The End

Dear Readers,

Hello! It's been awhile, right? I have been ridiculously busy between the demands of school, home, and field work. It sometimes felt like there was no end to the crazy busyness!

But now, the end comes all too soon.

Already I am in the penultimate week of the semester, which means that next week is the last time I will be with my second graders. I feel like crying, but I'm not quite sure if it's from sadness or relief.

I've had some very trying times in this classroom and experienced so many things I didn't know could happen in a single classroom. I've heard students issue death threats. I've heard students say they wanted to kill themselves. I've even heard students talk about getting beat up by their siblings and friends over the weekend.

It scares the crap out of me!

But I do what I do - I listen. And I talk to them, giving my best advice or running to the host teacher as the situation warranted. There was hardly a day I didn't hear something horrible.

Other days, though, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I received the Pomme de Triomphe. I got called "Miss Fisherman" and "Miss Fishy" and even "Miss Fissssshhhhhhh." I heard one student say he was going to wear a tiger costume and help the tigers kill hunters to get them "undangered."

It's been a roller coaster in second grade, with so so many ups and downs. I have earned a lot from these students, and won't likely forget them anytime soon. (Especially the tiger helper!)

As I said, though, it's the end. I won't be making another post after this because I won't be in a classroom. On one hand, I'm happy to be done with the semester and not have to get up at 6 in the morning.

On the other hand, I will miss these kids. It's hard to part from people you get to know well, and I know these students very well because they are so open and trusting. I was accepted in their community from Day 1, and it's difficult to imagine not being told about 20 different weekend adventures at the same time.

So there's a 4-month hiatus ahead of us, dear readers. While you wait with bated breath to read the fist post of the new school year, I highly recommend you try something very risky this summer - GO OUTSIDE. There's a big world outside of the classroom and the Internet!

It will be like this the first time you go out. Sorry.

Breathe some clean air. Run in the grass. Swing on a swing. It's summer, after all! The longest recess of the year. Au revoir...
 

Ms. Fisher

 Image credits: ReactionGifs.com and ReactionGifs.com

Wednesday Art: Oops!...I Did It Again

Dear Readers,

Hello! Did you get the underlying message from the video above? I truly am sorry. This is really getting out of hand, isn't it? This is the third time I've posted Wednesday art late. My bad.

After having a delightful, stress-free Spring Break, I returned to school and discovered my homework didn't do itself like I hoped it would. If you think little kids complain about homework, you should hear the teachers!

Anyways, it's Wednesday, and you deserve some art. The problem is that I'm running a little low on art (my stash is dwindling!) so no double-up this time around.

Tyra* is the artist of this pink picture.

I like the myriad of colors used and how busy and action-packed the scene looks.

Another thing I like is the written message. It says "I love uoy" rather than "I love you."

One unfamiliar with children might suspect that this child is dyslexic, but that is not the case.

As one of my knowledgeable professors pointed out before, writing is a brand new concept to kindergarteners.

So sometimes they forget how to make the letter B or which way to write, even if they knew five seconds ago. Tyra* was alternating between writing and drawing, so she probably didn't even realize what she had done!

Over time, children become more familiar with rules for writing (and drawing) and they grow more skilled with age. If you've ever received a note that contained little mistakes like this, share it in the comments! You know how I love reading your stories. Until next time...

Ms. Fisher

The Competition

Dear Readers,

Happy Monday everybody! This is a special non-art post. Surprising, right?!

I was curious about The Competition, aka other blogs by teachers-in-training. One of the most interesting blogs is called The Absolutely True Blog of an Almost Teacher. I'm already in love with the title, it reminds me of another excellent blog...

Shameless self-promotion is not illegal in this state

So, back to the blog review. Right off the bat, I must point out a few things that distinguish Emmy's blog from mine. The excellent title is a little misleading because the "almost teacher" is currently a first-year teacher, whereas I am a student teacher like my title suggests.

Also, Emmy's students are seventh graders in middle school while I am surrounded by elementary kids of varying grades. Her posts are about school life and her personal life, complete with personal information, but I am very focused on school alone and careful about not leaking my info.

That's a rundown of our differences, but the main similarity I am focusing on is our devotion to technology. Most young teachers (and almost teachers) are adamant about finding and getting the newest tech for the classroom. One of the easiest things to create is a website.

Which is why I have made and abandoned at least 10 sites, all in the name of education. At least.

These are just the ones I have on Blogger

But one of the things I do each time I make a website is see what features certain providers have and how I can use multimedia (text, audio, still images, animations, videos, and interactive components) to make an engaging site.

The easiest way for me to figure out what is available is to look at other well-established websites, like Emmy's blog, and decide how I can incorporate (steal) their features and adapt them to suit my needs. The purpose of the review is to go a step beyond and grade this lovely teacher's use of multimedia.

Text: A-
Emmy's posts are interesting and written in a very captivating style. But some of the paragraphs seem too chunked and would benefit from being split up or pared down.

Images: A+
Oh, the use of still images is breathtaking! She uses personal photos rather than stock photos, appropriately editing out information that's too personal and captioning/describing everything in the images.

Interactivity: A+ 
There are several links to social media and other sites conveniently located on every page to keep tabs on the blog and its eloquent writer. She welcomes readers to share their advice, ideas, etc. and responds to most every comment.

Audio, Animations, & Video: Incomplete
I didn't find any posts or other features containing audio or video clips. I don't really have room to complain here, since you won't find those things on my blog either (yet!).

From this report card, it's clear Emmy has a high quality blog that could be made even better with a few minor changes. Her site is easy to navigate and seems inviting to readers. On top of everything, the blog is simply beautiful!

I am suffering from design envy

The page is colorful yet simple, and shows just how a minimalist theme is best for blogging. That's definitely something I'm considering appropriating for my own blog.

It's clear The Competition is a strong competitor, though perhaps having a different blog purpose and audience from Emmy helps save my bacon.

That's it for this post. What do you thing about The Competition? I'd love hearing your input about my blog, Emmy's blog, or even your blogs! Until next time...
 

Ms. Fisher

 Image credits: The Absolutely True Blog of an Almost Teacher and me!

Wednesday Art: It's Friday!

Dear Readers,

Hello! First and foremost, I owe you an apology. The last time I was tardy with a post, I promised never to do it again... And I did it again.

This time, though, I have valid reasons for posting late! One: it's Spring Break, so there was no chance of me receiving new art from the students.

See how very sad I am to be away from the students?

But I already told you I stashed some kindergarten art away, so maybe that's not a very valid excuse. So reason Two: my dear mother had her birthday this week, and I was obliged to drop everything and celebrate.

So forlorn without new art

That reason is very very valid, so I have an alibi for the kindergarten police if they come knocking on my door. Though I do still feel sorry for being late and breaking a promise.

So to make amends, I will again post two artworks from my secret supply.

This first piece was a bonus drawing on the back of a letter I received from Delilah*. Her letter said:


Dear Miss Fisher,

Hi? How are you? I am good. I love you. You are speshool [special]. I like how you jress [dress]! do you hov [have] a dog? you are kind!

Love, Delilah*



The grammar and spelling are pretty good for a kindergartener! She is always such a loving little girl. I could always count on a hug from her when I left for the day.

She and this next child really make me miss kindergarten (even though it's only been a week!).

Devin* wrote me a letter as well, and he decorated the front so well I'm counting it as art. This one says:


Miss Fisher,

Hi! How is your Day? I like your ritinGe [writing] Do you lik [like] my ritinGe [writing]?

Love, Devin*


Short, sweet, and to the point. I like it.

He wrote it all on his own and sounded out the big words pretty well. He also did the rainbow colors on his own, arranging the crayons in a row on his desk before actually coloring. I think he spent more time coloring than writing, but he got it all done in a timely manner.

The picture is of him and I standing next to/outside of the school. I have no clue who the little person is, though. Maybe the teacher, maybe another student. I do know that I'm the one with the rainbow overhead because I'm so speshool.

Reviewing these letters makes me smile not only for the heartfelt compliments but also because I think those spelling mistakes are so darn cute! I've been called special before, but not speshool. And my writing has been complimented but not my ritinge.

It took me a minute to decode some of the words, I'll admit, but I audibly went awwww when I figured out speshool. (If you haven't noticed, that's the buzzword for this post. Speshool.)

That's all for this week's speshool Wednesday art post. I'd make another promise about not missing a post, but that seems too tempting to break. I'll do my best, though! Until next time...
 

Ms. Fisher

Speshool Image credits: thesurvivorsclub.org and birthdaypartyplaces.net 

Wednesday Art: These Second Graders Are Going to End Me

Dear Readers,

Hello! Are you frightened by this post's title? Worried? Intrigued? I tried to make a clever rhyme or an alliterated phrase, but nothing came to mind. With the bad weather muddling my brain, I was too frazzled to tap into my creative side and so decided to be very straightforward.

Monday was my first day in second grade. I arrived before school started so I could meet my mentor teacher and familiarize myself with the classroom. She was really nice and she even gave me a little tour of her room and the school library.

Then the students came in. Oh. My. God.

I am used to being around energetic and unruly students (kindergarten prepared me well!) but these children are playing a game I do not know.

Like this. What is this nonsense?!

I believe they were trying to test me, and I think I (barely) passed the test. A few of the questions they put to me were: Why are you so tall? (I'm really old) How old are you? (older than 10 but less than 50) Why is your hair that color? (it just grows that way) Why are you even here? (because I love working with kids like you)

Then came the big questions. I was circulating around the room during centers - because second grade has centers as well - when a few students stopped their discussion mid-sentence and called me over. There was disagreement about something and they wanted my opinion.

One of the boys at the table pointed to a girl and asked, "What color is her skin? She's a mix, but a mix of what?"

Ummmmmm...

Well then.

Not sure how to answer that!

Then I remembered a professor I have and how she is always encouraging us to engage in tricky discussions like this one. The point is to make everyone feel special and try to dispel any hurtful preconceived notions. So I thought for a moment and came back with this reply:

"Her skin is a beautiful color. And she is clearly a mix of love and happiness. Right, Yvonne*?"

Her smile told me I got an A on the hardest test of my life. A test that came in the very first week of second grade. I'm a little wary of what lies ahead, since there are five weeks to go, but I am so glad to have this experience now rather than when I have my own classroom.

Now, was that the absolute best possible response to a question like that? Nope. But I'm still pretty proud of it. Having never been in the hot seat like that before, I'm just glad I came up with any response, let alone one that was coherent and uplifting to the student.

Have you liked this update? It's just a sampling, I'm sure, of the kinds of stories I will bring from the second graders.

But where is the art?

Yes, this is indeed a Wednesday art post. Yes, you will get art. Whether or not you'll like it... This will probably the most controversial art piece I'll ever display, so be warned.

Pomme de Triomphe

It's a photograph, and photography is widely accepted as an art form. But it wasn't taken by a second grader. It's my picture, my hand, my apple. Hands and apples have appeared in art for centuries. And the photo itself, though of low resolution/quality, isn't wholly lacking in the art department.

What makes this apple special enough to have its own Wednesday art post? It's the most important apple I have ever received.

Keegan* is a boy in the class who has mild Autism. He's very sweet and loves to talk about basically anything and everything. After Monday, I felt really drained from everything. First thing Wednesday morning, Keegan* came in and handed me this apple.

I wasn't considering leaving the profession or anything, but I was pretty afraid that I would never receive any art from these second graders. That I wouldn't be recognized for my contributions. That I wouldn't make an impact on them.

Keegan* thanked me for helping him with reading on Monday when he gave me the apple. It brightened my day and gave me hope that I very well might receive art from the students over time. Just not art in the traditional sense.

That's all for today. I'd love to hear what you readers consider to be art and not-art in the comments. If need be, I can always use the kindergarteners' art for Wednesday art posts if you do seem to prefer traditional art. Until next time...
.

Ms. Fisher

Image credit: Wikipedia 

Wednesday Art: Farewell to Kindergarten

Dear Readers,

Happy Wednesday! Yes, you get a Wednesday art post on Wednesday this week! Fortunately the kindergarten police let me off with a warning, but I have to make sure not to be tardy with my posts again. This week was frightfully fun, as usual, but also a little sad.

Today I finished kindergarten.

Starting on Monday, you will be reading stories about my students in... Second grade! I have simply loved being with the kindergarteners, but it is time to move on and meet some second graders.

But first, let's admire the talents of these wonderful little artists!

His name is Chompy

Once again, you are viewing a beautiful coloring by Erran*.

In case he ever finds this blog and recognizes his coloring, I want to leave him a short message:

  Dear Erran*, 

HOW DO YOU COLOR SO NEATLY??
     
     Ms. Fisher

Unlike the snowman bookmark, this is definitely a product of great love and respect for my magnificent personage.

And yes, I'm sure. I asked! (He seemed a little bewildered when I said "magnificent personage," but nodded nonetheless.)

I actually received several drawings from the children because they learned it was my last day with them. So what the hay, here's another artwork!

Nikki* is the creator of this excellent piece. I admit, the drawing was overwhelming the first time I saw it.

So let's take a moment to look at the creative use of color and empty space.

To try and understand the underlying truth the artist is attempting to convey in so few crayon-strokes.

After I had an inkling of what she might have been thinking while creating this masterpiece, I asked Nikki* for an explanation so I might be rid of my ignorance.

She said, "That's a flower and that's a bug and that's you. You're tiny like a Who [down in Whoville] so you ride the bug. He's a nice bug, don't you think?"

After assuring her the bug must be very nice to give me a ride, I was left to ponder over the artist's response.

Why am I tiny? I know we read Horton Hears a Who  in honor of Dr. Seuss' Birthday, but we also read Green Eggs and Ham. Why couldn't I be eating a plate of green eggs and ham, or even a feast of roast beast like in How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

It could be worse. I believe another student drew the teacher's assistant being eaten by a dog once because, I kid you not, he said that, "my dog eats witches and she is a witch!" Riding a bug is a lot better than being eaten by a bug!

Hopefully I will have as many artworks and delightful stories to share from my adventures in second grade. But don't worry about any delays in future Wednesday art posts - I made sure to save a few of the kindergarteners' pictures in case of an art drought.

Oh, and be sure to check out the poll in the sidebar, below the About Me section. I would love to know what kinds of stories you lovely readers want to hear in the future! This poll closes next Thursday. If you don't see an option for the type of stories you want to read, leave a comment and let me know! Until next time...
 

Ms. Fisher

Thursday Art

Dear Readers,

Happy Wednesday! Or, rather, Thursday. I was so busy in kindergarten yesterday I forgot to make my Wednesday art post! To compensate for this slip up, you get two artworks and stories this week.

This first lovely piece was made by my friend Eliza*. After another crazy morning doing writing centers, a small argument broke out between two students.

Apparently they were playing police and couldn't agree on who to "arrest."

One suspect had been seen running through the classroom (a Class D felony), while another had littered (a simple misdemeanor).

But the litterbug made a rather large mess at the art table, so her crime was deemed more pressing and serious.

Who was this litterbug? Little Eliza. In her efforts to make a unique and eye-catching objet d'art, she didn't realize how much paper was falling on the floor.

Fortunately I swept over and prevented an unjust detainment, at which point Eliza presented me with this lovely piece. Then we cleaned up the mess together, with assistance from our self- appointed police force.

Thanks, officers!

This bookmark was colored by another one of my friends. Just look at how clear and neat it looks! I know when I was 5, there was no way I could color in the lines this well, no matter how hard I tried.

This was left for me on a table when I got to school yesterday morning. There was no name, so I had no idea who made it. After a little snooping, (AKA asking absolutely everyone if they knew who made it), I found my secret artist.

When Erran* came into the room, I hurried up to him and excitedly thanked him for the present. Do you know what he said to me? Take a wild guess.

This sincere little boy said, "I did it because she [the teacher] said it would be nice if someone made you a picture so I did it so she would stop staring at me."

Thanks, sweetie! This bookmark might not be the product of great love or respect for my magnificent personage, but I cherish it nonetheless.

It is, however, a good reminder of the brutal honesty and self-interest children can display in the classroom and in life. Plus it makes a humorous addition to my blog!

I apologize again for the lateness of this post. I will turn myself over to the kindergarten police as soon as I see them to confess my crime. Hopefully they will be lenient. Until next time...

Ms. Fisher

Adorable police force image credits: Amazon and Amazon UK

Weekly Work of Art

Dear Readers,

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you have had a nice morning and early afternoon. My morning, as you might have guessed, was spent in the company of my favorite kindergarteners. I would like to share with you a special heartwarming story of what happened today at school.

Before saying anything else, though, I want to clarify that all names given now and in the future are false. I would never reveal a student's name (or my own). All names you will see will have an asterisk * to remind you that they are pseudonyms.

Every morning we have the children do writing centers. They write down words and sentences that are focused on some topic we are studying in the classroom. (This week it's arctic animals.) If the children finish their writing early, they can do puzzles, brain games, or coloring pages that reflect the topic.

Well, this morning was really hectic for me. I left the house late, got stuck by a train, and just had a bad morning before I even stepped foot in the school.

My morning in a nutshell

 
While I absolutely love working with the kids, teaching is very draining - physically and emotionally. During centers, the room was really noisy and I just felt overwhelmed. I'm by no means claustrophobic, but I could feel the walls slowly closing in on me. What was I to do?

The "Purple-Winged Awesome Penguin"

Then it happened. Brynn*, came up and handed me this picture she had colored. It was so unexpected, and I was honestly speechless (for once).

In that moment I needed a reminder of why I voluntarily wake up at six in the morning and place myself in a box of noise and germs and drama.

I'm doing this for the kids. For laughter and love and huge smiles. For brighter students and a brighter future.


I'm doing this for the art.


Unfortunately, art and other extracurricular activities are often neglected in order to emphasize academic subjects that appear in standardized tests. This is a practice often called "teaching to the test."

Do the teachers agree with this? Of course not. There are many who make an effort to include art activities in the regular classroom routine to expand their students' educational experiences.

This is especially true in lower elementary grades, where art can be used to build on written words and make new ideas more understandable and enjoyable.

Since my students' artworks have such a profound effect on me, I decided I want to make this a weekly feature. Every Wednesday I will post a new piece of art and accompanying story for you to read, and for me to remember why I'm doing this. Keep an eye on the tag Wednesday art for future posts. Until next time...
 

Ms. Fisher

GIF credit: Giphy

Thought of the Day

Dear Readers,

Hello again! I just love that picture, don't you? It brings me a sense of peace and calmness. Being in the classroom so much, I don't get to go outside as much as I would like.


But what is it doing on this blog?

I believe that we adults spend too much time indoors and in reality. Yes, reality. In the kindergarten classroom, the children do not allow silly things like walls or school or reality prevent them from going on an adventure in the woods. If they want to cross a rickety bridge over the raging rapids, they do it. If they want to sit next to a cool spring and toss pebbles, they do it.

So my question is this: what happened between childhood and adulthood that made us lose that sense of wonder, that innate ability to effortlessly transport ourselves to another magical world where anything was possible?

My guess is that reality just refused to be ignored, and we allowed ourselves to completely forget what it was like to imagine the impossible in order to deal with the possible.

But I could be wrong. There are some, but not many, adults who do seem to be able to go on wild adventures just while walking through the grocery store. It just so happens that all of these adults either have children or work closely with them.

So I suppose what I'm saying is that we need to remember what it is like to be children again. I don't have a problem with doing it (last week I went through the jungle and got chased by monkeys), but I think there are others out there, maybe even some of my readers, who need to take a minute and stop to smell the roses when there are no roses.

I know this post was really dry and philosophical, so I'll be sure to type up some humorous anecdote for the next post. Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on my little question! I'd love to hear some other opinions on the matter. Until next time...
 

Ms. Fisher

Image credit: darwishh on Flickr

About This Blog

Dear Readers,

Hello! I assume that you're reading this post because you're curious as to the purpose of this blog. Well, there is more than one clue in the title. Obviously this acts as a diary for me to document my experiences as a student teacher. I want to be an elementary teacher, and as part of my education I am placed in different local classrooms to gain some real-life experience working with children. The reason I made this blog is so I can remember and share my adventures (and misadventures) with others. Hopefully there are some other teachers-in-training who can learn a few things from my experiences and mistakes. Hopefully there are some experienced teachers who can share some of their knowledge and advice with me. Hopefully I will make it through this semester in one piece!

 I already ordered my sign

Image source: ahealthykitchen.com

Another clue that might be gleaned from the blog title is that this diary is, well, secret. Ish. Secret-ish. Sharing my stories with the world seems to be the exact opposite of being secret. If anyone can see it, everyone can see it! But on the other hand, I'm not sharing any pertinent personal information that would allow readers to figure out my identity or exact location.

Good luck finding me here!

Image source: fanpop.com

So check back here every so often - I'll update with a new hilarious/horrifying/humiliating story every week. Until next time...
 

Ms. Fisher