay day and never looking at your pay stub because your money is direct deposited.
“Ready or Not, Here I Come” – I had no idea about the counting by fives on your fingers coordinating with the multiplier. I just memorized my times tables as a kid without tricks. It makes me happy to know that I now know a way to teach fives multiplication to those who need a manipulative to help learn math.
“Interplanet Janet” – Besides being a fun song, this one made me think of “Planet Schmanet Janet” from another musical. This got me to thinking that there are not a lot of women’s names that rhyme with planet. I also love that the song is old enough to claim Pluto is a planet! I still think little old Pluto deserves to be a planet!!! Are you team Planet Pluto?
Along with my takeaways, it was great seeing my favorite numbers from childhood – “Conjunction Junction” and “I’m Just a Bill” – brought to life! Did you ever watch School House Rock? What did you learn from it?
Once again it is the beginning of March, and I am wrapping up another show as the costumer for my school’s Drama Club. This time the show was School House Rock Live! I remember some of the School House Rock songs from when I was a kid, but there were ones that I heard for the first time during tech week. In both cases the songs have reminded me that school is never out for the teacher!
Premise of the Show – Tom is really nervous about becoming a teacher; he is afraid of not being a successful teacher. I think all first time teachers can relate to this. Even after 11 years, on the first day of a new school year, I always think “Do I still know how to do this?” I even felt the same way when I recently started doing online tutoring. I spent a lot of time teaching online with NTI and having seven Online Learning Academy classes, but I was still nervous about being able to be a good tutor online. Thankfully, so far so good!
“The Preamble” – Apparently a lot of people had to learn and memorize The Preamble in elementary school. I never had to do this, and I will admit that all I know of The Preamble is “We the people”. Given the importance of The Preamble and The Constitution, I really should pay more attention to it. I suppose that it’s just something I take for granted as being important while not feeling the need to know the details. It’s kind of like knowing that you get money on pay day and never looking at your pay stub because your money is direct deposited.
“Ready or Not, Here I Come” – I had no idea about the counting by fives on your fingers coordinating with the multiplier. I just memorized my times tables as a kid without tricks. It makes me happy to know that I now know a way to teach fives multiplication to those who need a manipulative to help learn math.
“Interplanet Janet” – Besides being a fun song, this one made me think of “Planet Schmanet Janet” from another musical. This got me to thinking that there are not a lot of women’s names that rhyme with planet. I also love that the song is old enough to claim Pluto is a planet! I still think little old Pluto deserves to be a planet!!! Are you team Planet Pluto?
Along with my takeaways, it was great seeing my favorite numbers from childhood – “Conjunction Junction” and “I’m Just a Bill” – brought to life! Did you ever watch School House Rock? What did you learn from it?
Do you ever find yourself thinking the most random thoughts? Today has been a full day of them for me! Some of the thoughts have been funny; some of the thoughts have been profound. In either case, I thought if I was having these musings on a Monday, then I might as well share them!
1. Jimmy Gibbler – A lot of Fuller House fans were perplexed by Kimmy suddenly having a younger brother named Jimmy. It’s true that Kimmy mentioned older sisters and an older brother named Garth in Full House. Though they were mentioned a handful of times, they were never seen. It should also be noted that their reason for being mentioned was because they were older and Kimmy and DJ talked about the cool stuff they did. Jimmy on the other hand is about 12 years younger than Kimmy. (Stephanie is five years younger than Kimmy and DJ, and in an episode where Stephanie is 35, Jimmy talks about turning 28 soon). This would mean that Jimmy wouldn’t have even been born until season two or three of Full House, making him only five or six when it ended. Growing up, I don’t remember any of my good friends talking much about younger siblings. I also never went over to a friends house to hang with their siblings instead of them. Likewise, I never invited over a friend’s sibling. Therefore, I think it is very logical for Jimmy Gibbler to exist in Fuller House and not in Full House.
2. Turn Signals – Why are they so hard for people to use when driving? In every car I’ve driven, they are in the same place, so it can’t be that people can’t find the turn signal. I get very frustrated when people don’t use turn signals. On the same note, slamming on your breaks, stopping in the middle of the road, waiting a moment, then turning on your turn signal is just as bad.
3. Aldi Is Amazing – This morning, 3 hours before my pickup time, Aldi messaged to let me know they were behind and needed to delay my order. Two and a half hours before the reassigned pickup time, they texted to say they’d started shopping. I also texted directly with the shopper as they shopped to approve substitutions. They ended up being done an hour before my original pickup time and two hours before the adjusted time. Aldi is amazing!!!
4. Santa Photos – A lot of kids are afraid of Santa when they are really little. I get it. I was afraid of the Slush Puppy even though my aunt was the one inside of it. Seriously, I repeatedly punched the Slush Puppy in the tail. As a parent, I’m fully aware LilKsby might also have my issues with mascot style figures. So do I hope for a good picture, or is it okay to think it would be amusing for a picture where he’s crying, screaming at Santa, or running from Santa? Does the latter make me a bad mama or mean I have a sense of humor?
5. Phrases Like “To Be Honest” – When people frequently start a sentence with “To be honest”, “If I’m being honest”, or “I’ll be honest”, do they have a history of not speaking the truth? I’m guilty of using these phrases from time to time. If I use them, I immediately think that I shouldn’t have said them. I also try to teach others to not use these phrases. If I impart any knowledge to those I teach, I hope it is the importance of honesty!
What random thoughts are you having on this Monday?
Today – September 1, 2021 – I showed this video in all of my junior English classes. The students then had to complete a quick write about what they could try for 30 days. As a teacher and business leader, I believe that I should be willing to do the things that I ask my students and team to do. That said, I’m setting a timer for seven minutes, and here is my quick write! Enjoy!
For 30 Days…
I could write every day and have a 50,000 word novel…wait I’ve done that several times! LOL Seriously though, NANOWRIMO is two months away so writers get ready!
I could take a meaningful picture that will always remind me of something good. This is one of my favorite ideas from the video.
I could blog for 30 days straight to grow my virtual presence.
I could record daily Webisodes for my business to help grow my area of influence.
I could do squats every day to help improve my health.
I could make a point of reading at least one positive thing every day.
I could make a point to give at least one sincere compliment every day.
I could take time to read for a minimum of five minutes every day and hopefully finish at least three books this month.
I could work smarter and not harder.
I could create more works of art.
I could drink at least 64 ounces of water each day.
I could visualize my goals coming true.
I could start learning a new language.
I could be sure to eat at least three servings of fruits and vegetables each day (I’m working towards five).
I could listen to an inspirational hotline/podcast.
I could walk at least one mile per day.
I could text a friend to check on them.
I could keep a smile on my face and be positive.
I could support local restaurants as opposed to chains (this would get costly).
I could save $1 a day so that I had $30 (or I could do a bigger amount) extra at the end of the month.
I could start streaming again.
I could get more sleep and not just on the weekends.
I could be more productive in the mornings so that I can relax at night.
I could sing and dance like no one is watching!
Wow! You can get a lot out in a 7 minute quick write! I’m impressed by all of the options that I could do for 30 days! Obviously doing all 24 things from my quick write in one 30 day period isn’t going to work. However, I think that I can focus on a couple. For my physical health, I can do squats every day. For my hobby, I can read at least five minutes every day. Like Matt Cutts talked about in the video, the little thing each day can become a big thing!
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, then you know that I have a tendency to use quotes from F Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby. I really like the book because of the glimpse it provides into the history of the 1920s (Fitzgerald did a great job of intermingling fact worth fiction) and the attitudes of society’s elite during this time. I equate it to a 1920s version of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. When that show first came on TV, I must admit that I was intrigued because I hadn’t heard of them (I remembered Johnny Cochran from the OJ Simpson trial not Robert Kardashian), and I wanted to know why the entertainment industry thought I should want to know about the lives of a rich family that seemed to be 50% train wreck and 50% fashion entrepreneurs. For the record, after so many years of them being in the media, I don’t understand why they still draw so much attention. However, it seems to work for them, so I don’t judge (like Nick Carraway).
In addition to the insight into 1920s, I also love the hope that Gatsby embodies. I find it quite admirable (even though his intentions were EXTREMELY questionable) that he never gives up hope even when so many others would’ve thrown in the towel. (Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Gatsby may have something to do with the obsession as well.) However, a quote from the character of Lucy in the Netflix movie Moxie brings up a great question: “I think the real question is, why are we still reading this book? It’s written by some rich white guy about some rich white guy.” As an avid reader and high school English teacher, I think Lucy raises a great question. Why are we still teaching something that seems so archaic in content? As I was teaching Gatsby today (chapter 7 for those who like exact context), I realized that the reason we teach Gatsby still is to illustrate the dilemma with the American Dream and how it has remained broken all these years.
From the onset Gatsby’s dream is broken. His dream – which is based on lies that he fabricated about his persona – revolves around the desire to shatter a marriage (Tom and Daisy) and take the piece he wants for himself (Daisy) with no regard for how it will impact those involved (cough…the daughter…cough…her name is Pammy since people tend to forget it). Gatsby’s dream is so deeply rooted in the past that at times Gatsby seems unable to comprehend that five years have gone by since his month of love with Daisy. He legitimately does not seem to understand why Daisy can’t just say she never loved Tom because he cannot fathom that she’s had an enjoyable life without him.
Beyond this inability to comprehend the five years since they were together, Gatsby’s dream of Daisy is corrupted by money. Knowing how much Daisy loves money (her voice is full of it after all), Gatsby equates having boat loads of money with happiness. I get that for many people having money is part of the American Dream, but there is also a big difference in having enough money to live without worry and having so much money that opulence seems to be a requirement and not optional. This money being equivalent to happiness adds more to Gatsby’s dilemma as it blurs the line between his love for Daisy and her materialism. Love might be part of the American Dream, but is materialism really a dream or a burden?
Having deep roots in the past and equating money with love aren’t the only broken aspects of the American Dream in Gatsby. The character of Tom Buchanan represents some of the most broken aspects of the American Dream. On the surface, he seems to have it all: a wife, a child, a mansion, millions of dollars, and athleticism. However, while he seems to be living the American Dream on the surface, Tom is actually a racist, sexist, classist, womanizer who is abusive to his wife and his girlfriend. Nothing about these personality traits are what I would consider to be aspects of the American Dream!!!!
So why do we still teach The Great Gatsby? My theory (besides having a reason to show a DiCapio film) is to provide the youth of today with a cautionary tale. I feel like teaching this novel helps to show that things associated with “the dream life” are morally questionable and can create more dilemmas than dreams. I also believe that the novel serves as a great reminder that societal problems we have today have actually been plaguing our country for a long time (Gatsby did come out almost 100 years ago). It provides a great reminder that until people change, then dreams will continue to be broken. My hope, when I teach Gatsby, is that kids will see it as a model of what not to do and encourage them to go about their dreams the right way. Much like Gatsby, I do believe in the green light only my green light is a lot more moral! In fact, I believe in hope so much (and have such a big desire to write my own great American novel) that I chose to be The Great Kaysby! My personal response to the novel is to never give up hope and never stop dreaming!
As another Spring Break comes to a close, there are a multitude of thoughts swirling through my head. Like so many times when this happens, I feel like the best thing to do is attempt to sort them out in writing. Why do it in a blog? Because I’m sure if I’m thinking these things, there is someone else out there who can relate.
Thought 1 – On any given day, you can be both the “picture perfect” mama and “a chicken with her hair on fire” mama. Yesterday, I was the mama who takes the family to the Farmer’s Market in order to shop local and organic. That’s helping other families financially while helping the health of my family! We also did our grocery pickups because we meal plan like champs (even though often the plan gets tweaked midweek when a frozen pizza us substituted into the lineup). Then, we napped for three hours, woke up just in time for bath time, and the realization that we never had dinner. That’s when you go to Dominos in your pajamas with a messy bun and allow your toddler to eat greasy pizza way too late at night while staying up way past their bedtime! This was a great contrast to the “picture perfect” me who had taken the toddler to the library twice earlier in the week, taught him about gardening and growing our own vegetables, and the importance of family outings on nature trails and to the zoo! Spoiler alert, with all that teaching of good things, I may have relied on McDonalds and Burger King a little too much this week! Why both? Because one has $1 drinks and good fries, and the other has Whoppers.
Thought 2 – Flexibility is a way of life. I had these great ambitions of a “self spa” day where I was going to color my hair, do a charcoal mask, and paint my nails. All of these are great thoughts, but when you take a three hour nap while snuggling a toddler who then goes to bed two hours late, the thoughts stay thoughts. For a minute, I was kind of upset about it, then I realized that at least I got a shower and to pluck my eyebrows (they were pretty unsightly…not to mention a dead giveaway that I color my hair when they are thicker). Sometimes it’s the little things that make you smile!
Thought 3 – Does it ever become easier to go back rib work after breaks? Don’t get me wrong. I like my job, but I LOVE being a wife and mom. After a whole week of just getting to be a wife and mom, it is really hard to go back to both. As much as you try, it is really hard to be fully there for both. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has thoughts such as “Did I take the chicken out for dinner?” and “Did I switch the baby’s laundry out?” while at work. Likewise, at home during wife/mom time sometimes I can’t help but think about things that happened at work that day especially if something didn’t get finished that I wanted to complete. Once I get back into the swing of both, it’s always fine. There’s just always that dread the day before returning since it requires sacrificing time with those you love most.
Thought 4 – Why are people so quick to change their tunes based on popular opinions even when they are founded in misconceptions? Just a year ago, the general public was celebrating teachers for their flexibility and quick ability to adapt to non-traditional methods of providing instruction. People were actually talking about how teachers deserved higher pay! Now, some of the same public acts like teachers are horrible, selfish human beings because they put their own families needs first and/or have been anxiety ridden by all the pandemic protocols. FYI…this school year has required more work than any other year in order to meet the needs of all students.
My random thoughts might not make a lot of sense; however, they are a little more sorted out! Just like I knew they would be. 😊 I hope that whatever random thoughts you’re having tonight, you can sort them out too.
As I was trying to gather my thoughts this evening, I saw this post that someone had shared on Facebook from Education to the Core. What I was struggling to put into words, this picture sums up perfectly. By the end of each day, this is currently how I feel. Why? Because I care.
On the surface caring seems like a great thing. It’s good to care about others and to follow the golden rule of doing unto others as you would have them do to you. It can also be absolutely exhausting. On a typical day, these are things (some overlap and many occur multiple times) that I care about at some point during the day:
Am I being a good mom to LilKsby even though I’m so tired when I get home that there are days I just want to sit and stare at the wall?
Am I being a good wife Mr Kisby by helping around the house and with LilKsby?
Am I going to feel worse about going to bed early and getting physical rest than I would if I did everything I need to get done?
Am I disappointing others when I’m not good company to be around because I’m so exhausted (and some days defeated feeling) after work?
Am I disappointing others when I say “no” to things?
Am I protecting my family from the virus the best I can while maintaining some “peace of mind”?
Am I not looking at the costs of short term “peace of mind” in the long term picture?
Am I selfish for wanting time to “do nothing” and attempt to just relax and have fun?
Am I the only one wearing a mask in public because I care about the health of those around me?
Am I the only one that hasn’t resumed all “normal” activities because there’s still a pandemic going on in the world?
Am I doing any good by washing my clothes and showering as soon as I get home?
Am I following the most correct, most up to date guidance from trusted officials?
Am I the only one that five weeks into school still feels like I don’t know what’s really going on around me on pretty much a daily basis?
Am I protecting my students from Covid?
Am I cleaning their work areas thoroughly enough?
Am I forgetting to clean things that should be obvious high touch points?
Am I sanitizing my own hands enough to prevent spread?
Am I sanitizing my hands so much that it scares my students?
Am I instructing my students in a way that is effective while protecting them from illness?
Am I sanitizing the Chromebook that I take from class to class enough?
Am I doing a good enough job of hiding my emotions every time a student asks a “what if” scenario that I don’t know how to answer?
Am I being a good model in regards to mask practices?
Am I following every “normal” school policy while also implementing all the pandemic policies?
Are my students getting their basic needs met (adequate food, shelter, etc) on their “at home” days?
Am I the only one who wants to shut off thoughts about the day and enjoy home once there that can’t do it?
I fully realize that sometimes right now it may seem like I don’t care. The truth is the exact opposite. I care so much that it is absolutely exhausting emotionally and mentally (sometimes physically) on a daily basis. I think that’s why I like being home so much and find it fun to engage in virtual activity. It allows me to attempt to forget my cares, which could be interchanged with my worries, for just a fraction of time within the safety of my own home.
So until the pandemic quells, I’m going to do my best to not be like Kermit in the meme as I know no one will ever go for work a day, off a day, work a day, off a day schedule. I’m going to attempt to do my best for others while not neglecting myself, and I’m going to try to be the best me I can be. Wish me luck!
According to the calendar today is Thursday, but in my head it felt more like Monday #3 of the week. I’m sure that I’m not the only one feeling the mental exhaustion associated with “Back to School Covid Edition”. The mental exhaustion seemed to have reached it’s peak this evening when I legit just wanted to sit in my chair and not make any decisions. This level of exhaustion makes things like the pork we were supposed to have for dinner expiring three days ago seem like catastrophes instead of inconveniences. When this level is reached, the best thing I can do is step back and enjoy the simple things in life.
The tone of the day changed completely when I let go of the day’s stress and decided to only do fun, simple things the rest of the evening. The first simple thing was to pour a cold drink (Diet Coke for the win) and sit on the front porch. Until this summer, I never understood why my grandma always found sitting on the front porch to be so relaxing. However, after having sat out there quite a few times over the summer, I’ve realized that it is peaceful to just sit and watch the world around you. I also enjoy waving at people as they go by because it always seems as though they don’t know how to respond. The next simple thing that led to a better today was playing in the rain when the storm broke lose. I held LilKsby tight, and we ran around the house in the rain. My socks were so soaked that they felt as heavy as actual shoes, but it was the most exhilarating, freeing feeling of the day! Nothing can wash your cares away like a warm, summer rain! Then, since it wasn’t quite time for a bath, I held LilKsby while he played with his markers (washable ones thankfully) and colored a kitty. Snuggles and art are a great combination for relaxing! The final simple thing? Breaking out my calendar, making a to do list, and completing it! Now, I’m relaxing in bed to type this blog, and I’m going to be snuggled under the covers before 9:30! Boom!
On paper, none of the simple things that I did this evening seem like much. None of them are based on necessity, and none of them lead to profound revelations about the existence of humankind. However, these simple things did put me in a much better mood which will help me rest easier. On a day that feels like Monday #3, I call that a win!
Check out these links to see items that were part of my simple things!
During a typical summer by the time July 22 rolls around, most teachers are starting to get back in the school groove. With school usually starting in about a week and a half, most teachers have already started Professional Development sessions, working on their classrooms, thinking about plans for the first week, and considering squeezing in one more day trip to the zoo or weekend getaway. In a normal year, teachers are talking with their colleagues about expectations for the year and planning for Open House.
This isn’t a normal school year; this is a pandemic year.
Instead of getting ready for a start of school the first week of August, many districts have pushed their start dates to the end of August to implement pandemic procedures. Professional Developments have been moved to online, and though the topic for the session said one thing all conversations turn to Covid-19. Working on classrooms is difficult without knowing for sure what setup will be required to look like. Even Open Houses are going virtual for the year! What’s normally an exciting time has become riddled with anxiety and what seems like a million questions about reopening that no one can know the answers to with 100% certainty because no one can predict next week’s Coronavirus numbers.
If you talk to a teacher about the upcoming school year, then you will get a variety of answers. Some are afraid to go back in-person while some can’t wait to be physically back in the classroom. Some are anxious about the possibility of bringing the virus to their own homes or spreading to their own parents with co-morbidities (a term that has become way to “normal” since the pandemic). They may miss in-person instruction, but they also want to stay home to protect their families. There are those who don’t really have an option because their family relies on their income or health insurance who will do as told because when it comes down to it they really have no choice.
Regardless of their position on the return to school, teachers are all thinking some of the same things. What will our group discussions be like without being able to see faces through masks? How will we implement cooperative learning strategies and group work with minimal risk of spreading the virus? What can we expect our schedule to look like so that we can begin to plan for those who have trouble with schedule changes? How can we teach everything we are supposed to while implementing all the pandemic procedures? Of course there is also the biggest question of all: will any of us die from the virus?
With so many unknowns you can see why teachers are having a rough time right now. Luckily, we aren’t alone and have support systems with other teachers. For me, the support has come from two places. One is the Blessing Teacher 2 Teacher group on Facebook. It was started by Kristen Hall and Heidi Hamlyn as a way for teachers to send blessings to one another as we all know that teachers tend to buy for others before themselves. Now, with over 10,000 members, it has become a group where you can openly discuss how you’re feeling about the pandemic, things you need prayers/positive thoughts about, how many jobs you have besides teaching, and much more. It feels like a group of friends supporting one another! My second support system has been my own colleagues. Even though some of us haven’t seen each other since March, all the texts, private messages, video chats, and social media posts show that we have each others backs! These support systems that allow us teachers to talk with one another are current keys to sanity.
For all the non teachers reading this, please be patient with the teachers and other school personnel in your life. They don’t mean to be short with you or antisocial. They don’t mean to be overly emotional or overly preoccupied. They don’t mean to be quickly confrontational. They are trying their best to rest and relax, but with so many unknowns it is very difficult to be positive even for the most upbeat people. Be patient with us. Most of us are okay, but we need you to be patient and not critical.
To everyone, stay safe, stay healthy, and do your best to stay positive!
As a teacher, I’m very used to having a set schedule that I have to follow. The bell rings at time X. First block begins at time Y, second block begins at time Z, and this pattern continues until the final bell to go home at the end of the day. After school, I have a set routine to follow based on the day, I go to bed around the same time, and I get up the next morning and do it all over again. In a lot of ways, life during the school year becomes like the directions on the back of the shampoo bottle: “Rinse, lather, repeat; rinse, lather, repeat.”
Given the grind of each day, you may think, “Man, I bet she loves Summer Break and having nothing she has to do.” Having nothing to do sounds good on paper. So does being able to stay up until all hours and sleep as late as I want (maybe I’m an overgrown teenager at heart). However, do you know what I’ve learned about myself as I’ve grown as a person (grown as a person sounds more positive than gotten older)? I’m like a fish out of water when I don’t have something that I have to do.
If I don’t have a to do list or an event to look forward to, I find myself sitting around either waiting for someone to entertain me, wasting a lot of time in my recliner, or driving Mr Kisby crazy with “Whatcha doing?” or “What’s your plan for the day?” I bet I ask the second one at least twice a day on average. When you’re so used to your days having to be structured, it can be really hard to have a lot of free time. That’s why I find myself having to have “To Do” lists even during summer to feel like I’ve been productive. Some days my “To Do” list might be simple like “Scoop Litter” and “Pay Bill X”, but there is something about that list that makes my day a million times better. For me, it is the intrinsic satisfaction that comes from checking something off the list. Plus, I love the visual of a completed list. Nothing to me is more freeing than looking at that completed list. It’s almost like the completed list is a ticket to fun and goofing off by doing things like wasting time in the recliner!
I also thrive on having events/activities to look forward to. For example, I’m super excited about starting Virtual Get Ready Camp and Summer Reading with LilKsby this week. I’m thrilled that for like an hour 4 or 5 days a week that we’re going to have a planned activity. Having these helps me to feel like we’re accomplishing something. Then when we’re done, we can spend the rest of the day sitting in his baby pool! Well, he can sit in it, and I can sit in my camp chair and make faces at him. 🙂 I also thrive on having vacations to look forward too. In some ways, I enjoy planning the vacation (aka looking at pretty pictures of things to do and going “ooo, ahh”) as much as going on the vacation. I’m truly a happier, more productive (and easier to be around) when I have a “to do” list and things to look forward to doing.
Now, all of this said. I do enjoy staying up late and sleeping until 9 or 10 every morning. Frankly, I’m proud that I’ve seemed to be able to get LilKsby to accept this routine as well. I also enjoy the occasional day when to quote Bruno Mars, “Today I don’t feel like doing anything/I just wanna lay in my bed”. However, for the most part I need an outline for the day to keep from driving those around me bananas. You know what? I’m finally at a place in life where I’m okay with that, and it doesn’t bother me to not be more spontaneous. I hope you too can find that peace.
Today, I had to go to work. I don’t say that as a complaint given that I have been fortunate enough to be able to teach from home since March 17. I say it as a fact. Going in the school today was very surreal. Due to Covid-19 there are new protocols that must be followed: temperature checks when entering, masking wearing, staying six feet from co-workers, limiting the number of people in the school, etc.
The day began with parking in the front of the building in an area that on a normal day would be filled with buses dropping students off for school. Today on a “normal” day, the students would have been jumping over puddles (okay, even in high school some would have been jumping in them). There would’ve been the buzz of chatter about what everyone did over the weekend and groans about having to get up early and come to school. Instead, there were teachers running through the pouring rain to get to the line at the front door. Then, there was a line of teachers spaced six feet from the next, wearing masks, and waiting to get their temperature checked to determine if they could enter the building or had to go home. As an adult, I understand the necessity of the new protocol. From the perspective of a student, I could see how it would be terrifying.
From a young age, we are taught that school should be somewhere we feel safe; school should be somewhere that we feel like someone cares about us. For me, it is hard to fathom how kids could feel either of those when they can’t come close to a teacher to tell them something in confidence, or a mask has to be worn hiding facial expressions. I also cannot imagine how kids can foster an environment of developing social skills and friendships when they have to remain six feet from one another. Imagine, having lunch and having to sit six feet from your friends. There won’t be any swapping your chocolate milk with someone for their chocolate chip cookie!
Beyond lunch, I think about how many kids like to share with one another. They share phones, games, iPads, clothes, etc. Most of them naturally have something that they want to share with someone else. Now we have to tell them, “No, Johnny, don’t share with Susie. Yes, it’s polite, but there is a pandemic.” On the plus side, this could help with PDA problems.
I feel like today was just a taste of the future for teachers. I believe that it was a tiny insight into what the coming school year could – emphasis on could – be like for us and our students. Do you want the truth? On a lot of levels, it is heartbreaking. Most of us who went into teaching entered the profession because we care about people namely kids. We want to be there for them as a mentor and educator. We’ve done our best this spring through NTI, and we’ve put on brave faces as we’ve done Google Meets and videos for our kids. However, on the inside our hearts were breaking wondering about our students. Are they okay at home? Are they eating? Are they healthy? Do they have all the necessities? Seeing them in our classrooms each day was sometimes the only way these questions could be answered. Returning to school will alleviate some of that heartache, but I feel like it is going to open us up to a whole new set of emotions if things aren’t “normal”.
I applaud all of those who are having to make difficult decisions right now that impact our students. My hat is off to principals, superintendents, school boards, state department of education workers, and anyone else in decision making capacities. You are making decisions that no one could’ve ever told you that you would be making. When we were all getting our various degrees there was no class called “Dealing with a Pandemic 101”. And though the future may taste bittersweet, I know that you all are doing what is best for our students as a whole. Thank you for that.
To all of our students, don’t be scared about the future. Even if we are behind masks, we’re still here for you.
The Great Kaysby 