P is for Poultry

We had a visitor last week. His name is Chicky Chick E. Chickey Chiky.

He was shown to me by my newest student before school started.

Newbie: Ms. Buckler! I brought a chicken to school!
Me: Please tell me it isn't a real chicken in your backpack!
Newbie: He's real! His name is Chicky (spelled Chiky)!
Me: Can I see this chicken please?
Newbie: Sure! (shows me a small, FAKE chick of the Easter decoration variety) He came to school today so he can learn with me.

Now I don't know Newbie that well yet.  (Newbie will be called Newbie just because he came to me after the first day of school.) I do know that there is still a "warming up to" period for all of us. So, I decided to let Chicky hang around with this rule:

Me: If you are playing with Chicky instead of learning and listening, Chicky will have to learn from the comfort of inside your backpack. That goes for your classmates, too. Not a PEEP from Chicky (I make corny jokes because second-graders find them hilarious).
Newbie: Yes ma'am!
Me: Oh and maybe you should read about Junie B. Jones and the peep in her pocket...
Newbie: Er...sure... (I can dream!)

So Newbie got his morning work done faster than normal. During my walking around and checking of work, Newbie calls me over. This is what I saw:

Chicky got his very own desk with his very own eraser seat!
(a la Twiddlebugs you Sesame Street fans!)

If you look veeeerrrry closely, you will see that Chicky got his very own name tag complete with a number line, shapes, and his name C-H-I-K-Y. 

During Reading, a few kids do a little switcheroo between me and Mrs. Barrentine's class. Before Newbie left, he gave his teammates strict instructions to "WATCH CHICKY'S EVERY MOVE".

Princess took this very seriously. During reading centers she was "shh-ed" for saying "STEP AWAY FROM THE CHICKEN!" too loudly.

Later that day, we finished our math lesson and did centers. I asked my darlings to take out their math practice books so we could pull out a page for homework. Page 57 to be exact. Here is what I saw when I got to Newbie/Chiky's desks:

I have NO IDEA where the hat came from! Notice the math book is titled properly. Also, there is a tiny Page 57 inside that we taped to Newbie's homework folder.

At dismissal, I heard conversations about what Chicky will need for tomorrow in order to be "cooler". Little did I know...

Flash forward to the next morning. This is the new and improved Chicky:

Chicky was all bling-ed out with his Mr. T style necklace. He also was prepared for the cooler fall weather with a sock vest. That black jewelry bag? Yeah, that's his drawstring backpack that held Page 57.

Needless to say, I lost my composure. I think I laughed so hard I snorted. If I were drinking my breakfast Pepsi it would have been out of my nose!

At the end of the day, I told Newbie that I am thankful for Chicky's visit, but I think his last day should be Friday. He was okay with that after I promised to read "The Perfect Nest".

Maybe Chicky can come back again in the spring when we read "I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick."

W is for Wow (Results)

I really can't believe it. I work with some fabulously wonderful people. We should all be Teachers of the Year every year. I really would like to share my teacher of the year-dom with all of those people who help me become better every day. Those of you who remind me that we teach because there's nothing else we'd rather do. Thank you from all the parts of my heart.

You should all get one of my flowers, but this picture will last longer.

These flowers were from my mom...She says she's proud of me.

Walking to my classroom this morning, I got a bunch of cheers and applause from my students. It made me a little teary and one of my teammates a lot teary.

One of my bestest friends and coworkers made a hat for her daughter to wear.

My little darlings asked me, "So what do you get for being Teacher of the Year?"

My reply, "Well, probably the best part is...A DAY AWAY FROM MY STUDENTS! YAY!"

I got a lot of pretty pictures today like this one: 

Front: You are teacher of the year! (With TWO suns) Plaese...Plesae...don't

Back: don't take a day off.

D is for December

As a reward for good behavior, my students may choose a trip to the treasure box, a free homework pass, or lunch with me. Usually, they pick lunch with me. Little do they know I get a kick out of their conversations and material for my blog. And I always wonder what 7 and 8 year olds talk about at lunch. Well, the innocent ones anyway.



Yes, today is October 4 and we just put up a few Halloween decorations, but December is on my little darlings' minds.

This is a snippet of our lunch conversation:

Mohawk: Ms. Buckler, I know why December is called December.
Me: Oh yeah? Tell me!
Mohawk: Because Santa needs December to get ready to deliver all the toys. All the other months he sleeps up for THE BIG DAY!
Me: Okay, but that doesn't really tell me where the name December came from.
Mohawk: Yeah, that's not really important.
Me: (sighing) (shaking my head in speechless confusion) (eating another carrot)

(awkward silence)
 
Blondie: I think Santa goes shopping at Wal-mart at night when kids are sleeping because there's no way he can make all the stuff.
Snaggle:  I think his little men do it.
Doll Baby: They're called midgets!
Mohawk: No they're ELFS! Ms. Buckler, how much do you think Santa pays his elfs? And where does he get all his money?
Me: Aww man! It's time to go!

This conversation is 100% real. I swear I'm going to start bringing a tape recorder on Lunch Bunch days.

I'm linking this to Tiny Talk Tuesday.

W is for Wow

Wow! Huh?! Really!? Hmm...

These were things going through my head when I was told I was nominated for Teacher of the Year.

I am totally flattered and honored. I know there are teachers at school who deserve my spot and I can only hope to grow up to be like them.

But, just so I don't feel guilty, I would like to remind you of a few of my shortcomings:
(click to reread and refresh your memory)

1. I obviously don't teach enough Social Studies.

2. I fail at science experiments.

3. I sometimes spell things inappropriately.

4. I harbor plant killers.

5. I accept bribes and give them.

6. I play tricks on my students and coworkers.

And let's not forget my many misadventures with Mr. TV!

7. Like this one.

8. I squash love connections like this one I read on a Bucket slip:
   I would like to fill Princess' bucket by saying: I love yur hare a lot I love you. From: History Buff

9. I have "unappropriate" books on my shelves about princesses who toot and farmers in Bremen that murder their animals.

10. I don't encourage students to love all kinds of music...
Prudence: Ms. Buckler, have you ever heard of Bon Jovi?
Me: I think I've heard their songs once or twice (in person).
Cutie: Have you ever heard of Justin Beiber?
Me: That's not real music! I don't listen to that junk!

Wow. Maybe I should have reminded you of these things BEFORE the nominations.

Thank you to all my readers and supporters. I love you and your hare.

C is for Chris Garrido

Have you ever had a boss/supervisor that is totally awesome? I have been lucky enough to have quite a few. (Hi Sherri! Hi David! Hi Ed!)

I have two great administrators at my full-time job. They pretty much let me do whatever I want. And they bring doughnuts.

This post is about my part-time boss/supervisor. His name is Chris Garrido. He has an adorable son. He just got married to a beautiful lady (who I hear can bake like an angel.)

His half birthday was two days ago. Hap Birt, Chr!

He trusts me. He believes in me. He appreciates me and even gets my sarcasm.

Even though he is a Red Sox fan, he's pretty awesome (at least he's a Gator fan).

I think my feelings for him can best be expressed through a song (random SNL reference):

Here's the story of a lucky lady,
Who was tutoring some cute little kids. (2008-2009)
All of them did very well, because of their tutors.
Then the next year we had no dough. (Thanks a lot feds!)

Here's the story, of a man named Chris,
Who was busy with tutoring as well.
He was trying to keep us all together,
From the other side of the world (seems like it).

Till the one day when the lady got a call from this fellow,
And he knew he wanted her to work for them again.
That she could somehow find him more teachers.
That's the way we all became the HLC Bunch!
The HLC Bunch, The HLC Bunch.

That's the way we became the HLC Bunch!

Okay, that song is probably a little more about me, but I like it.

I'm not trying to suck up for "Tutor of the Month". I'm just felt like RANDOMLY writing a blog about an awesome person. 

S is for Social Studies

I've decided to spend a little extra time on Social Studies this year...

Here are the top 10 reasons:

1. "Abraham Lincoln sneaked into a theater and shot George Washington."

2. "The teworwists fwew an aiwerpwane into the Empiwer State Buiwlding."

3. "America is a part of Florida."

4. "Cavemen and Indians hunted for dinosaurs to eat."

5.  English is a language. Spanish is a language. French is a language. British is a language.

6. Judges are the same as presidents.

7. People in a jury are called "Jur-mans". 

8. I am a "Zephyrhillian" and it is considered to be a BIG city.

9. "The capital of California is Hollywood."

10. I kid you NOT... (I called a few students up to my desk this morning to sing with me) here is a compilation of "America the Beautiful":

O beautiful for space in skies,
For amber waves of grain.
For purple mountains magically
Above the fruit in pain!
America! America!
God’s head is great on me!
And crown my good with brotha-hood
From sea to shiny sea!

(you should try singing this at the top of your lungs...it's inspiring)

I just hope we have time to set some records straight before 'they' create a Social Studies FCAT.

O is for Overwhelmed

So I felt a little like a hamster in one of those little plastic ball thingies. Kind of running around haphazardly, bumping into stuff, pretending I knew what I was doing so no one picked me up and put me in a cage.

And then...I got a box. It had my name on it and it was from OUT OF TOWN!

Wow! I thought to myself. Buckler, what did you forgot you ordered now?

Well, it wasn't something I forgot I ordered. It was a surprise gift! A beautiful, wonderful, super fantastically awesome gift! From my former "Valentine" and teacher friend! Sewn with love by a tiara finding friend. Both of whom have moved far, far away to places I hear have all four seasons.

Here it is:

It is a hall pass holder/sign that has LADYBUGS on it!!!!!

I want to laminate it!

I want to spray 10 layers of Scotch Guard on it!

I want to put it in a glass box my top shelf and tell the kids they can just LOOK at it!
(and maybe have some lazers protecting it...)

That is how much I love and adore it.

Here is a picture of how I feel about it:

Here is the note it came with:

Notice the cute little jar/milk bottle it came with! I know these took some hard work to clean-up. They are going right on my window sill with my collection. Love, love, love them!

I also enjoyed the packaging materials. Here is what the kids saw when I opened the box:

An ad for 99 cent underwear and comics from a Yankee newspaper. It was like a gift inside a gift!

One of my darlings, which I shall call Type A, said that my gifts were a wonderful example of bucket filling. She also applied the Second Step lesson for the day: "Ms. Buckler! You're feelings changed just like Tonya's did. First you were feeling a little stressed out, but now you are so happy!" She was exactly right, that observant little Type A.

Public Service Announcement:
"If you ask Emily Buckler to help you with something, she is GOING to help you. Maybe it was growing up on a farm before child labor laws or maybe she is trying to get some good Karma. Nevertheless, you do NOT need to repay her. She hopes you do not feel as though you need to do so. She is just thankful for all the help she's received in her lifetime and is trying to pay it forward."
(this message is approved by Emily Buckler)

Thanks from the deepest depths of my heart, Mrs. Campbell. And the "little help" from you, Mrs. Dudley!