End of the Day Reflection—

Shelly Webb

As the last voices fade from the hallway and the sound of a lagging school bus passes beneath my window, I automatically start to reflect.

The realization of how tired I am kicks in; I didn’t sleep well last night and I wonder if I really gave it my all today. I wonder if I will sleep tonight, I wonder if it’s my age or just my mind not shutting off that keeps me tossing and turning. As I recount the events of the day I remind myself how well most of my students did on the ‘Idiom’ quiz, I feel like they finally understand what “feeling under the weather” and “giving someone the cold shoulder” actually means… although I’m not sure exactly how essential this information will prove to be in their futures. They also did a great job using task cards to ‘make conclusions’, but again…not sure if this will help them land a job one day, unless they are intuitive enough to conclude exactly what to say in the interview and when to stop talking altogether.

Then I reflect about the day’s events that didn’t have anything to do with ‘content’ or ‘learning targets’. I helped one girl make a bracelet out of construction paper and staples during inside recess, she loved it. I received an awesome handmade card from another at the end of the day. I listened about a new puppy someone received for Christmas and PATIENTLY listened to another student’s very detailed story about what ALL she received for Christmas. I pulled a tooth, refereed a dispute between three very DRAMATIC nine-year-old girls, and convinced two students that received Cs on the ‘Idiom’ quiz that they absolutely did an amazing job, which they did! They both loved the sticker on their paper and proudly showed them like medals of honor. I had lunch duty too, so I ate with my kids today and ended up splitting my Pizzaburger with one. He was excited… I was full.

I wonder if making connections with kids is just as important as making them grow. I think the two are actually intertwined. I want my students to learn to their full potential, but I want them to feel a connection with me that is rooted in the knowledge that all things aside, they, personally matter most. They matter more than a STAR score, more than a test score, more than a grade card or a reading level. I want them to know that I genuinely care about the daily events that matter to them, and trust me, in third grade there are MANY daily events that matter!

Not that this diminishes learning; I know how important the content is and how critical learning to read, analyze and think about a situation are to growing and achieving in the third grade. We compare and contrast everything under the sun; we use context clues daily to figure out what new words mean, we can identify the way a text is organized, the character traits and setting of stories, we write our opinions and expository texts, and we work on a hundred other things.

But in the big scheme of life……I teach, AND…I listen to stories about puppies, I hug crying, drama filled third graders, I high-five kids for achieving Cs and make sure they know a hard C means so much more than an easy A, I laugh at their knock-knock jokes even when they’re not funny and I referee…oh, and I pull teeth (often). And I’m betting years from now, they may not remember all the content I have taught, but they will remember the hugs, the high fives and all the little day-to-day things that have nothing to do with learning, but everything to do with life, at least I hope they will. J

Learning to be a SuperHERO

Shelly Webb

         

          Being a mother of two girls I developed a deep knowledge of the many woes and triumphs of the Disney Princesses. I was greeted daily by posters of ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Belle’, ‘Princess Jasmine’, ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Snow White’. We owned every VHS in which these fine ladies were featured and read lots of stories about their exciting love lives. I also gained a keen understanding about ‘Barbie’, ‘Skipper’, ‘Ken’, all the American Girl dolls and Polly Pocket. The greatest lesson that I learned through this was that I should have purchased stock in Disney and the other companies pushing these products because then today I could look at all those purchases as an ‘investment’ and rest easy. Instead I find myself trying to justify those purchases by interesting my one-year-old grandson in Barbie’s little skateboard or Jasmine’s flying carpet, which I can tell, annoys my son-in-law.

          I was blessed with my girls and they are beautiful and amazing. I am glad I have a grandSON today because I realize I missed out on a lot of boy stuff when my girls were growing up. For example, I don’t know a thing about the ‘Power Rangers’, the teenage mutant turtles, or the “X-Men”…are they good or evil by the way? And if not for my awesome friend, Sandy (who had two boys) I would have missed out on the most important and life changing men besides my husband…BATMAN and SPIDERMAN!

          My girls were not into superheroes when they were young, and as a result I turned down many movie invites. Thank goodness the ‘Dark Knight’ had three parts and I finally relented and agreed to accompany my friend to part-three. I was reluctant and went into it thinking, “ugh I hope this isn’t a long movie”! BUT… I not only loved it, I saw it two more times in the next couple weeks and bought the first two movies of the series. I also bought the Spiderman Movies, saw Superman and Iron Man. This completely changed me into a SuperHERO freak, not quite on the same level as Sheldon Cooper…but close.

          Now imagine my excitement when our principal announced that the theme for Warsaw Elementary this year will be: “Be Someone’s SuperHERO” H=Helpful, E=Energetic, R=Respectful, O=Optimistic! How awesome is this?

          A SuperHERO spends a lot of time ‘rescuing people’ and who needs rescued more than kids? Some may need, rescued from boredom, some from a bad day, some, from a forgotten lunch sitting back on the kitchen counter, some from lost homework or a failed test. Some may even need rescued from ‘themselves’, or a bad attitude or arrogance or bullying or being a bully. The point is we all need rescued from time to time and I will be in a perfect position to rescue and make a difference.

          A SuperHERO is someone you admire and trust, I hope my students will admire and trust me. Creating a positive relationship with them honestly means more to me than the curriculum, whether that’s wrong or right, I’m not sure, but relationship has to be the number one goal in my opinion. Without relationship, respect and trust, why would they even care to listen to anything I have to say?

          When you believe and know that someone genuinely cares about you, you will listen to them; when someone takes a risk for you, you will respect them; when you really matter to someone, they become your SuperHERO.

          I am excited because even though I don’t have this ‘common core’ things completely down and I am still learning about assessments, technology, differentiation and a ton of other education terms---I’ve got the SuperHERO background completely covered!

And just like Batman I’m sure I will encounter a ‘joker’ or two, like Superman I’m sure I will meet my Lex Luther…..but I have one thing Batman, Superman and all the others lacked… I have ‘a no recess card’, so I’m sure I’ll be just fine until I win any little villains over with my super charm!

Reflecting on my soon to be--graduate 

With the shadow graduation looming on the horizon, I simultaneously feel mixed emotions of pride, joy and sadness. First, I have been very blessed to have two unbelievably awesome daughters. Tonight, however I am reflecting on how quickly time has passed between the day I dropped Kennedy off at preschool and now.

I remember picking her up at preschool the first day and how excited she was to show me the little playground. She wore a Scooby Doo denim dress and pony-tails. I also remember the day she came home from preschool and proudly explained that she had gone to the bathroom, and had NOT yelled for Mrs. Coffman to “come and wipe”. The confidence she had after that accomplishment was amazing!

When she was in First Grade my oldest daughter, Katilyn cut ALL her bangs off. It was right before Christmas pictures and I was livid, but Kennedy’s attitude was priceless, “I have to go to school until they grow back Mom, now stop crying”, she ordered as I sat on the bathroom floor threatening to cut Katilyn’s hair too. I think facing the world with NO bangs, not a one, gave her even more confidence than the whole wiping thing in preschool.

In Second grade for career day, she wanted to be President of the United States. “There’s no costume for that,” I told her. “All I need is a badge,” she explained. So she dressed in a little plaid coat dress, all buttoned up and wore a “Vote Kennedy Webb for President 2032” badge, (which I still have). We ordered them online and she passed one out to everyone in the class and again, her confidence grew a little more.

In addition to confidence she began to develop a lot of compassion. She always stuck up for the underdog, she tried to right every wrong and felt a sense of responsibility to make things better. She was on a mission to be the ‘fixer’ of all problems and troubles. This was great when she was successful, but tough when she wasn’t.  

“I don’t want to be 11”, she told me on her eleventh birthday. I remember telling her that she was silly and had to grow up, but that she would always be my baby. Inside though… I was thinking the same thing… “I didn’t want her to be 11 either”. I missed the rustling sound the diaper would make when she would run away from me with something in her hand that she shouldn’t have. I missed how she only wore one sock, and hid in the cupboards and watched the “Wizard of Oz” non-stop.

Through Junior High and High School I watched helplessly as the last shred of my “little girl” disappeared into a beautiful, strong, somewhat opinionated young woman. It’s amazing to me how she can light up a room by just walking in; or how her very odd sense of humor can send people into hysterics. “She’s a weird one,” her dad whispers to me, “wonder where she gets it from” he winks. I could only hope she gets some of her characteristics from me.

But regardless, I am so proud of the person she has become and the passion she possesses. I know I have been given a great privilege to ‘watch’ this very special person change and grow into someone I want to be more like. It’s strange, when you become a mom, you always think in terms of “teaching and molding” this new little person so they can make it in life. But I feel like I am the one that has been “taught and molded” by her. I pray I am blessed with good health so I can continue to watch the wonderful, unfolding of her story. I’m sure it will be a classic/ comedy/ drama/ academy award winning saga.

‘will the test count against us’?

 Shelly Webb

          “Will the test count against us,” a third-grader asked me when we were reviewing for the upcoming PARCC Math Assessment? She thought this was a simple question and wanted a simple answer. I told her that it wouldn’t really count “against” her, but it would just show a picture of what all she had learned. But wow, was that a loaded question!

          After I answered her question then my own mind started racing…”will the test count against ME, the teacher”, “will I be viewed as a failure if 80% of my students don’t pass it”? I continued mentally processing, “I have 25 kids so five can fail, which five will that be”? I actually looked around the room and quickly counted…I saw potentially seven students that may have a tough time passing this test. Then I thought, “what if seven don’t pass, what percentage is that of 25”!

          I could have continued in that thought pattern all day long, but I forced myself to STOP.

It is a stressful concept to grasp when you realize that twenty-five, eight or nine-year-old kids that you have taught for a year will be taking an OAA, PARCC, STAR and SLO to measure their growth and achievement. Whether I like it or not, test scores do reflect back on me. But despite this, I am trying to focus on the fact that what I do every day is what defines me as a teacher more so than a test score.

          In my opinion, the biggest measure I am defined by is how my students perceive me and the relationship I have with them. I want my students to ‘know’ that I care and think about them more than the six hours a day I have them in class. I want to be defined by the fact that I know my kids on a personal level, I know their strengths, their weaknesses and their personality. I know how to get them motivated and what shuts them down. I know their learning style; I know who gets it better ‘visually’ and who gets it better ‘by listening’. I know which kids prefer ‘hands on’ learning and which ones don’t. I can tell by the look on their faces, if there’s a problem or concern. It’s amazing how well you get to know someone that you work together with every day and that is exactly what we do…work together.

          I realize that my student’s attitude towards learning will define me much more than the score they receive on a test. I want to see myself through their eyes. I love it at the end of the day, when the one child that I’ve had to speak to three or four times or dock some recess time from, hugs me bye and still says, “You’re the best teacher”. Now I’m not sure if he really means it or if he is just trying to make amends for a rough day, but I love it because even though I’ve scolded him, he still ‘knows’ I genuinely care about him and I am up for a hug.

          I want to be defined by the expectations I set, the tears I prevent and the ones I wipe away. I want to be defined by the math concepts they finally understand, the number of books they read, the narratives they write and the critical thinking skills they develop. I want to be defined by their laughter when I make a lame joke (and most of my jokes are pretty lame). I want to be defined for how I make my kids feel about learning and themselves.

          I full well understand that test scores are vitally important and those scores will be a reflection on how well I have presented and taught the standards. But I do realize it is just one piece of the overall picture. There are so many other issues and goals during the course of a year, and the individual child that I see and interact with every day is my top priority. I want to always see the ‘child’ and not a potential test score. Every student deserves that and every teacher deserves it as well.   

Biggest Thief of Life, 'TIME'

 by Shelly Webb

The greatest thief to ever burglarize the human race does so without raising a single weapon or breaking into a single building, home, garage or store. He is a quiet thief, subtle, cunning and undetected. We base much of our life on him and allow his constraints to prioritize most of our days. His name is ‘time’ and he alone has perpetrated more crimes against humanity than most of us realize.

The problem with ‘time’ is you don’t understand his power until it’s too late. You might notice him occasionally lurking at your bathroom mirror. You’re brushing your teeth or applying mascara when you suddenly catch the glimpse of a small line beginning to form at the corner of your eye.

But, you’re busy. You glance at the line, wonder what it is and how it got there and then rush out on your way.

You pick up your three-year-old at preschool and celebrate the fact that she can finally write her own name, all the while the thief, ‘time’, smirks in the backseat. Only he realizes the significance of this accomplishment. Only he sees how quickly Kindergarten will come, junior high and graduation. You’re just happy she can write her name…finally because…it’s about time.

Summer days seem shorter, months begin to fly by and you start understanding that ‘time’ is moving at a much faster pace than he once did. Then, one day you reach for the phone book and find yourself squinting. You ask your high schooler, yes the one that used to be a preschooler a short time ago, “why are they making the font in the phone books so small now”? And in response to your question, ‘time’ laughs out loud and adds another line to your face. So you buy reading glasses and wrinkle cream and hope for the best, but the thief continues to rob and steal. You find yourself getting your hair colored every five weeks now instead of six and choosing comfortable shoes over fashionable ones. And ‘time’ is humored by your state of denial and vain efforts to slow him down.

Birthdays slip by, anniversaries come and grandparents die, pictures are taken, videos created and 28 New Year’s Eve parties later…you’re a grandma!

And at this point, you start to develop a little more fear and respect for ‘time’ and his little game. You know now that all the events in life, the joyous and the sad are presented in part, by this great thief. He is the uninvited, unseen guest at every dinner and every vacation. He introduces us to new vocabulary like cholesterol, annuity, retirement and ‘son-in-law’.

Ironically, we spend most of life trying to manage ‘time’ only to actual be managed by him. Time to work, time to rest, time to spend with friends, time for kids, time for fun, time to plan, time to learn time management and eventually just coveting time for bed. It’s hard to believe that such a tiny word, ‘time’, can possess so much power and influence over life.

‘Time’ is a thief, there is little doubt about that…but for every antagonist there is a protagonist and this story is no different. Another tiny word…called ‘memories’ is able to diminish ‘time’ and weaken his cold grip.

‘Memories’ are the ultimate weapon against ‘time’, because they are actually created by ‘time’; something ‘time’ probably hates in the same way Voldemort hated that he transposed some his power to Harry when he tried to kill him.

‘Memories’ are powerful and can be replayed over and over in your heart and head where ‘time’ cannot touch. ‘Memories’ can capture ‘time’ and hold him in perspective. ‘Memories’ can transcend the damage ‘time’ can do into a glorious time of reminiscing. ‘Time’ may be a thief, but ‘Memories’ bring back everything ‘time’ steals and does so with laughter and joy.

I believe that the memories we make with the time we are given are priceless treasures that cannot be stolen forever. They are always there, embedded deep within our hearts, whether or not we can express them or recall them, they are there bridging the gaps that ‘time’ creates. Spend your time wisely in 2015 and make great memories whether you have the time or not.

Could the real power in the classroom be-- ‘connecting’

          “Mrs. Webb, we’re broke,” the sweet, little voice blatantly shared on the second day of school, “our van won’t run and my dad lost his job and now we’re even out of milk now.”

Before I really had time to process the worry her face showed, I heard the truth spilling out of my mouth, “Ugh I’ve been broke before,” I quietly told her. “It’s not fun, is it?”

          She looked surprised. I’m sure she was trying to decide if I was telling her the truth or not. It was just she and I, so I elaborated. I explained to her that when I was in fourth grade, my family was having a rough time with money. I told her my dad did not have a job at that time and it was really hard, especially at Christmas and Birthdays. I gave a few more personal details and let her know that I completely understood how she had to be feeling.

          Oddly enough, this conversation brought a slight smile to her face. I think she felt encouraged or eased in the fact that I actually connected with her dilemma. She found relief in knowing that I had lived a similar experience and it had turned out okay eventually.

          Even though it’s a big term that children are completely unaware of, “socio-economics” can be as crucial to their success in school as the actual curriculum they are being taught. The little information I shared that day about my own childhood was true so I know first-hand.

When you are a child, sitting in a classroom with the knowledge that the electricity at your house is no longer in service because the bill was not paid, you really don’t care about finding the unknown factor in a multiplication sentence. You are not concerned with comprehending the main idea of a text or the neat, little acronym your teacher just wrote on the board to recall the names of the planets.

          We are all familiar with Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model, developed in 1948. We realize that basic needs must be taken care of first, before an individual can move on or care about the non-basic needs such as esteem and self-actualization. In other words knowing your math facts or spelling words takes a back seat when “you’re broke and there was no milk for your cereal that morning”.

          I recently ran across a powerful article entitled, “Social Networks: What Maslow Misses” written by Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D., M.B.A., Director of the Media Psychology Research Center. In this article, Rutledge ascertains that Maslow’s model “doesn’t give enough credit to the role of social connection.”

          Rutledge agrees that the human brain is driven by a basic instinct to survive and that this need trumps all others. She also agrees with levels of Maslow’s model and how humans move through those levels, however she states, “But here’s the problem with Maslow’s hierarchy. None of these needs — starting with basic survival on up — are possible without social connection and collaboration”.

          While the crux of the article is to shed light on the importance of social connections within Maslow’s model, and how social media can serve as a medium for both goals, I believe simply “making a connection” with individual students can impact everything else you do.

          If a child believes you understand there’s more to their life than what goes on from 9:15 to 3:20 and that you care, you become a safe zone, a refuge, a person they connect with; and that is what every individual of any age needs.

           Connections are key to making a difference in any job, situation or with any individual. As humans, we need to feel like others understand us, know where we’re coming from and what we’re struggling with and more importantly that they care.

          Whether someone is eight or eighty, they’re facing a struggle. Should eight-year-olds be worried about financial needs? Of course not, but kids are very aware of what is going on in their family and household. They know when mom and dad argue and what they argue about; they know if grandpa or grandma has a health problem and how serious that problem may be; they know if money is tight, if dad is getting laid off, or about any other trouble the family could be facing.

          Expecting every child to come to school one-hundred percent focused on the task at hand is unrealistic; but connecting with their concerns and taking a few minutes to convey the message, “I know it’s tough right now and I can relate,” might make the burden seem a little lighter. I believe if a child knows their teacher “gets it” (has some insight into their world), and cares, that in itself can be a powerful motivator.

          “Connecting and collaborating”---are these actions worthy to be included somewhere within Maslow’s model? I am not sure how Maslow would feel about it, but when it comes to communication we have learned as a society that connecting and collaborating are essential to success globally whether the topic is business, technology, education ect…, so maybe it’s essential to students as well.

My "ONE WORD"

          A friend of mine shared an email with me recently. The email was from her principal and contained a short YOUTUBE video about a motivational project known as ONE WORD. In addition to a ‘project’, “One Word” is also a book written by Mike Ashcraft, senior pastor at Port City Community Church in Wilmington, NC.  

          The concept of Ashcraft’s “One Word” campaign is for individuals to pick one word that will inspire them all year. As Ashcraft points out on his website and in his book, one word is more, simple and feasible to stay focused on than a list of goals, objectives or resolutions. He believes that picking just one word can bring your life, career, family and the way you live into perspective and keep you focused on what matters most.

          This concept got my attention immediately and I knew the exact ‘one word’ I needed to choose for my own one word journey…my one word is “TODAY”.

          You see, I have spent most of my adult life thinking about ‘tomorrow’, ‘next week’, ‘next month’, ‘next year’. I focus on so many future events and I analyze so many ‘what if questions’ that I rob myself of the daily blessings I should be enjoying.

I focused for months on whether I would ever get my degree and then once I did, I began to focus on whether I would ever find a job. Now I have a job and I am focusing on ‘how will I teach all these standards’ and ‘how will my students perform on these new tests’.

          It’s overwhelming to live in the future. When I investigated this ‘One Word’ campaign on my own, I evaluated all my goals, hopes, worries and plans in search of my ‘one word’. I realized that I could not mentally process and ponder all the issues and goals I have at one time. I chose the word, ‘TODAY’ to remind me to focus only on what is happening each day. To make my plans, face my fears and address what is occurring in my life on a daily basis.

          ‘TODAY’ is liberating. ‘TODAY’, I can handle. ‘TODAY’ I can make a difference. Growing up in church, I have heard the Bible verse from Matthew 6:34 quoted a thousand times, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” But trying to actually ‘not think about tomorrow’ is difficult for me. I am a planner, I like to know what’s going on and I want to do things right and reach my goals.

          I am ecstatic to finally have a job teaching third graders, but I am also nervous. I really care. I want to do a great job. I want to be a positive influence. I want to see them succeed. I know that obsessing and worrying will do nothing to accomplish any of my goals. It will only make me anxious and fearful, two emotions with which, unfortunately I have great experience.

          I am choosing to hang on to ‘TODAY’ when I feel overwhelmed. ‘TODAY’ will be my mantra, my one word. I will teach ‘TODAY’. I will do my best ‘TODAY’. I will enjoy and embrace ‘TODAY’. There will be times when I might cry ‘TODAY’ or feel frustrated ‘TODAY’, but I know I can be victorious ‘TODAY’. Tomorrow, next week, next month…well I really can’t focus on the future if I am giving all my efforts to the present-- and the present will need all my efforts.

          This is going to be a tough challenge for me because I am by nature impatient and I’ve always wanted a crystal ball (although I would be too scared to look into it). So if you see me fretting or notice me getting off track, take a second to simply say, “Shelly TODAY” and you will help me greatly. I know I can handle ‘TODAY’ and if I can stay there I can be exactly what God wants me to be each and every TODAY.