Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21
This could be one of those long detailed posts, but I think I'm not going to make it that! I am going to make it short(er) and sweet!
As I reflect on my 20 hour experience in the school this week, I come away with a purpose. It is to get done with school and get into the school system to love and nurture these children. I come away with a checklist for myself. I will print this out today and put it in a file. I will take this with me when I have my own classroom and I WILL check every one of these off daily...if there comes a day that I don't, I'll revaluate what went wrong and do better the next day.
1. Did you show love to each child today in some way?
2. Did you encourage each child today in some way?
3. Did you make learning fun today?
4. Did you go the extra mile for the "special" learners today?
5. Did we use our manners today?
6. Did you find a way to let the children know that they CAN do it?
7. Did you smile at the children today?
8. Did you use creative correction/discipline methods in a nurturing way opposed to the alternative today?
9. Did you positively challenge every child in some way today?
10. Did you empower the children in some way today?
I won't go into much detail on what led me to make this check list, but I am now positive that God has a purpose in me finishing my degree and that I was at the school this week for Him to confirm it. This check list will go a long way with that purpose.
Oh, and yes, I still LOVE and want to teach Kindergarten...even after a week with them! Today, a little girl named Claudia informed me that I smell like a crab. That darn spray tan!
So, if you were making a check list for a teacher to use to evaluate themselves at the end of each day what would you put on it?
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- April 17th - saw our sons face for the 1st time ever!
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- May 6th- officially accepted referral
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- July 2nd - Home study translation complete
- The hard wait that started June 17th on power of attorney and translated home study to complete dossier and send back to Taiwan so we can apply for a court date...continues
- July 9th - Got power of attorney and translated home study in the mail!!
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9 comments:
My checklist would say
1. If I have a child that enters into kindergarten, have April for their teacher.
By the way, still eating chocolate at my house!
You are going to make a fabulous teacher ;)!
One thing I always tried to remember when I was teaching Second Step (anger management to Title 1) was *Did they see on my face that they brought me joy?
I've taught at many levels (7th grade to college) and I think that it is always important to see if you've had balance at the end of the day. Sometimes you can find yourself too focused on grading and required standards rather than the students. Sometimes you are so focused on the fun activities and bulletin boards that you forget about the standards and goals. When you come home, you become wrapped up in planning that you forget your family and yourself. If you get out of balance, there is no way you can ever meet those other outcomes that you have already created for yourself. A physically/mentally exhausted and spiritually drained teacher can not be what she needs to be---period.
So there is my 2 cents worth--and then some-- :o)
I love the checklist. I think it would make a good parent checklist too.... If I added one more thing it would be:
Did you learn something from your students today?
Another thing you need to do (and you can start with Claudia's comment) is to keep a list of all of those stinkin' cute things that your kiddos say. They will happen!
This is a wonderful list that I think I will adopt for working with children. I would like to add:
Did I speak the name of Jesus (in a sentence not as profanity)?
There's power in His name. If a child hears, 'Jesus loves you' often that thought will never leave her.
I enjoyed reading your checklist. As I was reading, it struck me that this could be used in large part (with minor adjustments) in our every day life with even adults we come across or work with.
Thank you for sharing!! I can relate to the holes in the spray tan. I did that a few years ago.
I'm so glad your week at school went well. I think your list is perfect. I think we, as parents, can use the list too. I loved it!!
Loved the spray tan post too. Hilarious!!
You are going to be a great teacher. I wish my daughters 2nd grade teacher this year would use a list like this instead of threatening to bring her big husband in to make them be quiet.
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