Back to School (and Succinctly Yours!)

Well it's back to school for everybody around here, including me, and I have to readjust to both the early morning wake up routine and the early bedtime. I was so exhausted Thursday and Friday that I missed a Book Blurb Friday over at Lisa Ricard Claro's blog (this is the first one I missed since Lisa started it!), but I just couldn't bring myself to get on the computer any more. I am hoping to get back into my school rythym soon.

I tried to get some extra sleep this weekend, but was kept up by the terrible wind and rains that we got as a result of the hurricane. In fact, I know exactly when our electric went out because I picked up the clock to check how long I had been awake. So, at 2:05 this morning our electric went out, and at 12:00 pm it came back on. We are counting ourselves lucky because we have no real damage except some broken tree limbs, but my brother-in-law and his family still don't have power, and they are saying it could be a couple days until they finally get it back on. In the meantime they are living in their camper (it has a generator) for what may be an extreme camping trip... Were any of you affected by the storm? At one point I thought maybe our basement would have been safer!

Now it's time for Succinctly Yours, another writing meme that piggy backs on the idea of Susan of the Stony River Blog.

Grandma Goulash posts a picture and you are to write a 140 character or word story about it. You can also use the word of the day in your post if you wish. This week's word is sagacious. Here this week's picture and my take this week:

Nora wanted to live life to the fullest after a cancer scare, so despite seasickness worries and fears of the ocean, Mary packed her bags. (140 characters)

I hope to try to swing by your blogs soon!

What's the big deal about encouraging students?

My blog posts consist mainly of helpful hints and friendly advise, but today I feel a need to get on my soapbox about an issue that  really rankles my “rickles”-I made a word up to keep things clean.

The issue

The issue at hand is President Obama’s speech to schoolchildren that was televised at 12:00 noon today. Now this type of speech is not a new thing because President Kennedy did it in 1960 and so did President George H. W. Bush in 1991. While I don’t know about the reaction to President Kennedy’s speech, (heck, I wasn’t even born yet), I do remember reading about the Democrats’ reaction to Bush’s speech. Most of the reaction came after his talk when Democrats claimed President Bush was trying to push his political agenda.

Why the fuss?

Now before I step on anyone’s toes out there, my purpose today is not to make any kind of political statement, but to put my backing behind the idea of talking to school students. Why can’t the most powerful man in the United States, our elected President, wish students well as they enter another year of school, and why would some be opposed to this? Did the President have a political agenda? Well, most politicians do, but I watched the speech, and the whole talk centered on not using your circumstances in life to dictate your future.

The bottom line

As a high school teacher, I think students need to hear that message over and over again from adults in many different realms of life, because the more it is repeated, the bigger the chance it has of actually registering in the students’ thought processes, turning the “I cant because”, into “I can,” and I for one will support anyone (Democrat or Republican) who is a voice of hope.

Back to school here we go...

Back to School

I thought I would switch gears now since many schools in the area are starting this week and thoughts of a family vacation seem to be-temporarily-behind us. As both a mother and teacher, I have a very unique perspective when it comes to getting kids ready for the first day of school, and I hope this will help you as well.

Mentally preparing the kids should really begin prior to that first day back, and a good place to start is by helping to equip your son or daughter with the right tools for the job. At the elementary level in our school district, the teachers often send a letter or post card greeting, along with suggested supplies needed for class. I take these lists very seriously because an ill-prepared student that is a step behind his peers at the start of school may remain a step behind throughout the year, and, as your child gets older, that preparation will help promote that “sameness” amongst him and his peers. It also starts getting your son or daughter thinking about the job ahead, and lets face it, until they start to earn their way in this world, their primary “job” should be their education.

The "fun"

But let’s not forget the “fun” factor in all this, because each year is a fresh new start, and kids really do enjoy being able to pick out materials that are both useful and that make a statement about who they are. My daughter is entering 5th grade, so her school supplies had to have more of a serious student vibe to them. The pink flowers of last year were replaced by bold geometric designs in orange and magenta hues-not pink-, while my son clings desperately to his picks from his kindergarten year-all things super hero, as he enters the scary world known as first grade.

Have a budget

Yes, I take this seriously, but not so seriously that it breaks the budget. My daughter and I scouted the Sunday circulars for listed items then with these circled items in hand, we went to those designated stores only, and I think we fared pretty well. We hit Big Lots for unique folders and three ring binders, Wal-Mart for the backpacks, color-coordinated ruler and protractor, and everyday items like paper and pencils, and we hit Target for things we couldn’t find in the other two stores. Then my two gathered their supplies, labeled and loaded their binders, and took their first mental steps to getting ready for school.

However, there should also be some prep work on the part of the parent as well. A foundation of teamwork should be laid with your child’s teacher before school, if possible, so that if any problem comes up during school, you can do the work as teammates instead of opponents. If your school has one, attend the back to school meetings and make sure to introduce yourself to your child’s teacher. Since I have the added privilege of being both parent and teacher, I know what it’s like to have your best interests for a child misunderstood by a parent who you have never had contact with until there was a problem, and I know that there is always to sides to every story, so if a conflict arises between one of my kids and the teacher, I try to put my parental feelings aside-not an easy task-and wait to talk to the teacher for clarification.