93/180 Fabulous Field Trip Friday!

Last week we had a wonderful, virtual concert field trip 

with the Music Center and the Chic Street Man.

I didn't think anything could top that

but this week we had another amazing learning experience.

This time we visited the Roundhouse Aquarium.

For an hour,

we were introduced to an assortment

of interesting and beautiful sea life.

Our guide, Mr. Juan,

was not only full of facts and tidbits,

but patient, accommodating, and kid friendly too.

What more can a teacher ask for?!

For the past several years,

we have been able to take our ETK-PCC students

on at least a dozen field trips every school year.

I felt it was important that my students experience 

what their city had to offer

and inspire them to discover and learn

about the world around them.

I was crushed that I won't be able to do that for this group of students.

We have been able to go on many virtual field trips,

not the same experience,

but still an experience.

As a teacher,

I am so grateful for the community institutions

that are doing their best to adapt and modify

their programs 

in order to continue to offer meaningful

and engaging learning experiences virtually

for students.

Some are have been more successful than others,

but all are done with care and consideration

for the needs of educators and students.

So to all of them THANK YOU!

Thank you

Roundhouse Aquarium

Thank you 

Music Center

Thank you 

Skirball Cultural Center,

Getty Center, 

Petersen Automobile Museum,

Natural History Museum

California Science Center

Columbia Memorial Space Center

Aquarium of the Pacific

and on and on it goes.

Keep doing what you are doing.

We appreciate you

and the students need you.

92/180 I NEED TO VENT

I had planned a different post for today.

I had caught E monitoring her reading

and as an early literacy teacher

my heart sang with joy!

But that's not what I want to start off with.

I have something I HAVE TO say...

As I was scrolling down the different Instagram posts tonight

one meme caught my eye.

Yet another Bernie Mitten meme,

usually they are light-hearted and 

they don't seem to bother Bernie much.

But this one pissed me off,

so much so that I had to comment.

I generally don't engage in threads 

where I could be attacked-verbally for my opinion,

but this was important.

I just wanted to state a different point of view.

In the meme,

the newer teachers were moving and dancing,

while the veteran (Bernie-I'm just assuming he represents us veterans)

was sitting still.

I didn't create the meme, 

so I am not certain what the message was,

but to me,

the message was that the veteran teacher was either bored or uninterested.

The comparison to the newer teacher was obvious.

They were more exciting, energetic, attractive, and maybe more involved?

So here lies my problem...

why are we pitting teachers against each other?

I would like to think we all entered the profession because we wanted to make a difference in the lives of students.

I'd be the first to admit that not all teachers are great.

Some should not be teaching.

But I would like to think they are the exception,

and not the rule.

Just because we are "more experienced" doesn't make us less willing to adapt and learn.

Just because we are "newer" and more familiar with new ways of instruction doesn't make us experts in how to relate to children and families.

No. 

We are ALL TEACHERS.

Why divide us rather than unite us?

It's not racism,

but it is discrimination.

There's no place for that in education,

especially not now.

As an older, 

(I've reach the top of the seniority list at two schools now, so I am old),

I was offended.

Not just for me, 

but for the other veteran teachers

I collaborate, network, and teach with.

They are the first to volunteer to serve,

go the extra mile for a child struggling,

write grants for field trips and materials,

advocate for students that need services,

and sign up for classes on their weekends and vacation breaks

just to learn how to reach more students, gain more knowledge,

and be better at what they do.

They don't sit around.

They can dance and strut too.

I'll just end my venting with quotes from a newer, gifted teacher I know, 

who's not so new now.

We were at the Education Nation's Teacher Town Hall a decade ago.

Someone on the panel started to bring up bad teachers

and wanted to pit public school educators vs their charter school counterparts,

veteran teachers vs. newer teachers.

Mr. Jairo De La Torre stood up and said:

“You show me a teacher who perhaps isn’t up to standard, I’ll show you a teacher who’s not being supported.  I’ll show you a teacher who doesn’t have the funding they need. I’ll show you a teacher who doesn’t have the resources they need. I’ll show you a community that’s in need.” 

Sometimes,

it's not about age or experience.

Let's support one another.

We can all be great.

*I would like acknowledge that the meme appears to have been deleted from the site I originally saw it. 

Hopefully we can focus on what unites us as teachers. #funnyteachermemesRok 

I have to end where I began, 

talking about things that make my heart sing.

After 34 years of teaching,

I still feel everyday in the classroom is a gift.

Today my gifts were...

the sounds of children playing with playdough,

the number 5 shown in different ways,

N's voice requesting what she wants me to bring her,

and E monitoring her reading!

NOTE: Her dad gently guided her. In person, I would have let her struggle to figure it out on her own, and she would have. Not a big deal. I am just so grateful they show up and I have amazing families that support their learning. It's a Win-Win!

91/180 Breakout Rooms

I love working in small groups.
It gives me a chance to get to know my students better.
I can focus on them individually 
and learn their strengths
and the areas they need more support in.

Creating Breakout Rooms on Zoom is a little more challenging.
It's not difficult
but it can be time-consuming
and you can't create the groups before hand
so while you teach
you create the rooms and options.
Much to learn
but worth it
to get some more intimate time with my kiddos.

I am getting better at creating google slides.
Last week I learned how to animate them.
Once again

not hard

just takes time.
We are now publishing our daily slides for parents.
That way they can revisit what we did in class

and if their child missed anything

they can go back.

Goals for this week...
Creating sensory, art learning backpacks.

Thanks to generous donors again

my students will get what they need

to make this NOT normal school year

seem a little more "normal."
#luckyteacherluckystudents

90/180 Half-Way to the Unknown

We are halfway through our school year. 

It's not the BEST way to teach ETK

but we are doing our best

and our students are doing their best

and our families are doing their best.

I still love teaching.
I still love learning.
It's just different.
I wasn't too eager to get vaccinated.
I'm still not eager to get vaccinated
but I will do it
because we need to get back to school
and students need to be with other students
and parents need a break.

But I wonder
what school will really be like when we get back.

89/180 Play... Play... Playdough!

Playdough should be required in every Early Childhood Education classroom.

We did a class "read" of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom today.

Thanks to generous donors, 

each of my students got their own copy of the book in their winter gift bags.

Then we made letters with playdough.

You can do a lot with playdough,

letters, numbers, quantity, shapes, 

but the best thing about playdough

is that my kids get to PLAY with playdough.

Mondays are always long days.

Today I had 6 Zoom meetings:

Monday Morning Assembly

Zoom Class

PD Zoom

Staff Meeting Zoom

8th Grade Parent Zoom

District Advisory Council Zoom

And sometimes two zooms overlap.

#extradeviceshelps

88/180 Yes Elizabeth, We Can Paint Today

Today we continued our study of buildings.

Then, we were treated with a special concert, 

courtesy of the Music Center.

Wasn't sure about attending,

but it's music,

and it's from the Music Center,

how bad could it be?

It..... was.... AMAZING!

It was interactive too.

Students participate through Zoom responses,

and Mr. Chic Street Man was not only engaging,

and talented, 

but a gifted educator as well.

If I had to plan a successful virtual performance for students,

his would be what I would hope for. 

Music matters!

I wish all my students could have attended.

Some didn't have anyone to help them access the new zoom link.

What I learned...

You can hold your third device and 

if you aim the camera just so...

After the concert, we painted.

To be honest,

painting wasn't on the lesson slides today.

I was going to have students make a high frequency word book

and then have free play.

Elizabeth asked if we could paint today.

I didn't see why we couldn't...

Great ideas from young minds.

So we learned how to make pink.

It was P's birthday today.

This year, I decided to celebrate 5th birthdays

with special treats. (mini bundt cakes)

We can't be at school to celebrate,

they can't have birthday parties at home,

so I wanted to do a little something

to recognize each child

and let them know we care about them!

4 January cakes delivered today.

2 December cakes delivered last month.

= 15 more to go!

First stop,

I got flowers.

After 4th stop,

I got this!

#tacosdechicharron

Being a delivery person has its benefits!

87/180 "Teaching is not what I do, it's who I am." -FLOTUS

Can I just say how refreshing it is to have one of us in the White House,

and she gets it.

Spent a little time this afternoon listening to three teachers

talk about what it's really like to be a teacher today.

Hopefully with Dr. Biden in the house

teaching and teachers

will be elevated in status,

supported and celebrated.

One of my goals this year 

is to learn how to create interactive and appropriate activities 

online.

A year ago, 

I couldn't even imagine teaching full-time online

but here we are.

I'm still teaching.

I'm still learning.

It's all good.

I have been writing down something each day that brings me joy.
Today, it was sitting in my Subaru,

in the parking lot,

of a Rosemead shopping center,

after buying 4 bundt cakes,

for my kiddos turning 5 this month.

It was a nice 20 minutes.

The other thing that brought me joy today 

was having Bernie sit in my classroom

during circle time. (wink, wink!)

86/180 For there is always light...

What a very emotional and beautiful day.

New beginnings and renewed hope

for a brighter tomorrow.

It was Inauguration Day,

I wasn't sure how much,

if any, of it would be appropriate for my students.

So,

I made a slide deck.

 Inauguration Day 2021 Slide Deck

I wanted my students to be a part of history.

I ended up showing one segment.

The most beautiful poem 

read aloud

by a gifted and talented

writer of words.

It turns out that she is the daughter 

of an LAUSD teacher,

and had speech and learning challenges.

My students have speech and learning challenges.

She was a vision of hope for them,

and an inspiration to all.

To honor our new president and vice present

we made collages in the colors of the United States of America.

We wore pearls, 

fancy jewelry, 

tiaras, 

and 

shades.

History happened today.

My students saw what they could be today.

We celebrated diversity today.

A woman of color became the Vice President today.

It was a good day for America.

85/180 Lucky Teacher, Lucky Kids

 It's always nice to get happy mail.

I was surprised and thrilled when I opened my email last night

to find both of my Donorschoose projects funded!

Lucky kids!

I created a vision board on canvas this year.

I never finished my vision board for 2020.

Well, I did complete most of it

but nothing panned out after Covid,

so I tossed it into the garbage 

and started fresh.

This year I incorporated my goals/visions into a painting.

I got this crazy idea at the Dollar Tree last week.

Why don't I have my students create a painting

and set a goal (Choose a word) for 2021.

So I wrote a project,

and now my students will get aprons, acrylic paints, brushes,

canvases, paint pallets, and scratch paper too!

There's a lot of kindness in the world.

We began our after class enrichment/tiered groups again.

There were 5 EL students 

and three adults.

I got to work with P one on one.

Making connections

while teaching the letter C.

I love my job!

I love my students too.

Balloons, Cake, Flowers, Family, and Friends #58

I wasn't planning or expecting much this birthday.

My only wish was for  peace.

It had been quite a challenging week the week before...

and the week before that.

My only wish was for peace.

Not being told I had ruined some teens life

or asked to drive across town 

because there was a rumor of a PS5.

Nope, my only wish was for peace.

What I got was much more than expected.

In my family,

When it's your birthday

you are suppose to honor the person that gave birth to you.

When mom was here

it was "take her to dinner" night.

I didn't mind, 

because it made sense to me.

So to start my birthday weekend,

I donated a pint to Cedars Sinai as I did the year before. 

It was CS that gave me one more birthday with Mom.

I hope I can do the same for someone else's mom.

x

When it's your birthday,

or any time,

you pass by a Trader Joe's,

you should get flowers.

Just get them.

It will make you feel better.

Better yet,

pick up extra to make others feel better too.

It's always nice to start any day, 

but especially your 58th birthday,

with your 4 pound trusted buddy,

walking along the Pacific Ocean,

catching up with a dear friend,

before the crowd comes.

Thank you Laura.

Since I couldn't take Mom to dinner,

I decided to grab some grub 

for my two favorite seniors.

Nana always requests El Pollo Loco,

and Frances isn't too picky, 

so it wasn't too much trouble to pick up lunch for them.

Nana always expects that I will come through with

her Oatmeal cookies 

and my, now her, favorite Starbucks drink,

and I do.

Iced green tea, with guava juice, and 3 stevias.

She doesn't know I substitute the stevia for sugar

and I don't need to tell her.

Free one for me today because it was my birthday!

58 isn't so bad.

Just when you think your day couldn't get any better...

You drive up and see that someone (favorite parent volunteer)

left something for you,

on your lawn, 

and your porch.

Totally unexpected,

just like the Daley girls Happy Birthday Banner 

surprise the day before.

58 is looking better and better.

The rest of my afternoon 

was spent chilling on the couch,

eating leftovers,

and watching the Chiefs beat the Browns,

waiting for cake time.

Those that know me,

know that cake

is a must for birthdays.

When you're a single mommy,

with a teen and a Daniel,

you probably should buy your own cake 

if you want one.

So I did.

But then one arrives from NYC,

and 3 arrive via bundt tree.

Yes, there will be cake.

You know you are lucky 

when you get Facebook greetings 

and happy birthday texts,

and sweet surprise deliveries from

your adult Student-Children too.

I got to end my day

with Zoom Chats with family and friends,

and helping create a GoFundMe

for a sweet friend gone too soon.

It was something I wanted to do,

because it was my birthday,

and I am grateful to have a 58.

Not everyone gets a 58.

I didn't expect much,

I only wanted peace.

I got so much more.

Blessed.

84/180 Less Can Be More

When you have a fraction of the time

to teach the same amount of content

that you use to have all day to teach

you pick and choose,

and you are going to lose too,

but we do the best we can with what we have.

We started our Buildings Study this week.

It's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday.

We did a little bit of both today

using 73 slides 

and managed to sneak in 

Ukulele "class" too.

This week's classes have brought some wonderful positives.

AM and D joined our class on Tuesday!

It had been months since we had seen then

and I was hoping I would before the end of the year.

They both surprised us by popping into our screen.

D, still in her bed on Monday,

was sitting at a table today.

Progress!

Today A showed up in class

with a whiteboard next to him.

He danced and participated 

most of the time.

I was so proud of him.

Little steps.

Ended our day with a challenge. 

It's optional.

But then you get a text like a few hours later...

It is a different kind of year.

Not bad.

Just going to be different.

Great job Julian!

83/180 Today

Today J asked me how to tell when a gorilla was angry.

He had a dream last night about a gorilla and needed to know.

Today, we found out.

Today we drew pictures of our favorite building.

I drew the Natural History Museum.

I miss not being able to take the Metro

and lead a class of 4-5 year olds

and their parents,

though the city,

and Union Station,

to introduce them to a magical place,

to explore dinosaur bones and gems.

Today I dropped off a new whiteboard,

some markers,

playdough,

and copy paper

to A's house.

Today I reminded him to keep them in a safe place for school.

I hope he understands.

I don't speak Spanish well,

but I used a lot of gestures!

Today I picked up A's magnetic whiteboard.

He had used a permanent marker to draw circles on it.

Today with expert advice 

from Facebook

I made the permanent marker disappear.

A will have a magnetic whiteboard once again!

Today my best friend since 4th grade

sent me a cake.

Not just any cake.

A cake from NYC.

A sweet way to end today.