Thursday, May 3, 2018

It's Not So Elementary

My daughter2 has been teaching school for over five years now. She started her career as a third grade teacher but transferred to kindergarten last year. I've visited every one of her classrooms at least once to help with some sort of special project and to read a book to her students. Shhh! Don't tell, but my real reason for going is to see my girl in her natural habitat. When it comes to teaching she is a natural.

Until yesterday hubs never had the opportunity to see her run her classroom like a boss. Yesterday he spent a couple of hours in her classroom, ate lunch in the cafeteria, and basically tried his best to keep up with the crazy pace and activity level of a room full of five year olds.

Here's his takeaway-


1. His daughter is amazing.

2. Seriously, if he had to do what she does on a daily basis he said he'd likely pull the covers over his head and never come out. It's a steady stream of walking, talking, not sitting, re-directing, suggesting, guiding, consoling, herding, answering, having a Plan B, smiling, encouraging, helping and whew! 

Teaching is not for the faint of heart!!

3. Kindergartners are busy busy busy. There are many moving parts and they ask a lot of questions.

4. A whole lot of questions. Not always about the topic at hand.

5.  Besides a room full of students there were chickens.

6. Baby chickens. Daughter2 had seen a program available to teachers through I think the Cooperative Extension where you could pick up eggs and everything you'd need to hatch chickens in your room including feed, brood box, water bottles, incubator, and instructions. They will also take the new baby chicks back unless someone takes them home.

No she is not taking them home, but don't think for a minute she hasn't considered it-ha!

7. Anyway, one evening after school she trekked down to the Extension Office and picked up all the necessary materials and three weeks later she and her room full of kindergartners watched six baby chicks enter the world right before their eyes. One is still struggling to make his way out so here's hoping today was the day. Her students have recently completed a unit on animals and there's nothing like hatching your own chicks to make it all come to life.

8. Hubs brought her chick-fil-a for lunch. Circle of life?

9. He read a book to the class too. Horton Hatches The Egg because great teachers know how to work a theme.

10. After he read the book Daughter2 told her students they could ask him questions. She told them he knows a lot about a lot of things, for instance snakes. He knows a lot about snakes.

11. He was then asked approximately 546 questions about snakes.

12. This profession is under appreciated on so many levels.

13. And his daughter is completely amazing.

12 comments:

  1. I teach Pre-K and K Sunday School, and I certainly can attest to the fact that they are busy busy busy. And they say the funniest things!!

    Great photo of daughter and daddy.

    Blessings,
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
  2. Her students are so lucky to have such a caring teacher. I taught kindergarten for half of my 35 years of teaching. Love them, but they are a handful.. Your post brought back memories of my Mom and Dad visiting my classrooms; they thought teachers hung the moon.
    Love the baby chick story, I was never the brave one to have them in my room. But a lovely colleague would every year and we would visit. Now as a grandmother, I hope my Camille gets a wonderful kindergarten teacher like your daughter.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a delightful post! Your daughter is wonderful! I wish I had her gifts but alas, I do not. Most definitely, I do not. Thanks for sharing it all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love this post -- from her daddy's perspective!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fabulous! I agree that teachers are undervalued. Kindergarten teachers have my respect for sure. I taught elementary school, mostly second grade. When I spent a couple years subbing, I only accepted a kindergarten job for the day ONCE! Yikes, I was so tired at the end of the day. Hats off to your dear daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a sweet post. I admire your daughter for her career choice and those 5 year old's must be a challenge everyday! Glad he got to visit with her and her classroom.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love this post Joyce. I so admire teachers. I think they deserve so much more respect and gratitude than they receive. Your daughter sounds like a wonderful teacher.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a lovely round up of a special day.

    ReplyDelete
  9. SO sweet!! I love that he got to spend time in her classroom. I also agree with all that he said and it applies to all teacher!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, she is definitely "called" to teach Kindergarten. But, truly all teachers are "called." My daughter teaches 5th grade Math and loves every minute of it and my DIL is a Special Ed teacher for middle school and she views it more as a ministry than anything else. A great post and how neat that her Daddy shared in her classroom. Neat! Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh Joyce, how fun for your husband to visit the classroom. Teachers are underappreciated. But I must tell you. When I was on Cape Cod I ran into my second grade teacher! She was the one who inspired me most in life. It was a wonderful reunion and now we have exchanged addresses we will keep in touch. You never know when you will make a difference in someone's life.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love that he made the time to join his daughter at her work. That is so awesome! And your daughter really sounds like an amazing teacher! I'm sure your husband went home feeling so proud of her.

    ReplyDelete