Our First Whole-School Morning Meeting

Today we had our first whole-school morning meeting!

As a school that utilizes the Responsive Classroom approach in all grades, we start every day with a Morning Meeting.  Today, we came together as a whole school to be in community.
Our friendship hall was filled with excitement.  Classes sat together, but we created one large circle.

 

Today, we came together with a purpose as well.  To being the school year, students shared their personal hopes and dreams for the 2014-2015 academic year. In our lower grades, parents had input into helping form these goals.  As a class, goals were shared and necessary actions were listed.  For example, if you want to learn more about fractions, you will need to pay attention, you will need a quiet environment, etc.  From these necessary actions, the class created classroom rules.

Last week, a representative from each class came together and shared their class rules.  As a group, these students (with ages spanning a decade!), create our school rules.

Today, this group of students presented to us our school rules.

When we gather together, we are a community of faith, of learning, and of friendship.

Myths about Summer and the Teacher

When I entered the education field, it was common for me to hear three words when someone commented on my career choice:  June, July and August.  "You lucky teachers" I'd hear.  "Three reasons to teach!" was my favorite one.  I am now a 12-month employee, and while my summer do look a bit different, more than ever I have respect for the endless job that is teaching.

For my non-teaching friends, here are some Myths about Summer and the Teacher

1.  We're off June, July and August
Here I sit, June 25th, almost the end.  I am in my second week of all-day classes with teachers and administrators.  My friend in New England are posting on social media that their children finish classes today.  June is finished: we are not.  Teacher meetings start days before students come back.  Those beautiful classrooms aren't delivered to a school.  August is about preparing and gearing up.

2. We're "off"
Dedicated teachers never turn off that powerful hamster wheel that creates great lesson plans.  We're reading books for fun, and thinking about whether or not that word is one we want to use on a word wall.  We're walking down the beach, scanning for students and their families.  We're grocery shopping and thinking about how to use the cost of tomatoes in our money unit.  We're blogging, tweeting, and lesson planning.  We take classes, read books, go on practice field trips, inventory supplies and don't even ask what happens when we see a yard sale.  The teacher area of our brain is always activated, no matter how hard we try to calm it down.

3. We work normal hours during the year and it evens out.
It never evens out when you are a dedicated teacher.  Your brain is never finished.  7:30-3:30?  We wish.  See #2: all that happens during the school year, too.

4.  We think your job is easier
Great teachers won't complain to their students or parents. They will voice reasonable concerns to peers and administrators.  They probably vent or complain to their own friends and family.
When we complain about how hard our job is (and feeling like you are responsible for creating and molding the next generation is a heavy weight), we are not discounting the role you play in society.
When we complain, even over summer months, please don't take it as discounting your profession.  We hope we're teaching the person you'll someday train to take over when you retire.


Abigail Greer is the princpal at The Academy of Saint Matthias the Apostle.
She can be reached at agreer@stmatthias.org

World Read Aloud Day: Raise Our Voices

My mother was a teacher.  By the time I was born, she was in a different field professionally, but some thing never leave you once you have been a teacher.  Books were always around us.  We read almost every night.  Library trips were weekly events.
My first memory of hearing books read aloud was "And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street" by Dr. Seuss. My grandmother loved reading this book to me.  If you've read it, it is not as exciting as other Seuss classics, but it still holds a special place in my heart.  I've tried to read it to Katie, and at age 2, she is not impressed.  She likes "Pete the Cat."
We are preparing as a school for World Read Aloud Day in March.  As we approach this day, I look forward to sharing more Read Aloud thoughts and ideas.
litworld.org/worldreadaloudday