Slices of Stacy

Nyah nyah nyah!

Hey look!  Someone said something nice about me!

Elizabeth is on my lotto-win-blog-tour.  Y'know, the trip that I take when I win the lottery where I go stalk meet the bloggers I read, respect, IM and drool over.  Plus, that threat I make every few years about moving to Canada?  She may actually do it...

In Which the Author Battles the 'Intern Observation' Demons

1.  I will not apologize for using the word 'fun' in my lesson plan.  Yes, the students are there to learn, not just <gasp> have FUN, but I aspire to more than just teaching the standards.  I want to teach my students a lifelong love of learning.  I want to inspire them to want to learn more and more and more and since we're talking about five- and six-year-olds... I think that starts by having fun.

2.  I refuse to apologize for not knowing more than I know.  I am in my first semester of Early Childhood Education.  I will no longer expect myself to have all the answers.  I am not perfect.  I am a student with a lot to learn.  I refuse to feel badly for not getting it right the first time.

3.  Or the second.  Or the third.

4.  I will not apologize for my nature.  I am affectionate and loving towards my students.  I will not turn away a hug or a small hand placed trustingly in mine.  I will treasure those moments, knowing that in that one moment I have made a connection with another human being.  In just a few short years these same students will spurn any physical contact with an adult.  I will not take these years for granted.

5.  I will stand quietly in my truth and, if necessary, let the storm rage around me.  There are those who will mock my high ideals or ridicule my lack of knowledge.  They do not know what I know: that in my heart, when I am with the students, I am in the place God intended for me to be.  When I am fully engaged with my kids, I feel exceptional and strong and unique.  I will not let the turkeys bring me down.

Yummy Shoe Leather

So, if you're a teacher and you have a student whose Mom you haven't seen in a while (Grandma and neighbors are picking him up) you might be tempted to ask how Mom is, because you're concerned and caring.  However, if that student then pipes up, "She's in jail!" there is no graceful way to extricate yourself in front of Grandma.  None at all.

Literally

Sweet Pea is walking backward and singing to herself.  I said, "What are you doing?"  She said, "I'm a backup singer!"

Thorne in my side

Conversation with my Child Development professor this morning, after receiving my midterm grade (which, incidentally, was a 98):

Stacy:  I have a question about #9.  The question has to do with why naturalistic observation is useful.  The correct answer, according to your key, is 'D: Because we can observe what people naturally do during their activities'.  However, doesn't the Hawthorne Effect negate that?

Prof:  Whaaa????

Stacy:  Well, the Hawthorne Effect states that if someone knows they're being observed they cannot possibly behave the way they normally would.  So wouldn't A be a better answer, 'It's the best way to observe infants and toddlers', especially since that's the context in which we used naturalistic observation?

Prof:  We didn't go over the Hawthorne Effect in class.

Stacy:  No, I learned it somewhere else.

Prof:  For the purposes of this class and given the information we learned in the textbook and during the lectures, you should have answered 'D'.  Do not use outside information to try to answer the questions.

By that logic, I shouldn't be able to take the test until she teaches me how to read, right?  All righty then.

At least it's not 'Stewie'

Hey, guess what?  I'm not dead!  I'm dealing with my annual bout of pneumonia-related drama but other than that, I'm okay.

I'm in a weird place for blogging.  I can't tell the whole truth about everything that's going on so I have a hard time coming up with anything to talk about, you know? 

But I'm okay.  We're okay.  Working through our shit and it's going to take a really long time.

In the meantime...

Hey!  Guess what!  Kindergarteners can read!  I'm doing my kindergarten placement now.  The teacher and I are very different, stylistically, but I'm learning a lot.  Mostly that if you want your child to learn how to tie his or her shoes, you should by all means buy them lace-up shoes.  Just don't send them to school wearing them because holy Jesus all I do is tie shoes all day. Velcro shoes for school, lace-up shoes for nights and weekends.  'Kay?  'Kay.

Anyway, kindergarteners?  Reading.  Blew my mind.  So imagine my pride and joy when I realized that Sweet Pea, only in Pre-K, is starting to make the complicated connections between written letters, sounds, and complete words.  After her nightly book, she looked at the characters' photos inside the back cover, spelled out their names underneath the photos and then joyfully put it all together, realizing that she was beginning to unlock the mysteries of the written word.

My enthusiasm is only slightly dampened by the fact that the only words she can 'read' so far are Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Moe, Flanders and Patty.