All of my girls were discussing how they wanted to have playdates today, and how their moms were going to talk to each other so that they could have playdates. Then, one of my students walked up to me and was getting really excited about the idea of all of these playdates. She said, "I need to tell you something." Then she cupped her hands and whispered in my ear, "Mrs. Flynn, come to my house for a playdate. I will tell my mom. I live in the projects." And smiled ear-to-ear when she pulled away, thrilled at the idea of her kindergarten teacher coming to her house for a playdate, and her ability to tell me where to go to get to it.
I love kindergarten.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Home Visit
I went on my first home visit this week. One of my students has always been a behavior problem. She is repeating kindergarten this year, and I am her third school so far. (Her older brother is in 3rd grade, and in his 9th school.) She came in with a lot of trust issues. Just to paint you a picture, she called someone a B**** the second day she was there. She constantly pinched, punched, and slapped students when she was upset about something. Also, she wore the same jumper (with no shirt underneath) for the first two days. I gave her 3 shirts on her 2nd day.
I gave her the tools to show emotion in an appropriate way, and gave a ton of positive reinforcement and logical consequences, and always said, "I love you," after discussing her bad behavior. Ihave had an amazing result. She is a different person. She hasn't physically hurt a child since about her 2nd week of school. She always tells me how she feels, and had become an average student, behaviorally, for me, and my favorite student, because I just have a soft spot for her. However, she is still awful for every other authority figure - bus driver, related arts class teachers, substitutes, cafeteria workers. I've had a sub twice this year; both times, they had to send her to the office because they couldn't control her. The bus driver has recently stated that if her behavior doesn't change, she is going to be suspended from the bus. She gets notes sent home at least once a week in related arts classes. It's a mess.
Then about 3 weeks ago, I caught her stealing, for the 2nd time this year (although I now know there were several other times that I just didn't catch her). It was the same day that she had gotten in trouble on the bus (for the 1000000th time this year, it seems) for hitting kids, cussing at them, and yelling "NO!" at the driver, when she would tell her to sit down. Also, her brother brought a knife on the bus that same day.
Then last week, her and her cousin (who lives with them due to parental incarceration and abuse in his own family) came all week, disgustingly dirty - worse than usual - and wreaking of urine. And she started stealing food from my classroom. It broke my heart. I threated to buy a secret house in the woods and begin stealing children, to give them a better life. Obviously not going to happen, but it just eats me up inside to send them home after school, when I don't know what they're going home to, but I know it's bad. It kills me. And poor Brenton gets the brunt of it, because I come home sobbing to him. These are my babies, and they don't deserve to be living the way they are.
So on Thursday of last week, I went to the assistant principal and I just said, "I don't know what to do. She's so dirty and smelly, and there is obviously something going on. She has now started stealing food. All of the kids at the school from this family have started acting out more than usual, and I can't just sit by and wonder if everything is okay." So, she suggested we go on a home visit to mom. I was so excited. I have never met mom before. We scheduled it, and the social worker, guidance counselor, and I went on Tuesday.
We showed up with bags of canned food in hand, and prepared to see the worst. No one answered when we continued to knock over and over. Eventually, we saw someone walking back and forth, but still, no one answered. Someone started yelling, "come in!" Although, we weren't really comfortable with that, so kept knocking. Eventually, we gave up on being greeted, and let ourselves in. I wasn't prepared for what I saw.
The kitchen was piled 2 feet high with trash. Old food, dirty diapers, and who knows what else. Surely small to medium sized rodents. It smelled terribly. But, just like my student. We kept walking in until we reached the back of the house (about 5 steps). Mom was asleep on the couch. She sort of awknowledged us (sort of), with a grunt. We stood there for the longest minute ever, before she finally sat up and invited us to sit. If you know anything about my germaphobia, you'll understand how I felt about that. But I did it. I sat.
After talking to her about progress and problems, she began to wake up more. Eventually, she opened up. I mean, really opened up. She told us all about how she loves children and family and has never been separated from any of her kids. She told us about the specifics of the abuse that my student's cousin suffered. She told us about how hard it is to work the graveyard shift at the hospital (ironically cleaning rooms), because she doesn't get to see her children. She told us about the other child she has living with them, who is 13 years old and due in January. When the social worker asked her if they had decided what they would do with the baby, she replied, "We're keepin' it. I keep everyone. Family's the most important thing." I couldn't understand. That baby could live such a better life with an adoptive family. But that is not her mentality. Somehow, the mentality that people like that have is that if they have to give up a child, they've somehow failed, when in fact that child would have such a better life if given up. Also, if done through an agency, she could be getting prenatal care paid for and be learning how to take care of her body for this child.
Anyway, there were definitely the positives and negatives about going. I learned that she is loved. This mother works (unlike a lot of single mothers in this situation), loves each of her 9 biological children (ranging in age from 17 to 2) and all of the others she's taken in. She wants her kids to succeed, but just doesn't have the resources or knowledge to make it happen. But I left knowing that my student is loved.
On the other side, I still hate what I'm sending her home to. It's not appropriate for a child (or 11; 12 in January). And the worst part is that there is very little I can do about it. This is what she knows. She doesn't realize what an innapropriate home this is. I mean think about what you would do if your child's teacher was coming to your home. I know what I would do, "Okay, I need to vacuum and dust and make sure I have a list of questions. Maybe have some tea brewing incase she wants some." She was asleep, and her home was a disaster, with 4 children running around. She didn't know that this was bad. She wasn't aware that the fact that she had to kill a cockroach crawling up her leg, 1/2 way through our conversation, means that her home is not suitable for children.
So, I hope to do something small - help out with their Thanksgiving. And focus on the student that I can hopefully continue to give some tools to. And other than that, I have to focus on the positive. She is loved. At home, and at school, she is loved.
I gave her the tools to show emotion in an appropriate way, and gave a ton of positive reinforcement and logical consequences, and always said, "I love you," after discussing her bad behavior. Ihave had an amazing result. She is a different person. She hasn't physically hurt a child since about her 2nd week of school. She always tells me how she feels, and had become an average student, behaviorally, for me, and my favorite student, because I just have a soft spot for her. However, she is still awful for every other authority figure - bus driver, related arts class teachers, substitutes, cafeteria workers. I've had a sub twice this year; both times, they had to send her to the office because they couldn't control her. The bus driver has recently stated that if her behavior doesn't change, she is going to be suspended from the bus. She gets notes sent home at least once a week in related arts classes. It's a mess.
Then about 3 weeks ago, I caught her stealing, for the 2nd time this year (although I now know there were several other times that I just didn't catch her). It was the same day that she had gotten in trouble on the bus (for the 1000000th time this year, it seems) for hitting kids, cussing at them, and yelling "NO!" at the driver, when she would tell her to sit down. Also, her brother brought a knife on the bus that same day.
Then last week, her and her cousin (who lives with them due to parental incarceration and abuse in his own family) came all week, disgustingly dirty - worse than usual - and wreaking of urine. And she started stealing food from my classroom. It broke my heart. I threated to buy a secret house in the woods and begin stealing children, to give them a better life. Obviously not going to happen, but it just eats me up inside to send them home after school, when I don't know what they're going home to, but I know it's bad. It kills me. And poor Brenton gets the brunt of it, because I come home sobbing to him. These are my babies, and they don't deserve to be living the way they are.
So on Thursday of last week, I went to the assistant principal and I just said, "I don't know what to do. She's so dirty and smelly, and there is obviously something going on. She has now started stealing food. All of the kids at the school from this family have started acting out more than usual, and I can't just sit by and wonder if everything is okay." So, she suggested we go on a home visit to mom. I was so excited. I have never met mom before. We scheduled it, and the social worker, guidance counselor, and I went on Tuesday.
We showed up with bags of canned food in hand, and prepared to see the worst. No one answered when we continued to knock over and over. Eventually, we saw someone walking back and forth, but still, no one answered. Someone started yelling, "come in!" Although, we weren't really comfortable with that, so kept knocking. Eventually, we gave up on being greeted, and let ourselves in. I wasn't prepared for what I saw.
The kitchen was piled 2 feet high with trash. Old food, dirty diapers, and who knows what else. Surely small to medium sized rodents. It smelled terribly. But, just like my student. We kept walking in until we reached the back of the house (about 5 steps). Mom was asleep on the couch. She sort of awknowledged us (sort of), with a grunt. We stood there for the longest minute ever, before she finally sat up and invited us to sit. If you know anything about my germaphobia, you'll understand how I felt about that. But I did it. I sat.
After talking to her about progress and problems, she began to wake up more. Eventually, she opened up. I mean, really opened up. She told us all about how she loves children and family and has never been separated from any of her kids. She told us about the specifics of the abuse that my student's cousin suffered. She told us about how hard it is to work the graveyard shift at the hospital (ironically cleaning rooms), because she doesn't get to see her children. She told us about the other child she has living with them, who is 13 years old and due in January. When the social worker asked her if they had decided what they would do with the baby, she replied, "We're keepin' it. I keep everyone. Family's the most important thing." I couldn't understand. That baby could live such a better life with an adoptive family. But that is not her mentality. Somehow, the mentality that people like that have is that if they have to give up a child, they've somehow failed, when in fact that child would have such a better life if given up. Also, if done through an agency, she could be getting prenatal care paid for and be learning how to take care of her body for this child.
Anyway, there were definitely the positives and negatives about going. I learned that she is loved. This mother works (unlike a lot of single mothers in this situation), loves each of her 9 biological children (ranging in age from 17 to 2) and all of the others she's taken in. She wants her kids to succeed, but just doesn't have the resources or knowledge to make it happen. But I left knowing that my student is loved.
On the other side, I still hate what I'm sending her home to. It's not appropriate for a child (or 11; 12 in January). And the worst part is that there is very little I can do about it. This is what she knows. She doesn't realize what an innapropriate home this is. I mean think about what you would do if your child's teacher was coming to your home. I know what I would do, "Okay, I need to vacuum and dust and make sure I have a list of questions. Maybe have some tea brewing incase she wants some." She was asleep, and her home was a disaster, with 4 children running around. She didn't know that this was bad. She wasn't aware that the fact that she had to kill a cockroach crawling up her leg, 1/2 way through our conversation, means that her home is not suitable for children.
So, I hope to do something small - help out with their Thanksgiving. And focus on the student that I can hopefully continue to give some tools to. And other than that, I have to focus on the positive. She is loved. At home, and at school, she is loved.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Best Compliment EVER.
Okay, so it had nothing to do with teaching.
We had the silent auction parent night last weekend. It was fun - I enjoy interacting with the parents in a role where I am not also trying to reprimand 22 five year olds at the same time. I actually get to be a normal human. Even the parents are slightly surprised that I am a real person, too. Anywho, so I was talking to our PTO president and my room mom, and somehow we got on the topic of fashion. (Yay.) The PTO president's daughter started kindergarten this year, and she said that she was so sad that she didn't get me as her teacher. When I started to say, "Awww..." she stopped me and said, "No. Just wait. It's because 'Mrs. Flynn dresses so well, and has the best shoes,' " according to her daughter. So apparently, she still comes home and tells her mom what I wore that day (when she passes me in the hallway or sees me on the playground)! Then, my room mom said that when she first found out who her son's teacher would be, she couldn't think of which teacher I was (from kindergarten open house). So she asked the PTO prez, who she's friends with, who Mrs. Flynn is. She replied, "She's the one who always looks like she's just stepped out of a JCrew catalog." And my room mom said, "Oh, I know exactly who you're talking about!"
So, that was the best compliment EVER!!!!! :-)
We had the silent auction parent night last weekend. It was fun - I enjoy interacting with the parents in a role where I am not also trying to reprimand 22 five year olds at the same time. I actually get to be a normal human. Even the parents are slightly surprised that I am a real person, too. Anywho, so I was talking to our PTO president and my room mom, and somehow we got on the topic of fashion. (Yay.) The PTO president's daughter started kindergarten this year, and she said that she was so sad that she didn't get me as her teacher. When I started to say, "Awww..." she stopped me and said, "No. Just wait. It's because 'Mrs. Flynn dresses so well, and has the best shoes,' " according to her daughter. So apparently, she still comes home and tells her mom what I wore that day (when she passes me in the hallway or sees me on the playground)! Then, my room mom said that when she first found out who her son's teacher would be, she couldn't think of which teacher I was (from kindergarten open house). So she asked the PTO prez, who she's friends with, who Mrs. Flynn is. She replied, "She's the one who always looks like she's just stepped out of a JCrew catalog." And my room mom said, "Oh, I know exactly who you're talking about!"
So, that was the best compliment EVER!!!!! :-)
Monday, November 2, 2009
2 Stories...
Story #1 - The Shooting
Several weeks ago, a handful of students came in telling me about a shooting in their neighborhood. The first said, "Mrs. Flynn, somebody got shot behind my house." She was relatively nonchalant, so I tried to be, as well.
"When?" I asked.
"Yesterday."
"Did you hear it?"
"Yea. It was by my back door."
I thought for a while about how to respond. "Did you know the person?"
"Yea. It LaDasha's cousin."
"Is he okay?"
"Yea."
Then the other child chimed in. "Yea. I heard the ambulance. They went to the hospital. I heard it, too."
I brought the students over to me to talk about it more, as this first part was happening across the room. "How did it make you feel?" I asked them. They were each thoughtful about their responses.
"It made me wake up during the night and I dreamed about monsters," one told me.
"Scared. And sad," the other said.
It's so sad to me. That was the last I heard of it. I had the guidance counselor talk to them the next day, but they never seemed interested in talking about it again. I mean, these kids are barely five years old. They shouldn't have to experience this. And if they do experience it, it shouldn't be so normal. They're already beginnging to be desensitised, which is the worst part, in my opinion. I just want to wrap them up in my arms and bring them home. I just love my babies.
Story #2 - Flickin' People Off
My new friend (student) started throwing up her middle finger at people this afternoon. For no apparent reason, not that it would make it better if there was a reason, I suppose. I think that besides the fact that she was doing it at all, the next worst part is that my other student came over to me and said, "Mrs. Flynn, she flickin' people off."
"What?" I said.
"She puttin' up her middle finger at people." I mean seriously, at 6 years old, they not only know the sign and what it means, but know the slang for it! I mean, come on!
Just another day with my new buddy...
Several weeks ago, a handful of students came in telling me about a shooting in their neighborhood. The first said, "Mrs. Flynn, somebody got shot behind my house." She was relatively nonchalant, so I tried to be, as well.
"When?" I asked.
"Yesterday."
"Did you hear it?"
"Yea. It was by my back door."
I thought for a while about how to respond. "Did you know the person?"
"Yea. It LaDasha's cousin."
"Is he okay?"
"Yea."
Then the other child chimed in. "Yea. I heard the ambulance. They went to the hospital. I heard it, too."
I brought the students over to me to talk about it more, as this first part was happening across the room. "How did it make you feel?" I asked them. They were each thoughtful about their responses.
"It made me wake up during the night and I dreamed about monsters," one told me.
"Scared. And sad," the other said.
It's so sad to me. That was the last I heard of it. I had the guidance counselor talk to them the next day, but they never seemed interested in talking about it again. I mean, these kids are barely five years old. They shouldn't have to experience this. And if they do experience it, it shouldn't be so normal. They're already beginnging to be desensitised, which is the worst part, in my opinion. I just want to wrap them up in my arms and bring them home. I just love my babies.
Story #2 - Flickin' People Off
My new friend (student) started throwing up her middle finger at people this afternoon. For no apparent reason, not that it would make it better if there was a reason, I suppose. I think that besides the fact that she was doing it at all, the next worst part is that my other student came over to me and said, "Mrs. Flynn, she flickin' people off."
"What?" I said.
"She puttin' up her middle finger at people." I mean seriously, at 6 years old, they not only know the sign and what it means, but know the slang for it! I mean, come on!
Just another day with my new buddy...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Two pukers today.
At 7:45, one of my students came walking down the hallway to begin the day, hands cupped around her mouth, mid-barf. So, that was a nice beginning to the day. "Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" I yelled at the door. I grabbed the trash can and put it in front of her and said, "Okay, let go." And she did. All sorts of regurgitated breakfast all over my trashcan, her jacket, her shirt, her face, her hands, the floor. It was fun. Am I painting a picture for ya? Anyway, that was a good start to the day. Then we went on our field trip (after I sent her home, of course) and when we walked down the stairs in the theatre, another child was cupping her hands with vomit. We went to clean up (and I thus had no seat when I got back), and her mom came to get her when we got back. She informed me that she gets carsick. Would have been a nice thing to know before our week of two field trips on the bus, so that I could have put her in the front row of the bus. Anyway, it was loads of fun. Goood thing I'm not one of those people who gets sick seeing other people get sick (e.g. The Office 3 weeks ago). What can I do; I love my job. :-)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
New Student...sorry for the delay!
Sorry it's been a while, if anyone is keeping up... :-) It's been pretty crazy. I got a new student, which brings me to 22, and she's crazy. She acts like she's never been given a direction before. I sound like a broken record, trying to tell her what to do each day. On day 3 of her, I decided to teach her what it means to follow directions. I started with, "So, when I say, sit criss cross on the carpet, what should you do?" She actually said, "Go sit in my chair?" So I told her again, and finally she figured it out. Then, we practiced. Many times. And I made a huge deal out of it when she did it correctly. It's helped, but we still have a long way to go. Oh, did I mention she calls me "Ms Lynn?"
One of my other students has started coming only about once a week. So that's nice. She's been enrolled in my school for 40 days, and has been there for 21 of them. Pretty crazy. Also, she's really low, so when she randomly shows up, what I really want to say is, "How can I teach you?" Instead, I smile and give her a big hug and tell her how happy I am to see her. The social worker has tried to call several times, got hung up on once and never got through again, until recently, when she finally did, and the school system is finally bringing them to court, I believe. So we shall see how that all goes...
One of my students decided yesterday to change the spelling of her name. I do feel slightly bad about it, as I have pointed out several times that her name is the same as my dog's, only spelled differently. So yesterday, she said, "This is how I'm spelling my name now," spelled like my dog. Oops. Well, I showed her parents, who were not too happy, and convinced them that it is a phase and she will be over it in a few days (hopefully). So, we're just ignoring it for now... haha
We've had a fun couple of weeks, recently. We had apple week two weeks ago. Centers were so fun, and we ate lots of apples and apple baked goods! Then we made homemade applesauce on the final day of it. So yummy and fun! Then last week was fall break. When explaining that to the students, I got asked (as I did last year), who would be their substitute since I was going away. I had to explain again that they would, too, be gone. Oh I love five-year-olds. This week has been fun too. A field trip to the Farmers' Market to use our five senses and shop for pumpkins, then pumpkin day today, at which several parents volunteered, and we weighed and measured our pumpkins and had taste tests. Then, we played with the guts of the pumpkin and voted to make a scary face on the jack-o-lantern. So fun! Tomorrow we go to see The Very Hungry Caterpillar at TPAC (Tennessee Performing Arts Center). They're excited. Then Friday is a 1/2 day where they'll get to decorate their pumpkins with their book buddies and then I have parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon.
I'm a little nervous about those... talking to parents turns my face red. Maybe I should go tanning and get burned the day before so that my face is already red and doesn't turn red throughout each conference. Also, I know I am going to have to let some parents know that their kids are not doing so hot... Ahh.
So, that's a brief synopsis of my last few weeks! :-) More to come sooner next time!
One of my other students has started coming only about once a week. So that's nice. She's been enrolled in my school for 40 days, and has been there for 21 of them. Pretty crazy. Also, she's really low, so when she randomly shows up, what I really want to say is, "How can I teach you?" Instead, I smile and give her a big hug and tell her how happy I am to see her. The social worker has tried to call several times, got hung up on once and never got through again, until recently, when she finally did, and the school system is finally bringing them to court, I believe. So we shall see how that all goes...
One of my students decided yesterday to change the spelling of her name. I do feel slightly bad about it, as I have pointed out several times that her name is the same as my dog's, only spelled differently. So yesterday, she said, "This is how I'm spelling my name now," spelled like my dog. Oops. Well, I showed her parents, who were not too happy, and convinced them that it is a phase and she will be over it in a few days (hopefully). So, we're just ignoring it for now... haha
We've had a fun couple of weeks, recently. We had apple week two weeks ago. Centers were so fun, and we ate lots of apples and apple baked goods! Then we made homemade applesauce on the final day of it. So yummy and fun! Then last week was fall break. When explaining that to the students, I got asked (as I did last year), who would be their substitute since I was going away. I had to explain again that they would, too, be gone. Oh I love five-year-olds. This week has been fun too. A field trip to the Farmers' Market to use our five senses and shop for pumpkins, then pumpkin day today, at which several parents volunteered, and we weighed and measured our pumpkins and had taste tests. Then, we played with the guts of the pumpkin and voted to make a scary face on the jack-o-lantern. So fun! Tomorrow we go to see The Very Hungry Caterpillar at TPAC (Tennessee Performing Arts Center). They're excited. Then Friday is a 1/2 day where they'll get to decorate their pumpkins with their book buddies and then I have parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon.
I'm a little nervous about those... talking to parents turns my face red. Maybe I should go tanning and get burned the day before so that my face is already red and doesn't turn red throughout each conference. Also, I know I am going to have to let some parents know that their kids are not doing so hot... Ahh.
So, that's a brief synopsis of my last few weeks! :-) More to come sooner next time!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Picture Day Stripes and Polka Dots
This morning, I had a phonecall in my classroom at about 7:10. I picked up and found myself talking to the father of my ELL (English Language Learner) student. He has been doing really well, and has had almost no language barriers. He is so so sweet and adorable and so kind and works so hard. This is the first time I have seen a language misunderstanding. Anyway, here's the story. His father called and said, "The reason I am calling is because my son insists that he has to wear either stripes or polka dots today. Is this true?"
I immediately knew where this came from. Yesterday, during dismissal, I was explaining to the kids that tomorrow is picture day, and they do not have to wear their standard school attire, or uniform. A student said, "What's our uniform?" So I was explaining that their solid, collared shirts and khaki (etc.) bottoms are their uniforms. I said, "Tomorrow, you can wear strips, or polka dots, or anything you want!" He understood about picture day, and even told me that he was getting his hair cut for picture day. Well, he went home and told his parents that he could only wear stripes or polka dots for picture day. His dad said, "So, he doesn't have to wear stripes or polka dots?" I said, "No!"
He came in stripes. :-) Love that kid.
I immediately knew where this came from. Yesterday, during dismissal, I was explaining to the kids that tomorrow is picture day, and they do not have to wear their standard school attire, or uniform. A student said, "What's our uniform?" So I was explaining that their solid, collared shirts and khaki (etc.) bottoms are their uniforms. I said, "Tomorrow, you can wear strips, or polka dots, or anything you want!" He understood about picture day, and even told me that he was getting his hair cut for picture day. Well, he went home and told his parents that he could only wear stripes or polka dots for picture day. His dad said, "So, he doesn't have to wear stripes or polka dots?" I said, "No!"
He came in stripes. :-) Love that kid.
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