1.) My favorite color is green.
2.) I'm afraid of deep water and spiders.
3.) I'm really easy-going; I let a lot of things roll off my back.
4.) One of my fellow teachers calls me "Sarge".
5.) My father was in the military; you'll see that structure pop up in my classroom....a LOT!
6.) I learn every student's full name: It helps with discipline. (Yoooou know; being called your first, middle, and last names puts the fear of GOD in you, even in your adult life.)
7.) My first class was a Pre-K class.
8.) I taught 2nd grade for 6 years; they weren't consecutive. Three years, then 4th, back to 2nd for three MORE years, then 4th again. (This'll be my tenth year total.) I'm currently a 4th grade teacher.
9.) I was a theatre regular up until graduation from undergrad. Since then, I won't touch a stage. I want to, but adults give me stage fright. I will, however, dress up for my class and stay in character for a given amount of time and allow the kids to ask me questions. Any subject area....doesn't matter. Kids don't give me stage fright.....at ALL! I let the students sing, dance, and act for assignments, as well. Kids call me "dramatic". Fellow teachers and administrators call me "theatrical". I call myself "Jenn". LOL
10.) My Masters degree is in Instructional Technology.
11.) Sometimes I put "M. Ed." at the end of my name; people get confused and call me "Doctor".
12.) I've been called "The Big, Bad Wolf" by students; they thought I didn't know. I think it's hilarious!
13.) I'm one of the best story-readers EVER! Different tones, pitches, accents...If there was a market for this, I'd do it professionally. (Got it from my Mommy)
14.) I'm a third-generation teacher; slice my finger and ABCs will spew out.
15.) I have no problem WHATSOEVER in telling students "I don't know"; I'll look it up so I CAN know, though--They watch me go to a book or website and everything.
16.) When I was younger, I was the shortest,skinniest, and quietest one in my classes for awhile. I've got a soft spot in my heart for kids like me.
17.) Because of #16, I'm the poster-teacher for anti-bullying. I hate it. It's awful. I was teased and bullied until I hit a growth spurt. The shortest kid became one of the tallest. Mm hmm.... NOW talk!
18.) I was the youngest kid in the Southeast to take the HAM radio licensure test. Yeah. The shortest kid was the smartest, too.
19.) I'd rather come up with ideas alone. I hate workshops where they FORCE me to work with other people. We're trained to spot the different learning styles and modalities in students, so why d'you stick to just ONE of them with teachers? It's beyond me.
20.) I took each Praxis test once. I kept hearing horror stories about it. *shrug* I walked in, took multiple tests the same day, and received the awards for high scores.
21.) I HAVE to be in a colorful classroom and the shades are rarely drawn. Every wall needs to have something that the kids can look at and learn from. Every window needs to be unblocked. Heck, kids these days are gonna look around anyway. Who knows? A teachable moment may occur from something they've seen.
22.) I have a hard time separating "Jenn the Teacher" from "Jenn the Regular Person". I've been known to tell adults that they've earned a gold star, though I never put stars on anything. I WILL put another type of sticker on an adult's shirt or forehead. You'd be amazed at the smiles (and looks of horror!)
23.) I tell my kids I love them every single day, even if they mess up. In the end, they know that their mistakes don't stop me from loving them. We all screw up from time to time; I forgive them, they forgive me, and the classroom family marches on.
24.) The "vibe" of my classroom is always really cool. Music, kids at the "big tables", kids on computers, kids sitting at MY desk, kids on the carpet, kids on the floor, kids at their desks.....yeah. They love it, and I don't know of any other way to do it. :)
25.) I've no problems WHATSOEVER in helping other teachers. I guess that's what this blog is for; partially for a therapeutic journal, but really for those that're stuck in a rut. Ask me stuff! Teachers are constantly in the media and rarely supported. It's time to change that....one blog at a time. :)
Your faithful friend and fellow teacher,
Ms. Jenn
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