Pink Cupcakes

Week 3 back in the teaching trenches has just come to an end and the weekend is here! It is always a bit satisfying to wrap up a week and to look back with a smile.  Not that it has not been challenging.  Those who teach know that every new school year is in a way also picking up where you left and creating brand new chapters but now and then we do face doomsday.  The thing is that I have promised myself that I am rather going to focus on the positive things that my job offers me than the ones that cause me nightmares and heart burn.  Oh yes, I already had a few moments that I did wonder why I just do not have a magic wand.

The thing is that I have found out a few weeks ago while doing a little quiz that I have got the tendency to be very pessimistic and believe me this was one of those games that for ones was backed up by scientific number and statistics. I cringed at my result because I only scored 0!  Not proud of that but it did kind of confirmed but I do have the tendency to be very pessimistic and the moment that I feel joy or wish to jump into the air I will find something that will cause rain on my parade.  It is in my genes and that in combination with the media and all the negative news that is spreading like a disease I do have these days that I do wonder if I even should try. 

Many teachers I know are very strict with themselves.  The ‘best’ teachers I had myself were not the ones that always smiles on their face but they managed to stimulate me to dive into some things that at first sight seemed rather boring but once when you dove in and went along with them you entered a total different world.  None of them ever forced me but the ones that made me work hard, giving it an other try, look further, loan an extra book from the library on the subject, gave me some extra time to push the barrier that are the ones that I am now grateful and I am quite sure that they also had those rather gloomy days…we all do!  Still there is a lot to be grateful and within those sunny moments there is so much energy to find that you know that that is what can make the difference. 

So here we go….Over the last 3 weeks I have been so grateful for

-The enthusiasm and eagerness that students demonstrate when they have a lesson of Dutch.  As many of you know is it ‘only’ an one hour subject for the UP students that I teach at my educational hotspot.  Still the sincere outburst of joy when they see my coworker U or me walk in that is so heart warming.  It still can bewilder me and yes it is an energy boost.
-The smiles and great formal and less formal talks I had with my coworkers on each level.  It can still amaze what the impact of good conversation is and how it can influence your work attitude.  Inside a classroom you do end up on your own but it are the other teachers who can so much break or make the overall moral where you try to teach.  Therefor I am so grateful that I did already felt that I have enough ears and shoulders to turn to in case of melt down or outburst of sheer happiness that I wish to share with fellow teachers.
-Those special moments that you find out that teaching does have an impact and that things are not just for the sake of saying and hoping against all odds. That during one of my students I suddenly witnessed some of my younger students picking up trash without having told to so made me feel so happy.  Yes, they had been an assembly about keeping the campus clean and taken care and joined responsibility but that is not a guarantee that the the transfer between the assembly hall and the play ground goes smoothly.
-The very powerful moments that students go beyond that what you hoped for.  It is in these first weeks back that you find out how much did ‘stick’ and how much has ‘vanished’.  Nothing can make me a happier than a student that just can not hold back by calling out ‘we have covered this last year!’.  Yes, the curse of teaching a foreign language for one hour ‘only’ is challenging when when it comes down to getting students to remember words and grammatical structures we one in a long ago past talked and filled in worksheets about.  Spontaneous ‘confessions’ of students are sometimes the ultimate icing on the cake.
-The holiday stories students and parents share with you and what they have managed to with their language knowledge.  That there are positive outcomes of language learning is not something that is scientifically questioned but still I have my doubts that many of my students find the time and place to put their Dutch into practice. When I am told that they have taken their learning outside the classroom and ended up using at a museum, restaurant or summer camp I am very proud of them.
-The work-family balance that is so fragile but you seem to be able to keep up 3 weeks further down the line.  That my time table is very nice mix between loaded and rather light days with enough time to plan and sort out urgent administration and other issues that have landed up in the mailbox is surely something that I am grateful for. 
-The interesting books, articles and stories that I have read so far have proven there is still enough out there in the educational world.  Despite all the negative press and everlasting debate that teaching is rather something for those who can’t are there enough positive vibes going on in the educational orbit.  That I have ‘sacrifice’ some of my ‘free’ time in order to find out more about them is something that I so far have not regretted for a single second.  On the contrary it has given me more energy and contentment.
-The presence of online support that comes sometimes in disguise of a good joke or an extra pat on the shoulders.  I signed up this year for a buddy support the light version but also plan to try out something new closer to home.  So far I can just state that it are those little messages that sometimes can pull me back up. 
-The sweet moments and breaks that students or coworker celebrate with you their birthday and bring along treats or that U brings along one of her amazing baking experiments.  I have say that the gluten free biscuits surely surprised my taste buds.  Also a strawberry dipped in chocolate and chocolates in a box to choose from are only a few of the unexpected delights that have brought some extra happiness into my first three weeks.
-The late summer days that have brightened up some of rather early and painful awakenings and made the transition between facing reality a bit more bearable and smoother. The extra intake of vitamin D is surely a delightful treat. Rain is on the forecast for the days to come but the sunshine we had they can’t take away from me. 
….

I know that there are harder days looming around the corner…all it sometimes takes is one less ‘good’ lesson or a mail that sounds almost like a dead threat to make all the above void.  But there is always light at the end of the tunnel and I have some extra ticks and tips to rely on in case of an emergency. Plus that I have made some promises that I very much wish to keep because in the long run they will make the school year so much more fun and bearable for myself and the ones around me.  In case you do end up with rather the dark sided Stallie than be aware of that one poster that is up on my noticing board, that one can make all trouble go away:’Why yes, a pink cupcake will fix everything!  Works miracles for me, every single time…but foremost I also try to keep in mind that in the end ‘nothing lasts forever we have only have what we remember.’ That is how our brains works and teachers are surely specialist in that!  My students fully agree with that as well...ask them about the pink cupcake poster... ;-)

PS: I love Anggun her voice.  I do prefer her rather in French but this song can make me move around in my kitchen and does also make me focus on what I should remember in order to see the positive side of many things.

Excellence..just excellence....

It is the weekend and just had my traditional cup of George Clooney coffee in my gigantic Stitch mug and just took a glance at the front page of the newspaper.  Also the washing machine is running in full modus, finally managed to make a hair dresser appointment, started to read of the books I put on the reading menu for our upcoming ‘scary’ themed book week at my educational hotspot and I also can not wait to dive into one of the Mindfulness books I wish to read before September comes to an end…. Yeah Stallie is back at work, back at school, back where the magic can take place, back where she feels at her best…back where I am aiming very hard to be the best teacher for every single one of the my students.

As mentioned before I do not believe that perfection exist or at least I rather tend to describe it rather as a mindset not I not master constantly.  It is rather something I not excel at…do not get me wrong. Not that I not aim for excellence and perfection when it comes down my profession.  There are there those moments that I could jump for joy and run through the school building screaming it out that I saw in the eyes of my educational audience what I am after. Sparkling eyes all over the place.  Oh yes, it happens and even more than I will admit. It happened last week already in my first week back out there.  The thing is that most of my victories I tend to celebrate in silence or I will have a small after party in my car with my Spotify favorite list echoing through my car.  Believe me by the time I get home I already have discarded my super hero cape and jump back into my more boring and daily routine. 

After all that is part of what I do consider teaching a never ending story that will call constantly for action and reflection.  It then not also surprises me that at the beginning of a new academic year many people consider themselves educational expersts.  By the time that I am preparing my first lesson plan I have already read or heard  hundreds of opinions about what is going well or not going well in the educational world.  It is like in middle of august many educational specialist suddenly snap out of their hibernating status to spread their gospel of education and I wonder how in the world I am going to please all of them or going to make it work what they consider good or excellent education.

Still, I am one of these people who has to put into the action what many have a very outspoken opinion about.  So then it is not such a big of a surprise that I still experience that the educational reality is so much different than an opinion of an educational specialist, parent or minister of eduation.   It is never perfect and it will be constantly questioned by many....excellence seems the be then the last word that I do think of.

Is it then a surprise that I then every year over and over again do wonder…wonder if I made the right decisions about teaching and learning?  Oh yes, I have ‘screwed’ up and still do when I teach and try to let every single of students in my care learn.  The perfection I strive for in my classroom sometimes does not resembles anything that I did plan out on paper.  That in the month of August I then tend to become a restless educational soul who then goes through an existential crises is not unexpected. Yes, I have had those moments that I reflected out loud about pursuing an other career. One of these life questioning conversations even took place at an airport in an other continent.  This is all is to me the proof I constantly question myself and my teaching and learning that I offer...and it is not always a smooth going exercise.  Believe me...sometimes it is a very grim place to travel to.

Yes, I am worried about the status of our national and global educational environment.  There are many people around me who worry about the minds and skills of our future work force.  The list of these outspoken concerns is long and I am not going to dive into them at this point. You can find them by Googling them and there are official reports written about them.  Feel free to do so because that is what I also did and will keep doing. The thing is that I already have doven back into the educational pool/reality where the temperature can be sometimes sub zero and where I sometimes am afraid to go under.   Not that I am alone ‘swimming ‘around in that deep water.  Every year I meet up there with a very big force that works like a magnet and manages to keep me afloat. Now and then I  might be in doubt if I am ready to get closer and collide with those other forces.  In general it will click with these others but once in a while it will sometimes make me go back under before I can find back the right direction. 

The thing is that I need other people in order to be the ‘excellent’ teacher I wish to be.  Oh yes, I feel so blessed that I had so many great examples to learn from.  I am still grateful for that and one of those things that I do like so much about my job is that I can constantly learn from others, including from my students.

September is together with June the most challenging month when it comes down to my job.  Yes, I already look forward to October in a way.  Still it is also the month in which I am given the opportunity to start with a clean sheet, put in to actions some to the ideas I came up with the past months and is also the moment that I try to be more in synch with many other teachers and reconnect.  A very exciting moment but but it also can make me feel a bit less secure. Hey, I am not perfect. 

That we this week were asked to reflect about the word ‘excellence’ when it comes down to learning and teaching first made me go totaly silent.  I stared at the blank sheet and yes I was relieved that we were allowed to think this over for a few days.  The thing is that I could not hold back and that that I already in the car did start to question my own son what he did think that excellence in learning and teaching means to him.  He was able to give a very clear answer and it did match what I did expect him to answer. But A is now a teenager and that is also when their brain starts to work differently and so he wondered why I did ask him.  ‘Oh, it is something I am asked to think about not that I do not always am very sure about..so I wanted your help.’  A looked at me but said nothing. Not sure that is was positive but it seemed that he was wondering if had not ever done before….

Oh yes, that is the thing…constantly and that is the thing with many of us who have signed up for education with their full heart and soul that we never ever stop reflecting.  It is like a mindset that is contagious. Especially when you are willingly to think outside the box. Believe me I am surrounded by so many excellence that my head keeps spinning.  In September it is always as if I walk into force field where I am dragged into and been given the opportunity to dive into full on and learn, teach, share, reflect, listen, adopt, create, feedback, assess, observe, talk, dream, collaborate and many more action verbs.  The most confrontational aspect of that thinking exercise is that I wish that I had more time to manage of all of these things that I deeply care about when it comes down to excellence in combination with teaching and learning.

So yes, I have decided to share what my mindset is when it comes down to these words. Please beware these are my personal selected words…my feelings…and I do not expect all of you to agree with me. It is just that you then can travel along more fully informaed with me while I try to ‘survive’ an other school year.  Oh yes, I epect to collide and disagree with some of my coworkers. That is okay as long as at the end of the day I can still feel in sync with my own moral teaching compass. 

Here we go…..

Excellence in teaching is

-having the opportunity to access Extraordinary staff who always is openminded and resourceful
-having the opportunity to not just Xerox teaching styles, resources, curriculum, teaching plans, etc…but tailor them so they fit best for our students and constantly review, modify and adopt
-having the opportunity to be Creative in our ways of teaching and how we can teach
-having the opportunity to Experiment with different teaching styles and methods
-having the opportunity to be a Life long learner in a professional and academic environment
-having the opportunity to Listen and to be listened to when it comes down to teaching
-having the opportunity to Expand your knowledge by attending CPDs that your teaching can benefit with from directly or in some ways indirectly
-having the opportunity to develop and share New resources and methods of teaching in an openminded and professional environment
-having the opportunity to Collaborate with professionals, specialists and coworkers in a trustworthy manner
-having the opportunity to Extend your teaching in order to open up new opportunities for you as teacher and students to put your teaching into good practice beyond the classroom.

…….

Excellence in learning is..

-having access to extraordinary resources and facilities that stimulate and inspiring the learning.
-having the freedom to be creative in many ways across the curriculum that is offered
-having the opportunity to demonstrate our learning not only in the classroom but also outside the classroom
-having the opportunity to celebrate the outcome of your learning and feeling confident to excel further
-having the opportunity to extend your knowledge and skills inside and outside the classroom
-having the opportunity to be part of a learning community that stimulates togetherness and mutual respect
-having the opportunity to share your knowledge, culture and values in a openminded environment
-having the opportunity to try out many ways of learning that stimulates and facilitates the learning process
-having the opportunity to use your individual talent at full potential within and outside the classroom
-having the opportunity to make decisions about your own learning in a trustworthy, openminded and respectful learning environment
-having the opportunity to call in for help in case you feel there is a need for it
-having the opportunity to express your opinion and give feedback about your learning and the teaching
-the opportunity to inquire in order to expand your knowledge and skills

…….


Hopefully you noticed those little dots below…and do you know what they mean….

Hereby I also wish all teachers, students, educational supporting staff, parents and caregivers an unforgettable academic year. Hopefully it lives up to your expectations of ‘excellence’.

P.S.:  For this entry I have picked out a song by Johnny Hates Jazz that one day my Spotify selected for me and I do think that in education I do feel like these lyrics say.  'Our hearts go round and round like the seasons' and we have so many moments that we can decide to cooperate or just walk by. It is up to us...teaching and learning is one of the most valuable&adventureous walks we take in our life.
The other one is a clip of Stitch because Stallie the teacher sometimes feels like this rather 'crazy' Disney character but the message that in teaching and learning family I do no want leave anyone behind. In my teaching and learning gospel that is perhaps the one I believe very strong in and try to teach by...no matter what, when or how!!!