I Am Your Plan Break: My 37 years as a Public School "Specials" Teacher

THE ONE WHEN LIFE SEEMED PERFECT  2009-2010: Wichita Public Schools: White PreK-5 Library Our boys were now in High School at Campus High. We were active in our new church St. Peters. Brad went through RCIA and became Catholic. Our boys attended CYO (though years later they told me they hated it!) We seemed to be a perfect family. I often feel guilty about these years and how I used to be. I was narrow minded and judgemental. If you didn’t fit into my world and point of view, I had nothing to do with you. I missed out on connecting with some great people and family members during this time period. Life and its experiences have a way of opening your heart and allowing you to mend/correct your ways. I am happy to tell you that I have.  I believe that the 2009-2010 school year is when a team of 4th/5th grade girls represented our school in the district's Battle of the Books competion. I am a competitive person and really struggled with getting our participants to read the 100 bo...

THE ONE WHERE I TELL YOU ABOUT HOW TECHNOLOGY CHANGED EDUCATION 2008-2009: Wichita Public Schools: White PreK-5 Library During the 2008-2009 school year I noticed that students' behaviors really started to become more challenging. I honestly believe that this had to do with cell phones now becoming common. I believe that this was the beginning of what I call THE BIG DISCONNECT. As more parents “plugged in” less attention was given to their children. Of course you see it today all the time, a child in a store starving for their parents attention while the parent is paying more attention to their phone. Believe it or not this Technology Teacher believes that Technology will be the death of our society. I tell my students all the time to put down their devices and give them a break. Learn to listen and talk to one another actively. Don’t make Technology such a priority in your life. In my opinion this was the beginning of students' increased need for attention as it was lacking a...

THE ONE WHERE I GOT A SCHOOL DAUGHTER 2007-2008: Wichita Public Schools: White PreK-5 Library. The years that my children were in late Middle School/early high school are a blur to me. I simply do not have too many memories of them. I do know that our family had left St. Cecelia's church to follow our beloved Father Andy to St. Peters. We had discussed the idea of the boys attending Bishop Carroll for high school but decided that it would be too hard of a transition for the boys going from public school to private school. I do believe that this was the school year that Brad joined the Catholic Church. It was also around this time period that my circle of friends centered around my faith and church. I really enjoyed the friendship of these women when it was just us girls alone. When it turned into couples activities it changed things for me. I have to honestly admit that during this time period if you were not a member of my church/faith, you were not my friend. I was a Holy Roller....

Mom doing flash cards with Michelle and I in 1969 Happy Birthday to my first Teacher, my Mother. If my Mother were still alive today she would have been 84 years years old. Today I would like to use my blog entry as a way to honor her and her teaching career. My  20 year old Mom having fun when she was not teaching Mom graduated from Rolette High School in 1956. She then attended Minot State Teachers College where she received her Associates Degree in Elementary Education in 1958. In those days a Bachelor's degree was not required to become an Elementary School Teacher. Her first Teaching contract was for the Max Public Schools where she taught with her older sister Charlene. Mom and Aunt Charlene at the Max High School Prom I recall my Mom telling me that she and her sister were required to attend the school prom and that dates for them were arranged. I also remember my Mom telling me that she would pick out her outfits for the week and polish her nails on Sunday so that eve...

  2006-2007 THE ONE WHERE I TALK TO YOU ABOUT TEACHER ON TEACHER BULLYING 2006-2007 School Photos Fall and Spring I really do not have much to say about the 2006-2007 school year except that these are my favorite photos of me out of the 37 years worth of school photos that I have. Not having much to say about the 2006-2007 school year, I would like to use this blog entry as an opportunity to talk to you about Teacher on Teacher bullying. In my 37 years in the profession I can tell you, it's happened to me on more than one occasion. This is a blog entry I have written and rewritten several times. What approach do I take? A factual approach where I name names, dates, schools and districts? A subtle approach where those of you that are my close friends know the people I am talking about? A journalistic approach where I share other websites and articles with you.    I have been bullied during my career. Some situations were minor and some were intense. In a profession where o...

THE ONE WHERE I GOT TO BE IN ONE BUILDING AGAIN  2005-2006: Wichita Public Schools: White PreK-5 Library 2005-2006 School Year Photo It was great being 6.2 miles from School. Our oldest son would go to school with Brad in the morning and I would drop off our youngest son at his Elementary School. Both boys would come home with Brad. On a no traffic day my commute was less than 10 minutes.  The Professional Development day that had started a few years earlier somewhat forced my Specials Team to be a unified group. Up until then Specials Teachers really only depend upon themselves. The creation of a building schedule was no longer determined by our building. It was now determined by the school district. Although I was NEVER guaranteed a job on a yearly basis (due to Library not being contractual planning time), our PD day pretty much meant that my job would not get cut. As I mentioned in another blog entry the addition of the PD day was the beginning of our district's substitut...