What I Learned from being the Mascot

Offhandedly I was offered the chance to be the school mascot at one of our home football games and I jumped at the chance!   So, lets just get the bad over with first, yes some people were rude. I thought I was going to have to call administration on one of the adults because they would not let go of my tail.   A junior high student asked me if I was a lesbian and another student asked if I had a penis or a vagina and it was hot.  The temperature at game time was high for this area and the costume was hot but ......... 

OMG, I had so much fun!  The high school kids had no clue who was in the costume they just knew it was not the normal girl and it drove them crazy.  I did not talk and for me to not talk from 6:30 - 9 is an amazing feat of its own.  I got to dance with the band and high 5 the colorguard!  I cheered with the student section and high fived the parents.  I stood out on the field to welcome the team in.  The little kids were amazing!  There were several students that got hugs a dozen or more times.  There were little kids that were scared of me until I went in the corner to "hide" and then they decided I was harmless.  I had bunches of pictures taken with kids of all ages.  I even got to hold a whole bunch of babies.  

So lesson learned, no matter what the age, take time to laugh and have fun.  Also there are a lot of people out there, big and little, that are in need of a hug.  Even if that hug comes from a sweaty person in a tiger costume.

For the Love of Students

Last week was a very tough week, we have all had them.  It does not matter if you are a teacher, accountant or an engineer, you are going to have bad days or weeks.  The thing about teaching is we have students.  Students that can challenge us but they also support us, many times without even knowing it. 

Monday I had a conference and I drug myself into school on Tuesday.  Before I even got to the mail room several students stopped me to tell me how happy they were that I was back.  A couple of them even came to give me a hug.  Not what the general public would expect from teenagers.  I headed up to my classroom and a student came in first hour with a thank you card and a loaf of homemade banana bread.  The week has continued that way.  One day a student brought me my favorite candy bar another day a former student sent me a long text about how much she appreciated all the things that I did for her while she was in high school.  So after a rough week last week I look forward to Friday.  Not because it's Friday but because I get to spend the day with these marvelous teenagers who prove everyday that they will make the world a better place!  I love you all!

Let Them be Bored!

Kids complain they are bored.  That is nothing new,my grand kids get bored,  my kids got bored and when I was young I got bored.  We were told to go find something to do but so often now children are handed a toy or phone or iPad to answer the question for them.  What is wrong with kids being bored?  We came up with some of our best ideas when we were bored.  That is when we figured out that if we put a car hood on the hill before it snowed we would have a ramp to sled ride off.  Boredom resulted in us learning that if you rock the jon boat in the pond, the little fish would jump out of the water.  If we were never bored we would have never figured out that if we climb half way of the barn ladder, we could climb on the cow's back and ride her.
Now, not all those were the greatest ideas but when are ideas going to come if everyone is always busy and never get bored?  When we or kids are bored we think.  We think about problems and issues.  We think about ideas, solutions, and we get creative.  So the next time kids complain they are bored, maybe we should say "Good, go get creative!"

On a side note, the day after I posted this blog the barn I spoke about started falling over.  It was way over 100 years old and sat on my parents property.  It was the backdrop for so many pictures and a host of memories!

Real Life of High School Teachers

I am amazed at the number of times people ask me "Are you not scared to go to work at the high school?"  I think it is an excellent example of the misconceptions the general public have about teachers, specifically high school teachers.

I have been teaching high school for 18 years and have never been scared to go to school.  There have been lots of experiences that would amaze some.  The reality is that every day is different and we always expect the unexpected, and I am not talking about fire drills or computer issues. Days are not boring and no two days are alike.  Five days a week I spend 45 minutes a day with each of my kids (aka my students).  I get to know them and they get to know me, therefore it is not a surprise that there is a lot of learning that goes on that is not in the curriculum.  There is the kid that did not believe that teachers really cared until I gave them a letter of encouragement before the ACT.  After that he gave me a hug almost every day of his senior year.  There was the freshman girl a few years ago that found out her dad was in a construction accident and that it was bad but no one had time to come get her; we sat on the floor in the hall and both cried.  There was the senior boy whose mom got beat up the night before; I had never seen such big tears.  And that boy that refused to to anything in class until he heard stories about my class.  That senior boy that wrote a letter after graduation to say he had considered suicide but he always felt safe at school.  Oh and that senior boy that come running down the hall to tell me he got accepted to college, that was the first time I had seen him smile! We cheer with them over classroom successes and sports events.  We listen to heartbreak over broken

relationships.  Then there is the boy that asked about a girl he wanted to take to prom; then she asked if she should go with him.  They have been married five years and have two children.  The boy that cried because he was going to have to move his senior year.  The former students that hang out of car windows to yell at you while you pump gas always generates a smile.  The days that you forget that your first name is not Mrs..  When there are those events that parents stand with their kids and high school teachers check to make sure no one is standing alone.  We have stood in for many an absent parent.  When you cry at graduation because you know you are going to miss these kids.  The kids that you will never forget because they are just so special.  The pictures you have in your room to remind

the current students that they will always be one of your kids.  The tears of joy when a student tells you they got a full ride scholarship and the heartbreak when student check their new ACT score.  And there are the times the ACT score is amazing and we force students to call their mom, NOW.  And some of them will forever own a piece of our heart. There are the kids that call me mom, or school mom, or momma Taylor, or believe it or not, Mother Theresa, lol.  So keep in mind that most teachers love your children, even in high school.  We hug them, we high five them, we support them, we cry with them but most of all, we love them and enjoy being a part of their high school memories.


This bog post is dedicated to Bennett.  One of my former students that mentioned that he actually ready by blog and wished that I posted more often.

Why Hate?

Charlottesville, VA happened today and I must comment or vent before I burst!  The thought of hating or hurting someone because of  the color of their skin makes me sick.  The thought that someone would hurt one of my students or friends because their skin is not white makes me literally sick to my stomach.  The thought of getting a call that Sam, Alyssa, Moriah, Andre, Nita, Tyrus, Stephon, Jennifer or Thomas or any one else was the victim of a hate crime is more than I want to even consider.  Who freaking cares what color a person's skin is?  It is no different than the color of someone's eyes or hair.  No one is born a racist, it is learned.  Whoever is teaching this hate, STOP IT!

Teacher's Must be Lifelong Learners

Teachers value education and learning, its what we do!  If it is so important for students to earn

everyday, should it not also be important for teachers to learn everyday?  The world in changing and technology makes it so easy to learn.  Part of encouraging students to learn is to make sure that they know we are also learning.  How do we do that?  We are busy people. The best way to learn is what works for you.

Conferences, like Google Summit #edtechteam or METC etc are very traditional way of learning and works for many of us.  Sometimes I just need to get out of town and concentrate on learning and a great chance to network with other educators.  Check in to traditional conferences, some are a day or two while others are a week.  Some are local and others are hours away.  I think every educator needs to attend at least one national convention.

Another option is twitter.  My #PLN on twitter has been amazing!  I follow and have followers from 29 states and 9 different countries.  I have learned so much from chats with all these amazing educators.  They answer questions and help refill my bucket.  I participate in at least two education chats each week.

Maybe online learning that you have complete control of works better for you!  Pick a topic and search youtube for lectures, Ted talks or videos that you can learn from anyone in the world on the topic you need to earn.  I have used this method to teach me PhotoShop after that class was added to my schedule and I continue to use it keep me up-to-date when new versions come out.

The important thing is if you truly value learning, don't just preach it, do it.  Be a lifelong learner!

A Teacher's Summer

“Oh, wow!  You have three months off, must be nice to be a teacher!”  I get so tired of hearing this.  First of all, it feels like they are saying that I have an easy job and I do not work hard.  I do!  Secondly, it is a career choice and anyone that is willing to get the education and pass a background check, can apply for a teaching position.  Thirdly, you do not really understand my summer vacation.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my summer!  I have flexibility in most of my days, I get to spend some time with those who I do not make enough time for in the school year and a get to unwind.  But what about the rest of that vacation.     So how do I spend my summer.  I will be teaching summer school half a day for four weeks.  I also have a class during the regular year that needs revamped so I will take care of that.  The Moodle page for my PhotoShop class needs to be cleaned up and updated; that will take most of an afternoon and I want to reorganize my College Readiness class for next year to make it better.  In late June I will take two FBLA members to National contest for 5 days, and before that make all the arrangements.   In mid-July I will be going to a two day Google Summit.  There is a one-day leadership conference I want to take my FBLA officers to and I also want to meet with them for a day-long meeting in July to plan for next year.  In late July I will go to a business teachers conference for most of a week.  Senior orientation starts on July 31^st.

Now in between those activities, I will also welcome my 8^th grandchild into this world!  I will visit my oldest son and his family so I can watch a t-ball game or two and hopefully a dance recital.  I have several projects to complete at my home and some serious housework to get done.  I will also have lunch with several former students to catch up on how college is going and most importantly, I will “fill my bucket” and be more than ready to return to my amazing students in August!