Tag: teaching

Six Bucks

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Teacher TalesLeave a comment

Tomorrow is the last day of school.  Each year it is bittersweet.  Saying goodbye to my kiddos and many of their parents is tough, but, oh, how I love, love, love summer followed by a fresh start every fall.

The last day of school is also tough for my little ones.  They, too, love summer, but don’t want to leave our daily life together behind.  There are tears.  There are tight hugs around my legs and lots of tender I love you’s.  And there are gifts.

I’ve received many lovely gifts throughout the years.  Bookmarks, photos, cards, bells, books, bike stuff, and much more.  It’s the little things that mean the most to me.

Today one of my lovely families gave me flowers, a gift card to our brand new Trader Joes, and six dollars.

You heard me, six dollars.

I was a little confused by the last part and I’m sure my sweet little girl could tell because I do not possess a poker face.  At all.  So I asked her what the six dollars was for.  She smiled sweetly and said that since she is six, she wanted to give me six dollars of her own allowance.  I know she does chores to earn her allowance and understood what a generous gift she’d given.

I can say with absolute sincerity that I love each of my students and I’m proud of all the ways they’ve grown.  Even the tough kids.  Maybe especially the tough kids.  Tomorrow I know my inept poker face will reveal my true feelings.  And on our last day together, that’s exactly what I want.

Book Lovers

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Teacher Tales1 Comment

After school is one of my favorite times of the day.  I reflect on the happenings of the day and prepare for tomorrow.  At the end of the day I’m usually accompanied by a handful of my students from after school care.  They help sharpen pencils, organize books, clean the boards, and do any other job that garners special teacher time.

As my mom prepares to retire this year, she is passing on many of her materials to me.  This past week, I carted an overflowing box of her old books to my room and called on my little after school helpers to put them in the correct book tubs.

One of my little boys stood next to a tower of books.  He fingered each one with care and would often exclaim “Oh, Mrs. McCauley, I remember when you read us this one.  I love this book!”  As beloved stories passed through his hands, he recounted the precise time of year I’d read it to the class and something he remembered from the story.  If a book was new to him, he would stop what he was doing, plop down on the carpet, and a read a few pages.  About half an hour into this process, he asked “Mrs. McCauley, have you read all of the books in our class library?”  I smiled.  “No, not all, but I’ve read most of them.  I read many of them when I was little like you.”  He sighed “I love reading.”  I smiled “I know you do.  I do, too.”

Part of creating closure to the year is helping my students understand that when they move to second grade the current kindergarteners will be first graders.  So during the last week of school we write letters to the new first graders and prepare the classroom for them.  Today each student cleaned out their book box and placed easy readers in the boxes for next year.  As they put the books in their boxes, I heard things like “Oh, I loved this book!”  and “Mrs. McCauley, I remember when this book seemed really big and hard, but it’s so easy now!”  I smiled pleased that we had a moment together to reflect on how they’d grown as learners.

I’ve got a stack of books waiting for me this summer.  I can’t wait to sit back and dive in.  And as I do, I will smile knowing that my little book lovers are probably doing the same.

Tension & Resolution

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Bike Adventures, Teacher TalesLeave a comment

One of the thousands of reasons I love riding my bike is that is gives me opportunity for reflection.  Tonight in spin class, I cranked and cranked and cranked the tension knob until my quads were bands of fire.  Then my spin instructor told me to crank it up some more.  Just when I thought my calf muscles would burst, he said, “Good job.  Now take it down.  Way down.”  I cannot adequately express the relief I felt when all the tension was released.  I was so happy I was seeing white.

It’s appropriate that I was reflecting on tension tonight because I was teaching a lesson on that very thing today.  Our focus during writing was how to create tension in fictional pieces.  We talked about pushing the problem to its absolute limit and then providing a satisfying resolution.

As I conferred with students, I was thrilled with their desire to add layers to their conflict.  I was equally pleased with the thought they were giving to word choice and expression.  They wrote with consideration for their audience and it showed.

They were truly crafting stories.  All year long I’ve been cranking up my expectations, impressing upon them the skills and habits of writers.  Lessons on voice, word gathering, developing setting, creating tension, word choice.  It all came together today.    Today my sweet six year olds internalized the most important lesson of all.  They are writers, real writers.  I couldn’t ask for a better resolution.

Gold, Frankincense, and Midol?

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Christmas, Teacher Tales2 Comments

It started out as an average Friday morning.  Students filed in showing off their loose teeth and lugging their book boxes to their desks.  I stopped at each desk to check in with my kids and collect their homework.  Just then a father with special needs walked in.  In the middle of a conversation with one of my kids, the dad blurted out “Here’s her folder.  Do you want her papers now?”  I patiently held up a lone index finger, the universal sign for ‘I’ll be with you in a moment’.

After finishing the conversation with my student, I turned my attention to the waiting parent.  We had a quick conversation about where his daughter should put her homework folder and I turned to go about my morning business.  The father continued in a loud, unmodulated voice.  “Mrs. McCauley, I know what I’m getting you for Christmas.”  I wasn’t sure how to best reply, so I uttered a noncommital “Oh.”  Then he delivered a surprise verbal punch.  “I’m getting you the Costco jar of MIDOL!”  He smiled, so pleased with himself.  I stared, mouth agape.  I didn’t feel like I’d been rude or unkind.  It’s not like I gave him the OTHER finger or anything.

As I stood totally unsure how to escape gracefully from this conversation, his face turned the blotchy crimson of a pomegranate.  In an even louder voice he stammered “I mean the Costco jar of Tylenol.  Not the other, you know, thing.”  This really didn’t clear anything up for me.  I stared at him, head cocked to the side, in total disbelief that this conversation was still going on.  He continued “You know because of all the headaches you must get.”  I do not have a poker face at all, so I’m sure my increasing look of incredulity was apparent.  I stood unable to extricate myself from the awkwardness and to my dismay he rattled on.  “You must get a lot of headaches.  I didn’t mean the other thing.  I don’t want you to think I was saying anything weird or anything.”  Seriously!?!  This entire conversation was totally bizarre.  Unable to bear the possibility of any further comments, I said “Don’t worry about it.  I put my foot in my mouth all the time.  Have a nice day.”  I willed my legs to move me to the student sitting in the desk furthest away and to my great relief that was the end of the dialogue.

Although I only get a headache approximately once a year and I am as fortunate when it come to other unmentionable aches and pains, come this December I’ll be commemorating the birth of the Christ child with the deluxe jar of Midol or Tylenol.  Who knows, maybe in the spirit of generosity and goodwill, I’ll receive both.  Take that, wise men.

Mrs. Holland’s Opus

On By Alicia McCauleyIn Teacher Tales1 Comment

Oh the dread of freshman Algebra.

Walking to my Algebra class, my feet were lead. Outside the door I would give myself a pep talk. A “You’re good enough. You’re smart enough and doggone it people like you.” sort of pep talk because once I was inside that door I would face Her.

My teacher.

My teacher who, when I didn’t understand an equation, would repeat the same directions. Only louder. My teacher who shook her head and took deep breaths when I told her I still didn’t get it. After a few weeks I stopped asking her to explain.

My counselor wouldn’t permit me to switch classes, so instead I went next door most days after school to Mrs. Holland, another algebra teacher. Mrs. Holland would explain concept after concept in several different ways until she and I were both sure I understood it. Sometimes it took days for me to grasp a single concept. It didn’t matter to Mrs. Holland. She even invited me over for dinner and extra tutoring before my final, to make sure I would pass. She was my savior.

Two years later, it was time to take Algebra 2. My mom and I met with my counselor, begging to be placed with Mrs. Holland. To my dismay, I was again placed with Her. I dropped out and enrolled in a night class of Algebra 2 at the local junior college. I did just fine, thanks to Mrs. Holland.

As a teacher, I have the pleasure of introducing early algebraic thinking to many of my first graders.  Sometimes it takes them a long time to grasp difficult concepts.  I don’t mind at all because I was that kid with the perpetually raised hand and look of total confusion.  When I see that look on a student’s face, I smile and think of another way to shed some light on the concept.  I try to give my students the time, space, and information they need to become mathematical thinkers.  In short, I try to be like Mrs. Holland.