passionately curious

Summer is Coming

    At this time in May, children begin to feel anxious about the end of the year.  In a heartbeat, they react with tears or anger, even for the smallest infractions.  The room is bustling with energy, constant movement and noise.  Every few minutes my voice calls out with reminders, "Work quietly, keep your hands to yourself, sit down."  As we walk down the hall in some semblance of a line, children are spinning, jumping, tapping on the walls, even popping their heads into their old classrooms just to say a quick hello.    All the rules and routines of the last 152 days seem to have been forgotten or never learned at all.  It's a wonder we get any work done at all. 

Here's a snapshot of my day:
During snack, a Eli's blue "gogurt" exploded across the table.  Drops of blue yogurt covered work papers and streaked children's clothing and hair. 

During a measurement lesson in math, Lauren asked if she could use a ruler to measure her nose.  All day, she kept pulling her socks down to completely cover her shoes. She walked around with "sock shoes."

Molly came to me with an empty lunchbox that her parents forgot to pack.

Joe decided to take on the role of teacher today.  In addition to scolding other children for misbehavior, he also corrected me several times as I read out loud.

As you walked past my room, you may have overheard me saying, "Stop shooting guns and making those sound effects!"

Carly's braid got caught in the zipper of another child's backpack. Ouch!

But then...
Katie, who has struggled with reading most of the year, read independently at a 5th grade level on reading assessment. 

    It's a crazy, busy time of year.  I'm often impatient, frustrated and sometimes grumpy and when I can come up for air, I am counting down the days until summer.  Moments like the one with Katie today, however, put it all into perspective.  Hurdles jumped. Challenges met.  New learning, thinking, growing.  Confidence. Pride. Joy!






   
   

Ending

It's been nearly a month since I last posted and it's all a blur.  Five days of school left and I haven't begun to slow down.  Instead, I'm going nonstop - planning, teaching, mediating, helping, encouraging, reassuring (both students and parents).   The energy is high.  Children are excited and anxious about the end of the year.  Arguments seems to break out every few minutes - "He did this or she did that!"  The kids can't seem to stop chatting and are often silly.  Assessments are underway, parent-conferences are finished or scheduled, and my students visited a third grade class to ask questions about the year to come.

Last night, we celebrated the year with a family potluck.  This is a long standing tradition at my school and one that really brings families and teachers together.  We ate in the cafeteria and children were able to run and play in an adjoining courtyard playground.  As an end-of-the year gift, I put together a iDVD for each child to take home.   Field trips, classroom celebrations, work and play times were all documented in photos.  As I put the slide shows together and tried to find just the right songs, I was taken by how much these children had grown - not only in height but also in all the things they learned and accomplished this year (academically, socially and emotionally).   They ARE ready to begin a new adventure in third grade.

It's been a difficult year for me.  The kids are all terrific and I've grown fond of them.  Each has something special about him or her, they love learning and work hard. The teaching year, however,  has been exhausting.  Pam and I have worked hard to make many accomodations for children with learning issues and classroom management has been a struggle (although it's often felt like a battle).    I'm fortunate that most parents have been supportive and willing to follow our recommendations.  At the potluck, several expressed their sincere thanks to me.  Most didn't seem to really know what a challenge this year has been.  Somehow, their child had a good year despite my own doubts, frustrations, and worries as a teacher.  I worked so hard this year and their recognition meant a great deal.  Here's one of my favorite slideshows from the DVD. Something about the song and the pictures together got me a little choked up.

 

 

You've Got a Friend in Me, Randy Newman
Toy Story Soundtrack, released 1995

Words of Wisdom

Our school year came to an end today.  As always, there's joy in the thoughts of beginning summer - lazy days at the park, splashing at the beach, reading on the porch each morning while my daughter blows bubbles, just spending time with my family.  It's also a time to reflect on the year and how much my students have grown.   They have each become such a part of my daily life and it's a little sad letting them go - but they're ready.  As a final activity, the children worked on Memory Books, repsonding to questions about their favorite second grade fieldtrips and projects, listing the names of their friends, and getting everyone's autograph.  One page asked each student to give advice to the student who will sit in his/her chair next year.  Some children merely copied our class sayings:
Do the best you can and keep going!
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
If you know better, do better.

Other children had advice unique to their own experiences this year.  At least I know that they were listening!

Never be very, very loud.
Always be pretty quiet.
Use your words.
If you can't concentrate, move!
Always listen to the teachers.
Don't kick or punch.
No yelling in the classroom.
Be nice and never mean.

And finally, one that made the entire year meaningful:
Be glad you have these teachers.  They're the best!

Bitter Sweet

As an end-of-the-year field trip, we ventured out on Lake Michigan for an architectural tour. In the fall, we had studied the Great Lakes and thought that this would be a great way to wrap up the year.  Chicago spring weather is unpredictable.  The morning began cool and hazy, most of the lakefront covered in patches of fog.  Luckily, during the boat ride, the clouds parted and a warm sun made its appearance.  Our "tour guide" was a recording that was often difficult to hear or too fast to understand.  Most of the children weren't paying attention anyway.  They were more interested in watching the tall schooner that sailed near us or talking to their friends.  One little girl moved close to me and said, "Ms. Harrison, I can't hear what the man is saying and he's talking too fast.  How am I going to remember 3 facts  to write in my journal tomorrow?"  I told her not to worry about facts, just enjoy the ride.  Surprised and with a smile, she snuggled next to me.  We leaned back, breathed in the fresh air, and enjoyed one of our last moments together as teacher and student.