Being Thankful

The season of being THANKFUL is upon us! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because I believe nothing is better than eating, drinking, watching my favorite sport and being HOME. This Thanksgiving will be extra special as we'll be celebrating in our first house!

Let me share what got me thinking of Thanksgiving (besides the obvious of it being November and Halloween passing us by). I was browsing Target yesterday afternoon for a children's book to give to a colleague who is expecting this December. That's when I noticed a Mo Willems' book I had not read before. 

The Thank You Book gives young readers another Elephant & Piggie adventure in which Piggie declares she is going to thank EVERYONE who is important to her but seems to be missing the one she values most of all. The back and forth banter/humor/personalities of these two characters is genius. In the past 3 years, I have taught in kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms and have always used Mo Willems' books for teaching reading for enjoyment, for reaching emergent readers and reluctant readers and teaching author's craft during Writing Workshop. I have yet to interact with a kid who doesn't laugh, smile and crave more after engaging with these books. 

As I read the book, in the aisle of Target, I felt giddy that I had yet another great book to share with my students. However, I also got to thinking about the upcoming holiday. There is of course LOTS to be thankful for. Everyday alls you have to do is turn on the news to see what is happening locally, nationally and internationally to feel grateful for all that is good in your world. But this upcoming holiday season, I am going to be particularly appreciative of the people in my life (like Piggie). Each year, in addition to feeling thankful for my loved ones, I feel thankful for my job, my possessions, my home, food, my experiences, my health, etc. But, I could lose all those things (except health) and all would still be good in my world. I could lose my job, lose my home, not be able to travel, lose my car, lose my belongings and so on but it wouldn't matter. As long as I have the people I love (and the doodle I love) then all is good in my world. Your loved ones can never be replaced...time can never be replaced. So enjoy them, hug them, kiss them, be present this holiday season! 

If you aren't familiar with Mo Willems, here are some other great reads! 

(a tear-jerker!)

Fall Is My Favorite

I love seasons. When I lived in the Middle East, it was either hot...or blazing...or walk to your car and be sweating...or step outside and have your sunglasses fogged up. It wasn't always this brutal. There was the time of year when the weather was PERFECT. Think 70's, a slight breeze, and not sweating while you walk to your car. Seems silly to think I would actually throw on a scarf during those "cooler" months. After 5 years of this, I really began to develop an appreciation for 4 distinct seasons. I actually missed the snow. I missed the rain showers & mud that signaled spring. And I absolutely missed the changing of the colors on the trees. Well, I missed trees in general, but you get what I mean! Fall has grown to be my FAVORITE season and I absolutely love all that there is to do in the Rochester area to celebrate the changing of the season.
Click here for places to pick the perfect pumpkin.
Click here for apple picking spots.
Click here for hiking excursions to enjoy the fall foliage.
Click here for some play & exploration ideas.
Click here for haunted houses, hayrides & other scary Halloween stuff!
Here are some fun fall titles!

Dinosaurs!

The National Museum of Play here in Rochester is one of the country's best places to bring young kids for genuine exploration, effortless learning and FUN. Tomorrow, September 24th, a new exhibit opens up that is sure to be a hit. Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice sets the stage for children to travel back in time to the Cretaceous period and explore clues that these mysterious creatures left behind. Fossil digging, puzzles, games, story time and realistic sculptures are sure to catch your child's attention for this fun outing. The exhibit runs until January 8, 2017. Here are some of my favorite dinosaur books!

National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off today and runs until October 15th. Observation of this holiday began in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan expanded this holiday to be observed for a full month. It is a time to celebrate the history, culture and contribution of citizens and their ancestors from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
I think it is important that children are exposed to books that reflect the diversity that surrounds us. When children learn about other cultures, they begin to develop an open mind, empathy, appreciation and interest about experiences that might be different than their own. Try checking out one of these books during the month long celebration!

Click here to explore some events happening around the Rochester area!

Roald Dahl Day!

September 13th is Roald Dahl's birthday and educators, book lovers, children and parents around the world honor the brilliant storyteller. 2016 marks ONE HUNDRED years since he was born and some celebrations have been planned. Click here to see some of the fun things happening and how your little one can get involved! From characters such as The BFG, Willy Wonka and Matilda, Dahl has been filling our minds with creativity, imagination and an appreciation of literature. Here are some of my favorites!

"So please, oh please, we beg, we pray
 Go throw your TV sets away
 And in its place you can install
 A lovely bookshelf on the wall..."
 R.Dahl

International Literacy Day

On behalf of International Literacy Day, I want to share this article from the Washington Post about Anna Dewdney. Anna was the best selling author and illustrator of the Llama Llama books. She was also an outspoken advocate for children's literacy.

"By reading with a child, we are teaching that child to be human. When we open a book, and share our voice and imagination with a child, that child learns to see the world through someone else's eyes. I will go further and say that the child then learns to feel the world more deeply, becoming more aware of himself and others in a way that he simply cannot experience except in our laps, or in our classrooms, or in our reading circles." 

I couldn't agree with this more! As a teacher I plan multiple read alouds throughout my day, especially in the beginning of the school year where building a positive and respectful community is essential to creating a happy and healthy environment. The art of reading and being read to is being lost a bit with all the other STUFF expected of teachers these days. Teachers and parents- take the time to read TO and WITH your kids. It is extremely vital, now more than ever. 

Anna passed away at the age of 50 after a 15-month battle with brain cancer. In place of a proper funeral service, she wanted people to read to a child instead. She stressed that empathy was as important as literacy. Click here to read the full article. 

Back to School Excitement!

I LOVE the first days of school. I loved it as a kid and I love it as a teacher. Two of the things I love the most about back to school time is setting up my classroom and choosing the first books my kiddos will hear me read. I believe the books I choose for those beginning days really sets the stage for showing my passion for books and love for reading, the very traits we want our students to acquire!

You're Finally Here! by Melanie Watt was my first read aloud last year and the kids LOVED it! It was the perfect read for me to show my excitement in finally meeting all the kids and to spark discussion about what they did all summer. It's a bit of a silly book which helped calm some first day jitters and helped me begin to learn about the kids.

• Family interests & experiences 
• Ability to share in front of their peers & talk with a friend
• Listening skills 
• Early literacy skills with the writing/drawing response 

I also just got to learn about them! Did they think the book was funny? Are they smiling, laughing, nervous, sad, anxious, etc.! So many observations and opportunities for me to learn in this small portion of the first day. Click here to connect to the teacher's blog where I found this title and tons of activities to go along with it. Here are some more favorite first day of school read alouds!

A colleague recommended this last title and it looks like a fantastic read as well! What are some of your back to school favorites?!

NYS Fair!

The New York State Fair is here and I am beyond excited to experience it! The 12 day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education and technology draws millions of people each year. As I've mentioned before, I have fallen in love with ALL the fairs and festivals in the Rochester area that I've had the chance to explore since moving here. John and I enjoy the live music, browsing craft booths, drinking local beer, indulging in festival food and buying from that one vendor selling gourmet doggy treats. However, if we did have kids, there seems to be tons available to keep families entertained. Click here to find some New York State Fair attractions that could interest your family this year! Here are some titles you could take along for the road trip to keep the little ones entertained. (Until they want some electronic device!)  

Birthdays!

Birthdays are the best! Kids obviously love their birthdays but I get SO excited for my day as well. No matter the age, birthdays are a day for celebration. In fact the older you get, that's even more reason to cheers to all the good you have in your life (hopefully). Birthdays are as important to me as Thanksgiving, Christmas & anniversaries. My husband does a fabulous job of spoiling me on January 7th. He makes me feel like the luckiest girl. I know he goes above and beyond because of how he knows I feel about it all!
I also try and make the ones I love, including my students and dog, feel the grandeur of their day. For my students they might get extra special jobs, a lunch date, first pick at free choice, or prize box goodies. Here are some fun read alouds for your kids or students on their day!

I have been fighting this teaching thing for about 10 years. Each year I feel overworked, frustrated, tired, and ready to switch careers. I felt this way in an inner city Title 1 school. I felt this way in an affluent suburban school. I felt this way in an Arab all boys school in the Middle East. I felt this way in a prestigious American International School in Dubai. So I knew it wasn’t the kind of school I worked in that would change my feelings. I also have never had a “bad group of kids”. I had been warned of this in my early years, that I would get that terrible wave and have a year from hell in which I felt I had to drink every night just to get through the weeks. Well I do enjoy wine frequently, but not because I can’t stand my students. It more feels like the perfect way to end a busy work day.

So what was it? I’ve worked in some of the best schools with the best children collaborating with the best families. At the end of this past school year I had decided. It was enough. I was sick of feeling like this year after year. The highs and the lows. One day feeling like I was the Beyonce version of teaching, meaning I nailed the whole entire day (few and far between). Other days feeling like I’d rather work at the Starbucks in Target. (I love coffee and those dollar bins at the entrance of every store are addictive.)

I had been on interviews and simply did not find what I was looking for. But what WAS I looking for?! My poor husband would listen to me go back and forth. We just celebrated our one year and I am sure he was quietly wondering if he had married a crazy person. I could be a paralegal, a firefighter, a bartender, join the Army!?! My ideas were all over the place. The thought of working in an early childcare center seemed more practical. I could bring our kids to work! But wait….what kids? Not only do we not have children but I’ve also toyed with the idea of not having kids at all. (Again, my poor husband and my shenanigans.) After visiting a few centers it just didn’t feel like the answer to what I was craving.

I needed a sign…what was I meant to do? What would be my new job? Well it FINALLY hit me this summer. After watching toxic news story after news story after news story of all that’s currently happening in our world I decided…(cue light bulb) “That’s it!” I am going to go out and make a difference! I am going to be a responsible citizen and help others. I am going to share any knowledge and experience I have to positively impact others. I am going to continue learning about things I’m passionate about. I felt a fire in my belly! I felt excited! I felt awakened! Now I just needed to find that perfect job that would give me these perks!

Oh...wait...wasn't I doing that already? Hadn't I been doing it for 10 years? Hadn't I been prepping for this role since I was 8 years old? (cue 2nd light bulb of the summer)

Teacher. You idiot Jenny….TEACHER! That’s how you help others. That’s how you positively impact society. That’s how you contribute to changing the world. Sure, there are things about education today that’s hard to swallow. There’s been a 10 year build up of aspects of the job that I don’t agree with. But I couldn’t let it take me down. I couldn’t let it suck the passion out of me. The essentialness of the profession outweighs those ever changing factors that teachers feel burdened by year after year. I felt renewed! I felt my calling (again)!

Naturally, I contacted John right away with my aha moment. “I’m a teacher! I want to teach now more than ever!” (thank goodness he loves me). I wonder if he knew all along that I would come full circle? He then begrudgingly filled me in on the reality that the new school year was starting in a couple of weeks and that teaching jobs might not be available. What? But I’m a teacher? What am I supposed to do now?! Well, it’s funny the way things work out. Sometimes when things are meant to be they just are. I vow to stop this war with teaching and to learn a little bit more about work-life balance.

To school age parents out there- yayy for back to school time! Support your child’s teacher this year, they really do work their tails off. To teachers- remind yourself of how awesome you are for taking on such a challenging profession. Get excited about all you have to offer your students this year! To everyone- buy John a well deserved beer if you ever see him. 

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

Summertime means BBQ's, swimming, soaking up the sun, NO SCHOOL, lots of daylight, family vacations, etc.! But it also means BASEBALL! In our home we have a Yankees fan and a Red Sox fan. The rivalry is all in good fun but you might want to check the current standings John (haha). Actually the first known American reference to the game was in 1791 in Massachusetts in which the town of Pittsfield prohibited the playing of the game near the meeting hall. So I still win John...#newenglandgirl.
MLB aside, I've fallen in love with watching Rochester's Triple-A team. The stadium is nice, tickets are cheap and there's nothing better than sitting on a summer evening with a beer watching one of my favorite sports. The Red Wings are always hosting family friendly events as well. Click here for August and September promotions! Here are some of my favorite baseball books!

Check out which minor league teams you have near you!