I Did Not Fall off the Face of the Earth...School Started

I've been on a bit of a blog hiatus due to school starting. The Gehrlein house has been a whirlwind of busy. With Brian starting his first year and me trying some new things this year with my program, we've been busy, little bees. This is what our daily schedule looks like in the week:

5:00am wake up
6:00am Brian Leaves
6:30am I leave
Teach
Teach
Teach
3:00pm school is out (2:30 for Brian)
6:00pm actually leave the building (and that's early sometimes)
Eat dinner at some point
Do more work to prepare for the next day/rest of the week
Find time to play with Toby
10:00pm (or somewhere around there) find our way to sleeping

Wash, rinse, repeat. And by the end of the week we are exhausted.

Ah, the life of a teacher.

So, what have I been doing the last couple of weeks? Preparing for the darlings that I teach everyday, of course. I spent a lot of time getting my room ready this year, and I made some significant changes.

I've struggled with the layout of my room for the past 2 years. When kids sit in theater seats during a class, I've noticed they seem to take it less seriously. Instead of a classroom, it's more of a "let's hang out and not take this seriously" class. So, Mrs. G in her infinite wisdom, gathered the superheroes of her school (her awesome janitor) and got some tables put in the large, empty space in the middle of the room. It's amazing how just having tables can change the learning environment for kids. Just in the few days that we've been in school with kids, I have seen a huge transformation in how my class is perceived. I now see my students more focused and ready to learn. I love it!

I decided to stray from my secondary roots a little bit and lean more into the elementary world as well. I decided I would bring a theme into my room this year: owls! It's a hoot! (ok, lame joke, I know) Here is a glimpse into my lovely room so far.

I purchased my own bulletin board this year as we have had some budget cuts (surprise!), and I have
nowhere to actually post things on my wall.

Yes, that's a QR code in the bottom right corner. I'm high tech, folks. Interested in where it leads you? Check out my website for my program by clicking here!



I reorganized my desk as well, giving myself some more space to store my things and provide some cozy features. Ignore the mess. It's always a work in progress. :) Note my Walmart Scentsy--the students keep commenting on how great my room smells. "It smells like cookies!" "No, it smells like cupcakes." Makes it feel a little more homy.

I also added some cute cork boards next to my school laptops with reminders pinned to them for my students.

I never truly thought about the work that my teachers put in to making my years in school a blast. It can be incredibly exhausting for the teacher; trust me, I know.  So here's a "thank you" to all my teachers. Thanks for taking the time to ensure I had a great place to learn. I remember my first grade classroom that had a loft where you could go only on special occasions. When I was a new student in that awkward middle school phase (you know what I'm talking about!), my teachers were oh so helpful in making me feel like I had a place to be at my school. In high school, I had some of the greatest teachers who impacted who I am today through how much they cared about every single student. I am so lucky to be inspired by those wonderful people.

High school flashback! One of my inspirations for so many reasons. Wilson, I know you inspire about one bazillion students, and we don't tell you "thank you" enough.

Some of my favorite moments are when I feel encouraged by my students, who have no clue how they just impacted their teacher's day. Take for instance this darling. I found this next to my laptop in the middle of class on the second day of school this year. Never had her in class before this year. She made my day, and she didn't even know it.

So, now, it's the middle of week 2, and this teacher is feeling pretty positive about how the year has started. It certainly hasn't been perfect, but I'm keeping my head high.  One of my goals this year is to be more positive (note my last post), and I feel like it's happening. Here's to staying positive and continuing to have a great year!

Back to School

It's that time of year that {almost} every teacher dreads. School supply commercials begin to pop up between your favorite shows on tv, emails from your boss start to fill your inbox, and the once hot and lazy summer days turn into dreaded, busy days. That's right. It's almost time to head back to school.

I hate to be a negative Nancy, but I sure do love summer and the time away from working it gives me. By the time May rolls around, I am ready to ditch the children and be home relaxing with my Corgi. What exactly will I miss about summer vacation? Here are just a few...

1. The time I get to spend with Brian. Once the school year begins, our schedules are so busy that we will hardly see each other during the week. We savor our time together and remind each other it's about the quality of the time we spend together, not how much time we get together.

2. Toby. My pup and I spend so much time together in the summer. Toby and I can't be separated. He even whines outside my bedroom door in the mornings when I don't want to wake up early just so he can snuggle with me.

3. Speaking of sleeping. I will most definitely miss sleeping in. This girl loves her sleep.

4. Sonic happy hour. I love a raspberry or cherry limeade in the afternoon on those hot, hot days. Incredibly refreshing.


5. Books. There isn't much time for leisurely reading during the school year. 

6. A clean house. Easy to keep up when you have a lot of free time!

7. The 7pm service at church. Brian and I have loved being able to go to the late service at church. During the school year, however, it isn't going to be practical for us. That goes for staying up late in general. Back to bed times and earlier services for us!

 You're probably thinking, "ok, Little Miss Teacher, I don't get summers off, so don't complain." Yes, I am lucky to have my summers free. It is a perk to the job. I chose to be a teacher. You chose to be something else. I will always offer to swap places during the school year.  I have yet to have a taker. I wonder why...

Now that I am switching my brain back to "Teacher Mode" I've started to prepare for the school year. I've decided my mantra this year is to BE POSITIVE! It is so easy to turn things in the negative direction and focus solely on what isn't working for you. It's funny because it isn't, and shouldn't be, about me. My focus needs to be the students I teach and making sure they are successful. So what do I like about going back to school?

1. School supplies. I, like many teachers, get geeked out walking through the school supply section. Planners, folders, new pens, etc. It gets me excited just to think about it! 

Source

2. The faces of my students on the first day of school. I particularly enjoy watching 6th graders walk into the building for the first time. I get a front row seat as I am right at the entrance every morning. Their faces range from terrified or oblivious all the way to extreme excitement as they imagine what lies ahead in middle school.

3. Setting up my classroom. I don't have a typical classroom. I teach in a small theater, which sometimes makes things complicated. Kids don't see it as a normal classroom; this is sometimes a good thing, and at other times not so great. However, preparing it for them is always exciting. 

an old picture from the beginning of my first year when I first walked into my room.

4. Knowing I have 2 years under my belt. The first year was hard. I mean, if the opportunity presented itself to do something else, I might have jumped ship. My second year was better. I improved, having learned A TON my first year. Now, I feel so much more confident and ready for my third  year. I hope this continues to grow.

5. My hubby has a job! I love that Brian is getting to do exactly what he prepared himself to do--teach theatre! Even better, he is teaching in my district. No more wonky breaks where we aren't together. Aaaand I am helping him plan curriculum, shows, etc. Even though I'm not teaching high school theatre (someday I will!), I feel like I do have a hand in helping him create his department. 

Photo courtesy of Megan Hodges/Jentry Taylor

6. Being busy. Yes, I just said earlier how much I love the slow pace of summer, but I also enjoy being busy.  Often, when I have nothing to do, I can get a bit bored. A change in pace is nice sometimes.

7. My coworkers. Boy, do I have some great coworkers. The teachers in my building are fabulous and extremely supportive of each other. I really enjoy being around them and have learned so much from them.  That's one thing I sure do love about my building.  Shout-out to Eastgate! Woot!

Photo courtesy of T. Waller

So let the countdown begin:

23 days until the first day of school.

Harry Potter Kidnapped My Husband

Before you get too concerned, do not fear. My husband is still here. So you can put away your iPhone and drop your call to 9-1-1. Brian has been a trooper lately. Three weeks ago, he began reading the Harry Potter series, and as of today, is he halfway through the 6th book.

Sidenote: It seems like Brian does a lot of reading around here. Just so you know, I am currently reading The Hobbit. My only problem is, I end up falling asleep everytime I read it.  Oops...

Why is he so diligent about reading these books? Well, next week Brian teaches a weeklong class called Summer Term at Hogwarts as part of his job as a teaching artist at The Coterie Theatre here in Kansas City.  When he accepted to teach the class, he had not read any of the books. Realizing that he should probably become an expert on the books, he decided it might be a good idea to actually read them.

Those of you who are Potter fans are ready to sign up now. Hold the trigger. The class is for 3rd-5th graders. As a Harry Potter fan myself, I too am jealous of all of the things these kiddos get to do.  The other day as I was helping Brian plan activities for the class, I realized what big nerds we are. And it's awesome! Ok, so here are just a few of the things we came up with for the kids to do:

• Make wands. Duh, what would this class be if they didn't get to do it?
• Play Quidditch
• Create their own potions. 
• Get sorted into houses AND come up with their own crest, motto, etc. 
• Create their own magical creature.
• Act out scenes from the books.

I am so jealous of these little pip-squeaks. They are some of the luckiest kids I will soon know.

One of the best parts for me is I actually get to see some of this stuff in action. Part of my summer involves taking pictures of some classes for The Coterie's website and educational/promotional pamphlets. I can't decide if I want to pretend to be from The Daily Prophet or not when I go to his class to snap some pictures.  (And you just realized how much of a dork I am...) If these kiddos are not excited about the activities they get to do, I might have to Stupefy them all. (for those of you who aren't Harry Potter fans...explained here).

A shot from a class I visited this week.

After watching the third movie last night with Brian, I admit that there is something about the movies that just cannot compare to the books. Our own imaginations are way better than any movie can conjure. Or maybe it was the fact that I had a "fact checker" sitting next to me saying, "Nuh-uh, that's not how it is in the book..." and then proceeds to tell me what actually happens in the story. I know, now you really want to watch a movie with my husband.

Still, one thing this whole reading frenzy has made both Brian and I realize is that the ability to read is a true gift. In fact, I've heard Brian utter, "[Reading Harry Potter] makes me remember how much fun reading is." Imagine being illiterate. You would not be able to read a road sign, a recipe,  and even Facebook. You could not read this {amazing} blog. So many things would be missing from your life. And the truth is, there are so many people (children and adults) who cannot read.  As a teacher, I see this more often than you would like to think. Bottom Line: If you're a parent, read to your kids. If you can read, pick up a book, and gosh darnit, make time to read! If you can give time to organizations that help equip adults and children with the ability to read, do it.

Brian used to be a skeptic, refusing to read Harry Potter because of its popularity. Now, he loves the books and wonders why he didn't read them before. So here's the deal...if you haven't read Harry Potter, you should. Now, get to your local library and pick up a book! If you don't know where your library is located, go here to find out.

I leave you now with a most inspiring song, and most appropriate song, for this post from my childhood...