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!