The Dings in my Armour

I am by nature an optimist, a Pollyanna, a glass half-full sort of person.  My personality has always been my secure armour in this all too often cruel world. 

During the past few months that armour has taken some hard hits.  I almost think it is a life test to make sure that I really am an optimist.  That I’m not faking it or hiding my true feelings.

To be honest, I was beginning to doubt my own optimism. 

Then the other day a dear friend told me that I was amazing because I was still smiling and laughing, even when things weren’t so going so well and I wasn’t feeling my best.  It was a compliment worth thinking about, and I have indeed put some thought into it. 

I really do believe that it is okay to smile and laugh when things aren’t going so well.  In fact, it might help you feel a little bit better, and it may help those around you feel a little bit better too.

I like being an optimist. 

My armour might be dented, but it is still intact. 

And that gives me something to smile about.

Mrs. V 

Do People Realize…

…that preschoolers thought of this game first?

When we have our large motor play equipment out in our big room, such as our climber, balance beam or  bouncy bridge, the floor beneath the equipment becomes lava. 

Every year I watch preschoolers play this game, and  every year I am quite amused by their imagination. 

Where do they learn these things?  Did someone teach them this game?  Did they hear it and see it on a playground?  Did they figure it out for themselves?  The questions remain unanswered.

It just takes one child to mention it, and several will follow that child’s lead.

The lava is already flowing in our classroom. 

I better watch my feet.

Mrs. V

Playing Hide and Seek

 

I’ve been hiding lately.  Not on purpose, mind you, life just has a way of sneaking up on me and hiding the time I need to find to spend on the computer to write a quality post.  So maybe I’ve been seeking more than hiding.  Although, you could say I’ve been hiding out on Facebook and maybe you can find me there if you do a little seeking.  Ready, set, go…

What have I been up to lately?  Oh, you are so sweet to ask!

I’m in my final 3 weeks of teaching the 2008-2009 school year.  I adore these 40 children.  Oh, they’ve had their moments, and some are more memorable than others.  We’re at that point in the year when they are very comfortable at school, enjoy their time there, enjoy their friends and even enjoy me.  I receive more hugs and homemade presents this time of year, and the adoration is genuine.  I joke and say I have them trained so well now, that it is hard to let them go.  Really, it is hard to come to the end of the school year, because I love who these little ones have become and what they have learned being in my classroom.  However, I think I will miss these two groups more than I have missed others.  There is something special about these students and I can’t figure out what it is.

And in Other News:

Larry Boy has some arch enemies.  I like to think of  them as Buzz and Woody.  Buzz and Woody don’t like it when Larry Boy doesn’t share, especially when it involves the tool box.  Larry Boy brought the tool  box to group time, and set it behind him, which is a group time rule.  Larry Boy was patiently waiting to be dismissed at the end of group time, when all of a sudden, Woody, who had been dismissed before Larry Boy, grabbed the tool box in one smooth swipe and ran off with it.  Kudos to Larry Boy for not tackling/hitting Woody, or even throwing a fit.  Woody’s behavior was so out of character that it stunned the adults in the room, and I think it completely stunned Larry Boy.  I made Woody give it back to Larry Boy and Larry Boy agreed to share the tool box.   Larry Boy has come  a long way!

Mr. Inquisitive has a future as the next Steve Martin. His facial expressions are hysterical, especially if I dare to serve fruit or carrot sticks for snack. You’d think I was trying to poison the poor kid. He actually dropped to floor like he was fainting when he saw he was my helper for the day. The kid cracks me up.

The Thinker really has become “The Talker.” This child now speaks freely with the teachers and with the other children. Hooray! The Talker also has become the “Take it Apart and See How it Works Kid.” If something has been dismantled in the classroom, we usually can figure out who did it. The Talker is really quite stealth with these self-appointed duties.

The Little Princess who once asked me if I had killed the dinosaurs, can tell a good story. Her little face and hands become very animated and her stories are punctuated with many “and den” or “ummm, den”, with a few little lip smacks thrown in for effect.

And then there is “Thumbelina.” This student is tiny and an absolute sweetheart.  This child now wants my undivided attention. All.of.the.time. It is hard to be annoyed when someone is so sweet about it, especially when I’ve worked all year to help Thumbelina out of her protective shell. Hmmm… The changes I see are amazing.

Those changes signal the end of another school year, and I’m going to savor all the time I have left with these children!

Mrs. V

P.S.  Thanks for missing me!

Ripped from the Headlines…

Bumble Legally Changes Name to Larry Boy

Bumble declares “You can’t do this to me!  I am Larry Boy!”  Teacher decides that she can and she will, so she did.  (Larry Boy of Veggie Tales declined to comment on the situation.)

Parents Shocked at Teacher’s Choices

Children are placed in parents’ vehicles sopping wet after teachers recklessly allow their students to splash repeatedly in giant mud puddles in play yard!  Teachers were seen laughing as children sat, slid and jumped in puddles.  What will they allow the children to do next?

Sharp Decline in Teacher Gifts is Expected this  School Year

Several issues, including several puddle incidents, may cause parents to reevaluate what funds may be available at the end of the school year to purchase teacher gifts.

Tinfoil:  This Season’s New Accessory

Traveling to outer space?  In need of a fashionable helmet, but short on cash?   Be budget wise and wrap that old construction helmet in tinfoil.  Strategically place NASA and flag stickers and you are ready to fly!  Don’t forget your goggles.

Conferences are Set for Mid-March

Teacher promises to be completely honest with all parents this year.   (Teacher respectfully declined to take a lie detector test.)

Play Dough! Toy or Snack?

Child tries a taste of play dough after witnessing a friend have a bit for a snack.  Child decides that play dough may make a better toy than snack and spits the bite into a kleenex. 

The Thinker’s Thoughts

The Thinker is currently still in discussion with teachers and is considering upgrading to The Talker.  The teachers are hopeful that talks are going in the right direction.

Classroom Noise Level Escalates

Teacher considers use of earplugs to block the noise created by the adults visiting and evaluating the classroom while she is trying to teach. 

Debate:  Should Velcro be Illegal?

After several irritating group sessions in which velcro was abused, the Teacher feels that velcro, especially on shoes, should be considered an illegal substance in the classroom setting.

Comics Page

Reported and Edited by Mrs. V

Because I have a strange sense of humor

Oh, I love Sesame Street, but I also love dark humor. And this cartoon hit my funny bone just right.

It’s sad, sick, and even downright disturbing. 

Does this change your opinion of me?

Mrs. V

Who is spending way too much time on the computer today, but my December newsletter and calendar are done!  Another reason to smile.

Edited 11-24-08 to add:  Please check out Life is Funny Wearing Purple Colored Glasses. I like it when I find people who have the same sense of humor as me! I love reading her blog, go and check it out!  I did not realize I had posted the same cartoon as she did, because I am so far behind in my blog readings.  That’ll teach me!