Welcome to the Yellow Rose Garten!

For those that may not know, I’m Brittany Henderson.  I just finished my 7^th year of teaching, which was my 3^rd in Kindergarten.  I have also taught 1^st and 2^nd, as well as worked with 4s in a preschool/daycare setting.  Kindergarten has been my favorite so far, hence the “Garten.”

While we are currently living in coastal Mississippi, I was born and raised deep in the heart of Texas.  Actually, I was even born on Texas’ Sesquicentennial, or the 150^th anniversary of their statehood.  Texas is where I spent most of my childhood, where I met my high school sweetheart, where I graduated from both high school and college, where we were married, and where I began my career.  So Texas holds a pretty special place in my heart and is a large part of my identity, hence the “Yellow Rose.”

Teaching has always been part of my life, has always been my passion.  As early as I can remember, if given the choice I would play school (as the teacher obviously) over house any day.  Teacher was always my answer to “what do you want to be when you grow up?”  My husband told me early on in our high school relationship that he already knew I’d be a teacher.  In fact, he even said kindergarten teacher.  There was never any other option for me.  Now that my goal has become a reality, it is my passion to do right by my students daily.  And I don’t just mean teach the standards.

I’m a firm believer in “let them be little.”  Kids need play, social learning, and to enjoy school to be successful.  So, I’m not just here for the basics.  In my classroom, if it can be taught through play, art, music, science, social studies, whatever, I’m down for it.  If it strengthens motor skills, speaking and listening skills, emotional understanding, or social skills, I’m all over it.  What I’ve found though, is that we’ve steered so far in the other direction in education, that a lot of those things don’t always exist.  I’m ready for that to change, and the only way to see that change is to start it.

There you have it.  Yellow Rose Garten, and a little me, in a nutshell.  Research states that learning something new takes 400 repetitions, unless it’s done through play, then it only takes 10 to 20!

So let’s play!!

All Roads Lead Somewhere.....

It seems we have found ourselves once again in a season of questions.  This happens every few years or so.  In fact, without going back to check, I'd wager that about half my posts on this blog have been written in such a season.  I guess somehow I hope that by writing it out, it will make more sense.  Doesn't usually work, but I generally feel better after.

So in an effort to get my mind to be able to focus on anything else I should be doing (cleaning the house, laundry, laminating centers, and so on), let's see how this goes.

As some of you know, the company my husband works for has announced they'll be closing some of their stores.  So far, 8 in his district with another round coming next week.  Which makes the biggest question right now, will we have a job or a severance package by summer?  Not a fun place to be.

However, he has taken that news and decided to put a proactive spin on it.  He's currently (and fairly aggressively) seeking a job in a semi-new field, as well as taking an online course to prepare for any offer he may receive.  Which leads to another question: will we end up with a new job in a new location?  Or will this job search be longer than we think?

Both of these major questions about his career obviously play in to mine.  I had to sign my contract this week.  The school year is quickly coming to an end.  Plus, the plan was to improve my own education/certification in the near future.  But now that's in question as well because I can't really start anything until we know if he has a job, which job it will be, and if we end up having to move.  So how do I help, or can I even help, with our finances?  Do I need to pack for the summer or a storage unit?  Do I research certification in other states or is it even worth it yet?

All this to say, if we seem distracted or confused, we have good reason.  And if we can't commit to something or seem hesitant to make plans, don't take it personally.  Because most likely the conversation has led to a hundred different "what ifs" swirling inside.  And the truth is, we just don't know.  But we've been here before and it all led to good.  So while it's not easy, and I won't claim I'm doing a great job at it, we are putting our trust in God because He has always put us where we need to be.  This season will pass and we will settle again.  This road will lead somewhere, and I have to believe it will be for good.  In the meantime though, it's all a question.

As the year wanes on, I find myself more and more needing an outlet.  Since I already have this one, let's take advantage.

I was asked a couple weeks ago to share in my Sunday School class what it's like to be a champion for students at my job in about 5 minutes.  I agreed, knowing the instant I hit send that it would be very difficult for me to do so.  Strange as it may sound knowing that I'm a teacher, I'm actually not all that comfortable with public speaking.  I write much better than I speak, and I stay more focused that way, too.  So after a few days of contemplating how to go about this, I decided to just write it down, and be honest with my group that I was much more comfortable sharing in writing than I would be just speaking.  I was told after the fact that I should write more often.  And I should.  But that's hard when you pour your heart and soul fully into who knows how many hours "on the job" a week, and then pour just as much heart and soul into fully being wife and mom.  There's just not much left to pour out for myself.  However, being at the point where I might break if I don't, here I sit.

So, this is what I shared, along with a few tears, with my class (with a few minor edits/additions, because that's what writers do).  And what I try to keep telling myself not just daily, but second by second as I muddle through this year that feels so......relentless.

"Students who are loved at home, come to school to learn, and students who aren't, come to school to be loved." --Nicholas A. Ferroni

Most research shows that it takes 5 positive comments to make up for 1 negative.  Really think about that, 5:1.  And that's not just for kids, it applies to us adults too.  Sometimes that ratio can seem overwhelming.  Actually, it's overwhelming all the time.  Especially now that I'm a parent.  I know that my child gets the encouragement he needs at home.  But I also know that we all have our days where there may be very little positive interaction, or no interaction at all.  We're all human, and in that short time between school getting out and bedtime, there's a lot that can happen to direct our attitudes away from the positive.  Which is why my classroom is my mission field.  And why even though it's not "supposed" to be, and is frowned upon by most higher-ups, my focus is always RELATIONSHIPS FIRST.

"The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice." --Peggy O'Mara

I take my job very seriously.  But not the part of my job you'd expect.  Oh sure, I work hard to teach the academics, but there's a big difference between teaching curriculum and teaching students.  I believe my job, my responsibility to our future generations, is to be their cheerleader.  Some days it's exhausting.  Some days it's a struggle to keep positive interaction the focus.  Some days I suck at it.  But every morning, I get up and remind myself that these little people who will one day be our politicians, doctors, lawyers, teachers, church leaders, and whatever else they can dream to be, deserve as much love, confidence, and emotional support as I can pack into one day.  I mean, they spend more time with me than anywhere else.  And I want my child to be getting that same amount of love, confidence, and emotional support from his teachers.  Because we are all in this together, we all have a stake in this future, and I'd rather it not be miserable.  And because every child that passes through my classroom should leave it with a stockpile of encouragement to combat the negative the world will constantly throw at them.  Constantly.  And relentlessly.  I know this from experience, because it happened just today.  And my stockpile is low right now.  The world doesn't care if you have someone replenishing your fuel.  So I have to keep doing it for them, no matter the cost, so they never get to empty.

I'm very blessed to be in a school where many of my coworkers also see the importance of being cheerleaders for our students.  And because of this I have a great system in place to allow the interactions that lead to encouragement of our students.  We showcase their strengths and talents to the community.  We allow them to take responsibilities in their class and their school.  We show them how to monitor and analyze their academic progress.  We empower them to achieve success by teaching them emotional and social skills along with their academics.  But even in such a wonderful workplace, there can be days...weeks...phases, where it's just tough.  Almost too tough.  But then I remember.  The blessing of seeing our students speak in front of crowds, seeing their excitement over achieving their goals, hearing them say these skills have made them a better person, or even just having them stop by for a quick hug every morning is what keeps me going.  On those tough days (and there have been a lot lately), when it seems like I've got no more encouragement left to give, when I feel like I've failed because I snapped, God sends me one of those blessings to keep me going.  Something as simple as a student thrilled to wave at me in the hall or the shy smile they shoot my way when they can read that word.  That's my why.  It's not easy.  But it is worth it.

A New Adventure

I'm back! I'm sure nobody pays enough attention to this anymore to even realize I was gone.

But now I'm back. And I'm taking the blog in a new direction, or on an adventure, if you will. My intent is to use this as a tool to promote my "side hustle" as it's so affectionately called.

And so, to that end, please share and donate if you can to my first ever Donors Choose project. It's for some alternative seating choices for my students. This will be greatly beneficial for my wiggly little learners!

Seating Choices Make Better Learners

Common Core Workbooks

These Common Core Workbooks seem to be a fantastic resource for Common Core activities.  They include posters of the standard, pre-made center activities to practice the standards, and worksheets for each standard.  If you post a blog about them in the next few days, they're offering a free download!  And as much as we teachers spend on our classrooms, resources, and supplies......free is awesome!  I checked out the free sample of the book on their website and it looks great!  The posters are clear and easy to read, the centers are colorful, but simple to put together and for students to play, and the worksheets look like a great way to assess whether students "get it" independently before moving on to testing.  Check it out!

New Year, New Chances

With each new year, we all have new chances.  New chances to make changes, hopefully for the better, new chances to do the right thing, new chances to do the things we've always wanted to do, new chances in our career, new chances to make new habits.  A new year is like a universal fresh start for us all.

Most people come up with these grand, unattainable "resolutions."  Promising themselves they'll do something daily for the next 365 days.  But honestly, I can barely promise myself that I'll do something consistently for the next 3 days.  So I've never really been into the whole resolution idea.  In recent years, I've seen a lot of goal-setting, reflections/lessons learned, or other variations.  This appealed more to me than the resolutions, but I still can't say I've really participated.

However, this year feels different.  I think this year feels different because I can finally look ahead with a little less fear, and a little more care.  Up until I got married, I was kind of care free.  Never really bothered with resolutions or goals because I was to focused on the present, like finishing college and planning a wedding.  Then we got married, and life was kind of day-to-day.  We moved a lot, we both were trying to get good jobs and not having much luck, I finished school, he briefly went back to school, we lived with my parents and his parents.  There just didn't seem to be much to look ahead for.  But things have a taken an upswing in the last year and a half.  We both have those good jobs, and while we had to move 10 hours away to do it, things are going really well.  That's not to say we have the next 10 years planned out, or even the next 1, but it's a little less scary now.  It finally feels like we have our feet under us, on a good foundation, and we'll be able to take that with us wherever it is that life takes us.



So, partly inspired by this feeling of being ready for new chances, and partly inspired by a friend's blog this morning (although I don't have 28 like her ;), I've thought of some things I want to focus on in 2014.

1. I want to spend more time with God.
2. I want to spend more time with my husband that is not in front of the TV or computer.
3. I want to eat healthier.
4. I want to cook more.
5. I want to read for pleasure more.
6. I want to go to more trainings to be a better teacher.
7. I'm ready to be a mom.
8. I want to have at least 3 Scentsy parties this year.
9. I want to make more things (craft-wise).
10. I would love to learn to sew.
11. I want to improve my friendships.
12. I want to keep my house cleaner.
13. I want to get in better shape.  I know this one will be a struggle, but it's a struggle that will be worth it.
14. I want to write more.  It's so healing.

I think that's plenty.  I think that's a good place to start at least, for someone who hasn't done this much before.  Plus my slight OCD finds it convenient that there are 14 things on my list for the year 2014.  ;)

Happy New Year everyone!  Take some chances of your own!

uh......

I've sat here for the last 30 minutes trying to think of something to post about and I'm totally drawing a blank.  Guess it's not going to be as easy to jump back into this after a year as change my layout, title, and get to it.  So while I really don't have anything to say, I'm hoping the simple act of posting this will get my creative blogging juices flowing again.  Because I miss it.  We'll see how that goes.

If anyone actually checks this at all, I'll leave you with two photos from our recent trip to Texas.

We took some family pictures with my family.

And of course, James' brother John married Brandie.  And we were all so happy!  :)