#SOL17 - 30/31 The Me I Used to Be, Still Am

 


         #SOL17 30/31 I'm writing for the March Slice of Life challenge with the Two Writing Teachers community for Day Thirty of Thirty-One.  Thank you, Stacey, Beth, Deb, Betsy, Lanny, Kathleen, Lisa, and Melanie.   
                            One Day. . .

The final Thursday, and the final "me I used to be", although parts are still happening.

           When I taught, I taught at a school that valued trips. Every class from the youngest on took extended trips in the fall and the spring. The very youngest's extensions were only till dinnertime on that given one day. Time away increased as students grew older. By the time they became my middle schoolers (6, 7, 8) we went for about a week in the fall and 10 days to two weeks in the spring. I've traveled a lot with my family too, especially when my children were older, but the most primitive trips were those with students to Mexico and Costa Rica. Yes, we traveled far into the state of Sonora, Mexico and we drove and we camped. One time we were so tired at arrival, we simply threw our sleeping bags on the ground and slept. I remember being thrilled some of the time to be able to grab a garden hose to wash my hair. I could write a lot about adventures we had in cities, too, but it is the focused nature trips that thrilled me. 

#SOL17 - 23/31 The Me I Used To Be

SOLC #23/31 - 

      Still slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community for Day Twenty-Three of Thirty-One of the Slice of Life Challenge in March.   

                                Eight Days To Go!

          As you can easily see, years ago the "me I used to be" was a first-grade teacher. This was the sixth class of first graders I had taught, two years each in three different cities.  I took over a first grade class a few years later when the principal of this school called me with an emergency because the teacher was very ill. That was my final class for a long time until we moved to Colorado. This is the year my son was born, and I was fortunate enough to be able to stay home with him.
         I've erased the school's name for privacy issues. This is the class where I feel that I really became a teacher. Aren't they sweet! It was so long ago that there was no extra resources to help teachers, no school library, just me. It was a small class because these were children that didn't quite make it out of kindergarten, but no one wanted them in their first-grade classes either. It was called a "transition" class. This is what I learned:

      That kindness and creative responses help upset children. And when one upset child is helped, the rest of the children become calmer too, and can learn. That extraordinary gestures can effect change.

SOL17 - 9/31 - More "The Me I Used To Be"

Here's my post for the March Slice of Life challenge with the Two Writing Teachers community for Day Nine of Thirty-One.  Thank you, Stacey, Beth, Deb, Betsy, Lanny, Kathleen, Lisa, and Melanie.  

    This March, as I wrote last week, I thought I'd take Thursdays to live in the past and share a little of the "me I used to be".  

     I only remember about this picture because my mother told me how cute I was. When I lived in that little town until seventh grade, the school housed all students, K-12. And when homecoming came, they celebrated the usual high-school king and queen, the junior high ones, and the elementary ones. I'm not sure I was a princess or a queen, but here's the picture, the "me I used to be". I was in first grade and my prince was in second grade.

        I do remember other things about first grade. I'm old enough that there was no kindergarten at that time, and I was reading chapter books when I entered school. My teacher's name was Mrs. Hurt, and I remember that she called me up to her desk sometimes during the week to have me read to her. She gave me tips, and always a new book. One book series special to me then were the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace. There were many, thank goodness. I don't remember any other activity, but do remember playing hide 'n seek at recess. And because I lived so close to school, I roller-skated to and from. 

SOLC17 2/31 - The Me I Used To Be

My thanks for the March Slice of Life challenge with the Two Writing Teachers community for Day Two of Thirty-One.  Thank you, Stacey, Beth, Deb, Betsy, Lanny, Kathleen, Lisa, and Melanie.  

In addition to the Tuesday slicing, I connect to other groups throughout the week on my blog, except for Thursdays and Sundays. It's great NOT to have a post on Thursday because that's when I work at a nearby used bookstore (maybe another slice?) I work my shift on Thursdays there, and sometimes other days. This March, I thought I'd take Thursdays to live in the past and share a little of the "me I used to be". 

          I taught early in my marriage and when my first child was born, I stopped to stay home with my son, and then with my daughter. As they grew up, I found more time to do other things. Part of those were 'things" with and for the kids. Yes, I was a soccer mom, a band parent, a stage mom, a gymnastics mom. But at one point my daughter wanted to learn how to ride horses, so we found a stable and she started.  Soon enough, we bought a horse and I too began to ride again. I needed to get in shape and learn more. In my childhood, I rode a little, and one grandparent bought me a pony that I rode when I visited. But that really was play, and not very serious riding. This time I was grown up and had to keep up the riding with our horse. It was stabled, so that meant a drive there 3 or 4 times a week. I was both excited and terrified. It became one of the best learning I've ever done.