T.E.A.C.H.

I am sure that there are plenty "points of views" when it comes to the first day of school. Well first day of school, first week of school, first MONTH of school...and even first school YEAR. But this post is written in MY point of view. A preschool teacher's point of view. The first day of school is exhausting. The first week of school is mind-numbing. And right now I am contemplating whether or not I will be able to survive the first MONTH of school! But for me, as long as I can say that I still love what I'm doing at the end of the day...I will survive...albeit, just barely,  I will survive and hopefully after the first month of school, things will start to die down and we can finally, FINALLY get back on schedule.

Being a toddler's and twos teacher, is most definitely rewarding. If I got to choose all over again which age group I wanted to teach, I will again say the toddler's and twos. I do have fun teaching all (preschool) ages, however with the toddlers and twos there is always extra challenge for me, and I like being on my toes because no two day is a like and every day is an eye opener. I am not going to lie and say every day is perfect...but every day is different and unique in its self.

A few of the challenges that I face at this age is the first day of school. Yep, the first day of school is always the hardest for everyone. Parents. Child. Teacher. Classmates. Everyone. For the most part, my class is the first time a child has been without their parents, well, since they were born. And if they were without their parent at any time, it was most likely with someone they knew...or at least their parent knew. So, trying to tell a child that they have to stay with "Aunty Charity" for the day when they themselves don't really know me, is hard. Add into the mixture other children who are already there who are crying for their parents and older siblings who have not yet started school and have tagged along to drop "baby" off, it's a hard thing. In those first few minutes of meeting the child, I try super hard to develop rapid rapport with not only the child, but with their parents and whoever sibling decided to come, all while trying to hold on to the x amount of children who are clinging onto me for comfort all while trying to explain to the parents the sign in/drop off procedure, all while trying to greet another family who has walked into my door. Did I mention that I had a crying bunch of darlings all clinging on to me as I try to direct what is going on? Oh yeah, and a smile on my face. Oh...and here comes another family with a terrified little one for their literal first day of school. Yes, the first day of school is hard.

Lucky for me, I get to experience that twice in one school year. Since our school offers part time scheduling for the children...I have my Monday/Wednesday/Friday set of kids and my Tuesday/Thursday set of kids. With only one child who comes full-time (for the time being).

I would just like to get it out there...that although I do not have any children of my own, I do see YOUR child as MY child...and it does make me sad and the strings of my heart do tighten just a bit when I hear a child crying for their parents and I do do everything that I  can to comfort your child. And I am more sorry than you'll ever know that you have to walk away from your child for a few hours as you hear them crying out to you. Thank you for trusting me with you child...it is something that I do NOT take lightly....that trust in me. So, thank you.

Another challenge that I face at this age is words. Speech. Communication. I can communicate just fine...but your child is just learning and each child has a different and unique way of communicating...and it is a challenge for me to find out that way within the first few minutes of being with your child. I always encourage a child to use their word. I love it when they are talking/communicating to me. I may not know all the answers to the questions that they ask...but we have fun trying to find out the answer together. But it is a challenge trying to figure out what they are trying to say in-between them trying to hold it together (on that first day of school...first MONTH of school) to say something and amid the loud cries of their classmate friends. Did you know that there are many ways to say "daddy", "mommy," "grandma," "grandpa"...and that is just the tip of the iceberg...because they are also trying to tell me that they want their dog, cat, "lovie", and who knows what else. And it is my job to try to figure out what they are saying. I currently have a little darling who is super attached to his grandma whom he calls "BeeBee" and cries for her (loudly, I might add!) all the time when he thinks about her...however, I have another little darling who has twin sisters at home that she likes to talk about constantly...which, don't get me wrong, is VERY cool!...but her name for them is "Baby" (her parents have told me that she calls both twin's "Baby") So, whenever she starts talking about "Baby" my other little darling starts to cry for his "BeeBee"....I can't tell the little girl to stop talking about her "Baby" now, can I?! Oh, what to do?! Oh and, I'm helping potty train all these kids as well...yes, I need to learn the ways they communicate....fast!

This a very challenging age, however, I love it. Already in the third week of school, I am so proud of my little darlings...most of them are able to come to school more willingly than they did on the first day of school...a lot of them run up to me and give me huge hugs. They already know where their cubbies are, where to put their lunches, and where to put their water bottles. We are still working on a lot behavioral and emotional issues...but that's okay...that is what I am here for. We have a whole school year to work on that.

Some of the things that I have learned about this rowdy, yet fun and intelligent bunch of keiki is they love to paint...with their hands...paint anything with their hands. They all love it when I use a paint brush to paint their hands...they love that tickle-y sensation...:) Also, they love to climb...of course, I knew that about this age, it's a given...but they love the play structure that I have in my classroom...they have turned it into a train, mountain, roller coaster...and a stage where we do our "broadway" singing on it. And they ALL love to dance and sing. And I adore that. They are doing and understanding the concept of cleaning up after them selves...we are still working on that everything has it's own place...but at least they all work together to clean. I love how they are all used to it when I call out "water break", "bathroom break", "Freeze"...and they are slowly getting "attention!" (where when I call out "attention" they have to look at me and say "attention" back.) Another thing that I am SUPER proud of my keiki's of is that the fire alarm went off (unscheduled, because someone had pulled it!...not from the preschool area) and of course, one of a teacher's worst fear, is the children getting scared and running away to hid...especially since my kids have not yet experienced anything remotely close to anything like that...but instead of running away, they ran to me and I was able to usher all my keiki out to our school's designated safe place...I'm glad that they know that when they are scared, they can always run to me. Yep, first weeks or school is hard...but so worth it.

I am so blessed that I have amazing parents to. We did have our open house where we were able to meet and talk with all the parents (that were able to come) without having to worry about the children. And they were all very nice and also they did have a LOT of questions (a lot of them are first time parents, the majority of them have just moved to the island--being military families). But I am happy to say that I was able to talk with all my parents and they were able to meet each other and have even planned some play dates for their kids...and I'm happy for that.

Today, one of my parents stopped me and told me how much she appreciated me. Without trying to sound conceited or cocky or anything...I think that I am a pretty good teacher. I love what I do, and it's my passion. However, I won't get hurt if someone criticizes the way I teach...because I do everything for a reason and can stand my ground, but I am also one that will welcome all kinds of suggestions and ideas. One thing about this job is that you are always learning and finding out new ways of doing things...and I like that. But sometimes it's good to know that you are appreciated. In anything you do, actually...it doesn't take that much to say a kind word to make a persons day...

But as I mentioned, a parent stopped by to tell me how much she appreciated me and that she acknowledged the influence that I have on her son and just to say thank you...and then she gave me this plaque.

And on the back her son "decorated" it for me...and a few nice words of thanks to me...and I appreciate that. It's good to know that I'm doing something good and that parents do see that we do love their children and that our goal for them is to not only succeed in life but to also get out of it as much as they can.

"I call my students 'my kids' because in our year together they aren't just kids on my class list, they become a part of my heart."

Ku.nev.in

I just prepared for two more cards to go out into the world. One is the postcard that I got from my first Pipsticks subscription. I had meant to send it off a long time ago, but then when I opened my planner while I was in school to see what I needed to get done, it had fallen out and I can't believe that I hadn't sent it off yet!

It will be going to my very own cousin back in California...I miss her a lot and I hope that she enjoys this surprise. I especially love the front of the card! "YOU are amazing." And she is an amazing, strong, and big-hearted person that I am so proud to call MY cousin. I really do like this Pipsticks subscription, and I encourage you, if you have a love of stickers, to also subscribe to Pipsticks! There are a few different plans that you can subscribe to. I had just talked to my cousin about planners and journals and how she loves to also decorate her planners/journals with stickers and so I think that she will like this subscription box. Plus, it's always good to have a reminder that "you are amazing!"

This postcard will be going to Victoria in Ukraine. She had a long list of the postcards that she wanted...and as I was going down the list, I had to admit that I was getting worried, because I didn't have any of the postcards that she wanted! But then near the end of her long, very specific, list she mentioned that she didn't mind receiving "greetings from..." cards. I have a few of those. "Aloha from..."...basically means the same as "Greetings from..." :) So I am so glad that I picked up this postcard the other day! Some of the VERY specific postcards that she asked for were: bicycles with flowers, banks with sweets, Rubik's Cube, A Fairy Alphabet by C.-M. Barker, photo of clover, pictures with tree (not a photo), whales (picture, not photo). I didn't really understand what she meant when she would say things like "picture, not photo"...I guess she really didn't want a photo, but she wanted a picture?! I don't know. I also had a hard time trying to figure out what to write on the back! I did tell her a bit about the things I do to de-stress (go to the beach, read, write, sing) since it's been stressful lately since school had started up again. But I said a prayer for her and I hope that she enjoys the postcard that I'm sending her tomorrow! Oh yeah, she did mention that she loves sweets and such so I purposely placed one of my "sweet" stamps on it...I mean, who doesn't like ice cream?! :)

cynefin: A Welsh word for a place where a being feels it ought to live. It is where nature around you feels right and welcoming. (pronounced ku-nev-in)

fernweh (n): farsickness

I might have a slight obsession with postcards now. :) They are just so much fun and the postcards here in Hawai'i are so pretty! :) I may or may not have been able to hold myself back when I had to stop by the grocery store to pick up something for my DollGirl's party yesterday and I passed by the postcard stand. But look at them...they are so pretty. And I didn't have anymore of the Lanikai ones...and I like those ones. :)

Plus, it was good that I picked up this batch of postcards, because in it was the perfect one for the next addressed that popped up on my screen for the next postcrosser to receive a postcard from me. :)

This gentleman is from Germany and he is a German engineer in automotive business for BMW. He said that he was interested in all kinds of postcards, especially ones that had "lighthouses, water towers...trains, planes, ships, machines, historic pictures, bridges and buildings." When I read that part of his profile, I knew that he would also enjoy a picture of our Aloha Towers...it's a water tower, right? I mentioned to him in the postcard that this was the exact place that I went to when I went whale watching. This was the place where we all met up and marked the place where our cruise ship was going to leave the dock...so I hope that he likes is!

I also got two more postcards when I got home! I really am enjoying getting all these postcards!

 

This cute badger postcard is from Veronica in Belarus. It took 31 days to get to me. I'm glad that I did get a postcard from here so that I can see how long it would take to get to me. I had sent one to Belarus about 30 days ago, and I was getting worried that it was getting to the postcrosser...but now that I got this one, I see that it takes a little bit longer...so I'll just wait a little bit longer until I direct message the postcrosser to see if she had received it already. But this is a cute postcard...with an adorable stamp!

 

This awesome postcard with a lot of stamps on a postbox is from Sylvia from The Netherlands! She lives in the highest point of their country in Vaalserverg..and I did look up pictures of the place...and wow! That is some pretty gorgeous views! So many GREEN, GREEN rolling hills. Beautiful. Gorgeous. 

fernweh (n): farsickness: an urge to travel even stronger than wanderlust

Happy birthday to my DollGirl.

It's so hard for me to believe that my "little" DollGirl is now 4 years old. Can it really be 4 years ago that this girl was just a helpless little babe?! Now, she is an extremely active, talk-a-tive, creative, funny, silly, big-hearted, amazing, beautiful big girl! I am so glad that I am a part of her life. I am so glad that I have this amazing honor to be her "Aunty." And I am so proud to call her MY DollGirl

This year her mom, my sister, decided to throw her a party filled with things that she enjoys doing...paper airplane making and decorating (hm...I wonder where she got THAT from!), random craft making, tattoos, stickers, painting, and of course jumping and just running, running, running! I wish that I thought to take more pictures...but I didn't keep my phone with me and I was busy helping with the different craft areas. Mainly, the airplane making area...that was a lot of fun.

I was able to grab a few pictures...

I liked this bead station...my sister bought a lot of different kind of beads for the kids to make their own thing with. I made DollGirl a bracelet with a blue whale and her name. :)

This station was just random craft material that they can make whatever they wanted to. I wish I thought to take pictures of the things that the children made because they really did use their imagination here and it was pretty cool!

 

My sister, being the organized person that she is!, decided to make signs everywhere there was a "station".

I'm not sure what this sign is for...but I liked it...I like the shiny gold on the white...and look at that fancy-smanchy font! :) "Have courage and be kind." Good words to live by. :)

 

 This was another of my favorite station! I absolutely adore stickers...and these were super fun sticker sheets...the kids sure had fun with them. :)

A blurry picture of the mama! My sister really knows how to make her daughter feel special! :) She really knows how to plan an event! :) Good thing...:) (Did you know that she is an AMAZING event coordinator professionally?! :))

My sister decided to let DollGirl open her presents when (most) everyone was gone...and we had a fun time watching her get excited over all her presents. She gets excited over the littlest things...and I love how she appreciates EVERYTHING...

Whenever you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she says that she wants to be "like papa"...and her papa works with "lots and lots of tools"...so I got her her own tool set! I couldn't find what I wanted here on the island, so I decided to order it online...and I swear it said that it was a CHILD'S tool set...when it arrived, I was tempted to keep it for myself! This stuff is the "real deal"!! And my DollGirl loved it. :)

And I couldn't just get her the tools...she needed her own tool belt to! :) Even though the tool set came with a tool bag, I wanted her to have her own tool belt as well. And yes, it's also the "real deal" belt! I'm so glad that it fit her...I have to admit that I was a little bit worried for a bit that it was going to be too big. But it fit perfectly with room to grow! Now she has her own tools and her own tool belt to work with "papa"! :)

I also got her that paper airplane necklace she is wearing right now. Like I mentioned earlier DollGirl likes making and playing with paper airplanes...and whoa...is it a coincidence that I do to?! :) But yeah, that's one of "our" thing...to make airplanes to fly them for hours (at least it seems like hours!)...so I got her that paper airplane necklace and gave it to her before her party started. She seemed to like it...oh yeah, she also seemed to like the 115 glow bracelets that I got her as well. :) (Yep, she is already holding one, and she did share with her friends who were still there.:)

I love this girl. She is a beautiful girl...beautiful inside and out...and I hope and pray that she never looses her sense of adventure. I hope and pray that she never looses the caring heart that she has. And I hope and pray that she will continue to grow to love life and know that no matter what I will always love her so much, a lot, forever...for always.

Happy birthday, my DollGirl. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Travelling Postcards.

 

This beautiful postcard is being sent to Russia to a fellow postcrosser who wants to be surprised with whatever postcard that we want to send. All she asked was that it be a postcard that we, ourselves, would like to receive...and for me, any postcard that shows the tranquility that this beach displays would be a postcard that I would like to get myself. She didn't give any suggestions as to what to write to her, so I just wrote her about my love of the ocean and how I love the waters. :)

I am not lying when I say that this postcard is a pictures of a typical day here in Kailua. I love it. I am also sending this postcard to Russia. It is the second postcard that I am sending this person, because I am just hoping that the first postcard that I sent him was lost in transit or something. I am kind of sad, though, because this person was the very first person that was chosen for me to send a postcard to, and the first postcard was just marked "expired" meaning to say that it is now over 60 days since I sent the original postcard. Hopefully this postcard makes it to him this time!

Open House.

Although I tell myself right before (pre)school starts for the new school year,  I just have to survive the first month before things start to settle down with a more consistent routine and the keiki are more used to the fact that they are in school, the first month is always so exhausting. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Week two down.

The first week was exhausting because first weeks always are. The second week was exhausting because I am still in the process of trying to get to know the new keiki, trying to help them with the transition that school is a sure thing, trying to work out the kinks...and also trying to make sure everything is perfect for open house.

We had our open house (for parents only) yesterday, and although it went real well, I am so tired.

The introduction cover for my open house welcome packet.

What I believe is the most important handout in my welcome packet.

I am very proud of my classroom--the layout, the management, the way that it is organized--but whenever I feel like someone is going to come into my classroom and judge and criticize it, I start to get all anxious and wonder if it is "good enough." Thus, the nervous wreck in work myself into leading up to open house. I have never had a "bad experience" with anyone saying that my classroom was not to their liking, but I think the reason why I get myself so worked up is because this is my passion. I put my everything in what I do, and it just hurts just thinking that maybe, maybe, a parent might walk into my room and tell me that they don't want their child in my room for whatever reason. Teachers, I can take...I have a reason why for everything in my classroom, and we can agree to disagree...but parents, that's something different for me because I want to make sure that everything is "good enough" for their most prized possessions. I know that if they don't like it, they can always choose to go somewhere else...but I would hope that they like...

...and like I said earlier...everything went great for open house. I have students that are enrolled but aren't starting until later (they are in the process of moving here still, or they are not yet 2 years old) and their parents still came and I was happy that they did. I had a really good turn out this year, and I liked how nearly all my parents where there, because I want them to be comfortable with me and what and how I interact with their children. And I am so blessed and happy to say that I have a great bunch of parents this year. :)

(I sent home these All-About Me Robots on the first day of school and asked the parents to do them with their children at home and bring them back so that I can display them for open house. Not everyone did one, but the majority did...and it was a fun way to get to know the children. :) I did one to so that the parents can read about me to! :))

...see! I worry about nothing when it comes to open house...and even though I tell myself that every year...I'm keeping it real. Teachers get nervous too. :)

When I got home, late, I saw that I receive a postcard in the mail and a book from a friend that was left in my porch shelf! :) 

I have the most awesomest friends! :) My friend had stopped by my house to drop this book off that she found at a bookstore. She know how much I love paper airplanes and so when she saw this book, she decided to get it for me. When I called her up to thank her, she told me that she had forgotten that it was my open house tonight, so she just left the book by my door so that I can smile when I get home. I have such thoughtful friends...and I can't wait to try out some of the airplanes! :)

I got a postcard from Netherland...Amsterdam to be exact...and I absolutely love how it's a postcard filled with pictures of the beautiful place where its from. I especially love the castles, flowers, and blue sky pictures! When I went to the postcrosser's profile, it was blank and it didn't really say much about the person on the postcard either, but that's okay...I am still very thankful for the thoughtful and picture-filled postcard!

"I'd rather have a passport filled with stamps than a house filled with stuff."

Novaturient.

This morning as I went to go place the two postcards that I wanted to send off in the mailbox, I saw that there was a postcard waiting for me! It probably came on Saturday...and when I did check the mail, I checked it to early and the mail had not come yet, or something, because I don't know why I didn't see it until today! But that's okay, because I got it and it was a super fun one that made me go back in time to my elementary years! :)

It was a "Where's Waldo" postcard! This postcard came to me from the mainland. Bronwyn from a small, suburban town north of Dallas, Texas sent me this card 6 days ago! Although she lives in Texas, she mentioned that she is from the Western part of the US...and so, I know that nostalgic feeling of your childhood home. :) She is also a teacher and she likes a lot of stuff that I do. She sounds like a fun kind of person...she sure did sent me a fun postcard that I love! :)

When I got home I found two more surprises waiting for me! One postcard from Russia and another from East Portlemouth. I have to admit, that I had no idea where East Portlemouth was located so I had to look it up and the beautiful place is "situated at the southern end of the Kingsbridge Estuary, on the south Devon Coast."...or the United Kingdom. :)

I could not stop looking at how beautiful this place is! This postcard, which took just 6 days to get to me, just held me in awe and I did spend some time looking at pictures and reading about the place online. :) The 25 year old young lady, Andromeda, seems like a real nice person who loves to devote her time to good causes. She also mentioned that she just recently baked a white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake for her coworkers. She seems like a nice person. :)

I really appreciate this fun looking postcard! It traveled 13 days to get to me and I really like the design of this postcard! I also love the fact that the postcrosser, Katerina, has jokes! :) She is a fairly new postcrosser, just shy over one month, and so I understand her excitement of being able to send postcards all over the world and then receive postcards from who knows where!

novaturient (adj): a desire to alter your life, the feeling that pushes you to travel.