Brain Dump

1. Tonight I have been thinking a lot about teaching, based a lot on things that were said to me last week. I want to be the kind of teacher who can:

• teach to every learning style.
• instill a love of reading, a love of learning, and an intrinsic desire to continue to learn.
• make her kids want to come to school every morning.
• have infinite amounts of patience.
• take the resources given to her and tweak them so that they become appropriate for her specific children.
• instill motivation to do the right thing, always, even when no one is watching you.
• incorporate song and dance and fine arts into many lessons.
• take constructive criticism, honestly evaluate it, and incorporate it.
• always teach in a developmentally appropriate way.
• always have a smile on her face.
• somehow get all her kids reading and doing math above grade level, no matter where they started from.
• instill confidence in her students, so that they know and believe that they can do anything that they set their mind to.

But most of all, I want to be the kind of teacher that loves her children, and they know that they are loved. They know that their teacher honestly wants what is best for them, and will help them any way she can to achieve their dreams. The kind of teacher who leads by example, especially for those students who may be lacking a kind example in their homes and may not feel loved.

2. Anne of Green Gables. Just re-read it AGAIN. And guess what? It got better again. Just like always.

3. Why does music always hit me so deeply? Is it because I don't feel eloquent; I don't feel like the words that I say are sufficient? All I know is that when I find a song that touches me, it communicates how I feel in ways that I never could.

4. Do you know what my favorite part of teaching is?

Moments like today, when D says, "Teacher, I found our sight word in my book!!!"

when G finally understands the difference between nickels and dimes.

when M has moved up 5 reading levels in the last 2 1/2 months.

when I finally figured out what was bothering G.

when J started to tell the truth.

when I walk in from bus duty and find my children all working hard on their morning work, without a teacher in there to tell them what to do.

when B writes 2 1/2 pages in 40 minutes.

when they walk out every day saying, "Who I Am Makes a Difference," and I can see in E's eyes that she truly believes it.

when A figures out a different way to solve the math problem every single time.

when K's eyes lit up when she finally understood antonyms.

when H says to me, "It looks like you're having a bad day. I'm sure that it will get better."

when T helps B clean his desk out, because she has extra time.