A "Full" Day

Some days are "full" as in way too busy, but others are "full" as in "your cup runneth over," and you cannot explain the joy that you had. Today was that kind of full day for me.

It began bright and early at 6:30 this morning when I was sitting at my computer in my classroom. A great friend walked in and just poured an ocean of encouragement over me. It was as if she saw a dry, desert plant in need of a drink and decided to unleash a fire hose on it. MAN, did I need her words!

Promptly at 8:00, the "fullness" continued as I watched our 3rd graders practice for our grade level performance on Thursday. The way those kids memorize lines, lyrics, and dances would put any elephant memory to shame! The last song of the program is so amazing too! Such an encouraging song coming from sincere little voices. I would love to tell you more about it, but its kind of a surprise. I will be posting a video of it after we perform.

At 10:45 the day just got "fuller." My assistant principal and I mentor a group of 5th grade boys at school. Once a month we meet and discuss manners, being gentlemen, etc. Occasionally, we leave school for a unique learning experience. Today, thanks to the awesome folks at Outback in Spartanburg, we took the boys and the ladies mentorship club out for a fantastic lunch. Outback really out did themselves. The ladies wore their nicest dresses and all of the gents had on the shirts and ties sponsored by our club. They all were so well behaved and looked so good. I was beyond proud!

When I returned to school at 12:30, I came back to a classroom full of Robotic engineers. I arranged for our district science coach to be there this week to get my students going with the Lego Robotics program. My students are amazing!!! Go here to check it out.

www.mrdearyburysclass.blogspot.com

At 1:00 I ran down to visit the first grade where I slipped into character as "Sophisticated Sam." Sam is the boy counterpart to the new, famous book character Fancy Nancy. Our first grade does an incredible job teaching their students about manners through this unit. They conclude with a very "fancy" party on the last day of the week. My role is to be an example for all the boys. The kids were so good while I played the part alongside our guidance counselor Mrs. Arnold...AKA: Miss Manners.

After school I had an awesome, well deserved hour long massage before heading over to the first night of Upward Soccer practice. The first practice was sooooo much fun. I decided to handle the first day of practice just like the first day of school. We did lots of team building activities and "get to know ya" kind of games. The kids were very well behaved! And the best part...One of my students from school is on my team!

Shew...just typing all about today wore me out, but MAN... HOW FULL was my day! It is days like this that teachers need to store in a jar and pull it out a take a big swig on the days when we fill so defeated. Unfortunately, those days can come way to often if you let them. Thankfully, this day filled up my jar, ran right over the brim, on the table, down to the floor, and across the room. It was so good, I am gonna leave the mess everywhere and just take it all in!

Class Webpage

After years of teaching and seeing other teachers' really cool class websites, I bit the bullet a couple of weeks ago and started my own class page. I jumped in the deep water and added a class blog too. It is still a work in progress, but I decided to go ahead and put it out there for my kiddos and parents. I would love for you to stop by and check it out. Be sure to sign our guestbook too. The kids love seeing who stopped by to visit. They think they are famous!

Visit the class page HERE!

Ice Maker

Someone asked me today if I could be any kitchen appliance, utensil, item, etc. which one would I be. I listened to the others in the room discuss their answers, and after a moment of thought, I decided that I would like to be an ice maker. Here's why.

1. Ice makers chill out. They are cool, calm, collected with no worries.

2. Ice makers are change agents. They literally impact water in such a way that it changes its state of matter!

3. Ice makers create solid results. Water has no stability, no shape, no form...but after one visit to the ice maker, it is solid!!!

4. Ice makers are hard working. It works all throughout the night to be ready for the next day. Many times during the night I hear its fruitful labor as the ice falls into the tray below.

5. The fruit of an ice maker is something everyone wants. That fruit makes an impact on any and everything it encounters.

Ironically, a lot of the qualities of an ice maker are qualities I desire for my own life. I want to be cool and calm. Who doesn't want to be a change agent? Everyone wants to create solid results and work hard. I most definitely want people to want the fruit that my life produces.

Hopefully this blog has got you to thinking about your kitchen...what would you want to be? Drop me a line and share. Be sure to think of me next time you get ice!

Powdered Wig

A teacher friend of mine found this idea online to make powdered wigs for her class play. I thought I would model one for my faithful readers. To make these she got painter's hats from Home Depot and simply glued cotton all over it. Great idea huh??

Teacher Tech Nerd

In one day's time I have been introduced to 5 sites for technology integration into my classroom. None of them are new...Guess I have been out of the loop. You may not see me again for quite a while as I try to devour them all. I think weebly is my favorite. I am currently in the process of building a class website. My students this year are pushing me farther than I have gone before, and I want to give them what they need! I am a teacher tech nerd! I can't help it.

If you are a teacher, check these sites out!

www.classdojo.com

www.weebly.com

www.interactivesites.weebly.com

www.appitic.com

www.qrcode.kaywa.com ***

Ask me about this one. LOVE the possibilities!

My Job Is Important!

This video reminded me of why my job is so important!

Running History

One year ago today I running history! No, I wasn't the fastest on the track. I didn't win anything. I surely didn't break a world record. What I did do though was make my own history. For the first time in my life, my legs carried me on a 26.2 mile journey that I will never forget. The medal is proudly hanging on my wall, and I think about this day often. Even though I have since run 2 more, this one will always have a special place in my running history. It was long, hilly, and hard. There was no food at the end, and I spit all over some runner. My IT Band was injured before I ever started, and I was in pain from mile 5 til the end. I choked on water while I was running, and gorged on oranges around mile 22. But, I finished nonetheless with a whole group of family and friends there to cheer me on! Yes, I looked like a chicken as I crossed the finish line with my arms flapping with exhaustion, but the finish line was Oh so sweet! If you are new to the blog or need to reminisce, you can read about it here.

Publix Georgia Marathon

Publix Georgia Marathon Part 2

All day today, I will be thinking about that long journey and eagerly anticipating the next. My mom and sister finally said they were ready to start training for a 5k. We are starting their training today on The Rail Trail. That's where it all begins... Start making your history today!

Go Green

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is a collection of green things.

Thursday Things

1. I won a prize today on Facebook from Carson Dellosa. They are every teacher's favorite educational supplier.

2. We had a very emotional afternoon in my class today as we said goodbye to a great student who is moving. Yes, I cried.

3. I went out to run 6 after school and ran 8.2 instead. Bonus miles are always good.

4. The faculty at my school is amazing. They have such giving hearts and love to help. They showed that today in a great way.

5. I had a completely vegetarian pizza tonight for dinner. Not sure what came over me. Those portobello mushrooms were just hitting the spot I guess.

6. Whenever I was shopping at Target tonight, I needed a buggy because I walked right by them at the door. I prayed for one. The next aisle past had 2 empty ones. It's the little things.

7. It's the night before a teacher work day, and I am almost giddy thinking about working in my classroom all day.

8. My house is hot, but I am stubborn and not turning the sir in yet. It's not time.

9. I mailed a stamped, self addressed envelope for the first time today. Can't wait for it to come back to me with my prize inside.

10. I'm going to bed at 9:20. It's been a great day!

"Surprise" Party

Tonight my friends Kati and Matt ventured to Kan Pai for our weekly Monday night dinner. This has quickly become my favorite time of the week. It is a laid back, chilled out way to start the week. Little did we know when we sat down at the table all the fun that awaited us!

I am not sure how it all began, but somehow our chef Jamie thought that he heard me say it was my birthday. I assured him that it wasn't but that it was coming soon on April 10th. He said, "why not celebrate early?" My response, "Well, we celebrate Jesus' birthday for 3 months now. I am sure He won't mind if I have a whole month." This sent the table of strangers into fits of laughter. Next thing I know, I had this birthday hat on me trying to change the water into wine!!!

So here we were at Kan Pai, a whole month out from my birthday, and I am having an impromptu "surprise" birthday party with 2 of my best friends and 5 strangers who thought I was a big ole idiot!! Before the whole shin dig started, I told Kati that I wanted to stand up behind the grill and cook with the chef. He was not even out there when I said that. Low and behold, as soon as it's my birthday, the chef asked me to come up and cook!!! I was soooo excited! He asked me to do some egg trick, which I failed miserably, but I got to cook for a second nonetheless. Below is a pic and a 12 second video of my cooking debut!

The chef asked me if I wanted a birthday cake for my party. Although I had a cupcake at dinner, I ran extra this week, and seeing how it was my birthday, I said of course! He asked me if I liked lemon cake... Below is what he got me! All 5 tables in the restaurant then sang to me! By this time, Matt and Kati were under the table with embarrassment, but I was laughing hysterically. Mind you, I kept reminding him that it was NOT my birthday. He kept referring to Jesus' 3 month celebration. Guess he liked my quick wit!

After the party was over I had to get pics with some of my guests. I never got their names, but I felt like I knew them. I learned all about a favorite 4th grade teacher named Mrs. Silver. She sounded like a great lady. Used to teach at E.P. Todd. Anyone know her? Make sure she sees this! These people are adventurous eaters too. They had lots of sushi and the bean sprouts. I don't know anyone who likes those. Kudos to you guys. I gave them the blog address. Hopefully they will leave a message and tell me who they are.

This picture here is of some of the greatest friends you could ever have!!! Big thanks to Kati and Matt for a birthday celebration I will NEVER EVER forget!

Walking With BB

This afternoon I took a walk with my sister and nieces down to a little pond we used to fish at when we were little. As we walked, my sister and I talked about how much things had changed since we were younger, yet that little pond had stayed the same. It was so neat to see the girlies enjoy the same view that we had when we were little.

During the walk we introduced the girls to "cow patties," the girls practiced climbing the gate into the pasture, and they off their running skills to their BB. Ya'll know I was proud! My sister and I talked about how we didn't like litterbugs, Taylor gave me an environmental lesson on how cars are bad for the environment and we should only ride bikes, and Sophie kept asking us if we were proud because she wasn't whining.

Isn't it funny how we all plan these amazing family vacations, spend money on huge family dinners, and go in debt with presents around Christmas and birthdays, yet this walk was a great time of being together, and the cost was absolutely free! Hopefully there will be many more of these walks!

Word Vomit

It's no wonder that older folks say things like, "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar." There is so much wisdom and truth in that simple little phrase. What good ever comes from irrationally spewing hateful words with a harsh tone? Lord knows I have had my moments of word vomit...

That is a self coined phrase that describes the moment when your words come out in a projectile like manner. It is NOT a pretty sight. The mouth opens and the words force their way out like a raging river past flood stage. As you see the words exit, you know that disaster is soon to follow. Word vomit is usually proceeded by a period of remorse and regret, multiple apologies, and wishing you could take it all back. I am pretty sure most of you can relate. Even the quietest person I know has had a case of this disease a time or two.

Over the last year of so I have really worked hard on taking extra precautions against this dreaded illness. I pray a whole lot! I try to surround myself with people who invite happy speech. I attempt to counteract any word vomit that others may spew with a positive attitude and encouragement. Many times when I sense that others are about to hurl, I say something nice as an antidote to the poison. Almost always, it reverses the effects of their venom.

If you have been around the blog in the last few months then you know how I am working at staying positive, exuding happiness in an otherwise grumpy world, and being nice to those around me. I must say it taste a lot sweeter in my mouth than the wretched bitterness that arrives after the moment of word vomit. Next time you go to say something remember what the old folks say...

"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

Give It Away

When I was little we used to sing a song in Vacation Bible School about sharing. It said,

"Share with one another.

Share with one another.

This is the happy way to

share with one another."

The song could go on forever...Love one another. Care for one another. Bless one another. etc.

I catch myself singing this often throughout my school day. The life of a teacher is constant sharing. We share our knowledge with children. We share our time with parents before and after school...well beyond our "7:30-2:30" time frame that most people think we work. We share our plans and lessons with coworkers. It is a constant job of "giving it away."

I personally would not have it any other way. That's why I am a teacher. I want to "give away" whatever I have that will make the students, the parents, the profession be successful! I cannot imagine for the life of me being so greedy that I kept everything I had to myself. What good is that?

Every now and then you run across people who want to hoard it all up. It's kinda sad really. Just give it away. When you do it just makes room for more good to come in!

Turn It Around

This morning my student teacher and I changed all the seats around in the classroom. We were down right giddy as we waited for the students to come in. We both both recollected about times when we were in school that the teacher "rearranged" the seating chart. I always loved getting a new seat. It meant I was getting to move away from people who were starting to annoy me and hopefully get closer to someone who I liked.

Now that I am a teacher I realize that the main reason teachers rearrange is because there is too much chaos going on somewhere in the room and it needs to be busted up. Which was not necessarily the case in my room, (wink, wink) but they needed a fresh perspective.

One student in particular was NOT happy with the seat that was assigned. Instantly disbelief, shock, and dismay took over. The usual smiling face that adorns this student turned as sour as freshly squeezed lemon! I was a bit surprised at this reaction. We gave each seat assignment a lot of thought and believed that everyone would be happy. Apparently we were dead wrong about this one.

I called the student over and we began to chat. I listened to the concerns because I like for ms students to feel that they have a voice. I want to validate them and their opinions early on in life so that when they are older they will not be afraid to speak up for themselves. That does not mean that they will always get what they want with me, but I will always listen.

As I listened to the concerns of this child, I realized they were valid, but for the next few weeks, toughing it out was gonna have to be the solution. I waved my magic teacher wand over the head of this frowning face and assured the worried soul that I would monitor the situation and adjust if needed. I tried really hard to get that frowny face flipped back upright so the day would go more pleasant, but I could not get it to budge.

For about two hours the bottom lip was out, the eyes were droopy, and the arms were folded in pure disgust. Then, as if my magic wand had somehow worked, the face brightened, the eyes sparkled like the stars and a fresh attitude set in. As I noticed the change take place right before my eyes, I had to applaud the effort I had seen. I must admit that I over did it just a bit as I poured out my praise at this attitude adjustment. "What an awesome job at turning it around!!!" I said in the most excited "teachery" voice I could. The face continued to beam and the famous dimples made an appearance. The day proceeded without a hitch; crisis diverted and peace abounded!

After I pondered on the incident a bit, I attempted to glean a lesson from my students as I often do. This time the lesson was clear... Don't stay in a funk, turn it around!

Happy Anniversary

On March 1st, 2010 when I took that first step down Cool Water Ct., I am confident that I had no idea what I was doing. I was wearing a pair of worn out New Balance sneakers that were scuffed on the sides to the point that the Chinese made foam which made the puffy rim of the shoe was exposed to all things America. My 100% cotton socks were already wet from sweat because I had worn them all day, and my legs wanted to hide their winter nakedness rather than be exposed to the warm spring sun. Yet, I went anyway...

The shirt was no microfiber, wicking, aerodynamic masterpiece. It was some .99 cent Goodwill special I pulled out of my "mission trip" clothing drawer because I didn't want to mess up my good clothes. The shorts were a pair of too tight, size 31 basketball shorts that I pillaged from my roommates bottom drawer. I was a size 36. I was no athlete. Never had been. Never wanted to be. This clothing was as foreign to me as a steak is to a vegan. Yet, I went anyway.

Something drove me out there in spite of my clothing inadequacies. I am not sure if it was the desire to look fit in my bathing suit that summer, the need for healthier habits, the desire to eat a Krispy Kreme without worrying over the calories, or a combination of all of those topped with a dose of curiosity. Curiosity of could I really do this; Could I really change the outward appearance of myself to match the fun, excited, out going person that lie beneath the pounds that hid me??? Fearful and full of self doubt... Yet, I went anyway.

2 years later as I type this blog and think about the wonderful journey that started as I trotted off down my street that day, I cannot help but be overwhelmed by the Amazing Grace that has carried me every step. I did indeed change that outward appearance, but more importantly the inside changed as well. Once insecure, unworthy, and defeated, I now feel empowered, victorious, and confident. It's almost surreal to think how this new person, that had been there all along, emerged as a result of that first mile on March 1, 2010. I'm so glad I went.

Happy Anniversary to me!!!