I'm oh so grateful for so many things this Wednesday...

Helpful Friends
I seriously know the best people.

My sister-in-law flew in to help me out and help me she did!  She went so far above and beyond, it was amazing.  


Helpful Supplies

I was in the bookstore today and started Ron Clark's latest book, The End of Molasses Classes.  As I flipped through I thought I should write a book like this. As I read the last chapter I was crying.  Yep, tear a flowin' right there at Barnes and Noble.



That's what I'd call my book.  Teach Kids First.

Why that?  Several years ago, there was a teacher leaving our school.  He and I had taught for a year together and he was, quite possibly, the most well respected teacher I have ever met-by teachers, parents and students.  Teachers wanted to be him, kids wanted to have him and the whole school loved him.

We only taught together for a year but we stayed connected because we seemed to always end up on the same "observation circuit."  People came in to our rooms all the time.  New teachers, aspiring teachers, congressmen, whoever.  Two at a time, four at a time.  One time I counted fourteen standing in the back of my room.   It was always odd to me, though, we had very different approaches to teaching.

He was super laid back where I was crazy strict.
He hated people observing him where I loved it.
He didn't really like to use our Teach for Success techniques where I did.

I just didn't know what it was that made people always come to BOTH of our rooms to observe until that good-bye speech he made.



He stood up at our last Staff Breakfast, and said a bunch of stuff I don't remember and then he said, "I'm gonna give some advice.  Teach kids first.  The rest will come."

By this time I was crying my eyes out, as most people do at this particular breakfast and I thought, that's it.  We had such different styles but the biggest thing we had in common was that we always, always taught kids first.  Not standards.  Not test.  Not material.  Kids.

So, here I go, as the narcissist that I am.  I am starting a how to, dos and don't guide to teaching kids.  I am very well aware of the fact that I totally haven't "arrived" when it comes to this.  There are lessons, moments, days I would do so differently if I were still in the classroom.

Here's what I do know...I have spent the last 11 years totally focused on how to be amazing at my career.  We won't get in to the other side of that coin which is the fact that having a sole focus on anything means the rest of your life goes to !@#$.  No husband, no kids, no future in sight?  That's ok.  I got pretty damn good at teaching, she says in jest.



This will be a totally no nonsense mini-series.  Not how I would coach a teacher.  Totally straight forward.  If you don't wanna read it.  Don't.  If you do.  Do.  If you think I'm off base, tell me.  I just might listen.  I'll always title it, Teach Kids First, so you know if you wanna read it or skip it.  The title, obviously, stolen words from my former colleague-hoepfully he won't mind.

You are probably an amazing teacher who would write this completely different.  But that's the thing about MY blog-I get to write like I'm the "Be all, end all" of EVERYTHING ;)

What?  What's that you say?  You're a teacher and on summer break and the last thing you want to read about is teaching?  I know.  I'm just getting you motivated for next year!

I have a confession...

If you follow me on Facebook, you'll know that long ago in a kingdom far away (Cortez High School), I went to take the Principal Test.

I mentioned that it was a brutal, all day test, where I had to sit (not something I'm very good at) for EIGHT LONG HOURS.

I had to stare at this book for EIGHT HOURS.
I had to bubble in answers for EIGHT HOURS.
I had to write 4 different essays for EIGHT HOURS.

So, I went.  I read.  I bubbled.  I wrote.  I went through TWO entire boxes of pencils.  The next day my neck hurt from looking down for so long.  It was a painful experience for someone who has ADHD who doesn't love sitting for that long.


Anyway, anyone who pays a lot of attention to everything I post on Facebook.  We don't Katie.  Anyway, you'd realize that I posed that I took the test but I never posted the results.

Know why?
BECAUSE I FAILED, THAT'S WHY.


Yes, you read that correctly.  Passing score 240.  My score 239.

I thought I was hallucinating when I read it but, sadly, I was not.

Permission to love people who take responsibility for their actions.  
High five to you!  Sometimes we do it right.  Sometimes we do it wrong but we never make changes unless we fess up and move on.


Permission to not understand when men unbutton a button or two or three on their shirts without shirts underneath.
Why do you do that man?  It looks Creeps McGee


Permission to assume everyone who looks unshowered and/or sketchy is on drugs. 
 I don't know why I do but I really do that.  I'm sorry if you don't shower and look shetchy and ARE NOT on drugs, I have misjudged you.



Permission to leave my wax warmer thing on all day and night.  
Is that bad?  I feel guilty sometimes but I just want it on all the time...and it's just a lightbulb so it's cool, right?


Permission to hate Vertical Blinds

I don't know anyone who likes these. They all fall down, one at a time. Why the hell does anyone put these cheap things up?  They need to be gone from my house now.

Permission to HATE David Arquette.
I don't know what it is about him, his voice...him. How did you get Monica Gellar?! What a DB...but he did kill it on DWTS one week. So, there, I found the silver lining!

Permission to wish crickets were extinct.
I believe they have been created to annoy me personally. I'm quite the narcissist, aren't I. Whatever. They're annoying, so annoying that I have to wear earplugs to bed.

People to get super annoyed by people who don't take initiative
I don't like it when people, from the couch, say, "Can I help?"

I wanna say, "Can you help? Are you stupid? Can you see me up to my elbows in ingredients, dishes, and prep stuff? Do you see a set table? No? Why don't you do that a**hole? Maybe you can clean up or chop something or anything rather than sit there." Newsflash, if it doesn't feel like you're pulling your weight, you're not.


Permission to LOVE people who take initiative
On the other hand, I ALWAYS notice when people take initiative. Thank you for cleaning my house while I was at work. You did NOT have to do that but I certainly appreciate it. Thank you for volunteering to bring something in for a lesson plan. Thank you for picking up your book when you were done with your assignment. Thank you initiative takers!!


Permission to love summer because I have time to blog my ass off!