Playlist for the Week Before Spring Break

This week marks the last five days before that glorious pocket of time known as spring break for my school district.  Here are some tunes (along with YouTube links) to get you through the week:

• "Reveille" made popular by the Armed Forces.  Just a reminder to be up and at 'em.
• "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees.  I'm not a big fan of the Bee Gees unless it's the Fallon/Timberlake sketch on SNL, but this song is so apropos.
• "Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry.  And the best part is you can totally change this to fit your students' names. Not that I've heard, "ROBIN! BE GOOD!" more than a few times. ;)
• "Let It Go" from Frozen.  Confession: this chorus is sung daily in my room.  It's a reminder that it's okay to not lose your mind over little things.  Unless some one "cuts" you in line.  Then it's World War 3. And the linked version by Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and Idina Menzel is precious.  And you can watch it with your class. 
• "Survivor" by Destiny's Child.  
• "Wide Open Spaces" by the Dixie Chicks.  Because after attending school since August with only 1 snow day, we pretty much each want our own zip code. 
• "Run the World (Girls)" by Beyonce.  The beat alone is enough to get you going.
• "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder.  Science has proven it's impossible to be in a bad mood and hear this song.  
• "I'll Be There".  When your boss asks if you plan on coming in the Friday before the break, just send 'em this song. 
• "No" by Meghan Trainor.  Because you know it's gonna be every other word you say this week. 
• "I Want it That Way" by the Backstreet Boys.  For when someone dares ask you why.  (And don't hate on the Backstreet Boys.  You know they're awesome.)
• "Lord, I Hope This Day is Good" by Don Williams.  Not one wasted syllable.  Not.  One.
• "Ready to Run" by the Dixie Chicks.  I won't insult your intelligence by explaining it. 
• "Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton.  Sing this internally when that one kid is by your side. Again. 
• "The Waiting" by Tom Petty.  Are there truer words than "the waiting is the hardest part"? Enough said. 

The ultimate hype song for back to school/last week/bad day:

• "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor.  The first two lines sum up so much, don't they?

And since my name is Robin, this song will be my personal anthem come Friday at 3.  

Hope you have a great week!  And don't let the fun end-if I've left out a song we need to hear this week, let me know it the comments!

Love Lessons From Beauty & the Beast

Youth is wasted on the young.

Like gobs of other Americans, viewing the ads for the new Beauty And The Beast movie caused instant nostalgia.  Which was abruptly cut short when I head the terrible fact that the animated version was more 25 years old.  I know I've put on weight over the years, but realizing I had gained 25 years put me in a tailspin.

So here are some of the love lessons I learned at the tender age of 11.

• First appearances can be deceiving.  When we first meet Mr. Beast he's ...a beast.  With a major attitude problem. Don't write someone off without learning more of the situation. Give people a chance.
• Being good looking without compassion can be a serious no-no.  Gaston seems to epitomize the opposite of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  He is not patient, nor kind.  He is definitely boastful. And proud.  And rude.  And he totally does not rejoice in the truth.  
• Love involves sacrifice.  Belle took the place of her father in the castle,  And lest we forget, the Beast took one for Belle at the end of the movie.      
• Love involves being vulnerable.  When the Beast was hurt and Belle was trying to nurse him back to health, he had to expose a physical vulnerability.  When he invited her to dinner he exposed an emotional one.
• Love involves being aware of your partner's likes and dislikes.  When they are eating, Belle daintily sips on her soup/porridge/chowder as the Beast wolfs it down.  When he realizes Bell is all but aghast at this method, he tries his own spoon.  But that does no good-it's hysterical to watch him try. 
• Love involves compromise.  After they realized they couldn't eat in the same manner they simultaneously eat soup the same way-by lifting the bowl and drinking from it.  It's the perfect compromise for the two of them.
• It's okay to try new things.  Remember the two of them in the snow?  And the Beast looking like a telephone poll wire because so many birds were sitting on him?
• The things you take for granted are the same things someone else is praying for.  Remember that all but abandoned the castle?  Beast had tons of books but no desire to read.  And Belle would read anything she could put her hands on.
• The Celine Dion/Peabo Bryson version of the song "Beauty and the Beast" is the best.  John Legend killed it on the new version, but their version is priceless.  You could even say "tune as old as time".      
• Brunettes can rock the color yellow like nobody's business.
• Take dancing lessons so you can waltz, fox trot, and do all those other kinds of dancing.  You just never know when you're going to be whisked into an immaculate, ornate ball room to dance the night away.  Thanks to the movie, the precedent's been set.   

So, world, here's the advice for the next generation of kids.  You can thank me later.  

Summer Reads

I know a lot of you are still on summer vacation. Mine is winding down as a report for my first professional development next Wednesday. So for any of you who still have some time off and are hitting the sand, the lake, or even sitting around the house wanting something relaxing to read, here are some of my favorite summer reads.

When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home by Erma Bombeck. I first read this book in high school and was so entertained by the different vignettes. Back then travel seemed like a distant dream so it was my way to live vicariously through the author. And for the record, Erma is the master of introductions. It wasn't until I was older that I realized she had the best introductions ever.  Seriously.  And it's a humor book so when your travels go awry (like delayed flights, sitting next to obnoxious people on the delayed flight, seeing your 77 year old father walk through the Punta Cana strip mall sans shirt because "I want to get a tan" or same man barging into the Punta Cana airport immigration office, or watching him cut 150 people in the customs line so he can go to the bathroom) it's nice to know you're in good company. 





Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling.  I bought this as an impulse buy while waiting for a plane. You have to understand I adore the author and enjoyed realizing that I'm not the only one with those fears.


Why Not Me? Same author, same style writing, and the last chapter is a must read, especially for young girls.  She saves the best for last and helps women understand how to validate and own their successes.  This pic is one I took while on vacay last month.  I waited until the last minute to buy the book for my vacation (don't talk to me about e-books, I know they exist but have a hard time enjoying them as much as a physical book) so it took 4 stores and 2.5 hours in northern Kentucky to actually procure the book.  And it was totally worth it.



When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box by John Ortberg. Love this book because it integrates personal stories, faith, and priorities. Not to mention the allegories to various games. I anticipate my family reunion every year because I love to go and play various board and card games with my cousins.  Every time I read it something new speaks to me and I'm confident it will do the same for you.


If You Want to Walk on Water You've Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg.  This is by far my favorite beach read. I always feel a little extra something reading this book sitting on the beach. The book is about Peter walking on water out to Jesus. I have carried this book with me on five different trips and always pick up a couple of grains of sand and place them in the book.  Makes me smile when I read it at home.  Read the other chapters, be sure and read chapter 7. As one who does not like to fail, this chapter speaks to me every single time.  This book encourages me in my Christian walk and I highly suggest it to anyone who loves Jesus and wants to grow in their faith. 

How about you? What's your go to books? I'd love to hear!

Cleaning Up My Act

Because today was the first day in forever (seriously, we've had 6 days in the past 4 weeks that didn't involve precipitation), I completed a much dreaded chore: cleaning out my car.

Before I share with you the hidden treasures found in it you need to understand I drive a two door car. 2 bucket seats up front, 2 bucket seats in back for a grand total of 4 seats instead of the customary 5.

Afterward I had the following to show for it:

• A dozen puzzle pieces
• Legos
• Markers
• The door to the Batcave that I'd been looking for since March

And (drum roll please)

• 4 pairs of shoes.

Cute shoes, people.  Jackpot.

On a more serious note, you may be aware that the flood waters from a storm crippled an eastern Kentucky county in particular on Tuesday.  3 people were killed (last I heard) and many more either lost their home or were displaced due to the effects of the floods.    

The great things about Kentuckians is we are generous.  We have no problem contributing to relief funds, so if you need to know where to donate, you can make a contribution to the Red Cross or tune into WKYT at 6:30 for a telethon.  Thanks for helping us take care of our own.

Summer School For Teachers: Words With Multiple Meanings

Feel free to use this anecdote when you teach words with multiple meanings.

The following is completely true. And happened to me this evening.


Miss Foster arrived late to a supper engagement to find her best friend already had a table and ordered drinks.  As she is a product of the South, the need to over-explain everything is drilled into her DNA.  So the apology begins:

"I'm so sorry I'm running late.  I was at the party and lost track of time.  One of my favorite subs lives two doors down from the party, so we went by and said hi to her as well.  Between those two things I'm a little behind schedule."

Miss Foster's best friend suddenly snickers, then doubles over in laughter and states,

"Yeah, when you said 'sub' I first thought you were talking about a sandwich, not a person.

You can tell I'm not in education."

Summer School for Teachers, Module 2

To help us stay on our A game, I'm offering refresher courses on essential skills.

Today, we will practice our inferencing skills:

Miss Foster is a die hard University of Kentucky Wildcats fan, much to the dismay of her 76 year old, University of Tennessee Volunteers supporting father.  

After a brief excursion to a flea market her father presented her with this snazzy dining set:

(No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you.  The Vols fan purchased dining ware that reads "Future Wildcat Fan".)

As she is 34, unmarried, and childless (and very happy like that thankyouverymuch), exactly what message is her father trying to send? 

Summer School for Teachers, Module 1

I live to serve.

(Okay, in the spirit of humility, I'll confess my younger sister might say I live to boss others around, but we'll go with serve.  This is my blog, after all.)

And we all know that effective teachers continue to grow professionally in the summer so I'm offering my own personal anecdotes to keep us sharp.

Get ready-we're going to hit the ground running.

Read the following passage and answer the questions completely and thoroughly.

Miss Foster has filled up her Mustang countless times over the past several weeks.  As she is approximately 5' tall (and distressed because according to the new Kentucky law that went into effect on Wednesday declares she is a mere 3" away from needing a booster seat) one may have difficulty spotting her amidst the various books, teacher bags and stuffed animals that are her present traveling companions.

Not only has she filled up her car multiple times, she has also filled up her parents' car five times, her sister's car twice, and her best friend's SUV once.

She has plans to meticulously label all treasures before storing them in some logical fashion.


How many people live in fear their vehicle willed be called upon to haul the next load?

a) One neighborhood
b) One city
c) One county
d) One commonwealth


What drives a woman to pack up all her professional accouterments over the past 10 years?

a) She wanted something fun to do
b) She wants to be on Antiques Roadshow and figures something valuable is in the stash
c) She's moving from a classroom to a cubicle
d) She is a glutton for punishment

How often does Miss Foster think of hiring a moving company to come in and box and move everything?

a) Never
b) Occasionally
c) Often
d) She can't get it out of her head

The big day has arrived-all belongings are at the house and ready to be removed from the shed and organized.  What's the weather look like?

a) Hot
b) Humid
c) Rainy
d) All of the above


I know the above exam was incredibly tiresome and tenuous, so next week's module will be a little less complex.

Please join me next week for Module 2.

Provided I'm able to crawl out from under my mountain range of stuff.

Snow Much Fun

You may not be aware of this, but a new girl moved in today.

And to tell you the truth, I don't know what to make of her.

On the one hand, she got me out of a previously scheduled engagement (aka my job).  On the other hand, she was pretty demanding-I couldn't get many of the items on my "To Do" list completed because she was in the was in the way. She's gaining attention by the hour, so it may be you've heard of her and could quite possibly be expecting her to swing by your house as well.








Her first name is Winter.
Her middle is Storm.
Her last name is Octavia.






Heads up-she doesn't play nice.

Yes, that's 14" of snow.  In 12 hours.  With more headed my way tonight.

Good. Times.  

Professional Conduct

One of these

will be going to work with me tomorrow. 

Know which one?

I thought so.

Happy last week-hope you and yours have a great holiday and break!

Lies I've Told To Maintain My Sanity

The holiday season is upon us and I am offering you, dear reader, something better than a freebie. 

My district has seven more days until the winter break so here are various lies I've uttered to help maintain order and decorum in my room.  As a bonus, I've sorted them into degree of difficulty.  If this is your first year teaching, do not attempt the last few whoppers.  Hopefully these will get you through the last few days before break.

And yes, these are actual statements that just may have left my mouth.  (Don't judge-sometimes a girl gets desperate.)

For the New Teacher:

• I've got your mom/dad/granny on speed dial. (Okay, so there's a 90% chance this may be true.)
• I know Santa's number. 

For the Seasoned Teacher:

• I've got Santa on speed dial.
• You don't have to finish your work now. Sugar, you can stay after school and finish it. I'm here until 8 o'clock. Some nights I don't even go home I just flip my desk upside down sleep inside of it. 
• (Piggybacking off the above lie)  Yes, I do sleep in my desk!  The jackets y'all leave behind are my blankets.

For the Experienced Teacher (Preferably with a Colleague Who Will Corroborate Collaborate):

• Santa is my BFF. If he wasn't taking a nap right now I'd Face Time him and tell him about how you're acting.  (This is actually a dual purpose fib-you can use these exact words as a compliment to those doing the right thing and watch everyone to get their act together.) 
• I am so proud of the progress you've made since the beginning of school!  I'm so proud I went to the principal and told him about how hard you've worked.  I told him you've worked so hard he needs to give you more than two days off!
• Good news! The principal said that if you work hard for the next eight days he will give you 10 school days off.
• Even better news! The principal said if you worked super hard for the next eight days he will let the entire school out for 10 days. Don't believe me? Ask Ms. Crumbie-she was there!  (This is where you get the most no non-sense teacher in the school to look at them and say, "Yes. He. Did."  Who doesn't love collaboration done right?)

So all jokes aside, I do wish you and yours a joyous and peaceful holiday season.  May the next few school days pass quickly and give us much to smile at!

A Baker's Dozen

I'm not ashamed to tell you: since Panera does a baker's dozen bagel special on Tuesdays, I've brought my team breakfast a time.  Or two.


(And don't even get me started on the fact they're experimenting with this whole getting-rid-of-chocolate-chip-to-see-what-else-sells debacle.  I may have responded with weeping and gnashing of teeth.  And considered a tantrum.  But that's a tangent.)


I have now lived to see a Baker's Dozen I thought I'd never I'd witness: 13 snow days.  In 10 weeks. 


Enough said.


(Want more? Okay, if you insist: I got the greatest text ever from my friend Adam who lives in Northern Kentucky.  It read, "Happy Snow Day! If you need suggestions on how to spend it, let me know.  This is my 21st snow day." Y-I-K-E-S.)

Letdown Tuesday

Okay, people, I'm coining a phrase: Letdown Tuesday.

Letdown Tuesday is day following Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is after Super Sunday, Small Business Saturday, Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and (for many of us in Central Kentucky) No Work Wednesday.

You realize all the good sales are gone, along with your positive bank balance and pants that fit.

That many calamities in one day definitely classifies as a letdown, don't you think?

10 Reasons Candy Crush is Like Teaching

10.  You can spend way too much time on it.
9.    You wonder how anyone else lived to tell about a difficult level.
8.    Like teaching children, there are more than one pathways to reach your goal.
7.    When you don't reach your goal, you immediately begin planning new strategies.
6.    You start out happy and energetic but by the end of the game all you want to do is lie down.
5.    You are constantly looking for your "in" to the level (i.e. striped candies, disco balls).
4.   When you meet a fellow Crusher, you really don't want to talk about anything else.  Everyone around you is bored by this talk, but you are energized.
3.    You go online for resources.  (I've Googled, "How to beat level __" at least three times.)
2.    After a difficult round, you sit back and think what a fine mess you've gotten yourself into.
1.    You don't give up.  After all, tomorrow is another day.

We Like to Move It, Move It

The fun thing about kindergarten is they have boundless energy. 

The hard thing about kindergarten is they have boundless energy. 

(True story: if they don't get up, move around and act silly the first thing we do is check their temp.  Because my people are ready to sing and dance at the drop of a hat.  I guess it should be drop of a pencil since we never drop hats in the room but plenty of pencils. But I digress...)

Every 45 minutes or so we take a movement break. 

As I am so very fortunate to have a projector in my room, whenever we need a quick break we just tune into Youtube and find the perfect song.  It may sometimes be the chicken dance, the hokey pokey or Cupid shuffle. 

This week I'm loving this off of Just Dance 4:

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Between the melodrama of the song and the wrestlers it works perfectly.  Trust me.  (When all the boys in your class are saying, "I'm that one!" you know you've picked a winner.)  The kids are all sorts of engaged and you cannot help but hide a chuckle over the whole affair. 

If you need a quick movement break for your room, my go to site is this playlist.  I love since it's all kids, I'm not worried about the lyrics or costumes. 

And what classroom would be complete with Mario? 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OgKJDlMrSgI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

(Bonus points if you hear that music and it takes you back to your own elementary days.)

Hope your people enjoy these as much as mine!

Why Education Rocks

If this picture doesn't spur you onto continuing education...

nothing will. 

(More posts to follow.  Once I get over the exhaustion ...why didn't y'all give me a heads up about this?)

This is a Kentucky Mess

If you have read this blog for more than 60 seconds (and given the fact I only have a few entries, you could read the entire thing in 5 minutes) you've probably caught on to the fact if there is something humorous from my day, I will happily share it with you.

You're welcome.

There are days that I leave my classroom with a sense of purpose, feeling contented in the fact I feel called and blessed to be a school teacher.

Then there's days when I leave feeling seriously unqualified to teach anyone anything.

Today was one of those days.

Before I get to what will make you smile, it's important you know a couple of things:

1. I am one of those hated "morning people".  I awake and skip to my car, shun coffee and may go a little heavy on the accelerator not because I am late to work,  because I can't wait to get to work.  (Okay, one of those is a lie-I'm on a first name basis with the Starbucks baristas on Boston Road.)  Morning is when I am my most productive (it's also when there are rarely people at school-you don't have to wait for a copier at 6:15 a.m.).  After noon or 1:00 p.m., my neural pathways cease to function.
2. Afternoons are not good for me.  After school I can't function-except to straighten up my desk and talk to colleagues.

Our book fair starts next week, so the cases arrived today.  Because my school has awesome parents, they had the thing set up in an hour.  So of course I had to stop and browse.  My school allows teacher to fill up a bag with books incase families want to purchase a book for the classroom library.  After spending about 30 minutes weighing mine down, I found a good spot and put it away for Monday. 

While walking back to my classroom, the YMCA after school program had kids in the hallway.  While navigating the sea of children, I notice a UK blue shirt.  Naturally, I read it out of the corner of my eye.  It read:  This is what a Kentucky mess looks like.

I don't know where you're from, but around here we use to the term "hot mess" to describe any and everybody, from the people who jaywalk to those who go to Kroger in pajamas. 

Knowing this is not a term of endearment, I could not figure out why some family had sent their child (who is in the 3rd grade, so they can read) to school in a shirt proclaiming they need help.

So I gave the little girl one more glance, just to make sure it wasn't a child I had previously taught.  And saw the text on the shirt again: This is what a Kentucky princess looks like.

Oops.

I believe I have solved the mystery of why I'm teaching kindgarten this year.  I need to review the alphabet. 

And then I will be a hot mess no more. 

Can You Relate?

While cleaning out a desk this weekend I found this...

And realized I'm a dinosaur. 

Summer "School"

As an educator, I strive to continue to be a life long learner.

I have half of my master's degree completed and am spending the majority of my summer reading reading professional books, participating in a book study online and going to three days of professional development. (I mean, who does that? Of their own volition? It all adds up to NERD-but, hey, I'm owning it.)

I thought the most beneficial lesson I'd learned was how to successfully teach guided reading. Until today.

Today I learned that if you're meeting your friend Jennifer for lunch there are a couple of do's and don't s. For example:

• Do take the time to make sure you put some kind of cosmetics on your face. Because it will be the day that you get interviewed for KET (Kentucky Educational Television).
• Don't leave the house with wet hair. Because it will be the day that you get interviewed for KET. And God and the Commonwealth will get to see you looking like that.
• Do make sure you have on clothes that are not wrinkled. Not only will you be interviewed, you will meet your next door neighbor. This proves that you do have clothes other than your pajamas.
• Do be prepared to face anything, including questions about how you utilize KET in both your personal viewing and professional viewing.
• Don't be insulted when the KET people ask you adapt your answer. Because your answer was too long. (This same thing happened to me at the Houston Final Four last year-what are the odds?)
• Don't sing "The More You Know" jingle. (Okay, so I really didn't do that, but had to fight myself to keep quiet.)
• Do enjoy every second of adult conversation, even if it's punctuated by diesel trucks, motor scooters and a weird California Raisin guy with Darius Miller's jersey. (Seriously there was a man walking around in the Raisin get up, striped pants, and Big D's jersey. I can't make up this foolishness.)

I know "they" say education is a mix of experiences in the classroom and outside of it. And sometimes, like today, the outside experiences prove to be way more beneficial. Life skills were definitely learned today.