Adventures in Substitute Teaching: My own kid in class.

Imagine my delight as I discover my own delightful teenager listed on the roll sheet of my current substitute teaching assignment! It's going to be a fun day!!

Precious teacher has left a reminder:

Please remind the class that the comparison/contrast essay is due on Monday.

After further investigation, I find out that the essay was assigned two weeks ago. My teenager is currently shrinking in his seat at the speed of light. Will he disappear before the end of class? That's the question.

Sidebar with my own teenager:

Jag: Mom, I've started it. I SWEAR!




Me: That's Mrs. Substitute Sassy to you teenager. You have a busy weekend ahead of you.

(Giant eye stare, other boys chuckle.)

Me: Shall I visit with all your moms?

The rest of the class in Unison: No Mam.

Me: Great! So, we understand what's happening during this time?

In Unison: Yes.

As it turns out, having your own teenager in class has it's definite advantages. Key among them: due dates.

Thankful-Ch. 2

There are SO many people in my life for whom I am thankful--that's right, 'people,' not things.  Naturally, I am endlessly thankful for my parents, my husband, my children, and every one in my extended family.  Also, I'm exceedingly thankful for my friends and my church family.  However, a recent turn of tragic events has given me cause to reflect on a group of people who have come and gone in my life, but have forever had an impact on my personal character, my work ethic, and my belief in the power of knowledge:  the over 1000 students whom I've taught over a period of 14 years.

(Because privacy laws regarding posting students' pictures/info online prevents me, I won't post photos, but I'll bet you can visualize someone in your life who's been inspirational to you in ways these kids have been to me.)

To my classes of:

1993-1994:  Thank you for letting me cut my student-teacher teeth on you.  You're the ones who gave me permission, and the freedom, to laugh as much as possible.  It's because of you that my job would never become "work."

1994-1995:  Thank you for your patience...you are the reason my OCD didn't get the best of me OR any of my subsequent students!  Run with those "teachable moments" and don't worry about what the lesson plan book says.

1995-1997:  It was a privilege and a joy to teach every one of you 3rd & 4th graders!  You taught me the importance of really knowing each of my student's names--after all, there were over 700 of you! "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language." Dale Carnegie


1997-2000:  Thank you all for trusting me with needs to which you didn't always want to admit.  You taught me to address my own needs and seek those who would willingly and firmly support me.


2000-2001:  Change.  Each of you helped me through very major changes in my job and my family life (my son was born two months prior to this school year).  Because of your steady and diligent natures, I successfully weathered one of my most feared issues in life--change.


2001-2004:  We experienced the tragedy of 9-11-01.  We had fun together!  We "made our own way" of learning.  For a little while, it was all about us...and you reminded me how cool it is to live inside my own knowledge but want to learn even more!  


2004-2006:  You are the people who drove home my understanding that kids are people.  While that may seem an asinine understanding, the depth of respect that reciprocates from this creates a student/teacher relationship that is immeasurable.  You made it possible for me to see the adults that you could be, that I wanted to help you be, and the talents you possessed to make it all possible.  Thank you.


2006-2008:  You are my final hour.  In all of our conversations about "what you want to be when you grow up," at some point, you convinced me that I could reach for and attain my newest educational and career desires!  Boy, you're good!  You fanned a flame of ambition that I didn't realize was already lit and you told me that I have what it takes to achieve.  In doing so, you restored my self-confidence.  Thanks for seeing in me and showing me what I had forgotten of myself.  Who knew you were so schooled in psychology!?! Thank you.


Since, as your teacher, it was MY job to inspire you, I hope that I provided you with a fraction of support and encouragement that you gave me.  I won't ever be able to repay you for your generosity, but I will honor each of you daily by living in such a manner that reflects each lesson I learned from you.  I will, as they say, "pay it forward."


I love each of you and thank God for the lessons and time we shared.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Knight (because to you I am not PrissE, but will always be Mrs. Knight)

Thankful.

I love this picture.

Look at those two women! They could be any two anonymous women bustling down the big city sidewalk of any great place, on their way to grand adventures in New York, Chicago..... anywhere.

So, you won't be surprised to find out that they're in Amarillo, Texas. That's my Grandmother on the right and my Aunt on the left. My Aunt Oleta worked at a department store downtown in Amarillo for a lot of years. I figure that's where they're going to or coming from when the newspaper snapped this photo.

I love their hats and coats, their tiny clutch purses, the nylons they're wearing. I love the fact that my grandmother is wearing her 'driving gloves'. She always wore them. I can remember sitting in the backseat of her old blue car, (sans seat belts) and watching her drive through the streets of Amarillo in her driving gloves. She would point out landmarks, talk to me, and always, always held the screw on the top of the car when we passed under railroad bridges. My grandmother also showed me the girdles and other 'old time' undergarments they wore, and knowing about all that, I can't believe the smiles on their faces.

I'm thankful for the women in my life.

My grandmother told me a story one time about a lesson she had learned. Many years earlier, she had been approached by a lady at church. That lady had 'informed' my grandmother that the hem on my grandmother's skirts was too short.

Can you imagine the nerve of that church lady? I can't. I was insulted for my grandmother, who just laughed when she told me the rest of the story. She told me that she never got mad at that church lady. She went home that afternoon and lowered the hem of every skirt in her closet one inch.

Why, I asked? Why would you indulge a person like that? A busy body, know-it-all, that had no business telling other ladies what to do. Why would you do that and give her the satisfaction?

My grandmother told me that she knew her hem wasn't too short. She added that she didn't care about the hem of any skirt. If it was one inch higher or one inch lower, it didn't matter to her. My grandmother didn't want to be the one that got in the way of that lady learning about Jesus. If that busy body church lady was so concerned with my grandmother's skirt hem, then that lady might miss the chance to learn about God.

My grandmother was funny. She said, 'I'm not getting in the middle of that!' (Eyebrow raised, smirk on her face.)

Today (and everyday), I'm thankful for the women in my life.

Now, it's time for an open forum.... post your replies, let's hear what you're thankful for, and I don't want to hear anything about turkey.

Weenie World--WienerSnicker--Whatever!

Dear Marketing Department @ Wienerschnitzel:

Have I got a marketing campaign for you!  All you need are about 5 or 6 children around the ages of 3-10 years old--and we've got some perfect candidates for 2 of your children--a hot dog, a chair, a mic, and a camera!

Scene:  A white and empty room with a chair in the middle.  Seat a child on the chair with a hot dog in his/her hand, and ask him/her to say "Wienerschnitzel."  Keep that camera rolling and catch their EVERY attempt at pronunciation!  Your Slogan:  "Wienerschnitzel.  Hard to say.  Easy to eat."

(This was a discussion between my children about where to eat for lunch one afternoon recently)


Little:  Weenie World...oh. Wait.  Ummmmm...


Big:  It's not 'Weenie World.'  It's Weenie-Shitzel.

Little:  OH!  I got it!  It's WienerSnicker!




...........and this went on for at least 20 minutes.......without ANY success!

Save the Date!

Meet my future Daughter-in-Law, Little.





She is smart, beautiful and knows what she wants and how to articulate it.

SCENE: (any beautiful summer day at the pool)

Mav: Hey Jag, Little is telling everyone you're her boyfriend again.

Jag: What? I thought she broke up with me.

Mav: (laughing) I guess not.

Later.....

Jag: Hey Little, I thought you broke up with me, so Fox could be your boyfriend.

Fox: I'm not her boyfriend.

Little: (raises eyebrow, eats sour punch candy and shrugs her shoulders)

Mav: I'm not her boyfriend.

Jag: Little, I'm NOT your boyfriend.

Little: You are if I say you are.




** end SCENE **

I think that about sums it up.

PrissE and I are planning an ocean side wedding.... probably early summer, 2030.

Save the date.

Blob-adee-Blob

I propose that the use of yadda, yadda, yadda be stopped. (forgive me, Seinfeld)

Hence-forth and forever more, we shall say blob-adee-blob.

Amen.

Here's the thing.....

Everyone listen up. I have a dyslexic child, who is now a teenager.

That's the fact.

Here's the reality of that fact:

Things like math facts and spelling words are new to Jag every time he sees them. Try explaining to the teacher why he mis-spells his own name. Time has no meaning to him;therefore, due dates are really just random numbers. We have no idea how to organize most things, remember most things or prioritize most things. Guess what? It's always been like this. Guess what else? We continue to thrive.

Here's another fact:

Public school doesn't respect us. That's just how it is. Most teachers are awesome! They do everything they can possibly do to help Jag get through the school day. Terrific teachers are under paid and under appreciated. Most teachers are terrific. Some of them, are not..... they can take a flying leap! Teaching isn't for everyone, learn a new life skill.

I've received a slight bit of grief over the past two posts about Jag. Just a tiny bit, and I want you guys to know this is our life. Good, bad, ugly and mis-spelled. This is our reality. I love it. We have to be able to laugh about it. These are the facts of our daily life, it brings me joy.

So, here's the thing....

Jag is a brilliant teenage boy. He doesn't do anything the way I think it should be done, but we get it done anyway. You might be surprised at the things you can learn to do differently. Guess what? It's OK to be different. Really.

He has tons of family and extended family and friends that love him. I mean... really LOVE that boy!! And, we laugh.... A LOT! Jag is the first one to laugh. He laughs even when I am crying, because he's an awesome boy.




End of story.