Drama

“Mrs. Kidder, Wanie is hearting me on the wug, and I don’t wike it.” 

“Lanie is,… I don’t understand?”"Tell me more."

“When we’re on the wug, she does this.” 

“Oh, did you give her a bug and a wish?”

“Yath, and she keeps doing it.”

“I’ll keep out eye out for that.”

“Mrs. Kidder?”  Said with a heavy sigh, “Wainie keeps moving her name magnet next to my magnet”

“Did you give her a bug and a wish?”

“Yath, and she keeps doing it?”

“We’ll talk about our name magnets in morning meeting.”

“Fanks.”

Interesting Class This Year

I’ve been heard to tease the special education teacher, that this year my caseload is higher than hers.  I have two students in my class, A & B, who’ve been identified as cognitively impaired, another little guy (C) I’d be shocked if the recent testing did not identify as even more profoundly cognitively impaired, and a little cutie (D) that is selectively mute with a motor planning delay and sensory issues.  This isn’t even addressing the other little fellow (E) who runs around the room and talks (yells) a mile a minute, yet can count well over 100, knows all his letters and sounds and can’t hold a thought long enough to draw or write it.  I have another student with severe speech and language problems (F), so challenging I’ve just now been able to understand what he’s talking about without 6 or 7 repeats   questions.  Oh, and (G), another little one with BIG speech challenges, but fortunately I’ve had her older sister and brother and they had the same issues, so I quickly relearned to understand her dialect. 

Today was the perfect storm of paperwork.  A 135 question survey and another 60 question survey for “E”, a survey for my nonspeaking child (D) and a classroom involvement questionnaire for our school psychologist for “C”. Each one asked for written narratives and examples of learning, learning concerns and any other situations I felt needed to be known.  Three hours after dismissal I completed all the forms and letters.  Were it not a violation of confidentiality any one of those narratives would have made a wonderful Slice!

I am not Qualified for this...

I have a unique challenge in my class this year.  One of the oldest children in my class is also my smallest.  This little cherub is being helped by a team of specialists.  She is  “selectively mute”, with about 13 words.  To further complicate her learning she has motor planning delays and various sensory concerns. 

I have never felt so inadequate.  I want her to have a happy and successful experience.  I want her to be a member of our class, not to be treated as a mascot.  Because she is so small her classmates want to baby her.  While to some this looks precious, to me it takes away her independence 

I have pushed our Intermediate School System to service her.  I welcome all suggestions, ask questions and even grumble to my principal.  “She’s six, we don’t have time to waste.”  In our rural district we don’t have many resources but I will push to see that she gets all I can muster. 

As we made our Cat in the Hat projects earlier this week I struggled.  I’m alone in a room with 17 other 5 year olds.  She uses a special pair of scissors, I pretend to be an alligator, “chomp, chomp chomp, make your scissors eat the line”, each hand movement needs an encouragement. Those scissors are perfect for her small hand and weak grip, but gosh they sure take small snips.   When her eyes begin to dart side to side I know she’s had her fill.  I finish the cutting. 

I ask her to touch where the glue will be placed.  Hand over hand we apply the glue stick.  The hat is on.  Then I apply the glue and guide her hand to place the red stripes. “Push them down hard so the glue will stick!”   We add a nose and whiskers.  The glue on her fingers bothers her, but she seems to tolerate it for now.  “Touch where you want your name.” I quickly write her name.  I hold up the completed project.  Her eyes dart to her name, “It says your name,” I acknowledge, noting her eye movement.  “Whiskers” “Eyes” “Nose” “Hat” I touch and name. I try to squeeze language in to every moment.  “Do you like it?”  She nods and smiles.  “Me too,” I smile. 

I want her to have the same fun of making something developmentally appropriate.  I want to increase her skills with scissors.  I want her to have the pride of knowing she’s made something. 

Let’s not even think about what the other 17 kids have been doing during this time!

Steve

Today “Steve” went home ill at noon.  The past 3 weeks have been rough.  He’s had some strange symptoms.  I know he’s been to our local hospital’s ER, to his pediatrician, and to a regional children’s hospital.  No one has found anything.

Usually he’s bright and very busy!  

In recent weeks he’s been so uncomfortable.  He has cries out in pain and his coloring doesn't look right.  The times I've seen his pain he’s gone from engaged in play or work, to sobs.  He’s missed things he really likes, this isn't acting.

Yesterday he spent playtime just sitting, cuddling up to a soft chair.  Today at lunch recess he was curled up on his side in a snowbank complaining about his head. Usually I’m drawn to slice things that make me laugh, but this is making me fearful. 

Tipping My Hat to Kid Art

Tonight I hung 18 Cat in the Hats in the hall.   I am proud to note, not one of them looked the same as another.  Yes, we all started with a white circle, but several haven’t yet achieved perfect cutting skills.  The rectangles for the hat were all the same pre-cut size, but the jaunty tilt to several, show their placement skills.  Oh my! Those red horizontal stripes!  The spatial abilities are….developing! 

Did you know if you color a square and then cut from corner to corner you can get a circle?  No?  Me either!  Still, the noses are adorable.  The black whiskers were supposed to be near the nose, I guess that cat has a beard! 

I thought the names would go on the background paper, but when Zach decided to print his name on the brim of the hat his classmates followed his superior leadership abilities.  Dang, they can all now write their names clearly!

Yes, I hung these after the art maven next door went home.   I love the individual art, not the teacher hand over the student hand she insists on.  I won’t apologize I love KID art. 

What happens on March 1?

I shared in my comments with another Slicer on Sunday, March 1^st, the first day of slicing, that I’m not very good at doing anything every day, for more than a week.  I wrote this after a trip to the grocery store and a dash to the kitchen to start a hearty Sunday dinner that would yield leftovers for several other meals.  I resolved, while at the grocery store, to follow those good health recommendations of filling half the plate with vegetables.  I filled my basket with asparagus for oven roasting, and a beautiful acorn squash.  I started the entree and turned on the oven to preheat for my veggies. 

I love the first day of March, so many new pieces!  I read and commented.  When I looked up from the laptop an hour had passed.  The entree was nearly done; the squash and asparagus -- still in the grocery bags next to my purse. I hadn't even squirreled- away the bag of chocolates I’d planned on hiding.

 I’m hoping I don’t lose my focus on Slicing as quickly as I did with my veggie preparation!

Hi, have we met?

I’m returning to my 3^rd year of slicing.  I took last year off.  Our principal was in a crash and burn after several long years of tormenting our staff.  I had a challenging class and felt like the things I was thinking probably should not be blogged. 

This year our conference schedule has been changed, and so has the principal.  I just finished my report cards last Friday and The Class is much more entertaining now that they’re down the hall. 

I teach Young 5’s.  I found myself in the primary grades by surprise and a bad Michigan economy.  I got my first teaching job as an elementary Library Media specialist.  Perfect job!  I got to read books to kids spend someone else’s money to buy books, and then entice kids to read! My job gave me the perfect reason to ignore housework and read! 

In the mid 90’s Michigan education revenues were shrinking.  When our school system had to make many cuts I landed up teaching Third Grade, for a year.  Then I was laid off.  I worked for a (long) year in the High School. I then landed up in kindergarten.  After three years in K, I taught a split class for one year, half time kindergarten, and half time Young 5’s.  Tough, but still easier than the first year I taught kindergarten, where I split my week between two building with very different clientele and supplies.

This is my fourth year in Young 5’s.  I hope to retire in this position.  I’m the mom of two grown children.  Our son and his wife have made us grandparents of three. 

I first chose to Slice because I had never seen myself as a writer.  It’s humbling to read the many wonderful writers who Slice each year.  I know this experience helps me be a better teacher of writers.