Reason #86 - June 2016 - Summer Update

I'm back after living life for a while and having new adventures. It has been awhile since I have had the time to blog, though I think about it ALL the time. The list of stories I have to share, the little special moments grows and grows. Amidst the We All Have a Voice! program growing and Inspiration Schools and my family, days have been filled with new ideas, new plans, and exciting plans for the future.

Will I get back to sharing my stories from my classroom?  I believe I will. They are a part of me and come up often so I'd like to share them. Most of all, I want my students to know how much I care about them and how much they mean to me. They give me so much, every day.

It's good to be back, if only for a few minutes. The thought about writing has taken action and it feels good to be here.

We All Have a Voice!  Together We Grow Stronger!

See you soon......


Summer. Time to recharge an reflect.
This is why I teach.

Reason #85 An Adopted Mom

How many people get to have special kids with whom they share years of special moments, years? How many people are adopted at work? Who gets to adopt new kids, no paperwork or waiting-period required? At least one lucky person….moi!

I am reminded of last spring when Olivette said “Last year I didn’t do anything.  This year it’s ‘Wohoo!’ I love it!” I loved it too, seeing her excitement and engagement grow. To know it is unlimited and unending.  What a gift!  We have been through so much together, how could we be anything but family, a family of choice? 

What an honor it is to be a “second mom”. I get to have a daughter after all!

Olivette, je t’aime ma puce.

An ever-expanding family….

This is why I teach! 

Reason #84 – Diamonds – Christiane’s chalk talk

“Are you ‘singul’ Madame?” was one of the funniest questions asked last year by a French one student.  I was teaching “singulier and pluriel” to my class and Christian took it to a personal level, giving her own definition of singular.

From one moment to the next in class, Christian is the type of student who is always putting ideas together in new and funny ways. Just the other day she was playing around speaking French with a Texas accent.  Oh the memories!  It took me months to break my Texan students from “Bonjouuuur.” with a Texas twang.

Now silver paint is required from Christian’s sidewalk talk. It fits perfectly, she is sparkly and precious!

Christiane ta personnalité est scintillante!  Ton enthousiasme et participation en classe sont formidable et me donne du bonheur tour les jours ! 

This is why I teach! 

Reason #83 Sidewalk Talking - Cobain to Einstein - Léo

How awesome to get to know my new students and what they think about life is special.  We are just in week 4 and I am learning so much about students by just giving them the space and place to share what inspires them.

I was so excited when Léo told me:  “I wrote 3 quotes, not just one. You have to go down and read them. I wrote my initials.”  I have to find the other one…a mission for Monday! I can’t wait to see what it is. How many teachers can say that they are ready to go on a sidewalk scavenger hunt Monday morning?  At least one!

From Kurt Cobain to Einstein…it is so simple!  Oh the power of simplicity!

We do need to just be ourselves, otherwise we waste who we ARE.

Making mistakes….a sign of growth and courage.  It is so simple.

Why do we complicate our lives and ourselves?

Merci Léo pour vos phrases motivantes.  Beaucoup de personnes seront inspiré par tes pensées, juste comme moi !

Seeing excitement, power, and deep thinking in my students is such a powerful experience. I am so lucky to be inspired every day.

This is why I teach !

Reason #82 – Listening sidealks - Serge

I am experiencing the continued power of chalk. May the sharing begin on a vertical surface….all over our campus! 

“We are doing so many cool things. This is my favorite class now.”  As a teacher those are magical words!  I am so happy to be able to set up students to be excited and enthusiastic about participating.  It is through their participation that our community grows and becomes more and more meaningful! 

As a shy student, I was always afraid to speak up, even participate in class. This was not only in high school, but continued through college.  From this personal experience, seeing kids come out of their shells getting beyond their shyness gives me great joy.  It is so fun to watch Serge speaking up more, so excited and sharing more and more.

What a great smile!  It means everything to me to see happiness on my students’ faces.  What a gift!

Merci Serge pour ton enthousiasme et ton sourire!  Je suis inspiré par tes phrases sur le trottoir !

This is why I teach! 

Reason #81 – Chalk Power

Sidewalks do talk! 

Let's bring out their voices!  What do they have to say to us? 

Opportunities to see what students are really thinking and share with others. Seeing how creative and inspirational they ALL are…

This is why I teach! 

Reason #80 Week 4 – in a nutshell

After another amazing week of school I am experiencing the ever-present challenge of keeping up with the meaningful moments. I have decided to take notes and post them as the start to my blogging discipline.

Samuel

You know the “Adopt a Freshman”?  I want to be adopted.  : )    

Julie

“I said a whole sentence in French yesterday:  <<Montez la tente Mademoiselle.>>  We are ready to go camping now!.

Noël

Taking out his conversation card he commented: “This is stupid”. Just a few minutes later, he was a superstar, participating in conversations, volunteering, going above and beyond to practice.  Friday he asked to go to the WC in French without hesitating. Seeing a shift from dread to joy is why I teach. 

René F

Showing initiative by making up work during lunch is so nice for me to see, students who are motivated and really care.  He wants to go to CNM and get caught up on all classes. He was so focused and positive. Learning about students and their goals helps me see them in a new light, a more meaningful one. They are all so amazing.

Yves

How nice it was to chat with him when he checked in to see about make up work after coming in late to class. He is happy to be staying in French. I am so happy as well, especially after I refused to sign his transfer form.

Marty

wall connection – Yes we did learn each others’ names. Learning about him wanting his

son to coach football was exciting and special. To see his enthusiasm while talking about his son going back to school it was inspiring to see a father’s pride.

Bruno

Another wall connection. He stopped to help me with the hose as I was getting it to wash off the wall. He introduced himself as Sue’s husband. He shared how had great conversations with kids at the Wall. He was surprised at how meaningful they were since it is his first time working with HS students. “It’s good to be here.”

Isabelle

“Just imagine that you wanted to write something on the sidewalk to inspire someone.  What would you want to share?  Just pretend.” She wanted to put it where all could see it. She was so excited to write again on Friday.  Watching Isabelle go from not wanting to participate to writing “Ton coeura vivra toujours” all over campus, even putting it in English too is why I teach.

Léo

How awesome to get to know new students and what they think about life.  “I wrote 3 quotes, not just one. You have to go down and read them. I put my initials on them”

Bruno

Giving students the opportunity to choose a new identity really does work, every time!  After two weeks of class, a student who came in week two who was sitting with another new student, told me “We need French names.”  I had forgotten that I had so many students add to my classes that I ran out of name pages.  Once I gave them the list, it was fun to watch them choose their favorites and reflect on the ones they wanted based on how they sounded.  So curious and enthusiastic Bruno is constantly asking how to say things and practicing everything I say.  He is even teaching himself Russian at home.  To see such motivation and interest…this is why I teach.

Mr. Landis

The activities director came in and started talking to my class in French.  He stopped by to tell us about the power outage and then say that so many kids were coming to him about our “Adopt a Freshman” project that he wanted more information!  Yeah!  Our strategy to get everyone curious is working!

In the end, he came up with “…Mon petit chou” which made my class laugh because it is a conversational expression that my class learned last year.  How many languages use “my little cream puff/cabbage” as a term of endearment?  And people wonder why I love French so much!

Keep practicing Mr. L and your three years of high school French will come flooding back!

Beautiful girl on the stairs

Stand strong.

Turn tears into freedom from uncertainty

Break from the past and those who may not appreciate you for ALL that you ARE.

Create the space for people to come into your life who really SEE you and your beauty and intelligence.

You are amazing!

Come talk to me!

Olivette

What an honor to be a “second mom”. I get to have a daughter after all!

Je t’aime ma puce.